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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 8, 2019 20:36:41 GMT -5
David smiled again, his tail beginning to move back and forth. He was glad Sam liked the area he’d show him. “Yes. And if you want I can try to convince Mom to come down.” He wasn’t sure if the boy was still nervous if Felamore, but I’d he wanted her to start tolerating his presence, he’d have to be around her. Or rather, she’d need to be around him, even if she was just watching from elsewhere nearby. He didn’t see anything about Sam so far that would give him reason to think he wasn’t trustworthy in their territory and hopefully soon enough she would agree.
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 8, 2019 22:00:08 GMT -5
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” David replied. He checked that it looked like Sam had all his things before he began leading him back the way they had come. It wasn’t too hard to retrace their steps until they came to the little valley where they had crossed the tree and they found the deer trail again. It wasn’t until they were back near the creek that David spoke again.
“You could try bringing something to keep Mom’s interest. I doubt she’s ever been in a human town before.” He suggested. Maybe if he could get Felamore curious enough, she would invite Sam more readily into their forest.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on May 9, 2019 7:20:24 GMT -5
Sam found the going a little easier as they retraced their steps. Without having to deal with wet clothes, it was much more enjoyable. He paid close attention to every little turn or noticeable landmark, filing it away in case he came here alone or go lost. Upon approaching the fallen tree, he didn't have quiet as high a level of caution as he did the first time around. He still crossed it slower and more carefully than David, but he was sure that the bridge would hold.
"A gift?" Sam asked. He had thought about it, but what would a creature of her stature find interesting in the human town? Technology might spoke her, especially if anything could record her presence. Dog toys would be an insult, he was pretty sure. David might like something along those lines, but he was young and playful. "I could try to bring food with me," he mused. "I don't know how I'll do it, but I can try." Food just seemed like the best option.
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 9, 2019 10:11:28 GMT -5
David’s ears perked when Sam mentioned food and he looked back at him briefly. “Bring enough for me too?” He wasn’t sure what humans tended to eat, but now he was curious. It hadn’t really crossed his mind before. His mother had said before humans could survive on almost everything, so technically that meant Sam could come into the woods tomorrow with anything in hand.
They walked the creek a fair distance before they came to the main trail that would take Sam out of the woods. David still walked with him, intending to stay with him until they reached the edge of Felamore’s forest.
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 9, 2019 20:13:31 GMT -5
Sam’s paces began to slow and David’s followed in turn. He could pick up what might have been some hesitation in his voice but he just smiled back at the boy. “Yes! I’ll see you tomorrow! Will you be back at the same time?” He asked, his tail wagging again at the thought. It was nice to look forward to getting a visit from Sam so often. He could think over questions about humans and their settlements tonight and when Sam returned, ask away.
He leaned forward and bumped the top of his head against Sam, a playful gesture that could honesty go poorly if he was careless with his horns. “We’ll go back to the sunning rocks and have snacks with Mom.”
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 9, 2019 22:08:17 GMT -5
David nodded, showing his smile once more before he started to step back to let Sam go home. He wasn’t sure yet how he would convince Felamore to sit with them if she wasn’t interested in interacting with Sam, but at least just inviting her seemed like a decent start. Maybe she’d take interest easier if she knew there would be a gift of food? Or maybe he should let that be a surprise? He couldn’t even guess, but he was eager to start at least trying to get her to act like Sam wasn’t here to cause trouble.
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 10, 2019 8:43:58 GMT -5
(Short break at work, machine broke)
David watched Sam go for a few seconds before retreating back toward the den in the side of the mountain. He was excited though a bit nervous to how Felamore might respond to his suggestion.
When he first stated the idea, he could see something in her eyes he wasn’t sure how to read. Distrust? Disgust? Impatience? It wasn’t s look she’d ever given him before. He tried to be casual about bringing it up again later in the night, though he really couldn’t tell if she was entertaining the idea or just humoring him when she said she would think it over.
By the time David was starting to head to the edge of their territory to meet with Sam, Felamore has relented and agreed to follow at a distance for a while before she made up her mind.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on May 10, 2019 9:09:30 GMT -5
(Oh dear. I hope it wasn't anything too important.)
Sam was already waiting at the spot he meet David at yesterday. In fact, he had been there for the past hour. The reason for his early arrival was written clearly across the side of his face. Along his right cheek and temple, a bruise was spreading over the skin, working it's way up to a nasty blackish blue color. One of the boys at school thought it'd be funny to trip him while he was walking down the hall. "It was just a playful act, you know, just messing around with friends," had been the excuse given when a teacher had come to see what had caused a commotions. However, they had been too close to the stairs leading down to the second floor of the school, and Sam had tumbled down a step or four before he was able to stop himself. His head got the worst of it, and a couple smaller bruises littered his side, but otherwise he was okay. The nurse, however, had taken pity on him and sent him home for the rest of the day. Instead of doing what she suggested, he had come straight to the woods, not feeling like trying to explain the events of the day to anyone at home. To pass the time, the boy was trying to work on some history homework, staring intently at the pages as if to mentally will the printed letters to make sense to him.
