Turtleback Lake Wildberry jam

RE: Caspian, you misstep on a hill and roll your ankle.

Caspian had discovered a bush laden with ripe berries at the top of an overhang along the lake's stony banks. Better still, he had it to himself. The pale boy was standing on his tip-toes, plucking the sweet summer fruit from the twiggy branches without a care. Dark red juices stained his jaws. The afternoon was simple, sweet perfection.

That was, until a stone beneath his paws shifted, sending the boy tumbling with a squeal. He tried to grab onto a branch of the bush with his teeth, but it snapped with his sudden weight, sending a shower of berries accompanying the pup as he tumbled down the embankment.

As the dust settled, Cas tried to get up, only to fall back into a heap with a yelp. His foot hurt, really bad! Again, he tried to stand, gently putting his foot to the earth only to withdraw it with a whimper. He stood shakily, front left paw raised. Tears welling in his eyes and spilled over. How would he climb the bank like this? Sobs began to shake his frame, his breath coming in hiccups. The ground here was stony and uneven, and he couldn't even walk. What was he gonna do?!

The ghost still hadn’t quite managed to pull herself away, yet. There were a few reasons why, and good ones, at that, despite her desire to avoid almost everyone else in the area. This place wasn’t awful to live in or around. The lake was nice, things were easy enough, and she was getting used to it. There was Reika, too. Colette couldn’t quite bring herself to leave without giving the young Archer a proper farewell.

Then there were the kids. Chan and his new beloved. Scents Colette had come to learn, for the primary purpose of avoiding them. However, jaded though she was, the ghost could not bring herself to simply pass the tiny figure of one child.

Especially not when he took quite a fall, and remained alone after. She couldn’t turn her back on him. Reluctantly, the ghost left the shoreline and darted towards the kid, as quick as she felt comfortable moving without tripping over the rocky, uneven terrain, herself.

She had to suppress a sigh as she grew closer, and the child’s quiet whimpers and sobs became audible. Her marred face was unlikely to be the very comforting. Perhaps, though, that would be good and distract him from his current predicament.

”Hey, kid.. can ya tell me where it hurts?” The ghost called, making her way over the last of the ground and to the kid. It’d been a long time since she’d tried to be anything close to a comforting presence for anyone. Hopefully, this would be over before too long, and one of the others would come by to take the kid off her paws.    

-hope you don't mind if i steal this one--

Don't mind at all! :D

Cas tried to hold back hiccups, blinking up at the woman who had materialized above. Through tear-blurred eyes and sniffles, he could only just make out an unfamiliar, scarred face, a scent he'd only ever caught traces of, but one that meant he was not alone anymore. In his short life, the boy had never met any adults he had reason to mistrust, and he was in need of help at the moment, hardly in a place to flee from anyone, rescuer or otherwise.

He tried to blink away the tears, again gingerly trying his weight on his front left paw for a single step.

Another whimper was drawn out of the boy, almost of its own accord, as he looked back at Colette helplessly, but gave her a shaky nod, doing his best to gather himself and answer.

"My foot... this 'un," He had lifted it and held it there lamely, not wanting to put any weight on it. It felt hot and painful, and the sprain was beginning to swell. "I fell," he elaborated.

(This post was last modified: Sep 15, 2022, 01:32 AM by Caspian.)

Teary-eyed and sniffling, the kid looked up at her, with that all too familiar helpless sort of expression written across his face. A silent plea for help, or mercy. It was the sort of expression she’d seen many times, and one of the many images committed to memory, which the ghost would carry with her forever.

But unlike before, she did want to help, this time. Additionally, the kid did in fact answer her question, holding up a tiny forelimb that looked a little puffy and was probably pretty painful. Tentatively, the ghost offered a nod, contemplating some kind of plan. As well as what to say.

”I know it hurts, but you’re doing good, being very brave.” That was good for kids, right? Praise and encouragement? She hoped so. ”I’m going to carry you to the water, and when we get there I want you to put that leg in it. It’ll help ease your pain.” She didn’t know much about medicine, but cold water was one thing Colette had learned that helped to numb injuries.

