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

[boutant]

I'll take you up on that.

[ She laughs. ] Really. They're pretty cute, though I don't know if they're for me. [ No, apparently bears with multiple rows of teeth are for her. ]

You could get one here. Horses are practically necessary anyway.

[peeta_bread]

Really?! A horse?! [He is so excited his eyes are wide and excited. Ariadne no what did you start] Where can I get a horse?

[boutant]

Down in the stables. They'll let you pick one, since we're Shard-holders and- well, like I said, they're pretty much necessary to get anywhere.

[ Adjusting her grip on the bandersnatch cub, she adds: ] We'll be heading down that way anyway; we can stop in, if you'd like.

[peeta_bread]

Yeah, sure!

[He grins.]

Should we head that way?

[boutant]

Definitely.

[ The cub gets heavy after a while. ]

I can introduce you to my horse, too.

[ Said as she's walking -- no more waiting. ]

[peeta_bread]

[He falls into step with her.] Sounds good.

Need me to carry him for a bit?

[boutant]

That would be good. He needs to get used to more people.

[ She pauses, adjusting her hold on the cub before offering him to Peeta. ]

[peeta_bread]

[He takes him, and it looks like it's like carrying a feather for Peeta. He smiles happily.]

How big is he supposed to get, do you know?

[boutant]

[ Fff. Must be nice. The cub makes a confused sort of noise, twisting in his grip to make sure Ariadne is still there, but then he settles down. ]

Big enough to ride on, apparently.

[peeta_bread]

[He pets his head a little.]

Whoa. That's big.

[He pauses.]

For a minute, I was worried he was a muttation. But he can't be if he's from this world.

[boutant]

You should have seen the den we found him in.

[ The cub quite likes the petting, butting Peeta's hand when it stills for more. ]

A what?

[peeta_bread]

[Okayyy he'll keep petting him.]

Oh! A muttation. A creature developed by the government as a weapon. They're usually odd or even frightening-looking.

[To the bandersnatch:] But you're not so frightening, are ya buddy?

[boutant]

[ yes good all the petting :3 ]

Well. That's creepy. I'm pretty sure we don't have those where I'm from.

[ thank god ]

He'll look a bit scarier, when he's older -- but he's a sweetheart.