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 Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 12:27 pm
Ukosa was in the middle of trying to read something. His way of scrying consisted of rubbing his right paw raw, the friction between his paw and the ground deforming the grasses that he used, and reading what he could out of the way they curled and crumbled under the pressure and heat. It had scarred and disfigured his paw, but he didn't care. He thought he got results, and he wasn't going to give it up just because it hurt. "Feh!" he grumbled, batting away the grasses. It wasn't working today, and he didn't know why. He also didn't care to worry about it, and instead took a break from reading to let his paw cool off. The ache would fade away...eventually. With a grunt, he flopped on the ground, his sore paw extended out from his body to let the skin harden up. Really, why was his paw so frail to his work?
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 12:46 pm
Scryers.
Perhaps Tapu found herself tolerating them, but there was an interesting mix of jealousy and supremacy that came with the title. Judgements among those who were also connected to the spirits seemed counterproductive, but they were there, and Tapu had more than her fair share of them.
It was this disgusted curiosity that left her to investigate this one, who had either gone mad, or was utilizing one of the many forms of reading the spirits. In her mind, it couldn't have been anything but inaccurate; only the raw justification in sacrifice was without interpretation.
As she approached, she inwardly turned at the sight of disfiguration though her own facial expression remained fairly neutral. His dedication received him some hierarchy in her mind, but it was not absolute.
"Is something troubling you?" she asked when she got closer. If he invited her to help him solve his problem, she would be more than enthralled.
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:07 pm
Ukosa popped an ear up, raising his head to see who was approaching. He narrowed his eyes, not really recognizing her. But, then, he only talked to those he had to, and otherwise obsessed over his readings.
Though, with the way she was approaching and speaking to him, this was more than just a look-while-passing encounter. He kept himself on the ground, not wanting to push himself up with his sore paw.
"I cannot read today," he grumbled. Something he probably shouldn't admit, but it wasn't like he wouldn't be able to read the spirits tomorrow. Today was just...an off day.
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:16 pm
The scryer's desire to stay close to the earth did not phase Tapu. Given that her own paw were so aggravated, she would have preferred to stay in one place as well.
Both ears went forwards at his words. "Ah," was her single word response as the distance between them was now no more than a step or two.
There was a glance towards where the grass was, her eyes scanning over the contorted ground, some of them ripped. The idea of not being able to read was a near impossibility to her own mind. It was what she lived and breathed, and she was good at it. Modesty was for those that did not know their own ability.
"I hardly see how today is unlike any other," she began after a while. A few breaths through her nostrils and she had turned her eyesight back to his paw and then to his obviously aggravated face.
"Perhaps the spirits are upset with your methods." It seemed a logical explanation for the problem. It was likely not one he wanted to hear. "Have you tried asking a different way?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 5:01 pm
Ukosa snorted. He had a hunch about her...but he wasn't an accusatory lion. As protective as he was of himself, he wasn't one to get offended so easily.
He took a breathe, letting himself calm down. He was easily annoyed by other lions, simply by not knowing how to talk to them, or interact. At least outside of a more professional matter. Hm. He tried to switch this conversation to something more "professional", and perhaps he wouldn't be quite so...stupid.
"It works well," he replied, keeping his tone level. "I fear my paw isn't strong enough to keep up with the demand I give on it." He twitched his tail, but still had a hunch that it wouldn't convince her. And in all honesty, almost no one really thought he had a good method. Ukosa just stuck with it.
Plus, well, he always got a little queasy just thinking about reading from something that was a little more...graphic.
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 6:56 pm
This seemed a decent enough answer for Tapu. As long as it was working he could have his strange methods. She simply could not judge a reader of the spirit's whose efforts, though strange, were successful.
Yet, today, he was obviously not successful.
Another glance was given to his paw as he brought it into the subject once again. Like sacrafice, it seemed something that only could be done when resources were allowed. The resource in this case being his hand.
"I'm sure the spirits thank you for your sacrifice," she assured him. How he could scry with such uncertainty, however, baffled her.
"Would you be willing to explain to me how you read the response from the spirits?" Tapu glanced towards the grass though her manner remained stoic at best.
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Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 12:17 pm
He narrowed his eyes, if only because he didn't want to share all of his secrets. He wasn't as high ranked as some of the other readers of the spirits, but he was happy where he was.
Still...with her attitude, it was more curiosity than anything. She seemed to amuse herself with his tricks...but he would play along. It didn't harm anything.
