Players:
Marlot
Someone who wishes for nothing more than for someone to care about her
Jack
A golem who sees nothing bad in the world
Marlot filled one basket with the herbs and vegetables she had in her garden that she was positive she wouldn’t be able to eat before the frost hit. Anything she was going to keep was already stored away for the winter. Jack also had a basket that was almost spilling apples it was so full. Marlot wasn’t sure she had ever seen him so happy, his black robes dancing around his legs and he looked like nothing more than her apprentice as he staggered under the weight of the basket.
“Where are we going first Marlot?”
“The general store, we should be able to sell most of this there, if they will take it.”
“And then where?”
“I’m not sure Jack, wherever you want to go.” She figured he would be skipping if he wasn’t weighted down.
It was almost an hour later before they arrived at the outskirts of town, two little girls were playing in the garden of the closest house and Marlot saw their mother usher them inside when she laid eyes on the witch, and the green haired man beside her.
“This is going to be fun.” Marlot muttered to Jack.
“Don’t worry; I know they will like you.”
“Your positive streak is almost sickening.”
It only took a few minutes until they found the center of the village, the square lined with shops of all kinds and Jack actually dropped a few apples as he stood in the center spinning around trying to look at everything at once. Marlot looked around too, and saw people staring at them from every window and door around them. “Come on Jack, let’s get this over with.”
“Marlot, this is better than I ever imagined.”
“Jack, come on, aren’t those apples getting heavy.”
“Not really.”
“I know for a fact that when that basket is full I can hardly lift it. Your arms should be screaming out in pain from the weight by now.”
He leaned in close to her, still trying to look around as he whispered, “But I’m a golem.”
“And an amazing one at that,” she linked her free arm through one of his as she swung her considerably lighter burden from her other hand, “come on my handsome golem, this way.”
She let go and led the way into the general store, the occupants of which ran back to their duties as the witch and golem came closer. No one said anything as she crossed the threshold. They all seemed wary, as though each of them thought that she would hex them if they dared say a word. She was amazed when an older man behind the counter finally did speak up, “May we help you miss witch.”
“Yes, we would…” Suddenly from behind her Marlot heard a loud crash and almost tripped over the mass of apples that now rolled around her feet. “Jack!” she ran to her friend’s side, her robes billowing around her as she dropped to the floor. “What happened dear, are you alright?”
“I fell.”
“Over what? You silly boy, were you not watching where you were walking.”
“I’m sorry Marlot, I was looking at all the pretty colors and things that you don’t have in the cabin and I didn’t see the step, then when I stepped up I think I stepped on my robes…”
“And then you fell, Oh my poor Jack.” Marlot pulled the guilty garment out of the way hoping that he hadn’t sprained an ankle when he fell and to her surprise noticed that both of his bare feet were covered in scratches. “Jack, your feet, why didn’t you tell me?” She gently ran a finger over one of the deeper scratches.
“Tell you what?”
“Right, you don’t know about shoes.” Marlot looked up to see that the old man from behind the counter was now standing surprisingly close holding one of her apples. “Please sir, do you have any bandages, or socks for my friend here, I didn’t know that my garden had been so wicked to his tender feet.”
“Of course miss, I will send one of the lads to find some.” He turned and nodded to a boy standing in the dark doorway to a back room. “Now about these apples miss, my wife says they make the best pies.”
Marlot, still sitting on the floor next to Jack, smiled up at the man, “I have heard that, and I must say, I agree, but I’m sure your wife’s pies are far better than anything a lonely witch could cook up.”
“The witch doesn’t seem to lonely,” the old man smiled down at Jack and then offered his hands out to them both, “please friends, you are blocking the doorway and your apples, I’m afraid, are all over the shop.
“I am so sorry about that.” Marlot dropped back to the floor and started gathering the apples, piling them into the basket she had formed out of her robes.
“I’ll help Marlot.”
“Thank you Jack.”
“You are very kind to him.” The man was kneeling next to Marlot and handed her an apple.
“You mean for a witch I am very kind to him. But yet, he means the world to me, my closest and dearest friend.”
“Your apprentice then.”
“Something like that.” Marlot smiled at the man and took the apple he offered in exchange for her hand. As he helped her to her feet she said, “I’m Marlot.”
