Practice Makes Proficient (OPEN)

[Tahoe]

Thick rays of sun streaked down through the fat afternoon clouds and the aroma of sweat drifted lazily around the body of a peculiar-looking young man while he bent down to retrieve a tin can to add to the already large pile gathered in his muscle-bound arms.

Tahoe didn't really have anything to do at the moment and he would rather do something somewhat productive than sit around staring awkwardly at the strangers that he now lived with, so he practiced his new talent while he gathered. It seemed that the keepers graced him with more than just a new form- when he was released again he immediately felt something terrifyingly strange and alien. Upon the ground that his bare feet touched there was a sensitivity; he felt tiny vibrations on the soles of his feet that barely tickled- but it was enough for him to yelp and lift his foot to scrutinize exactly what was going on. He could see nothing. Tahoe crouched down and brought his eyes closer to the ground to make sure that it was indeed bereft of any offending objects. And there wasn't anything there… except for a small gathering of black ants scurrying around the place where his foot had once been to pick up stray bits of food for the colony. It could have been that the ants where just crawling on his skin, but they weren't- the feeling was completely different. He was suspicious but he side-stepped the offending spot and continued on his way; it was no use. The feeling persisted all day and didn't show signs of stopping throughout the week. He had to try and ignore the small vibrations crawling along the bottoms of his feet while he went about his day, and it took him a good while to get used to the almost unbearable feeling of being softly tickled as long as his feet remained upon the ground, but eventually the body can adapt to the strangest things- now it was almost if the tickling where apart of him; just another manifestation of his senses. He eventually figured that it could come in handy one day once he learned how to harness it properly, perhaps he would be able to tell what was moving around him and where it was going.

While he gathered scraps of trash, his mind stayed focused upon his feet while he went through the motions of look, bend, grab, repeat with almost robotic motions while he sorted though the different feelings around him. Sometimes he would stop right in the middle of his hunt and just stand there with his eyes closed when he felt a shift in the tickles against his feet.

Tahoe did this until there was a full pile of various junk items beside him that reached almost to his knee and the noon-day sun had gone west and sat in the three-o-clock position. He pushed his sweat-soaked hair off of his brow and looked around to survey the area around him. The day itself was quite productive if one was to estimate it by the fruits of his labor, but Tahoe felt deflated by the amount of progress that he made with his feet. Ever the patient one with others, he was less so with himself; he should have felt something different by now instead of the constant waves of varying size- he had been at it for almost three hours and should have gotten something out of the experience. Tahoe was getting too frustrated and worked up over this thing, he needed to chill out and catch a nap to level out the rising tide of annoyance within his chest. The big man stretched his tanned arms into the air and stood on the tips of his toes while his armored tail whipped itself rod-straight to stretch his stiff body. Tahoe wasn't a lazy guy, he just never really had that much energy when it came to mundane tasks such as chores or practice. He sauntered over to a shady collapsed house and flopped down against it with a satisfied grunt while stretching his legs out under him and laying the back of his head against the arms crossed casually behind him.

Tahoe napped for about forty or so minutes which was enough to replenish his energy but not enough to bare a dream; he would have slept longer if not for the strange feeling at the bottom of the right foot that was planted upon the ground when he cocked his knee in his sleep.

It was a vibration just like any other but it wasn't one of tiny pinches circulating around his foot to signify bugs or small animals; he could feel the tiny ones still, but a complete wave went over the little ones and resounded in one large and heavy gyration. Tahoe was suddenly excited for the new development- he didn't even need to try for that one! He assumed that it meant that something much bigger than the average squirrel was moving, and it was close- although he couldn't still couldn't tell from which direction it came. He would have to work on that. In his excitement the fact that something big, unfamiliar, and close was around didn't dawn on him the way that it should have until he was done whistling his victory song complete with a fist thrust into the air.

“Oh...”

He lowered his fist and used his claw-tipped hands to push himself from the ground. The big thing may not be hostile, at least that is what Tahoe hoped. He had his skinning knife in one of his large and torn cargo short pockets, shorts that he had been brought to the dome in two years ago; they where well past their expiration date. They where dirty and stained although he tried to wash them often and the material was so torn at the bottoms that they came to the tops of his thighs instead of past his knees, and they where holey beyond repair; Tahoe even had a large rip over his left butt-cheek that exposed the bare skin of his backside, and never mind the large chunk that had to be ripped out to make way for his newly-sprouted tail. The keepers gave him a new body- stronger, more able (though he did miss his shift form), a new handy sensitivity, and a shiny knife… but they couldn't spare a pair of pants.

