FIN [PRP Jahuar] home sick [Biroki & Zuri]

[a pet dino]

Being in Jahuar was still so strange for Zuri. Sure she had been there for a while now, but she missed the mountains and the cold. She had already had to change from what she normally wore to things that worked better in Jahuar. It was hot and muggy, where she was use to cold weather. She wondered if her father hadn't taken her with him would she feel more comfortable in the heat, more at home? Sighing she picked up her skirt a little as she took a step over a root. Sure the people here were nice but she missed her twin siblings greatly. Sure she had family here but still she felt alone sometimes. She still wasn’t sure if she was going to stay or go back home. She wished her siblings would have came on the journey with her…

Lost in her own thoughts she didn’t even notice that she had wandered upon a shifter. Thinking she remembered his name to be Biroki. The two of them had met formally but she never really had an actual conversation with him.

“Good morning Biroki, what are you doing out here?” she asked in the flirtatious voice of hers. It was something that some people wondered about but that was just the way that she spoke. She was a friendly person, maybe more so with some then others.  

[DraconicFeline]

Biroki yelped with surprise, turning to face Zuri.
He didn't actually know the strange, blue, oddly-dressed shifter girl at all. His mentor had, apparently, been helping her settle in.
She was from the mountains. Where water fell and was COLD. Imagine that.
She had been pointed out to him... not that she didn't stand out incredibly. And he had been told her name, but had forgotten it. He remembered she had been pretty.
“Oh, u..uhm...” he said, ever the charismatic and charming young man.
She was even prettier up close.
Her tone made him flush a bit.
“ummm... H... Hi.” he said, scrambling mentally for more words.
“Oh, J... Just...” He managed a shaky smile and a wave, “Looking... for roots...”
Lies. He was heading to his favorite practice spot... but he wasn't supposed to be practicing without his mentor around so he wasn't going to tell her that!
He wished he had some of that calming tea he liked to prepare, but he was all out of the herbs he would need!
“I.. I d...don't think we've M...met... I'm Biroki.” He flushed a bit more when he realized that she DID know his name. She had used it. He hadn't needed to say it.
“I... I mean... Uh... W... I...” He swallowed, “I d...didn't catch your name”
 

[a pet dino]

Zuri smiled at Biroki, he was adorable in his nervousness. She wondered if all the shifter boys would react this way when they saw her, since she wasn’t what they were use to. Most she met had. When he said he was looking for roots she nodded. “Did you need some help? I have nothing to do and I would be more then happy to help you collect roots.” she offered happily. Working was something she didn’t mind doing. When he offered his name she laughed, noticing that he realized that she had called him by his name. This shifter was very amusing.

“No we haven’t been formally introduced, though I’ve seen you around. Your mentor is being very helpful to me.” she said nodding. “My name is Zuri.” she said offering him her hand. She wasn’t sure what the shifter customs were exactly, but a handshake seemed safe enough that she could try it without offending Biroki. “So do you need some help?“  

[DraconicFeline]

Biroki was an ordinary growing young shifter boy. He was also especially bad at first meetings. He caught himself before he gave his name AGAIN, and even managed to smile a little less shakily.
“U..um..” He calmed himself. It wasn't as if she was a scary alkidike. And she seemed nice. And he wanted to ask her about where she had come from. His mentor had only said that it was somewhere cold, and that was why her clothing was so... warm-looking.
“N..n... no,” He stammered. It always happened, the stupid stammer, “I... I mean I don't need help, but you can help if you want.”
He was trying to be charming. He didn't quite achieve that. Hopefully he got 'funny' and 'cute' down.
He stared at her hand for a moment. Oh!
He took her hand and shook it, blushing a bit more. Gosh she was pretty!
He guessed he actually had to look for roots now.
“M...M... My mentor likes to help e...everyone. He's a good person.” He scrabbled for something to agree on, and latched on, relaxing a bit.
“I...If you have a question y... you can ask me too.” he offered, somewhat abruptly. It made sense that, if his mentor was helping, so should the student.
He managed a stronger smile. “I... I mean, I expect you to answer some q... q... q...” He made a face. Thank you, stammer. Thank you so much.
“Questions for me too”
He handed her a bag for the roots and miscellaneous herbs that he might as well find (since he had been caught in his bluff and all)
“y... you first.”
He flushed a bit pinker than redder. Oh no, what if he had insulted her or offended her or?
He had to calm down.


