§Where Few Dare Tread {OPEN}

[hobby]

Crisp was one of many words to described this morning. Others such as fresh, moist, and aromatic. There had been rain the night before and even though the trees were black as the deep of night, and the days darkened by the dense forest and shady atmosphere. It seemed rather peaceful. As over the horizon, sun rays was gleamed. There was a calm about the woods. No screams of agony from fed upon prey, and no growls or grunts of territory protection. Just the trickle of lasting dew from the midnight shower, that played each leaf it hit like a piano key.

One wayward droplet weaved its way over branches and made the peril less drop to the earth below only to strike a nose. A nose that twitched and scrunched up as the water curved around it and made its way around the obstacle and finally tumbling the last few feet to the soil. This nose it had struck was not a fan of being wet. Unlike that of a bear, boar, or canine. This nose was salty and dry, with out of sight hairs. A mammals nose, but no ‘animals’. It was, though seemingly out of place in these woods, a human nose.

hObby groaned as he felt the water run off his nose and his dark eyes batted open. In the corner of each lid was the crust of his short live rest. One of many he took during the day. Cured by a wipe from a rough worked hand. One that smeared mud over his already filthy face. hObby loved the water, but just not when if fell from the sky. It made his dug out home soft and got his cloths and body covered in moist dirt. Then again when your home is a hole dug into the sharp drop of a natural ravine. It was bound to get a bit grimy after a wet night.

Glancing down, hObby finished blinking the dryness from his eyes to look at his feet sunk into the mud. His shoes now covered, it looked as if he was rooted in the ground itself. Pulling on one foot he grumbled again. It was defiantly stuck, another hazard of sleeping outside. The pooled water had made a wallow and the thick dark mud had suctioned his footwear into the clay. Knowing he did not want to risk foot rot in the wet grime he shook from head to buried toe. Clearing what water and muck from his skin as attire as he could. Standing with a stretch he wiggled his toes and heals to soften up the set in water and dirt. Then leaning back over scrapped out what he could till his feet popped free. Shoes still trapped and soon covered in from the run of water coming from the land above. Had he figured it would rain, he would have ‘nested’ in higher grounds. Even a tree would have done, though anyone knows its hard to sleep in a tree.

Stepping out onto moist terra firma he wiggled the mud from between this toes and resumed his stretching. Two hours, he figured he had slept. Longer then normal, but a good thing. Meant he would have extra energy to find a way to clean off before he found food or needed to nap again. Looking about the silt covered man scratched at the small amount of dried mud and pushed what larger clumps he could, back down to the earth. Ears listening he heard a drizzling noise and followed the ravine a bit deeper to find a run off of rain water that sprung over the side. A handy, but still rather dirty shower.

Using the cleaner water he rinsed off as best he could. Meticulously grooming his messy jet black hair. Once done with that he wiped down his body and run out his cloths so that he could dry faster. Already shivering now he did not want to end up ill. That could mean a death sentence. Lapping at some of the falling water he only gargled and moistened up his dry throat. Knowing better than to consume the unknown water. What had it passed through on its way down the hills of the forest. With a fresh mouth he yawned and took in two deep breaths before mumbling a soft “morning” to himself.

hObby scratched at a few itchy places such as his arms and scalp. One other thing he loved was to scratch. It always made his skin feel fresh and tingly. A small but important part of keeping him from complete dysfunctional insanity. One last yawn and he felt ready to take on the world for a bit. It was a hard life and his body showed it. Thin and hungry was how he spent his years. Not weak though, what food he did find went to his muscles and gave him needed strength to pull through living in the harsh forest. Never enough though, he had nearly starved many a time. As for now he would have to either find an old target. Or trap a small beast to eat. His last reserves were finished before his rain drenched rest. That and some clean water.

Aside from the basics hObby was feeling empowered. For the moment his stomach was not growling, and his body free of current injury. He was well rested, and after the rain, it would not take long to find clean water. A good day by his standards, which normally meant a miserable one for most humans. Yet he was content with his life, he knew nothing of warm houses, cooked foods, dry cloths, or clean water. You could not desire what you didn’t know existed.

