"A Night of Secrets"

Cast: Himaya (Sky) & Sally (Nerf)

TLDR: Himaya sings a songs and Sally sneaks up and scares him. Then they both try to learn more information out of each other, but neither gets all the details. They answer questions vaguely and then answer questions with more questions, dodging topics of each other. Himaya admits his lies about scars, but says he can't reveal the truth just yet. They promise to share each others' secrets at a later date.

Support Points Earned: 1

[10:25 PM] Best Birb | Sky: Himaya had been humming a familiar tune to himself, while casually walking out on the deck of the boat, its course set for the Money Tree. He sang the words to himself softly. "The wolf, prancing around the prey ...of flowers dancing in a pool of red. ...stepped on a patch of baby strawberries ...now accused for dead" It was one of the songs his parents had taught him when he was little. He remembered them trying to teach him the values of not judging a book by its cover, but Himaya just liked the melody, and the mention of 'wolf' and 'dead' sounding cool to him. Now that he was older, he could appreciate their meaning, but he still rather liked the melody all the same. He now propped himself against the edge of the boat, whistling the rest of the song quietly while listening to the crashing waves and gazing at the moon in the night sky.(edited)

[10:47 PM] Nerf: Not too long after Himaya had begun singing, a second figure emerged on the deck. Had someone been looking at her, he would have noticed how she moved with some surprising agility, her footsteps barely making a sound despite the constant movements of the ship. As she started walking towards the young man, the sound of the melody he was softly whistling would eventually reach her ears, making her stop her approach almost inmediatly. Without moving a muscle, she stood frozen in place, patiently waiting for the song to end. Only once she had made sure Himaya had finished singing she dared interrupt the moment, revealing her presence to the young man. "Seems like I'm not the only one that can't sleep tonight. Everything alright, boss?" A big, sincere smile followed her question.

[10:52 PM] Best Birb | Sky: "wuzzat?! Speak now or fear the wrath!" he exclaimed as he was startled by the voice. He hadn't expected anyone, at least not this late. He ducked low to the ground, in a crouching position and faced toward the sound, his lucky knife already pulled out in the direction where he heard the noise. The knife glimmered in the moonlight. He had done this so quickly that he couldn't quite make out who the figure was before him. His mind hadn't the time to process such information yet. But he was ready to defend his Pack.(edited)

[10:57 PM] Nerf: What the... "Hey, hey. Careful with who are you stabbing." As she took a step backwards, she raised her arms up in the air to show she was not a threat. "You don't want to kill your own men, do you?"

[11:04 PM] Best Birb | Sky: "Gah! Sorry, sorry! You uh... scared me there for a second. Almost trembling, even." Despite his words, he didn't seem scared in the slightest from his appearance. "I'd never dream of hurting my Pack, I apologize" he reiterated. He stood up from his battle-pose and quickly put away his knife in its holder on his hip and extended his hand as his face changed expression from fierce to gentle and welcoming almost instaneously after realizing his error. His smile further showed this. "I'm sure you know I'm Himaya, but I'm afraid I'm not quite 100% on your name. Sam, maybe?"(edited)

[11:12 PM] Nerf: "Sarah" she corrected him as she cautiously returned the handshake. "But just Sally will do. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I can't say I was looking forward to getting stabbed before you even got a chance to learn my name." Cracking a more modest smile this time, she then asked something that had been on her mind for a while. "By the way, Himaya, any reason you refer to this group as your Pack?"

[11:28 PM] Best Birb | Sky: "Ah, Sally, nice to finally have a name for that face of yours." he said while shaking her hand. "I would hope you wouldn't look forward to get stabbed! So that's nice to hear. Had I known it was you, that would've gone differently. I'd recommend a bell, but that would ruin your sneaky thing you have goin' on, y'know?" He laughed, a bit nervously, in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Oh that. Well, as you may now, me and Zain come from a village in Ramalia by the name of Maulu. It's a village of entirely wolf Laguz, save for me... a beorc. I always liked to think of my village as a pack, but now that we'll be together for some time now, this will be my new Pack. Even if we're not all blood, we're connected by a common goal, like a family. So calling it a pack sounds good enough for me."(edited)

[11:49 PM] Nerf: "Oh. I guess I do have a habit of moving without making noise. It's been a while since last time I left Naxos, so I forgot most people are not used to it. I hope next time I catch someone by surprise it won't be one of my own though." As Himaya began talking about his backstory, Sally would soon come to notice something seemed off about him. It wasn't in anything he said, or the gestures he did, but the strange feeling that came to her just by being in his presence. This wasn't something new to her, in fact, she had very recently got this same feeling back in Pachima, during the first meeting the Pack had: the sensation that one of her kind was near. She hadn't been able to distinguish who it was back then, but this same feeling seemed to be getting stronger now. Was Himaya perhaps a...? No, that doesn't make any sense. No laguz tribe would accept a Branded among their own. Is he making this all up? Or am I perhaps jumping to conclussions too fast? "Himaya." She mellowed down her tone once she realized how brusque that must have sounded. "How did a Beorc child like you end up growing among Laguz? I've never heard of something like that before."(edited)

