She obviously had no idea what they were talking about, or that Issac would have been worried about leaving her alone with his brother. Quite honestly, Aiyana was sure that the man could have been much more cruel to her and she was of no mind to complain about her treatment thus far. Not in the least. Sitting quietly in the backseat, she looked confused at the question of spandex. When she asked what that was, Issac simply laughed, so there was no answer forthcoming there. When he mentioned sheets, she blinked. "I can sleep in a bed," the flower spirit said carefully. Did that mean she was going to be able to sleep in one, then? The thought made her anxious to find out. One of the best things about the Hotel was that she had the room, with sun and a soft bed and a bathroom. From where she had been before...coming from there to the Hotel was a godsend for the poor spirit and she could have happily stayed there until she withered away. So hearing him say something about sheets gave her a small smidgen of hope, but she was afraid to get too excited over it. At the next question, she slowly nodded. "Um...please?" she asked quietly. The idea of going inside anywhere by herself terrified her, but at the same time she knew neither of them wanted to go in themselves, so she was hesitant to ask.
Issac pulled over and parked in front of a store that looked promising. Aiyana got out slowly, leaving the collar on the seat, and trailed after whomever was the unlucky one forced to go in. "I'll be quick," she whispered, afraid they were going to yell at her to hurry up. Walking inside, she looked around and bit her lip, not knowing where to start. A sales assistant came up to them, smiling. "Hi, my name's Jenny. Is there anything I can help you with today?" she asked cheerfully. The man said something about her needing clothing and she turned her attention to the flowering woman. "And what do you need, miss?" she asked her with a smile. Aiyana bit her lip and shook her head. "I, um...I'm not sure," she admitted. "Well, that's all right, come with me and I'll help you find what you want. What sort of things do you like?" With that, the woman led the flower spirit away from the male and into the store, guiding her and asking better questions than either of them could about what Aiyana liked and didn't like. The flower spirit told her she was told be quick and Jenny obliged. Once they found sizes, she flew through the store with the other female, picking things out for her from bras to brushes. It looked like an awful lot to Aiyana, but her keeper didn't say anything as they looked at the pile on the counter while Jenny rung it up for them, ever-cheerful.
The things were paid for without complaint and Aiyana took the several bags, thanking the woman. She'd also said she'd been told to get what she thought she needed and then more than that, so the sales assistant had done exactly that and made sure the flower spirit was set for all seasons and wouldn't have to go shopping for quite a while again. "Um, thank you," Aiyana said softly, looking up at the man as they walked back out to the car. "I went as fast as I could," she added, looking down at her feet as her bags were put into the trunk and she returned to the backseat, hands folded in her lap.
Don't be ashamed to weep; 'tis right to grieve. Tears are only water, and flowers, trees, and fruit cannot grow without water // But there must be sunlight also // A wounded heart will heal in time, and when it does, the memory and love of our lost ones is sealed inside to comfort us. ∝╬══→
Shiro no Kitsune
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:24 am
Ⱥmaranth
The spirit was silent as she listened to her family speak amongst themselves. None of what they were talking about had anything to do with her, but she didn't feel left out as no one spoke to her, or paid her the slightest bit of attention. Amaranth was used to being a spirit, after all, invisible to the human eye. Humans only spoke to her when they wanted something, help of some sort, and that was what she was used to. There was no need for anyone to pay her attention, at least that was how she felt now. If that would change, being in a physical body and living with people as an actual person rather than just a household deity, well - only time would tell. But all of what they were speaking of, spring and the like, made no sense to her. Humans didn't go through that, of course, so Amaranth paid attention, as she sensed this was rather important. Her gaze flicked over to the deer as she spoke. Her accent was lovely to listen to, as were the twins' when it crept into their words, and a small smile appeared on the female's face. Not at anything Flannery was saying, just happiness at being with them all. she worked on her food calmly, taking it all in, and wondered how much help she might be. That was when she asked her question.
"Do you like company in Spring? Or would you like to be left alone?"
Amaranth returned the small smile she got from the deer, relieved when she said she would like company. "Of course I will," she assured her with a smile. They were family, she would always watch out for all of them now and take care of them. She wanted them to be happy and the spirit reached over and stroked her hand down Flannery's hair a bit, to try to soothe her. It was easy for her to tell the deer was uncomfortable and Amaranth wanted her to be happy again. She was adorable, to be honest. "Whatever anyone needs, I'll be happy to help with," she told them cheerfully, finishing her food. It was good and she was surprised she had eaten it all. It wasn't as if she needed it, exactly, but it was still nice to feel like she was fitting in more with everyone.
The waitress came over, giving a flirtatious smile to Iain as she gave them the bill and began to clear off their plates. Amaranth passed the woman her own dishes, as well as Flannery's after stacking them, having seen people do that before. She liked helping and making people's lives easier, after all, it was what she was created for, quite literally. She sat close to Flannery and fussed over her some, quietly, stroking her hair and generally ignoring the twins for the moment. Neither seemed to need her, or want her attention at all, and she wanted to make the little deer feel more at ease when she looked so frazzled and nervous.
"Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart."
xOur lines of sight, xxxxintersect within this closed world. xxxxxxxAlthough you play dumb, xxxxxxxxxxxI can almost feel your infatuation.
