“Is guest-right not a thing on this plane?” Willow asked, her voice cutting clear and loud as she quickly put herself in between Leaf and the oncoming giantess. The woman stood easily two feet taller than Willow, and goodness knows how many pounds. In the back of her mind she worried about not having any metals invested yet, but she did have her saber. Although, while she felt confident that she could be quicker than this behemoth, that wouldn't amount to much inside of Leaf’s hut. Ideally though, this wouldn’t be a fight. “You are a guest here, and should behave as such. If your issue is being called out this way for the meeting, then please direct your aggression my way. Leaf merely organized the moot for me. I am the one who wants to talk.”
Willow tipped her hat back and craned her neck to look up at Horn’s eyes as she stood solidly in the god’s way.
“So, how is this chat gonna play out, friend?”
[The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
The Horn God stared down her nose at Willow, sizing her up. There was little lumbering in the giantess’ movement, Willow could see the woman’s muscles resist a tensing, reflexive strike. Instead, the Horn God snatched her skull, and flicked the allomancer’s hat off with her thumb. Then she pulled Willow in with a grip of iron and sniffed her head like a bouquet of flowers.
“Hmph,” grunted the massive bear of a woman, finally letting go, “you smell like a spriggan, like the outside. You have the smell of the Laughing God on you.”
“She’s here to help–...” the Leaf God began, before being silenced with a snarl.
“I call the moots,” growled the Horn God, her presence rattling the structure of the hut, “I am the strongest of us. You waste time talking. Always. This warrior of the Laughing Tribe is braver than you are, and you call yourself a God worthy to lead the moot.”
Her piece said, the Horn God turned, giving one curious glance at Willow, and cracking the doorway with her fist on the way out. She stomped her way out, and shouted back.
“Make the door bigger next time, so guests don’t need to bow to get in.”
“Hmph,” grunted the massive bear of a woman, finally letting go, “you smell like a spriggan, like the outside. You have the smell of the Laughing God on you.”
“She’s here to help–...” the Leaf God began, before being silenced with a snarl.
“I call the moots,” growled the Horn God, her presence rattling the structure of the hut, “I am the strongest of us. You waste time talking. Always. This warrior of the Laughing Tribe is braver than you are, and you call yourself a God worthy to lead the moot.”
Her piece said, the Horn God turned, giving one curious glance at Willow, and cracking the doorway with her fist on the way out. She stomped her way out, and shouted back.
“Make the door bigger next time, so guests don’t need to bow to get in.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
In a perfect practice of one’s poker face, Willow held Horn’s gaze throughout the time the giantess moved her like a doll. The Brit knew she was the smaller party involved, obviously; she also knew that without her metals, and possibly even with them, that she was the weaker party involved. Regardless, she refused to acknowledge either matter, and it wasn’t until the Horn God released her and stomped away that Willow allowed herself to breathe; at which point she shied away from the door and clutched her chest as a slight blush bloomed on her cheeks and around her ears.
Then, a brief moment later, Willow cleared her throat and postured slightly as she reached into her bandolier and ate a few beads of metal. With Pewter on a low burn, she stood a bit straighter and the blush receded from her cheeks as she regained her composure. Lifting her hand to her mouth she cleared her throat and burned Iron to pull her hat into her hand. After placing the cowboy hat back onto her head, Willow turned to the others.
“”Well, that was weird!” said the Brit with a too wide smile. “What… uh… what’s the weather supposed to be today? Is the moot outside?”
Then, a brief moment later, Willow cleared her throat and postured slightly as she reached into her bandolier and ate a few beads of metal. With Pewter on a low burn, she stood a bit straighter and the blush receded from her cheeks as she regained her composure. Lifting her hand to her mouth she cleared her throat and burned Iron to pull her hat into her hand. After placing the cowboy hat back onto her head, Willow turned to the others.
