001 ♝ video ♝ open to both courts

[boutant]

[ While the small stack of books in front of her have certainly come from Caer Scima's library, Ariadne is in her room within the castle, seated on her bed. Asleep with its nose sticking out from her back, head resting on an open book, is a bandersnatch cub -- rather like a cat, it appears to have decided to 'help' her research. ]

If you could protect something -- say, a building -- from anything, what would you protect it from? I've thought of fire, high winds, earthquakes, mosquitoes, falling trees, and hail so far.

[ In the background, the door to her room appears to open slightly; with the wind, perhaps. ]

I'm an architecture student, back home, and there are a lot of possibilities here.

[ She looks like she's about to say more, but just then a glowing red imp leaps onto her head, screeching and yanking at her hair. The bandersnatch cub jerks awake and Ariadne screams, the locket flipped over so that all that's shown for a moment are the sheets on her bed. It's turned up again a moment later, falling onto the floor and on its side this time, followed by a loud thwack.

The imp falls to the ground, dazed; in the next moment, a thick, leather-bound book with a pawprint on its spine slams into it a second time before the bandersnatch cub races forward and grabs onto the imp's legs, shaking its little head and growling in a way that would be adorable if it weren't trying to maim something. ]

Oh, don't- [ before the locket is closed by the hand reaching for it, there's the sight of broken skin and blood -- sharp little imp teeth had found their mark. ]

Comments

video;

[peeta_bread]

[The teenage boy looks shaken after seeing that.] You... you okay?

video;

[boutant]

Yeah. [ She thinks. ] It let go of my wrist after I hit it, so it didn't take a chunk out of my arm or anything.

video;

[peeta_bread]

Good. [He takes an unsteady breath.] Make sure you see someone to take care of your wounds... I've never seen one of those things so violent.

video;

[boutant]

Me neither. They pulled my hair a little when I first got here, but... [ Nothing like this. ]

The resident doctor's at the Station, but I think I know someone else who can help. If not... I'll find someone.

video;

[peeta_bread]

If you can't, I know someone whose mother is a healer. She could maybe help.

[Sorry, Katniss.]

Architecture... like buildings? You make buildings?

video;

[boutant]

Thank you. [ Pause. ] I'm Ariadne, by the way.

[ And then she laughs. ]

I'll design them, at least, and oversee their construction.

video;

[peeta_bread]

[Wait yes names.]

Oh, yeah! I'm Peeta.

[Oooo that catches his attention.]

Oh, so you're like... an artist! You draw the picture of the building and you make it come alive.

video;

[boutant]

Right.

[ Even better in dreams, she thinks; but of course, she won't say it. ]

Not that I have a lot of experience doing the last part, yet.

video;

[peeta_bread]

Why don't you?

video;

[boutant]

I'm still a student. No place will hire someone who hasn't finished the program yet.

video;

[peeta_bread]

Oh... I'm sure you're good, though.

[He bites his lip.]

Is the body of that imp still there?

video;

[boutant]

I tossed it outside of my room. But I need to take my bandersnatch back down to the stables -- he'll be safer there.

video;

[peeta_bread]

That little animal? Want some company? If you're in Caer Scima, that is.

video;

[boutant]

I am. And yes, that's him.

[ She scoops the cub up so Peeta can see better -- flat face, white fur with spots. ]

And I'd love some. There are probably more of the glowing imps, if what I'm hearing is right.

video;

[peeta_bread]

Aww! Hey, little guy!

[And Peeta is now waving at bb bandersnatch dfkl]

Cool. Where should I meet you?

video;

[boutant]

[ The bandersnatch is mostly upset that Ariadne took the imp away before he could continue chewing on it, but she makes him wave with one paw anyway. ]

I'm in the keep right now, if that's not too far away?

video » action

[peeta_bread]

Nah. I'll be there soon.

[And he shows up after a little bit, a dagger on his hip. He's wearing some shorts and a shirt. Under the shorts, she can probably see the metal-and-plastic left leg, but that's about all that's unusual about him.]

Hey! I'm Peeta.

action

[boutant]

[ When Peeta arrives, Ariadne has her own knives on her hips and a crossbow on her back. The bandersnatch cub is in her arms, blinking a bit sleepily. ]

Ariadne. And- well, this little guy doesn't have a name yet.

[peeta_bread]

Nice to meet you! [But his gaze goes right back to the bandersnatch because cute.] Is it okay to pet him?

[boutant]

Absolutely. His teeth aren't very sharp yet, and I want to get him used to how to interact with strangers before that happens.

[ Especially since bandersnatches have multiple rows of teeth. ]

Just let him smell you first.

[peeta_bread]

[He nods and holds out his hand for him to smell.]

Is he from your world or this one?

[boutant]

[ The cub sniffs, one paw reaching out to try and bat at Peeta's fingers. ]

Watch the claws. And he's from this one -- his mother was killed and I found him, brought him back.

[peeta_bread]

[Peeta chuckles at his pawing, petting his head. He's glad he hadn't cried out 'Mutt' as soon as he saw him, but she'd been holding him and stuff, so he doubted he was. And she confirms it.]

Aw... poor little guy. Good thing Ariadne was there, huh?

[He smiles and looks up.] I've always loved animals, but my mom was mean to them, so I never asked for a dog or anything. We just had pigs.

[boutant]

[ He's just a little thing for now, but he's already starting to grow quite a bit under the attention of her and one of the castle's hounds; she won't be able to hold him for much longer. ]

Apparently. He's a handful, but one of the hounds in the kennels had puppies, so between the two of us he's being taken care of.

[ Oh :c The idea of anyone hurting animals is not one that she enjoys, but at least Peeta was fairly smart about it and didn't introduce any others to his mother. ]

Back where I'm from, some people have small pigs as pets.

[peeta_bread]

Good. I'm glad you rescued him. If you ever need help, you can call on me.

Really? I like the pigs, but I don't see them anymore since I moved out. [Technically he did, but he did because he won a battle to the death.] I wish I had thought to get a pet before... [he has to die. But he doesn't want to say that either.] before I had to go.