Walking through the trees he kept his ears and eyes pealed for food, or danger. Two important things to keep on your toes for. HObby had found out many a times that if you let your guard down you could be dinner. He had been attacked and come face to face with death. He had seen creatures, even other humans, struggle for life and scream as there foolish mistakes got them devoured. It still scared him, but his mind had since twisted to replace the fear with nervous twitches and constantly moving fingers. In fact he too had taken life, he killed to eat now. Once you become a hunter, the kill of another takes on less fear and more admiration. Another way he kept from the complete loss of his mind.

The cost clear, and his body in a good mood hObby cooed and chirped for a moment before muttering “the sun is up birds, its here, I smell it”. He spoke to no one, but for the only purpose as to hear his own voice. A sound that reminded him he was human, and a talent he did not want to let go. “in the warmth of its glow the soil offers it perfume and I know beyond the darkness it is up and bright”. He continued to talk to himself. “you see it, don’t you…see the sun..” he looked up to the black trees and there canopy hiding most of the sun and keeping the floor in constant shadows and shade. It was not dark, but nothing near the force of a day in a field or human city. Everything was dulled in this forest. “sun isn’t that great anyway, makes people blind, makes the eyes hurt..who needs sun”.

Climbing over a fallen noir trunk he stopped and tapped it and listened and tapped again. Jackpot, it had a hollow sound. Rubbing his hands together he licked his salty and muddy lips. “oh dead tree, might I hope you offer bounty..mm yes all dead things give life don’t they..even you dead tree. Share with me your treats” he nearly giggled as he looked about and even without shoes jumped off the trunk and grabbed a rock. Climbing back on he looked around. Nothing in view, and no sound of a predator. Good enough.

Bashing the tree with the angled rock he grinned and licked his lips. “come now dead tree be nice, offer me your last gifts and open up to me.” with a few more well placed hit’s a chunk of back fractured and popped up. Setting the rock behind him he clapped his hands and then stretched his arms out. Then with seemingly little effort pealed off the bark and tossed it aside. In a small chewed out hole sat a fat little grub. Not even the black trees were safe from bugs. Licking his lips he laughed “oh stupid bug no need to munch..” he picked it up and grinned “..no need to munch because your lunch” he popped it into his mouth and after a few bites swallowed and squirmed with delight. The fallen tree was long, and held so many possibilities. So in a good mood and now with a meal he went to town, bashing holes in the bark and eating the feeding larva. If ever there were a time his guard was low, this was it. Then again who would interrupt an odd young man hitting a tree with a rock?

WordCount: 1547
Status: Done
Wearing: Old raggy grey tunic and tattered pants torn off at the knees.
Comments: Hurray for long first post. Felt I needed to really get across just how he lives. *loves his crazyness*

[/font]

[liluth]

Liluth really hadn't meant to stay out all night, to wander through the forest to a land far more distant than she realized. True, she had been traveling for at least week now, visiting trees and streams and hills, avoiding people whenever possible. Solitude was truly golden to her, more so than silence, as even alone she chattered away constantly. And now it was even getting close to her birthday, and her sisters. Which meant a good present. To say "Yay for us!" and "Sorry I left." Perhaps two. Two things really pretty would make Lailuh forget all about her being gone, she was sure.

She gave a little sigh as she climbed carefully out of the tree. It had stopped raining a few hours before dawn, and had started after dusk. It was probably the last rain to be had from the clouds she had followed, indeed, the amount of light in this dark forest told her that the sun wasn't being blocked by clouds, only the trees. She grinned as her bare feet felt the cold, damp earth. This is what she thought of as heavenly, a day filled with moistness, and a sleep in a mossy tree, safely away from the mud. She tugged down her wrap, a carefully woven wool cloth she had woven herself just for trips like this. Hardy, thick enough to keep out the rain, and easy to clean. She giggled lightly to herself as she put it over her head, completely ignoring the moss and dirt rubbing off into her long hair.

"Thank you for the rest, Mr. Tree." she said politely, giving it a little curtsy before turning away. It never hurt to be kind to nature, especially when nature was so kind to you. "Follow Thatula and his ways, keeps a girl warm on rainy days." She grinned as she scooped up some of the damp earth, spreading it on her cheeks. "Much better to see the world, all of it, than stay cooped up at home. Bet they'd tell me to wash up, to brush my hair and look pretty so the boys will stop and look. Silly idea that, wanting boys to look at you. Once he starts looking he doesn't stop, and then no more seeing the world, Only supposed to see him. What're you supposed to do with a boy all the time? Specially when you have to be clean, and be quiet, and stop staring."

