ORIGIN - bittersweet ballad

Ákos had left his mother cycles ago. She was far too overbearing, making sure he was "safe" and "knew he was loved." Whatever. He didn't need her. He was fine on his own! He hadn't seen anyone else in a while, and he didn't need to. He could live by himself. He was fully grown now!

As he walked, he realized he had ended up near where he hatched. That wretched place, where he met the weasel that was similar to him. He hated that thing. He hated a lot of things. He hated that he was alone! He wanted someone nearby. Someone that he could trust, someone he could be with. But who? He'd been avoiding everyone he came across. And why would someone want to come to him? He was different. Weird. A weird looking hybrid. Why would someone want to approach him?

Aegir had decided to leave Polaris, leave the water behind. He trudged along, slowly, thinking deeply about the things he had learned. He had learned words like 'water' and 'river' and 'bright' and he had learned that 'sad is like mad' and he could see himself in the water. There was so much to think about, so much to comprehend. He did not know, did not know what to think. There was so much to learn in this world.

He wanted to ask the water, but he did not know how to listen. He did not even know if the water could speak. He had to try it sometime, ask the water, swim in its depths. But for now, he had to learn more. And survive through his childhood.

He had quickly found out that living wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. He was constantly getting cold, thanks to his unusually this pelt and form as well as his need to be soaked all the time, and he was clumsy, falling over his big paws and long legs. He would be an easy target for any larger creature, a thought that had not yet occurred to him consciously, but something he knew on the inside. He felt fear, although he did not know what it was yet, and it hurt him.

He saw the creature not far away and changed his course so that he was going towards him. He hadn't seen a lot of water for a while and was starting to get thirsty. Using his magic, he did his best to hold in what he had and, while it hurt to have his skin so dry, he knew it would keep him at least physically healthy.

He didn't know why he was approaching, only that he could do nothing else. He was weak and tired, having traveled too far for his young body to handle. "Hel-lo," he called out weakly, "Do...need help." His sentences still fragmented by youth, he could do nothing but repeat words and phrases he had heard or spoken before.

My voice is speaking...
My thoughts are swirling...

@Ákos

Ákos had sat down, now unsure of what to do. As far as he could tell, no one was nearby. After some time, he gave up and accepted that he'd be alone. It was better this way, surely. He'd get by alone. He didn't need anyone else. If he was alone, he could just be -

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice. Turning, he saw a creature ambling toward him. Frowning as best he could, he watched the creature for a while, processing his broken speech. He couldn't tell exactly what they were saying, but that surely didn't matter.

"What do you want? Do need help? What? Do I need help? Or do you? Because I sure don't need any help. I'm doing just fine, thank you very much." His red eyes narrowed, he tried to control his anger that was simmering just below the surface. He'd never had any practice with this sort of thing, however, so it likely wouldn't take much for it to boil over.

@Aegir

Aegir's brow lowered with confusion. Was he not clear? He thought that it would understand him. But, perhaps, it was easier with Oliver. He had been gentle and understanding. Of course, that wasn't to say that this thing couldn't be gentle and understanding, but it already seemed to be a harsher kind of creature. Its voice was accusing and it didn't seem very happy. He thought that maybe he should leave, but he didn't have anywhere else to go.

"No...Aegir need help. Aegir go far...tired..." He tried to take another step forward but his sore, tired paws stumbled on the ground and he fell on his stomach. He tried to open his magic to absorb water from the air, but it was drier here and he didn't get much. He had to ask for help. Would he die if he didn't?

The bear cub looked up at the creature in front of him and tried to struggle back to his feet. "Aegir sorry. Aegir must ask...help."

My voice is speaking...
My thoughts are swirling...

@Ákos

Ákos watched the creature, red eyes still narrowed. So this creature needed help. Okay...What could he possibly do to help? He'd never had to help anyone before. Vianne had always tried to help him, but he'd always told the deer he didn't need help. Eventually, she just stopped trying. He had no idea how to go about helping anyone.

He didn't move as the creature -Aegir - collapsed. He was clearly exhausted, but what could Ákos do? Frowning, he tried to come up with something. While he certainly didn't care one bit about Aegir, he also couldn't just leave him there. He wanted to, though. He couldn't do anything. Why bother staying?

But dammit, he couldn't just leave it. And that frustration caused his anger to bubble over. "I can't help you! I don't know how to help anyone! What could I possibly end up doing?" His voice had taken on a desperate tone at the end though he ignored it. There wasn't a thing he could do for Aegir, and the creature needed to know that. No matter how it came out.

@Aegir

Aegir, with his current incompetence for social interaction, took the deer-thing's question less of rhetorical and more literal of what they could do to help him. He thought for a moment, wondering what, in fact, the deer could do. His stomach rumbled hopelessly against his weak limbs. Yes, maybe that was something.

"Aegir is...hungry. Aegir hates to ask of stranger but...Aegir cannot hunt for himself. Please...friend. Please hunt for Aegir." It was a gentle request, slightly pleading as he knew that, until he had something to eat, he would not be able to do much. He opened his mouth a little bit, although he probably did not have to to drink from the air. He finally managed to pull enough particles into his skin to hydrate himself for now. Although that still did not solve the problem of food.

My voice is speaking...
My thoughts are swirling...

@Ákos

Ákos grunted as Aegir spoke. Alright, so...they needed food. But how was he to get it? He wasn't exactly built for hunting. His body was too long, too gangly. He'd never really hunted before. He mostly ate plants, not prey. That was how Vianne had raised him, at least. He'd come across a mouse or something that was already dead and had a bit of meat left still and had tried that. But actually hunt? That was new.

Still, he supposed he had to try. While thinking, his temper had subsided, even if only temporarily. He watched Aegir for a moment. "I-okay. Uh. Wait here."

With that, he headed off to find...something. There's been rats around here, right? Surely he could catch one of those. He didn't know what Aegir normally ate, but he'd accept a rat. Right? He hoped so. With that, he set off to hopefully find prey.

It wasn't long before he was able to make out a rat nearby. He watched it, wondering how to go about killing it.

@Aegir

When the deer thing turned and left, hopefully to go find food, Aegir wondered what was going to happen to him. He felt like death. Or, at least, the closest he had ever gotten in his very short life. He was still a little thirsty as well as very tired and hungry. Perhaps the water knew, but there was no water around here.

But, of course, he had water to give. Even if there was no stream, perhaps just water falling upon the rocks would be enough. Not read the ripples, but read the splash patterns on the ground.

He opened his jaws and, carefully, released a tiny stream of water and quickly cut it off before he lost too much fluid. It hit the ground and splashed, spreading out into a pattern that Aegir looked at, closely. But it was stagnant, dead, unmoving. Water was supposed to move and flow and ripple. There was nothing here to read and he sighed and let himself fall back on the ground, waiting for his new friend to return.

My voice is speaking...
My thoughts are swirling...

@Ákos