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 Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 6:49 pm
Tayyib had made brisk work of tidying up after the performance in Vers, so he and his tagalong sprite made their way to Yware to watch another performance by Niadra's troupe. Judging from the largely bare stage and the people wandering around the audience area, they seemed to have arrived much too early.
The Leaf youth eyed the stands. This early, he could claim a good seat, but some conversation to while away the wait would be nice. Maybe he could get both. Tayyib scanned the crowd hopefully for familiar faces. "See anyone we know, Kojo?" he asked the sprite. He wasn't really expecting an answer; a sprite would hardly be able to understand, much answer. Even so, Kojo, ever the cooperative familiar, chittered back cheerfully from his perch on Tayyib's shoulder. Maybe the wait wouldn't be so bad after all, even without human company.
On his right shoulder, the sprite swayed left and right, as if in time with unheard music. Once in a while, it gestured, a flutter of a hand or a wave-like motion of an arm. Came of watching too many of Tayyib's rehearsals, perhaps.
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:36 am
Nyiim always made it a point to arrive early. While they had never agreed upon it or even officially acknowledged it, he was to be seated at the front of every performance, no exceptions. With Niadra having been such a good friend for so long, it was the least he could do. Besides, to say that he had no interest in performance would be a lie. As a child he hadn't understood it much, but he'd matured since then. This was Niadra's passion. Her life. Even if he'd never get up on that stage, he'd better support her. He liked to see the expression on her face, the graceful movements of her limbs... yes, it was a good thing.
The prentice sat near the center of the stage on a bisected log, simply sitting and observing those who chattered around him. He knew some of them, sure. Almost all of them. They seemed more interested in talking to people generally busy with their own lives, rather than the boy they'd likely seen days before doing one chore or another. His eyes scanned the crowd and caught a familiar body, one he had not seen in quite some time. Although he offered no smile, as was his way, he did nod in recognition. It was a boy that Niadra had introduced him to during some past performance, but as far as he remembered, the boy was not a member of her troupe. Was he here for moral support, then?
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:51 am
Glimpsing a nod out of his peripheral vision, Tayyib turned his head and spotted a Leaf prentice seated on half a log. Now Nyiim was someone he should have expected to see. He grinned, even if the other didn't. He remembered enough of the other prentice not to feel daunted by the lack of a smile.
"Nyiim!" He ducked and wove through the moving crowd to stand by the seated Yware native. "Front and center," he observed with an approving nod. "I'm sure Niadra and the rest of the troupe will be thrilled to see you in the audience. How have you been?"
Taken by a sudden fit of shyness, Kojo hovered behind Tayyib's right shoulder, wings beating rapidly. Still, curiosity got the better of the sprite from time to time. His face bobbed up past the shoulder every once in a while, all the better to peek at Nyiim.
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 12:36 pm
When Tayyib approached, he got a soft smile. Okay, so the tribesman wasn't performing after all, or apparently not. It would be nice to have some company in the audience as it was. He really only came for Niadra. When the prentice got close enough, he opened his mouth to speak, and then noticed the little pop behind his shoulder.
... that was... one of those things! He stared a moment as Bosede rose from behind the log and wandered over to greet Tayyib, much more pleasant than his usual first-time greeting of terrible growling. This was a face he knew! He also went around back, however, and snuffled at the air.
Tayyib had a Thing!
"Sorry, sorry," Nyiim apologized, realizing his stunned gaze, "I'm going well, thank you. How about you? Anything exciting?" He stood politely and offered out a hand in greeting.
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 1:15 pm
Tayyib's grin widened at the sight of Nyiim's soft smile, and again at the raptrix's pleasant greeting. It delighted the boy that Bosede hadn't forgotten him yet despite the intervening time. "Hello to you too, Bosede."
He followed Nyiim's stare, offering by way of explanation, "Kojo's been following me around. For the food, I think. Maybe the attention too." He chuckled. "If he ever learns to dance, I'm out of work."
Obscurely encouraged by Nyiim's stare, the sprite's hovering held steady above shoulder levels so that he could stare back at the earthling. At least until Bosede ambled around back. Kojo dipped lower, waving both arms excitedly at the raptrix and chirping.
