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+---- Thread: Fisher's Split of man-made tools and a muse from beyond (/showthread.php?tid=21293)
of man-made tools and a muse from beyond - Loach - Jan 22, 2023
for @Lantana only please!
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Lana had not seemed to really leave them. Sure she may have wandered just like they all did from time to time, but he had noticed her scent lingered among them. A good sign if he had ever seen one.
So with a catch from the day before in his jaws, he had taken off towards where her scent currently seemed freshest. Thickest. His tail swayed behind him so that he was clear as day that this was a friendly greeting. He had no plans to run her off or harass her. He just wanted to pick her brain a little. See how she had grown accustomed to the split and its local residents so far.
RE: of man-made tools and a muse from beyond - Lantana - Jan 26, 2023
The tricolor woman had recently returned with a rabbit clutched in her jaws, a show that while she still might be picking up this whole fishing thing she was not without some skills. This time no one had even managed to bully or steal the kill from her. All in all it had been a good morning.
She had planned to cache it near where she'd seen Llinnea denning, as thanks for the brief but appreciated fishing lessons, and Loach found her digging at the iced-over snow with blunt claws. She paused for a moment, flicking her gaze to him to see he appeared in good spirits. Lana gave him a smile in greeting, finishing her task before raising her head to speak.
"Thanks again," she meant for inviting her back to stay here, a topic she was still a bit nervous to broach. There was no point in beating around that bush though. Would he be asking her to move along soon? She shifted her weight from one paw to the other.
RE: of man-made tools and a muse from beyond - Loach - Jan 26, 2023
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He was content to linger and be silent while she finished up her task.
I should be thankin' you. He huffed with good nature. Warm humor in his voice and shined in his eyes too. But his head gestured down to the work she had already began. It did not go unnoticed, that she fit in well around here. She hunted, she watched, but most important of all? She seemed to stay.
I had brought this for you, actually. He nudged forth the half of the fish he had brought with him. Wanted to see if you had a moment to chat, maybe?
RE: of man-made tools and a muse from beyond - Lantana - Jan 26, 2023
Lana smiled, the expression reaching her eyes where it twinkled momentarily. It pleased her to hear and see such warmth in Loach's features. She hadn't known him for long, but seeing his gruff smile made her glad she had come back here to the Split. But she shrugged off his thanks, or at least tried to, flicking her head as her smile turned wry. "It's nothing really," They had not discussed the length of the hospitality he and Llinnea extended to her, and she was still unsure what she wanted for herself out of all this. But she didn't want the door to get slammed on her on the way out, certainly!
"Thanks," She tried to swallow all those self conscious thoughts. She could accept the lunch, at least. Half a fish, welcome enough, especially in this season. But asking to chat made her stomach knot up. Was it time to decide, stay or go? Probably it was best to talk it out, figure out where they stood. But that didn't make it any easier to broach the topic, somehow. "Yeah, of course. What is it?"
RE: of man-made tools and a muse from beyond - Loach - Jan 27, 2023
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Formalities!
He felt more than glad to side step around them, found that they did not exactly fit whatever...vibe had started to be cultivated here. Just figured you may got questions, y'know? He snorted warmly, a wry smile. I know it's been a bit...bustling around here lately, hm? The elephant in the room, so to speak. He personally found it hard to ignore the amount of bodies that seemed to grow around the split.
He also wondered if the newest addition of Clouse may have raised...questions, as well. Not that he wanted to ignore them but he also had no real answers to anything there.
So maybe he wished to talk about her instead! Quick, Loach!
Whatcha think of it?
RE: of man-made tools and a muse from beyond - Lantana - Jan 27, 2023
She listened as she ate the fish. Not just to Loach, though he had her attention, but to the river running nearby, the distant call of a bird.
"It's... nice," vague, her go to defensive style. But it was true. She had come to enjoy being here. Attached, even.
Exhaling, she raised her head from the meal. She was done, and done with trying to dodge and dance around the subject. "I like it here, with you an Llinnea. As for the lively atmosphere," she shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose I'm the cautious type." Clouse was not really the problem. What if Loach had brought back that brat she'd run into before, or who or whatever it was that got Llinnea in a stir came knocking?
"You didn't know much about me when you brought me back here, an you still don't," she had never inquired about Loach's connection with Llinnea, assuming a kinship between them, but she didn't think he'd known Clouse long. "So I guess my question is, how do you know someone's not gonna bring trouble?"
RE: of man-made tools and a muse from beyond - Loach - Jan 29, 2023
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He should have expected it. That somebody would eventually come along and question him. Now don't be confused. He wasn't mad about it. Anybody had every right to.
Well, you were helpful. Gave me a lotta useful information whether you knew it or not. Clouse...I've met him twice now. Over apples the first time, if you want truth. He snorted a bit with warmth humor. I'll never know whether everybody is completely truthful or utterly honest. Ain't no mind reader. A soft shrug of shoulders. Hardly offended by any of this.
Trouble's part of life and while I'm doin' my best to make sure I don't bring back a real bad seed, never a guarantee. But I'm hopin', like this, that...you or anybody might say somethin' when you feel it.
RE: of man-made tools and a muse from beyond - Lantana - Jan 29, 2023
His answer was not really an answer. Well, she probably should have expected that, asking him the impossible. There was no way to know what way the dice would fall when you rolled them, no matter how much you might try to tilt the table, she knew that well enough.
"Well, thanks," relaxing a little Lana let out a sigh, listening as Loach went on. She flicked her tail as he shrugged, sharing a soft laugh at the mention of apples of all things, fermented perhaps? She took the sign that he was not offended to push a little further. "It's just... sometimes bad things can seem really good at first, you know?" How many times had she pretended to be less trouble than she really was in the past?
If she was actually going to stay, then she was going to put her best into making this little group work. She may not have spoken the truth every time it was uncomfortable before, she may have never followed anyone's lead but her own for long. But this time she wanted things to be different, for them to be able to turn their fortunes good together.
"I don't know what got Llinnea's hackles up like that, but I doubt it was nothing," she pawed at the ground idly. "I'd thought she'd talk to you more than me."
Had she assumed more of their relationship than she should have, was the girl another stray like herself that Loach had collected along the way? At least those two had known each other longer, right?
RE: of man-made tools and a muse from beyond - Loach - Jan 29, 2023
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He was aware. Deeply so.
But they could all flip any moment, right? He could. She could. Clouse or Llinnea could. All of it would forever be out of his control. He could only handle the things as they came, not as they might one day be. It wasn't his kind of living anyway. Constant guard and paranoia...it would suck the life out of anybody.
I think...you remind her of somebody. Which maybe it wasn't his place to say, but it seemed important they all stood on the same ground with information here. And let's be honest, I ain't exactly the best talker, eh? He snorted softly. Tail waved softly behind him.
RE: of man-made tools and a muse from beyond - Lantana - Jan 29, 2023
Remind Llinnea of someone? Lana raised an eyebrow at that. "Do you know why she's not with her mother?" It was an assumption, but a fair one at this point. But if Loach did not have an easy answer, perhaps it would be best to have this conversation later, with Llinnea herself.
"I think you're better at it than you think," she waved her own tail, letting out a warm laugh. "After all, you talked us all into coming back here," if Loach had told Lana she'd be wading in icy water and looking out for Llinnea she'd probably have balked. But here they were. And she was glad for it.
"Though if you want some advice, go easy on her," Lana shuffled a step. "Kids that age don' always have an easy time speaking up," at least, she never had.