Winter Baby (can you swim?)

[Talbot Linsorim]

Talbot hummed softly as she stared out into the blustering snow. She stood with her arms crossed and her mind lost in every flake. This thing called snow was something so foreign she could not help but be entranced- she had wanted to go outside earlier when the snow had been falling in such a mass the front door was blocked. Besides the fact they were somewhat snowed it- there were firemages here after all, those people in charge had told her, her clothing was not sufficent enough in order to go outside without catching her death. Talbot didn't believe them- not in the slightest and for that reason, she had been working at the locks at the window she stood at.

With a hushed 'click' the window eaisily slid open, Talbot cast a small spell to keep the snow out and slipped out the window. Standing on the ground, her feet already cold in the boots she wore she closed the window by wedging a small piece of gray candy- a failed attempt at chocolate mousse flavored candy- under a corner of the window- basically closing it enough so no one would notice the lock isn't engaged.

Talbot walked around, enjoying the elation of the snow- enjoying the feeling in her bones and on her flesh. The sensation of the cold frozen water touching her warm skin and melting- sending the spot into numbness and a chill down her spine. She got a good way away and finally stopped as she realized the snow now came up to her knees. She laughed and plopped down into the snow, making a body imprint and fiding that snow in your corsette is not a pleasent experience. She stood up and yelped as she pulled the snow from her corsette and shivered hard as she had to endure what she missed melting against her skin.

But this had not deterred her, walking out further, Talbot son found a large open space with nothing but a small boat sitting there. Talbot blinked- A boat on land? Why in the world would someone leave a boat in the snow?

Walking out onto this plane, Talbot walked smoothly, glad the snow no longer surrounded her legs. Sure she was cold with the wind blowing and all but she had long cast a spell to negate the brunt of the sharp icy winds. She didn't see the cracks forming in the ice, the appearence to a million web making spiders gone mad. Talbot stopped as she saw something perculier, looking down at the ground she saw a fish- she saw a fish swimming under her feet and realized her mistake.

She opened her mouth to cast Wind Riding- too late with a loud crack the ice broke under her and Talbot fell into the water. The freezing tempertures making her lungs burn and her skin fill with daggers. For a moment the world went dark but just as quickly as the lights had gone out, they came back on and Talbot reflexively started to take in air- she realized where she was- how far she had sunk and stopped. She started to swim up, but couldn't- panick struck deep into the marrow of her bones and she struggled- losing air quickly- losing her life. She tore desperatly at the water between her and soon gained headway. Her lungs screamed for air and she could not feel her legs- BY THE GODDESS SHE COULD NOT FEEL HER LEGS- she struggled desperatly and for a moment- a brief moment found air. She scrabbled at the now wet ice, her nails having no effect in grabbing or grasping anything solid- she screamed wordlessly into the howling winds before she went under, pulled down by the current of the water.

She was too cold to fight it anymore- her flesh was blue, and her mind was hazy- Oh look- there was that fish again. The fish swam around her, pausing right infront of her face and moved its lips as if it were talking to her. She laughed, delierium setting in and reached out, the fish touched her fingertip and darted away into the darkness of the water.

Oh how sad- guess I'll be dying without- Her world slowly became darker, she saw a small figure- not the fish but something more like Mikon- something without wings but rather a fin. The sound of soft calming singing began to fill the water- a mermaid's siren before death. Talbot reached out and the world went completly dark.

[Wolf, the Joker]

(Wolf was walking in the snowed in area. He was use to the cold at this temp so he didn't mind it at all. As he was walking around, he saw some prints in the snow, he knew that some mages told people to stay in becouse of the snow and cold. But Wolf couldn't help but follow hte prints. But the prints got lighter and lighter till he saw it was gone. Wolf looked around the area in one spoted and took one step forword and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he heard ice cracking. His feet moved off the ice as soon as heard the cracking and placed the foot next to his other.)

Did the person?

(Soon in the far he heard something, an ice area that was uneven and his mind snaped as he pieced it togather, the person must have fell into the ice. Without a thought in his mind on what he was about to do, Wolf removed his cape, sword, and card holder. Throwing them into the snow and jumped into the freezing water. He was use to the cold, but the cold of water was diffrent. As he swam in the freezing water, he saw someone in the water. Wolf swam fast, as he got closer he saw some mermaids but just swam past them and warped his right arm on the person. His eye sight was going bad fast so as soon as he got a grip on the person he swam up and got to the surface. An with all his power pulled the person up and saw it was a girl he met before. He was pretty far from his deck.

