North-Northwest [PRP Song and Anguis]

[Noir Songbird]

The first sign that something might be a bit...off about Lewis Cardell was his laugh. He always seemed to be laughing at the most inappropriate times, and its high, girlish pitch was almost terrifying. Currently, he was letting out his little mad giggle while wandering the forest that surrounded the sprawling manor he and his sister shared, thinking of the poor little Lolikat they had let loose in the house. Maybe she'd have gotten out by the time he got back...maybe not. Oh, he hoped not. Would be awful to miss the whole show of her trying to escape. But he had promised to show her the way out, and he had. Whether she was able to follow...that was another matter.

Anguis Lingua

[[...I did mention that he and Alice are both COMPLETELY BLOODY INSANE, right? >>"]]  

[Anguis Lingua]

Songstress Kitsune

"I can't believe they threw us out? Can you?" Nikki huffed her breath in annoyance as she turned to her companion, which happened to be the tree she was leaning against. "I mean, all we wanted was a decent brawl, right? Is that too much to ask for in a tavern? Really."

Nikki shook her head as she stood up, and brushing the bark from her shoulder, she turned and headed deeper into the forest, away from the edge of the clearing where she'd been watching the town trying to put out the tavern fire. Oh, she wasn't surprised that she'd been asked to leave, seemed to happen at every tavern she went to. Wasn't her fault they burned down afterwards, either. That was His fault, he didn't take kindly to rejection.

The meanki grinned as she jumped a log. "Just as well though, right? I mean, I was getting kinda tired of the city life. Time to head back to nature, just you and men! I mean, me. That is what I meant, right?" She stopped for a second, frowning as she listened to the response. "Oh, well, okay, just you and me then." Her face brightened. "That works!"

She made her way deeper into the forest, holding various one-sided conversations until she crawled out from under under a pile of storm-fallen limbs and found herself staring at a hedge that ran the length of a large clearing.

"Hello hello, what's this? Oh, how the hell am I supposed to know? You're the tall one." she snapped as she jogged the length of the hedge. Before too long, she found another hedge set several feet away, and her eyes lit up as she realized what it was. "Oh yes, hedge maze!" Nikki did an interesting little jig that resembled an epileptic trying to do the Running Man before running into the maze.

((...apparently Nikki isn't wrapped anywhere nearly as tight as I thought. <.<;; But she's absolutely convinced she's sane, which should make this very... interesting.))  

[Noir Songbird]

Lewis had picked up on Nikki's self-chatter just outside of town. He had also picked up on the knowledge that she was responsible for the tavern fire. So, he was following her, and he was surprised to realize that she was directly on the road to his home. Oh my, this could be very, very interesting! He wondered if her "friend" might help her escape his hedge maze.

He chuckled darkly at her enthusiasm upon running into it, and waited to let her get a ways ahead of him before cutting through the quickest path out. He had designed the maze, he knew it like the back of his hand, so it was a small thing for him to carefully avoid her and still get to the exit first, where he waited for the lovely lady to emerge.

Anguis Lingua

 

[Anguis Lingua]

Songstress Kitsune

Nikki stopped suddenly and cocked an ear. "Hello? Whoooo's there?" She spun around, and saw nothing but the intersection she'd just run through. "Oh c'mon now, is this any way to be polite?" She giggled as she walked back to the five-way intersection. "I know I heeeaaarrrd yooouuu," she sang out.

Looking at each intersection, her grin became a frown. "Aw, you're not being any fun!" She tilted her head to the side. "What? I know, he's not being very sporting. We'll have to have a talk with him once we get about... 'out'? Are you sure that's the word? Okay, you know words better than me."

She giggled as she spun around before heading down one of the corridors. "Look out, look out wherever you are! We love a good game of hide and seek!" The meanki skipped down the aisle, seeming to move unerringly closer and closer to the exit as she argued with 'him' about the advantages of mead over boiling tar for an emergency wound sealer.  

