Nature Multiplied

[Darastrix]

"Not the trees," Nuo said, shaking his head. "We haven't been among humans for years now." He looked at the houses again and bit his lip. He wasn't sure about those, either. They could have one to themselves, but they'd still be surrounded by people in the neighboring houses.

[Kender Bard]

"Something... A little more isolated?" Kaylin suggested tentatively.

"That can be done," the child angel assured them with a small smile. "Easily. There's plenty of open space around here. Do you want a house? Or do you want a little tree? Maybe something else entirely? And will you two be sharing a space or separated?"

[Darastrix]

"Sharing," Nuo said quickly. He didn't want to be alone in a new place, and he doubted Kaylin did, either. "I don't really want a house...." He looked to Kaylin. "What do you want?" He wished the fey court hadn't ruined so much for him. Between his plant affinity and his fey side, he would have loved a grove of sorts, but he didn't know how either of them would feel waking up in a place like that.

[Kender Bard]

Kaylin seemed equally torn. "How... How about..." She bit her lip. She wouldn't have minded a house though she wasn't sure how well she would be able to adjust. She, strangely, felt a sudden longing for their ruined keep. She glanced at Nuo thoughtfully. "How about a little tree? Like those big ones but just big enough for the two of us?" It'd keep her close to nature without making her feel like she was just sleeping out in the open forest. The thought of THAT made her shiver nervously. She needed a roof over her head of some kind. "Would that be all right?"

Janette, a little bored and curious on how they would like it, moved her hands in circular motions. A tiny model of a home appeared. It was like the tree-homes--it was at least shaped like one--but made of stone and running water with flowering vines all over it. "How about this?"

[Darastrix]

Nuo nodded at Kaylin; that would probably be the best way for them both to be happy.

His eyes widened a little as Janette created the model. It looked enough like the keep that it didn't seem too strange, and it was enough unlike a house for him to feel comfortable. "That's..." Perfect. "Yes." He turned to Kaylin to get her opinion, unconsciously drawing his brows up in a pleading expression.

[Kender Bard]

"It's beautiful!" Kaylin exclaimed in surprise.

The angels seemed pleased. "I'll go make it now, somewhere out of the way," Janette promised as she flew away.

Their child angel giggled happily. "Oh I'm so glad we could accommodate you!"

It didn't take long for Janette to return. "It's all ready!" she sang out. "I will guide you there!" She landed and began to walk, chattering away about making something to eat for them in the shape of a cake.

"She sure likes cake," Kaylin remarked with a small smile to Nuo. "But they really are quite... Giving here."

[Darastrix]

"It's...strange," he murmured. "But nice." It was especially nice that they didn't need to go through the little 'refuse twice, then accept' dance that was needed when dealing with faeries. For now, anyway. He was still a little worried that there could be a catch somewhere, though helping the Forces stop the demons probably more than covered any cost.

[Kender Bard]

They didn't take long to reach the home, though it was extraordinarily hard to see it at first. The angels had either found the perfect spot or they had created it--the surrounding trees caused their stone home to blend right in with the surroundings, made further hard to see by the thick layers of flowering vines on all of the trees in the area. The air was perfumed with their scent. There was also a small stream that flowed through the woods.

"Here we are," the angel announced, flying into the middle of the grove and alighting on a branch. She focused and suddenly soft glowing balls of illumination lit up key points on their home, revealing the entrances that had been hidden in shadow before.

[Darastrix]

Nuo let out a quiet gasp when he saw their temporary home. It was beautiful. Plants, water, nicely concealed, and smaller than the huge old keep they hid in. Hid. That was it, wasn't it? It had never really been where they lived. It was where they'd hidden.

"This is perfect. I wish we had a place like this out there." He made a vague gesture, indicating the world beyond the sanctuary. The real world? Well, this was real, too. The outside world, he supposed.

[Kender Bard]

"Me too!" Kaylin exclaimed as she dashed ahead to explore. The inside was softly illuminated as well and her presence seemed to cause the lights to brighten a bit so that she wasn't wandering in twilight. "It's so cute!" she exclaimed. They had furniture, like a real house, though it was all a bit exotic looking. The flowers were beautiful, however. She stuck her nose in one and inhaled, laughing.

If they had furniture then that meant--oh! "Will we have beds?" she asked the angels, terribly hopeful. A soft, feather-stuffed mattress with warm woolen comforters....

"If that is what you desire," Janette laughed. "Then it will be so. Is that what you want as well, Nuo?"

[Darastrix]

Nuo nodded as he delicately traced his fingers over the petals of the flowers. "Two beds," he specified. He hadn't minded sharing close quarters with Kaylin to sleep in the little cave at the Faerie Court or outside, but beds were different. "I'd like something soft." He hadn't slept on something truly comfortable in how long?

[Kender Bard]

"It is done," Janette announced happily after a moment. "Upstairs."

Grinning, Kaylin located teh spiralling staircase (a tiny waterfall fell alongside it) and scrambled up. Two identical bedrooms faced each other across a narrow hallway. Dominating each room was a large canopied bed covered in a thick comforter--one in red and white and the other in yellow and green. The rooms looked comfotable, but plain.

[Darastrix]

Nuo followed after Kaylin at a more sedate pace, reaching out to touch the cascading water as he climbed. Already he thought that he was going to miss their little home once everything was over, but they were there now; he might as well enjoy the moment.

He peeked into each room from the hallway and smiled. The plainness didn’t bother him, and the beds looked like they would be comfy. “Kaylin, do you mind if I take the green one?” he asked. If she did, he doubted Janette would mind changing the colours of the other one. They’d created the place so easily, he figured that something so minor could be done with hardly any effort at all.

[Kender Bard]

"No, go ahead," Kaylin assured him as she stepped into the other room to explore a little. The angels waited nearby, pleased and patient.

Kaylin lay back against her bed with a delighted coo, stretching and luxuriating. Maple wriggled next to her, giggling.

"If there's nothing else you'd like, we'll give you both some privacy," the little angel said. "And if you have need of anything, you can just call out to any of us for some assistance. Feel free to wander and explore the sanctuary. It's very safe. Nothing here will hurt you."

[Darastrix]

Safe. Nuo couldn't remember the last time he felt truly safe. He imagined it would take a while to really get used to, but still.... Safe. No fey to hurt them. He was a little worried what the humans would think of them--what if there were some people there who the faeries had hurt?--but they wouldn't be able to find their little sanctuary within the sanctuary.

Safe.

He felt some of the tension he usually carried ease from his shoulders. "Thank you," he murmured with a small smile. "I think we'll be fine for a while."