☾ Takoda

[jayoku]

[PRP] Grocery List - Takoda and Alassiel X  

[jayoku]

[PRP]Encounters - Maya and Takoda -X  

[jayoku]

Solo
To be stalked by a Nondwa

The wind howled against the tree home, lashing at it as if it was angry at the world for reasons that Takoda couldn't figure as he huddled in his hammock, leaves wrapped around him trying to cut the noise of the tree limbs creaking and moaning in the onslaught. Something large had thudded against the wall of his home, again...and again and though not typically a fearful man when it came to sounds in the night he found himself cowering under the leaves.

When morning come the damage was revealed, he had a few exposed holes in the walls, he would need materials to patch it up which meant he would need to find things to trade for those materials. Not everyone wanted plants after all, some required real things to trade. Valuable things. Most of the shifters he dealt with were willing to trade with him the plants and roots he found in the forest but there were the rare few who scoffed at his efforts and to trade with them meant he had to ...find something better.

It was while he was venturing outside to take note of how serious the damage was...he jumped back at a sight he had become reflexive to. A nondwa. Its huge body was laying on the ground, possibly dead even though it seemed to be sleeping. It was probably tossed into his home by the high winds, it made him shudder a hand covering his mouth as if to trap any sounds he may make. Strangely this nondwa looked familiar, but that was impossible as all these creatures looked the same the biggest differences being color and the females had a different wing shapes.

A dead bug...though causing Takoda to shudder, wouldn't cause him to flee. Though the hairs on his neck were still raised in fear, he moved forward as he would have to deal with the body despite every nerve in his body telling him to leave it alone. A foot came out and nudge it and in horror watched as its legs moved weakly. Shrieking and withdrew nearly falling off his porch. A hand snapped out to save himself and then he darted into his house like a menzuri was coming after him.

Inside he sat in the furthest corner of the house his eyes trained on his door as if he expected the nondwa to come inside and get him at any moment.

Minutes past....turning into an hour, and there was no sign of the nondwa. Fear kept him rooted in place, but hunger started to gnaw at him as well curiosity. Had the bug left, was his biggest question picking at his brain. Standing up he was careful to be quiet and he tiptoed his was to the front door and peeked out to look. Jerking his head back in he pressed himself against the wall to stifle his little cry of fear.

Yes...it was still there, in fact it had managed to stand up, though it looked confused, and hurt. Sympathy blossomed in his heart, but was repressed by his fear. It was hurt. No matter what it was, bug or not he felt the need to help it. What...could he do? He didn't want to be anywhere near it and yet he felt the contradicting need to go and see if it was injured.

Moving away from the door he recalled the alkidike girl Maya and how she said he had lured a nondwa upon their meeting by having nectar on him. Nectar...well he had fruit. Moving over he quickly found some fruit and putting it in a giant nut shell he moved back over to the door and carefully slid the bowl out of the door before ducking back in.

And he waited.

After what he assumed would be a good length of time he dared to look back outside. The nondwa hadn't moved, looking to beaten and weak. Its attention was riveted on the fruit but it made more effort to get to it.

Sighing in frustration he deeked out of the door pushing the bowl closer to the bug before dashing back inside.

More time passes but each time he tried pushing the bowl closer and closer to the nondwa the worse off the bug seemed to be. It had no energy, none. Exhausted it managed to just lay on the ground as if expecting death to come for it soon.

Takoda realized if he didn't do something for real now, the poor insect was going to die...or worse bring upon him a bigger insect to eat it.

He was pacing, back and forth trying and trying to get himself to move outside to help the poor creature. Every time he went to move towards the door he found himself turning around at the last second and retreating back in further. What did he know about helping this creature? He had limited knowledge on how to help people...but a large insect was quite a different matter.

Finally he took a deep breath and headed for the door. Pausing like he did every morning before venturing out side of his home, he then forced himself to turn and walk towards the nondwa. It didn't move upon his approach, in fact it seemed to have given up on life, it was ...probably the saddest thing he had seen recently.

Without looking directly at the bug he kneeled down, he took the bowl of fruit and picking it up bit into it, tearing off smaller chunks and then chewing it and spitting it into the bowl. From what knowledge he could recall about the nondwa was it didn't have teeth...so at least he didn't have to worry about being bitten...but ..it would also explain why it hadn't gone for the solid fruit.

Putting the bowl of pre-chewed fruit down he placed it as close to the nondwa as he dared. He then got up and hurried back inside, an idea sparking as he went. He still had some herbs drying, he could crush up the ones he knew would be good for reclaiming energy and speeding up healing and mix it into the fruit paste.

Takoda kept himself busy, willing himself to believe he was helping a small child rather than a giant bug and soon he had everything gathered together and be brought his mixture of crushed herbs with him. The nondwa was licking the mash slowly, and Takoda was surprised it wasn't dead but now determined to keep it alive.

Chewing on the inside of his cheek he still couldn't bring himself to touch the creature, but he gently removed the bowl and mixed the herbs into it before replacing it near its head. The nondwa now refused to eat it.

"O...h..come on." Takoda hissed under his breath revealing the frustration he felt since his feelings on helping this creature were very mixed. "You ne..need to ea..t it...I ..promise..it will hee..elp." He encouraged knowing full well a bug couldn't understand human speech and yet he couldn't help himself. Sticking his finger in the mash he stuck it close to the nondwa's mouth.

Now for Takoda this was a very very bold move. His instincts or desire to help and heal however over rode his fear of his patient being what he dreaded most...an insect. The bug refused it at first but after much persistance on Takoda's part it finally relented and lapped up the mash from his finger.

It...was ...a ...HORRIBLE experience. Clenching his teeth he stiffly hand fed the nondwa, until there was nothing left. Already though he could see results as the bug seemed to have more energy than it had previously. Once done...his need to tend to his patient evaporated like mist and he fled back into his home to wash his hand over and over to rid himself of the feeling.

He heard the rustle of leaves moving and his body froze, he dreaded to turn around and discover what he thought was there...and as he tilted his head his eyes caught sight of the bright greeny blue nondwa that had managed to crawl his way into his home.
"Aaaaaa.....h.....no no no...out!" The shifter boy cried out in a high voice, his healing needs finished as it was obvious the bug was going to make it just fine. But now it needed to get out of his home! Paralyzed by fear the poor shifter watched as the bug crawled around his home, up the leg of the one small table he had and onto the table...where it then settled down to...sleep?

This...was going to be...the longest...day...ever the poor shifter boy slumped to the ground and nearly cried as he couldn't bring himself to move.

Word count: 1521  

[jayoku]

A Fateful Encounter

(( An AIM RP between my Chalcedony & Jayoku's Takoda ))

Today was a busy day, busier than he would of anticipated but perhaps it was due to the weather, the fact a storm had just blown through meant that people had been kept inside and now that the sun was out everyone was trying to catch up on business, training and trading. Takoda was one of those, with his satchel near bursting he visited the village healer and traded some of his herbs for vials of liquids that were a lot more effective at healing than simple plants. But the herbs were still useful and the elders appreciated the constant and steady supply that he brought them.

Leaving them he made a note to arrange a time to meet with the elder to perhaps discuss learning the healing craft. It had been on his mind as of late, after all he had picked up from a young age from his mother how to tend to wounds, the sight of blood didn't bother him. It was only bugs.

Rounding a corner he had intended to make his way to the food in hopes to trade for some bread as well meat. Those were about the only things he could not find in the forest for himself it seemed. Neither having the stomach to kill a creature never mind skin it and gut it. Suddenly out of no where a glow worm was tossed in his general direction. It was wildly known his intense fear of bugs and without even thinking Takoda had uttered a small cry of fear before backing up and tripping over his feet before tumbling to the ground. Groaning he heard laughter a few meters away from him, though he didn't acknowledge the cruel joke and merely gave a small smile as if he was in on the joke as well and went to gather his satchel only to discover the vials inside had broken, the contents leaking and soaking the bag.

Chalcedony gave a sighing sound as he looked down at the list that he had been giving, reading it over again, wondering how his mother had managed to get all of this down on such a small piece of paper. Not that he would have ever refused to do such a favor for her, not when she had handed him the list while several of his younger siblings had been clinging to her, one of them with something stuck in her hair, and their pets running around their feet making all sorts of noise. He knew that it was best that he take the list and get the various things bought up and back home so that he could take the lot of them out to play to give her a bit of rest.

He was just walking around the corner, sliding his way between a few people, and lifted his head just as he was tucking the paper away into his pocket and just as he glanced up he saw another Shifter go flying. It looked as if he'd fallen on his own feet though upon second glance he saw the glowing but that was stuck in his hair, with a few random people pointing, starring, and laughing. Giving a sigh he walking over toward the fallen member of his brethren and held a hand out to him and plucked the bug out of his hair, "You alright?"

It was probably a good thing that Takoda didn't know the bug was in his hair, he had so much of it after all and he probably would of continue flailing about like a mad man . Instead another shifter, one he recognized but could not name was walking over to him offering him his hand to help him up. Surprised he took it and was hefted up quite easily, he was about to thank him when the others hand reached out to pluck something from his hair only to reveal it was the bug that had been thrown at him. Squeaking he clutched his poor sodden satchel to his chest dropping the other shifter's hand and backing up a few steps until the worm was flicked away. His eyes followed it, and his ears could train on the snickers and sniggers or people laughing at his performance. It was...somewhat a safe distance away when he found he could draw his gaze back to the one who had rescued him. Offering a small smile he pulled his bag away from his chest, revealing that he had gotten some of the contents on his skin and it was drying rapidly.

"Ah...than..thank you." Takoda started politely, ignoring the others who seemed to be plotting something else to do him.

For a moment the other Shifter looked from side to side, hearing all the snickering, before he turned back to the one he'd helped up and gave him a smile. No reason to acknowledge those that meant to only tease and torment this one he thought to himself, figuring that it was likely a better idea for him to just pay attention to the one in front of him. He figured that, from what he'd seen so far, that he would be far better company even if it were only for just a moment. Inspecting the strong smelling liquid that he had been covered with he asked, "You going to be alright? That wasn't dangerous, was it?" He asked of the smaller, more timid Shifter, hoping he wasn't carrying something dangerous in his pack only to end up with it all over him. That would be unfortunate as well as call for a trip to one of the healers.

When he was being thanked he waved it off, "It's nothing, something that anyone should do." Not what anyone would do, it was just what they should do. It was something that was proven by all of those that would rather point and laugh instead of actually helping the guy up. It was pretty... well, disappointing. Likely due to all the time he spent taking care of his siblings, his mother, grandparents, and anyone else that might need him in their close knit family.

Takoda looked to his chest and looked a bit embarrassed, "Ah..well its a bit sticky..and sadly a waste. I was hoping to trade it for some supplies I needed but I suppose I'll have to go back to the words to gather more for trade." He explained though not really explaining what the liquid was exactly, but the sheer fact that he didn't seem worried about it seemed to mean that the other shouldn't worry about it either.

"Ah...I am sorry my name is Takoda." He offered his name like a small gift in thanks, "I've seen you around...with your siblings...sorry but I don't know you name." Takoda apologized as if he should know the name of his rescuer despite the fact he had never spoken to him before this point.

His eyes glanced over to where the bug had landed on occasion, as he was keeping track of its movement even now. He had to know where it was at all times.

Chal lifted an eyebrow before giving a nod of his head. He didn't seem all that worried about what the stuff was so it must not be poisonous, that was a bonus he thought to himself, though he did think it a shame that this guy had lost all of what he had been about to use for trades. Some people really were jerks, weren't they? The lot of them had bigger things to worry about, like the Alkidike tribe always breathing down their necks and lurking around every corner. That the Shifters would treat their own in such a manner made him want to knock their heads off their shoulders, a thought he would do his best to keep in check for now since he had other things to do then getting into more hypocritical fights due to him feeling the overwhelming need to protect others. Best that behave himself and appear respectable, or at least that was what his mother often told him after he got into such scrapes.

