Nymph with a Potted Plant?

A slender figure in a long hooded green-black cloak entered the castle's courtyard, carrying a clay pot of a rather drab green-gray shade with a small tree in it. The arms carrying the pot are very pale-skinned and rather feminine, as is the face revealed once the woman sets down the pot to look around. The hood's falling back revealed long pale blonde waves of hair that had been tucked into the deep recesses of the hood, but now refused to return to its confines.

Her efforts to the contrary had revealed a thin green dress made of folds and folds of filmy material, rather like a sari made of cloud-stuff. Making a small noise of annoyance, the woman wrapped her hair in a loose bun and let it slide into the lowered hood--at least not in her way while she moved the... damnable potted tree. It might be a sapling, but it was still a small tree!

Cream mottled feathers ruffled noiselessly in the slight breeze and dark talons gingerly wrapped around the large branches of the B.A.T. The woman herself was stone still - couched easily, head down, elbows resting on her knees. Bangs fell into her face, casting most of it in shadow, the feathery textured locks waving just as slightly as their flight-feather counter parts arranged neatly behind her on loose wings. Much of the woman's pale skin was revealed, all except for the biker shorts and red open-backed tank top, and, like the rest of her, was flecked with light from the fun filtering through the leaves above her.

From afar, the figure in the low branches of the giant tree appeared to be a statue. Upon closer inspection, the movement of breath gave away her live nature, and made one think that perhaps the strange girl was but asleep. There was no indication that the feathered being noticed the entrance of the plant-carrying, cloaked one, but then again - to anyone who didn't know her, at least - there wasn't much indication that she noticed anything around her.

Surveying the courtyard, the newcomer left her tree sitting where she'd placed it and walked more or less around the perimeter with a light step that barely moved the grass beneath her bare feet. Quiet murmurs drift on the light breeze, though she has no one but the plants to speak to.

Her steps took her to the herb garden, into which she disappears for a short while, and finally she approached the BAT. Her gaze (to anyone who might see it), both delighted and sad. Giving the tree a good look and craning her neck in an attempt to see the top, she glimpsed a few feathers but didn't appear to notice Kale. One slender hand reached out to stroke the trunk of the tree, and this time it was not a murmur escaping her lips, but a song of the same volume. The words were not English, nor any common language of this age. Her voice is husky, and while the tune is lovely, it was also haunting and sad. To one who knows the language of the Norse peoples several centuries past, she speaks of grey skies and hills, mountains and meadows, sunlight, and birds that sing no more. It's a lament for times gone by, yet some continue on. Whether she was referring to the tree or not is unclear, her song used generalizations like 'some' or 'any'.

Lyring on the grass, Lunie found it in himself to daydream the day away. Twiddling the petals of a delicate flower, he smiled at its soft touch. There was a startling lack of those who appreciated nature like he did, and the loneliness was beginning to sink in.

As he considered this, he heard a voice from just a few yards away, and he slowly lifted his head to see a green-clothed woman singing softly. Ears raised with slight interest, he shuffled closer behind her, careful not to make any noise that would interurpt her melody. Upon realising that it was directed towards the tree, he beamed - he wasn't the only one to talk to trees! The language was unfamiliar, but it didn't seem to mind this. "You," he breathed, smiling widely. "You sing to that tree... You make it so happy!"

Looking towards the tree, he gasped with shock as he noticed a feathery shape sleeping on one of the lower branches. "Oh no!" He dashed forwards, reaching out a hand to bat her away, but was unable to reach her at all. "Get off the tree, get off the tree!" he cried, hoping to wake her.

Kale, who had been holding her solitude dear, had simply cast the woman's heart beat from her mind. It was not one she knew - it did not flutter like Valentin's, it did not pound deeply like Ndale's - and so, she saw no need to expose her position, content as she was. The woman was actually fairly easy to ignore, she was quiet, and whatever she seemed to be doing kept her far from the harpy's seat.

Of course, it was only a matter of time before the wandering woman was just below the owl's perch. It was as she started singing that the still figure in the tree finally twitched. It was just a irritated quirk of the right eyebrow, hidden in shadow under bangs, and a slight flick of a tail feathers. Kale found herself a picky listener of music, noticing her range of hearing made some noises particularly annoying. The haunting tune of this woman's song made the harpy feel longing for what she knew not, and she revolted against it savagely. On top of this all, another voice was quick to enter her thoughts.