”You tell me when you’re ready, and we’ll go,” the ghost added, opting to give the child a say in the matter, first.



--if you’re okay with her plan, feel free to pp Cole (gently) grabbing him and carrying him to the lake in your next if you want ^^

(This post was last modified: Sep 17, 2022, 04:50 AM by Colette.)

The stranger seemed kind, despite looking kinda scary. He noticed that aside from her scars she had one eye that looked to him like it was watching from behind a ghostly mist. Her voice was gentle though, and she offered words of agreement and encouragement, to which Caspian nodded, his whimpers quieting. It was easier to deal with the pain with someone else there to listen to and talk to. Even better, she seemed to have some idea of what to do. Anyway, she didn't actually seem to be a ghost....

Cas's ears raised as she mentioned her plan, looking from where they stood over to the shore. He had definitely grown bigger than he'd been the last time his Ma had carried him, and the idea was embarrassing to the pup. He was too grown up now to be carried like a whelp! But the ground was rough with stones down to the gravel at the lake's edge, making the path difficult. His tail hung behind his ankles limply, the youth plainly discouraged. He couldn't just stay here. Looking back at the snowy woman, he nodded. She seemed to know what she was doing, and Cas was not in the habit of being contrary.

" 'Kay,", he said after a moment. " 'm ready," Lifting his chin up, he tried to act like it was true. He tensed at first as he felt her jaws close upon his nape and pull, but then his frame naturally curled into a submissive pose as she lifted. It was surprisingly comforting.
It was a good plan, and the snowy lady was much more easily able to navigate to the shore than he would have been able to himself. Once they reached the smoother slope of the shore, he was able to limp a few steps into the welcoming waters.

Gingerly, Cas tried the idea of lowering his paw into the waters. It was a shock at first, and he pulled his paw back once, then twice, but after the sudden grasp of cold settled into his muscles, the pain grew lesser. With a sigh, he offered a small wag of his tail. "Thanks," he gave a small shiver. "tha do kinda feel better."

(This post was last modified: Sep 20, 2022, 06:18 PM by Caspian.)

The kid affirmed his agreement to the plan, so very tentatively then, the ghost lifted him by the nape as she’d seen done so many times, but had never actually tried herself. That act by itself was not terribly difficult, though navigating the terrain back down toward the lakeside was indeed somewhat challenging. But one step at a time, they made it, and the kid was able to rest his injured forelimb in the water.

Colette supposed there was also more truth to her earlier praise than she thought, too. This little man was in fact acting quite composed and brave, considering. His next words prompted a rare smile from the ghost as she reclined into a seated position alongside the kid. ”You’re.. welcome. Now I’ll bet if ya take it easy on that limb for a few days, it’ll be feelin’ pretty good. Then ya can get back to your exploring.”

It didn’t seem as if it was really all that bad, or so she hoped. Probably just a sprain, but even so, she didn’t wish to depart without at least personally seeing the kid get back to another adult. A glance back up the hill from where they'd come though, left the ghost all the more impressed. "You really were brave to go all that way alone. Do y'like exploring?" Cole inquired, forgetting just how badly she sucked at small talk. Even with a kid.

Cas watched as she smiled, and set next to him on the shore, his tail stirring. Small ears tipped forward again to catch her words, which did just as much to raise his spirits as the gentle waters. The lad wasn't sure how he felt about having to wait around for his paw to feel better again. Maybe a few days wouldn't be the worst, and hearing her assurance that is wasn't all that bad an injury was a relief.

For the moment, he was content to just let the coolness sink into his joint and ease the pain. The ghostly lady's next question brought his head up as he thought about it, his gaze following hers back up the hill. "Yea, I go exploring a lot," he answered. Now that the tears and hiccups had subsided, he could answer her more easily. "I went all t'way out to sea once, n saw a ghost," he added with a small smile as he told the tall tale. He did not want to have to think about walking home, yet.