"Takoda, is it? Well it's nice to meet you then Takoda." He told him, giving him a bright smile, his blue eyes seeming to glitter in the sunlight with the same intensity that the jewels on his body did, "My name is Chalcedony. You've seen me around, huh? I'm not surprised." He was around a lot with his brood of siblings, often with half of them hanging off of him in what he started to refer to as his strength training routine. He was going to have them hanging off him anyway, he might as well walk around with them on his back and gain the benefits of all the extra weight.

If anyone was to ask Takoda what his best traits were he wouldn't be able to tell you, but it was obvious to see that the shifter was a nice caring young man who had the skill to make friends at ease. His easy going nature however did have some back lash as he was very easy to tease and get away without and repercussions.

"Yes I have, no..not that I've been watching you per say!" He corrected himself not wanting to sound like a stalker, "I..just have noticed you and your family. You do such wonderful things for your siblings I am sure your mother really relies on you." It was however a bit unnerving just how much about people he did know.

"F..for helping me ..perhaps I could help you with your errands?" He offered wanting to repay the shifter for his kindness.

"Oh? So you just happened to notice? Here I was thinking I might had a secret admirer, now I'm crushed." He said, giving a bit of a smile before the other was suddenly asking if he could help him with his errands in exchange for helping him, "Eh? Hrm." Well that was a promising idea, if he were to come home with a friend who had helped him with the errands perhaps his mother would stop her constant worrying and nagging about how he needed to find friends his own age, that he had to get out and about, and all of that, "Sure, I wouldn't mind having the help in going out shopping. If you wouldn't mind could you help me carrying it all back, too? I have quite the extensive list." He dug the piece of paper out of his pocket and offered it up to Takoda to get a look at, so he would know what it was they were dealing with if he really wanted to help out with this.

Takoda's face wilted, he was so easy to mess around with he actually thought he had hurt the others feelings. Abashed he rubbed the back of his head, unsure of what to say or how to begin apologizing.

"I..its no..not th..that yo..u...r not...a..t..t..r..acti..ve...." the poor shifter began to stammer in a quiet voice before thankfully Chal was taking him up on his offer to help. HIs face still flushed from his earlier embarrassment Takoda nodded his head happy to be of help .

"Ah I don't mind carrying things...as long as they aren't too heavy.." He chuckled pointing at his slender self, "I am not..exactly a power house.."

Chalcedony looked up from his list at the stuttering words and his lips turned up into a bit of a grin as he was told in a beating around the bush sort of way that he was attractive, "Thanks." He said, deciding that he would take the compliment even if it were a bit under duress. He gave a smile before the other was telling him he didn't minded carrying if the stuff wasn't too heavy, "Sounds fair enough, I have enough of the 'power house' vibe to go around so you can carry the more delicate things and if anyone tries to knock you over again I will deal with them." He wasn't about to let a group of bullies mess up the stuff that was going to be going back to his mother after all. Motioning to him he started forward toward where everyone that was up to trading was waiting for them.

"I hope you don't mind that it might take a little bit to get everything. Once we drop it all off if you want I can help you out with replacing the stuff that you were planning to use for trading if you need." He told him, giving him a smile before he moved to talk to chat with the first trader, one that seemed to know Chal given the look on his face. The man knew him well, knew how he pushed for good bargains, and wasn't against leaving to find better deals. A pain in the backside but given he always bought a ton they were willing to deal with him and his desire for the best deal.

Takoda shook his head, he didn't mind at all, in fact this would give him a chance to be around someone else's company rather than being stalked by that awful nondwa that was back home. It still wasn't strong enough to follow him around via flight thank goodness.

"Okay, so where are we off to first?" He inquired as he carefully began to remove the pottery shards out of his satchel, collecting them in the palm of his hand before he found a loose peice of cloth to wrap them in. He hoped it wasn't too costly to make those vials...he felt bad having broken them in his fall.

He soon realized that they were already at the first location and felt abashed at his lack of focus. Quickly he put away the broken shards in his satchel, freeing his hands so that he could take whatever was needed from Chal.

Listening he watched as they bargained, seeing how Chal knew how to push and knew the limit. Chal was very admirable, and strong Takoda noted as he only remained silent and smiling at the shop clerk.

After a bit of bargaining on the side of Chalcedony the man came back with some various, edible plants. He always went for the sort that were getting toward the end of their shelf life, it was how one could get them cheaper. It didn't matter if they were this way or fresh these things would be gobbled down the moment he got home since this was what was being planned for the evening meal. Wrapping everything up the dark skinned Shifter handed it off to Takoda who seemed as though he were ready to carry whatever was handed to him, provided that it wasn't all that heavy, "Alright, on to the next place. I am sure it's not the most amusing thing in the world to watch me talk to everyone, so I must thank you for actually coming along." Not a lot of people, other guys his age especially, would really see all that much to be had in watching someone like him make deals for food that others just traded for without even thinking about it. It was something that was always on his mind though, wanting to make sure he got the most possible with each trade since that meant more for each of his family members.

Takoda took the plants readily, handling them carefully and noting that they weren't exactly the freshest of things. He felt a pang of guilt, after all it would be expensive to feed a large family, and here he only picked and traded away what he didn't need. He made a note that he would pick extra next time he was out and make sure to bring it to Chal's fmaily.

"It must be hard....feeding a family." Takoda murmured as they left the shop, he shifted the items in his arms as they walked. "Have you ever thought of gathering in the forest? For some of the basic stuff?"

Chal gave a momentary pause, mulled the question over, and then gave a bit of a laugh, "I have considered it but since I am often babysitting I don't have as many chances to do stuff like that as I would like." He said, then crossed his arms over his chest as he walked, head tilting slightly to one side. Perhaps if he were to get up earlier or go to bed later he would have a chance to add that to the list of the chores that he could get done in a day? It would be quite helpful if he were able to gather the things that they needed instead of having to trade for it all. The only thing he worried about was that he might end up leaving his mother alone more often then he would like with all the little ones and the grandparents. It was another of those times that he half wished that his father would stick around more... but the man had one of those jobs that caused him to be away more often then Chal liked. If that man were around more it would give Chal more free time to fill with things that he would like to see done.

"Maybe I can find a safer place to gather that the little ones might be able to accompany me." So long as he wasn't going to ground with them it should be alright, right? More dangers then he would like to think about lurked on the forest floor, both beasts and Alkidike, neither of which he wanted anywhere near the younglings, "Do you know of any good places to gather in the trees?" He asked of Takoda, curious where it was that he went hunting.

Takoda's mind raced, a map made up in his mind going to the safest places he was aware of, unfortunately not many of them were close enough that Chal could take little ones, perhaps if there were some older ones it would be alright. Or if Takoda came to help him oversee the work and kids....but what was he thinking? He wasn't very good with kids, as they often realized his demeanor meant they could get away with anything without repercussion.

"Depends on what your looking for. Vaulable things for trade...or just gathering for yourselves?" He inquired hesitantly wondering if it had been wise to get the other shifter's hopes up on the matter. Feeling bad he promised himself he would gather a BUNCH of roots for Chal's family. After all they lasted a long time and were probably the easiest thing to find.

"I didn't mean to get your hopes up..." Takoda apologized feeling quite miserable about that.

Chewing on his lower lip Chal seemed to try to figure that one out, what would he want to look for? Valuable things to use for trading would be useful, wouldn't it? At the same time it would also be useful to just be able to gather things up that they could use straight away as well. What would he rather look for? Truth be told either would be quite useful, "Either way I would think would be useful in it's own way." He mused out loud before he glanced over at the other Shifter who seemed to be looking oddly worried and hesitant before saying he 'hadn't meant to get his hopes up' which caused Chal to chuckle, "What do you mean? You gave me an interesting idea to mull over. I just need to try to figure out where I should head is all."

Reaching a hand out he patted Takoda on the head in the manner he would any of his siblings, "You really are too hard on yourself, try to relax Takoda, I am not gonna bite." Now his siblings on the other hand...

~ TBC (( J:8 O:8 ))  

[jayoku]

A Fateful Encounter: Part 2

(( An AIM RP between my Chalcedony & Jayoku's Takoda ))

Takoda was not use to such gestures to him, being along for so long you could almost call him a hermit. His home was on the edge of the forest because there were less bugs there, traveling to places like this was a journey and if he dallied too long he would be faced with nightfall creatures to contend with on the way home. Still...it was nice to have someone as ...brotherly as Chal.

"Your siblings are very lucky to have you, " He murmured almost wishing he could be one of those siblings before he shook the silly notion out of his head.

"Ah...well I know of...one place close by you could gather things...but I would suggest you not bring your siblings with you.." He imparted this information as his mind continued to fill in the missing points of the map. Yes there was someplace close by but there were a few rather dangerous creatures that were also there. Even when he went there he was very very cautious, though he could count on his one hand how many times he had come across them it was still one too many.

"There are some very useful mushroom there. They can treat fever, very useful for deadening pain if you have enough of it."

Chal couldn't help but to give a bit of a smile when he was told that his siblings were lucky to have him, feeling that it was something that was true, "Yes, the little monsters are quite lucky." He said with a bit of a laugh, if they didn't have him who would they have to carry them around all day after all? Not to mention that he was the one that helped their mother in making sure that the little beasts were given whatever it was they needed. Sure, father brought back plenty when he returned, often strange trinkets and treasures from abroad, but it wasn't the same as being there day to day. Part of him knew that what the man did was important, another part though, the more childish part, just would prefer that he stuck around. Something he doubted would really happen any time soon.

When there was mention of a place close by that Takoda knew of, though one that he couldn't bring his siblings to, he seemed to be all ears, "Is that so? Well I can talk to my mother when we drop everything off, see if I can't go with you there sometime soon. Unless you are free today? I wouldn't want to impose anymore then I already have." That Takoda was helping him with carrying the supplies was nice enough after all, he didn't want to try to force him to do anything else.

When the other made mention of the mushrooms, and he added that in the scent of medicinal plants that still clung to Takoda even after those concoctions of his dried, Chal couldn't help but to ask, "Are you a healer in training by chance?"

Takoda's face blushed and he looked a bit embarrassed that it looked as if he was already training in the field he desired.

"Ah..not yet, I plan to go to the elders and request training soon." Takoda commented rubbing the back of his head as if he wasn't quite comfortable already looking as if he was a healer. Sure he knew quite a lot about herbs, but he...didn't want people thinking he already was one.

"Oh..um...well we could go today if your list isn't too much longer. I don't want to foil your plans for the day..." He trailed off not wanting to be a burden even if he was helping him out.

"That must be nice. I am still not really sure what it is that I should do." He murmured, then gave a bit of a sigh, "I could always do what it is my father thinks that I should do but... it doesn't quite feel like the right fit, you know?" He asked, then flushed a little, waving one hand, "Ah! Sorry, I don't mean to complain. Let's keep going." There was no reason to bother a new acquaintance with his issues, right? Sure he should really be trying to figure out what it was that he wanted to be but really... he just couldn't quite do it yet. Instead he was at a loss of what it was that he should be doing with his life from here out. He wanted to continue on as he was doing now but he knew he couldn't be a babysitter and his mother's helper forever, not when everyone his age was require to take on an apprenticeship to learn a vocation that would help the tribe out in battles that were to come.

Takoda wondered if he had spoken out of turn, his new companion seemed to go quiet at the end, chewing on the inside of his cheek he looked to Chal carefully before be fiddled with a strand of hair. "Well...if you want...there is a much closer place. The items there are not as valuable, but your family could make use of it for every day needs." He explained slowly. He wanted to no longer talk about choosing their paths in life as if seemed to be a heavy thought on the both of them.

The shifted gave a nod of his head, "Sure, I would like to visit any place that you think might be of use to me and my family, I am sure that things that are useful for everyday tasks would be as useful as anything else you can show to me." He told him, his smile returning once more to his face, as though the momentary storm of worry had passed from his thoughts. That was something that he could worry about later, for now he wanted to enjoy talking to someone that didn't have one finger constantly up their nose, "Let's finish up with the shopping and hurry for my place, the sooner we drop everything off the sooner we can go out hunting for... well, whatever it is we will be hunting for." He said, giving a bit of a laugh.

