A Blind Heart (Open)

[Oki]

Taking Rumor not long to respond to him, Oki was hoping for an answer quite the opposite. Humming in disapproval, Oki's ears flattened and his eyes looked off to the side, as if he was going to find something else for them to do out in the woods beyond. Not really knowing Rumor, in fact only knowing him for no more than an hour, he didn't want to argue and push him to do anything. Not coming up with anything, Oki let out a huffy type sigh to himself as the white pelted male rolled over to his back. Blue and teal feathered wings ruffled as Oki moved them, making them more comfortable. Even though he knew now the Rumor couldn't see, Oki still followed his eyes upwards into the sky; the sun was bright and peeking over a cloud as the hovering cottonballs lazily rolled by in a sea of blue. "Oh yeah...he can't see the sky...", Oki thought sympathetically, contemplating quietly. However, Oki was then pulled from his thoughts as Rumor spoke, "I was just scouting the borders of Shinkou, something that I chose to do as my duty for the pack. Although, the nap I needed...haven't been able to sleep well for the past few days."


It wasn't even a few seconds after he had finished talking to Rumor that the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs. The sound took him by surprise and made his head snap in the direction of where it originated. Another like himself stood up and hung her head. Blinking, Oki was still slightly took off guard and just watched as she spoke. Rumors smart remark caught his ear and it made him burst out laughing for a short moment before he recomposed himself. And Rumor had a point, they weren't the malicious type...at least the other male didn't look it. With his long sword strapped around his back, Oki probably gave off a more threatening look. Turning his body to face the female more, he took his turn to speak, "Actually, I am the correct one to be asking; 'tis my duty. However, how long ago did your Father tell you to come here and meet our Alpha? He has passed on a few years back. I can take you to our Alphess and she can help you with whatever you need...", he paused to look around then back at the female, "I would also tell her about your Father when you tell her about your past", he also mentioned as he thought about wheter her Father was once part of Shinkou years ago or not. Then remembering another part of the procedure of a wanderer treading on Shinkou territory, he continued, "What be your name, lassie?"

[summerrain]

Asosa lifted her head when the pack wolf said to. She noticed that his eyes were peculiar. Foggy, almost. Blind? But he could tell what she had been doing... A blind wolf with Earth magics? Possible. She smiled slightly. "I was always taught to show respect to wolves of another pack," she said. "I am simply honoring that teaching." She drew in her wings, shifting the feathers so they covered the burn. She purposely ignored the other male, who had burst out laughing at the blind one's remark.

"My father told me to come here not long ago," Asosa explained. "We used to be in contact with the Shinkou pack, but it did not last." When she heard about the alpha's death, she nodded once. "I am sorry for your loss," she said quietly. She had experienced the same thing not too long ago. She looked at the winged male. "My name is Asosa," she told them. "I am one of the daughters of the gatekeepers of the Kishigai pack." She cast a glance at the wingless wolf. "and... I would like to meet with whoever is the leader of your pack. If I may," she added. She tilted her head, as if listening to something. Then, a light breeze blew by. Her eyes closed. She shook her head, not hearing anything she was listening for.

"I can hear the voices of the wind," she explained. "It is one of my few air magics." She waited, wondering how the others would respond.

[Tumble]

Rumor rolled his blind eyes and let out a quiet groan. He disliked work so much and suddenly everyone got so formal. He had only come here to sleep and got mixed up with politics or whatever it was. He had never really listened when Cloud was explaining territories and pack names. He had no clue who the Kishigai pack were and frankly didn’t care. He looked at Oki and saw some seriousness in his features like the tenseness in his face. He looked at the she-wolf, Asosa was it? What a bother, another name to remember. No, maybe he wouldn’t see her again after this so he might not have to remember. With his “Earth Vision” he could see the burn on her flesh. Was she trying to cover it? “You got a burn there don’t you.” He said out loud. What was he doing? Rumor cursed himself for wondering. His cold personality seem to melt slowly around she-wolves, no matter who they were. Maybe it was because of Cloud always stuck with him before she died. His face still showed a cold look, but he always was like that.