I Do Not Regret Anything I Have Done In The Past, But I Do Not Look Forward To The Future
Issac smiled when Aiyana asked him what that was, he laughed, it was good she didn't know what it was, they didn't have to worry about her dressing in any green onsies that would look completely hilarious on her. Letting out a relaxed sigh after that as he would continue driving, he'd heard her seem somewhat surprised about being able to sleep in a bed, "That's good, it would be weird having to put something else in your room...I mean not that it would be a big deal but...." he'd mumble scratching the back of his head. He was curious as if she slept standing up in a pot filled with dirt, you know like a plant would, he would find it an odd sleeping habit, but she seemed mostly human so it shouldn't be a big deal for her to sleep in a regular bed. Issac would pull up to a large store, completely for women to shop in, and well he would easily push his brother, "Prosnut'sya." he'd call to his brother as he started to get a serious air to him. This was the time that they were dreading the most, and Issac would not go in without a fight, just like his brother. Riley would sit up slowly as he would look to his brother, "Rok, nozhnitsy, bumaga?" he questioned putting his hand out, "Vy yego poluchili." Issac said putting his own fist out. They completely ignored Aiyana for that moment as they would bounce their fists in unison and Issac would come out with paper while Riley got rock, "Ya dolzhen byl obmanut!" Riley exclaimed hotly. Issac chuckled, "Pochemu ne tak li?" he questioned chuckling as Riley slipped out of the car, "Potomu chto ty sosat' na rok, nozhnitsy, bumaga." Riley would chide his brother, "Grubo!" he'd huff with a smile on his face as Riley shut the door. He would trail into the store at a fairly slow pace, he really didn't want to go into the god forsaken place, but he lost fair and square. He wasn't reassured by Aiyana, cause even if she was quick, he would still be stared at like he was some god awful anomaly, hell other species didn't get as much crap as him.
Slipping in to the double doors he would stop immediately as a good portion of the workers and a few customers turned and stared at him like he was nuts. The look on his face was that of utter hate, glaring at the women up until a sales assistant came up, he stare her down as he would merely direct a thumb at Aiyana. He would move to the less conspicuous counter to wait for the two to return, arms crossed over his broad chest as he felt less than comfortable at the moment. He was not having fun right now and it was starting to get a little bit worse. When Aiyana had come back he was talking to an elderly woman with a light smile on his face, "It was no problem really." he'd mumble, "Such a nice young man." she'd mumble lightly as she would pat his arm and look up when he did. She and him would regard Aiyana lightly, "Awww....how sweet, helping your girlfriend out too!" she cooed and patted his arm again before tottering off, uttering a thank you and good luck. Riley rubbed his head as he would regain his stern look only to give a half glare towards her, she shouldn't expect anything of him to be honest and she probably wouldn't. When he merely looked over the pile he didn't look phased in the slightest, drawing out his black leather wallet from his jeans he would easily flip through a few cards before handing the clerk one. Ringing everything up and paying for it he would easily lead the way out, leaving Aiyana to pretty much carry everything. When they were outside he would glance down to her as she would thank him and assure him she had gone fast, "Doesn't make a difference that you went fast. Still had to go in." he'd grumble at her. Riley really hated going into stores. He would open the backdoor for Aiyana at least before he stepped into the front seat sending a glare at his brother, "So, did you get a kiss from that old woman Riley~?" he'd tease his brother, Riley flipped him off as they waited for Aiyana to settle. Issac easily started the car and gave a light glance back at Aiyana, "Did you at least enjoy shopping?" he questioned lightly.
My Current Location? Well....... Market place How Do I feel? I feel....... Annoyed / Proud God This Person is annoying! Their name(s)? Aiyana The Time and Date? No Problem. Its...... Somewhere in the Fall getting close to Evening.
Translations
Wake up. Rock, paper, scissors? You got it. I should have cheated! Why didn't you? Cause you suck at rock, paper, scissors. Rude!
It was obvious that Riley didn't want to be there, but she was surprised he opened the door to the car for her. Blinking, Aiyana obediently got in and got herself situated before Issac started down the street again. She watched the both of them, more curious than afraid at the moment, as they had seemed to simmer down for the time being. She wasn't sure if Riley was always cranky, or if he was just in a bad mood. But he wasn't taking it out on her, at least not yet, so she was cautiously optimistic that maybe living with them wouldn't be such a terrible thing. Hearing the question, she thought for a moment and shook her head. "Um, not really. There were a lot of people," she said softly, hoping that wouldn't make them angry. Between her own anxiety and wanting to hurry to keep Riley from getting too angry, she'd been more worried about that than anything else. "But - but I do like what I found. Everything is nice and soft," she added shyly, not wanting them to think she was ungrateful for getting her things. "Um...do you two have favorite colors?" The question seemed random, but Aiyana remembered Issac asking her earlier if she liked any colors in particular. And she wanted to learn more about them and starting off with a simple question like that seemed harmless. She hoped it was, anyway.
Waiting for an answer, if she was going to get one at all, the female looked out the window curiously as the car went through town. It had been a long time since she'd gone outside and seen so many people. Resting her head against the corner of the window, Aiyana couldn't help but wonder what her life was going to be like. Terrible? It was hard to imagine it would be good, since life hadn't been 'good' since she'd been taken from her family and her home. So she just hoped they wouldn't hurt her. It shocked her, honestly, that Riley had said so bluntly that they wouldn't hurt her, especially when he said he'd wanted someone to torment. It was...confusing, that was a good word for it. He seemed so angry and sullen, and yet was sort of nice, when he wanted to be. So at least there was that, she reasoned. She'd just have to take the good with the bad, that was all. As least there would be some good.
Don't be ashamed to weep; 'tis right to grieve. Tears are only water, and flowers, trees, and fruit cannot grow without water // But there must be sunlight also // A wounded heart will heal in time, and when it does, the memory and love of our lost ones is sealed inside to comfort us. ∝╬══→
xOur lines of sight, xxxxintersect within this closed world. xxxxxxxAlthough you play dumb, xxxxxxxxxxxI can almost feel your infatuation.
