"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," she said, using her free hand to wipe away the tears. "Thanks, Tam," she added with a weak smile."Jiminy?...Oh, yeah, the strange baby-thing. I had the worst headache and then I was dreaming. It was awful. There was fire everywhere. And Chan was in the center of the fire, but it wasn't burning him. He was covered in blood, and he grinned at me and said 'You're next.' And then I woke up." She shuddered."It was just a dream, as you said. You're fine now," he says with a gentle squeeze to her hand for emphasis.
"If you want to just stay up here where it's quiet, I can go grab some more of that cake and bring it up to you, if you'd like..."
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," she said, using her free hand to wipe away the tears. "Thanks, Tam," she added with a weak smile."Jiminy?...Oh, yeah, the strange baby-thing. I had the worst headache and then I was dreaming. It was awful. There was fire everywhere. And Chan was in the center of the fire, but it wasn't burning him. He was covered in blood, and he grinned at me and said 'You're next.' And then I woke up." She shuddered."It was just a dream, as you said. You're fine now," he says with a gentle squeeze to her hand for emphasis.
"If you want to just stay up here where it's quiet, I can go grab some more of that cake and bring it up to you, if you'd like..."
"Happy to do it," he says, smiling back. "I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"
Tam then goes downstairs, scares up another cake and something to drink, then returns. On his way, he stops back at the table.
"How's Kannic - oh. Are you alright man? And where...did...oh nevermind."
The smell of peppermint drifts into Aananda's room.
The smell of peppermint drifts into Aananda's room.
"That's strange....where is that smell coming from?"
The smell of peppermint drifts into Aananda's room."That's strange....where is that smell coming from?"
Getting no response from the table, Tam waves a hand in front of Kannic.
Getting no response from the table, Tam shrugs and heads back up to Aananda's room.
Kannic holds his head in his hands.
"Doozy of a headache that stuff leaves. Is that creepy 'thing' up with you?"
Tam catches the lingering scent of peppermint.
Getting no response from the table, Tam shrugs and heads back up to Aananda's room.
Kannic holds his head in his hands.
"Doozy of a headache that stuff leaves. Is that creepy 'thing' up with you?"
Tam catches the lingering scent of peppermint.
"He wasn't when I left Aananda's room a few minutes ago," Tam says, his eves darkening. "Awww crap..."
He returns to Aananda's room, at speed.
"Aananda, is....wait. What is with the peppermint smell everywhere?" as he starts looking around the room.
"He wasn't when I left Aananda's room a few minutes ago," Tam says, his eves darkening. "Awww crap..."
He returns to Aananda's room, at speed.
"Aananda, is....wait. What is with the peppermint smell everywhere?" as he starts looking around the room.
"So it's not just here? I've been trying to figure out where it was coming from..."
A giggle draws their eyes to a corner of the room, where Jiminy sits playing with a mouse.
"I like peppermint. It's my favorite candy. What's yours? I once ate a whole bunch of peppermint and my tummy got icky, but my Mom and Dad laughed 'cause my diaper didn't smell so bad for a while. Speaking of which...hint, hint. Have you ever had licorice? It's yummy, and you can put in on top of most anything and it will make it taste better, but grown ups say it sticks in their teeth, which would be cool, 'cause then you could enjoy the flavor for a longer time. Why don't grown ups eat candy all the time? I mean, they have the money and nobody tells them to stop, then they'd be happier, wouldn't they. Do you like my mouse? I thought about him, and was sad, so I brought him back. I'm gonna keep him in my pocket. You don't think Ruji will try to eat him, do you? That would be sad, but I know how to fix him now, so it'd be OK."
"I didn't understand what my folks meant when they told me not to feed stray animals when I was a kid. Now I think I'm getting it," Tam mutters to Aananda after going over to her.
"I didn't understand what my folks meant when they told me not to feed stray animals when I was a kid. Now I think I'm getting it," Tam mutters to Aananda after going over to her.
Aananda nods, not sure how to deal with someone even more energetic and random than she was.
"Ummmm....I think that grownups don't eat candy all the time because it gives them a tummyache and er, rots their teeth. Ummmm....I've never had licorice....or peppermint.....I'm pretty sure Ruji won't eat your mouse if you ask him. Er, why don't you go ask him now?"
"I didn't understand what my folks meant when they told me not to feed stray animals when I was a kid. Now I think I'm getting it," Tam mutters to Aananda after going over to her.
Aananda nods, not sure how to deal with someone even more energetic and random than she was.
"Ummmm....I think that grownups don't eat candy all the time because it gives them a tummyache and er, rots their teeth. Ummmm....I've never had licorice....or peppermint.....I'm pretty sure Ruji won't eat your mouse if you ask him. Er, why don't you go ask him now?"
"OK."
"You all done with your dream now?"
"You all done with your dream now?"
"Yeah, I think so. I'm pretty sure I'm awake now."
"Yeah, I think so. I'm pretty sure I'm awake now."
"You all done with your dream now?"
"Good."
Jiminy disappears in a puff of sparkles, that transform into butterfly shapes then fade. The brevity of his last words is a noticeable change.
Aananda looks at Tam. "I think I'm starting to get an inkling as to why the masters always had such an exasperated look when I was a child," she said sheepishly.
Aananda looks at Tam. "I think I'm starting to get an inkling as to why the masters always had such an exasperated look when I was a child," she said sheepishly.
Aananda looks at Tam. "I think I'm starting to get an inkling as to why the masters always had such an exasperated look when I was a child," she said sheepishly.
Aananda looks at Tam. "I think I'm starting to get an inkling as to why the masters always had such an exasperated look when I was a child," she said sheepishly.
"I patently refuse to believe that you were anything like that," Tam replies, pointing where Jiminy was for emphasis.
