serpent plains

Okay... maybe fighting wasn't the best idea. But then again, her jaw had been almost healed and she had been taking care of her wounds as Starling dictated. Her jaw ached now, just a little... but at the same time there was satisfaction. She did well in that fight. She hadn't gotten that hurt, either. The main thing was a bit of bruising, and even that wasn't bad at all. She was missing a few hairs from her scruff... okay, she got bit and it stung just a little but most of the time she didn't even notice it.  

Right now, she was flopped outside her den, herbs laid out in front of her. She had already taken her dosage today, but she hadn't gone through the Italian words Starling had taught her when he was here last. It wasn't much, but tey were good memories... and it was a calming activity. Black nose touched the first herb, the one with the bundles of white flowers.  "Prato dulce." Her nose moved to each item she had collected, in order. "Sambuco, boscaglia, bacca, albero, ramo..."her voice trailed off as her ears flattened and she stared at the last item... then a grin appeared, and she murmured the final word: "Boglia!"  Tail beating on the dirt, her eyes closed happily.

"Speech" "Italian"

Starling had been back for a little while now, but he had spent his time setting up his store and getting updated by and updating his father. There were plans, excitement but also worry. He worried about this man Sin and what he was going to do now... With a sigh he moved along, berries and flowers in his jaws. He had made a promise and a request of a certain girl, and he had to keep that promise. He was a healer, and he needed to make sure she was healing properly. He trotted up to her den, blinking slightly when a familiare language drifted into his ears. He couldn't help but smile softly before he dropped the herbs at his door step, and tilting his head. "Y-you're doing well." He said with a gentle smile, his eyes shining softly as he looked at her. "W-well with the l-language that i-is." He said with a small laugh, moving to sit down and gently nudge the herbs with his paws as he reguarded the girl. He wondered if she would be surprised that he had come home so much earlier than expected. He was glad, though, to be home. Not only could he keep a bigger eye on her jaw, but he could see his family every day and help others learn more. "D-did y-you do y-your excersizes?" He asked with a gentle smile.   "Talk" | "Italian"

The girl was oblivious in her simple joy, so when the boy's voice drifted into her ears, she startled - eyes flew open to meet a familiar brown and white form. Within moments she had bounced up, tail wagging and a grin on her face. "Starling!" She was truly glad to see the boy; she truly liked him, a lot. He was kind, nice, and taught her a really cool language. What was there not to like? She didn't even respond to the doing well comment; she was too excited, although it was a bit obvious from her reaction that she was doing quite well.

"Well in general," she finally replied after his clarification, though her tail was still whirring behind her and her eyes shone with happiness. She paused before adding, a bit shyly even, "I've been practicing every day so I don't forget before you came back..." Her ears flicked back and she grinned sheepishly, before her eyes widened with what she just said. Before he came back. Wait. He was back. "So you're back? You're home?" she questioned rapidly, hoping that he was indeed back. She nodded to the question, her jaws parting wide for a brief moment just to prove she had. More conversations, more Italian, more friendship forming. It was a hope, and hopefully a hope that could actually happen and was not just futile.

"Speech" "Italian"

Starling blinked in surprise at the exclimation of his name, and he couldn't help but smile gently. She missed him? It seemed like that. Huh. He couldn't help the gentle sway of his tail as she leapt up, her excitement evident on her face before she began to question whether or not he was actually back. "Y-yeah, I'm h-home now.." He said with a gentle smile, his gaze seeming to shift to something beyond sight before sighing. "S-something h-happened with s-sonticus. Th-they e-ended up m-moving th-their pack, s-so I decided t-to come home e-early." He said with a gentle smile, lifting his eyes back up to her. "G-good thing t-too. M-means I c-can make s-sure you a-aren't g-getting in-into more t-trouble before y-you're healed." He said gently, grinning as she demonstrated her jaw stretch. Hmm, good! The fracture seemed to be healing well, and he would step forward to examine her shoulder which seemed to be healing and scarring over well. He'd step towards her, nudging the old wound with his nose before something caught his eye. He blinked before squinting his eyes, stepping closer still and turning his head to look at the back of her neck before he sighed and stepped away. "O-or p-perhaps I'm t-too late." He said with disappointment lacing his voice as he circled back to his dropped herbs, sighing softly. "Wh-what did y-you get i-into?" He asked softly then, tilting his head up to look at her, sky blue eyes deep but concerned. "Talk" | "Italian"

If it was even possible, her tail beat harder at those words, and her eyes alit with cheerfulness. That truly excited her... and... excite! much excite, such wonder! That smile dropped as his gaze drifted away and he spoke of problems with Sonticus. A worry passed over her face, and she couldn't help but scrutinize him for any wounds. The way he made it sound, even if he softened it with a smile, it was not good. "Are they okay?" It was a question that was both genuine and not; she said it because she cared about who she considered her friend thought, and she thought he cared for them. So she asked. However... she couldn't stop the snort that emerged with the little trouble comment, nor could she stop the lopsided grin and the mischievous smile.

