Stonewatch Timbers You're With Stupid

The ground here couldn't really decide on one way. Tumblebelly was familiar with mountains, having explored the mountains of his home-island, but it was getting a little bit too ridiculous. At first the ground sloped towards the river, and often the boy slipped and struggled to prevent another icy plunge. And then the river stopped, which hit Tumblebelly with the realization that he wasn't really sure where to go from there.

Was this it? Did he need to give up his search? He'd only been in Relic Lore a few days, but the uncertainty of it all was crushing. He could choose any way in the world and it'd only be one of the possible millions of places Lykopis would be. It was hopeless, and admittedly a little bit stupid. But alone like this, where would he go? What was he going to do? Back on the Island, he'd had a purpose. He hadn't wanted to be the Aura'kin, but at least the wolves there loved him regardless. At least if he'd stayed, he wouldn't be lost, his head would hurt a little bit less, and he wouldn't be so alone!

Tumblebelly tossed himself into the snow and wished he'd wake up from this crappy dream. It was boring, and wasn't very fun, and also was a little bit sad. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he said aloud, as if he needed to be reminded.

@Cottongrass

He couldn't help but wonder if it was time for him to move on. Not necessarily move on from his search for Vic, but rather, move on from having his search only cover one place. Lorcan had called it Round Stone Crest, but he wasn't sure if the name applied to the places he was even thinking of or if it just meant one little part of it. Either way he wondered if he was growing too comfortable in the little perimeters he had set. He was running out of places for Vic to possibly be hiding in the rugged crags. But the world was big and the idea of her just not being there threw him for a loop. What if she didn't come back? Or if she forgot about him. What if she would be gone fo—

A disembodied voice cut clear through all of his thoughts—the lone repetition of the word stupid—and he started in complete bewilderment. There was a floundering moment of confusion when he wondered if, somehow, the world itself was calling him out. But then he was pretty sure that the world couldn't talk, and he really didn't want to go down that path of existential crisis so he cheerfully crossed it out. Except his mind immediately returned to the thought that was now in his head.

His ears flicked forward to where he was pretty sure the voice had come from, and he crept forward. Every slow step had his paws sinking deeper into the snow and the trees rustled when he passed under them. But still he pressed onward, closer towards what he assumed would be the source of the chorus of stupids. And as he broke though the treeline and his yellow eyes settled on the form of a wolf in the snow, all the tension built in his mind deflated.

Inside of his head the sound of a thousand question marked went off and he forced himself to stumble forward into the clearing that held the boy. He honestly didn't know what he had been expecting. The godly, all powerful form of some creature sitting in the mist? Behind him his tail gave a slow but friendly wag, and he cocked his head in confusion.

"Whose—" no, wait, don't answer that "What's, stupid?" He called down to them.

He lay there, staring up at the sky as his mind buzzed with a bunch of what if's. He didn't like the feeling, and Tumblebelly definitely didn't like wishing so hard for something to change when it was literally out of his control, but he couldn't help it. He'd had it good, or good-ish, but it was never enough. Nothing was good enough for him, and he was doomed in a vicious cycle of searching for something better. He felt dissatisfied with himself and helpless to change it.

This wasn't to say that Tumblebelly disliked his circumstances, because when it got right down to it, he did. He enjoyed meeting new faces, he enjoyed the thrill of the unknown, the adventure that seemed to await him around every turn. But he missed his friends, and wondered if he would always be forced to choose between friendship and wanderlust. He'd always picked wanderlust. Was it the wrong choice? Could something be the right and wrong choice at the same time? He didn't know, and usually when he had questions without answers, he had someone to go to.

Tumblebelly groan-whined and angrily flopped over, kicking a small lump of snow in frustration.

What's stupid? called a stranger, and Tumbles rolled around to see a larger, yellow-eyed wolf. He was a little vulnerable on the ground, rolling about and making a mess of things (could you make a mess of snow? It wasn't really the same as dirt). The stranger seemed friendly enough, counting as a third friendly face he'd met in Relic Lore. "I'm stupid," Tumblebelly confessed. though it didn't really seem like the right word. He was smart! And strong! Courageous!

None of those things really went with stupid]. Regardless, he still felt pretty dumb.

