thehometree | Scavenger hunt! Well, at least the scavenging part...

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Scavenger hunt! Well, at least the scavenging part...

| characters | Kit and Orcelito, plus anybody else who wants help out
| date/time | 4-19/ early afternoon
| location | Around the base of the tree
| rating | G
| summary |Kit is poking around on the ground for something that can be made into/used as a weapon, or anything else that might be useful. Want to join her?

Kit wandered around through the grass near the tree's roots, trying to see if she could find anything useful. Especially something that could be useful as a weapon. A long thorn, maybe or a rock that could be shaped to have a nice edge. So far, she wasn't having much luck.

She might go farther out from the roots later if she didn't find anything, but she wanted to wait until the breeze died down a bit. That big, pink flower smelled funny, even from here, and she wasn't eager to go near it if she didn't have to. Besides, she'd heard some people had been having strange effects from it, and wasn't eager to find out whether or not cats were immune.

So for now, she stuck close to the roots, climbing over them or ducking under them where appropriate, as well as looking for any minor nooks, knotholes, or niches that might be accessible in the side of the tree proper. After all, who knew where she might find something interesting?

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Ah, of course… he certainly doesn’t look like he’s hunting, anyway. “I am.” He agrees, impressed that she deduced that just by watching him. “I’m collecting materials to make paper.” He hopes this girl knows what paper is, since apparently, some people here don’t. (And a world without paper is an embarrassment to the whole universe, clearly!)

“My name is Orcelito. Nice to meet you, Wily-Kit.” He smiles when he pronounces the name – it sounds cute, like a name in a children’s book.

At the news that he's planning to make paper, Kit looks unexpectedly serious. "Well, if you're gonna be making paper with the wood from the tree, be sure to just use fallen sticks, like you are," Kit says. "Cause the last bunch of people I met who made paper from magical trees cut a bunch of them down to do it, and that made the tree spirits really mad." And given that they have to live in the tree, angering Chime and any spirits it might contain would be a very bad idea.

She brightens back up when he introduces himself, though. "Nice to meet you too," she says. And you can just call me Kit, if you want."

His amusement at her instruction quickly turns to fascination. Magic trees? And sprits? More of those exist somewhere? That sort of talk is mere fairytales in his land. He was past the age of losing interest but… well, now he is living in a magical Tree and there is a spirit. He wants to laugh at the irony, but realizes his company probably would not interpret it well.

Still, he’s happy she’s looking out for him, so he thanks her cordially. “You are quite right in your precautions. Thank you for letting me know.” He won’t hurt the Tree, most definitely not. As long as it is caring for him, he will protect it.

This conversation does revive his original concern though (he is, after all, a big brother at heart). “Kit, if I may ask, is anyone else from your world here with you?”

Kit nods with the air of someone who's just delivered an important lesson. "Good," she says. She doesn't want to find out the hard way whether this place has a Viragor or not.

"What do you want the paper for, though?", she asks curious. "Do you use it for magic, like the Woodforgers did? Or do you just want it for regular drawing and writing?"

She shakes her head, though, when asked if there are any others from her world there. "Uh-uh," she says a bit sadly. "Not that I've seen, anyway. I'm not too worried; my brother and I have been on our own before, so we know how to survive. It's just kinda... lonely without even him here. I mean, I've made new friends here, but it's not really the same thing, you know?"

She shrugs slightly. She doubts that Orcelito will understand entirely, unless he too has a twin back home, but separation from family and friends is fairly universal around the tree.

He didn’t know paper could be used in magic. Interesting. “Just normal writing.” He says casually. “I’d like to write down things we learn about this place. It may help us get home sooner if we can all study and share information.”

His expression turns thoughtful and somber as she continues talking. He’s glad that she knows how to get by, but he’s distressed that it is even necessary at her age. She is not human and maybe she has more ability to care for herself, but no child should be alone. It’s just… not right.

He takes a deep breath before he can respond. “Yes, I do in a way. It’s been months since I saw my own sister and brother.” And the hardest part is, it never gets easier. But he won’t tell her that.

Not normal paper, perhaps, but the magic-infused paper that the Woodforgers made? Definitely. "Well, if you can't find anything else to write with, I've got a few charcoal sticks," she says. "I had them with me when I got brought here and they shrunk down along with me."

