|
|
Post by Flint on Jun 12, 2020 11:08:33 GMT 1
Day 17, late evening/night Flint hadn't been able to stick to the cave any longer, explored a bit of the surroundings in the past hours, finding them technical not so different to what he knew, except for the lack of magic. Given this was easier than watching his every step in constant fear of survival, he was sure that it'd work out to adapt. Getting used to a group, now that was different, nothing he'd been able to prepare for. There'd be questions and many a careful observation until a routine would be found. For now he'd gone back out after some food, settling on some stones near the entrance to the cave. While this very much not felt like his home planet, the only way to be sure was to check the stars, compare the constellations to the ones he'd remembered. Track their movement, though that'd take many more nights. Having laid out a leather bit from his backpack he traced the lightest stars on it, constantly comparing it to the sky and using his outstretched hand for measurements.
(OOC: open to anyone for lessons in astronomy, confirmation of "this is not my home" or general questioning why Flint is seemingly trying to high-five the sky)
|
|
|
|
Post by Mahrak on Jun 14, 2020 13:55:31 GMT 1
Mahrak, beaming like a flash of skyfire, came riding on Longsleep, back from a long exploration of the surrounding area and greeting as many elves as he could. What a wonderful mixture of elves there were here! Even if he ended up stuck here for however long, he'd at least definitely reached his goal.
He spotted Flint at a distance and got curious at what he was doing. The stars were very pretty tonight, but Flint seemed to be studying them more than simply stargazing. Most interesting!
"What are you up to?" Mahrak called over, dismounting Longsleep a careful way away from Flint. He'd noticed some elves weren't comfortable around his big tiger friend, and until he knew for sure who feared cats and who didn't, he'd make sure not to rub anyone the wrong way...too much.
|
|
|
|
Post by Flint on Jun 14, 2020 14:17:57 GMT 1
Mahrak riding in on his white-black beast was hard not to notice, though Flint was concentrating too much to initially give him more than a short smile in greeting. “Measuring the sky” he called back, motioning him closer. While he had played dead at the first meeting with this beast, this had been merely due to circumstances, before he registered that he was somewhere different. Anything taking interest in you in his world was by all means a danger somehow.
“Remember what I said about the planets and suns? I'm just... making sure.” Pointing up to the night sky he started explaining: “There sure have been certain groups of stars that you'd see every full turn again in your world too. Think you'd be able to recognize them?” That could at least be an indication of it being Mahraks worlds or close to. “And then I'm noting some of the stars, to compare later how they move. My world, that wouldn't be consistent, the sky different even if it was the same season – I have one group of stars I liked on my back, but it's a summer one, so you wouldn't see it now either way.”
|
|
|
|
Post by Mahrak on Jun 14, 2020 18:08:24 GMT 1
"Huh," Mahrak said, staring up at the stars. They sure were pretty. Pretty and completely foreign to him. "Well, I'm not seeing anything that I recognize. Strange."
He hadn't been able to wrap his mind around the whole ordeal with 'planets' and there being stars who were also suns. That said, he wasn't against trying to learn new things, even if they went over his head at first. "Soooo, you're making a star map?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Flint on Jun 14, 2020 20:53:26 GMT 1
That Mahrak didn't recognize anything was just as fine, not all people spend as much time looking up after all. If it hadn't been important he might've just enjoyed it. “A star map, yes.” He showed what he had so far to the redhead. “But only of the bright ones, there's too many to fit on any map. They move, you know? After some time, they'll vanish below the horizon and only come back up after a full turn. So if you note all the new ones during a whole turn, you have a map that'll always show you what part of the season it is.”
|
|
|
|
Post by Mahrak on Jun 17, 2020 22:36:29 GMT 1
"That at least I know," Mahrak answered in reply to Flint's quick star lesson. "Hadn't thought about using it to tell the seasons though. We mostly told stories about them." He gestured at the sky, neck craned to give himself the best view of lights above. "There was Tiger Mother, protector of the moons. There was the Healer, who makes sure the sun doesn't set the world on fire. And so on."
