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 Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 11:25 am
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Lerin was not an especially brave young man. He did not strive to be different, tried his best not to offend anyone, and wasn't particularly ambitious. He was just one unimportant Shifter boy in one unimportant Shifter village, and there was likely nothing that would change that.
Although, as much as he knew, understood, and respected that fact, it did not protect him from the irrationally high levels of emotion from any other members of his tribe. Lerin could believe nothing he did was important or had an effect on anyone all day and all night long, but his friends and family took deep offense to his new choice in companionship. No one welcomed a lone, injured Fire girl into their marketplace. Not even for the span of minutes she'd been there. And even if Ziari wasn't in the village treetops now, her proximity still felt like a threat. So long as she stayed out of the way, there was only one other person to take it out on.
"She wouldn't hurt anyone," Lerin tried to reason to his mother the following morning. Or he assumed Zi wouldn't. She hadn't yet. "And she might've died without help. She's not like-" 'Other Obans.' He didn't rightly know what 'other Obans' were like, but he- like the rest of his village- always assumed they were unpleasant.
Ziari did not look unpleasant. She did not have the face or demeanor of an unpleasant person, and he wasn't entirely sure he'd believe anyone who said she did.
But Lerin was an unimportant Shifter boy, and his views on one lone Fire girl did not matter.
He slipped down through the trees. Morning was well approaching its end, and the skies above the canopy were an uncharacteristically bright and peppy blue. The forest floor was less so, and in the darkness before his eyes adjusted, Lerin could only squint around and wonder if he'd made it in time before Ziari took her leave. He hoped she hadn't strayed too far in the night, or worse- But now was not the time to dwell on that.
"Ziari?" He called into the trees. "Are you still around?" |
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 3:52 pm
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Ziari sighed as she leaned back against the trunk of a rather large tree. The children were all gone, now, and she was hoping that none of the others decided to sneak down, away from their parents. Their blatant racism had shocked Ziari and she had been nervous the instant the little girl had shown back up. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause trouble with these villagers. She especially didn’t want to get Lerin in trouble with his family. She rubbed her hands over her face and over her dreads. Pulling the heavy locs up she quickly tied a band of fabric around them, to keep them out of her face. With that finished, she quickly went about changing into a different set of clothes. If she was going to be exploring and out in the wilderness, her original attire was definitely not suited for such things. Instead, she slipped on some modest shorts, a small wrap around her breasts and a loose vest like fabric that allowed for some minor protection but was thin enough to allow air to flow through it.
When Ziari heard her name, she blinked, slightly surprised. The surprised expression quickly turned into a smile when she realized who the voice belonged to. Stepping out from behind the tree, she was greeted by Lerin. “I’m still here. I was changing.” She hesitated for a moment before she stepped forward, towards Lerin. “How did things go with your family?”
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 12:25 pm
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Lerin was fully prepared to come to the conclusion that Ziari very well might have already left. She may have wanted an earlier start, or maybe she'd even departed last night, if staying on the forest floor was too uncomfortable. He hoped she stayed, of course, but tried not to expect as much. Still, when her lean figure appeared between the trees, he could help but feel relief.
Followed immediately by abashment. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." His silvery gaze flicked over her new outfit. "...disturb you." Lerin almost had the gall to ask her if she'd finished changing, because somehow the young woman managed to don even less clothing than the day before. He hadn't hardly been aware much less could be worn and still be called clothing. Heat crawled for his cheeks, though the dark gray of his skin and blackness of the surrounding environment hid it well. He tipped his head down and murmured a quiet, "You look very nice. I hope that's comfortable to travel in..." Though most females did seem to manage well enough.
He glanced back to her at her question, then away again. It hadn't gone well with his mother, but he couldn't say as much. Lerin gave a light, minute shake of his head. "They gave me permission to escort you, if you feel like you may want or need a companion on the journey. It isn't especially far, so if you don't want me to join you, I won't press..."
Though it was a choice made on his own, he doubted his mother would appreciate it. Still, Lerin was wary of letting the young Fire woman wander the forests alone without a proper guide. It was unnecessarily dangerous. |
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2016 12:28 pm
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Abandon. Something about the word struck an uncomfortably tight chord in Lerin's chest. He curled his fingers into the hem of the fabric at his waist and glanced down. He hadn't abandoned her- He was here now, after all. But is that what it would've amounted to to Ziari if he'd been unable to show up...? Abandonment? He pinched his lip between his teeth and murmured out a soft, not-especially-reassuring, "I wouldn't have left you..."