“”Well, that was weird!” said the Brit with a too wide smile. “What… uh… what’s the weather supposed to be today? Is the moot outside?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"The weather...? Ah, I suppose it's looking to be a bit cloudy today, but you can never tell." Leaf explained, "I haven't really hobbied on meteorology."
"Lass are ye awright? Ye look a bit giggly," Phyllis tucked at Willows leg, "She dinnae squeeze yer head too tight did she?"
Behind both Leaf and Phyllis stood Eryl, narrowing her eyes at the Allomancer. Unlike the others, she didn't seem worried. Instead, she rubbed her eyes, which seemed to shift them from a gold, to green, and finally to a blue color.
"Try to keep it together," was all the triclops said, "will you?"
Leaf, unaware of Eryl's meaning, carried on over her point.
"Thank you for that," he spoke graciously, his manners catching up, "she comes around once a month to make a scene, but I wasn't quite prepared this time around. She's a real ape sometimes, but, as you can see, she can be reasoned with. I don't know why she always singles me out, though..."
"The moot?" insisted Eryl.
"Yes, yes, the moot! Yes. Tonight. Out near the clearing you entered in. My guardians live off the ground, so we can accommodate these sorts of meetings, and bounce back when they get out of hand."
"Lass are ye awright? Ye look a bit giggly," Phyllis tucked at Willows leg, "She dinnae squeeze yer head too tight did she?"
Behind both Leaf and Phyllis stood Eryl, narrowing her eyes at the Allomancer. Unlike the others, she didn't seem worried. Instead, she rubbed her eyes, which seemed to shift them from a gold, to green, and finally to a blue color.
"Try to keep it together," was all the triclops said, "will you?"
Leaf, unaware of Eryl's meaning, carried on over her point.
"Thank you for that," he spoke graciously, his manners catching up, "she comes around once a month to make a scene, but I wasn't quite prepared this time around. She's a real ape sometimes, but, as you can see, she can be reasoned with. I don't know why she always singles me out, though..."
"The moot?" insisted Eryl.
"Yes, yes, the moot! Yes. Tonight. Out near the clearing you entered in. My guardians live off the ground, so we can accommodate these sorts of meetings, and bounce back when they get out of hand."
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Clearing her throat one more time, Willow straightened the rest of her clothing and cocked an eyebrow at Eryl when she spoke. She listened to Leaf as she strapped everything else she needed for a standard day of relative leisure. The meeting was tonight, so she had time to kill. For the most part her plan was a standard Willow Day; go for a run, some pilates, light snack, and the addition of saber training to keep those muscles primed; all the while trying to think of how to make her case somehow more appealing than ”Get off y’r lazy asses!”.
“I’mma go get my morning run in, feel free to join me if you want to chat a bit more,” Willow said to Eryl. She turned to Leaf and considered making a bold claim about the nature of Horn’s attention, but shook her head and scooped Phyllis up before leaving the hut. Tossing some coins out over the railing Willow let herself drop a ways before pushing against the coins to slow her descent. Setting Phyllis down, Willow made for the edge of the village clearing so she could run laps.
“I’mma go get my morning run in, feel free to join me if you want to chat a bit more,” Willow said to Eryl. She turned to Leaf and considered making a bold claim about the nature of Horn’s attention, but shook her head and scooped Phyllis up before leaving the hut. Tossing some coins out over the railing Willow let herself drop a ways before pushing against the coins to slow her descent. Setting Phyllis down, Willow made for the edge of the village clearing so she could run laps.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"Oh! Hey I--... Don' mind this one bit," Phyllis said as her tail began to wag, setting into Willow's arm, "Where are we GOIN--"
The canidaer began yipping the whole way down, hooking her burly, freckled arms around the Allomancer's neck. As they landed, she sprung from Willow's arm, landing on her meaty pit-bull paws. A few Leaf tribesfolk laughed little, rattling chortles, having watched the descent in the midst of their work.
Phyllis almost thought to say something in return, before she saw Willow dart off. Her human brain short circuited with canine instinct and she shot off in a chase behind the allomancer.
