"Do us all a favor and try not to bring anymore kids back with you, okay?"
:P
Aananda heads out to the shops, Tam in tow, to find some tools.
Aananda heads out to the shops, Tam in tow, to find some tools.
"Do us all a favor and try not to bring anymore kids back with you, okay?"
"You don't have to tell me twice," Tam replies over his shoulder as he gets his stuff and they make a quick trip to the shops.
Aananda heads out to the shops, Tam in tow, to find some tools.
"Do us all a favor and try not to bring anymore kids back with you, okay?""You don't have to tell me twice," Tam replies over his shoulder as he gets his stuff and they make a quick trip to the shops.
Aananda is her usual whirlwind self as she looks through tools, rejecting this one and setting that one aside to the consternation of the shopkeeper who is at a complete loss of how to deal with her.
"Ooh, look at this one! Definitely getting that. Now, let me see, what's down here at the bottom of this bin..." she says as parts start flying about as she looks through them.
"Do us all a favor and try not to bring anymore kids back with you, okay?""You don't have to tell me twice," Tam replies over his shoulder as he gets his stuff and they make a quick trip to the shops.Aananda is her usual whirlwind self as she looks through tools, rejecting this one and setting that one aside to the consternation of the shopkeeper who is at a complete loss of how to deal with her.
"Ooh, look at this one! Definitely getting that. Now, let me see, what's down here at the bottom of this bin..." she says as parts start flying about as she looks through them.
Duck
SidestepParry
"Owww...."
Activates Gauntlet of Shielding and apologizes to the shopkeeper.
"Wow! I've never seen one of these in working order before! I have to get it! Errr...do you have any welding equipment? That seems to be all I'm missing...Oops! Guess I made a bit of a mess. I'll just clean that up for you..." Aananda cleans up her mess almost as fast as she made it as the nervous shopkeeper places welding equipment on the counter with her other purchases.
"Don't worry - it's best if you just don't move until she's done," Tam reassures the shopkeeper as Aananda goes around like a whirlwind cleaning up the bins from her shopping frenzy. ;P
"Don't worry - it's best if you just don't move until she's done," Tam reassures the shopkeeper as Aananda goes around like a whirlwind cleaning up the bins from her shopping frenzy. ;P
"There," she said, satisfied as she saw that the shop was once more neat and clean. "That should just about do it. So, what's my total?"
The wide-eyed shopkeeper added up the purchases very quickly an handed her a bill with shaking hands.
She frowned at it. She pulled out her money and counted it carefully. "Darn. I'm 10 gold short. Ummm....Tam, can I borrow 10 gold please?" she asked blushing with embarrassment. She was obviously not very good at money management.
"There," she said, satisfied as she saw that the shop was once more neat and clean. "That should just about do it. So, what's my total?"
The wide-eyed shopkeeper added up the purchases very quickly an handed her a bill with shaking hands.
She frowned at it. She pulled out her money and counted it carefully. "Darn. I'm 10 gold short. Ummm....Tam, can I borrow 10 gold please?" she asked blushing with embarrassment. She was obviously not very good at money management.
"No problem," he replies with a smile as he puts down the difference, plus a few more for the shopkeeper's patience.
"No problem," he replies with a smile as he puts down the difference, plus a few more for the shopkeeper's patience and emotional trauma.
"No problem," he replies with a smile as he puts down the difference, plus a few more for the shopkeeper's patience and emotional trauma.
Aananda bundled all of her purchases together and tried to heft them, but found the package to be much too awkwardly shaped to carry. She pulled out a small disk from one of her pockets and unfolded it into a large disk that floated just a foot off the ground. She placed her packages on it and grabbed the rope lead of the sled and pulled it behind her.
"Thanks Tam. I'm sorry. I'm still getting used to this whole money thing. I'm gonna have to learn to be more careful with it I guess."
Aananda bundled all of her purchases together and tried to heft them, but found the package to be much too awkwardly shaped to carry. She pulled out a small disk from one of her pockets and unfolded it into a large disk that floated just a foot off the ground. She placed her packages on it and grabbed the rope lead of the sled and pulled it behind her.
"Thanks Tam. I'm sorry. I'm still getting used to this whole money thing. I'm gonna have to learn to be more careful with it I guess."
"Now that is cool," he says to himself, looking at the hovering disc.
"It's not a problem. And we'll work on the money thing so nobody takes undue advantage of you when you buy things (and you don't go broke buying tools)" he says with a chuckle as he catches up with her.
After Tamrin and Aananda leave, Ryo makes the mistake of thinking of his charges again, and the possible condition of his home. Shuddering at the thought, he reachs into his bag and retrieves his copy of The Guardians of Agartha. He stares at the cover for a moment, wondering why there is a spike going of the Traveler's star piece. The book is thicker too, almost like there are more chapters than before...
