|
Post by V for Vizetta on Jun 18, 2009 1:39:03 GMT -5
Athair was quiet for a moment, considering this as he stood, carrying his food with him and nibbling at it as he walked over to Crash, looking the wolverine over. " Poison... of course... I was treating this like a disease." The elder then turned, facing Manic. "We should get back to your village at first light. Pachacamac... as the strongest of us, you will need to carry Crash."
|
|
|
Post by DB on Jun 18, 2009 13:49:45 GMT -5
Wrinling his nose and with a frown, the other echidna gave a noncommittal reply of "... alright."
|
|
|
Post by V for Vizetta on Jun 18, 2009 18:33:26 GMT -5
With a quiet nod, the elder sat, eating some more of his food as he crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. He hadn't meditated in the time Tikal had been gone, and he was a bit overdue. Taking a few, slow breaths, the echidna stilled his mind, letting it drift from presence to presence in the camp, then outward, but found himself being drawn to... something. His curiosity piqued, Athair focused his awareness on this new... something.
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 18, 2009 22:09:02 GMT -5
Something the men discussed couldn't help niggle at the back of the mind of the one female member of the group: She'd fallen into the water, and Manic had jumped after her to save her. While she couldn't speak for her savior, Tikal knew she'd swallowed a generous amount of water while tumbling over the more rapid-like areas. If the water was poisoned like Manic was saying, wouldn't that mean they were both in danger now as well...? Eh, she probably didn't know what she was talking about. Instead, the priestess finished putting together Manic's meal and delivered it to the green hedgehog. "Here you go! I hope it's good enough."
|
|
|
Post by Lans on Jun 18, 2009 23:16:29 GMT -5
"I'm sure it'll be great, Teeks," Manic said with a grin to her as he took the plate and eagerly dug in.
|
|
|
Post by V for Vizetta on Jun 22, 2009 17:17:08 GMT -5
A few minutes later, voices could be heard coming through the forest, towards the campsite. One... -very familiar-, although it's owner was still sitting quietly where he'd begun meditating. "Just continue straight ahead, and you'll find the camp. I will meet you there."
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 22, 2009 17:55:04 GMT -5
A moment or so later, a purple reptile shouldering a backpack appeared from the thick grass, and he looked rather surprised. "...Hey, how'd you beat me here so fast?" he asked the eldest of the echidnas. Then, once his eyes wandered further, he became even more bewildered. "MANIC?! What are YOU doin' here, dude?!" The fact that the newcomer addressed her companion by name was more than a little peculiar. Glancing between the two boys, Tikal asked Manic, "Friend of yours?"
|
|
|
Post by DB on Jun 23, 2009 10:31:14 GMT -5
A barely audible groan came from Pachacamac, who, at that moment, seemed to of suddenly came down with a very bad migraine.
|
|
|
Post by Lans on Jun 23, 2009 15:39:06 GMT -5
"Esp!" Manic was up in a flash, and less than a second later giving the chameleon a combination tacklehug and noogie. "Hey bud! What are you, like doing out here?"
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 23, 2009 22:34:43 GMT -5
Caught rather off-guard not only by a newcomer, but by Manic abruptly knocking him to the ground, Tikal blinked and covered her mouth... which quickly degenerated into muffled snickering. "AURGH, GET OFF!!" the chameleon cried, luckily too surprised that the hedgehog was there at all to be too annoyed at the assault. "The old man brought me here! He said there was food..." As if on cue, Espio's stomach released a noisy growl. Apparently it pined for something of better substance than grass.
|
|
|
Post by Lans on Jun 23, 2009 23:36:45 GMT -5
"Yeah there's food, good stuff too!" he said, giving Tikal a smile as he disengaged from Espio and led him back over to the campfire. "Esp, this is Tikal."
|
|
|
Post by V for Vizetta on Jun 23, 2009 23:40:02 GMT -5
The elderly echidna's eyes opened as Espio was led towards the fire. "I did indeed promise food." He nodded, and offered the plate of food he'd had in his lap, which he had saved for the new arrival, in fact. He wasn't hungry.
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 23, 2009 23:46:37 GMT -5
"It's wonderful to meet you!" Tikal chirped, giving what Espio considered a very unexpected hug. Despite his rumbling belly, the chameleon's cheeks gained a pinkish hue. All confusion aside, this girl was... oddly cute. And hugging him. And cute. And hugging him. "You must be famished!" she continued, taking her new guest by the arm and showing him a seat near Athair. "We've already eaten, so take what you like!" Well, he certainly didn't need to be told twice. All other things forgotten, Espio's mind focused on the fact that there was real food to be had, and the boy plowed through anything and everything he was offered. It was definitely better than grass.
|
|
|
Post by DB on Jun 24, 2009 11:48:29 GMT -5
Meanwhile, Pachacamac was pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes shut tightly. Oh yes, a very, very bad migraine indeed.
|
|
|
Post by Lans on Jun 24, 2009 19:58:23 GMT -5
Afterwords, Manic took a seat next to Tikal again. "So what're you doing out here? I'm here cause, like, Ridgy just had to check out some crazy idea. ...Though he may have been right."
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 24, 2009 20:21:39 GMT -5
His stomach now satisfactorily filled and slightly distended from gorging himself, Espio dug the toes of his shoes into the dirt fretfully. "I'm.... well... sorta looking for somewhere to live." Tikal tilted her head at that. "But, don't you already have a home? Manic said you're from his village." "Not anymore."
|
|
|
Post by Lans on Jun 24, 2009 22:12:44 GMT -5
"Oh geez," Manic said, rolling his eyes at that statement. He figured that Espio was probably just severely overreacting to something. After all, he HIGHLY doubted that Rob had actually thrown him off. "What'd you do this time?"