Their shopping was doing as quickly as possible, not as fast as one might like but Chal wasn't the sort to let the traders get away with trying to screw him over on a deal. He would get all that he could get no matter how much the merchant went away wanting to give him a swift kick in the backside. Once everything was done, and the two of them were loaded down with what it was that they would be bringing back, he turned to look over at Takoda and smiled, "I promise I will do all I can to keep them from squishing you, but I can't promise that you will be completely safe. They are little monsters and are as clingy as the vines in the trees." He cautioned the other Shifter before they were head back toward his place, a journey that would bring them fairly high up into the trees were his family made their home among the twisting vines that grew into wonderful nests with but a bit of weaving and some time.

Takoda felt a small thrill of happiness, most people never took him seriously and thus he felt elated that Chal was. "Sure!" He replied with a small laugh, taking a step forward to make sure he could keep up with Chal and the rest of the errands.

He admired watching the other shifter bargain, Takoda could never get such good deals. The best he could do is if people pitied him and even then he never let them give anything to him for free. Still he wondered if he tried if he could get similar bargains .

When it came to the warning about clinging children he wondered if he was prepared for it, "Ah..should I wait outside then?" He inquired a little afraid of...meeting so many at once.

As they made their way up toward where his family was waiting for them he gave a bit of a laugh, "Well... you could, but I think they might sniff you out. Best that you stick close to me then I can protect you the best that I can." He told him, giving a smile and a nod. As the got closer one could hear all the voice of his siblings, all of them talking at once, his mother's voice rising over theirs as she told them it was time for them to their chores which mostly consisted of gathering smaller vines that she used to weave baskets that they kept all of their things in, and then there was the murmuring chatter of his grandparents who were the only ones able to carry on a normal conversation within the chaos of their home without blinking. They'd seen enough in their time it seemed that a bunch of kids wouldn't phase them even in the least.

Their home, a good sized, well woven nest in the canopy of the trees, set a little away from the others in their 'neighborhood' since the family was quite big and always growing. Chal gave Takoda a glance, "Come on, I am sure that you will make it through this though... don't be surprised if my mother faints dead away from shock, you are the first person I've ever brought home." And the first one he'd spent as much time as he had with that was around his same age. His mother was going to make a big deal of it, he just knew it... and he was right too. The moment the two of them came into sight all conversation seemed to die away from a moment and everyone's eyes were on Takoda. The silence felt as though it stretched out forever before everyone was talking at once, each and every voice seeming to ask the same thing, 'who's your friend'.

Takoda swallowed trying not to look intimidated but feeling that no matter how hard he tried NOT to look scared the more he did appear to be nervous. His eyes appeared to be looking over the many baskets and weaves and he was impressed. Why he would trade for such things as he only had what his mother had made when he was little.

He was so surprised by by Chal's description of his mothers reaction to being there. Taken aback he wondered if he really was such a big deal...or would Chal's mother be disappoint at whom her son brought home?

When the sudden silence came about...he knew this was going to be uncomfortable, his face flushed and then suddenly EVERYONE was talking. He felt overwhelmed at all the questions and he could only glance from one new face to another before he found himself almost pressed up against Chal.

Feeling Takoda pressing closer to him Chalcedony took charge trying to field the questions, 'yes this was his friend', 'his name was Takoda', 'yes, they met while he was out trading', 'No, he's not a girl quit asking dumb questions' that one was pointed at his giggling sisters who were pointing at the boy that was pressed against their brother, unable to refrain from teasing Chalcedony about having a girlfriend. Were it not for the fact that Takoda was clinging to him the boy might have gone chasing after his siblings to quiet them. Well that and the fact that his hands were a little too full to be catching anyone at the moment and he didn't want to risk losing anything he'd traded for today.

After another surge of questions, half of them ones that made him want to toss his siblings from the nest, his mother was lifting a hand to wave it, "Alright, alright, let's let Chal and his little friend bring all the good in so that I can sort through them. You can bother them more after we are done, alright?" Something that was echoed by them all going 'but, Moooom' along with some whining as it seemed that they weren't quite interested in leaving Chal and Takoda be quite yet.

Taking advantage of the lull Chalcedony's mother led the two over to the large tree's base were there were many hallowed out openings in the side along with various baskets hanging here and there, "Come over here, dears, let me getting to sorting. Wow, you did well again, Chal. Good job." The woman praised her son, patting him on the head and it was then that Takoda would know where Chal had gotten such a habit room. Soon enough everything was where it went, a few bits of fruit having been pilfered by small hands, and Chalcedony set to stretching out all over, glad to be free of the weight of everything that he had been carrying, "I am glad that I could be of help." He told his mother, smiling away before he turned to look at Takoda, "I have to say though that he was a great help, I don't know if I'd of gotten it all home without him."

The woman gave a nod before turning to Takoda, giving him pat on the head as well, "Thank you, young Takoda, I am glad thankful for the help you gave Chalcedony, as well as the company. He doesn't have near enough friends his own age so I hope the two of you can get along well." She said, something that had Chal groaning and rubbing a hand against his face.

Takoda's face blushed even more when the question was poised about him being a girl. Swallowing he moved slowly away from Chal trying to be brave as well seem less like a girl. It seemed to be for a lost cause though as the children were still asking questions and he couldn't find a voice to answer a single one of them.

Luckily he didn't need to as Chal's mother took them aside to unladen them both of the items they were carrying. Takoda's arms felt stiff but he didn't voice his pain, instead he rubbed his wrists in slow circular motions and watched the woman with a wide eyed expression.

His gaze was soon on the floor as she was thanking him. Takoda didn't take compliments well, after all shouldn't everyone want to help others? Much like how Chal thought it seemed.

"I...was h..happy to help." He murmured softly, he noticed how Chal looked embarrassed and felt...better. At least he wasn't the only one.

"W..e sh..should probably be..g..going though...I wanted to show your son where he can pick some plants."

"Plants?" The woman asked, glancing over at her son in a curious manner, wondering what it was that he was up to now. She was sure that if he was planning on going out looking for plants with his new friend there was a reason behind it. The boy never did anything spontaneously, always seeming to want to plan things out instead. He was a bit like his father like that, even if Chal would never want to admit to such a thing, "That is fine, you two have fun then." She said, lifting her hands up to push her son forward, "If you go quickly you might not get followed."

Chalcedony nodded, "I will be back before night fall so I can help you get everyone put down for bed." He told his mother before he took hold of Takoda's hand and moved flee, wanting to get the two of them out quickly and before his siblings noticed what was going on, "Come on, let's run and they won't notice until too late that we are missing." He whispered to Takoda and he moved along the branches and vines in an agile manner.

Takoda studied the woman, her gesture and mannerisms, perhaps he was comparing it to his own mother trying to find similarities but he didn't get a chance to come to any sort of conclusion. In fact his hand was being taken and he was being pulled along by the other shifter boy who claimed if they ran they could get away before his siblings noticed their absence He followed along quickly in suit as he didn't have much other choice seeing that his hand was still being firmly held onto. Daring not to speak he waited until he was sure they were out of hearing range before he opened his mouth. "Y..you can le..let go now." He murmured desperately as he was fast on his feet but not while being pulled along. Besides they were headed the wrong way...

Pulling Takoda around the tree's base that they were standing on he finally let him go, giving a bit of a laugh, "So, what did you think of the chaos that is my family?" He asked as he leaned against the tree, glancing over at him, "You can be honest, it won't hurt my feelings if you tell me that we are all crazy, it wouldn't be the first time." Of course the last person to claim as much ended up with a bloody nose before he had been able to stop himself. As much as he hated infighting he was terribly defensive of his family. Takoda though would likely get away with agreeing since he was the one that suggested this time around that they were crazy... which they were, but it didn't mean that he wanted others saying as much.

Aaah...Takoda found himself facing Chal and his own questions. Staring at him he blinked and gently rubbed his sore hand a moment. "Th...they ...are nice." He replied perhaps a bit to forced, "Ah..." Yes he had wanted the truth. Well it wasn't like he really got a chance to meet many of them or get to know any of them personally. "I was just overwhelmed...I have never met such a large family before. But I can tell your mother has a very strong spirit and that you got that from her." Takoda managed to say truthfully for the short amount of time he did speak to her, he could tell that a woman like that would have no problems protecting her brood if it came down to it.

Chalcedony starred at the other Shifter for a long moment after he gave his reply before he started to laugh, "Is that so? That is a rather diplomatic way to go about telling me what you think." He said after his laughter had calmed, "Thank you though, it's very nice of you to say all of that instead of agreeing with me." He said with a smile, glancing back in the direction that they had come from. He could hear his siblings calling after them but so long as they stayed out of sight they would be quick to give up. As much as he loved them, and they loved him, they were still little and had rather short attention spans due to their age, "We can start heading down a few levels if you like, from there you can lead the way." A few levels down they should remain out of sight as the continued onward toward the plants that were just waiting for them.

~ TBC (( J:16 O:16 ))  

[jayoku]

reserved  

[jayoku]

Solo
Be honest with yourself

You don't have to follow in your mothers foot steps....you don't have to feel any obligation in choosing your path...come back when you know this is the path you truly wish to follow.

Those words had stung and Takoda had left the elders tent with a heavy The fact the clouds were heavy and dark with rain didn't improve his state of mind, rather it seemed to reflect his stormy mood. Takoda's trip to town had begun full of purpose, he was going to request the village elder to learn the art of healing. The elder was always so kind to him, teaching him what he didn't know about herbs and plants so surely this would be an easy request. However it turned out...the elder denied his request and now as he went about getting home, he felt lost.

It was about half way home that his travels led to him finding shelter under a tree, the clouds had decided to break upon and weep upon the world, and Takoda was stuck waiting for the down pour to pass. Rain this heavy caused it to be too dangerous to travel on the limbs of the trees, the bark would be slippery and it was getting increasingly hard for him to see. So there was little point traveling out to only get himself more lost or risk slipping and getting himself killed.

Instead the shifter boy was stuck under a tree in a small crevice that protected him somewhat from the weathers onslaught. Only the elders words were echoing in his head, and not even the pouring rain could drown that out as much as he would of liked it to.

As Takoda sat there, his knee's drawn up to his chest, he lay his chin against them watching the constant drip of the water on leaves, the ground and rocks. Small creatures flitted around in panic looking for shelter, the sudden rain had caught only a few out in the open and the shifter had to marvel how most creatures seemed to sense when the weather was about to turn nasty. Takoda had been lucky to find his spot first for most or the mammalian creatures avoided him and eerily the bugs seemed to have known of the rain's coming onslaught and had already hidden themselves in the depths of the forest.

Takoda was unusually depressed, the normally quiet and cheerful shifter was so lost in thought he didn't even check for bugs when he sat down in his hiding place. Mentally he assured himself the bugs were not near him for he could not muster up even fear to run away at this point.

What had the elder meant? That he shouldn't feel obligated in choosing the path of a healer? Sure his mother had been a healer, was...this the only reason why the elders thought he wanted to be one as well? His eyes glassy and unfocused as the rain drops fell heavily before him, his thoughts moved sluggishly through the days earlier events and the outcome.

Was the only reason he wanted to become a healer...was due to guilt? The guilt that he couldn't do anything to help save his mother? There had been nothing he could do about his father, after all a war was war...and people died in them. Did everything he did now...because he felt...that he needed to fill an obligation to his parents?

Takoda sighed, thinking over his mothers smile, her gentle movements, his fathers laughter, his strong hands. Did everything he did now, the way he acted, the desires he felt...did he do these things because he felt he should? That he owed his parents something because of their deaths?

The shifter boy knew it was pointless to dwell on the past, no matter what he did or what path he chose he couldn't bring his parents back. He wasn't so foolish to think that he could so why was he thinking so much about it now?

Plip plip, drip drip...plip plip.

Rain continued to pour down onto the forest floor, it was so heavy small pools began to form on the forest floor. The shifter still confined to under the tree's protection mildly worried his hiding spot would flood if it continued to rain at its current pace. All he could do for now was sit there and wait. Wait with only his painful memories for company and he supposed this was his punishment for suppressing those memories for so long.