The two ran under the shade of the towering trees, past groups like the ones they saw at the trunk by Leaf's home. They busied themselves weeding sick looking vines, while nurturing healthy grasses in their place. Some teams stuck heavy metal rods at the base of trees with a thurible at the high end. Others applied more natural solutions by piling brush at the tree's base.
"Set the Leaf God's spike deeper! No more than three spriggans high!"
As she neared the edge of the village, Willow found a masked Leaffolk with a group of sprouty, spriggan children. He seemed to be making a demonstration with a small herb garden, explaining each leaf, root and herb with its importance.
"He teaches us that even the smallest, green plant has its use."
They passed another set of Spriggans praying to an effigy of the Leaf God, cut from stone. The recreation stood tall, his staff to his shoulder and his one hand outstretched to the outskirts, as if holding back the darkness beyond.
"Please protect our Alphonse as he goes into the darkwood."
The further they went the more they began to run into spriggans unlike the enigmatic Leaf. Soon, Willow began to see spriggans with bushy heads, spriggans adorned with necklaces of stone, and spriggans wearing horned helmets to name a few. They were congregating in several camps, mounting banners or flags of their respective kinds. A few of the Spriggans wearing the fur and horn regalia pointed at Willow as she approached. Though they seemed to be pointing above her.
A powerful hand nearly slapped Willow to the ground from the back, but instead spun her about. She got a glimpse of the Horn God, before she was thrown, head over foot into a bush.
The Horn Tribe burst into laughter.
"So this is a Laughing Warrior," came the Horn God's growling voice, looking as though she had been keeping pace with Willow and Phyllis at a distance, "I have always been curious what warriors from the Laughing Tribe were like. But I am more curious what the Laughing God wants with the Leaf God and the rest of us."
The canidaer began yipping the whole way down, hooking her burly, freckled arms around the Allomancer's neck. As they landed, she sprung from Willow's arm, landing on her meaty pit-bull paws. A few Leaf tribesfolk laughed little, rattling chortles, having watched the descent in the midst of their work.
Phyllis almost thought to say something in return, before she saw Willow dart off. Her human brain short circuited with canine instinct and she shot off in a chase behind the allomancer.
The two ran under the shade of the towering trees, past groups like the ones they saw at the trunk by Leaf's home. They busied themselves weeding sick looking vines, while nurturing healthy grasses in their place. Some teams stuck heavy metal rods at the base of trees with a thurible at the high end. Others applied more natural solutions by piling brush at the tree's base.
"Set the Leaf God's spike deeper! No more than three spriggans high!"
As she neared the edge of the village, Willow found a masked Leaffolk with a group of sprouty, spriggan children. He seemed to be making a demonstration with a small herb garden, explaining each leaf, root and herb with its importance.
"He teaches us that even the smallest, green plant has its use."
They passed another set of Spriggans praying to an effigy of the Leaf God, cut from stone. The recreation stood tall, his staff to his shoulder and his one hand outstretched to the outskirts, as if holding back the darkness beyond.
"Please protect our Alphonse as he goes into the darkwood."
The further they went the more they began to run into spriggans unlike the enigmatic Leaf. Soon, Willow began to see spriggans with bushy heads, spriggans adorned with necklaces of stone, and spriggans wearing horned helmets to name a few. They were congregating in several camps, mounting banners or flags of their respective kinds. A few of the Spriggans wearing the fur and horn regalia pointed at Willow as she approached. Though they seemed to be pointing above her.
A powerful hand nearly slapped Willow to the ground from the back, but instead spun her about. She got a glimpse of the Horn God, before she was thrown, head over foot into a bush.
The Horn Tribe burst into laughter.
"So this is a Laughing Warrior," came the Horn God's growling voice, looking as though she had been keeping pace with Willow and Phyllis at a distance, "I have always been curious what warriors from the Laughing Tribe were like. But I am more curious what the Laughing God wants with the Leaf God and the rest of us."
