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Gracious Conversationalist
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 Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:36 pm
Private Metaplot-related RP between Rugovin (Graficcha) & Rhian (Redbud-Tree)
Location: Farstep => lower district
Time: Early morning
Weather: Dreary
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Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:50 pm
This was bad. This was very, very bad. Rhian tried to hide and figure out where she was at the same time. She didn't know where she was. She didn't know where Ellandra or any of the rest of her family was. What he did know was that she wasn't in Farstep any longer, and thus was as far from safe as she could possibly get. How had she gotten here, again, in this somewhere that wasn't home, and wasn't Aoi-flower's home, or Orphy's, or Lauss', or that doctor's place where she's met Marius? Right. . .
She'd snuck ut again, during the time when everybody was asleep - it was so easy, she'd been doing it for several nights now, but usually hadn't gone far, just enjoying being able to really stretch her wings. This time had been different, however - she'd gone a little too far, and had gotten lost. and then somehow between then and now she'd wound up here. Alone. With no-one to protect her. "What do I do?" She whispered to herself, trying to keep out of sight of any passerby - a difficult task for a giant butterfly, to be sure.
Then, out of nowhere, as if it had just appeared, she sensed another Essentic. An Essentic! Here? No-one she knew, but - safety nonetheless! "Yay, a new friend to meet!" The butterfly cheered to herself as off she flew to find her "new friend", hoping that he or she (or it, like sibling-Zi!) could help her get back home.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:06 am
Rugovin had been 'sleeping in'. Usually up before dawn, this was nothing like him. He had to be on the move before everyone else -discounting the milk delivery, those could curl up and die-, but he just hadn't managed today. While he could hardly blame the weather for it, he HAD gotten soaked to the bones one too many times lately, and he had a hard time keeping up with his physical demands as it was. This time, his immune system had yielded. If there was one thing he'd learned over the years though, then it was that the best course of action was to curl up and let the sickness pass. At least this didn't happen very often, once a year was enough. That had been out in the wastelands, though.
Cracking into one of the abandoned shelters in the lower district had still been easy, and he knew he was reasonably safe here. Actually getting to sleep and staying warm was another deal, but eventually he'd managed to get his temperature high enough to strike himself into a fever and nod off. He had his methods...
Through the night, wrapped in his heavy cloak, huddled into a corner, his defences had broken. Over the years, the conscious suppressing of his Essence output had become an automatism, in waking- and sleeping-hours, but right now he couldn't afford it, it seemed.
That signal was what Rhian had picked up,through a combination of her natural sensitivity, and the pressure coming from him. Unaware of her coming to seek him out, the Essentic slept, face flushed, breathing calm, but laboured.
Wonder if he'll appreciate the good morning.
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:19 am
It took Rhian longer than she liked to find her new friend, but then she'd had to be careful on the way there. Once she finally found him though, she halted, wary of giving the exhuberant greeting she'd had in mind. This new Essentic looked. . . . well, sick. And big. Vey big. Much much bigger than any of the siblings she knew, even Misha. This was. . . strange. Hm. . . well, he was still a sibling, right? And a sibling was much safer than a stranger!
Fluttering over to him - but not nearly close enough to be in direct range should he want to grab her or something, she didn't want snatched out of the air right now, sibling or not - and called out a quiet, "Essentic? Hello? Are you well enough to wake up, new friend?"
She was brimming with excitement at meeting someone new, but it was mixed in with the fear of being lost on her own, along with a dash of concern for how unwell he seemed. She couldn't help with illness, but maybe he would like some company? She knew that all her owner-mama had wanted when she was sick was to have her husband with her, so. . . . company had to be good thing, yes! She wondered what her new friend's name was, and if he would wake up any time soon.
She wwas going to be in enough trouble as it was without delaying her return for too much longer.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:36 am
Any other time Vin would have felt her approach, would certainly have heard her enter, and would NEVER have let her come this close without him knowing. Oh, he'd grumble about this plenty later, but fact remains he'd 'slept through it'. How embarrassing. And more importantly, unsafe. If it hadn't been Rhian...
At least her voice was enough to wake him up none too gently, even if she hadn't wanted to startle him.
He did give quite a jolt, eyes snapping open wide, focusing on her in the dull light like an eagle homing in on prey. His slack posture drew into defensive, and he'd have given a warning snarl if he'd have been able to. The words she'd spoken trickled in with some delay, but luckily they did get through.
”Friend?” He sounded indescribably raspy, and while he would have liked to kindly inquire more about her right there and then, he first had to deal with a coughing fit that forced him to almost curl into himself. Somehow he didn't even make that much noise, restraining his reflexes until he was left a weakly shuddering mess. Still a mess who could squish you dead, though.