The vibrations where pulsing around both of his feet now, a steady rhythm of 1-2-1-2. Oh, he really hoped that it wasn't a person- he wasn't equipped to deal with a hostile in this form- he used to just change and scare them off so that they didn't try to fight him. Now, he was stuck in a humanoid form complete with a knife and sharp teeth; what if he got somebody hurt while he tried to defend himself? He was a very big and very sharp man who was more than capable of tearing something in half, but he had the soul of a puppy. He didn't like death, and certainly not by his own hand. The thought that kept going through his head was,

'Please, please, please be a friendly bear. Friendly, fluffy, not hungry bear.'

Tahoe left his knife alone, it was for dinner and medical purposes- not a tool for murder.

[Artemis Shalour]

Clop, clop. Occasionally, while Artemis walked, the new sound of her footsteps made her stop and flinch a little. Even though the sand muffled the sound, it still startled her. She clapped her hands over the pointed ears on her head, pressing them down and squeezing her eyes shut. Her head had been throbbing on and off ever since her release, without a way to predict it. She wanted it to end, but Artemis knew it wouldn't. She had a lot to answer for. She deserved every bit of discomfort that this world decided to give her.

Eventually Artemis lifted her head again and resumed walking, unsteadily. Her hooves made sounds that once were comforting to her. She had loved hearing the sounds of her hooves when she transformed into her deer form, or the sound of elk and deer running through the woods near her old home. But this was different; this was her mutated self. She was not supposed to be making these sounds. She wasn't supposed to look like this. But it was the only way the Keepers could get any of her form back, to overcome the drug that silenced her inner animal. What once comforted her now just made her nervous. Artemis looked over her shoulder, even though she didn't hear anything but her own noises. She had to look. With how wobbly she was and anxious at everything, she wouldn't be able to defend herself like she used to. She had to be careful. Always careful.

Today was the furthest she adventured from the tribe. She knew she had to at some point. The Nakoma had named her Outrider, due to her past military experience, and it meant that she needed to be able to scout and report dangers. The thought both comforted her and scared her out of her wits. On one hand, it was what she knew. On the other, what she knew hurt her badly. Clop, clop. She wanted to hide and never come out, but something kept her moving. She did so in a dreamlike state, not knowing her destination, not knowing when she should turn back.

Eventually, she ventured on a rather strange sight, even for Artemis's clouded and fragmented mind.

A pile of trash caught her eye first, as it was rather large, about knee-high on the person who must have gathered it. Artemis's eyes widened: she recognized this one, he was part of her own tribe. His name escaped her, and the reptilian tail -- she couldn't help it -- made her blanch backwards without thinking about it. It was a nonsensical action; they were supposed to be on the same side, but Artemis couldn't bring herself to trust anyone. She knew what she got for trust.

The anthromorph looked tensed, as if he were waiting for something. Artemis perked her ears, but she couldn't hear anything. She clutched her arms and looked around, wildly, hoping her eyes could make up for her loss. She couldn't see anything, either. It never occurred to her that maybe she was the one he was waiting for, making sounds; she just immediately focused on her own failures. Close your eyes, close your eyes. She did, but not before she saw the wash of red cross her vision. She sank down and fell on her hindquarters, from lack of balance. Breathe, breathe, breathe....

She knew she would hear their screams until the day she died. It didn't stop her from wanting peace for once.

OOC: Hi! Joining this thread, if you don't mind.

[Tahoe]

Tahoe's ears became the primary assistant in identifying the unknown creature approaching him now rather than his unproven sensitivity. Scuffing and heavy in a rhythmic double pattern- two legged, just as his feet promised. There was an almost hollow nature to the sound that he couldn't quite place his finger on until he finally caught a glimpse of the hoofed beast. As soon as his eyes found what appeared to be a woman, she collapsed.

He hesitated for only a few moments when his instincts screamed for him to run- curiosity and concern beat his paranoia down into a quiet murmur and he briskly trotted over to the fallen girl.

Tensed shoulders relaxed when he scanned her over and recognition dawned on him; he'd seen her around- she was a Nakoma like him. The girl was a quiet thing that Tahoe had only glimpsed snippets of, but even the brief visions in his peripheral were enough to identify her now. Her form alone was striking enough; he'd seen many strange mutations among his newly adopted people, but the girl's was unique in its familiarity. She reminded him of the legendary Greek satyrs, though the fact that she was obviously a doe rather than a goat gave her image a much more majestic air.


She was not a threat, and she was obviously quite disoriented judging by her far away eyes. A pang of concern turned into a rising bubble of mild panic for her mental state. Tahoe often jumped the gun in his concern for others by thinking of the worst before the best scenario, although extreme it often prepared him if his pessimism proved true.

