[Naming RP] Forward by Choice (Heart and Home x Totoma)

HuniPi · Post by **HuniPi** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:01 am

Heart and Home didn't realize when it was that meeting up with him had become part of her day. She isn't certain when she started looking forward to spending time with him. Though she clearly remembered when they first met. Lately, she'd started to try to find excuses to spend more time with him. They ranged from the silly to downright comical, depending on how much time she had.

Which, now that she thought about, was quite ridiculous of her. Surely, she could just tell him how much she appreciated his efforts, couldn't she? Why go through such lengths when there was nothing wrong with wanting to be around him?

But she wasn't part of I Am the Land's herd.

Perhaps that was why she had to come up with some sort of justification. She didn't want to put any undue pressure on him, especially if it could mean him taking time away from his duties to the herd. So, until she could be sure he'd be alright with it, she'd continue with the pretense and the silly excuses.

HuniPi · Post by **HuniPi** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:01 am

The totoma buck always arrived first at their meeting point ever since he agreed to escort her through this part of the swamp. Though it was only that day did he feel a knot of anxiety in the pit of his stomach as he waited for Heart and Home's arrival. It wasn't that he worried for her safety, he'd scouted the area to be sure nothing untoward was lurking about and he knew she could take care of herself.

His nerves were on edge because he had wanted to share something important with her. His past experiences had never been kind to him whenever he had tried to open up with others. Not until he came to the swamp and become part of Land's herd. Not until he'd met her.

His head snapped toward the sound of familiar hoof-falls, he'd come to recognize her gait and he could even tell what her mood was based on the pace. She was taking several small quick steps, a sign that she was trying to work off excess energy and calm down.

HuniPi · Post by **HuniPi** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:02 am

"Dear One!" Heart and Home greeted, declaring her presence not just to the totoma buck waiting for her but for any nosey familiar or unseen kin lurking about. The kimeti doe wasn't hiding, no, why would she be? She didn't have any ill-intentions or anything of the sort. She was simply here to meet her unofficial escort along the borders of I Am the Land's territory.

"I hope you weren't waiting too long." She always felt bad at the thought of making waste his time, no matter how much he assured her that he did this of his own free will. She adjusted the packs filled with snacks tied to her middle. Her son had done an extra good job securing them to her.

HuniPi · Post by **HuniPi** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:03 am

When she called out to him, Totoma smiled in spite himself. The tradition of being named for one’s deeds was still alive in his herd and having no name had been a sore spot for him. But he’d been in the swamp for some seasons now, and while he was growing comfortable here, there was little he believed he could accomplish that merited being Named after.

Until, that is, he allied himself to I Am the Land. The kimeti buck had given him an opportunity to find one, and in some way a renewed sense of purpose. He'd know the moment when he saw it, but in the meantime, he couldn't bring himself to refuse Heart and Home's request to give him a pet-name during the interim. After she'd assured him that she called no one else in that manner, he agreed. And truth be told, it had planted a seed in him.

What the seed blossomed into was in fact what the buck wanted to share with her.

"It's alright, Heart," he assured her gently. "Shall we be off?"

HuniPi · Post by **HuniPi** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:05 am

The kimeti doe nodded and they set off, reaching the first landmark that Totoma showed her. Truth be told, she'd already committed all of them to memory. But the buck never took umbrage with her about it, perhaps he knew all this time? He must know, right? He wasn't stupid in any sense of the word, and Heart wasn't exactly some sort of genius when it came to deception. She hoped against hope that he had seen through her ruse by now. She wasn't certain if her pride could handle it if he saw her as some feebleminded doe.

Well, she could but she was definitely going to have to lay low and avoid him for a while to recover from the emotional damage if that was the case. Despite her thoughts, Heart and Home noticed Totoma had suddenly stopped in his tracks. He was gazing at something far off in the distance. She couldn’t tell what exactly, but she knew there was an obelisk in that area and hazarded a guess.

"Dear One, would I be able to trouble you for your company on a trip to the obelisk one of these days?"

HuniPi · Post by **HuniPi** » Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:23 am

The totoma buck stopped on purpose where he had the least obstructed view of the mountains. It felt right for him to share the news here. Deeds were meant to be witnessed, and while he attributed much of the credit to his leader, he also wished for someone outside the herd to know.

Heart and Home's request made him smile again. He appreciated how much she considered his comfort and pride, and this openness and acceptance of his past and shortcomings had unwittingly granted him the ability to move forward.

"Some mistakes stay with you forever. They cannot be undone. Only learned from. Some mistakes can bog you down, trap you in the mire. I've been living with both types of mistakes for most of the seasons."

He turned to face her, "But I've finally been able to pull myself out. I'll never be free from my mistakes. And I've decided that not I'm going to continue living in the past. I'm moving Forward by Choice."