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 Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 10:39 am
 Wild Cry was on a very specific mission today. He had been hearing about kimeti who knew the effects of certain plants on the body. His mother, he knew, was constantly indulging in such treats. But while she indulged, he tended to avoid - for if they dulled the senses so much, how could he keep track of the stories? It just didn't make sense in his mind. But today, he was looking for something else. He had heard of a doe named Squirrel Hoard who liked to see the effects of certain toxic plants - maybe not to intoxicate, but maybe it was. Wild Cry wanted to find out, for he would have need to ensure he didn't accidentally eat the wrong thing. The last thing he needed was to eat something that caused him to forget one of his precious stories. So all of that lead to this moment: traipsing around around, looking for a particular doe of which he only knew her name - or at least he was pretty sure. The majority of her titles were Squirrel Hoard.
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Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 12:52 pm
 The doe in question wore a frown on her face as she checked over the contents of her storeroom. "Aww, crap," she spat - as she had dreaded, what she saw the day before wasn't the result of another fevered dream - she really was running low on product. Low stocks meant a gathering run, and that meant spending the day sober. Replacing her storage bins, she grabbed the large tortoiseshell-sledge by the vine and dragged it through the front room out into the sunlight.
Her home and place of business was well-placed and made. Big, sunny open spot out front, a floor that sloped up to keep the rain out, thick walls of sticks and mud and moss. She'd even dug a little pond to keep her customers (and herself) from having to travel too far for a drink when they couldn't see straight. It took a while to construct the place, and it needed repairs sometimes, but the folks who came to buy often payed in labor. It worked out very well, really.
Restocking, though, was going to be hell. She had to have clear eyes to make sure she was getting the right stuff, and clear eyes required a clear mind. Worse, she couldn't even hang around and chill with her usual group of customers who would be showing up whenever they stumbled out of their dens. Leaving the shell for the moment, she turned to paint her typical warning (out on business, stay out of the back room or I'll cut you off for a month) on the wall in mud. She sang a little to try and make the task ahead a little less terrible. It didn't work.
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Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:31 pm
He knew he had at least made it to her home when he saw the small clearing and the obvious encampment she might call home. It really was cozy, and he wouldn't sticking around for a while. His heart belonged on the adventure of a good story, and he knew he would not stay for long if he ended up staying at all. He walked towards the encampment and saw the marks in the wall.
"I guess she isn't here, Hidden Story," he smiled down at the foxbun at his hooves. She looked at him and wriggled her nose, her small ears twitching.
Wild Cry knew that look, and raised his own head to listen. There. He could hear a broken song. "You think that's her?"
Hidden Story bounded off in the direction, with Wild Cry close behind.
"Excuse me," he called ahead when he saw a flash of bright yellow. "You might not be Squirrel Hoard, would you?" The foxbun was much further ahead, and bounding behind rocks, trunks, and such.
Finally, Wild Cry got a better view and could not help but think that the stories were true.
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 6:51 pm
To her delight, Squirrel was being encircled by a very energetic foxbun. It was a welcome interruption, even this early into the chore. Then, being hailed by its buck - well, that was as well as could be hoped! Now, if she was lucky, Squirrel might have someone to talk to (and to make do most of the hard work). Ha!
With a smile, she turned and bandied back, "I don't know about that, friend! I rather think I might be!" As he drew nearer, she continued, "What's your errand, stranger? Business? Pleasure?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 9:04 am
Wild Cry didn't even try to bring Hidden Story back to his side, let the little gal have some fun.
The buck grinned at the doe's witty response. "Well, I am Wild Cry and I do not hope to be a stranger for long. I wandered over here so I might gain some knowledge."
He stopped by her. "I have heard that you are a master of your craft, and that being reading the plants. I know some can dull the senses temporarily, but I wondered if you also knew about those that do so on a permanent level. I do not want to taste it - on the contrary, I want to know them so I might avoid them."
Wild Cry turned his head to inspect her. "Might you be able, and willing, to help?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:23 am
Squirrel's face went blank, and she tilted her head to the side. Then, she shook it, giving her stalled brain a kick-start. "Gotta say, that threw me for a loop," she says to the strange, formal buck. "How to avoid a high is not usually what folks come to me for."
She turned to look out over the dense undergrowth along the path (ignoring the still-cavorting foxbun), thoughtful. "Most things," she said, "don't cause permanent damage on their own. Unwise mixing and over-dosing, however, does." Turning back to the buck with a squint, she eyed him up and down. "You've got a decent bit of mass to you, so you could probably take a bit more than most before you get any permanent damage goin'."
