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Post by yun on Apr 28, 2008 18:13:33 GMT -5
The swamp teen grinned as Hok accepted her assistance, it seemed he still trusted her to a point, it made a small light hearted feeling pass in her chest, even after all the beating it didn't seem like he hated her. She really wished he's wrestle back, it'd made things more amusing, if only he could over power her and prove himself to be a man. She had to shake her head, Hok was a punching bag, he wouldn't act out against her, he was whipped. Maybe that was why she was sweet on the boy, he wasn't like everyone else, it was only a passing phase though " Yer pa is hog tied bah yer Mah, he aint got no stones." She commented shaking her head before a familure face wandered into their veiw.
Kulap was the local shaman, her mother had introduced the two once or twice, she hadn't said much of anything to the woman, but being able to turn people into swamp newts was an appealing idea, she didn't complain when the apprenticeship was brought up at home. She was rather looking forward to it, maybe learning some neat bending moves, strong attacks. A little magic would be cool too, so many possibilities, she wanted to be stronger than her brothers, not that she wasn't already.
Yun scowled at Hok, she knew that look, he's gotten himself revving over the older woman, someone Yun was supposed to learn from and respect, this was going to complicate things. Her hands found their way to her hips and she only nodded in response to the older woman. What did that old witch have that she didn't? She was curvy but Yun was lean and young, she was pretty in her opinion, forget pretty, she was gorgeous and everyone should see that, especially Hok. And if he didn't see it she'd beat it into him. " She's murried yew lump"
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Post by hok on Apr 29, 2008 18:33:21 GMT -5
Hok was a bit peeved at Yun's inferrence, especially since he was sure Yun was only saying it to bother him. He knew his poppa was no coward, nor was he bossed around by momma very often. As far as he knew, Yun was simply tacking on details of her own family life to make Hok feel bad about his own. It wasn't his fault if the girl's family was totally dysfunctional, and it sure as heck didn't mean his was just because she said so. Still, it made him a bit angry, which was to be expected.
That matter was pushed into the background when Yun brought up Kulap. "Yeah, ah know that. Whut kinda fool do yuh take me fer?" He was starting to feel a bit angry again, but for a different reason. Actually, not as angry as he felt embarrassed. It was wrong to be in love with another man's wife - he knew that much - but the feelings were still there. How hopeless he felt to be so lovesick over someone that would never be his. Hok didn't even bother to think another nice girl could someday be his wife.
"But she's..." He paused, rubbing his heel into the earth where his eyes were currently focused. In a hushed voice, he peeped; "She's still purdy."
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Post by yun on Apr 30, 2008 19:31:20 GMT -5
Hok was really asking for it, the boy obviously didn't know anything or else he wouldn't be making eyes at a married woman, he would die alone. " Yeah, purdy"
" Purdy off limits." She quickly added before trotting along to catch up to the shamaness, boys were stupid creatures of impulse, if a girl had big breasts they were all over her. Kulap's were alright, if you liked them that way. Yun didn't see the attraction honestly. Her own were cuter, perkier. Boys should be lined up to bend to her will. Waiting with baited breath for her to step all over them and service her every whim. She smiled a bit thinking about it. That wasn't such a bad idea, she'd some how form her own harem of cute men.
" Mei'ss Kulap?" Yun looked to the older woman settling her arms behind her back with the best innocent expression she could muster, it would be better for her to test the waters before she did anything too rash. Being headstrong was one thing, being stupid was another. Aside from the woman being a shaman there was little known about the would be master. Honestly Yun doubted a lot of her powers, she was a fancy herbalist, that was about it. "Yew alre'dey know my ma wants me to study unde'r yew, what kinda things wu'ld ah learn?"
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Post by dandan on Apr 30, 2008 23:00:50 GMT -5
A short way across the humble swamp village, past the firepit and the wharf, Dan-dan eventually came to a small hut on stilts that he used to call home. The house itself wasn't terribly impressive, but it boasted a pen loaded with opossum-chickens. Some were shuffling about on the ground while others roosted upside-down from a set of sheltered racks, hanging from their skinny tails.
Dan-dan walked up to the porch of the hut, taking note of the rocking chair that his father used to sit in while he watched over his livestock. "MA? Pa?" he called out, stepping into the doorway and pausing for a moment while his eyes adjusted.
