Hayley visits Irene, 10/4/2005

• Hayley hugs you tightly once we've left the men behind.
• Irene hugs you back
• Hayley looks a bit the worse for wear but smiles for you.

<Hayley> I've missed you so much, dear Irene. <Irene> I've missed you too!

• Hayley rests her head on your shoulder. You're taller than she is, after all.
• Irene is weairing a white and yellow organza dress in a classical roman style
• Irene can't resist and will wrap your hug up with her wings (I hope that makes sense to you ;)
• Hayley is wearing a dark grey velvet gown, and has a black mourning-band tied round her upper arm.
• Hayley lets you enclose her in such an interesting embrace.

<Hayley> You're more beautiful every time I see you. Look at your *wings*... <Hayley> Like emeralds, like Eire.

• Irene blushes, bringing a slight green tinge to her pale eatures

<Irene> That's what Anastasius ays

• Hayley smiles.

<Hayley> He does, does he? <Hayley> Well, good. He should. <Irene> I hope he can help you. I'm sure he can.

• Hayley smiles wanly.
• Irene smiles encouragingly

<Hayley> We were just starting to get to know one another, and now... she's gone.

• Hayley 's eyes mist up a bit.

<Irene> I can't imagine that there could be a more clever combination than our two men <Irene> they'll find a way to make things right, if it can be done.

• Hayley nods and bites her lip, trying to draw strength from those words.
• Hayley rubs her eyes.

<Hayley> But we promised we'd talk about cheerful things...

• Hayley smiles.

<Irene> Oh, yes, of course... <Hayley> It really is different here... it's beautiful. Invigorating. It's closer to how I remember it being... <Irene> I'm glad. it is, it is *empowering* to be here, and to know that I'm a part of this, a part ofnthis power.... <Irene> It's exciting in a way I just can't expres

• Irene 's eyes shine with life

<Hayley> Whatever you two are doing is pretty amazing... but I hope you... <Hayley> I hope there's not another edge to it, I guess. <Hayley> I always look a gift horse in the mouth these days...

• Hayley smiles apologetically.

<Irene> Stasi says that the land calls for blood as the price of its magic, and that is why the warring must continue <Hayley> ... <Hayley> Who are you fighting against? You haven't defeated them all yet? <Hayley> Or are they all just fighting amongst themselves, like the Celts did long ago. <Irene> It all the same, isn't it? <Hayley> Well, I suppose...

• • • Janus has joined #changeling
    • ChanServ sets mode: +o Janus

<Hayley> I guess I find it easy to forgive the Celts because they weren't carrying out mass slaughters, for the most part - just raids for

 cattle and wives.  And they supposedly treated their prisoners with honour, and had a high regard for life.

<Hayley> Is it like that here, now? <Hayley> Or is life cheap? <Irene> I don't know the detals. <Irene> I think... I thikn oeople fight with more conviction here, on all sides. <Irene> it's mostly the prodigals <Irene> They see what we have made here, and they want to take it for themselves.

• • • Janus has quit IRC (Quit: Adios, chochachos.~�)
• Logging #changeling to 'logs\#changeling.log'
• Hayley nods.

<Hayley> I guess I don't blame them. <Hayley> So what's here besides unicorns? <Hayley> I don't imagine they'd let either of us get too close to them.  ;) <Irene> You can get close.... but not *too* close,. Close enough to see them. <Irene> Stasi has had to enforce hunting rights based on rank, thoiugh, to protect them, and the other creatures :) <Hayley> Oh - very feudal.  ;) <Irene> a lot of things are like that here, but it works. <Irene> There are other creatures around too, if we want to go and look <Irene> I know how far we can go safely <Hayley> I'd like to go... <Irene> well, tlets, then <Irene> you know the boys will be busy for a while

• Irene says confidently\

<Hayley> All right.

