Wild Puddles! Open

"If I can't move the heavens above, I will move Hell" Sah eyed the forest around him, eyes wide with wonder. The Oerwoud was unlike anything he'd ever seen. The foliage as beautiful and mysterious as it likely was deadly. The sounds of birds and wildlife both familiar and strange, even the air tasted different. It was incredible. Walking beneath the trees in silence, Sah simply took it all in. After walking for awhile he sat down at the base of a tall tree. Breathing deeply, he could feel the humidity in the air. Glancing up at the sky through the leaves, he could see dark clouds rolling in. In the next breath, those same clouds opened up. A summer shower began, gentle and warm. Sah smiled, letting the rain wash over him. Later he might regret not seeking shelter, but for now, he was at peace. And the puddles of water beginning to form on the forest ground were looking rather tempting. sah There stood the wolf in the winter wind Full of fearsome might There stood the wolf in the winter wind King of the winter night. -Tim Vallie

MELITA

Melita, because she was still ever-present in the game of absolute avoidance, was enjoying herself.

A quick thrall of excitement and ebullience stoked the finer bombardments of her tempestuous nature. While the air was humid, sultry, and flanked in constant heat, the rain dissipating within branches, brambles, and leaves, leant her closer to escalating her own antics within the jungle formation. Barefoot and liberated, her manner of deliverance came in launching straight into a nearby puddle. The splash was loud and defiant, and she laughed as soon as the droplets cascaded over the scenery. “Come on,” she called to Fangorn, who was tucked safely under a large frond. “You’ll be fine!”

No manner of coaxing seemed to do it, so the honeybee shrugged, rallying forth again, jumping off a tiny embankment, and down into the newly formed filaments, completely unaware of another’s presence several trees away.

You're all gonna watch me
Disappear into the sun

Sah

The wind howls
I answer

Sah glanced over as he heard footsteps and the thud of feet landing on earth from above. Rising to his feet, the Abandoned eyed his surroundings with a critical eye. Stalking forward, nearly silently, he soon found the cause of the commotion.  He felt a small tug on is lips as he witnessed the young women running around and splashing in puddles. The very puddles he had considered indulging in himself. Sah's eyes also caught the presence in the foliage, a creature he'd never seen before. He hadn't known that there was living flora in Caido, and he glanced at the creature curiously as he got closer.

Stepping out from behind the trees, Sah, announcing his presence. "Afternoon. Enjoying the rain?"

The storm rages
I conquer

MELITA

Fangorn grumbled something low, and for a moment the youth thought he was merely extending his complaints. But it’d actually been a warning, of someone else lingering close by, and the honeybee ceased for a moment, listless and languid in the puddles, drenched and soused, before the other emerged.

How many wandered within the treeline? She stilled for a second longer, forming the whereabouts of her weapons in that scrutinizing, ferocious mind: daggers on her ankles and further up her calves, staff and quiver on her back, bracelet on her wrist to draw from – protection heeded and necessary. But would it be for this instant?

Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at the stranger. She didn’t recognize him at all. Taller than her, but maybe not as strong, maybe not as sturdy. If there were any possibilities of danger or treachery, the youth could immediately yield to one of her common-place armaments. And while her fingers thought about grasping hold of any of them, he spoke.

Melita blinked rapidly, tilting her head, the question unexpected. “Yes.” An arch to her brow followed, and then the specious narrowing of her gaze. “You?”

You're all gonna watch me
Disappear into the sun

Sah

The wind howls
I answer

Sah felt a bit bad about disturbing the woman. His presence had clearly put her on edge, her body language practically screaming that she was ready to defend herself at a moment's notice. And with a quick glance Sah quickly determined that she could easily kick his ass. So smiling sheepishly, he held his hands up in surrender. "Ah sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just relaxing nearby and heard the commotion." Sah gestured to the puddles and footprints in the mud.

