Friends are flowers in life's garden.

Orin Takekuro · 08-21-2011, 08:24 PM

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All Cercatori members welcome! This is for the August thread prompt. I'm really hoping one or both of Orin's daughters will join in.

The heat of summer was upon them, which meant that fall was just around the corner. Well, a few months around the corner, maybe, but in the plant world that was hardly any time at all. Orin loped through Thornbury thinking of the changes that autumn would bring. The trees around here seemed highly seasonal, and in no time at all their leaves would turn and molt. How fun that would be, when the rusty leaves littered the ground. They could sweep them up in piles and the pups could dive and play in them. They would laugh... and Orin would join them, she didn't care if she was too old... too old...

Come to think of it, Juliet and Titania wouldn't exactly be puppies anymore come autumn. This thought stopped the Optime in her tracks. Her girls were expected to go through their first change within the month, and by the time the fall came to Nova Scotia her children would be more independent. Still babes in the eyes of the world, but adults by their own standards, just like every other child who wanted to grow up too quickly. The thought saddened her. It was too close. Already Juliet was beginning to ask questions typical of an adolescent child, question Orin's authority and ask for more freedom. At five months, it was still perfectly reasonable for Orin to keep a tight reign on her daughters, but that wouldn't last forever. In fact, in terms of the pack, her children would have their adult ranks in just a few months.

Never before had the thought of her daughters growing up hit her so hard. What would she do without her puppies? Together they had all survived so much, how would Orin go on without them? It didn't occur to her that her daughters would still be with her, or that she had many child rearing years ahead of her yet. She started walking through Thornbury's shopping square, eyes downcast as she pondered this horrible fact.

You can't keep them from growing up,' she told herself. And the biggest disservice you can do to them is to miss the rest of their childhood because you're dwelling on the future. Right! That was it! What was important was now, she could worry about what will happen later when the time comes. And in fact, the autumn season was a wonderful time to come together. If she took a note from the books she used to read, her daughters' first fall could be the greatest season yet.

And how do you make a good fall? Why, with pumpkins of course!

The woman disappeared into a shop for several minutes, and when she reappeared in Thornbury square she was loaded to the nines with gardening supplies; including water can, spade, and pumpkin seeds. Now with the skip back in her step, she hurried off to Thornbury's garden. She was there in no time and dropped all of her supplies at her feet as she looked over the place she had first met her now-Capitana. Skye had always worked so hard on the garden, and it was still very nice, but the Capitana was a busy woman and there were a few bald patches now.

“Perfect!” Plenty of room for a pumpkin patch!

#500+

Taliesin Dir Rhiannon · 08-23-2011, 12:10 PM

((I love love love the hedgehog table! Makes me miss my babies. ^^; WC:3+))

He was stiff and sore from the fight just two scant days ago. Myriad cuts and bruises littered his body where he hadn't quite managed to avoid the punishing hammers that were Shaw's fists. Nothing had really been resolved except letting out his anger at the giant warrior. He loved Sky, he wanted her for his mate. But if what Shaw said was true, the smaller scholar had no chance at being her one and only love.

Tal limped down the path between his house and the garden. Though the path was really more of a deer trail, it served well for him. He wanted to check on the garden, especially the garlic he'd planted. He drew in a slow breath as he walked, testing his ribs again, making certain they weren't bruised or broken. He knew they weren't, he just wanted to be sure.

He halted as he caught sight of another shifter, a female, already there. Her exclamation made him jump in surprise, and he looked at her curiously. "What's perfect?" He stepped a little closer, but hopefully not close enough to make her nervous. "I'm Tal, I don't think we've met yet." He offered his hand. If she wanted to shake it, she could. If not, he'd let it drop to his side, feeling a little foolish.

He was really a nice guy. The fight with Shaw was very unusual for him. Normally, he eschewed violence, preferring instead to find a more diplomatic solution to conflict. He was a scholar and a healer, not a warrior. Anyone could tell that just by looking at him. He was shorter than most males, standing only six foot and four inches. He wasn't heavily muscled, but he wasn't overweight either. He had a lithe body, almost feminine in it's soft curves.

Orin Takekuro · 08-24-2011, 01:45 AM

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Thank you! It was a surprise from Kiki. And oooh, this is gonna be good. Hehe! Awwwkward...

An ear twitched just a fraction of a second before her head turned toward the voice. A man was standing there that she hadn't even heard approach. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but just after that a smile cocked her muzzle. She'd never met him before, that was for sure, but she was quick to recognize others as members of her own pack, and her surprise melted away, never blossoming into paranoia as it might with one she didn't know she could trust.

