Players:
Marlot
A witch in want of a friend
Lilly
A local farmer’s daughter who is trying to learn how to talk to people without insulting them
Marlot stared at the potion impatiently, there was only a week left and then she would know if it had worked or not.
Knock, Knock, Knock
“Come in.”
“Hi Marlot.”
“Good morning Lilly,” the farmer’s daughter walked in, a flash of color and cheerfulness in the rather dark and dust cottage and instantly set to work making tea.
“How much longer?”
“Another week, it has to be violet for four days, it just turned indigo yesterday.”
“So it goes through the colors of the rainbow.”
“Yep, it’s kind of neat to watch actually, each color has its own smoke patterns and density.”
“Teas ready.” Lilly handed Marlot a cup of the steaming liquid, “don’t worry so much, I’m sure you did it right.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Lilly had that look again, as though she know Marlot actually did appreciate her even though she pretended she didn’t care.
The witch drank her tea in silence. Lilly had been stopping by every day since she had asked for a love potion. Marlot enjoyed the company despite herself but she also knew she would never tell Lilly as much.
“I hope he is handsome.” Lilly looked wistful as she sat drinking her tea. “Even if he is going to be short.”
“What is wrong with being short?”
“Why would you make someone to help you around the house if he isn’t going to be able to reach the high places?”
“But he is just to keep me company, not to be a servant or anything.”
“Sure, okay.”
Marlot glared at her thoughtless friend, knowing Lilly was on the verge of saying something cruel.
“I mean…never mind.”
“Lilly,” Marlot sighed and looked into her tea, “I don’t want to fight with you, but please if you have something to say don’t be mean about it.” She stopped talking before she did exactly what she was asking Lilly not to.
“I’m sorry Marlot, I’m trying really.”
“I know.”
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Part 5 In which Lilly knows something Marlot doesn’t
Players:
Marlot
A lonely witch who is learning that making friends doesn’t mean from scratch
Jinx
A lazy cat with nothing better to lay around and keep Marlot company
Lilly
A young woman who needs to learn to think before she speaks
Marlot sat at the kitchen table watching the bright green smoke dance across the surface of her potion. The tendrils spun and twirled in a merry dance and she had to keep an eye on Jinx to make sure he didn’t try to play with it.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Now who in the world.” She stood up and walked over to the door and pulled it open an inch. “What are you doing here?”
“Lunch,” Lilly said simply, holding out a picnic basket with the smells of fresh baked bread and herbs wafting out of it.
“Smells good, I guess you can come in.”
Lilly half skipped past Marlot and sat the basket on the table. She then pulled out a very large loaf of bread, a small cooked chicken, and an apple pie. “I used the apples you gave me the other day to make the pie,” she said, holding it out to Marlot so she could smell the cinnamon and baked apples.
“Why?”
“I like you, or at least you are nicer to me than most of the people back at the village.”
Marlot dug around in her drawers until she found the bread knife and some jam that she had been saving, but she wasn’t sure for what. “They must be really mean if you think I’m nice.”
“Well, actually they are sneakier about it, talking behind my back, smiling to my face. You are straight forward, and like I said before, interesting. I can tell that you are the kind of person that everyone knows where they stand with you because you will tell it as it is.”
“So you want to torture yourself by spending time with me. This chicken is really good by the way.”
“Thank you.” Lilly smiled at Marlot in a way that made the witch suspicious, but she wasn’t sure why.
“I’m still not making you a love potion.”
“I know, I don’t want it anymore. I think you were right about the man not being worth my love…I saw him with the baker’s daughter this morning and he seemed very happy. Word is that they are going to get married in the fall.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, I’ll find someone eventually right? So please, what is a golem? I realize that you are making something male but I don’t quite understand what it is.”
Marlot cut off another piece of the soft squishy bread and spread strawberry jam on it. “A golem is a creature that can move and think on its own but it is made out of clay and whatever else the creator chose to use.”
“Fascinating. How much longer?”
“Almost two weeks, yesterday was the halfway point, which is why I needed snails.”
“Will he be handsome?”
“I’m not even sure it is going to work. Do you want some tea?”
Lilly smiled at her again, that same knowing smile that Marlot couldn’t quite figure out what it meant. “Yes please. So why are you making a golem?”
“Because Jinx isn’t much of a conversationalist and I was bored. I really should have thought it through more, but it is too late now.”
“You made a golem so you would just have someone to talk to, that’s kind of selfish isn’t it?”