Hopefully introducing himself and the reason for his presence would set her at ease? "I'm Sah. I was just passing through on my way to the GreatWood. What brings you and your friend all the way out here, if you don't mind me asking?"

The storm rages
I conquer

MELITA

Her eyes remained narrowed and speculative, dangerous and armed, while he spoke. Too much time surviving on her own, and even in the midst of family and friends, had given Melita all the edges, fringes, and boundaries in the world to exact some sort of defensive mechanism. To strive. To live. To ensure she persevered, even if others didn’t in her wake.

But the notions that he hadn’t meant to disturb her caught her slightly off-guard, and there was a visible relaxation in the movement of her shoulders, bringing an arm that yearned to curl around a weapon downward, placed near her side. Her eyes went to the footprints, hers, and the ruckus she might’ve made. “Sorry. I didn’t think anyone was nearby.” Would it have mattered? Probably not; but at this point she hadn’t been intentionally rude.

Then there were names, journeys, explanations, rather than the surface level intentions she’d placed within the jungle. “Melita. And this is Fangorn,” she offered, pointing towards the gourd still rumbling and grumbling beneath his larger frond. “I just wanted to take a break.” Amuse herself. Do something other than worry, contemplate, or grow frustrated with the antics of the world and the people within it. “Why are you headed to the Greatwood?” Surely he could merely portal through – that’d be far easier than the roundabout sojourns through this sultry terrain.

You're all gonna watch me
Disappear into the sun

Sah

The wind howls
I answer

Relieved to see her relaxing somewhat, Sah put down his hands. He shrugged off her apology. "You're fine. We're in the middle of a forest. Worrying about disturbing someone nearby is the last thing you'd think of. Also..." He trailed off, raising a brow at the tracks and puddles. "You were doing what I had literally just been over there considering." Truly, if he hadn't heard her he'd likely be jumping in a puddle right now.

"Melita and Fangorn? Nice to meet you both." He nodded at her need of a break, Sah felt the same. After all, he was out here for a similar reason. In need of a break from the indoors and expectations and civilizations Sah had found himself taking the long way on his journey to the GreatWood. At Melita's inquiry, Sah rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It's kind of complicated. But my neighbor wants me to go talk to someone there. I'm not completely sure why, but she insisted. And I'd been considering heading that way to explore the forests and everything so it just worked out." The explanation was brief but covered the basics of Sah's intentions.

The former canine was still eying the puddles contemplatively. The temptation that they posed still powerful.

The storm rages
I conquer

MELITA

No disturbances then, not in the midst of the forest – just mere happenstance. That he’d been mulling over the preambles of roaming straight into the puddles himself caused her to arch a brow; but then she amble towards a further puddle, leaving him with other distinctions. She wandered within another, merely roaming in bare feet, not wanting to appear completely rude while Sah was still speaking.

A far longer journey to the Greatwood seemed to have been concocted by another well-meaning individual. Talking to others. Perhaps he was soliciting someone’s advice? “Sometimes it’s nice to be able to listen. Especially when the other person knows way more than you.” She nodded; pretending like she ever did that – because gods knew Melita barreled on like a freight train at half a moment’s interim. “Well, good luck with that! It’ll be a long while to get there.” But maybe the journey would provide him with what he required.

Thereafter, the youth launched again, springing upwards, and then coming back down, in an array of droplets that sent Fangorn scattering for a further, larger frond.

You're all gonna watch me
Disappear into the sun

Sah

The wind howls
I answer

Sah nodded in agreement at Melita's input. He hoped the long journey would be worth it. He couldn't hold back a chuckle when the woman returned to splashing in the puddles, completely disregarding his presence. She reminded him of an overeager pup. Sah eyed the puddles as well, temptation rising. It'd been so long since he'd goofed off. Not since he'd come to Caido at least. And if this practical stranger didn't care about making a fool of herself in front of him, why should he?

