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Post by Flint on Jan 23, 2023 0:33:48 GMT 1
Day 37, night time (open to anyone) It was time to wash. Obviously this wasn't the first time he did since arriving here, but before the blizzard he'd stuck to streams he found outside. And the snow inevitable melting on him every time he went outside. But with the blizzard having left them even more snow, ice and cold, that wasn't quite feasible. Especially since he didn't had the best relationship with water in the first place.
With his non-existant sleeping rhythm, this meant searching out the bath in the middle of the night, bringing his backpack along as well – though he hardly ever went anywhere without it. Despite the days of safety and the reassurance from Keleero that the cave was safe it still was odd to be so deep in a mountain. A mountain that at any time would be a death sentence to venture into on his world, especially with the water. So for the moment Flint had simply undressed, sat at the edge of the pool at the lowest end, dangling only his legs in for now and focusing on getting some stain out of his shirt without making any of the existing rips and bad patches worse.
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Post by Badger on Jan 26, 2023 18:09:08 GMT 1
Badger did not spend much of her time inside the mountain, preferring the tree den Juniper had shaped for her — but even the wolfrider maiden had to admit, the caves had one side of them that she appreciated; the hot water. It had taken her a little bit of getting accustomed to, but ever since they had been trapped in an avalanche, the maiden felt like she would never thaw.
Her keen ears heard splashes, so she softly coughed to announce her presence.
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Post by Flint on Jan 26, 2023 23:04:10 GMT 1
Flint had yet to settle on any sleeping space, half the time even ignoring the bowls and simply curling up in a free corner, head on his pack, cloak as blanket. His people had only known nomadic life for many a generation, never able to stay in a spot for more than a day or two. Always returning to the same location still felt odd.
He startled at the cough, instincts trained on survival, needing a moment to settle his heartbeat again. “Ah, hello. Can't sleep?” It was hard keeping track of all those people. There weren't many, but it could get overwhelming if one only ever knew a single other person. Two, if he counted his mother, who'd vanished what felt like ages ago.
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Post by Badger on Jan 29, 2023 18:01:09 GMT 1
Badger took a note of the startled demeanour of the other elf and made a note of making a little more noise for now on… although she was not entirely sure if it was Flint’s way of previous life that made him a bit jumpy. “My sleep schedule is a mess, and I keep feeling cold despite everything.”, she admitted and settled at the edge of the pool with a bowl, rag and a comb. She was maybe a bit of shy to undress in front of the other person, but it would have been more awkward to take a turn now — besides, there was an enigmatic aura around Flint, and the wolfrider had a hopes of shedding some light to the mystery. She did not mention that the sleep schedule was a mess due maybe also because of a certain someone that Badger struggled to keep awake for — No-Sting. Maybe a hot bath would lull her to sleep later — Badger had certainly noticed it relaxed her muscles most definitely. “Your name is pretty unique.”, she then said, even if it was a descriptive name, “was it a common habit in your home place to give descriptive names?” Badger certainly hoped she was not poking a bear with a stick, so to speak, with her question. She only wanted to get to know this elf better.
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Post by Flint on Jan 29, 2023 23:05:41 GMT 1
Certainly not Badgers fault that she startled him. In a world with no people left, coughing certainly was on the list of dangerous sounds and for all he knew the rocks would start talking after, echoing words that hurt to hear spoken. And he was used to having a wholly deeper connection to the only person around – Sapling, his twin. They'd never been able to sneak upon each other.
He smiled a bit at her words. Cold at least was something he didn't really had to worry about. Had even offered to share a sleeping space with anyone who needed it, but that... had been perceived differently than expected. This thing of 'sharing furs' still seemed like a puzzle. “I don't think we ever had a scheduled sleep. Took turns, when tired, when it wasn't too dangerous.” The 'we' of Sapling and him kept sneaking into his speech, having been together all their life. Which was why his cloak, made by his brother, was carefully folded aside, while he sat mostly undressed, trying to fix his other clothes. Shyness was not a feeling they could afford to have in his world, nor a needed one.