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Taking in the sights of the familiar yet new location, Willow settled into the certainly familiar motions of her morning routine. It didn’t matter what world she was in, running was running. It meant she could refocus and pay attention only to the wind on her face, the grass under her feet, and the massive hand slapping her back. It was only by the grace of reflex that the allomancer reignited the burn on her Pewter and regained enough balance and alacrity to cover her head and face as she tumbled into a shrub. Rather than ungracefully trying to wrestle her way out of the landscape piece she pulled a coin, dropped it in the topiary, Steel pushed herself up with a quick burst, and caught onto a tree branch above her.
Giving the Horn God an unamused look and decidedly not laughing, Willow let go of the branch with one hand as she pulled her coin back with a burn of Iron and caught it. Pocketing the piece metal, she grabbed the branch against, swung, and flung herself forward to stick a landing a short distance in front of the Amazonian.
“I don’t know the Laughing God, I don’t know the Laughing Tribe, and to the best of my knowledge they haven’t recruited me to be a…” Willow paused and looked suddenly off to the side. “Oh fart, is Manon the Laughing God? Obviously it isn’t Percy…”
Giving the Horn God an unamused look and decidedly not laughing, Willow let go of the branch with one hand as she pulled her coin back with a burn of Iron and caught it. Pocketing the piece metal, she grabbed the branch against, swung, and flung herself forward to stick a landing a short distance in front of the Amazonian.
“I don’t know the Laughing God, I don’t know the Laughing Tribe, and to the best of my knowledge they haven’t recruited me to be a…” Willow paused and looked suddenly off to the side. “Oh fart, is Manon the Laughing God? Obviously it isn’t Percy…”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Willow's sergeant squared up with a gnarled root, ripped from the ground. She gave a low, throaty growl at the furred spriggans staring them down.
"The Laughing God fashions themself like Loki. They take many faces and spin stories to misdirect," the Horn God sneered, giving her words a particular poison, "Fools like the Leaf God are weak to words and stories, fools that don't know what became of anyone who listened to Loki."
With a crack of her knuckles, a grim air came over the Horn God, "The Laughing God sends a strong woman, telling the Leaf God exactly what he wants to hear, so he calls a moot. You're using him to further the plans of..."
"... Manon!"
The name was punctuated by a pop and a sudden flash of confetti. In the wake of the paper shower lounged the harlequin, Manon, floating above the ground. She jingled her fools hat with a cheeky grin.
"I heard my name from my favorite acolyte," said the fool, performing a hail Mary, before collapsing back into her cat-like pose with a giggle, "what can I do for you, Willow?"
The amazon goddess towered behind this scene, glowering at Manon and then at Willow.
"The Laughing God fashions themself like Loki. They take many faces and spin stories to misdirect," the Horn God sneered, giving her words a particular poison, "Fools like the Leaf God are weak to words and stories, fools that don't know what became of anyone who listened to Loki."
With a crack of her knuckles, a grim air came over the Horn God, "The Laughing God sends a strong woman, telling the Leaf God exactly what he wants to hear, so he calls a moot. You're using him to further the plans of..."
"... Manon!"
The name was punctuated by a pop and a sudden flash of confetti. In the wake of the paper shower lounged the harlequin, Manon, floating above the ground. She jingled her fools hat with a cheeky grin.
"I heard my name from my favorite acolyte," said the fool, performing a hail Mary, before collapsing back into her cat-like pose with a giggle, "what can I do for you, Willow?"
The amazon goddess towered behind this scene, glowering at Manon and then at Willow.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
THWACK
The sound of Willow palm hitting her face spoke to the Brit’s opinion of the situation; although this time the hand slid downward to hide a slight grin. This certainly wasn’t helping her argument with the Horn God, and Willow didn’t need to be seen chuckling when trying to explain not being the Laughing Warrior. Beyond that, she found herself starting to wonder how Manon was doing this. If she had a nickel for every time Manon popped up like this she would have two nickels; which isn’t a lot, but still odd that it happened twice. Once her face had straightened again, Willow settled back into a casual stance.
