(Thanks, Wild! )

"...Oh." The Rake replied, slightly put out by this. She didn't entirely understand what Carys had said to her... for example, she had no idea what this "apple-the-carry" thing was... but she caught the general gist, and the important stuff. While it was disappointing that Carys didn't have the same pastimes as her old mistress, it wasn't a deal-breaker by any means. "...You have any pets?" She asked, trying for a different angle.

Of course, as soon as Caira came into view of Iolo, the fox tilted his head at the sight of the girl, his tail swishing from side to side just as idly as it had the previous times he caught sight of someone. He watched as the girl collected some berries and garlic from the neighboring plants, he assumed without permission, since this was his land, but he shook it off regardless. There wasn't much harm in sating one's interests and desires, after all, and judging from the look this woman was sporting, she seemed to be attuned with nature to begin with. So, of course, he simply watched, electricity sometimes sparking off the fox's body, other times arcing into the ground harmlessly. It was a while, however, before the fox eventually spoke up. "Hello there." He said, casually, looking up at the girl.

---

(Oh, Rake. 'Apple-the-carry...')

"Pets?" Carys echoed, looking over at the girl, trying to figure out just what all these questions were for. They didn't seem entirely random, even though they kind of were, and Carys couldn't help but have a sneaking suspicion that they were done for a different reason, one that she couldn't place just yet. But, after a few moments, she nodded, though her actual verbal response was more than a little vague. "Yeah, I have pets. Well, had pets..." She mumbled, looking directly forward.

(Apothecary. Rake's not the brightest, does it show?)

"Had? You don't any more?" The Rake asked, at least catching on to that much. "What kind of pet did you have? Birds? Cats? Fish?" She put a blade up to her chin, thinking about it for a bit. "...It was a cat, wasn't it? You look like you had a cat." She leaned in closer, thoroughly intrigued and not wanting to miss a single word Carys said back to her.

Caira turned her head down to the source of the noise seeing the fox before her, the fact that it had talked did in fact surprise her a bit though not to the extent that she was scared in any way. In fact if anything she thought Iolo was actually quite cute so she decided that maybe she could give him a couple of strawberries. Reaching into her bag she took a few out then knelt down. Holding them in her hand she soothingly encouraged Iolo not realising how awkward it may have sounded, "Come on little munchkin, eat up."

(Really? I never would've guessed, Spider.)

Carys backed up a little as the girl leaned in closer to her, though she actually seemed a little surprised as the girl correctly guessed the kind of pet she had, and she nodded after a moment, looking ahead down the trail. "Yeah, I used to have a cat." She said, still wondering where all these questions were coming from, and, after a moment, decided to pose that question to The Rake. "Where're all these questions coming from, anyhow?" She asked, glancing over at The Rake inquisitively, waiting for her answer.

---

Iolo seemed quite confused as the girl before her held out some strawberries for him to eat, along with the words she spoke, while being a little condescending to someone like him, didn't bother him too much. So, after a few moments and a few cautious sniffs of the strawberries, Iolo opened his maw and took one of the strawberries in whole. "Thank you." He said, as he chewed the strawberry then swallowed it, licking his chops lightly. "Now, may I ask why you were taking the wildlife off of it's branches and leaves and what have you without my express permission?" He asked, tilting his head at Caira.

Caira's eyes widened slightly at this remark though she decided that the fox was being somewhat territorial perhaps over the land she was on, "The farmer at the farmyard over there," Caira pointed to a distant farm that was a fair distance away, "He told me that this was all free land and the parish council had allowed the picking of berries as long as it wasn't for commercial produce." Feeling somewhat confident with her answer she went to get her water bottle once again her throat parched from the talking, a sharp gulp thundering right down her throat. With her thirst satisfied Caira began to stand up giving the fox a warm smile the mumbled mostly to herself, "It's nice how nature speaks out to you in so many ways..."

(In all seriousness, do you guys really like her that much? Dang...)