It wasn't as if his mother died some tragic way, it wasn't as if his father died in some unique fashion. His mother had died due to an illness and his father during a war. Both were common things considering the grand scale of the world and how it functioned. New illness's seem to crop up once in awhile and sometime healers were scrambling to figure out a cure or cause. Wars...those were nothing new, they happened all the time in small factions at the borders, clashes here and there all in the name of protected their people from 'outsiders'.

It seemed cruel though, to take both parents away from him. Though when you thought you had gotten over one death...another seemed to follow brutally close to the last. Left alone he had learned to live without their support and was thankful for his mother's teaching about the plants and his father's ramblings about the forest...both had proven beyond useful and enabled him to survive on his own.

Truth be told Takoda realized he was bitter at the fates cruel joke, and jealous of those who had yet to suffer such loses. He had never truly accepted their deaths, instead he forced such pain behind a barrier so he didn't have to dwell on it. Instead focusing on the here and now, his irrational fear of bugs almost a crutch keeping his mind firmly rooted in the present.

It was time to put the crutch down a moment, for his fear was true, not something he made up on a whim to act on, but right this moment he needed to accept his life, accept his parents death's and let them go.

A heaving cry uttered from the shifter boy, though no one would be able to hear him above the downpour of rain. Tears streamed down his face, matching the current weather that beat down outside. Feeling almost as empty as the hollow tree he hid in he cried until he felt like he could cry no more.

It wasn't until the silence brought him back to the present that he realized he felt...somewhat better. Not one hundred percent but certainly more whole. His eyes watched as the last of the water gathered and dripped off the leaves of plants and fungi, he searched his thoughts and found himself not recoiling at his memories of his parents which was ...new. He felt a small comfort he could now think of them and not wish to avoid it. The ache was still there, the longing to hear them touch them one more time, but it would pass. The wounds would heal.

Standing he stretched himself from his cramp hiding spot and stepped out onto the damp forest floor. His eyes felt sore and as he touched the corners of them he realized they were puffy from crying. The elder's words came back to him, and he pondered on them again.

No, despite what they may of assumed, he wanted to become a healer for his own reasons. His mother may of been a healer herself, but he wasn't trying to 'follow in her footsteps' because he felt he should. There was some deeper part of him that wished to help others. Perhaps part of it was the desire to not let more people lose their lives, not if he could prevent it anyway. It was who he was, and he would convince the elders it was HIS decision.

Turning his gaze up into the canopy he went to scale the nearest sturdiest tree, careful to not let his feet loose traction on the slippery bark. With deliberate pacing he made his way back to him home, a home he had known for only a short time, and he wondered about moving back to his old home...the one full of memories and he knew it was too soon for that. Even then he would still have to contend with the bugs...

Speaking of... there was a loud flapping sound as Takoda approached his home, his body went rigid as he tried to pinpoint the direction of the sound. It came from the nondwa he had saved a couple days prior from a wind storm, it had yet to leave him since he had healed it. Instead of fleeing in fear he rooted himself there, the nondwa seemed...'happy' at his arrival home as if glad to see that the rain hadn't carried him off and away.

He dared not touch it, but a small smile replaced his trembling lips,
"I'm home Zuko...don't worry. I am home."

Word count: 1569  

[jayoku]

Scary Woman
PRP between Takoda and Keilana

As it wasn't she didn't se ewhy it was such a big deal. Her brother had stressed that the forest was dangerous and yet HE went in there, and he found all sorts of things to help ease their hunger pains as well to trade with. By staying close to home she only found herself frustrated with limitations of game as well discovering anything worth of trade. After all the stuff from the forest was worth a lot more than the every day menial things you found at home.

She was up early trying to make sure she could slip off before her brother had noticed her absence, track her down and drag her back home. Rather than leaving any sort of a message for him and she figured this would just tip him off to where she was headed she neatly placed the animal skull she had found days previous in front of his sleeping face. Hopefully that would wake him up with a jolt. Then she was off.

Keilana remained quiet until she was sure she was far enough away that her brother couldn't hear her, she broke into a jog wanting to get into the forest and out of it before the day was through.

Meanwhile on the edge of the forest sat a shifter who's dark skinned blended well in the dappling light coming through the tree leaves. Perched on his branch Takoda slowly ate his morning breakfast, pondering how many days had already past since he agree'd to meet with the leaf tribe member Jac. Had it been three days already? It felt like each day past by so quickly...

There was a flapping near his head, and stiffening he glanced out of the corner of his eye only to see the male nondwa, the one he had saved and named Zuko settle on the branch next to him. It looked to him expectantly as if demanding that Takoda share its fruit with it.

The bug still made him nervous, though Takoda found himself becoming more and more adapted to its presence. At least he wasn't running off with a shriek anymore. Of course being trapped in his house for a day with it mulling around on his furniture probably forced him to adapt. Sighing the placed the fruit a good arms length away from himself and allowed it to consume the rest of it.

The sun had just risen and the dew still clung to the leaves like jewels. It was then he noticed a figure darting in his direction.

So far so good, Keilana had managed to successfully escape her brothers iron fist and the forest was looming ahead of her. She was tired, puffing from the unusually long distance of running. After all she had never made an attempt to the forest before, perhaps because her brother had done it she felt the need to show she could do it too.

Even so, as she came upon the edge of the forest, she paused feeling a bit overwhelmed at its size. The trees were just...so BIG here and dense. She knew there were many bugs here, and pondered if she would be able to recognize the ones her brother got home. They had been dead and cooking...so she could only hope that alive they didn't look much different.

Stomach growling she realized in her haste she had forgotten to eat breakfast, but at least she hadn't been so stupid as to leave her water skin at home. Pausing she took a sip which barely eased her thirst and whistled.


The whistling had caught his interest, why would a leaf tribe member whistle? Was she signalling that the coast was clear? Takoda swallowed and tried to conceal himself better in the tree's foliage despite the fact the girl had yet to bother to look up.

She looked...similar to Jac. Maybe all leaf tribe members looked the same, he mulled though he realized perhaps to them all shifters looked the same with their dark skin and white hair. Musing he edge himself forward on the branch, recalling how Jac had been friendly maybe this one would be too.

There was a crack of a twig on the forest floor and he turned his head to see what it could be.


Keilana had just been about to step into the forest when she heard the sharp crack, she brandished her weapon quickly, it was just a small dagger but it was sharp. Okay so she used this primarily to kill small prey with, mice and the lot but surely it was dissuade any shifter that may try and do a surprise attack on her.

Lowering her stance she crept forward, there was no signs of life so what could of broken that branch? Unease filtered through her body and she fiddled with the knife as if she was unsure about what to do now. When she had determined that it was safe to proceed she moved forward, head held high in an attempt to look intimidating.

Her feet attempted to find places on the forest floor to cover up her tracks and provide a stealthy pacing but there were just...so many leaves and branches she wondered if she sounded like an alabuk stampeding through.


Seeing the knife Takoda swallowed, ah...this one seemed more...intimidating. Even if she was a girl he wasn't about to tangle with her, not that he had any inclination of fighting her. In fact he was hoping he could talk to her, since Jac had been so personable he hoped more of the leaf tribe were similar to him.

For now he would follow her, after all it was apparent she didn't know much about the forest as she seemed to be on her guard. Leaving the nondwa to finish its fruit he quietly walked through the branches of the tree's, keeping the leaf girl in his sights but not daring to get too close that it would reveal his location.


Keilana was finding her nerves raw with the anticipation of something...ANYTHING coming to get her. She wasn't stupid, she recalled the stories her parents told them of giant bugs that roamed the forest and the Shifters who inhabited it as well. There had to be SOMETHING out here other than just trees and the creak of the wind through there branches.

There was a flutter of wings and something small darted past her her head, she lashed out on instinct though missed with her wild aiming. It was just ...a small winged bug thing and it quickly ignored her and continued on its business. Keilana only wished she had waited for her brother to break down and take her here.

Rearing back as something brushed across her toes she stood poised to stab at whatever it was...and only stopped to blink in confusion at the small...glowing ...worm that was slowly trekking across the forest floor. Lowering her weapon she squatted down to peer at the unusual creature.

Takoda squirmed on his branch, he had spotted the worm she was now investigating, luckily it was far enough away that he didn't bolt or panic. Still how could she get so close to it? Shudders ran down his spine as he tried to avoid looking at the bug, only to land his gaze on something long...and fuzzy on the branch before him.

A small squeak of fear escaped his lips as he careened off of the branch he was on and to a lower one trying in a mighty dash to escape the thing that was there. It actually wasn't a bug...but a strange fuzzy looking lizard that only blinked lazily at the humanoids rapid flight away.

There was no denying that his cover was blown he was in full sight now on lower branches and only once he figured he was far enough away from the creature that had startled him did he stop and sit down.

The scream only confirmed what she had a hunch on, that she wasn't alone in this blasted forest, in fact she had been watched or followed the entire time she had set foot in it! Frustrated she hated being made a fool of and she raised her weapon in anger about to toss out threats when the figure who's voice she assumed belonged to but the words died in her throat as she watched the male careen off of the branch he was hiding on and fled.

Looking back to where he had been perched.....and then to where he had run, she followed in suit. After all if it was enough to cause the shifter to flee in terror she wasn't about to stick around and find out what exactly it was. Figuring that the safest place to run to was following the shifters rushed retreat clumsily as she was still not use to the twisted and gnarled roots covering the floor.

When she figured the shifter had stopped running she found herself breathing hard. Looking over her shoulder in an attempt to see if they were followed by whatever it was the shifter had fled from. Nothing. Nothing pursued and so she brought her attention back around to locate the shifter.


Takoda was still catching his breath when he realized the girl had followed him. Well...she knew he was here now there was no denying his rampant disregard for silence in his attempt to escape the bug. Sighing he looked down from the tree he was in, noticing that she hadn't quite relocated him just yet.

Rather than hide again, as it seemed...pointless he dropped down to a lower branch, still not yet convinced that the girl was harmless as she did have a dagger in hand.

"Ah...I am s..sorry I didn't mean...t..to frighten you." Takoda began wondering if there would be much point trying to form relations with a girl who looked about ready to murder something or someone.


Her gaze snapped to the branch the shifter now accommodated, her face furrowing in an unpleasant scowl. "You didn't frighten me," She snapped pointing a dagger at him before she half turned to gesture behind herself. "I just figured if there was something that could scare a shifter then I best high tail it out of there as well." It was common sense really, why would she stick around only to discover some man eating bug perhaps? Keilana knew she should thank him in a strange way he probably saved her live by fleeing in such a dramatic fashion.

Looking him over she noticed his dark skin, the blue jewels on his chest and face, really as a species they weren't all that much different from her leaf tribe people, but her mistrust was due to a long standing war between her people and the shifters.


Takoda felt his face color, after all he hadn't run from anything particularly dangerous....it was just his own irrational fear that had driven him away. Running a hand through his hair he only looked away from the girl as if embarrassed.
"Ah...there...wasn't though.." Takoda began to explain when suddenly he perceived a new threat in his immediate area one of those damnable glowing worm things! Reacting was only half of it as he flailed backwards and then went toppling off the branch. His back his the forest floor knocking the wind from him. It had been a long time since he had ever fallen off a branch in such a disgraceful fashion, perhaps there was a reason why people mocked him.


Keilana felt her anger spark at his words, was he trying to mock her?? About to toss a challenge up at him she noticed his sudden change in demeanor similar to his flight away from them only moments ago he was being scared by ...that small glowing worm. Keilana could see it's soft glow on the branch beside him and then the shifter was crashing down from the branch and landing on the ground with such force even she had to wince.

Looking back to the small glowing worm she looked back to the shifter. Wow.... either she had been wrong about the harmless worms being..harmless or this shifter was just...not quite right in the head. Either way she had the advantage and thus she she approached dagger still out though not raised threateningly.

"You....alright?" She inquired bumping her foot into his leg lightly.

TBC - K: 7 T: 6  

[jayoku]

Part 2


Takoda looked up at the forest canopy above, he was still trying to recover his breath mild panic blossoming when it felt like it would never come. Then finally a intake of breath and he felt like he could move again. He felt a nudge on his ledge and he glanced over seeing the dagger still out though lowered at her side.

