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Poisin Ivy Josephine Vice Captain
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 Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:38 pm
In the distance all that you can hear aer the shous of joy and drunken songs as the New Year rolls in. But out in the dark, out in the wilderness, the shouts were a distant whisper, the wind making its way through the trees ws louder, and more chiling. The snow began to fall almost as if it had been waiting for the year to come, as if it were welcoming the world and covering it with a clean new year. almsot as if creating a blank slate for the whole world.
Lumi raised her head and listened to it silently, welcoming the new year with a slight smile and a whispered "yay." She walked silently through the darkened woods, humming to herself as the new year rolled in. She wondered slightly if this year would be any better than the last... She thought on it slightly and knew for certain it would be better than three years ago.
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Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:15 pm
In a clearing not too far away, the distant sounds of celebration met the half-listening ears of a solitary buck. Morrow was out and about despite the dark and the weather, checking on a small patch of a particular winter-flowering herb... He was concerned; the small cluster of buds were half-hearted and too dull in color. He examined them for perhaps the fifth time, warm breath rustling the tiny leaves, then sighed and shook his head, one ear flicking in resignation. The plant would flourish or wither of its own accord, and all he could do was his best. Just as the year would go well or ill, his interference nothing more than a footnote in the records of history.
Still, the New Year was a day that brought back particular memories of another life in another world. Morrow was certain of his solitude -- what other Herla would be wandering on a night like this, when they could be warm and comfortable and celebrating with friends? So as his hooves carefully selected a path through the gathering snow, bringing the dark-colored buck out of the worst of the wind and into the shade of the trees, he allowed himself a small moment of vulnerability. He lifted his single baritone voice lifted in time with the distant echoes, singing in the New Year. It had been so long... But with no audience but the quiet forest, Morrow felt safe. And who knew -- perhaps it would help. While he was a pragmatic soul at heart, there were those who placed great faith in the healing capacity of music, for any living thing. Who was he to call it impossible?
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Poisin Ivy Josephine Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:53 pm
Lumi stopped in her tracks as her ears twitched and picked up on the deep vibrations coming from a direction off to her left. She breathed lightly, trying not to disturb the beautiful music. Shw wondered absentmindedly, why it was only one voice? Rather than a gaggle of voices combining together in a joyous celebration?
Lumi closed her eyes and listened to the soft sound as it seemingly surrounded her. She smiled, all thoughts of her own humming seemingly forgotten. She opened her eyes slowly, listening intelntly for a more certian directiond of where the sound was coming from directly.
"you know" her Guardian chimed in her ear, her bubbly voice ever present "If you follow the voice, ooh! you could make a freind!!! Do you know how good that would be for your development as a person!" She could almost feel her guardian point in a heroic manner as she commanded "ONWARD!"
Lumi shook her head, not really wanting to make a new freind... but who knew, this was a new year, and filled to the brim with possibilities, couldnt there be some chance that maybe this meeting might turn out to be something good in her life? So sighing in defeat, she found herself moving towards the direction of the singing. She smiled softly, as if she knew it, and for a split second she thought... 'well maybe this won't be so bad.'
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:40 pm
"And here's a hand, my trusty friend, and gie's a hand o' thine; we'll take a cup o' kindness yet for auld lang syne..."
It was an old song borrowed from the memories of Guardians, old even to them and the words mostly meaningless, at least to Morrow. But the melody was sweet and the idea plain enough... even if Herla didn't have hands, and he frankly had no idea what a syne was. It was an acknowledgement of the past, he knew that much, even as one looked ahead to the future. Curiously suitable. He allowed a little more volume, gaining confidence with the familiar rhythm.
As the snow began to fall in earnest, the mountain buck found a reasonably-sized rock and nudged it with hoof and muzzle, shifting it to a standing position near the half-withered plant. Even if the clearing was covered in snow, he'd be able to recognize that marker and find the particular spot again. Content, he turned to go...
...and caught a glimpse of motion amidst the trees, and the faint sounds of another creature moving. The song stopped immediately. Morrow froze, tense, vestigial wings half-mantled -- if only they worked, if only he could vanish into the darkened sky. But instead he stood square and glared in the direction of the faint glimpse he'd seen. "Show yourself," he barked, all the melodic pleasure gone from his voice and replaced with harshness.