“Ah‘m not your acolyte,” Willow said as she gestured towards Manon with an open palm, then she turned her head to look at Horn while once again gesturing at Manon. “I’m not her acolyte. She didn’t send me here. She’s not a god. She’s just a friend of mine who also happens to be in this realm.”
Turning to once again square off with Horn, Willow took a defiant stance rather than outright confrontational.
“And for the record, Leaf called me and my request crazy; and the only reason I had him call ya’ll in is because I would have had no idea how to do it myself. If you want a teaser for what I plan on talking with ya’ll about; I’m charging into the heart of darkness and my legal advisors recommend me having company. I’m sounding a warhorn, not stealing your boyfriend; but if you would like to go a couple rounds ahead of time, then I don’t mind.”
Willow turned her head to Manon, her expression switching to mild confusion.
“Manon, are you gonna pop up every time I say your name? Or are you somehow picking and choosing when to do it?”
The sound of Willow palm hitting her face spoke to the Brit’s opinion of the situation; although this time the hand slid downward to hide a slight grin. This certainly wasn’t helping her argument with the Horn God, and Willow didn’t need to be seen chuckling when trying to explain not being the Laughing Warrior. Beyond that, she found herself starting to wonder how Manon was doing this. If she had a nickel for every time Manon popped up like this she would have two nickels; which isn’t a lot, but still odd that it happened twice. Once her face had straightened again, Willow settled back into a casual stance.
“Ah‘m not your acolyte,” Willow said as she gestured towards Manon with an open palm, then she turned her head to look at Horn while once again gesturing at Manon. “I’m not her acolyte. She didn’t send me here. She’s not a god. She’s just a friend of mine who also happens to be in this realm.”
Turning to once again square off with Horn, Willow took a defiant stance rather than outright confrontational.
“And for the record, Leaf called me and my request crazy; and the only reason I had him call ya’ll in is because I would have had no idea how to do it myself. If you want a teaser for what I plan on talking with ya’ll about; I’m charging into the heart of darkness and my legal advisors recommend me having company. I’m sounding a warhorn, not stealing your boyfriend; but if you would like to go a couple rounds ahead of time, then I don’t mind.”
Willow turned her head to Manon, her expression switching to mild confusion.
“Manon, are you gonna pop up every time I say your name? Or are you somehow picking and choosing when to do it?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"I cannot explain it well," shrugged the clown with a big, knowing grin, "but Mx. Caxton, he calls it the Burden of Divinity. Dramatique. Since I shadow him, it seems I share zis burden, non? When Manon is thought of, I hear it like a voice calling my name, like a prayer."
Manon's head bounced side to side, jingling sillily, "And I don't have much to do, being constantly put on ze moon."
The Horn God snatched up Manon by her collar and held her aloft like a newborn puppy. Words seemed to be beyond the powerhouse goddess, signified by a red face and a vulgar scowl. Willow could recognize the effect of a personal slight, fueled by an already warm disregard.
"Oh, I seem to be in trouble," Manon hung limply, her hat somehow staying on. A small shower of confetti masked an outfit change to a pink dress of frills and bells, "Okay, I'm ready. Do your thing, Willow."
Manon's head bounced side to side, jingling sillily, "And I don't have much to do, being constantly put on ze moon."
The Horn God snatched up Manon by her collar and held her aloft like a newborn puppy. Words seemed to be beyond the powerhouse goddess, signified by a red face and a vulgar scowl. Willow could recognize the effect of a personal slight, fueled by an already warm disregard.
"Oh, I seem to be in trouble," Manon hung limply, her hat somehow staying on. A small shower of confetti masked an outfit change to a pink dress of frills and bells, "Okay, I'm ready. Do your thing, Willow."