[PRP] Learning the Ache (Echoed Chorus x Look This Way)

[Lutz]

Echoed Chorus had heard of the Ache from others he'd encountered and had only just started to experience it for himself. He'd traveled to the Swamp for the first time not long ago and now understood what others meant by saying they were drawn back there. Thankfully for Echo, he only experienced the standard symptoms thus far: the longing to go back and a twist in his gut that made him both homesick and nostalgic for a place he really didn't know that well. The sands were his home, he knew that to be true, but now...now his subconscious wished to know and explore the Swamp more and more.

So when that tug became too powerful to ignore, Echo and Lyric passed through one of the desert Obelisks to return to the Swamp. On their way Echo felt something brush his flank, and was relieved to find it was just himself! He listened to the stories the other him had to tell as they wandered through an upside down forest, enjoying this less than terrifying experience. Sometimes when he came through the Obelisk it was scary! This time, however, was quite nice.

As he reached his destination, the Ache immediately disappeared from his mind and body. The bright Acha shook himself fully and let out a content sigh as Lyric gave a large yawn beside him.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" he asked his companion with a grin before trotting off into the Swamp. He'd gotten pretty familiar with the space he was in, closer to the northern border that abutted the Plains. There were plenty of kin here to meet and get to know and the birdsong only lightened his footsteps as he went. The Swamp was lush and full of life, a stark comparison to the Desert that he knew and loved. Even if he didn't meet anyone this time he'd enjoy his time in the still relatively new environment. As he walked he started to sing, the birdsong inspiring him.

[Beejoux]

It was exciting living relatively close to the Obelisk. It meant on any given day you might see just about anyone or anything milling about. Visitors from all over, travelers going to the far reaches of the world they lived in. It made things interesting, if you interested in such things.

Look This Way was of the curious sort. He liked to see the different kin that came and went, he liked the stories he'd hear from various travelers. Some day he wanted to step through the thing himself, have his own adventure, but he hadn't yet worked up to doing it.

That didn't keep him from frequenting the area. He was there most days, but today was exceptionally nice. The sun was bright and warm though the thick canopy of leaves over head, and there were birds singing.

More than birds singing?

He tilted his head, listing. He was fairly familiar with most of the bird song he heard around home, his family had strong bonds and strong tides to bird. This song was a little different.

With a curious hum he altered his path, heading towards the source, instead.

[Lutz]

Echo was happy to meander oblivious to his surroundings, but Lyric was on higher alert. The desert was easier to keep an eye out for less than friendly kin that were approaching: here it was much harder to spot them and he had to rely more on his ears and his nose, though the smells and sounds of the Swamp were still new and hard to discern. Still, the lion kept his head on a swivel, looking and listening for potential danger.

It was the lion that noticed they weren't alone. Lyric stopped and stared into the trees, his ears laying flat and his teeth bared. He was silent, however, not wanting to invite an attack. It took Echo a moment to notice the lion wasn't behind him and he had to turn around to return to his spot.

"What is it, Lyric? Do you see something?" the bright male asked, peering into the trees. There was a thinning of the hanging moss and leaves, marking a path, and it was with surprise that Echo spotted moving branches in the dusky lighting. A moment later he realized they were attached to a kin!

"Oh! Hello!" he called out cheerfully, delighted at finding someone to talk to that looked so unique. Lyric, however, didn't seem thrilled.

[Beejoux]

It had been a kin that'd been singing, words replaced notes as whoever it'd been paused to speak. Look was too far yet to make out what they're said, but he could hear the tone and timbre in their voice.

The kimeti buck spotted the acha only seconds after being spotted, and the greeting he received made him smile brightly, pleased to have fun into someone that seemed so friendly. "Hello"

They were colorful and bright, with wing like markings running down their sides in dark contrast. The birdsong had been very fitting. "That was you, singing?"

