[PRP] Flirtation Aside (Sylph x Born Again)

[anemosagkelos]

It was a simple thought that he woke with, one that seemed to become more prevalent as the days went by. The paranoia raged onward and as it prevented him from interaction, he felt the pangs grow fiercer. He missed Fluke. He knew that one day they should see each other again but until then he longed for a companion that did not wish to own him or trapped him. It was a lot to hope for when even he had no idea how truly valuable he was. What if he was the last of his kind? He'd be coveted like those that wished to take the sun from the sky or the moon from the sea. At least, in not knowing, he could never add to someone desire for he knew not what he was. Something, someone hiding in this kin form. And all it did was isolate him which took him back to longing and loneliness.

It was a cycle that fed itself. The paranoia forced him to isolate himself and put on airs of flirtation to escape further notice, the isolation and petty (though not unpleasant) connections made him lonely. That itself then led to seeking out company which once more brought back the paranoia. And round and round it went without fail.

Sylph was at a loss for it all. There seemed to be no in-between that could satisfy the paranoid thoughts that haunted his every step and the loneliness that tugged harshly within his chest. He wondered if there even was a solution. And at the worst, he sometimes wondered if being owned and captured would be for the better. It might ensure him a companion but then he remembered the dream and he balked; he was no one's toy and it would remain that way until his death. Of that he could be sure.

So it was a surprise to see kin milling about as he stepped into a clearing. And it was a momentary shock to see another kin so close by. He caught himself and forced a smile onto his face.

"Hello, handsome," he cooed at the glowing green-eyed buck.

[Owlsomniac]

Born Again stands with his daughter and his companion wolf in the clearing. He has been instructing her in the ways of the Midnight Eyes - the watchers and protectors of these lands which he leads.

A rustle in the brush has him turning his head just as the newcomer arrives. Adder gives the stranger a sharp, watchful look, but her father nods her onward, back to camp. The morning is nearly burned away, anyhow, and though Adder is as fierce and protective as any guardian he could hope for, her manner can be brusque. This one has a nervousness about him, and it would be best, Rise thinks , to not scare him off.

Rise turns his attention to the stranger, though the address gives him pause, while his own expression shows only mild curiosity, and the graceful arch of a brow.

"Warmth and welcome, traveler. Have you come to seek aid from our tribe?" His voice is shadow and midnight, but warm, too. Stern, yet gentle.

[anemosagkelos]

Tribe; the word itself threw him for a loop. Did those still exist in this world? He supposed they must if this buck was talking about one. He remembered vaguely hearing about them in his young days as a colt but he had no recollection of ever actually meeting one. He didn't even remember much of his days as a youth. The paranoia had taken him quickly after birth and he'd learned much by himself. At this point, he didn't even remember if he had parents or siblings. He might have but they were not of importance at the moment.

"I'm afraid I am only passing through, though I might consider staying the night if you needed some company," he grinned, coy in look but blatant in his meaning. "I must admit it's been a long time since I have even heard of a tribe. What does yours do?" If he remembered correctly, and there was much doubt that he was, they often had a purpose. He doubted he would find many kin with his certain goals in mind to form such a thing. All for the best, really; he wouldn't be able to trust them anyway.

[Owlsomniac]

The buck before him is beautiful, Rise concedes to himself. Yet, he cannot shake the first, brief, impression he'd had that something is not quite right. For now, he merely offers a small smile, though makes no comment on the implicit offer itself.

"We are the White Crane Tree Tribe, who dwell beneath the many sheltering boughs of that same tree, gifted to live beneath the wide sky and never fear the night, or the dark." His words carry the weight of conviction, but more quietly, and gently, he adds, "We simply are, and invite others to be the same: to rest, to find themselves, to break awhile from the often arduous paths of life."

Rise tilts his head slightly, taking the measure of the buck before him.

"Perhaps your journey has lead you here for a reason?"

[anemosagkelos]

That stumped him, to be perfect honest, "I never considered there might be a reason for where or when I ended up," he admitted. Another might have been sheepish, but not Sylph, for he had no reason to be. The same thoughts did not apply to all kin, as he never would have seen a reason to be afraid of the night or the dark. In fact, he quite loved them both for it was easier to be unseen and he had lesser worries about being caught. It always came back to the fear of capture but it flared hotter in the day when the sun lit him like a beacon. It would be hard not to for he knew he was beautiful. And while Fluke had not been able to see it, children were still a sign of attraction.

