• Closed • [Viv's House - Glass Quarter] The unfabled return!

[Winston]

Having Faith again!

Winston shot across the room, all but toppling an entire tray of muffins

Angela

was trying to place down to cool.

"By the Immor... WinSTON! Watch out!"

She cried in an irritated tone of the master of a kitchen that ought not to include high velocity ferrets.

"Sarry! Wisps. Faith. *gasp* Noh time. Rharn. Faith... Godda run!"

And he was gone...

She waited a moment before she heard the door to Chest close behind him before shouting.

"Joe?!"

"Yeah. Onnit!"

Came the reply as the Diri set out after the crazed blur of fur.

Later that trial...

A portal to Saiore, a quick prayer of thanks, another portal to the hospital in Rharne and then

a very quick water-propelled flight later

, he was making his way towards the location the Wisps had given him.

Felicity

was with him, as she usually was these trials and she was ablaze with the news that Faith had returned.

As the four of them, Winston, Joe, Felicity and

Mrs Mistoffelees

, flew through the air towards Vivian's home, the ferret could barely think for the noise.

"You know. You could have rode the mallard."

Observed the Diri at Winston's side.

"Nah. Dis es faster."

His 'mount', currently playing wing-duck, gave a quack in protest.

"Looks to me like they are keeping up JUST fine."

Joe continued, undeterred.

"Yeah, bot me nat very gud at riding flying tings yet. Easier tuh jost fly meself..."

The Wisp, currently sharing Winston's mind through their symbiotic possession, interrupted at this point.

"Never mind the duck! It's there! THERE! Go DOWN!"

The house, which Winston had never seen before, lay before them as they approached. It was pretty big, even by biggun standards and he decided it would be entirely to impolite to simple land in the grounds, so alighted just outside what seemed to be the main gate.

"Dis es de place?"

He asked Felicity as he wandered towards the entrance and into the grounds. It had been less than 24 breaks

since the wisps

had informed him of the rumors of her return and he'd tasked them with locating her. It was unbelievable really and he was certain she'd have dozens of other, more important people to be dealing with than him... but he had so much he wanted to tell her. Surely she needed to know how Isonomia was going, the lab, Calleys... Oh SO much had happened.

As they all made their way towards the house, he caught sign of her...

He heard Felicity's voice in his mind, hushed and unbelieving.

"How is this possible? Is it really her? How..."

"Shhhhh... Dere will be time far dis. Let's jost say hi first..."

The ferret waved to catch Faith's eye as he scampered over in his blue plate swim armour.

It took just about everything he had, but he managed a polite

"Hay! Eeeeeee..... Yuh back?!"

There was no hiding that he was beaming with delighted excitement, but he just about managed to avoid running up her arm and hugging her face. He had been so shocked when he'd found out that she'd left Isonomia in his charge. It had seemed ludicrous at the time... But none the less, he'd fought for it and done a fair to middling job of it by most standards.

The mallard said QUACK as it sat beside him.

"OH! Dis es Mrs Mistoffelees. Yuh nat met yet.

Chest

really wanted tuh com, but me cud nat carrey dem yet. Dem's an dare way now doh... Mun et's gud tuh see yuh."

Thanks goes to Pyrre Ej'qy for inspiring this template

[Faith Augustin]

The Unfabled Return!

Faith was sitting in the front garden.

She liked it here, it was quiet and calm. She was much more settled than she had been when she first got back, but it had still only been a few trials and the young woman remembered mostly nothing at all. No details of her previous life were leaping into focus, no rush of memories pouring in. The reality was, she remembered nothing unless it was right in front of her.

The two women who had been helping her so much, Vivian and Gennadiya, had been giving her the time and space that she had decided she needed. She had realised that she recognised people she knew, when she first saw them. However, as it had been with Vivian and Gennadiya, it was not that she remembered them with her memories, it was nothing to do with her mind. It was in her heart that Faith remembered - she remembered how she felt.

Strangely, she found it liberating.

It was a freedom, she thought, to just feel what she felt without baggage. She wasn't sure that she had baggage, but she was equally fairly positive that she did. The longer she was here, though, the more she just wanted to stay here. In this house, in the safety and warmth of a place with friends. No judgement, no questions, no pressure. It was good.

But, somewhere out there she had a life, she knew. Albeit one that she'd been dead from for a year. It was tempting to think that she could just start again, tell no one and not ever have to feel the pressure of feeling like she must or should or had to remember. But she knew that this was a lie and she knew that lies were not something which sat well with her. Soon, she would have to go out of these walls, out into the world.

As she was thinking that, the world showed her that her plans were meaningless and that, in fact, the world would come to her.

It came to her in the shape of a dive-bombing ferret with a penchant for flamboyancy and manners. He alighted in front of the gate and he - and his duck (because why not have a duck) - made their way to the gate. Faith stood and looked at him and the duck and the womanFaith can see ghosts, but doesn't know she can see ghosts. So, I'm assuming she'll assume that she's a person with him.

The ferret waved and Faith waved back, sure that she knew and liked and respected this strange fellow, and then he started to talk.