"Well, look who's here!" came the immediate response. Dan-dan didn't have to be able to see to recognize his father's voice. "If it ain't our boy, back from the dead!" A rather hefty man rolled himself out of a hammock on the side of the room and wasted no time in embracing Dan-dan in a big hug.
"Long time no see, I guess," the younger man said, patting his father on the back while he recieved the crushing embrace.
"Yer tellin' me," his father replied. "We were beginnin' to think yer wife put a spell on ya with her Swamp magic." He grinned, nudging Dan-dan lightly as he turned and gestured for him to come into the house. "That Mulkat was a strange one... but I guess he raised a pretty good daughter if ya haven't thought to come visit in a few months."
"Nothin' like that Pa," Dan-dan replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, "But we had our share of stuff to keep us busy."
"Workin' on a grandkid for me?" Dan-dan's father laughed at notion and began fetching a set of cups along with a jug of moonshine.
"Actually..." Dan-dan began, offering a slight chuckled as he looked at the ground. His father didn't react for a few seconds as he finished pouring the first cup, but when nothing further came from his son, Dan-dan's looked up with excitement suddenly growing in his eyes.
"No...." he said, a grin spreading across his features, "Is she really...?"
"Yep," Dan-dan said. "Says she's sure now."
"Ha-HA!" his father explain, walking over and shoving the cup into Dan-dan's hand. "That's wonderful news! Where's yer ma? She's gotta hear this!"
"Hear what?" a female voice asked from the back entrance to the hut, "What're you hollarin'... Dan-dan! Mah boy's home!" Dan-dan's mother charged him with unusual spryness for a middle-aged woman and buried him in a hug and a kiss.
"Just in time to hear the news," his father said, pouring a third glass of moonshine and handing it to her.
"What are we celebratin'?" she asked, taking the cup.
"We're..." Dan-dan started, unsure of exactly how to phrase it without causing undue embarassment. "I mean, yyer-"
"Gonna be grandparents!" his father took the liberty of finishing for him. "Spirits, boy! Don't keep her waitin'!" Dan-dan's mother immediately burst into a high pitched squealing noise, practically jumping off the ground and hugging him once more.
"Bottoms up!" Dan-dan said once his mother eventually released him, offering his cup out for his parents, who repeated the phrase and touched glasses before taking a hearty sip.
It was just the pick-up Dan-dan needed after Kulap's rather lack-luster breaking of the news.
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Post by choji on May 1, 2008 12:36:55 GMT -5
Kulap was back at her tree house with the kids behind her Butchie lurched from the river and waddles over to his misstress she nudged her ankles as Kulap rubbed his head.
"How you doin' thar Butchie? Gonna warm yerself in the sunshine?" Butchie made a distict gator growl as he layed on shore soaking up the sun.
Yun and Hok arrived as Kulap was sitting on a stump and grinding nuts.
"Yew alre'dey know my ma wants me to study unde'r yew, what kinda things wu'ld ah learn?"
Kulap sighed, in all regards she didn't think Yun would be a good shaman at all. She didn't have any spiritual awareness, nor was she the calm and patient type. She was hoping for lots of magic mojo and kick-ass powers. Shamanism isn't like that.
Kulap put her nuts down and spoke clearly. "Yew'll learn lots, Yun. For now you're going to learn how to make medicine, treat sick usin' bendin' meditate and clear your energies so you can work with spirits. Use good judgement in situations. Later when when you have attunted yourself and become more aware I'll teach you more spiritual stuff like divination through dice, bones and making talismens as mediums to call diffrent spirits. Sense Chi as well. Fer now today at least yer gonna make two kinds of teas."
Kulap got up and stretched, her stomach started aching again. She was going to hate her pregnancy. However her grandfather told her that female shamans are most potent when they are carrying a child. Kulap didn't know if it was just metaphore or what not but she showed Yun her small herb garden from the base of the water oak where Kulap lived.
"This is meadowsweet, thats feverfew. Now Meadowsweet is sweet smellin' plant used for stomach pains and dihareah, whut's another herb that can be use for stomach pains?" Kulap quizzed to Yun, if she was going to be her apprentice she need to know at least a little.