Kale, from her crouched position, had only to open her eye to observe a small yellow creature underneath her, waving at her and yelling for her to leave the tree. She tilted her head up slightly, allowing the light to hit her face and reveal her expression from under the curtain of hair. The one solid ebony eye was narrowed on the creature in slight disdain, and talons clenched, digging deeper into the groaning bark. The owl peeled back her lips and let out a harsh and high pitched, screeching hiss.

"Are both of you incapable of remaining silent?" The Parisian accent was think through the irritated noise. It was an interesting air she was giving off: not particularly hostile, but challenging and demeaning.

Yvonne had stopped singing when Lunie spoke, and had turned to reply when the small yellow creature started yelling at something--or someone--in the tree. "Shush, it's all right," she calmed him, looking up through the branches at what seemed to be a large... no, not an owl.

The claws in the bark was a noise she was accustomed to hearing in her own branches, though never from something as large as this. The hiss was new. "Back, now," she ordered Lunie immediately in a much firmer tone, waving him away from the tree and its less than pleasant occupant. She took a step back so she didn't have to crane her neck to see between the lowest branches of the tree, but could easily look up at the bird-woman. "We meant no harm," she replied pleasantly enough. "Silence is a thing for the inanimate. And yet the inanimate say a good deal." Useful, Yv, great.

He hardly noticed the gentle teacher trying to soothe him, he was too intent on his goal of chasing this overgrown from its branch. He paused at the first sign of movement - was he successful? As she began grinding her talons into the branch, he visibly cringed. Has she no respect? he speculated, peering at her with discontent.

It was when she suddenly hissed that he raised his head with alarm. As Yvonne called, he didn't need telling twice. Hurriedly stepping back, he shuffled closer to the older woman, trusting her judgement. He couldn't quite understand anything she was saying: the long words missed his head by miles. After she'd done, he offered to pipe in with a few of his own words. "Y'don't ever sleep on a tree without askin' it first," he pointed out, his brows creased with befuddlement. "...It's rude."

Kale tipped her head curiously, flatly staring down the woman and the boy. She made a quick noise of acknowledgement and pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"Tch. Defensive." She watched passively as the yellow furry one was visibly upset at her treatment of the tree's limb, and smirked as he ran to hide behind the suddenly protective blonde woman. Consequently, the lazy gaze was settled upon the older of the two.

"Of course you didn't, though it still remains to be seen what you are here to mean." She was referring to the mention of the intention of ill-will. "As for your rather dull cryptic remark, the meaning loses it's effect in the bases of opinion of what you and I define as inanimate and of if what said is actually significant. You have proved nothing, nor pointed out anything of consequence to me. If you insist on speaking, I'd appreciate it if you made it worth my while." The harpy's tone was arrogant and condescending, tinted with a pinch of disapproval. Next, she addressed the boy.

"I was not sleeping upon this tree, I've been aware the entire time. And, for your information, me and this tree have been good friends for a couple of months now. He is actually quite miffed that you are intruding upon our alone time together." Kale's tone was seemingly quite sincere, but the smirk left it questionable as to whether the woman was joking or not. She paused, as if listening to the B.A.T. "Although, he says that you do seem the acceptable sort, should you wish to venture the climb to sit beside me." The open invitation was almost devious, accompanied by a grin, and the glint in her eye was none too innocent as her wings shifted behind her in a casually predatory fashion.

"I certainly intend this lovely tree no harm," came Yvonne's light reply, not putting any effort into the words at all. "And my song was for his benefit. Should you have made your presence known prior to your rude remark, I would have been happy to join with the tree and leave you to rest in peace. He cares little if I sing from his heart or his foot."

"I should hardly suggest it," she told Lunie, though whether she thought he might be so rash as to climb the tall tree just then or not was immaterial. "Perhaps the forest will treat you better. It seemed quite nice to me."

((Sorry for short, wanted to leave Lunie something to answer while I'm asleep!))