Marlot picked the tea pot up off the wood stove and glared at the young woman. “Didn’t I tell you it wasn’t a good idea to insult a witch?”
Lilly put her head in her hands, “I’m sorry Marlot, and I did it again. It’s just that you actually seem like a decent person and you could probably have all the friends you want, but instead you make your own instead of trying to go out and meet people who might need you as much as you need them.”
The witch sat down across from her house guest and watched her closely. Lilly did seam sorry, but Marlot wasn’t sure how many insults she could take before she kicked the woman out for good. “You know the stories right? How witches are bad, they cast evil spells and poison maidens with apples, the same apples that you made that pie out of. How do you know they aren’t poisonous? Witches are dangerous Lilly, unpredictable and wicked. You still want to be my friend.”
“Yes, because I don’t believe you are any of those things or you would have cursed me the moment I walked up to your garden wall. Your good Marlot, when will you accept that, I promise you will be much happier after you do? I’ll leave if you want.”
Marlot nodded, “please, I have work to do.”
Lilly picked up her basket and left. Marlot stared at the tea pot still in her hands rather than look at the only person she had had any kind of conversation with in years. The witch looked over at the table to see all of the food still spread out and she felt guilty.
Marlot
A lonely witch who is learning that making friends doesn’t mean from scratch
Jinx
A lazy cat with nothing better to lay around and keep Marlot company
Lilly
A young woman who needs to learn to think before she speaks
Marlot sat at the kitchen table watching the bright green smoke dance across the surface of her potion. The tendrils spun and twirled in a merry dance and she had to keep an eye on Jinx to make sure he didn’t try to play with it.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Now who in the world.” She stood up and walked over to the door and pulled it open an inch. “What are you doing here?”
“Lunch,” Lilly said simply, holding out a picnic basket with the smells of fresh baked bread and herbs wafting out of it.
“Smells good, I guess you can come in.”
Lilly half skipped past Marlot and sat the basket on the table. She then pulled out a very large loaf of bread, a small cooked chicken, and an apple pie. “I used the apples you gave me the other day to make the pie,” she said, holding it out to Marlot so she could smell the cinnamon and baked apples.
“Why?”
“I like you, or at least you are nicer to me than most of the people back at the village.”
Marlot dug around in her drawers until she found the bread knife and some jam that she had been saving, but she wasn’t sure for what. “They must be really mean if you think I’m nice.”
“Well, actually they are sneakier about it, talking behind my back, smiling to my face. You are straight forward, and like I said before, interesting. I can tell that you are the kind of person that everyone knows where they stand with you because you will tell it as it is.”
“So you want to torture yourself by spending time with me. This chicken is really good by the way.”
“Thank you.” Lilly smiled at Marlot in a way that made the witch suspicious, but she wasn’t sure why.
“I’m still not making you a love potion.”
“I know, I don’t want it anymore. I think you were right about the man not being worth my love…I saw him with the baker’s daughter this morning and he seemed very happy. Word is that they are going to get married in the fall.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, I’ll find someone eventually right? So please, what is a golem? I realize that you are making something male but I don’t quite understand what it is.”
Marlot cut off another piece of the soft squishy bread and spread strawberry jam on it. “A golem is a creature that can move and think on its own but it is made out of clay and whatever else the creator chose to use.”
“Fascinating. How much longer?”
“Almost two weeks, yesterday was the halfway point, which is why I needed snails.”
“Will he be handsome?”
“I’m not even sure it is going to work. Do you want some tea?”
Lilly smiled at her again, that same knowing smile that Marlot couldn’t quite figure out what it meant. “Yes please. So why are you making a golem?”
“Because Jinx isn’t much of a conversationalist and I was bored. I really should have thought it through more, but it is too late now.”
“You made a golem so you would just have someone to talk to, that’s kind of selfish isn’t it?”
Marlot picked the tea pot up off the wood stove and glared at the young woman. “Didn’t I tell you it wasn’t a good idea to insult a witch?”
Lilly put her head in her hands, “I’m sorry Marlot, and I did it again. It’s just that you actually seem like a decent person and you could probably have all the friends you want, but instead you make your own instead of trying to go out and meet people who might need you as much as you need them.”
The witch sat down across from her house guest and watched her closely. Lilly did seam sorry, but Marlot wasn’t sure how many insults she could take before she kicked the woman out for good. “You know the stories right? How witches are bad, they cast evil spells and poison maidens with apples, the same apples that you made that pie out of. How do you know they aren’t poisonous? Witches are dangerous Lilly, unpredictable and wicked. You still want to be my friend.”