”You're...” shaking off that mind-fog left by deep sleep and a headache, he tried to observe her better, getting a little distracted by her red wings fluttering so rapidly. ”... what.”
Coherency failure. G'morning little one, I know you're one of my new 'siblings' flitting around, mind taking the lead of the conversation? Wait, what..
”What are you doing here?” Now he sounded stern, if quiet, having to force his voice through. He frowned at her faintly, wondering how in the world she and he had managed to end up in the same room. That can't be right...
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:54 am
"I got lost," Rhian said simply, fluttering down until she was face to face with this much-older sibling. "I thought you'd be safe to be with, and maybe help me get home, but you're sick so you should rest instead," she said, not at all bothered that she was bossing around someone who could very easily kill her. "Don't you have somewhere nicer to rest? A place like this isn't good for getting better," she continued, wanting to perch somewhere but finding no good landing-spot on a cursory glance around the area.
"My name's Rhian, what's your name? You seem much older than sibling-Zi or even Misha-fluffy, but you don't have to answer if you don't want to either, and it must be not fun at all having to answer questions when you're sick anyway. . ." The butterfly chattered on for a bit, rambling about this and that and a little in between, all the while watching her new friend, concerned for him despite only just having run into him.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:46 am
What? Lost. Ah. Sure. NO, what, that's not good! Wait, yeah, I could help you home, good plan, if haphazard. Kids these days, running headlong into ideas without even the least bit of reservations. What if he'd have been hostile to her?
Useless to think like that. She was young, and he doubted the other younglings would have harmed her. Fact remained, he wouldn't hurt her either.
”Is it that noticeable? No worries lass... I'll help you out.” Hah, at least he appeared to look as much like a mess as he felt like, then. Hilarious. ”And... no I don't. Hah, this place is good enough for me.” Again he had to hold back a surge of coughing, closing his eyes for a moment to not give into that lung-deep itch demanding release. Well, if you'd call that an itch, of course. Even if his 'gift' took the edge off, he could still feel how exhausted he was. Not getting enough air and overheating all through the night sure had taken its toll on him.
Essentics didn't catch human diseases very often, but when they struck, they struck true. Like a metal baseball bat right into your forehead.
”I'll be fine...” again he managed no more volume than a rough whisper, but a least he sounded like he believed what he said. He'd been through this a few times before, meh. ”Hi Rhian... I'm... Vin.”
Silbing-Zi? Misha-fluffy? He wasn't hallucinating, was he? Given the situation, his own state coupled with a big butterfly chattering away and hammering at his headache, it could be, were it not that he actually knew who she was talking about, and would never have come up with such epithets himself, not even subconsciously. He hadn't even known the thing had a 'sister' like her, he really should stop by more often. Last he'd picked up was the little thing growing up.
”Ziazan? … how's the bugger doin' nowadays?” Might as well ask, the tempo at which she chittered gave him the idea he might as well try and have a conversation until she settled down. ”And I... guess you could say I'm plenty old...” Vaguely noticing she was scanning around, he held out his arm for her. Here, have a seat sweet little miss. Don't mind me looking like a wreck here, that's just my style. His earlier stare at her had already lost its sharpness, now he was gazing at her tiredly.
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:04 am
Rhian happily accepted the outstretched arm of her much-older sibling and rested there, peering at him and flicking her antennae around occasionally - a force of habit of hers, it was just something she did without thinking. She tilted her head and fluttered her wings just a little. "I think. . . I'd like your help, but I think you should rest first," she said, nodding a little. "No need to make yourself sicker just because I got lost."
This. . . Vin . . .. looked like he neded a hug, she decided, but culd also tell he probably wouldn't like it. At her new friend's mention of her Sibling-Zi, the little butterfly puffed up, happy to have something to talk about that her sick friend Vin would be interested in. "Sibling-Zi is doing well; teaching me magic tricks since it's hard for Ellandra and Ellandra-husband to hide me enough to go out places often. Sibling-Zi also likes to play kiss-kiss with Crux!" She paused again and tilted her ead. "Maybe you should go back to sleep, Ican wait to go home," though she knew her Ellandra-mama was worrying, and she'd probably be out of chances for fluffy treat for a whole month now - surely they'd understand that she couldn't get home because her new friend was sick and needed rest?
She was torn, knowing the distress her vanishing had likely caused her owner-mama, and seeing how sick Vin-new-friend was. "Will you be okay, Vin-new-friend...?" She asked after a long moment of silent watching. He didn't look like he'd be all right, not without help, but was this one of the times like Sibling-Zi had told her about where helping too much wasn't helping at all?
