Private ✪ Finweald Om Du Möter Varg

[Ash Vargold]

Finweald, Astorea
Weather: Sunny

　

 [ LUTHIEN ]

Hey Ash, got some free time?

　

There's been some… odd sightings at the orphanage lately. Was wondering if you could take a look at it?

　

Make sure it's not a troublesome ghost and if it is I'll help you curb stomp it to next week

　

　

sure​

　

any allergies? ill bring snacks​

​

Well, it doesn't smell haunted... Ash stared at the orphanage's door, tail swishing slowly. The weather was bright, the city was (relatively) quiet, and nothing in particular was clouding up his thoughts. Even his heart wasn't bothering him, instead echoing some subconscious joy at reuniting with his friend packmate Luthien.

So what was this sense of dread he was feeling? There was no reason for it, and yet he couldn't shake it. Maybe it was just the fact he was about to willingly walk into a figurative and literal lion's den of children...

Ash shook his head. Just anxiety, best ignored. He shuffled his stack of sweet-smelling cardpaper boxes into one arm, then knocked on the door with his free hand. He assumed he was supposed to knock, anyway. This was an orphanage, not some kind of child library.

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

It wasn’t hard to guess where the ranger might be—so long as she wasn’t out of a mission of course—whenever she logged into the game. She spent so much time in various places around Finweald that it was hard to not view the Starcalled capital as a home of sorts.

Her responsibilities as a whistle meant a lot of hours in the Embertorch with Beleg and @Yugam, giving them both a hand with paperwork or helping the lower ranked whistles with any questions they might have. Dough Re Mi and Malinornë Weaves saw a lot of patronage from the elf too, to the point that Lúthien was considered a regular by their owners… but the place that caught sight of the elf the most was the little orphanage run by the Lions Pride in the city.

"Alfather give me patience… Milah, get down from there before you get hurt—see???" Sure enough the haphazardly stacked empty crates finally gave way, the young felis child losing her balance and rolling off one side until she finally found the ground. "Come here, let me take a look…"

Thankfully it wasn’t something a little bit of support magic couldn’t fix, and by the time Vargold had messaged her the rambunctious brunette was already up and going again as she played with the other kids.

　

Lúthien   Ash Vargold

Uuuhhh, none that I’m aware of…?

Be sure to bring enough for everyone though, the kiddos here love snacks.

A pair of curious eyes were focused on her hands as they flitted through the air, before a soft smile graced her lips as Lúthien caught sight of the staring caenis. "Guess what Finn, uncle Ash’s coming for a visit today~" He was silent as usual, though the perked ears and faint tail wags betrayed the curious excitement Finn felt at finally meeting the fellow caenis that Lúthien spoke so much about.

Their sensitive noses picked up the faint sweetness before Ash even had the chance to knock, the scratching sounds on the door hinting at the gaggle of children swarming around the other side. "Alright kids c’mon, that’s no way to greet a guest and y’all know it." A few claps gathered their attention, the sternness in her voice enough to calm them—for now at least— as the scurried back an acceptable distance from the entrance.

"Welcome to the Cubs Den, Ash~" He was greeted with a wide smile and a sweeping gesture from the elf as the door opened, pointing towards a nearby table. "We should probably distribute those before the little ones get impatient."

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash could hear the scratching and whispering at the door before he heard Lúthien's voice, and he couldn't help but step back. It turned out to be a good choice as the door opened, revealing a literal horde of children. That was... far more that he'd expected.

He did his best to feign a smile as Lúthien herded them away, but his discomfort was obvious nonetheless. Children were something Ash... Aisling struggled with on the best of days. "Hi Lúthien. I uh. Brought donuts. Should be enough for everyone?"

He made sure to keep them held high as he walked them to the table. One of the many small children peered at him from over the edge.

"Tall..."

Ash blinked down at her, and she squeaked before scampering away to hide behind another child, a dark haired... caenis? Vulpis? Some kind of pointy-eared beastfolk. He turned his attention instead to laying out and opening up the boxes and revealing the treasures within.

