[ORP] Dried Out (Open to Plot) FIN

[phoenix kiss]

It takes Stain a moment to figure out what commands the little one's attention -- and then when he figures it out, he almost laughs. It escapes him in a singular grunt of laughter: the little one, Acorn, is looking at Slender -- but it happens. What kimeti doesn't? Poor Slender doesn't notice, and probably won't until someone clues him in. Thinking that this may be the polite thing to do, he simply shifts his hind feet over so that he can then whap Slender with his tail. It's subtle in the way Mudsplatter deems things subtle.

Hoping that the little one won't notice, he then nods to both of them, ignoring whatever spat the two newcomers have between them. "We're in the same tribe, as far as I know." The extent of what he knows is that he's never heard of any other tribes [having never been to the seashore], so there can't be any others. "Unless you mean tribe as in kimeti."  

[SilverShieldwolf]

He watches the interaction between the two, Acorn and Shadowstalk, and shakes he head. Moon Cloud turns an eye at Mudsplatter's grunt trying to figure out what it's for, before realizing that Acorn is staring at Slender.
"He has that way with all of us." He says in his quiet voice with a hint of laughter.
Still tired from the heat and climb, he settles himself more in Slender's shadowy shade. He notes with slight amusement that Acorn is keeping an eye on all of them. "I believe you can rest a little easy, Acorn."
 

[elufae]

Words could not describe the incredulous look Shadowstalk wore. Slow them down? He was the one that was eager to get out of the plains and find these kimeti. Of course he didn't really know Acorn's intentions of leaving the kiokote. "If it weren't for me you'd be dead by now, runtling. Remember your Ache?" he hissed at her and moved forward to stand just before her. As she "introduced" him, he gave a quick sideways glance and a bitter kick to her leg. "You've mixed it up again, Acorn," using her name for once, "I believe you are my companion.." he "corrected" and looked at the kimeti as they spoke.

As far as he knows? How can he not know if they're in the same tribe? Unless it was a massive tribe, where it was easy to not know every member. But Shadowstalk came from a modest tribe, and every member knew who he was...now that he was across the plains, he could start anew.  

[[.Lady of Shalott.]]

Dulse watched the intricate word play and conversation shifts between the others and the kimeti, and was intrigued. It was really quite funny, the strangers were almost like kimeti. The larger one seemed to put the smaller one at a disadvantage for her size, but Delight was small and packed one heck of a punch.

He decided to respond to the one called Acorn's query: "The kimeti do not usually travel in tribes, as you put it. I myself am a Wind Chaser, but I do not recognize the others from any tribe."

Maybe he could get new recruits? Rabbit would be proud, to say the least.  

[phoenix kiss]

Mudsplatter's ears p***k up at the mention of tribes. A simple buck, he spent his days exploring, searching for food to eat, and watching the Swamp grow and change -- things he normally did himself. The mention of 'tribes' was a new thing indeed. He made a note to ask Dulse about it, looking at the buck with the swirling blue coat.

Noting the way in which the bigger buck (was he a buck? was that the word they used?) spoke to the other doe, Mudsplatter sighed inwardly and asked, keeping his expression as mild as it ever was, "You both look thirsty. Do you want some water? I can show you a stream nearby." It was a meager thing indeed, but it would probably be refreshing enough after such a long journey over the plains. And it would get them off of this rock; he was still too close to the hard-packed plain for his comfort.  

[elufae]

"Wha-..and where do you think you're going? What am I supposed to tell your tribe when I find your dead body somewhere?" he calls after her, the last words undoubtedly not reaching her ears. Growling with a curled lip, he glares at her before taking a deep breath and turning back to the group.

"Always running off without so much as a word on where she's going. I know where she's going, she's going to get me in trouble, that's what. I'll have none of that, but there's no sense in wasting my time and effort trying to get her to calm down now.." he mumbled under his breath.

"Anywho, a drink of water sounds rather nice right now..umm..don't mind her. I'll find her later." he says, keeping an eye on the direction she went. Somewhere deep in his apathetic heart was a faint glimmer of worry that she would be okay on her own. Very faint though.  

[SilverShieldwolf]

Moon Cloud thoughts drifted to tribes. He doesn't remember ever being around a tribe or those that were in one, but apparently Dulse was in one.
His eye caught Acorn getting a grazing kick and realized that he was so deep in thought, he missed part of the conversation. He watched a little sadly as Acorn left them, she seemed to have such spirit for one so little. I have a feeling that she is going to be around for a while, he smiled at that thought.
Feeling like he needed to move, Moon Cloud started pacing a little bit. He would look to the sky, judging when the moon would come out and bring some cool air he hoped. The mention of water had his ears twitching.
 

[phoenix kiss]

Mudsplatter, wincing as Acorn leaves (and doubly so at the words the other kiokote throws at her retreating figure), simply shrugs and then resigns himself to forgetting about it. No sense in starting a fight over it.

"I can show you the watering hole. It's not far from here, if you don't mind walking in mud." The plains were so dry and dusty it was hard to believe the dark-furred kiokote could run and talk; he must have been parched. "Follow me."

Stain hops down off of the rock, a bit grateful when mud again squelches under his hooves, and leads the odd little group towards the watering hole.