Optikons and Wolves (27 Sep 2001) Agatha buys a camera and goes wolf-hunting.

Agatha's Room
A converted attic space, this 8-by-10 room is nonetheless bright and warm. Shelves and cabinets have been built-in between the bare wall beams, and a small wood-burning stove is tucked into the corner at the foot of Agatha's bed, which rests under the room's two large windows. A green-and-gold throw rug covers most of the floor, the edges sometimes hidden by a small dresser and desk set. Knick-knacks and books line the wall-shelves, including an old worn out bridle and some obviously hand-carved figures of horses. The window shelf is claimed by several stuffed animals, the largest ones being a saddled horse and a somewhat dopey looking green dragon.

Agatha counts out dollar bills from her personal bank (an old saddlebag normally kept under her bed). Should be enough for some kind of camera, she thinks, even though she's only looked at the ones for sale at Kia's Restoration so far - some of which supposedly don't work.

The heap of crumpled bills lies on her bed, testament to her recent work for Mr. Kuning. At the very least, it's enough to buy a camera that doesn't work.

"I hope any camera will do for an Optikon," she says to the stuffed dragon on the windowsill. Jamming the bills into a front pocket of her jeans, Agatha decides to try one of the regular stores first. Their cameras have to work, after all.

Ainigton Drugstore
A soda fountain counter occupies the front of the store, countertop lined with jars of penny candies. Beyond them are racks of pharmaceuticals and various goods -- batteries, hardware, assorted knickknacks, paper products, backpacks, film -- and cameras.

The bell on the door rings as Agatha enters the Ainigton drugstore, and the plump man -- a teenager, really, but several years older than Agatha -- at the soda fountain glances at her as she enters. "What'll it be?" he asks.

Agatha smiles to the man, and says, "I'm interested in getting a camera, actually. Do you have any of the instant-picture kind, like a Land camera?"

"A what camera?" he asks, screwing his face up at her. "Uh ... I don't think so." He glances over his counter, empty of customers, and then says to her, "I think there's some cameras behind the glass, in the case at the back of the store. I dunno what kinds, though."

"I'll go look then, thanks," Agatha says, and heads for the back case to peruse the selection.

The case is easy to locate -- it's the only one in the shop -- and appears to hold a random collection of whatever the store sells that the owner considered valuable and small. There are three different cameras in it, along with a selection of photography-related equipment, including a book on the subject. One of the models looks pretty elaborate, but the other two designs seem fairly straightforward.

Agatha chews on her lower lip as she looks over the cameras. Having to wait for film to get developed would be annoying, especially if someone actually looked at the pictures (which she assumes they must do at some point). Then again, the simplest of the cameras is relatively cheap, so if it turns out that it won't work as an Optikon, she isn't out too much cash at least.

"Maybe I could get it developed at the high school though," Agatha mutters, thinking of ways to make the photos that don't involve too many strangers.

As she glances over the price tags on the cheapest camera again, she does a double take, realizing she missed a digit the first time, and the camera is ten times more than she thought it was. No wonder it looked so much cheaper than the other two. She can still afford it, but she won't have much money left over.

Agatha sets aside the decision for a moment, and checks on the prices and types of film available. No point in spending all that cash on a camera, and then not being able to afford any film for it.

Film, thankfully, isn't nearly as costly as any of the cameras. The ones at Kia's were cheaper, though not as new and probably more temperamental. Even if she buys a camera, here, though, she has enough for a couple of rolls of film, and hopefully the costs of developing them. She does notice that the photography book in the case mentions "developing film" on the side, along with "camera use".

After chewing on her lip some more, and adding up the costs in her head, Agatha figures she can afford the camera, book and some film with what she brought. It would certainly be the most money she's ever spent at once, though. "A camera is good for lots of things, not just for finding faeries," she whispers, trying to add a bit more justification for the purchase. Deciding to get the camera, Agatha heads back to tell the clerk.

The clerk sits on a stool behind the counter, reading the latest issue of Fantastic Stories, and seems a good deal more engrossed by that than the prospect of a big sale. With a sigh of long-suffering, however, he sets the magazine, pages down to mark his place, on the counter and digs out the keys to the case from under the cash register. "Which one did you want?"

"The least expensive one," Agatha says - even though it seems pretty expensive to her anyway. "And the book on photography. Oh, and two rolls of black and white film too please."

"All right." He fumbles with the keys on the ring, but eventually manages to find the right one and unlatch the cabinet. He pulls out the camera, whistling at the price tag. "Where'd you get the money for this?" he asks, looking at her enviously, before grabbing the book and a couple of rolls of color film.

"Summer work, and living cheaply," Agatha says, beginning to wonder just how much money a soda-jerk-slash-clerk earns.

"Mph," the clerk answers. He trundles back to the cash register, bearing the color film, camera, and book. "Anything else?" he asks over his shoulder. "Flash, batteries?"

Agatha blinks at the question. "Flash? Uh ... does this camera need batteries to work?"

The clerk glances at it. "I dunno. But I don't think it comes with a flash." He hands it to the girl to examine while he rings up the purchase. A close study reveals that it's hand-wound and requires no batteries, though there's no built-in flash. There's a place to attach one, if she gets one, and it would need batteries.

