[MillietheWarrior]

((All human forms))

"I don't get it..." Barb hit her head on the hood of the jeep she was working on, wincing as she lifted a hand to feel the bump that would surely be huge tomorrow morning. She sighed, and peeked over her shoulder. "What dontcha get, Bell?" she asked, her tone quite exasperated as she dove back into the jeep's engine. Bell heaved a long suffering sigh, as though she was the one who was having to listen to herself complain. She stood on the porch, one hand on her hip, the other on the broom she had been using to sweep the porch off.

"Well, how come we've got to take care of everything, hm?" she asked, her light voice airy and waspish. "I mean, father and Hound have two legs and a heartbeat. Why must I always clean and why must you always be designated to the menial chores around the house?" She sniffed, and glowered out at the fields. Barb draped herself across the engine of the jeep in a rather bored manner, wishing she could just hop in the car and take off. But alas, it had yet to start up.

"Look, dad bought the house, so we're the one who get ta take care of it. And besides, since mom is off at medical school, we're the ones in charge. And ya know Hound ain't good for cleanin'. He just makes everything more dirty. And heaven forbid dad picks up a broom. He's probably off wooing Lily. He really, really likes her and she'll prolly come on home and be our new mom and help you with the chores an' all that. Ya know." She observed the large, Victorian style two story house.

Prowl had been especially fond of Lamenolai for some reason, and bought this house out in the boonies, with tons of land, and quite a few Penticorns and Cavallions as well as a few Tuskow for them to train. Of course, Hound was always out in the fields with the equines, while Barb helped around the house. They had a large barn, and many fields of vegetables that needed tending. Barb was the one who tended the animals at night, while both she and Hound divvied up the other chores during the day. often, the two of them were training the animals, or watering the fields, and plowing new ones for next year.

The two of them also periodically had to fix the fence that bordered their massive property. It was constantly in disrepair, and they had to go out and fix certain spots every now and again. Bell, on the other hand, was always inside. She cooked, cleaned, and kept everything tidy and nice for them when they came home. She'd make someone a nice wife one day, Barb thought with a smile. Bell sniffed again, and leaned against the porch railing, broom forgotten. "Yes, I know,"she said primly. "But why can't you help me in the house once in a while, instead of working on that disgusting engine in that filthy jeep?"

Barb ignored her as the sound of hooves plodding along the path that led from the pastures caught her attention. She lifted her greasy hand, wrench still clutched between her fingers, and waved, a smile appearing on her grease smudged face. "Hey, there, Hound!" she called to her brother as he rode up on a large Biolune Cavallion they called Firefly. A male, and one of their prized horses. He was great at barrel racing, and was an absolute whiz-bang at racing. Barb wiped her hands on her jeans, and wandered over, while Bell stayed resolutely on the porch.

Hound dismounted, and chuckled, smoothing back his black and dark green hair in a nonchalant manner, as he patted the large beast's neck. "Howdy, Barbie,"he said, receiving a glare from his younger sister as she patted the Cavallion's nose. It whickered softly, and nudged her pockets, looking for a treat. With a smile, she told him she had none, and turned to Hound. "Anythin' new to report in the fields?"she asked curiously. Hound thought for a moment, before smiling. "Yup, Windcharger has finally settled down out there. He ain't runnin' 'round like a mad man no more."

Windcharger was an Aqua Cavallion they had bought not long ago. he was fiery and feisty, with a temper that would put a hurricane to shame. It had taken many long weeks to gain his trust so they could get close to him. Looks like he finally settled in. The sound of the door shutting closed with a soft bang caught their attention, and they looked up to see Bell just reappearing out of the house. Looks like she went in without them knowing. She was carrying a tray with a pitcher of lemonade and thee glasses.

Smiling as Hound tied Firefly's reigns to a small tree so the Cavallion could easily reach the long, lush grass near his feet, she proceeded to pour them all a tall glass of lemonade with ice, and hand them out accordingly. Barb took hers with one greasy hand, while Hound took his with his free hand, while he pulled off his work gloves with the other and his teeth. Smiling, the three clinked their glasses together and relaxed on the porch staring down the pathway that lead away from their house, and wondering if they'd get any visitors today.

