randomplaces | dtv, The Tavern, Shadow of My Former Self

Blackout: *enjoying a glass of wine as she sits on a chair just outside of and to the side of the tavern door*

Requiem: *playing in the snow in one corner of the yard*

Heartstone: *sitting on her front step, holding Mushi and watching as the warmly dressed entings beetle over to see what Requiem's doing*

Shadowdrake: *comes flying in, looking damaged*

Blackout: *looks up and watches it as she sips at her glass*

Heartstone: *also looks up. And worries!*

entings: *hunker down slightly at the shadow, and then squeak and continue on their way*

Shadowdrake: *land, stumble, crash!*

shadowy figure: *rolls out of the Shadowdrake's claws*

Heartstone: *and now she's gasping and stuffing Mushi inside before shutting the door on his indignant squeals and hurrying over to the drake* Chagrin??

shadowy figure: Heart...Stoic...caan't...*whimper*

Heartstone: *crouches and reaches toward him hesitantly, uncertain if she can touch him*

Chagrin: *is touchable, though not entirely solid. There's a shadowy mist around him, and he seems very weak*

Heartstone: *will now see if she can't pull him close and hug him*

Chagrin: *is both repulsed and attracted to the Light he feels, he manages to mentally push the repulsed feeling away, trying to return the hug* So..many...

Heartstone: *softly* So many what, love? What happened to you?

Chagrin: Shades...couldn't fight...so weak...

Heartstone: *loving kiss to his forehead, and then startles as she senses the silent waiting for a storm feeling that means that Blackout is near*

Chagrin: Stoic...can't feel him...*glowing green eyes look around for the source of the feeling. They're the only thing that hasn't changed about him.*

Heartstone: *softly, forgetting the dragon woman who is standing behind her and looking down at them* You could before?

Chagrin: Twins...

Heartstone: Ohhhhhh. *hug and rock softly* Shhh. It's going to be alright.

Blackout: Maybe.

Chagrin: *leans on Heartstone* Cold...

Blackout: *drops to one knee, unmindful of the skirt of her heavily embroidered black tunic* *holds out her hand* You're slipping away from the living world. Let me help you stay here.

Heartstone: *gasps at Blackout's words, her eyes filling with tears*

Chagrin: Help..?

Blackout: Yes. *fire seems to stir in the depths of her dark eyes*

Chagrin: Help...yes..

Blackout: You will belong to me, as Honeyfuggle and Ironhide and theirs do.

Chagrin: *ever so faint snort at the thought of being even more 'related' to Honeyfuggle, but then nods*

Blackout: *slips her arms under him and lifts him, then carries him away inside the tavern before Heartstone can do more than shriek with surprise. Brings him to her room and then closes and bars the door after kicking her husband off the bed he was lounging on and out of the room*

Chagrin: *faintly* Stoic!

Blackout: Shh. I'll go get him next. *lays him on the rumpled bed*

Chagrin: Felt...him. Different...*frowns at that*

Blackout: *hands on bed as she concentrates and focuses her power. Nothing of dragon... only of life. Lock him in life without imparting dragon soul...* Hrrm.

Chagrin: *stays still, but the shadowy mist around him does shift to become solid*

Blackout: *okay, now she's ready* Brace yourself. *is amused to notice that she's leaked a little already*

Chagrin: *closes his eyes, and looks like a shadow laying there*

Blackout: *lightening strikes out from her chest to his, filling him with energy and changing him back to a fully living being, though one trapped with Shade Lord abilities and features*

Chagrin: *GASP*

Blackout: *blink blink. Okay, now she wants a nap. Goes to open the door* Get him out of here.

Heartstone: *rushes inside and throws herself on her husband* Chagrin!

Chagrin: Heartstone...*manages to sit up, then stand, though he still feels weak*

Heartstone: *stands with him and takes his hands* Oh... come home. You need to lay down. I'll get you some of that good hot stuff with onions in it that you like to drink.

