|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 3:13 am
He laughed - a curt and nervous sound. "Yes, yes, of course I know that. Of course. Haha. I was just... Um... You see, I... Hmm. Perhaps you... If you could..."
Drywood pulled in a deep breath, paused, and frowned at his feet for a moment before he looked up again and started over at a different end:
"I know that I... don't quite seem to have the knack for... making myself popular. Hrm. Actually, it appears that I quite often - quite unintentionally, really - make people upset with me. Hrm." He took another deep breath and his ear tufts shrunk back a bit further. "This... mating... is very important for the Clan - or, at least for the Chestnuts, and... I would really prefer not to make a mess of it. There would be so much disappointment. But, er, I never even... I really had no thoughts about wooing or, well, any such thing, before the good sir Hollysong came around and told me about... all this. So. Hrrrrm. I was wondering if perhaps you could help me, being a female yourself and all..." He heaved a small sigh and looked up at her with equal parts hope and embarrassment. "How do I do to make a lady like me?"
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:29 pm
Craneberry's eartufts mirrored Drywood's, dipping down ever so slightly as his sank. That was the question, wasn't it? How did you make someone like someone else? Could you? She had yet to meet any male that had made her think about mating, there was so much to learn first! Besides, she was still young and wanted to focus on becoming a better apothecary. However, it was impossible to spend a lot of time in a Minder Enclave and not pick up a thing or two about mating.
"I'm not sure about that," she said, "I haven't quite figured out what makes you like one Sentinel more than another, but there are some things that err... girls tend to like."
In her mind she travelled back to the giggling group of fledglings discussing mating rituals and dream mates and other topics that made them feel more grown up than they were. Hadn't Drywood had such moments?
"You should offer her food," she started tentatively, "To show that you're a good provider. And... Do you know anything about her?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 11:01 am
"Food, yes, of course. That makes sense." Drywood noded to himself, but his deep frown of concentration was interrupted by her question.
"Oh, eh... well... I haven't really met her yet. Hmm. Well... she's a Bard," he offered with an uncertain smile, trying to recall what Hollysong's little chirop had told him. "Miss, eh... Willow... something. Wind? Willowind? No, no... Breeze. Yes, Willowbreeze, I believe. Um... Hollysong called her 'lovely, clever and pretty'. Oh, and that her markings were... not perfect. Probably because she is part Deep Woods."
He looked down and scraped one talon against the grain of the wood, feeling frustrated with his own ignorance.
"That's... really all I know. Does it help any?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:30 pm
A Bard... A pretty Bard. Craneberry tried to get into the mindset of a pretty female, and tried to look at Drywood the way this female would. It was really weird. He wasn't that bad looking for a Chestnut, or so she assumed, but it was just creepy to think about Drywood like that. He was more or less family, and... ew.
"She might like jewellery," she suggested tentatively, but then got more and more carried away with the idea, "I've seen Bards wear all kinds of accessories and dangly, shiny things. You could talk to a crafter and see if they could make something. Perhaps one of those chime-things they wear? Or some kind of ear tuft decoration in her favourite colour. But then you'd have to ask what her favourite colour is. Or ask someone who knew her..."
She hoped this Bard would like Drywood and treat him nicely. Some girls she had met seemed so cruel and calculating in their mate preferences. What if she was just a superficial Bard that'd want to change him?
"Strength is attractive too of course," she added "But you know that. And I suppose it would be bad to start challenging people for a territory closer to Deep Woods just to impress her. Err... Do you dance at all?"
Drywood wasn't the biggest male around, and she was quite sure it would be bad form to let Tails do the challenging. She was absolutely rubbish at skydancing, but displaying was an important part of courting and impressive moves might be just as good as a stellar territory.
"Um..." she said, trying to think of more advice, "No preening on your first meeting, but perhaps later when you get to know each other. And ask first if you're not sure what she'll think about it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:08 pm
Drywood listened intently, a little bit taken aback by the complicated turns around jewellery, but made a mental note of it nonetheless. Perhaps he could ask Mr Hollysong about favourite colours - he seemed to know the lady.
