trans_9 | Snow Sheltering [Closed]

In no time flat the elf had finished the soup and placed the bowl beside him. He stretched--cat-like, slung an arm around Kaya's shoulder, then reclined back onto Fontaine. Nokosi watched the three talk for a short time before chiming in.

"I was not aware of the Borealis either, but it sounds like a sight I would enjoy. In any case, you do not need to be 'the best' at something to do it. I think..." Nokosi suddenly sat forward, jostling Kaya and Fontaine in the process. He shot them an apologetic look and laughed, then turned back to Billy.

"I think that, considering your knowledge, you would be an exceptional trap-maker. I am. Perhaps we can construct a few together? You would not even have to stalk around with a weapon, then."

It would be fun for the both of them, he thought--interesting in the least due to their different knowledge of nature, mysticism and high technology. He was looking more than forward to going out and hunting with Kaya as well. It would be great to see how she applied her water bending.

Edited 2012-01-14 22:01 (UTC)

Ronnae quirked a curious brow as she listened to the group, waiting a moment to ask what was on her mind.

"What is bad about hunting for sport? Does your world not collect trophies or have trials of passing? It's not as if the challenge isn't an honor to both hunter and hunted, and many times the roles are reversed." Ronnae paused for a moment, a tinge of red rising on her cheeks.

"S-sorry, I don't mean to be rude, I'm just curious. There's plenty of sport hunting for rituals and trophy collecting back home so I wanted to know why you consider it bad..."

Billy took in a breath. This was another one of those cultural differences he'd have to explain carefully. First, though, he'd agree to join the group.

"I can do that. Thanks, Nokosi." His mind started turning ideas around. He wouldn't particularly like it, but it was an important bonding ritual. If he focused on circuits and screws and twists, he'd be okay.

"And...it actually depends on the culture. Some groups of people on my planet feel the same way about hunting that you do. They enjoy the thrill of it and proudly display their kills in trophy rooms on their walls. In my area, though, it's not really necessary to hunt. We pay other people to do it for us, and the demand's not as high. It's really popular where I'm from to be a vegetarian."

Billy shrugged. "I'm not a vegetarian, but I don't like killing more animals than we need to."

Kaya was absentmindedly braiding Nokosi's hair, listening to the conversation herself. What she'd said had been mostly for Billy's benefit: he hadn't, after all, been raised in quite the same circumstances.

"I agree with Billy, at least when it comes to killing animals needlessly. That said, we definitely did kill animals for food and for clothing and pelts. You really have no choice, after all. I just don't agree with killing them for fun. If you're going to kill, you ought to use every part of the animal for clothes and food and all."

She was definitely not a vegetarian though. That was more Aang's thing.

It was a good question that Ronnae had brought up, and while he could understand that everyone lived their lives differently, Kaya's particular wording caused his voice to immediately take on a defensive tone.

"It is not 'killing for fun'. Granted, there are some who participate in such a mindless event, but that is not what the hunt is about," he said, crossing his arms. "It is about bringing honor to the hunted, the hunter and the spirit of the beast. If for those reasons, it is not 'sport', it is a glorious and time-honored tradition that many races partake in--even those such as Night Elves and Tauren, who have lived side-by-side with, and often converse with denizens of nature for hundreds and thousands of years, now. Said denizens understand and encourage it."

Nokosi took a breath and huffed, trying to suppress his annoyance in the face of what was supposed to be a fun time. Few things managed to get under his skin, but this had.

"You would be mistaken if you think that animals are poor, defenseless creatures who frequently become the victims when faced on the receiving end of one's keen eye or scope. They are just as frequently the victors during a hunt and it is also an honor for the slain hunter who participated in such a thing. They are praised just as much as one who was able to slay their prey."

Yes, he realized that things were different for others in their respective worlds, but they also had no idea how downright insulting that explanation had been to he, a hunter and denizen of the wilds.

Edited 2012-01-15 21:33 (UTC)

"A vegetarian?" Ronnae asked curiously before listening to the rest.

Once she had heard Kaya, her cheeks had flushed and she had felt awkward considering that it was much different than what Kaya was assuming, and even before Nokosi spoke, she knew that he, and Fontaine would both be offended by the things said.

"Most races," barring the ones like gnomes and goblins who were more into technology, "Honor the hunt. There's a mutual understanding, bond and honor between nature and the races." Ronnae paused and looked to Nokosi apologetically, understanding what had happened.

