[PRP] What's that you're working on? (Kaldru + Zeylla)

[quiet delegation]

Who let you out here alone, kid?

 

[quiet delegation]

The trails were nice this time of night.

While Kaldru spent a decent amount of time wandering the main settlement of Four Fronds, the back trails and woods were less his specialty. He'd been warned off from the potential danger of the murderwoods, though as he gained another sweep he'd finally learned that there weren't always hunts and that not the entire forest was dangerous all the time. Thus, on his latest excursion to the area, he'd decided to finally go and explore; perhaps he'd learn a bit scouting out the trails dotting the region, anyway, a train of thought that his lusus heartily approved of.

The young troll expected perhaps some wildlife encounters along the way, or even the sounds of hunting or signs of other trolls. What he hadn't been expecting, at least not actively, was to actually stumble across another person, particularly one that seemed ... at home? The clearing he'd come over certainly had the feel of being someone's lawn ring, and the tall individual working off to one side of a particularly massive tree didn't seem like she was out of place at all. Kaldru, being Kaldru, was immediately intrigued with this development as he peered over a bush; heedless of the potential danger of a new troll in an isolated area, at the very least out of earshot of primary settlement, he pushed through the leafy brush with a pleasant grin on his face.

"Hello! What'cha doing?"

stringency

aaa i'm sorry if it's too short for a start ; w; at work but wanted to get it going~

 

[artificial bones]

It was a pleasant night, the air crisp and smelling of leaves and the cool wind, and Zeylla was enjoying some time outside her frondhive. Leechmom was not in the best of moods since Zeylla had come home recently from a fight she probably shouldn't have gotten in, so she was spending her evening outside as to not end up at the wrathful end of her lusus' anger. She didn't mind though, as the weather was nice enough, and it was wondrously quiet outside.

She was perched upon a stump she used as a seat, and a small fire flickered beside her, cooking a small simple meal of hopbeast and earthy startchpods mixed into a simple soup. It was just beginning to smell like it was ready, and she was lightly working on some knots she had recently found in a book she read.

The current one she worked on was for catching fowl, smaller feathered beasts, and was called a poachers knot. It was a noose styled knot that wrapped twice around the main rope and slide tight once a creature had caught its head in the loop. It was a new knot for Zeylla, and she toyed with it for a moment, sliding it wide and then shut, generally testing its strength.

She was very sucked into her work, and hadn't heard the other troll approach until his voice rang out. "Hello! What'cha doing?" the voice asked and Zeylla's head snapped to the sound, body temporarily tensing before she realized the troll before her was a kid. She relaxed and gave him a slightly annoyed expression that said 'can't you go bother someone else?' but she responded, in reality, with, "Tying a knot, obviously," she held up the knot she was working on and then narrowed her eyes, and added, "Are you lost?" it was just that she didn't get many visitors, and hopefully he was lost so she could point him in the right direction and get back her own business. In peace.

quiet delegation

you're fine! c: kal already seems like a sweet friendly little guy, i am excite <3

 

[quiet delegation]

"Oh no, I'm not lost at all. I've just never been out this way!"

Kaldru beamed, either missing entirely the look he was given or actively choosing to ignore it; which was unclear, but in truth it hardly mattered when the result was the same. Instead, he eagerly pushed the rest of the way free of the bush and made his way toward the stranger, eyes lighting up as he recognized the motion of the familiar knot. He wasn't exceptionally practiced, and his only "formal" training was watching a few hunters in Busthind and begging them to show him just one more time, but he at least had enough familiarity to guess its purpose.

"Are you gonna catch stuff with it?" he piped curiously as he approached, though a shift in the air brought a delightfully enticing scent to his nose; the young troll sniffed in the direction of the stew, then giggled before rocking on his heels and settling his hands at his hips.

"Or you already did! Do you know any other good knots? I only really know a couple. I'm Kaldru~! Is this your hive?"

The boy was a bundle of questions without a knot of his own, or so it seemed as they came tumbling out freely!

stringency

some might say annoying but I think he's cute anyway xD

 

[artificial bones]

So.
Many.
Questions.
Zeylla felt the niggling of a pan-ache coming on but held it back. Maybe if she just answered a few questions, he would be happy and leave. (or maybe she wanted to have company, but couldn't admit it) She sighed and gently untired the knot she had been practicing and started to work on another style of knot as she spoke, "First, that knot is for flying beasts not hoppers, and secondly I do know quiet a few good knots," she paused and sighed again, before adding, "Thirdly I am Zeylla, and yes, this is my home. Where I enjoy my peace and quiet," she slipped the last part in, in hopes Kaldru would pick up what she was laying down. but a part of her felt that he most likely would not.