“Yes, because I don’t believe you are any of those things or you would have cursed me the moment I walked up to your garden wall. Your good Marlot, when will you accept that, I promise you will be much happier after you do? I’ll leave if you want.”
Marlot nodded, “please, I have work to do.”
Lilly picked up her basket and left. Marlot stared at the tea pot still in her hands rather than look at the only person she had had any kind of conversation with in years. The witch looked over at the table to see all of the food still spread out and she felt guilty.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Part 4 In which Marlot makes a new friend
Players:
Marlot
A witch who doesn’t really like people that much, but is really lonely
Jinx
Her cat, the real master of the house
Young Woman
A farm girl who won’t leave Marlot alone
Marlot stood watching the young woman, who to the witch’s surprise smiled at her. “That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, do you know that.”
“But…what…who…alright lady, explain.”
The young woman motioned toward the garden gate, “may I come in?”
Sighing Marlot nodded, “only for as long as it takes you to tell me why you are still here and not yelling at me for telling you no.”
“I’m Lilly” the woman said as she walked through the gate and sat down on the wall near Marlot. “Usually when I tell people that I’m in love but the man doesn’t feel the same they…they say that I must not be worth it. Worth his time, his love, that I’m not good enough for him or his family. My father is just a local farmer and they are always the sons of bankers, or blacksmiths, or someone important.”
“I’m…sorry.” Marlot shook out her robes and then sat down next to Lilly. Jinx, seeing that his mistress was now sitting decided that her lap was where he wanted to be and Marlot absently scratched his ears. “I’m sure someday you will find someone.”
“Or I can be like you and make someone.”
“Well if you’re going to be like that.” The witch stood up again holding Jinx in her arms, and walked away, hoping that she had collected enough snails.
“Marlot!” She yelled after the witch, “I’m sorry.”
Marlot closed the door behind her and sat Jinx down on the table. “Now I remember why I don’t like humans.” She said to the cat who meowed and walked over to his food bowl. “Jinx, I love you but sometimes I feel like the pet and that you are my master.” She ran a hand down his back as she poured food into his bowl and his back arched under her fingers.
She was straightening up when there was a loud knocking at the door and Lilly was yelling “MARLOT, I know you are in there!”
Marlot ignored the woman and lined the new ingredients up on the table. There was the jar of snails she had found in the garden and the puppy dog tails which were wrapped in paper which she chose to ignore until she needed them. Marlot liked being a witch but there were some things about it that she wasn’t very fond of, and one of them were the tails she couldn’t look at, and the other was the fact that she still needed to snip the snails into the potion. She looked over at the boiling cauldron of dark liquid. The smoke coming off of it had changed colors every couple of days and out of curiosity she had opened the spell book again to make sure she had done everything right, which is when she had discovered that there were more ingredients that needed to be added at the halfway point. Two weeks into ‘incubation’ as the book called it, and on the third day after the smoke changed from yellow to green. According to the spell book the ingredients that she choose to add would determine the gender of the golem. “Who knew the poem was right,” she said to jinx before she scooped him up off the floor and spun him around singing:
‘What are little boys made of?
Snips of snails, and puppy-dogs’ tails,
That’s what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice, and everything nice,
That’s what little girls are made of.’
Marlot looked down at the cat in her arms and at the door where she could still hear Lilly walking around and occasionally yelling for the witch to come back, and that she hadn’t meant what she had said. “I guess it’s not what witches are made of though.” She sat Jinx back down on the floor and walked over to the door and opened it to see Lilly about to knock again.
“Oh, I didn’t think you were actually going to open up.”
“And you are still not going away.”
“No, I wanted to talk to you some more. Your… interesting.”
“And I’m busy, trust me, if you thought looking for snails was gross then you really don’t want to watch me snipping them up.”
“No, I guess not. May I come in anyway?”
“It’s never a good idea to insult a witch.”
“I already said I was sorry.”
Marlot stepped out of the way of the door to allow the young woman in.
Marlot
A witch who doesn’t really like people that much, but is really lonely
Jinx
Her cat, the real master of the house
Young Woman
A farm girl who won’t leave Marlot alone
Marlot stood watching the young woman, who to the witch’s surprise smiled at her. “That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, do you know that.”
“But…what…who…alright lady, explain.”