"Well ... I'll worry about a flash later," Agatha says. "I'll be taking pictures in daylight to begin with anyway."

"All right." He hunts for the price tags on the items, mumbling under his breath, "Two rolls Kodak color film, one Kodak Beginner camera, one copy On Photography: Camera Use and Developing Film." The clerk tallies the purchases, wrinkling his nose at the total and looking at her as if he half-expects she won't have enough.

Agatha digs out her wad of bills and counts them out for the clerk, thinning it out considerably. Well, if I didn't intend to spend up to this amount, I wouldn't have brought it all with me, she thinks as she pays up.

When she gets home, Agatha calls the Travisons to ask if Elinor can play. Mrs. Travison answers the phone, and tells her, "I think Elinor went out to the stables, honey. Tom was meeting her there, to show her some project he's been working on."

After saying her thank-yous and goodbyes to Mrs. Travison, Agatha hangs up and thinks. Well, Tom must be showing Elinor the tree-fort. I can't just barge in on them. But ... I should take Destre and Kuon out for their exercise, and maybe I'll take 'em out that way. Might be a good excuse to see if I can find the Siege that December is using, too.

Agatha writes a note to let her family know she'll be taking care of Mr. Kuning's animals, then prepares a snack to take along with her (and a few tidbits for the horse and dog as well), picks up her sword (just in case) and wishes she'd gotten a strap for the camera. Another time; she still hasn't learned how to load the film yet anyway.

Fields South of Town
An open, fallow field on the farm of Mr. Jones, a kindly middle-aged man that likes kids and never minds them playing on his lands. This patch of ground has a slight slope that gives it a nice view of the houses around Rowling Street, and otherwise nothing around but scrubby grasses and weeds.

A redheaded tomboy rides a big black horse along the edge of Mr. Jones's field, by the woods, with a greyhound loping at their side. The stallion moves with easy, unhurried strides, on the warm, slightly overcast day.

"This looks like the place," Agatha says to the animals. "Can you find the trail that you and Tom were following, Kuon?" she asks the hound. "I've got some of those treats you like if we find where the wolf came from," she bribes.

Kuon barks. He sits on his haunches, looking at Agatha expectantly.

The horse whuffles as he comes to a halt, giving the canine beside him a "what are you waiting for?" look.

Agatha hrms, and fishes out one of the sausage-like treats from her pocket and tosses it to the dog. "Okay, one to get started? Or do you want me to follow on foot?"

The dog hops to his feet and snatches the treat from the air. She has to wonder why dogs like treats so much, since from the speed with which Kuon swallows, it's not possible he could taste what he's eating. The dog circles about, sniffing at the ground in the area, then trots forwards towards the trees.

Agatha urges Destre to follow, but keeps an eye on the underbrush. If it gets too thick, she won't risk the horse's footing. Must be the attention of getting the treat that dogs like most, she thinks.

The girl is forced to dismount and leave the Destre at the opening, as the branches of the trees hang too low and too close together for him to enter. Kuon doesn't go far before stopping. He stands around the bend of a large tree. After sniffing at the ground a few times, he looks back at Agatha, head tilted.

A brief look at the area is enough to tell the girl that people have been here recently -- or at least, one person. A few footprints mark the ground, along with some dog tracks and the tell-tale signs of trampled undergrowth.

Agatha immediately assumes the marks were left by Tom; he wasn't exactly being his usual stealthy self that afternoon. "Hold on, Kuon," she says, and fetches a sliced apple from one of Destre's saddlebags to give to the horse - after making sure the bags are well sealed again. Destre's feedbag is packed into one, and she wouldn't put it past the horse to find a way to get it out. "You wait here, Destre, okay?" she asks, offering the apple slices.

Destre neighs, and chomps away at apple slices. If he minds being left, it doesn't show.

Agatha pats the horse on the shoulder, then walks over to Kuon. "Okay, let's keep going ... uh, but bark or something if you think a wolf is gonna sneak up on us, okay?"

Kuon lolls his tongue from his mouth, looking amused. He takes a few paces toward the southwest, then walks back to Agatha, and past a her a few steps to the east. He stops and gives Agatha another expectant look.

Agatha tries to figure this out. "The path goes in two directions from here?" she asks.

The canine bobs his head. He sits on his haunches, waiting on Agatha's decision.

"Let's go east first," the girl says, heading that way. "At least until we hit I-225."

Kuon gives her an odd look, but he gets to his feet and obediently trots eastward. The "woods" they travel through hardly merit the moniker -- just a narrow band of trees and underbrush in between the two fields. The dog keeps his nose near the ground as he leads Agatha through the brush. As they near I-225, he turns northwards, following the thinning band of trees that runs between the road and Jones' field.

The dog follows a trail too obscure for Agatha back along the highway, until they come to the edge of Rowling Street. Kuon looks both ways, sniffs at the ground, starts across the road, and glances over his shoulder to see if the girl is coming.

Agatha hurries alongside the dog, keeping an eye out for traffic.

