Back dated to the 17th of July. It’s early evening. Zalen is in lupus form but will shift once he meets Ouija.
Dusk was beginning to settle in the land. The creatures of the daylight were retreating to their hollows and caves in anticipation for the night. The summer time crickets still continued their songs as the lingering rays of the sun glinted off the forest canopy. In the woods the sound of soft pad falls could be heard as a dark figure moved casually through the trees, green eyes glinting in the warm glow of twilight.
Zalen had decided to wander outside his meager territory to scout around the border between Anathema and Dampwoods. It was in this area that he felt the most comfortable and found the best game. In fact his belly was full now after having pulled some rabbits from their hides in the earlier hours of the afternoon. But now the sun was nearly finished with its descent, the night time insects and animals began to stir and Zalen relished the cooling air, he was not one for hot weather, not with his coat. The ebon male walked lazily; he was in a good place and had nowhere in particular to be.
He was flanking Anathema and stopped to look deeper into its territory. He had ventured into it many days ago and met a very kind wolfess named Panda. Also the first individual he had met upon coming to Nova Scotia was the Rakeeb of Anathema, Theodore. Both had been very friendly to him and he now considered Anathema like his adopted pack; he was not a part of them but lingered nearby just to have some knowledge of there being friends not too far away.
Zalen was about to continue his journey, most likely to go back home when an intriguing stench met his nose. He raised his snout to the slight westerly breeze and tried to verify the smell but could not. It was drifting to him from inside Anathema lands. He hesitated a moment, questioning whether he should once again trespass, but then decided that he must be close to whatever was causing it so a little investigation wouldn't hurt. With a quick stretch he turned and began to trot towards the origin of the odor and it became more intense as he went.
Ouija had spent the day working away from the cave system. He was fairly certain that none would even notice that he was missing. Why should they? They all seemed wrapped up in themselves that they didn't notice things outside of themselves. Despite claiming they were family they didn't act like it. Meals weren't shared or anything. No one worried over helping each other out. So while they were forced to share blood they didn't act like it at all. He had simply began not to even worry about it any longer. this place was nothing like home even if it was supposed to be based on the same values.
He had gathered together a number of plants and sat in the forest near a stream. He had chosen the spot simply for the water source. After all it was easier to transport the plants to the water than to transport boiling water to the plants. Especially since he worked on multiple plants at the same time. He needed something to do while one boiled. So he had set up multiple little things to work on more than one color at a time. He had a few little stone ringed fires burning with stone bowls set upon them. The bowls contained water and plants and were waiting for the color to be boiled out. Each fire was set up with different plants to produce different colors.
Of course he also had some bowls set off to the side where he was waiting for the contents to cool so that he could apply some of it and pour the rest into jars. It was just like when Ouija worked on pelts he had himself a nice little setup. He had things lined up by what step they were in. And just like pelt extract dye was a time consuming process. Of course most of it was spent waiting. Waiting for the color to boil out and then waiting for the dye to cool enough to be used. But at least with dyes if he started in the morning, as he had, then he could have some colors done by the end of the day whereas pelts were a multi-day process because of the soaking periods.
He worked quickly as he set up his next batch. It had become a simple process for him to decipher what part of the plant would give him the color he wished and just strip it on down to that only. Right now the few bowls he had were in use but some of the dye had about cooled to where he could use it and bottle it so then he would have that bowl to put back into use once again. because once he got that bowl ready to put on the fire then another bowl would be ready to be removed from the fire to be cooled. So for now the heads of the flowers that he was using were just placed carefully on the ground until he had a free bowl again.
Glad to see it’s cooling down a bit for you. It was 60 something and raining here yesterday and we got some thunder. It was cool. Sorry about the craptacular post btw.
He noticed the once dense wood was beginning to thin and as the scent became more pungent so did the sound of running water become more audible. Soon he found himself coming to the banks of a small river and he turned his head from side to side wondering where to go next. To his left, a bit down upstream he saw the glow of a fire, or several fires for that matter, and he figured this was where the odor was originating from. He turned his inky form to start heading in that direction.