The young woman motioned toward the garden gate, “may I come in?”
Sighing Marlot nodded, “only for as long as it takes you to tell me why you are still here and not yelling at me for telling you no.”
“I’m Lilly” the woman said as she walked through the gate and sat down on the wall near Marlot. “Usually when I tell people that I’m in love but the man doesn’t feel the same they…they say that I must not be worth it. Worth his time, his love, that I’m not good enough for him or his family. My father is just a local farmer and they are always the sons of bankers, or blacksmiths, or someone important.”
“I’m…sorry.” Marlot shook out her robes and then sat down next to Lilly. Jinx, seeing that his mistress was now sitting decided that her lap was where he wanted to be and Marlot absently scratched his ears. “I’m sure someday you will find someone.”
“Or I can be like you and make someone.”
“Well if you’re going to be like that.” The witch stood up again holding Jinx in her arms, and walked away, hoping that she had collected enough snails.
“Marlot!” She yelled after the witch, “I’m sorry.”
Marlot closed the door behind her and sat Jinx down on the table. “Now I remember why I don’t like humans.” She said to the cat who meowed and walked over to his food bowl. “Jinx, I love you but sometimes I feel like the pet and that you are my master.” She ran a hand down his back as she poured food into his bowl and his back arched under her fingers.
She was straightening up when there was a loud knocking at the door and Lilly was yelling “MARLOT, I know you are in there!”
Marlot ignored the woman and lined the new ingredients up on the table. There was the jar of snails she had found in the garden and the puppy dog tails which were wrapped in paper which she chose to ignore until she needed them. Marlot liked being a witch but there were some things about it that she wasn’t very fond of, and one of them were the tails she couldn’t look at, and the other was the fact that she still needed to snip the snails into the potion. She looked over at the boiling cauldron of dark liquid. The smoke coming off of it had changed colors every couple of days and out of curiosity she had opened the spell book again to make sure she had done everything right, which is when she had discovered that there were more ingredients that needed to be added at the halfway point. Two weeks into ‘incubation’ as the book called it, and on the third day after the smoke changed from yellow to green. According to the spell book the ingredients that she choose to add would determine the gender of the golem. “Who knew the poem was right,” she said to jinx before she scooped him up off the floor and spun him around singing:
‘What are little boys made of?
Snips of snails, and puppy-dogs’ tails,
That’s what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice, and everything nice,
That’s what little girls are made of.’
Marlot looked down at the cat in her arms and at the door where she could still hear Lilly walking around and occasionally yelling for the witch to come back, and that she hadn’t meant what she had said. “I guess it’s not what witches are made of though.” She sat Jinx back down on the floor and walked over to the door and opened it to see Lilly about to knock again.
“Oh, I didn’t think you were actually going to open up.”
“And you are still not going away.”
“No, I wanted to talk to you some more. Your… interesting.”
“And I’m busy, trust me, if you thought looking for snails was gross then you really don’t want to watch me snipping them up.”
“No, I guess not. May I come in anyway?”
“It’s never a good idea to insult a witch.”
“I already said I was sorry.”
Marlot stepped out of the way of the door to allow the young woman in.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Part 3 In which Marlot looks for snails and meets someone new
Players:
Marlot
A lonely witch who is franticly working to make herself a companion, in the form of a golem
Jinx
Marlot’s lazy cat who seems to be rather fond of his mistress, just kind of useless
Young Woman
Someone from the nearby town who has a question for a witch
Two weeks later Marlot found herself on her hands and knees in the garden looking for snails.
“Excuse me, are you the witch?”
Marlot looked up for a moment to see a young dark haired woman standing on the other side of the garden wall looking nervous. Jinx stood up from where he had been sunning a few feet away from the woman and sniffed her, probably looking for food, or attention.
“Last time I checked I was one.”
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for snails. Why are you here?”
“Snails?” The young woman scoffed, “why do you want snails?”
“Because I already have the puppy dog tails. Now tell me, what do you want?”
“What are you making, a boy?” her look was of disgust, but there was still a hint of nervousness about her, despite how rude she was being.
“Something like that, now leave me alone.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. I was looking for Marlot the witch because I wanted to ask for a potion. I can pay you.”
“I’m not interested, goodbye.” Marlot lifted a tree branch to see if there were any snails under it.
“But…” the woman was silent for a moment, “But surely you need gold,” she argued, holding out a small bag that jingled slightly.
“Nope, I trade for most of what I need.”