"Specially for races such as the Kaldorei or the Tauren. They have the deepest level of connection with nature and have always had strong ties with it like Nokosi. It is true that the creatures that best the hunters who go on the hunt are honored and cherished and even dying is a moment of honor and celebration, praising the undefeated champion and praising a good death..."

But she could go on and on about the traditions of the people of her world... but it didn't seem like it would do any good, at least not now. So she opted to very timidly fidget with her fingers and keep her hot drink close to her.

"A vegetarian's someone who doesn't eat meat at all. They get their dietary protein from other sources, like peanuts or beans. There are also vegans, people who won't eat anything that comes from an animal. They don't eat any meats, milk products, or eggs."

Billy withdrew, pulling himself against the wall. He'd driven another rift between them with his stupid human ignorance when they were supposed to be bonding.

"I'm sorry. It's just a hard concept for me to understand. Humans on my world are arrogant. They take pride in being the only sentient species, and we use technology to master nature, limiting the impact of the climate and the plants and animals on us. Among the hunters on my world, any human who got killed in the hunt would simply be called stupid. How could anyone possibly lose to a beast unless they were stupid? We're so obviously superior," he spat derisively. His views in this area had clearly changed over his time on the ship, leaving him marveling at how profoundly ignorant he was.

He curled into a little ball against the wall. "But that's my world for you. Stupid. Any of you could kill me in an instant, right?" He laughed without a trace of humor. As if he tried to diffuse the tension and knew it would fail. "I won't go. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful experience out there. I just don't belong."

Edited 2012-01-16 00:27 (UTC)

"That was what I meant too," Kaya said quietly. She wouldn't admit it, not right now, but she was still feeling that stirring in her when it came to Zhin. She had gotten attached the moment they laid eyes on each other, and, looking at Fontaine, she knew that of course Nokosi would understand better than anyone.

"No one is superior to anyone, or inferior, when it comes to us. But Nokosi, you and Ronnae have the advantage of at least knowing where you stand when it comes to this, and we're used to what we've seen in our worlds. Where I'm from, dragons were wise teachers that the first firebenders learned their bending art. Many years later, their descendants would hunt the dragons to prove their worth and measure their strength against other benders. I think we can all agree that is not the way you treat a species you share your world with, whether they speak a similar language or not."

She sighed. "But we're here now, and I think we're all a little smarter. That includes you, Billy, and even me. To be honest, I was reacting a little poorly to the idea of impulsive animal killing myself. We should know by now that Nokosi and Ronnae would never participate in anything so crass."

Kaya gave her beloved an apologetic "I'll talk to you about this later" look.

Ronnae.... was left dumbfounded at the turn of events. So much so that it snapped her out of her timid retreat for a second and it actually irritated her? Or something close to it.

"I don't get it. Did I miss something?" she asked a bit annoyed.

"We were happy, and relaxed and enjoying ourselves just moments, no seconds ago! Did a simple conversation and set of questions about differences in culture and curiosities really make everyone decide that the evening was ruined and further plans should be done individually and act like this never happened?"

Her voice rose a little, a bit of that orcish fervor stirring withing for a moment as she narrowed her eyes.

"This is something I'd expect from a gathering between Alliance and Horde, people getting set off at the drop of a pin and others... jumping to conclusions." She paused,looking at Billy for a moment before letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding and leaning down to lift his chin up lovingly.

"We are who we are no matter how different or the same it might be. Regardless of the differences in strengths and weaknesses, all of us gathered here are together for a reason. We love and cherish each other for who we each are individually. And even more so as a group. What matters are the feelings we have for each other, that understanding that goes beyond the boundaries set by any race, group or culture! We're past that!"

It's cool, Ronnae. He was completely confused, too. Not that it was surprising, given this was the third or fourth time they had all been together and something he'd said sparked a quick change of atmosphere. It was almost expected at this point.

So he'd do what he always did. Honesty.

"I am not exactly sure what I am supposed to say to you Billy, because you have gone so far off what we were speaking of that I am made to believe you have some underlying issues that you might wish to speak about."

That was some hardcore loathing for his people and planet, not to mention the bit about them being able to 'easily kill him'. That came off as downright awkward. His own people had summoned a legion of demons that still persisted after thousands of years, amongst a number of other disservices to Azeroth and even he didn't speak of them in such a manner, world teetering on the brink of destruction or not.