Something brushes against his mind and he forgets about the book, groaning inwardly as he hopes Adsila and Ormarr didn't get into his room again.
A full belly and a soon-to-be full diaper and Jiminy is ready to go. He sits in the hover carriage outside of the Juggling Dwarf, playing with the knobs on the carriage.
"Are we there yet?"
Kannic sits astride his rock lizard, all packed up for the trip.
After making one last stop to by a set of enchanted cloth diapers (self-cleaning and mending, of course), Tam and Aananda return to theJuggling Dwarf and get the hovercycles and skimmer checked out and ready to go.
"Time for the head count. Kannic, Aananda, Tamrin, Jiminy, Ruji.. yeah we're all here."
After giving Ruji the cord needed to pull Jiminy's carriage along, Ryo looks at the skimmer.
"Aananda, is this like a regular skimmer or did you make some 'upgrades' I should know about? If so, it may be easier for me to take one of the hovercycles."
"Time for the head count. Kannic, Aananda, Tamrin, Jiminy, Ruji.. yeah we're all here."
After giving Ruji the cord needed to pull Jiminy's carriage along, Ryo looks at the skimmer.
"Aananda, is this like a regular skimmer or did you make some 'upgrades' I should know about? If so, it may be easier for me to take one of the hovercycles."
"Oh, don't be silly, Ryo," she said, loading her things into the skimmer's cargo hold. "It's completely standard. Well, minus the stalling out randomly and crashing. I never found that particular design flaw very charming, so I fixed it."
"Oh, don't be silly, Ryo," she said, loading her things into the skimmer's cargo hold. "It's completely standard. Well, minus the stalling out randomly and crashing. I never found that particular design flaw very charming, so I fixed it."
"Time for the head count. Kannic, Aananda, Tamrin, Jiminy, Ruji.. yeah we're all here."
After giving Ruji the cord needed to pull Jiminy's carriage along, Ryo looks at the skimmer.
"Aananda, is this like a regular skimmer or did you make some 'upgrades' I should know about? If so, it may be easier for me to take one of the hovercycles."
With a good-natured chuckle, Tam loads his hoverbike and mounts up.
"Everybody ready?"
"Oh, don't be silly, Ryo," she said, loading her things into the skimmer's cargo hold. "It's completely standard. Well, minus the stalling out randomly and crashing. I never found that particular design flaw very charming, so I fixed it."
"I'm really glad you are a fantastic mechanic. I don't want to be bedridden in a temple so soon after getting out. I'm ready."
He gets on the skimmer and starts it up, listening to the smooth sound the engine makes, and notes that it is quiter than other skimmers he has heard by far.
Tam pulls out some sunglasses from his duster and puts them on.
"Well alright then. Let's roll."
As the 'Caravan o' Carnage' heads out of the city, Tam yells out over the roar of the engines:
"Now where are we going and why the heck are we going there again....!?" :)
Tam pulls out some sunglasses from his duster and puts them on.
"Well alright then. Let's roll."
As the 'Caravan o' Carnage' heads out of the city, Tam yells out over the roar of the engines:
"Now where are we going and why the heck are we going there again....!?"
"Ryo's house! He said he had to check on something!"
"Ryo's house! He said he had to check on something!"Tam pulls out some sunglasses from his duster and puts them on.
"Well alright then. Let's roll."
As the 'Caravan o' Carnage' heads out of the city, Tam yells out over the roar of the engines:
"Now where are we going and why the heck are we going there again....!?" :)
"Oh - okay!" as they make their way south.
Since the hoverbikes go faster than the skimmer, Aananda tends to do much what she does when traveling with people on foot, go ahead, fall behind, circle around, repeat.
Since the hoverbikes go faster than the skimmer, Aananda tends to do much what she does when traveling with people on foot, go ahead, fall behind, circle around, repeat.
Watching Aananda flit about all over the place reminds Tam that he does need to make sure everything is running smoothly on his own bike, so with a wide grin he opens it up and sees how she handles. ;)
In short - they reach Ryo's house in quite good time... :P
The rock lizard keeps pace, faster than its real-life brethren, but not as fast as the hoverbikes. Kannic seems to be trying out random things from his pack and at one point the lizard and he fade from view partially.
Ruji takes to the air-which was only about 3ft off the ground-and keeps pace with the skimmer as he pulls Jiminy along
As Ryo said, the trip to his house doesn't take long. As he pulls up outside the house, you notice another city off to the west.
Ryo stares nervously at the house,then gets off the skimmer and turns to the group. He crouches slightly, the way embarassed people will do when confessing something.