At the question he shrugged. “I only knew 4 other names, before we picked ours. Ivy named us Caraway and Yarrow, but that did not fit anymore. Said our father was Jay – but also that he turned into an owl. A black one.” Having never met him, the boys had wondered why he'd not been called Owl, never getting an answer.
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Post by Badger on Feb 7, 2023 16:56:17 GMT 1
Flint was shrouded in mystery, and to Badger it seemed like the shroud was getting thicker the more she talked to him.
“Only four names.”, she quietly repeated and fell in thoughtful silence as she considered what these words meant and MEANT deep down. She began to undress and dipped herself to the pool of hot water, slowly and carefully.
“That must have been terribly lonely.”, she then commented, as she got into a conclusion of Flint not having very many tribemates, or if he had a tribe at all.
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Post by Flint on Feb 7, 2023 18:09:46 GMT 1
For the moment he was simply glad that Badger didn't ask about the other things he mentioned. Like his father turning into an owl. Only sleeping when it was less dangerous – never safe, just a bit less deadly and they had to sleep eventually, right?
He eyed the water, still unsure about getting in with more than his feet. It was safe, by all means he could judge about, but water was not his element. Maybe a bit later. Still had clothes to fix after all. That would take some while, given that he wasn't good at it first place.
“So you keep saying. But we didn't knew anything else. There was only me and Sapling and our mother Ivy, before she vanished.” Flint paused for a moment. “At least we had each other. That's more than many before had.” A miracle Ivy and Jay met at all. And a curse they brought more children into a broken world.
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Post by Badger on Feb 11, 2023 15:53:00 GMT 1
The maiden considered Flint’s words. Well, yes, he was right about the fact that if they did not know of anything else, they would not miss it. She eyed him hesitantly as he seemed to be contemplating of dipping in the water or not.
“The water is fine and warm.”, she urged him, but if he chose not to, that was also fine with her. She dunked herself beneath the surface for a brief heartbeat and then bopped back up.
She wiped her auburn locks off her face and leaned at the edge of the pool. “Just what kind of a world did you live in?”, she decided to ask.
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Post by Flint on Feb 11, 2023 17:11:25 GMT 1
"Yes. But it is still water.“ Not that he could've explained well why this was a problem. It was odd being here, where the environment around him was not dangerous by default. And even the parts that one had to be cautious around weren't magical in nature. At least here he could see the ground, it wasn't going to get much better.
So he put his clothes aside and slipped in, carefully. Gave him an excuse to think a bit on just how to explain his world. “A broken one. The moon got lost. It's moving away from the sun, every night darker, every winter longer. There is magic everywhere and it's alive, changing all around it.” Not somewhere to put children in. “Barely any recognizable animals left. And no people. We wandered all our lives, eights and eights of seasons, with no trace of anyone else.”
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Post by Badger on Feb 18, 2023 18:06:31 GMT 1
Badger brought a hand on her lips as Flint told some things about the world he had lived in. The look in her grey eyes was astonished, to say the least, and she partially felt like he was telling lies — although, why would he lie about something like that. The maiden dipped herself in again, mulling over the things he had told. It sounded like a fever dream to her, but if it was real — why wouldn’t it be? — she now understood Flint’s wariness about everything a little better.
The wolfrider had considered telling more of her own home world, but it sounded now so mundane and ordinary, that she was afraid Flint would think she was making fun of him. Sure, Shadow Woods had not been without the drama, but everything what Badger had faced seemed like a little bird’s dropping compared to what she had been told.
“That’s … a lot.” She then finally said after a considerable silence. “So, uhh, the ordinary and mundane here must feel very different? And coming to think of it, it CAN change into something extraordinary and weird.”
So far there had not been much worries. Snow fell down like it used to. Winds blew like they used to. Animals seemed familiar enough. But what if they were being lulled in a fake sense of security.