I Do Not Regret Anything I Have Done In The Past, But I Do Not Look Forward To The Future
Issac focused on the road as he would watch the car's whizz past him, he was taking his own time driving, mainly because he wasn't in a rush and neither was Riley, well not the kind of rush to go home as he was in before. Riley no longer had to go shopping so a leisurely ride home was not too bad for him, specially since it was comfortable in the car. The two were more at ease now that they knew the next destination was to be home, maybe they could eat something, not like the two brothers were any good at cooking, but they could make something simple. Issac felt more curious about Aiyana than anything else, when she mentioned that there were too many people he'd smirk, "Heh you a Riley have something in common then huh brata?" he'd chide his brother lightly, "Shut it." he'd snap at his brother as he let himself lean against the window looking less than happy. Issac smirked as Aiyana continued to go on and say she found things she liked, "That's good, you need to be as comfortable as possible." he'd nod approvingly. He was glad she took his advice on getting more than what she thought she needed, after all neither of them liked going into stores so it would probably be cause for bad trips if they had to go often. Riley stared out the window with an absent look to him, he was really tired today, he had worked on setting up a room for Aiyana with Issac, dragging in furniture and the like and not just with physical muscles either. Levitating things in place moving things out of the way, it was a strain mentally on him as well, not that the new girl knew anything about his own special power.
Issac glanced back away from the road at her question, looking curious as to why she would ask a question like that, "Tsvet?" he mumbled before glancing to his brother then back to the road, "Lyubimyy tsvet? U nas yest'lyubimyy tsvet?" he questioned, "Da, siniy." he mumbled, "Blue? Ya dumal, tebe nravitsya krasnyy tsvet." he'd mutter, Riley shrugged, "Ah, Riley likes blue and I don't really have a favorite color." he'd more or less translate the gist of the conversation they had. He'd grimace as he became questioning, since Issac had his eye sight gone for a good while he wasn't exactly gung ho about the colors he got to see again, he liked them all considering sight in itself was a gift, "Almost home." he murmured as Riley would start on another nap, the hot head really was drained today.
My Current Location? Well....... Market place How Do I feel? I feel....... Annoyed / Proud God This Person is annoying! Their name(s)? Aiyana The Time and Date? No Problem. Its...... Somewhere in the Fall getting close to Evening.
Translations
Color? Do we have a favorite color? Yes, blue. Blue? I thought you liked red.
Color Me Fubar
Go ahead and post in the home thread~
Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 12:41 am
▷ Iain looked over at Flannery, watching her as she spoke, well aware of what it was she wasn't exactly saying. He had centuries to read and do as he pleased, and so he knew a handful of things about different animals, such as mating seasons. They were actually lucky none of them were related to felines or any other animal that decided to mate every couple of months. If they could just get past a few months, then all would be dandy. The thing was that she was still human, and Amara also had a human body, which meant that they could also be sporadic with their wants. He quickly brought his eyes up to the waitress bringing them the check. He took it in his hand with a smirk and watched her walk away. The only truly great thing about being a selkie, was his irresistibility to human women. He quite liked being able to lure women in without doing much. Even now as he looked down at the check, leaning back and reaching in his pocket for his wallet, he noticed the numbers written on the sticky note to the side of it. Iain left the phone number where it was and tossed down the money on the table, getting to his feet and putting his wallet away. "I'm going to take a walk while you go buy whatever it is you wanted." He took a moment to glance over at Amara, silently letting her know that he wouldn't mind if she wanted to go with him or the others.
Orion gave a slight nod to his brother, watching him walk out of the restaurant before getting to his own feet. They had to stop by and pick up some yarn and knitting needles for Flannery. Perhaps Amara had something she wanted to buy as well. Maybe she had a hobby, too. Orion didn't want to make Amara think that he was only paying attention to Flannery, but he didn't want Flannery to think the other way. He was doing his best to make bother girls feel comfortable and equally as interesting, which they were. "Ladies, are we ready to leave? We still have time before we have to get on the plane." He smiled at the girls, excited to get them to Scotland so they could settle in and finally get passed the awkward moments of introduction. He was also beginning to feel a bit tired. The flight had been long, and he had already woken up early. ◁
OOC:: My cat just brought me a mouse from outside. Gross. It was still alive, though. Also, sorry for the short post. Just wanted to get something out.
"To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable..."
x x x
It was a relief he understood that, although she'd been a bit shocked when he told her to keep the money. He clearly didn't know or understand what it was and it would have surprised Roo further if she knew he didn't think of her as an object to be bought. After all, everyone else here did, why should this strange man be different? When he told her to show him where she could buy clothing, she was glad that there were taxis here, not wanting to walk all the way into the city. Looking around, she walked off with the man close behind her as she tried to find someone. It took a few minutes, but eventually she managed to hail down a cab and told them where she wanted to go. Being in charge with a master right there was...disconcerting for the young woman, after her unsettling experiences with Malkuth, and she wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing or if this was some sort of obedience test she was failing. But Suji seemed content to let her do as she pleased, clearly not understanding half of what she said or what went on, and she worried that she wasn't going to be able to teach him. That she was going to be a failure this time as well and then...shuddering a bit, she didn't want to think about it.
It didn't take long at all for them to reach the markets and it was a familiar sight to the young woman. Stepping out of the car, Rowena looked around for a moment to get her bearings before finding where she wanted to go. She gestured to the boutique for women, taking Suji's arm and gesturing to the sign. "This is where women buy clothing," she told him, pointing to the words above the store, and then inside at the windows where the mannequins were. He didn't object and she led him inside, wanting to be quick. Unlike her previous trip here, she didn't feel as anxious and while she didn't buy much, it was enough. Not knowing what the weather was like where she was going, she bought some things for warm weather and some things for colder, a coat and boots in case of snow, and personal things she didn't bother to explain to Suji what they were. That was just...unnecessary, in her opinion. Besides, she was still uncomfortable when it came to things like that and decided it was for the best.
