This was all a bunch of stupidness! Shrike was in a sour mood, feeling even more foolish after the most recent Italian lesson by his father. He was laying upon the earth, curled up in a ball as he glared at whatever made noise around him. It wasn't fair that his siblings understood Italian so much easier than he did! It wasn't fair! He would huff, letting out a small noise that was almost like pouting. It just.. wasn't... fair. He felt like a complete loser. A failure as Bass' son. Sure his uncle Allen said that he would help train him and Limno was trying to help but it all felt pointless!

Shrike was starting to realize {not that he would admit it to anyone else} that he wasn't as tough and top notch as he thought he was. He would get up, huffing as he kicked at some plant. He'd glance out towards the rapids, thinking to himself if he just ran away... would they miss him? Would they be better off? He was just a loser anyway? He would flop his rear end on the ground and stare out across the land in a brooding manner.

This. Sucked.

"Speech,"
'Thoughts'
"Italian"

Table by:: Eve

Starling was happy lately. He was learning so much, and he rather enjoyed it. He had learned quickly that fighting wasn't his specialty, and he sure wasn't going to be good at scouting so the field medic position was out. But Healing...and Italian, those were things that he could actually learn well. It helped when he associated Italian with his healing, calling his herbs by certain names, figuring out what certain ailments meant in the language. But it seemed...some of the family was not doing so well.... He trotted along the rocks, searching for more horsetail to add to his stores. Winter was coming and he would have to have some of that on hand. It was very important. Sniffing, he searched for the plant but stopped when he saw his brother. With a tilt of his head he stepped towards him, a small smile on his face. "Fratello!" He called over the distance, a small smile upon his lips as he trotted towards him. But then he saw his expression, and with a pause he would tilt his head. "Shrike? Wh-what's the matter?" He asked softly, his head a little lower. It was strange to see the happy-go-lucky Shrike be anything but, well, happy...and hyper. He wondered if this had anything to do with the lesson.. "Talk""Italian"

He would hear the call of Starling and he would give a heavy sigh. Great... just when he wanted to stay away from the others and brood silently to himself his dearest brother had to come along. The boy would lift his head up to look at Starling as he asked him what was wrong. He would keep his ears back against his head, getting to his paws before he would answer the other young man. "Apparently I'm what's wrong, Starling. I can't grasp Italian as easily as any of our siblings... I can't remember herbs as easily as you... I'm too loud during training... everything is wrong!" Shrike would lower his gaze, feeling frustrated with himself. "It makes me hate those lessons dad tries to give us. He moves too fast and I get lost... the words just blur together in my head and don't make sense anymore." Shrike would complain. "...It makes me wonder if I should just leave. No one needs someone like me who messes everything up... I'm just a burden... aren't I?" He would lift his frustrated gaze back to his brother, awaiting his answer. "Speech"

Table by:: Eldarwen

Starling would wait for his brother, his ears pulled back and bright blue eyes staring desperately at Shrike. Something was the matter, and it wasn't natural. When he began to speak though, Starling couldn't help but look down at the ground. So that was it? Shrike wasn't understanding the material handed to him? He shifted from paw to paw, his mind whirling with ways to help his brother when suddenly he was talking about going away, and how he was a burden. His head snapped up, his eyes hard for a second before quickly softening, a small smile tugging at his lips. Stepping forward and attempting to place a paw along his shoulder. "Shrike.." He whispered, his voice steady as he met his brother's eyes. "You are more than you g-give yourself credit f-for.." He whispered, cursing his stuttering. It made it sound less real when he did that. But instead he shook his head, smiling brightly at him. "A-at least you don't t-trip over y-your paws every step.." He laughed softly, making fun of himself as he moved forward to nudge his nose against Shrike, to give him his love. Stepping away then, excitement running in his veins, he would circle back. With the brightest of grins he'd look at Shrike. "P-perhaps you're j-just learning wrong! Let me h-help you." He said with a bright smile. "I-I know italian...I am q-quiet...and I k-know herbs! W-we can make i-it a game, a c-competition." He said with the brightest of smiles. "W-we'll surprise them all...of..umh, your usefulness. Y-you're amazingness. Y-you just have t-to tap into it...th..that's all." He would nod his head then, convinced. Yes, this would work just fine, and Starling would be able to help his family in more ways than just healing their booboos. Perhaps he could learn for them, and then teach in ways that only a sibling could. With games and competitions and sibling rivalry. Yes, that would work....he hoped. "Talk""Italian"

Starling would do his best to try to comfort him. Saying that he was more than he gave himself credit for, and then even saying how he wasn't like his brother who stumbled over his paws every step. Shrike would look up at the other young man with a frown. "So? Who cares if you stumble? You're really smart!" Shrike refused to let his brother say anything negative about himself, even if he was the one initially putting himself down. The young man would frown, listening as Starling continued to speak again.

Make it a game... a competition to learn Italian. He would frown a bit in uncertainty, but he felt a little better as Starling continued to speak. His ego was getting stroked, feeling a bit of his confidence return. If his brother believed in him then surely... surely he could make it. He would think for a moment and then give a small nod. "I guess we can give it a try..." He would say gently. "What exactly did you have in mind?" Shrike would adjust himself so that he was sitting before his brother, looking at him with gentle bi-colored eyes.

"Speech!"
'Thoughts!'

Table by:: Eve

Starling would smile so gently when Shrike would jump on him putting himself down, but he merely shook his head. "N-not really.." He said softly, just smiling like it didn't bother him. "I-i just l-like to l-learn." He said with a small smile, a gentle tilt of his head. He wasn't truley intelligent, but at least he had his mind because the physical aspects of his being were rather..lacking. It was a gift, and as more days went on the more he realized it. So with a gentle smile he just accepted both of their truths, Starling's faults and the strength Shrike wanted to enunciation. His brother seemed to latch onto the idea, even a little. And it made the young healer rather giddy. He loved the idea that he could possibly be helping Shrike through his problems. So instantly his little cogs began to whirl, trying to come up with a game plan for his little teaching lesson. He wondered how to make it a game, a challenge. With a blink of brilliant blue eyes he'd grin. "Vieni!" He barked, bouncing on his paws slightly before he'd turn quickly to trott towards his little dug out. He needed to sort through his plants, hoping that Shrike would follow along behind him. "Talk""Italian"