Xanth RP thread

[Mephistophelily]

[For the OOC thread, click here.]

Princess Ivy stepped out of Castle Roogna, resting her hands against the growing vines surrounding the outer walls and smiling as the flowers began to bud. "Poor thing... Mother's been neglecting you, hasn't she?," she asked softly, using her talent to enhance the blooms.

Yoohoo, toots! She's been neglectin' me, too! Those green panties are the first silk ones I've seen in weeks! What's a bridge gotta do to get some royal tail crossin' it?!" A gruff voice snickered below her.

Ivy yelped, then slammed her heel down against the planks. "Father's been spending far too much time out here! Hush, you mouthy wood!" That was the one problem with having King Dor for a parent- his talent of having inanimate objects speak seemed to linger on the items for far too long. Pretty much everything in the castle had some wise comment to make anymore... Or was tattling on her. She hated that.

"OooOoh, stomp me, sweety! I love 'em rough! Keep it up and I'm gonna get splinters!"

"Ugh!!" Ivy stormed across the bridge, walking through the orchards before the castle and heading for the main path before the castle. She figured a walk about the kingdom would help relieve her mind from such a terrible day.. Already she had gotten into a fight with a vase, a painting, and her brother Dolph. If that brat would just stop turning into a cat and peeking in her room, things would be so much easier...

 

[Mephistophelily]

(...bump?)

 

[JackMoz]

Octaver

Octaver sighed again as he paced the room reserved for him at the Royal Castle. Actually, 'reserved' was a very nice way of saying imprisoned. Octaver didn't think of himself as a bad guy. It was just temptations always seemed to present themselves to him at the very worst time. Like when other people were watching him and he didn't know it, for instance.

Octaver stretched a finger toward the lock on the door, shaping the end of his finger so that it would match the shape of the lock. And for the umpteenth time, he received a mild shock for his troubles.

Oh, well, at least the view is nice, Octaver thought to himself, as he looked at the window in his room. Octaver was in a tower at one end of the Royal Castle. Down below, he saw the Princess Ivy walking across the drawbridge.

 

[Mephistophelily]

Walking among the orchard trees, Ivy felt so comfortable. At least Daddy hadn't been talking to any of the trees lately- she'd hate to have them commenting to her as she used her talent on them.
"You're being watched, Princess..."[\i]

Well so much for that.

"Yes, I know... Daddy just doesn't seem to trust me outside anymore. Sometimes I think that-," She started with a sigh, leaning against the tree speaking to her.

"Oh, no, not me... I mean the man in the window."[\i]

"Window?" She turned around, peering through the branches and spotting the man in question. She didn't remember Father ever telling her about a man rooming in one of the upper towers.... She wondered what he was doing there?
"How odd... Thank you." She started back inside, kicking the bridge before it had a chance to start any smart comments. The man was in the far side of the castle, an area she usually was restricted from- so she had only managed to sneak in there a few times before.
With a few threats of accidental droppings and rippings, Ivy convinced her father's inanimate spies to keep their lips (or whatevers) shut, finally standing at the door of the room. "Hello in there?"

 

[JackMoz]

Octaver

Octaver perked up at the sound of the female voice through the other side of the door. There were only two guards who brought him his meals, both very male and very gruff. The voice belonged to someone obviously female and obviously very un-gruff.
"Hello there yourself. And may I ask who I have the honor of addressing?"

 

[Mephistophelily]

Ivy took a step back from the door, surprised as he answered her. "Oh.. um-" She straightened her back, taking a breath. If this man was a guest in the castle, she needed to present herself in a fitting manner. "This is Princess Ivy, sir."
She wondered why father hadn't introduced her to him? Surely if he was a guest, she would be allowed to see him! She reached for the knob, giving a surprised yelp as it shocked her. What was that about?!

 

[JackMoz]

Octaver

Princess Ivy? Oh my, that would be the very attractive young woman that Octaver had seen crossing the drawbridge not too long ago.

"Highness, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Octaver."

Octaver heard a very feminine yelp from the other side of the door. "Be careful, highness. You'll have to use the key with the rubber handle hanging beside the door if you want to open the door."