"I think you need a friend, Vin new-friend! Can I be your friend? I like making new friends, and I like helping, so if I'm your friend I can help you more!" Did that sentance make any sense to anyone other than her? Probably not, but the flutterby meant what she said anyway. She wanted to help this much-older sibling, if he'd let her. Though she didn't think he would. Still, couldn't hurt to ask, right?
"And - and um, I know I asked before but I really do kinda want to know - how are you so much older? Misha-fluffy and Kyru-ru are older than any of the rest of us, but you're older than them!" Such a curious little flutterby she was, though she didn't see it as anything but being friendly.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:23 am
What a baffling little thing. Vin'd never really met many social Essentics, least not Proto stages this outgoing and cheerful. Why was she so worried about him now? She obviously had her own problems, and he'd told her he'd be alright, hadn't he? Or wait, had he? He hardly remembered what he'd said a mere minute before.
The fact she was almost brushing her antennae into his face didn't help his concentration much either. In fact, it made him shy away from her, not at all trusting himself. Zapping her by accident was the last he wanted to do now, and he already had trouble containing his latent output... he didn't know if he wouldn't end up discharging when he least expected it. At least he'd been prepared for her touching down on his arm, and he wouldn't hurt her as long as she didn't make any unexpected moves, let alone try to 'read' him.
For a while, he just listened to her, occasionally coughing into his other fist, huddling into his cloak and watching her with placid interest.
”Kiss-kiss you say...” he rasped amusedly at her little tale. ”Sounds like you all quite enjoy yourself. And don't you worry your pretty head over Vin hmm, I'll be okay. I've slept for too long already anyways. It's a shame a little pretty girl had to wake me up, I would have greeted properly her if I hadn't been dozing.”
He actually managed to smile then, with a worn-out but benign twinkle in his eyes. Oho, I might remind you this man was once known for having quite the charming capabilities 'back in the day'. ”You really want to be... friends with this rude oaf? I'm so rude I'd probably refuse your help, little one, little Rhian.” Odd how tactfully he managed to voice his careful rejection of her aid. He didn't want her to get upset, but even less to get her in trouble or make her worry too much. It wasn't entirely clear if he was just making fun of himself for the sake of whimsy or actually thought he was that cross. The fact he didn't manage to get much of a volume only helped with the gentle-big-guy impression, no that he'd have spoken much louder if he could have.
”Of course I wouldn't want to keep you from doing what you like... You can be my friend, if you want to.” Gah, he really was too tired to even argue about this. Feeling that it wouldn't make any huge difference in the long run, he figured he might as well yield. Also, he couldn't deny he was oddly touched by this sudden spark of life so close to him, actually being fussed over his health. At least she seemed more worried than he'd been in years.
”... how much older I am? Ah... Hah, I'd have to go and find that out myself. Old enough to get bored of counting, lass.” He chuckled when he realised he truly wasn't entirely sure, and ended up slipping into another coughing fit. ”At least... forty years, Rhian.” Cough. Wheeze. Hehh... yeah, at least forty. That's how long ago he'd been broken already... time moved so fast.
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:36 am
Rhian nodded, tilting her head a little when she noticed him shy away from her antennae. "Oh, you don't like my antennae either?" For a moment she seemed a little sad, then she perked right back up. "That's all right; Lauss didn't like me touching him with them either, so I won't let them touch you." He didn't want her help?
Oh, well, that was disappointing, a little. But maybe he'd want it in the future! "Well, okay, I won't help you now but if you ever want my help later, I'll still help," she said, nodding and fluttering her wings just a little to punctuate her statement. "Are you sure you shouldn't sleep? Sleep helps you get better when you're sick, that's what the doctor told Ellandra when she an' the babies got sick." Again, she drooped, wilted really, just because that entire incident was too dreary for even her cheerful personality to shake off easily.
And, wow, he was very old; how could he be so very old? Rhian didn't understand. She'd never really learned about the hunt, just that she wasn't safe because of what she was and that she had to hide until she grew and it was easier to blend in, like sibling-Zi did. "That is very old! I think . . . . I know! You're Granpa! Granpa-Vin-vin!"
She meant to call him by that, too, unless he shot her down.
Even if he did, that was what she'd always think of him as. She liked the idea of having a Granpa that wasn't Keagan, an Essentic Granpa. It sounded nice.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:56 am
"... I don't not like them... they're, err. Cute. Elegant. I take it Ziazan never told you much about me I guess, then." Heh. Not that Vin could blame him for that. Cough.
"I have my reasons to not like being flicked out of nowhere, but if I..." take initiative, that's something entirely different, of course. He hadn't meant to make her sad there, and to make up for it, he tentatively reached up with his free hand, and ever so carefully brushed his slender fingers against her antennae.