[Oki]

From what he knew, the Kishigai pack didn't ring a bell from what Wyndbain and the other higher ups have told him when he first was accepted into the pack. When he became a Reku, he was told further of some possible packs that others would come from, but the one she mentioned didn't catch a tune to him. Shaking his head, half ridding the contemplative thoughts and half as a response to her apology, "No worries; I never knew the fellow. Just from what our Alphess told me", he stated simply. He truely had no feelings towards the passed Alpha, though he did give his own condolences to Wyndbain when Oki was first told about it. In any case, it wasn't too important and he nodded in response to Asosa giving her name. "Asosa", he echoed, "I am Okamiimaru, but most call me Oki and this is Rumor", he gestured with a fore paw, hoping that he didn't mind as he didn't state his name yet.

"I can take you whenever you would like to, Asosa...Oh, and don't feel rushed; there isn't a specific period of time in which you must meet with our Alphess", Oki added. A silence feel between the three as small breezes blew by, the air refreshing and crisp. Oki would sniff here and there, catching different scents in the air. One of his ears flicked as Asosa spoke up, hearing she was of air affinity. His deep blue eyes lit up as a smile stretched across his muzzle, "Air magic you say? My mate, she has similar abilities, heh."

A small world, he thought to himself, curious of what her potential is. Then the word burn came to him and he became more focused again, wondering what was wrong. Rumor mentioned she did and he
never noticed it and his eyes scanned her form. Catching it on her wing, he figured that was why she wasn't flying and literally stumbled upon them. Concerned, Oki watched the female, waiting for a
response, though not saying anything.

[summerrain]

Asosa smiled. "I have almost no air abilities," she admitted shyly. "I am proficient in fire magics." She flared her wings, her spirals glowing orange as she focused her magic. The spirals faded back to black and she contracted her wings. When her burn was mentioned, she nodded slowly. "There was a fire at my camp... I barely escaped with only this burn..." Her eyes darkened. "I have no idea what happened to the rest of my pack..." She shifted her feathers to show them the burn. "It was treated by a loner who knew a lot about herbs," she said, explaining the surprisingly good condition of the burn. "I've just been suffering from exhaustion since the fire... I nearly fell out of the sky on the fligh here," she admitted, slightly embarrassed.

[Oki]

"Ooohhhh....", Oki thought. He lifted his head upwards just a little, then let it fall back down slowly as he acknowledged her statement of not being very proficient in air magic. Though she seemed quite adept with her fire magic, the thing that got him was that how did a fire user get burned. Oki listened to her story, sparingly glancing at Rumor here and there, then back to the female. He felt empathy for the female, losing her home. There wasn't much he could say to her, though he did try to lighten the mood a little, "Perhaps you can make yourself a new home here", he suggested, stiffling a short chuckle at the sight of her falling out of the sky. He knew for sure it wasn't a fun experience. Many times have passed where he couldn't fly anymore and has done so. "I know how that feels...though, one thing that besets me is how a fire user gets burned. I, for example, am a lightning user; however I cannot get electrocuted", Oki elaborated a little so Asosa would understand his confused state a little more.

[Tumble]

Rumor also listened to the story, half looking like he wasn’t interested. He would yawn or look away like he had heard something. A home. Rumor never had a home so the sadness that came with loosing it was also oblivious to him. The white male had been taught by his abusive father to never stay in one place for too long. ‘That’s how they get you. When your nice and relaxed in a familiar place.’ The crazy wolf would say. Never trust any one and always be on the move. Those were to two things Rumor did to survive all those years. Kill or be killed. It was the law of nature in this crazy world of his. Then he met Cloud who taught him to trust others and to not be so aggressive, but all that got her was death. Due to this reason Rumor didn’t like to be in camp for long. He moved around the territory, but the white male could never bring himself to leave. Cloud would have not liked it if he had left.“I wouldn’t want to fall from the sky. The ground is just fine for me.” Rumor said. “I am blind without my paws on the earth.” He shifted to a more comfortable position.

[summerrain]

Asosa nodded, acnowledging the pack wolf's confusion. "I was focused on getting away," she explained. "In my panic I had, in effect, shut my powers away. My fire abilities are linked to my emotions more than I would like," she admitted sourly. She turned to Rumor when he mentioned that he would be blind without his paws on the ground. She nodded again. "I assumed as much," she said. "We have had situations like yours in my old pack. The wolves with earth powers generally couldn't fly very well, if at all. They were more comfortable with their paws on the ground. Often, those born with earth powers in my old pack were born without wings." She turned back to Oki. "I would be honored if your alphaess would allow me to remain here."

