|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 8:30 am
Oh dear spirits. She dealing with a bard or minstrel or whatever those annoyances liked to call themselves. Seb didn’t even bother trying to hide her grimace. “A storyteller,” she repeated. And then inspiration struck her and she eyed the other mare with a slightly malicious glint. “So… if you’re a storyteller, then shouldn’t you be looking for a village or some such to tell your stories to? After all, you can’t be a storyteller without an audience, now can you?”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:43 am
“Actually, I’m only hoping to be a storyteller,” Lexicul corrected with a bright smile. She chose to ignore the malicious glint and focus on the questions. Surely that was a sign that the other mare was starting to warm up to her! Once she smoothed over the wrinkles she had caused and was able to leave Seb with a smile on her face… well, then Lexicul could continue on her journey with a clear conscious! “You see, I’ve always loved hearing stories, but I haven’t quite mastered the art of telling them. I also don’t know that many. Well, I don’t think I know very many. I know more than anyone I’ve ever met except for the professional storytellers that came through when I was younger. But that’s why I’m traveling now, you understand. So that I can learn more tales and I can learn the best ways to tell them. And that means learning how to interact with all sorts of audiences and all sizes of crowds. Even when all I have to talk to is one other person.” One rather unpleasant person, she added silently. She knew better than to say so aloud, though. While Seb was starting to warm up to her now, she doubted that would last long if she was blatantly rude.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:45 am
“So, just to make sure I’m understanding,” Seb stretched lazily, “You interrupted my nap and continued harassing me because you’re some kind of story telling wanna be that can’t be bothered to apprentice to a proper storyteller. So, you got it in your head to go off on your own and bother innocent bystanders in hopes of fluffing your own ego, regardless of what those other people want. And you really think that’s going to help you learn anything?” Despite what Lexicul had not said, she had heard the implied insult in the other mare’s tone. Or maybe Seb just knew what she’d be thinking in the other mare’s position. Well, maybe not. The younger creature seemed to be a decent sort, and if it wasn’t too much work, Seb might even feel bad for being so nasty to her. But it WAS too much work, and she was missing out on some prime napping time. The sooner she shooed off the other mare, the better. Of course, now that she took a second to think more about it, which she detested doing as that required more effort on her part, she realized that perhaps she shouldn’t try to drive the other mare off. Maybe if she just sat and listened to a story, Lexicul would leave on her own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:47 am
Lexicul, unaware of the turn Seb’s thoughts had taken, hesitated. “I… I never thought of it that way,” she admitted, softly. “I guess… most people always seem so happy to gossip. I really am very sorry if I’ve upset you.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:48 am
“If?” Seb repeated, shaking her head. She quickly revised her opinion of the other mare. She was sweet but not too bright and clearly didn’t know how to listen. How could she really doubt that Seb was annoyed by her presence when Seb had done nothing but complain about it since they met?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 7:17 pm
“I’m sorry,” Lexicul quickly backtracked, realizing how dense her comment might have sounded. “I just meant… I mean, I know you’re clearly annoyed by my being here, but sometimes annoyance can come from things other than what it’s being directed at. You said I interrupted your nap, so maybe you’re just tired and so cranky. I suppose I should let you rest but… well… I might not get an opportunity to meet you again. And really, you are kind of resting right near a road. You’ll probably find yourself interrupted again, in this location, by someone else. If that happens, surely you’ll want to move somewhere harder to get to, somewhere no one will interrupt your nap. Wouldn’t it be better to collect your stories now, while I’m talking to you, than come to find you again and possibly interrupt you again? And that’s assuming I even CAN find you!”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 7:19 pm
“What makes you think I even have any stories?” Seb asked, not bothering to address the idea of her moving her napping location. As much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, the other mare had a point. No doubt she’d be bothered again by the next lost soul. But the idea of finding somewhere else to nap… ugh… so much work….
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 7:21 pm
Lexicul smiled brightly. This was a question she knew the answer to. “Everyone knows stories,” she explained, happily. “Maybe they’re tales handed down through the family. Maybe it’s historical tales, or fairy tales. Or maybe they’re just stories of your own childhood and things you got up to as a youth. Maybe they aren’t even your stories. Maybe you have a brother or a friend who told you a story of something a friend of a friend got up to. Those are called urban legends, I’ve learned. But everyone has stories. It’s impossible to live without collecting them. Maybe they aren’t what everyone would call interesting, but I’m not everyone. I love stories, no matter how short or long they might be.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 7:26 pm
“So… if I tell you a story, will you leave?” Seb asked, skeptically. The other mare certainly had the energy and potential to be a storyteller. And, yeah, okay, she had a certain way with words.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 9:53 am
“I would love to hear your stories,” Lexicul repeated, happily. “And if you’d be willing, I would love to tell you a story as well. It would be nice to be able to practice my art as well as collect more for it.” She knew that she may have been pushing her luck by asking to tell a story as well as hear one, but this was an opportunity she didn’t want to risk slipping past her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 9:57 am
“Fine, fine!” Seb sighed. If it meant getting back to her nap, she’d tolerate it for a moment. She considered for a moment, trying to think of a short and easy story to tell. Finally, she settled on telling the other mare about another soquili she had observed once. It was a rather bland story. The creature had gotten himself tangled up in some vines and had taken a few minutes to work himself free. When she finished the tale only a few minutes had passed. She expected Lexicul to complain, so she was ready to stand firm. “Your turn.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 10:05 am
Lexicul surprised Seb by not voicing a single complaint about the rather simple story. Instead she smiled brightly. “Thank you! I’ll remember that. It would make a great little anecdote! I’ll try to keep my story short as well, since I know you are only doing this as a favor. Let’s see…” Lexicul thought for a moment before coming to a decision. She traded a tale of a mare she had heard of, who loved pranks and jokes. She had heard the story from someone who knew someone who was friends with the mare’s sister. Or something like that. She wasn’t certain if this mare even existed, but the story was a fun little tale of a filly who got caught up in her own trap and had taken hours to figure out how to get out… and had moved right on to pull another prank.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 10:12 am
Seb listened patiently, and yeah, okay, so there were a couple times when she chuckled a bit to herself. The little mare had a way of getting into the stories and dragging her audience in with her, willing or not. When Lexicul finished, she shrugged a bit. “Okay, that was a funny story. And now our bargain is complete.” To further display that she was quite done with the other mare, she curled up on her rock and closed her eyes then proceeded to snore obnoxiously.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 10:20 am
“Thank you,” Lexicul chirped, realizing that the snores had to be faked. No one could fall asleep that quickly. Still, she was pleased with the results. She had gotten not just one story but two out of the experience. Plus she had managed to elicit some smiles and laughs from the grouchy mare. And really, that was all she could ever hope for. And so, it was with a happy bounce to her step that she continued on her way, in search of her next story.
Fin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