With a (slightly) nervous sigh, he sets the plate down, checking behind the curtains and under the bed. "Cake?" :D
Aananda looks at Tam. "I think I'm starting to get an inkling as to why the masters always had such an exasperated look when I was a child," she said sheepishly."I patently refuse to believe that you were anything like that," Tam replies, pointing where Jiminy was for emphasis.
With a (slightly) nervous sigh, he sets the plate down. "Cake?"
She looked like she was about to say something, but was successfully distracted by cake.
"Ooh, chocolate cake," she said, delighted, as she started to eat at her usual high rate of speed. Pretty soon there was only a sliver of cake left. She stopped a little embarrassed as she realized that she'd been rude."Would you like some?" she asked sheepishly, offering Tam the last piece of cake.
Aananda looks at Tam. "I think I'm starting to get an inkling as to why the masters always had such an exasperated look when I was a child," she said sheepishly."I patently refuse to believe that you were anything like that," Tam replies, pointing where Jiminy was for emphasis.
With a (slightly) nervous sigh, he sets the plate down. "Cake?"
She looked like she was about to say something, but was successfully distracted by cake.
"Ooh, chocolate cake," she said, delighted, as she started to eat at her usual high rate of speed. Pretty soon there was only a sliver of cake left. She stopped a little embarrassed as she realized that she'd been rude.
"Would you like some?" she asked sheepishly, offering Tam the last piece of cake.
Tam blinks, then his lips tremble a bit as he tries not to laugh, effecting a very silly smile instead.
"I'd love some, thank you," he replies as he takes the last piece. "Oh, you've got a little bit of crumb here," he says almost absently as he gently wipes some of the few remains of the rest of the cake from her cheek, just brushing her bottom lip accidently...
He quickly stops, pulling his hand back to busy it by securely clenching the plate Aananda handed back to him and turning bright red again.
"Oops - um...sorry. Bad form on my part. Wasn't paying attention..."
He promptly shoves the last piece of cake in his mouth, forcing a 'Twix' moment upon himself before he says anything else. ;P
Tam blinks, then his lips tremble a bit as he tries not to laugh, effecting a very silly smile instead.
"I'd love some, thank you," he replies as he takes the last piece. "Oh, you've got a little bit of crumb here," he says almost absently as he gently wipes some of the few remains of the rest of the cake from her cheek, just brushing her bottom lip accidently...
He quickly stops, pulling his hand back to busy it by securely clenching the plate Aananda handed back to him and turning bright red again.
"Oops - um...sorry. Bad form on my part. Wasn't paying attention..."
He promptly shoves the last piece of cake in his mouth, forcing a 'Twix' moment upon himself before he says anything else. ;P
Aananda blushed, feeling confused, not really sure why her pulse was racing. "Er, that's okay. No problem at all. You were just being helpful," she muttered.
Aananda blushed, feeling confused, not really sure why her pulse was racing. "Er, that's okay. No problem at all. You were just being helpful," she muttered.
Still chewing/choking on a mouthful of cake, Tam just nods and gives a 'thumbs up' signal to show his agreement with her (perhaps a bit too quickly). Grabbing one of the drinks, he quickly clears his throat.
"Right....hopefully he'll leave you alone for a while now, and you can try to sleep. I'll do my part and stop being a bother and get out of here so you can do so. If you need anything, let me know and I'll take care of it."
He grabs up the plate and takes one more look around the room before he starts to head to the door.
Aananda decides to take Tam's suggestion and lays down on the bed for a nap, falling asleep almost instantly, this time without any troubling dreams.
As Tam takes a step out into the hallway he finds Jiminy sitting against the wall opposite the door. He whispers loudly. It's not something he's used to.
Realizing that he'd rather deal with Aananda's mother again rather than one more minute of this inane babble, Tam picks up Jiminy and deposits him in a sitting area so as not to disturb Aananda.
"Rude?! Rude is going into someone's room when you weren't invited to - she was pretty clear that she didn't want you around her at all while she tried to rest."
"I don't know what kind of freak outsider thing you are, but despite having an adult mind in there you've got the maturity and self-absorbed narcissism of a spoiled brat. Bad combination."
"And since you seem to be able to get around perfectly well on your own - as you just demonstrated - I don't feel terribly obligated to help you or feel sympathy for you in any way, shape or form. Your complete lack of concern for anything other than your own satisfaction is the reason why nobody wants to be around you, Jiminy. Get that attitude fixed, and people might just start liking you without you having to brainwash them."
"Discussion over. Now be quiet and play (nicely) with your mouse. If you do so, I 'll see about getting something for the both of you to eat."
Jiminy's eyes take on a blue glow as they once again form slits. His chubby little hand clenches his mouse tightly, until you hear a small squeak and a soft crunching sound.
"Jiminy was warned that you were a mean person, when she rescued me from you, but I had to see for myself. She was right. You and Mommy don't love Jiminy. You never wanted me. She was always nice. She gave me candy. She gave me power. Jiminy should use that power on you. Hmmm... Maybe Jiminy will when that one is awake, so she can see you for the mouse you are. That one will cry. Maybe that one will like me better when you are gone. I shall go check. The Uncle will know."
Jiminy disappears in a cloud of brimstone, with a bone-chilling smile on his cherub-like face, and burning in his blue-draconic eyes.
"Glee," Tam mutters as Jiminy disappears. "Vampire siblings, psycho baby fiends, and posessed dragons. No wonder this place was 'lost' - it's a frakkin' asylum." :)
As he continues to rant to himself under his breath, he goes downstairs to get a stiff drink.
"Glee," Tam mutters as Jiminy disappears. "Vampire siblings, psycho baby fiends, and posessed dragons. No wonder this place was 'lost' - it's a frakkin' asylum." :)