That smile faded when he stepped forward. Uh-oh. The spar. She suddenly remembered the wounds on the back of her neck; though they were mostly gone, but they were still there. her ears flattened at the sigh, when he noticed them, and her eyes fell to the ground. She prevented herself from whining; she did not like the disappointment at all. The words, though, did not stop her soft, low, short whine. When he asked what happened, she lifted her head again, green eyes meeting blue. "I... uhhh..." she stammered, ears flicking back. "Uhhh... I was practicing jaw exercises?" she suggested, green eyes once more flicking away

"Speech" "Italian"

Star sighed again, lifting his gaze to her as she stammered...lied. His jaw clenched and his ears fell back before he sat down, staring away from her to the edge of her den. There was disappointment there as he sighed again, shaking his head. Though, could he really...expect anything else. Instead he'd turn blue eyes back to her, his smile faded from his face. "Wh-why would you th-think it w-was a good i-idea?" He asked then, watching her. He wanted to ask her why she was so stupid, but he wasn't that rude. He was just disappointed in this girl he considered a friend. Instead he would just sigh again and stare at her. "I-I know a-after y-you get y-your f-face e-eaten, you p-probably want t-to learn t-to defend y-yourself, b-but y-you could have easily s-stretched y-your jaw t-too much, and c-caused even more damage. Th-then you would n-never be able t-to even eat wh-whole food a-again, l-let alone fight!" He said then, feeling a rare anger flood his chest. "Th-then w-what w-were you g-going to do? S-someone w-would al-always have t-to chew y-your food f-for you, you w-would ha-hardly be able t-to talk. Y-you have to l-let wounds heal be-before you c-cause more damage!" He would groan then, shaking his head and lowering his nose towards the ground. She was okay now, though, but he wanted to drive it home so she would know for the future. "Y-you've b-been taking y-your herbs?" He asked then, looking down at the pile at his paws. She said she had been doing her stretching, so she must have been following his herb perscription. He hoped... "Lillie...I-I really c-care about y-your health. Y-you must c-care about it t-too. Y-you're v-very....you n-need t-to th-think more b-before you d-do things..." He said softly, pawing the herbs at his toes very gently. "Talk" | "Italian"

Another whine; her response was clearly not the right one at all. Oh, how she wished she could sink into the ground, how she wished she could just disappear, or not exist, or never fought, or never did something. Yet, she couldn't move. She just wanted to cower, cower against the wall of her den, but she found herself immobile. She wanted to cry, in a way, yet couldn't. Pain, emotional pain, swam in her eyes instead, and those eyes were downcast. Her tail had fallen still, curling between her legs. When he asked her why, her head ducked down, but she couldn't stay silent. "Iwaspractisingmyjawexercizesonanotherwolf," she mumbled, still not looking at the boy.

Her ears, if possible, flattened even further to her skull, and she felt herself sinking lower and lower into the ground, pressing herself into the den wall as if that would save her from this. It was true, every word; she knew it, and it kinda hurt, and she kinda didn't want to hear it, but it hurt worst of all from Starling. Her body tightened in on itself, curling into itself in a ball, nose buried under her tail and all four paws tucked in close to her body. She tried to bury her head, eyes staring blankly, tear-filled, at the back of her den. He spoke again, but she merely tried curling into a tighter ball, staying that way even when his voice remained soft.

