[ he... sees.... rondo is not nearly as good at handling this smoothly as temenos was so he is very startled by his own, uh, self. did he get body swapped. what is happening.
but, eventually...! eventually he will kind of gain control and look around to see if he can see the source of the screaming... house is safe but the urge is really just to climb out of the window. ]
[the cat is a little terrified, but when it sees him, it immediately crawls in through the window and bonks up against his jaw. it purrs very, very loudly, reassuring. he gets the sense that this cat is around often.
the screaming isn't really able to be seen from here, but he can go look if he wants to. the window is open. it wouldn't be the first time he snuck out.]
[ KIBBY... okay well this is distracting enough anyway. he stops to pay attention to the cat - give it scritches under the chin and the jaw, hushing it gently so it also isn't freaked out. and then... hup! yeah, out the window he goes. is he smaller than he's expecting to be. ]
the kitty will follow... it seems like a very smart one, actually. also, yes, he is smaller than he's expecting. he's bitty! like maybe... seven? eight?
[ i hope this is not what i was supposed to do but here we go
absolutely! towards the direction of the screams? even if he is cognizant of being little he has never been smart. or sneaky? he pats the kitty once and then starts heading in that way, curiously. surely this will be fine and safe... ]
no, it's fine, he can head out that way - it's cold out here, and the cat following him has opinions about this, meowing like a chatterbox. he can probably see what looks like a... fox? a fox. curled up in the alleyway the scream came from. now that he's thinking about it, the scream didn't sound exactly human. it's clearly injured, paw bloodied.
it looks up at him, and hiss-growls, scuttling backwards.]
anyway he does in fact ignore the cat and goes to look - pausing in his tiny little red tiefling steps when he sees a fox. oh. he's no apothecary. he looks from left to right. is there a sense of what he should do in this moment? where he should be? ]
Oh - oh, no, it's okay. [ he says, in his best, most soothing voice, hushing the kitty behind him and then holding out his hands? red. ] Shhh, shhh. Are you hurt...? It's okay, little guy.
[there's no sense of what he should do, really - but it doesn't feel wrong to reach out to the little guy. maybe he gets the impression that he could help, that he could ask his parents for help. that's always his first go to, at this age. mum and dad will know what to do.
the kitty darts off and away, actually! back to the house. and the fox doesn't try to get away, but it does look hesitant.
and then, quietly it speaks!]
Not hurt?
[or rather, it makes a yipping sound, and he understands it.]
[ internally he thinks this is deeply cool. can karlach talk to animals? she's already cool but this is like ten extra points. DOES SHE TALK TO SCRATCH?
anyway short attention span aside, he shakes his head, holding out both hands, and tries to talk back. yip yip ] No! No, I won't hurt you. I'm... I want to help you. Can I help you?
[it leans into the scritches... something about him is comforting.
but he can head back to the house! it's easy to just wander back, and he'll discover that it is early enough in the morning that his mother is making breakfast - she's always liked to get up with the dawn. which way does rondo come in from, the front door? or through the window?]
[ big warm heart energy!!! its the karlach energy.
anyway if the window is shorter and he can get through it without hurting the fox, then he will just wobble back through the window. otherwise, he will go to the front door and knock like a good boy. considerate and polite (?) ]
[the window is sort of high up and i think it's really funny that he snuck out of his own house at like five in the morning and came back to knock politely on his own door, so he does this
and his mother comes to answer the door in confusion and immediately, in a somewhat shocked, scolding mom voice:]
Karlach Cliffgate. What exactly do you think you're doing outside - why do you have - in! In the house!
[ oh he's so instantly scolded by this the mom voice is so effective but he
holds up his package once he has waddled safely inside. look at it shows her the fox like simba. it's weird to be karlach but he has also been karlach this entire time and is into this larping (and also worried about this fox that is not real)
holds baby out like simba]
He was crying, and - look, he's injured. Can we help him?
