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Second Chances - Printable Version +- ORIGIN (https://origin.boreal-nights.space) +-- Forum: IC Archives (https://origin.boreal-nights.space/forumdisplay.php?fid=50) +--- Forum: Year 5 Archives (https://origin.boreal-nights.space/forumdisplay.php?fid=55) +--- Thread: Second Chances (/showthread.php?tid=7216) Pages:
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RE: Second Chances - Nameless - Nov 11 2019 She could make bananas too? She didn't feel anything particularly strong going on in her gemstone, but that wasn't unusual. She had no idea what he magic was, nor could she remember ever casting it, but something brought to mind sparks and lightning, but despite taking a moment to try, nothing came up. She couldn't do it. RE: Second Chances - Oliver - Nov 11 2019 Oliver smiled, at the banana--and with a kind, enthusiastic voice, he encouraged her. "Hey, that's really good! Especially since you just woke up! Wow." The words were in no way forced or assumed; his blue eyes, their eager innocence, lit brightly in wonder at the size and shine of the fruit. When Nameless pushed it toward him, he used his bird-like claws to split it carefully down the middle, pulling apart the peel, and then pushed half on its peel back to her. He took his own half, ear-tufts falling back with lazy contentedness. He chewed, the glowing sparkle starting its work around his black fur-and-feathers coat. He listened as she spoke of the caves, of her sleep. Of her memories, and their strangeness to her. And he nodded. "Hrmph, srmtrms-" (he swallowed his bite of banana) "-Sometimes Gembound sleep for a really long time. Like I heard that some of the ones here," (he gestured with one winged forelimb around at the Hydra entrance) "slept for like, thousands of cycles? So maybe you're REALLY old. No offense or anything," he hastened to add, peering at her. Another bite of banana, a few more sparkles, and he shrugged at her other question. "I don't know. I think some are sad, or upset, or hurt or whatever and they feel like it's others' fault? So they lash out. I don't think they're ever really bad. And I think a lot are like, fights, arguments and stuff that kept getting out of control and nobody just sat down and talked about it? Although I've met some that are really, really like-... They enjoy others' pain. Carnivores, usually, but not always. I've heard stories. I think it usually helps to talk things out, but that might not always work, so just be careful, okay?" He was thinking of Jayberry--the black wolf, snarling her sadistic threats, laughing at the pain of those around her. He'd never found out what exactly had prompted the Bloodberry's initial attack; he only knew that they were mad at Rift, and Rift hadn't ever explained why, and Oliver had never asked. It didn't matter, to him. Neither side had sat down to just talk about it, so it'd gotten out of control--but the Bloodberries weren't the only violent things in the caves. There were always predators that'd kill talking Gembounds, and the only real warning he had--to 'be careful'--had now been given. There wasn't a whole lot more that he could do, in his mind, except hope and pray that the goose remained safe. Speaking of which-- He eyed her, curious. "Did you think of a name, at all? I think the really old ones who slept here--they had numbers. Like, a gemstone, then a number, like ruby twenty-four, things like that. Maybe that was yours. Maybe that's why you haven't got a name? But they're all picking names now, so you could, too," he added. And then--"You sorta remind me of white flowers. Like a... a white lily, or something. Maybe you can name yourself after a kinda flower." He shrugged, a little, apologetic, and added--"Sorry, I--don't know a lot of their names..." @Nameless RE: Second Chances - Nameless - Nov 18 2019 The goose beamed at Oliver's praise and watched him offer half of the banana to her. She'd finished the plump bunch that he'd made earlier, but there was still room for more and she gratefully took the other half in her bill, a warm, cozy feeling settling in her stomach. It felt nice to share with others and her stomach cried for food as if she hadn't eaten in cycles. And, if Oliver was right, she most likely had not and had survived on the amniotic fluid of her chrysalis or however if worked when a gembound hibernated. Still, all the sweet, healthy bananas were doing wonders from her and every moment she felt more awake and alive then the last. RE: Second Chances - Oliver - Nov 18 2019 Oliver considered the goose's question for a very long moment. Could the sadistic types be talked to-? "I think..." he began, at last, then hesitated. His world experience had been grim, but not all that wide; but what he was about to say made sense to him, at least. "I think someone can only really be talked to or helped if they want to. To talk, I mean. Or to change. If they don't want to, it doesn't matter how nice you are or how much you offer. They have to want to change." He shrugged, a little. "Maybe you can try and talk 'em into it, but that'll be hard when they're trying to eat you or whatever," he added. He fidgeted, then, for a moment, watching the goose thoughtfully. "See, I'd ask what to call