[Noir Songbird]

The Faefox began to bore of simply standing around and waiting, so he slipped back in the maze. It wasn't often that someone did as well as she was doing, and he wanted her to get through...wanted to meet her. But she had to prove herself first. Couldn't let just anyone into the house after all!

"Shall we play a bit of hide and seek, m'lady?" He called out, doing his best to keep just ahead of her but moving towards the exit...always towards the exit. He wanted this one to get through. She had done quite well on her own, so he didn't feel at all bad for leading her through the last few twists and turns of his baby the hedge maze.

Anguis Lingua

 

[Anguis Lingua]

Songstress Kitsune

Nikki stopped in surprise, then grinned big. "There IS someone else here! See, I told you, you lying jerk!" She punched the air at shoulder-level. "You had me all worried that this place was empty, but there's someone here after all!"

She sprinted down the corridor and stopped at the three-way. "I love hide n' seek!" the meanki called out as she stepped into the middle of the intersection. Nikki stopped, her head tilted as she was obviously listening to her 'companion'. "Are you sure? But, he might get away, and he sounds absolutely cute! Okay, point, he might like a gift!"

Nikki dropped to one knee and began to quickly dig into the ground, a small pile of dirt growing beside her foot. "C'mon, c'mon, you said it was here, and if he gets away, I'll-, found it!" The meanki crowed in delight as she jumped to her feet. In her hand was a silver coin, though she couldn't tell exactly what was stamped on the face through the dirt. Not that she cared.

"Yoo hoo, Mr. Mystery Voice, I have something for you!" She giggled maniacally as she started cart-wheeling down the maze corridor. The day may have started out rough with a minor tavern-burning, but it was definitely starting to look up for Nikki Tass!

((... *backs away from the nutty meanki slowly and with no sudden movements* <.<;; ))  

[Noir Songbird]

Lewis grinned, leaving little trail markers for her in the form of x's at intersections, marked with a quick flick of the tip of his tail on the ground. He had slowed down when he realized she was no longer keeping up a running pace behind him, and he finally stopped, leaning against the wall of the maze. When he heard her call out, he let out a wild laugh.

"What a sweet girl!" He said, waiting for barely a beat more before taking off through the maze once more.

Anguis Lingua

 

[Anguis Lingua]

Songstress Kitsune

Nikki was too busy cart-wheeling and skipping through the corridors and intersections to really notice the small x's at the intersections until she 'missed' one. She stopped suddenly, looking around. "What? What do you mean this is the wrong way? Are you lure?" The meanki looked up. "'Sure'? Okay, if you say so. But you're confident this is the wrong way?"

She turned around and sprinted back to the intersection. "Okay, what am I looking for? An 'x'?" Nikki looked around and noticed the marking. Stooping down to inspect it closer, she scowled. "That's not a 'x', silly! Look, one line is longer, it's obviously an unside-down cross!" She shook her head as she stood up and skipped down the corridor. "'Unside', 'upside', whatever!"

Nikki did a quick cart-wheel and giggled before pointing. "Look! We're getting close to the house, woo hoo! Oh Mr. Mystery Voice, I'm closing iiiiinnnnn on yooouuuu!"  

[Noir Songbird]

Lewis kept well ahead of her, laughing wildly all the way. "Keep up, my dear, I am eager to meet you!" He called back. He was far ahead of her, and in fact already standing at the door to the house, prepared to open the door for her like a good gentleman. He was mad, not rude.

He leaned there and awaited her arrival, his wild laughter died down to a mere chuckle. Oh, this one was special, most certainly.

Anguis Lingua

 

[Anguis Lingua]

Songstress Kitsune

Nikki cackled gleefully as she turned a corner and saw the exit to the labyrinth. Executing a surprisingly graceful jump and mid-air spin, the meanki landed and proceeded to cartwheel the rest of the way. "WHEEEEE!!!" She laughed as she landed in a heap at the base of the steps.

Standing up, she brushed herself off and grinned up at the strange faefox waiting there. "Well hello, Mr. Mystery Voice!" She rolled her eyes and looked to her left. "See, I told you he was gonna be cute! What? Oh, tush you... okay, fine, 'hush' you. No need to be jealous." She grinned as she walked up the steps. "Right? No need for jealousy here, you seem like a nice person, after all!"