His eyebrows furred at their conversation: he couldn't understand a single word! Of course, they were both adults, and probably both professors as well, intelligence far beyond his own. Anxiously, he drew circles on the ground with his toes to pass time.

When Kale turned her attention to him, he froze like a deer in headlights. There was something about the way she spoke that made him wary, and he was hesitant to believe her at all. "Friends?" he echoed, looking confused. He'd never encountered anyone being friends with trees, it was implausible. Or perhaps this creature was something beyond the ordinary being. He frowned. "Trees don't talk," he mumbled, although it was unclear if this was directed towards Kale or himself. "They listen, b-but they don't talk."

As Yvonne spoke to him, he offered a small smile. "Forests are nice," he said, looking into the distance rather than face her. "But this tree is lonely..." He made a face. "And... un-treated..."

Kale suddenly rose from her crouched position swiftly, hands curled into fists at her sides. The leaves whistled from the wind as large cream wings arched back, partially open, in a bold and affronted manner.

"I never said anything about you meaning 'arm to anyone 'ere, including the tree. Nor did I mention your-" She paused and tested the word on her French accent, quirking an eyebrow in sinister amusement. "-song, or so you claim it to 'ave been." Any form of entertainment she may have been showing was dropped and her expression was of passive, icy aggression.
"How pompous for you to claim that you know what the tree wants, especially if it doesn't speak." She hissed. "The B.A.T. is the one body of foliage that is off-limits to intimate magical influence. Find a different tree."

Kale withdrew her talons from the branch with a sharp creak from the bark, and dropped to the ground in front of the pair of people. Her wings beat down to lesson the impact taken by her knees, causing a ripple of wind to gust out from underneath her. The harpy straightened from the crouch she had landed in and pushed back the hair from her face, revealing her signature scar stretched over and through the expanse of her stitched right eye, from mid-cheek to mid-forehead.

"Who are you supposed to be anyway? I've not seen either of you around previously."

A gentle westbound breeze swept through the courtyard, and the leaves of the B.A.T. rustled contentedly in it's salty caress. The patchwork of shadow that the boughs left on the ground danced as the leaves did, playing with the patterns of filtered sunlight resting on the three forms below.

The B.A.T. had no opinion of the argument taking place, of course, being a particularly large albeit stupendously normal juniper tree, as it was. This day was like any other, soft needly leaves and strong hearty roots soaking up whatever the sun and the earth had to offer, and hungrily filtering sweet glucose to the inner bark.

All in all, it was a beautiful, plentiful, lazy day, and the B.A.T. was at ease whether or not there was company to be had. And the tree sighed impassively as the lofty ocean breeze meandered swiftly on to greet another part of the island.



(( Yaaaay photosynthesis ~ (xD ?) and, a small, to-be-thorough and possibly unnecessary reminder alluding to recent dA note conversations: There will be no magical/magically-influenced bonding with the B.A.T. It is a factor in at least one planned plot event (spoiler?! Dx) and any tree-bonding-joining-meshing-ness should be had with a different topiary. Thank you. ^_^ <3 ))

((Yes ma'am. I'm well aware, and she's not intending to do any such thing. It's simply what she would say.))

Yvonne gave the harpy above her a pleasant, albeit slightly cold, smile, completely unruffled by the harpy's behavior. When the woman hit ground, the nymph didn't move, only a tendril of her hair even acknowledging the abrupt arrival. "B. A... T?" she repeated. "How nice. I shudder to think what it might stand for. As for my tree, I brought it with me. Greetings were appropriate, nevertheless." She looked over the B.A.T. again. "It was only polite." Somehow with four words she managed to imply that she was not the one being improper.

She smiled down at Lunie, then returned a politer version of the same to Kale. "As for me, I was invited here to teach. Psychology, I believe, but that hasn't been determined for certain as I've only just arrived, and haven't had a chance to discuss it with anyone."

Everything about the way Kale was acting was beginning to creep him out; her stange appearance, her sharp tongue and her superiority. He didn't understand her 'joke' at all, or why she was smiling in such a manner.