Chuckling, he added, "All stories, of course, but a good way to remember lessons and tales. Did you have any tales, where you come from?" He honestly hadn't wrapped his mind around the place Flint had described as his home, but he was trying.
|
|
|
|
Post by Flint on Jun 18, 2020 20:33:48 GMT 1
Stories were a fascinating thing, nothing he had heard much, all Ivy told them solid lessons and actual history retelling, twisted by time. There had been mentions, once. What-ifs made up between the brothers. He shook his head at the question. “Who would tell them, if no one was there?” That his world was hard to imagine Flint could understand, willing to patiently explain it again and again. “Ivy left us after just two-eights-and-four turns. What she told us were the important things, the real ones. And with the world as it was it'd be dangerous to know things that weren't real – how would you keep them apart from the dangers? How to be sure that by telling stories, they don't become real?” When there was nature capable of entering your thoughts, you couldn't trust yourself. "But I'd like to hear some of your stories."
|
|
|
|
Post by Mahrak on Jun 18, 2020 22:14:33 GMT 1
One of Mahrak's eyebrow made its way toward his hairline. "Of course the world is dangerous. You gotta learn to tell stories from what's real or you'll start falling for lies, right?" Then his own and Flint's words both caught up with him. "Then again, lies are hardly something to be bothered with if there is no one around to be lied to by. Did you really not know anyone but your mother and brother?" And he'd thought The Far White had been lacking in new company!
He shook his head at the idea of stories becoming real. Flint must have come from a quite mad place! "Made-up things becoming real, huh? I'm learning all manner of things here. 'Humans', magic spoiling like food, elves having all manner of heights and colors. Though I think the idea of elves not having stories is the strangest discovery of all." Seeing as Flint hadn't been flinching at Longsleep's presence, Mahrak beckoned his bond closer, to settle in more comfortably. Standing up to stare at stars wasn't advisable for long if you want to avoid a sore neck the next day. "I'm always glad to share a tale! What would you like to hear? The first hunt of the Tiger Mother? The story of the howling winds? The soulmates who found each other in the stars?"
He leaned back against Longsleep, who happily had settled down in the snow for a quick nap, and shuffled to offer Flint to also rest his back against the warm fur of the tiger, should he wish to.
|
|
|
|
Post by Flint on Jun 18, 2020 22:57:31 GMT 1
Lies – a concept he knew about, but couldn´t wrap his head around. There hadn´t been any in his life, neither told to him nor was he likely to use them. “Not anyone. Nothing else around that you´d recognize as... people.” Echos only, tricks of all sorts, but that always felt distinctive different. “It feels like I´ll never get to know all here right. How would I, when you haven´t always been there?” The whole concept was hard to grasp for someone lacking all socializing.
“I´m sure there were stories. They just got lost when no one was left to tell them. We all learn a lot of new things here...” Packing his things up with practice he went to settle next to Mahrak, his own body giving off heat like a small fire. Curious about all the stories, he settled on the one term unknown to him, asking wide-eyed: “What are soulmates?”
|
|
|
|
Post by Mahrak on Jun 19, 2020 22:22:30 GMT 1
Mahrak let out a whistle to give voice to both his amazement and mounting horror at Flint's admission. "I will admit, that's beyond my ability to imagine. Where I grew up, we'd rarely run into other elves outside of the four gatherings we had each sun-turn, but I still had both my mother, cousin, uncle and aunt about, along with whoever wished to dwell with us for the time." He frowned, petting Longsleep to give him a reason to pause, to think. He finally ended up saying, "Well, getting to know new people can be a little tricky. I don't think we can get to know other people fully, unless we share soul names, and maybe not even then." He let out a nervous laugh. "Not that I'm suggesting we share soul names, High Ones help us! I'm just saying you shouldn't worry about knowing other people 'right'. I don't think there's such a thing."
Longsleep, already purring, deepened his purr as Flint settled down against him, and Mahrak smiled a little wider. Warmth was always welcome. Then his smile faltered for a bit. Not only was the thought of legends and tales being forgotten a painful and eerie one, but- "You don't know about soulmates?!" Shaking his head he angled his body toward Flint, looking him right in the eyes. "I'm sorry, I know your life has been very different from mine, but," he cut himself short, "Ah, I'm rambling. Why would you know, if there was no one to be soulmates with. Do you...all right, how much do you know about soul names and sharing?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Flint on Jun 20, 2020 7:40:07 GMT 1
„We didn't knew it any different.“ They hadn't been unhappy, knowing only each other. How close they were showed in how even now he slipped into 'we' at tales about his own life. Sapling being an extension of his own being was part of the trouble when connecting to new people, nothing quite as intense as sharing a whole life. “I know Sapling that way” he replied quietly, but skipped the topic because it hurt too much.