It wasn’t until he found himself several yards away that he noticed the painted wolf sitting by the fire. Zalen nearly laughed out loud when he saw the wolf, who was nearly completely covered in all the colors of the rainbow. Anathema sure did have some characters, first Panda and now this? Zalen assumed a submissive position as he approached, showing respect and understanding that he was trespassing. But his curious nature was getting the better of him.
Good evening. Zalen spoke as he nodded his head towards the white, rainbow painted male. Zalen’s nose twitched. The smell emanating from the cooking substance was quite strong. He surveyed the various bowls and plants lying around the multiple small fires the Anathema native had going. It seemed to Zalen that he was cooking something, perhaps medicines or dyes. This intrigued him. If the white male was indeed making dyes Zalen wondered if he would be so permitting as to reapply Zalen’s eye mark, which was terribly smudged and faded after weeks of travel with no reapplication.
Ouija often lost himself to his work and this certainly was no exception to that. He paid no attention to the sounds and scents about him. No, his entire focus was on what it was that he was doing. But that had been how he was brought up. He had been taught to ignore everything else and only focus on the sole task that he must complete before he is allowed any sort of a break. So he had a strong work ethic because of that. Granted what he was doing was for himself alone, not that he was apposed to sharing but simply because there was no one else in the pack to request the use of colors. And well, since nature was full of colors he didn't understand why he should be limited to a single one.
His concentration was broken in upon by the words. He looked up to find another so close to him without him having been aware of it previously. "Oh hey, sorry. Have you been there long?" It didn't matter to him if the other was an outsider or not. Ouija was of the tolerant sort and so there wasn't much of anything that bothered, at least outside of things that went against the ethics and morals he was raised with. Still, he could tolerate it within others even if he couldn't do such things himself.
With his focus off of stripping flowers he reached over for a bowl that had filled with color to remove it from the fire and placed it upon the ground to allow it to cool. He then looked back up at the other. "Were you here looking for someone in particular? I believe I am the only one out this way and the others may be closer to the caves." He explained as he focused on the other, giving a slight smile up at the other in hopes of making up for his absence of mind.
His eyes roamed over the other male's body. His silent appraisal didn't last long before he spoke up again. "Has anyone told you yet just what an amazing body you have?" And he really believed that. It wasn't a warrior's body but seemed more built for speed and stamina. But then again could find appeal in anyone. "Who did that for you?" The question was posed as a vague motion was made towards the other's marked eye. He was curious if it was just a touch up that was needed or had the one whom had done it previously hadn't colored it right. Of course his first thought was that it was a tattoo since he had no idea how to dye dark fur to make it show up. He'd never had to do so before and so hadn't learned bleaching techniques. Honestly he didn't even know it was possible. So yes, his thought was that whoever had placed the tattoo hadn't done so appropriately. He would have offered to redo it except he didn't want to be presumptuous. Perhaps the other liked it just the way it was. So while it might not be how Ouija would do it the other male had gotten just what he wanted.
Zalen figured they must be dyes considering the male’s appearance and the multiple colors of the brews. Zalen was glad to see that the male was relaxed with Zalen’s sudden appearance, he always felt bad for sneaking up and frightening others when he didn't mean to.
He watched as the male took one bowl and placed it to the side and then asked Zalen if he was looking for someone. Zalen shook his head, No, I just smelt the fires and thought I’d come see what was cooking. He watched the painted male look him over which wasn’t strange but what he said next seemed somewhat odd, Uh… thanks. Was all he could say to the strange and unexpected compliment.
Zalen snapped out of his confusion when the male asked about his eye mark. Zalen had nearly forgotten about it and realized it probably looked terrible. Oh… err… I did, actually. It’s a mixture of clay, water, red ochre and uh… blood. I find that it makes a good sticky paint that lasts a decent length of time.
Zalen sat across the fire from the white male and began to shift into optime. He was mid change when he spoke again, I’m Zalen by the way. One last pop of a leg joint and he was now a full bipedal creature. He stretched and cracked his neck before looking back at the male. My mark… I’m sure it’s pretty messed up at this point…
Ouija was fairly accepting of all things. He didn't really have any real prejudices. Or at least none that he could think of right off the top of his head. He was brought up to love everyone, no matter the gender or species. Even differing beliefs didn't bother him. Actually he was curious about the beliefs of others. He liked enriching his life with knowledge that he garnered from others. So he respected everyone no matter their beliefs and upbringing. He didn't impose any of his beliefs on others even if what the other believed differed from his own. He wasn't the type to try to convert anyone or tell them that they were wrong because they didn't agree.