[Kestrel]

Marrone had been exploring. As always. This time it was Lamenolai. She had never noticed that house over there before. Was it new?
Edging closer, she could make out the shape of 3 Lucain, 2 females and 1 male. A pair of lifemates, and their pup, perhaps? But which was the pup? It was probably the one next to the Jeep. After all, what mother hit her head on a Jeep? And what daughter stood on the porch with her hand on her hip?
As she got closer, she rethought her assumption. The one on the porch was a mix of the other two, after all. How could the male and the female on the porch produce Celestial? Yet, on the other hand, where'd the Hearts come from? A gene picked up from her grandparents?
"Hello," she greeted them. "My name is Marrone. Who might you be?"
She'd picked up formal speech when she was visiting Medicai City. That reminded her... she hadn't visited her doctor friend recently...

{1}

[MillietheWarrior]

Hound looked up, and pulled his black cowboy hat off his head. After all, they was in the presence of a lady. He snorted mentally. His sisters never counted in that aspect. "Howdy, miss Marrone. The name's Hound. Pleasure to meetcha," he said pleasantly, smiling a charming smile, and swiping a hand through his green and black hair. If one looked close enough, you could see a hint of light blue at his temples. His green eyes sparkled when he nudged his sisters.

Barb sighed, and leaned back on her elbows, using the stairs of the porch as a lounge. "Howdy,"she waved one greasy hand lazily. "Name's Barbeque. But most folks 'round these parts just call me 'Barb.' I'm Hound and Bell here's sister...You sure don't sound like a country go-er, Miss Marrone. Your not from around these parts, are ya?"she asked, scrutinizing her with critical eyes. Hound sighed. Here they went again. Barb was gonna scare off another visitor with her rude questions and blunt attitude. The celestial haired woman, waved a lazy hand, and shrugged her shoulders, buxom chest bouncing with the movements, as she seemed to read her brother's thoughts about her attitude.

Barb might have been a grease monkey now, but she'd been one o' them debutantes when she was younger. Just one more reason to hide her body, and looks beneath a mound of dirt, grease, jeans, and a baggy t-shirt. And a whole other reason entirely to hide herself beneath the true-to-life Southern hard-core woman persona she had created and fell into completely. She was the kind of gal that got hit on constantly at the bars, and more than once, Hound would have to put a guy in his place (Not that barb couldn't do it herself...But it was his job as an older brother).

Barb didn't like those looks or that attention, so, she changed her ways, her life, and her manner. She'd always been rough and tough to be around, but now she was even rougher, and tougher and very few got a glimpse of what she truly looked like (When she wasn't in her greasy jeans or worn out t-shirts). Hound smiled at their newcomer. "Don't mind Barb. She's just bitter 'cause she can't get that ol' jeep ta workin'. This is my sister, Bell, by the way," he added, motioning to the petite woman on the porch.

[2]

((Bell has switched hands. Kelica now RPs her. ^^))

[Kestrel]

((Is Kel going to join us? Or no?))

"From here? No, not at all. I come from the forest. Well... at least I'm most comfortable in forests," Marrone paused. Where was she from, exactly?
Marrone looked at the three. Siblings, then. They were humans, yes, but she could tell that they could be creatures, too. Lucains, it looked like. After all, what else would have such a wide range of colors? She, on the other hand, had no human form. It was too troubling, and anyways, she spent most of her time exploring, and being an Albie was much easier than being a human to do it.
Was Barb a mechanic? And by the looks of it, Bell was the housekeeper. What was Hound, then? The one who dealt with animals? And where were their parents? They looked old enough to be on their own, but still, shouldn't their parents have stayed just a little bit longer?
"So what's it like, life in the country?" She asked. It was always good to know different ways of living. It helped when you got lost someplace. Or if you were giving directions. "Have you 3 ever been to the city?"

{2}

[MillietheWarrior]

((She might. I PMed her about it. ^^))

Barb only shrugged. "I thought as much,"she said, with little enthusiasm. She wasn't one to just welcome visitors of any kind. But she never had been. Heck, she wasn't even that friendly. She took another sip of her lemonade, scrutinizing Marrone over the rim of the transparent glass. Hound wrinkled his nose, and looked at his own glass. he hadn't even taken a drink yet. Oh well. He could always bum a bit off of his sisters.

"Would you like some lemonade, Marrone? Bell makes the best lemonade in the county. Here, try some. And don't worry. I haven't drank any yet, so it's germ free."He chuckled, and held the glass out, while Barb raised an eyebrow. "Life in the country is great,"she said tiredly. "We work all day, and sleep at night. A real swingin' hootenany..."She took another sip of her drink.