"Ah...I think so...nothing feels broken." Takoda explored his limbs, no nothing felt broken though his back was going to be rather bruised he figured.
"T..hough I will depend on you just how 'fine' I am going to end up." He gestured with a finger to her dagger and then looked away closing his eyes as if expecting her to sweep down on him with the thing.


Keilana watched him warily and when he gestured to her weapon she only scoffed and tucked it back into her belt, she still had the upper hand here and she could pull it out whenever she felt the need to assert herself .

"You'll live. Just don't do anything funny." The girl stated firmly with a nod of her head before she risked glancing back up at the tree top the faint glow of the worm still visible.

"Is that thing really dangerous? Or are you just soft in the head?"


Takoda looked to where she was gazing and he felt embarrassed, after all he was a shifter and he lived in the forest all his life you'd think of all things he wouldn't be scared of bugs.

But there were BIG bugs, many dangerous ones...and given his past he couldn't help but fear them.

"ah...no it..isn't dangerous. I am just afraid of insects.." There he admitted it and he wondered if he would be laughed at again . After all it wouldn't be the first time.


Keilana gave a long exhale of air through her nose, she figured that the worm wasn't dangerous, but having met her first shifter she was ...dissapointed. He wasn't anything like she imagined a shifter to be. He wasn't big or strong, threatening or otherwise. He was timid and frighten of...bugs of all things.

"You are....wow...just..." She was trying to word it nicely and then realized she had no reason to be nice to him, "pathetic." Yep she had declared it, and it was just...so true.
"I was expecting you know...something a bit more intimidating.." She trailed off wondering what she would of done if she had met a shifter who was a lot more....well than this one.


He shouldn't of been surprised by her comment, apparently this was a common assumption for his kind and he would be quite a disappointment if you were expecting one thing...and got quite...another. He was weird, there was no real way to dance around that. Sitting up he rubbed his lower back, it twinged in pain and it was probably due to the gnarled root he landed on.

"Ah well, I suppose I am sorry...but isn't it better I am not? Otherwise we'd be fighting right now wouldn't we?" He pointed out, and he wasn't much of a fighter. His own dagger was to help dig up roots and scrap moss and fungi off or rocks, crack open nuts...and similar things like that.

He brought up a point, after all if he had been what she was expecting she could be fighting for her life this very moment, she may not survive and then her brother would be all alone. The thought bothered her, and she felt guilty. After all she had left without a word to her brother and by now he was probably panicking ( well after his initial shock of the skull in front of his face anyway) about where she was.
Giving a loud audible sigh she turned around and eye'd the way they had come.
"I guess.....I should leave. My brother is probably worried about me." Keilana muttered looking more annoyed than anything that she felt guilt. Making a mental note to punch her brother hard in the shoulder as she would end up leaving this place without having found anything.
"Bah this was a complete waste of time!" She growled.

Takoda was surprised by her sudden abruptness about leaving and how this had been an entire waste of time. What was it with leaf tribe members? Did they all act this way if they didn't manage to get something of value from the forest. He knew times were hard for everyone, but didn't their home land have anything to eat there? Or was that why there had been so many wars...
"Ah...it doesn't have to be...I could take you back...and show you where some thing to eat is." He offered as he managed to stand up, staggering slightly at the pain in his back. Okay maybe he did more damage than he realized. Slowly he walked towards the leaf girl noticing her angry expression.


Keilana reached for her dagger as the shifter approached her, but he looked sore and not really up for fighting as she was sure she would get more of that at home she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, her dagger remaining at her belt. She did however perk when he mentioned they could find something to eat on the walk back to the edge of the forest.
"eat? Are they bugs?" She asked warily looking the shifter over slowly trying to gauge his reaction. After all as much as she had enjoyed the bug meat ultimately she didn't want to to have to hunt them down as well.

Takoda paled at the suggestion that it was bugs they were going to find to eat, he wondered now...if she knew the one other leaf tribe member he had met, Jac. After all he had mentioned to that male about how you could eat bugs for they were full of protein and did make an easy resource as they were EVERYWHERE. But no that wasn't what he had been thinking and he shook his head violently at the suggestion.

"Ahhhh no I was thinking fruit." Takoda firmly stated as s he pointed to the tops of the trees. After all the fruit was at the top of those trees, the good fruit anyway there were some that littered the ground but they were old and rotting and not fit for eating.

Keilana looked at him skeptically, when he pointed to the tree's she then gave him a look that declared he was insane. "Up there?" She said her voice raising in her anger, "I can't climb something like that! I ..I am not a shifter!" Keilana growled seeing how the male seemed to back up at her aggression. "I can't climb that, it..its just...can't be done!" Came her declaration and she was feeling like she was being mocked. Was he secretly trying to start something with her? Because she was leaf tribe? Was that it? Was he trying to prove he was better than her because he could climb a silly tree?

Takoda was taken aback by her anger, all he suggested was they get fruit from the tree and she looked around ready to beat him to a pulp with her bare hands. Not to say that Takoda was a coward but he was a timid man and if he could avoid a fight he would. Darting for the tree he had mentioned he scaled it quite easily and was already up in amongst the thicker branches and still climbing upward. He hated to just...leave her there but she was..just scary. He would still get her fruit, but just from the safe distance of the tree branches.

When he felt that he had gone up high enough he looked back down, the girl looked so much smaller but the fact she was furious...was very very obvious. In fact curses were drifting up and probably directed to him.
"I'll drop some fruit down!" He shouted to the girl as he reached the higher branches and quickly began to pluck the ripest fruit and drop them down below. Some how..this seemed to anger the girl even more.

THAT SHIFTER WAS MAKING FUN OF HER. Furious even as the fruit dropped to the ground some landing softly in moss, other cracking open on roots or rocks, he was making a real mess and it was only making her even more irritated.

Pacing back and forth like a predator that couldn't reach its prey she noticed a fallen tree branch and a slow...cunning smile lit her face. Moving over to it she hefted it off the ground, carefully stripping it of branches and leaves. She was satisfied, the branch as pretty heavy but it would due for her purpose.

Moving towards the tree, she lifted it adjusting her weight and took a practice swing, it wasn't TOO heavy for her which was good. Soon though she took a large WHACK at the tree, the branch meeting the thick trunk, neither the tree nor the branch giving way to each other. Instead the vibration and force of it went up her arm and she felt it go numb, she was forced to drop the branch but was satisfied at how hard she had hit the tree as a few fruit had actually fell from the branches above. And those were NOT from the stupid shifter man.

~ TBC: K:13 T: 12  

[jayoku]

Part 3


The force in which that girl hit the tree was enough to cause Takoda to actually be forced to hold on. The tree quivered like an earthquake had just occured. Yes he was glad he hadn't stayed on the ground that girl was volitile and strong. Dear lord if she ahd managed to hit him with that thing he would probably be very hurt.

Looking down he watched her as she was forced to drop the limb, her arms handing limply at her sides. Did she hurt herself? No...she was looking directly at him with a very smug and satisfied expression on her face. Was she also sadistic? Takoda had met many people in his life time though she was probably the first to literally go along the lines act first think later.

"...You alright?" He called down not wanting to risk climbing down if it meant risking a branch to the face.

looking up at the tree she could see his alarmed face as he clutched to the tree. She felt a pant of satisfaction in that, but until she regained the feeling of her arms there was little sense in taunting the man back down so she could hit him in the head with that branch.

Looking down she peered down at it with a certain fondness. It would be a great pain to lug it back to camp, but she now liked it so much she couldn't help herself. It was going to come home with her! Keilana was was sure her brother would think she was insane but it didn't matter, this stick felt right to her and it was going to be her prize for coming here.

Once she was able to feel the sharp pins and needles coming back into her fingers she stretched them cautiously before stretching the rest of her arm. It hurt but nothing was broken. Opening her bag she went about collecting the fruit she had seen drop from the tree from her blow, and perhaps she was being a bit pig headed but she avoided any and all the shifter had dropped down to her.

Takoda watched as she experimented with her arms to make sure that everything was alright. Why was he concerned about her? Well it was his nature to care for the hurt, after all that was how he ended up with a nondwa stalking him. Though this girl wasn't exactly something he would want stalking him...she would probably try and take his head off with that branch.
She didn't reply to him either, so...either she had too much pride to respond because she was hurt or she just didn't feel the need to answer him. Takoda sighed, wondering if all the leaf tribe women were so..strong willed. "Are you okay?" He repeated mostly because he wanted to be sure, though given that she was now gathering the fruit on the ground he assumed she must be alright, or she had a really high pain tolerance. Slipping down from the branch he was on he perched on a lower one hoping to keep her in sight as she moved about. Was...she...taking that branch? Eye's widening he realized yes...yes she was taking that branch.

Keilana was indeed ignoring him, but he kept trying to talk to her, asking her if she was alright but she wouldn't answer him. After all she figured he must be trying to figure out if she had a weakness and boy was she going to prove him wrong! In fact she began humming rather loudly to herself when he asked the second time if she was okay.

Going to pick up her branch she dropped it out of surprise when something was underneath it. Startled she went to remove the branch and it revealed a strange looking amphibian. It looked stunned its pupils going off in different directions as if it couldn't see straight, bubbles...were even frothing at the mouth. Ah s**t...did she cause it some internal injury? Maybe brain damage by having that big branch land on it?

Lowering herself into a squatting position she picked up a much smaller stick and poked at it. The frog thing, didn't respond even when she accidentally hit it in the eye. More bubbles frothed forth and that was when she noted it was covered in spines. "Uh...sorry?" She stated to the species she couldn't recognize from her homeland.

Takoda came down a few more branches to see what it was that she was suddenly very interested in. He had feared it would be a bug, but no it was a strange creature called a spitorog. A type of toad that really shouldn't exist in the world but still managed to survive.

"Be careful of its spikes, and I wouldn't suggest poking at it..the inflate when starteled." He called down to the girl who half turned her head to catch what he was saying, but then shrugged and returned to poking at it. "I am serious! You should leave the poor spitorog alone." Takoda warned again, even if it wasn't a lethal creature if deserved some dignity...rather than being poked in the eye with a stick of all things.


A ...what? The shifter had given it a name, what was it ...a spi..torog? What a ridiculous name for such a creature. Of course the creature was quite pathetic and giving up she shrugged and stood up, turning to go gather more fruit though now careful to make sure that she didn't step on any of those frog things. They looked painful to stand on.

Unbeknownst to her the spitorog had taken a liking to her and slowly...crawled its way to her bag and up into it. Wriggling its way into the depths and being a bit squished by all the fruit.

Keilana gathering the last few things and swung her bag back up onto her shoulder. Bending over to pick up the branch and laying it on her free shoulder. Before leaving she turned located the shifter still hiding in the tree's that coward and stuck her tongue out at him.

"You're pathetic!" She shouted out to him before turning on her heels and leaving the area, if would take her a good while to get back home...especially laden with fruit and a large tree branch.

Takoda couldn't help but stare as the spitorog actually crawled into the girls bag, he was about to say something but the girl was completely ignoring him. Feeling guilty as she picked up the bag and the branch he was about to say something after all it would be a nasty surprise to find something like that in your bag! But she turned around and stuck his tongue out at him before she labeled him as pathetic and turned and stomped off.
So...shocked by her immaturity he nearly fell off the branch he was on at the moment. If all leaf tribe women were like her...he had to wonder who held the reins in a relationship. Certainly not the men.
Sighing Takoda looked back to the canopy above, well he supposed it was a good enough time as any to get going home...there was probably a nondwa there looking for more fruit.

~ FIN K: 16 T: 16  

[jayoku]

Meeting Enitan - PRP

AIM rp between Jayoku and Moogermint

It was a busy day, he had spent most of the morning high tailing it from bugs he'd rather not get tangled up in as well gathering fruits and nuts to trade with. After the down pour the other day it seemed that the creatures of the forest were making up for lost time, his near encounter with the menzuri had sent him fleeing towards town.
Takoda wondered why the creatures seemed to be in a bad mood, then again menzuri's were never in a good mood. The only time they seemed happy was when they were feeding.
His own stomach grumbling he found himself walking into the town, he had made very good time it seemed and people were still bustling about trading. Looking around he shifted his satchel and began to make his way to the food vendor.


