For anyone interested in interacting with Yurei after his return to the forest. It's been a while and I'm a slight bit rusty. If more than one person wants to join that's fine but this will be one central roleplay onto which everyone can add their own part.
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"It's dark in here. Where am I?" His cheeks wrinkled along with his brow and nose as he shook his head slowly, a heavy feeling enveloping his entire body and paralyzingly him.
"Focus. Try to feel. Sweat is seeping from my pores and it's covering my body...my...body. I have four legs yes I remember now. I must be home again."
He tried speaking but only a muffled moan made it past his numb lips. The male tried to force his limbs to move but they too were numb and unresponsive. Although he felt the breeze brush through his fur with its icy touch he did not stir from his forced resting place. Trapped in his own mind and deprived of his senses the only thing he had left to do was think.
Someone, anyone, please help me. Oh Gods please help me. I wonder if Emmy is still around...my sons are they well? What if...what if something has happened to them. Where have I been and for how long?"
*raises hand and violently
Can I jump in? I don't really know/remember you, but I'm a sucker for RP and this just seemed interesting.
Sure thing!
I'll throw my Manda in. I
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The big, orange stag had woken up early today, so early that the nightly fog hadn't even faded into the air. It had floated ominously on the trees, swirling around them and eventually grabbing the stag's antlers on their way out. For the whole morning, he had been gathering necessary herbs for this winter. Most likely going to spend it on his own once more, he needed to be ready for what was inevitably coming - a near death experience like last time. His ankles had finally given up last time, almost resulting in his death. Well, the wanderer would make sure it wouldn't happen this time. He knew he should have started the gathering earlier, but the others had distracted him. Those who he had called 'friends'. Well, they were nowhere to be found now. Maybe it truly was better to be alone. He could make it. Friends were a nuisance - they couldn't be trusted to keep him company.
Not noticing where he was walking, the stag almost trampled on the other stag who was smaller than him. He could make out the black pelt, highlighted with a skeleton shape. He couldn't see his face from here, but he didn't care about such trivial matters. He had already met enough predators, ghosts and hybrids to know nobody deserved to be judged by appearance. Besides, this one looked like it needed assistance. "Are you alright?" He asked calmly, wagging his tail curiously. He was wary, though. You'd never know about these strangers.
The creature curled up
"Yes, I'm here! Help me please!" The helpless animal screamed in his mind hoping that by some miracle his thoughts would reach the other's mind. He struggled against unyielding restraints until exhausted only managing a weak shake of the head.
The orange stag knew that the
The creature's face was...a little unsettling, but the stag had seen much,much worse. Besides, the stag seemed like he couldn't do anything in that state anyway. Crouching to investitage his motionless body, the orange stag almost jumped upon seeing the head move. So he WAS alive, and he was not okay. Noted.
"What do you need? Food, water, medicine?" The stag looked around for something that could help. It didn't seem like there was anyone else around. The Forest was quiet this early. Manda was no doctor, but he was sure he could help with something, at least. He had herbs in his leathery bag, and water was easily accessible. Maybe if he focused his senses real good, he could figure out what the stranger needed.
Even through the fog he found
He thought hard about what could be causing his affliction but his memory was unfocused and directionless jumping all over his lifeline, from his fawn hood to the last time he kissed his mate, the last time he smelled the scent of his children and caressed their soft fur with a gentleness only a father could show.
Focus...you must focus. The internal battle for control over his faculties raged on with little to no outwards signs of the turmoil surfacing due to the creeping paralysis. It was now crawling up towards his back and it made breathing a little more difficult. Yurei knew he was in trouble but he was completely at the mercy of this stranger's tenacity. He began remembering the feeling of petals upon his tongue, they tasty bitter yet pleasant but as they say each flower has it's thorns and this one was no exception. The sharp prick on his hind leg had made him jump, he remembered in his mind's eye he saw what those who can see would describe as a bright flash of light before he went unconscious. He knew by the smells and sounds he remembered that he wasn't home when it happened but somewhere foreign. He tried moving his head to point in the direction of his hind leg but found the task to be too monumental to accomplish and instead struggled against the crippling affliction to make his leg move. It was but a small quiver, someone needed to have sharp senses to notice the small movement but it was the best he could do.
Please...please let this be enough.
The orange stag tried to
Then his eyes focused on that pointy, sharp thorn sticking out. It was so small, seemed so innocent. Was that truly the source of the problem? The orange stag gave the black stag a sceptical look, but stayed quiet. Didn't seem like he could hear him, or couldn't answer. Or he just didn't care, who knew. Still, the orange stag wasn't one to turn away from those in need. He had done that too many times in his past, this Forest had given the chance to make it all better. Gathering his courage to finally do something, he grabbed the tiny thing with his teeth, feeling his fur stand up. Oh yes, there was something in it. Poison, perhaps? Hoping the stranger hadn't already passed the line leading to the Other Side, the orange stag pulled softly, feeling the little pricker come off with little struggle. Funny, so little and fragile, but so dangerous at the same time. He had no idea what it was, but at least it had now come off. Stepping back a little, the orange stag tried to notice any vital signs from the stranger. He hoped he wasn't dead.
He noticed, good. There's
He felt determined not to let himself die. Not yet. I have too much unfinished to just give up now.
Yurei began to slowly mouth letters, words. Without a voice it was going to be difficult to figure it out but he kept repeating it over and over again "P.O.I.S.O.N" ---"P.O.I.S.O.N"
He was no doctor but he remembered there were a few in the forest and he hoped they would take pity on him and come to his aid. Despair was closing in and he knew his will would fade as it always did, Yurei was the type to give up easily and the only thing keeping his mind sharp and body living was the thought of meeting his children again.