"I didn't bring any plates, but if you have napkins then that should work. Oh, and tongs might be nice so they aren't just grabbing them with their bare hands." He'd already set aside some donuts for Lúthien specifically, but it was still better not to have the kids pawing their way through the donuts. "I'll leave the distribution to you."

Please was the unspoken ask at the end of his sentence. He was just here for ghosts, not babysitting...!

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

She had heard the rumors long ago, though having missed the opportunity to witness the actual event Lúthien hadn’t been able to know how accurate or exaggerated the tale might’ve been... or that it could also extend towards children.

{ Sorry, } her voice spoke through a mind link, an apologetic smile on the blonde’s lips as her perceptive eyes picked up the hidden cues of Ash’s discomfort. { I didn’t expect them to be short-staffed today. }

"Wow mister… you’re huuugeee!!!"

The felis gazed up at Vargold with a mixture of admiration and determination, could she one day grow as tall as him?! Her fluffy tail swished back and forth in excitement as a new goal was acquired today.

"Here, I gotcha~" It was always wondrous to behold the many things that laid hidden within the ranger’s UI inventory, though jury was still out if her resourcefulness was out of planning ahead or just a byproduct of her own sticky fingers. A pair of metal tongs and a pack of napkins materialized from thin air, the last one set on the table before Lúthien clicked the pliers loudly to catch the children’s attention.

"Alright everyone you heard Ash, there’s enough for each one of you so line up—" One, two, three, four… her voice came to a halt as Lúthien realized a curly mess of red hair was missing from the bunch. "Has anyone seen—Peppy!!!"

A surprised squeal followed as her name was loudly called out, the hand that had been sneaking towards the open case of donuts disappearing around the side of the table as the child lost her grip and landed on the floor with a thump.

"Ehehee…?"

"Don’t you ehehee me, missy." The long sigh that escaped Lúthien hinted that this wasn’t her first—or last—rodeo with the little faerin, perhaps the most troublesome of the whole bunch. "Now get back here before I change my mind."

She quickly joined the rest of the group before Lúthien could carry out the silent promise, crimson eyes now looking over the five children as she wondered the best course of action for this. "Mmm, let’s see… how about we choose who goes first with rock, paper, scissors?" It was a fairly straightforward game, heavily reliant on luck but it shouldn’t put the younger kiddos at too much of a disadvantage against their slightly older peers.

"Alright, on my mark everyone… rock, paper, scissors, GO!!!" And just like that the first round went out, time to see who’d be the first to take their pick from the many donuts Uncle Ash had brought…

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Mmngh. Ash did his best to maintain a straight face, but hiding the anxious lash of his tail or the way his ears flattened took much more effort. It wasn't as if he wanted to intimidate a bunch of children, but anxiety tended to look more aggressive through Ash. He glanced at Luthein, responding to her telepathy with an exaggerated eye roll.

Being around children was always nerve wracking. There were so many ways one could mess up around them. Unfortunately, Aisling attracted kids the way some people attracted cats, and Ash seemingly carried the same curse. He briefly glanced down at bright-eyed felis looking up at him and faked a smile. "...thanks."

Fortunately, it was after that Lúthien managed to draw the attention of the kids away. He visibly relaxed once their attention was on the intense game of rock-paper-scissors. Seemed like an overcomplicated way to hand them out, but it was very... Lúthien. Ash crossed his arms, shifting so he was a little further away from the mob, and let his attention wander. He was here for a reason, after all…

"C'mon, Vesty!"

"I'll wait, Gumi..."

"Nope! You have to play too!"

The dark-furred vulpis half-pushed, half dragged her older friend into the ring. After a moment of whispering, they joined the chant.

"Rock, paper... ROCK!"​

They both threw out the same hand-sign. Once Gumi realized they'd both lost she puffed her cheeks out. "Not fair... Peppy shouldn't win! She tried to break the rules!"

