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Post by Nightbird on Oct 30, 2023 22:09:32 GMT 1
OOC: I'm also sorry for the delay, this time if year is hectic
IC: Nightbird listened, baffled. She'd also not heard of people using someone's soul name to hurt someone else before, her tribe had always been so close to one another. Even when someone was hurt, they would never dream of that. It sounded so cruel.
~**Mine don't do that, no,**~ she replied to her friend. ~**That's horrifying.**~
Her mind voice was grim, as her stomach churned at the thought, her soul name sitting deep in the core of her mind. Would she feel safe sharing that deeper part of her with someone now, know what could be done with it if they harbored some small, cruel part of themselves?
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Post by Sunset on Oct 30, 2023 22:24:58 GMT 1
The small elf brushed off Keleero's detached, almost frosty response; it was normal for him, and he wasn't the first elf she'd met that did that when he felt scared or threatened. The horror and confusion at the thought of the misuse of a soul name set her mouth in a grim line; Sunset had watched it happen to people she cared about, she knew the type of cruelty that could be born from hurt. "I've seen it myself, too," she spoke softly. "Although never for power. From hurt elves who felt the need to hurt back. Which is no better, mind. But for different reasons." Noticing Flint seeming to go quiet, closed off, she locksent to the elf who had helped save her, ~**Are you all right?**~ Her mind voice of a soft brush like sunwarmed fur, noninvasive, just full of concern. |
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Post by Reefshadow on Oct 31, 2023 2:54:35 GMT 1
The sea elf listened quietly with interest, his own discomfort at the idea of using a soul name to hurt someone carefully hidden with years of practice. Reefshadow didn't like the idea, at all, and he'd never experienced it, but his tribe rarely interacted with outsiders, so it wasn't that surprising.
At FarSight's question, his ears all but perked with curiosity. Did the spotted one have a soul name? Crispin was apparently...well, Crispin, but it didn't hit him the way he imagined a soul name would. It felt more real, more like her, in the same way that his father's name had felt more real, and apparently some of these...Go-Backs, Eryk's people, didn't have some. But he'd never heard of animal blooded elves not having them.
Rolling to his side, he propped himself on an elbow, looking at the cat elf. She was clearly uncomfortable with the scrutiny, and struggling to communicate with words. "So they do on purpose what Recognition does for us?"
His question was meant to try to help her clarify whatever it was she was struggling to convey, but then she turned her crystal blue eyes on him and something in him swelled.
He was suddenly overtaken with the sensation that was this strange elf beyond the name none of them could pronounce, seeing her for her true self, and his eyes widened. His mouth fell open in a small 'oh' of complete bafflement, mind swimming with an overwhelming sense of knowing.
~**Yuki?**~ His confused locksend to her brushed against a wall, and then through it, like pushing against a layer of ice before plunging into frigid water. It was a shock to his entire system like he'd never felt, and he couldn't help but stare at her, everything else melting away from the edges of his awareness.
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Post by SL2657F on Oct 31, 2023 6:02:56 GMT 1
SL2657F was glancing back and forth between those speaking, trying to understand. The words were coming at her so fast and Milo was doing his best to translate for her. Then the strange sea-elf spoke and she turned to glance at him. Reading lips, expressions, and hearing the words was how she learned the language. She tensed, feeling a pressure in her mind. She flinched and looked down for a moment, bringing one hand to her temple as if she were getting a headache. Then her eyes snapped open wide, mouth hanging agape.
A voice echoed through her mind, the first she'd ever heard as far as she knew. She scrambled back away from the group, keeping her gaze down and away, a hand coming up as if to hold some threat at bay. "<No... No don't... Don't do that... How... No..>" Her other hand still held at her temple as she fought for control, to block out any further voices. What was this 'Dural' that kept echoing in her mind!? She wanted to look at the sea-elf, no, Dural. He was Dural. But he knew her. He -knew- her! How!? How did he know!? What kind of trick was this!?
"<Stay away from me...>" She said to no one in particular. Everyone, really. Did Milo know this would happen? He was in on this... It is a test. Why else have a human hybrid here? He was a failed experiment, no doubt! She felt a pang of guilt at the thought. Milo had been nothing but kind to her. But maybe that was to lure her into a false sense of security?
Tambri turned from Eryk at the sudden movement, eyes widening as the spotted elf began to get agitated. She tilted her head, glancing first at the spotted elf, then over at the sea elf, before looking back to the spotted elf. "What...?" She said it softly. So softly perhaps only Eryk would hear. From the angle she was standing, she couldn't see Reefshadow's expression.
"Calm down, Spotfur..." She knew some human words but she didn't understand the panic. "No one is going to hurt you..." She slowly began to approach, glancing at Milo for help. He seemed to keep her calm. She saw FarSight stand, startled by the sudden panicked movements, but he otherwise was staying where he had been sitting.
"Spotfur, there's no one here but us..."
Shaking her head, SL2657F tried to back farther away from the approaching elf. "<STAY AWAY!>" She began to glance around, desperate for an escape. This was a trick! She had suspected it since she first arrived, and they managed to whittle down her conviction, but she wouldn't be caught in this trap! "<Keep him away from me!>" She waved her hand vaguely at Reefshadow.