 

[a pet dino]

She smiled at the boy. He was someone she could get use to talking to. Plus as tome went by he started becoming a little less nervous. Hopefully with time he would be even more comfortable around her. “Of course, I knew you could do it yourself but like I said I’ll be more then happy to help.” she said laughing a little. When he took a second to take her hand and shake it laughter shone in her eyes. Yes he would be someone she would like to spend more time with while here in Jahuar.

When he said his mentor was a good person she nodded eagerly. “Yes! Sometimes my family is busy and he is always so welcoming to help me with anything and everything.” When Biroki said she could also ask him anything as well she nodded. How sweet of him. When he handed her the bag she took it gracefully. “I’d be more then happy to tell you anything you want to know. From what I’ve heard and seen you don’t get many people from Zena or even Sauti?” she half asked half told. From the way that people looked at her sometimes she guessed some had never seen people from the ice tribe. Then again it might be because she was half ice and half shifter. That made her even more different from most people she saw.

“Me first?” she asked as the two of them walked. “Well let’s see…” she put a hand on her chin and then her eyes became bright. “Your mentor mentioned that you are good with magic? What’s that like?” maybe that wasn’t the kind of question he was expecting but that was something she was very curious about. Sure she had seen magic preformed before, Alek could do it, but she had never asked him before and now she was curious.  

[DraconicFeline]

“Ahm...” He murmured, thinking.
“Well, I...I'm not that good at it yet... T..thats why my mentor is teaching me.” That was obvious, “I can make s...s...sparks appear when I concentrate and I can make little things catch on f...f...fire”
He smiled a bit wanly.
“It U...used to be that I would make things catch fire when I got really s..s..scared and angry. And.... we , uh, live in trees so...” The smile turned a bit self deprecating.
“S...So yeah, its dangerous I have to learn to control it really well.”
He turned a little pensive.
“But controlling it is h..hard and I get tired... Its like I have a L..lake of energy and I draw from it to make the fire do what I want. The lake gets s..smaller and smaller. It's like I'm using a leaky jug- I use a lot of effort t..to get a little control... and the rest just d...drips away. But its better now than before. Thats what he's teaching me, my mentor, how to p... p...plug up the leaks.”
He was more at ease now. Still to shy to use his full poetic ability, but... he had given her a glimpse.
“I used to..to get really tired and hungry after even making myself make a spark. Now I can make l...lots of sparks appear and even start a small fire with tinder.”
He flushed a bit, glancing over at her as he got a bit braver. He did like talking about magic.
“Its l.. like sending out a bunch of starry little nondwa out of my hand. Its really pretty, the s...sparks. I could show you.”
He hesitated.
“But its my t...turn to ask a question.”
He made pretense of checking one of the plants on the jungle floor. Incidentally, it was what he would have been looking for if he had been looking for roots, so he pointed to it and to a blue flower- an ingredient for his favorite if somewhat ineffective soothing tea.
“Y..you're right. I've never seen anybody from S..S...Sauti or Zena. I've never even seen a L...leaf tribe person. And they l..live a lot closer.”
He flushed a lot more and preoccupied himself with pulling the root out, hoping she wouldn't see his embarassment at the admission. The settlement wasn't too far from Tale's Edge. But he had never gone in to see it.
“It's a p... personal question...” he said, a bit shlyly.
“I h...haven't seen you very often, so I don't k..know, but shifter sk..skin is dark in the day and s..silver in the m...moonlight. Mentor said you were h...half shifter half ice, so I was c.. curious... Does your skin c..change color too? Or is it a...always a pretty sky blue?”
Oh no oh no he just flirted with her what was he doing?! After asking a rude question!
He hid his very reddened face a bit and fiddled more with the root, brushing the dirt off before putting it in his bag. He would have to find another root to fiddle with.  

[a pet dino]

She listened attentaivly as he talked about his experience with magic. Just the idea of things being able to catch on fire from his mind was fascinating to her. That would have been very helpful back at home when they were freezing. She wasn’t sure if it would be really helpful here in the forest, more like dangerous, but it could he helpful if used the right way. When he voiced her thoughts about being dangerous and how he couldn’t control it at all, but that he was learning to control it. As he talked he kept stuttering but it was less and less. As they talked his words became better and she could see that he was getting comfortable, that he was showing more of his real self.