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Rubber-?"
Ivy glanced up, seeing the key he referred to hanging above her. Oh wow... He must've ben mportant if they went through all this to protect him.
"oh, yes, of course. Thank you, sir Octaver."
She took it down, usign that to open the door. She smiled as she saw him, holding the key in her hands still. "I saw you..looking at me out in the gardens. Won't you come outside with me? I'm sure you would enjoy the air. Its not fair of father to leave his guests busied away on their quarters. Everyone needs to have some fun sometimes..."

 

[JackMoz]

Octaver

Octaver felt his breath catch in his throat. The vision of loveliness that he had seen on the drawbridge earlier was right here, right in front of him, and opening up the door to freedom to him.

Unfortunately, there was a spell on the stairs leading up to his tower that prevented him from leaving unless escorted by someone specifically enchanted to escort him down.

There was a window just outside his door of course. And there was walkway that could be seen from that window that he could almost reach with his arms. But almost wasn't the same as being able to do something.

"I would enjoy taking a walk with you in the gardens, Highness. Unfortunately, part of the...protection your father gives me prevents me from going down those stairs." Octaver walked over to the window. "I could, of course, use my talent to leave through the window." Octaver stretched his arms, almost reaching the walkway. "But I'm afraid that the only way out for me is just out of my reach. I'm afraid that I'll have to remain here."

Octaver didn't think that Princess Ivy could help him out. But then again, she had let him out of his tower room. Maybe she could do something.

 

[Mephistophelily]

Ivy frowned. That wasn't fair of father at all...
Her eyes widened as he stretched out, almost grabbing the walkway below, but seemed jsut a bit too- short, if that was possible to say.

"I'm afraid that I'll have to remain here."

"No you won't!" Her voice was more demanding than she intended, grabbing onto his shoulder. "I can help you get out of here! Dady can't keep you pinned in like that, no matter what odd project he's working on. Everyone needs a break sometime."
She smiled at him, her fingers tightening about his shoulders as she used her talent to enhance his. "I have to keep contact with you," She explained, frowning. "Otherwise my enhancement talent won't effect you..."

 

[JackMoz]

Ivy's close contact with him was certainly "enhancing" Octaver. His arms weren't the only things stretching further. Octaver had to remind himself that this was the King's daughter, even she was making Octaver think of...

Wait a minute, Octaver felt his arms stretching further!

The reason that Octaver was put in this particular tower was that it was just out of reach of any route of escape. Except now...

Now, Octaver felt his hands reach the walkway. With a smile, Octaver pulled himself out of the window and onto the walkway.

Almost as an afterthought, Octaver used his talent to caused a second pair of arms and hands to grow out of his side and wrap around Ivy's waist, bringing her with him.

Standing with Ivy on the walkway, his second pair of arms still around her waist, he gave her what he hoped was a gratifying smile. "Highness, I need to thank you for giving me a break from...um, your father's special project."

Octaver realized it wouldn't be too long before the King sent people out to recapture him. Ivy's enhancement talent sure could come in handy.

"Highness, I'm sure your father will...want me to get back to work as soon as I can. So would you mind if we went on a nice little nature hike until I have to go back to...work?"

 

[Mephistophelily]

Ivy smiled as he seemed so enthused by her helping touch, giving a surprised yelp as a secondary set of arms grabbed her about the waist. She stared at him with wide eyes as he held her to him, giving a sight laugh. "Oh... my... that was, ah... different."
She'd ridden on griffins, played with dragons, and was friends with centaurs- but never had anything like that happen to her. She frowned as he explained how father would expect him back soon. "How unfair. Yes, of course, we can go for a walk now... Maybe if we wander far enough, daddy won't be able to find you and make you work on any more silly projects for him. I thought Humphrey handled all those things for him anymore... What could he possibly have for you to be working on?"
Instead of waiting for an answer, she ran down the path, grinning as she turned to beckon to him. The sooner they were away from the castle and the talkative items of her father's watch, the better!

 

[JackMoz]

Octaver

Octaver watched the very pleasing backside of Ivy moving away from him. Shaking his head, he realized they needed to move faster than that!

Octaver strtetched his legs and quickly caught up to Princess Ivy. "Highness, if you will allow me the liberty?" Octaver stretched his arms toward her. "It will allow us to make our 'escape' that much faster," Octaver said with what he hoped was a comical wink.