Once they were done, Rowena carrying her bags, she looked around and headed down the street to the bookstore. There were plenty of people going in and out and she stuck close to Suji, not wanting to be pulled away or something else. "These are books," she said, not because she thought he was stupid, but to teach him the proper words. As they went inside, she headed towards where she knew simple ones would be and picked up a few. They weren't children stories, more like educational books for someone learning it as a second language. Which was perfect for Suji and anyone else he might want her to teach. "I can use these books to teach you English," Roo explained, opening one and showing him how it looked inside. She also went ahead and got herself some sketchbooks and pencils, as that seemed to be a good way to communicate with him as well. He seemed amiable enough, nodding when she showed him something and repeating the words, sometimes a bit...oddly, as in weremote, but wasn't getting angry about her buying anything. She paid and took that bag as well, before stepping out and looking around. Her stomach growled and she sighed.
Of course she was hungry.
"Let's go get something to eat. Food," the young woman clarified, pointing to the bakery down the street. As they got closer the smells were only more delicious and made her mouth water. Going inside, she gestured to things and quietly told him the words for them, at least the ones she knew. She was hardly an expert at pastries and the like and kept things simple. Whether he got something or not, she went and got herself a pastry as well as a drink and a sandwich. As they sat down for her to eat, Rowena frowned, realizing she had no idea where his home was or how they were going to get there. Taking a few bites of her pastry and savoring the flavors, she chewed thoughtfully before swallowing and looking over to Suji. "How are we getting home?" she asked him. "To weremote? How did you get here?" she added, looking at him expectantly. Surely he would at least know that...right?
x x x x x x x x
"...to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength."
`MaliceMizer
Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:12 am
Ⱥmaranth
As they finished talking and eating, the spirit didn't have much to do. At least Flannery had answered her questions and hadn't taken offense, as she hadn't meant to give it. Rather, she was pleased to hear the deer would want company and was more than willing to. She didn't quite understand how spring went or what they were all talking about, but it seemed obvious that the little deer didn't want the males around her in 'that time', whatever it was. Well, if she didn't, then Amara would be more than happy to shoo them both away, if that was what Flannery wanted. It was what she was there for, after all, to keep them safe and happy. And they all seemed, quite honestly, like they could do with some love and family and affection. It seemed to the female that they would be good for each other, no matter how shy Flannery was or how prickly Iain could be. She was sure it was just a case of him pushing people away before someone could be hurt somehow and had seen plenty of people do that over the years. But it only resulted in people being hurt and lonely. And they were her family now, she wouldn't let that happen.
Amaranth followed them outside, listening as Iain said he was going for a walk while they left the restaurant. She was surprised when Iain looked over at her, as if he didn't mind her going with him, since he seemed to want to be alone and so cranky besides. But she decided Flannery should spend some time with the man who'd picked her to go with them and make friends and see if she could cheer the cranky twin up some. So she smiled and walked down the street with him, giving the other two a small wave. Now that they were family, she could easily find them again with her magic and there was no chance of being lost from them. Even if they were miles apart, she'd be able to go to them. It didn't seem like he wanted to talk, so she simply held his hand while they walked, as he hadn't seemed to mind the last time she had done it. There was no reason for them to talk much, at least in her opinion, and Amaranth simply looked around and took in the sights, seeing all the different people around.
Once they were back with Orion and Flannery, the latter having gotten her knitting things, she smiled when Orion said they were going to go home. "I'm ready to go home," she said cheerfully, her arm looped through Iain's. Though to the women passing it seemed like a possessive gesture, it was merely how she felt like connecting with him at the moment.
"Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart."
INDENT Suji followed his human accomplice as they finally left the building. Being outside felt much better than the stifling feel and strange smell of that large building. She waved at those peculiar human machines and observed as the men inside told her something that sounded a lot like declining. After the second one turned down the girl, Suji started to mimic her. It was clear that she wanted the attention of the yellow machines - he happened to catch her call it taxi. Adding that to other instances he had heard that word, and he concluded the yellow machine was called a taxi. Were all machines like that also called taxis, or just when they were yellow? He would learn about it eventually and tuned his attention towards her attempt to catch the attention of the taxis. When she lifted a hand to wave, so did he as he stood behind her. He was quick to drop his arm to his side and look back attentively at her whenever his human company looked back at him. At least he understood the basics of the yellow machines; he was able to enter, sit quietly, and even exit through his own door with no problems.
INDENT The taxi took them elsewhere, as taxis seemed to do. The area was significantly different than the vicinity of the big building, which was also significantly different than the big bright complex he had had to navigate in order to get there. He gazed around and compared it to what he had seen thus far in his travels; he thought about what was different, what was similar, what he liked, what he disliked... When he felt a hand on his arm, he looked down at Rowena and walked with her with slight unease. She insisted that she did not want to be touched, so why was she initiating contact? Was it only he who could not touch her, yet she could touch anyone anywhere she wanted? That was hypocritical. Suji's dark brows knitted and his lips twisted. His features formed a grimace that was unsuited for his mature, defined features but would look right at home on a 6-year-old. Humans were bizarre creatures; but, he recalled, his parent did say that humans were fickle and flighty creatures whose words could never be trusted or relied upon.
INDENT Feeling troubled was quickly replaced by wonderment when they approached and entered the little boutique. Suji was initially a little confused about what she had said - this is where women xxx xxx - and though the first mystery word was still fuzzy, the second mystery word probably meant stuff you wear. The concept of a place with lots of stuff you wear clothing, ready to wear, was astounding. It was brilliant! But how did they know the items would fit? As far as he knew, humans were unable or unwilling to standardize their body shape. Suji initially trailed behind the human but once he realized she was merely fluttering from metal armature filled with clothing and looking through everything, he decided to wander off to browse as well. The little building was small enough that he could rush to her aid if anything were to happen, anyway.