@Cottongrass

Oh, merrily buzzed his brain at the boy's declaration. Like it was the missing piece of a puzzle and with it, everything else could fall into their proper places. The sky was blue, water was wet, and the stranger before him was the stupid one out of the two. Another fact of the universe that put his rambling mind at ease. Because honestly? He was worried that he was the stupid one. After all, he did often times feel like he was just plain old dumb.

Nobody ever said that he was dumb, but it was something he sort of just knew. Like the way people tended to say one thing when they really meant another thing, and he wasn't supposed to hear the other thing but he heard it anyway. Cas saying she was too tired to go traveling with him just meant he somehow annoyed her and she now wanted him gone. Rigel acting all nice even when there was something wrong oozing between their every word. His mom explaining through carefully clenched teeth that she wasn't mad, but that just meant she was really mad now. Really, it was a confusing and troubling word to live in sometimes. This wolf however, seemed to speak only the truth.

And—wait.

He blinked when their words settled, really settled. His ears rolled back and he gave a panicked huff because no, that's why. He shuffled forward through the snow, slow and careful when he moved to just in front of their laying form. With a plop he settled back against his hindquarters, and with the utmost care, he leaned over them until it looked like they were upside down. His ears twitched and his tail swished away in the snow. Softly he booped their nose with his own nose, like the most gentle of scoldings. Maybe it was.

"You're not stupid." He reassured, unsure of how he knew that but still confident that they just weren't. Like everyone knew that they weren't stupid. And if anything, he himself was probably the stupid one if someone had to be stupid out of the two. But he bit down those worries and fears in favour of giving them a patient stare.

(This post was last modified: Jan 30, 2017, 06:04 AM by Cottongrass.)

So uh --they're best friends now okay--

The wolf shuffled forward without a word, only making panic stir inside him. The silence meant yes, of course you're stupid! He was rolling around in the snow, belly-up, shouting nonsense in the air. He didn't even move when the wolf sat directly above him. Tumble didn't know what he expected, he couldn't even come up with anything creative. He didn't feel threatened, and instead just felt... sad. And frustrated on top of that. The white wolf was staring at him with those big, giant, judging eyes of his. In his mind, Tumble screamed for the wolf to agree, or to scold him for laying around like an idiot, or... or, something!

Instead, the white stranger booped him on the nose. Tumblebelly stared up at the other boy, shocked, confused, flabbergasted.... all of things, and maybe some other big words that he couldn't really think of right then.

It wasn't even that the wolf had told him he wasn't stupid, but sometimes you could hear someone speak with a real sincerity. Tumble wasn't so good at telling lies from the truth, but every so often he was faced with a clearness like this. Or maybe he just wanted to believe that he wasn't dumb for doing what all he was doing, that he was better for going off on an adventure instead of being forced to live in a place that he was unhappy. @Cottongrass could not have possibly known what Tumble thought, or even what he'd been through, but somehow the friendly gesture -- something that a stranger had never done to him -- bestowed the sort of courage he needed.

His own short tail was then wagging, he smiled up at his new friend, pushing a paw to his maw to push him away. "Yeah! You don't know that!" he was giggling, so happy for the strange gesture that he sort of felt like running for miles. He kicked some snow onto the wolf before jumping up, his wriggling butt in the air as he half-stood in a play bow.

(This post was last modified: Jan 30, 2017, 06:38 AM by Tumblebelly.)

omg, asdfghjkl <3

He couldn't help the big, dopey grin that spread across his face when he practically saw and felt the energy that flooded the boy. All because of one little nose boop! And he did that! He made them feel better! His tail wagged hard behind him and his jaws fell open, tongue lolling out as he as he gave a victorious hoot of laughter. Only emboldened by everything happening around him, he snapped his jaws at the boy's pushing paw. He missed but he just tried again, stopping short as he laughed.

For his troubles he got a face full of snow as the boy suddenly reared up onto all fours. He only laughed harder, because two could play at that game! With a bounce he stood on all four of his big paws, tail wagging hard enough to have the rest of his butt swaying. He play-bowed right back, prancing left and right with his front paws stamping up a storm in the snow.

"But I do!" He whined, playful and obnoxious as he drew out the o for as long as he could. With a shake of his coat and a flurry of movements on his end, he lunged forward with his jaws clacking shut on air. His chest felt light when it had once felt so painfully full, and with it came a sense of giddiness. He once again darted forward, this time his jaws closed as he moved to give them another boop.