Kit nods sympathetically. "Yeah," she says sadly. "Other than my brother, Wily-Kat, I haven't seen the rest of my family in a long time either." You don't have to tell her, Orcelito; she already knows. "I hope you can see them again when you get back home. Or that maybe they'll show up here."

He perks up immediately. He’s familiar with charcoal sticks. This is the first he’s heard of a writing tool making it to this world. “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll be okay.” He smiles. “I’m working on creating some natural dyes to paint with. That way we can make more anytime someone needs it.”

He appreciates the sentiment, and he’s glad to hear her family is still living. “Thank you. I hope so too… seeing them again, I mean. I think I’d rather if my family didn’t come here. It would… complicate matters back home.” Much as he wants to see Belca again, he needs his brother to fill in for him while he’s here. And his sister is much too young to be traveling to other planets. (Though she wouldn’t think so.)

“May I ask where you’re from?” He’s been curious for a while now, seeing as she is not quite human and comes from a world that has magic. (But that seems to be a common combination here.)

Yeah, pencils aren't really a things where Kit's from, so charcoal sticks are considered the next best thing. Kit nods at the idea of making natural dyes though. "Maybe I could help?", she asks. "I mean, I never made ink or anything, but if you show me what to do, I should be able to help."

"Yeah," she says. "I wish Kat and my friends were here, but we're on an important mission back home." And as much as she wants them here, she knows that finding the other stone and stopping Mumm-Ra are more important.

"I'm from Thundera, on Third Earth," she replies. "Though for awhile now Kat and I've been travelling around with the other Thundercats. How about you?"

“I’ve never made ink before either.” He laughs a little, because this is the first time he’s admitted it out loud. “But when I figure it out, I’d like to teach others. You're welcome to assist if you'd like.”

Earth? He knows that word, but it just means the ground they stand on, right? So her world is named after that? Does Third Earth mean there was a First and Second Earth? He wonders if her ancestors traveled like his did.

“My world doesn’t have a name… though we do call it ‘Earth’ since it is solid ground. My country is named Azelprade.”

Thundercats sounds imposing and brings to mind the massive animal-like monsters that roam his world. But Kit certainly doesn’t fit that image. “Is Thundercats the name of… what you are - your race I mean? Or is it the name of the community you’re with?” Without knowing her culture, it’s difficult to find the proper words, but hopefully she understands.

"That sounds fun," Kit says. And potentially messy, but still fun. "Just tell me where and when you wanna do it and I'll come help."

She nods at the name of his world and homeland, wondering if it has any relation to her own. She's never heard of a country called Azelprade, but then, there're a lot of things she hasn't heard of.

"No, my race are just cats," Kit says. "Thundercats are the elite, the strongest, bravest, wisest, and best cats. And Lion-O, our king, is called the Lord of the Thundercats."

She pauses slightly before confessing, "My brother and I normally wouldn't be able to be Thundercats, since we have tails. But after Mumm-Ra and the lizards wrecked Thundera, we met up with Lion-O, Cheetara, and Tygra. We met up with Panthro a while later. And if Lion-O says we're Thundercats, then I guess we are." Because Lion-O is king and also awesome.

It’s very messy! But that’s what makes the trial and error fun; being creative and free and playing with ideas. In that sense, he wouldn’t mind a child’s company. “I certainly will.”

“It sounds like you come from a really amazing place! You must have so many stories to tell.” And that’s surely an understatement. It’s like meeting one of those traveling storytellers, and they have all sorts of fanciful stories about faraway places. But these are actually real, somewhere. A world where cats look like people, and have a structured society and traditions, and magic exists. And he’s talking to someone who considers this all normal. He’s probably the strange one in her eyes. (Isn’t that the way it is with everyone here?)

"Yeah, I guess it is," Kit says, smiling. "I didn't really think about it that much til I got brought here and people started being surprised or impressed by stuff that's just... kind of normal for me." OK, so traveling around with royalty on a quest to defeat an ancient evil is hardly normal, even for her world. But even mundane aspects of life seem to surprise people around here.

"I bet everybody here has interesting stories, though," Kit says. "Including you; I'd love to hear more about Azelprade sometime." She pauses, smile becoming a little more thoughtful. "I like that about this place; learning about everyone else's homes and worlds, I mean. There's so many more people and places out there than I ever imagined. It's really cool."