INDENT Most of the design of the clothing was completely foreign to him, though he could easily identify what garment was to be worn where. There were many different colors, patterns, and styles, and he explored each one with curiosity and amazement. They were all for a female body - though Rowena had said women, after all - but that mattered not to him. A lustrous top in dark grey made him remember his parent and he was tempted to take it, but Suji decided against it. He did not know where he parent was and getting something now just meant he would have to carry it all the way home. When he finally found his elder, he would be sure to return to clothing places like this. Suji browsed with increasing excitement as he found things in many shades of green, though none of which would practically fit his current form (it seemed his current form was too tall). Unable to rationalize carrying something home, he abandoned his browsing and returned to Rowena to loosely orbit the area around her. Curiously, it seemed she was picking up an assortment of different clothing. Had he the words, he could have told her he lived in the tropics.
INDENT In addition to the clothes, Rowena also picked up an assortment of objects that were completely foreign to him. He could guess that one was a brush for hair (though another item looked like a tiny brush for hair, as well), but that was about it. The pictures, squiggles, and bright colors used on all the packaging intrigued him, especially the items she picked up that happened to be squishy. He could not guess what was inside them but was eager to soon find out. Suji behaved as best as he could; he did not touch anything he was not given that could not be put back perfectly as it was, and even then he mostly kept his hands to himself. The next place Rowena brought him to was a new experience. Lining every wall with hardly any free space were rectangular objects - books, she had said - sort of similar what Rowena had shown him and drawn in. Keeping her in his peripheral vision so as to not get lost in this new place, he couldn't help but gaze around himself and wonder just what purpose the objects had. Clearly these books were important for there to be so many in one place. Were they really all like the one Rowena had? The colors, images, and scribbles all over the outsides of the books made him believe otherwise. Maybe others had drawn in them? Maybe they were very nice drawings?
INDENT Rowena stopped in one particular area of the strange building. She began to look through the objects on the shelves and Suji mimicked her, though he had no idea what she sought. She apparently found one she liked and pulled it off the shelf, showing it to him (and, luckily, not handing it to him or he would have treated it similarly to how his parent treats books). All he saw were scribbles, finely-printed and arranged into geometric forms. Truly bizarre. But if it would somehow help her teach him her language, that was all he needed to try to overcome his skepticism. With spirits higher than they had been when he entered this book building, he followed her as she picked up yet more items. It was also bizarre how humans liked to acquire and keep possessions and he pondered how they would be able to practically carry her items.
INDENT To the outsider, it probably appeared he was one of those rich, spoiled, haughty masters who used their slaves to do menial tasks too undignified for their own hands, even if that meant breaking masculine gender roles. To him and his people, it was her being responsible for the consequences of her actions.
INDENT "Let's go get something to eat. Food," Rowena stated, pointing to another building along the way. Suji understood, mumbling eat something, food, to himself as he followed. The next building they entered was different. It had tables and chairs - he could identify those because he had seen them at the jichang - and an assortment of edibles displayed behind glass. He didn't know what the food was, but the smells were very interesting. They were foreign yet interesting and they smelled sweet, yet unlike the sweet of fruit. But something that smelled good like this had to taste fine, right? He did not catch all of the words she had told him but through pointing, he ended up getting very basic sweets - an éclair, an apple strudel, and a cup of water. Again, out came the envelope that he had given Rowena and some of its contents were given to the humans running the building. It became apparent it was some sort of bartering medium. Perhaps they were redeemable for something that was actually useful..?
INDENT Suji pondered it as he followed Rowena (and all her stuff) to one of the tables. He carried the bag with the food and their drinks, seeing as Rowena's hands were well occupied. They sat and he watched as she distributed whose food was whose. It would be the first time trying human food. He had been told all of his life that it was impure, that humans tainted or ruined nature's resources, but as he had never tried it he was always reluctant to pass judgment. He surveyed first the éclair, studying it for a good measure of time. It almost looked like mud on top, slick and smooth. Before he could eat, though, he had to shift around his innards to accommodate digestion. And before that, he had to remove the fake flower he had eaten earlier in the hotel.
INDENT "How are we getting home?" Rowena asked. Suji looked at her, blinking once slowly. How were they getting home? He didn't even really know how he had gotten away from home, for starters. She continued, "To weremote? How did you get here?"
INDENT There it goes. Suji lowered his head almost to the table and he parted his lips, letting his jaw hang slightly agape. With a single soft, guttural sound, the bright petal of the flower was on his tongue. He plucked it up in his fingers and left it on the table, ready to restructure his innards to eat. With that minor inconvenience out of the way, he answered as if everything was perfectly normal, "I don't know how are we getting home." He was not as quick as his parent, that was for sure, but soon everything would be connected. He could feel it. "I am here, because a human told me, find this, go here."
INDENT Upon saying here, he took out a small slip of paper with the address of the Hotel written on it. He slid it across the table towards her, then continued, "I show humans this, say to humans I want to go here. They tell me go this way, go that way. That is how I get here from weremote."
INDENT Suji was done shuffling his unseen anatomy. He finally picked up the eclair and took a bold bite of it. It was soft and very sweet and airy with something with a strange consistency in the middle of it. It was very different than what he was used to eating and he wasn't sure whether he liked it or not. Noticing the white, flat thing underneath the eclair, he stuffed the bitten end into his mouth and held it there while he began to scribble on the napkin with his fancy finger-morphing skills. He drew what looked vaguely like a slice of a peninsula. To one side of the peninsula, where it seemed to join the larger area of the continent, there were mountains. Opposite the mountains was coast. There was a thin protrusion jutting off one side of the peninsula, though he ran out of room on the napkin before it could take definite shape. He covered the perimeter of the drawing, up until the base of the mountains, with squiggles. At the base of the mountain, among the squiggles, he drew a wispy rendering of a tree. He pointed to the tree and, taking the éclair from his mouth with his other hand, explained, "Weremote. My home land. We go here. Do you know where?"
