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Post by Choice on Jul 18, 2024 12:43:08 GMT 1
Choice did his best to sort through the whirlwind of impressions and panicked (and not so panicked) words and sendings. Milo taking his hand and squeezing it steadied him, giving him one firm point to focus on. Then Reefshadow accepted his send-connection and made the situation at once both clearer and far more complicated. "Oh my," Choice said out loud, unsure how to feel or what to say. Well, other than sending back understanding to Reefshadow, along with an image of Crispin's eyes, of what Choice felt for her in that moment and how it surely echoed what Reefshadow felt for Esseltu, at least in part. Esseltu looked...well, not well was a bit of an understatement. Was the Recognition hurting her, somehow? No, surely not! Recognition was a wonderful, loving thing. Wasn't it? To ground himself, Choice first locksent ~**Could Recognition hurt?**~ to Crispin - mostly for his own peace of mind - and then locksent to Milo: ~**What did she say?**~ Even though he'd made a few attempts, learning the human language Milo spoke hadn't come the least naturally to Choice, so he still had no way of truly following a human-word conversation without translation. When Tambri and FarSight started asking questions about Esseltu's light, Choice scrambled to remember what knowledge Esseltu had shared of it, but came up nearly blank in the moment. "I think, eh, I think it has something to do with her health? But I'm not sure how. It can change color." |
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Post by Mahrak on Jul 18, 2024 13:08:35 GMT 1
~**Not in my experience,~**~ Mahrak locksent back to Nightbird while doing his best not to laugh out loud. This whole situation was just too absurd for words. ~**Though there has been Recognitions before this one, not that long ago. Maybe because we're so few and so different from each other? Recognition used to be far more common among my people during the High Ones' time, or so the stories tell.**~ Disappointment stung him as Flint got up to go after Keleero. He hadn't been prepared for this sudden, if mild sense of loss. Strange. He'd have to think on that later. And definitely not act on it before he'd had time to think things through. When Juniper made his general comment about the gathering likely breaking up, Mahrak was quick to add, "Yes, I do believe some of us soon will have other pressing things to do rather than sitting down and talking. Not everyone wants an audience for that. Shall we?" The last two words he directed toward Nightbird. He'd stay if she wanted to, but it seemed the situation with Esseltu and Reefshadow would best be handled by clearing them some space. |
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Post by No-Sting on Jul 18, 2024 13:24:43 GMT 1
~**Yes, this is all kinds of madness,**~ No-Sting sent back to Badger with a mixture of amusement and concern. Esseltu didn't seem to be doing too well. ~**Do you think we should help? Leave them alone?**~ People were starting to leave for one reason or another, but No-Sting wasn't too comfortable just walking away from a moment of such clear distress. She couldn't claim to understand Esseltu, but knowing her for more than a moonturn by now had given her some idea of how rough the spotfurred elf's life had been before coming here. How little she seemed to know of elven life and what most others here seemed to find natural and normal. There were differences between all of them, absolutely, but there were elves like Esseltu and Milo who'd had very different lives before the beacon snatched them up. "I'll go see if I can find our preserver," No-Sting found herself saying when Tambri asked for Shinefind to aid extra in translating for Esseltu, automatically grasping for something to do to help. She gave Badger an apologetic, half-embarrassed smile a heartbeat later, seeing as she hadn't wait for a reply to her sending before blurting that out. ~**Sorry! Want to come with me on a bug hunt?**~ |
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Post by Milo on Jul 19, 2024 21:21:46 GMT 1
The meeting surely was over, for good or bad. Some retreating, some choosing not to deal with this chaos. For a moment he was scared to be left alone to sort this out, when he barely had an idea how to. But one problem at a time. Crispin was there, for all she kept quiet to not upset Spotfur further. Choice had his back.