“Hey…”

His voice was gentle for such a big man, one meant to soothe. He took two slow steps towards her and held his hands up to show that he came in peace,

“Are you alright, miss?”


He crouched down slowly before her and balanced on the balls of his feet. Tahoe's olive green eyes scanned her for any injuries, but he found none obvious to the naked eye. It looked like she just… fell down. Now that the threat of her approach was dispelled, Tahoe did not hesitate to make himself at home in her company; she obviously needed some form of assistance. On top of that, she shouldn't be out here alone.

Never in his twenty-eight years had Tahoe been considered a comforting presence- he had been a trouble prone child, an awkward teenager, and an imposing adult. He was blindingly aware of his own shortcomings in the social department, but he hoped that at least in this instance he could prove to be somewhat competent with this new stranger.


He stretched his webbed hand out to her; he didn't know whether he meant to shake, to grab, to check for fever but he held his hand out regardless to let her decide.

“I'm Tahoe.”

There was a myriad of words behind that statement of fact, principal among them being 'let me help.'

It was something that used to cause him nothing but grief in his old life; the need to salvage and interact with those around him. The constant availability that he presented others with tended to make him a sort of doormat, a very well worn door mat that still read 'welcome' in bold lettering. And try as he might to form bonds with those around him, it brought him nothing but rejection and grief- still he smiled in the hopes that this one wouldn't run away. Even though he was conscious that his pointed rows of teeth offered more of a promise of bloodletting than friendship, his warm smile stayed from the habit of a lifetime full of grins.




((OOC: M'lady, we welcome you to our thread with open arms.))

[Artemis Shalour]

Artemis heard his footsteps, and she looked up with gritted teeth as the Nakoma tribe member came closer. She didn't have the strength or the state of mind to feel embarrassed. Falling over was something to be expected, as she got used to her gangly, awkward form. But usually Artemis didn't fall in front of strangers; the last time she fell she was on her own, scouting for a mission. Scouting. She bent her legs and looked around, at anywhere but this man in front of her, as if she was fulfilling her duty. He could probably sense danger just as well as she, but it didn't stop her from looking. Nothing. Good. She relaxed, shoulders slumping, and suddenly, Artemis felt very, very tired.

She looked into his eyes for a moment before looking to the ground. "Hi," she said quietly, and she gathered sand into her fist. She let it fall through her fingers like she was a small child, and then she looked up at the sky. His voice was very gentle, and she appreciated that. Her mind tended to shut down at any sort of abrasive voice. Artemis watched him hold up his hands. How silly. She could see he was a danger, if he wanted to be, with the webbing between his fingers. Still, it was the gesture that mattered. She held up her hands too, with a wry smile. On the outside, it was a rather odd thing to do, but Artemis didn't think like that. She thought of reflections, gesture for a gesture, and she let her arms lower.

Are you alright, miss? Artemis clenched her eyes and fists shut, and she tucked her chin into her chest for just a moment. It had been such a long time since she heard a voice directed at her that she didn't quite know what to do with it. She shook her head to clear her runaway thoughts. "No," she replied simply, and left it at that. She didn't have the energy for anything but the truth these days. 

He outstretched his hand and told her his name, and she found herself staring at him. She saw the sharp, angled teeth in his smile, the triangular spikes on his back, the reptilian tail, the sharp claws. The keepers' had done their job well with him; he was a well blended fusion of human and animal. Not like her. The keepers had barely managed to bring out her animal at all, and Artemis thought she would die in the process. Half human, half deer, separated out like they didn't belong together. Artemis's eyes lowered to his outstretched hand, and her shoulders tensed forward for a moment. She didn't trust it. She didn't have it in her to trust it.

But he was tribe. 

"Why?"

She was asking the question before she could think it through. But it made sense for her. No one helped anyone else without ulterior motives. Even her sister, her beloved twin sister who was her other half even now, after all that happened, only helped others when there was something in it for her. It occurred to her that it didn't matter. There was nothing she could give him, anyway.

Artemis reached up and grasped his forearm instead of his hand. It wasn't only because of her darker, distrustful thoughts, but Artemis knew that there was a lot more muscle in the forearm she could use than his hand, and she could use all the help she could get on the ground like this. When she fell, it was a lot like being a turtle on his back. She grunted as she hauled herself to her feet, her awkward legs scrambling to the side for purchase, and the hooves weren't the least bit helpful. She finally regained her balance, and let go of him. She finally had the wherewithal to feel embarrassed, for needing so much help from a stranger.

"Thank you." She hesitated for a moment longer, before sighing. "Artemis. My name's Artemis."

OOC: Ehhhhh. Bare with the awkward posts. She's a challenge to rp. (Not necessarily a bad thing.)