October 3, 2017

[9:32 AM] Best Birb | Sky: "Haha, I'd like to say I'm a fairly good sneakster if I try, but I could learn a thing or two from you, Sally. Show me sometime, will ya?" He wasn't quite sure what that tone shift meant, but he didn't wanna single her out and make her feel awkward or anything. "Heh, well that's simple enough of a question! My parents left me in the care of some family friend in the village of course! I haven't seen them since they left the village, but the wolves were nice enough to include me! Speaking of, where might you be from, friend?" He tried to make the change in topic as natural as possible. He didn't wanna blow his cover.

[12:47 PM] Nerf: "Show you? Hmm, I don't know. I like to keep my secrets," she teased him. "I'm not sure if there's much I can teach you, but I'll think about it." Missing parents? Now that's interesting... "Oh, I'm afraid my story isn't quite as interesting as yours. I was born in Naxos, and have spent most of my life there. Not the nicest place in the world, but you get used to it." She shrugged off as if to echo her own words. "But enough about me, I don't want to bore you with some uninteresting details" she casually changed the topic back in return. "What do you mean you haven't seen your parents ever since? Did something happen to them, or have you not heard of them in all this time? Uh...if you don't mind me asking, of course."

[1:48 PM] Best Birb | Sky: "Ah, I don't mind. But I'm afraid there isn't much more stuff I know. I was with them when I was younger, but they left, and left me in the care of a friend in the village. They left out of choice, I think. Though that's an empty guess. They said I wouldn't understand if they did tell me, and they were probably right. They said they'd be back to see me, but to this day, I dunno why they left or where they are... but I couldn't stand waiting anymore, and traveling with Zain was the best chance I was gonna get, y'know?" Himaya explained. He seemed like he was withholding a bit of information, but didn't seem willing to share much more. "But what about your own parents? And what's the story behind that eyepatch?" Himaya turned to her and smiled gently. He didn't wanna be a downer in the conversation. But he attempted to have small talk(edited)

[2:42 PM] Nerf: Changing the topic back to me? Hmm. Not bad Himaya, not bad. "My parents? Eh, haven't seen them in a while either. Though in my case, I was the one who left. They were not bad people but we had some...fundamental disagreements about some stuff. Lets just say we are both better off this way." Hoping that this would be enough to stop Himaya from inquiring any further about it, she shifted to the second, easier to answer question: "Oh, my eyepatch? I would love to tell you it is an old wound I received during some epic adventure or something similar, but I'm afraid the truth is a lot more boring than that. You see, as you can probably tell, I'm not exactly the strongest person around. I used to get sick a lot when I was a child, and because of this, I got the measles when I was six. Not a fun time, I can tell you that." She took a deep breath, as if this story was one she had already told a million times before. "Anyways, to make it short, I ended up living, but the infection took my right eye. The doctor said I was very lucky not to become completely blind. It's sort of a nasty scar, so I prefer to keep it covered, as you'll understand."

[9:58 PM] Best Birb | Sky: "I can understand having to leave at least. I had to leave my wolf Papa behind in the village. He told me for years that my parents promised to come back. But I wanted to leave so badly, so I just left. I'm sure he understands though, but it was a disagreement to say the least." Himaya said, comparing himself to Sally. "Ah, that sounds terrible." Himaya said, referencing her eye. "But I'm sure it isn't as nasty as you say. I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't wanna have just a peak under the patch, but I respect your personal bubble and all, as I'd hope you'd respect mine. I've a few scars myself I wouldn't care to show others at the moment. I'm a bit too nervous, y'know?" "Damn" Himaya said, I've said too much. "...Battle scars are kinda embarrassing to say the least. It's hard to admit your losses sometimes." Himaya added on, trying to cover up his flub.

[10:53 PM] Nerf: "Battle scars? I thought you had only recently started traveling with Zain. Did you have a habit of getting into fights back in Ramalia?" Her stare now pierced at Himaya, as if attempting to see right through him. "I didn't have you for the violent kind, if I'm honest. So how did you even get those scars?" While both her tone and mannerisms remained cordial, Sally was now carefully observing Himaya's reaction, trying to pick up any hints of a lie in his answer.