"An' we ain't country bumpkins, Miss Marrone. We been to the city the time or two. If we hadn', we wouldn' know what the word 'bar' meant."Hound elbowed her in the ribs, and sighed. "So your from the forest?" he said conversationally. "Must be nice, livin' with all them trees an' that cool shade. What brings ya 'round these parts?"

[3]

[Kestrel]

"Lemonade? No thanks. I perfer water."
That was true. Marrone had learned that water was much better then and other drink. In her opinion.
"The trees are nice, but eventually, you get to know each individual tree. It gets boring in the end," the Albie paused. That wasn't strictly true. Yes, she did know every tree and path, but it didn't exactly get boring. "I'm an explorer," she explained. "I've only been to Lamenolai twice, and it was a while ago. I was wondering how much it had changed from before. And, of course, to visit new places. I only explored the city itself. Come to think of it, did you recently come here? Or have you been here for a while?"
She had explored a little of the country. Just around the city. But she hadn't any houses like this last time.

{3}

[Kelica]

((Sorry for taking so long. ^^;))

"Miz Marrone, huh? Well, yeah, I'm Bell. Southern Bell, t'be precise." Bell said, picking up the broom again. This deck would hopefully be at least a little less dusty when she was done with it! Seriously, it was outside, it was always be a little dusty, but it was actually starting to show little piles of dirt. That drove her absoloutely insane. It almost like it just had to be clean, y'know?...

"Gee, Hound, ah' wouldn' say the best lemonade. I haven't ever had anyone else's, so how would ah' know?" Bell said, sighing and sweeping a bit slower. This was getting repetitive. Did the countertops need polishing again? She peeked her head through the window. Nope, sparkly as ever...

(2)

[Kestrel]

Marrone had a brief idea about continuing to explore, but that would be rude, wouldn't it?
"Do your parents live near you?" Her parents, on the other hand, she hadn't seen since she was a pup. She'd been on her own every since. Not the best childhood memories. But it had taught her how to live in the wild. By yourself.
However, life in the wild did have it's down sides. For one, there were things that could harm or even kill you. And being an Albie, Marrone had many predators to fear. Food was rare in winter, and there was no easy way of warming or cooling yourself.
But it also had it's positives. You weren't trapped in a certain space, pressed by the busy atmosphere of a town or city. You didn't have to do anything but avoid enemies and predators, eat, sleep, and drink. With an occasional bath, of course. Unless you were one of those people who didn't like to be clean. She was not one of those.
Thinking back to what she heard in her first encounter with the Lucains, she asked, "Who's Windcharger?"

{4}

[MillietheWarrior]

((Sorry for not posting. just to move it along so these folks can get on outta here...I'll post 'til I reach 5. Or, if you wanted, Kel, you could bring Goldenrod by. Note: Hound has been auctioned to AmberGlaze, so I guess she has to post with him now.))

Barb shrugged. "I bet them trees get right boring. I don't know how ya'll can stand livin' in a forest all your life. It'd drive me crazy after a while." She didn't exactly care for those tropical rainforests. She was more of a backwoods girl. She liked hunting and fishing out in the wild, but she didn't think a tropical rainforest would be much fun. "We've lived here for a while now. My pa built this house so we could live here, and he could visit his sweetheart, Miss Lily."

She flashed a toothy grin at her sister, before turning back to Marrone. "Our pa lives here, but he's not home all that often. he works at a local bar, and he's always out tryin' ta woo Miss Lily." She laughed a little, and then titled her head to the side. "Windcharger?" she asked. "Why, he's one o' our Cavallions. We train 'em, ya see. He's got a temper like a cyclone, and he's worse than a hurricane. It's takin' us a while, but we finally got 'im ta trust us."

[Kelica]

((I'll bring in Goldenrod later. ;P))

"Ah can relate, Barb. Plus, imagine how gritty the forest would be!" Bell shivered inwardly, and looked around the porch. It was a bit cleaner, for now at least. She hoped Hound and Barb didn't have too much mud on their shoes. That would be a huge pain after she'd just swept.

She peered in through the window again. She noticed the kettle she had put on was steaming. "Aw, darn it! I'd better go in and check on dat water. Hope it's not too hot for my tea now!" She hurriedly took off her shoes right outside the door and walked in to turn the kettle off and prepare her tea.