[Tahoe]

At first it seemed that the woman wasn't acknowledging him judging from the way she looked at her surroundings instead of at Tahoe, but she finally met his eyes after she seemed satisfied enough. It made him briefly wonder if she was expecting something to jump out at her rather than be worried about the obvious person in front of her. That was promising; at least she didn't deem him as threatening as the shadows around them.

Suddenly, her voice ghosted from her mouth quietly in greeting before she started worrying at the loose sand around her, then she looked up at the sky.

There was no doubt that she was a strange one; more wistful than anybody he had met in here so far; people tended to be more aggressive and alert than friendly and languid. He wondered again at her health and grappled with the question of whether she sustained head trauma or if she was simply born with her mind in the clouds. Regardless of which one proved true, Tahoe appreciated her even demeanor rather than that of one the dome's usual 'charming' personalities.

And then she lifted her hands to reflect his own peaceful stance. On anybody else, it would have seemed condescending; mocking him enough to cause his confidence to waver. This girl wasn't making fun of him, her face was too even and serious. She was almost child-like in her movements, and that's how he knew that she was not well.

Perhaps not sick, and perhaps not from recent harm; she didn't seem as lost in her own mind now- there was no panic or aggression from her so far. Tahoe disliked making generalizations about people he didn't know and he was aware that he was likely wrong regardless, but the mystery she presented was too tempting not to try and sift through. The dome was a harsh mistress, and it made savages out of the kindest of souls in the name of self-preservation, so he wouldn't be surprised if she had been screwed up by the system of live-or-die.

She answered his question after a few minutes of her making small movements and Tahoe watching her with furrowed eyebrows.

'No,'

Well, she didn't beat around the bush, did she?

No false reassurances of 'I'm fine, thank you.' Honesty was important, especially when it came to matters of health. His instincts deemed that it was his job to make her well, to make sure that she would stay well. Tahoe pushed the rising tide of his silly worries out of his head, what his brother referred to as his 'Mom-ness.' His brother always tried to emasculate him with little jabs slipped into conversation from the time they were children. It did little to deter him from embracing his maternal side. Then, the question of 'why' fell from her lips and he tensed his body while she used him as an anchor to struggle her way back to her hoofed feet. It was an effort on Tahoe's part not to reach out a hand and steady her ungainly climb, but he successfully refrained from hauling her up. He was aware that it would have only caused her either discomfort from being touched by a stranger or a loss of dignity from needing assistance to get to her feet. As so many others in the dome, pity and dependence were unwanted forms of contact that caused no small amount of bristling.

He straightened himself out to meet the woman on even feet and was surprised to discover her height. Tahoe's mutation had been a painful experience, much of it to do with the fact that he'd shot up at least nine extra inches in height in a matter of days. His bones had stretched and expanded out of his skin; but he probably had nothing on her.

There weren't many women who could naturally breech the six-foot mark, yet there she stood. Hopefully she was already tall before she was changed, surely she had to have grown more than Tahoe had by the inch if her height wasn't a natural occurrence.

“Well...”

The two of them stood apart now, and she seemed sharper. Tahoe kept echoing her question in his head, it was something he'd never been asked before. 'Why' was simple, yet it held a depth to it. He'd never been asked about the reason behind an outstretched hand, it was usually just taken without thought.

“I guess because it's important to look out for each other.”

He shrugged sheepishly and processed the idea in his mind some more, he knew that his answer wasn't satisfactory.

“If everybody only cared about themselves, we wouldn't be able to… connect. It would be lonely, and it would be harder to survive.”

Tahoe's voice was halting and unsure. It was difficult for him to speak of ideas and thoughts as they formed in his mind, it was his way to mull over words before speaking them. After all, empathy was a complex thing to explain. In an ideal world, it would be second-nature; trust and comfort would be abundant rather than a rare form of art.

“And… I'm not too sure how to explain this.”

He made exasperated motion with his hands as if willing the words out.

“It makes me happy, I suppose- I can't just… not?”

He sighed and dropped his hands, giving up on justifying his reasons for aid. Really, it made him anxious to see something or someone in pain. The only thing that would abate it was doing his part. Sometimes it put him in the thick of trouble, while other times it just allowed him to breathe easier knowing that he did all he could. As far as he knew, it was born into him- none of his family members possessed the nagging voice in their heads. They could all turn a blind eye to it- in all honesty they were probably in better emotional health than Tahoe.