“What about snails, you can buy some in town.”
“I try to avoid town if I can help it.”
“Then I could buy them for you, then it would be like a trade.” She seemed almost excited now.
“They sell snails in town?” Marlot thought about the offer for a moment, she still didn’t know exactly what the girl wanted and she didn’t like agreeing to anything until she knew exactly what she was getting into. “No, I don’t think so, wild snails are better anyway.”
“For making boys! What are you going to do, eat him.” The girl was angry now, almost desperate.
“I’m not going to eat him, and I’m not making boys, I’m making a golem. But it turns out that there were more ingredients on the second page that I didn’t see when I started it and at the halfway point you have to add in either sugar and spice and what not, or snails and puppy tails. Which is why I am looking for snails. Now will you please leave me alone!”
“A golem? What’s that?”
“You’re not going to go away are you?”
“Not until I get what I want.”
“And that is?”
“A love potion.”
Marlot froze, the girl sounded like she had been thinking about this for a while and that a love potion was what she wanted and, in her mind, a love potion is what she was going to get.
“I don’t make those.”
“Please.” She was pleading now. “I love him so much, but…”
Marlot stood up and looked the girl straight in the eye. “But he doesn’t love you, and your heart would break without him, and when he is around you feel like you can fly, yadda yadda yadda. If he doesn’t love you without the potion then trust me, he isn’t worth it.”
“How did you know?”
“Because that is what everyone says when they come asking for a love potion.”
Marlot was watching the woman carefully. Everyone responded differently to her saying no, some burst into tears, others got angry, but rarely did any of them respond like this annoying girl.
Marlot
A lonely witch who is franticly working to make herself a companion, in the form of a golem
Jinx
Marlot’s lazy cat who seems to be rather fond of his mistress, just kind of useless
Young Woman
Someone from the nearby town who has a question for a witch
Two weeks later Marlot found herself on her hands and knees in the garden looking for snails.
“Excuse me, are you the witch?”
Marlot looked up for a moment to see a young dark haired woman standing on the other side of the garden wall looking nervous. Jinx stood up from where he had been sunning a few feet away from the woman and sniffed her, probably looking for food, or attention.
“Last time I checked I was one.”
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for snails. Why are you here?”
“Snails?” The young woman scoffed, “why do you want snails?”
“Because I already have the puppy dog tails. Now tell me, what do you want?”
“What are you making, a boy?” her look was of disgust, but there was still a hint of nervousness about her, despite how rude she was being.
“Something like that, now leave me alone.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. I was looking for Marlot the witch because I wanted to ask for a potion. I can pay you.”
“I’m not interested, goodbye.” Marlot lifted a tree branch to see if there were any snails under it.
“But…” the woman was silent for a moment, “But surely you need gold,” she argued, holding out a small bag that jingled slightly.
“Nope, I trade for most of what I need.”
“What about snails, you can buy some in town.”
“I try to avoid town if I can help it.”
“Then I could buy them for you, then it would be like a trade.” She seemed almost excited now.
“They sell snails in town?” Marlot thought about the offer for a moment, she still didn’t know exactly what the girl wanted and she didn’t like agreeing to anything until she knew exactly what she was getting into. “No, I don’t think so, wild snails are better anyway.”
“For making boys! What are you going to do, eat him.” The girl was angry now, almost desperate.
“I’m not going to eat him, and I’m not making boys, I’m making a golem. But it turns out that there were more ingredients on the second page that I didn’t see when I started it and at the halfway point you have to add in either sugar and spice and what not, or snails and puppy tails. Which is why I am looking for snails. Now will you please leave me alone!”
“A golem? What’s that?”
“You’re not going to go away are you?”
“Not until I get what I want.”
“And that is?”
“A love potion.”
Marlot froze, the girl sounded like she had been thinking about this for a while and that a love potion was what she wanted and, in her mind, a love potion is what she was going to get.
“I don’t make those.”
“Please.” She was pleading now. “I love him so much, but…”
Marlot stood up and looked the girl straight in the eye. “But he doesn’t love you, and your heart would break without him, and when he is around you feel like you can fly, yadda yadda yadda. If he doesn’t love you without the potion then trust me, he isn’t worth it.”
“How did you know?”
“Because that is what everyone says when they come asking for a love potion.”
Marlot was watching the woman carefully. Everyone responded differently to her saying no, some burst into tears, others got angry, but rarely did any of them respond like this annoying girl.
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