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Post by Flint on Feb 19, 2023 11:27:21 GMT 1
She'd find that lying was not something Flint did, ever. There were no people, no reason for it and you could hardly argue with a rock or a plant. The normality of living in a society was entirely lost on him, having him appear a bit blunt at times. Like when Choice was aghast that he didn't expect to be rescued himself, but to make it or die. It seemed to be a lot for everyone, had yet any of the elves to react with anything but some shock. “To us, it was ordinary. We lived. We survived. What else would've there been to do?” Too early for despair and giving up, too late to change the world. “It's different. I expect something to happen, but it doesn't.”
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Post by Badger on Mar 28, 2023 16:28:44 GMT 1
To expect something to happen, while it might not happen. Badger made a face at the feeling she knew too well herself; to be on their toes and on edge, trying to sense every little crick and crack and snap around in the surroundings… Just waiting and waiting, nerves fraying until one … snapped.
She gave a wary look at Flint; he had seemed rather calm and collected so far, unlike Keleero, who seemingly was spooked by his own shadows, and little drips of water or a leaf. Or so the wolfrider had taken it, so far.
“Do you ever… get to relax?”, she asked, a bit hesitant. Well, bathing and washing WAS relaxing time for her, “I don’t know, could I comb your hair or …?” She wanted to help, just did not know how.
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Post by Flint on Mar 28, 2023 23:33:06 GMT 1
It was easy to stay calm when any misstep meant death. The ones to snap under too much pressure, to make hasty decisions, to fall for instincts born out of fear, had long since succumbed to the hostile lands of his world. What little people left were a hardy bunch, wary but hard to startle. But then the danger had come from the lands itself, so he knew not how to fear other people.
And of course there was his magic feeling, that deep ingrained sense warning him of hostile magic with just enough time to react and avoid it. He did not know how to explain that well, only knew that the lack of magic around here had him feel almost numb, learning to rely more on other senses. Still, being jumpy for no good reason would've not made anything better.
“This – everything – is the most peace I had in as long as I can remember.” Frankly, he had yet to get used to living with that. If all you knew in life was danger it was jarring to suddenly lack it. His home hadn't allowed them to relax, to have interests that didn't aid in survival, to have moments of being carefree. Reaching up, Flint realized that no one else had cared for his hair since he'd been a child, too young to do it himself. “Yes. That would be... nice, I think.” He smiled fleetingly, only removed the ribbon with beads he used to keep the unruly waves of hair away from his face, so Badger wouldn't have to worry about tangling them.
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Post by Badger on May 21, 2023 6:28:54 GMT 1
Badger had almost partially expected Flint to decline the offer -- they were basically strangers, anyway. But then again, it seemed like they were strangers stuck in a foreign place, might as well try and get to know each other; then it would be easier to rely and trust each other, if something was to happen. Just like it had been a while for Flint to have someone take care of his hair, it had been a while for Badger to groom anyone's locks. Her thoughts briefly touched No-Sting again, as she reached for the comb she had brought with her. Idly, Badger pondered if the tuft-eared maiden would have allowed her to comb her hair... A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, as she settled to work on Flint's hair, very very tenderly and carefully. "This world does not seem too different from where I am from. Trees are maybe a little different, spikier... Terrain is more rocky.", she said, mainly to fill the silence with something -- and maybe to concentrate on the Now, instead of No-Sting, and combing her hair. "My world had leafier trees, a plenty of shadow, while ... here it is different."
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Post by Flint on May 21, 2023 15:24:03 GMT 1
For all there were plenty of things to be wary of in his home, elves had not be among them. At least not as long as they behaved normally, magic not taking over. There just hadn't been anyone else to interact with, to get to know, so it still was an unknown for him. Plenty of learning was to be had in that regard.
Either way Flint had no reason to be distrustful with someone being close, in his back, touching him. But it was no surprise, there was no reason to be tense or on edge. Sitting with a pretense of calm he could do, let Badger work on his hair. Having kept reasonable care of it, there wouldn't be any bad tangles or dirt – just nice to have someone else do it.
“Better that it's not like my world. But... there still are trees. Still rocks. Still water. Just not alive with magic.” The same in looks and yet entirely different. “Not as dark, here. Warmer too.” Albeit cold was something he rarely had to worry about. And the nights in his homeland still had stars, other things glowing on their own.
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