The heart of town tended to make Enitan teeter into uneasiness for a number of different reasons. First off, while it was a close-knit society that the shifters tended to uphold, rarely was it comfortable for anyone to be surrounded by so many that couldn't be higher up the rung than a mere "acquaintance." Enitan wasn't particularly sure that he wasn't going to feel the brunt of teasing whenever he stepped into town, despite such reactions being fairly rare. Not only that, but there were so many man-made things that would catch the boy's eye, so many asymmetrical things that made him awkwardly stare at and wish he had the capabilities to fix on his own, seeing as nobody else would.
But those were bad habits, and as much as they were a part of who he was, they were also actions he needed to stave off. He kept his attention to his knife, twirling it back and forth in his hand to distract himself as he made his way to the food vendor. Times like these, he wished he were more adept at finding his own source of nourishment instead of relying so heavily on others, though very deep down he would relish the idea. He liked people, he truly did, but he had his own thick barriers to contend with.
With distraction could be hazard, however, and Enitan was quick to realize it a little too late. He caught a patch of dampness underfoot and stumbled briefly. It was just enough for him to lose his grip on the knife he was toying with, even though he was successful in not causing too much of a scene. He nimbly grabbed the knife before it managed to fall more than a couple inches, but it had been spinning a bit faster than he was expecting. Before his fingers even grasped fully around the tool, Enitan was wincing in reaction to the blade grazing his palm. Just in time to arrive at his destination.

Takoda was already dealing with his own tormentors before Enitan arrived, the teasing that came from the same group of characters, taunts tossed at him about him meeting any glow worms lately, since the last time he had come across this particular group they had thought it funny to throw a bug at him knowing his intense fear. Luckily for Takoda they didn't have a bug at their disposal this time though the teasing was beggining to ramp up with everyone noticed Enitan and his fiddling with his dagger. Everyone felt unsetteled watching him with those things, of course all Takoda noticed was it was another shifter he was aware of and yet didn't know personally. His gaze was locked on the flipping dagger, and as soon as he knew the other shifter had hurt himself, he seperated himself from the group of harrassers and went up to Enitan.
"are you okay?" He murmured softly, wanting to take the other shifters hand to inspect it but waited first to be acknowledged.

Enitan's first tried response to the situation was to ignore it, despite how easily it pulled for attention. He flicked his gaze toward the wares for trade, trying to contemplate whether he even had enough to bargain with, but found focus to be a tad difficult. It was a bit of a reprieve to be distracted from it with the sudden appearance of a voice, and while being in the most active area of the village, he wasn't eager to hop to the defensive. Survival tactics like those were reserved closer to the outskirts.
However, he was also trying too hard not to appear abnormal while he was out, even though the individuals who frequented the market already coined the label in their heads long ago. This one... he didn't look as familiar, not like that. Enitan attempted to smile through the threatening grimace, "I'm fine, whatever gave you the idea otherwise?" While pride wasn't something that played a big part in his demeanor normally, it did certainly make for obvious verbal falsehoods.

Takoda offered a small smile watching as the other found it just awkward being in town as he did, chuckling slightly he pointed to the other's hand. "Well...I couldn't help but notice you cut your hand." Takoda stated gently and softly, "I can help you if you don't mind me touching your hand." He knew this one through the few times he had seen him didn't really appreciate being touched, so he figured it would be best to ask first. "I am Takoda, would you like to move out of the way? We seem to be blocking the main traffic." Takoda noted as they were now being tossed odd looks and some glares for they were in the way.

Well, that was a little embarrassing. Enitan had a rather high opinion on his own ability to handle knives, under a variety of circumstances. To be caught like this was just unheard of, and he kind of hoped that Takoda had been the only witness to the mishap. He looked a bit hurt at this, glancing downward. It couldn't hurt... and this other kid was only trying to lend aid, something that Enitan was a bit unfamiliar with. Before he had thought to answer, Takoda had introduced himself, and the other boy decided to be quick on the uptake, "Good to meet you, the name's Enitan!" His smile was more sincere this time, eager to absorb the amiable conversation.
"Oh, right right," he said, more hushed as he accepted the offer to move. While attention could be nice and all, in this particular case, Enitan was apt to avoid it. He wore an air of nonchalance as he quickened steps out of the way, meeting irritated gazes with an irresponsible grin. Nope, nothing to see here. Once he was sure they were out of earshot and that Takoda had been following him, he held out his injured palm for inspection with a concerned frown. "I... don't usually have that happen, just so we're clear," he hastily reassured. He wasn't quite sure what another prentice was hoping to accomplish, but he wasn't going to put anything past his new acquaintance.

Takoda only smiled as Enitan was quick on the uptake and they were soon moving away from the crowd and away from the taunting voices and jeers. Takoda wanted to stay away from that group, he didn't want Enitan to have to deal with his problems as well, cause he knew that they would ge themselves involved if he didn't n** it in the bud.
Gently he reached out to look at his hand, he nodded his head and lightly trailed a finger down the length of the cut as if measuring it.
"The cut is shallow...so I am sure you must be very good with your knife, if I tried any such thing I probably would of cut a tendon." Takoda complimented the other as he released Enitan's hand and then reached into his satchel, he removed a herb from his bag and then paused, normally he would need a mortar and pestel to grind this up into a paste ..and he didn't have that available.
"Um...you will have to trust me on this.." Takoda murmured as he popped the plant into his mouth and began to chew. "Does it hurt?" He inquired next as he did have a few mushroom's can could help with the pain.

Enitan was glad to note that Takoda seemed to know what he was talking about. While he wasn't in the habit to disbelieve another, he was never quite sure how far to tread the line of trust, either. Seizing his hand again, Enitan studied the cut as well, attempting to see as far into himself and his own skill with but the engraving diameter in his palm, but without so much luck. This type of observation and the actions that proceeded, however, seemed quite familiar to him. With a scrutinizing glance, he hazarded a guess, "Are you studying to be a healer?"
It was almost amusing to hear this other prentice worry about Enitan's trust on the matter. While silly to the boy, it was also a breath of fresh air and a weight off his shoulders. It meant he still had a chance to make a good impression on someone for once, despite the edges of his quirky habits already showing, portending to his normal behavior remaining unchanged to the determination.
In response, he gave a sharp nod, "Not a problem." Was it strange that he didn't fight it, or ask further questions before accepting it? If the question emerged in his mind, it wasn't outwardly showing. There was no reason for Takoda to pull something on Enitan, not that he could see. Flexing his fingers, he mulled over the question, "Well... it's nothing I can't handle. I've had worse, and as you said, it's pretty shallow. Best save that stuff for an emergency."

Takoda blinked and paused midchew when the hand was taken away to be inspected with scrunity. Giving a small smile he continued to chew and he had to stop when the question was asked of him. With his mouth full he only nodded in response. Yes he was learning how to be a healer, though he still had to prove himself worth enough to be considered worthy enough to try it out.
The fact Enitan had stated he had experienced worse he wondered if he got picked on. Of course Enitan seemed awkward around others just as much Takoda was, they shared something in common, the misfits of the shifter society.
Removing the wad out of his mouth it had form a weird gooey substance.
"I have to put this on your palm, I have some fabric I can wrap over top of it to hold it in place..but it should disinfect and help the healing process be faster." Takoda explained he would understand though if Enitan thought it was too gross to atempt.
"I went to the elders to request healing training..but they turned me down. I am going to try and ask them again."

Enitan hesitated momentarily when Takoda had verified his suspicions, but only for the briefest of moments. He hadn't had a good history with healers, but this sentiment was based on but a couple of individuals, and Enitan was all about giving people the benefit of the doubt, especially when they were of his own tribe. He grinned at that, eyes downcasting back to his own injured hand, "Suppose that was a bit of an obvious response, huh?" He wasn't sure that any other aspirations would be so knowledgeable in the department of medical flora. Even Enitan, who had grown in the presence of healers and had been constantly prodded to be more like them hadn't an idea. Such was the problem with being so disinterested in the craft, daydreaming instead of listening. Or reorganizing. Same difference.
Lifting eyes to meet the ball of ground herb in Takoda's grasp, he had to question the logic. "It's certainly clever..." he mused with a grimace, but thought it over. As strange as it was, didn't saliva act as a good disinfectant as well? Sure, it was kind of gross, and more than a bit weird... but that's probably why most healers didn't really tend to use this method of administering. He noticed there wasn't any good reason one could come up with to refuse the treatment, and Enitan DID trust Takoda, even if it was blindly... "Got no qualms," he stated. Eh, there were worse things to deal with.
"Turned you down?" Enitan asked, rather surprised. Takoda already seemed pretty knowledgeable to him, so... "Why?" Sure, the elders acted in strange ways at times, but he was a tad curious to know if the other shifter had a clue to the reason.

Takoda was silent as he went to treat Enitan's wound, he smeared the chewed up plant matter onto the wound thickly before he went into his satchel to pull out the small amount of fabric he had on him. Quickly and neatly he wrapped it around the other's hand and by anyone watching you'd never know that the elders had turned down his request. In fact he seemed to know what he was doing so why would they turn him away? Takoda knew why. There were several reason's though the largest one being that ...his mother had been a healer as well.
"They think I am trying...to fulfill an obligation to my parents." Takoda's stated slowly, though he had gotten over his parents death, finally accepting them it still hurt to speak about it. "They thought I wanted to become a healer because my mother was one." He trailed off not wanting to bore the other one about his life. If he had known that Enitan had healers for parents...had tried to force him into a healer's life he would of marveled at how ironic it was. As a child Takoda had wanted to follow in his father's foot steps...become a warrior but these days it was the healers life that most suited him.

Enitan tried to fight off a flinch that emerged as the herbal solvent was spread over the would, realizing with a start why the other shifter must have offered the anesthetic. Sure, if it had hurt a great deal, that was one thing, but he hadn't exactly had the foresight to think that the medicine application could also hurt a bit. The sharp sensation seemed to dull a bit after some time, especially when Takoda started tying the fabric around his hand. Even though the wound hadn't been bleeding, at least not yet, the pressure placed on it still seemed to help.
His attention was removed from the immediate situation when words began filling the slightly awkward silence, ears tuned to Takoda instead. His expression turned to that of a light scowl at the explanation, though he couldn't help but to find it slightly amusing that the situation was the reverse of what he was used to feeling himself. There was mutual understanding, in that respect. However, it seemed he missed the mark at first, his comment coming by as a bit inconsiderate among the assumptions he made, "They should know better than that. For one, I don't think you'd be quite this good at it if you were merely playing follow the leader; if I didn't know any better, I would have thought you a healer already. You're not just letting your parents push you into something like that, are yo--"
His defensive barriers fell all at once, his temperamental nature cooling off at an incredible speed. It made way for concern, and he sighed as though deflated at the sudden lack of anger, "That's... not what it was about, was it?"

TBC ~ E: 6 T: 6  

[jayoku]

Part 2 Meeting Enitan

A faint blush was on his face, mostly due to the compliment about him already being a healer, though he knew he would have a lot of work ahead of him is such a thing was to come true. "N..no..I am not one yet...but I hope to speak with the elder again and make him see that I am being serious about it." He explained before he finished wrapping the hand and held it lightly as if afriad to let go of him right now. THere was a moment of awkwardness that came from Enitan's last question.
"Ah...no...they think I feel obligated because my mother was one...she past away though.." Takoda explained slowly, his voice quiet. He was never one to really go into details about his parents or his past life, after all it was in the past was there any sense dredging up the painful memories? Even if he had accepted their deaths.