“Samuel. It is a pleasure to finally meet you Marlot; I have heard stories since I was a young man, but I always believed you were far kinder than you let on, or children would go missing far more often.”
“I once made a mistake of giving candy to some children that wondered past my cabin, my reputation took a dreadful drop that day.” They both laughed and out of the corner of her eye she saw Jack flash her his lopsided smile.
“See Marlot, I told you they would like you.”
“Thank you dear.”
“Now about these apples,” Samuel helped Marlot place the ones in her makeshift basket back with the ones Jack had gathered. “I can give you,” he counted a stack of silver coins into a small leather bag, “this for the whole bushel, and I will throw in those bandages.” He nodded to the boy, who was once again hiding in the shadows of the doorway.
“But sir, they have all been on the ground, and are probably bruised…”
“And make the best apple pies for miles around. I will have the whole basket if you are willing to part with them. Did you have anything else, it looked like there were more than just apples in there?”
“Actually yes, thank you so much.” She handed over the smaller basket that was full of herbs.
Samuel looked through it and added to the pile of coins on the counter. “I think this will be enough, do you agree?”
“More than enough sir. Thank you so much. Jack, what do you say to some new clothes, so you won’t trip anymore, and shoes while we are at it,” she looked down at his scratched up feet again, “But before we go anywhere let’s patch your feet up before you get an infection.”
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Part 14 In which Jack always gets his way
Players:
Marlot
A witch with a good heart
Jinx
A lazy cat
Jack
A golem unlike any other
Marlot was finally able to use the window seat and look out at the garden, thanks to Jack and his amazing organizing skills. The seat had been covered in books, quills, and random potion ingredients almost as soon as she had moved in, this window was one of the reasons she had bought the cabin and she wondered why she had wasted it all of these years. Jinx was sleeping upside down next to her and she absently scratched the soft black fur of his chest and chin.
“What are you looking at Marlot?”
“Fall.”
“What!” Jack all but pushed Marlot off of the seat as he forced himself in front of the window, “What is falling? Why?” Jinx jumped off the seat with a hiss and ran out of the room.
Marlot laughed and rolled the rest of the way to the floor, “Well me now you silly golem, but I didn’t mean anything was falling, I meant that I was looking at fall, the season, autumn. It is when all the trees turn pretty colors and then the leaves fall off, you see how big the pumpkins are getting,” she snuggled up next to Jack and pointed out the window at the pile of bright orange pumpkins, “and that is why we have been eating so many apples. Which reminds me, I really need to do something with that bushel of apples you picked yesterday before they go bad.”
“Fall, interesting, is it the only season?”
“There are four, in the fall the leaves die and fall off the trees, then in winder snow falls and the whole world is covered in a blanket of white. Then all of that melts, the temperature starts to rise, the trees are covered in bright green buds and beautiful flowers grow throughout the forest. And then the heat of summer comes with fresh vegetables and long sunny days.”
“It sounds wonderful.”
“I’ve really never thought about it, but it really does. You make me see things in a different way Jack.”
“You seem happy.”
“I am, thank you.”
“So about the apples, what are you going to do with them?”
“Probably send them home with Lilly next time she stops by, she can probably find a use for them, or sell them in town.”
Jack grabbed Marlot’s shoulders and started bouncing in the seat. “Can we go to town and sell them, please Marlot.”
“Jack, they hate me there.”
“What is hate, I thought everyone liked you, I like you.” He grinned his lopsided smile, his hands still on her shoulders.”
“They believe the stories, the bad ones, about witches and how they eat children, or cast evil spells on unsuspecting villagers.”
“I haven’t read those stories.” He looked confused, his head tilted to one side.
“That is because I didn’t want you to think of me like that, I like how you are so innocent, and happy, and act like I am the most wonderful person you have ever met.”
“Then let me meet more,” his hands had moved from her shoulders to her own and held them tightly, “I will prove that you are the most wonderful person I have ever met. I didn’t tell you but I have been reading about golems too, about how they are often used as slaves, or for those nasty tasks humans don’t want to do. That we are replaceable and don’t matter. But you have never treated me like that, the book says that a golem’s personality is formed by what the witch wants, feels, and has planned for their golem. That they are usually rather dull, obedient, and uninteresting.”
