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Post by Sunset on Oct 10, 2014 4:50:28 GMT 1
Wrapped in her fur, since Choice was most definitely warm enough now, Sunset sat out past the fire pit, the cheetah cub in her lap. She watched the forest in silence, weary and sore from hunting, and emotionally drained. The smell of raw deer nearly made her mouth water but she was too tired and too distressed to eat. Very carefully, she'd avoided Tinder, truly unsure what to say to her old pridesister. For now, she would be content to keep watch over the entrance while she hunters were away. This, she could do, and do well. In her hands, she turned her pipes over and over, feeling their worn, familiar edges, drawing little comfort from them. OOC: Sofia, hope this was okay, as Sunset isn't particularly useful anywhere else. xD |
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Post by Nettle on Oct 13, 2014 7:47:22 GMT 1
Nettle had borrowed two of the new bowls Tinder had made in the night. The fireshaper was marvellously skilled even with the few resources they had. She'd found a source of clay and sandy soil near the holt, dug some out with her bare hands, and shaped a handful of bowls, large and small to be baked in the Beacon room's fire overnight. Nettle was glad that they had her near at hand. The others might find her prickly, but Nettle liked Tinder's honesty, especially when she growled like a wolf and smoked at the ears when she was mad. It was truly an entertaining sight to behold.
Nettle had appropriated a neatly cut pile of meat, cubed and sprinkled with herbs she knew were needed for a growing cub. She had left Choice to seek out Sunset, especially when Tinder had advised her of the cheetah-cub in need of nourishment. The lack of a lactating female cat would certainly make it more difficult to feed the little one. She hoped that he could ingest meat. It would be unfortunate if the cub wasn't yet weaned.
Nettle wove her way through the holt, smiling at her new tribe-mates, but making sure to keep moving least any of them tried to coax her into resting. She was newly pregnant, thanks to Choice and her recognition, but it would be a full turn before she showed. It had been difficult enough untangling herself from her sleepy recognized. Choice had proven already that he was rather clingy. Nettle approached the entrance of the caves, scenting Sunset before she saw her, though she soon came upon a figure hunched over, back bent and shoulders drooping.
Nettle frowned worriedly. She recognised that unhappy posture. "You've been avoiding her", she said aloud, her mouth giving voice to her thoughts. "Things are tense between the two of you. A blind bat could see it". Nettle walked over to Sunset, a bowl of cooked meat in one hand, the bowl of raw in the other. She knelt beside the elfess, and offered her a meal. "Here, I know you haven't eaten since yesterday", she said as she offered the bowl.
Nettle glanced down into her lap at the dozing cheetah cub. "I don't think your little one has eaten either". She smiled at the sight of the fluffy bundle of fur. "Is he weaned yet, Sunset?"
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Post by Sunset on Oct 14, 2014 3:22:28 GMT 1
Smiling wanly, the cat-elf took the offered bowl. Nettle reminded her so much of Earth, if a bit more outspoken. "I found him; he was the runt of the litter and it was a rough summer. Food was scarce. He ate bugs readily enough; I don't think he'd eaten in a while." She'd managed to slip portions of her fish to him, but there hadn't been more than a mouthful.
At the smell of the meat, the cub came awake, sniffing sleepily at the bowl that Sunset now held. She chuckled and dipped a fingertip into the juice, offering it. He began chewing her fingertip with a vengeance, which she bore with patience and affection.
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Post by Nettle on Oct 14, 2014 4:27:06 GMT 1
Nettle saw the subtle diversion for what it was. Sunset was avoiding Tinder in person, thought, and speech. Nettle smiled sadly, though she neither pried nor pushed. It was up to Sunset to approach the fire-shaper, and vice versa if Tinder could pluck up the courage. "Ah, it it so with wolf-cubs too, though I doubt we'll see a litter come spring. The pack is too few in number, and has yet to settle into some semblance of order. It will be a cub-less spring when the seasons change again".
Nettle smiled approvingly when Sunset bent to feed her bond before herself. It was the right thing to do. "You're good with him", said Nettle. She giggled when the cub gnawed hungrily on Sunset's finger. "And you're not so different from me either. Wolf or cat, we're all still elves underneath". Nettle shook her head, a smile on her face as she thought of poor Keleero. "Although Slinker's glider, that bird-elf Keleero, might remain confused. I do not think he's fully accepted the idea that our forebears actually had cubs with things that went on four legs instead of two".
Nettle waggled her eyebrows at Sunset. "He would probably faint if my cub came out with a tail like Panaetha or an adorable pair of ears like your little cubling there". She boldly ran a hand down the cheetah cub's back, pinching gently as she tested, searched, and prodded. She frowned at what she found. "He's thin in the shoulders, a bit bony too, and scrawnier than he should be for his age. The runt rarely gets their fair share in the litter". Nettle glanced to Sunset again. "I'm glad you found him. He'd have starved otherwise or been abandoned".