He was all white, just like her (except for the yellow tint of her dyed hair), and for a moment she wondered if he was a Tundra as well. It was hard to peg others races when they were in their Optime form. He had one eye that was similar in hue to her own, but the other didn't match. It was different, interesting – she liked it. He took a step closer and Orin noticed a few nicks within his white fur, and somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if he'd been in a fight recently. Sadly, that didn't seem to be too rare these days.

“Oh, hi,” her tone was cheery and welcoming. She pointed. “That spot over there. I want to plant some pumpkins for the fall, I've heard a lot about them but never seen them in person. I thought it'd be fun.”

She accepted his handshake, looking up at him with a warm smile. Even if he was short for a male, Orin didn't really notice, being positively miniature in comparison to anyone. It was easy for a lot of people to mistake her for an adolescent.

“I'm Ori- ah!” Did he just say his name was Tal?! She jerked her hand away from his as though she'd been burned. She made no effort to hide her stare as she looked him over again, this time taking a closer look at the small remnants of the scuffle he had been in. Was it... had he... did Shaw...?! Her hands covered her mouth, and it might have looked like she was just surprised to see his wounds... until she took a step back from him. “I mean – uh – I'm Orin. Nice to meet you T... Tal.” Ever one to be completely incapable of covering her thoughts and emotions, it was clear that something about Tal had surprised her, and made her confidence in the meeting fail.

She turned away from him and pretended to be really interested in the tools she'd just dropped on the ground. “So, what are you doing here?”

#400+

Taliesin Dir Rhiannon · 08-24-2011, 02:34 PM

((WC:3+))

He grinned at the idea of planting pumpkins. When she first stuttered, he assumed it was surprise from his wounds. His face warmed under her fur as she stepped away from him. It became apparent when she finally got her name out why she was so flustered by him. Orin. He'd heard rumors of her living with Shaw, but hadn't worried about whether or not it was actually true. Obviously, it was.

When she turned away, his smile finally fell off his face. His face clouded over. His voice was soft, almost surly when he answered her stammered question. "I came to check on the garden, Orin, not pick a fight with anyone." The fight with Shaw had been a foolish, childish thing to do. He regretted it afterwards, that was why he'd patched Shaw up while he'd been unconscious. Tal's ears folded back, his wagging tail drooping.

He'd really mangled things. If Orin felt this way, how would Sky feel when she heard about the fight? What kind of an example was he setting for Liam? He let out a soft breath, unsure of how to start fixing things. he stared at her back for a moment, then spoke again, his voice softer and resigned.

"I'm not normally like that. I let my temper get the best of me. I was going to offer to help you with the pumpkins... but I'd make you too uncomfortable. Sorry I bothered you, Orin." He turned to leave, feeling foolish. If everyone was going to treat him this way, he'd just become more reclusive. He'd tend his personal garden, keep studying his books, and just stay to himself. He didn't need the stigma of a foolish fight to ruin his whole life. He wished he would have thought of that before he'd thrown the first punch.

Orin Takekuro · 08-24-2011, 03:27 PM

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Melodramatic Orin!

Okay, so the man picked up on her less that subtle response and now she felt bad. She heard the disappointment in his own voice, but whether it was because of her reaction or just because of his own thoughts, Orin didn’t know. It wasn’t that the man fought Shawchert that bothered her. It wasn’t the fact that the man apparently won the fight that bothered her. In fact, Orin didn’t even know they had brawled until she saw Tal’s wounds, and now heard the admittance from his own mouth.

She glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, chewing on her lip in nervous shame. One ear turned toward him while the other slanted backward, telegraphing her anxiety. What she’d done had made him feel bad, and she didn’t even know that he deserved it. Now he was turning to leave… Her fingers entwined together and she wrung her hands.

“Wait!” she finally got a breathy word out as she turned to face Taliesin again, holding a hand out as if to signal him to stop. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I told him to do that!” She stammered, and then blurted it out as fast as she could. She looked surprised at herself, gasping and putting her hands to her mouth as if she hadn’t meant to say it. Her eyebrows pursed, and she looked at him with apology.

She probably sounded crazy, and she didn’t know if Tal knew what she was talking about. But now, as she stared at the man’s cuts, she couldn’t help but feel responsible for them. She’d never met Tal before, but she’d goaded Shawchert into fighting him. This was all her fault! Tal’s hide was sore and bruised because of her. And… she hadn’t even known of the fight, all she knew was that she hadn’t seen Shawchert in a few days. Was this why?