• Hayley seems a bit cautious - not like the brazen girl you once knew!
• Irene seems to have grown intoherself a bit more since you last met in person.
• Hayley smiles and slips her hand into yours.

<Irene> I thik the unicorns know that it is safer here to, and they stay. <Irene> sometimes theyh look at you, and their eyes are so wise... <Irene> It's hard to believe there can be anything bad in the world at all, when they look at you like that.

• Irene babbles as she leads you out of the cave

<Hayley> So they don't make you feel like a naughty girl? <Irene> no. <Hayley> I kind of thought they would, them with their infatuation with virgins. <Irene> not like that at all. <Irene> It is a bit like they mourning the loss of innocence in the world, sometimes. <Irene> :/ <Irene> I don't even know if the thing about virgins is true, do you? <Hayley> Oh, well... <Hayley> It used to be a test. <Irene> lots of things were tests that werestupid, though, or just wrong. <Hayley> So nobles could be sure another man hadn't had their prospective bride before them... <Hayley> True, true. <Irene> like thining that a witch would float in water <Irene> anyway, it is very unlikely that a noble man could have even ever caught a unicorn to test his bride with, anyway <Hayley> Oh no, that wasn't how it was done. <Irene> itf *that* were true, so he would juist have to take her word for what hapened :p <Irene> no? <Hayley> She'd sit out in the middle of a lovely forest glen, and sing, with a golden bridle in her lap. <Hayley> And if she were virginal, a unicorn would come, couldn't help itself. Then she stroke its ears and lull it into a sense of security, slap the bridle on and lead it home. <Hayley> Thus proving that she was 'pure'. <Hayley> Then, if the unicorn was lucky, it would be set free again. <Hayley> If she didn't come home with a unicorn, the marriage could be cancelled. <Irene> oh, maybe... <Irene> Still... they are very beautiful <Irene> I wouldn't want to catch one. <Hayley> I imagine a number of innocent girls lost out on the marriage thing if a unicorn didn't happen to be within earshot at the time of her testing. <Hayley> Me neither... <Irene> but just to watch them... :)

• Hayley nods.

<Irene> I'll show you a good place, there is a nice rock, and a tree, and it looks down into a little glen <Hayley> Janus knows *I* was a virgin, anyway. I bled enough. It was kind of funny, actually. He was so utterly panicked, thought he'd killed me. <Hayley> Listen to me, babbling on. <Irene> Stasi knew I was too, but I don't thik he was afraid of it at all... <Irene> well, anyway. <Irene> hayley, I want to have a baby. <Hayley> You do? <Irene> I want one terribly! <Hayley> Well, I can't help you with that, darling - I lack the equipment, though heaven knows I'd be more than happy to oblige if I could. <Irene> a little life, a *real* life, that we made together....

• Hayley smiles and takes your arm.

<Irene> me and Staasi, I mean.

• Hayley laughs.

<Hayley> I know who you meant.

• Irene blushes, but leans her head against yours a little

<Hayley> Have you discussed it with him? <Irene> No... <Irene> :( <Hayley> Well, perhaps you should. <Irene> I don't think it would suit his plans <Hayley> Well, arrange for there to be an accident, then. <Irene> he's always very careful, with timing, and other...things... <Irene> he keeps track of my cycle better than I ever have, and I know that if he wanted, we could, but I'm sure he does't, not now :(

• Hayley looks at you oddly.

<Irene> I don't want to make him angry with me. <Hayley> That's a little creepy, you know. <Irene> why? <Hayley> Well, it's very sensible, I'm sure. <Irene> no, why is it creepy? <Hayley> But Janus hasn't ever got a clue when Aunt Flo is about to visit me. <Hayley> So I guess it's a little strange to me that Ana keeps such close track. <Irene> oh. <Hayley> Then again... <Hayley> I guess Janus doesn't really need to worry about it, with me, anyway. <Irene> oh :/ <Hayley> He could fuck me 24/7, 31 days a month and nothing would come of it. <Hayley> Except well, us. ^-^ <Irene> :o <Irene> he couldn't *really* though... <Hayley> No, not really. <Hayley> but he certainly *tries*...