Enitan almost frowned at the explanation given, but instead offered a more mildly disbelieving look. Okay, sure, he was no elder, and he wasn't a healer either, but... that still didn't seem to make sense to him. Glancing down at his now fully-wrapped hand still being gingerly held by the healer apprentice, he wiggled his fingers. Enitan didn't attempt to remove his hand from the other's grasp, but he wanted to make a point, "How is this not being serious about it?" It was meant to be a bit of a serious joke, but his tone of voice made it sound rather blunt, "How long ago did you see them about it?" For all Enitan knew, Takoda had seen the elders last year, and only managed to hone his skills to such a professional level since.
Enitan's expression seemed to twist, a partial grimace against realization. "Yeah, see... that was completely contrary to what I had been thinking," he explained, even though he knew it hadn't been required at that point. Takoda's body language said enough to get the point across that he was uncomfortable talking about it, and Enitan guessed that apologizing for bringing it up would only be met with dismissal, so there was no point. He huffed a bit, "Well, regardless, obligations shouldn't affect it if you seem to have this much natural affinity for it in the first place." Not that he could really speak from experience, but it seemed like the right thing to say at the time.

Takoda only chuckeled as if he was shrugging it off, after all it wasn't Enitan's fault for bringing up. No more than it had been that other shifter he had met down at the river.
"I ..loved watching my mother, " He murmured as if willing himself to explain in a bit more detail, perhaps it would help himself too to talk about it with someone. "The way nothing detured her from helping people, no matter how bad they came to her she always made the effort. Even if the person seemed beyond the point of returning to the living she always tried and she was so brave.." It was obvious how much he adored his mother as well admired her. "She would never give up and I want to do the same...I will never give up on a person.."

Perhaps he should have apologized about it, for Enitan wasn't sure if his own lack of cutting the conversation off had been what prompted the other prentice to continue or not. It pained him to see Takoda like that, even more so considering he didn't feel like he could adequately understand the situation to its fullest. Truth be told, he was a little jealous that the other shifter was able to feel such a strong attachment to his mother, but it was a fleeting sense at the back of his mind. "Sounds to me morelike you had found a role model early on than any sort of obligation," he stated, "and a good one at that." Hero worship is how many shifters found their calling, wasn't it?
However, Enitan noticed that he was probably being much too factual than what may help, in this matter. He couldn't relate, so he was trying to insert rationalization into the argument. Maybe it helped logically, but it certainly wasn't helping emotionally, Enitan was perceptive enough to see that, and he didn't want to see a friend in distress like this, even if anyone else may consider calling ally so quick to be foolish. He never really thought such things through, and because of that, the sudden, one-armed hug came with next to no warning. With a small smile, he encouraged, "Hey, I'm sure you'll become just as great as her. You've got an advantage in that area: it's in your blood!"

Takoda hadn't expected the hug, in fact when Enitan had gathered him up in his arms he felt his body press against the other shifters his face flushed greatly. To be honest he wasn't use to so much touching, at least in this sense. It was strangely nostalgic though, as he remembered hugs he had recieved from his parents long ago. Slowly he recepricated the hug and he felt like this was something he should do more often. Hug people. Okay maybe not randomly but it was very nice to hug someone, it made him feel wanted.
"Thank you." He managed as he released Enitan and gently pulled away from him, "That means a lot to me..." He continued as he looked back to Enitan's hands where the dagger had cut him. "You are pretty skilled with that...are you going to be a hunter?" he inquired politely.

Enitan wasn't particularly used to others actually refraining from pulling away from a random embrace from him, let alone one that went along with it, but such reactions on his part were also so ingrained in his own behavior that he didn't notice the inconsistency immediately. All that struck him -- although mildly -- was that he was still able to consider Takoda a friend, even as the other shifter pulled away. There was no awkward, hastily-initiated retreat afterward. It kept Enitan more chipper, especially when he observed that there was less of the malaise previously present.
The smile was still there when Takoda spoke once more, glad that he was able to help out, even if he felt he had ignited the depression in the first place. Takoda really was a friendly, if fragile guy, wasn't he? "You just prove your stuff to them, they'll see easy enough," he reassured. He wasn't exactly sure how to take a compliment, though; it was different and foreign land to him. He flipped out the knife again, partly as presentation and partly out of distracting himself. "It started as a hobby. Most people would probably just say my 'skill' came from nervous habits," he snorted a bit, as though trying to turn it into a joke, "As much as I'd like to say I'm good at aiming a throw with one of these, I work better when I can actually hold the thing in my hands. Gives me more control." Frowning, he looked back down at his wrapped up hand, "Well... usually, at least." He was going to have to work on that...
Once the tension had died down, Enitan couldn't help but to snicker. It seemed random, and he almost didn't say anything, but he was known to be a bit fesity at times. He was also known to be quite uneloquent in his handling of situations, half the time, "Heh... were you blushing?" It had been delayed in reaction mostly out of a hesitation in expression.

Takoda watched and listened as Enitan explained his use with the knife, after all he had returned to tossing it and he thought it was pretty amazing that he could do it in such a manner that he didn't cut himself more often. About to state how it was a marvel he noticed that Enitan didn't seem quite as proud of it, even going as far to mention that it wasn't useful if and when he needed to hold onto it to throw.
"O..h..well I am sure with practice you could throw it quite easily...have you ever tried aiming for the fruits in the trees?" Came the question that after it left his mouth felt a bit silly, though it didn't help that the last question after leaving Enitan's mouth caused his fading blush to reappear and more distinctly this time. Was he blushing? He pressed his hands to his cheek as if it would hide the blush but it only seemed to make it more evident.
"Ahh...w.aa.was I?" Takoda seemed shocked that he was blushing. WHy was he blushing? Was it because it ahad been awhile since he hadn't had a lot of human contact?
It was true that his life alone had made him somewhat detached from anyone.

Enitan turned to the fruit in the trees, indicated but not pointed out. He was a visual individual, and although he knew very well what they looked like and where they were, his mind urged him to take a look. Squinting, he thought about his own capabilities of actually hitting one if he were to throw the knife. He was so used to feeling it in the palm of his hand that releasing it at the arc of a swing of his arm just seemed... strange. Slicing into anything like that and not being able to feel it make its mark felt a little more anticlimactic. Running with the idea anyway, he attempted to aim, as though he were actually going to test the idea out. Instead of bringing his arm back, though, he blinked away the idea, almost shrinking back from a thought. Shaking his head, he turned back to Takoda, "It'd probably go straight over the branch. Just thinking about it is making my hand too twitchy!"
He rolled the handle of his blade in his hand again before finding it better he put it away. "I think... I'm better suited for close-range. Heh, though that's also the front line, huh?" he explained, albeit a little nervously.
However, Takoda's social awkwardness was quick to lay off any sort of pressure he felt, and he couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. He hadn't exactly meant for that to happen when he had mentioned the blushing! "Hey now, don't worry about it. I think some people are more prone to it," he tried to elaborate, though found that it was not how he preferred to have done so. Thikning it over, Enitan added, "I don't mean... prone to embarrassment. Um... the, ah... skin composition?" Yes, it was obvious he wasn't the best at anything science-related.

~ TBC T: 10 E: 10  

[jayoku]

Part 3 ~ Meeting Enitan

Takoda watched as Enitan seemed to be going through the movements of throwing that dagger. He was worried of course since there were people around in the area and he didn't wish to see anyone hurt even those who had teased him in the past and most likely in the future. THe shifter was tense but relaxed when it seemed that Enitan changed his mind about trying to test out the theory.
"Well it could go over the branch...but if you never try you won't know what your capable of, " Takoda unwittingly encouraged before he tried to backpeddle with the idea. "Ah I mean not here...maybe in the forest though? Away from others.." The flush was still on his face and having a hard time going away it seemed. When Enitan laughed at his embaressment he knew it wasn't out of malice, though he was use to people laughing at him.
"I..it's okay I mean...I know...heh.." Takoda continued as he swallowed and tried to shrug off his embaressed blush.

Enitan almost jumped to objecting the notion, but stopped to think about it. He was comfortable, working with the smaller and more lightweight weaponry like this, sure, but he could also step a LITTLE outside his comfort zone as well. It was... not that bad of an idea, actually. He wasn't sure how well the skill would catch on, but he wasn't above trying it out. People were suppose to stretch the boundaries in order to improve, after all, and sticking with the same old regiment wasn't going to help him pick up anything new. After a pause, he nodded, "Okay... that's not a bad idea. Sure, I'll practice that, see how well I can get at it by the next time I run into you." He sure made it seem like that would be a while yet... perhaps because he lived so far from the heart of the tribe.
He gave a wry grin as Takoda stated that it shouldn't be something to practice now, "Aww, don't want anyone else to see the blade make such a lovely flight over that branch?" He knew what the worry was, but his naivete left him for acting more like they were old friends, as humor to this degree tended to be better saved for. First impressions were never his forte, and this was becoming more obvious. "You sure about that? Nobody you want me to hit?" he asked, peering around until a frown crossed his face, "Eh, wouldn't want to lose the blade anyway." He would never intentionally harm someone in the tribe, but acquaintances might not be apt to know it immediately.
At least it was better at maneuvering the conversation away from Takoda's flushed face, something Enitan realized and deliberately steered his words. He was still concerned, though. Pointing the way Takoda had appeared from, in-town, he asked, "So do they always whisper behind your back like that?"

Takoda offered a reassuring smile at his response to the idea of practicing away from town. He knew of a couple of spots he would have basically no one around to worry about..besides himself of course.
"If you wanted I could take you to my home and you can practice around there. I live on the edge of the forest..a bit of a trek from the village but there would be less likely people there." Takoda explained happy to have an excuse to invite the other shifter over. His expression became shocked at the joke and he waved his hands in front of him in a urgent dismissive manner,
"Of...of course not! I ...i want to become a h..ealer but no..not so desperately to..to.have people to pract..tice with." He was trying to joke around as well, but it was hard to tell with his mildly panicked look in his gaze.
When the subject changed to the whispering he looked over his shoulder and then gave a small curt nod, lifitng a hand he placed it on Enitan's arm and ..rather directed him to turn around and follow him in a slow walk. It was best to not talk about those who talked about you in front of them.
"Ah well...yes. I mean...everyone in the village knows of my fear of instects...so words gets around pretty quickly."

"No kidding, you too?" Enitan blurted out before he thought about it. He immediately expected confusion to ensue, so attempted to rectify the statement before that much became obvious, "Didn't think many others chose to live away from everyone else like that. Safer to stay where everyone else is, and all that. Don't tell me it was out of self-exile, too?" He winced as the last words left his mouth. Ouch, that was WAY too much information; he didn't like to admit that out loud of himself. Quickly recovering, he tried to plaster an answer over the top, as though it could be hidden, "Sure, I don't see why not. Give me an excuse to pester you some more. Not only that, but I won't have to worry if I cut anything else open on accident!" Not that he was expecting to... but it was pretty reassuring. For Enitan.
Enitan blinked in surprise at Takoda's reaction, and it took him a moment to register how funny that sounded. It didn't matter whether that's what the healer apprentice had meant or not, but that was just hilarious. He almost felt bad for laughing, as it sure didn't look like it was meant to be a joke, but the implications were priceless. "But you're sure to be an expert in no time!" he added before he could stop himself. Shaking his head, he thought it best to clarify that he wasn't serious, just in case it didn't seem it, "No, you don't have to worry. I don't usually even have this thing out when I'm this far in."
It was a good thing that ONE of them was more conscious of the conversation -- and who may be listening in. Enitan was a bit confused at first before he put two-and-two together, taking another brief glance back at the offenders as he followed Takoda's lead. He was brought back to facing the conversation as Takoda admitted his fear, and was just a little surprised, "Wha... you're serious? But... but they're everywhere!" Because that was what someone was suppose to say, that a phobia was encompassing the area they resided in. He cringed; best not to say Enitan liked them, then. "Still... that's nothing to gossip about," he hissed.

Takoda gave Enitan a look that seemed to be of confusion and then more confusion. Self exile? What...did Enitan dislike people that much? It seemed strange since Takoda rather liked the shifter and didn't mind his strange quirks but...exile? The poor shifter was starting to get a bit lost in the conversation that was going on. So first things first!

"No...not exile..I ..just..there are fewer bugs at the edge of the forest..." He addmitted, "Plus its my family home...I haven't bothered to move from it.." Takoda explained as it didn't seem like there had been reason to move. At the idea of Enitan not cutting himself again and not having to worry about hurting others he gave a lopsided smile.