When he was a small boy, he used to shut his eyes and will himself to fall asleep on car rides so as to not see the dead animal carcasses on the road. If he saw one, he would dissolve into a puddle of misery. As he got older, he evolved to the point were he knew he could do nothing for creatures long dead; he still found himself slowing down the car to make sure prone forms weren't breathing. Sometimes they were. Sometimes Tahoe would halt a journey to the side of the road and pick it up to drop it off at the vet. Yet still sometimes they were beyond help and it was his duty to end their suffering. In those particular instances, he wouldn't be able to push the memories out of his mind for weeks and it ate at him. Maybe he would be better off if he desensitized himself; it just wasn't in him to do it. It was just something that wasn't possible.

He drew himself out of his musings and directed his attention to the woman once more when she thanked him. To his astonishment, she offered her own name in exchange for his initial introduction. He didn't get names, usually. Just wary glances and indignant huffs.

“Pleased to meet you, Miss Artemis.”

He rolled her name around on his tongue and enjoyed the rhythm of the syllables. It was a good name; uncommon yet familiar in a way- a strong name.

Tahoe gestured to the shabby buildings to his back,

“May I ask what you're doing out here by yourself when you aren't feeling good?”

He didn't like prying, but concern dictated that he attempt to figure out what she was trying to accomplish on her excursion. What he really meant was 'what is a little thing like you doing alone in a dangerous place like this?' Luckily, Tahoe had the good sense not to patronize her. It's not that she was literally little- tall and heavy as she was- but her demeanor gave the impression of innocence. The way she struggled about reminded him of a toddler taking its first steps. Tahoe had not been with the tribe for long at all, but surely they didn't know she was here by herself; they seemed decent enough people that looked out for each other.

Well, the only thing he could really do to remedy his worry was to stay with her. It would be no trouble since he wasn't doing much of anything to begin with. The question was whether or not she would allow it.

“I was uh… well, I wasn't doing anything worthwhile. I'm a little bored, to be honest. I could use some company and tag along with you. Besides, I want to see if there's any sage around here- probably not, but you never know.”

He shut his trap before he started to babble about the healing properties of sage- which was strange enough. The woman emitted a light presence, a rare thing to be sure, and Tahoe felt his usual self-doubt quiet around her. He felt no sense of harsh judgment from Artemis save for the general feeling of slight distrust leveled at him; that was to be expected in this rough place, after all.

Tahoe realized quite abruptly that he'd practically invited himself to take a walk with her. That was unforgivably rude of him and he was quite glad that his mother was not here to witness his lack of propriety. A nervous habit made itself known when embarrassment filled his chest and he rubbed the back of his neck to will the feeling away.

"That is, if it's alright with you. I wouldn't want to impose..."

He gave her an easy opening to decline if she so wished, though he had the feeling that she wasn't one to dance the tango of expected social etiquette. Tahoe hoped she would allow it, this was the first time somebody was speaking to him outside of giving him orders. After two years of strict isolation, he was eager to be around people; it was just an added bonus that he would be able to see her safely to her destination.


((OOC: It's no worry. I think she's absolutely darling. And I do like a challenge.))

[Artemis Shalour]

Artemis felt dizzy after she struggled to her feet, so she clenched her eyes shut and let the images swim behind her eyes until they settled with clarity. She saw Tahoe's shadow because he was so stark in the light, but she saw red and blue sparks. She wavered on her feet for a moment before she opened her eyes again. She suddenly felt nauseous, but she fought down the feeling. She knew how to do that, at least. With her military team back at home, she always grew nauseous at the sight of blood. Her leader said she would get used to it, and she translated it to she had to. A darkness in Artemis's mind whispered the truth at her, but she fought it back. He always did what was best for her. She would always love him. Even if that love always reminded her of the men who captured her....

No.

Artemis let out a little whimper and clutched both sides of her head with a sudden violence that would no doubt surprise her company. Don't think about it. Don't think about it.  One two three. She let go of her head, letting the tools and beatings used to torture flow backwards into that darkness in her mind. She looked up at Tahoe again, and she sighed. She was a mess. She was such a mess. She wondered what her sister would say if she saw her now. Her sister. Artemis even forgot what she looked like; it had been four years since she last saw Kaisra. She couldn't remember her face. Only wisps of blonde hair, a booming laugh, a speck soaring in the sunlight. She shook her head gently this time; these images did not need to be cleared so readily. Artemis saw Tahoe's surprise at her answer, and then his sudden concern. It wasn't as honest as it seemed. Artemis just didn't have the energy to lie.

Tahoe was supposed to look terrifying. Artemis knew that. A saltwater crocodile would be one of the most fearsome opponents to face. As skilled as Artemis was at hunting, or at least used to be, she would never stand a chance against such a large, sharp-toothed crocodile. She looked hard at his mutations, the long tail and sharp teeth and ridges on his back, and wondered why she didn't feel fear. Was it really that she didn't have the energy to care anymore, that she probably just wanted to die and get it over with? Artemis felt the answer was 'no.' She felt wary. The truth came with his next statement, after he contemplated her question. She was surprised he actually understood it.