“And you are clever, curious, and amazing.”
“I love you Marlot.”
“Aw Jack, I love you too. You’re the best friend I have ever had. But where did you learn about love?”
He leaned in close, a mischievous gleam in his mud brown eyes, “fairy tales.”
Marlot laughed, “of course, I knew those books would be trouble.”
“So can we go to the village?”
“Jack…”
“Please Marlot, I want them to know you aren’t all bad, and I want to meet more people.”
“I can’t say no to you Jack, fine.” She tapped the end of his nose with one of her fingers. “But you have to promise to be good.”
Marlot
A witch with a good heart
Jinx
A lazy cat
Jack
A golem unlike any other
Marlot was finally able to use the window seat and look out at the garden, thanks to Jack and his amazing organizing skills. The seat had been covered in books, quills, and random potion ingredients almost as soon as she had moved in, this window was one of the reasons she had bought the cabin and she wondered why she had wasted it all of these years. Jinx was sleeping upside down next to her and she absently scratched the soft black fur of his chest and chin.
“What are you looking at Marlot?”
“Fall.”
“What!” Jack all but pushed Marlot off of the seat as he forced himself in front of the window, “What is falling? Why?” Jinx jumped off the seat with a hiss and ran out of the room.
Marlot laughed and rolled the rest of the way to the floor, “Well me now you silly golem, but I didn’t mean anything was falling, I meant that I was looking at fall, the season, autumn. It is when all the trees turn pretty colors and then the leaves fall off, you see how big the pumpkins are getting,” she snuggled up next to Jack and pointed out the window at the pile of bright orange pumpkins, “and that is why we have been eating so many apples. Which reminds me, I really need to do something with that bushel of apples you picked yesterday before they go bad.”
“Fall, interesting, is it the only season?”
“There are four, in the fall the leaves die and fall off the trees, then in winder snow falls and the whole world is covered in a blanket of white. Then all of that melts, the temperature starts to rise, the trees are covered in bright green buds and beautiful flowers grow throughout the forest. And then the heat of summer comes with fresh vegetables and long sunny days.”
“It sounds wonderful.”
“I’ve really never thought about it, but it really does. You make me see things in a different way Jack.”
“You seem happy.”
“I am, thank you.”
“So about the apples, what are you going to do with them?”
“Probably send them home with Lilly next time she stops by, she can probably find a use for them, or sell them in town.”
Jack grabbed Marlot’s shoulders and started bouncing in the seat. “Can we go to town and sell them, please Marlot.”
“Jack, they hate me there.”
“What is hate, I thought everyone liked you, I like you.” He grinned his lopsided smile, his hands still on her shoulders.”
“They believe the stories, the bad ones, about witches and how they eat children, or cast evil spells on unsuspecting villagers.”
“I haven’t read those stories.” He looked confused, his head tilted to one side.
“That is because I didn’t want you to think of me like that, I like how you are so innocent, and happy, and act like I am the most wonderful person you have ever met.”
“Then let me meet more,” his hands had moved from her shoulders to her own and held them tightly, “I will prove that you are the most wonderful person I have ever met. I didn’t tell you but I have been reading about golems too, about how they are often used as slaves, or for those nasty tasks humans don’t want to do. That we are replaceable and don’t matter. But you have never treated me like that, the book says that a golem’s personality is formed by what the witch wants, feels, and has planned for their golem. That they are usually rather dull, obedient, and uninteresting.”
“And you are clever, curious, and amazing.”
“I love you Marlot.”
“Aw Jack, I love you too. You’re the best friend I have ever had. But where did you learn about love?”
He leaned in close, a mischievous gleam in his mud brown eyes, “fairy tales.”
Marlot laughed, “of course, I knew those books would be trouble.”
“So can we go to the village?”
“Jack…”
“Please Marlot, I want them to know you aren’t all bad, and I want to meet more people.”
“I can’t say no to you Jack, fine.” She tapped the end of his nose with one of her fingers. “But you have to promise to be good.”
Friday, January 15, 2010
Part 13 In which Marlot and Lilly have an argument
Players:
Marlot
An overprotective witch
Jack
A clueless golem
Lilly
A flirt
Marlot placed the milk from her spelled chill box on the table in front of Jack and was watching closely to make sure he didn’t spill or drink all of it when she heard a knock on the door.