[Oki]

It made sense that Rumor wouldn't want to go up flying. From what he figured, Rumor has been blind the majority or even all of his life and found that he can see through seismic vibrations through the Earth. If he lost contact with the Earth, he would be truly blind. "Hmmm...", Oki thought to himself for a moment, waiting for Asosa to finish. "Despite that Rumor, the feeling of flying is like none other and one doesn't need eyes to see how beautiful it is...Perhaps I can take you up sometime," he offered, smiling. Turning his attention to the female, he came to understand more as to how she got burned. He knew that emotions can be linked to one's abilities, as he has experienced before on numerous occassions, but he has never heard of them being completely turned off. He pondered silently as Asosa continued in response to Rumor. It was intriguing, how those with Earth based abilities chose not to fly or didn't have wings at all, although it made total sense. He remembered his close friend in his birth pack; he was born with Earth abilities. Given, Oki wasn't there long enough to see how much he flew, but he knew that it was probable that he did.Licking labrums, Oki's head turned to Asosa as she spoke. He chuckled, "Tell that to her, not to me; it's not my decision. If I were you though, I would dress that wound first", he gestured with a paw, then lowered it back down to the ground.

[Tumble]

Rumor raised an eyebrow at the two, but then returned to his usual sour facial expression. “No thanks, I’d like my paws to stay on the ground.” He said shaking hiss head. No way was he going up in the sky. He hated not being able to see of too long. It just made him feel to vulnerable and the white wolf wasn’t too sure he could completely trust Oki and the other she-wolf. It wasn’t anything personal, he just did trust others too much. He glanced toward Asosa remembering her burn as Oki mentioned that she needed to dress the wound. “Comfrey or Chickweed should help soothe the burned skin.” He said with an uncaring and empty tone. Due to living alone for most of his life and having to survive in the wild, Rumor knew a thing or two about what herbs would be useful. He had a fight with a fire magic user a couple years ago and had to use some of those herbs to treat the minor burns.

(sorry for the long wait. I made sure to look up the herbs so it is pretty accurate)

[Oki]

Rumor was stubborn...well he couldnt' blame him. Oki was pretty stubborn about things he didn't want to do or didn't like. It just made him smile and softly shake his head. Perhaps if him and Rumor became to know each other as better friends, the male might change his mind. But for now, he didn't want to force anything upon him or anyone.

Meanwhile, Oki was wondering what could heal that wound. Given the area they were in, he could think of a few. But then Rumor spoke up and named two of his few that he thought of. Puffing his cheeks, Oki wanted to be the one who wanted to sound knowledgeable, naming the correct herbs. Nonetheless, Rumor was correct and Oki acknowledged the white male's knowledge of herbs with a smile, "I was gonna suggest that or lavander and witch hazel, but", he stood up on all fours, "I'll return in a little with the herbs. Meanwhile Rumor, can you find a pair of good grinding rocks?" Once everyone understood what needed to be done, he would then unfurl his wings to their full span. Crouching, he jumped up into the air with a powerful downward flap of his wings straight up into the air. Sniffing, he began to search for any of the four herbs, gliding above the canopy of the trees.

[Tumble]

Rumor felt irritated that Oki wanted him to find the grinding rocks. He shot him an irritated glare, but Oki had already taken off. “Who does he think he asking me and then leaving expecting me to do it just because I can use earth magic.” He mumbled grumpily. After waiting for a few long moments he lout out another irritated growl, “Damn.” Why should he help? It wasn’t his problem, but not doing anything just made him mad. The white wolf stood up from his laying position and closed his sightless eyes. With little effort two perfect grinding stones come from with in the earth. He had seen them deep within the earth’s surface, but summoned them using his earth magic. With a grumpy huff, he lay back down and started to complain bitterly to himself. He acted cold, but due to years living with clumsy and cheerful Cloud had formed a kind side under the scary features.

[Oki]

((I'm not sure where summerrain went, but I'm not sure if we could continue the thread without her. What do you say Tumble?))

[Tumble]

((i guess we could make another thread with just Rumor and Oki hanging out again, you can start it if you agree))

[Oki]

Here we go :3

www.shinkouookami.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=shinkou&thread=15995