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Poisin Ivy Josephine Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:53 pm
Lumi stopped moving in the instant she heard the rough beginnings of the strangers sentence. Her brow furrowed for a moment, as if she were weighing the options. A scared little look crossed her face for a moment as she wondered if this was a mart idea? She was after all, eaves dropping on someone she didn't know, who obviously didn't want her hearing them sing. She wondered what the consequence might be if she just turned tail and ran out of there... but she was no coward... she would not run away from confrontation... So, she took in a breath, lifted her head, and grandly walked out from behind the tree's and into the clearing, an apologetic look on her face.
"I'm terribly sorry..." she said immediately losing her grand demeanor and lowering her head as if she were a fawn caught doing something they shouldn't be, "It's just well..." She tried thinking up something smart to say as she lifted her eyes to look at the Herla in front of her, a brown winged male that would most certainly have blended in with the trees had they not been covered with a thick layer of white.
She fumbled for a minute, trying to think of something to say that might save her from looking a fool, or intrusive. "I was just walking through the woods, trying to get away from all the celebrations, and well.... I couldn't help but hear you singing, it was marvelous... I've tried learning to sing myself, but I'm afraid I'm not as good as you are.... and i just couldn't help myself.... I had to get in a bit closer."
She lowered her head again, shame written all over her body language. "I really am sorry that i disturbed you... I didn't mean too."
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:48 pm
Ah... so it was just another Herla. And not an unfriendly one, at that... she seemed genuinely sorry to bother him. There were far worse things that one could stumble across on a winter's night in the woods. Morrow lowered his guard somewhat, wings settling against his sides and shifting out of an overt attack posture, though he remained on edge. Cold dark green eyes surveyed the doe before him as he took a step closer to get a good look.
"...Startled me, that's all. Not many travelers pass this way." He still sounded gruff, but in a simply unfriendly way, rather than a hostile one. Morrow had, after all, retreated to a remote location for a reason. He didn't much desire company.
Her comment about his singing put him on the defensive again -- he didn't know anything about this doe, he didn't know if she'd heard the stories about the vanished singer or if she'd recognize him from his time in the court -- he honestly hoped not. He did not want to have to deal with that tonight. "I wasn't aware I had an audience." Then -- a solution. Keep the conversation on her, as a distraction. And maybe it would even make her want to go away. "So what's a girl like you doing hiding from parties?"
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Poisin Ivy Josephine Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:18 pm
Lumi raised her head slightly, a questioning look on her face. A moment ago, this Herla had been so ready to simply yell and dismiss her, now, he wanted to talk to her? Why? She waited for her Guardian to shed some insight on the subject, but it seemed she wasn't too interested in the situation... in fact, it seemed her Guardian had left her. Lumi tried not raising her eyes, and was thankful for her being in the partial darkness as she looked out of the corner of her eyes, she realised then, HER GUARDIAN HAD LEFT HER!
Lumi closed her eyes for a spilt second and inhaled deeply, trying to think up a valid reason for not being at a party... and then the whole question that the Herla had asked clicked into her mind 'a girl like you-' This piqued her interest, and she raised her head, to look directly at the Herla, an eyebrow raised and a small smirk on her features as her hostess mode began to kick in. Her guardian called this her coping mechanism, allowing her true self to hide away from the world while projecting the thing she thought people expected of her. She laughed slightly, like she'd just been told a cute little joke.
"A girl like me?" She asked, a playful tone in her voice. She flipped all of her hair over to one side, and came out into the clearing a bit more, or atleast so she wouldn't be in the shadows anymore.
"well beleive it or not," she said, still a joking tone in her voice, although now it was bordering on sarcasm, "A girl like me just hapens to enjoy the night sky, and it's kind of hard to do that when everyone so loud. So i simply slipped away." She rolled her eyes and shook her head, as if she was shrugging it off, like she'd done it all the time. Like it was a perfectly normal thing to do, and if it wasn't, like she didn't really care; the later of which was true.
When she was done with her little display, she smiled her charming smile, and stopped a bit away from the male herla, so that she wouldn't look as if she were trying to overwhelm him, or as if she'd known him all her life. She's gotten in trouble for doing that before, and Lumi had always been one to learn from her mistakes. So she simply said, "By the way, my names Lumi. Nice to meet you."