When he said that he could start a small fire her eyes got bright. When he said he would show her the sparks she got even more excited. She would love to see his magic. “I would love to see the sparks!” she said excitedly. When he said it was his turn she nodded waiting for his question. When he admitted to not even seeing someone from the leaf tribe she smiled. Before traveling she hasn’t met anyone from anywhere else besides the Ice Tribe. She was happy that she had seen most of the people of the world. When he said it was a personal questions she got more curious, though what he asked her wasn’t all that personal. It was actually very flattering. “You think it’s pretty?” she said beaming at him. “But to answer your question my skin doesn’t change colors. Only my eyes do.” she laughed. He thought she was pretty!  

[DraconicFeline]

Well she hadn't hit him. That was a good sign.
“Really? D..dont you get burnt? In the sun?” His eyes widened.
“S...sorry, its your turn to ask!”
He flushed, “And y..your skin is a really pretty color. Like a p..pale clear morning after a s...storm passes.” he hesitated, “Did... Did someone tell you o..otherwise?”
“B...B... because...” he added hastily, “I.. I think they were wrong. If they did.” He swallowed a moment.

 

[a pet dino]

She shook her head. “No I don’t get burnt, but your mentor has given me some cream that I put on in the mornings that prevent that.” she said nodding. Being burnt was one of her originally fears when coming here, but so far she had been good with putting the cream on every morning and she hadn’t been burnt. It also gave off a pleasant aroma. She had been meaning to learn to make it herself but she hadn’t yet.

At the compliment a blush spread across Zuri’s face. She wasn’t expecting it, which made her blush more. “No, no one has told me otherwise. I guess I just have never been complimented on my skin is all…” she said with a smile towards him. The morning after a storm, she liked it. She couldn’t wait to write a letter to her sister back home and tell her about this. She was sure Kayin would like it.

“Have you ever thought about leaving the forest?” She had found that most of the shifters never thought about it, but then again most of the people back home stayed in Zena their whole lives also.  

[DraconicFeline]

“oh.”
That was good, though. He was glad she hadn't had her feelings hurt. He was also proud to be the student of someone so caring.
He thought for a moment about her question. It had taken him off guard. He was expecting questions like 'what do shifters eat' or 'what is that big bug over there' or 'is it always this warm' (she was from a cold place, though that was itself a question he wanted to ask.)
“W...Well...” leaving the forest? Sometimes he had entertained the thought of going to the Tale, but he doubted he would leave it's edge.
“N...no, not really...” he said, thinking a bit more before giving her a somewhat less shaky than usual smile.
“I just... Theres too many things to see here and I haven't seen even half of them. I hear, from those that went t..t...t..travelling that Jahuar is the most colorful and vibrant place they've seen... I don't know if it is.”
Things suddenly connected in his mind and his smile grew less shaky but shy.
“But... you would. Is it true?”
He paused.
“That question didn't count” he was almost teasing, his body language relaxed.
“My t..t..turn.” He thought up a question. It wasn't the best question but...
“Zena is c...cold, right?” Hard concept to grasp, but okay, “Is it h..hard to live there?”  

[a pet dino]

She waited patiently. When he thought about what he said it seemed to be easier for him to speak. And when it was easier for him to speak he said things that happened to be beautiful. When he said he said he didn’t think he would ever leave she nodded. He was like most Earthlings then. When he asked her if Jahuar was the most colorful place she looked around, taking in all the colors and sights that she had seen since coming to Jahuar. It was true, Jahuar was the brightest of all places, but at the same time she was happy this was the only place she had seen. It wasn’t her home, so she liked Zena better, but if it was the colors that Biroki was worried about he didn’t need to leave.

“Of course that doesn’t count. You seem to be good at asking things that don’t count.” she teased laughing. “Yes Jahuar is one of the brightest places I’ve seen, then again I haven’t seen many places. It was a straight path I took to come here. I would think the road less traveled would be much more beautiful.” she said nodding. “I would imagine for someone who has never been in the cold would find it hard to live in, but since it is all that I’ve ever known it was easy for me. Plus we wear a lot more clothing over there, and fur also.” it wasn’t hard for her, but she knew most of the shifters here wouldn’t take living in Zena easily.

The next question was more of a personal kind. It was something she had been wondering about, but at the same time didn’t want to ask any of the adults that were teacher her about their culture. She figured Biroki would be someone who she could ask. “Um, what is your peoples thoughts on marriage?”  