Oh geez. Ash grimaced as Gumi glared at Peppy, tail lashing with aggressive intent...

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

{ This way they can’t blame the adults~ } Vargold’s expression gave the elf a good hint on what he might’ve been thinking as the game began, a playful wink accompanying her telepathy before Lúthien turned her attention back to the children.

"Wow look at that, lot’s of rocks and papers this round…" She was amused upon noticing all bushy tailed children had picked paper as their starting choice. "That means Finn and Peppy are tied—"

"Again!!!"

Her suggestion of both kids picking donuts at the same time never saw the light of day as the fiery faerin loudly interjected, hand already balled in preparation as she turned to face the caenis boy. He was less enthusiastic by a wide margin, a questioning glance given towards his elven guardian.

"Alright then, time for a tie-breaker~" She gave Finn a nod of encouragement, watching as the boy’s tail quietly swayed as his expression turned serious with determination. "Rock, paper scissors… GO!!!"

Two splayed hands faced each other next as both children picked paper, her amused whistling cut short as Peppy’s voice rang out louder—clearly determined to win the title of the first kid to get a donut today. "Rock paper scissors… GO!!!" They seemed determined to defy the odds as they both picked rock for the third round, with all eyes trained on them as Lúthien chanted one more time.

"Oh…"

"YES!!! First donut is mine!"

However Peppy’s outburst of victory would be short-lived as one of the foxy children threw out an unexpected accusation. "Now hold on…!" Lúthien had been around the children long enough to know how quickly things could escalate between them, especially when Peppy balled her fists up like that—

"Gumi, you can’t say someone’s cheating without ev-evudance… you’re just mad Peppy gets a donut before you!"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Gumi puffed up dramatically, ears pinned back.

"She was gonna steal a donut first! Even Miss Lúthien saw her!"

"I think Finny should get the donut first! He didn't try to cheat!"

It was quite the dramatic show, really. Lots of stomping and growling. Perhaps... too dramatic? After all, Lúthien had probably known Gumi long enough to know her tricks. Tricks like... distraction!

"...sneaky, sneaky..."

Apparently no one had told Harvest that saying "sneaky" out loud while trying to be stealthy sort of ruined the whole attempt. She didn't even notice Ash watching her as she crept towards the donuts.

For a moment, he thought of interfering, or at least catching Lúthien's attention. But she was already occupied with managing the kids, and he didn't want to get caught up in the mess.

...and honestly, it was kind of funny to watch, in a harmless sort of way. Like a nature documentary, but for tiny humans. (Wait, wasn't that something Jake had said...?)

Convinced she'd succeeded, Harvest reached out towards the two most colorful donuts...

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

"You’re such a liar, Gumi!!!"

"Yeah, Miss Lúthien would’ve said something if she saw Peppy cheat!"

"Alright, alright…" She finally found a moment to interject herself among the three children, her arms serving as barriers to keep Milah and Peppy on one side and Gumi on the other before things got physical. "That’s quite enough from all of you."

It was impossible to miss the disappointment in her voice, and a stern glance towards the first two was enough to sizzle out Peppy’s fiery disposition while Milah’s ears folded downwards. "I’ve said it before, you can’t have a successful conversation by shouting at one another." That crimson gaze shifted towards Gumi then, letting the vixen know she was just as much as fault as the other two.

"Sorry Miss Lúthien…"

"Honestly what’s gotten into you today, Gumi—" The momentary relief she’d felt as things finally cooled down quickly disappeared as Lúthien had a moment to take in everything and—more importantly—everyone.

Sure, the young vixen could be a handful at times, but she usually wasn’t prone to such outburst unless… One, two, three… I knew it. Unless the pair of vixens was up to no good, that is.

"... that’s not nice, Harvest."