(3)

[Kestrel]

"I don't live in a tropical rainforest most of the time. Mostly it's a plain forest. You know, with trees and plants, plus some squirrels, birds, and rodents with an occasional bear or something like that thrown in. Not one of those moist, hot, forests, filled with creatures of all shapes and sizes." Marrone sighed. Tropical rainforests were forests, all right, and she didn't like any place as much as forests, but rainforests were too hot, too humid. It didn't suit her fur coat very well. She preferred the forests. The more northern ones, to be exact. They were cool and and breezy. "In fact, the southern rainforests are not to my taste at all. They're to hot and humid for me. My body is accustomed to the heat and the cold, but throw in some humidity, and I can't take it. Well, I can, but not for very long."

She paused, then let the stream of questions. "How many Cavallions do you three own? What's your mother and father's name? Who's Miss Lily? And, um, Bell, I think it is? Could you bring me a glass of ice water?" She liked ice water. It reminded her of what the river that ran through her favorite forest tasted like after spring. And she'd also discovered, on her first few trips to cities and towns, that people didn't like being asked to pore the water on the ground for you to drink.

{5}

[MillietheWarrior]

Barb laughed lightly, her shoulders shaking under her oversized off-white t-shirt. "Don't I hear ya. Glad you like them ol' regular forests. At least those are good for huntin' and campin' and fishin' too." She smiled, and leaned back against the porch, glancing up at her sister. "You an' your cleaning," she said jokingly. She turned back to Marrone. "'Course she'll bring ya some water," she said matter-of-factly. She thought about the questions the Albie posed, and then chuckled.

"Well, we own quite a few. Not sure how many, since it's been a while since I went on out there. But quite a few. Our pa's name is Prowl, and our ma's name is Tale, although they aren't together. Our ma is trainin' ta be a doctor, an' our pa works on cars. Miss Lily is a gal that our pa fancies, and he's always talkin' 'bout her. I think he's head over heels in love. Miss Lily works at a circus. We get in free 'cause o' that sometimes." She tipped her head, smiling. "What about you? Yer family into any kind 'a business?"
[5]

((Hehe, I finally got a pic of Barb drawn. Now you can see what she looks like!))

Barb

[Kelica]

"Yes, yes, some water, of course." Bell said while pouring herself some tea. She dumped a spoonful of sugar in it, then went to the fridge and took out some milk and the water Marrone had asked for. She went to fetch a glass for the water as Barb talked about their family.

"Hay Barb, you want anything while I'm at it?" She yelled outside as she poured a bit of milk into her tea.

[Kestrel]

Hearing all this, Marrone once again wondered about her family. All she knew was that they were both Common Albies.
"I can't hunt very well, as I'm an Albie, but I'm sure you three can, either in Lucain form or otherwise. Camping, you could say that I'm always camping, or you could say I'm never camping, as I sleep under the trees most days. Fishing is a way I actually can get food, as long as I check the surrondings first," either that, or she'd end up in the paws or claws of something hungry.
"Well, you see, when I was a pup, something happened to my parents. The last thing I knew, they were telling me that they were going to Craiss Caverns to explore, but that it was too dangerous for me."
Sinking back into memories, Marrone remembered the last thing her mother and father had said.
"Marrone, we're going to Craiss Caverns," her father had said.
"We're going to try and sight an Akail," her mother added.
"We'll be back in a month, at the most," her father informed her.
"We'll try and hurry back," her mother said, as they turned to go. "Oh! And Marrone, whatever you do, don't come after us, and try to avoid getting into trouble!"
"If we don't come back within 2 months, poke around the bushes near the stream, directly west of the den. Find the piece of paper. But if we come back, and find that the paper has been moved, and you've read it...!" her father warned.
She had waited half a year before going to find the piece of paper, trying to stretch the time out, insistent that her parents were not dead. But finally, she couldn't ignore the facts. It had been half a year. Her parents wouldn't be coming back.
Drifting back to the present, she looked at the three lucains, took a deep breath, and started to tell them what she had just thought about. "Their last words were..."

{6}

((Sorry for the delay))

[Kelica]

((Sorry for not waiting Millie, but I was 100% fed up with not having five posts. DX))

Bell figured Barb didn't want anything as Marrone talked. "Ya don need ta tell us if it brings back sad memories, y'know!" Bell hated seeing anyone sad. She found a glass for the water and poured some, as well as pouring some milk into her tea. As she brought the glass of water outside, she realized she'd forgotten some ice. Darn! She brought it back in, and looked in the freezer.

"Um... We don have any ice. Ya want some watuh without?"