Tambri turned her gaze back to Reefshadow, seeing his shocked expression, attributing it to the cat-elf's behavior. **What did you do? You didn't say something, did you?** She was trying to figure out what had just happened. Tambri stood where she was, respecting the other's wish to not have her approach. "Tell us what happened...?"
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Post by Choice on Feb 11, 2024 16:14:13 GMT 1
Choice let out a small, hurt sound, like he'd fallen on his back and gotten all the air knocked out of his lungs. To be this lucky not only once, but twice, and yet… He met Crispin 's gentle eyes and let tears flow freely from his own. He understood far too well how her soul name hadn't been fully revealed to him until that moment, her soul. It was just as with Nettle and yet completely new, and it was beautiful and terrifying. Because things had not ended well for his first Recognized. "I-" Words failed him. ~**I am so sorry. I am awfully bad luck.**~ He meant to say more, but that's when SL2657F began shouting at people. Startled, Choice turned to simply stare, rendered mute by the rush of emotions and impressions washing over him. |
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Post by Mahrak on Feb 11, 2024 16:14:49 GMT 1
~**Beyond glad to hear that,**~ Mahrak replied to Nightbird confirming her people had no habit of using their soul names against each other. He shuddered again at the thought. ~**My people have horror tales of it, but I never imagined there was any truth to them! More fool me, I suppose.**~ Mahrak happily welcomed Flint to his side, leaving room for him to lean against Longsleep should he wish to. ~**It does get quite loud here, yes.**~ he lock-sent in reply, with both humor and sympathy. ~**Makes me feel right at home. But you know me, I'm a hopeless loudmouth. Did you say the wind-**~ Crispin and Choice caught his eye then, briefly frozen while staring into each other's eyes. He frowned thoughtfully. Surely not! Right now? No, that would be the height of irony, surely he was overthinking things. But he had no more attention to spare for that, because then Esseltu was up and about, shouting something in the human tongue. Quickly sweeping his eye over that part of the gathering, he noted the people around the spotfurred elf and who she seemed to be gesturing at the most aggressively. **You didn't offer her your soul name, did you?** he sent toward Reefshadow , leaving his sending open for all who could hear, hoping the lame joke would lighten the mood a bit. |
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Post by No-Sting on Feb 11, 2024 16:16:18 GMT 1
"You said it," No-Sting agreed with Badger . "Pure madness. What in the world would drive anyone to-" With her focus on Badger and on the question FarSight just had asked of Esseltu, she failed to not the quite exchange between Crispin and Choice, but Esseltu's outburst was impossible to miss. No-Sting's hand automatically went to her belt and her dagger, though she had no intention of drawing it against another elf. "What is it? What's happened?" Her thoughts dared to adders, to small creatures with venom, and she scanned the ground for possible darting shadows. Healers usually needed the venom that hurt you to fix an antidote. She wasn't used to having magical healers about yet - likely never would be - so all her focus when to finding the source of possible harm. Swift-Wind, who'd been about to ask Tambri follow-up questions to the devastating news that she'd known of multiple elves willing to use a soul name to do harm, froze with the question on the tip of her tongue, and could only stare. |
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Post by Keleero on Feb 11, 2024 16:17:18 GMT 1
Crispin's easy sympathy for what he'd been through rankled Keleero. He told himself he had no use for sympathy. Sympathy saved no one, didn't bring people back to life or take away the memory of pain, the knowledge that it would come for you again. In his experience, sympathy was the way others told you 'I'm glad it's you and not me'.
He stewed for a bit, turning Crispin's words over in his mind, trying to think up a retort that would be suitably snide without being childish.
He couldn't think of one before the shouting started. What in the world?
His first instinct was to retreat deeper into the caves, but he fought against it. He'd never survive out here without allies and running blindly from danger would only get you killed last. Thus, he hovered closer to the tunnel exit, rounding the wind-breaker walls he'd shaped, so he could take in the gathering with his eyes for the first time since they'd all assembled there.
Nothing he saw out there made the danger any clearer.
**What is happening? Are we under attack?**
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Post by Badger on Feb 12, 2024 13:57:38 GMT 1
It was not very easy to follow the discussion with mix of languages, but Badger tried to figure out how the sayyanteest made people. Maybe Esseltu's kind were made in a bowl, like a mix of colours and then ... Badger frowned lightly -- it seemed very unnatural and weird way to approach... Also it did not seem at all fun like the ways she knew of how to make children. There was a light shake of the head from her, but then the spotted cat-elf started to shriek, and Badger backed away in surprise. People were reacting like under an attack, but there was no threat in sight. Unless... **I can't scent anything unusual!**, she sent to the questions of if there was an attack, but the scents of shock and fear and ... uh, something else ... wafted from certain elves. She had not faced it before, so she was not aware what was happening, other than a lot of shouting and accusing. ~*~ Juniper remained calm as people started to shout and then shout back and react to the shouts. "Oh owl pellets, here we go again.", he muttered under his breath, knowing the signs from his own experience. Did he maybe feel the sting of jealousy that he had not been granted another chance for a do over? Perhaps, but then again, at least he was not feeling sickly anymore. Not since Greywing had gone. But... The treeshaper did feel guilt of how he had treated the little elf, not smoothing any wrongs and keeping his distance to her... Juniper aimed to squeeze Keleero's shoulder and sent, **No attack of the traditional kind. High Ones play us like a flute, it seems.** ~*~ Eryk bounced up at the shouts, and raised his ax, ready to attack anyone who would ... but then ... there was ... no attack to counterattack... Juniper's words in speech and sending made the go-back raise his eyebrows at the folks now shouting at each other and accusing each other of whatever and something he did not understand. |
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Post by Milo on Feb 13, 2024 21:11:00 GMT 1
Milo did his best to translate for Spotfur, in both directions, so she could be part of this. The topics were just not getting any easier – he could fill in the words her speech missed, but not explain the concepts to the others, as they were unknown to even him.
