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 Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:25 pm
The sun was in the center of the sky, no clouds, again, and there was a severe dryness in her throat. But Badieh merely coughed and walked onward atop the sands, she would let others drink and then have her turn. They needed to be strong to survive as one, to be prepared if te nergui were to return and attempt to strike.
For now, she thought as she walked, she would go see if he was there. If he was, she might try to get him to speak, or at least, share the shade in the earthen temple she had found herself in an outskirt like area of the lands.
Her black pelt was searing, and her paws ached as she walked, but she held her head high, kept a strength in her chest as she walked, and kept on moving to see if Sjari was there.
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:38 pm
Being from very different lands, the heat actually bothered him very much, more than the firekin born here. Perhaps one wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at him, though. The way he carried himself was unaltered, no matter how miserable Sjari felt, which was way more than usual. It seemed he was frozen, in some ways. He didn't change much.
He just made his way over the dunes, somehow managing to keep his balance. He'd quickly learned to do that here. Sjari didn't speak much, and wasn't in prime health condition. He could hardly be stumbling around in the sand like some moronic cub, too. The Hongshan had bad enough a fame as it was.
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:51 pm
Badieh was nearly there when the wind, almost stale, carried a scent across her nose. It was still foreign, somewhat, when it registered to her, but it was becoming familiar. Stopping and turning her head, she flicked her tail, let it coil and fall, watching the sands for a moment. All was still.
Except, no, something was moving, and Badieh moved to investigate.
If Sjari was inside the small slate space, he might have revealed himself, might not, at the distance she was. But, her nose told her to look elsewhere.
He was alone again, that much she knew.
Now, just to find him.
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:58 pm
He'd been heading to the spot Badieh had shown him, though Sjari wasn't sure if this time it was to think or to hide from the sun. Perhaps both. His pale eyes caught on to a shape in the distance, as he got closer and closer to the rather peculiar rock formation. He was smart enough to figure out who it was.
Sjari's ears laid back slightly. Not because he was unhappy to see Badieh, however. She had been kind to him. More because he knew she couldn't be avoided, and would probably want to learn something from him.
He was not yet ready to tell her anything new, that was the problem.
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:04 pm
She watched him as she came closer to his form. Dark, against the sand, just as she was, quiet, just as she was, perhaps too resolved and not forthright with wanting to seek out others...just as she was. She stopped as she felt she might make him too uncomfortable, but it bit at her, why was she making exceptions now? She was a stride or two from him before she stopped, not in his way, in fact, she'd invite him to walk with her there and leave him to solace, if he wished, alone.
"Alone again I see?" she asked, her voice, somewhat lighthearted, it even sounded strange coming from her, she wanted to try and get some reaction...that's all.
"Things have been...well, I hope?"
Would he answer with a nod or word though...she needed to make the questions and conversation more complicated.
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:26 pm
He didn't answer the first question at all, but he did note her tone. When you didn't speak much, you listened a lot, and she sounded somewhat different than the first time they had met. Sjari wondered if she hoped to find a friend in him. He wondered if he could give her that someday.
As for the second question... Yes or no questions were simple enough to answer without needing to talk, so he only nodded slightly. He couldn't say things had been well, but nothing bad had happened recently, as far as Sjari was aware.
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:26 pm
Yes, she had to make this more complicated.
She pressed her paws into the sand and looked to the slates that stood and leaned against once another and peered back to him. Badieh watched him and went to speak but closed her mouth, perhaps silence is what he wanted, and in silence he might...find resolve, and find the will to speak? She was antagonizing him, in her own way, to try and perhaps break him of his quiet ways. If he was going to be here, be firekin, he had to be bold, but so quiet...it baffled her.
Badieh merely stepped aside and motioned towards the slates, a silent question asking if he wished to go, walk there.
She wasn't sure if she could stay quiet, however.
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:22 pm
He watched her calmly, his face blank. He noticed that she wanted to talk to him, or wanted him to speak, or do something. But Sjari wasn't good for that just yet. He didn't quite want to talk until he'd sorted a few things out. Not a minute went by when he didn't feel burdened, and, in the end, he just wanted some sort of absolution.
He didn't think Badieh could give that to him, but he appreciated her nonetheless.
When she motioned to the slated, he dipped his head in what could have been a nod and walked towards them, pausing briefly and glancing at her. She could come if she wished to, he didn't mind. If she didn't, anyways.
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:32 pm
Badieh walked with him, slowly though, just watching his movements. He frustrated her in a way no other male had before. Sure, many were boisterous bafoons, over eager and egotistical, but Sjari was quiet, shy, withdrawn, silent. What on earth...she grit her fangs, trying to resist the urge to yell at him, not in a mean manner, but to just get him to respond. I mean, his voice wasn't bad, sure, it had a strange, foreign tone, but he could speak, say something, talk about nothing, he was just creating tension in the air and it was frustrating and annoying and-
She winced her eyes shut and drew in a breath, trying to calm herself.
