eachdraidh | 001 ♝ video ♝ open to both courts

[ 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. ]

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The walls will be thick -- and yes, in the forest. [ Once the bandersnatch grows up, she imagines it will help defend it simply because it's home, but she isn't going to base all her home defense on a bear-thing, either. ]

It'll be made of stone, since that's what we have to work with, and the workers can put magic into them -- apparently. [ She'll be testing that, too. ]

The sort of manor I'm building is like a castle itself, only much smaller.

[Normally he wouldn't give animals, domesticated or wild, much thought beyond food, but then he'd watched a thresher maw take down a Reaper. The bandersnatch would be a good home security system one day.

He made a face at the mention of magic, but didn't comment on it.] Then my advice is to keep it from being a complicated mess of towers and dungeons like Caer Scima. Do not waste time with frivolities and build what you can defend with the aid of the forest and what minions you can trust, if any. Give yourself a clear line of sight from every angle possible.

[She could probably design something aesthetically pleasing and functional, but there was a reason no one asked him for decorating tips. He had defended mostly rubble in his time.]

I don't think I'll need dungeons, [ she hopes ] so that shouldn't be too difficult. Maybe one tower, though, to keep watch out of -- but not as many as Caer Scima.

[ She isn't the only architect, at the end of the day; the rulers had provided a few with the workforce. ]

How much do you know about the forest?

Consider the eventuality that you may be forced to remain within the manor for extended periods of time. Constructing stores underground will ensure you do not starve.

[That was something he knew a thing or two about. He shifted wherever he was sitting, glancing over his shoulder as someone passed him by. It was obvious now by the view behind him that he was at the Station.]

It is malevolent place, and you would be foolish to travel it alone. Three of us were nearly killed by one tree. [He'd marked the general location of its charred remains on his map, just in case.] Stay away from the sunken city of Quendi.

[ Tying the cloth around the injury on her wrist, Ariadne grabs one of her pens from home and starts to take down notes. The bandersnatch cub seems content to go back to napping, cuddling up to her side. ]

Nearly killed by a tree? Did it fall down?

[ How else do you nearly get killed by a tree? ]

Quendi... that's the old elf city, right?

[Javik looked offended by the mere suggestion that he'd nearly been killed by a falling tree. He was the Avatar of Vengeance, the last of the protheans - he was going to die fighting Reapers, not get taken out by hungry vegetation.]

Of course not. It tried to strangle me, nearly drowned the elf, and simply began to consume the doctor. Despite its power, it was still vulnerable to fire. Nothing in that forest is safe.

[His irritation faded, and he nodded in response to her second question.] Yes, the dead city. Leave it where it rots.

[ Sentient murder trees. Oh. Well.

She's going to have to write that down on the list. ]

Consume how, exactly? [ She doesn't really want to know, but it's important. ] And did it look different from the other trees at all?

[ ... if it's a dead city... ] What's dangerous about Quendi, then?

[ are you sick of questions yet javik ]

[Write it down next to 'bring lots of fire'.]

It... I do not know different species of trees. I believe this one was referred to as a willow, but there is no evidence to suggest that is relevant. I did not see how it pulled him in, but a gap in the bark at the base of the tree appeared to serve as a mouth.

Orcs and trolls and other monsters have made it their home, and the foundation is unstable. Death lies over it like a shroud, and it should not be disturbed.

[He's starting to remember why he hates being helpful. If only Liara were here, he could stonewall her for old time's sake.]

There's no evidence that it isn't, either. I mean, trees aren't supposed to attack people.

[ Not in her world, at least. ]

I'll stay away from it. [ The public doesn't need to know that she's already selected a spot for her manor, just as they don't need to know that some of her workers have already mumbled superstitions about Quendi and La Llorona even as they work. ]

That was not the only dangerous tree, but the only one that actively tried to kill us. You are from Earth, yes? The wildlife there is tame compared to other planets in the galaxy.

[Not that he'd seen much of it outside of browsing the extranet. By the time he'd set foot on Earth, most of it was on fire. The locket shifted in his hand, and he turned his head to look in the direction of some muffled shouting. Unconcerned, he turned back to Ariadne.]

We followed the road south as best we could, so I cannot begin to guess what the rest of the forest contains.

Yes, I am. But a lot of the plants and wildlife that isn't magical here does look like the, um, Earth variety.

[ Magic and aliens why. ]

I'll do some research. It'll take time for the construction to be finished.

[Because reasons, that's why.]

Of course. [He considered that topic well and done, so next:] Did your pet kill the red imp?

He tried, but he's very young -- he doesn't know how yet.

[ Pause. ]

I slit its throat.

It appears to have some instinct in killing, at least. Train it well.

[Whatever else he was about to say was interrupted when the shouting returned, only a lot closer. Javik looked annoyed, then surprised before pulling out something that looked like a rifle.]

These imps are not an isolated problem. Perhaps we may speak again later.

I will. [ Or she'll try. ] One of the castle's hounds is helping, too.

[ Oh. Worry lines crease her face, but Ariadne nods. ]

If I find anything out about what's going on with them, I'll let you know.

[Let it feast on the entrails of your enemies, Ariadne, it'll be a killer in no time.]

I will do the same.

[And he reached down to close the locket, because he had some imp shooting to do. Maybe the Station wasn't going to be so boring after all.]

001 ♝ video ♝ open to both courts

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