"And I did not mention anything of one being superior or inferior. That is not the point. Neither was if we would participate in such a thing or not. Nor was anyone setting up some sort of blame game or bringing in one's ignorance to the situation." Elune knows he'd be at the bottom of that list every time if that were the case.

"The offense was given at the wording describing the event and nothing more. I was not aware one's ability to take offense at words would spawn such feelings of anger, resentment and despair. I will keep that in mind." So he could remember to keep his mouth shut.

It was amusing that Ronnae compared it to a gathering between the Horde and Alliance. There weren't even any insults or drawn weapons to qualify for that; that and the sensibilities were far too sensitive in this case.

"I'm sorry," was all Billy could say at first. His face burned so badly with embarrassment that he hid it as soon as Ronnae gave him the chance.

"I should've just apologized to you for that, but I got caught up in other issues I've been confronted with since I got involved in this war. So I'm sorry that I offended you with my ignorance. It's...next time, just say 'shut up Billy'."

There was a lot more he was starting to realize, but this was no place to dump his issues---and he couldn't yet articulate it anyway.

"It happens to the best of us," Kaya said giving her brother an affectionate pat on the back. "We aren't made of stone. One day a disaster happens, we can't just be expected to magically get over it and get back to things like nothing happened. Even this issue we were talking about, things might have been said the wrong way because of what's happened the last few days. Honestly, I would go hunting with any of you, because I know none of us would ever look at what were doing as something to take away from something else."

For her part, dead animals had been something of a sore subject, and she realized it might have come out here, where it shouldn't have.

"And anyway, no one's going to tell you to shut up, not after this. But we fully reserve the right to tell you to shut up if you depress us some other day, ok?"

She winked at him, and smiled at the others.

Nokosi stood, took a few steps forward, then plopped down in front of Billy, legs crossed and arms resting against his legs. He sat silently, simply observing the other man in all his embarrassment as if he were trying to find something. After many slow seconds crawled by, he laughed and reached out a hand to pat Billy on the shoulder.

"You are far too quick to apologize for something that is not worth an apology and berate yourself on top of it. People get offended all the time--so what? I am not upset or angry, and I would not call for your silence, either."

He could 'magically' get over certain things and act like nothing happened, but that involved less magic and more failure to identify the issues as actual issues.

"That offense means that you are given a chance for knowledge you otherwise did not have. And beyond that, you learn what is important to people and why it is. Understanding is not always gained, but you have still aquired awareness. Looking at it like that...how could I ever tell you to 'shut up' about something? If one is irked and they do not explain the basis of that offense, they limit the awareness gained by the opposite party on what bothered them in the first place. In such a case they have no right to be offended because no understanding can be attained on either side, beyond a misplaced apology. And how useful is that?"

Nokosi paused, lips rising into a wide smile that reached his eyes, causing them to be nothing more than slits of silver light. He reached out and placed a hand in Billy's hair, playing with the fluffy strands up front. He moved down, readjusted his friend's glasses, then placed a hand against his crimson cheek. When it seemed that he was done being touchy, he withdrew his arm back to his lap.

"You know, I am actually surprised that you would view ignorance in such a completely negative light, Billy. Yes, it can breed misunderstanding and ill feelings, but that is only one possibility. As intelligent as you are, it means that there is a place in your mind or heart that is free to fill with something new; that there is always more to learn. After all, if one already knows everything, life would be quite boring, would it not?"

Ronnae had taken a step back once everyone came to comfort Billy and moved to the door while the others talked. Her ears were perked up as she listened even as she opened the door enough so she could see outside.

It felt odd, seeing someone else berate themselves as she was so accustomed to doing herself, albeit mentally. Especially someone who she considered to have very little to worry about since she thought and believed he was truly amazing, sometimes finding herself clinging onto him for strength whenever she was feeling down.

But it seemed that there were things they still needed to understand about each other and she felt that she had failed him at not realizing them. She'd keep it to herself for now however, feigning emotions was something she was really good at and she wasn't about to ruin the mood.

She just gazed into the wintry wonderland while sipping on another cup of hot chocolate she had poured herself during the conversation before the mood changed.