The words came up quietly behind Harvest as the white fox began reaching for two of the donuts, the seriousness behind him always a jarring contrast to his young age. It wasn’t an accusation but merely a statement, and he made no effort to draw the attention of either adult in the room as those grayish blue eyes stared at Harvest.

"I better not turn around and see sticky fingers inside the donut box…!" Not like he needed to, it sounded like Lúthien had finally caught up to Gumi’s latest scheme.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Gumi met Lúthien's gaze with her own. She was able to hold her own for a moment, eyes filled with the determination of a child who knew she was right-

-but then she broke eye contact, fists clenched in at her sides.

"Sorry Miss Lúthien..."

She didn't sound that sorry, though, and the moment Lúthien wasn't looking Gumi stuck her tongue out at the other two.

Meanwhile, Harvest turned to stare at Finn with sleepy eyes. She'd already grabbed two donuts, one long with maple icing and one glazed old-fashioned. It was hard to tell what she was thinking - it always was with her.

A sharp look suddenly entered her eyes, and with surprising speed she forced the glazed donut into Finn's hands.

"...there. Now you're cul-pa-ble too."

Harvest was always using words like that. It probably said a bit too much about where she'd come from. There was a flicker of a smile on her face, and then she suddenly turned and darted off with the remaining donut cradled in her hands like something precious.

"Ah- Vesty, wait for me!"

There was a small puff of "distracting" smoke. Barely enough to conceal her, and in the aftermath Gumi was still perfectly visible. There was a moment of hesitation, and then she sprinted off after her partner-in-crime.

Ash covered a smile, but his amusement was plain in his body language. Did Lúthien really do this willingly? "...quite the interesting gaggle you've got here. Is it always like this?"

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

Gumi’s silent provocation quickly had the faerin balling her fists once more, but the firm hand on her shoulder prevented the fiery child from following her impulses.

"Don’t fall for her tricks, Peppy."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, after all she wasn’t trying to draw the attention of either adult in the room, but loud enough to ensure Gumi could also hear her words. Their little exchange would remain under the radar for now, their blonde caretaker currently focused on the two children with donuts in their hands.

". . ."

The white caenis simply stared at the donut Harvest had shoved in his direction, ears folded backwards as its sugary stickiness clung to his fingers in an uncomfortable way. One of his hands finally let go of it, his gaze turning towards Harvest as his tiny index finger wordlessly pointed at the white fox.

"Alfather, what am I gonna do with you kids—h-hey!!!" Harvest decided to make a run for it then, aided by the puff of smoke conjured by her partner in crime. Unfortunately for them both their little antics were already well known to the ranger, and it wasn’t long before a verdant breeze quickly shot after both children.

Try as he might, Ash was unable to fully conceal the lingering amusement in his voice. "I’d say this is one of the calmer days." A faint snort accompanied her answer, though most of her attention remained on the task at hand.

The two vixens had barely made it into the hallway when the wind caught up with their tiny feet. It wrapped around their small bodies and carefully lifted them up with ease, before carrying them back into the room they’d just tried to abscond from.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

The two really thought they had made it with their ill-gotten gains. The hallway was right there. But then came Lúthien's wind, and Gumi's fledgling magic was no match.

"Grrrrr-!"

"Nooooooo..."

In a last, desperate grasp for victory, Harvest tried to throw Gumi the donut. Unfortunately, it merely smacked her in the face and was caught up in the wind. The two girls were delivered back to the room, sticky and sadly donutless.

"This is calm? Really?" Ash shook his head, smile still on his face. "Guess I should be glad I only brought donuts. God forbid there be drinks too."

There were, in fact, drinks squirreled away in his inventory. But those were for the adults. He was not giving the kids caffeine.

As the others were occupied with the pastry chaos, a napkin was offered to Finn.

"For you, o Oracle."

"What an interesting game. Will you play more, or be content with your spoils?"

A child, one that looked quite a bit like Finn, but older. More... indistinct. One with a familiar voice, and perhaps even a familiar face. If only it didn't vanish the moment anyone other than Finn looked in its direction....