Color Me Fubar
Did he already cough up the flower? Was it even a petal? I don't remember any more. Anyway, your post for Rowena totally gets me motivated to post for Suji. I dunno if you're as enthused as I am, but Suji is always ridiculously fun and silly for me to use.
Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 10:54 pm
x x x
"To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable..."
x x x
Well. That was...that was disconcerting. Jaw slightly agape as he coughed up the flower petal from the plastic flower he'd eaten from the hotel, Rowena set her pastry down for the moment, losing her appetite somewhat. It wasn't exactly a normal sight for the young woman and she had no idea what it was exactly, that he was doing, but it looked...uncomfortable. to say the least. Relieved when he was done, she blinked when he said he didn't know how they were getting home. "What now?" she asked dumbly, her tone faint. There was no way she was going to be able to get them home.
He continued, though, as if she hadn't spoken and she watched in fascination as he pulled out a slip of paper. Taking it when it was moved across the surface of the glass table over to her, Rowena saw the address and and wondered how he'd gotten it in the first place. There seemed little point to that question, however, and she stifled a sigh of frustration. And one of rising worry. If he didn't know how to get to his own home...what did that mean for her? Was she supposed to somehow know? She could barely understand him to start with. Her mind was racing as he took a bit of his own eclair and then began to scribble on a napkin. Honestly, she was panicking a bit and snapped out of it when he spoke, starting a bit.
"Weremote...this is your home, so..." Rowena trailed off, peering at it. Geography had never been her strong suit and she made a confused face. She got that it was a...was it called a peninsula, or was it attached to it, or...this made no sense to her. Running a hand through her hair, her snack completely abandoned by this point, she took the napkin and got to her feet. "Hang on. Wait here," she clarified. She went over to the man behind the counter, showing him the napkin, and got pointed to the door. Nodding, the young woman went back over and sat down, picking at her food.
She stared at the napkin, frowning. "Well, there's someone at the bookstore we can ask where this is. I don't know where it is," Rowena told him, pursing her lips. "And it looks like we'll have to get there by ship, probably. So we'll have to find a port and all that...I have no idea what I'm doing," she admitted helplessly, looking up at him, almost as if she wanted help. She wasn't used to being in charge, let alone like this, and it felt more like she was taking care of him than the other way around. What was it going to be like in his weremote, she wondered.
x x x x x x x x
"...to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength."
INDENT Suji's meticulously-selected, highly-description words seemed to trouble Rowena. It always amazed him how open humans were with their emotions and expressions. Weren't they afraid of having those vulnerabilities exploited?
INDENT The foreigner watched as she wandered off with his picture. He stuffed the éclair into his mouth again, finishing it in five bites total. After the fifth, he decided he did not like it. The next for him to eat was the strudel which smelled very pleasant. It was a rectangular and a bit large, but surprisingly stiff despite how weighty it was. He picked it up and took another fearless bite, just as Rowena rejoined him. His judgment of the strudel was immediate; he liked it. In fact, if the éclair and strudel were indicative of the rest of humankind's food, then perhaps his parent's claim about human food was passed without even trying those condemned substances. His second bite of strudel was taken very eagerly.
INDENT "Well, there's someone at the book xxx we can xxx where this is," Rowena went on, "I don't know where it is, and it looks like we'll have to get there by xxx, xxx. So we'll have to find a xxx and all that... I have no idea what I'm doing."
INDENT Suji loosely understood individual words, but that many of them all smushed together was difficult to digest. He could gather that she did not know where something was - probably the place he drew in his picture. They had to find something. She used a phrase that seemed to be common with these humans - I have no idea - which seemed to be something like I don't know. She was troubled by not knowing what she was doing, though it seemed she knew very well what she was doing. She was doing it just fine before - eating, that is. That was when he realized that perhaps what I'm doing could also be applied to something a little larger and more abstract. Perhaps she was troubled because she did not know how to get to his homeland? That was most probable. Suji leaned forward, his gaze intensifying as if he had tapped into some inner well of energy. "Mai pen rai," he stated, which probably did not help Rowena at all. "We will find weremote. Ah, my people, we say tsom yoo, not weremote ok? We will find tsom yoo, mai pen rai. Slow down. Eat."
INDENT Having said his piece, Rowena's unlikely master leaned back in his chair. When his back touched the chair's back he seemed slightly startled, as if he had forgotten chairs had backs. It was a fleeting expression on his face and he quickly ironed his features back to normal. He occupied his mouth with more strudel and wondered to himself if he would be able to take some of them home for his people. Surely they would like it too, wouldn't they? If Rowena was the one to present the strudels to them, it would be a good way to show them that not everything all humans and human things are bad.
Color Me Fubar
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 4:41 pm
x x x
"To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable..."
x x x
Looking up at him from the napkin when he leaned forward, her expression relaxed to one of confusion rather than anxiety when he spoke to her. It was almost comforting, having him tell her to eat and slow down, instead of working herself up into a frenzy about what she was going to do and convincing herself she was doomed. Swallowing, she brushed some hair from her face and gave him a small smile. "Tsom yoo, is home," she repeated slowly, trying out the foreign words on her tongue. Honestly, Rowena had no idea how easily she could pick up on the language, having never had to study one before. He didn't seem offended by whatever she said and she smiled faintly, relaxing in her chair and taking a deep breath. He was right, there was no rush, and panicking was just stupid. She'd just gotten out of the place, perhaps that was why she was so panicked about it.
