11-1-14 Ch 1

Rain drizzled down from off the roof of the houses soaking the ground under the eves. Soft curtains of rain and mist fell from the gray clouds blocking the view of the mountains and soaking the ground to the point of running over despite totaling less than an inch of water. Fall had come and with it rain, what little they got, turning the Idaho desert cold, and damp,. . . and gray. . .er. Despite the weather that most people would describe as abysmal and the downright depressing color of the scenery, Kuro Tsuki couldn't help but smile some. Well, a smile never actually touched her face, but she still was pleased none the less. She had to admit it, she loved this kind or weather, it was cool which was a blessed relief after the hundred degree heat of the summer, the clouds kept the sun at bay so the soft light was easy on her eyes as was there dark color that she far preferred over the too bright blue of a clear sky. And the rain, it felt so good on her skin and the smell it brought was very pleasing. Best of all it kept everyone else inside which meant that aside from the occasional car on the highway, her footsteps on the gravel and the rain were the only sounds she could hear.

As Tsuki walked past the mailboxes at the end of the road she noticed a large box in the package cubby build into the brick. A package in the cubby wasn't really all that strange except that it was Sunday and she knew that it hadn't been there earlier when they were driving home from Church and Quiz practice. The Box was a little big for the cubby and an inch or two was sticking out. On the side facing her was the name and address that it was headed to. Tsuki's address. She would have left it there figuring that if it was supposed to be there they could get it in the morning. She was about to leave when she saw the name on the box, or more precisely, the two names and one symbol.

Kuro-Tsuki-san,

Collectorofhats,

And a drawing of a fox's face with a crescent moon on its forehead.

Which shouldn't have been possible, both of those names were just online names she used and she hadn't told anyone that she was planning on using a fox for her Belegarth symbol yet. Still, well you know what they say. . .

"Once is happenstance, twice coincidence, three times. . ." she mumbled under her breath. Now thoroughly confuzeled she picked up the box.

By the time Tsuki got home the rain had begun to eases up, but the sky was still filled with dark clouds. Twilight was making the light fade and at 6:00 it was already almost dark. Tsuki carried the box inside and into her room. She looked for a place to dump the box but the only places open were on her desk next to papers and books that wouldn't fair well wet. On her camp chair in front of her desk, but she didn't want to get her seat wet. And on her steam trunk but she wasn't going to risk her clothes mildewing. There was only one option left, Kuro started kicking things out of the way to clear a space on the floor. Once there was room she dumped the box on the ground and grabbed her knife off the wall to cut the tape. In side of the box was a who ton of packing peanuts and two plushies. She frowned slightly and picked up one of the plushies, he was slightly damp from the rain. He was about a foot and an inch tall and had dark red hair, after a moment of staring she noticed he only had a left hand, when she smelled him he smelled vaguely of smoke. The second one was shorter by an inch and had dark hair and both hands, he looked sad and smelled of the sea. Tsuki set the plushies on the table that was her desk and stared at them. Who would send her Silmarillion plushies? How did they know that she would want Maedhros and Maglor? AND HOW DID THEY GET HER ONLINE NAME? Then she noticed that they were breathing, she stared at the two dolls hoping that her eyes were playing tricks on her, they weren't. She was coming dangerously close to hyperventilating when one of her younger sisters came in.

FireFlight could honestly say that finding her older sister staring at two elven Plushies was not all that new to her. After 16 years she had gotten used to the some what eccentric 18 year old's antics for the most part, so the only thing she really noticed was that the plushies were new.

"Where'd you get those?" She asked. The Space Cadet didn't say any thing just waved at a soggy box on the floor. Fire bent down to get a closer look at it.

"Theirs no return address, and where did thy get your online name?" Her sister just shrugged. Fire was digging through the peanuts when her sister interrupted her.

"There breathing." She stated, sounding almost as if she was talking to her self and not to Fire. That would have not been surprised, but Fire went to look any way. She peered over the older girls shoulder and sure enough, if she looked close enough the plushies did appear to breath.

"Have you been spraying art fixative around in here?" She asked.

"no" They both looked at the plushies on the table.

"It feels like I am missing something." Tsuki mumbled.

"Have you been reading any of that crazy fan fic again?" Fire mused. They fell silent again then Tsuki suddenly sat up, hitting her head against Fire's.

"I'm going to email Creakers." She said and left the room.

"You do that." Muttered FireFlight, rubbing her jaw, and reaching for one of the plushies.