[Fallen_Snow]

"Oh... oh yeah. He's a total love bird. Tends to swoon over girls. The really soft, annoying ones, though. Nothing like us two, the actual women." she said with a smile, hoping to get a pleasant reaction out of that from her new friend. "I suppose if you wanted to be as daft as the girls he follows, you would still have a shot, but I have a feeling you prefer intelligence." Kennedy said with a giggle.

Rook laughed at the beeper suggestion. "I'll have to look for one of those," he commented, "it would come in handy a good amount of times, I'm sure." As Choruk continued, Rook tried to come up with a story. Let's see... if Kenny had lost her locket, what would have made them use enough force to lose it?

"Well, we were out here mainly just to get some fresh air, I guess." He began, winging it. "Kennedy's always rattling on and on about how we never go on fun adventures," which was true, "so I figured I might as well take her somewhere interesting. She seems to be having fun," he said sullenly, looking ahead at her and Oyala, "though I don't understand why she had to go wearing that locket. I had told her that if she lost it, we weren't going back for it, but then she gave me that look... well, not directly at me, but in my general direction. She was fairly close, though I didn't realize I had the same disposition as a rock..." he trailed off, watching as Kennedy laughed at something she had said. What could they be talking about?

"Alright, I've given you my story, how about yours? How'd you end up with Oyala?"

[MillietheWarrior]

Oyala snorted, looking faintly disapproving, although she knew Kennedy could not see the look on her face. “Why, in the name of the Manda, would he like those types of women? They’re all fluff and bluster. Can’t do anything even remotely useful. Has he got rocks for brains, or something?” She snorted, tactfully leaving off the ‘Is he blind?!’ comment. “Maybe he likes them because they suit him, I suppose. I do prefer intelligence, both in myself and the guys I go after.” She snorted hotly, sounding faintly annoyed. “And I thought it might be…” She fell silent, making a face.

“Never mind. If that’s the case, I guess I’m out of luck. That sucks, I suppose…” She paused thoughtfully, stepping over a rather large branch in her path and nudging Kennedy around it. “Hm…By any chance…can he fight? He doesn’t look like much of a fighter, but I’m curious.” Oyala suddenly laughed, smirking to herself. “I could probably take him with one hand tied behind my back.” She glanced at Kennedy, as if waiting for a reaction. Her face was set into a thoughtful frown, before she added in a lower voice; “What’s an Other?”


Choruk tried very hard not to eavesdrop on Oyala’s conversation. He just knew she was saying something coarse, or stupid, or foul, and probably corrupting poor little Kennedy to kingdom come. He managed not to sigh out loud, and shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, mumbling briefly to himself. “An interesting…day you’ve had there, huh?” he said casually, shrugging his shoulders. He turned slightly, glancing at Rook from the corner of his eye, and chuckled.

“Just a day out, I suppose. Oyala wanted to have a bit of ‘target practice’ as she calls it, with the local fauna. So I came along to make sure she didn’t get too out of hand. She tends to get…a little…trigger happy, I guess you could call it. I blame her uncles.” He snorted; those were his ‘uncles’ too. “Besides, she’s my cousin, so she’s my responsibility., If I let her go off shooting willy-nilly, who do you think would get blamed?”

[7/12  7/23]

[Fallen_Snow]

"Out of luck? Well, Rook's a softie when it comes to girls, so you may still have a chance. He's pretty intelligent himself, but seems to think highly of the 'innocent and well-tempered ladies', as he puts them." Kennedy said, though she was thoroughly confused. Oyala had given her the impression earlier that she could care less what Rook did and did not think, but now she sounded fairly taken with him. Huh.

At the question of fighting skills, Kennedy smiled. "Oh, Rook can fight alright. He might not be strong enough to take you down--from the sounds of you, you'd be a fairly tough opponent--but he would put up a good fight. He's taught me a few moves that I might be able to use if need be, but for the most part, I see myself as a 'trip-the-enemy-up-and-hope-to-get-away' kind of person." she said, laughing. She was on a roll today.

But then Oyala asked about Others. Kennedy froze, and felt like she wouldn't move for a while. Her fingers clenched, but relaxed after a moment. "Well, uh..." Kennedy's eyes widened and narrowed, as if she was trying to focus on something on the ground, as her head was still turned down. "Well... alright, you're going to think I'm crazy, but it's obvious you're going to ask about this again if I don't tell you." Kennedy said finally, making her decision. If Oyala was going to push, she was going to get the information. "And I would prefer that you not ask this question around Rook; he's even more paranoid than I am, though I don't know why... I don't think it's dangerous..." she said, narrowing her eyes again. "No, it's not. I'm pretty sure it's not."

"An Other is what everyone looks for-- their other half, their best friend, their lover... someone who connects with them where no one else can. Anyone who is a designated Other is designed to do great things, but only with their own Other. Each are born at the same time, but usually far, far away from each other. Which means... they have to find each other. It's usually a painful process, as an Other is not Whole, as they would be when they finally find their other. It's the reason that I'm blind-- usually, one Other is blind while the other is deaf. It's more common than it is for an Other to be completely normal physically."