His own expression turns more wistful. It is indeed fantastic, and breathtaking, and… too much to comprehend. Overwhelming, really, when he tries to wrap his mind around the truth. That there really are worlds out there, everywhere, lots and lots of different ones, and his own is just a single one. And when that sinks in he feels… lost. Not the familiar ‘I don’t know where I’m going’ but a more unsettling ‘I’m alone.’ And he can’t afford that weakness right now.

So he puts up a brave face. “Of all the worlds I’ve heard of so far, I still want to know about this one the most.” He looks around at the grass that reaches his shoulders, the giant tree at his back, and the mists far beyond. “Have you ever seen anything like it?”

Kit knows that expression. And that feeling. But it doesn't seem like Orcelito wants to talk about it just then, so she doesn't comment. She does give him a bit of a reassuring smile though, to let him know she understands.

"It reminds me a little of the Forest of Magi Oar, back home," Kit says. "But only a little. It feels totally different though. The tree spirits in the Forest of Magi Oar were angry because of all the damage the Woodforgers were doing, so the forest felt gloomy and oppressive. This place feels... like we're welcome here. Like the tree is really happy to have us here, if that makes sense."

"Plus," Kit says, "I wasn't about two inches tall in the Forest of Magi Oar. That definitely makes this place weirder than that."

A little laugh at that – she has a nice way of lightening up the conversation. Being this tiny is uncomfortable, but when Kit puts it like that, he can see the humor in it.

“I feel that way too when I pass through the light in the center of the Tree. It’s like… getting a hug, I suppose?” That’s how it feels to him, anyway. “I wonder if we are actually welcome here?” Naturally, why would anyone steal them unless they were wanted? But this isn’t a cold sort of regard like they are all tools to be used. (And Orcelito knows quite well what that feels like.) This is more like… when you arrive at your destination after a long day of traveling and the host greets you and makes you feel at home.

“What have you been doing since coming here?” He asks her. He has more or less relayed his activities. Now he’s curious about her, especially since she sounds like she’s quite capable on her home world.

"It is kind of like a hug, yeah," Kit says. Honestly it reminded her most of her Papa's hugs. Occasionally she would just float in the beam to enjoy the feeling and sometimes she thought she could almost feel his strong, furry arms around her again. But only almost; nothing would ever replace those hugs. "And I think we are welcome here. By the tree itself, at least. Maybe not all the animals and stuff who already live here, though." To the animals, they might well seem to be intruders.

"Exploring, getting to know people, and dealing with the local animals mostly," Kit replies. "The squirrels are nice, even if they were a bit of a nuisance for awhile. I don't recommend trying to ride one unless you can hold on really tight though. The ants weren't so friendly, but generally left us alone if we did the same for them. The spiders though... yeah, I'm glad they're gone."

"Right now, I'm looking for something I can turn into a weapon if we run into something else like those spiders later," Kit says. "Like maybe a long thorn, or a rock that can be shaped to have a sharp edge. I'm not having much luck, though."

Orcelito listens and nods. “I’ve been looking for a weapon as well. These,” he nods to the bundle of wood, “could be used as a staff or club, but they aren’t suited to cause serious damage.” He can swing a cudgel hard for his size, but he doubts that would do much damage against a giant spider.

“However, if we were to combine thorns with a sturdy piece of wood, we could create an effective weapon.” He pauses, thinking. “Of course, it would have to be maintained and replaced once it wore down, but it would be better than empty hands.”

Normally, he wouldn’t have a conversation like this with a child, but everyone needs some method of defense here. Which brings to mind something else. “Kit, you said you’ve been here a month. So you were here when the spiders attacked? Were you able to find shelter? Or was someone available to protect you?”

"I dunno," Kit says, eyeing the sticks apraisingly, "Cheetara fights with a staff, and she can do a good bit of damage when she needs to. But then she's a Cleric, so she's had lots of practice."

"You're right though," she says. "With a sharp thorn or stone you could turn a stick into a spear. Course you'd need to bind it on with something." Maybe they could tear a strip out of a flower stem or something? Or course, this would still require finding something usable first

"Yeah, I was here," she says. "But I wasn't hiding; I was helping." She pulls out her flupe and shows it to him. "I didn't really have a weapon to fight with so I helped others with my flupe's magic. When I play, I can put people or animals into a trance. It only lasts as long as I'm playing, but when I used it on the smaller spiders, it made them easy pickings for whoever else was around."

She doesn't sound especially proud of this, just stating the facts. She still doesn't like that she had to use her magic to aid in killing, but the spiders had left them very little choice.

