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Post by Choice on Jun 8, 2020 19:31:24 GMT 1
Choice flinched a little at Milo's insistence on the use of his soul name, even though he hadn't repeated the name itself. It felt so very, very wrong to have someone share it so whimsically. "Yes, of course it's your name, of course," he tried to sooth, unsure of how to handle this bizarre situation. "But a soul name is a private thing. Sharing it with me, with Keleero, it's...it's like asking us to be your lifemates, do you see?" He fumbled for words. "Do you truly not know what a soul name is? How precious is it?" When Milo spoke of being beyond healing, Choice frowned. "Has a healer told you so? My...people never had a healer who could do more than ease fevers and help mend bones, but the ones I've met here can do wonders! Panaetha is very skilled and so is Mindlight should you ever need seeing to." Better not to push. Milo didn't seem to be badly hurt, just limping. They had enough to try and sort out as things stood. OOC: Definitely get not wanting to jump right into magical physiotherapy day one in the holt! Just having Choice let Milo know magical healers are available  |
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Post by Keleero on Jun 8, 2020 19:40:59 GMT 1
The boy was mad. That was the only explanation that made any sense to Keleero. Mad as a pool of corrupted magic. But him having shared his soul name of his own free will at least exonerated Choice from possible misdeeds - for now.
"Milo," Keleero said, uttering the name carefully. The sound-part of a soul name turned backwards did not hold the same meaning as the actual name, with all its complexities that only a sending truly could convey. As long as the boy didn't run around telling others what it truly was, Keleero reasoned he'd be fine using it. Not wholly safe, but better than the utter insanity of sharing his soul name with every person in sending range. "I ask as Choice has: do you truly not understand how precious a soul name is? You're putting yourself in grave danger, shouting it to the skies as you have! What by the High Ones have your people been teaching you?"
OOC: Keleero will likely eventually put two and two together and realize Milo has some human traits, but since Milo has his hands in his pockets and since Keleero is busy reeling over the soul name issue, that time is not yet come XD
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Post by Milo on Jun 8, 2020 20:18:21 GMT 1
It appeared that they talked past each other, them not understanding how important the use was for him and he not quite grasping the severity of sharing it. Lifemates wasn't a concept anyone had explained to him, too young and it too delicate a topic for the deer-elves to cover, when they both had been aware that he'd likely never leave the monastery. A normal life in there wasn't possible, a sanctuary riddled with boundaries. Looking a bit blankly at Choices words, Keleero going for the same topic forced him to reply.
“No one taught me. This is the only name I have, I knew it all on my own and you're not going to take it away from me.” Putting a hand on his own chest he glared at Keleero – Choice at least had been nice about it – for once using his height to be taken serious, not like some kid. “It's the only thing that's mine and not broken.” Otherwise he was nameless, denied the very basic of what made one a person and that was too cruel to bear. Milo rather accepted the danger than going back there. As for the healer, no one had outright told him so, but his faults were there since birth, so how should anyone fix it without changing who he was? He only shook his head at the question, not wishing to go into details.
OOC: Soul names of course are an issue to be taken serious, but here have a nice five-fingered hand right in line of sight XD
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Post by Choice on Jun 8, 2020 21:45:33 GMT 1
"No one taught you?" Choice echoed Milo, barely getting the words out. How was that possible? How had he grown to an adult if no one had been around to teach him such basic things as what a soul name was?! "But why?"
His heart reached out to Milo as he faced off with Keleero, seeming so very hurt. "You do not seem broken to me, friend." He wanted to say 'cub', but thought that might strike a nerve right now. He'd been at that age too, almost grown but still caught in the turmoil of youth that he got the impression Milo was in still. "But Keleero is right. You are...you are sharing far too much with others. I too have a soul name and it is not Choice. Giving more of myself to anyone who wasn't prepared for it, is..." Stars, how to calm this situation down?!