you, but--you know, sometimes I forget names. And we don't use 'em anywhere near as much as you'd think. It's funny," and here, Oliver offered a sheepish smile, "how much you kinda just talk to someone or say hey or hi without actually saying their name? But, uh. Good luck picking one. Or--finding one." After another pause, he considered. "Do you need anything else, while I'm here? I kinda forgot why I came here, too." As he spoke, without asking, he realized that the goose might in fact be thirsty. He wasn't sure, but it didn't matter--he could leave a little water on a rock, here, in case someone else wanted it. Or-... well, maybe it'd evaporate. But maybe not! He picked a flatter stone with a bit of a dip in it and walked over to it, focusing carefully; he passed a forelimb over it, and a moment later what little moisture he could pluck from the scorchingly dry air had condensed into a mist, and then a puddle atop the stone. "In case you're thirsty, at least," he explained, and stepped back again. @Nameless RE: Second Chances - Nameless - Nov 20 2019 She nodded, but a heavy sadness settled on her stomach. There were some that were lost, then, that could not be brought back from darkness. It struck a chord in her, a nerve in her chest that made her all sorts of uncomfortable and hungry to meet one of those that Oliver deemed too far gone to save, if only to try and save them herself. RE: Second Chances - Oliver - Nov 20 2019 Oliver blinked, thinking--then squinted. "Actually, I--have something. Wait here," he added. "I'll only be a few minutes. Maybe five, ten." With that, the hybrid turned, scampering off, half flap-gliding, half galloping in a rocking gait off toward Canis. He returned a few minutes later with a woven basket in his teeth, his eyes bright with hope that it might be helpful to the goose. It was one of the ones that Rift had given him, but he had a couple, now, and right now they were settled in his garden not too far away--in Canis. "Can you use this?" he asked, nudging it toward the goose. Had he known her thoughts, he might have commented on them; particularly to reiterate, perhaps, that he deemed no one "too far gone to save." It was, as he'd said, those who refused help that couldn't be aided. But she didn't air her thoughts, so he couldn't clarify his own; instead he just sat there smiling dog-like over his woven basket, his feather-tail sweeping a little back and forth over the sand in a hopeful wag. @Nameless RE: Second Chances - Nameless - Nov 20 2019 The goose nodded and settled herself down again, taking to looking at the stone while she waited for Oliver to return. She wondered who it had belonged to before and why she'd had such an emotional reaction. Even now, just staring at it, she was filled with bittersweet joy, as if it was someone long lost returning to her, but only to leave again. RE: Second Chances - Oliver - Nov 20 2019 That feather-tail wagged more quickly, back and forth over the sandy rock, as the goose took the basket. Yay! At her question, though, he blinked--as if surprised. "Oh! Um, no--I mean, sometimes; I do have a garden here! In the middle. Just look for, like--the only trees... But mostly Eridanus? If you don't know where that is, it's like, a jungly forest place-cave in the middle. Of the other caves, I mean. Ish? But it's got water and lots of plants. There's a lot of Gembounds there that tend to the plants, uhh--they call themselves Kingdom of Eridanus. I'm with them, for now? They're nice and they take care of--I mean I already said that, but. So I go around and grow plants in the caves that don't have enough, 'cause Eridanus had a fire and--what if it gets burnt down? So I grow plants in Orion, Canis, Polaris, places like that. Canis just had bones so I figured a grove would be nice!" He beamed, for a moment, clearly all kinds of proud of himself, and then dipped his head. "So, uh--I might be any of those places but if you ever need help with anything, the other Kingdom people will help. They're really nice. Uh--good luck, too," he added. A brief glimmer, and one taloned forelimb came up, holding another small banana. This he placed into the basket beside the blue gemstone--"For later, in case you get hungry," he explained--"...even though you can make one yourself, I guess." Oliver smiled, and shrugged, and stepped aside, to allow the goose to pass. @Nameless RE: Second Chances - Nameless - Nov 22 2019 She nodded, despite the spike of sudden panic that burst in her chest at the mention of the maw of mosses. RE: Second Chances - Oliver - Nov 22 2019 "Oh, you're welcome. It's--no problem. Goodbye, and good luck," he answered softly, with a friendly dip of his head. He watched her go, then, and sat in the tunnel--and for the life of him, he couldn't remember why he'd come here. Puzzled, he turned and peered about, but... well, he'd done a good deed, at least. Sort of? At least, he felt like he had. With a mental shrug, the bird-dog turned and followed Nameless up the tunnel. She was long gone, by now, and he didn't plan to pursue her or anything like that--he was just heading the same direction. Probably best he'd stood here dumbly for a moment, he reflected--walking right alongside her after saying goodbye would have been awkward. exit Oliver |