“<That's alright. You can learn and you don't have to right away.>” he reassured her. Understanding, because once upon a time sending had to been nothing but shouting into a void, unaware others could hear, that it was different to merely thinking. “She doesn't know how to send, even if she'd want to” was Milos attempt to explain the others what was going on.
“<Do you want to have some alone time with him?>” Pointing at Reefshadow. “<To figure things out? The little bug can help translate.>” Not a conversation he necessarily wanted to partake in, that would only be awkward.
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Post by Crispin on Jul 19, 2024 21:25:53 GMT 1
~**Not Recognition itself**~ she told Choice - at least not to her long life of experiencing it. ~**But rejecting it might**~ Which she highly suspected was what was happening here, but this was also a pain that little could be done against. The two would need to figure that out between themselves, least the beacon interferred. But even if she wanted to do her own exploring with dear Choice, she was a healer first, would stay until it was clear there was no more immediate need for help.
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Post by Reefshadow on Jul 19, 2024 22:29:45 GMT 1
Feeling Choice's reassurance and understanding only did so much to ease his fear, his worry - he was unsure how much of it was even his and how much of it was hers. Her lack of understanding sending, that barrier fully destroyed at least to him, made the jumble of feelings so hard to sort.
Deep in that part of him that knew her, knew something was wrong. Beyond her fear and not understanding what was happening to her, he could feel that her fear came from...somewhere. She wasn't scared of him: she was scared of what would happen if she let this happen.
That was as far as Reefshadow could determine before people started talking. Tambri, telling him that she didn't know how to send back. And then she mentioned the box. He didn't know much about it or how it worked except that it had been on her since she'd arrived. But it was changing colors and he could see her touching it, briefly, and something in the bottom of his stomach understood but he didn't know how to put words to it.
Moving slowly, not wanting to startle her, he reached his hands out to her, a wordless offer of contact accompanied by a send of feelings: desire, want to comfort her, to protect her, to simply understand her better. His eyes seeking hers, wanting to understand. Trying to show her with his own mind how to share, mind to mind. ~**How do I help?**~
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Post by Nightbird on Jul 19, 2024 22:35:34 GMT 1
She glanced at Mahrak and had rolled to her feet before he'd even finished his questions. "Oh, High Ones help me, yes."
Nightbird had seen her fair share of Recognitions before she'd left and she did not want to be around when it snowballed into the inevitable. She didn't know any of these elves well enough to stick around for that intimate moment.
"C'mon, Lazybones, let's give them some space," she nudged the large old wolf with her foot and he grunted at her, dragging himself to his feet. "Lead the way!"
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Post by SL2657F on Jul 20, 2024 8:44:46 GMT 1
SL2657F flinched at the locksend from Reefshadow, her eyes closed tight. She was waiting... for something. His mind voice was gentle. He didn't want to hurt her and she could tell that. She didn't understand how she knew he was concerned. She didn't know how to reply to him, but Milo saying she'd learn wasn't very reassuring to her. Having that wall up, that mental block she learned when she was very young was safe for her. It kept her alive. She knew what recognition was, what it meant. She knew what was expected to happen, and she wasn't afraid of that. She had a few romps in the bunks before. It wasn't forbidden but without recognition, there wasn't much risk.
"<I...I can't...>" She wasn't sure what to say. How to say it. She glanced up slightly at Reefshadow. It was sort of out of the corner of her eyes as she was still curled in on herself, hugging her knees tightly against her chest. She had never felt this much fear. If she wasn't on the verge of screaming, she might have laughed at the irony that she was terrified of feeling a poisoned needle pricking the back of her neck, but yet longed for the mind control serum... It was easy to not be afraid when you weren't allowed to feel anything.
Tambri glanced at Reefshadow, then back to Milo. "What does it mean, though? Do we need a healer? Is she hurt?" She reached out to touch the box with her fingers, to see if it was warm or perhaps hurting her. "It's.. attached to her neck... Like it's coming out of her skin." She stepped back when her hand was suddenly swatted away by the spot-furred elf.