That, and she was worried that if she wasn't useful to him, she was going to go right back there.
Taking a few bites of her own strudel, being sure to chew slowly and enjoy it, the young woman looked back over at him. He looked like he was thinking something serious and she wasn't sure if she should interrupt. "Suji?" she asked hesitantly, to get his attention. When he looked at her, she tried to remember what he said. "Mai pen rai - what is that?" she asked, her tone and expression making it clear that she was puzzled as to what he had called her earlier. He hadn't used it before and she wasn't sure if it was her name in his language, or some sort of title, or what. She'd have to learn his language as well, at least enough to get by, so this seemed like a good time to start trying. Maybe he'd see she was making an effort and be happy about it, at least she hoped so. It was nearly impossible for Rowena to escape the mindset of pleasing her master, of making people happy, but she was scared now of what they might ask her to do to make them happy.
She sighed a bit and looked down at her strudel. Taking another bite, the young woman swallowed it before reaching for the milk she'd gotten, rinsing down the sweet pastry with a swallow of it. It was something she'd always done, drink milk with just about everything. Malkuth had made fun of her for that, teased her with barbed words about how she was still just a child, drinking milk like a toddler. Swallowing down the lump in her throat of embarrassment and anger, her hand trembled a bit and she clenched it, moving it to rest on her lap until the moment passed. The napkin was still between them, a reminder of where they had to go, and Rowena looked at it for a long moment.
"There's no rush," she reminded herself, shifting a bit in her seat, the bag of clothing brushing up against her leg. She hadn't really gotten much at all, though she was sure it seemed like it to the man. Honestly, it seemed like a lot to her, if only because she had been trying not to get much at all, so anything felt like she had been wasteful. She'd have to go to the store and get a backpack to fold everything up into, realizing she should have done that earlier. "I need to get one more thing before we go," Rowena told him, not wanting to forget and be stuck carrying the bags like an idiot the whole way.
x x x x x x x x
"...to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength."
INDENT When she tried to equate the word in his language to a word in hers, he nodded. Based on the usage of the word home, that was the closest he could think of. They seemed to be getting along well despite the language barrier. They were helping each other learn each other's language, though by this point he was sure he had used at least four different languages in front of her and humans like her. English - his human companion's language - was his weakest overall, followed closely by Zhongwen. The dialect of humans in his area, Thai, was the one he knew most. Surely as they would get closer to his homeland, he would be able to help their situation better and wouldn't have to rely on Rowena so strongly. He wondered if he would be able to teach her enough to communicate with his people or if he would be stuck translating everything, which wouldn't be fun nor easy for anyone involved. She seemed to be picking things up quick enough, though. If she could learn words but not sentence structure, even that would be enough to communicate with them--
INDENT At hearing his name Suji snapped to attention and focused on the human girl in front of him. She parroted back to him his words earlier and asked what they meant. He thought about it, then thought about his limited vocabulary in English. He lacked the words; hence why he had said the foreign phrase in the first place. When he gained the English words he would be sure to tell her. For now, he simply replied, "I don't know the English words."
INDENT That was the end of that discussion, apparently. Suji returned to his own strudel, following Rowena's lead. There was a short stretch of silence where he stole periodic glances at the peculiar human, noting that she seemed to be spacing off or somehow distant. That was dangerous, he thought. A good hunter has to be constantly aware and in the moment. He was already attentive when she informed him she needed something else. He was almost done eating, anyway, and it looked like she was too. He finished the last of the strudel quickly and rubbed his hands together, then casually on the back of his thighs. His hands weren't necessarily dirty, but he was just a little sticky. He was sure the residue would rub off quickly enough after handling other things. The entire cup of water was consumed next; at least cups seemed universal. When Rowena was also ready to go, Suji moved in time with her, standing when she did. When he noticed her gathering the things that came with the food and drink, he helped gather things together. Following the surrounding humans and Rowena's lead, he deposited the items into a large container. They then both left the building.
INDENT After a little wandering down the street they came upon another building that Rowena wanted to enter. He followed her in and around the store until she found what she was looking for - a bag to be hung on the shoulders and rested on the back. It was good for covering distances, he assumed, but not for quick action since one would need to take it off, look through it, then put it back on if they needed anything. She exchanged the flat trading medium for the bag and they were off to the building with all the books. Again he tailed the human girl like a dog until she found someone who could identify his drawing. His attention wandered to some of the nearby books while she conversed. Many of the objects in this area of the building had outsides as boring as their insides. He really couldn't imagine what the significance of them was. He picked up one with a picture of the ocean on it and opened it, looking at the endless chunks of... something. Upon further investigation it looked like different arrangements of the same few squiggles. Some of them looked similar to the squiggles he had seen in many places. Perhaps it was another kind of language, like a secret code? That would make sense. Suji snapped to attention when Rowena had finished her discussion with the other human(s), quickly putting the book back where he found it to listen to what their next move would be.
Color Me Fubar
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 7:25 pm
x x x
"To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable..."
x x x
Once their trash was taken care of, Rowena headed down the street to get a backpack. She noticed how Suji was following her, not commenting on what she did and apparently fine letting her do as she pleased for now. Part of her wondered if this was some test, and then she reminded herself that he wasn't like the other man. He honestly didn't know what to do - the problem was, neither did she, and she certainly wasn't comfortable taking the lead or the initiative on something like this. What if she screwed up and did something wrong? Or what if she got them in trouble somehow? Too distracted to even think that he hadn't taken her collar off yet, the young woman paid for the backpack and went into a bathroom to transfer her things. They all fit easily, rolled up nice and neatly, with room to spare if she needed it. Pleased with how much easier it was, she recycled the plastic bags before heading back to the bookstore.
