Toad's don't turn into Princes

[Lillia St. James]

Lillia slowly peaked her head around the corner of the upper hallway in Windhaven Manor. She held a bucket close to her chest, looking every which way before she started creeping down the hallway. Watching her footsteps as she went. She'd been in a mood lately, and nothing cheered her up more than hearing the shrill shrieks of Dunstan DeGraff as he fell victim to one of her many pranks. But it wasn't just Dunstan, but his brothers as well. Honestly, none of the DeGraffs were safe from her.

Today, however, she had her sights set on the one Cousin she never seemed to be able to prank. He always had a tendency of showing up just as she was about to pull it, or he'd manage to step right out of her range. If Lillia could prank Rowan, she was sure it would put her in a better mood than the one the stupid blonde Gargoyle had put her in.

She looked down at the bucket and couldn't but grin, biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing as she stared down at the toad. She'd hopefully timed it just right when she knew most of her cousins were out of the house. And since Ashwood was right next door, she could see who came and went easily, so she knew when to make her move. If she was lucky, Rowan would still be gone.

Lillia made her way down to his room, pressing her ear against the door to ensure that no one was in there. When she didn't hear anything she slowly reached for the door handle and snuck into the room. Closing the door quietly behind her. She tiptoed to the bed then looking down at the toad she had in the bucket. The plan was simple. Put the toad in his bed and then leave. She was almost to the bed when she heard something from outside the door. It sounded like a voice, and her eyes went wide in alarm.

"Oh shit!" She whispered in her panic and looked around frantically. Rowan's room was decently cluttered, and she tried finding something to hide behind. Her time was limited, however, and she did the only thing she could think of which was diving under the bed, taking the bucket with her. She held one arm around it and clamped her other hand over her mouth. Making a face at the pile of socks that bad started to collect under his bed. The door creaked open, and she froze. Trying to steady her rapidly beating heart in fear that he might be able to hear it.

Rowan DeGraff

[Rowan DeGraff]

While he was out in the wilderness, Rowan walked lightly, barely making a sound. It was something that surprised most people, considering the size of him. But when he was at home, able to put his guard down and be himself, those footsteps became heavier and louder as they walked through the halls of the house, carrying him towards his room.

It had been a long day, and though it still wasn’t over, he at least relished in the fact that he would be able to relax, maybe enjoy dinner with his family if any of them were around. He was sure he could find someone to pester and spend some time with.

Once the door of his room was shut, he let out a groaned yawn, stretching out to relieve his tightened, sore muscles, completely unaware that he had a visitor in his room--hiding under his bed. He moved and sat on the edge of the bed, his weight causing the mattress to sink in, most likely giving his younger cousin a little less room to hide under. Rowan leaned forward and pulled the boots from his feet, dropping them down with a loud thud, before he removed his socks. If Lillia thought the socks she found under the bed smelled bad, the odor coming from his overworked and tired feet and the boots and socks that had contained them--it might be enough to make her cough in protest to the smell.

He pulled the shirt from his torso and threw it across the room in a pile of other dirty articles of clothing he would need to wash at some point. Not today.

Rowan sighed again before letting himself lay back on his bed to stare up at the ceiling. He just needed one moment of peace and quiet. Not that he didn’t get much of it anyway, since the quietness of the forest typically offered him that sense of peace, despite needing to always be on guard, watchful of everything around him. While it may not have been relaxing to others, Rowan lived for it.

[Lillia St. James]

As the door creaked open, Lillia watched those boots enter and close the door. Her heart was pounding rapidly as she watched them make their way to the side of the bed, and she gulped. Hurry up and leave! You aren’t supposed to be here! She thought frantically. Hoping he was just going to be here for a short visit and then leave so she could do her mischievous deed and flee.

Of course that wasn’t what happened. She watched in horror as he came around to the bed and started to pull his feet out of his boots. It smelled like rancid death, man sweat, and whatever he had stepped in on the way in. She made a face, silently gagging as as she reached up and pinched her nose, waving her hand frantically in hopes to waft the smell away. Seriously?! This was torture! The smell was starting to make her eyes water, and for a moment, she considered bottling up that horrible smell and using it as a personal weapon and deterrent.

Rowan should consider selling it. He’d make millions.

The shirt being tossed into the corner just made her scowl, and she had to quietly breathe through her mouth. Not wanting to unplug her nose or she surely would die, and today would not be that day.

She rolled her eyes as she saw his feet disappear, and she could feel the shift in the mattress above her. She actually lowered herself down even more, afraid the mattress would sink and he’d be able to feel her under there. Or at least feel something strange enough that would cause him too look. If he was laying down that meant he was going to try and sleep right? She hoped he was snorer…. At least then she’d know he was out and she could sneak out, toss the toad on the bed with him, and then make her escape. That of course was wishful thinking…

She hugged the bucket a bit closer to her, as if she could protect that precious toad and her need for pranking the behemoth cousin. She was going to have to get comfortable, she thought. Something told her she wouldn’t be leaving her stinky prison anytime soon. She wiggled a bit more, getting comfortable before she held her breath and flicked a nearby sock away from her. Only, she’d misjudged what Rowan actually had under his bed, and as her finger made the motion, there was the dull sound of THUNK as whatever the sock had been over, suddenly caused pain to shoot up Lillia’s finger. She quickly covered her mouth to keep from crying out, but it didn’t stop the silent flurry of curse words as she grabbed her finger, holding it tightly. She tensed, making herself freeze, in case the noise had been loud enough to give Rowan pause.

[Rowan DeGraff]

What Lillia may have forgotten was that Rowan was a Ranger and was conditioned to having a keen sense of hearing. With all the loud chirping birds and the woodland creatures roaming about, he needed to be able to hear anything out of the ordinary.

So when he heard that thunk sound, followed by what sounded like a very faint breathy line of curses, he opened his eyes and slowly sat up, glancing around his room. He didn’t see anyone or anything out of sorts. Still, he just had this strange feeling that something was amiss and that there was another presence there.

He stood up, causing the floorboards to creak beneath his bare feet as he walked around his room, searching the corners, the closet, and under the furniture. Finally, he crouched down beside the bed and peeked under, seeing his younger cousin with a bucket hugged up against her. He raised a brow and cleared his throat. “Alright-- You can come out now,” his voice was a low rumble in his chest. His tone sounded as if he were angry and annoyed, but what Lillia might not have been able to see was the smirk he was wearing as he waited for her to come out.

“Want to tell me what you are doing in here, and under my bed?”