Nettle clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "We'll have to feed him up. Make sure he gets a good supply of meat. I'll have Slinker set a few more snares. Ravvits might not go far for us, but they'll be plenty of food for this little one until he's big enough to hunt for himself". Nettle arched an eyebrow as she held on to the second bowl full of cooked meat spiced with herbs. "You need feeding too. Don't you think for a moment that I haven't forgotten how hungry you are. I can hear your stomach, even now, grumbling like a starving bear".
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Post by Sofia on Oct 15, 2014 21:53:51 GMT 1
OOC: Just jumping in here to answer the question - it's definitely okay to start splinter threads 
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Post by Sunset on Oct 15, 2014 22:08:12 GMT 1
The red-head nodded, stroking the kitten's ruff as he ate. She allowed him to gorge, enough to fill his tiny little belly, before moving the bowl away. It wouldn't do to have him make himself sick by overeating. Taking the other bowl from Nettle, she ate slowly, fighting her own growling stomach. She hadn't realized how long it had been since she'd had a real meal, or how much it made her ache to eat slowly, but she knew she'd regret it if she didn't exert control. "I'm glad I found him, too. Even if we never bond, he didn't deserve to die out there. We were horribly unlucky that turn, not nearly enough food, but he's a fighter." She continued to stroke his fur until he dozed back off again, his stomach a small furry bubble.
"But that's the way of the wild, I suppose. The small and the weak get left to die, while the strong are nurtured so that they can live."
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Post by Nettle on Oct 17, 2014 9:38:41 GMT 1
Nettle's remorse was genuine. She laid an understanding hand on Sunset's shoulder. She squeezed gently offering strength and support. "Oh, Sunset", she said quietly. "You are not in the wilds anymore. I know it is difficult to adjust, but I promise, you are among friends". She smiled congenially. "We fighters, great and small, must stick together after all".
Nettle was glad when Sunset ate too. It was another worry off her mind, especially when she considered how worried Tinder truly was for the elfess. "Sunset", Nettle said gently. "Talk to Tinder. I know it is hard. I do, but you have a chance to reconnect with another member of your tribe". Nettle sighed, the sorrow plain upon her face, as she shared something that worried her. "I may never see my family and my tribe again. I have Choice, now, and I will have a cub of my own in time, but that cub might never be held by my father, or know the agemate that would be my brother's cub. It is happiness entwined with grief. Sunset, don't let the chance to know Tinder again, slip through your fingers like water through sand".
Nettle smiled sadly. "You will only regret it in time. Trust me. I know the feeling so very well".
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Post by Sunset on Oct 23, 2014 15:55:57 GMT 1
Her answer was soft, voice full of pain and unshed tears. "I wish it were that simple, Nettle." Sunset continued to stroke the kitten. "Tinder..."
She swallowed against the lump in her throat, lock-sending when she could no longer speak. ~**I knew her as Mirage. I remember her birth, her first words, her first steps. But Tinder...I've never met her. It seems impossible, but she is...older. I have not been gone long enough for her to have grown as much as she has. For her, it's been more than a turn or two since I left. She has not seen me since she was a cub - and that seems to have been longer ago than it was for me. She's suffered losses and pains and loves that I have never seen or heard and there is no way for me to go back and live them with her. I will never get to see her earn her name for the first time.**~
Her mind-voice held an unrestrained measure of regret. ~**And those pains, those hurts and regrets and sorrows, that are so very, very fresh to me - they are hands upon hands of turns old to her. I don't know what talking to her would bring up, I don't know what has happened in the turns that I've missed, and right now...**~ She sighed and curled in tighter on herself, pulling the fur closer around her and the cub, golden eyes scanning the trees. ~**Right now, with everything going on, I'm not sure how I would handle knowing.**~
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Post by Nettle on Nov 3, 2014 22:27:13 GMT 1
Nettle smiled understandingly. ~**Ah**~ she locksent gently. ~**I had thought so. Tinder was quiet too, though she expressed as much the same concerns**~. She patted Sunset on the shoulder. ~**I think the Beacon must have pulled you both from different times**~. Nettle thought about their predicament for several moments. ~**I could see how that would make things difficult and confusing**~.
Nettle tapped her chin thoughtfully. ~**Tinder has experienced things you have not. You have experienced things she has not. How then do you meet in the middle?**~ She considered a possible solution. ~**Well, you won't know until you try, Sunset. Hard through the going might be. Better to get the first step out of the way than to never take it**~.
Nettle regarded Sunset quiet for a moment. ~**Tell me**~, she locksent. ~**Do you want to have a friendship with Tinder or would you prefer that she kept her distance? I think she would do the latter if you gave her reason enough. She's just as alone and confused as you are out here. Trying to find her place, taking mincing steps around these elves as if she were walking over broken rocks, afraid to slip least she cut her feet to ribbons**~.