[11:02 PM] Best Birb | Sky: "Well, ya got me there..." Himaya admitted. "'Battle' in hindsight sounds too serious. It was more 'sparring'. But I've gotta say, when you're sparring with wolves, they can leave some bite wounds. I... don't like to mention them if I'm being honest. They remind me of how I wasn't fast enough to dodge them... But lemme tell ya, gettin' bit sure motivates ya ta get faster! hahaha" Himaya fumbled a bit over some of his words, but he attributed them to embarrassment. He blushed a little(edited)

[11:16 PM] Nerf: Instead of calming down her curiosity, this only made her want to press the issue further. "Sparring...really? You got permanent scars from sparring? I thought wolves knew better than to cause serious injury to their own kin. And how did you even spar with laguz as a beorc? Did they allow you to use weapons to keep the fight fair, or was it simply a onesided stomp against you?" Her smirk growing slightly wider, she decided to go for what would hopefully be a finishing blow. "Are you sure this thing you want to hide is a scar and not something else? Perhaps...I wonder...a birth mark?"

[11:32 PM] Best Birb | Sky: Himaya's eyes widened. "Dammit, she's good... but I can't just tell her, can I?" he thought frantically. He attempted to cover it up as a look of confusion. "D-do you mean to say you've never sparred with a Laguz? It's quite the experience, let me tell you. Of course, I used my own 'fangs', while they used theirs." Himaya explained, pulling out his knife and twirling it in his hand, with a smirk vaguely on his face. "But some of the wolves get a bit worked up. That adrenaline starts pumping a little too much and their instincts get the best of them. Whenever it happened, they apologized a lot. But that was many years ago and I don't hold anything against them personally. Wolves will be wolves." Himaya said with a shrug. "I'm sure you'd understand a thing or two about scars. You have your eyepatch, and I have my sparring scars. Neither are really something we care to show all willy nilly. It's hurts our pride." It was funny. Himaya usually wasn't very good with logic, but if it came to lying or covering something up, it was easy enough for him to utilize.(edited)

[11:57 PM] Nerf: "No, I'm afraid I have not sparred with a Laguz before," she confirmed. "I'm not exactly one fit for battle, so it wouldn't end well for me. Sure, I know a couple tricks to keep myself safe if it comes down to it, but...they are not exactly the kind you can use on a friendly sparring session." "With that being said, I do not think you can compare my scars to yours. I feel no shame about mine, I can tell you that for sure. If I choose to keep them covered, it's simply because of convenience. I don't have the patience or time to be dealing with people giving me strange looks and commenting behind my back, that is all. Pride has nothing to do with it." She remained calm throughout the whole exchange, but her voice seemed to gain some sort of passion as she said this. Inmediatly after, she broke down eye contact, casually walking past Himaya towards the edge of the boat. As she observed the reflection of the moon over the gentle waters, she took a long, deep breath, taking what appeared to be an eternity before speaking again. "However, I believe you still haven't answered my question. You know, Himaya, I make a living out of finding secrets. And I pride myself on being very good at it. So, tell me...are you sure you are giving me the whole story?"(edited)

October 4, 2017

[10:26 AM] Best Birb | Sky: Himaya approaches her and places a hand on the edge of the boat, looking out in the distance and not at her. He was afraid eye contact might make him say something he didn't want to. "...damn, you got me." Himaya finally admitted out loud. "Please, I must ask you not to say your guesses to anyone else. I'll give ya the satisfaction in that you're on the right track... But I'm not ready to tell everyone. The time isn't right." He placed a hand on her shoulder and said in a more sincere tone and a hushed voice. Now turning to face her. "I... dunno why, but I have this feeling about you that I can trust you to at least not continue this facade with you. But I'm afraid we'll just to leave it be for now at least... " Himaya felt conflicted. He didn't want to lie to her anymore, but he didn't want to come clean. He settled for somewhere in the middle. He'd tell them someday when he was ready, but not now. "...all I'll say is that you should study some songs." He turned away and began to whistle the song from earlier, but more hushed than before. He began to walk away.(edited)

[11:04 AM] Nerf: As Himaya walked away, Sally stood frozen in place, her gaze lost in the endless ocean. She remained silent as the young man continued distancing himself, his soft whistling and the gentle sound of the waves being the only things to disturb the dead silence of the night. "Himaya" When she spoke, Himaya was already a good distance away from her, but her voice was loud and clear, in a way that he was sure to listen to it. "...once you are ready, please tell me so."

[1:12 PM] Best Birb | Sky: Himaya turns to face her, still continuing momentum in the same direction he was walking. "Sounds like a promise, then. I'll be here to do the same if you ever wanna say whatever." Himaya said with a nod and a half-grin. He turned himself back and continued to walk away from Sally. "I don't wanna be like this, but I can't be too cautious. Even if I disobeyed Papa and left, I can at least listen to his advice about how dangerous other Beorc can be..." Himaya thought to himself.(edited)

[1:41 PM] Nerf: "Right." She didn't add anything else, but she didn't think it was necessary either. Soon, Himaya had dissapeared from the deck, leaving Sally alone with her thoughts. Seems like he has a lot of unresolved issues. Still, who am I to judge? I'm not any different after all. Maybe I shouldn't push him so much... ==END RP==