The pot beside her hissed at that very moment, bubbling soup frothing over the edges of the pot and slapping the fire, which fought valiantly to survive the onslaught. Zeylla reached out and turned the pot on it's hanger so that it now hung just outside the range of the flames, but still in the vicinity of warmth, and the bubbles died down. Almost done.

She eyed the scruffy little troll before her, noting the way he had sniffed at the air moments before, and sighed one last deep sigh before asking, "You hungry, kid?" she had definitely made more than enough, and perhaps food would make him less talkative. Food always made Zeylla sleepy.

quiet delegation

poor zeylla, shes torn between the new joy of enjoying company and having her alone time. all she wants is peace and quiet.

but i like him, so idc what she thinks

 

[quiet delegation]

"It is really quiet out here! It kinda reminds me of my hive, um, except not as quiet. At least you can hear featherbeasts out here! It can get super quiet in the foothills, sometimes! It feels like I'm the only troll in the whole world! Um, where my hive is, I mean. I don't live out here, but I travel out here a lot. It's a lot less lonely!"

Clearly not catching Zeylla's drift, Kaldru took the offering of information as an invitation and scurried over closer, finding a place to sit on the ground near the hemoanonymous troll. He shuffled around until he could decently see what she was doing, happy smile never leaving his features.

When asked about food, he perked up even more, though he looked a little sheepish as he grinned in response.

"I'm always hungry~ Mim - my lusus - says it's good for me. It means I'm doing good becoming a good troll! Um, 'cause it means I'm active. Active trolls are good trolls!"

He stretched his legs out from how he'd settled with them crossed, absently tapping his boots together.

"What other kinds of knots do you know? I um, I know how to make basic snares to catch stuff on the ground, like hopbeasts and diggers! Oh oh, and deadfalls! Those are really good for catching little stuff too, though I wish I could catch bigger things... Mim doesn't know anything about trapping and hunting so I gotta ask people when I can! But everyone wants to tell me to ask my lusus... so it's really hard to learn sometimes."

The blueblood's smile faded slightly, lip sticking out in the smallest pout.

stringency

rip zeylla's peace and quiet

 

[artificial bones]

He spoke about a million miles a minute, and Zeylla was hard pressed to get a word in. So after he agreed(he did agree didn't he?) to food, she took the bowl-her only bowl- and carefully ladled some soup into it. All the while, the little blueblood was just going along and along and along. She eyed him as he tapped his boots together and offered he bowl of food as he finished speaking.

The pout, it kind of moved a little piece inside her, but Zeylla shook it off. She was just feeling a sense of understanding was all, for after all, she hadn't had the greatest lusus for growing up either. Lots of learning things on her own and and surviving a lot of struggles without help. She nodded slightly and then said, "I only have one bowl, so eat up, and I'll work on some knots," she paused, and then added, feeling slightly proud of herself, "I'll teach you a few knots I know," for some reason, teaching seemed pleasing, even though she kind of wished she was working with a quieter troll. Perhaps she could teach him that as well, since it was a useful skill for hunting.

That would be nice.

quiet delegation

zeys not lonely at all.

 

[quiet delegation]

Kaldru took the bowl when it was offered, for once and finally going quiet as he took a deep inhalation of the scent. Food was one of the few things that could silence the mouthy little troll, being that generally his fare consisted of just-edible things he'd found and roasted or boiled himself. He was learning, of course, the benefit of spices and flavorings, but for the most part he ate particularly 'rustic' things, as some pampered individuals might have called it; even the addition of starchpods to a basic meat soup was a delight.

"I'll teach you a few knots I know."

The blueblood's eyes went wide at that, and he tilted his gaze up to the older troll, absently lifting a hand to wipe a dribble of soup from his lips. After a momentary pause of processing, there was an almost palpable moment when those same eyes lit up and positively sparkled at Zeylla.

"Really?! That would be great! I've always gotta catch my own stuff and build stuff so that'd be awesome! I love learning how to do new things!"