Nettle sighed. ~**My recognition, seen as a blessing on the tribe, has given me some form of acceptance. It is not so for Tinder. The others are wary of her, especially when she flaunted her fire-magic so openly**~. Nettle rolled her eyes. ~**The lot of them think she'll set the holt aflame or abuse them with her magic. They don't say it, Sunset, but it's written on their faces and hidden in their words**~.
Nettle shook her head disappointedly. ~**They're afraid of her**~.
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Post by Sunset on Nov 4, 2014 13:27:45 GMT 1
~**Just as they are afraid of humans. Potentially dangerous, because of this little thing called free thought and will.**~ Sunset curled in on herself. ~**They don't understand it, and they can't control it.**~
She turned to look at the other elfess. ~**She has suffered, and I know that this is no different. I understand that she needs friends, and acceptance. But I can't pretend that our friendship will ever be the same, and creating a new one takes time. I'm sorry, Nettle, but her suffering and pain does not make mine less valid, and she is a large part of mine. You can't force healing to take longer than it takes.**~
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Post by Nettle on Nov 13, 2014 21:45:42 GMT 1
ooc: Sorry for the late reply, illness, work, and other RL oddities has made me miss alot.
IC:
Nettle nodded sadly, her face an open expression of grief. ~**Though they realise not that I could do such terrible things too**~. She smiled though the light never reached her eyes. Nettle reached into her skirts, inside a hidden inner pocket, and withdrew a single piece of greenery. The twig, a mere shoot with a thin single leaf, turned hard and woody as thorns erupted across its surface. Nettle sighed as the thorns grew long and wickedly between her fingers.
~**A plantshaper I am**~, she explained. ~**Just like Juniper. There are so many things I could do to make the tribe suffer, but it's not me they fear**~.
Nettle shook her head. The smile warming. She looked kindly on Sunset. ~**It is so like the young to avoid the unpleasant. You remind me of my soulmate. Choice is gentle and also reluctant to feel pain. He minces around me at times, afraid that he will do or say something that will inflame my temper**~. She shook her head. ~**He forgets that I know him better than he thinks. The soul bond goes both ways**~.
Nettle's smile dimmed. ~**Sunset, pain is as brief and fleeting as pleasure. It lasts only as long as you want it too**~. Nettle offered her the thorny shoot, not once attempting to make the thorns retreat nor retract, though she waited for Sunset to take it or refuse it. ~**Delaying the pain only makes it harder to bear later. Wounds can only heal once the rot and the canker are cleansed. You will hurt more the longer you refuse to begin that healing**~.
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Post by Keleero on Nov 19, 2014 22:44:05 GMT 1
**Newcomer!** Keleero sent while his thoughts wandered. He sent openly to all within close range, and added an image of the elf who'd just appeared. Humans couldn't send, so he doubted the openness of the sending was likely to call any danger to them.
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Post by Nettle on Dec 24, 2014 22:56:48 GMT 1
Nettle paused for a moment on hearing Keleero's open sending. She glanced at Sunset, eyebrows arched, and eyes wide. "Well. Never mind mending ragged kin-ties. Highones, you and I will have our hands full of convincing this new elf that she's among friends. Which reminds me". Nettle tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Sunset, I've a grave and terrible thing to ask of you". She leaned forward, hands on her knees, and looked the elfess in the eyes.
"For the next two turns of the seasons I'm going to be growing ripe as a dream-berry", explained Nettle. "It was custom in my tribe for a pregnant elfess to den with a friend or a close relative, usually another elfess, who'd keep an eye on them as the seasons changed". Nettle pouted unhappily as she locksent. ~**The only other person in this holt that is familiar with this custom is Slinker. He's my tribemate, but he's about as responsible as a rock. I need someone with enough wit about them to know to send for help if I have trouble birthing when the time is right. I know it is alot to ask, Sunset, but you're quick and clever and though we're not kin I like you**~.
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Post by Sunset on Jan 8, 2015 3:52:58 GMT 1
Sunset blinked in surprise, which quickly turned to a slack jaw and round eyes. ~**Nettle, I would be honored.**~
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Post by Nettle on Jan 12, 2015 23:21:56 GMT 1
Nettle smiled ruefully. She sighed in relief. ~**Timmorn's Balls. I thought I'd have to beg**~. She laughed nervously as she rubbed a hand over her still very flat belly. ~**Thank you, Sunset**~. Nettle reached for Sunset's hand and squeezed gently. She frowned at the thought of being a new mother. ~**Truthfully, I'm afraid to carry this all on my own, Sunset. I've certainly helped to raise my share of cubs in my own tribe, but it'll be the first time I'll be having one of my own**~.
Nettle's smile faded. She shook her head as she thought of her recognised. ~**Choice is overjoyed of course. He's been very lonely for a long time, but he doesn't have to grow fat or suffer labour pains in the end**~.
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