• Hayley looks smug.
• Irene smiles that shy smile of his

<Irene> I'vm very glad for you. <Irene> you deserve a good man like that :) <Irene> (heres o-O)

• Hayley turns to you.

<Hayley> So do you...

• Irene bites her lip.

<Hayley> You should ask him, darling. <Hayley> It couldn't hurt to ask. <Irene> it could if he says no :( <Hayley> Well, at least you wouldn't torture yourself wondering about it afterwards. <Irene> that would hurt :( <Irene> I don't wonder, I know he doesn't. but *I* do... <Irene> he is probably right, though <Irene> maybe it is a bad time... <Hayley> Oh, just a 'bad time' now, is it? <Irene> but just, maybe it would be the thing, the thing that makes me less... oh, I don't even know. <Irene> We're supposed to be concentrating on happy things. <Hayley> If it's just a bad time, that leaves the future open to having babies.

• Hayley squeezes your hand encouragingly.

<Irene> I know... <Irene> it's so hard to wait <Irene> the future isvery... big? <Irene> I don't know when it will be a good time. <Hayley> Yeah, I know. <Hayley> Uncertainty is hard. <Hayley> As for me, if *I* wanted a baby, I'd just march up to Janus and say "I want a baby, with you, and I want one about nine months from today! So fix me already and let's get going!" <Hayley> And he'd probably oblige. <Hayley> But i wouldn't do that right now, because it's a bad time for us, too. <Irene> :/ <Irene> you're so much wiser then me. <Hayley> You're the only one that thinks so. <Hayley> ;) <Irene> maybe. <Irene> oh look!

• Irene points down to the glen
• Hayley follows the direction your finger is pointing in.

<Hayley> (with her gaze) <Irene> 9ET VOILA! uNICORNS! A PARI OF THEM, NUZZLING EACH OTHER IN A TREE. THEY AREBEAUTIFUL, AND ALMOST SEEM TO GLOW) <Irene> (bleah) <Irene> (Let me try that again) <Irene> (a pair of unicorns, nuzzling each other under a tree. they are radiant, almost glowing white: creatures of true beauty and glamous)

• Hayley settles down on the ground and hugs her knees to her chest.

<Hayley> They *are* so beautiful...

• Hayley 's eyes mist up again.

<Irene> can't you just believe that everything will be alright?

• Hayley smiles bittersweetly.

<Hayley> Sure. <Hayley> . o O (They remind me of Rachel...) <Irene> :(\

• Hayley rubs her eyes.

<Hayley> Where is she now, my little girl?

• Hayley 's voice is high pitched and broken.

<Irene> I'm sure they'll find her :(

• Hayley is shaking with grief.
• Irene will gove you a big hug

<Irene> Oh, hayley, I'm so sorry :(

• Hayley clings to you like someone who is drowning.

<Hayley> They *rewove* her...

• Irene hugs you tightly.

<Hayley> She's gone, as if she never existed. <Irene> its so horrible.... <Irene> does that mean she is completely changed? <Hayley> I don't know, I don't know what it means... <Irene> then there is still hope, isn't there? <Hayley> I don't know, Janus... seems pretty hopeless... Do you know our boys still think she's dead? They don't know the truth... And he doesn't want them to know. <Hayley> Maybe because he doesn't think we'll ever find her, that she is as good as dead. <Irene> Maybe. <Hayley> I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but the only person I have is Janus, and I have to be strong for him. <Hayley> But who can be strong for me? <Irene> Maybe wants whoever did it to have any chance of finding out what all he knows. <Irene> I'll be as strong as I can.

• Irene gives you another hug
• Hayley nods and sobs herself out on your shoulder.
• Irene will pet your hair comfortingly and let you cry, wrapping you up in her wings for extra privacy