The man there had to drag out a map and compare places, but eventually figured out where it was she had to go. Thailand. Or at least, that general area. The idea of going there was a bit terrifying - anywhere would have been, considering she'd never been out of the country. Wouldn't she have to go get a passport? How was it all going to work? The man advised her on getting a ship if she didn't know where exactly to go and she thanked him profusely. He gave her a Thai-English translation book to help her along, which she tried to pay for and he ignored, shooing her back to the odd man waiting for her.
"That's a map," Rowena told the man, pulling the book he'd been looking at back out and circling the page with her finger. "That's what you drew, a map," she added, pulling out the napkin and circling that as well. Her mood had improved a little bit, now that she at least had a general idea of where she was going. It wasn't nearly so frightening as going into the great unknown and trying to figure out how to get them both there, as Suji didn't really seem to know what to do at all. She still couldn't figure out how he'd possibly managed to get from his home to here, if he didn't know how to get back, and only gave herself a headache trying to figure it out. Deciding it wasn't worth it and didn't matter much in the end, the young woman put the book back on the shelf and tried to figure out how she was going to explain this to him.
"We have to take a boat to go back to tsom yoo," she told him, remembering the phrase for home and saying it, even if it was a bit awkwardly. At least she was making an effort to try and to learn, even as she was trying to teach him as well. Biting her lip, she ran a hand through her hair. When it caught on the collar, she flinched and tugged it free. "He gave me directions where to go and said someone there can help us. Um...Suji, can you take this off now?" Rowena asked him, tugging on the collar with a sigh. "I don't want to wear it...it means I belong to you, that I'm your property. A thing," she explained, not sure if he really even understood what she meant or not.
x x x x x x x x
"...to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength."
⊱⊱F▸L A N N E R Y⋮or Fawn, the Red Stag Skinwalker ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
It was so kind, hearing Amaranth understand her situation. Even the twins hadn't commented, which was a good sign, or so Flannery assumed. The lunch had gone by pretty well, the take-away fish and chips had been surprisingly tasty, and no-one had started an argument accidentally. Iain's wandering eyes had gone unnoticed by Flannery, who was too interested in looking around the small shop. Having never been anywhere like this before, the whole shop was rather fascinating, especially the way people came and went so easily with their hot food made so very quickly. Hearing the movement of a chair, Flannery flinched slightly, her eyes going wide - she hadn't been expecting the sound of the chair moving across the floor so it startled her. Seeing it was only Iain getting up, announcing he was going to go for a walk, all she could do was silently nod, feeling just a little bit on edge now. As they got up to leave, Flannery followed Amaranth out the restaurant, who had followed Iain out just after Orion asked what they wanted to do before they left. Watching Amaranth follow after her master, Flannery turned to look up at hers with a small blush. "If it aint too much tah ask, ca' we go get some knittin' supplies?" Even though the man had said it was alright earlier, the fawn still felt like she had to ask just to be sure.
Getting a positive answer, the short woman clapped gently in an excited manner and happily walked side-by-side with Orion until they found a craft store. If that wasn't what it was called, then Flannery had no idea what to call it, since it was filled with all kinds of things that, to her, were items used for craft making. Make-your-own-bear kits, paints and canvases, many bolts of fabric, it was an incredibly lovely store that the woman knew she could have spent far too much time in. Finding the area with knitting supplies, they picked a small bundle of different sizes knitting needles, and a good number of different colours and styles of yarn and wool. Feeling almost like a spoilt child, Flannery definitely was much happier than she had been a couple of hours ago before they left the hotel. The fawn really was quite a happy woman, it just needed time to come out. Now that they were done, it was time to head home. Putting all her knitting supplies into her suitcase that also held Amara's clothes from their earlier shopping trip, it was time to meet up with Iain and Amaranth. Walking right next to Orion's side, her free hand reached out to take his. In her own special way, it was the skinwalker's way of showing that she trusted the man enough to make physical contact.
Smiling as Iain and Amara came into sight, there was a spring in the woman's step - they'd be heading home now. It was going to be a long journey back, but Flannery didn't know that. She had no idea how she got to the hotel in the first place, since most of the journey she was asleep. In truth, she had actually been unconscious so the poor thing wouldn't know just how far the farmer had taken her away from her home, and so she would lose the scent of her home, and vice versa. If she lost the scent of Scotland, then any skinwalkers around wouldn't know where she came from, and she would be accepted no matter where she went. Right now the woman was neutral, until she took on the scents of the twin's home and the surrounding gardens. Since they were near the ocean, she'd pick up a vastly different scent to her inland brethren, but at least she'd be home again. How many slaves could say they returned to their home land so quickly after leaving the hotel? Giving Orion's hand a squeeze - she didn't seem to mind that Iain and Amara would see the gesture - her other hand gently swung the suitcase by her side. "I'm ready tah see your home. I can't wait." Clearly excited, the red-head's eyes almost glowed with happiness; she was finally going to be in a real home once again, with space to run around and freely change forms. It was so exciting.
▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬▬▬▬▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ Ｓｔａｔｕｓ: { Incredibly embarrassed, but mellow from the nice lunch } Ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ: { A nice little place to eat fish & chips } Ｃｏｍｐａｎｙ: { Orion, Amaranth, Iain } Ｏｕｔｆｉｔ: {Cute Little Deer} #EEC591- Thinking & #C76114- Speaking ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬▬▬▬▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬
Color Me Fubar
GaysbianBabe
Quote:
ooc I am so insanely sorry this took so long but I just had nothing to really go on. Got out something though! Sorry it involved moving Orion around, I wouldn't have been able to post if I didn't :c Time to get them home! Onward to the home thread, yes? o u o