Lilly didn’t even bother to wait to be invited in before she exploded into the room in a cloud of color and smells. “I brought ham!” she exclaimed.
“Doesn’t your family need that ham, you said there are a lot of you?”
“There are, but most of my sisters are married so they don’t live at home any more. Good morning golem.”
“Jack” he said, through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.
“Excuse me.”
“His name is Jack,” answered Marlot.
“That is a silly name, so common; I would think you could come up with something far more interesting.”
Marlot gave Lilly a dirty look but Jack interrupted before she could say anything, “I like it, lots of brave people are name Jack, at least in the stories, I feel like I could be brave if I were more like them.”
Lilly dropped the basket onto the table and then placed herself in Jack’s lap, “And I’m sure you are very brave, handsome.”
“Lilly.” Marlot said in a warning voice, Jack was blushing and she was pretty, sure he didn’t know why he was suddenly feeling embarrassed and could imagine the questions he was going to come up with, she just hoped he would wait until after Lilly left.
“Jack, will you get another plate please, I’m sure Lilly is hungry too.” He all but pushed the young woman off of his lap and sprinted to the cabinet.
“What was she doing?” he whispered to Marlot as he went past her.
“I will explain later.” He nodded and then collected another plate, cup, and fork for their visitor.
“So Jack, did you make all of this,” Lilly leaned as close as she could to him over the table, “you are such a good cook.”
“I went and got the eggs and cooked them.”
“You’re so clever Jack, a true jack of all trades.” Lilly giggled. Marlot glared at her while watching the golem closely, he often looked toward her, as though searching for how to react to Lilly and he was obviously uncomfortable.
“What is a jack of all trades?” he asked looking from Lilly to Marlot.
Marlot laughed, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”
Lilly glared at the witch, “a jack of all trades is someone who can do a little bit of…everything.”
“I can cook, clean, and…read.”
Lilly looked stumped for a second and then her charming smile was back in place, “see, your name fits you perfect.”
“Lilly, stop flirting with my golem, he isn’t a toy for you to play with.”
“Excuse me.” Lilly stood up and gave Marlot a look of pure poison.
“He is just a toy you stupid witch, one you made so you can play house, I’m trying to make he feel loved and appreciated.”
“He is loved and appreciated Lilly, by me, his creator and only real friend. I’m trying to teach him to be human.”
“You’re teaching him to be a servant.”
“Like Cinderella?” both girls stopped arguing and looked at him.
“Exactly like Cinderella,” Lilly said hissing at Marlot.
“No, Marlot said I had a choice, I like Marlot.” Jack stood up and put an arm around the witch’s shoulders.
“Please leave Lilly.”
Lilly slammed the door behind her. “What is flirting?” Jack asked, not moving away from Marlot.
Marlot
An overprotective witch
Jack
A clueless golem
Lilly
A flirt
Marlot placed the milk from her spelled chill box on the table in front of Jack and was watching closely to make sure he didn’t spill or drink all of it when she heard a knock on the door.
Lilly didn’t even bother to wait to be invited in before she exploded into the room in a cloud of color and smells. “I brought ham!” she exclaimed.
“Doesn’t your family need that ham, you said there are a lot of you?”
“There are, but most of my sisters are married so they don’t live at home any more. Good morning golem.”
“Jack” he said, through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.
“Excuse me.”
“His name is Jack,” answered Marlot.
“That is a silly name, so common; I would think you could come up with something far more interesting.”
Marlot gave Lilly a dirty look but Jack interrupted before she could say anything, “I like it, lots of brave people are name Jack, at least in the stories, I feel like I could be brave if I were more like them.”
Lilly dropped the basket onto the table and then placed herself in Jack’s lap, “And I’m sure you are very brave, handsome.”
“Lilly.” Marlot said in a warning voice, Jack was blushing and she was pretty, sure he didn’t know why he was suddenly feeling embarrassed and could imagine the questions he was going to come up with, she just hoped he would wait until after Lilly left.
“Jack, will you get another plate please, I’m sure Lilly is hungry too.” He all but pushed the young woman off of his lap and sprinted to the cabinet.
“What was she doing?” he whispered to Marlot as he went past her.