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

". . ."

He was oblivious to everything else now, the young caenis stuck on how to solve his current conundrum. He’d licked off the sticky sweetness from the fingers on his left, but the feeling of discomfort still remained… and there was the source of it all, that glazed donut still held in his right hand.

"Thanks."

There was no startled or surprised reaction as the being appeared, the offered napkin taken with a nod before he scrunched it in his left hand—relief found at last. It’s only at the mention of spoils that he finally turns to the glazed donut on his right, his head shaking gently after a moment before his eyes search for someone—

"Here."

"What—donut!!!"

The last of her lingering irritation quickly dissipated as Peppy spotted the sweet that Finn offered, her eyes sparkling radiantly as the faerin quickly snatched the treat from his hand.

"Alfather no, that combo would’ve started the next Astorean War of Drinks and Donuts~" Sure, the little ones might be a handful at times, but their chaotic outburst meant the adults in their lives were doing things right… or, at least, that’s what Lúthien wanted to believe. "Like most things, it gets easier with time—"

Lúthien’s sensitive ears weren’t the only ones that caught the faint voice amidst the loud complaints of two troublemakers, though the elf ignored it as she focused on the two vixens now hovering in the air in front of her. The corners of her mouth curved upwards as she spotted the maple incing splatter on Gumi’s face, though she managed to keep herself from chuckling as she admonished the two.

"Well, have we learned something today?" Her eyes shifted from Harvest to Gumi and back, the long donut pilfered now hovering above Lúthien’s open palm.

". . ."

There it was again, that odd sensation that made her spine shiver and her fur prickle when Finn was around. Milah gazed at Finn with a mix of cautious apprehension, a hand instinctively kept on Peppy’s shoulder in a protective manner while the faerin gobbled her donut up.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Gumi and Harvest both looked to each other, as if trying to communicate by stares alone. Or perhaps by primal impulse, though Gumi was too young to have mastered that, and Harvest was human and lacked any sort of mental ability.

"Uuuuuuum..."

"Er..."

The shame of getting caught had struck them both speechless, it seemed. But whatever lesson they might have learned was probably far from what Lúthien would have preferred they learn...

With Milah's eyes on Finn, no figure could be seen... but there was certainly the sense of eyes upon her. Not hostile, but indifferent. And it wasn't just her that felt it...

Ash's smile froze on his face. His fur bristled as he turned, detecting the chill of... something. It wasn't quite dead, but close enough to set off his senses. Right, he'd come here for a reason that didn't involve donuts.

For a moment his gaze settled on Milah, then followed hers to Finn. There was something... familiar about him, something that made his heart stutter and his vision narrow. He looked away quickly and met Lúthien's eyes, but kept one ear twisted towards the quiet child.

It's here, Ash mouthed.

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

"What am I gonna do with you two?" The look in their faces said it all, earning a deep sigh from the elf as her hand fluttered in the air—interacting with an unseen force—before a pack of wipes materialized in the air just as their tiny feet found solid ground once more. "Come on, let’s get you both cleaned up."

The donut hovered just out of their reach as Lúthien focused on cleaning the sticky glaze from places it shouldn’t have been on the girls. "There’s no need for these tricks girls, there’s enough donuts for everyone." She must’ve reminded them of this at least a thousand times by now, gentle as she wiped Harvest’s face, though the blonde personally knew how hard old habits were to break.

"Hey F-Finn…?"

It wasn’t the first time her fur bristled when the caenis boy was around, though she could never figure out why it happened. Peppy seemed oblivious to it all, too focused on the sweet treat in her mouth to care, and a part of the felis almost wished the faerin’s obliviousness was contagious.

"Yeah?"

"I-It’s nothing…! Thought I saw a bug over there, but it was just a napkin hahah…"

The real question died in her throat when those piercing blue eyes focused on her, and Milah quickly rushed closer to the table to pick up a fallen napkin as she weaved it into her excuse. Something about them always unsettled the felis and, had it not been for Peppy’s fondness when it came to Finn, Milah was certain she would’ve always kept a healthy distance from the little caenis boy.