It was just Ma and Ry and him. He and his brother were different enough in their development that big brother Ry often explored and played on his own, leaving Cas to do the same. The lake offered a relatively safe place for a growing lad to stretch his legs and find adventures. He had not really gone to sea, of course he knew that, only crossed the lake's sandbar to one of the islands with @Flair. But he had seen a spirit, he was sure. That's how he knew Colette wasn't one, because he was nothing like what he'd seen that day. And he had dreamed of them, too.

"Ya ever seen somethin' like that?" he ventured to ask, the boy still too naïve to understand that such topics were not usually considered small talk. Besides, it was something he had a growing curiosity about.

He seemed to feel better already, based on expression alone. It was the little story the child spoke of next, though, which demonstrated he was no longer focused on his injury. He liked to explore, it seemed. And apparently, he’d been all the way out to sea, where he’d seen a ghost.

His smile, as well as common sense, betrayed him, but Cole wasn’t about to call it out. The child was innocent, was having fun, and she’d let him. It was such a rare thing to behold, that it was enough to distract the ghost from the torment of her own past. At least for a little while.

”Oh, and ya weren’t scared? What’d it look like?” Cole inquired, playing along and tipping her head inquisitively. His question prompted her expression to morph into something contemplative. The real answer to that was every day, in her memories and sleep, but…

”Never seen a ghost, nah. But there was this one time, in a really thick, dark forest, I saw a demon.” Even if it was meant to be in fun, was that too far? Too morbid? If it was, it was too late to take it back now.

She hoped not, anyway. Because this whole pretend story thing was actually, surprisingly, kind of fun.

Scared, he thought, and brave, were two different things and he didn't know which he'd felt then or now. He looked down at his reflection in the water. "Kinda," the boy shrugged, giving the best answer he could though the next question elicited much more enthusiasm. He looked back up at Colette and smiled.

"Pale with big eyes, an' it swooped up outa the mist an' dissa-speared!" he still thought about it often, with a thrill of excitement. Testing the paw gently, Cas hiccuped. He was glad he had someone to talk to right now. It felt like a long way home, and the boy was happy to listen to whatever tales the kind woman would spin for him along the way.

Thinking suddenly, he blurted out, "Oh yea, I'm Caspian!" in his distress and distractedness, he'd forgotten to introduce himself to his new friend. "Demon, whas sat?" he followed up. He wasn't sure, but it sounded pretty scary and cool from the way she spoke of it.

Cas wished Finley were here to comfort him, but with Colette's help he'd make it in one piece. The ankle still hurt even when he didn't have to try to walk on it, but having a goal and having her there to help him, helped a lot. He was lucky indeed, carrying on in the pattern of his life so far more than he even knew.

Somewhat reservedly, the boy answered that he’d been kinda scared. Though his smile and enthused recounting of the ghost seemed evidence to the contrary. Briefly Colette wondered what he might’ve actually seen, if anything. Or maybe it was just a ruse. Either way, she was happy to play along, for it beat seeing the kid in pain.

”Oooh, I wish I could’ve seen that too,” the ghost pouted, as though she were genuinely envious. They didn’t dwell on that topic for too long though and instead moved to introductions, which Cole had sort of been hoping to avoid.

”Colette. It’s nice to meet ya, Caspian.” She offered with a smile and a wink for good measure. Thankfully though, he bought into the demon story, and the ghost did not miss a beat.

”Demons look kinda like us, but bigger. Much bigger than even the biggest wolf, and they can have the strength of five or more adults. They’re all black with glowing, bright red eyes, and they smell horrible,” Cole offered, offering the tale as she remembered it while also trying to present it as theatrically as possible.  ”They’re very wretched, evil creatures. And fierce fighters. I heard that it took ten wolves to beat the one I saw.”

Hopefully, that would be sufficient. For despite her resume as an infiltrator, with abilities to put on acts and false faces at a whim, one thing she’d never tried to do before was entertain a kid.

(This post was last modified: Dec 08, 2022, 05:52 AM by Colette.)