Faith's eyebrows lifted as he spoke in a thick and most peculiar accent. She smiled, though and was about to speak when he introduced her to his duck. It explained why the only feeling she had for the duck was one of slight incredulity, she supposed. Still.

"Hello," she said. Her voice was soft and gentle and her skin clean of all her marks and blessings. Silver eyes regarded him as she looked on him. "I don't remember you, but I know you. I don't ... I don't remember anything, but I know how I feel about people when I see them." Sitting down on the low sofa that she'd been on when first she saw him, she gestured for him to do the same. "And I am very pleased to see you. But I'm afraid I don't know anything of my history or who I am or how I know you." She didn't seem upset when she said that - because she wasn't.

"Would you like a drink?" Faith asked. "Or... did you want something? If it's a social visit, it's very very nice to see you."

[Winston]

Being ded... What's THAT like?

Felicity froze, smiled and bowed her head ever so slightly… almost reverently.

”It’s… We are so happy you are… well.”

There was a lot to unpack in her tone, to much to put into the words of a single sentence, it was meaningless to try. The Faith she knew would never had accepted any kind of worship, not that this was what was happening. However the woman meant so very much to them all and her loss was so profound to them all... and here she was. Right a rain.

Meanwhile, there was a complex rearrangement of facts going on inside the tiny ferret’s head as this new information filtered into place…

The Devil on My Shoulder
Curiosity: Forgotten? Everything?
Winston: Dat’s wat she said…
Curiosity: But what about… Well, EVERYTHING? EveryONE?
Winston: Me guess et will ‘ave tut wait.
Curiosity: Wait? They can’t just WAIT! We are here to bring her back up to date! Right?
Winston: Why nat? With all dat she did far dem last time around, she certainly earnt a holiday, noh?
Curiosity: But you can just tell her everything and she’ll be able to lead Isonomia again, take over the Wisps, set Bacon right. Everything!
Winston: Naaaah… Look at ‘ow content she es… Duh yuh nat remember de last time was was wid ‘er… Da ting she said… "I am naturally a very private person and I feel that my story should be mine to share, no one else's."
Curiosity: So we don’t tell her anything?
Winston: We don’t take Fram ‘er sometin’ dat might be beyond ours to Eva give back… an’ af cars, we give ‘er anyting she asks far…

He smiled suddenly, not after a pause that was probably longer than was not at least a little awkward.

”A social visit would be jost de best ting eva.”

He replied, finally as he wondered up to the bench she was on and gestured as if to ask permission to sit.

”Mind ef we join yuh? Me gat de BEST ice cream eva. Ef dat tickles yuh fancy… Et don’t melt.”

He revealed with delight in his voice.

He hopped up onto the bench, accompanied by Felicity who more reservedly perched at the far end, while Mrs Mystofolese settled and began preening herself.

"OK, nat aften yuh get the chance to meet far de fisrt eim twice."

He said with a genuine giggle.

"Me es called Winstaaan."

He announced merrilly.

"An' et's jally nice tuh meetcha again. Sarry far 'aving de advantage an yuh an dat account, but yuh cun ask anyting yuh like an' me will answer et if yuh want me tuh."

He concluded with a grin.

"En summary, we met brifly a while back an' since den me been 'elpin out wid some tings, bot yuh cun ask me about ALL af dat some odda time. It'll still be dere..."

He shared the final statement as if it were an under exaggeration by far.

"All dere es tuh say about dat far now es dat tings are fine."

He paused for a moment for her to speak, if she felt like it, before launching into conversation in the tone of someone shooting the breeze.

”Soh! ‘ow’s et feel tuh be nat ded anymar? Yuh are ‘nat ded’, right? An’ na, like, ‘UN-ded’?”

There was some pretty genuine curiosity in the ferret's tone as he posed the query and he didn't hide his attempt to look for bit of rotting flesh.

Felicity glared at him. This was not the respect Faith deserved, but the cheeky little Cadouri just shrugged.

”Wat? She's nat ded anymore. Dat Gadda be a ting right?”

He looked to Faith for back-up, a smile on his face and a cheeky glimmer in his eye.

Thanks goes to Pyrre Ej'qy for inspiring this template

[Faith Augustin]

The Unfabled Return!

The woman spoke and seemed surprised by Faith speaking to her, maybe? Faith gave a slight smile. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I understand that this is a shock and my death was an upset to people. I can't imagine how much of a strange experience it is to see me again. Even though I'm sure it's welcome." Faith looked at her and she gave a slight frown. "I remember what I feel for people. I don't know you but there's a sense of knowing that you're someone I ... protect?" She wasn't sure that protective was what she was feeling, but she was assuredly feeling something like it.

Still, Winston's enthusiasm for everything was contagious - he assured her that things were the greatest - including ice cream. Faith considered this, quite seriously, and nodded. "I think I do like ice cream, yes. I'd certainly be willing to do an experiment to test that hypothesis," she said with a soft smile.

They sat down together and Faith briefly considered what an odd little group they were. She wondered whether she concluded that the ferret or the duck was the most peculiar and decided that she couldn't - yet - make a decision. He assured her that "things" were fine. She had no idea what things were, but she got the feeling that they might just be things which would break her tranquillity - and she got even more of a feeling that, once it was broken, she'd never get it back. So, on "things", she just nodded and spoke a quiet word of thanks, but said no more than that.