She stood up with a frown. Thinking about home, about marriage, it was going to lower her mood. But no, She was going to enjoy her trek, she could claim she went out to see how the war was doing, it wasn't that far of a stretch, and her parents would approve of that, being interested in the realms of people rather than plants. But still, she'd rather the plants any day. No worries, just life. There were only a few things she bothered with people for, threads and ribbons and the like, and food. And even then she rarely talked to whoever was selling it. Half the time, they never even saw her, only turned around to discover a few coins sitting wherever what she wanted was. It was easier that way, then trying to talk in crowds.

Crowds of trees were her favorite, Liluth thought as she began to walk through them. Reaching into her bag she took out an apple from her last "shopping" trip, and she began to munch on it. It was a good breakfast on this oh so quiet morning, nothing but the sounds of waking animals and the thump of someone breaking a log with something heavy. She tilted her head at the latest sound. It didn't fit the forest, that she knew for sure, And it was followed by a voice. Someone else out in the woods so soon after a rain? Slowly she walked toward it, stepping softly as she followed the thumps and sounds of delight. Peaking out from behind a tree, she finally saw the culprit. It was a man, probably a man, by a fallen tree, beating it with a rock and eating grubs. She stopped mid bite of her apple as she watched in awe as the young figure continued his meal finding mission. Slowly she continued it, chewing carefully as she thought aloud. "Isn't it odd, a man-thing out here? All dirty and such, and eating grubs of all things. Not a tasty breakfast or lunch, grubs from a black tree. Suppose he'd like an apple instead? Suppose he'd ask for it?" She walked around the tree as she said the last words, sitting down and leaning against the trunk, eyes kept on the man-thing as she went. She continued to eat her apple then, and took another out of her bag, tossing it up and catching it in her free hand as she waited to see what he'd do.

Words: 823
Tagged: Tri and hObby
Lyrics: are you crying - cinema bizarre
Credits: me
Wearing: <.< clothes, dirty clothes. I'll update eventually.
Muse: Cinema Bizarre
Other: ^_^ not quite as long as yours. (that'swhatshesaid)

[hobby]

hObby was in bliss on his fourth grub and plopped it into his mouth with glee. That was until he heard a female voice speak. Not only was some one around him other then him, speaking. But it was directed to him. Looking around with sharp eyes he wasted no time in spotting her and jumping to hid behind the log. Slurping the grub down he poked his head over the stump and feeling secure that he could overtake this woman he growled. Not a joking growl but an actually snarl, showing his teeth and keeping his body position low. His fingers dug into the old tree he hid behind until he saw the second apple come out, and he processed the words she had said. She had fruit, and for some reason was offering one to him. Most humans he encountered yelled and threw things at him, so naturally he watched the apple she tossed closely and warily. It could become a weapon easily, not that it would do much, he just didn’t like being a target for anything. Survival instincts one may suppose.

Not having had an apple in a long time he inched down the dead tree and closer to her and the food. Watching as she bit down on her own, the crunch of the fresh fruit ringing in his ears and rumbling down into his stomach. He did want it, but he knew better then to trust that it was safe. Injury had only befallen him on approaching others of ‘his kind’. He had been shot at with arrows, scratched by fingers and hit by rocks and other objects he had collected. So only dead bodies did him well, he would take his cloths form the dead and had even had his first apple from a dead mans satchel. So taking anything from a living person sent up warning flags.

Stopping as close as he could get while still behind the log he climbed back atop it still crouched low and ready to bolt if the apple was thrown. His teeth shown in what almost looked like a fail at a smile. It was not, he was very much ready to attack even one whom seemed like his own kind. Even though she was one of those humans with pointy ears. Faster, quieter, but still none whom has so far shown him competition. Seeing no threats so far though he moved closer yet, hopping down to the ground so there was no barrier between them and standing up a bit, now on two feet but still knees bent and arms tensed.