"Are there many afraid of the night and the dark?" he queried instead, because it seemed such a foreign concept to him that he could not imagine it was a popular fear. Perhaps this was another sign that he was not what he seemed but he hadn't yet admitted that the dark was a valuable companion. And if it was, he might be able to act afraid.

[Owlsomniac]

Rise smiles as though the stranger has asked a very good question, indeed. His green eyes glow faintly brighter.

"Sometimes, the night is not what we expect. Sometimes, we walk in night even while the sun shines full upon us. The dark lives wherever the sun shines, for without it, light has no meaning, no purpose. Yet, that doesn't mean we must fear it. That does not mean there are *no* reasons for fear itself."

If his daughter were here, she would roll her eyes, but she is not. Rise watches the newcomer.

"Come, walk with me - if you like. We needn't go anywhere you do not wish. Though, if I share my name perhaps you will share yours with me? I am called Born Again, for I was borne out of the dark and into the light, and so I know of no fear of it, for whatever terror it claimed of me has already been given. Now my eyes are the light in the dark, and I have the privilege of watching over those here, and occasionally I might meet pretty bucks along the way and hold interesting conversation with them."

[anemosagkelos]

Sylph listens more intently than he even means to, as the buck begins to explains darkness. He supposes there is some sense in fearing night and darkness of a different kind; he cannot exactly deny that there are dark deeds that are feared when he is so paranoid about being someone's belonging instead of his own being. He does not reply in words but nods, a clarity in his eyes that belies his simpler demeanor that adds in the air of flirtation.

"Only pretty?" he teases, tilting his cheek upward and lowering his lashes. And then the crossroads is apparent. He should take his leave and go off. He has no intention of staying with a tribe, of submitting his life in dedication to someone or something. And yet he quite enjoys the flirting and the intellectual conversation. But the cycle exists and the loneliness is in season.

A lie blossoms on his tongue, he has many names that he can use in times like this and as he opens his mouth to release it into the wild, it dies. If this buck is against arduous than he would have no desire to capture him. It also seems that he already has enough leeway with his looks and obvious interest.

"Sylph is the name I give to very few kin," he eventually admitted with the slightly waver in his voice that announced the importance of the moment. Not that he foresaw this buck becoming a staple in his life but he could do with some very flirtatious friends. "Is the reason for fear not for survival, then? Or is there more to it than that?" he asked instead of bothering to explain his name. He did that with no kin, not even Fluke, and he saw no reason to share that with this buck either. At least not yet.

[Owlsomniac]

The buck smiles at the flirting comment, though makes no overt move to reciprocate it. It's a pleasant counter to their conversation, but for now that is all. Rise is not one given to hasty action without thought, less with one who seems, at least to him, to have found himself upon the shadowed path.

He accepts the name with a nod, acceptance and acknowledgement both.

The questions, at least, are astute enough, though Rise considers his words carefully before speaking. He knows nothing of why this buck has come, purposefully or not, only that now he is here.

"Fear can be a wise thing to heed, in times of danger, that's true. One shouldn't simply ignore it out of hoof. Yet, sometimes, the things we fear are not always what they seem. In those cases, it may be wiser to confront the feared thing." He glances sidelong at the buck, Sylph, and wonders, what is it that you fear?

"Of course, to say this is easy. In truth, the practice of it is much more difficult."

[anemosagkelos]

"Words are easy to some and hard to others, but in general, it is easier to say do not be afraid than to not feel fear," he agreed. He, himself, found action far easier than words unless it was to drip honey onto his lips and feel velvet in his voice. Those words came easy, almost an intrinsic nature of how to lure in a mate and demure his way from answers. He could not be known well; sometimes, he could not be known at all and this buck likely had no idea of the favor that was blessing him now in having secured his true name. He is suddenly struck by the wonder, do his children even know his name? He cannot recall; paranoia makes many things hard to remember and there are memories he has that are so loose in his own head that he is not sure if it is memory or dream. It's a problem at times but survival is far more important on most days.

"But all kin fear and we are no different than them, except that you know that fear is more dangerous than the dark." Sylph does not mention what he might fear or what he might know. That is simply out of the question at the moment. Instead, he adds, "And what do you think of coincidence versus fate, then?"

[Owlsomniac]

Rise is pleased by this buck and their conversation. It has been some time since he's spoken to anyone who has truly taken his words to thought, and responded as thoughtfully in kind.