So Wolf just swam over to the spot where he went in, it took a few minutes but back it. Wolf pulled Talbot first on the snow and him after. He soon quickly placed his sword and deck on his belt and grabed Talbot and gave her a piggy back ride. He threw his cape on last to cover Talbot. He slowly walked into the snow, freezing to death. But it had to be really bad on Talbot seeing that she was under water longer. He was lucky to see a old looking log house and rushed over. Wolf kicked the door open and slowly bent down and layed Talbot on the floor with his cape on her back. Wolf soon closed the door and looked over at Talbot. He graped his deck and looked at each card and found the card he needed. Wolf pulled it and placed the rest back inth deck. Shaking, Wolf threw the card infront of him.)

Hi...high card..... 5 of.... Diamond. Fire.

(The card placed itself on his right hand and Wolf grabed what he could burn and used the card's power to start the fire. After that card was used, it flew right into the bottem of hte deck. The fire was stong and should last awhile. But what worried him was Talbot, Wolf walked over and warped her in his cape and leaned in near her mouth. He locked lips and started to give her mouth to mouth. He would blow in some air and pump her chest. He did it like 5 times and stoped as he was starting to lose his eye sight and walked over to a wall and closed his eyes to rest.)

[Talbot Linsorim]

Blue skinned and still, she slowly paused as she stared at the figures before her.

"Mother?"

The white robes flared as a raven haired woman spun around to face the spoke word and a white tooth smile, spread upon her unmarked face as she spread her arms wide, "There's my little girl. Come give me a hug."

Talbot moved slowly, reaching for her mother and finding warmth in her arms. Tears welled down both their faces as the raven haired woman sobbed her love into Talbots hair, "My little darling, my baby, you- oh how I have watched you grow, oh so much do I love you! My baby girl."

Talbot looked about the world around her, nothing was truely defined- the word was airy, a gentle current of cool wind blew through this plane. The calm feeling that surrounded her- this must be what home would be like if it had been normal- except she was certain there would at least be furniture and maybe a cat but there was more than just that. This place was not where she had been- did not resemble where she had wanted to be. "Mother, where am I?"

The woman smiled, oh how Talbot had wished to see that expression for so long from this woman she had not seen since she was four. How the woman had retained her youth for so long after dea- she was dead. Talbot stepped away from the woman as the gentle words passed past color tinted lips, "You are with me in the far plane"

Talbot stared and shook her head, it couldn't be true- the couldn't have ended so soon in her life. The words her mother spoke, how could they- how could she have- Talbot looked around as panic took her but the woman in white, her mother reached out and touched her cheek. Talbot was pulled into a tight embrace, "Do not worry, my Darling, now is not your time to be with me."

She looked at her mother but before she could say anything the woman's lips pressed against her forhead, just as her mother's hands went over Talbot's heart, "Wake up now, Talbot. It's going to be a busy day."

And Talbot was pushed backwards, falling backwards, falling forever passing birds and clouds. It was like gliding but- she was falling, falling faster and faster but she couldn't twist to see where she let out a cry as she hit the ground-

Talbot coughed, water spilled from her lips, what was left in her lungs, her gray eyes slowly focused on the cealing of a worn out hut. A seperate sound of someone else breathing could be head, shivering uncontrollably she slowly sat up. She put on hand on her temple as her mind spun, she gagged and coughed up more water and inched closer to the fire that had been made. She shivered harder and hugged herself, her flesh finally shaking off the last remants of the frozen blue.
A soft curious chittering cought her attention as she looked up to see her rescuer and found the one called Wolf from before leaning against a wall.
A small mouse sat on its hauches and was chittering softly to him, the blue markings on its fur indicating it more than being a simple mouse in the artic. She chittered softly and the small mouse turned, resting eyes on her before walkingover to her and squeeking excitedly, doing a backflip before hopping onto Talbot's lap and chittering loudly with a demand to be pet. Talbot complied but looked up at her rescuer- "You saved me."