"Here, you two can split this one—but you have to promise one thing." The maple glazed donut was picked from the air and carefully split in two equal parts, a serious expression as the elf knelt down to be on their level as she spoke. "No more sneaking things that aren’t yours, especially when we have a guest. Deal?"

The halves were offered to the girls, free to finally have their spoils, as she pretended to not have noticed the extra presence in the room. The real reason behind Ash’s unexpected visit to the orphanage was here somewhere, and a quick glance to Ash confirmed the caenis felt it too as her gaze found his.

{ Should we continue the game? } Her voice silently echoed in his mind shortly after his mouthed words. { Or should I send the children away for now? }

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash considered the question as he tried to pinpoint the source of the chill he was feeling. It was maddeningly how it could feel so close, only to dance away the moment he thought he'd found it. Like playing a game of tag-

Something clicked into place.

Ash looked back to Lúthien, and held up one finger. First one, he mouthed, briefly wishing he had a more convenient way to respond to her mental messages. Pulling out the UI would be too obvious here...

Harvest squirmed as Lúthien wiped her face, mumbling something about being "growned-up". But in the end, she had no way to resist when she was suspended, and before long both girls were on the ground and faced with a choice.

Harvest looked at Gumi. Gumi looked at Harvest. They then both looked at Lúthien.

"Kaaaaay!"

"Kay..."

They simultaneously snatched the donut halves, then ran off giggling. Perhaps there would be consequences, but those were a problem for their future selves…

”Thus this game continues.” There was no one there, but a voice whispered in Finn’s ear. Or perhaps it was his thoughts. Perhaps it didn’t matter either way. The sense of eyes left Milah, cast instead towards the adults within the room.

In the voice, an unseen smile.

”In the next, this one’s promise will be fulfilled.”

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

A quick nod was given before the blonde turned her attention back to the children, hands clapping together to gather their attention. "Alright everyone, who’s ready for round two~?" Peppy was the first to bounce up in excitement, the last bite of her first win hurriedly shoved into her mouth as she waved both hands in the air.

For a moment the elf thought to have the faerin sit this round out, but the idea was promptly discarded as she looked at the two children sharing their stolen treat.

"Okay, but new rules going forwards… if you win a round you cannot participate in the next round" A hand rose to stop the redhead from blurting out her complains through a full mouth, she knew the faerin child well enough by now. "Yes Peppy, you can play this round… also if any donuts go missing the game stops—and everyone will have chores for a week."

". . ."

He was quiet as the voice whispered in his ear, though one eyebrow did raise in a silent question before they furrowed together—somewhat worried now that the rules were amended. The last thing Finn wanted was to cause trouble for the others.

Her gaze lingered on Gummi and Harvest a second longer as the second rule was laid out, a faint smile curling the edges of her lips. Hopefully the children would heed her advice, but she wasn’t about to stop them if they preferred lessons being done the hard way.

"Everyone ready then?" Milah, Peppy, and Finn walked closer, sticking their little balled hands outwards as they gathered together for a new round. "Rock, paper, scissors… GO!!!"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

.

"Go!"

"Go."

Once again, the sneaky children threw out the same hand. Once again, they lost. Gumi growled, seemingly ready to fight Peppy again, but this time it was Harvest that stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. The older girl whispered in her ear, though anyone close enough could hear her words.

"We can make her pay when Miss Lúthien isn't here..."

That, and the sleepy gaze pointed towards the faerin girl, were the end of that particular threat.

Ash heard it, but he wasn't paying much attention. With what he hoped was a subtle motion he opened his interface, tapping out a message to Lúthien while the kids were distracted.

Ash Vargold
smth off w white hair

It was hard not to stare at the kid, in fact. Now that he was paying attention, he couldn't ignore the nagging sense of familiarity. He'd never seen him before, but something about the appearance, the smell...