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Post by Keleero on Jun 8, 2020 22:03:25 GMT 1
It had been a long time since Keleero had been faced with an almost-adult daring to argue with him. That, and the unnatural subject matter, left him temporarily wordless. He had to draw in a deep breath, to be able to keep his voice level. "No one is taking anything from you, child, you are giving it away. Have you any idea of how-"
That's when he saw it. The hand. The stranger's hand!
Only the utter impossibility of it kept Keleero from attacking. The stranger had a soul name. His ears were pointed, if smaller even than Keleero's own. His eyes were too big to be- but how-, no, there had been something eerie about the stranger since the moment Keleero had seen him!
"High Ones preserve us," Keleero gasped, his previously stern tone gone shaky. "What are you?!"
OOC: Aaaaand five-fingered hand spotted! ;D
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Post by Milo on Jun 8, 2020 22:32:51 GMT 1
“No one was there. I don't know why.” His whole heritage had been throughout hidden from him, carried away from his birth tribe as a newborn, denied explanations and instead being ridiculed, outcast. Milo was aware of something important in his life missing beyond not being treated as a person, but until learning of elves he lacked any clue what it was, even then could only grief for a history lost. What of a too much there was to share he didn't understood, all he gave a name that for lack of carried meaning wasn't right to be spoken, nothing expected in return but to be called by it.
They'd learn soon enough just how broken he was, skin patterned oddly, bones aching at every shift of weather, unable to walk or run straight, not even capable of handling weaving. Not fitting in. It was not a point he wished to argue too, Keleeros words like a physical hit. A what, instead of a who. Being called this most his life didn't make it hurt any less, had him tearing up. “I'm me. Shouldn't that be enough?” he asked back, voice cracking. The duality of being human as well as elf, neither more true than the other, tortured him just as much.
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Post by Choice on Jun 10, 2020 21:07:55 GMT 1
"How in the world did you survive then?" Choice had to ask, utterly bewildered. "Have you been alone since you were born? Someone must have raised you? Not even a bond-friend?"
The shocks kept on coming. Keleero keeping his distances was no surprise, he always stayed cautious to the point of acting the prey-animal, but his reaction to Milo's hand was extreme.
"He is an elf," Choice snapped, uncharacteristically forward. "We all look different from each other. But he has a soul name. Only elves have those, don't you try to say otherwise." In a lock-sending, he added: ~**Stay to cook or leave. You are not helping.**~
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Post by Keleero on Jun 10, 2020 21:19:43 GMT 1
Choice's sharp words unbalanced Keleero further. His eyes darted between the newcomer and the shorter elf as he took a step back, readying flight. Two against one, along with two beasts... Not good odds.
Retreating was the wiser option, despite it showing weakness. In a cave or no, there was no way he'd come out unscathed if this turned uglier.
"I'll be working in the Hot Spring Chamber. Send if you need anything," he said, tone forcefully steady and face once more a blank mask. He took flight before any answer was given, darting back down the tunnel to the Sleeping Chamber. He need time to think. And possibly get started on that safety tunnel he'd been planning.
OOC: Keleero out! XD He needs more than several moments to just Deal with all this.
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Post by Milo on Jun 10, 2020 22:00:22 GMT 1
Of course someone had raised him or he wouldn't be here now, died wherever his parents left him. If they had a choice in the matter. “Yes, I mean... no. The... they weren't my kin.” Milo knew he was related to Torik somehow, had heard the whispers between the rotation of people watching over him. Only that the man loathed his very existence, did his best to keep him away from sight. And while none of the humans ever told him of being part elf it was obvious they considered him too different to belong. With some of them not knowing at all, there simply had been no one to tell him about the other ways.
Choice defending him was something new and unexpected, but he had to wonder if he would've done it without knowing his soul name or having experience with humans. Keleero sure had some and given his reaction Milo would do his best to avoid him, make himself as small and invisible as could be. Trying his best not to cry he didn't even notice the glider flying, busy wiping his eyes under the glasses. “But he's right.” he sobbed, dejected. There was no denying either of his heritage, so how would he ever fit in? The confrontation left him shaking and not in a state to explain much.