[Wolf, the Joker]

(Wolf heard a voice that that was walking to him. His eyes slowly opened. But he was still shaking from the cold. He saw taht Talbot was awake and a smille was on his face. A smile was something rare on him, but he was happy to see that she was doing fine.)

Yea....

(He tried to laugh but it hurt like hell doing that. As he was still cold and forgot to be near the fire. He looked down at his hand and saw it shaking. But he looked at his left and saw it was still. Wolf knew the fact that his left arm and all of his body parts that was covered with gold would be save. But he slowly rasied his right hand and placed it on the left cheek of Talbot's face.)

Looks like the Ace of Spade didn't take your life this time.

[Talbot Linsorim]

Talbot bowed her head, "Thank you."

She looked at the elemental mouse that stared at her. Her heartbeat was slow but her mind raced with the realization that this was the second of the rare species. She realized it had almost taken her death to- she looked at Wolf as his hand touched her face and fought the reflex to jerk back. Instead she held his hand, her own slightly thawed skin producing enough warmth to wipe away some of the shaky chill.

"What do they mean anyways? The cards."

[Wolf, the Joker]

(His eyes widen as he felt Talbot's warmth. It was nice feeling, a feeling that was lost to him before. Wolf spaced out a bit as the warmth feeling took over and his snap for some odd reason went to his mother. As she was warm like Talbot was, but his snaped out of his spaced out state as he heard what Talbot asked him about the cards.)

You mean the deck I use?

(Wolf was still alittle out of it as he was still shaking alitte in his body was he was having hard to moving at all.)

[Talbot Linsorim]

With a soft sigh, she cast a small wind- making the flame bigger and stronger, after all fire needs oxygen. She shivered slightly and inced closer, the small elemental mouse on her lap squeeking softly and climbing up her corsett front and onto her shoulder, nuzzling under her jaw- content with life at the moment.

To Wolf's question, Talbot nodded, "Thay have meaning which I do not understand. The Joker is undescided? And the Ace of Spades is a death card?"

She was curious- it was strange for someone to come out of death's grip and suddenly be questioning about something so- inparticular rather than focusing on the face they were alive instead of deceased. But Talbot was Talbot.

[Wolf, the Joker]

I see.

(Wolf slowly grabed hold on his deck with his right hand and pulled them out. He then leaned forword a bit and placed the cards on the ground, matching each card with the some suit and placed them in order from Ace to 2. After he did that, Wolf still had one card left and that was the Joker in his hand. After that, he leaned back to the wall.)

Before they had fortune telling cards.. they used the playing cards. Each card and suit telled diffrent things about a person. What might happen and so on. The heart is love, diamond means money, club is luck, and spade are life. But... the Ace cards are diffrent.

(Wolf leaned forword again and grabed the four Ace cards and shown it to Talbot.)

Ace of Heart is broken love, Ace of Diamond is poor, Club is bad luck, and Ace of Spade is death. But out of all the cards, there is one that has an unknown fate for the person.

(Wolf grabed all the cards but the Joker and placed them back into the deck holder. He grabed the Joker card and shown it to Talbot.)

The Joker... that is my fate in life. But with will, you can change your fate of card. But, only the people that haven't been fated with the Joker.

(Wolf smiled as if he didn't mind that he was fated with the Joker. Not knowning what might happen to his life, death, riches, better life, or love. It didn't matter to him at all. Wolf soon placed his left hand that had the golden claw on Talbot's lap and looked at her.)

But you.. you can change your fate.

[Talbot Linsorim]

She had watched the entire process- she had pulled death and had almost died. Without Wolf having saved her- she shivered and inched closer to the fire, though by all terms she was close enough, the sudden chill on her bones was enough to make even the devil himself say 'turn up the heat'.

He spoke of the Joker card as if he no longer minded the unpredicted fate, the odd chances on his path- but she in truth would not have either. The chance for adventure, she quietly hoped would still be there- before she could say anything he rested his golden clawed hand on her lap and caught her attention. Red eyes and gray met, she studued his but he had something to say- a deep rooted fascination came though with those crimson orbs, but it would have been rude to ask.

But you.. you can change your fate.

A broad smile appeared on her face, "Obviously with help."

[Wolf, the Joker]

(Wolf smiled as he removed his hand off of Talbot's lap and into her hair. Talbot's hair and his golden claw looked like they came togather into one. He couldn't really feel Talbot's hair do to the claw covered half of his left arm. But removed his hand out of her hair quickly.)