"Speech" "Italian"

Star would sigh, yet again, fidgetting slightly as she curled amongst herself and...was that a sniff? Perhaps....maybe. He knew those were tears, at least, a very...submissive stance. He suddenly felt...very awkward. Girls, ugh, he didn't get them. He swallowed slightly and shifted to stand, moving towards her before pausing a moment. His ears would press back, eyes flicking away and behind him before looking the other way. His head would lower before he quickly stepped into the den. "L-lillie..." He said softly then, shifting to step to her side and put a paw on her uninjured shoulder. He didn't know what to say, so instead he would lay down beside her curled form. He clenched his jaw slightly before licking his lips. "L-lillie...y-you...are g-getting older now." Weren't they the same age? Close to it? "And...y-you belong to this pack. L-lillie...you m-must start th-thinking b-before you d-do things like th-this. With the fa-face biter thing...and w-with this...yo-you could c-cause a lot of...trouble." He said softly then, lowering his head then to look intently at his paw pads. Girls... "L-listen. I....d-don't have the right to b-be mad at y-you...b-but...it's..my job? Th-the older you g-get, the more you m-must think about o-other people." He has always had to think about other wolves, due to him being a healer. He needed to consider the health of other wolves, and think about them. If he was hurt, he wouldn't be able to help others. "Pl-please...try t-to b-be more c-careful in th-the future....Please." He said softly, shifting slightly to press his shoulder against hers, if she would allow. "Talk" | "Italian"

Though her ears were pressed back, and would stay that way, she couldn't help but strain them for sound, for movement of Starling. She heard when he approached, and her form did not move, staying in that tight ball. She was, however, not prepared at all for the light touch of a paw on her shoulder; her shoulder jerked in surprise, though there was no movement after that to dislodge or move the paw that was there. An ear even twitched when he settled beside her, the girl unable to stop it. She felt pathetic, pitiful; unworthy and disgusting. She felt like a child getting scolded, and felt ashamed. Which, she should. And she also had to apologize, apologize for her actions. She truly did feel bad, and… didn’t exactly like making others unhappy or upset. “I’msorry,” she murmured, the words muffled by the fur on her tail. He was right; she was being childish, and he was… not. While she could not.. really get the courage or urge to speak more, she didn’t protect when she felt him press against her slightly. Rather, her body relaxed some - while she was still a ball, she was not as tense, and she was not as rigid.

"Speech" "Italian"

Silence would settle around them, thick and powerful and almost stiffling. He did not know what to do, or what to say, he merely sat there and stared at the pads of his left paw. His shoulder was pressed gently against her own, and he didn't like it. Twin emotions of anger and sorrow flooded through him as his mind reeled in ways to help her. He thought of Finch, but he doubted a flower would help her get out of this. So instead he suddenly turned to her, sky blue eyes staring at her curled up form. He stood up finally, jumping up on his paws and spinning around to face her. Without a word he would reach forward with a leg and try to hook it between her curled form and pull her free. He'd use all his weight to try and cause her to uncurl a bit before he leaned toward to push his nose by her curled in shoulder and try to nuzzle her free, to tickle her and get her to laugh and uncurl and be okay. He would laugh softly as he did, trying to pull her towards him and nuzzle into her, to show her that it was okay, that he wasn't mad and he didn't want her to be upset. "Lillie! Don't sulk." He said with an awkward laugh, trying to pull her out of his funk as best as he could. "Talk" | "Italian"

Well... a flower could, if it was from Finch. Even seeing the girl made Lillie cheerful. From Starling, it would make her thaw... but not unsulk herself. What he did do, though, did work. When the bigger and older boy jumped up, Lillie's eyes flew open, her head twitching to the side. Then, when Starling slipped a paw against her belly and pulled, the girl yelped and flailed. Breath would tickle her shoulder and she'd flail more, a whine of "Staaaaarrr," coming from her. Still, his plan worked: she was laughing, albeit only a little. "What are you doiiiinngggg?" More flailing as she was dragged backwards and all of sudden she was engulfed in what seemed like a giant brown furry hug with a muzzle nuzzling her neck and laughter coming somewhere above her. She wriggled in his grasp, though she only wriggled for a moment before leaning on him, laughing softly and shaking her head. "Okay, okay," she murmured, leaning up and twisting to look at him. A sad smile crossed her face. "I am sorry," she informed him, a small sigh at the end of the statement. "I was being childish. Feel free to smack me for that." Yep, she meant it too.