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:49 pm
And all of a sudden that apologetic display was replaced with... what? She was almost coy, that laugh, the little hair-flip. Who did she think he was? He shot her a disdainful glance, looked her up and down as if sizing her up, then responded dryly, "Don't put on airs -- I just meant you don't look the type for long hikes in the wilderness." Morrow, with his broken horn and rough-around-the-edges look, on the other hand... Well, never mind that.
He turned away from her slightly, sidestepping even as she too withdrew, ending up with a good bit of space between them. That was fine with him. Until he knew what she wanted from him... Her attempts at charming him were a little off-putting. Was this normal behavior for does? Most likely -- he'd never paid much mind, honestly. Not that she wasn't pretty... beautiful, if he was being honest. But from a purely objective, uninterested standpoint, of course. She was intruding, that was what mattered.
"Plenty of places to enjoy a night sky," he called over his shoulder, as he moved to stand by the stone he'd moved before. "But if you must do it here, mind where you step. The snowdrops are fragile right now, and I just planted witch-hazel not too far from here."
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Poisin Ivy Josephine Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 11:05 pm
Lumi's eyebrow shot up and she laughed deeply, a bit unlady like. "Witch Hazel? REALLY?" She asked, excitement in her voice. "Didn't know witch hazel grew here... They're quite handy for bug bites you know."
She looked around for any signs of where he might have planted them, only to realise that it was across the clearing. No where near close enough for her to be able to step on them. She pouted slightly, she wasn't doing so good... but then again... she never was very good on a one on one basis... that might just mean she might have to be herself, and then the other person might get to know her... and then she might become freinds... but in the end, she'd leave. Just like her father. So she simply sighed and gave a damsel in distress look.
"What kind of a girl do you think I am? Should I be at home? Should I be taking care of children? Doing something more feminine?" She gave out of a puff of breath in iritation, and lifted her head in a haughty manner, she had to admit, she was coming off rather bitchy... and to be honest, she didn't much like it when she acted that way. So she slumped her shoulder and sighed disdainfully, looking back at the Herla with a 'no s**t ' sort of a look.
"I suppose I just don't look like the type of person i really am."
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Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 3:50 pm
Good... She either hadn't noticed that he hadn't told her his own name in response, or she was simply choosing to not mention it. Either way was perfectly fine with him. Better to remain the mystery man for as long as possible, just to be safe.
Morrow shot Lumi a surprised look at her sudden outburst, brow arching and an amused, intrigued look. Still, his voice was cool, and he gave her a wry smile. "It's quite hardy -- grows even in the cold up here. And yes, I was aware... I wouldn't be much of an herbalist if I grew plants but didn't know how to use them, would I?" He dipped his head and breathed one last disappointed sigh over the half-withered snowdrop, then turned his attention back to Lumi.
She had surprised him -- and apparently, she'd taken offense at his previous comment. Normally, he'd brush it off, not really caring what other Herla thought of him, but instinct told him that this Herla was not to be trifled with. "I didn't mean," he said carefully, "that your gender had anything to do with it. But I've met plenty of Herla, hart and hind alike, who wouldn't recognize witch hazel if a branch hit them in the face... and who never bother to look up." Another thoughtful look, this time as if he was appraising her. "I suppose you're right -- you don't look like the type. Not that I know you well enough to judge." Something in his tone, however, seemed to imply that it was a roundabout compliment, not an insult. That something in her attitude was... well, interesting.
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Poisin Ivy Josephine Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 3:59 pm
Lumi smiled inwardly as she heard her guardian cheering her on. Then she smiled outwardly, almost a shy little smile... all her mean and defensive ways slightly flowing away, but a thin wall still stood between her and this buck. She wondered, but not for too long, whether or not it had been constructed to keep people out, or to keep her in...
She watched him attend to the plants, and she couldn't help but smile as she thought of her younger siblings... "The only reason why I know about witch hazel-" is becuase my Guradian knows about them.... but she didn't say that, instead she finished with. "is becuase my younger brother and sister used to constantly be under the attack of bee's and ants. They looked so pathetic trying to scratch at the bites, that i just had to find something for them." She giggled slightly, remembering how pathetic they did used to look, bites all over and twitching as they itched.