 

[Mephistophelily]

Ivy smiled as he stepped over her, leaning into his arms as he reached to pick her up. He could definitely move faster than her like that. "Thank you!" She hugged his arm, glancing around as they continued on. "I must say, this is one of the... most unique ways I've travelled...," She laughed, kicking her legs a bit.

 

[JackMoz]

Octaver

Octaver created a second set of arms to form a sort of "swing seat" for Ivy, and another set to wrap around her waist. Having her in contact made Octaver feel more...confident, somehow. Keeping his original pair of arms free for obstacles, Octaver's legs stretched even longer as he carried Ivy quickly away from the Royal Castle.

"Anywhere we should head to in particular, Highness?"

 

[Mephistophelily]

Ivy smiled up at him, enjoying this nice ride. "Hmm. Have you seen the Gap Chasm? Not many people say they have." She paused, then gave a slight laugh. "Of course, thats probably because they just don't remember it, thanks to the forget spell on it..." She hugged the arm she was leaning against. "But don't worry! I'll enhance your memory as well, that way you can remember everything! Oh... You might want to let me down as soon as we get in there, though... so I can warn Stanley."
She glanced up shrugging a bit. "He's... my pet dragon. He's supposed to guard the Gap, but he knows better than to hurt a friend of mine!"

 

[JackMoz]

Octaver

Octaver really didn't remember the Gap Chasm, but somehow, when Ivy told him that his memory was better, he found he could remember things more clearly. And when Ivy called him her friend, for some reason he felt guilty about having misled her to help him escape.

As they came to a stop, Octaver gently let Ivy down. His hands accidentally slid across Ivy's bottom. Octaber would have let his hands linger, but Ivy considered him a friend, and that somehow enhanced Octaver's feelings of honor. Friends...well, friends didn't cop cheap feels of friends. Not too often, anyway.

"So," Octaver asked nervously, "Where is this Stanley?"

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Stanley? He's down here, somewhere..." Ivy hopped down from his arms, stretching a bit as she looked around. Where was he? It wasn't like a dragon of his size could really hide that well from-

"Stanley!!" She grinned as she heard him coming, the loud whumping noise coming towards them.

Soon he came into sight, a gigantic green dragon with soft pink scales against his front. He lumbered towards them, giving off a few puffs of steam as he saw the man beside Ivy. Stanley stood about 5 feet taller than Ivy, and had a good 15 foot length to him, not including his tail.

Still, Ivy happily hugged the beast, grinning hugely as she turned to Octaver.
"This... is Stanley. Stanley, this is my friend Octaver." She placed a finger atop the dragon's noise, giving him a harsh look. "Remember. FRIEND. So be nice."

A huge tooth grin was his reponse, with another puff of smoke.

 

[JackMoz]

Octaver

Octaver eyed Stanley warily. Stanley gave Octaver the eye back. Octaver had been enjoying the admiration of Ivy and wasn't sure he liked having to share it with Stanley. He was sure Stanley felt the same way about Octaver.

"Yes, very nice to meet you, Stanley."

A strange thing had been happening to Octaver as he had carried Ivy to the gap. Ivy had insisted on thinking of Octaver as a friend. Octaver found himself becoming a friend to Ivy. And although some of Octaver's original plans concernig Ivy weren't nice, and some were even downright naughty, his whole perspective on Ivy had changed once had made it to the gap. Octaver didn't want to return to being a prisoner at the Royal Castle, but neither did he want to hurt Ivy, either phsyically or emotionally. The best thing to do was to continue his escape and leave Ivy under the protection of the obviously quite capable Stanley.

"Ivy, I must say, I've enjoyed this outing, but I should probably head back to your father's castle. But first, since I'm out already, I need to make a small sidetrip. I hope to see you back at your father's." With that, Octaver prepared to leave Ivy with Stanley.

 

[Mephistophelily]

Ivy grinned as Stanley swung his tail around, giving a little dance for her- but then she heard Octaver's comment.

"What? Y-you're going?" She frowned, her fingers still playing with the top of her dragon's snout. "But... I thought... we were having fun..." She looked at him with a pout. "Father's projects are stupid! I don't understand why he'd keep you locked up in a tower anyway! That's not fair! He always thinks he can solve everything but putting people in towers. He did that to me before, too, and I didn't like it at all!"

