crowschild | (no subject)

(no subject)

"So, I told them you were coming. They're excited to meet you. I don't know who'll be at the Hall though," Rory said as he walked Tess to the Hopper. "There's been things happening around that have called a lot of people out of the Hall. Business and stuff like that. Oh, and don't mind the crows or ravens."

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"Aw. Damn. I was hoping to introduce her to the Queen of Eire," Rory says, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, this is your day. What are you up for? Food, tour, whatever?"

"Tour first," Tess says immediately. "I want to walk around some, take a look at things. Work up an appetite."

"Why don't we look around outside first? The rose maze is safe to go into today."

Yes, that does imply that there are times when it isn't safe.

"The rose maze is amazing. It's really old... not as old as the Hall, but definitely one of the older pieces on the property. When you can get into it there's a nice fountain in the center. We're not exactly sure where it get the water from, but it's great during the hotter days in the summer," Rory says, also adding to the implications that some days it's not safe to go into the maze.

They walk out of the woods and into a clearing where the McCallum's home, Thorn Hall as it's called, stands. It's definitely a house that's been around for a while, well taken care of but worn. Though two stories it doesn't look big enough to hold thirteen plus people. It does feel very much like a Home though. This is somewhere that's been lived in for a great many years by a great many people. Patched and repaired and perhaps added on to over the generations of McCallums living there.

Scattered out in front are the remains of a very violent battle between bright pastel colored ponies and action figures. One of the victims is being eaten by a fat and fluffy grey kitten. Just beyond the grounds is an apple orchard with hints of something moving in the trees.

On one side is a blocked off outside area clearly used for weapons training of various sorts, from the archery targets and an older girl, about ten, practicing with a stave. She's also got red hair, but not quite the same shade as Rory and Grace's.

There's also a herb garden visible and behind the Hall the hints of the spoken rose maze.

Finally there's the woods.

They look like perfectly ordinary woods at first. But looking deeper into them there's a darker gloom in the distance and it feels like if Tess were to go into them Things would whisper promises to her... promises that were dangerous to accept.

The place has a weird feeling to it, that's for sure. Something more than just age. Something that doesn't exist where Tess comes from.

But she can push that aside, to focus on what she can understand - that this place is a home, with a family, and a lot of love. She can't really imagine why Rory would want to leave something like this behind, but then again, she's been alone in the world for twenty years.

"This place is beautiful," she says after a few moments of looking around. "You guys are... really lucky."

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