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Post by yun on May 1, 2008 13:34:40 GMT -5
Yun's face clearly fell, learning herbs? Didn't she know enough about that? It would be a waste of her time to learn it all over again, her grandmother taught her a lot about the swamp, fauna included. This was going to be a waste of her time she could tell, still she followed Kulap dutifully and dully, how boring could this be? She had people to beat up and things to do, she was going to need more cloves among other things, there was no time to waste hashing old knowledge. Her eyes lingered over the white daisy like flowers of the fever few plant, it releaved cramps pretty well, but the shamaness would want her to mention it. She'd pick something else in that case
" Ginger" She muttered easily looking at the plants a little distastefully, she had enough respect for the swamp, the people who lived in it were another matter entirely.
" alsew halps with daigesteon. There 'er a buncha others that dew the same thing thou," The teen added after a moment, she liked ginger, it was a fun root, she liked the near bitter taste of it, the smell wasn't too bad, she'd grown used to it. Her foggy blue eyes coyly moved to the older woman, what was she trying to pull treating her like a little kid. Making tea and medicines, it didn't seem like apprentice work, it seemed like the usual sort of work that she was too lazy to do on her own. That was typical of adults, they used anyone smaller than them for their own stupid reasons because they were younger. It was bull, they acted like getting old made you an invalid, it was annoying.
Her expression didn't once faulter into her usual bullheaded grin, she wasn't going to act like a brat, well at least she wasn't going to try to. This was somewhat serious, and she hated looking like an idiot. " Kava Kava leaves halp sooth nerves, it's a gewd temperery anestetic."
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Post by dandan on May 1, 2008 20:29:05 GMT -5
Dan-dan sat around with his parents for a short while, sharing a drink as he recounted some of the more notable events of the last few months since he'd seen them. The conversation eventually came back to the reason he sought them out in the first place, and Dandan's mother immediately began her inquisition into Kulap's health, eating habits, behavioral swings, and everything else an expecting grandmother might be worried about.
"I think knows what to expect from it," the fisherman eventually said, squeezing in a reply between a break in his mother's questions. "It's just... She doesn't seem all that happy about it."
"The pregnancy's a tough time fer everyone," Dan-dan's father chimed in. "They gotta carry it, but we gotta carry them!" He grinned and reached a hand to stroke his wife's arm. However, she playfully smacked it aside, putting up a facde of offense.
"Yeah, but it seems like she's not just down about the sickness and the mood swings," Dan-dan went on. "Kulap don't seem to want the baby at all." That stole a bit of the smile from his parents' faces, but his mother didn't seem to get too unsettled by the news.
"Give it time, son," she said. "In time I'm sure she'll come around. It might just be she's already feelin' the mood swings and before you know it she'll be rearin' to knit a baby-carryin' harness." That thought brought a bit of a smile to Dan-dan's face and he nodded optimistically. "I'll stop by in a little bit with a nice present for her. That ought'a lift her spirits."
"Thanks, ma," Dan-dan said, rising to his feet. He hugged each of his parents in succession. "I guess that's what I needed to hear. Thanks fer talkin'."
"Thanks fer tellin' us the news!" his father countered.
"I'ma go check and see if she's back. I'll see ya again soon!" And with that, Dan-dan left his old house and started back across the swamp toward the treehouse he shared with his wife.
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Post by hok on May 2, 2008 13:13:16 GMT -5
As Hok practiced various forms off on the sidelines, he peeked over every now and then, but made sure to seem nonchalant when Kulap looked his way. Sure, shamans could talk with the spirits and do other special things, but he had no clue that kind of training would be so, well, boring. Personally, he found most jobs to be rather tedious, so this was no exception.
Still, he had to wonder how long someone like Huu would train to be as skilled as he was. If he had to train as a shaman, then that would be worth it. Otherwise, if that occupation centered around talking about herbs and stuff like that, then it wasn't Hok's cup of tea. He was content to practice waterbending for now, having drawn a small globe of rainwater from a puddle.
Moving it around and dropping into various stances from time to time, he was doing his best to stay out of Yun and Kulap's way. He figured he would try and bend vines later, just to show off to whoever may be watching. If that happened to be Kulap, he wouldn't complain even for a heartbeat.
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Post by choji on May 3, 2008 11:20:45 GMT -5
Kulap sighed and shook her head.
"I dun't care about Kava Kava leaves I'mma not talkin' about that. Yes Ginger works but it's too bitter. Dillweed is gentle enough for babies and the elderly it's great for minor issues and colick. It's something that women should eat daily."
She walked around the garden cutting herbs, she looked at Hok who was bending. She smiled lightly at the praticing boy and beckond Yun to follow her.