"And no, I really don't need to sleep more. You said it yourself, this is no place to snooze in." Shush now... Having trouble with your owner? Oh dear, poor little thing. Rugovin really couldn't help staying in the motion, and softly stroking her head between her antennae, surprisingly gentle for someone his size. "It's alright..."
Her next sudden revelation did make his eyes widen, and the feathers at his temples rise up surprised-indignantly.
"I never had kids... and do I really look that old?" Blink blink. Pout. oookay, so he wasn't fussed about his image much, but that, THAT was a bridge too far. Was she serious?
Hard to say if that red tinge was a fever flush or an actual sign of embarrassment.
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:09 pm
Rhian perked up when her new "Granpa Vin-vin" said that he didn't dislike her antennae, but what was this about sibling-Zi? "Sibling-Zi? Have you met my sibling?" She asked, curious, and relaxing under his soothing stroking, and she tilted her head again.
"Don't need to have kids to be a Granpa; I just adopted you! And you don't have to look old either.... but yo sre a lot older than me so yes, Grandpa Vin-Vin!" Cheery little butterfly. Nothing kept her upset for too long. It just wasn't in her nature. She fluttered her wings a little and looked around again.
"I want to grow soon, I don't get to visit my friends much cause it's hard to hide when you look like me. . ." She said, half to herself, half to her older companion-for-the-moment. She really did, though she knew it would happen when it happened. Sneaking off like this had just caused problems, she couldn't wait until she could just walk around like Sibling-Zi did!
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:23 pm
"You could say I.. 'encountered' it. Back when i' was just wee tall." A little awkwardly, he showed her a size of about half a finger. he only meant it'd been rather tiny back then. The fact he'd pretty much lured them out and left an explosive shell -working or not, a bomb is a bomb- in their vardo to stir them up.
"Adopted me, did you. Now I wonder if I'd ever get a pemit to adopt you back, hah." The fun that would be. An Essentic adopting another one... One who, for all things, should have been destroyed ages ago, no less. Ah, why not let her call him that. Not like they'd have tea parties together every snday or go play catch the ball or something...
"Growing can be rough, but I see your point there. No doubt you'll..." cough. "...get there someday, though. Don't rush things, you'll grow when you're ready for it."
Oh look at that, the fog is clearing a little. Making sure Rhian remained more or less balanced on his arm, he tried to get up, and managed to a reasonable extent to stand on his legs and not sag back, leaning against the wall heavily.
"Just a moment lass..." dizzy spell. To avoid getting too caught up in the world spinning, he closed his eyes for a while.
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:25 pm
Rhian eeped a little when her new, adopted "Granpa" stood up and leaned against the wall, starting to flutter in alarm. "Don't make it worse, please don't!" She yelped, antennae flicking around in alarm. Pushing oneself too hard was bad, wasn't it? Yes, yes, he should be resting, not getting up to go - somewhere - where was he wanting to go? Would he take her home? she had to ask.
"Why did you get up? Are we going somewhere, Granpa Vin-Vin?" She tilted her head, a little concerned about going back home, now that she thought about it. Yes it was safe there, but. . . she was going to be in a lot of trouble. She couldn't help but bemoan that fact out loud.
"I'm not going to get any fluffy treat for weeks and weeks now," she complained, more to herself than her companion. "Probably got Ellandra all worried, too; bad, bad. . ."
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:21 am
”Hey, easy there. How's it any worse to be standing up compared to sitting down.” Okay, maybe it was worse, if only because now he had trouble focusing on her, his range of vision kept sliiiiiding to the lower left each time he adjusted. Dizzying experience. Also, since when was standing up an effort worth wheezing over? Nah, he'd just need a while to acclimatise to the thin air here... three feet higher than before.
”I suppose I'll be trying to help you get back now... and if your miss Ellandra is anything like Zia's fella, she'll be worried alright. Let's not keep her in agony...” Ah, there we go... His voice was gaining a little again, vision stabilised slowly.
”You live where Zia lives? I can drop you off 'round that place... Won't be coming with you to the door though, don't want to make your owner sick, too.” hah, that'd be the ultimate irony. Giving a wry chuckle, he tried to clear his lungs again, took a deep breath and winced at the deep-seated resistance against the expansion. Oh well , he could still move and breathe freely, if with a degree of discomfort. Last time he'd felt this sore was when he'd hastily launched himself into a canyon to avoid being on the receiving end of some auroch-horns. Yup, sometimes you win, sometimes you have to gtfo and run for your life, heh.
Flexing his free arm -he was still holding Rhian steady- and half-enjoying the dull ache that was released, he reached for his heavy cloak hanging over his shoulders. ”You can hide under this...”
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