“I’m a terrible person!” She dropped her head into her hands in the entirely melodramatic fashion of the old Orin Takekuro. The childish Orin that had once been a park of the pack before the tragedy; the Orin that was slowly being brought back to life after she had returned to her pack.

#300+

Taliesin Dir Rhiannon · 08-25-2011, 11:46 AM

((wc: 3+))

He turned, giving the pallid woman a strange look. The expression on his face was a combination of doubt and confusion with a liberal dose of 'what the Hell?' thrown in for good measure. His ears remained pressed back, though his gaze sought her own. Her face was in her hands, and he immediately felt guilty for even leaving the house. He spoke softly, confusion laced through his voice.

"Shaw didn't tell you about the fight, did he?" For some reason this amused the male. He actually chuckled at the idea of Orin feeling the fight was her fault. His voice was amused now as he spoke, his tail wagging briefly. "Orin, I threw the first punch, not Shaw. I'm not proud of it or anything, he was saying some pretty mean things. But I started the fight. I deserve every cut and bruise on my body, and more. Frankly, I'm lucky he didn't pulverize me."

He laughed again. "If that's all you feel bad about is thinking you caused this, don't. I brought it on myself." He glanced at the pumpkin seeds, wanting to help her with them. Hopefully the awkwardness would be dispelled by his honest answer so he could give her a hand.

He shuffled his feet, feeling shy like a kid. "Can you forgive me for beating up the father of your pups?" He'd heard the rumors that she'd taken up residence with Shaw. He didn't know the full relationship, he wouldn't assume it either. Assumptions were insidious things, causing issues every which way. He'd assumed Sky would allow him to court her without letting other males interfere. Obviously that was wrong, if what Shaw had said was true. He wanted to find Sky, to ask, but... he didn't want to end up with a broken heart.

Orin Takekuro · 08-25-2011, 05:49 PM

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Her fingers formed a V and she risked peeking a single golden eye at Tal, and was surprised to see that he didn’t seem very upset. Huh? She dropped her hands and looked at him, blinking with marked confusion. Why not? His tail was twitching merrily, almost like a wolf’s version of laughter, though he wasn’t gloating or anything. She cocked her head to the side, ears perking up as he talked.

“No, I haven’t seen him in a couple days,” she admitted. Was he avoiding her? She was pretty sure that they had just both been busy, but now that she thought about it she wondered if Shawchert was afraid to tell her about the fight, or more importantly that he had lost.

Wait, what?!

Her eyes narrowed and her innocent face turned nasty in a nanosecond. “You did WHAT?!” Her hands dropped to her side and balled up into fists. She stalked over to him, each footfall pounding the ground. Even though the cuts and bruises were minimal, Orin had just assumed the outcome of the fight. It turns out she had been wrong.

“Did you just say you beat up the father of my children?!” Even though she was over a foot shorter than the man, she still drew herself up in front of him, and then had the gall to poke him in the chest with a dainty index finger. Even though they weren’t together, messing with Shawchert still counted as messing with her family. What if he’d hurt him really badly? How could she ever tell her daughters that their father had been hurt by another pack member? Never mind the fact that, just a couple weeks ago, Orin was trying to provoke Shawchert into fighting the man.

Her eyes flicked from his face to where she jabbed at him, her countenance illegible for a few long seconds. Then she burst into laughter. “Wait wait wait! You beat up Shawchert? You?” She wiggled her finger, so rudely poking at his chest a few more times. How did this pipsqueak get into a scrap with Shawchert and come out the victor? It wasn’t so much that Tal looked incompetent, but the size difference between the men was nothing to snub your nose at. “Oh, I’m never letting him live that one down. I guess that’s why I hear Sky likes you so much.”

She was laughing so hard she could barely control herself. The hand that had been prodding at Tal now went to her side as her mirth shot a stitch up it. She wiped away a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

“Ahh…” she sighed, working to calm down. “Yes, I’d be happy to forgive you for ‘beating him up.’ Will you forgive me for laughing about it?” If it hadn’t been so funny she might have felt a little bad. First she’d told Shawchert to fight a man she didn’t even know, then she got mad at Tal for participating when it actually came down to blows, and now she probably insulted his masculinity. What a piece of work. But still, the thought of big old Shawchert getting taken down by a man so much shorter than him was hilarious to her.

