Roleplay

Sai gave up on trying to play the part of a fox and just shifted into human form behind Pith. "You really were in my way, you know," he said mildly before he disappeared, seemingly into thin air.


(boi discovered an uninhabited tiny lil island pocket dimension- he's a dimension hopper. It has nothing to do with his power as a kitsune, it's an entirely different thing that someone taught him to do a couple centuries back. Anyway over the years he's slowly reshaped it and now it's his-ish, he's set up warding all over it so he'll know if anything goes in or out and yeah that's a thing)

Pith swallowed, watching the stranger's demeanour shift from the caricature of a yuppie to one that was menacingly nonchalant-- like a lynx sidling up to a grounded fledgling. They felt a new fear, almost a knowing kind, and clutched the sigils tighter.

"It-- it's none of your business how long I've been here or how long I-- I've owned this place," Pith snarled, though it sounded more like a whine, "I live here now and I don't want to-- Don't have to talk to anyone if I don't want to!"

They were about to retreat into the cottage, when they saw the fox's dark little figure snap suddenly into the form of a man. Pith yelped and stumbled backwards, slamming their head against the side of the cottage just as the strange man vanished from sight.

Pith dropped the sigils, cradling the back of their head out of instinct,

"What-- what was--? Where--?" they sputtered, mouth opening and closing like a carp's, "Why--?"

Out of the corner of their eye, they saw another figure approaching: elegantly dressed and red as the inside of a lit coal. Pith froze again, mouth still hanging open, as what ever other frantic questions caught in their throat.

"Oh, that was one hell of a head crack." she mumbles, wincing for him as she watched the poor... human? She couldn't really tell from this distance, whack himself upside the head by accident.

"That was a kitsune... though if I'm being honest, I'm fairly certain he's actually a nogitsune, slightly different, still a fox spirit." she wiggles her fingers. "You okay? Also, I understand the whole "I dont have to if I dont want to" idea.. literally how I've functioned for the last couple thousand years." she grins at him cheekily, "And I've been your neighbor for over 500 years now... regardless of whether you've been here for that long. The person who built this cottage, asked ME for permissions to cut down the trees that form it's walls... Asked me for space to plant their garden, asked me to provide protection from the elements... But as you know." she trailed off, "That protection doesn't extend to cryptids, animals, and other fae, and of course, I try not to harm humans."

Pith was still holding their head, their eyes darting between the languid stranger and the approaching one,

"Why are all of you-- you things here-- why--" Pith tried to stand, staggering sideways and back into the side of the cottage.

The impact was less sharp than the first had been, but they felt it ring through them and sank back onto their knees.

"I don't need anyone to protect me--" they croaked, "Especially not some self important faerie who--" they breathed hard between gritted teeth, trying to stay focused, "Thinks she owns everything."

"I just told you you can't own the forest. I just live here and happen to be stronger than a human." she points out gently. "Really, are you okay? I get not liking company, but this reaction is a little extreme, dont you think? I can't even get closer to you, the forest ends at the edge of the treeline. I.. err... dont know about the devil, but at least he looks dapper?"

She pauses, he'd asked why she was here. "Uh... live here?" she blinks at him for a long, contemplative moment, before something clicks. "Are you a lycanthrope? Or do you just suffer from extreme social anxiety?"

"I'm human," Pith blurted, too quickly, and after a moment of realization, doubled-back with, "I'm not like you things. With you asinine rules about what is and what isn't possible and all your stupid m-magick," they stumbled over the word and made a noise as a strange shimmer passed up from their boots and over their body.

They looked up at her, fiercely but with bleary, watery eyes.

"I live out here because I don't want to be disturbed or badgered or told what I--" Pith's voice was rising but they stopped themself, bracing their back against the cottage and inching upwards until they managed to stand, "Nevermind. It's none of your business."

Turning over the sentence about how the stranger couldn't move any closer, Pith felt a strange, almost cruel sense of satisfaction. All those years, all that power and she couldn't even leave the line of trees.

Stupid, stupid faerie.

Admittedly, saying she COULDN'T leave was a bit of an exageration on her part. She could, but it meant using some of her magic, something she genuinely tried not to do, as it was a strain on both herself and the forest she called home. "What you can or can't do?" she offered, a small kind smile on her face. "You remind me of my son, very stand-offish, stubborn, a little shy. Rather unusual for a sidhe, but admittedly, he IS half deyad... something his father's side never got over."

She waves idly, admittedly enjoying having someone interesting to chat with. "Cursed, then? Would you like some yea or something? I can get some..."

The Red skinned one wandered ever closer before trailing all the way up, giving the pair of them a glance before a long sip was taken from a seemingly refilling glass of red liquid, his voice would seem drawn out, kind, and genuine as he drew his hair back with his other hand.
"Interesting how absolutely terrified you seem to be. Perhaps a chair would suit you better? a drink?" he blinked a few times.
"And for you Dryad, anything? perhaps a sapling from somewhere else?"

"You're a D-- He...he's-- Sidhe?" blurted again, pronouncing is more like "sheath".

They looked suddenly even more uncomfortable and began to edge slowly along the outer edge of the cottage, fixing the same fear on the stranger as they had initially.

"I'm not cursed," they added with incredulence, resisting the urge to mutter the snarky addendum that flashed through their mind: Unless you mean in a cosmic sense. "And I don't need your help, I don't need anyone's help or-- or anything--"

Now the elegant, red-skinned man stood between them and the strange Seelie-- or at least Pith assumed she must be-- and Pith shivered as their gaze traveled up the curve of the creature's horns.

"I'm not scared," they lied, inching further and further and further towards their door, "And I'm not interested in anything you're trying to offer-- There's nothing I..." they hesitated, swallowing, before recovering with, "Leave me alone."

"Yep... Dryads can only have sons with other fae." she says lightly, wiggling her fingers in a small goodbye as he attempted to run away. "And... you know... I'm not going to steal you away or anything." she points out softly, "It's just... nice to have someone to talk to again. My husband left a while ago to return to the court... so..." she shrugs, "I get bored, and the woodland creatures only have so much conversation to offer... mostly about preparing for hibernation and such."

Her attention shifted to the cherry red devil, and she tilts her head, 'A sapling from somewhere else? Several of my own saplings have found their way around the world... I even have one living in a japanese ornamental oak in the Palace Gardens..." she paused, "OH, YOU MEAN AN ACTUAL TREE. Well sure, that might be pleasant, something to spruce up my little forest... Lots of Oak and Elm, very little spruce or maple... I'd love to see some birch as well... never enough birch... such pretty trees..."