A girl and her Raptor! [Open]

[snowyvalemaiden]

Characters: Xue'Kol and you.
Setting: Floor Seventy Three
Format: Prose but I can do either.
Summary: Venturing into the comfort of the snowy floor, riding a raptor and eating a nice meal next to a cozy fire!
Warnings: None atm.

It had been... an eventful couple of months since she had ventured into this floor. But considering what had been occuring recently, she was pretty sure she needed some liesure time. And what's better than a loyal and close friend and good food in this lovely winter wonderland?! Swimming of course, but surprisingly enough, she wasn't in the mood for that today and she felt that she hasn't been too fair to Sweetfang as far as outtings went anyways.

After all their time here in the tower, Sweetfang had finally grown large enough to be a battle companion and a mount, much like it would be tradition back in her world. So first things first, she'd go out for a ride through the snow filled forrest and the ruins with him. Testing reflexes, speed, endurance and frankly, just to have tons of fun. Many cheers and laughs were had that afternoon between the two, anyone who passed by could see that their bond was strong and endearing.

After all the fun however, it was time for a well earned meal and some cozy time. Much like she would do back home, Xue cleared an area to camp and made a large, cozy fire for them to take comfort in. In addition, she had brought her day's hunt with them so they could have a nice, warm and satisfying meal. She divided the meat from the animal into sections that she could skewer with some vegetable she'd gathered and set them on the fire. The rest of the meat would be used on a thick stew she set on a pot with assorted seasonings and vegetables and let it cook.

Of course she also gave Sweetfang a large portion of the creature to feast on while the cooked meals were cooking for which he was more than grateful as he tore into the flesh and bone. Xue laid back against him and let out a relaxed sigh. If  it wasn't for the fact that she knew all too well where she was, this would feel incredibly like home right now... She misses it for sure.

Comments

[snowyvalemaiden]

Xue'kol grinned happily.

"A 'course mon! Ya gotta be were I be comin' from. It kinda helps dat I be havin' a pack' a worgs back home too who jus' love cooked food oddly enough. Dey be an odd bunch."

[savedbyasong]

He nodded with a small smile, "What's a worg, Xue'Kol?"

[snowdriftassassin]

"Huh? Oh, rite, different worlds heh. Well, a worg be like a much larger and strongah wolf if you know what dose be? From da canine family an' such. Dey be pack hunters, close clan ties and fiercely loyal."

[savedbyasong]

A wolf, he nodded, "I know what a wolf is." Though he had never seen one in real life, only dogs.

"Were they part of your family?"

[snowdriftassassin]

Xue nodded, "Dat's rite mon, dey took care a' me an' I be takin' care a' dem."

Smiling fondly, Xue recalls warm memories of her group of misfits, the close knit pack that kept her company in her lonely mountain retreat. However, this was neither here no there and she turned back to Shion.

"How 'bout joo mon? Ya had anyting alike dat back home?"

[savedbyasong]

Shion smiled, it sounded nice. He thought about the question for a moment and then nodded, "Sort of... I had my mum, Safu, Rat, and Dog Keeper. He had a lot of dogs, they were his family, they raised him. I worked for him in West Town and my job was to wash all the dogs, so they were my friends too."

[snowyvalemaiden]

Xue smiled, "Be soundin' like a good life. Dogs be good friends, as good as any ta be honest mon."

Rubbing the top of Sweetfang's head and tossing him another haunch of meat, Xue reached for another kabob for herself before relaxing back against him again.

"It be a nice feelin' yanno? Ta have someone like dat."

[savedbyasong]

"It is." His words came with another stab of pain, because he had lost so many of those people, back in his world and here.

[snowyvalemaiden]

Xue noticed the change of tone and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry mon, tings will be alrite."

Even if they weren't, losing hope would only make things worse.

[savedbyasong]

He gave her a tiny smile, even if he didn't believe her. "I know. They will"

Even though it felt like nothing would be alright ever again.

[snowdriftassassin]

Xue returned a subtle smile and moved up towards the stew. She made them each a bowl and passed over one of them to Shion.

"Ya know. Sometimes when da darkness be at it's blackest, light also be shinin' da brightest."

[savedbyasong]

"It's not though, we just percieve it to be brighter. The darkness absorbs light so our eyes concentrate primarily on the light source and as it is taken in by the surroundings it looks much more bright than before."

Sometimes inspirational sayings went right past Shion's scientific mind.

"In reality a candle in a day lit room and a candle in a pitch black one shine with the same strength, we just perceive it differently."

[snowyvalemaiden]

Xue blinked a few times and for a moment remained silent before bursting out in laughter. It was a good mirthful laugh that had her occupied for a bit until she managed to wipe a tear from her eyes and look over at him with a big grin.

"Ya remind me of da gnomes, evah so curious an' intelligent. Nevah really saw tings from a spiritual perspective. Wat joo say would be someting dey be sayin' an' yet dey be da kind ta nevah give up even doh most a' der race got wiped out an' dey currently don't got deir home. But ey' even in da midst of all our wars not only fight ta help da world survive, but dey also fite ta recovah der homeland."

[savedbyasong]

"That's really brave of them." He said quietly, not sure what he said that was so funny or why she was laughing at him.

He also wasn't sure what a gnome was, but he assumed a people from her world.

[snowdriftassassin]

"Aye, it be, but some jus' be tinkin' it be stupid an' dumb. Havin such high hopes when da world is hopeless." She shrugs. "I tink it be admireable, ta face doom and extinction an' nevah givin' up no mattah how bleak life is."

[savedbyasong]

"Hope is never stupid," He said quietly, "Even if things seem impossible, hope at least gives us a reason to carry on."

[snowyvalemaiden]

"Dat be true mon, an' I be glad ya be seein' it dat way. Ya seem like someone who can be havin' ratha powahful hope."

[savedbyasong]

"I guess," He smiled, "Rat always said I was a hopeless airhead who thought too well of people."

And hope was part of that, the belief that people really would make the right choices in the end.

[snowyvalemaiden]

"Eh, der be someting ta be said 'bout takin' too much of an extreme mon. Too nice an' people start takin' advantage of ya, too mean an' ya start makin' more enemies. Guess ya jus' gotta be findin' dat rite balance fer joo."

Which was what she had learned a while ago, even if her balance was more along the lines of not really letting things bother her and just being herself.

[savedbyasong]

"I guess." And it was a balance he hadn't found yet, but he'd rather be too nice than too mean.

[snowdriftassassin]

"Huh."

Xue eyed him for a bit, he seemed kind of out of it, had she said something wrong?

Whatever the case, she didn't want to push him away. Friends were rare to come by here and she felt she could trust him. Maybe some other time.

"Hope ya liked da food mon. Should make for a nice nap now."

[savedbyasong]

He just smiled at her, she hadn't said anything wrong. Just made him think and space out, which sadly happened still too often despite Reno's efforts.

"It was delicious." He smiled, "You're going to sleep?"

[snowdriftassassin]

"Possibly. A good meal be doin' dat to ya." she laughed.

"Full belly makes oneself ratha happy, especially since in dis place ya nevah know when it'll be yer last meal."

[savedbyasong]

Shion smiled again, "It was very delicious, I can leave you if you want to sleep."

[snowdriftassassin]

"Ya don't gotta be leavin' jus' cause a' dat unless ya be needin' or wantin' ta go mon. Yer free ta stay an' hang 'round, an' even keep eatin' yer fill. Heck, ya mite wana be takin' sum fer latah."