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 24, 2009 22:27:29 GMT -5
Scowling at the implication, the chameleon stubbornly folded his arms and kicked a bit of sand into the fire. "Why should I even bother telling you? You already think I'm guilty!"
|
|
|
Post by Lans on Jun 24, 2009 22:51:37 GMT -5
Manic just chuckled. "Well...that's cause you probably are, dude. Come on, if Rob even actually told you to leave, he probably just meant to go to your hut until he cooled down."
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 24, 2009 23:02:31 GMT -5
Meanwhile, Tikal glanced back and forth between the boys on either of her sides, an apprehensive frown etching itself across her face. "Manic, can't you see he's upset? You're not being very considerate of how he feels..." The priestess turned back to Espio and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Please, don't mind him. Why don't you explain what happened? It might make you feel better." Chuckling sheepishly, she added, "...If you feel up to it, that is." There was that hot feeling in his cheeks again. A wry smile wormed its way across the reptile's scaly face. "Y... Yeah... sure."
|
|
|
Post by Lans on Jun 24, 2009 23:30:18 GMT -5
Manic looked a little chastised at that. "Hey, I'm not trying to be mean, I just know him...and Rob."
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 24, 2009 23:42:26 GMT -5
"She's right, though," Espio couldn't resist chiming in, coughing into one fist. "You were being a jerk. That wasn't necessary at all." "Just relax and let it all out," the female echidna assured, rubbing his arm and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'll listen to what you have to say." In all honesty, Espio didn't really need to explain himself a second time, and quite frankly didn't even want to -- especially not with Manic present. However, Tikal had instructed him to. And he was surprised at how helpless he felt to resist. Or he would've felt surprised, anyway, if he weren't preoccupied soaking in every detail of her. "That sounds absolutely AWFUL!" Tikal commented as the chameleon recounted his story. "It's no wonder you wanted to leave!" And with that, she wrapped him in another hug. "Yeah, it... really blows~" For one in so much distress, that was an oddly large smile.
|
|
|
Post by Lans on Jun 25, 2009 1:39:00 GMT -5
Manic wasn't smiling however, actually he had a strange urge to toss Espio in the river. "...Well, princess or not dude, that WAS pretty dumb. But did Rob actually kick you out over that?"
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 25, 2009 11:52:53 GMT -5
"SHUT UP!!" Espio snapped, glaring past Tikal at the hedgehog. "You weren't there, so don't even act like you have any idea what it was like!!" Despite flinching sharply at the sudden increase in volume, the priestess released a nervous laugh and raised her hands at both of the boys. "C'mon... there's no need to get worked up..."
|
|
|
Post by Lans on Jun 25, 2009 23:12:51 GMT -5
Manic sighed. "Look, I didn't mean it that way dude," he said, and he hadn't. "I mean...this is, like, Rob we're talking about here. If the guy'll take in an overlander who almost sold us out, you think he's gonna toss you out just cause you pulled a bonehead move, even to the princess?"
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 25, 2009 23:46:39 GMT -5
"You weren't there," Espio hissed lowly, his glare unwavering. "You didn't see his face. You didn't see EVERYONE'S faces..." The lizard hunched over and hugged his knees, staring into the fire. That ache he'd felt while talking with Athair had begun to return, but he did his best to drown it with aggression. He'd already lost face in front of everyone else; the least he could do was try to save it around Manic. "Look, it doesn't matter. I'm on my own now. Instead of yelling at me like everyone else does, the least you could do is just give me a decent goodbye."
|
|
|
Post by Lans on Jun 25, 2009 23:50:16 GMT -5
Manic snorted and rolled his eyes. "No, what I SHOULD do is, like, hit you over the head and drag you back to the village so you can see how big a moron you're being about this. Come on, worst that'll happen is that you'll be put on toilet duty...for a really long time."
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 26, 2009 0:07:58 GMT -5
" I CAN'T GO HOME!!" The chameleon's features disappeared into his arms. " I can't, okay?! I just... can't...." There was that ache again. Espio fought desperately to maintain his composure. He may have shouted again, but if one thing was clear, it was that he was hurting. Tikal's heart melted, and without warning, the priestess wrapped her arms around the reptile and pulled him close to her own body. "It's alright... Please don't cry. Everything will be okay." Now too embarrassed to become enchanted, the boy jerked away at one very important and unfortunate word. "I'm not crying!!" In a flustered flurry, he then sprang to his feet to sprint off, camouflaging himself from the prying eyes in the process.
|
|
|
Post by V for Vizetta on Jun 26, 2009 0:24:23 GMT -5
The elder had been watching the conversation quietly the whole time, almost completely still in fact... until Espio vanished. Suddenly, Athair was in motion, the hooked end of his cane whipping out towards seemingly empty air... that was occupied by the fleeing chameleon. "Espio! Don't you think you've run enough?"
|
|
|
Post by Leda on Jun 26, 2009 1:05:17 GMT -5
And before he could react, the ground disappeared from beneath his feet and smacked him in the face. Espio had the urge to get up again, but to his own surprise, no longer had the will. Instead he simply huffed into the grass, keeping hidden from his peers, laying motionless in the soil. He really wanted to say something -- anything -- but nothing was coming to mind. Meanwhile, Tikal seemed to have... wilted. If getting yelled at directly wasn't enough to break her confidence, the jerking away was more than enough. Shrinking slightly into her seat, the female echidna frowned and replayed the conversation in her head, trying to pinpoint the moments she should've done differently. " I'm sorry, Mr. Espio. I shouldn't have been so forward."
|
|