He hums softly, and leads them onward. He has no clear destination in mind, though he stays relatively close to the borders of his tribe. Sometimes the journey itself is worth far more than anything else.

"Ah... now that is truly a good question. I do believe that we have the power to choose our own paths, even despite what the Swamp may or may not show us of our own lives. Some may call this fate and believe that nothing between matters. I do not accept this. Yet, sometimes coincidence may feel like fate. A perfect moment in time, for instance. A friend where one is needed most, yet least unexpected. Ultimately, the idea of fate is based on faith; belief. In the end, no one can provide an answer but ourselves, though we may find influence through others." He pauses, realizing that he is rambling somewhat, letting his thoughts take wing and flutter too far away from himself.

"But, I suppose you asked what I believe." Here, Rise pauses again and look out over the clearing, the sunshine that fills the trees and grass, and glints off the backs of fat bumble bees, the sky overhead brightly blue, and then his gaze rests once more on Sylph, and he smiles. It is warm.

"I am not sure that I believe in fate at all, really. Not as most might think of it, anyway. I know my own ending, already, and so I feel free to live this life as fully as I am able. Some might say that is fate, but I say it is simply an answer to a most ancient question. One I am fortunate enough to know for myself. Coincidence is merely that. There are happy coincidence, and less fortunate ones, but it is what we make of these experiences that defines us - not the other way around."

Rise smiles, then, "And you, Sylph? What do you make of it? Or even of this moment, a simple beat in time. Coincidence, or fate?"

[anemosagkelos]

Sylph considered this, slowly and thoughtfully, "Those who dream of their end or of death seem to be either fearful or fearless. It sounds as though you are the latter and luckier than the others who go through life afraid of their own shadow." But he had had no such dream himself and drew his conclusion from the few kin he had met in his lifetime.

Instead he had dreamed of being a captive and trapped in a bubble. He knew that it had contributed almost solely to his paranoia but if it had happened in a dream what difference was reality? It could happen and if he was not careful it would become his future regardless of how it had entered his mind in the first place.

"There is a little of both in every action, isn't there? There is the coincidence of rising early due to sleeplessness or from the sun in your face, but is it not fate that the sun will rise the next day? So perhaps, after all, it was fate that one awoke in the morning?" It was logical and contradictory at the same time which meant that it was the closest to the truth. That seemed to be the way of life.

He smiled, turning his attention to Born Again, "Coincidence is my favored outlook on life but I cannot deny that I was in the need for a handsome face to gaze at and share flirtation with."

[Owlsomniac]

The comparison to the sun feels especially ironic, given his own naming dream, and Rise can't help the small tilt of a smirk at the corner of his mouth as he says, "Ah..".

Though he takes Sylph's meaning he's not sure he entirely agrees. Nothing is truly inevitable, in his view. Besides, there's still so much about the world that he is sure he will never understand, and he has a naturally curious, questioning, mind. How can anyone be so sure of something as inevitable as fate when the world holds so many unknowns?

Rise smiles, however, because Sylph is beautiful and seems to know it, while using it at the same time to divert some vulnerability - though he has no real idea what, or even why. He certainly doesn't come across as shy. At least, not in that way. It's his nature to want to uncover the hidden things, whether in the world or within others, however, and Sylph seems a curious (if pretty) little puzzle.

Or perhaps he's reading into it too much. Sometimes he does that.

"Well, if you'd like, you're welcome to visit the tribe. We're welcoming to all, even those who merely wish to pass through. Or.. You may simply visit this area again. I wouldn't mind more conversation," and maybe more, he thinks to himself, though despite Sylph's flirting he doesn't know the buck well enough to say any such thing out loud.

[anemosagkelos]

"I have no doubt we shall see each other again," Sylph replied, already planning to pass through this area again at some point in the future, "and much more to converse upon." What those conversations would entail, however, was not yet known to him and that was not in the least bit unpleasant.

He, however, did not yet welcome the idea of lounging this day away, at least not with a tribe, and thus felt it was only proper to bid farewell now. He would return at a later date and it would ultimately, though he did not yet know it, provide many answers to Born Again that the buck had careful woven around. For now, the paranoia reigned and he bent to its will.

"Take care, handsome," he smiled, warmly, and then took his leave. It wouldn't have been a lie to say that even his walk had veins of sensuality and flirtation in it. No sense in letting any glimpse of him not incite the finer emotions of life, as it was.