[PRP] Another Name (Sylph x Nightmare)

[anemosagkelos]

There was relief to be Sylph instead of wearing a mask or hiding behind the ease of flirtation. He felt happiness and a freedom that had been impossible to know before he'd allowed himself to be known. It had been brief, before, as it existed in only Fluke's presence. And then it had grown to include Born Again. Now, though, it was an option to be known to all. He felt like the hummingbird from his naming dream, free to drink and play. The only thing left, of course, was the knowledge that he did not feel like a kin.

He had the same hooves and the same amount of legs. He had mane and tail. He had scales. All of these things should have made him feel like a kin but they did not. And truly, now, he did not feel that he was a hummingbird either. It left him flummoxed. What exactly was he, if not a kin and not a hummingbird? Were there others who faced this same conundrum that stared him in the face?

It wasn't an issue that he had heard from other kin and, in most ways, he wasn't even sure of how to broach the issue. It didn't seem like it'd yield much success if he simply approached a kin and asked what (besides a kin) it felt like. How else one would manage to end up on that kind of conversation, well, he didn't rightly know. He supposed he could flirt and manage something but it might all be play and he was looking for a more serious, or at least honest, conversation than that.

He was aimless in his wandering and in his wondering, too, it felt. He'd heard murmurings of dragons and fish. Recently, though, he'd heard of a creature that preceded the befriending of minibears and he'd wondered if it was a kin like he was. For all he knew, it was an actual bear though and so he'd really only considered the idea of looking for it. He wasn't sure it wouldn't kill him and that felt a little less of the result he was hoping for.

[Appeal]

[imgleft]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... appeal.gif[/imgleft] Nightmare was not the sort of kin that was normally sought out. He was a large buck with dark and wooly hair that covered every visible inch of him other than the ends of his hooves. The wooly hair was full of leaves and twigs that had been caught in the tresses.  He had long horns that twisted upward and an animal skull covering his face like a mask, revealing only the haunting red glow of his eyes underneath it. His ears twitched, the clip missing out of his ear unfazed by the action, and he looked around the floor of the forest. An unmistakable bellow could be heard from his body as four bears appeared out of the bushes, energetic and affectionate with the kin who did not seem to share their attitude in the slightest.

"STOP," Nightmare demanded as one of the bears proceeded to begin climbing up his leg.

The bear looked at him, made a sound akin to a moan, and rolled over instead.

"HEAR SOMETHING," Nightmare stated plainly, the four bears suddenly looking attentive in response. They knew the drill.

Nightmare peered out from behind the tree, his skull the only thing visible from this vantage. He could see the wanderings of a buck with a long tail and short hair, well, it was short when he compared everykin's hair to that of the doe Dream. Given that most kin didn't have hair, it was definitely on the long side. With the buck in view, Nightmare stood there silently watching, his glowing eyes following the buck intently. He kept away, not drawn by curiosity or interest. He just watched.

The bears remained mostly silent, although they did not hide. They were visible playing in front of the bushes.

[anemosagkelos]

The bellow caught him off-guard and he felt it rumble through his bones. He was unsure if the faint words he heard were commanded to him (not that he could make them out enough to follow them). It was the depth of the sound that made him feel as though he was so far away but the prickle of fur along his spine . . . He could feel that he was being watched and he felt himself shudder at the thought.

In no thought had he actually considered finding a kin that might feel it was something else altogether. Even less had he considered that he would find the creature that so terrified other kin and yet seemed to precede each befriend mini bear that he knew of (which was no many). But there was no other conclusion when he noticed the four furballs that were playing in front of the bushes.

He'd found the red-eyed . . . he had no idea what to call it. A kin?

"Hello?" he called out, not because he questioned that he was with company but because he felt strange sitting in silence. And he wanted to know what to call this new, hopefully friend or at least an amiable acquaintance.

