h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*The stallholder taps ashes into his hand then glances over at Ecg distractedly, he frowns slightly in irritation*

[Stallholder] One of those carvings isn't going to be me, is it?

[Ecg]: "Well, maybe. I was going to try and get a bit of an impression of you first though. Those two and myself I already know."

*You can see how the ones have a set of pointy ears taking shape over the basic form, whereas the others do not- quite.*

[Stallholder]: A better impression of me? *he snarls* good luck.
*he glances at the carvings and Ecg wittling. He shifts nervously, then looks slightly embarassed*
Try not to make me look too ugly at least
*he gets up quickly and goes to stand over Calel and Ezekiel trying to look like he's doing something*

[Ecg]: *does an *
*Keeps at it*

The one of Cal is finished, and the one of Ezekiel is shaping.

"You're right though. When I'm 'fully grown' if I'm lucky i'll get to have a pair of horns, like my dad and his father."

*Shrugs*

The one of himself is slightly exaggerated, with some bumps on the head for the base of horns.

*Whittles some more*

The one of the Stallholder looks to be standing, slim and with one arm out pointing to something. the cloak is on and the features aren't too distinct yet, but the ears are there, and you can start to see the cloak hood, folded back.

*the stallholder smiles to himself again, then glances up at Ecg and takes another drag of smoke*

[Stallholder]: You want to know something? I'm approximately the same age as you in human years

*he smirks and sits back down against the wall again*

*You can see the beginning of the slope to an elfin nose beginning to take form.*

"There. Yah, just about done."
*Gives it some eyebrows*

Eerily, the four figurines seem to be seated in an arrangement that kind of parallels that of those whom they are modelled after, in the room.

*Ecg rubs his eyes in disbelief and then purposely changers how they are arranged*

Was it just a trick of the mind?

[Ecg]: "Huh. Well, I'll be. Y'know. It's odd, but these figures seem to be having a want to arrange themselves how we are in this room. Watch"

*Rattles them in his hands like dice, and they lay out the way they themselves are arranged.*

*and again*
"Odd."

*Sets them out on a shelf*

This time the figures stay put.

*The stallholder looks momentarily dissapointed at Ecgs disinterest, then smokes some more in irritation and gets up moving away from Ecg*

[Stallholder]: Fascinating I'm sure

Well I'm sure your mother cares for you a great deal, she just doesn't want to go against your fathers wishes


*stands once more*


Come with me

[Ecg]: "The same age as me -just about? Yeah, that is a little surprising. When I get to be twenty-one or so, about the same time that humans get their wisdom teeth, a demon and certain partlings develop horns. There's a bit of a ceremony involved to mark it. Not much of anything big; has to do with the equinox and stuff."
*Shrugs*

"You wouldn't happen to have any sort of tea in this place, would ya?"

*Ecg stares hard at the ground... knowing he could heat a tea kettle using a base-level fire spell,- but only if there was enough control over it*

~~~

*the child figure looks nervous, then suddenly looks up in surprise. He gets up and looks back at Calel*

~~I cant! Please, be careful!*

*the child vanishes*

~~~

For a moment or two the figures that are sitting on the shelf begin to rattle.
There is a split second where they appear green.

[Ecg]: "You know,- um,- never mind about the figurines. It might just be part of my imagination, or because of the kinds of spells that are going on in here."

*Sits down and puts a hand on his head*

*the stall holder stubs out the remains of what he was smoking in his hand and goes through to the back room behind the sack curtain. He comes back with a kettle and a small wood burning stove. He growls warningly at Ecg*

[Stallholder] Just dont set anything other than the wood on fire, please

*he sets them down then draws a packet of tea-leaves from his pocket and drops them into Ecg's lap*

[Ecg]: "Thank you. I won't."
*Looks at a leaf in his hands, concentrating on it a bit disettlingly*
...
*Then Ecg reaches a palm out flat (facing down) and embers begin to flow out of it into the burner portion of the tiny stove.*

Soon there is a kettle of tea brewing.

*the stallholder sits with his back against the wall again and gets out some more suspicous looking smokes snapping his fingers a couple of times getting gradually more irritated before he can make a flame appear to light one. He blows smoke and sighs glancing at the figurines*

[Stallholder]: You're a good carver. Although I cant believe my nose is that big *he takes another drag of smoke and blows it out in rings. He sighs then almost reluctantly says:*
So what do you do in this ceremony then, howl at the moon or something?

*Ecg takes a clawed-tip to one hand and swipes the nose to make it shorter.*

"Thanks. Um, no... nothing like that. People dance kinda, and they chant sorta. Demon society is a bunch of loosely collected loners mostly. Some of the people wear masks. It's sortof tribal in a way; hard to describe. Tell you what, when I have mine, if you still wanna know,- then I can invite you to it, eh? I hear some of the ceremonial masks can fetch a pretty good asking price in some circles."

*shrugs*
There is some burbling.

"Tea's ready. Needn't worry about the cups."
*Scooping a bit of the clean-swept ground in one hand, and making a fireball with the other, Ecg forms a mug.*

"If I wanted to be a bit more show offy could go about this juggling. Too crowded in here though for that. Might get in trouble,- or cause something dangerous."

*He does it again*

[Stallholder]: I think me going to a demon ceremony is less safe than you juggling and playing with fireballs *he blows smoke rings again* I'm a Wood Elf, remember? If they dont get short with me I'll probably get short with them and I really dont want to end up in a fight where I'm outnumbered. *he pauses* Again

*The tip to self-made cigar-illo explodes just slightly.*
"Oh. Um, sorry - about that."

*Ecg replaces the dirt he had taken from the floor using some ground magic*

"Other races can come, it has happened before,- but usually it's better for them if they happen to show up wearing a mask. Less likely to wind up , eaten."
...
"Eh-heh..."

*Rapidly inserts a change of subject*

"Here, would you mind some tea too, yourself?"
*Hands a mug*

"Well, with me, since I am way out here,- it'd probably just be myself, father, brother, and a few of my own friends from around here maybe at the most. It's a rather solitary race -in regards to its own kind. I wouldn't know too much on the specifics... since I am just a partling. Think it has to do with territory or something."

*Chugs the tea in his own mug.*

*The stallholder looks with distaste at the exploded end then stubs it out alltogether in his palm*

[Stallholder]: I'd rather not be eaten if its all the same to you
*he takes the cup of tea and stares dejectedly at Calel and Ezekiel*

[Ecg]: "My Father's a halfling demon and brother and I are each 1/4. It's the full-ones who tend to eat people. Or to lay curses. Um, le'ssee... is that thing over there seeming to go okay?"

*Absentmindedly he leaves his mug on the stove and it heats up, cracking slightly*

"Um, don't mind that. They can be made fairly simply."

*He has the mug he is done with disintegrate back into dirt.*