The younger troll was bubbling with enthusiasm, though he did, at least, give her a bit more silence as he went back to happily shoveling food in his face.

stringency

 

[artificial bones]

Once he started eating, Zeylla decided he wasn't so bad. Small, stringy and ready to learn, so not a lot going for him, but the willingness to learn things and survive could be taught to any troll no matter their stature or age(at least that was Zeylla's view on it) as long as they had that want.

When the little blueblood's eyes nearly shined as he stared at her, bubbling over with excitement as he spoke, she knew he was a troll who wanted to learn. Perhaps it was because she had never had a lusus who helped her survive much(she learned a lot on her own and from observation), but she felt this sudden niggling to teach this troll. But that did not mean she would be his friend, so instead of smiling in a friendly teacher kind of way, Zeylla gave a little "Mn," in confirmation to his question and then looked away while he finished his soup.

While she waited, she pulled another rope from the pile beside her and set it in front of Kaldru before taking her own in her hand. It was pleasantly peaceful for a moment, just the sound of the young troll beside her eating and the sounds of nature.

Once he had finished the soup, she sighed (as if it was hard for her to tear away from her peace) and turned slightly towards her new charge(was she really considering him that? Wasn't this just a one time thing?). "We will start with a slip knot, do you know what that is? It is a knot that is used for building noose traps. Perhaps once you get the knot down we can learn how it ties into the whole," she could feel, as she spoke, her body straightening, arms crossing and s look of seriousness crossing her face. And what wasn't there to be serious about, survival was a necessity not a past time.

quiet delegation

 

[quiet delegation]

Kaldru couldn't help the small giggle that escaped him; had the seemingly serious troll meant to make a pun, or was it an accidental slip and a secret amusement for him? Either way, he grinned like an idiot for a few moments - how it tied together indeed!

He was careful not to waste too much time, though, for as much as he loved to chatter he knew most trolls who had the patience to teach him rarely tolerated too many of his shenanigans. Putting on his best serious face, the young one slumped down the last of his soup, set the bowl aside, and dutifully picked up the rope. At the query, he nodded enthusiastically, quickly setting small fingers to work making a decent, if slightly sloppy, slip knot out of the section.

"I've seen the one you were doing, but this is the one I mostly use at home!" he announced, tightening the loop he'd made around his fingers. "This kinda snare with some bait. I grow a couple of vegetables though I'm not real good at it, but they make good enough bait! I set up deadfalls to get stuff that doesn't get caught in the little snares, um, like croakers and stuff! There's not many of those around unless it rains, but they're real tasty spit roasted!"

stringency

 

[artificial bones]

While a little sloppy, the little blueblood actually showed some exceptional deftness with the rope as they did their knots. Some trolls might treat a moment like this with praise, or at least a nod of approval, but Zeylla's face made no change, and there was no cheer. She listened to him speak, her face never seeming to falter from it's dull as concrete expression, though her eyes never left Kaldru's as he spoke. She was listening, at least.

"A good source of proteins," was her response, cold and clinical, but again proof that she was listening. She shifted herself a little, to face him better as she untied the knot, speaking, "Your knot needs to be done tighter, it was decent, but could be better," had she meant to slip the slightest of compliments in, no one would ever know. She surely wouldn't admit to complimenting something less than perfect, no matter the age of the troll.

She then began to slowly tie another knot, the one she had been working on before being interrupted. "This is a poachers knot, and like I said, it is to catch featherbeasts," while her face was cold, and her words stone, there was a certain carefulness and gentle nature with the way she slowly did the knot, explaining to him as she went about how to properly tie the knot so it would not slip loose under pressure, but the moment quickly died as she sat back with a watching stare to see how Kaldru fared with the slightly more complicated knot.  

[quiet delegation]

"Mmh, I can't pull it..."

Kaldru had begun to complain, though he trailed off and decided to retie the knot, struggling to pull it tighter. It frustrated him not to be strong enough to do something; one of the few things that really got under the young troll's skin was being incapable, and this was no exception.

There was little time to remain sulking at the subject, however, as soon enough another knot was being shown to him. He squinted slightly, wide eyes narrowing as he watched closely. He'd thought he'd recognized the knot, and he did from a distance, but he'd never tied one before. When she finished the demonstration he tugged his own previous knot free, then stared at his section of rope, brows crunching together in heavy thought as his mind processed the procedure.