Kennedy waved her hand about, searching for Oyala's hand. Once she found it, she held it, squeezing it slightly. "You following?" she asked.

Rook shrugged. "I suppose the person who was with her before that." he said with a small smile. "She seems nice enough, though. Where'd she get that blaster, anyways? Never seen something as complicated-looking as that." He eyed the one that swayed at her hip nervously. "The most dangerous weapon I ever saw before that was a plain sword in a shop. I had been tempted to buy it, but when the shopkeeper put it in my hand to test, the balance was off. I didn't want him to readjust it, so I didn't get it. I would love to own a sword, though. Elegant art."

[MillietheWarrior]

“He must have rocks for brains,” Oyala muttered, rolling her eyes in faint amusement. It wasn’t that she had any idea of pursuing a man she met in the middle of the forest, but like many Mandos, she made snap decisions on who she wanted as a partner, and if Rook could fight, then perhaps he was worth consideration. Her eyes refocused on Kennedy and she chuckled lightly. “I see…So he knows a bit about fighting. Interesting…perhaps I should test that out…” She fell silent, listening to Kennedy’s explanation, before she nodded slowly.

“Ah, I see.” This Other business sounded fairly interesting. “So, I take it you have not met your Other?” She smiled playfully, squeezing Kennedy’s hand gently. “Well, you could always try Choruk. He doesn’t have an Other either…Er…He’s pretty much been alone as long as I can remember.” She pondered that thoughtfully, before she nodded at Kennedy, and then remembered the woman couldn’t see it. “Yes, coming. How much father?” She could hear water in the distance, but she wasn’t even sure if they were headed in the right direction.

“Nah. She’s more of a lone-wolf type. It’s why I get stuck looking after her; she doesn’t tolerate anyone but her siblings and I.“ Choruk turned his head slightly to Rook, smirking in amusement. “The blaster, eh? She’s got tons of those. Her father gave them to her. She’s a real fighter; she’s not like all those pomp and fluff girls you see at the malls or in the towns. Believe me when I say, you’ll never meet another like her. She might kick your shebs and then ask for your phone number all in the same hour.” He laughed again, shaking his head. “My mother likes those kinds of weapons; spears, swords, knives…Unfortunately, so does Oyala, and she…likes to use them a lot more than my mother does. I wouldn’t want to deal with either of them on a bad day…”

[8/13 8/24]

[Fallen_Snow]

"Oh! Is Choruk deaf?" asked Kennedy, a excitement flashing on her face. "Though even if he isn't... I'm still not exactly sure how the Other-slash-Whole thing works, myself. Rook knows more about it than I do, he's a Guide." Kennedy felt a lot better as she told Oyala more about the whole situation. She hadn't really had anyone but Rook to talk about this stuff with, so it wasn't surprising she was just dumping all the info onto the other woman.

"Shebs?" asked Rook. He was assuming it meant shins, but he wanted to make sure. He'd been lost in translation before. "She seems nice, just a little... dangerous." he said, and eyed the blaster again. "Does she have a significant other?" he asked, though it was doubtful to him, unless it was someone more like herself.

((Ack, sorry. x_x My posts are a little shorter than I'd like. It would help if my dad didn't keep yelling at me to use the summer to write a book. xDx;; And sorry for the wait!))

[MillietheWarrior]

“Er, no,” Oyala said, frowning slightly. “He’s healthy as a horse. Really, really moody and sulky, but healthy, I have to admit. He was trained at an early age to be a fighter, so he’s never really…I don’t know what you’d call it. ‘Soft,’ maybe…? He’s all hard edges. He’s a bit difficult to get close to.” She elbowed Kennedy lightly, looking faintly amused as they neared the water’s edge. “But I bet you could manage. He’s a sucker for the ‘cute and innocent’ type, I must admit. But then, what man isn’t?” She snorted. “Although cute and innocent don’t get you too far. If you could land a punch or smack him upside the head, or heck, even trip him, he’d probably fall in love with you right then and there.”


“Means ‘backside.’ She’d kick your butt, basically,” Choruk said with a thoroughly amused smile. Not only did he enjoy the reaction that outsiders had to his language, but he also enjoyed using it in conversations with them; it made it pretty funny when they had no idea what he was talking about and he had to translate. “Oh-ho, she’s dangerous all right. But a little danger never hurt anyone, right?” He smirked at Rook, before tilting his head. “Why, you interested?” He asked, genuinely curious. “Naw, she doesn't, besides. There’s no one brave enough. She looks for someone who wouldn’t be afraid to get into a scrap, either with her or someone else. She likes rough and tumble, but a part of me thinks she just wants someone who will be her friend, and her ‘significant other,’ as you so eloquently put it. She doesn’t like being alone, and as tough as she is, I know she just wants someone to like her for who she is, and…maybe to spar with her from time to time.” He smirked, chuckling lightly.