With a careful breath he glanced around to make sure she did not have a pack, or that any of the forests other evils was about and he chirped before going back to watching the apple and her. His chirps a form of communication to himself that he felt safer. Finally he spoke to her demonstrating his language skill “Grubs are thick and fat and juicy, they are a good breakfast” he said sternly but not yelling, He knew to keep his voice down. “Full of energy, full of strength, you are a fool not to eat grubs” he huffed and began to pace in front of her, eyes never leaving her though. Like a hawk to a mouse he was assessing his situation, and using his human brain to devise the best way to obtain the apple and deal with repercussions. hObby might have been ‘uneducated’ in how most people acted, and knew little math. He could not read or write, but he was a problem solver. He had survived with his warped education of his surroundings, the way humans may have been a long time ago. He was a predator, and a that made him very good at getting what he wanted. For now though he would just wait and watch till he was sure he really wanted that apple, and would risk retrieving it from her. Simply asking for it was not of his knowledge, a good move.

WordCount: 679
Status: Done
Wearing: Old raggy grey tunic and tattered pants torn off at the knees.
Comments:Yay a reply!

[/font]

[liluth]

The snarl had startled Liluth, a violent response to her presence that she hadn't expected. True, she had observed him and in her mind associated him with animals, but she still expected him to do something... Else. Whether more or less agressive, she wasn't quite sure. Part of her had thought he'd grab the apple and run, or attack her for it, or just run without getting it. That he was staying put for now was a curious thing. It was as if he were a tiger, an adolescent tiger, and she were the human baiting it with a bloody steak in one hand, asking it to come closer. When you put it that way, she really was being quite stupid, sitting here with the meat, waiting for him to pounce. But she didn't care.

Even as he drew closer, she didn't change anything, for once keeping her mouth shut, silent as she eyed him eyeing her. He wasn't smiling at her, she had seen enough smiles to know that wasn't one. Perhaps tiger was too far from what he seemed. Perhaps Wolf was closer. But he was no werewolf, of that she was sure. He was simply human, very wild, but human. Her eebrows furrowed as she heard his chirp-speak. A language of his own, talking only to himself. That's what it sounded like. And in the back of her mind she catagorized it under things to consider doing sometime. If she were to become some crodgy old woman off living alone, she'd best have her own gibberish to speak. But the question was, was that all he could speak? Had he understood her before, or was he just eyeing her for the apple?

Barely had she thought it when he began to speak. And what he said brought a little smirk to her face. He sounded like her mother, scolding her for not finishing a meal. "Grubs are bland, no flavor in grubs." she took a large bite of her apple, the other now still in her hand. "I've got a crunchy, sweet, tangy apple. It gives me strength enough to walk or run until lunch time. I'd much rather eat an apple than a slimy grub that you can find under black tree's bark. Never yet found something in these black woods that's good to eat. How do you know the grubs aren't poison for you to eat?" She rose an eyebrow at him before raising the whole apple, looking at it closely, or at least appearing to while watching him for any responses to her actions, not wanting to scare him off. "This apple, it isn't from these black woods, no sir. Never trust food from the black woods." She paused, eyes looking up to look into his. A new thought had crossed her mind, something to be curious about, something to be discovered. "Man-thing, you're still alive, yet you don't appear to have come from any village. Are you sure you're a man? Or do you have magic powers to survive in the black woods and not die from the grubs?" She tilted her head, watching him intensly. "Perhaps if you answer me this question I can roll this apple to you. Wouldn't have to touch me then, hm? Bet you don't like the idea of touching this elf-thing-girl. Strange elf-thing-girl, pointed ears, muddy face, and rambles on for hours."

Words: 565
Tagged: Tri and hObby
Lyrics: are you crying - cinema bizarre
Credits: me
Wearing: so purdy
Other: which one's the crazy one?

[hobby]

hObby listened to her re address his food and he clicked in and aggravated quick consession. He did not like some stranger telling him what to eat. He had eaten it for years, why was his food to be insulted. Getting a bit angry now he was about to snap at her comment of his grubs being slimy when she spoke up again. Telling him now that the food here might be poison. That was observed, he ate all his meals here and was still alive, couldn’t be poison. Then she brought up magic and for a second he wondered that same fact. Was he not human as he thought? Was he magical? Just as fast as the thought had come he shook it away. Nonsense, he was human, he would not be here if he had magic. He would be in what ever land these other humans, dressed warm and fed till fat, were coming from.