The dog walks along the shaded avenue of Lion Avenue until he reaches Lewis. There he turns, following the street to the intersection with Dickinson. He whuffles at the corner, trotting south a few yards, then east and north around the sidewalk, his nose to the ground. At last, he sits at the corner, lolling his tongue, head tilted.

Agatha gets more and more confused as she follows the dog. "I don't get it, Kuon. The wolf came from here? This is practically the middle of town!"

Kuon barks a few times and gives her an annoyed look.

Sitting down on the sidewalk, Agatha tries to think things through. "Okay, you follow scents. So, if you were following the wolf's scent, then it must have come here ... and vanished." After a moment, she adds, "That doesn't mean there's a Siege here or anything, though. It could have vanished by getting into a car. Its scent vanishes here, right?"

Agatha leans down to see if there is a big storm drain at the corner -- big enough for a wolf, anyway.

Looking appeased, Kuon nods his head at her. He stands and circles about her as she leans over, using his nose to pat her on the back. There is a drain at the corner, but it's hardly big enough for a small cat.

"Hmm. Are there any other scents that ... start here, where the wolf scent ends?" Agatha asks, and fishes out another treat for Kuon. "Maybe it's a shape shifter ... so its scent would change when it turned into something else, right?"

The dog accepts the treat with appreciation, but after swallowing it, he gives her another sharp look. He sits at the corner, licking his lips. After a moment, he gets to his feet and makes a big show out of sniffing around the area.

A few minutes of this, then several more of interested sniffing at the corner lamppost. At last, he adds his own scent to the lamppost, then sits by the shade of a building, tongue lolling.

Agatha sighs. "The wolf was psychic, according to Tom. Why couldn't you be too, Kuon? I'm terrible at charades ... and I'm not even going to guess at what that last gesture meant!" She gets up, stretches a bit, and looks around to see if any of the houses have wolves watching out of their windows.

Kuon gives her an apologetic look and what appears to be the canine equivalent of a shrug. Sorry, he seems to mean, I'm no bloodhound.

The windows and houses are strangely devoid of wolves, unless you count the wolf's head iron knocker on one of the doors across the street.

"Well, let's get back to Destre before he figures out how to get his saddle off and ..," Agatha starts to say, then notices the knocker. Just to be thorough, she memorizes the house number, repeating it over and over until she's sure she won't forget.

"Let's go check out that other branch in the path," Agatha finally says. "I'll ask spy-boy to check out this address."

Kuon climbs to his feet, woofs, and heads south down Dickinson Street.

Agatha trots to keep up. "Gonna take the direct route across Rowling?" she asks the canine. There's something I never thought I'd be doing ... asking a dog if he's going to take a shortcut.

This time, Kuon seems to know exactly where he's going. He does, in fact, take a shortcut back to Destre, then leads the girl southwest, into the woods not far from Harcourt Manor, then finally, to some wild grass-covered fields, There, Agatha finds an eerily familiar sight: It looks as if the grass has mostly recovered from a recent force, like a tornado or a giant circular object from above, which pushed it down. But there are still enough signs that Agatha can recognize the shape of a Siege.

"It looks like the Siege of Wind was here," Agatha tells her companions. "Which, I think, means that December doesn't have any sort of dedicated portal. So ... maybe they do have a resident agent then?" She looks to the horse to see if he agrees with her assessment.

Kuon barks. He walks over to an area nearby, shaded by three trees growing together so closely that their branches intertwine to form a sort of natural shelter. The grass and underbrush have been tread down there, and there's quite a bit of loose, fluffy fur in the immediate area. Destre follows Kuon with his eyes, then gives Agatha an "it's a possibility" nod.

Agatha goes over to see what Kuon's found, muttering, "Please, let there just be wolf fur and not any other bits."

The makeshift den does not appear to have anything more wolf-like than shed fur in it.

Puzzled once more, Agatha guesses, "It comes back here to wait for the Siege to reappear, maybe? I think I should find out if December has a grudge with October, for Elinor's sake. Maybe we can catch her at the tree house. Are you up for going all the way to Miner's Road, Kuon?"

Kuon gives a big curled-tongue yawn, flattening his ears back. He glances at his paws and whines, but Destre gives a whicker and a glare, and the dog climbs to his feet, ready to follow.

"You don't need to come along, Kuon, if you want to go back to the Manor," Agatha says, and heads back to Destre. "It's on the way anyway, and I can feed you there if you want."

The weary dog barks and wags his tail, looking happier at the prospect. Destre rolls his eyes and starts for Harcourt.

Previous Log: About House October	Next Log: Testing the Optikon

Thread Links
	Previous Log: Sir Lefallon Next Log: Testing the Optikon		Previous Log: About House October Next Log: Testing the Optikon

---

This site serves as a chronicle of sessions in an online roleplaying campaign moderated by Conrad "Lynx" Wong and May "Rowan" Wasserman. The contents of this site are (c) 2001, 2002 by Conrad Wong and May Wasserman except where stated otherwise. Despite the "children's fantasy" theme of this campaign, this site is not intended for young readership, due to mild language and violence.