His question seemed to have found another bit of knowledge he should have, though he wasn't ashamed for any of it, his life having went as it did. Someone looking at him intense like this was unsettling, things that could look back at you usually a danger – Flint shifted ever so slightly to look past Mahrak, more comfortable gazing into space. “Well... nothing.” At least not conscious, having never heard the terms.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mahrak on Jun 21, 2020 0:33:47 GMT 1
"Fair," Mahrak said, still reeling from the conversation's revelations. "I only know my own life and you are the first new elves I've met. Well, after Nightbird, but I fear she got left behind when I came here. I think it will take us all long to get used to all that is different between us." Noticing Flint flinch away from his gaze, Mahrak mimed an exaggerated yawn, stretched, and leaned back to stare up at the stars instead. "With that in mind, I'll start from what I'd tell a young kit, to make sure I don't leave anything out." Not something he'd had to do often, but he tried to recall all one should tell a young elf when it came to the matters of the soul. "So, soul names. Uhm," what did he know about soul names, other than that they were? What had his mother said...? After a brief pause, he continued, "The tales tell that the High Ones, our ancestors, came from the sky. Before they came to dwell in the snow and ice, they traveled the stars and shared everything. But after the accident that stranded them their magics dwindled and they broke apart. To shield their souls from too much knowing, their children and their children's children were born with a secret name." Was that enough details? Well, hopefully Flint would ask questions if he had any. He didn't seem the shy type when it came to learning. "A few know this name from birth, but most must search for it when they're almost grown. It is how I found mine. And we must never share this name with anyone, except those we trust beyond a doubt." He allowed himself a frown up at the sky. "Or through Recognition, of course, though that is not a choice." OOC: I'm having Mahrak tell the 'truths' about soul names and such that are true in his world. Not trying to superimpose any 'rules' on anyone else's elves, just to be clear  |
|
|
|
Post by Flint on Jun 21, 2020 16:09:10 GMT 1
It relaxed him that Mahrak noticed his unease at being stared at and moved away on his own accord – Sapling wouldn't have looked at him like that in first place, but it was reassuring to know that strangers could pick up on it too, without having to phrase it all into words. Being told things as if he was a child was fine by him, even a vague description better than knowing nothing. What he'd do with it was another story, but better to have it.
Flint had no idea where his ancestors had come from, though combining this with what he knew about the suns and planets, he wondered if they too had come from the stars. Why they hadn't gone back there when the war started. Sad to think of all that knowledge lost to time. As for those soulnames, he couldn't imagine shielding anyone from knowledge – but he could very much see it as a protective measurement to the dangerous landscape. There was an inkling of recognition at all this. “Do you think... could anyone find out the soulname of someone else?”
OOC: All fair! Flint is glad for any bit of knowledge
|
|
|
|
Post by Mahrak on Jun 21, 2020 17:17:49 GMT 1
Mahrak 'hmm'ed at Flint's question, frowning up at the stars. "Soul names are your most inner self, so it's not something people would stumble upon even if you're sharing a deep sending. That said..." He didn't want to scare Flint, but being too vague would do no one any favors. "There are legends of elves, terribly cruel elves, who had the ability to listen in on locked sendings, who could eavesdrop on thoughts people shared. That way they could overhear others' soul names and use the names against them."
He straightened his back, reaching to scratch Longsleep between the ears to have an excuse to hid his unsettle expression from Flint. The mere thought of someone stealing a soul name was enough to turn his stomach. "If someone who means you harm finds out your soul name they could do terrible harm to you, so keep it close and secret. But don't worry too much about it. I think the tales are mostly exaggerated, to make sure youths don't share their soul name with the first elf they have a good tumble in the furs with."
"Uhm..." A pause. "Do you know your soul name?" Mahrak allowed himself a glance over his shoulder. "It's perfectly fine if you don't. I didn't know mine until I went on my Search."
|
|
|
|
Post by Flint on Jun 21, 2020 19:50:56 GMT 1
It was good to hear that no one would accidental discover it, though that left him wondering how it'd been with Sapling and him. They had known each others. Harm done and names used against one, now that he knew even without soulnames involved, his world twisting magic into all the wrongs. “You shouldn't tell your name to clever magic either. Only if it's true enough to be stronger than them.” Having dealt with so many horrors on a daily base had him calm in face of most, strategy of survival, the height of natural selection.
What a tumble in the furs was, Flint didn't know, skipped the unknown phrase to reply with a shrug. “Think so. When Ivy left, once we were sure she wouldn't come back, we picked new names for each other. Flint and Sapling. For our magic, so the world would know we had some too, we were part of it, strong enough to stay us. But some later, other names arouse. Just in sending. Not words and they still felt more right. We use them, when we really need each others attention.” Just showed how deep the bond between the twins was, why he'd almost cried upon being separated.
|
|