"First," he said, grabbing two blades of dying grass, since this was more of a little demonstration than anything, "I find a smooth area and rub the grass into the ground until I feel some pain," he grunted, not really putting all of his effort into it, since this wasn't an attempted reading.
His tail twitched, wondering what else he should add. "Once I remove my paw, I see just how the grass uncurls and twists, reading its reaction." His paw was a little bit bloody now, as it was still very raw from the attempted reading he had done earlier. It wasn't quite that he couldn't read anything...it felt more like the spirits were playing a game on him, and it bothered him.
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Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:31 am
Looking down at the grass he had gathered, Tapu settled herself down onto her haunches and waited.
With the method of his work, she guessed him to be a bit masochistic. Not something to be frowned on; not in a culture like this. They were, afterall, merely bodies for the spirits and drifted through this life united by that purpose.
"Ah," was her simple answer as she watched the grass unfurl when he had withdrawn his paw.
She would not tell him to get a new method. He would decide to do that in his own time or never at all. His paw would suffer, but his pride would probably not.
"Hm," she began again after a time, her work-mind refusing to stay quiet despite the rude and cold demeanor that no doubt showed with these habits. "The blood on your paw, the direction it flows. Have you taken that into account?" Or whether or not it bled at all for that matter.
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Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 2:34 pm
Hmph. She was speechless. Ukosa was proud of himself. And at least he didn't share all of his secrets. Otherwise someone else could put him out of business, you could say!
His ear twitched at her comment. He read the blood, only at times where something felt most urgent. And with what he did, few things ever felt that urgent. Ukosa had always assumed that the Harsperux would. His tail twitched, mildly agitated, though not directly at her. Well, not much.
"At times," he replied, "though at other times it seems to interrupt the reading." There were a lot of things that touched the grass, walked on it, ate it, even became grass themselves. Blood wasn't always a wanted aspect in this. Then again, as Ukosa was primarily left to his own devices, he could always be wrong. He just didn't know it.
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:36 am
As she sat there, waiting, she watched his ears move about. Unfortunately, while Tapu had always been a god Haruspex - had to be, it was her life - she lacked in the manner of interpreting the thoughts and feelings of those before her. There were educated guesses due to her age, but the true talent that so little had, she also lacked.
"Interrupt the reading?" The words came out slightly uncontrolled and her muscles were slightly tensed.
"No, no." There was a brief pause as she tried to gather his name, but she had either forgotten it, or he had never given her one. "It couldn't possibly. That is the reading." She seemed insistent on this fact.
"The marring, the blood, and the way the grass curls is all a cause and effect. The spirits do not work in one place at a time." Both of her brows were furrowed in tight at him now.
She nodded, as if coming to some sort of conclusion. "Yes, I understand it. The reason you cannot get your reading is not your method, but your inability to see every aspect of it at once. Practice. You will find yourself successful once again." In this, Tapu was more than confident.
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 6:17 pm
Ukosa narrowed his eyes, but he was more so studying his little fake result in front of him. He hadn't really put effort into it, but what she said...might make sense. And though he didn't spend a lot of time with other scryers (only when need be), he didn't think she was one. Which meant she had to be above him. So perhaps he should take her advice. Didn't mean he had to accept it, but he would take it.
"I shall practice then," he grunted in reply. He didn't sound pleased, but he sounded obedient. Practice never hurt, even if it wasn't always fun. "To become more useful."
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 6:40 pm
As he spoke his words, Tapu raised onto her feet. For a while longer, her eyes lingered on him, refusing to move despite how rude it might have seemed.
"Perhaps you will be," she finally puffed out as her mind was already diverted to other things.
Work was already burning in her blood, and she had her own insecurities to sort out. She would go see Tegan again, and he would tease her for it, but she needed the solidarity.
"Good day," were her parting words, as she rotated on heel and padded her way off in the direction she had been heading before his intriguing display had halted her.
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 6:44 pm
He felt his mood fowl again, but he banished it from his mind. If he was going to practice and get better, letting his emotions get the better of him would only sabotage it. No, he wanted to become excellent, and prove that he was the definition of a good scryer.
He offered her a nod when she left, watching her leave. It was odd, how sudden that interruption was, and how quickly she left. Perhaps he had been a source of amusement for her. He would never know.
He slinked off, needing to clean his paw and let it heal a bit before diving headfirst into practicing.
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