That's what her leader used to say. That it was important to look out for each other. Artemis cringed at the tug in her mind. She refused to believe that her leader betrayed her, sent her to be tortured. He saved her life doing that. He loved her. He did, she knew it. Artemis straightened, and looked directly in Tahoe's eyes. Her gaze could be intense when her mind was clear, and for a second, it was.  The honesty of his words crawled across her skin, and Artemis tilted her head. The darkness won for just a moment.

"There's no reason it should make you happy," she said. "People are people."

Confusion settled around her like a thick fog around a road, and she drove blind. Was that right? Did she get it wrong? Her leader.... it gave her a headache to think about him,  and she wanted to sit down again. She didn't. This man had already helped her up once. She still felt his rough skin in her palms, not unlike her leader, and finally, she let out a soft smile. 

"But, thanks for the help."

She finally surprised herself.

He looked lost from his explanation, and she supposed she could understand that. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to her, either. This man was an enigma to her, and it looked like he had trouble figuring out his own motivations. This was utterly fascinating to Artemis, and she knew why. Everyone she had ever known was clear in their motivations, even her flighty sister. Kaisra had absolute conviction in whatever she decided to do, and once, Artemis was the same way. Artemis and Kaisra were never opposites, as many people believed with their looks and personality. Rather, they were two sides of the same coin. Their core was the same. A great wave of sadness and longing settled over Artemis like a tidal wave, something that Artemis had never let herself feel before now. She hoped her sister found some sort of peace, freedom. The things Artemis would never have again.

She let out a light, dry chuckle at his next words. She wasn't making fun of him, but the irony was rather stark. They were here because of people's innate selfishness, the refusal to understand what was different about them. She wasn't allowed to serve her own country overtly because of this. "Most choose to be lonely, then," she said softly, and she knew she was talking about herself to some degree.  She didn't reply to his own sentiments, but it did make her smile to be called 'miss.' No one called her that since she was very young, by her father. He always used it to tease her in play, throwing her up in the air and catching her, running through the woods, comforting her through her first shift. She fought back the tears that appeared rather suddenly. She couldn't start crying now. This one before her probably already thought she was nuts.

He asked her why she was out here when she wasn't feeling well, and she stilled visibly. Artemis didn't want to tell him that she never felt well. She never wanted to admit that she had more weaknesses than strengths at the current moment, and she didn't see that changing any time in the foreseeable future. But she had to keep moving, didn't she? One foot -- or hoof -- in front of the other. She hesitated for a moment before answering. She was tempted to not reply because it really was none of Tahoe's business, why she didn't function like a normal person, shifter, anthromorph.... whatever she was. But she wanted to say something...

"Life will always go on," she said softly. "It doesn't stop for anyone. No matter how much you want it to."

She left it at that. It was an adequate answer, at least for the time being.

Tahoe had a tendency to ramble. It reminded her of her sister, the way a lot of this encounter reminded her of her sister. She ignored his question, not out of malice, but because he mentioned something that threw her back in the past.  Sage. Her eyes widened. Because of her journeys into the woods, from her parents' training, she knew a great deal about herbs. Something akin to excitement bubbled up in her stomach.

"Sage," she said in almost a dreamlike state. "Good for fevers and delirium, Anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-septic. It relieves muscle tension, and it is said that it can improve memory." She dug through her memories, this time with need. "Cold, wet winters can kill it pretty easily, but you can find it where it's hot and dry." She looked at Tahoe, head tilted. "Right?" She nodded to herself. "I doubt it too... I doubt this soil is very well drained." She kicked at the dirt with a hoof, making a cloud. She crossed her arms. She was almost embarrassed by her outburst. But she wanted what this anthromorph knew. She wanted a cutting of her life back, like how plants could be revived with cuttings of their old selves. Maybe... maybe she could be something, again.

OOC: (I am so sorry that took so long. Health problems suck. Made it longer than usual though!)

[Tahoe]

When Artemis suddenly clutched her head, Tahoe's eyes grew wide in surprise. She wasn't throwing up or making any noise besides a small whimper, but Tahoe was poised to catch her quickly if she tumbled back down; then it was over. She shifted suddenly from distress to blinking up at him. The episode that she displayed struck a chord deep within Tahoe's breast, a quick fondness of sorts. Morbid though it was, the idea was true. Her unsteadiness, her confusing shifts, her unveiled honesty. It was all so… human.

The creatures in this place always struck him as otherworldly. Feline shifters who displayed a deadly grace, canines that seemed dangerous and able, the flight-footed ones who seemed to always be dancing. It was like a movie, in some ways. They were able and smooth, charming and sharp. The clumsy and flawed never survived long in this place, after all. Yet here was a walking contradiction.