"Anyway yew have two big assignments, first is to make a good calming tea for stomach pains that pregnant women can take. And yes befer yew ask, Imma carryin'. Moving on, the next step is smugin' yer room. Now the best plants that can purify rooms are, cedar and sage. I have Sage upstairs fer you to use. You also need to make an herb bundle fer an offernin'" She walked up to the her house and carried two bowls and a knife. She sat the bowls on a table and the knife and walked back up to get a cutting board. After that was taken care of she. She turned to Yun: "Yer gonna cut up Mint, chaomile, dried plumbs and blackhaw. I want to crush and blend enough for two cups."
She walked over to Hok and gently laid a hand on speaking quietly. "Switch yer stance a bit son, yer workin' two hard for the water."
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Post by yun on May 3, 2008 17:40:41 GMT -5
"It's medicene hyuw cares it'n it tastes good." She grumbled as the tools were laid out in front of her, She picked up the knife eyeing it suspiciously, she should just toss it into the womans back, she wasn't much of a teacher, she wasn't learning anything. It would be funny if she missed, hit the wooden frame of the door. It might scare her into taking the new ward seriously, not just giving her busy work. Besides Yun happened to like bitter tasting things, ginger was sweet in her opinion, it had a nice bite to it. Much like herself.
Needless to say Kulap wasn't Yun's favorite person right now, just being given tasks to do so that the lazy woman wouldn't need to was infuriating. Still she got to work, her eyes wandered about the area for a mortar and pestle, that would be the right tools to use to make it fine enough for tea. Of course the woman wanted things done her way without telling Yun all too much. What sort of teaching methods were those? Learn through doing she supposed. That was how her brother Rohit did it at least. With a sigh she looked at the dried plants. That stupid woman was more trouble then this whole thing was worth.
Mostly to herself she mumbled putting the cut plants into a hasty bunch. " An' yew said tew tasks, and yur give'n me three ya illiteate witch." The scowl was plain on Yun's face, she was never one to hold her punches or her tounge. This was no shaman training, that should be meditation and chi something or at least some magic. Herbs weren't magic, any idiot knew that much, any idiot in the swamp knew their way around the plant life, if they didn't they could get rashes or poisoned.
There was something that gave Yun a slight amount of satisfaction though. Kulap was pregnant which meant very soon she'd swell up like a balloon, that would surely turn Hok off of her. Mood swings, the whole nine yards, he would give up his stupid fantasy's and focus on something more attainable. When the baby was born Kulap would love her husband more than ever and the child more so, she wouldn't have any inclination to look around for younger prey. Possessive as Yun was one less person vying for Hok's attention would be a welcomed relief. At least until she got tired of him and tossed him like the cut of a cuttlefish
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Post by hok on May 4, 2008 19:39:49 GMT -5
Hok didn't really expect Kulap to approach him, but he wasn't exactly bitter that she did. When she offered a kindly tip for waterbending, he complied with embarassment plainly shown on his features. As was typical, his eyes dropped straight to the ground, appearing more a dull shade that wasn't at all flattering to their unusal colors. Not once did his face meet hers, lacking any eye contact. Such was the case when Hok met with those with whom he wasn't well-acquainted, but he knew Kulap a bit more than the average swamp-dweller. His shyness was brought on by infatuation instead of unfamiliarity.
"Y-yes, Kulap," Hok muttered, his last syllables fading to nothing before he knew it. A casual observer may not have even known he said her name unless they listened closely. But he heeded her advice. Nodding, he took a step away from the shaman and kept his eyes on the water. Carefully, he reased his tension the best he could under those circumstances, and his movements became a bit smoother. He failed to notice Yun was becoming more than a little peeved.
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Post by dandan on May 5, 2008 19:31:08 GMT -5
It may have been the positive reaction from his parents, or possibly just the moonshine, but Dan-dan was feeling much better as he made his way across the village and back to his home. He reflected for a moment on how strange it was that in such a small village, he managed to grow up almost as far away as possible from where Kulap had lived. Fate was funny like that.
However, as he neared the familiar winding ramp that spiraled up into their cozy treehouse, Dan-dan caught sight of a few visitors hanging around the tree roots. Kulap was tending her herbs with a rather sour looking teenage girl watching over her shoulder while another boy was practicing some bending a short ways off. He slowed down his pace enough to watch them for a little bit before he was within easy speaking distance, and smiled somewhat as he saw Kulap instructing the pair.