At her sudden personality change, he scuffled a little closer behind Yvonne, although still staring cautiously. From the expression on his face, you'd think that Kale had just set the tree on fire. She doesn't know anything about trees! he realised, mouth hanging ajar slightly. "B-but trees don't want anything, they only give," he piped defensively, then shrank further behind as she landed before them.

He peered at Yvonne as she introduced herself. Psycho...logy? He hadn't recalled picking that class, but the teacher seemed nice enough, even if he hardly knew what the class itself was about.

Lunie's face soured slightly, disliking the tone of her voice. "I'm Lunie..." He hesitated slightly. "...And I think you're being very r-rude to us..." No more than two seconds had passed before he regretted saying it out loud. "...Sorry."

"Ohh, a new teacher, hm?" Kale rocked back her weight in a more innocent and carefree manner. She smirked slyly. "Being polite is boring. And yes, the B.A.T.: the Big Ass Tree." She jerked a thumb over her should to the admittedly very large tree.

The harpy's gaze flicked back over to the small yellow furry-creature as it put in its opinion once again. The small muttered apology was quick to pull a laugh from Kale's chest. It was a deceivingly bright noise, with genuine mirth, and her shoulders shook with the action. She looked down on the boy, expression easy.

"You are either very foolish or very brave, [i]Lunie[i]." The owl was careful to pronounce his name. "I am indeed being rude, but you see, it's my personality to be blunt. I am the Science professor and when one has a bunch of senseless kids running around sharp and delicate objects among poisonous plants and other priceless oddities, you need to be strict and plain in your intentions and directions. But-" She hesitated and looked momentarily uncertainly down at the boy. "I could try to be less hostile, though I make no promises, I may have forgotten how." She tossed her hand in a flippant gesture and looked up and away from the little boy as if careless. Then she started, as if she had just remembered something she had forgotten.

"Oh! Yes, I forgot to introduce myself properly, I do believe that is something considered acceptable social behavior." Kale adopted an open stance and a pleasant smile, offering her hand to the both of them in general so either could take it. "I am Kale: Dean, Professor, and Guardian of the Sionnach Household."

Yvonne chuckled at the acronym, extending her own slim hand to take the dean's for a quick shake. "I'm sure the pleasure is mine, Dean Kale. Boring it may be, but politeness in new environments is generally considered wisdom." Her smile has lost any cold edges from the harpy's earlier behavior, and she seemed genuinely amused by the woman.

"You should know the lad is right," she added after a moment. "We generally don't talk back. Trees simply are, it's a skill. Then again," she looked down at the student hiding partially behind her. "Some trees do talk. Their wants and needs generally aren't things you'd understand, though."

Lunie cringed, awaiting the inevitable fury that would be unleashed upon him. When such thing didn't happen, he opened one eye to find that Kale had abandoned her icy demeanour in place of a much friendlier one. "Oh," he smiled sheepishly, unsure whether his meek scolding had really done the trick, or that she was simply fooling with his mind.

Science professor? He wasn't sure what class that was meant to be, but he did recall selecting a class called 'Sik-Ie-En-Keh'. He was yet to meet the professor for that subject though...

Peering at her polite gesture, he slid around Yvonne, confident that the harpy wasn't about to tear him to shreds. He took her hand with both of his, bowing his head slightly. Kale? he repeated internally, looking thoughtful. Kale, kale, kale... Kill? His smiled twitched slightly. "Can I name you a other name?" he asked.

He was pleased at how Yvonne had agreed with him, although not quite in the way he had expected. Looking up at her, he offered a slight grin. "Oh, but trees are so kind!" he insisted, nodding enthusiastically. "We can only be nice to them back after all they do!"

Kale smiled as warmly as she could at them as they both grasped her hand in turn.

'Everly said not to kill anyone. She would be sorely annoying if she found I wasn't sociable.' Inside the harpy smiled, outside, she just nodded and continued conversationally.

"Yes, well, this isn't a new environment for me. This has been my home for the past few months. It is...startling...to be awoken and shoo'd from one's own. You do not know how I have lived, or how I have come to know that hostility gets you farther than gentleness. Excuse me if I account life experience as more valuable that your opinion. I take the fact that I am not dead yet very convincing."

She switched her attention to Lunie, blinking owlishly.