It hadn't been his plan, anyway, the rest of his tribe be damned.
The rest of Ziari's words were significantly more uplifting, and he offered her a sheepish smile. "I will accompany you for at least as long as it seems necessary," Lerin promised. At least as long as it took to see her to safety. There were surely more interesting, more loyal, and more important people for her to get acquainted to in Neued. Ziari would not require his company for long. But for now, it was nice to think of himself as needed, however modestly it may be.
Lerin tapped the pack at his back and shifted his weight. "I am ready to depart at your earliest convenience. Whenever it suits your fancy." And, because of the squawking and cawing that had ensued upon their first encounter, the Shifter felt obligated to add, "If it isn't too much a bother, Tandoori will be joining us. I'm not sure who I'd ask to look after her if she wasn't at my side." |
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:19 am
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Heat climbed for Lerin's cheeks as the mammu gave him what was apparently a 'companionable' nudge. The Shifter male staggered at the push, before turning to face the massive creature, silvery gaze flicking up toward her. "I've never encountered a mammu, before yours," he told Ziari as he reached hesitant fingers toward Aemi's trunk. "I suppose it isn't much of a surprise, considering how far Zena is and how different the climate is between there and here. Do you ever wonder what she thinks about all this? Mammu are supposed to have very good memory, I hear, so she must remember home, presumably. Sometimes I wish they could just tell you their thoughts, but that would be too easy, I suppose."
Belatedly, Lerin wondered if anything he said was even marginally relevant. It probably wasn't. He shook his head and stepped around the great beast, giving a nod of his head to encourage Ziari to follow him. "As I said, it's not a long journey, but it's still probably best not to spend too much time outside of the main encampments."
He shot her a sheepish smile. "Unfortunately, I'm not the most physically adept... I wouldn't be much help if we ran into trouble. Best not to give much time to the opportunity." As Lerin turned his back and started off, Tandoori dropped from the trees, landing in a graceless flutter of ruffled wings atop the mammu's back. Lerin flinched and glanced back, but offered no reprimand. Doori 'chirrup'ed and shot a narrow-eyed glower toward the other kinfa. |
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2016 1:50 pm
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“I’d never seen one before her, either,” Ziari said as she fell in line beside Lerin as they started to head towards their destination. “And I do wonder, sometimes, what her and Aser are thinking. It would be wonderful to be able to talk to them and to understand them.” Ziari flushed, slightly, at the admittance but was less nervous about it because it seemed that Lerin felt the same as she did when it came to those thoughts. It was a fresh situation — usually people thought she was just being silly.
Ziari glanced back when Lerin’s kinfa landed on top of Aemi and couldn’t help but laugh at the annoyed squawk this elicited out of Aser. She glanced back to her kinfa, still perched on the ground, and shook her head. “Behave. It won’t hurt you to share your space and fly for a little bit.” Aser’s feathers ruffled, puffing out before he pushed off of the ground and took off up into the canopy. Ziari shook her head and sighed, before glancing back out to the trail in front of them.
Silence fell between the two of them for a moment before Ziari spoke, filling the void. “Some children were down where I stayed last night when I woke up. They were very interested in Aemi and myself.” Her features pinched as she thought back to the parents and their reaction to her and their words. “Their parents weren’t too happy when they found them…”
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 10:51 am
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"She is beautiful," Lerin hummed softly in the mammu's direction. And probably a very useful traveling companion, especially for large families and long distances. There were probably many southerners who'd pay a pretty hefty sum for a creature like that. Not that he agreed with poaching, of course, but he understood the lure of large quantities of coins. He expected his own kinfa was especially grateful for the companionship of a large, heavy mammal. It meant Doori wouldn't have to hop the whole way.
As Aser darted up into the trees, the young Shifter man felt a knot loosen in his chest. It wasn't exactly a bonding experience for the two ruffled kinfa, but it could've gone much worse, and he was quite grateful that it hadn't. He couldn't say he rightly knew what he'd do if the two birds became violent toward each other.
Maybe just whimper pitifully and ask them very politely to not try and peck each others' eyes out. That would go over well.
A moment of silence stretched between them, and with little idea how to fill it, Lerin reached hesitantly toward his flower-pin. Eritha would've known what to say. She was such a personable young woman and could get along with near every-
Lerin glanced sharply toward her Ziari muted surprise at her commentary about meeting the village youngsters, but his gaze fell back to the path in front of them just as quickly. His tone dropped to match his downturned stare. "My village has never been especially welcoming," he explained quietly. "A lot of them are older folks that left the larger cities a long time ago, back when the Alkidike were first making themselves known. They disliked foreigners then, and they dislike them now. My mother says it is because we are a peaceful tribe, with no especially talented warriors to speak of."