[Lutz]

"Yes! Sorry," Echo said with an apologetic smile. He hadn't realized someone else had been so close. Hopefully he hadn't interrupted a nap!

"I like to sing when I'm happy," he explained with a bashful tone of voice, one hoof scuffing the dirt beneath him. "I know I can be a bit loud so I hope I didn't wake or disturb you." Echo did feel badly when he bothered others with his over the top nature. He wanted to be friends with everyone and starting off on the wrong hoof could definitely damper that.

"I'm Echoed Chorus and this is Lyric," Echo added, nodding back to the lion who stood slightly behind him. "Still learning my way around the Swamp, I only just came here recently."

[Beejoux]

Look wasn't acting like a buck that'd just been roused from a comfortable nap. He seemed wide awake and curious as he carefully ducked his head so he could step through the underbrush and branches to join the acha in the clearing. "No need to apologize, I wasn't bothered at all." He shook his head as he cleared the obstacles, straightening to his full height. "I thought I was hearing a bird, but I didn't recognize the melody."

He smiled down at the pair of them as Echo introduced himself along with a Lion that seemed less than thrilled to be meeting him. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Look This Way." That friendly smile faltered a little as what the other buck said sank in a little deeper. "Oh, you weren't born here?" That meant they'd ventured here on accident or on purpose, and now they were here to stay. It happened, and it was always a bit bittersweet. Look This Way loved meeting new kin, but the idea of being cut off from family and home was sad.

[Lutz]

As Look This Way stepped closer, Echo had the opportunity to truly admire his impressive antlers. He'd come across quite the wide array of kin in his travels and some stood out with unique characteristics that always enchanted him. Look's antlers had to be some of the finest he'd ever seen, impressive in size and in how branch-like they were rather than the traditional bone or keratin.

Realizing he was staring, Echo flashed Look a smile and a nod at the question, hopeful that he hadn't been bothered by the obvious gaze.

"That's right. I was born out in the desert. I just came here not long ago through the Obelisk. It's so wonderful here in the Swamp, nice and shady and so much water and green things. And there's so much to explore and so many more friends to meet!" He certainly could put a positive spin on just about any situation, the gnawing ache not truly a bother to him yet since it was so new. Soon he'd come to realize how confining it could be, but for now the lure to return back to the Swamp was still fresh and exciting. There was so much to explore here.

"Thanks, by the way," he added with a little laugh. "The birds here certainly are an inspiration for me. They have so many melodies and fun whistles and chirps, it's hard not to be influenced by them. So! You must be familiar with the Swamp," he said, jumping to the next idea eagerly. "Do you have any favorite spots?"

[Beejoux]

Look had never ventured far enough to wander along the edges of the swamp, he hadn't much knowledge of the desert or any of the other places he'd heard of from adventuring kin, but hearing about them was always exciting. Even now, even with the bittersweet edge of knowledge. The acha buck seemed excited about the swamp, at least for now. He hoped that excitement remained for him.

Look This Way smiled. "My family has a close connection to birds. A lot of them have bird companions, too. I haven't been so lucky, yet, but hopefully some day." His feather like tail flicked.

"Favorite spot?" He hummed, thinking. "I have a few. There are some really nice swimming holes and sunny clearings. And in the winter we have the Winter Market, that's a lot of fun." And something Echo would get to experience, now they he was tied to the swamp.

[Lutz]

At the mention of bird companions Echo couldn't help but glance back at Lyric. The lion was still staring at Look This Way but his body language had softened a bit. Echo knew his friend would protect him with his life if needed, but he wasn't picking up any weird vibes from the other kin! In fact, most of the kin Echo had come across in his many travels were very nice and didn't mean him any harm. Lyric, however, only seemed to remember the bad ones.

"Oh!"

A sudden idea struck him as he looked back at Look. "I could be your bird companion! I've got wings," he said, turning broadside a bit to show off his markings. "And I sing!" Look had already gotten a demonstration of that, but he was more than happy to give another if he wished. "I just don't think I could perch in your lovely antlers like a smaller bird might," he added with a light laugh, the mental image of trying to clamber up the other buck amusing to say the least.