"Okay, um, just wait out here for a bit okay? No matter what you hear, don't come in. Meeting Adsila and Ormarr for the first time in an enclosed area can be.. unsettling."
He hurries to the door, and opens it slightly to slip inside. Almost instantly after he opens the door, you hear two different screams of joy, and then a crashing sound. Ryo's muffled yells filter through the house walls, though he doesn't sound really angry.
"ADSILA! ORMARR! Get off! How many times have I told you not to to wreak the house!? It's like a jungle in here, with the plants growing wild and overgrown snakes slithering about! Can't you keep them tame and small? Put things back to normal or I won't introduce you to the people outside!"
The sounds of wood groaning and a multitude of animals moving at the same time is only just under deafening outside, and you can't imagine what it must be like inside the house. Moments later Ryo walks out followed by a young pair, a halfling girl and a half-orc boy. Both look almost fully grown. The girl is wearing a green dress that at first glance appears to be normal cloth, but closer inspecting reveals that it is really a living plant. The boy look normal, except for the line of small green scales under each of his eyes(which have slits for pupils).
"This little flower-child is Adsila, and slit-eye here is Ormarr. Say hello."
Both of them stare at the group for a moment, then greet everyone in turn.
The others probably exchange a glance during the tumult inside.
"Um....hello there folks. Nice to meet you."
As Ryo goes inside the house Kanniic take the opportunity to get off the lizard. He rubs his bum constantly and walking looks like it's painful.
"Oww. These things sure take some getting used to, don't they?"
When Ryo emerges with the pair and introduces them he straightens up. "Hello there, I'm Kannic, Kannic Orefinder. At your service."
"Hi, Adsila and Ormarr," ^.^ she said with a short bow and a little wave.
"I'm Aananda. I'm really good at fixing machines. I take it that you guys are good at other things....ummm....plants?.....and....er....animals?"
"Hi, Adsila and Ormarr," ^.^ she said with a short bow and a little wave.
"I'm Aananda. I'm really good at fixing machines. I take it that you guys are good at other things....ummm....plants?.....and....er....animals?"
"Yes Ms. Aananda, I'm good with plants." Adsila moves closer and places her hand on her left shoulder, then moves it away to reveal the small flower growing there. "Though Ryo sometimes wishes I wasn't."
Ormarr grins and nods, holding out his right arm. A small slit forms halfway up his arm and a small red serpent slides out. He sets it on the ground as it begins to grow bigger, and pats it on it's head when it is almost big as he is. The snake looks first at Aananda, than at Ryo's arm before it stares back at Ormarr. After a moment it shrinks down to it's original size and slides back in Ormarr's arm.
"You'll have to tell us how you lost your arm, Sir. Were you playing with your cards again?"
"He was, but it was for a really good reason. And I made him a new one, so it's okay." ^.^
"He was, but it was for a really good reason. And I made him a new one, so it's okay." ^.^
Ryo looks away, his face blank.
"I was correcting a mistake, nothing more. I will tell you what happened when you aren't in my care anymore. Now why don't you two go fix the chair you broke tackling me? There is someone nearby that is a bit too.. unusual, even for you. Get back in the wards where your sanity will be ensured!"
For a moment they seem like they are going to argue, but then they see he is serious, and begin to move carefully back toward the house, looking around for this mystery person.
"And you know what will happen if I come back and find out I own a green house that doubles as a reptile farm!" The tone of his voice makes his threat sound like a jest, but your not to sure...
"Hi, I'm Jiminy! I didn't know Uncle Ryo had kids! Grown up kids too! Wow, he must be old. Like at least 20 or something. So that you makes you my cousins. Cousins Adsila and Ormarr. Are you too old to play with me? These guys won't play with me, so I have to entertain myself most of the time, then they get mad at me for the games I play. Isn't that just like old people? Aananda is my mommy and Tamrin is my daddy, though they don't like admitting that in public. And don't worry about Uncle Kannic, he always looks like that, even when his bum isn't hurting from riding that lizard rock thing. Speaking of bums, mine is kinda sore too. It's been a while since the group made a pit stop, you know. And Daddy bought these magical diaper things, but the magic just kind of slides off of me for some reason, so they don't work and I really need a change. Bet he bought off-brand diapers. Do you make flowers much? Mommy likes flowers but they make me sneeze sometimes, and snakes are cool too, since they slither around the ground and wrap around things all the time, but they don't talk much do they, or do yours know how to talk because that would be cool. Your plants too, probably. Why do people talk to plants if they don't talk back? It'd make more sense if they did, or do yours talk to. That'd be scary. You'd be walking thru the garden and some plant says 'Hey, you stepped on my foot' and you'd look around and nobody was there, but there really was 'cause it was a plant talking to you. When's lunch?"