Rolling her eyes and sighing, she said, "Normally, I'd say the best way to learn is to do, but since you don't wanna do, I assume you're just gonna watch."
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Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:40 pm
Wild Cry chuckled deeply in his throat. "I am sorry if I dissapointed your preferences. I can say I wouldn't mind a little, as long as there were no permanent damage. In moderation of most things cannot harm you, and I think there may be some things to discover in trying some... just a little."
The buck had heard how such things made one feel, and he wouldn't mind seeing what they are talking about. Besides, he's known heroes in stories that indulged in such fancies - just as long as one didn't go over their limit. While it might be a good idea to know the limite, Wild Cry knew he didn't want to go that far.
"I don't have much in terms of reciprocation. If I were to give in to such curiosities, what might I be able to offer in return?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:51 pm
Squirrel brightened immediately. “Well, then, stranger,” she said, “I think we can both get what we want today.” She began pacing across the path in front of the buck and gesturing emphatically with her head and tail, occasionally stepping over his foxbun. “What I propose is a practical lesson. If you come along with me, I’ll teach you what to look out for, and you’ll get a little taste of what they’re like. In return, you must simply help me gather enough to replenish my stocks. It’s a long process, since I have to gather carefully to avoid dangerous mixing - sometimes it takes a week. But, that’s just by my lonesome. Together, we should be able to finish today or tomorrow, if you catch on quick.”
She ceased her pacing directly in front of the buck, staring him down. “Sound like a fair deal?”
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Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 8:21 am
Wild Cry nodded sagely. "That sounds like more than a fair deal. Shall we begin now then? We are out here, it seems."
Hidden story came to his side and looked up, her nose wriggling. The buck gazed back at her. "We will see what you can do, gal. Your assistance may be more limited, I am afraid."
He looked back up. "Where to begin?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 5:07 pm
"You begin with this," she said, gently kicking the turtle-shell sledge in his direction, "to carry the goods in." She gestured for Wild Cry to follow her, and led him down the path she was traveling before.
"What we'll be gathering first are big-tail flowers and leaves," she said. "They've got very bright orange flowerheads that grow up the stalk in several tiers, and their leaves are narrow. It's usually chewed or thrown on a fire, and the effect is very mild. A good place to start, I should think. Keep an eye out, too, for seer's sage - like the name suggests, it's a sage plant. The leaves are broad and shortish, and the flowers are white and fluffy, purple at the base. Better to ask me before you pick it to make sure. This one's chewed long, but spat out after."
She rattled off a few more descriptions as they walked along. The plants they'd pick were, for the most part, mild and easy to identify. they grew in abundance around this trail - she made sure of that, spreading the seeds of the plants she stocked fairly close to home. Some things would require traveling further afield, but those could wait.
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 3:16 pm
Wild Cry was the attentive helper: pretty quiet as she explained, and asked a few questions for clarification. He couldn't help but think about some of the effects - especially those deemed 'mild'. At the same point, he did not think he would intentionally snag any of them without her well-atuned eyes. Knowing him, he would get distracted by the breeze or a cricket's buzz and snag the wrong one. But at least this way he knew what to avoid - and that was the plan, was it not?
He carried the shell behind Squirrel-Hoard, and just could not help but admiring her rounded hips and graceful tail.
No, no. Work. Maybe these plants had effects when not chewed/burned/mixed? That must be what it was.
"Maybe we could try one of these... mild... ones later? How many days would that cost me?" Wild Cry asked with a mischievous grin.
Hidden Story had long ago gotten bored with collecting plants and went on her own merry way, to meet back up with them when it suited her.
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Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 7:29 am
As one used to working with or around the vagaries of physical attraction, she maybe knew, and maybe just had a hunch that his eyes and mind wandered that little bit. She liked to be admired, and she believed that she liked the admirer - he was a good listener, seemed like a smart guy, very polite. Not a bad body.
His question made her smile - she looked at him over her shoulder as she walked. Humming thoughtfully, she decided it would be in her best interests to keep him around for study. "About another day, I think. Maybe two."
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 9:05 am
A slightly feral light sparked up in his eyes. Days, well, he could live with that. She could work him as hard as she wanted, and when the sun went down... well, they could always find something else to do. "I am perfectly okay with this arrangement, and when we aren't working, maybe you can demonstrate some of these plants that... have a milder effect."
Even though his mind sank slightly at the thought, although still curious to know what it was like - his heart sang at the chance to spend just that much more time with Squirrel Hoard without it seeming.... too inappropriate.
Wild Cry just knew, that it was a good choice to come see this doe, and learn of her magics (the ability to understand the plants, he told himself).
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