"My name? You wish to rename me? What an odd question." Her face was twisted to something uncertain and slightly confused and wary. "I guess a nickname would not be so unpleasant as long as it is not silly, stupid or demeaning in any way that would make it unsatisfactory of me." She continued to look at the boy, unsure what to think of him beyond the point of ignorant.

"The trees are in want of water, and sun, of air. They seem nice, but they follow survival of the fittest amongst themselves, as does everything in nature. That, I assure you, is not a nice game."

Rosie's form darkened the doorway out to the courtyard, but she didn't want to come in and interrupt anything that was going on. She had her hair up in a tight bun today, and was carrying her sandals. She set them down just outside the doorway and looked around, she felt a little awkward, she really didn't like coming in when people were there, but that was just her loner attitude speaking again. A part of her was still fearful that any bonds that she made would quite soon and quickly be severed. There were a few that seemed to be okay with her secret, but she was fairly curtain that that would not be the case for long... everyone either left her, or they died... just simply died right in front of her, leaving her alone again. She was done with the heart break, and done with the hurt feelings.

She decided that perhaps she should just leave and bent down to pick her sandals up hoping nobody had noticed her and tried to invite her to come... talk... It wasn't that she would mind talking, it was more the idea of having to be friendly at this point, and not really feeling like putting on yet another act. She did, however, note that the woman who brought in the child she claimed as her own, 'Yvonne wasn't it?' She looked around at the other members of the group. One looked like a softer version of that thing that invaded her kitchen, then complained about her food. His general aura seemed to be much nicer than the thing that she was still calling 'it'. Her eyes fell on Kale, but the only thing she could really tell about the woman that she was holding something back, and it didn't appear to be the brightest of things to be holding. She wouldn't count it against her though, 'Who am I to judge? I'm just happy to be here, but she does seem to have some importance to her... perhaps she'll appear in the kitchen and I can talk to her... Now doesn't exactly seem like the best time to do that though...'

Yvonne would've replied to Kale's experience versus opinion comment, but then she heard Lunie ask his question and looked down at the child. She didn't recognize his species, not that that bothered her since she knew she had a tiny fraction of knowledge of the world outside of Norway. She couldn't tell if he meant an additional name, a substitute name, or what, but she smiled. It was an interesting thought. She'd been named other nicknames over time by those not of her species, but rarely from one so young. They usually took things as they came... questioning it always, but rarely was the question a distinct change. "What name would you give a professor and dean, Lunie?"

The nymph had noticed Rosie when the woman put down her sandals, the motion attracting the eye of the woman facing the main entrance, though she merely flicked her eyes for the briefest of seconds so her attention would not seem to wander from the two she was conversing with. Yv thought it was the cook she'd met earlier, but she couldn't quite be sure from this distance. Whoever it was seemed hesitant to enter the courtyard. The nymph, not really being necessary in the naming of Kale by Lunie, turned her head calmly in the direction of the door... she assumed that whoever it was would know she'd been spotted, but Yv didn't call out, just smiled and returned to the conversation in front of her. If it was Rosie, she certainly wouldn't mind inviting her over, should the woman want to be social. If it wasn't Rosie, the nymph wanted to meet more people who lived in this remarkable place, having met only her newly-adopted daughter, the cook, and the two she now spoke with.

"Really?!" Lunie chirped at Kale's response, disregarding her warnings on proper naming conditions. "That's so nice of you!"
Looking up and down at the harpy, Lunie looked thoughtful as he considered a new name for her. He hated the letter 'K', it was sharp, aggressive, ruthless... Not to mention her name sounded just like his least favourite word ever. "I'll name you..." He smiled brightly upon thinking of a name. "...Harry." He felt it to be a good choice, a bright, cheery sounding name. Although Kale didn't seem to be the cheery kind initially, he knew that there was likely to be a heart of gold within. Harry seemed to perfectly reflect that.

He grinned up at Yvonne, hoping she'd approve of the name. As she gave a glance in another direction, he noticed the presence of another newcomer. He thought to have seen her before in the kitchen, but she was difficult to recognise from afar. He turned his gaze back to Kale, or 'Harry', smiling excitedly. "Trees gets lots of water and sun every day," he assured. "I don't see anything not nice about it!"