Now he had a proposition and a lot of anger to get through with her. She was teasing him, leading him along and with holding food from him. He worked harder then this messy elf for a meal, so how dare she taunt him like food and survival was a game. Though hObby had never killed a human or human looking beast, he felt an urge now to do so. Yet he feared that would sever any humanity left in himself and he held back. Keeping her words fresh in his rather good memory he stared her back in the eyes after she met with his. This was his territory, his home, and his life. hObby would not back down, and not let her get away with acting as if she owned the place.

“The grubs are not poison, can’t be and aren’t. Eaten them since way back then, and still eat now. I am not dead, so they are not poison. All this forest has food to eat, and eat I do. But hObby gives and lives under the forest, so maybe it is to poison you! You with your red food from beyond the black bark, you fed on the food not caught or worked for.” he hissed out in a rant of his furry. Through his speak he paced again but now was drawing closer, and standing taller. He was now asserting his dominance, he was taller, he was stronger, and he was boss. His voice was poetic but his tongue lashed like a flamed whip at her insults.

”Stupid muddy elf-thing” he copied her own definition of herself. “Dirt covers your face but not your kind. I fight for food and food fights me, and you have food that you will give me” he stomped his foot the way a rhino would before a charge, threatening and posturing his strength. “I answer nothing, and you, you will give me your fruit if you don’t want to fight” he was now on a foot away as he jutted out his hand in a demand for the food. He saw it as only right she should submit and give him the food, much like a puppy would give up a bone for the alpha. Now would she do so, or dare she risk to further anger the wild man before her. Obviously her ranting had him ready to show her the strength of his canines and speed of his body. hObby was one always on a knifes edge emotionally. Fast decisions for a fast life. With her questions and teasing, he was indeed a wolf, but with a brilliant mind. One that not only saw her as one with a steak, but a weak one with steak. Confident he could out right, out fight, and over power her, he held little fear, especially of ‘touching her’. She was just lucky he was not starving, or he would have not thought twice about snapping an arm to get the food he needed.

WordCount: 662
Status: Done
Wearing: Old raggy grey tunic and tattered pants torn off at the knees.
Comments: Not all shits and giggle any more

[/font]

[liluth]

Liluth's brow creased, her mind hard at work. He was a wild man, a very wild man-thing, living here for a long time. She kept her face carefully calm as he spoke, but she didn't move, she couldn't. Even had she wanted to, the fear creeping into her blood would have stopped any movement she wanted to do. But even through the fear, there was anger building in her. He said she didn't work for her food. true, she didn't grow the tree that gave this apple herself, yes, she didn't pick it herself, but her fingertips were long since callused and hard from many hours working with thread, weaving it together on a loom, braiding it with her fingers, making tiny stitches in cloth. She had worked hard on the things sold to get money for this apple, and she had pride in the work she did.

But the fear was still overpowering her anger as he continued, demanding the apple from her. Was she stupid? Probably, what else was she doing here in the black forest so far from her home? But her pride stopped her from just handing over the fruit as he demanded, at least right away. Between her pride and the fear she was frozen sitting there, looking up at him. Her own apple all but forgotten in her hand. Slowly she looked down at the whole apple she had gotten out for him, turning it slowly so that it caught a sliver of light in the dim woods. "Fight over this apple? No... shouldn't fight over food Thatula gives you. Fighting waters trees with blood, and we don't want that. Not at all." Slowly her hand rose, offering the apple to him, her eyes clouded with her thoughts, no motives able to be seen in them.