“So,” if she wasn’t covered in ivory downy she might have been flushed from laughing. She bent down and snatched the pouch of seeds. “Any idea how to grow pumpkins?”

#500+

Taliesin Dir Rhiannon · 08-26-2011, 06:46 PM

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ooc: I don't know what I was expecting...but that was SO not it. LOL PS: I love this site!

He stepped back, but she came at him, fury on her face. His laughter faded, but he left his hands at his side. It didn't matter if she hit him or not, he wouldn't raise a hand to a lady. And this lady was laughing in disbelief. Tal's face reddened under his fur. Orin didn't mean to embarrass him, but she had. "Yeah. Runty lil me...I'll be kind and spare you the sordid details though." He grinned at her, his tension melting away as her anger evaporated into mirth.

He couldn't help but to smile at the mention of Sky. It was nice to hear someone else say she liked him. When Orin asked him to forgive her for laughing, he grinned. "I dunno, Orin. You poked me pretty hard there. I think you bruised my delicate ego," the pale scholar laughed.

At the question about the pumpkin seeds, the male took them gently from her and peered at the back. "Looks a little more complex than just digging a hole and dropping them in," he laughed. But I have some compost started out in the stables. Horse manure and dirt, among other things. So we can get them started. Are your girls shifting yet? If they are, I can help take the pot to the treetop terrace so they can help you take care of them. As long as Shaw isn't there..." He gave a weak smile at the idea of meeting Shaw so soon after their fight.

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Orin Takekuro · 08-28-2011, 02:36 PM

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OMG! I just realized something amazing... Tal's parentage. I have some plotty drama ideas in mind if Orin ever finds that out, but she probably shouldn't discover that in this thread. HA HA! If you're up for some fun, we can plot via PM or AIM.
Feel free to pressure Orin into going to the stable and helping, pp her going if you need. Smile

“No,” she said distractedly. “They haven't shifted yet.” It was about time, that moment in their lives was probably just around the corner now. In a couple weeks the girls would reach six months, and their bodies would be mature and strong enough to change forms for the first time. It was bittersweet; Orin couldn't wait for her daughters to transform, to see how beautiful they would be in their Optime form – and she knew Titania in particular would take so much joy in how useful hands were – but at the same time, she wished she could put it off forever. It meant that the girls were growing up, and soon they wouldn't need her anymore.

She didn't know much about plants, but she had seen enough in the multitude of books that she had read in her old bookstore to know to ask, “Do they need a lot of sunlight? If I take them to the Terrace there isn't any place I can keep them that will give them enough sunlight. I think it's better for them if they stay here. I can find the time to check on them each day.”

She screwed up her face at the mention of compost. When her babies were infants she'd dealt with enough potty accidents, vomit, and bodily fluids to last her a lifetime. She wasn't sure she wanted to play in manure. “Um, yeah, about that,” she glanced around, looking for a way out. “Uh, shouldn't we loosen up some soil first or something? Why don't I do that while you go get the compost. Maybe we need a b-book to help us.” She flinched and stammered at the word 'book,' it was a bizarre tick that she pretended not to notice. “Since we're just sort of guessing here. Those don't look like very good directions.” She gestured to the tiny print on the back of the pouch.

#300+

Taliesin Dir Rhiannon · 09-14-2011, 12:30 PM

((Sorry for the wait!))

He shrugged, smiling. "I guess your right, I hadn't thought of that. You know, honestly, I think we could plant them outside and they'd be fine. Its not cold or anything, and we can bring the compost right to the garden. The other plants would benefit from it too. There's a wheelbarrow and gloves in the stables. Come on." He took her by the elbow and guided her to the stable. Once inside, he got out the gloves and handed them to Orin, his tail wagging. He pulled out the wheelbarrow, a shovel, and a pitchfork, and showed her where the still small compost pile was.

He grinned at her. "It's actually got no smell, Orin." He figured that was her problem. There were some wolves who had issues with the smellier things in life. Having puppies was no joy. Mucking out stables was no joy. However, the compost really had no smell. If he hadn't said what was in it, she might not have ever guessed what kind of manure was in it. He handed her a shovel, and began turning the compost pile with the pitchfork so the richer compost was on top.

"Take the stuff off the top. It will have more nutrients and other good stuff." He lifted a worm, grinning. "See how fat the worm is? It means the compost is good and rich, and will work well as fertilizer. Our pumpkins will be huge." His tail was wagging again, a child like smile on his face. He was excited about the pumpkins now, as much as Orin had been.

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