At the thought of having to engage in actual physical combat, Drywood's plumage rippled visibly, an uncomfortable frown forming on his face. No, he didn't know that. Would that really be necessary? His ear tufts shrank back some more. Would he have to leave his home?! Move to Deep Woods?! His train of worried thoughts was interrupted, however, by an even less expected question.
He shook his head earnestly, quite baffled by the suggestion. Dance? Dance? This was an even more complicated matter than he had thought at first.
He felt very confused and his head was still buzzing with half-formed questions that he wasn't sure he should even ask, for risk of appearing stupid, so he quite misinterpreted the last part of Craneberry's good advice. His voice betrayed a lot of his worry and confusion as he asked:
"I.. I can't preen... unless I ask her if that is all right? But... what if the flight there makes me all... tousled and... ruffled-looking?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:54 pm
Craneberry stared blankly at Drywood for a few moments before realising what he had said, and what she had said. Not to mention the embarrassment of talking intimate preening with Drywood.
"Oh! No," she spluttered, "No, no, no... You can preen yourself as much as you need to. Just as long as it's not somewhere rude."
Noctua! This felt like a talk a fledgling or young adult might have with their minder or parent. It didn't feel right, but... She decided to make sure Drywood understood what she had meant, but hopefully without having to get painfully detailed.
"I... er..." she said, fidgeting nervously, "When you get to know her better you could preen her. It's a... it's a thing mates do."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:54 am
Drywood frowned for an instant at Craneberry's muttered comment. Of COURSE he would never preen himself in rude places in front of his mate-to-be. He would never preen himself in rude places in front of CRANEBERRY, for Noctus' sake! What did she think of him, anyway?
But before he could formulate a reproachful reply, her next comment caused him to completely lose his steam.
He blinked. "Oh." He blinked again, feeling a funny sort of warmth leak out under his feathers. "Oh. Preen her. I see. All right."
He wasn't entirely unfamiliar with the idea. He seemed to remember others preening him, a long, long time ago... probably around the time that he learned to do it for himself - though he had always assumed it was because they were not satisfied with the state of his feathers. But he did preen Tails, sometimes. Carefully, of course... and she seemed to enjoy the experience.
Maybe that was something to explore, in the future. Provided everything went well from the get-go, of course. He felt himself deflate a little again. It's a thing mates do. Was this, again, something that he was supposed to know? A sigh, quite out of his own control, heaved itself out of his chest.
"There's so much I don't know..." he murmured, once again studying the grain of the wood beneath his feet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 10:52 am
"You'll do fine," she said, and she sincerely hoped he would. "This is nothing you can learn by heart or prepare completely for. Courting and love doesn't work like that."
She was not sure she would be ready herself in a good long while, and she was speaking just as much to reassure herself that it'd be all right. And if Drywood could do it, so could she, even if the risk that her parents would spring a surprise mate on her was rather slim... That was probably just as well. She'd rather meet someone on her own, using her own merits, even if that meant it would take several seasons. Or... that she wouldn't find one at all. But she shook off those thoughts, slightly annoyed at herself for even going there.
"You'll do fine," she said again, and decided to change the subject for the sake of their sanity, "Now, let's take care of those herbs before they spoil."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 10:11 pm
"Yes... Yes, Let us."
He heaved a slight sigh and put his confusion aside for a while, making sure to give Craneberry a smile to let her know that he was not sighing at her. He still felt just as uncertain about himself, and this whole situation, as before, but that was hardly her fault. Maybe he was just not cut out for these sort of things. If he was to be completely honest with himself, he had suspected as much.
The thought made him feel little bit heavy inside, but he took heart from the fact that Craneberry seemed to have faith in him. He paused, just as he was about to open the bag of herbs and looked up at her.
"Thank you," he said earnestly, and added another smile. "I appreciate it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:43 pm
Craneberry smiled as she felt some of the tension in the air evaporate. She helped Drywood with the bag, starting to gently levitate some of the herbs inside. One by one she set them down, pleased to see that they looked fresh and hadn't been crushed or started to spoil. Drywood's heartfelt thank you touched her, and she almost felt embarrassed. It had been a weird evening, and while they had certainly talked like adults before it had mostly been about work. This was different.
"I... You're welcome," she said, unconsciously scratching the floor with her talons, "But I think I owe you even more."
There was much more that could have been said, and much more they could have discussed, but right now there was no need to talk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