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 10, 2019 11:36:41 GMT -5
(They usually fix everything pretty quickly)
David approached quickly, barely hiding his footsteps when he saw Sam was already waiting for him. His excited pace stopped when he saw he markings on the boy’s face and his brow furrowed.
“Is that from falling in the creek?” He asked in alarm. Humans must be more fragile than he thought, he couldn’t even remember him hitting his face or complaining it hurt. It looked terrible, and he wasn’t able to hide his worry in the slightest. He moved forward again for a better look completely missing the strange new items Sam carried.
Felamore, on the other hand, remained lurking in the underground. She eyed the bruises and waited for Sam’s response. She was watching for more than just his words, gushing his body language and any underlying tone in his voice.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on May 10, 2019 18:25:49 GMT -5
(That's good. I bet it'd be a pain if that wasn't the case.)
At the sound of David's approach, Sam gladly forgot about his reading. He'd been expecting some kind of reaction from the pup about his face, so he had been preparing the explanation as he waited. "No, it wasn't from the creek," he assured David, his voice a little more subdued than normal. Part of it was because of the soreness he felt, and the other was just the beginnings of a poor mood. "I... I fell down some stairs and hit my head. It's fine, though." He closed his book and tucked it away into his backpack, hoping to not have to look at it again for the rest of the day. "Did you talk with your mother?"
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 10, 2019 19:50:57 GMT -5
Sam’s quieter tone sort of reminded David of their first meeting. It wasn’t like yesterday at all and his ears tucked in sympathy. “I did, she was going to hang back a bit today, but she might change her mind.” He took another glance at the bruises, unable to ignore how bad they looked. He wished he could help but he knew nothing of how humans’ bodies worked or how they healed. If it had been him, Felamore would have suggested soaking it in the cold water buthe doubted Sam wanted to hop back in the creek once again.
“Are you sure you’re okay? That looks really bad.” He checked sitting close to Sam’s position.
Felamore paid careful attention to both of the boys. Sam didn’t seem too pleased the bruises had been addressed, despite how noticeable they were. She still needed more time to get a decent read on what he was typically like, given she’d only seen him twice before at times where he wouldn’t be behaving normally. She did notice, however, how quickly David sidled up to the human boy and treated him with familiarity. She wished she’d been able to give him more creatures or neighbors to interact with without risking their safety. Hopefully this would have a good influence on him.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on May 10, 2019 21:20:31 GMT -5
Sam nodded to his news on Felamore. He had expected as much. She didn't seem like the kind to simply trust the words of others, even if it was from her own son. It would take more than one day and two very brief interactions before the grown beast would trust him. He didn't even think that when David said she would "hang back a bit" he meant she would be there watching them out of sight.
For a moment, the boy sat in silence, even after David's second question. No, he wasn't okay, but what could he do? Nothing was broken or cracked, so no one did would do much for it. There was nothing anyone could do for a bruise save place an ice pack on it. And maybe some pain medication. His gaze had fallen and his body seemed to curl a little bit inward. "I-it hurts," he muttered, "but i-it's fine..."
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 10, 2019 22:20:29 GMT -5
David frowned behind his muzzle, his head tilting in concern and confusion. If it hurt, why was he fine? Sam looked like he was shrinking almost and David’s worry only grew. He moved closer, pushing his nose into Sam’s shoulder for lack of anything else he could do.
Felamore remained quiet and crouched in position. She wasn’t certain about David’s course of action, since she didn’t know anything about how Sam might respond right now. The boy looked like he would bolt or hide if David touched him. She narrowed her eyes a bit as she watched for his reaction. She could understand wanting to recluse while hurt, but this was from a fall, not from a scuffle. Why was he so broken over David’s question?
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on May 11, 2019 7:25:20 GMT -5
The tears started. Sam hadn't meant to cry. He had spent the last hour of waiting trying to fight back against the tears so they wouldn't ruin their time. But David's small act of kindness was all it took to undo his efforts. With shoulders shaking, sobs overtook him. Out of habit, he tried to pull his knees up and curl into the smallest form he could. However, with David so close, when he lowered his head, his face met soft fur and a horn brushing one side of his head. "I-I'm s-sorry," he forced out in between sobs. Because of him, today was starting off horribly. Why couldn't he had just kept it to himself? He should have stood up, walked it off and switched subjects. Now he had just brought his problems out onto David.
(Meh, sorry if that wasn't good.)
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 11, 2019 10:27:49 GMT -5
(No you’re fine!)
When Sam came undone and just started to cry, David’s mind went blank. What was he supposed to do? He wasn’t even sure what was wrong. He stayed as he was with his ears pressed flat to his head and his tail twitching back and forth nervously. He wanted to comfort Sam and get him to smile again like yesterday, but this was too different. He didn’t know how to handle any situation like this. He’d never been faced with this before.