The Rake straightened, proud that she'd correctly guessed what Carys's pet had been. "Mother has a cat, too." She explained. "But she brewed, and you don't." She shrugged. "How else are you like mother?" She had no problem with explaining her rationale, aside from the inherent difficulties in doing so. "...Ooh! Do you like oranges?"

"Hmph. I daresay that farmer's given me more trouble than is worth." Iolo remarked, shaking his head ever so slightly. "Well, for the sake of not repeating mistakes, I'll let you know that most of this land around the facility" He glanced back at the entrance to said facility, then looking back at Caira, "and stretching for a good ways past the facility is my domain." He said, looking up at the woman. "I don't take too lightly to people taking what is rightfully mine, but, since you were merely ignorant instead of malicious, I shall allow it to slide for now." He said, obviously acting as though he was being morally right in this situation. He really did allow himself to get too in over his head a few times, but he knew what all was right and wrong in the end, at least according to his own set of morals. "But... yes, nature truly is a wonderful thing, isn't it?" He asked, electricity arcing across his body as he looked around their surroundings.

---

(Well, she's a fun character. Just accept the compliments.)

"Oh, so that's what this is about." Carys muttered, looking a little bemused by how this conversation had turned. "You're just trying to link me more to your mom, I guess? Well, to answer your question, I guess oranges are pretty good." She said, shrugging lightly. "I mean, they're definitely not my favorite fruit, but yeah, I like oranges."

"Yes, though at the rate we're going nature will be crushed by some point. It's just a shame people don't come out and appreciate the beauty that we have around us. Though you can't force people to love something," Caira explained ,an enthusiasm charging within her. Caira heaved the bag back on her back then began to glance around the surroundings give a small sigh as she couldn't see any signposts or anything and the ordinance survey map only showed this path as being obscure and out of the way.
"You would have thought there would be signs to this Wayside place..." she mumbled to herself in half  hearted annoyance though she couldn't hold any serious anger towards anyone. Caira then brushed past Iolo giving a goodbye nod and began her walking again though this time a bit slower from her tiring frame.

"I daresay I have to agree... It truly is a shame more people can't connect with nature such as we used to. I hate to think of what'll become of the world in a couple of years if things keep going this way..." Iolo muttered to himself, his expression becoming a little more grim, or at least as grim as a fox's face could. When Caira brushed past Iolo, though, nodding in departure, Iolo looked back at her before following the girl. "If it's Wayside you're looking for, I just so happen to have the ability to show you the way." He said, glancing up at Caira as he trotted alongside her. "I'm the headmaster of Wayside, you see," He looked forward as they both headed down the trail, the entrance doors coming into view. "Not that it really matters at this point, you were so close anyway. But tell me, while we're still here, what's your name?"

Caira remained pretty quiet for a few moments only her breaths being heard, Headmaster? How can you be a headmaster of a place of care and support? A refugge and support centre Caira thought as she felt a bit confused. While she held a great respect for those who did something to help those in need she needed some form of closure, "So if you're a headmaster, are you meaning to tell me this is a school you're running here."

"Well, not necessarily a school. Some of the patrons that stay here have called me the headmaster. This is a place of learning and enlightenment as much as it is a home for care and support, though." He said, looking back up at the woman. "For example, there's a boy who's been occupying my library for the past while, despite my best intentions for him." He commented, tilting his head as both of them neared the entrance to the facility. "But that's not necessarily the point. Is this a school? Yes and no." He answered, looking back up at Caira again. "But you haven't told me your name yet."

(Sh.... yes, accept them. She's a very intriguing character.) (Also realizing I've yet to do a start for Beau... but nah.)

It was true that Fauriei hadn't completely accepted that fact that Arima's scare had been all fun and games, but because he wasn't particularly argumentative, he was willing to let this go. In fact, unless it came down to protecting his tree, he'd rather not argue with anyone. Besides, considering the chance to talk to anyone around here was far too rare, he definitely couldn't pass-up the opportunity to do so with Arima, even if he was slightly sour about what had gone down a few minutes ago. "I'm sorry... I really didn't try to be mean or anything. I just don't talk to people all that much, so I guess things slip out sometimes," he admitted, noticeably uncomfortable as she continued crying. He hated bringing those feelings upon anyone without reason, especially because she was sitting here and complimenting him, to the point that his face became dusted red. "But I'm not really that adorable..." he insisted, touching his face and giving a slight pout, "Especially not as much as you are."