[Appeal]

Nightmare remained unmoving for a long time as the other kin approached, his eyes unblinking as he watched. He didn't seem to care that they were approaching, or worry that they would find him there. He simply stood, timelessly, there in the bushes behind the tree as he watched. The little bears had gotten excited at the appearance of another kin, their little ears twitching slightly.

The sound of the rustling of leaves could be heard first, heavy steps following it. In response, the little bears began tumbling over one another to make space in anticipation. Snapping branches followed by more rustling of leaves could be heard as the tip of a skull peaked all the way through the bushes and the shaggy, wooly body of something large seemed to be attached to it. Just like the bears, this beast also didn't have a tail.

The little bears rolled around through the beast's legs as it freed itself from the bush, and he grunted low and deep.

Silence for a moment as the red eyes fell on the kin in front of him.

"HELLO," responded a deep voice.

[anemosagkelos]

He had the deep sense that he should be afraid and yet, there was something compellingly familiar about the creature. It was all in his head of course, for he did not know this—he really needed a better word for him or her than creature—being but he could imagine that its existence would border achingly close to his own when his paranoia had reigned and raged. He doubted, and he may have well been completely wrong, that there were many who sought him or her out for company, let alone conversation. And while he had often been the one who avoided company, there was a mirrored feeling in loneliness no matter you avoided others or they avoided you. Either way, you were alone and disgustingly so for it turned thought inward and to everything one could fear or hate. It was a cage and he was glad to be done with those.

And even with all of that, he was well aware that he might be drawn in by his own life experience and some cute furry pets, only to end up this creature's dinner. It should have worried him more than it did but then, would that not always be his own fault and his own choice? All beings needed sustenance whether it came from plant or pet or kin. And he was no more off limits than this creature was should someone turn its gaze to him or her. Motherfather, was he glad his mind had never turned down that road before. He'd have found a deep dark cave and never come out. How in the world did prey even make it day to day with such thoughts looming in their own heads?

Sylph coughed, clearing his throat, "Hello. How are you on this fine day?"

[Appeal]

Nightmare stood there watching the other kin with certainty, unwavering in his choices. He was stoic and quiet, but there was a low humming noise coming from him as he stood there with his eyes locked on the buck in front of him. His ears were relaxed, not deeming this new encounter as threatening in any form but they did twitch occasionally at the sound of the small bears at his hooves. They were not quiet, they tumbled and rolled, and at some point, they started fighting over a stick that was lying on the ground.

"HUNGRY," he responded, not nearly as eloquent as the one in front of him.

There might have been a lip-smacking sound that followed it. That was probably not the most reassuring thing to hear.

[anemosagkelos]

It was, not an unheard of state of being, that of hunger. In fact, it was impossible not to be hungry at some point in the day. And as he had always believed that life was a measure of fate and coincidence, it did not alarm him to hear such a statement from the beast that bellowed. He nodded, wondering at what it and the minibears would most enjoy because he had to admit that he was not the finest hunter in the swamp. He did well enough, of course, for he was a grand specimen of health and looks which meant that he was well fed. And the faint scars along his body were nigh impossible to see unless someone was up close. He had to praise the totoma that had cowed him for her ultimate discretion and Born Again's tribe for their fantastic healing, of course.

"Would you like to fish? There's a lake teeming with fish just down the way that I passed not too long ago," he suggested. The minibears might enjoy it as well, although they hardly seemed to need much to entertain them.

He turned, gesturing towards the lakeside, "Is there something you like to be called? I'd hate to offend you with a nickname from my imagination." He smiled wide, to show that he would not grant a nickname without prompting because he truly did not want to put the kin off.

[Appeal]

Nightmare's eyes seemed to light up with a spark of excitement at the word 'fish' because he knew what a fish was and he also knew that they were tasty creatures. He wasn't too fond of catching them though, not liking the extra weight of wet fur. The small bears seemed to have no qualms with getting soaking wet though, and so occasionally they'd brought him a fish. Fat fish were where it was at though. If Nightmare had the right luck on his side, he'd be able to get one without ever getting wet! Of course, it was much more common to find them floating alongside their kin but sometimes he'd catch them as they tried to get to a different body of water.

