I don't have much to say... I have no time, either, so I guess that's okay.

Cool! What shows did you perform? Do you do musicals or just plays?

I understand the topping thing now...

I was rereading some stuff, and it looks like Lycaella and Nygrune are heading out of town after all. They may run into Ronan and all who are with him, depending where they are. All I can gather is that they're in a forest somewhere, presumably not too far from Aslahari. Which means probably east of New Windswood, which means Lycaella and Nygrune will be going away from them if that is indeed where they are. If they're somewhere else, then yay! Two of Ronan's charries will meet, hopefully resulting in a long and interesting RP! Oh yeah, and Lycaella will get her job(s) as soldier, Fact Checker, Head of Studies, etc. I'm not very enthusiastic about soldier stuff, but the rest is fine. She'll write everything down in the notebook, maybe her sketchbook. Wow, between all that and learning magic, she's going to be very busy. If she and Nygrune run into Ronan and co., that is. I think that might be Ronan's plan, but I'm not sure. So for now, I'll post an RP.

Lycaella~

We're leaving! West and north. Nygrune will teach me as we go, long nights by the fire, reading under the stars, applying our skills as we learn them, et cetera, et cetera. I'm more than ready to be traveling again. It's my lifestyle. Although I will miss my bed, and having a real bathroom... But I'm used to it, so it's okay. I want to stop by a library or a bookstore sometime, to see if we can find some useful magic books. 

"All set?" I ask, standing in the doorway to Nygrune's room. I can tell he's not. There are books and objects scattered everywhere. His bag is too small, and he doesn't seem to have more than two changes of clothes.

"No," he replies. I knew it was coming. 

"Okay, I'll help," I say, shrugging off my own backpack and coming over to where he stands. "First, you need a bigger bag."

"Hmm."

"And don't try to shove all of those... whatever those are in there. You don't need them."

"But I do! They're for magic."

"Oh, okay then. Come on, let's get you something proper to carry them in." We spend the next hour looking for things, finding and not finding things, packing and repacking and repacking again. The words "let me" sound weird now from having been said so many times. Finally, Nygrune is ready, except for clothes.

"I keep telling you!" I say. "You have to have more than three outfits. It's not me being a girl, it's just necessity. The bare minimum is two for cold weather, two for what it is right now, and one for a really bad storm or something."

"And I keep telling you, these are all I brought!"

I sigh. "Poor planning there. I'm sorry, but really."

Nygrune doesn't look happy either. "You're the expert on this. Tell me what to do."

I think for a moment. "Hey, don't you have more stuff at your house?"

Nygrune bites his lip. "My brother's house."

I give him a look. "It's as much yours as his."

"Whatever. We're not going there."

"Yes, we are," I say, defiant and assertive.

"No, we're not. Lycaella, you know what my brother is like. We can't go there." Nygrune looks defeated, something I don't often see. I waver, but hold. 

"Look, I'm sorry, but it's the only thing we can do. Let's just get in, grab some stuff, and get it outver with." I pause, and then laugh at myself. "Outver. I meant get it out and over with." 

Nygrune almost smiles. "I really don't want to."

"I know, and I don't want to either. But it's the only way."

"Could we just visit a shop instead? I've probably outgrown everything by now."

"Nygrune, you know neither of us has that kind of money. Shops these days are getting expensive." 

He sighs. "Okay, fine. But only if there's no other way out." 

I nod. "I don't see one."

"Off we go, then."

---

"Hello?" I say, as the door creaks slowly open. There is no response. Inside, it is dark. I start to step inside. Suddenly, someone is there.

"Who are you?" he asks.

"Hi, Aris. I'm Lycaella. Remember, Nygrune's friend?"

He shakes his head. "Nope. And it's Mr. Murlock to anyone I don't know."

I am about to reply when Nygrune steps forward. He stands strangely tall. When he speaks, his voice is a little funny.

"Aris, let us in. And turn on the lights, for Kyngdom's sake."

Aris stares at the brother who calls himself by a different name. 

"Nygrune," he says slowly, testing the name out as if uncertain.

"Yes," I interject. "May we come in?"

His focus snaps back to me. "No," he says, "Not you. Nygrune can, but not you." I notice he's wearing a cape.

"She's my friend," Nygrune says. He glances at me--Stay out of this. 

Aris sneers. A false smile, and a deadly one. "I don't care. Only family members are allowed in."

"You used to let her in all the time," Nygrune says. I stay silent.

"I don't remember that. Either you come in alone, or both of you go away." Aris leans on the doorframe. Something is attached to his belt. It looks unnervingly like a dagger sheath.

Nygrune pouts.

"Sorry, little bro, but I got you beat." Aris stands up and puts a hand on the doorknob. His posture is terrible. Nygrune swells.

"Fine, I'll come in." I look at Nygrune, then at Aris, then back at Nygrune. This is going like a cliched story. The only upside is that everyone comes out of it relatively unharmed. Before I can do anything about it, Nygrune pushes past Aris and the door swings shut. I hear footsteps and the click of a lock.

Wonderful. Just wonderful. Now I can only wait.

~End RP. Ronan, do you want to continue the story from Nygrune's view, inside the house?

I was going to say something else, but I forgot what it was. Maybe it was whether or not Lycaella and Nygrune are going to run into Ronan and the rest. Hm. Aris Murlock definitely won't be there. At some point, I kind of want Nygrune to tell him he's no brother of his. That might have been confusing. I'll clarify if you need me to.

Daylight savings is this Sunday! Just a heads-up.

I have run out of things to tell you.

I wonder if another post will send this to the top?

I guess not. Oh, well.

Just posting to keep the thread alive again.

Yes. You're not at all, say, struggling with the desperation of trying to support a dying thread.

Nope.

Someone new has posted a thread! I don't know if they're actually new, but I don't recall having seen their name before. I'll leave the thread name a mystery. I would post on it, except there's that glitch that makes the first comment send the thread to the last pages of the RP board. I'll leave it for now and post twice when I come back to it.