Caira gave a quick nod then gave a short answer, "Caira." the way she spoke may have been a slight bit bored and stale though that was not something she was too concerned about at the time, softening her voice she proceeded to ask, "Anything else you need to know?"

(Shucks, folks, I'm speechless. )

The Rake seemed slightly disappointed with this answer, but didn't comment on it. She did notice that Carys seemed to be enjoying the questions, though, and decided to keep them coming, since she had a large amount of them stockpiled, anyway, and certainly had the desire to get to know her a little better. In face, she had more than enough to last the rest of the way to Wayside, and likely several more round trips, if Carys could tolerate them for that long.

(Subtle suggestion at a time jump is subtle. )

So long as Arima could convince herself that her scare was all in good fun and hadn't been the least bit malicious, she really didn't care one bit about what Fauriei thought. It wasn't like everyone was going to think the same about every single thing, even a fun-loving ghost like Arima realized that much. Besides, she was actually really enjoying talking to Fau, and it wasn't like she had a chance like this all the time, where someone wasn't completely repulsed by her attempts at making fun, so she took every opportunity she could to talk to him. "I-It's okay..." She mumbled, still playing up her crying to the nth degree, her tears dropping from her eyes, becoming tangible as they plopped onto the tree branch, leaving small droplets behind. When the boy complimented her back, though, she smiled once more, wiping her eyes gently with her sleeve. "Well, thank you, Fau. But you're way more cute and adorable than I am. Promise." She said, actually leaning in and making herself tangible for just a moment so she could kiss Fauriei on the forehead.

---

"Caira, hm?" Iolo echoed, clearly unperturbed by the slightly stale tone to her voice. "Well, Caira, I was wondering how you came across my domain. I saw you had a map with you, so I take it you were seeking Wayside out on your own?" He asked, trotting alongside her, still. "My name is Iolo, by the way. As I've said, I'm the master of Wayside, if you will. This facility and all the land around it is, as I've also said, my domain."

---

('Twas quite subtle. I'll bite, though.)

Truthfully, Carys didn't expect herself to be bombarded with so many questions as both girls trailed through the forest, but, while they did start to wear on her after a while, she never found herself not tolerating them as well. Maybe it was because the person giving her said questions was so animated and so eager to know more about her, or maybe it was just because that she herself was actually taking to The Rake quite well over the course of their trek through the forest. Whatever the case, she was still more than a little bemused as question after question hit her, though she answered every one of them to the best of her abilities. "N-No, I haven't made any deals with anyone in the past... What kind of deals are you talking about, anyway?" She asked, looking confused.

"Well, every deal's an exchange of some kind. Money for food. Things for favors. Souls for powers." If that last item bothered the Rake at all, she didn't show it. The concept, to her, seemed to be every bit as mundane as the rest of it. Dropping the subject, she pointed out toward the building that was coming into view as the trees became fewer and further between. "Is that the place you mentioned?" She asked.

"O-Oh, those kinds of deals? I thought you meant like drug deals or, um... j-just never mind." She said, looking a little flustered now, even blushing a little bit, though she, too, was not perturbed by the souls for powers thing. She had powers of her own, after all, even if she didn't show them that often. When she, too, saw the facility coming into view, as well as the fox and the girl walking together, she nodded slightly, pulling out her map to make sure she was coming the right way. "Yep. This looks like it." She said, looking back up again. "I wonder who that girl and the fox are..."

"...So, what now?" The Rake asked. Now that they were in the right spot, surely Carys intended to do SOMEthing... even if that was just get a room and rest from the trip. The Rake had no need for rest, herself, so if that happened, she'd be left without anything to do until Carys decided to go elsewhere. As it stood, she knew nobody there, and she wasn't eager to go out and look for more people... she had one person, and that was enough.