"So they think it's safer if we don't go out of the way to make ourselves known and don't invite those who don't already live here. Obans especially, since they have already tried to take over our lands once..." His hands dropped back in front of him, and he restlessly twiddled his fingers. "Please, don't take it personally. They dislike nearly everyone." |
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Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2016 2:04 pm
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Ziari shook her head, eyeing Lerin out of the corner of her eyes. “I wish I didn’t have to deal with racism and hatred but...I fear that’s going to be something I’ll always encounter, no matter where I am. Your village is just a little less trusting than larger towns might be. And, in all honesty, I don’t blame them entirely. This world is full of hateful people. Sometimes, we think our best course of action is to hate back — to not trust those that are different from us.” She sighed and reached up to tuck a loose dread behind her ear. “I’m definitely not saying it’s ok or the right thing to do. Just that...I understand, in a way, where it’s coming from. Especially when it’s aimed at me. Obans, as you pointed out, have not exactly had a history of being very trustworthy. Perhaps...I can maybe change the minds of a few people in the world, though. Show them that we’re not all like that.”
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 5:47 pm
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It was such a shame that so much of the world couldn't get along. Not only toward Obans, but to anyone who didn't look or act the same as everyone else. Lerin hated to admit that he was no exception. Even he had what he considered a healthy (if misplaced) wariness for strangers who did not follow his family's customs. Which, unfortunately, was very nearly everyone. Still, he thought 'wariness' was preferable to outright hate and cruelty. Perhaps he could be forgiven, if he tried very hard.
He glanced to the ground and twined his fingers behind his back to keep from fidgeting. "I find that people are innately untrustworthy," Lerin murmured. "I can't explain why it is so difficult sometimes to do the 'good' and 'right' thing, but it is, and I suppose there are just many who do not have the strength of will to achieve that."
Silver eyes flicked in her direction, then away again. "I don't think you are one of the people who have that struggle. We have not known each other long, but you seem very easy to get along with... And you are willing to endanger yourself for someone, some creatures who cannot protect themselves. That is a noble thing." |
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Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2016 8:22 am
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Lerin flushed at her words and managed to stagger only a step when Ziari bumped him. The things she was saying were untrue, of course. There were many better people than him that she could've encountered, but maybe that didn't need saying. He was grateful for the praise, false or otherwise. Besides, there were also surely worse people that could've crossed her path. That was something.
So he allowed himself a smile, a small, sheepish, just barely half-quirk of his lips, but a smile all the same. "I don't remember telling you about Tandoori," he hummed softly. "She was just a small chick when I found her, and a badly injured one at that."
"Kinfa are prized for their beautiful feathers, their cunning intelligence, their size and ability to transport heavy loads, and their usefulness in battle. Unfortunately, Tandoori lost most of her usefulness when she mangled her wing. I didn't meet her previous owner, and can't say for sure what happened, but... She was abandoned in the mud and still badly injured when I came upon her." He glanced up toward where his kinfa sat with her feathers puffed against Aemi's back. "I think she is happier now, though she still can't fly." |
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 8:37 am
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Lerin took in a slow, deep breath, and raised a hand to rub at the dried orange petals of his hairpiece. Admittedly, he was more pleased with his kinfa's current situation than the one she probably was in initially, but there was something else bothering him. He didn't expect Tandoori was expressly unhappy. But there was the chance that she might want more than he was prepared or able to give her. "It is unfair how often second chances are denied to those who need them, especially when sometimes there are creatures, like Tandoori, who are a victim of circumstance, rather than their own mistakes..."
He swallowed, and tugged a dark lock of his hair over his shoulder to play with. "But I think, perhaps, you can do more for Aser than I can do for Tandoori..." Silvery eyes swept up to peer at the brightly colored bird.
"I'm always afraid that with creatures of that size, who usually have such vast territories and the capability to move about freely, that living here, in Jauhar, always, will not necessarily be enough for her." Lerin sent his Zi a small, almost sad-looking smile. "You are doing a wonderful thing, taking you with her to explore all these lands. That is what they were meant to do, I think. Be explorers, adventurers. Doori will never be that." He glanced down. "I will never be that..." |
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