David made the smallest of whines in his distress and Felamore drew the line. She couldn’t let him try to handle this alone anymore. While Sam’s head was still down, she moved herself forward on silent paces until she could be standing properly. David caught sight of her and waited until she was a little closer to give Sam a soft nudge with his nose to try to get his attention.
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 11, 2019 20:27:49 GMT -5
David wanted to alert Sam that Felamore had come out, he was afraid his mother would find him rude for ignoring her. But he didn’t find malice in her stance. Caution and alertness, but no aggression. She met his gaze and he cautiously stepped back from Sam. He didn’t want to. He wanted to comfort him and try to help him feel better, but he just didn’t know how and Felamore didn’t look to be in a negotiating mood.
Once David had given Sam what she deemed to be enough space, she spoke. “It was Sam? That’s what David’s been calling you?”
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 11, 2019 21:08:40 GMT -5
As Sam lifted his head, Felamore’s eyes went to his face again. She didn’t hide it. The bruises looked painful, as David had stayed. She hasn’t seen marks like them before, but she decided that no human weapon would leave marks like that. Still, given what he had said yesterday about wanting to avoid humans and that no one would search for him if he disappeared in the woods still sat poorly with her. That and the bruises and his unexplained distress only made her more suspicious something was wrong. She couldn’t make him speak, though. He clearly couldn't find the words to do so if she tried.
“You’re safe here, Sam.” She promised him. “Whatever it is that’s upsetting you is not in our words. It will never be welcome here.” The massive beast lowered her head to his level and let her muzzle rest against the unbruised side of Sam’s face, and the moment she did, David took his chance to scoot back alongside the boy with his head pressed into his side.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on May 11, 2019 21:32:04 GMT -5
For a moment, Sam was so astonished by the words that there was a pause in his distress. Yesterday, she had been ready to chase him away from her woods, claws out and teeth bared. Never had he witnessed such a terrifying display before in his life. Now she was assuring him that nothing would ever harm him in the woods. That no one else would be welcomed within the forest who tormented him. Then he was being surrounded by tender and caring nudges. Despite this, he was welcomed here and offered a place of refuge from his life. He didn't care anymore. Never had he felt such a wave of... relief? Appreciation? The boy wasn't really sure what it was. No matter what the right word for it was, the tears resumed, his hands reaching up to cling to Felamore's fur. If he could express how much her words meant to him, he would, yet he just didn't have to capacity to do so at the moment.
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 11, 2019 21:50:15 GMT -5
Felamore made a slight noise when Sam reached for her, but she didn’t pull away. She just wasn’t used to him or really anyone needing to cling on her. She had really only had David around and even then that was different. Felamore just let him hold on her in silence, letting her head sit on his shoulder. Whatever was going on, it seemed like a lot and hopefully he could calm himself soon and explain what was wrong. By now, David had the entirety of himself curled around where Sam had sat down and just kept his face bumping into the boy gently. His arm, shoulder, side, his back, wherever it seemed liked Sam could use a gentle pat, he nosed at him.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on May 11, 2019 22:01:42 GMT -5
It took ten minutes or so before Sam finally started to calm down. Now he truly felt drained, but there was also a small amount of comfort he normally didn't feel. With David curled around him, he was surrounded by warmth. The weight of Felamore's head on his shoulder, the sound and feel of both their breaths, it all made him feel less alone. Slowly, his fingers uncurled from Felamore's fur, freeing her from his grasp. He looked between the two creatures with tired, red eyes. Awkwardness reasserted itself now that he was calm once more. Words couldn't be spoken. So he just sat there, not wanting to get up and leave the safety spot they had created for him.
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 11, 2019 22:12:46 GMT -5
When Sam finally let go, Felamore lifted her head and gave a heavy shake much like a dog after being prodded at. Still, she could tell the boy wasn’t ready to really talk and he didn’t seem like he was going to get up. For now, she chose to just permit it and she sat herself down on the opposite side of David, curling her huge frame to encompass both her son and Sam. She let her head rest on her paws, giving Sam a brief glance from the corner of her eye. She didn’t make allowances like this often, but he seemed to need it today.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on May 12, 2019 14:51:53 GMT -5
If anyone one would have told him that he would be in this situation a week ago, he would have laughed politely and excused himself to do something else. Sam watched as Felamore curled herself around them, completely surrounding him now. No matter where he looked or moved, soft orange fur brushed against him. It was nice, like having a fuzzy blanket around him to keep him warm. It took a few minutes more before the boy found his will to try and speak again, as soft as his voice was. "I remembered the food," he told David, his voice sounding nasally due to his crying. If nothing else, he figured the food didn't need to be wasted.
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on May 13, 2019 15:02:12 GMT -5
David turned his head to see Sam’s face with his cheek still on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about that right now.” He told him. He paused, then added, “Unless you want a snack. Will it help you feel better?”
Felamore didn’t move, though she did start to listen to the boys’ conversation a bit more. She was a little curious what they were talking about food for, and she still remembered the odd little snacks that had fallen out of Sam’s bag his first visit. Did they mean something like that? She hadn’t mentioned the weird foods to David, so they must be talking about different food, she decided.
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