OOC: Yes, better to keep these two apart for a bit XD
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Post by Choice on Jun 11, 2020 5:52:22 GMT 1
Heart breaking for the young elf before him, Choice barely bothered to acknowledge Keleero as he left. While Choice of all people could understand Keleero's fear of humans, it was still no reason to treat a fellow elf with fear or disgust!
Gently, Choice continued to urge Milo to take a seat by the fire. "There there, cub." Useless words! How to comfort the poor thing? "Why don't I get us some food and find a warm fur for you? Then we can sit by the fire here and talk for a bit."
He encouraged Milo to sit down between Dance and Sneak, as he'd gotten the impression Milo felt comfortable around bonds. Then he quickly found some dried meat and roots - no feast but better than nothing and a good way to get around possible issues with cooking or uncooked food.
"Now," Choice said, reaching to wrap a fur around Milo as promised. "You say you weren't raised by your kin. Were you..." No delicate way to put it. "Was it humans or elves who raised you?" He kept back all his questions about Milo's sire and dame. He'd hopefully build enough trust with the young one to one day ask that, but now was far too soon.
"And, you said Keleero was right about something. What did you mean by that? He barely said anything sensible much less anything that needs remembering."
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Post by Milo on Jun 11, 2020 8:46:06 GMT 1
Having given up on objections for now, he let Choice guide him to the fire. Food he wouldn't really need, but else should he do but sit and talk? This cave didn't seemed big enough to escape each other. And he couldn't just go, knew nothing about surviving on his own, except that he was rather clumsy when it came to navigating the forest. Other humans were just as unlikely to take him in.
Milo wasn't going to touch the wolves without knowing them better, but it was a comfort. They'd not judge. Still he flinched at Choice wrapping a fur around his shoulders, shy to touch as gentle as the gesture was, for they'd not meant well in the past. “Humans.” he replied quietly. “But they didn't raise me, just... kept me around.” There was a subtle difference, had there been no family to care for him, no kind words. “Wouldn't even name me.”
The topic coming back to Keleero had him huddle down, pull the fur tight around his shoulders. “Doesn't has to say anything to know that I don't belong.” The other elf hadn't reacted much different to every human who thought he'd be better off dead or at least far away from them. With his soul name making all the difference, how could they still insist that he shouldn't use it? What other proof did he have, if anyone else reacted that bad?
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Post by Choice on Jun 13, 2020 13:40:46 GMT 1
Choice drew back a bit at the flinch, worried about crowding Milo. While he himself had longed for physical contact of any kind for many years, he did understand that not everyone was comfortable with strangers getting too close to them. Therefore he sat down on the other side of the fire, a safe distance away. The revelation of who'd raised Milo should have sent Choice reeling. But there had been too many revelations already and he instead just felt numb. "Oh." Not even been given a name? No wonder the poor cub had come to share his soul name in such a harmful fashion. He wanted to reassure Milo, comfort him, but had no idea where to start. He could no more imagine what words would be helpful than he could think of a way to speak should one of his old tribe mates have appeared in the room. Thankfully, he had plenty of ideas on what to say about Keleero's behavior. "Keleero does not have the final say on who belongs anywhere," he said, voice full of conviction. "Which is good, because between you and me, I think he's scared of any elf who has other blood than that of the High Ones." He barely bothered lowering his voice. If Keleero had stuck around to eavesdrop he only deserved to hear the criticism. "You're certainly not the only one here who has, eh, clear signs of ancestors who weren't elves. I might not show it much in the way I look, but I share blood with Dance and Sneak, and there are elves here who might surprise you with their appearance." However, he couldn't completely gloss over the issue of...well, humans. "Keleero hasn't spoken much of it, but I suspect he's had encounters with humans that went badly. I've had one of those myself." He said the last part in a rush, not wanting to hide it but also not wanting to dwell on it. "But there are those here, like Jaseio, who've been friends with humans. So I do not think humans are all to be feared, and especially not an elf who happens to share blood with them. I mean, a long leg could hurt others; they are hunters, they have sharp fangs. But that doesn't make all long legs a danger, and it certainly doesn't make elves with long leg-blood dangerous. Do you see what I mean?" |
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Post by Milo on Jun 13, 2020 16:30:40 GMT 1
While on the one hand Milo yearned for contact just as much, the one he'd experienced rarely was positive. Not that he distrusted the other, it was simply hard to get over this all. With his lack of knowledge he expected Choice to already have guessed on who raised him, the consequences of it – a life among elves had never been in his future and Keleeros reaction had him all the more scared about having no other option but staying here.