However, when Winston asked her to clarify that she was no longer dead, rather than un-dead, Faith couldn't help but smile. "I'm almost entirely certain that I'm just alive again. Although, Genna seems to think that my body is new." Of course, that would explain the lack of Immortal marks on her. Faith's eyes and skin were her own, her nails their previous short length - no black in sight. "I suspect that it's an important distinction, yes," she said. After all, undead did not sound fun, not at all.

Faith lapsed into silence for a moment and then she spoke - not to Winston, though, to Felicity. "There's something different about you?" she looked closely at the woman and something tickled the front of her brain - but then it was gone again. "I feel very peaceful," she said to them both. "I don't know if that will last once I know whatever it is that you're all not telling me, but for now, I'm enjoying the peaceful."

So, with that said, she gave a smile and asked, "So, ice cream that doesn't melt? Is that magic? It sounds very nice. What flavours do you have?"

It was slipping away, Faith knew, the moments of calm and peacefulness. Soon, she would have to find out whatever it was that she would find out, would have to discover who she had been. The moment that happened, she'd need to make decisions and for right now, she held on to the calmness greedily. For right now, she determined, she'd eat ice cream.

[Winston]

Always leave them wanting more

Felicity smiled, she was usually such a severe individual, but her features were softened around Faith. It made Winston's inner ferret smile. For that matter, it made his outer ferret smile to.

"Hehe, you don't need to apologize. If memory serves, you are the one going through previously unheard of transformative experiences."

She said with a slight grin.

"You helped us once, yes, 'protected' I suppose is a good description."

She shrugged.

"You owe me nothing though..."

A demeanor of pride returned to the woman as she made the statement. She was not insulting Faith or rebelling, it was more like she was prideful, like having found independance and done good things, she was happy.

"We are glad you are... Um... Well. Let us know if you need anything."

The final word in that statement was heavily laden with emphasis.

"Oh! My! ImARtals!"

He blerted out when she spoke of experimenting.

"Yuh get tuh try all de best tings en life far de first time ALL OVA AGAIN!"

He proclaimed with delight. Whether this was a daunting prospect or a delightful one for his friend, he was clearly falling on the side of trying your favourite foods for the first time being the most existing thing ever.

The ferret nodded enthusiastically (it might be that he never did anything without enthusiasm) at the alive/undead explanation.

"Well, Lady Genna knows 'er stoff. Me shar et's fine."

The same words from someone else could easily have been laced with sarcasm, suggesting clearly that things were anything but fine, but from the ferret they were true and genuine. He genuinely believed everything was fine... If only lacking snacks.

Felicity nodded.

"I'm a Ghost... A wisp. You can see our kind."

The Wisp paused, unsure how to deal with the peacefulness problem... Fortunately for them both, Winston was more confident on this front and interjected brightly.

"'anestly, yuh lived a life an' ets still out dere. Peaceful es nat 'ow me wud describe pickin' dat back op."

He smiled a little sarcastically, but no less kindly.

"Bot yuh don't gat tuh do dat an' when or IF yuh choose tuh do dat latta, jost rememba yuh gat a lat af peepal tuh 'elp wid dat... Bot 'ey, maby dat wus yesturday-faith's life... Et don't gatta be tutrial-faith's life. Don't ova-think et, dat wud be me advice. Enjoy de peace an' per'aps, accept dat yuh cun keep et ef yuh don't want de noise."

The wisp was not as confident as Winston that this was good advice, but could not argue that facing all of that would be something their mutual friend would not be able to turn back from.

When she asked what flavours he had, he little eyes twinkled. Second (in a previous life) only to Faith herself, nothing made him happier then seeing people enjoy his food, but this was an opportunity he must not spoil... for himself or his friend. He considered the woman for a moment,

making no effort to hide a screwed glare as he considered her pallet.

He eventually decided that it would be a crying shame to start at the top and only go down. It felt like a much more exciting journey for each dish, one after the other to be better then the last, leaving hope for the next dish, that there was more to find... The flavour of hope, if there was such a thing.

"Oh! Me gat vanilla, apple, chocolate... Oh-oh! Starburst fruit! Bot 'ere, try som af dis, me tink dis will 'it de 'jost returned fram de dead an' don't really know wats going an bot want to taste sometin' lovely...' spat."

If such a thing was even possible, whatever flavour he produced from his

bag

, along with a subtle glittering effect that fell from the cold ice cream like super-cold things do in the warm, but rainbow coloured glitter instead fell from it. The bags flap openned up and sitting at the bottom of it was a serving of the

aforementioned ice cream that would not melt and was of a flavour that, somehow, spoke to her appetite

.

There was some for all of them of course, so Faith was not eating alone and he served them all with a chirpy smile.

"Me gat moch mar where dat come fram too. Yuh want anyting else, jost let me know. Chest will be 'ere en a littal while, den me will 'ave me 'ol kitchen far yuh tuh enjoy."

He proclaimed brightly.

All template credit, love and admiration goes to Pyrre Ej'qy