If there was a storm brewing inside of him, it was light and carefree summer rain. Gone was the angry rumbling that usually haunted him so. And gone were the heavy clouds that always threatened to flood him with feelings of negativity.

Tumblebelly quietly howled along with his new friend, jumping back as @Cottongrass lunged forward. The rusty boy yipped, darting around his friend and giving him a good nip or two for good measure. Then the white boy did that nose-booping thing again, and Tumble burst into a fit of giggles. "Stop that!" he said without meaning it.

This time he jumped forward, pushing Cotton over so that he was on the ground and Tumblebelly could claim his new wolf-shaped seat. His tail was still wagging, tongue lolled to the side as he panted to get his breath back. It had felt like ages since he'd been able to really relax. The last thing he could remember was leaving the Misty Isle, and giving up his status as the Aura'kin had been a hard decision (or well, letting everyone down was). In the end, it meant moments like this. Sometimes Tumble could click with someone so quickly and instantly feel like they were best friends. He and Krios had been that way.

Tumblebelly was proud, and not really that good with words. He wanted to thank Cotton, but couldn't quite figure out how to say it. He'd have to repay him some other way.

"I'm Tumblebelly," he proudly stated. "I'm adventuring, exploring the land, searching for dragons to slay, demons to hunt," he decided to leave out the part about Lykopis for now. Maybe he needed to change his tact. Maybe he needed to rely on fate -- it had been mostly good to him so far -- and do what made him happy. If he did that, then maybe he and Lykopis would find each other again. She was strong and smart and brave, she would be okay on her own. And they'd miss each other, Tumblebelly missed his friend dearly, but... eventually... "Ever slay a dragon before? I can teach you. I'm a professional, you know."

Eventually he would either find Lykopis, or forget about her completely.

Oof went all the air in his lungs when somehow, he found himself on his back with his belly facing the skies above. The back of his head gave a dull throb from the impact and he gave the clouds a stare of bewilderment when he wondered where the other boy went. A moment later his question was answered when he felt rather than saw the boy. And he couldn't help but be amazed how light they were, nothing but a slight pressure bearing down on his ribs and stomach. When their short tail wiggled and thwacked against the inside of his big thighs, he could also practically feel all the bones in their butt and hind legs.

They were so light! So tiny! And he bet if he wanted to, he could somehow carry them. Just swoop them up and tote them around for the whole entire world to see. He gave a giggle, jaws falling open and tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. His tail swished away in the snow and he wiggled his body on the ground, bending up to do what they just asked him not to do. Which was give them yet another boop with the tip of his muzzle, the movement falling short as he could only reach their chest unless he wanted to break his back. Close enough. He fell back down against the snow, entire back now resting comfortably as he listened to Tumblebelly talk.

"'m Cottongrass." He stated the moment the other boy's mouth closed. "And I don't know what a dragon is, but I hunted for the qalupalik once." And maybe he didn't find it but trying to find it had to count for something, right? He was pretty sure it did. If it didn't count, that meant the rules were broken.

With an owlish blink, he once again peered up at them with his head cocked to the side. "You ever slay a qalupalik?" If they did, they meant serious business.

(This post was last modified: Jan 31, 2017, 05:52 AM by Cottongrass.)

The idea of someone not knowing what a dragon was absolutely shocked Tumblebelly. Where had Cotton lived, under a rock!? He got another good look at the white boy, trying to figure if there were any tell-tale signs that he had been under a rock. Alas, there was no dirt and no visible bugs, so Tumblebelly decided that he probably didn't live under a rock. "I'll show you," he said, "but they're sneaky and fast and strong," and one million other things, but he'd show Cottongrass when they got to go find one. He glanced around, but seeing no dragon, returned his gaze to Cotton.

"A qali-paki-luck?" he struggled with the words, and tried to think if he'd seen something that sounded that awful. Tumble had seen many things, like a monster with a million eyes, and demons with a thousand horns, but he had not seen a qali-paki-luck. He shook his head, "I've never seen one. Never heard of one, either. They sound awful," in his mind's eye, he thought of a creature that was low and slow. It had lots of eyes (most monsters had lots of eyes), and long claws... and lots of teeth. "What is it? Did you find it? Did you kill it?"

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health