 

[JackMoz]

Octaver

Once Ivy mentioned that she was having fun with Octaver, it made Octaver realize just how much fun he was having fun with Ivy. And a rather naughty portion of his brain flashed a few images about seem really great fun he could have with Ivy.

But another part of him knew he need to put a lot more distance between him and King Dor if he wanted to make his current freedom permanent. And, since Ivy had enhanced the part of him that wanted to be her friend, the only thing he could do for Ivy that a friend should do is leave her here under the protection of the dragon Stanley.

"I know, Ivy, but sometimes...sometimes your father is right." Octaver grimaced. He was having to come to grips that perhaps it was right that he had been imprisoned. It was time to take his leave of Princess Ivy before her influence made these self-reflections permanent!

"But I'll tell you what, Ivy. When we both get back to the castle, I'll make sure that I get out of the tower and we have more fun together." Octaver felt guilty about lying to Ivy; he had no intention of EVER returning to the castle. But he couldn't actually tell her that, now could he?

"But right now, Ivy, I have a very important task to perform on the Isle of View."

Octaver was certain that Ivy would not want to come along to anywhere south of The Gap.

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Everybody promises me that." Ivy frowned. "Jonathan promised me that when I was a kid. And then he got killed and became a ghost and he STILL didn't come back."
She let go of Stanley, plunking down on one of the rocks beside him and sighing. She was still listening to him, but only bits and pieces.

"But right now, Ivy, I have a very important task to perform on the- I love you."

Her head shot up at that, looking at him with wide eyes. "You what?" She gave a cry, throwing her arms about his legs. "Ohhhh, I love you too, Octaver! I knew you couldn't leave me like that, I knew it! I'll help you with anything, please believe me!"

 

[JackMoz]

Octaver

Octaver mentally groaned.

He had been grasping at straws, trying to think of some place south of the Gap Chasm that Ivy wouldn't follow. He should have thought harder. Although the Isle of View was a beautiful, affectionate island, one always had to be careful of even mentioning its name around women; you never knew what effect just the name of the island would have on them!

Nevertheless, when Octaver felt Ivy embrace his legs and declare her love, he felt the seed of his feelings for her start to bloom. Carefully, Octaver wrapped his hands just underneath her bottom and lifted Ivy up so that he could return her embrace.

Octaver didn't know what to do. Maybe something would come up! But he better be careful with that name! And he better start putting some distance between him and King Dor!

"OK, Ivy, you can help me. But we need to be leaving now. And I need to start heading south toward the Isle of---toward the Islands." Whew! He almost said the Island's name again! Who knew what kind of trouble saying it twice would bring??!!

 

[Mephistophelily]

Ivy smiled, burying her head against hs shoulder as he picked her up. "Head out? Oh, oh, yes." She looked down to Stanley, pointing at him. "If you see Daddy, you keep him busy! Hear me, boy? Keep King Dor busy!"

Stanley puffed at her, his head bobbing at her words.

"He's very good at distracting people." She smiled up at him, hugging his arm. "What is at the islands? Is it something I can help you with?"

 

[JackMoz]

Octaver

Octaver began making his giant strides southwards as he thought of what he needed to tell Ivy.

"I just need to do something on the Islands," Octaver said vaguely. Then he added, "Especially on the Isle of View." Octaver mentally winced when he said the Isle's name. He knew he was being a cad to use it to distract Ivy. But he didn't know what else to do!

It was starting to get dark. Octaver set Ivy down and, without moving from the spot where he was standing, gathered firewood from all over the surroundings. Octaver could tell there were no dangerous beasts in the area, and so he used items from the area to make as comfortable campsite as he could. There were some wild strawberries nearby, but a few choice words tamed them, and he made a sweet smelling mattress of them for Ivy. He skipped the blueberrys; he was feeling sad enough already. Finally, Octaver found some milk weeds and dewberries, which he determined would just have to do.

Octaver did this without moving from the spot where he had place Ivy (being able to stretch and produce extra limbs can have its benefits!). Octaver dreaded the dark. Before meeting Ivy, the night mares never bothered with him. Now, with all these enhanced feelings, he knew they'd be visiting him tonight!