[she looks a little huffy, his mother, but she's a very kind and no-nonsense woman, and it's very obvious right off the bat that she is scolding because she's worried, not because she's mad.
a beat, as she stares at the fox, and then she sighs.]
You're going to get yourself in trouble with that protective streak, you little snot, you. [she says, but it's warmer.] We can. Let's go get your father, hm?
[the fox wriggles, whining, and Mum reaches to tap the fox on the nose. instantly it settles back down.]
[ boy, that's an understatement. distantly, it reminds rondo of his own mother - lady ravus was kindhearted and knew deeply of the ravus family fate, but she'd still pinch his cheek when he excitedly talked about learning how to protect the house with his swordsmanship skills at barely five or six. the part of him that is very much him through this feels very fond, and he adjusts the little fox in his arms when she boops it, watching with slight awe as it settles. ]
She's really good, huh. [ he says to the fox, quietly awed, and then nods.
[the fox flops in rondo's arms, tail swishing back and forth. apparently mum is very good at animal handling checks.
off they go! dad is out in the garden, brushing sweat from his forehead as he chops firewood. when he sees the two of them, he puts the axe down and sort of half-grins like he's instinctively excited to see them, before remembering that he's supposed to probably be stern.]
Oi, what have you gotten into this time? [he asks, a touch exasperated, and mum gives him a little smile and a kiss on the cheek.]
[ cute... this is so cute. it's not an unfamiliar situation at all - though lord ravus would probably never chop firewood - but this is the kind of loving home that rondo grew up in, too. he's very comfortable in this peaceful little moment from karlach's life, watching her parents be cute, and then
presents baby like simba: ]
I snuck outside because I heard it crying and I rescued it. [ amazing. ] Look, it's hurt. Can we help it?
[karlach, the only character i play who has happy and loving parents who loved her]
Why am I not surprised... [dad says, but he can't hide the amusement.]
Yeah all right. Bring it here. You watch close now. [and dad gestures for rondo to come close, crouching down. when presented with this fox, who starts squirming again, dad reaches out and puts his fingers on the injured paw.
the fox makes a growly sound, but dad ignores him, and murmurs something that sounds magical.
there's a flash of light, brief - and the fox's paw is healed for a couple points. healing word, baybeee. the fox goes ???, and then:]
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there's a window, he can look if he wants. he might find the cat sitting on his windowsill, absolutely spooked.
also, he's got a tail. that's fun. and horns! and sharp teeth... red skin...]
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but, eventually...! eventually he will kind of gain control and look around to see if he can see the source of the screaming... house is safe but the urge is really just to climb out of the window. ]
Oh - it's okay, kitty...
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the screaming isn't really able to be seen from here, but he can go look if he wants to. the window is open. it wouldn't be the first time he snuck out.]
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the kitty will follow... it seems like a very smart one, actually. also, yes, he is smaller than he's expecting. he's bitty! like maybe... seven? eight?
where we going, down the street?]
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absolutely! towards the direction of the screams? even if he is cognizant of being little he has never been smart. or sneaky? he pats the kitty once and then starts heading in that way, curiously. surely this will be fine and safe... ]
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no, it's fine, he can head out that way - it's cold out here, and the cat following him has opinions about this, meowing like a chatterbox. he can probably see what looks like a... fox? a fox. curled up in the alleyway the scream came from. now that he's thinking about it, the scream didn't sound exactly human. it's clearly injured, paw bloodied.
it looks up at him, and hiss-growls, scuttling backwards.]
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anyway he does in fact ignore the cat and goes to look - pausing in his tiny little red tiefling steps when he sees a fox. oh. he's no apothecary. he looks from left to right. is there a sense of what he should do in this moment? where he should be? ]
Oh - oh, no, it's okay. [ he says, in his best, most soothing voice, hushing the kitty behind him and then holding out his hands? red. ] Shhh, shhh. Are you hurt...? It's okay, little guy.
