Precocious Ponies campfire, early Saturday morning

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal was minus his menagerie this morning. Evey and Altra were off in the preserve, Trenor was in the stable where he belonged, and Vashti was sleeping inside.

He was grateful for the solitude, because his conversation with John yesterday had left him deeply worried, and he needed to pray. His head was bowed, his hands neatly folded in his lap, and he couldn't have seen anything even if his eyes had been open.

Which was both a blessing and a curse, because there was a Very Large spider making its way along the ground in front of him.

Very close to his bare feet. So close it was practically on top of his bare feet.

Karal twitched a little as it brushed his toes, and it froze, crouching low. Karal was deep in prayer, and he didn't move again, but the spider stayed where it was.

[ooc: Totally open and gdjahgsioqiwujfklfhw BAD SPIDERS OMG]

Comments

[socksofcool.livejournal.com]

Seely would rather have been in bed at this hour, but Aravis had been insistent in her leopard-y way, so they were walking over to visit Karal.

Seely came to a stop as he saw the spider. "Uh, Karal..."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

It took a moment for Seely's voice to penetrate Karal's concentration, but when it did, he lifted his head and smiled in the direction the voice had come from. "Good morning, Seely."

He also shifted his feet, and the spider skittered backwards, two huge horrible hairy OMG YUCK legs raised in defiance.

[socksofcool.livejournal.com]

"Morning," Seely said, hopefully looking around for a giant shoe. "Uh, you might want to keep still there buddy."

Aravis, meanwhile, hissed at the spider, tail lashing.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal startled at the noise, sitting up straighter and making the spider jump. "Seely, what was that?" It had seemed too loud to have come from an ordinary cat. "Are you all right?"

[socksofcool.livejournal.com]

Aravis crouched, preparing to pounce on the spider, only to yowl when Seely pounced on her instead, lifting her out of reach.

"That was Aravis," Seely replied, eyes on the spider. "Tell me, have you ever seen Irrational Overwhelming Fear of Spiders?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"That's Aravis?" He pulled his feet up underneath him, turning towards the sound of the yowl. The spider, possibly believeing Karal's feet were some sort of spider haven, started crawling towards the log he was sitting on.

"What has she turned into? And no, I have no idea what that is. Why are spiders important?" He paused. "Glory, she's not some sort of spider creature is she?!"

[socksofcool.livejournal.com]

"No, she's a leopard cub," Seely said, doing his best to hold onto a squirming and hissing Aravis. "A fairly cranky one right now."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Why is she cranky?" he asked, having no idea there a giant spider getting closer. "And what does that have to do with spiders?"

[socksofcool.livejournal.com]

"Well, you know how cats are about pouncing on things," Seely said. "Like toys, stray beams of light, giant hairy spiders of doom."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"I had to step over bugs this morning on my way out of my cabin," Gavin said by way of greeting. "And they started following me!"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal, who was staying away from the log of spidery doom, recognised Gavin's voice and turned in his direction. "There's a spider of doom over there somewhere!" He waved his hand towards the log, which still had a rather large lump of sulking spider on it. "It would have climbed on me if Seely hadn't warned me!"

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Spider of doom?" Gavin shuddered. "It doesn't talk, does it?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Sunlord, I hope not!" He bent down and started scratching his foot. "But I'm itchy. I think it walked on my foot and now it's itchy."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Where's Altra at?" Gavin wondered. "I thought he'd be here to scare these things off."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Evey wanted to walk through the preserve, and I wanted to spend some time alone this morning, so Altra went with her," he replied. scratching his foot even more. "They were both humouring me, but if there are spiders of doom, I'm just as happy he's with her."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"You wanted to spend time alone and yet you're entertaining the company of a large spider," Gavin teased. "Maybe it likes you too."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I didn't invite it!" he protested. "I couldn't even see it!"

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"It must have been attracted to your good looks," Gavin teased. "Not even creepy crawlers can keep away!"

[socksofcool.livejournal.com]

"Hey Gavin," Seely said, waving.

Aravis bounded over to Gavin and mewed imperiously.

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Hey..." Gavin trailed off at Seely's new pet coming over to him. "Um. Who's this guy?"

[socksofcool.livejournal.com]

"It's Aravis," Seely replied. "There was weirdness."

Aravis's whiskers twitched disdainfully, surely Gavin should have recognised her.

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"...hi Aravis," he said, frowning before grinning widely. "She's never living this down. Ever."

Gavin reached down and stroked her neck.

[socksofcool.livejournal.com]

Aravis purred pressing against Gavin's hand.

"I'm thinking pink ribbons," Seely said. "With photos to capture the moment, of course."

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Has she tried to bite or attack you?" Gavin wondered before offering his help to Seely on that front.

[socksofcool.livejournal.com]

"Not really," Seely replied. "I think she considers it beneath her dignity."