He had the desire to protect her, sure- but he was beginning to suspect that she'd survived a long time without it, and would continue to do so. It was that spark of pure humanity that did him in.

Tahoe did not know this woman at all, but his easy trust was placed in her hands just like that. This wasn't a person who would slyly mince his emotional well-being, or lie to him, or sneak up behind him to cut his throat. If ever she wanted to kill him, he assumed that she would at least be honest about it.

He saw a kindred spirit in this strange woman, a feeling of instinctual fondness. He hadn't felt something like that in ages.



The intensity that flashed quite suddenly in Artemis' eyes took Tahoe aback, for she seemed almost wispy before.

'There's no reason is should make you happy. People are people.'

Ah. And there it was. Her bluntness was a two-edged sword, it seemed.

Tahoe's confidence quickly simmered down from the woman's pragmatic observation. He knew that, and he saw the evidence of it everywhere- people being people. Most days, he ignored the negativity while maintaining his 'glass half-full' mentality. His brother used to call it looking through 'rose-tinted glass,' while still others used harsher words. He took a breath and pushed past the nagging sense of stupidity. This was no time to dissolve into a weird puddle of silence, he told himself. They would just agree to disagree, and really- the comment wasn't that important. No need to look too much into it and rearrange his whole outlook around it. His fretting was interrupted by a vocalization of gratitude, which surprised him enough that a smile lit up his face and he forgot completely about the slow crawl of doubt that plagued him scant moments ago.



“You're welcome.”



Artemis mumbled something to herself that he couldn't quite make out, and he was about to ask for her to repeat herself, but then he saw a shift in her expression. It was slight, maybe a furrow of the brow or a dimpling of the chin, but he had the distinct impression that she was tearing up. It was gone just as quickly; he may have imagined it, so he did not pry.

The deer-girl answered Tahoe's question rather cryptically, but the statement itself was sturdy and one of the truest things to be uttered



'Life will always go on. It doesn't stop for anyone. Now matter how much you want it to.'



A harsh but honest reality, one that people instinctively know yet choose to ignore in favor of their stress and worries out there in the 'real world.'

Yet here, in the dome, it was a conscious truth. There were no bills to worry about, no people to pretend for, no endless cycle of entertainment to keep them culled and clueless.

If a friend died from an infection, if you lost an eye in a hunt, if the rains didn't come; life went on. Nothing you can do but flow with it; tragedy came for them all eventually and frequently. It was a hard life, but it was a genuine one, and a full one too.



And then, Artemis surprised him again with her sudden onslaught of herbal knowledge. The more she talked, the bigger Tahoe's grin stretched. So precise and sure. The girl didn't strike him as a gatherer, but assumptions were never good to go by.



“Looks like I got lucky when you ran into me. Honestly, you're probably much better at this. I don't know a whole lot about medicine besides sage...”



Tahoe turned around and began to walk slowly in a random direction, halting to make sure that she was coming too.



“Actually, I have no idea where I'm going either...”



He made another step forward to continue in the chosen direction and immediately snagged a pointed toenail into the flesh of a thick root sticking up from the ground. Tahoe didn't correct the impact until it was far too late. He pitched forward rather ungracefully, arms flailing and tail swinging to regain his balance. It didn't help. He still wasn't fully adjusted to this new form. It took at least a week to go from sleeping on his back to sleeping on his stomach thanks to the new additions. And because of his new center of balance along with the added weight of at least one hundred pounds, he stood no chance against gravity anymore.



“Ack!”



He stressed as his body made impact with the dirt. It took a few seconds to fully come to grips with his graceless tumble and his ego was kicking immediately into bashful overdrive. At least now he and Artemis were evenly matched. Embarrassment was ripe within his breast, but he was able to push past it and sit up laughing thanks to years of extensive training on the nature of being awkward.



Tahoe stood on two legs once more and scratched the back of his neck while looking at the ground.



“So… that happened. Um, anyways...”



He cleared his throat and looked back to Artemis,



“Like I was saying, I don't really know a whole lot but if you do, I'd be happy to hear it. I want to try and apprentice as a healer. Usually, that takes at least some basic knowledge- which I don't have much of and...”



Tahoe caught himself again. Damn, it was so easy to just let the string of thoughts unwind from his head in her presence,



“Sorry. What I meant to say was: do you know of any other plants nearby that have medicinal properties?”






OOC((S'okay, I understand your plight because holy poop, I have been gone for a while as well. My internet is officially permanent, so hopefully that won't happen again in the future. But now the challenge lies in getting the ole' juices flowing again.))