"What now?" Carys echoed, looking over at The Rake curiously. "I-I guess I'm gonna be getting a room here, or something. I don't know this place just as much as the next person, but I've heard that it gives good lodging..." She murmured, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "I guess, if you don't have anything better to do, maybe we could stay together or something?" She posed, glancing over at The Rake again. "A-At least for a little while, it's not like I wanna tie you down to me or something!" She added, quickly.

The Rake nodded. "Lead the way." She replied, pointing toward the building. Truthfully, she wouldn't much mind being "tied down" as Carys had put it. She'd gotten to liking her during the walk in the woods, too, and she didn't feel like just walking away any time soon. Even if Carys just took a nap or something and left her without something to do in the meantime, she'd make a point of staying close by.

When The Rake gave Carys the go-ahead to lead along, Carys nodded silently and did so, walking out in front of The Rake as they neared the building. As they both passed the fox and the girl, the fox turned to both The Rake and Carys, giving a small nod and a "Good morning" as they passed, but otherwise didn't try and speak to them much more, apparently too caught up in speaking to the girl he was with. Carys eyed the fox cautiously, apparently a little weirded out by the fact that it could talk, but shook it away anyhow, considering what she'd come across already in the form of Rake.

Oberon gave a small nod when Ajax repeated the name. "Yes, that's correct." He stated listlessly, or at least trying to remain so, as Ajax claimed to find the name familiar; as much as he relished his rightful place as a faerie prince, he knew he was fundamentally incompetent should he come under attack from anyone, and he wanted to keep his profile as low as possible. This didn't seem like it'd be happening when Ajax placed him. "...Yes, that's correct." He repeated, more overtly apprehensive this time, and looking from the map to Ajax to check on him, although he was relieved the satyr was being both calm and friendly, and he began to respond, "I'm not surprised to hear that, considering this sword is..." He trailed off as he looked at Ajax and saw the smile and the change in demeanour, at first surprised as he noticed this but then also with a hint of a blush starting to appear. "...The map- Ahem, Anyway, the map, it says Whereside's home is, is this way." He suddenly announced, looking sharply away from the satyr and down at the map before taking off in some direction, map and sword both in hand.

~--~--~--~

"The Corn Laws and Potato Famine... You mean, as in those potato famines?" Timothy said, sounding a little surprised to hear this, but definitely more pleasantly than anything else, before his eyes widened in some minor realisation and he reached into a pocket in his coat, pulling out a pen and then pulling back the sleeve on the arm with which he still held his bag, exposing some older notes but also the a few of the first of many lines and rings of stitches over his body connecting him together. "Say, could you tell me your name please?" He asked Elzen, already jotting down something onto a bare patch of skin.

"Should've figured." Ajax said, still smiling lightly, taking in the boy's appearance once again, now that he'd placed him as someone not entirely unfamiliar to him, since he'd never actually seen one of Oberon's lineage up until Oberon himself, or at least Oberon VII himself, but at least he'd heard about them from his tribe members quite frequently, and how they used to make deals with each other. When he saw the blush forming on Oberon's face, he wasn't entirely sure what caused it, but he started forming a blush on his own face. He's... really cute like that... He thought to himself, but then shook his head profusely to try and rid his head of that thought, especially when Oberon began heading away with his map in hand. He scrambled to hurry after him, eventually falling into stride beside the boy. "So... what're you doing away from your kingdom?" He decided to pose the question, looking over at him. "On a little quest for self-enlightenment or something?" He asked, smiling, still, his face still slightly flush with red from both their bouts of blushing.

"My name is Ezlen." He nodded. "You take a lot of notes, I can see. Well, nothing wrong with it. No-one's memory is perfect. That's why writing is so useful- If you've died, what you know is generally lost unless it can be recorded and stored. Which is where..." Ezlen removed a book from his pocket, which had a Thor's Hammer motif on it. "...Thoron came from. There's some story that Thor himself wrote the original manuscript, but then again, that's a mere assertion, and I'm not going to confirm or deny it."