Blonde locks were drenched in the rainfall as Khal stood peering down at the Pit through narrowed eyes. It had turned to a stony pool filled with muddy water, something he'd never witnessed before. He supposed that wasn't a surprise right now though. There were far more dramatic happenings across the continent that the Pit flooding. Right now it might have made for good practice for fighting in the water, but soon it would be deep enough to be more of a swimming hole than an arena. He wondered what Voluspa was doing now, wishing as he often did that she was by his side. But he could not hoard her all the time. Especially now when so many where likely in need of a healer. EXP: +5 BWP-related exp +5 Scout a neutral territory +10 Discuss the features of a territory with someone +10 Explore a territory and find something useful in it (new water source) (1/2)

She'd not lingered here for long the last time she'd stopped by here, disturbed as she was by the knowledge of what this pit was typically was used for. She'd scratched the pond off of her list of viable drinking sources too, paranoid of the idea that there might've been old remnants of blood lingering within it. Maybe that black and white male shouldn't have told her about that.

Even so, Adrien had lingered around the surround areas, finding the weather here to be calmer than in some of the other places she'd sought refuge in. Relatively speaking. The storms were impossible to avoid, it seemed. Since she was already soaked, she might as well give in to her curiosity to see if the rain would add to the water within the pit.

It was safe to say that it wasn't a pond anymore, an obvious fact once she glanced down over the edge, surveying the churning, muddy waters below. It no longer looked particularly appetizing either, she mused as she paced along the edge, idly tracing out the basin's shape until a flash of pale hair caught her attention. She offered @Khal a pleasant smile as she approached him, along with a half-hearted "Bonjour." Could it really be called a good day, with such gloomy weather? "I hope you aren't planning to take a swim in there, monsieur. I dare say you'd come out dirtier than you went in."

Tickets:
+1 Make a BWP-related post
+2 Study one of the natural phenomena occurring
+2 Analyze the changes being made to the land
+5 Complete a BWP-related thread (with 10+ posts)
+5 - Complete a thread with a character you've never threaded with before
+10 - Complete a thread with a member you've never threaded with before

Trade xp:
+10 Discuss the features of a territory with someone
+5 Study the weather
+5 Scout a neutral territory


speech

code by Cloudy; art by irish

Khal's gaze shifted to the stranger as they approached him, and when she spoke he hesitantly judged that she meant no immediate harm. Maybe she planned on pushing him into the muddy waters below, no doubt still carrying the filth of battle past. But after spending the length of a season on his own, and with his family home now facing a shortage of unfrozen water, he wasn't so quick to dismiss the place as a last resort salvation. "Not unless I have to. Could be useful for practicing water fighting I suppose," he mused as his gaze shifted back down to the slowly rising water. He imagined if the rains didn't let off it would be worse come the morrow. "An easy place to accidentally drown, or a very desperate water source." He looked again to the stranger, "I'm Khal," he finished to @Adrien.

It may have indeed been unwise to stand upon such a precipice alongside a complete stranger, their intentions unknown. Yet despite all that Adrien had gone through thus far, she still continued to assume...well, maybe she didn't assume the best of others, but she didn't think that anyone would try to do away with her for no reason. Not now that she'd gotten comfortable with the fact that no one here knew here. The potential danger went unnoticed.

@Khal seemed amiable enough anyway, though her nose wrinkled in distaste when he mentioned fighting. "Mmh. Well, I'm afraid you'll have to find a different partner for that, if your heart's set on it." Even if it was just for fun, Adrien preferred to avoid such conflict when she could. Her gaze followed his down back into the pit, taking note of how the water level was climbing higher before her eyes. A concerned frown twisted her lips at his words, silently agreeing that the place was getting dangerous. "Do you think we should try to shift some rocks around? Make an escape route in case in anyone falls in?" She questioned, eyes shifting to examine the pit's edge for anything that might be useful for such an idea.

His introduction drew her attention back, and she politely dipped her head to him in acknowledgement. "A pleasure to meet you, Khal. You can call me Adrien."

+10 Discuss the features of a territory with someone
+5 Study the weather
+5 Scout a neutral territory




speech

code by Cloudy; art by irish

He found himself fighting to urge to actually sigh in relief to meet someone who tended toward passiveness. "I've had enough of it lately, I think," he said, his expression darkened slightly as his mind was quick to remind him that the next fight was inevitable. It was nearly all he could remember anymore. The dark sky brightening suddenly followed by a boom of thunder, but not before he was able to here her speak, finishing by introducing herself as well. "That's a good idea, Adrien" he commended before deciding that was a better use of his time than staring at a growing puddle or breaking more ice at home in the Brook. At that he would move to the nearest reasonably sized boulder seeing how difficult it would be to move. Easy enough on the hard, sandy earth here he supposed. "So where are you from?" he would ask conversationally as he worked.

Her features drew together in a slight frown, wondering what he must have experienced for his expression to darken in such a way. "Sounds like you have some stories to tell." She commented lightly, though she's happy to steer their attention away to other topics.

She winced lightly at the flash of light and crash of thunder, folding her ears back as if that would protect them from the noise. @Khal agreed with her suggestion, and Adrien nodded in acknowledgement with a slight smile. "Why thank you." She tossed over her shoulder playfully while she peered over the pit's edge, choosing to take his words as a personal compliment as well.

His question gave her some pause, but she continued on, nevertheless. "My home is a several month's journey away from here, I doubt you'd know it. It's a beautiful place though. Huge tropical rainforests and bright, sandy beaches and the like." It was easier to speak of the place when she focused on the features of the land itself. "How about you?"