Males...
She wasn't sure if she should stay with him there, and they were nearly at the structure.
She let her claws out, for a second and withdrew them.
What sort of challenge was the sun putting her through today? This was unfair.
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 7:38 pm
He didn't really mind her walking behind him. Amusingly enough, what was strange to him was Baideh's silence. He was accustomed to being quiet now, so much that it even felt weird when he talked, like he was listening to someone else. But Badieh had been more willing to talk.
Sjari couldn't blame her, though. After all, it must be tiring to try and talk to someone who didn't really talk back. He glanced at her beside him, the edge of his lips briefly curling upwards, as if in an apologetic smile, before he looked ahead. They had arrived.
He stopped before the structure, unsure if he should go in now. Did they both go in, or would he just leave her now?
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:02 pm
As they stood before the stone structure, the coil inside of her that had been so hesitant this entire time was coiled to a maximum with no lead left to give. She was biting her lips, and closed her eyes once she saw him offer some kind of smile. He was closest to the structure than she, and she pressed her paws into the sand, forearms resisting the want to shake from the pent up want to speak, to make him speak.
Some words.
Any words.
Even a single word.
"How can you not say anything?" she finally let free, rolling off her tongue, perhaps with a little bite than she would have wanted. She looked at his eyes, silver meeting her brazen crimson and she took a step towards him and pushed her head against his chest. "How am I supposed to understand? To know, if you won't say anything? If you won't even try?"
She was upset, an soon it would become apparent.
She'd never dealt with anything like this before, never dealt with the feeling like someone was openly rejecting her, opposing her, and not withstanding to take a step forward in the challenge.
She was on an edge, at the line, and he was making no motion to move towards it.
"How would I even know you're inside, if I came here? Hmm? How would you even tell me. I want to understand!" She said almost letting a snarl let loose from her throat but she was able to catch it in time. She recoiled from being to close to him and took a few steps back.
Badieh didn't get it.
Could she not even attempt being social?
Was she a failure at everything besides fighting?
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:24 pm
He initially recoiled as she came at him, then only stepped back because of the pressure on his chest. His ears folded back, and he felt uncomfortable. When she was done talking, when she stepped away from him, he looked at her, quiet as ever.
Then, perhaps carefully because she was on edge, he took a step towards her. Then another. He lowered his head; if she let him, he meant to touch her, as she had touched him. Perhaps more gently. It was only with his head low that he spoke again. "I am... not well." Sjari said. "I can't tell you yet. Not your fault." He laid his ears back, just in case she was wondering if he disliked her. Sjari didn't, he didn't wish to give her that impression.
"Just not ready."
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:32 pm
As she was done speaking, and watched his reaction, the part of her trained to fight, to know her heritage, was conflicting with the other part of her that was trying to gain ground. She wasn't sure whether to be proud to have spoken something, or ashamed, and as he came towards her, unthreatening, head low, moving slowly, and her ears fell back as she watched him. She knew then, with an ache in her chest, perhaps a physical stab of the part of herself she was trying to grow and mature, knew she had been wrong...
As he touched her gently, and he spoke softly, she closed his eyes and listened, she wanted to tell him he was well, that he was good, that he was ok and could be ok if he gave himself a chance but...
He wasn't ready.
Even though he had said it wasn't her fault, she felt like it was.
Shame was in her eyes, and she took a step back from his touch slowly, not to show she didn't want to be close, but to show some respect, she had to give him that. Badieh kept her eyes downcast, as she didn't want him to see the shame and frustration in her eyes.
"I'm not ready..." she said softly, "to give up on this...you. Whatever it is, Sjari," she lifted her eyes minimally, so he couldn't see them fully, "you don't have to face it alone."
She wouldn't let him.
Feeling as if she had betrayed a pride member, perhaps, the only friend in the making she had, Badieh turned and ran across the sand to leave him to the stone structure to have for himself to find somewhere far away to think, curl up, and be in silence.
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:40 pm
They were strange words to hear. Sjari had been alone for some time now. It felt almost like it had been his entire life, though he knew, rationally, that wasn't true. He didn't quite know how it was like to feel like someone was there anymore. And maybe he couldn't yet fully accept that feeling, but...
Badieh's words were somehow still comforting, even if she seemed upset as she said it. He nodded slightly, but could do nothing more than watch her go. Sjari felt guilty then, and turned to slip into the stone structure. He needed to collect his thoughts now more than ever.
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