When Rosie entered, Kale turned her head only slightly to the left, just enough to catch the woman in the corner of her gaze. They were unacquainted, Kale had no idea of her person or abilities. However, the harpy was hardly one to welcome people into conversations, and so stayed silent and let the woman do as she wished.

When Lunie exclaimed, Kale returned her attention to him. She watched with an amused smirk as he called her nice. Her expression turned to stone, though when he put forth a name and her body tensed with restrained offense.

" 'Arry? " Kale's Parisian accent curled around the word, not pronouncing the 'H' at all and making the 'y' sound like an extended 'ee'. Indignant hostility inside her flared in rage, and she honestly wanted to hurt the little twit. Did he really think she looked like a Harry? It reminded her of the word 'hairy' and she was far from it, they were feathers of a pristine condition, not at all like dead and oily hair of the humans. The owl's talons dug into the ground and she imagined planting them into the little ones shoulders. She settled for crinkling her nose slightly in distaste and tilting her chin up in a superior manner, crossing her arms. "I suggest you just stick to calling me 'Professor', kid." Cream mottled feathers flicked.

How to intervene peacefully? Yvonne didn't need years of honing her observation skills to know Kale didn't approve of the name. Yv herself would hardly have accepted the change, and she was pretty easy-going. She cleared her throat gently, looking down at the child of unknown heritage. "Lunie, in the English language 'Harry' is a boy's name. Dean Kale would need an impressive female name if she were going to change her name or accept a nickname." Was that simple enough for the lad to understand, and yet correct enough for Kale not to argue? She hoped so. The details of why Kale didn't approve weren't necessary if there was an easy way to correct the child.

And then she realized it might be a good idea to elaborate on Kale's suggestion of her title. "We also show respect by calling someone by their title, not just their first name. Like 'Professor', or 'Dean'." Was she going overboard here, telling a child to be respectful of the harpy that could rip his head off? Moreover, would the child even remember the lesson later on? The nymph could only hope so... for the kid's sake, more than anything else.

In the interest of distracting the harpy further, Yvonne figured this might be a good person to ask for directions and general Lillegard information. "Dean Kale, I would appreciate it if you could give me some sense of where my office might be? I've only just arrived, and would like to take my things inside." The psychology professor hoped that there was a planned space for her, at least now that the words were out of her mouth she did. She'd decline any sleeping quarters, but her classroom and her office were a must. "I'm also unsure on exactly what my duties will be. The letter I received wasn't specific if you only needed someone to teach psychology, or if you actually needed a practicing counselor for the school too."

Joy turned to confusion turned to sorrow at Kale's reaction. "You... You don't like it?" he asked, discouraged, his ears stooping low, lips trembling. As far as he knew, it wasn't even offensive; just a delightfully pleasant name that sounded a bit like 'happy'. His feet almost seemed to mirror Kale's, kneading the ground with anxiety.

He looked up at Yvonne uncertainly as she tried to explain the situation to him, but it only succeeded in confusing him more. How was he to tell what was a boy or girl's name? It was a new concept to him, and rather pointless too. His face fell further as she mentioned titles. "I-I respect her very much!" he insisted, nodding. He wasn't so keen on calling her 'Professor' all the time; after all, there were many professors, and it would be rather confusing. Not to mention how impersonal titles were.

He glanced back at the harpy, regarding her with a nervous stare, much like before. He cringed, almost too scared to say anything. Almost. "...Harriet?"

Rosie silently watched as everything went back and forth, she stepped into her shoes and quietly made her way over. Her attention flipped to the girl who ran by the doorway, she didn't notice the blood until the child had already darted past. Rosie had been sure that the child had been put to bed, and she wondered what had happened. She was pretty sure that her mother was over across the court yard, but she knew better than to expend the energy of trying to catch the child. Feeling the slightest bit of discomfort, she poked her head back inside, but the child was gone, perhaps it was her imagination...

She decided to make her way over to the group, wondering if she was just imagining them too. She didn't make a sound as she now stood close to the group, not wanting to intrude on their conversations. She looked around for something to do....