He nodded his head as the other answered his question. "I'm just making more dyes. Can't have enough color, after all. I want to make sure that I will continue to have enough when the season ends." After all he hadn't looked that impressive last winter. He didn't want to go through that again this winter. He had kept himself colored for as long as he could remember. Just as soon as he had learned that he could wriggle around in grass and stain himself that way he had kept himself colored in one form or another. "I've used blood before too. Last winter I didn't have any supplies so I had to settle for blood and dirt." He explained as he eased a finer into a bowl that had been sitting awhile to see if the liquid had cooled off.
"Ouija." He gave his name after the other had introduced himself. "It has faded some. If you want you can use some of what I got to touch it up if you wish. I can't say that I have all the ingredients that you use but I could offer blood, flowers, or berries." After all he used plant life for what he made and had no idea what a couple of things the other said were. He knew the blood and water part but that was it. "It is not what you use but I can show you my process if you wish to know. I could use a touch up myself."
He remembered when his mother had given him his mark, it was one of the few times she had spoken about family tradition. Apparently the mark had been worn by his family for generations on the right eye. Every mark changed slightly from generation to generation effectively branding the individual as part of the family but also as unique. Zalen’s mothers mark had been green, which matched her eyes quite strikingly. He remembered when she showed him how to make the paint with fox glove flowers for her color and red ochre for his. He had always been fascinated by the colors, especially since his mother was so beautiful with her orange tinted coat, and his black coat lacked such color.
Ouija introduced himself and Zalen gave a slight nod towards him, Well met Ouija. He looked down at the various plants Ouija had spread around recognized a few of them; various lichens, berries and flowers, he wondered which made which color. He knew that some plants looked a certain color but would dye a completely other shade, something he found extremely fascinating.
Zalen watched Ouija intently as he tested one of the color bowls. This male had great talent and extensive knowledge to be able to get such a vast array of colors, Zalen was impressed.I would be more than happy to help you apply some and would be grateful if you could lend some red dye to me. He moved over to Ouija’s side of the fire and waited for instructions. Zalen’s eye was drawn especially to a bowl full of bubbling purple dye. Purple was such a fantastic color, he especially wished he had the knowledge on how to make it.
Ouija had never really cared which color he got. He never tried for anything specific but enjoyed all colors equally. So whatever he got worked for him. Of course he had been doing this for quite awhile that he recognized a few plants and knew the color they would produce. Still, he didn't specifically look for them. No, he simply took whatever he could find and worked with that since each color he created became splashed somewhere on his pelt anyways.
"What you find that you like you can take. These over here are the ones that are done and ready for use." He motioned to the bowls that had been set to the side to cool for awhile. Not to mentioned he had a few jars placed out, some already containing color that he was either going to use or to add more to it. "Sadly I need to keep all of my bowls and jars since I am unable to construct replacements." Now if he knew how to sculpt stone or blow glass then he wouldn't have minded giving them away as well. He simply didn't have extras and so he couldn't part with his found objects.
"The process is quite easy, both making and applying. To make it you simply only need to know what plants make the color you want and pick them while they are fresh. After that you simply boil out the color. Once that is done you only need to take the dye off the fire and wait for it to cool to be applied. You just pour it on where you like and wash out the excess then let it dry. More can be added to darken the color." He gave a very basic lesson in how to dye. It really wasn't that hard to do. It was mostly knowing what plants produced what colors and then waiting for it to be ready. "You can practice on my back. It doesn't matter the color or where it is placed so there can't be a mistake."
Sorry if there's a slight pp in this post. Tell me and I will change it.
Zalen scanned over the various bowls and chose one that looked blue and another that looked yellow. It was difficult to discern exact color with only the light of the fires. He lifted each bowl one at a time with large paws and set them in front of himself. Ouija was already painted but Zalen could see that there were some areas of his white body that could be marked
Zalen dipped several clawed fingers into the blue bowl, the pigment could not be seen on his dark fur but as he applied it to the ivory wolf’s right shoulder the rich blueberry color appeared. Zalen brushed the color in a swirl that began at the shoulder and travelled the blue line down Ouija’s forearm. It was quite striking against the white fur and for a moment Zalen was envious, How lucky you are to have such a pure canvas on which to paint. He smiled warmly at Ouija.
