Memories

A decorated tin filled with
Little white shortbread cookies with
Little rainbow sprinkles that make the
Milk turn colour sits on the
Kitchen table.
A small fold-out table made of tin with
Sturdy aluminum legs and the peaceful scene of a
Forest brook in autumn, surrounded by shady sepia foliage and
The glimpse of a deer is set up before the
Couch, with a
Small box of dominoes spilled over in preparation for
A game to be played.
I can't quite tie my
Shoes yet, but he helps me.
Two bunny ears. Tuck under. Pull. Now it is a
Bow.

An overstuffed yellow armchair sits by the
Dusty screen door, and beyond that is the
Porch, where the
June bugs used to collect at night and buzz in our ears.
Strawberries grow here too, I remember, within the
Tufts of pale green grass.
She has me gather them in a
Porcelain dish that is wreathed with
Painted-on autumn leaves. I pick them and
She washes them for me, and
We eat them together.

This is what I remember, and though
You cannot, I will keep remembering for
The three of us.
Someday I know that
You will remember again, but for now my
Mind will be content to hold onto yours until that
Day comes.

Apillini Fadden

I've been obsessed beyond a healthy ''normal'' with one of my characters, Apillini Fadden, recently, so here is a bit about her past so I can kill time before class. :)

Apillini was the fifthborn of Lavender and Trethan Fadden; her parents had to go through four sons before they were finally blessed with a daughter. Lavender had a beautiful singing voice and an equally beautiful face, and it was no real surprise when Apillini looked and sounded just like her. Being a bard of no small repute, Lavender had hoped to teach her daughter how to play the gittern and to sing, but just as lessons were beginning to show that Apillini was going to grow to be a wonderful bard at the age of four, tragedy struck; Lavender and Trethan both were killed in a horrific caravan raid when they were to head to Berdusk for Lavender to perform. Apillini's oldest brother, Phillip, was nineteen at that time, and had been living with his wife in Daggerford as a blacksmith for some time. The next after Phillip was Travis, who lived in the family's home with Morae and Jacob (the youngest brothers) after the funeral was held. Phillip's wife suggested that Apillini would need more feminine influence than what would be received with Travis, Morae and Jacob, so the two of them adopted Apillini and treated her both like the younger sister she was, and like a daughter.

Many years passed, and Apillini grew up playing the gittern. She didn't seek professional training, but instead always claimed that she was a bard. She played for the customers at Phillip's smithy to earn some extra revenue, and her works were always appreciated. By the time she grew to fifteen years of age, word had spread of her unusual talent, and she was invited to the Friendly Arm Inn to play for a night and be paid. Apillini graciously accepted, and she made way immediately for the inn. While playing upstage, however, something peculiar happened. The bar was full and rowdy, so no one was prepared for the loud, frightening rumbling sound that came. Through the inn doors burst hundreds of rabid white rabbits, chasing out all of the patrons. Apillini was trapped onstage without a prayer; she was dressed in her finest clothing and hardly ready for battle. Fate, however, played a role in the happenings of that night. Apillini was saved by a group of unlikely heroes: a bald, druidic gnome named Shamis, the roguish man Wyllium (accompanied by Sherman, his grey donkey), the elven ranger Feilong and the halfling fighter Theillik. The proprietor had been chased out as well, but Apillini demanded her pay. She followed this group wherever they went from then on, especially since it was because of them she didn't get her pay (even though they saved her life). The group quickly became annoyed with her haughty, rude and condescending personality, but she stuck with them through, despite becoming altogether evil from killing an elven ranger of some repute by order of a particularly evil wizard. The group had gotten placed on a boat (The Wilona, named after its unattractive, bearded-gnome-woman owner) and had a run-in with this wizard, who placed collars on their necks that would destroy them if they left the boat for more than two hours at once.

Eventually, with the aid of some ghostly friends, the evil wizard was defeated, and everyone was redeemed, not to mention the fact that Apillini got her pay!

That went on for the better part of a year. At the age of sixteen, Apillini abandoned all of her dreams (and her mother's) of becoming a bard. Instead, she adopted a more roguish lifestyle, allowing her a bit more freedom and giving her the chance to pursue the profession of a full-time adventurer. A short time after getting settled in Waterdeep, she met up with Theillik and Wyllium (and Sherman). By the time she turned twenty-one, the three of them were doing everything together, despite the constant bickering to be had between Apillini and Wyll. One day, the three of them went to a goblin encampment for an adventure, and Wyll and Apillini got into an argument with regard to her attitude toward things. The argument ended with Apillini in tears, apologising to Theillik for her behaviour. After those two had a chat and Apillini vowed to try her hardest to be nicer to her friends, Wyll made an appearance that startled everyone; he put his arms around her and suggested that he be nicer as well. Despite their constant bickering, the two became a couple.

That is Apillini's story up until now, save the fact that she is allergic to beestings, petrified of lightning and was recently threatened by a gnome to be set on fire in a busy marketplace.