Heh heh.

Had a second hand thrown out alongside Finn's? It was only there a moment, more a suggestion than a hand. Rock, and then it was gone to all but the keenest eyes...

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

Vargold’s chat had been left open inside her UI early on, the window shoved to a corner where it wouldn’t take much space and hinder her vision. The quiet message that popped into view echoed the growing concerns within her mind, having caught the faint whispers of Harvest as she tried to keep Gumi from jumping Peppy.

Despite the odds their second round had come down to Finn and Peppy again, the faerin sporting a huge grin in her face—absolutely certain she’d won—before the mirage of something revealed rock instead of paper for Finn.

". . ."

"Changing your choice is cheating, Finn!!!"

So that’s what they had meant. A quiet sigh left the young caenis as his hand lowered, the once splayed fingers balled into a fist before he’d realize it. "Everything alright…?" Lúthien had only managed a nod towards Ash in acknowledgement before the redhead’s outburst had her attention shifting to Finn and Peppy, an eyebrow raised as she heard the accusation.

"Yea—"

"No, I was too slow. Peppy won."

". . ."

"Wow, you’re on a roll today Peppy." The frown hadn’t left the faerin’s face as she looked towards Finn, though whatever words she had initially had vanished as the white haired boy admitted defeat. Another pair of eyes stared suspiciously towards him, the tip of Milah’s tail swishing occasionally from a discomfort she couldn’t quite pin the source of.

A chocolate covered donut was the redhead’s choice this time, the faerin sitting down to enjoy her second treat in accordance with the new rule. "Gather around children, there’s still nine donuts left." A glance was given towards Ash, wondering if he’d noticed anything else while she’d been busy with the little ones, before she started off the third round.

"Rock, paper, scissors… Go!!!"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Go!"

"Go."

Two corporeal hands, this time different ones.

”Go~”

And a third, insubstantial one. This time, Ash was watching for it.

Ash Vargold
its playing rps???

Ash's fur bristled as he suppressed the instinct to engage. There were children here, after all, and the... entity seemed calm. He still had no idea what it was - it didn't smell dead, and he didn't know much about the other spirits in Terrasphere.

A memory of invisible hands and a wailing, begging voice-​

...he knew about one other kind of spirit, one that he'd never want to meet again.

Ash Vargold
> dunno what'll happen when the game ends
> but its attached to white hair

Why did that kid look so familiar? He barely interacted with adult landers, let alone kids. It was definitely the center of this "haunting", though.

Ash Vargold
> need to get him alone
> might want to wrap this up

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

{ Guess it has a lot of free time in its hands…> } She had caught the appearance of the fifth hand, keenly aware that their fifth player was currently stuffing herself with a second donut and thus out of the game for now.

A pit settled in her stomach when Ash confirmed what she had already suspected, worried that whatever this thing might be could seek to hurt Finn at some point. The small pup had already experienced so much loss in his short lifetime…

"Ugh why is it another three way tie?"

"It’s not Milah… look again."

"What are you talking about Finn, there’s two rocks and two scis… sooors?

The felis rubbed her eyes before counting two more times, but the result remained unchanged: she had finally won. Whatever excitement she might’ve felt from the success had been overshadowed by the odd experience, her eyes staring at Finn for a moment longer than necessary, until Lúthien’s voice coaxed the felis to go pick her own sugary prize.

"Well, I think that was a couple of fun rounds… right everyone?" Her gaze swept over the remaining three children, the latest message from Vargold flashing in the corner of her UI, before Lúthien continued. "Let’s line up single-file so everyone can pick a donut after Milah, okay?"

{ After they finish their donuts then. } It was hard to find a way to isolate one of the kids from the rest when a new visitor was present, but there was one excuse that could work… { They’ll have sticky hands to clean, you can take him to the little boys room while I help the girls. }

@Ash Vargold