And so, with his eyes locked on a particularly large puddle a small distance away, Sah leapt. Landing with a loud splash, he enjoyed the sensation of spraying water. Glancing back at Melita he gave her a mischievous grin. "Ok, I totally get why you were doing this now."

The storm rages
I conquer

MELITA

Perhaps Sah was in good company then; considering Melita never gave a single shit about what anyone else thought about her.

It was freeing and liberating, in a sort of way – a balancing act of her own derision, bitterness, rancor, and impulsive traces, rather than maligning with another’s. Her family was one thing, but strangers something else altogether. If he needed some providential guidance, it wouldn’t be here, but she wouldn’t keen judgement or debacles here. There were plenty of other places he could traverse within to gain such perilous insights.

So when he joined in, a puddle or so away, she laughed – enhancing her spray as she sprung up, knees bent, and then launched back downward. The array of droplets cascaded and showered the vicinity with her poise and power. “All right. See how far your splashes can go!” A challenge, a tease, in the goading of her actions, to incite and provoke over stupid, mundane fortitudes.

You're all gonna watch me
Disappear into the sun

Sah

The wind howls
I answer

Melita's laugh was infections, and Sah found himself letting g and joining in. Splashing in his puddle, he accepted her challenge. "You're on!" With a wild grin of determination, Sah bent his knees. And after a moment, gathering his magic, he leapt up. The Abandoned's telekinesis was still far too weak to actually lift himself, but the effort wasn't fruitless. It may have gained him an extra inch or so in height.  

Crashing down into the water, Sah laughed triumphantly as a particularly large splash sent up a wide arc of water. Although he lacked the strength of the woman, his height, weight, and magic ensured satisfying splashes. Sah sent a grin towards Melita. "Beat that!" He teased good naturedly.

The storm rages
I conquer

MELITA

Based on height alone, Melita likely couldn’t beat that parallel of cascade and showers. But because she was an ember, a stoked, unfurled, portion of kindling at any given moment, she certainly wasn’t going to let that stop her.

Narrowing her eyes a little in speculation, the youth clambered over to a nearby boulder. “I will!” She declared, rising along, grateful for bare feet on its slippery exterior, toes grasping the sides as she whittled and warbled her way upwards. With a token tilt and angle of her chin, defiant to a point of absolute stupidity, the youth launched off the rock and into the water – content in the disarray, in the spray, in the vibrant splash; the challenge angled from her brows.

You're all gonna watch me
Disappear into the sun

Sah

The wind howls
I answer

Sah nodded approvingly, a playful grin on his face. "Fair enough." He then glanced around the area, looking for other means of gaining height. Eyes lighting up he quickly scaled a nearby tree. Not high enough that the jump would harm him, just enough to gain the higher ground. Smirking at Melita he leaped down, landing into the biggest puddle he could. Water sprayed in all directions, reaching an appreciable height. Some even landing arcing into puddles beside them. Upon landing, Sah rolled to prevent an injury, but the result was a very soaked Abandoned.

Shaking himself not unlike a dog, Sah grinned. "Your turn." And the challenge was returned yet again.

The storm rages
I conquer

MELITA

Oh, well, that was irritating. How dare he goad further into her game and try to beat her!

There was a little narrowing of her eyes that could’ve been threatening, if the rest of her wasn’t already on the move. Up the ante? Absolutely. Melita took this as a sign of tactical waves and looked around, spotting an even higher tree than the one Sah had chosen. She could hear Fangorn grumbling again, and she waved him off. How many times had she climbed to such heights? It was natural, intrinsic.

Clambering her way, she stopped several times to recheck her positioning, because while it was far, far higher, it also appeared as though she could probably injure herself on any sort of misstep. The honeybee pondered these actions, and smoothed herself out to a hanging bough, calling out down below. “All right, watch out!” A warning for him to move – or perhaps a chance for him to convince her to come down before she actually truly hurt herself.

You're all gonna watch me
Disappear into the sun