IC Mailbox for Holly Heights

[vintage_magic]

Lily Ivory | House #1421
Husband: Lezard Valeth
Child: Hajime Ichinose
Child:

Owner of The Witch's Wardrobe

Comments

[lezard_valeth]

Of course I am. A nameday is something cherished in my world, you see. It not only is a day dedicated to an individual, but... well...

[He shrugged with a helpless smile.]

Life is dreadfully short in a world wrought in warfare. To live year after year is quite a feat. Not that it means the same here, of course.

[He then dipped into a bow.]

It would be my pleasure to celebrate your nameday.

[vintage_magic]

A nameday? Is that what they call birthdays in your world? When is yours anyway?

[He hadn't mentioned it, had he? But she supposed she could see his point about life being precious where he was from, just as lifespans were shorter in previous centuries.]

[But she's curious...]

Are you going to tell me what plans you've made or is it a surprise?

[lezard_valeth]

We feel it's more important that that is the day you were given your name rather than the day of one's birth, as birth mor-- ...hrm.

[Let's not talk about birth mortality rates!]

Goodness, that's a given, isn't it? I'd rather leave you on pins and needles~

[vintage_magic]

Huh. Your folks didn't give you a name right away? So, what day do you celebrate? [She noticed he didn't answer that part and now she's teasing a bit...] Or are you afraid that if you tell me, I'll throw a surprise party when the time comes and invite the whole town?

I reckon I'll have to wait until tomorrow then. Unless I worm it out of you while we're fishing.

[lezard_valeth]

[It was enough that he answered immediately, rather than face the entire town.]

Ah- The 31st of October! I'll have you know my mother named me the evening after my birth.

[vintage_magic]

[She can't help a little chuckle at how quickly he answered now. Was he that scared of the idea of a large party?]

October 31st? That's Halloween... [Would the holiday have existed where he came from?] But if that's the case, I reckon most folks would be going to the Halloween party.

[lezard_valeth]

Hallow-...?

[vintage_magic]

It's a holiday that falls on October 31st, usually associated with things like ghosts, witches, and monsters. People dress up in costumes and children go trick-or-treating. Some also play pranks or try to scare other folks. Although I hope those dang skeletons don't come back this year...

[lezard_valeth]

It is the day where worlds are the closest to one another, both dead, spiritual and our own. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised in the pranking and scares.

...Skeletons, though, hm?

[vintage_magic]

They appeared on everyone's lawns one day and just seemed to be Halloween decorations at first. But then a few days later, they came to life and tried to get into the house. And blasting the cotton-pickin' things off the lawn just made them multiply.

[She'd ended up with half a dozen before she gave up and settled for trying to keep them out of the house.]

[lezard_valeth]

Like a hydra... interesting.

Well, should it happen again, I might have a plan involving making some bony, undead friends...

[vintage_magic]

I hear tell it wasn't the first time that they showed up at Halloween. But you can't be serious about that!

[Lezard, if you let those dang things into the house, she might have to consider kicking you out of bed again!]

[lezard_valeth]

[A short laugh.]

Ohh, but Lily! Just imagine how our dear host would enjoy some visitors. And by some, I mean 'as many as inhumanly possible'!

[vintage_magic]

[She quirked an eyebrow at him.]

You want to make a skeleton army to send after the Landlord? I reckon that wouldn't work out easily when he seems to have made the darn things himself.

[lezard_valeth]

[He canted his head, that familiar grin about.]

My capabilities are doubted again! You'll find I can be quite versatile, and it's high time the Landlord was given a spoonful of his own concoction.

[vintage_magic]

I'd agree with that last part. [Heck, she'd been tempted to hex the Landlord at times!] But I'm not so confident it won't backfire somehow.

[lezard_valeth]

Then you suspect he may not have dabbled in necromancy, but something else entirely, perhaps?

[vintage_magic]

I don't know how he made those critters appear but his magic sure as shootin' doesn't follow normal rules. [But now she's looking at him again, wondering just how he intended to bring the skeletons to his side.] You're not telling me you make a habit of talking to the dead, are you?

[lezard_valeth]

Talking to them? No... I'm afraid they're not very good conversationalists. Grunts. Groans. The ilk.

Only a Valkyrie could speak with the recently departed, you see. With enough magical influence, overpowering that manipulating the construct, I believe another can seize control of the skeletons to in turn prank upon lord of them.

[vintage_magic]

...Valkyries talk to ghosts? [She hadn't exactly pictured them as mediums.] But just how do you expect to do that when you haven't got your magic?

[lezard_valeth]

In short, yes.

[His mouth worked then in reply to her second question, and then he clamped up. Oh. Well.]

...Hmm. There is the proverbial wrench in the gearworks, isn't it?

[vintage_magic]

Yes, I reckon it is. And even if a bit of my magic had returned by then, it wasn't as if I could control them. They kept breaking into the house somehow and I even had to chase one out of the bathtub!

[She'd spent the rest of that evening giving the tub a thorough scrubbing.]