Gracie was giddy with pride at her friend's cheers, the positive affirmations had her feeling invincible. But the stinging on her nose reminded the bear cub that she wasn't as invincible as she felt. Not by far. Rising back up to her paws, a bit more practiced this time without as much wobbling, she smiled at Vazi and giggled when he made the scrunchy growl face. She somehow knew from the way his teeth were all flat that the motion wasn't natural for him, those teeth weren't as dangerous as the sharp canines in her own mouth. She subconsciously poked at them with her tongue, feeling the difference between the front fangs and the flat molars.

"Silly stomachs!" she chortled, trying to walk as fast as her friend to get to the berry bush. His legs were far longer and more experienced, however, and she arrived a short time after. Watching wide eyed as he munched on leaves and berries, the girl tried to follow his example.

Opening her mouth wide she smashed her face into the bush and took a large bite of everything. The leaves, the berries, and some twigs they grew off of. Some bugs scattered as well, so she probably got a few of those in her massive bite too. Crunching the mouthful around in her mouth, once... twice... the panda's mouth watered and drool pooled out of her mouth. She wasn't salivating, but her body was saying "hell no" to the concoction Gracie was trying to muster. Spitting it all out onto the ground, just missing her paws, she gave Vazi a skeptical look.

Was he kidding?

table and code © chelsea of ORIGIN

VAZI HASIRA

"shattered innocence"

---

The little panda stumbled over to him and after briefly watching him before the young panda began to try and sample the food for herself. Except she didn't munch just the leaves or berries, she grabbed the entire branch in her mouth and ate the twig and all! Vazi's eyes opened wide in horror as she ate the whole thing. No! That wasn't right! "No no!" He said but a minute too late. The panda turned him a skeptical look. The young stag shook his head. "You do not eat all of it. You only eat the leaves and berries or else it does not taste good." He informed her.

He turned back to the bush. "Here, try this." He reached into the bush and bit off a few leaves and a few berries. Afterwards he deposited a little pile in front of the panda full of blackberries and their leaves, no twigs or bugs. "There. That should taste a little better. Try it!" He encouraged her while he stepped back a pace to watch. While he did this he pulled food up from his rumen and began to chew his cud. Pleased at the berry flavor that he sampled again.

.

---

words: 201
tagged: Gracie
ooc: ---
muse: 5/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

Lashing her tongue against her teeth, trying to clear the twig taste and bark from floating around her mouth, Gracie chuckled at her own silliness. She wasn't paying enough attention to see he had only ate the green leaves and black berries. "Ohhh." That made some more sense, but she was still wary of eating another bite. The first had made her stomach turn angrily, much different from the growl it originally started with.

Watching Vazi patiently, Gracie saw him pluck out a nice sized pile of leaves and berries and place them on the ground in front of her. "Okay..." she replied, leaning down slowly to the pile and giving it a whiff. The smell of berries was a sweet and tangy one, they definitely smelled good!

Scooping a part of the pile up into her mouth she chewed it cautiously a few times and a smile returned to her maw. It was delicious. Swallowing the mouthful she went and ate the other half of the pile. The pre-picked food was gone quick as light, and the panda cub turned her purple eyes hungrily to the bush. Following Vazi's lead, she carefully avoided twigs and bugs this time and she was all the more happier for it. "Dis so good," she said through a full mouth, chomping wildly and without much manners. One day, Gracie may eat like a lady. But not today.

table and code © chelsea of ORIGIN

VAZI HASIRA

"shattered innocence"

---

As the young deer chewed his cud he watched as the panda inspected the leaves in front of her. Patiently he waited until the young one sniffed the pile and then scoop them up into her mouth, happily announcing that it was good. The stag smiled at her and nodded. "Yes! It is very good. You just have to know what is good and what is not good to eat." With that he lowered himself to the ground. Forelegs first then rear as he thoughtful chewed while his friend ate her fill from the bush.

After a while when he was sure she had to have eaten her fill the young stag looked up at her. "Are you finished?" He rose to his hooves and gave himself a stretch. The little rest had been good but he was ready to move again. "If you would like I can take you to meet some of my other friends like Arkrael and Wynry." He imagined his sheep friend would be overjoyed to have someone else to play with. A new addition to their makeshift herd, so to speak. "But only if you want. There is much of the cave to see, this is only a small drop in the bucket... so to speak." The stag piped up. He wondered if she had an adventurous spirit or if she liked to stay in one area. Eridanus was nice with its abundance of plants but there were other things that were good to.

.

---

words: 258
tagged: Gracie
ooc: ---
muse: 5/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

Gracie ate and ate and ate till her stomach started to ache, she didn't know what point to stop until it was already too late. The panda cub felt very round now. Her belly was extended, bloated from her first dinner. Yet she felt satisfied. Coming into this world without a clue, and now she could talk, walk, and eat! She was thankful for her first, and only friend at the moment, Vazi. Without him she would probably be face down in the dirt still making dirt angels and blubbering to the gemless birds. "I'll learn!" she rang out, nodding. Twigs were ucky. A lesson taken from the berry bush: use your nose. If it smells good, chances are it is good to eat. Right? Until it proves wrong, Gracie determined it was correct.

"So full!" The bush was looking a bit bare of berries, Gracie's favorite as apposed to the sour leaves. She may have wiped it of all it's seeds in one sitting! One hungry baby with a sweet tooth.

She didn't mind leaving this place (there were others?), in fact, it was an exciting prospect. The panda only hoped she would be able to find her way home afterwards. This was her home, the place she was born. The expansive vegetation and earthy, damp smell was comforting. The gemless birds too! They were delightful with their short bursts of song. "I'll go!" she decided aloud. Later she would ask Vazi to show her back if they wandered too far away where she couldn't get home. "I like friends."

table and code © chelsea of ORIGIN

VAZI HASIRA

"shattered innocence"

---

The young stag nodded his head in reference to her "learning" about the different types of things she should and shouldn't eat. "Glad to hear it! I will help you whenever you need help learning about things. You just have to call and I will come to you." He meant it. If any of his friends needed them he would come charging to their rescue, no second thoughts about it.

When Gracie agreed to come the deer stomped his hooves happily in a sort of cheer. "Great! We will have so much fun!" The deer said happily. He turned towards the exit and motioned his head towards it, tiny fail flicking with excitement. "Come! There is much to see and friends to meet." With that he walked on, going slow enough that the young panda could catch him and keep up with him without --hopefully-- not too much difficulty. "Friends are very good! You can never have too many of them. Remember that, young Gracie." He said with a smile before continuing on. They had much to see and well... all the time in the world to see it! After all, what could happen? It wasn't as if anyone would attack them or his friend. The world was a good place.

.

---

words: 211
tagged: Gracie
ooc: Exit?
muse: 5/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

Gracie listened to Vazi with starry eyes, she admired him for his help and for being so kind to her. Her first friend was a great friend already and there wasn't much else to it. Giggling at his dance show of pounding hooves against the dirt, she rose to her paws and carefully teetered in the direction he was heading. The deer was slow and steady as to not lose her in the foliage of Eridanus. She remained quiet but nodded generously when he offered his wisdom on friends.

Humming, she trailed behind him away from her home and off to meet some new friends.

table and code © chelsea of ORIGIN

(exit! :D)