Suddenly, Lumi realised something... She swished her tail in a slightly irritated, but not hostile fashion, as she looked at the buck in front of her with a questioning look on her face. A few strands fell across her face to outline it on the other side as she said in an almost apologetic manner- "I'm sorry.... but I don't think i know your name?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:56 pm
"Lavender and plantain are also good for stings and bites, as is dock leaf." Morrow responded almost automatically -- he was used to Herla coming to him with various aches and complaints, and the natural response was to draw on his knowledge. It wasn't an attempt to show off; he just wasn't sure what to say to her. They were treading on unfamiliar territory here... She'd shared something about herself, either Morrow had to share something about himself or else retreat to safer topics of conversation, and Morrow liked sticking to safety. Still, he added a bit awkwardly, "But I suppose that's a bit irrelevant now, unless you still have an insect problem... I know a few repellents, too, if you do." Good lord, he sounded like a fool.
Was it just him, or was she starting to open up a bit more? The defensiveness from earlier had dropped. Maybe she'd forgiven him his slip of the tongue from before.
...or perhaps she'd just seen right through him. Damnation. He was silent for a moment, then, reluctantly -- "Morrow."
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Poisin Ivy Josephine Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:14 pm
Lumi tilted her head slightly, almost as if in a questioning manner... She knew what was happening, slightly anyways. She'd been nice, so he was trying to be nice too. How cute. Her wings fluttered in amusement as she thought of how awkward he looked, trying to come up with conversation... and her smile broadened.
"No, no more insects bugging me!" Lumi giggled slightly at the pun, she heard her Guardian give a 'good lord i can't believe you just said that' sort of a laugh. "I no longer see my sibling you see," 'they're dead' she thought, but she wouldn't tell this stranger that, not even her face or body language gave off that impression of sadness that ate away at her at that moment. Instead she kept the regal look she gave when ever that feeling passed over her, a motherly smile crossing her lips. "And I am fortunate enough to know how to NOT run into bees nests and ant hills." Her smile widened just a tad, but not by much.
Though when Lumi registered the fact that he'd told her his name, a genuine and sweet smile crept onto her face, as she looked the Buck in the eyes, and said in an almost grateful tone. "It's nice to meet you Morrow."
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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:17 pm
"Nice to meet you too," he responded absently, manners resurfacing from some rusted part of him. He was surprised, after he had said it, to discover it was true. Perhaps some measure of that surprise showed on his face, though he quickly turned his head and took an interest in the underbrush to hide it. "Thought I heard something -- this... isn't the safest place to be at night. It's probably nothing, though." Which was true. But there wasn't much trouble around that he didn't know how to avoid, by now. He wasn't dead yet, after all.
The impact of what she'd said caught up with him a little late. "Why don't you see them anymore?" Well, there went that flash of tact. And he'd been doing so well, comparatively speaking. The thought that perhaps she'd deliberately avoided talking further about her siblings didn't occur to him -- if he was prodding an old wound, after all, she could just tell him to back off and he would.
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Poisin Ivy Josephine Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 7:05 pm
Lumi tilted her head in a slight look of question in her eyes. "Really? Not safe... " She mused this over for a few moments, though the look on her face was not one of concentration, almost as if she were staring off into the distance into a place no one could see. "I wonder..." She continued after those moments of silence; "Is any place safe at night anymore? Are any places even truly safe during the day?" She turned her head towards Morrow, her scarf ((cause she has one)) twisting slightly along her neck but not so much as swaying with the motion, am awkward small smile on her face, as if she'd just done something embarrassing. "But let's not pay attention to the musing of a mountain doe like me."
When morrow posed his question concerning her family, she became quiet for a moment. But a different sort of quiet, a depressive sort of quiet. She smiled inwardly as she listened to the sounds around her. None. Almost as if they too were quieting their boisterous noises to giver her time to think. Her wings fluttered slightly, but not upward, as if she were trying to flap them. No they fluttered in an adjusting movement, as if she were trying to adjust the things in her brain. She wondered breifly, VERY breifly, is she should tell him a truth, or a lie?
"I travel too much and too far to see them anymore. But that's to be expected when one can no longer be contained by their own surroundings."
It was a partial truth. The most she would ever tell a total stranger.
When really, had she known the buck in front her, she would have confessed with out having to fight back the tears that even now fought to betray her, that an act of adolescent disobedience had driven her from her home. And an act of maturity and longing to make things right had taken her back to her home, which now lacked the very persons she longed to see most in the world. Effectively leaving her an orphan, and an only child.
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