"Things are well," Tayyib replied, extending his hand in greeting as well. "One of my friends is a guard now. And my older sister is trying her hand at choreography. It's a lot of work for everyone." He rubbed at a still-sore shoulder. "The troupe hasn't managed to convince you to take the stage yet, has it?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 12:21 pm
Bosede's ears swiveled as the Thing waved its arms and chirped. The raptrix took a step back. So this Thing was just like the other Thing?! Hopefully it didn't start throwing pottery too.
"Ah... hah. No, and they never will," Nyiim responded, giving the closest approximation to a laugh that he offered, "I'm glad to hear that things are going well. Do you mind if I ask what Kojo is? One visited us a while ago and I hadn't the slightest idea. It had wanted water."
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Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 12:49 pm
As Bosede retreated a step back, Kojo's enthusiastic waving ceased. The sprite studied the raptrix for a long moment, entirely still but for the beating of his wings. Apparently crediting the step to a successful intimidation on his part, he landed and started to strut around, chest puffed out proudly.
"It's for the best, I think," Tayyib replied with a chuckle. "Rehearsals and muscle pains leave so little time for adventure. And I don't mind at all. Someone told me he's a sprite. I don't know if that's just his name for them, or if that's how they're known generally." He gazed over at the sprite, whose strutting drew a laugh. "I think Kojo just follows me for the free food and attention. And maybe all the dances he can mimic -- badly." Back to Nyiim. "How'd you like your visitor?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 11:43 am
"He was interesting, at the very least," the Leaf tribesman nodded, "He was something of a troublemaker, though. All he wanted was water. He tried to make away with Bosede's water bowl at first. I made him a cup, so if you ever see a particularly well-equipped red-and-yellow flowery 'sprite', you might want to hide your person effects."
Bosede blinked, somewhat confused by the sprite's body language. What was it doing? He used Tayyib as a wall, leaping up to whuffle at the Thing's feet, perhaps take a testing nibble. Were Things eatable? Not this one, of course. This one was a pet. Other ones, though?
"'Sede, you're gonna take him down! Off!"
The raptrix gazed at his companion stubbornly, and then sadly dropped back to all fours.
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 11:48 pm
"I'll keep an eye out," Tayyib replied with a chuckle. Nyiim's recent guest sounded like mischief, but weren't they all? "Nice of you to offer your guest a cup. Can a sprite even lift a full water bowl?" he wondered, casting a speculative look over at Kojo's spindly limbs. Didn't look so strong to him. Appearances could be deceiving, though.
As Bosede volunteered Tayyib for wall duty, the boy swayed for a moment before his feet steadied again. Green eyes followed the raptrix with confusion.
For Kojo's part, he continued his strutting until he found Bosede's face -- and more importantly, those sharp white teeth -- suddenly very close. Bravado abandoned, he emitted a shrill squeak. Eager to put some distance between himself and the raptrix's teeth, he promptly dropped out of sight behind Tayyib's shoulder. The sprite hovered there until Bosede dropped back down to all fours, then mustered up the courage to peek past his human shield again.
"Oh, no harm done, don't worry," Tayyib was quick to assure Nyiim. In a tone of wonder, the Leaf youth added, "Bosede seems to understand you pretty well." He'd never been able to make his meaning clear to his flying tagalong, that was for sure.
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Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 7:55 pm
"Not very well, no," Nyiim admitted. The sprite, if that was indeed what they were called, had only barely been able to drag the dish. He hoped that it was doing alright with its wooden cup...
Bosede peered right back up at the Thing again, trying to get a good sniff of it even if it as running away. Apparently some Things were much more nervous than others? Nyiim snapped his fingers softy to try and draw some attention away from the sprite, and his raptrix dutifully returned to his side.
"He usually knows what he's doing. Sometimes I think he knows commands I don't. He was found, after all, and he was all grown up. Someone definitely had him before me. He's a good boy." The Leaf tribesman reached down and scratched Bosede's head, much to the raptrix's delight. A thick, furry tail thudded quickly against the ground.
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