"FISH GOOD," he said, his voice loud and... jolly?

The small bears perked up, too. They tumbled over to the other buck, smelling him and pawing at his hooves. They were cute and dumb. They thought he had a fish on them now but they quickly discovered he didn't and went back to fighting over a stick.

Nightmare's eyes followed the gesture with interest, and when he stepped forward he turned to the buck offering him fish.

"NIGHTMARE," he said.

"YOU?" The question was loud but more neutral-sounding than his previous jolly excitement.

[anemosagkelos]

That was an apt name if ever there was one, he thought, amused.

"I am Sylph," he replied, extending one leg and then bowing towards the other buck. He did so enjoy his own charm now that it was for fun and enjoyment, rather than to hide and deter. There was a degree of flirtation, of course, in his very being and that he could not quite diminish no matter what he might try. And the older he got, the less he cared to even try. It was simply a part of him and it meant nothing unless the other kin wanted it to.

"I'm a decent fisher," he added over his shoulder as he began the trek towards the lakeside. The edge was visible along the path he had trekked and so it would take little time to get there. "I imagine it must be more difficult for you with all that added fur. Perhaps you are actually a large bear yourself trapped in a kin's body?" he suggested, only half in jest.

It wasn't that Nightmare could not be a kin, for surely he had the same hooves and the same basic build as most kin the world. Rather it was that the buck must have felt some degree of separation, in Sylph's opinion. He himself looked identical to a kin and he felt it, in his movements and his actions. He felt it in his thoughts. And to have it stare him in the face every time his reflection came along, every time another kin looked him in the face . . . He wondered if he would be able to stand that. It must drive a not-kin (and even a regular kin) mad.

[Appeal]

Nightmare had absolutely no clue what was a 'sylph' was. He thought and thought about everything in the swamp that he'd seen but no images for the word sylph came to mind. He looked at the buck as he bowed toward him, and his only thoughts were that this 'Sylph' was expressing his submission to Nightmare. He didn't necessarily understand charm or the action of being charming as he was extremely forthright. Hmm, well, Nightmare preferred that to aggression. He'd allow it.

The sound "SSS" came out of his mouth as he tested out the feel of the word in his mouth and he paused.

A long pause.

Still pausing.

"WHAT SYLPH?"

Nightmare followed Sylph through the path, eagerly waiting for the fish to arrive even though they'd only just begun.

"HEAVY FUR WET," he said in response, agreeing with the buck.

Nightmare walked further away from the small bears as he made his way. Unfortunately, the small bears did not linger long before chasing after him. It really did look like bear cubs following their mama bear but Nightmare was taken aback after being called a bear in the body of a kin. Although, it would explain why the small bears just kept showing up all the time.

The pause had been sufficient.

"NO THINK BEAR," he said. He didn't understand jokes.

[anemosagkelos]

Was it only a few days ago that he would have lied? It felt like a lifetime ago now. Nightmare meant him no harm and he doubted he would be as entertaining a pet as the little minibears that followed him.

"A sylph is type of hummingbird," he explained dutifully, "as I am. Or so I was in my naming dream." He knew that he was not a mere kin though he had no magical power because of it but he had never been quite sure what he was. He remembered now the hummingbird in his dream, that flitted to and fro not unlike the minibears did to Nightmare. That still did not feel quite right to call himself now and he wondered at it from time to time as the paranoia receded and freed his mind from fight and flight. "Though, I suppose, I may be something else. I must admit that I do not feel quite at home in the body of a kin like so many of the others I have met. Do you feel at home in your own body?"

If there was anyone at all who would understand what he meant, he felt that Nightmare was his best bet. It had to feel somewhat wrong or at least off-putting to be in such a shaggy form in the swamp of all places. The humidity alone wrecked his own hair and tail at times.