[DraconicFeline]

“M..Marriage?!” his face turned a very deep red. Thankfully, it was day, so some of it was hidden by his black skin... but he was definitely blushing.
“I..I mean I only j...just met you and... And...” He put his own hand over his mouth.
Where had he jumped to that conclusion from? Even he didn't know.
“Oh. You d..didn't mean it like that... s...sorry...” He looked away, a bit awkwardly, with just a sidelong glance to show that some part of his brain was still thinking along those lines.
“Ummmm...” He hadn't really thought about marriage and such before, but... Well, he had seen a few couples around...
And he remembered Reshel telling him that his mother and father weren't a couple... But he couldn't remember the story...
“W...well...”
Ah!
“I...I mean, I haven't gotten a... uh...” He looked at her shyly, “a... t..talk or anything...”
“But I h...havent heard of any problems with who's in the c...couple...” He wasn't sure how to say it.
“I... I mean, I know a couple who are a man and a woman and I k...know someone who is a man and he's with another man... and...”
Ah! there was the story!
“And, um... My mom loved another woman...I think. “ He frowned, “I never met her... b...but!”

he stopped frantically,
“Th... thats not the p...point!” He didn't want to tell the story, honestly. It was all he remembered anyway. Besides the fact that she was apparently his mentor's sister? He had heard it somewhere. Didn't know where.
“If...If two people l...love each other, th...the world w...wants them together, I th...think? D... Did that answer your Q...question?”
He bent down quickly to pick up another root.  

[a pet dino]

When he blushed Zuri turned away to not embarrass him more. Then he when he jumped to the conclusion that she would want to marry him after just meeting her eyes got wide and she went to correct him, but then it seemed as if he realized that that wasn’t her meaning. “It’s okay…” she said quietly.

When he said he hadn’t got the talk she nodded, her father and her had talked about marriage and couples in the ice tribe but she realized that could have just been something her dad did and not something all parents did. When he said that there were men with other men, and then told her that his mother had loved another women she nodded. It was much the same back home, which was really what she was curious about. She was happy the shifters felt the same was as the ice tribe did, she agreed that people should do what made them happy and be with who made them happy. She knew everyone didn’t think that way, but as long as most people did in the shifter community were okay with it then she was okay with the community.

“Yes it does, thank you.”. She held her hand out to take the root he was picking up. She felt bad, it seemed as if his mother was a touchy subject and she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. He was one of her first real friends, or at least she hoped that he would become a real friend for her. “Your turn.” she said with a smile, hopefully things would get happy again.  

[DraconicFeline]

“Oh, o..okay.”
Biroki was still a bit awkward and shaken from the question and the faint storybook memories that it had shook to the surface of his mind.
Well, he was awkward at the best of times but now... now he was struggling to find that one elusive memory he knew he had. Of his parents. He knew his mother had made him... something... A bag! That was it, a bag.
But he lost it somewhere... he wondered where...
He realized he had been quiet. Oh no! She must think she had insulted him... or... or something!
“Oh I.. I'm sorry!” he said quickly, turning to look wide eyed at her.
“R... right...” He swallowed his embarassment. It was an emotion he really should be accustomed to. “uh..”
He was so apologetic it was probably comical.
“Uhm...” he began, trying to get his thoughts off of his somewhat faded childhood and his other mother that he had never known.
Nope.
No dice.
He did have a question along those lines anyway but...
“It... Its another personal one...” he said. He felt he had to let her know before he asked.
“You... your half Shifter, r...right?” He stood up to move to another spot... no point crouching in a rootless place. He had no excuse to just sit there now that he was actually getting roots.
“I... if I may ask... Which parent was the Shifter?”

 

[a pet dino]

As they walked Biroki grew silent and she began to worry that she had said the same thing. She would ask a question that made him uncomfortable. Mentally she made a note not to ask about things that could prove to be a touchy subject for others. When he apologized she smiled. "You were lost in thought, don't be sorry for having a brain and your own thoughts." she teased with a laugh as she put her hand on his shoulder briefly.

When he said that it was a personal question she nodded. Maybe she should have warned him before she asked her last question. As the two of them walked he clarified that she was half shifter and when he said right she nodded. Some people didn't realize exactly what she was, but most shifters and most of the ice tribe knew exactly what she was.

"My mother was a shifter. Well she is a shifter. Adowa is my mother, Alassiel is my half sister." she said happily. Although she had just met her mother and horde of half siblings they had been really nice to her since she arrived. Though her mother was extremely surprised to see her and a little sad to find her father had passed. "I have two adopted siblings back at the ice tribe, though they are full ice tribe members. Their names are Kayin and Alek." Then she realized she had told him a lot more then what he asked. "Sorry I tend to ramble sometimes." she said chuckling.