“I will explain later.” He nodded and then collected another plate, cup, and fork for their visitor.
“So Jack, did you make all of this,” Lilly leaned as close as she could to him over the table, “you are such a good cook.”
“I went and got the eggs and cooked them.”
“You’re so clever Jack, a true jack of all trades.” Lilly giggled. Marlot glared at her while watching the golem closely, he often looked toward her, as though searching for how to react to Lilly and he was obviously uncomfortable.
“What is a jack of all trades?” he asked looking from Lilly to Marlot.
Marlot laughed, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”
Lilly glared at the witch, “a jack of all trades is someone who can do a little bit of…everything.”
“I can cook, clean, and…read.”
Lilly looked stumped for a second and then her charming smile was back in place, “see, your name fits you perfect.”
“Lilly, stop flirting with my golem, he isn’t a toy for you to play with.”
“Excuse me.” Lilly stood up and gave Marlot a look of pure poison.
“He is just a toy you stupid witch, one you made so you can play house, I’m trying to make he feel loved and appreciated.”
“He is loved and appreciated Lilly, by me, his creator and only real friend. I’m trying to teach him to be human.”
“You’re teaching him to be a servant.”
“Like Cinderella?” both girls stopped arguing and looked at him.
“Exactly like Cinderella,” Lilly said hissing at Marlot.
“No, Marlot said I had a choice, I like Marlot.” Jack stood up and put an arm around the witch’s shoulders.
“Please leave Lilly.”
Lilly slammed the door behind her. “What is flirting?” Jack asked, not moving away from Marlot.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Part 12 In which a witch is used as a pillow
Players:
Marlot
A witch who realizes that golems aren’t something to mess around with
Jinx
A lazy and overweight cat
Jack
A golem with an appetite
The next morning Marlot woke up with the warm morning sun shining on her face, but that wasn’t enough to make her feel as though she was wrapped in a dozen warm blankets, and most of the heat seemed to be coming from behind her, and a heavy weight was across her waist. Marlot could feel Jack’s warm break on the back of her neck and his fingers twitched slightly tickling her stomach. Now how in the world, she wondered, did he wind up quite so close? She moved around as little as possible until she was lying on her back and could see the sleeping face of her golem. Jinx was curled up on his other side. Jack looked so peaceful with his eyes closed and a dreamy look on his handsome face. She lifted his hand off of her stomach and examined her creation’s hand, his fingers were a thin as the rest of him and long like the twigs she had used to form them, but he seemed so real, almost human, and if she didn’t know that he was a golem she would have sworn that his green hair was some kind of hex a witch had put on him as a child and that he was indeed human. That potion is amazingly powerful, I could just imagine the horrors that could come from it, not everyone would teach their golems to be kind and whole armies could be created, trained, and sent to fight in just over a month. The thought scared her a little, more than a little actually, she knew people who would do just that if they had the recipe and the magic to pull it off.
Jack stretched and yawned next to her and his mud brow eyes fluttered open. When he saw her watching him he smiled sleepily. “Good morning Marlot,” he stretched again and snuggled closer to the witch and she imagined closed his eyes again. Jinx, also realizing that Marlot was awake, walked over Jack and curled up on her stomach, his weight causing both Marlot and Jack to grunt a little as he stepped on them.
“Good morning Jack, did you have pleasant dreams?” He nodded and she felt his nose brush against her neck. “Well then, time to get up.”
“I don’t want to get up, your bed is warm.”
“It is only warm because you are trying to use me as a second pillow, now get up.”
“What if the giants are still out there?”
“Jack, I told you last night, there were not giants, they were all in your dream.”
“They ate you, and Lilly, and I tried to use and invisibility cloak, but it didn’t work and they were going to eat me too. Jinx tried to fight them.”
“No one is going to eat you dear, you are safe here, and Jinx hasn’t fought anything in years.”
“Promise?”
“Promise. Now what did you think of Cinderella?”
“Her mother was very mean, am I like Cinderella, you have me cook and clean a lot?”
It was true, the cabin had never been quite so clean as it was now, when she was trying to study spells she had Jack dust everything he could reach and he seemed to enjoy the work and would cry out whenever he would find something interesting or odd hidden away in a corner. “No Jack, any time I ask you to do something it is a request, you are more than welcome to tell me no, all I ask is that if you are going to live here you help out a little.”