She withdrew from the pit's edge and turned back to look at him, having found a section of the wall that seemed to already have a few natural pawholds. "I think this is a good spot to start our path." She took a few steps closer to the blond man, examining the boulder he'd found critically. "If you push it from behind, I can try to guide it from the front?" Maybe the rainwater would ease the process for them too?




speech

code by Cloudy; art by irish

She was being light-hearted so he allowed a smile in response to her words though it didn't quite touch his eyes, "Today is dreary enough without all of that," he brushed it off lightly. He wouldn't mind to explain if she insisted, but the natural borne chaos had left the briefest moment of peace in the ongoing war and he wanted to hold onto it. She described where she was from and his guess that she was not local was confirmed by her description of a distant land. Very different that the one he came from. "I was born here," he began after nodding in agreement to her plan for the boulder, beginning to shove it in the direction she told him as he spoke, "Up north in the snowy pine forest. My mother Talisa's family is native to these lands, but my mother Morrigan is from a much harsher world." Something the outsiders seemed to have brought with them. For better and worse. He grunted against the effort of moving the great stone, but it did move eventually, starting a slow descent toward the rising waters edge. "Where are you staying now?" he would ask next through his straining.

"Of course." She is content to shelf the topic without any further pressing. Everybody had things that they would rather not talk about with strangers, after all. Or things that they simply didn't want to talk about at all.

On that note, she's silently relieved that he doesn't ask any further questions about her homeland. It truly was too dreary of a day to dig up bad memories. She's happy to listen to @Khal talk about himself as they set about their task, one peach ear turned his way while the rest of her focused on guiding the heavy rock in the right direction.

"Oh, I believe I visited that forest a while ago. The pines smelled so lovely. It must have been nice to grow up there." She paused, giving the boulder a long, harsh shove to correct its course. It was just as well that she was built larger than the average dainty damsel. It meant she could actually be useful in situations like this. "Have you ever gone off the island? To explore?"

Their progress is slow, but steady, the pit's edge drawing closer and closer. "Oh, here and there. I was sleeping in some caves to the south, but there was a big cave-in recently, and I don't plan to go back anytime soon. I hang around the beach now."

Ah, and there they were, at the pit edge! She paused, peering down into the pit once more with a contemplative hum. "I suppose making sure it rolls in the right place will be the tricky part."




speech

code by Cloudy; art by irish

She revealed, as the two of them let their pasts drift behind them and away from their pleasant conversation, that she had actually visited the pines before. "There is no place like it," he agreed before continuing, "Its a bit frozen over right now, though. Hard to find water without shredding your paws breaking the ice first." He revealed the reason he'd had for contemplating the mudhole as drinkable or not, continuing to work as he spoke. @Adrien was good company, but she seemed to be living on her own as a rogue. That was mildly concerning for someone who wasn't so quick to fight. She has asked if he'd ever left the island and the question took him aback for a moment, "Honestly I don't think I've ever considered leaving. All I have are the stories my kin bring home, but I belong here," he finished as the large boulder began to slide slightly on its own. "Careful, its going I think," he said after a last shove before scrambling back so he didn't follow the boulder in. "Not much we can do about that. Maybe we can get the others to stop against that one, though?" He hadn't landed exactly where they'd wanted but without risking getting crushed or going for a muddy swim at least he wasn't sure it was worth the effort. "Well, if you ever need anything, you're welcome to come to the Brook as long as my family holds it. Just be careful out there, there's a war on, and this weather or whatever the hell it is doesn't seem to be calming things down." He'd hate to catch her on the other side of the battlefield because someone had claimed her freedom away. "Let's find another one?" he asked before moving toward a slightly smaller rock.

The pine forest had been snowy when she’d visited, she thinks, but most of the northern territories had still been covered in snow at the time, a natural consequence of winter. “Is that normal for this time of year?” She would have thought, with it being so many weeks past the turn of the season, that things would have thawed out by now. Maybe it was cold there more often than not? Doubtful, considering he’d said ‘right now.’

The so-called siren call of adventure doesn’t seem to have much of a grip upon @Khal, and Adrien nods her head along in silent understanding. While she likes to think that she’s been making the most of her travels, she doesn’t think she would have ever left her home either, had she had a choice in the matter. “Hmm. There’ll never be any place that can truly compare to home, oui?” She speaks softly, more to herself than to her companion. The feeling of belonging that he’d mentioned…she rather missed it.

She moved away quickly in small, skittering steps as he finally shoved the boulder in, and cautiously craned her neck over the pit’s edge to see what the result of their efforts would be. Not perfect, certainly, but close enough. They could work with it, she decides, giving a sharp nod of agreement in response to the male’s suggestion.

He’s a kind man, to offer Adrien shelter within his home in the case she ever needed it. She’s tempted to call him ‘princely’ for his generosity and concern, and even his regal looks, though she is unaware of how close that idea is to the mark. While his mention of a war had brought on a worried frown, she soon replaced it with a warm smile, something more genuine than the typical, pleasant curve of the lips that she was used to wearing.

“Your concern is much appreciated, Khal, but please, don’t worry too much about me. I’ll be sure to avoid these conflicts as much as I can.” She certainly wasn’t a warrior, and she didn’t have much cause to interfere with whatever troubles might be brewing in this political landscape. (Would she have cause in the future, if she chose to stick around this place? Part of her fears knowing the answer to that.) “And the crazed weather too, if that’s even possible for anybody right now.” She tacked on with a short laugh.

Adrien’s attention returns back to the task at hand, and she trails after him to help scope out another stone to add to their path. “Of course. I can try pushing it, this time?” She offers, eventually settling on a rock somewhat smaller than the previous one and giving it an experimental shove with her shoulder. If they were to be working on this for a while, they might as well take turns.




speech

code by Cloudy; art by irish