That humans were neither good nor bad he knew fine, had the deer-elves plenty of stories from encounters going both ways, though from what they told the recent relationship was good. Only it'd been clear that they kept distance, didn't mix, let alone bring children forth. Whoever were his parents must have had a reason. Milo nodded, that one of the only arguments he had too – that if others shared blood with animals there was nothing wrong sharing some with humans either. Not at first glance at least, subtones indicating there was a line that shouldn't be crossed.
No one could answer whether he was elf or human, choice depending much on what one expected to see – with the fur pulled around him and fingers out of sight, height hidden in sitting, it was easier to see the elf. The glasses he took off, tucked him into a pocket. No need for them here in this closed space. Skipping the topic back to something more pleasant he started on a different aspect of his life: “There were elves later, in the past years, that... told me things. In exchange for stories. But they were deer-blooded, not my kin either. Didn't knew where I might've come from and it was a long way from where I'd grown up – no elves around there. Most humans stay away from me too, but it was safer behind the walls for me. The elves... had ways of living in the forest that I can't do. And I wouldn't have been left to go in peace.”
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Post by Choice on Jun 14, 2020 13:47:22 GMT 1
Choice welcomed the change of topic. In his experience, dwelling on sad things would only make them worse. "Deer-blooded you say? That's new to me, but I can't say I'm surprised. The High Ones have chosen many creatures to share with. I guess they chose what would be most helpful where they ended up."
He sat in silence for the next part of Milo's explanation. "Yes, surviving in a forest can be tricky, but it's learnable." He carefully didn't react with curses or overt rage at Milo's treatment, not wanting to scare him. But his life sounded far too close to a shunning for Choice to make peace with. Shunning a child since birth! What madness! Such cruelty! "And no one can stop you from being here," he said with utter conviction. "Many of us who end up here aren't used to living in caves or trees, so you're not alone in that. I for one am used to much warmer weather and I hadn't seen snow until I stepped out of this cave. But I'm learning. We can learn together." The offer was completely sincere. He saw no reason Milo shouldn't be able to survive and thrive in Beacon Call, no more or less than anyone else. "Oh, do you know of snow?"
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Post by Milo on Jun 14, 2020 14:59:13 GMT 1
There had been a time where Milo would've gladly traded in his human part for any other animal, no matter how that might've ended up. But then his life likely would have gone all the worse for it – the way he looked most humans didn't suspect him of being part elf, only took issue at the odder bits. Here, he would need to learn surviving, feared of what might happen otherwise. “I'm trying. Always.” It only never seemed to be enough, people sending him away after less than a day, claiming behind his back how useless he was, leaving him to simple works that needed no teaching. With how little kind words there'd been, Milo couldn't even say what he was good at.
“I know snow – it was in the north of the lands. Cold winters and hot summers, with many a storm between. Always feel when they'll come... but snow wasn't nice. Shows every track and they didn't liked me climbing the towers. The elves didn't understand either, why anyone would like to go away from the ground.” They had been ground-bound as their deer-bonds, little differences making understanding all the harder.
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