Thankfully, his think-pan was hyperactive, but not dysfunctional. Slowly, he began to replicate the knot, though he mis-looped one section; the result was a knot that didn't pull properly, and soon enough fell apart. A look of upset crossed his features again, but rather than complain he simply tried again, unfortunately making the same mistake. The third time it was clear he'd missed that instruction, and he turned watery eyes and a quivering lip up to the older troll.

"W-what did I miss?" he asked, sounding positively hopeless. Here someone offered to teach him and he was disappointing her!

stringency

 

[artificial bones]

The instant he tied the knot wrong, Zeylla saw what was wrong, but she let him struggle with it a couple of times. She was here to show a skill, not baby and coddle. If he couldn't figure it out after a couple more tries, she would step in and show him where he was going wrong. He was lucky to have her showing him anything. Why when she was a kid, she had struggled all on her own to survive. No help what so ever. Sure it could be frustrating, and she expected him to give up and ask for help.

And yes, she had been expecting a request for help but she didn't expect him to almost cry when he couldn't figure it out. He had looked so determined, so steadfast in his dedication she had assumed anger or frustration would have been his reaction to failing, but crying? The greyblood wasn't sure how to handle that sort of thing, at all. She had maybe cried a handful of times, as a wiggler, that she could think of, and the idea of crying over a knot was just ridiculous. It made her uncomfortable, and tugged irritably at her pumpstrings in a way she found both unpleasant and unusual.

Her brows furrowed, and sighed in minor frustration before running through the steps, and pausing at the loop he had forgotten, "If you remember this step, your knot will be fine," her voice was both educational in tone and also conveyed a message of 'Now buck up', as she carefully looped the knot and finished it off. She gave him a stern look, having no room for his tear-filled antics, and finished her repeat of the lesson with the surprisingly decent advice of, "Just focus on the task at hand, your thinkpan will remember things better if you keep a clear head."

quiet delegation

ZEY SENPAI'S SAGELY ADVICE.

 

[quiet delegation]

Kaldru sniffled. He snuffled, he wiped at his eyes, and his lip quivered mightily, but he did pay attention, even if his view was blurry at best. Still, he wanted to learn, and when she didn't give up on him he was greatly relieved, though he couldn't just turn off the waterworks instantly.

So instead he simply did his best to pay attention, particularly at the loop she pointed out to him; it was likely rather funny, in truth, the young, teary troll sitting there struggling to catch every nuance of her teaching with fat tears still globbed at his eyes, but no one could say he wasn't paying attention! When she finished, he stared sulkily at his rope, then wiped his eyes again and went to work.

This time, he didn't miss the loop, and while the tightness of his knots were still questionable he pulled with all of his might to get it as snug as he could. Afterward, he tested it a bit, and his saddened features flipped into excited ones as he held it up for inspection.

"Y-you were r-right!" he exclaimed, still shaky from the sudden onslaught of tears. The little blueblood sniffled another great sniff. "I-is it tight enough now?"

stringency

SHE IS THE SENPAI-EST, RIGHT DOWN TO NOT KNOWING HOW TO DEAL WITH HER KOUHAI

x'D

 

[artificial bones]

Zeylla had hoped the crying would stop, but as she was wrong. The whole time she showed him the knot, tears cascaded down his cheeks. She was mildly annoyed because was he able to pay attention while he was crying like that? Or was she wasting her time right now. Zeylla hated wasting her time. It was also just awkward, she didn't know how to handle a crying troll, not at all.

But as he started his own knot, tears now wiped(thankfully) to the aside, she could see that he had indeed been paying attention. She tried not to let any surprise show on her face, which was difficult, and watched him go. And then he beamed up at her, and her lips twitched upwards just for a moment. His pride was infectious, evidently, but she quashed the smile before it could bloom.

She just didn't believe in those kinds of rewards, hard work was rewarded by the work itself, not by smiles and congratulations. When he asked if it was tight enough, she took the rope from him and tested it. Definitely tighter than last time, but still not as tight as it could be. But when Zeylla looked at the hopeful face, she couldn't bring herself to say it was less then perfect. Also she didn't need another spout of crying, no thank you.

So she handed it back and nodded in approval, holding back her lecture. He was young, he would get better as he practiced, "And that is how you do a poachers knot. Easy enough, yes?" she added, handing him back the rope and carefully untied her own knot.

quite delegation

:V SHE HAS A SOFT SPOT