(no subject)

[toasters_muses]

It's the rare visitor that finds themselves in this grove. Few of the patrons of Milliways seem to be attracted by the allure of the grounds these days. Fewer still ever brave the boundary of the forest. It has been quite some time since anyone ventured off the path to find themselves here.

The trees here are old things. Gnarled and twisted from their race toward the sun; the trunks covered in mosses and lichens, the branches forming a  latticework of interlocking branches that cloaks the place in perpetual dimness. Strange birds call unseen from the canopy and here and there the odd luminescent fungus sprouts amongst the leaf litter.

Comments

[parkerlee]

The quiet of the forest is broken by the sound of a large body working its way through the underbrush. A bay gelding, saddled and bridled, trots into the grove, dragging his lead.

A smaller series of crashes follows him, along with an exasperated voice.

"Kiseki? C'mon, boy. This is beyond not funny. It's getting dark."

Parker had spent the evening riding, and had ended with letting Kiseki graze by the lake on a long line. Kiseki is generally well mannered, but even the best horses get spooked and slip their leads sometimes.

She walks slowly up by the horse and steps triumphantly on the end of the lead.

"Gotcha!"

[mm-toaster.livejournal.com]

The noise is enough to silence the inhabitants of the tree tops. At least for now. It makes the soft breeze all the more noticable as it passes through the undergrowth as well, swirling over Parker's shoulder and up between Kiseki's ears before dissapearing skywards through the branches.

[parkerlee]

Parker shivers a bit in the breeze. She should have worn a heavier jacket. This one had been fine until the sun started to go down.

She really didn't intend to be out this late. Let alone in the woods.

Parker gathers up the lead, and scratches Kiseki between the eyes.

"Where did you think you were going, huh? Don't you know there's a bucket of oats back in the barn with your name on it?"

The woods really are eerie. Especially in the half-light.

Parker looks around.

Not....nervous. Just assessing her situation.

[mm-toaster.livejournal.com]

"Lose something?" Asks a languid, rolling voice from the direction of one of the thicker tree limbs. The low light does make if difficult to distinguish much in the way of detail but a keen eye might pick up the glint of a very wide grin. And... That's about it as far as features go at the moment; no face, no head, just a grin floating comfortably a few inches off the branch.

[parkerlee]

And now a voice from the trees. And...Parker isn't quite sure what she's seeing.

Kiseki snorts, ears at attention.

The voice doesn't come across as threatening. But Parker slowly leans down and picks up a stick. Just in case.

"I did. Momentarily. But I found him," she replies, nodding at the horse.

Push comes to shove, she can jump on Kiseki's back and book it back to the barn.

If she has to.

[mm-toaster.livejournal.com]

"Amongst other things as well, it would seem." Two luminous green eyes fade into view above the grin. "Which begs the question-," And a coiled body follows, thickening from a shadow to a mist to a recognizable form. "What are you to do with them?"

[parkerlee]

Parker watches with interest as the form of a large cat takes shape.

"Well. Curiouser and curiouser," she says, under her breath.

The stick in her hand lowers.

"Well, this boy I plan to take back home for dinner soon."

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting to run into any..er...one out here."

[mm-toaster.livejournal.com]

The cat flicks an ear gaze traveling from Parker to Kiseki and back again. The grin remains throughout.

"Oh, you're sure to find someone eventually. Anywhere is somewhere to someone."

Below the limb, a long gray tail swishes first one way and then the other.

[parkerlee]

"Point," Parker concedes.

She cocks her head at the cat in the tree.

"Have you been here long? In these woods, I mean."

"I've heard about the bunnies, but never anything about a cat."

[mm-toaster.livejournal.com]

"I suppose you wouldn't have," replies the cat. "The only one that might have told anyone would be myself. Understandable why they'd doubt it, I'm not terribly trustworthy."

The tail twitches again but this time is does not stop, twining around its own length, tying a knot. At the same instance the knot goes taught, the cat winks out of existance.

"But, yes, I have been here for some time. In a manner of speaking." Concludes a voice behind Parker's ear.

[parkerlee]

Kiseki's head is up, alert, and he blows air out through his nose. Parker turns toward the sound of the cat's voice, but doesn't immediately see anything.

"You should come inside, sometime," she says.

"They have a nice fireplace and sofas in the bar. I have it on good authority that cats like warm places to nap."