Over that, he missed what went down between Crispin and Choice, until the latter let out a concerning noise. But he'd only looked over, started to ask what was wrong – why was Choice crying? - when Spotfur started getting upset. More so than any time before.
It had him freeze up. The youth was scared of confrontation and had no idea how to handle this. After all he had no weapons or any sort of skill fighting, his perceived clumsiness not helping. At best he could keep speaking to her. “<No one means you harm. What is wrong?>” Puzzled him just as much why this sudden shift in her mood happened.
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Post by Flint on Feb 13, 2024 21:11:18 GMT 1
It wasn't that Flint had given up entirely on the conversation, but it was all he could do to listen to everyone talking. Try and keep the thread of what was going on, remembering all his questions for another time. Surprised him a bit someone noticed. ~**Nothing's wrong. Only too many people talking all at once.**~ he replied to Sunset.
Mahrak was a welcome rock in the chaos, though he never got to reply, not with the cat-elf suddenly getting loud. He couldn't understand what was being said, mostly baffled, since his instinct told him nothing was wrong. Nothing magical at least, but what other problem could there be? Best to leave that to someone who knew more about living among people.
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Post by Crispin on Feb 13, 2024 21:11:35 GMT 1
Oh, poor Choice! They had to find a quiet, private spot after this to talk. About past experiences and expectations, fears and hopes. ~**There is nothing to be sorry about**~ she reassured him. Even before knowing his soul name, she had seen him as a kind person. Someone who would make a good father, with how he cared for their youngest already.
But her duties as a healer would come first in many situations. She could not communicate clearly with Spotfur, lacking a voice, but she got up to move closer, should her abilities be needed. And purposely walking past Choice, to brush a hand over his shoulder.
**Perhaps not by choice...** she added to Mahraks joke. Life had a way of doing such things, clustering events together.
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Post by SL2657F on Feb 14, 2024 2:00:16 GMT 1
Spotfur had her hands up over her ears, curling away from everyone as they began to approach. "<Stop! STOP!"> She was visibly shaking. While there was a chill to the air, it wasn't cold. The little lights on the back of her neck shifted, the green changing to a yellowish green color, a result of the panic she was feeling. She seemed to even be shying away from Milo.
She muttered quietly "<How?>" before she lashed out to push Tambri away as the elfess got closer. The others began to close in as well, in hopes of trying to find out what was wrong, but there were no physical signs of injury or illness, only the obvious panic.
Tambri glanced back to Reefshadow then over to Choice and Crispin and her eyes widened. "No... no?" She then sent openly, **Reefshadow, did you send to her...?** She blinked for a moment when the cat-elf let out another cry and turned to look at her. Her send... wasn't blocked... "Stop sending... It's making it worse for her..." She glanced around, confusion on her face. "Has anyone ever been able to reach her through send? I've always hit a wall... She said something about it... about how they couldn't?"
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Post by Choice on Feb 19, 2024 23:25:13 GMT 1
The reassuring sending from Crispin did help ease Choice's initial panic, but he didn't have the presence of mind to catch on to the hints of what had happened around them. "W-what's wrong?" he asked, to no one in particular. Seeing that Spotfur wasn't comfortable with people sending to her (could she suddenly send now??), he instead reached out to Reefshadow - without words, just trying to establish a sending connection to get a read on how bad the situation actually was. Instinctively he physically reached out for Milo , doing his best to shield the much taller elf with his body. Whatever had gone wrong, however distracted he was by Crispin, Choice didn't want Milo to come to harm. |
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Post by Mahrak on Feb 19, 2024 23:34:39 GMT 1
Mahrak startled at Crispin's addition to his joke, then let out an impressed whistle. "Speak of skyfire and you'll get struck," he muttered, mostly to himself. "Seems Esseltu and Reefshadow might be giving us a practical demonstration of all this Recognition talk." He smiled at Nightbird and Flint , tried to keep his tone light, but he couldn't help feeling uneasy. Esseltu was not taking this well. He was almost grateful when Tambri took charge and asked a very relevant question. "No, I've never been able to send to her either. Do you think...?"
Well, if something could help an elf learn to send, wouldn't it be something as powerful as Recognition? |
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