Zalen moved onto the yellow bowl and immersed his entire hand and then placed it on Ouija’s chest, marking him with a large paw print. Zalen laughed, he had forgotten how massive his hands were, the yellow paw mark hardly looked real. As Zalen continued to paint he thought about how he would be able to transport pigment back to his den. He had a multitude of containers there but had not thought to bring them. I understand the preciousness of your jars but perhaps you could lend one to me and for payment I will give you one of my own when I return yours. He hoped the male would oblige, the red pigment Ouija had made was intense and would make his mark stand out more so then it ever had. Zalen doubted he could recreate the beautiful shade.
Zalen had now continued the blue streak in various other places on Ouija’s body with no real rhyme or reason. He hoped the ivory male would like what he had done.
Ouija remained still as he was being painted. He had welcomed the other to do so after all. It was just a surprise to him that his arm was chosen when there was the whole expanse of his back that he had issues trying to color. Still he said nothing about it and remained rather patient. He turned his head to watch the other apply the coloration. He simply splashed color on himself and didn't go or any sort of pattern at all so it was interesting to see someone treat it with a different style. It would be clear that his arm wasn't done by himself after the other was through.
"I suppose you are right." He had never really thought of it that way. He didn't dye himself out of some form of artistic expression really. He simply didn't like being limited to a single color and so he had learned how to add others to his pelt. After all the colors used, as well as their placement, had never mattered to him in the slightest. He just wanted to break up the monotony of being white was all.
A smile worked its way into the painted man's features as a hand was laid upon his chest. Without really considering just want he was doing Ouija leaned towards the other male and aimed a lick at Zalen's lips. The large male was naturally affectionate and well, gender and species never really registered for him. He didn't hold any sort of bias but could care and love and have relations with everyone equally.
"Of course, I didn't expect you to transport it in your hands. I just require for the jar to be returned. You don't have to part with your own since I know just how hard they are to come across. As long as I get my own back then I am satisfied." He didn't require repayment. Heck, he never even thought of it. He just wanted it to be known that he needed his supplies back. "Are you having fun?" the question was posed as he focused once more on the colors that the other male had placed on his body.
And I’m closing this one out. It’s somewhat abrupt, sorry bout that. If you want you can do a finishing post, otherwise we can just assume that Ouija gives him the dye and they part ways on friendly terms. :-D expect a scene from this thread soon!
Zalen was so immersed in his painting that when Ouija’s tongue nearly hit his muzzle it didn’t register till a few seconds later, causing Zalen too look at Ouija wide eyed and cock his head hysterically to the side. He was confused but then realized that this painted male was trying to be affectionate with him, something that he had only heard about but never experienced. He didn’t quite know how to respond, seeing as he held no attraction to this male, so he ended up laughing with mirth and rubbed his head against the male's shoulder gently, You flatter me, but I must decline your advances. He hoped that this wouldn’t offend the male in anyway, Zalen just couldn’t change his own nature.
When Ouija offered the jar to him he was very glad, Thank you, I appreciate your generosity. I will bring the jar back as soon as I have deposited the dye into my own container. Zalen was greatly looking forward to being able to redo his mark with the newly acquired dye, it would be brilliant against his black fur, something that he hadn’t been able to achieve before.
He became a little more careless with his painting now and flicked drops of random colors all over Ouija’s white coat, flecking him with rainbow. He smiled and nodded when asked if he was having fun. He indeed was having a good time and he was in good company. But he decided that it was probably best to get moving now, he had been lucky in his several trespasses onto Anathema; first with Panda and now Ouija, but he remembered Panda’s warning; not all members were as hospitable. Standing, hands dripping with a mixture of several colors, Zalen walked over to the nearby stream to wash his hands; he watched as the prism of colors ran from his hands and down the stream in the moonlight. He stood and turned to his white companion, Thank you Ouija, for spending this time with me and showing me your craft, it has been a pleasure.
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