Chagrin: Soup...yes. *not so worried about Stoic now. He felt him again. He's still here.*

Blackout: *watches Heartstone lead him out, and then calls for Skywarp as she settles on her bed*

Skywarp: *bewildered, but here he comes. Is good kept husband!*

Chagrin: *feels exposed without his armor...without his skin, really...manages to think of a robe around himself. He also no longer feels as cold as he did.*

Heartstone: *calls to the entings as they reach the courtyard, and the two bundled baby treefolk come trotting over with cheery and happy squeaks, glad to see their daddy. Continues to lead Chagrin to the blockhouse, but then realizes she's forgotten the code!* Oh dear...

Chagrin: What's...wrong?

Heartstone: *uses the key, and then looks at the panel* I don't remember the right things to press.

Chagrin: I do.

Heartstone: *moves so that he can reach the panel, her blue eyes huge with her concern and dismay*

Chagrin: *presses the right keys*

Mushi: *ear piercing squeal as soon as the door opens!*

Heartstone: *startled shriek*

Chagrin: *startles as well*

Mushi: *more squeaks and squeals, gaining volume with each one! Issa MAD baby!*

Chagrin: Shh, shhh...

Mushi: *IGNORES him and continues the angry noise*

Heartstone: *surprised, but scoops the little ball of fury into her arms* Ohhh. Let's get him inside, Chagrin.

entings: *behind Daddy, ready to come in!* ^_^ ^_^

Chagrin: *nods lightly, ready to follow Heartstone*

Heartstone: *out of the way so that he can come in with the other babies and close the outer door*

Chagrin: *leads the entings in, looking tired, though not nearly as much as when he...* Shadowwraithe!

Heartstone: I saw the man in the robe come and get her. I'll go check on her after you're in the sleeping place.

Chagrin: *relief, then looks sad* I don't think ...she'll be able to...adventure...for awhile.

Heartstone: *wibbles* But she's alive. So that's good.

enting 1: *pat pats the inside door with a bitty twiggy hand*

Chagrin: Yes..alive. *small smile, and is soon inside*

Heartstone: *steers him up the steps and over to the dressing room off their sleeping room, asks a wisp of air for the stuff with onions that the master loves to drink*

servant: Soup?

Chagrin: Soup...

servant: Your favorite broth only? Or would you like meat and noodles in it? Or some bread?

Chargin: *looks a bit surprised when his stomach answers for him* ...Ah, all of that.

servant: I'll put some lovely larks in it. *wisp of air passes out of the room*

Heartstone: *gentle poke at husband* Um... you're not wearing clothes, are you?

Chagrin: Ah...no...*can no longer see the blush, but his face heats up* The robe...is part of me. Need...new clothes...armor...

servant 2: What kind would you like, Master?

Heartstone: Eek!

Chagrin: Armor...I'll get later. Just...loose clothes...

servant2: *happily* Do you want your sleeping robe?

Chagrin: Yes.

servant2: *sound of hurrying over to the chest it's kept in and then returns holding it*

Chagrin: Thank you.

servant2: You're welcome, Master. Would you like me to take the baby?

Mushi: *making the WHOLE palace echo!*

Chagrin: ...Please. *looks a bit sad at that* ...I hope he's...not mad at me..

servant2: *sounds like she's laughing softly* He's always mad at you, Master *takes the squeaking mushroom baby and carries him away for coddling and pastry*

Heartstone: Not always!

Chagrin: ...Okay, that makes me feel a little..better..^.^;

Heartstone: *hugs him and then tries to steer him out of the dressing room and toward the pillow pit*

Chagrin: *is steered* I..love you. You..know that?

Heartstone: *soft blush as she hugs his arm* I'll be back as soon as I find ... um. Brother.

Chagrin: ...Stoic?

Heartstone: Yes. ^_^;

Chagrin: Be...careful...

Heartstone: *helping him down into their big bed* I'm always careful.

Chagrin: *smiles at that as he lays down*

Heartstone: *stoops to give him a gentle kiss, and then checks on her sons before going to look for her brother in law*

((Co written with

random_xtras))