"<No!>" Her eyes were wide as she tried to pull herself farther from Tambri. "<No touching...>" She began to understand that Tambri had some understanding of the Human language. She was still visibly shaking. "<It... If...>" How do you explain this in... primitive... terms? "<It... If you touch... It... poison...>" She glanced back at Reefshadow and shook her head. "<I...> I... no..." She switched to try to tell him that she couldn't let him be close. She couldn't. She would not allow herself to bring a child into her world... But if this wasn't her world... She still had the collar... and that poison lurking... If it ever failed... lost power... got damaged... How could she tell him that? Tell him what it would cost if they... accepted... this... Can she even reject it?
FarSight frowned, standing, looking completely helpless. He looked over to Reefshadow and shook his head, not saying anything. What could he say? He had no idea what the words were that were being said. He understood a few human words, but in this case, he understood 'I' and 'no' and 'you.' None of which gave him any idea what was happening with her. Aside from the obvious.
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Post by Badger on Jul 20, 2024 15:25:44 GMT 1
Badger was feeling like she was being pulled in two different directions at once. She wanted to help Esseltu with whatever there was in the air and the contraption on her neck, but then again... There was the obvious language barrier, and lack of understanding of the things with Esseltu. Getting the Preserver might be more helpful for them to do, and then maybe get some sense from this. Badger got up from her seat, and considered the options. Finding the bug would certainly allow the affected elves more space to breathe. And then No-Sting announced the idea of going looking for the bug, just as the wolfrider maiden had made her decision to go look for it, too. She nodded to the suggestion, and even took No-Sting's hand without even thinking about it too much. |
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Post by Choice on Jul 21, 2024 9:37:23 GMT 1
Refusing the call of Recognition wasn't completely unheard of for Choice, but to him that was a thing that happened in the histories, not the here and now. Thus Crispin bringing it up as a possibility shook him to his core. At first the thought seemed pure madness, but was it truly? He glanced at Crispin, leaned into the pull toward her that grew stronger and stronger by the heartbeat, and then back to Esseltu, curled up on the ground as if waiting for the sky to come falling down. That strange light box... what had she said it could do, now again? Choice cursed his poor memory for new things. Esseltu had tried to explain what it was, over and over again during her time here, just as she'd tried to explain where she was from and what she feared, and yet he hadn't memorized even half of what she'd said, through both translation and her own slowly growing hoarding of elfin words. It was just too strange to grasp. But he had to try. "If I've understood right, that box on her neck is a weapon, put there by humans. I-it might be magic." The thought of humans with magic chilled him to the bone. "And if she tries to take it off she can...die? Or if she-, High Ones, I'm sorry, this is far beyond me." ~**I'm not sure if it can be removed,**~ he locksent to Crispin, not wanting to bring the subject up with everyone present until at least one other person had voiced their thoughts on the light box (preferably Esseltu herself, in more words than the few she'd managed to get out). ~**But I think it can kill her. Maybe it can kill Reefshadow too now? Maybe that's why she's keeping away from him?**~ He tried to send both Reefshadow and Milo support and strength, despite his own insecurities. Reefshadow was connected to Esseltu now, in a way that couldn't be easily broken even should either of them wish it, and Milo was their one source of translation, at least until Shinefind joined the gathering. All Choice could do was try and support them, and Esseltu, through whatever was happening here. |
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Post by Mahrak on Jul 21, 2024 9:38:51 GMT 1
With a, "Good luck to you all and let us know if we can bring you anything helpful!", Mahrak waved at the people left at the gathering place and got Longsleep up from his half-doze. He led Nightbird away into the woods, following the mountain side. ~**Up for a hunt? Maybe fishing?**~ he locksent to her, trying to distract himself from the turmoil of emotions all around them. Staying to spectate wouldn't make things better for anyone.