"Speech" "Italian"

Star would laugh as she flailed, but he still managed to pull her out of her tight knot and pull her into an odd, awkward hug that he had hoped would break her from her funk. When she seemed too, a small laugh bubbling from her, he could help but grin and feel beyond happy that he had managed to help her. He would lift his head and grin down at her, shaking his head just slightly when she said she was sorry, and she was being childish. "W-well you're not wrong." He said with a teasing smile, moving to sit back on his haunches and pull his leg from around her side, but allowing her to lean on him. "W-we all mature a-at different rates...t-take me and Finch, w-we're different in maturity level even th-though we're the same age." He said softly, his smile never leaving his face as he smiled down at her. "B-but you have g-got to start thinking more, Lillianna. F-for your own safety. Take th-these as lessons, and learn. G-got it? Don't fi-fight if y-you're injured, and w-watch out for face eaters." He'd nod his head then, smiling softly before he moved to stand, glancing out of her den at the herbs he had brought. He suddenly had a better idea, as he turned to look at her. "T-tell ya what. I gotta p-practice, and s-so do you. L-let's practice our sparring, and this w-way I can keep an e-eye on your inuries. If y-you're pushing yourself I will call t-time out, and I'll be there t-to prevent or h-heal injuries. Okay?" He asked with a gentle smile. He wondered, briefly, if Bass would be okay with this, seeing as he and Lillianna weren't partners...but this way they both practiced more and Starling could keep an eye on her injuries. "Okay?" "Talk" | "Italian"

A half-smile at the tease; both saddened and amused, and grateful too. That was one thing she found she loved about Starling - he never really held a grudge. Even when saying certain things, it had a soft, teasing tone to it that made it not a jab. It was something she wasn't used to, though it was greatly appreciated. She nodded at his words, hat half-smile transforming into a full smile at the thought of Finch. "Yes... she's so innocent, so... simple." She fell silent, simply listening; nodding... and then snorting at him. "Never gonna let me live that one down, hmm?" she asked with a wry smile, standing as well. She followed his eyes to the herbs, then also to the herbs that were to the side, the dried ones she had been using. "You didn't have to get me more," she then said, softly. "You knew I'd have enough until I was healed." That made her wonder, though she quickly banished those thoughts from her head. It wasn't that difficult, especially with Star talking about sparring. She perked up, nodding. "Okay!" She had the chance earlier to work on spars but she... didn't feel comfortable sparring with the rest yet; she wanted o only spar with people she knew closely and strangers. "That would work. Now?" she questioned, tail swinging behind her.

"Speech" "Italian"

Starling would smile softly then, looking at her when she spoke about Finch. With a small smile he'd nod, looking down at his paws. "H-her and I are probably th-the closest of my siblings." He said with a small smile. "I look out f-for her all the time." He would clear his throat then, looking back towards the herbs he had picked for her and stepping towards them. He gently pawed them into a pile at his paws. A small smile touched his lips then as he looked up at her. "Not a chance." He's grin, reaching down to gather the plants and place them inside her den, with the rest of them. He'd take his time seperating them later, for not he wanted to practice. "W-well, I w-wasn't sure if y-you were taking the right a-ammount. B-besides, h-healing...it's not a hundred percent a-accurate for...time." He said softly, looking back up at her with a smile. "I-it's far b-better to have more, than t-to not have enough." He would turn then to take a few steps out of her den, glancing around for a good flat spot for a battle field. Now? He'd glance towards her and smile. "Now's th-the best time to d-do anything, isn't it?" He said with a grin. Starling wasn't a procrastinator, he was often very very busy. He wasn't one to just lay around or anything. So why not now? "C'mon lazy butt, l-let's get movin." "Talk" | "Italian"

A smile; gentle, and sweet, it adorned her lips almost instantly. It pleased her, probably more than it should have, that Starling looked out for Finch; she truly did worry sometimes for the girl, worried that one day someone would take her innocence and she'd not be able to prevent it. With two protectors, though, Finch can survive anything. And Lillie knew that anyone who tried taking Finch's pretties - the necklace - would find that they really don't want an upset Finch. A chuckle at the thought; the chuckle turned to a snort when Star gave his verdict. "Of course you won't," she murmured, though a smile still touched her lips: it showed she was not bitter, nor upset by it; rather, she was amused.

She smiled again at his words, shaking her head briefly. "Don't underestimate your knowledge," the girl informed him, with a rather firm voice. "I do understand, though. It really isn't always guaranteed. But you are a good healer." Her voice was equally as firm, and confident; she had no doubts, no hesitation. She agreed with him, too, nodding very much so at the too-much-is-better. "If we had a world where things were in abundance, we'd be in a world of bliss." It was only murmured, and softly; Star would have had to strain to hear it. It was said mostly to herself, though she wouldn't mind the male hearing.

A laugh was startled from her with Starling's teasing. "Lazy butt, huh?" she snorted. Her head tossed; a grin flat-out forming as her face. She'd show him, and in a good way; if he knew more than her, she was a quick learner - and she would beat him at some point. Maybe not at first... or second, or third, but it will happen.

"Speech" "Italian"