This is only the second or third time he's met someone who uses magic, and as usual he is intrigued. When she holds up the instrument, he leans forward to get a better look. It appears to be a flute, but he’s never seen a round one before. And then he wonders, does the power come from her, the flupe, or both of them working together? He’s just been introduced to magic in the past week and he struggles to understand it.

Otherwise, he finds her tone of voice reassuring. With her being a cat, he was concerned she might find it exciting to hunt; that doesn’t seem to be the case. At the same time, she doesn’t display the… delicateness he’s come to expect from young girls. The longer he talks with her, the more perplexing she is. But it’s… not a bad feeling.

“I’m glad you were safe. And I'm sure everyone appreciated your help.” He smiles warmly. Thinking about her idea of making a spear, he adds, “If you are really interested in crafting a weapon, I may be able to help. I’m making several things in my house - more than just dyes. If you’d like to visit sometime, I’d appreciate hearing more of your ideas.” He realizes it’s a bit forward, and she probably doesn’t trust him anymore than he trusts her. But he’s here to make allies, and that involves taking a calculated risk now and again.

In all honestly, Kit herself doesn't know the answer to Ocelito's unspoken question. All she knows is that the magic works when she wills it to. And given how useful it had been in keeping her alive thusfar, she's not too keen on looking proverbial gift horse in the mouth. Magic can be finicky, and digging too deeply might dispel whatever enchantment she or the flupe have.

Living first on a small farm, then on the streets, then traveling and fighting with the other Thundercats hasn't left much room for delicacy in Kit's life. Part of her secretly wishes for pretty dresses and other feminine things, but they've always taken a back seat to what was needed. And still do, really. Though maybe someday...

Kit nods at the invitation, though, eager both to help and to learn something new in the process. "OK, sure," she says. "Which house are you staying in?"

“I’m on the top floor. My house is the one with the wreath of twigs and blue feathers on the door.” He was feeling nostalgic that day and the wreath took shape much too easily in his hands. “I spend the morning and afternoon outside, but I’m home in the evenings.” He wouldn’t mind her coming by, and he’s also fine with meeting outside like this.

He adjusts his hold on the bundle of wood and looks around. “Would you like me to help you search? I can look for thorns and jagged rocks while I’m collecting wood.” Might as well continue what they came here to do. It’ll be more enjoyable with company.

"Ah, yeah, I saw that. It's really pretty, especially with the crystals around it," Kit said. "Did you make it yourself?" He said he made other things besides paper, after all.

She made a mental note of when and where she could find him before nodding. "Sure, I'd like that," she said. "And I'll help you look for sticks you can use, if you tell me what to look for. That way both jobs'll go faster."

“Yes, I did. I’ve been collecting fallen feathers in Chime’s shop lately and I thought they would look nice in a craft.” Truth is, he used to do things like that with his sister and he misses it. The weaving brought back a little bit of home, and he hung it on his door to remind him of that. A defiant I am going to return home.

Assistance in building up the wood piles on his porch are always welcome, and he nods his head in gratitude. “You can help me look for lighter-colored twigs. They should be thin enough to break apart easily and not have knots.” Admittedly, he’s no expert on wood collection for paper making, but common sense and trial and error together will get you quite far.

"Think you could show me how to make one if we found some more nice feathers?", Kit asks. Granted she doesn't have a door to put it on at the moment, but it'd still be fun to learn how to make things like that.

Kit nods at his instructions. "Right," she says. "That shouldn't be too hard." She flutters her wings and hovers up into the air a little. "OK... Time to see what we can find."

He’s not surprised she asked, but there’s a moment of hesitation right before he responds. It does feel a bit personal to share. But why not? He’s already invited her into his life, after all. “I’d like that. You can help me select the colors for the next one.”

When she takes flight, he looks on admiringly. “You have a lovely set of wings.” The fairy-like ones remind him of champagne and chandeliers - light and sparkle. And they look dashing in the sunlight. His own soft moth wings are warm and powerful, but sometimes, he wonders what would’ve happened if he’d touched the other gemstone…

And we can probably leave it there unless you want to do one more response.

alley_kit - 2015-05-18 01:00 (UTC) - Expand

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Scavenger hunt! Well, at least the scavenging part...

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And one or two more tags after this should wrap it. :3

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And we can probably leave it there unless you want to do one more response.