"Never had to fight food before, or fought for food. Trees don't fight, no plants do, never have to fight a potato to eat it." She looked down at her own apple, turning it over to see both the flesh inside and the bright red skin at once. "How many hours did I work for you, apple?" she mumbled softly to herself. "was it the dress or the shall I made that paid for you? Or perhaps it was the bag for the miss, either way, I worked hard for you, didn't I? Barely had time to make my own wrap before starting my journey. Wasn't all that work?" The words weren't meant for the other's ears, Liluth kept her voice low, a bare murmur. "Does the man thing want me to leave him more apples before I go? Perhaps a bit of bread for him, too?" She glanced up at him with a bit of a tearful glare in her eyes. "Not all fight for their food, doesn't mean they don't work for it. No ones gives apples to me, or bread. Anything I don't grow I work hard for, too." Her tone was soft, almost as if she wasn't really trying to tell him anything, and truly, she wasn't. She just needed to say the words. Fueled by both pride and fear, her tone was of an injured child, but her eyes did not beg for any sort of sympathy. She had rambled, true, but there had been nothing accusatory in what she said, she thought, why did this man have a right to act as though she had been attacking him? She had no weapon, she was not as strong as he. All she had on her side was how fast she could run, but she was cornered and sitting of her own free will. She looked down again, biting back words she knew would anger him, but she didn't want to see him now, perhaps looking at the damp earth she could forget about the figure standing there, perhaps he'd move on and forget about her. Wasn't that how it worked with wild animals? If you were quiet and small and stayed out of the way they wouldn't bother you. "Such a mean man-thing." she whispered, her fingers playing with a frayed hem on her skirt.

Words: 690
Tagged: Tri and hObby
Lyrics: are you crying - cinema bizarre
Credits: me
Wearing: so purdy
Other: there were shits and giggles? and i missed them?

[hobby]

hObby listened, and though she spoke of her own pains and hardships. He paid little mind to the order and depth of her rambling. Instead, he listened to her words, as one listens to a bird. He spoke, yes. Yet to hear another speak to him was something he could not remember ever being done. There was a time he remembered the sound of a woman’s voice. His mothers before he was set on his way here. Now it was long since misplaced in his mind. Liluth’s angry and female voice, brought back the thoughts of a warm home some where, with safety and even love. He could not picture it, but just knew of his years before the forest as ones of bliss. In the way one pictured heaven. You cannot see, cannot picture, and cannot be sure of it, but you know it is a good place.

Temporarily calmed he snatched up the apple and instead of bolting or kicking dirt at her, hObby just sat down on the ground in front of her. He looked over the apple as if to examine in for traces of poison or decay. Even for the moment abandoning his plan to take her half eaten apple. Flaring his nostrils he took in the apples scent and seemed to relish ever part of it he could. Running his cut, rough, and dry hands over its smooth clean surface. Like sand paper to porcelain. Glancing up at her he heard her last comments and this time took some offense. “you work hard, me mean” he huffed in distaste for her views. “what is your work? You dig traps? You fight enemies?” he jeered. Reaching over he poked her hard in the stomach. “Well fed, you don’t look to have gone without food before” he pointed out. He was no where near calling her fat, but compared to hObby anyone had more meat on them. To many times had he nearly died from starvation.

Scratching his neck and cheek to remove dried sand he shuddered all over in a delight. Scratching was his favorite pass time and the thrill of getting that itch was like a drug. He would have gone all out had he not wanted to show any sight of weakness to her. His skin could wait to be cleaned and scratched. Eyes still locked on her he licked the skin of the apple he had and cooed a bit before biting in and chewing the first bite. Amazed that it was so crisp and perfect. Many foods he found were old and nearly gone bad. Yet this was top of the line and it made his mouth sing with flavor. He really did wish now she would leave him more. Work or not anything free was worth taking.

As he munched and watched her. Waiting for her to speak again as if that too were delicious he paused and sat up straight pealing his eyes from her to look about. Head swiveling like a gofer. Trying to locate a sound.

Now the forest was a quiet place by nature, yet now it seemed even the wind was dead. The black and white scene of the trees was still. Not a rustle not a squeak or caw. The once defensive and dominating ‘wild-man’ now looked unsure and nervous. Pulling his apple in close as if to hide it from an unseen thief he looked back to her. He clicked and huffed as if she was meant to understand then looked around. It could be nothing but a break in the wind but hObby always knew to listen to your surroundings for any change, and always be ready to run. Over the years he had fought very hard for his ‘territory’. Yet the up keep and dangers had his body looking like that of a bull rider. Fractures, bruises, broken bones. All healed at the moment, but all having happened if he let his guard down.

WordCount: 666
Status: Done
Wearing: Old raggy grey tunic and tattered pants torn off at the knees.
Comments: Evil word count

[/font]