He mellowed a bit as he listened to the spots Look spoke of, tilting his head at the mention of a Winter Market.

"Ooh...what's that? I've never heard of it before."

[Beejoux]

Dark ears perked at that offer and Look smiled. Echoed was exuberant and charming, and he was very tempted to take him up on that offer. "You want to be my companion?" He doubted the acha was small enough to ride in his antlers though.

"Oh!" The days were getting shorter, the weather cooler. Winter was approaching, and the market with it. "It's really fun. Every winter a bunch of kin gather together to celebrate the season, and there's games and food and all sorts of really exciting things." He'd only been once, but once was enough to solidify his feelings about the occasion.

"Last year also, the weather was acting funny. It'd be cold and snowy once moment, then almost summer warm the next. Very strange."

[Lutz]

Echo let the companion comment fall to the wayside as Look talked up the Winter Market. Echo's ears stood straight up, his tail flicking back and forth with delight as Look described what went on. The Swamp was still so new and exciting to Echo and this market was proving that ten times over!

"Wow! That sounds like so much fun," he said with glee. "I love games! And food! And exciting things!"

Behind him, Lyric almost looked like he was rolling his eyes.

"Oh, I'm used to the warm weather so that won't be a problem if it happens this year," Echo went on. "I've never really been anywhere chilly and snowy, though. I'm excited to see that for the first time too." Growing up in the desert and only recently coming across the Obelisks meant that Echo still hadn't experienced many of the different biomes that Matope had to offer, and now that he was bound to the swamp his adventures would be limited in duration.

"Waiting is the worst though," he said with a groan, realizing that the Winter Market probably took place in the winter, as its name would suggest. "It's so far away..." He perked up, circling back to the topic that had been put aside to talk about the market.

"But we could pass the time together if you wanted, I'd love to hang around someone who grew up in the Swamp! Not until winter," he added with a weak laugh. He knew he could be a lot to some types of kin and he didn't want to impose himself on his new friend too much. "Just for now!"

[Beejoux]

Oh right, being from the desert Echoed wouldn't have much experience with the snow. Look This away gave the acha quick glance over, wondering how they'd fair in the coldest months.

To be fair, Look only had the one year of experience to reflect on, and last winter had been odd, according to his parents. There had been stretches of time when the sun was bright and warm and there was no snow to be found. They'd had many breaks away from the harsh ess of winter.

He blinked back into the present when Echoed mentioned spending the time waiting together, and stumbled for a moment over his own thoughts and his own words. Flustered, even after the acha added a caveat. "Oh, sure. We can do that." He smiled, and it was bashful and pleased all in one. "I can tell you all about the swamp. What I know of it, at least."

[Lutz]

Echo didn't miss the bashful reaction from Look and it delighted him to no end. As overwhelming as he could be to some kin, there were those that found his bubbly personality and eagerness endearing. He really didn't mean to be 'too much', as many potential friends had called him, it was just in his nature! But once the initial excitement of meeting new kin wore off, Echo generally lost a bit of the over the top energy. Look didn't seem to mind it, though, which was a wonderful discovery.

"Yes, that would be amazing," Echo said with a grin. "I've been told it's huge so I definitely don't expect you to know everything, but I'd love to learn whatever you'd care to teach me." Was that last bit a little flirtatious? Maybe, if Look wanted to take it that way. Echo had a talent for saying potentially suggestive things in a tone that could easily be written off as harmless.

Lyric, for his part, gave a little huff and shook himself, his mane releasing a bit of dirt and dust that he'd acquired from their stint in the desert not long ago. The swamp really did suit him more than the unforgiving heat and endless sands. Here there was shade and water to spare. If Echo wanted to explore more with this buck, he'd allow it.