Arriving at the lakeside, Sylph slid into the water. It had always been easier for him to catch fish in the water than out. He often times thought his hair and tail provided ample bait or hiding places for the fish. With a deep inhale, he dipped beneath the surface.

[Appeal]

A hummingbird was basic enough that Nightmare nodded his head in a short, stiff movement. Whether he knew what a hummingbird specifically was, or he just accepted it as a type of bird was unknown... but he understood the spirit of the word. If Sylph here was a bird then Sylph was free to go and do anything he wanted to and that was an interesting thought for Nightmare. He didn't tend to come out from the shadows of the woods, and he usually kept to himself. If he could fly like a bird then where would he go? Would he choose to stay in the canopy of the trees, or would he see the world?

Nightmare thought about what the buck said. He didn't feel at home in his own body? Nightmare watched a lot of kin through the weeks of every passing season but why was he watching them? He only ever watched. Was there something there he wanted but knew he couldn't have? An obvious distance between him and the others around him? The small bears were the only company he kept but he hardly counted them. There was one doe he wanted to approach but something kept him away, something he couldn't place. He didn't know the answer to this question.

"UNKNOWN SPACE," he said, his voice low and deep. He truly was at a loss of description.

Would Sylph understand what he meant?

Nightmare said nothing else for a while, even after Sylph had gotten into the water. Nightmare walked over to the water and slowly took a drink. His red eyes reflected back at him. It wasn't as though he didn't realize he looked different than many of the other kin. Did he feel different, too? He didn't know how they felt. How could he know? He could just feel the distance that hovered between him and the others.

The small bears had caught up at this point and immediately came bounding for the water. They splashed around the shallows excitedly.

[anemosagkelos]

"There's a distance between them and us, is that what you feel?" Sylph asked having risen out of the water, ears still dry as he had been listening in case the other buck spoke. He didn't quite wait for an answer before ducking his head below the surface and coming up with a trio of fish tails in his mouth. One was still alive and flopped furiously as it was forced from it's watery home but Sylph held on as he walked through the lake to grant Nightmare first choice of the fish. He did his best to tilt his chin upward to keep the minibears from being able to sneak one should they rush him in their excitement. (He fully expected the quartet would be all over him to take all three but hoped that once they were given one they'd be occupied for a moment.)

He couldn't speak with fish in his mouth though and he had to hope that standing near the buck would be invitation enough to take the fish of his choice.

[Appeal]

"TRUE," he said as he looked up at Sylph as he returned with fish aplenty... well, fish aplenty if you didn't have four small bears who would quickly rush you for the prize. Fortunately, the small bears had chased each other a good way down the shore. They were splashing and playing, and generally roughhousing. It quite possibly looked like they were trying to drown each other in a few inches of water as they kept jumping on and grapple each other. If left Nightmare with some beloved silence, something he rarely had when the small bears were active.

"GOOD CATCH," Nightmare said, studying the fish with excitement. It was definitely more fish than he'd ever catch.

He selected one of the fish without too much deliberation, selecting the one that was closest to him.

"BEARS BACK SOON," he warned. He didn't wait to take a bite, prepared for the inevitable return of the small bears.

[anemosagkelos]

He knew that feeling well. That feeling of divide between himself and others that gave him a sense of kinship with Nightmare. He supposed from the lack of words that it was all subjective but he felt it nonetheless which meant it had some truth to it, at least to him.

"Thank you," he smiled as he took in his own fish in, somewhat hasty bites, so that the bears would not have anything to take. The third fish he left to the other buck, assuming the minibears did not come back first and take it for their own. However, there were plenty of more fish in the lake that he could catch should they want to indulge more.

"I, too, feel a distance between others. Even those I love there is a space that I have yet been able to cross but I am hopeful that the day will come," he revealed. It was least evident with the doe he considered half his soul, Fluke, but even his children there was a space between them that he could not quite bridge. With the paranoia lifted, however, he felt there was truly hope that one day he would find those connections.