“But you made all of the messes.”
“Yes, and if I weren’t for your amazing cleaning skills the whole cabin would still be a disaster. By the way, thank you for finding that spell book the other day, I thought I had lost it for good.”
Jack smiled his lopsided grin, “I like helping you.”
“Good, then you can help me make breakfast.”
He jumped up into a crouching position on the bed, all sleepiness forgotten. “What are we having?”
“Eggs, if you can convince the chickens to give some up.” Jack sprung out of the bed and ran out of the room; she could just hear the door banging shut behind him as he ran out into the yard. Marlot giggled and then went out into the kitchen to make toast. I’m not sure he isn’t human, thought Marlot, I have never seen anyone but a young man enjoy food as much as he does.
Marlot
A witch who realizes that golems aren’t something to mess around with
Jinx
A lazy and overweight cat
Jack
A golem with an appetite
The next morning Marlot woke up with the warm morning sun shining on her face, but that wasn’t enough to make her feel as though she was wrapped in a dozen warm blankets, and most of the heat seemed to be coming from behind her, and a heavy weight was across her waist. Marlot could feel Jack’s warm break on the back of her neck and his fingers twitched slightly tickling her stomach. Now how in the world, she wondered, did he wind up quite so close? She moved around as little as possible until she was lying on her back and could see the sleeping face of her golem. Jinx was curled up on his other side. Jack looked so peaceful with his eyes closed and a dreamy look on his handsome face. She lifted his hand off of her stomach and examined her creation’s hand, his fingers were a thin as the rest of him and long like the twigs she had used to form them, but he seemed so real, almost human, and if she didn’t know that he was a golem she would have sworn that his green hair was some kind of hex a witch had put on him as a child and that he was indeed human. That potion is amazingly powerful, I could just imagine the horrors that could come from it, not everyone would teach their golems to be kind and whole armies could be created, trained, and sent to fight in just over a month. The thought scared her a little, more than a little actually, she knew people who would do just that if they had the recipe and the magic to pull it off.
Jack stretched and yawned next to her and his mud brow eyes fluttered open. When he saw her watching him he smiled sleepily. “Good morning Marlot,” he stretched again and snuggled closer to the witch and she imagined closed his eyes again. Jinx, also realizing that Marlot was awake, walked over Jack and curled up on her stomach, his weight causing both Marlot and Jack to grunt a little as he stepped on them.
“Good morning Jack, did you have pleasant dreams?” He nodded and she felt his nose brush against her neck. “Well then, time to get up.”
“I don’t want to get up, your bed is warm.”
“It is only warm because you are trying to use me as a second pillow, now get up.”
“What if the giants are still out there?”
“Jack, I told you last night, there were not giants, they were all in your dream.”
“They ate you, and Lilly, and I tried to use and invisibility cloak, but it didn’t work and they were going to eat me too. Jinx tried to fight them.”
“No one is going to eat you dear, you are safe here, and Jinx hasn’t fought anything in years.”
“Promise?”
“Promise. Now what did you think of Cinderella?”
“Her mother was very mean, am I like Cinderella, you have me cook and clean a lot?”
It was true, the cabin had never been quite so clean as it was now, when she was trying to study spells she had Jack dust everything he could reach and he seemed to enjoy the work and would cry out whenever he would find something interesting or odd hidden away in a corner. “No Jack, any time I ask you to do something it is a request, you are more than welcome to tell me no, all I ask is that if you are going to live here you help out a little.”
“But you made all of the messes.”
“Yes, and if I weren’t for your amazing cleaning skills the whole cabin would still be a disaster. By the way, thank you for finding that spell book the other day, I thought I had lost it for good.”
Jack smiled his lopsided grin, “I like helping you.”
“Good, then you can help me make breakfast.”
He jumped up into a crouching position on the bed, all sleepiness forgotten. “What are we having?”
“Eggs, if you can convince the chickens to give some up.” Jack sprung out of the bed and ran out of the room; she could just hear the door banging shut behind him as he ran out into the yard. Marlot giggled and then went out into the kitchen to make toast. I’m not sure he isn’t human, thought Marlot, I have never seen anyone but a young man enjoy food as much as he does.
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