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the kitty darts off and away, actually! back to the house. and the fox doesn't try to get away, but it does look hesitant.
and then, quietly it speaks!]
Not hurt?
[or rather, it makes a yipping sound, and he understands it.]
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anyway short attention span aside, he shakes his head, holding out both hands, and tries to talk back. yip yip ] No! No, I won't hurt you. I'm... I want to help you. Can I help you?
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the fox hunches down, watching him warily.]
How?
[how help!!]
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[ his gut instinct says, immediately, and he nods to himself. ] They can help with your foot. And I can carry you there so you don't have to walk.
[ holding out his lil red hands... ]
I promise.
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and then starts waddling off towards the house again with his new bundle in his arms. moooommmmmmmm.... dad...... where are you...... ]
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but he can head back to the house! it's easy to just wander back, and he'll discover that it is early enough in the morning that his mother is making breakfast - she's always liked to get up with the dawn. which way does rondo come in from, the front door? or through the window?]
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anyway if the window is shorter and he can get through it without hurting the fox, then he will just wobble back through the window. otherwise, he will go to the front door and knock like a good boy. considerate and polite (?) ]
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and his mother comes to answer the door in confusion and immediately, in a somewhat shocked, scolding mom voice:]
Karlach Cliffgate. What exactly do you think you're doing outside - why do you have - in! In the house!
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holds up his package once he has waddled safely inside. look at it shows her the fox like simba. it's weird to be karlach but he has also been karlach this entire time and is into this larping (and also worried about this fox that is not real)
holds baby out like simba]
He was crying, and - look, he's injured. Can we help him?
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a beat, as she stares at the fox, and then she sighs.]
You're going to get yourself in trouble with that protective streak, you little snot, you. [she says, but it's warmer.] We can. Let's go get your father, hm?
[the fox wriggles, whining, and Mum reaches to tap the fox on the nose. instantly it settles back down.]
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[ boy, that's an understatement. distantly, it reminds rondo of his own mother - lady ravus was kindhearted and knew deeply of the ravus family fate, but she'd still pinch his cheek when he excitedly talked about learning how to protect the house with his swordsmanship skills at barely five or six. the part of him that is very much him through this feels very fond, and he adjusts the little fox in his arms when she boops it, watching with slight awe as it settles. ]
She's really good, huh. [ he says to the fox, quietly awed, and then nods.
obediently he is ready to follow to find dad!!! ]
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off they go! dad is out in the garden, brushing sweat from his forehead as he chops firewood. when he sees the two of them, he puts the axe down and sort of half-grins like he's instinctively excited to see them, before remembering that he's supposed to probably be stern.]
Oi, what have you gotten into this time? [he asks, a touch exasperated, and mum gives him a little smile and a kiss on the cheek.]
Well. Go on, explain to Dad. [mum says, amused.]
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presents baby like simba: ]
I snuck outside because I heard it crying and I rescued it. [ amazing. ] Look, it's hurt. Can we help it?
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Why am I not surprised... [dad says, but he can't hide the amusement.]
Yeah all right. Bring it here. You watch close now. [and dad gestures for rondo to come close, crouching down. when presented with this fox, who starts squirming again, dad reaches out and puts his fingers on the injured paw.
the fox makes a growly sound, but dad ignores him, and murmurs something that sounds magical.
there's a flash of light, brief - and the fox's paw is healed for a couple points. healing word, baybeee. the fox goes ???, and then:]
Fixed? [looks up at rondo.]
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Fixed?
[ only it's like a little fox yip in karlach's voice. very cute ]
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it yips, and licks rondo's face.]
Fixed! [it says excitedly, squirming wildly. mum laughs, brushing her hands off on her apron as she heads back into the house. dad looks proud.]
You let it go now. We're not keeping it, we've already got your mother's little disaster running round the place.
[the cat, he means.]
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