[9/14 9/25]

((No worries. Sorry for the wait. ^^; Got swamped with trying to juggle too many things...))

[Fallen_Snow]

"Me? Cute and innocent? Don't make me laugh!" Kennedy said, a large smile plastered on her face. "I'm tough, and as manly as any woman!" she growled jokingly, flexing her skinny arms. She wasn't muscly by a long shot, though she looked fit enough. She dropped the joke quickly though, laughing loudly at her own clever comebacks. "Aw, I don't think I'd have to hit him. Guys like it when a girl sees their heart just as much as their muscles, though I've found they usually prefer muscles before heart. They gotta' attract ya physically before they can go for the 'motional stuff, ya kna?" Kenny said. It was then that her toes fell into water, and she jumped back. "Whoa! Cooooooollllllllllld." she griped, gripping her foot in her hand. As she held her foot in her hands, she plopped down on the ground, the soft mud-dirt cushioning her fall. "What about you?" Kennedy asked. "You ever fall in love?"

"Huh. I'll have to remember that one. Rolls off the tongue a lot better than backside." Rook said with a small smirk. As Choruk continued on his roll about Oyala, Rook smiled. "I don't think anyone minds a little danger. It's what makes life eventful, I suppose. I would say exciting, but danger doesn't always mean exciting. You learn that when you're with Kennedy. She almost got both of us killed by trying to walk onto a bridge and instead nearly fell down a cliff. It was definitely a rush, but not the fun one." Rook said, wrinkling his forehead. "Brave, huh? Well, brave's a hard thing to come by... headstrong, maybe, but they're different from brave. The stupid form of bravery, I guess you could call it." Rook said with a shrug.

"If she wants someone who knows who she is... shouldn't she show who she really is? I mean, I see the fighting, tough part of her... but where's the real Oyala? Who's in that big ol' brain of hers?" Rook mused, watching the two women as they met the waterside. His gaze lingered on the back of Oyala's head before turning back to Choruk. "And how good's her sparring?" he asked quietly, a smile parting his lips.

[MillietheWarrior]

Oyala chortled quietly. “Awww, you remind me of my sister. She tries to be tough, but really, she’s just one big ball of cute and fluffy. I swear…” She shook her head, a small smile on her face. “You don’t know us Mandos very well, do you?” she said, her smile turning into a smirk. “We’re not the kind of people who value soft hearted emotions. The thing that impresses us the most are brains, endurance, and the ability to take a beating and not complain. Sure, we respect a gal or a guy who can openly cry without an qualms about it, but what impresses us most is your strength of heart and your bravery.” She gently tapped Kenny’s shoulder. “Just remember that, and you’ll go far. The world isn’t about looks, and it isn’t about being cute. Those things can only get you so far, ad’ika.” Oyala watched in amusement as she stepped into the water, taking a seat on the bank. “Sorry, should’ve told you we were here.” Kennedy’s next question startled her, and she fell silent for a brief, thoughtful moment, before she shook her head. “Nope, never.”

Choruk chuckled. “Sounds like you and your lady friend get into a lot of interesting situations.” He paused quietly, as he glance dup ahead. Then girls had reached the pond or the lake; he wasn’t even sure what they were heading to. “What you see is what you get, for the most part. She’s a very…complicated person. I know you might think she’s hiding behind a tough façade, but she’s really not. That’s who she is, and it’s who she always has been. She just had…some issues in her past that made her the way she is today.” He shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you if she’s someone different inside; I don’t even know her as well as I think I do.” He chuckled. “Her sparring? Pretty decent, if I do say so myself. She’s beaten me and her brother a fair few times…She’s fast.”

[10/15 10/26]

[Fallen_Snow]

"Fast, huh?" Rook said quietly, looking over Oyala once more. Maybe he should see how good she was at sparring. He wouldn't call himself a master, but he was no amateur. He cracked his knuckles. "Does she take on newcomers?" he asked, trying to figure out where a fast person's weakness would be. He could only assume that she was much better at fighting than himself, but it would earn him some new experience in fighting--and maybe more.

"Yeah, I know. Looks aren't a big deal to me; it's nothing I can help." she said with a smile. Her appearance was determined by other people, and others appearances didn't really reach her. "Though I don't know about bravery. Your heart can reach miles, but how far can bravery go? You can only push your limit so far, and bravery is kind of linked to your mental and physical abilities." Kennedy said, sliding her toes back into the pool. "I don't think blind people are brave physically. Only mentally, 'cause we aren't that good at sizing up enemies in that way, you know?" she said slowly, laying back so that she was flat on the ground, her back in the wet dirt.

"You've never been in love? How come? No one tough enough?" Kennedy said playfully, putting her hands behind her head and breaking into a small smile.