"Don't know what she's talkin' 'bout..." he mumbled to himself, "Looks like she's gettin' along fine with these kids." After seeing Kulap trying to give the boy, Hok if he remembered his name correctly, he had walk within conversational distance and called out, "What's all this? I'm gone for a half hour an' yer holdin' a clinic?"
Dan-dan's beaming smile and casual tone showed he was clearly all right with the new guests as he made a bee-line for his wife. He pecked a kiss on her lips in greeting and allowed a hand to rest on her hip as he looked at the kids. "Hok and..." he turned aroun to regard the girl, "Yun?" Hesimply wanted to confirm that he knew them by the right names.
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Post by choji on May 6, 2008 10:30:29 GMT -5
It was how Kulap examind things. By watching them. And observing. She was watching Yun because she wanted to know how much potentinal she had to be a shaman. It was hard work and sometime unforgiving. She needed to be obediant and patient as well as have spiritual fortiude. This little job she had her doing was going to see if she could stay on task.
Watching Yun she often kept an eye on Hok. Strangely enough Kulap felt like her grandfather. Instructing and teaching. It brought a comforting feeling to her. Maybe....maybe she could teach this new life a thing or too. Sighing she smiled brightly as her husband kissed her on the lips
"How ya doin' love?" She nodded to him. "Yep Hok andYun, Imma gonna take Yun as mah apprentice..well..sorta.. Hok is jest practicin." Kulap walked over to Yun tapped her on the shoulder. "Good job now I'll heat water and yer gonna brew that." She walked called out to Hok. "Yer doing good now try to do octopus stance ok?" She climbed upstairs to heat the water and the back down sighing.
"After thinkin' about it Dan-dan." She said as she waits for it boil. "It ain't so bad...to be mom. I might as well git use to it. Ya know? No use whinin' about it." It was her way of accepting the baby.
"Didja see yer ma today?"
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Post by yun on May 6, 2008 13:08:51 GMT -5
The teen glanced up at the pair her eyes narrowing, why didn't Hok act like that around her? He talked back and gave her attitude, he wouldn't fight her but all the same he was acting like a sheepish monkey goat around Kulap. It rubbed Yun the wrong way, everyone ought to worship her, not some old pregnant shaman. Honestly, she wasn't that pretty, she'd swell like a tumor with the parasite inside her.
Quietly Yun looked up with the presence of another person in the area, she blinked as she watched the man, he was one of the fishermen wasn't he? She didn't remember his name too well. He must have been the one who knocked the woman up, it was a little surprising, that wasn't any of her business though. Nodding only slightly as she heard her name she kept slicing away at the herbs, Soon enough she was finished up with the task and she began to look around for a pot just as Kulap announced she'd boil water. Oh that was it, she didn't think Yun knew how to heat some damn water. Children could figure that one out.
Yun put a hand on her hip and slammed the knife into the tabel shooting a look at Kulap, she was getting rather irritated with this busy work but her anger was only boiling now, it hadn't yet spilt over, lucky enough for her. " oh, yew gotta brew it? who knew." She muttered darkly yo herself with sarcasm just dripping from her words. This wasn't going to go well it this woman was grating on her nerves already. Not like it was completely Kulap's fault. In honesty if Hok wasn't in the picture she would be fine with the simple tasks
Still she wanted some revenge. If Hok was gonna continue being sweet on Kulap she could play the same game, now she had a target. This would be interesting at least, why wouldn't Hok be jealous? Yun was amazing, everyone should know that, he'd come to his senses. Yun glanced at Dan-dan coyly, sure she was young, but she felt she was better than any old swamp witch.
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Post by hok on May 8, 2008 14:17:04 GMT -5
Hok waved at the man - probably Kulap's husband and father of their baby - but soon returned to his usual timid self when Kulap gave another friendly order. Even though her husband was in plain view, his childlike infatuation wasn't about to be pushed off to background.
There wasn't really enough water around anywhere for an effective octopus stance, but he supposed he would make do. It was then he spotted a nearby rain barrel replete with water, much to his fortune. Drawing the liquid mass from the barrel, he moved those serpentine arms around slowly with a fair deal of effort and concentration. The technique was right in his skill level, so it wasn't much of a problem.
He could probably be distracted rather easily, as he wasn't focused enough to shut himself off from his surroundings. Hok still knew what was going on around him, informing him that there really was nothing of interest happening. He appreciated the peace of the moment, though.
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