"I've...always been scared of bugs...I know they are everywhere...there is even a nondwa that follows me around...I use to run away from him...but...I am slowly getting use to his presence. He still scares me though when he appears out of no where sometimes." Takoda explained hoping Enitan wouldn't just leave him now because of his silly fear.

Well... darn, that didn't seem to work quite so well. Enitan made a mental note to try to think things through before letting words jump out of his mouth, but such overhauling of ingrained patterns tended to be easier said than done. He almost shot a retort to attempt a more forceful change of subject, once the term "self exile" had been brought up again, before he realized... he didn't really mind all that much that Takoda gathered that much information from the other shifter. Perhaps if the apprentice healer had been one Enitan related to less, but he wasn't. After a stiff silence, one no doubtedly made awkward with his stern gaze, the grin from previous was brought out once more. "That makes sense. Heh, hadn't really thought about it, but you're right, there ARE less bugs out that way, aren't there?" he laughed.

He shrugged in reaction to Takoda's explanation, not under the guise of dismissal over the subject but rather as a means of conveying that he didn't truly have any argument to the matter, unlike what may have been apparent moments earlier. "It's not something you can help, I can understand that," he offered -- and boy, could he really understand it. He smirked as the other shifter went on, giving a congratulatiory pat on the arm... which may have felt more like a swat, "Well good for you for working towards getting over it! Maybe that little pest isn't as much of a nuisance as you thought, eh?" In a way, the nondwa seemed to be as much of a teacher as any of the elders in the tribe, and a constant one at that.

Noticing Takoda's uneasiness, Enitan felt compelled to offer something in return for admitting something like that, but felt he hadn't the capabilities of doing so. At least, not at the moment, and he wasn't very eager to make himself feel as uncomfortable, should it lead to an altogether awkward conversation ending. Instead, he went in a more roundabout way, "You know, it's possible that everyone has fears that they find to be rather petty. Yours just seem to be more obvious to others, and when they see it, they feel they must make fun of it as a sort of compensation for their own." He was musing on the subject, picking at a nail with the knife that only perhaps fifteen minutes prior had attacked that same hand. Feeling that that was a little dense of a thing to say, he laughed, "Or maybe I'm just thinking too far into things. Wouldn't it be something, though?"

Takoda listened as Enitan went on, saying one thing and then backtracking, though Enitan seemed the type to say before thinking Takoda couldn't help but like him for that blunt and sometimes brutal honesty. The fact Enitan thought that Takoda was learning to over come his fear of bugs seemed to be stretching it though.

"I..don't know about getting over that fear..I've been so scared of them...I think i've just learned to ..accept that particular nondwa isn't going to leave me alone." He replied looking a smidgen embarrassed about being scared of a giant moth.

"One can always hope though, but ..I won't hold my breath." Takoda chuckled at his own expense before giving Enitan a smile. "You know it would be nice to have company once in awhile when I go out to gather for my...healer's training." Though he was pretty sure they weren't going to test his knowledge on plant life...a shame really.

"Exactly!" Enitan stated matter-of-factly over Takoda's attempt to get the other shifter to understand better. Truth was, it wasn't really sinking in all that well to the more brazen young man, who thought he understood it perfectly well when, truth was, he only had a light grasp on it: he was relating too much. He was pointed with his statement, "You get used to one, it paves the way for the others. Might not seem like it now, but just look back on it in a few years and you might see something." Not terribly optimistic, but at least he was trying. While his words were confident, it was hard to tell if he was being entirely serious.

"Ahh, I see..." he sighed, folding his hands behind his head and wandering a few paces off, "You're a realist! Could have had me fooled." He stuck his tongue out, as if making a jab at the pessimism hanging so condensed in the air. He couldn't help it; social tension made him act more like a child in his inexperience. However, he really was having fun, something he couldn't admit outright about any other recent interaction. Takoda really was something else. He was tolerant, and really quite brave. Who else would outright admit that they were afraid of bugs like that? It was admirable. Enitan gave little hesitation, batting at the air with a wide grin, "Don't worry about it, I'll drop in every once in a while and say 'hi'! Can you fix bruises just as easily?" Again with the jokes; at least it meant he had warmed up to the guy. It wasn't every day he found a friend, after all.

Takoda thought on what was being asked of him, bruises....like a book being flipped open in his head he drew from various sources and put them to the for front. "Yes...there is a salve you can make from various plants to speed the healing process better...and mushrooms you can take for pain...but unless its a really deep bruise I wouldn't suggest using the mushrooms all that much." Takoda stated with a grin, knowing how addictive the pain killing mushrooms could become he wasn't sure just how well Enitan would deal with it.

"But hopefully you'll come visit unhurt as well. I can't just be your personal healer you know." He gave a small grin before laughing softly.
"I should get going though...I hope to see you soon! I will let you know if I manage to become a real healer if it happens." Takoda continued as he seemed to be preparing to leave.



Enitan's wry grin deepened in intensity as Takoda began listing treatments with little effort, as though he had had plenty of practice in the field. The other shifter couldn't help but feel a wash of amusement over it; Takoda was nervous about another visit to the elders? REALLY? He was a regular DOCTOR, as far as Enitan was concerned. Would anybody but a healer be able to rattle all that off?

He sighed again, feigning emotional injury with an obviously fake flinch. Turning around, back to his nonchalant air in a borderline bipolar manner, he literally waved it off. "I know, I know. I'll try, but I make no promises," he chaffed. At least he truly wasn't as much of a klutz as today's goings-on may have led one to believe. Turning around at Takoda's promise, he was quick to inform, "Takoda, you're already a healer, as much as anyone I've seen. But yes, be sure to let me know when the geezers acknowledge this fact, too." His smile offered his sincerity in that statement, even if it may have come across as arrogant. "I'll see you soon!"

FIN ~ T: 15 E: 15  

[jayoku]

Class Quest - Healer X  

[jayoku]

Solo - The nightmares

Tossing and turning, the shifter lay in his hammock, sweat gathering on his brow as shadowy images threatened to scare him back awake. Truth be told he wasn't sleeping but trying to will sleep back to himself. But every creak and groan of the tree he lived it in jerked him back to wide awake. The poor boy was exhausted not only from his trials but he had yet to sleep an entire night since then.

It had only been a week since his trials had been concluded as successful. Though the elders said he showed much promise, and his willingness to try and help the people in trouble despite the bugs they had thrown in his path, Takoda couldn't help but feel bitter towards them. He understood why they did it but he still couldn't help but feel a dull smoldering anger at them for it, though it did show himself that he was...able to push past his fear if it came time for it.

Since then sleep came unwillingly to the poor shifter who laid on his leaf hammock staring up at the ceiling trying to lure sleep to him. His eye's surely should be closed if he wished sleep to come to him, but every time he tried he felt that those horrific images would came back to haunt him, torment him. Any sound caused his eye lids to flick back open in fear.

Those...creatures...he had never asked if they were real or just magically created for his trails. The people with bug like mandibles coming from their mouths, those huge bug like eyes...true they were wearing hoods but he could only figure that was what they looked like. His nightmares were made worse by the fact he wasn't one hundred percent sure what they had looked like. The mere glimpses he had caught had been enough to trigger his knowledge that they were indeed bug like and that had been enough to let his imagination run wild.

But every person needed to sleep eventually, even it was a exhaustion induced one. So despite Takoda not wanting to...he found his eyes growing heavy, his body becoming like lead from how tired he was and soon sleep claimed him.

Its hard to describe the feeling of dreaming, how everything feels so sharp and real while you dream, the images of dead bodies covered in bugs, how they seemed to animate the corpses...only to discover the voice's they contained belonged to Takoda's mother and father. Soundless screams as he tries to run away from them, but he moves in slow motion, the bugs are in front of him...a web appears behind. Tripping as he falls into it, but instead of the typical menzuri coming to devourer him, it was those horrible bug people.

More of them, they converge on the web that Takoda was trapped on, bugs seem to escape from their 'mouths' as they spoke and eerie clicking of sounds rather than true words, as if being eaten away from the inside as they collapse into themselves and become skeletons, mere husks as bugs swarmed over the shells.

Trapped unable to free himself as the bugs come to swarm over his body, he screams though the sound seems to be trapped within his throat. As they are about to reach and cover his body, the webbing gives way from beneath his writhing limbs, the net is like knives cutting into his flesh as he exits from behind. Falling for what felt like forever when he lands he is disoriented, noting how he is bleeding Takoda tries to stem the countless cuts in his body, only to grow horrified as he notices something is crawling from under neath his skin.

Panic flooded him, his hand coming down and using his nails ripping away at his flesh until he found maggots underneath. Horrified at the sight he screams again and again... backing away his arm held out as if trying to make distance between him and it. Going as far as trying to even remove his arm but to no avail. Unable to stand the sight of it anymore, he closes his eyes and everything goes quiet, the feeling in his arm is gone though. In fact he can no longer feel them at all. As he opens his eyes to risk glancing at his arms he found they were replaced ...with bug like appendages.

It was with this realization that Takoda woke up screaming. Drenched in sweat he had to look over his arms, the skin was still there...there was nothing under it..no bugs...just muscle and blood and bone. Shivering uncontrollably he got up, stumbling to where he had some water in a dish for morning bathing and doused himself with it. Scrubbing his arms and his entire body trying to rid himself of that feeling of something under his skin.

Trembling he collapsed to the ground, the cooler night air caressed him and caused him to shiver as he had yet to dry himself off. He knew that the nondwa was still around and he really hoped that it would give him enough space for him to calm down. Rocking on the floor of his home he finally felt his limbs unlock from the fear induced nightmare.

If anything he felt even more tired than before, his limbs dead from no rest. Takoda wondered...if he....he shook his head. It was dangerous to use the mushrooms for sleep. If you took too much you may never wake up and he was in no frame of mind to be thinking properly. Sighing he went to stand up, his body feeling weak he picked up a tuber to chew on and slowly made his way back to his hammock.

Sitting down he looked no where in particular just chewing on the tuber to get his mind off of thinking about the nightmares. Being that he was in the dark it didn't help with him flinching at every rustle and crunch of a twig. Taking a deep breath he tried to think of the ways his mother helped him sleep when he was having nightmares like these.

Of course...she mostly just comforted him, wrapping her arms around him and rocking him back to sleep. She was not here to offer him such comfort now. So how had he dealt with it on his own? Chewing he looked dully around, how did he deal with it? It had been a long time since he had such intense nightmares...he had plenty after both his parents had passed away. But all he could recall was curling up in the corner of his home praying for day to come.

Right, Takoda had slept mostly during the day in the past, but it had made it hard to find food at night. Takoda soon realized that only time had really helped him, the nightmares had come less frequently and this may be the same thing he would have to do now. Time was less a friend than an enemy at the moment though they always say time could heal all wounds.

Sighing at this revelation Takoda didn't think that any amount of time would help him. He knew this was not true, but when you hadn't slept in days it was hard to look at the bright side of this information. In fact without him even realizing it the poor shifter had been nodding off, only catching himself from dropping the tubor in his hand as he felt his body shift.

Swallowing what was in his mouth he looked at the food dryly, wondering why he would choose something that would make him thirsty. Getting up he stumbled through his home and got a mouthful of water from his water satchel, noting that it was running low and he would need to refill it pretty soon. In the morning, though as he looked to his skin he could see it was already beginning to darken announcing that day was quickly approaching.

It was as if this information granted him the ability to sleep, barely retracing his steps back to his hammock he laid down, curling into a ball and dully looked ahead as the room steadily got brighter, the dark shadows giving way to physical objects that belonged in his home. The table...the stool...his small store of dried fruits and meat.

Eye's steadily grew heavy, with each blink it seemed that it took longer and longer before they would open again. Calm started to filter through his head, the sun was like a blessing in disguise despite the fact he couldn't sleep all day the poor shifter would no doubtly end up sleeping deep into the afternoon as sleep finally claimed him, deep and with no nightmares to scare him awake.

FIN ~ Word Count: 1510