"Oh!" She held her hand out, the dirty silver coin glinting dully. "I found this for you, seemed like a nice 'thank you' for a fun time. I don't get to play with many hedge mazes," Nikki pouted.  

[Noir Songbird]

Lewis laughed at her arrival antics, dipping into a sweeping bow. "Lewis Cardell, at your service. Designer of the maze that you have so deftly conquered." He gave her a surprisingly charming smile. "Of course there is no need for jealousy. You and your friend are both welcome, Milady..." He left an opening for her to give her name.

Lewis's eyes very obviously lit up at the sight of the coin. SHINYSHINYSHINY. Less than it could be but it had potential and SHINYTHING. "My goodness, what an excellent guest you are." He took the coin, his grin turning blatantly flirtatious. Oh, he liked this girl very much shinything.

Anguis Lingua

 

[Anguis Lingua]

Songstress Kitsune

Nikki giggled. "I'm Nikki. Nikki Tass. Well," she rolled her eyes, "I'm Nikki, and he," she pointed at a bright green hand print on her a**, "that's Tass. So he thinks, anyways. He's really nice, once you get to know him."

The meanki stepped up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Your maze was fun! I hope we can play in it some more sometime." She grinned happily as she flipped the coin through the air, then handed it to Lewis. "I hope you like it, Tass thinks you like shiny stuff, which is awesome. I like silver stuff, myself."

She looked up, whistling as she took in the size of the house. "Wow, this place is lovely! I would love to see the inside, if we may, kind sir." Nikki grinned, then tilted her head to the side. "What? Yeah, I hear it too, actually... is that screaming coming from inside? How rude."

((*wonders if the trapped lolikat will survive meeting both of them at once.*))  

[Noir Songbird]

Lewis nodded. "Well, Milady Nikki, Milord Tass, a pleasure to meet you both." He gave a bow, and grinned at the little peck on the cheek he received.

"Oh, I would be glad to play another round in the maze with you." He said, grinning brightly. "I do indeed like shiny things." He admitted, catching the coin neatly. "This will make a fantastic addition to my collection."

He opened the door and bowed, making a sweeping gesture at the same time. "Please, milady Nikki, milord Tass, come inside. Do be wary though, the house never quite seems to know which door leas to where." Another scream echoed out. "...Alas, my dear sister decided to bring a friend home. The house does not seem to agree with her."

Anguis Lingua

 

[Anguis Lingua]

Songstress Kitsune

"Aww, that's a shame, it seems like such a lovely house!" Nikki pouted for a moment, then brightened. "I know! Maybe we should go play with them! The more the merrier, right?"

She started towards the door, then stopped as if something invisible had jerked her back. "What?!" she snapped to her left. "That was uncalled for- what?" Her eyes widened in shock. "You're being rude," she hissed in irritation. "He's done nothing but be gentlemanly... Oh, oh blight, fine, go ahe-, I don't give a damn if I got the word wrong, just go!"

The meanki made a kicking motion before turning to Lewis, her face blushing in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, my friend is overly paranoid, and always insists going in first to set off any 'traps'. Which he hasn't found a single one yet. Ever." She whipped her head and glared inside. "Paranoids aren't people who have all the facts!" she yelled, storming into the house, "and I'm not paranoid! I'm perfectly, buggitamently sane, you a**!"  

[Noir Songbird]

Lewis chuckled. "Perhaps we should. Dear Alice does so love making new friends." He quirked an eyebrow at Nikki's strange behavior (hi pot, meet kettle...) but chuckled once more at her explanation.

"Oh, no offense taken, my dear." He said, shaking his head. "He only wishes to ensure your safety, and that is a notion I can certainly get behind. Besides, with this house, one never knows. nothing has been set intentionally, I assure you, but sometimes the house, she sets things up on her own." He followed her inside, shutting the door behind them with a smile still on his face.

"Alice, dear sister, I've brought someone new for you to meet!" He called.

Anguis Lingua