[Artemis Shalour]

Artemis held her arm with the opposite hand, in front of her body, as she stared out into the vast sandy areas that the sun seemed to annihilate with each passing second. There seemed to be violence everywhere, in this place, even in the mere existence of things. A dried shrub snapped in half at the base. An uprooted tree. The unforgiving heat. She let go of her arm to wipe her face with the back of her hand, and it came back wet with sweat. She could smell it off of her company, too. She never escaped violence, or what it represented, and that too familiar feeling of despair clotted in her veins.

She forced herself to focus on Tahoe. He was better. In a lot of ways. She forced a smile as he returned her gratitude, to be polite. Honestly, it was more that he was an anchor. Artemis found herself drifting between worlds that didn't feel that different from dying. She knew what that felt like because there were some points when the metal table disappeared from underneath her, even though she knew that couldn't be possible. Felt like she was floating, and she knew that wasn't possible either. Artemis lost count of how many times she brushed against death while under torture and scrutiny, and she wondered how she wasn't completely mad by this time. And if she was, how this stranger could treat her like she was anything close to normal. But gratitude felt so much better than drifting, and she let it happen. Let herself be grateful. Her smile turned a little more real, showing a hint more teeth, but her cheeks still hurt using it.

"Sage is a good one," she said in reply. "It's really versatile." Wait, that was right, wasn't it? Tahoe gave her far too much credit. She had her memories, sure, but they flowed like mud in a river. She bit the bottom of her lip, and she wondered if trying to remember anything from those times... happier times. Looking up at Tahoe, it occured to her that he reminded her of those times. This... normality, an average person, in an extraordinary place that wanted to kill more than save. She didn't think someone like him could exist, anywhere. But he did. Oddly enough, he did. Grateful indeed. Artemis wove her fingers together and scuffled a hoof. Suddenly she could hear the breeze tickle her ears, smell the dry plant life, see the details in rock and sand. 

Tahoe felt a little awkward and uncomfortable around her; she could tell. She hoped her smile was comforting, but it probably looked more creepy with the forced nature behind it. She let the smile fall for a short time, until he started off in a random direction. This poor soul didn't know where he was going, and it wasn't the best plan to just start off in a random direction without some sort of plan first. She opened her mouth to tell him as much, when his scaled foot caught in a thick, protruding root. He lacked the grace that she did, but it went a step further than that: it was like watching a cartoon. His arms flailed and he went down in a heap; she let out a squeak in surprise as he did so.

Embarrassment was a powerful force. He scrambled up as quickly as he fell, and Artemis's eyes stretched so wide that the skin surrounding them stung a little. She took a few hesitant steps forward, not knowing how to help. She didn't even know if she could. She was just as clueless with her new form as he was, and she knew she would just make the situation worse. She held her arm in front of her again as he came back onto his feet, a little better than she did. He didn't suffer the turtle effect as bad as she did. Just getting up in the morning after sleeping was an adventure for her.

Still, he looked so awkward and embarrassed and... endearing. 

"So, that happened. Um, anyways..."

Artemis couldn't help it. A bubble of laughter started deep in her belly and burst upwards, and a real, true smile broke across her face as she started giggling, then full-blown laughing. It had been so long since she had laughed like this. Her leader had been so serious, so focused on his tasks... the last time this happened must have been with Kaisra. She had a brief image of Kaisra hanging upside down from a pine tree with her talons, glaring at Artemis in her second time shifting. She had a less than optimal landing, and Artemis couldn't stop herself, much like this situation.

"I'm sorry," she gasped out, waving her hands in front of her face when speaking didn't come easily to her. "I know, it's awful, it's just..." she couldn't finish. She let the fit pass her, and felt more exhausted than before. Still, she wasn't staring into shadows. Seeing nothing. She would take it, for now.

Artemis started at his question. "Oh! Um..." Without thinking, she pulled on instincts that she honed in the woods near her home with her father and Kaisra. She wasn't ready for how tiring that would be. "Rosemary," she murmured. "Grows in dry places too. Antiviral, antibacterial. Helps, um..." She closed her eyes and thought for a second. "Helps digestive and eye health. It's more of a preventive." She fought back the instinct to rock back on her heels, because they had enough falls between the two of them. "Marjoram. Good for colds and fevers, and wounds. Also a diuretic. Dry places." She touched her temples. "That's all I can really remember right now..." Her eyes felt heavy, but she kept them open. Sweat tingled on her skin, and she let out a soft sigh as she looked up at the sky. She wondered if she had anything worth while to report. Well... she found someone who could make her laugh. Artemis let a little bit of that smile come back. That had to be something.

OOC: One day I'll be good at posting in a timely manner... One day... lol