The Tea Tree

Magical disappearing act again, I know. It's what I do.

I didn't win NaNoWriMo, but that's no shock at all. My writer's block has been severe and writing every day doesn't help -- eventually I just get to a point where the whole thing grinds to a halt. I think I got halfway though? So a respectable number of words. I'm actually going to try and do some more writing because I planned a writing trip in the Adirondacks next month and I want to be in top shape for that.

Nothing tonight though as I have a migraine that really, REALLY doesn't want to leave. It needs to since I'm driving to CT tomorrow but anyway. Context for this scene: Lilith was attacked by a vampire, and Gareth and Rose May are representing her supposed attacker since he's falsely accused. They are visiting Lilith in the hospital as Rose May is hoping she can sense the actual criminal through the girl.

It goes poorly.

( TW for vibes bordering on child sexual abuse )

First, what you all are more interested in: more of the Gareth story from yesterday.

( Soft TW for phantom limb mention )

Really, I just wanted to share that last paragraph. And also share that it took me at least a MINUTE to remember the word "ambush". I stared at WordPad thinking "There's a word for when a group surprise attacks you. I KNOW there is... But what is it?" I was just writing out a text to a friend to ask when it came to me. Thanks, brain.

Also I apologize for my writing being awful lately. I've been severely out of the habit, and Zoloft-brain is being pretty bad lately in creative writing.

And then, to explain the icon: ( TW for anxiety )

Now to continue this story and hope it gets a bit less like pulling teeth.

Tschuess.

Bad brain spell, tonight. So I inked the drawing for my friend, loaded up Sims, and typed this up on my iPad:

( TW for disturbing imagery, war imagery, and uh, loss of limb? )

The _____ is for the name of the doctor, which I have forgotten and will look up later. Obviously, this scene is not finished yet since there isn't much comfort in there, but I imagine it will be pretty short.

Now to sleep.

Tschuess.

Should be asleep. Have words that are floating in my head instead. As if I'd write FORMALLY out of sequence.

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"We did our best to get the stable dark and quiet. I still don't understand why she isn't in a hospital, though. She speaks Ubiquitous." The veterinarian frowned as he wiped his hands on a towel that likely would just leave them even dirtier. The horse he had just been treating did not look at him with much sympathy.

"Welcome to Welen. If you have fur, you're clearly just an animal." Gareth looked past the veterinarian; Rose May tried to follow his gaze, and noticed that one of the stables down the row had blankets and towels hanging from any space that was usually open, all but sealing it off. "She's in the one way at the end, I imagine?"

"Horses are a bit unsettled by her, and she seems to just HATE them. Says something about them smelling awful." The man shrugged, smiling softly. "I could relate to that. But why are you here to see her?"

"Legal business. No not about her, last I checked demons don't need immigration papers." Gareth sighed at the veterinarian's baffled stare, doing what Rose May could tell was his absolute best not to sneer and snarl. "About a case of ours. Hafstra Dagrun, you may have--"

"The demi doctor? What does she have to do with-- You know what, never mind. I'm too busy to be dragged into a court case." The doctor hung the towel up on an aging rack. "She's likely awake by now. You can see her."

He led them down the barn corridor, past various horses who only showed interest once they realized the doctor was not looking for them. Upon reaching the covered stable, Rose May noticed that light could still filter through. The veterinarian took his ring of keys, unlocked the stable door, and pulled it open with a creek. Carefully the two lawyers stepped underneath the blankets.

Then the vet closed the door just as Rose May spotted the being inside, and she wished she had an easier way out than pushing away blankets and clambering over wood.

She noticed the demon's claws first -- the front ones were thick and long, but blunt at the ends, with a few damaged at the tips. The back ones were not quite as long, but sharp, as were the demon's teeth with she yawned upon their arrival. Her head was vaguely cat-like, but the snout was too wide, the nose fleshy and twitching in their direction. Her legs looked stocky even when she was curled up, though she made up for it with length and weight. Long tufts of fur were raised and stiff near her ears, shoulders, and on her feet. Her eyes were small, focused vaguely in their direction -- Rose May was not sure she could see them that well, but suspected their scents gave the demon everything she needed to know.

Then there were the wounds -- gashes and cuts seemed to cover the demon's legs and upper body, with a towel tossed over one on her neck stained red and possibly still leaking. It looked like she had been hacked at with a sword, but Rose May could not imagine how that would have possibly happened. Swords had fallen out of fashion ages ago, and besides she was not sure even especially drunk idiots would go after a demon with them.

The demon's tail tossed to the other side, long tuft at the end mixing with the dirt of the stall. She had been provided a blanket that somehow was still not long enough, even though it was made for horses.

"'Legal business.'" Her voice was gravely, deep, and thick with a strange accent; Rose May could barely make out the words, but they were definitely in a human language. "Ground walkers and your odd habits, yes?"

"I apologize for our poor manners. We should have spoken to you directly right away but he was concerned for your health." Gareth took a step forward and knelt down to the demon's level. "I would greet you in your ways but I am not versed in them. I am Gareth Haeden."

"You would not like our greetings." The demon stretched then, and rose suddenly; though her shoulder was barely higher than two feet, her bulk made her seem far larger. She extended her head toward Gareth and sniffed at him cautiously, keeping weight off the more mauled of her front legs. "Anca, Gareth Haeden. Why are you here?"

"I am a lawyer representing a man who has been attacked, and I believe you were witness to this fight." At Anca's blank look, Gareth sighed. "A man was attacked by someone else. I am trying to help him. To do this I need to know what happened."

"You could help him more by banishing who attacked him and leaving me to my sleep." The demon then yawned in Gareth's face, but the lawyer seemed nonplussed; Rose May imagined this was not the worst thing that had happened to him, or even close to the most frightening.

"While I whole-heartedly agree, our system is not so sensible, and so I need to gather proof he was attacked by this man." Gareth paused. "The man I am representing is... Kind of half-bird. Does that sound familiar?"

"Bird?" Anca looked blankly at him once more. "I do recall an odd ground dweller, who did not smell anything like most of the ones I have met. But I do not know anything about these 'birds'."

Gareth waved her confusion away with a quick gesture that Anca watched intently. "It's probably him. Would you be willing to talk with us?"

"I thought I already was." Rose May swore that the demon smiled as she sat down awkwardly, tail curling around her feet. "Or at least to you. Your companion is too busy being frightened, though she has calmed some from the initial surprise."

"What?" Gareth turned around and stared at Rose May; she would have returned the look, but she was too busy being impressed by Anca. The man sighed. "Rose, get over here and introduce yourself at least."

She would have been encouraged by Gareth if she did not suspect that talking to things that may seriously maul him was more of a hobby for him than an avoided occurrence; yet she still walked over and sat down beside him, spreading her skirt as best she could to avoid the dirt. From what little anyone knew, demons had no interest in harming humans, and seemed to mostly prefer to avoid them. How Anca had ended up in a stable, then, was anyone's guess.

That had to wait until later, however, when it no doubt became Gareth's next project.

"Rose May Pursa. Pardon my rudeness."

"Rudeness? No. Sensibility." And then the demon grinned at them, baring two rows of sharp teeth. "So then. Let us continue our talk. Which of the many fights I saw do you claim to want your 'help' for?"


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Bed now .

Title: The Wild Children
Genre: Fantasy
The Troops: Gareth
Status: Complete
Rating: PG-13, just in case
Summary: Children are cruel. Children are even worse when some aren't human.

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( Man Summer School Sucks )