OOC to Skye: Do you want to start a new thread with these two or have the thread finish for them here? Either works for me! |
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Post by No-Sting on Jul 21, 2024 9:41:09 GMT 1
No-Sting sent a locksending at Milo with a quick, ~**Keep up the good work, kit!**~ to show she wasn't criticizing his translation with her search for Shinefind. It just seemed a lot of responsibility to put on a half-grown cub. She could have purred at the easy way Badger just took her hand, but stopped herself. With the situation what it was her going about sounding all pleased could be taken in so many wrong ways. "I think I saw Shinefind fly off toward those magpie nests," she said instead of purring, talking to both her sister and Badger, "but it might also be over by the brook it likes to play in. Why don't you go to the brook, sister, and Badger and I will search by the magpies?" Swift-Wind gave a curt nod, still clearly distracted by Esseltu's curled up form, but she left for her own search without protest. OOC to Mia: Want to start a thread with Badger and No-Sting, or shall we just waited a turn or two of this thread, and then have them come back in with Shinefind? |
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Post by Milo on Jul 21, 2024 16:35:20 GMT 1
Since Milo hadn't been around yet when Spotfur arrived, he knew little about the box on her neck, had figured it was decorative or maybe helpful like his glasses. “It's... dangerous? If others touch it?” he tried to paraphrase for the others, a bit at a loss of what to do. “<What is wrong?>” But maybe she was just to upset to explain properly, the kid looking a bit helpless to the other adults around. Of course he'd keep trying to translate, just this situation didn't seem like one where words really helped.
He'd just send Choice and No-Sting a sense of being alright. Not hurt or upset, only trying to help as much as possible.
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Post by Crispin on Jul 21, 2024 16:35:34 GMT 1
When Choice appeared upset about her information, she stepped closer to him, putting a hand into his for a moment. She had no intention of doing this to him or even of having this be a one-time only moment, meant only to raise a cub. They only needed time to get to know each other, to figure out how to go about this. Which she had every intention of doing as soon as there wasn't someone potentially in need of her healing abilities.
~**That is not something I can judge from afar, I'm afraid.**~ Perhaps the poor girl was more upset about breaking a bond of Recognition by dying from some outer source, about hurting a mate so. Hard to tell. To Reefshadow she send ~**I will not send to her if that is upsetting, but please let her know I am there to give any aid possible**~
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Post by SL2657F on Jul 21, 2024 19:11:42 GMT 1
SL2657F tried to keep her voice from sounding too panicked. She felt so open and vulnerable. She had never felt like this before, and it was all because of recognition! Milo's voice caught her attention. What is wrong? What a silly thing to ask! Everything! Everything is wrong! How could she put into words exactly what was going through her mind? Words he would understand... But then if any of them were in on some trick, she'd be dead... Mind racing through all of the possibilities, she took a deep, quivering breath.
"<The box... it... There are needles... One will poison...>"
She needed to get the collar removed. Her fingers reached up and touched the collar again. She never gave it much thought before, but she really did hate wearing it. She was just a series of letters and numbers to the humans... Here, she was Spotfur... Esseltu... and now, to Reefshadow she was Yuki. They had given her a name. Even if it was just a part of the designation, or just her fur pattern.
"<It will kill me... if it is taken off.>" She glanced up at Reefshadow, the fur around her eyes damp from the tears stemming from both panic and the pain of her reality. "<I can't...> I... can't..." She couldn't let him get close... She didn't know what that would do to either of them or mean. She'd never heard of recognition being rejected, but then no one talked about it. The only ones she'd seen had happened publicly enough that they couldn't have hidden it from the Humans. Had it happened in private, it would have still been discovered when the female became pregnant. Her fingers dropped from her collar and her gaze went back to her knees. "<I can't stay.>" She had no idea where she would go... but being this close made her want to reach out to Reefshadow with each passing moment. She had never felt this kind of longing and it was terrifying in its own right. She might have even said it was worse than the serums.
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