With help I see..

(He looked into Talbot's eyes and his right hand up on to Talbot's left cheek again. Something cought Wolf, something in his chest was pounding like a drum.)

Beauty shouldn't die in this world.

(With that said, Wolf slowly got up on to his feet. Still alittle wet, he made his way to the door and looked back at Talbot before leaving.)

I will find something for us to eat. We might to stuck here for awhile.

(Wolf smiled as he opened the door and a brust of wind blew in with snow following. He qickly ran outside before to much snow could go in.)

[Talbot Linsorim]

Talbot sighed softly as he left, what a strange guy. He was really jumpy- though she hadn't really understood why he was so jumpy or touchy feely. But then again- maybe he was worried that she was honestly well after that close encounter. His comment on beauty struck her as odd- warmth struck lightly at her cheeks but died quickly with a blink of confusion- was he talking about- ?

And then he left to get food, Talbot took the opportunity to squeeze out her skirts and remove her corsett long enough to remove an amount of water frozen water that had been steling any heat she had been generating. Tying it back on she smiled, "Much better- now, Little One, you are of the water- what is your name?"

The little blue marked elemntal mouseling chittered a squeeked and ran through an enormous introduction, Mikon would have whipped the mouseling with his tail but Talbot was far more patient. Finally the mouseling got to the final part- her name, "Zula."

Talbot laughed and spun, hugging the mousling before desciding to sit down and stay still- she layed on the floor and sighed softly, "Mental note, nearly dying and spinning in circles do not mix."

Zula chittered a soft agreement and cuddled up behind Talbot's left ear.

[Wolf, the Joker]

(Wolf was freezing as hell as he was out looking for something the two, well three could eat. It was freezing and most fruit would have been froze and what not. So after while of looking, his own skin was turning blue alittle. He soon found himself at the lake where Talbot nearly died at. Wolf went to the edge till he heard a crack. HE brushed off some snow and saw some fish still moving around in the water. Wolf drew his sword with his left hand and drived his left hand into the water and grabed a fish with the claw. He used his sword to hold on to the fish. He done this about ten times. So he got eleven, he didn't know how long the snow would last so eleven was good for hi, Talbot, and her little firend. With that done, Wolf walked back to with fish. His left arm started to freeze over with ice. But he move it around a bit to shake off the ice. Wolf made it back, Wolf opened the door with his left hand. Quickly getting and closing the door. Wolf was shaking for being out in the cold so long. But he walked over to a random spot on the wall, drive the sword in a bit so the fish to melt a bit seeing as they froze a bit. After that, Wolf walked off to the other side and brushed of some of the snow. After that was done, he walked back to where Talbot was and sat next to the fire.)

I will get more if needed. Not sure when the snow will stop.

[Talbot Linsorim]

Talbot descided it would be best to continue laying on the floor, the room was slightly spinning and she wasn't feeling quite up to sitting up- small waves of nausea prevented her from doing much more than talking.

"Wonderful! Thank you- but in your absense I have found a new question- once drawn is the card set for all time?"

[Wolf, the Joker]

(Wolf sighed as he looked over at Talbot as she was laying on the floor, resting. It was best for her to do that. But when she asked about if there was a time limit on the card, that he really didn't know about. But Wolf should try to tell her something about the time limit on the cards.)

Well, that I don't really know. Unless, you want to try again.

(He reached down to his deck holder and pulled out the cards. With in his right hand, Wolf spred the cards in his right hand. He had the face of the cards pointing on the ground so she wouldn't know what card she would pick.)

Go ahead.

[Talbot Linsorim]

Sitting up very slowly, Talbot stared at the cards, she channeled some of her natural born energy to her hands- maybe this would make her chosen card more to her better future? Holding her breath and closeing her eyes, Talbot touched one card and pulled it out. Holding the card between her hands, she slowly opened her gray eyes and stared in disbelief, "I think I have some serious bad luck, Wolf."

She turned the card to face him slowly, her mind racing through the possiblities, she wasn't ready to die- her mother had said it wasn't her time yet- yet being the key word. She finished turning the card, one of those slow motion deals, and revealed the Ace of Spades. The little elementl mouse on her shoulder chittered softly and nuzzled under her cheek.