[PRP] Once upon a time.. (Tangled Web/Rolling Mist) (Transfer from Gaia)

[Kinu]

"I miss them. I know it was only just a dream, but it was so real. The friends I had, the bonds I made. I miss them all terribly. I know I will never see them again, but deep in my heart, I just... I think maybe I will. Maybe if I wish it hard enough, the swamp will hear me and grant me time with them once again. Even if just a dream." He smeared the drawing of the strange constellation as he laid down. "Two of my dearest friends were a pair of totoma, brothers. Twins even. Why, even though I knew them for ages and ages, I could never tell them apart. They were always arguing and fighting. There was one time we were at a lake..." He stopped to think of how to explain that. "It's a large body of water surrounded by land. It's so deep you cannot see or touch the water. This lake took 2 days to walk fully around, and about a day to swim. Oh, swimming it was a disaster... If it wasn't for that nanny raven..." He realized Mist probably had no idea what he was talking about...

Web explained that the twins had been arguing again about the lake itself. They had only just discovered it, and since one could not see the other side of it, one said it was the ocean, but the other said it couldn't be because the water was not salty. They had made a bet that one could walk around the water and find his way back, the other would swim to the ends of the world. Web couldn't talk them out of this, of course and the twins had dove head long into their challenge. Of course, neither toma knew how to swim, and when the water was deep enough that he couldn't touch the water, the toma floundered and splashed about so much that the giant raven who looked after the boys swooped in and snatched the drowning toma and plopped him back on dry land and cawed at the pair in such a way that Web knew they were being scolded.

[Kinu]

Mist was happier than he had been in a long while just listening as the story unfolded. It was full of so many settings he'd never heard of and situations he never could have dreamed up on his own and every one of them fascinated him beyond words. He could see the twins now, in fact he could see the.. lake?.. he imagined it to be like all the water in the swamp but round and in one place. Maybe like the puddles he had seen in the mud sometimes after a heavy rain. The nanny raven was another story but he knew what the two words meant and put them together quite easily. What he lacked in verbal skills he made up for in cleverness. A nanny raven. He chuckled a bit at the thought.

He wanted desperately to hear how this story went. He wished he could ask but he just nodded encouragingly, hoping Web would get the hint and keep talking. His eyes bright with wonderment. The slow roll of grey clouds began to gather overhead and Mist raised his gaze to the sky. Rain? Not now. Wasn't it just sunny? The scent of rain in the distance hit him on a passing breeze and he knew it wouldn't be long in reaching them. Where would they find shelter? Mist honestly didn't mind the rain but that breeze had been chilly which meant it wasn't going to be a warm rain shower. He ignored it and continued to focus on his new companion. He was eager to hear more.

[Kinu]

Web continued on, explaining that the three of them, together, marked the nearest tree to them; this was after the raven had her fill of scolding the toma boys, and then set off. Web and one of the boys went one way, the other boy and the raven went the other, and they circled around the water until they met each other on the other side. Of course, then the boys argued again, both claiming to have been the one to say it was a lake. It never ended with those two, really. But he loved them dearly.

When Mist glanced up, Web stopped talking, and he too glanced up at the sky. He could smell the rain in the air, but he only laughed a little. "The raven didn't care for the rain. She very nearly seemed to hate it. ... If only because her toma boys were so pig-headed they would be out wrestling and fighting in the rain until they got sick, making more work for her, the poor thing." He flashed Mist a smile. The other still seemed to be listening to him. This was encouraging. "One day, it was raining so hard that the valley of talking flowers nearly flooded."

[Kinu]

Rolling Mist quirked his head, listening as he described how they had eventually made it to the other side of the lake. He wondered how long it has taken them to circle around and meet up. In his mind he could imagine the lake being so vast it took them ages but he gave a silent laugh when Web mentioned the boys only began to fight again. What a pair they must have been. He wished he could have met them and by the look on Webs face he knew they must have been fantastic company.

The Raven still intrigued him. Was she exceptionally sentient? He knew ravens to be smart but something told him this one was smarter than an average companion animal and of more import. He continued listening with fascination until Web mentioned something he couldn't pass up. Stomping a hoof suddenly, his face flush with excitement, he quickly drew a flower in the dirt. Talking flowers? What? What did he mean by 'talking' flowers? This was too unique to just leave unquestioned.

[Kinu]

Web was surprised when the other started getting excited. "What, the flood?" He cocked his head to the side. They had floods here, that wasn't unusual, nothing to get so-

"Oooooh, you want to know about the Violets and Lilys?" That would make more sense. "They're quite helpful little things... when they wanted to be, you see. Though never ask them for directions. It's hard for a flower to know which way to go when they are rooted to one spot, I dare say."