Billy wasn't sure where to start. He smiled awkwardly at all of them, waiting for the embarrassment to fade. They were right, of course. Why had he let the top off his feelings just then? There was a time and a place.

"Of course, Kaya. I trust you'll help me on the right track." Even if he needed another lecture.

He'd passively accepted Nokosi's comfort and lecture, waiting to respond until his thoughts were properly in order again. "No, I understand. I've lost sight of the bigger picture, and the trust we have. I let myself regress and I shouldn't. So..can we start this conversation over?" he asked tentatively.

"I'm aware of your connection and your reasons for hunting now. I don't think I'll ever truly understand, but I can learn some things about you. May I offer my assistance?"

He bit his lip, glancing over at Ronnae for just a second. He was sure he'd disappointed her with his weakness. This would need explaining.

Kaya smiled, and hugged the three of them. This scenario could have gone bad in so many ways, but because of how caring the two of them were, Billy was put to ease. It meant a lot to her to know that her Bonded brother had such good friends and girlfriends willing to help pick him up when he got this bad and doubted himself.

"Hunting is life in any world you go to, even yours, Billy. You may get the animals hides prepared, but someone has to hunt them and prepare them for human consumption. From what I read though, they also go through a lot of artificial ways of being preserved. This might be a good time to have some actually have real animal meat, and appreciate where it comes from."

She had no doubt they would all honor the animal they killed in their own way.

"I'll bet you can set some decent traps, Billy."

Nokosi was quick to return the hug. "Well, I was very excited about the prospect of creating traps with you. I promise this time I will not syrup and feather you. Accidentally."

With that said he stood to make room for Ronnae, then went back to his comfy spot against Fontaine. He was sure his chocolate milk was probably cold by now, but he'd drink the hell out of it anyways.

Ronnae wasn't expecting a hug, having been lost in thought while looking at the landscape.

"Oh, ah, yeah. I actually think Billy would be rather good at creating them since he's very clever and ingenious. It's be just as many of the inventions he already makes just with a set purpose."

He'd always been smart as far as she knew, not just smart, really damn smart. So she was more than confident that he'd succeed at anything he put his mind to.

"I'll do my best," Billy promised the group, gladly accepting the hugs. He was finally starting to feel better. Inventing and working were normal. He could do that.

"I wouldn't say all that," he said modestly, but he smiled at her regardless. "But I'm sure I can handle it. Did you want to get ready to head out?"

Kaya loved the hug, but even she had neglected her foamy, marshmallowy goodness with sprinkles...which seemed to at least be calling to her a little bit.

"Of course you wouldn't, that's what we're here for," Kaya said, ruffling his hair a bit. "But give us a moment to finish up our drinks, and then we'll see what's what."

Being warm with her friends, after all, was the best feeling she had in awhile.

If anything, he was probably the fastest to finish his meal and the slowest to drink that chocolate milk. One might have thought it was some fine wine with how patiently he drank in an attempt to enjoy the creamy flavor. And the sticky marshmallow now stuck in his barely-there mustache.

Once he'd finally finished, he thanked Billy once more and raised his arms in a cat-like stretch paired with a yawn.

"Ready."

Ronnie smiled and finished her drink early, deciding to start grabbing her things while the others finished so she'd be ready for their trip.

Once she was done, she gave a thumbs up to the group and sat down near the exit.

"Ready when you all are~" she chimed in.

Billy used the time to take care of putting out the fire. It was cold out there, but they had enough warm and dry clothing. They'd make it. He piled snow atop the ashes methodically, using the repetitive action as a means to get himself back under control. Spilling his heart out all over the place didn't reflect well on him.

When he was bundled up and ready to leave, he felt almost normal and confident again. "I have everything I brought. It should be sufficient for building."

Kaya had been pacing herself, but now that she had finished with her food and drink, she looked refreshed and ready to go. She was glad to have this time with her friends, but now she was at least refreshed.

"Let's get going then." She was already in "go" mode, actually. This was her sort of her climate, after all.

Fontaine's yawn soon followed his master's, but he did not move just yet. It was a feat cramming himself into the small shelter--if he tried to leave first he'd have to bowl over everyone.

Nokosi walked to the door of the little hovel to wait, but paused along the way to smooth his hands over Kaya's, lace them together, then lay a kiss near her ear.

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WALL OF TEXT uses: TL;DR. It's super effective! ._.

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