He noticed the faint lip
The orange stag pondered for a while, as he tried to collect his thoughts and focus on the moment. Now was not the time to analyse the stranger, his life was still in danger. Manda didn't know any doctors personally as he was a loner, but he had gathered a lot of different herbs for the winter. There had to be something there that would help. Immediately the stag threw the brown, leathery bag he was carrying to the ground, opening it quickly with his teeth. Plants of many different colours were scattered on the ground. Mint, azalea, milk thistle, tundra cotton... no,no,no! Where was it? He knew he had it. It took a little while, but he found what he was looking for. A pink flower, the core of which was full of important nutrients to revive the stag. It was Echanicea. It would help with his blood circulation and cleanse the blood of any toxins, strengthening the immune system. The orange stag started chewing the flower, tasting the foul bitterness and sweetness mixed together. Now wasn't the time to worry about taste, though. Not like this flower was meant for eating, anyway.
The flower was now spitty mass in his mouth, so he decided it was time to see if it would do the trick. It was the strongest stuff he had, and he could only hope it was enough. Hopefully the poison flowing through the stranger's body could be washed away with the blood cleanser. Crouching on the stranger's leg again, the orange stag warned him : "This will probably hurt." With a quick motion, he spat the mass on the place where the thorn had been, rubbing the place with his hoof while spitting the rest of the icky stuff on the ground. It had already started to burn his gums, and he didn't want to know how much pain the stranger felt. This was the best he could do.
Yurei couldn't see what was
He feared that if he allowed himself to sleep now he would never wake up. Yurei tried speaking again, no words came out but he did manage to make a low grumbling sound. The flower's medicinal properties were working to rid his body of the toxins. Yurei's breathing eased up as he began regaining use of his chest muscles and lungs. He inhaled deeply and let out a drawn out sigh of relief.
The black stag wanted to move but his limbs were barely responding, only managing to curl his toes.
"Thank you! Oh Gods thank you!"
The orange stag sighed in
"You are incredibly lucky, you know. That could have ended much worse."
His small pointy ears
To break the awkward silence he cleared his throat a few times and noded in the general direction of the other male hoping to entice some kind of introduction or any conversation really. In a near future he himself would introduce himself but for now he just wanted to head another living being's voice if only to provide him with some comfort.
Smiling at the other stag,
He noticed the slight gestures of the black-pelted stag, nodding back to him. He understood. Moving his gaze to the blue sky above, he started speaking with a calm tone.
"You're going to be okay. The gods will make sure of that. They brought you here for a reason, so welcome to our realm - the Endless Forest. That's, at least, what we call it." The orange stag was a clumsy speaker and he didn't want to scare the stranger by saying that there was no escaping this place through normal means. He didn't want to lie either, though. He ended up saying what he thought was okay to say. Turning back to the stranger, the orange stag asked carefully: "Do you know about this place? Where do you come from?" He knew the black stag wouldn't necessarily be able to answer him, but he hoped he could read his gestures until he was able to speak.
(Sorry for the delay.) Yurei
Yurei listened intently and a small smile formed upon his lips as the stranger assumed he was from somewhere else. It was the first time he had been mistaken for a none-forest dweller.
"The Forest; it's my home. I was born here." His voice was quivering and cracking but much stronger than before. Yurei's expression was soft and kind, clearly appreciative of the kind stag's decision to help him in his time of need.
((Sorry for my delay, I was
The orange stag felt embarassed as he heard the stranger spoke. Ah, what a fool he was for always assuming things before asking. Lowering his head to apologise, the orange stag's voice was a little awkward.
"Oh dear, I-I'm sorry! I didn't know. It's just.. I've never seen you around here before and - I've been here for a long time. I thought I knew everybody." The stag's voice was a little bit more apologetic than needed. He was disappointed with himself, why hadn't he ever heard of this stranger before? He just hoped he didn't insult the other stag- his expression was kind, but the orange stag didn't know of his thoughts. Trying to sound polite, the orange stag asked: "What is your name? I need to record you in my mind - something that I should have done long ago."
"Its fine friend. I've been
"Ah I. My name is Yurei." He said quickly, he tried to hide his excitement but it still shone through the facade of calmness he tried to put up. He smiled softly in the general direction of the other.
"Are you from this forest too or one of its many visitors?"
The orange stag noticed the
The stranger's name was Yurei... it reminded the stag of something, a certain word he remembered from other tongues. He couldn't quite remember it, but he nodded to introduce himself: "I see the name fits. They call me Manda." The smile from the other stag was welcome. The last deer the wanderer had helped was quite not so ready to be thankful. He was grateful for those who were wise enough to know when they needed help.
The question directed at him made him gaze at the sky with a gentle smile. "I guess I'm a bit of both. I was not born here, but I call this place my home now. The Gods have work for me here, until I'm experienced enough to take leadership in my home." His face was a little saddened as he continued: "Sometimes I'm sorry to be here. Not everyone appreciates the company of a deer who was not born in here." He looked at the ghostly stag, a little nervous as he waited for Yurei's reaction.
He pursed his lips in
He turned in the direction of his new found friend and smiled awkwardly before parting his lips to speak again. "I could sure use a drink, I can't even remember the taste of the pond's water anymore." He said with a laugh as his ears swivelled trying to pick up the distinct sound of running water; if he managed to find the crying idol he could follow the water's flow to the pond. "You're welcome to join me if you want. I really appreciate your company and your help." He smiled again and took a few careful steps forward, his body wobbling side to side in an unsteady dance.