Yesterday (open)

[orion]

Orion sat just at the edge of the village, looking out across the landscape with a distant expression settled on his face. This, the point he was sitting on right now, was the point at witch he had first set foot in Temasha. It had been yesterday, actually, that he wandered out of the desert and collapsed, right here where he sat now. He gave himself credit for actually making it this far before falling over -- and, thankfully, no one had found him lying there.

He couldn't remember... anything, really. It would have been bad if someone found him and the only thing he could offer was his name. It wouldn't do to be unable to explain the wings on his head, or why he hadn't died in the desert that he walked out of.

Hm, and speaking of the desert, this place was cold. Orion had noticed, when he had energy enough to move again, that the people here were all dressed too light for how cold it was. After he, reluctantly and after a few hours of shivering, stole some warmer cloths for himself, he decided that, whatever race he was from, he had probably lived in the desert before coming here...

But looking toward it now, he did not want to go back. He didn't know why, he only knew that it felt like a very bad thing to do. So he settled for looking, hoping that maybe sitting in this spot would help his memory--

"Aah-" he leaned forward, folding his arms across his stomach. That's right, living things need food. Orion clenched his teeth, folding himself over so far that his forehead touched the ground. This was the last straw. He didn't know who he was, or what had happened to him, and he was still cold in these cloths he had stolen. His nerves weren't strong enough to steal food as well! This was it! He was going to starve to death! Fourteen was too young to die, but that's what would happen!

Orion took a breath, trying to quell his sudden panic, but instead of comfort he was met with tears.

[ninjaofdoom]

Riki watched from a distance as Orion sat at the edge of the village. She, too, had just come to this point. She had probably passed through here before, but life seemed to just be a blur these days. She spent her time roaming, talking to creatures she ran into in her ample spare time. And yet, out of the many creatures she'd come across in her life, this boy was one of the most curious looking. He looked mostly like a normal boy, in his early teens, maybe, except that he had a pair of white-feathered wings on his head. She couldn't imagine what use those would be. Ever.

And while she examined him from a spot hidden in a dying tree, she noticed that he seemed to be struggling with something. He leaned forward with his arms across his stomach, a pained expression on his face. He looked confused, but angry. He was shivering, and as she glanced about realized that he had probably just come out of the desert. After all, it was only a short while away, and today's weather wouldn't dare match the heat of the desert. She, herself, had not ventured into the desert since her mentor had died and so remembered very little of it, but she knew it was hot. Hot and dry. And she had never spent much time there.

The boy sat bent over on the ground for a while, fairly silent. It wasn't until she saw his shoulders shuddering with small movements that she realized he was crying. She wondered if he was lost. He was too young to be wandering about like this. He was and exhausted, and probably scared to death.

Riki thought about going down to help him, but knew that she didn't have much to offer him. She would probably only frighten him more and be of no help. But she couldn't just let him sit there and cry all day, either. It just wasn't healthy. He needed to eat something and calm down so he could think through his situation. She let out a loud sigh, giving him a warning before she jumped silently to the ground and walked with steps light as air beside him.

She crouched down beside the boy, and gave him a few moments before she dug into her pocket and pulled out the remains of her breakfast: approximately half a slice of bread and a small block of cheese. She placed the food in front of him and sat back, hoping he would see the food and tend to his own needs first. She wasn't exactly the best at these kinds of things, but it was only out of a lack of experience with them. She normally only had herself to take care of, but helping others just seemed like the right thing to do. And this awkwardness only seemed to make people suspicious of her. Of course, it wasn't like they didn't have reason to be suspicious. She was perfectly capable of stealing their valuables without a sound, though this didn't mean that she did.

[orion]

Orion stiffened noticeably when he heard the first evidence of Riki's presence. His mind seemed to halt completely, and he stared silently at the ground in front of him. Whoever it was that had sighed would probably leave, right? He didn't want to deal with anyone right now, whoever was there would just go away, right?

He couldn't hear her footsteps over the sound of his own breathing, but when the woman was suddenly crouched beside him his breath caught in his chest. Orion could feel himself trembling as he pulled his wings in tight against himself. He wanted to be small, to disappear, to-- ...Mom. He wanted her; this faded image that had no face. His mother.

Orion watched Riki carefully when she set food in front of him, but it was a moment before he even dared to breathe again, let alone move to take this woman's food. He was terrified, taking short, shallow breaths and trying very hard not to move. He had no reason to believe that she wanted to hurt him. Her actions weren't threatening at all, in fact, she was helping him.

But he was still too terrified to move.

[ninjaofdoom]

She could tell he was holding his breath when he didn't budge. In fact, he was about as still as a statue. His head-wings were brought in tightly and he just stared at her. The silence spread out longer and longer as neither of them said a word. Riki wasn't sure what to say; she just hoped he would stop being scared of her and eat something before he passed out.

Finally, she reached across to the food and broke off a small bite of the cheese and shoved it in her mouth. "See?" she said as she swallowed. "It's safe. Now please, eat. You'll feel better if you do." She forced a small smile, not sure what else to say, and waited.

[orion]

Very slowly, Orion stretched out a wing. His arms were still wrapped tightly around his middle, and his wing brushed the ground lightly; pulling the food tentatively toward him. He looked at it still for a short moment before sitting up and reaching out to pick up the half-slice of bread.

His breathing was shallow as he still dared not make too much noise. The bread was dry on his tongue, and, for the first time, he realized that he was thirsty as well. Orion didn't speak, and he stared at a spot in front of him as he ate. He could feel the woman's presence beside him, even though he didn't look at her.

He decided that it must have been a long time since he had had food, because it felt heavy in his stomach. Swallowing the very last bite of cheese, Orion closed his eyes. It might have been too much...

[ninjaofdoom]

A look of worry crossed Riki's face as she noticed a strange look on the boy's face. He looked almost...nauseated. She quickly began thinking about what to do. She had never had to deal with a child before. Not even a ..well..anything. She made a point of keeping herself healthy. She had only thrown up a few times, after that she just broke into a fever if she was ever . She could handle fevers. But he looked like the food just wasn't sitting right in his stomach. And if it..well..came back up, it would have done him no good at all.

Riki began to wonder when the last time he ate was. If it had been longer than a few days, or longer than a week, then surely that would be the cause of his pain. His stomach just wouldn't know how to handle food so well anymore, especially not that amount. It would seem such a small amount to someone in a normal condition, but a starved body, it would be just too much.

As she was thinking, it took her a bit longer to realize that the boy's breathing was a little ragged. His throat was dry. He was dehydrated. That must have been it. After all, he had just been through the desert. A sharp pang of guilt washed through her as she realized that she hadn't been observant enough. She should have realized that the boy would need water sooner. It should have been the first thing that came to her mind. God, she was stupid. Shaking her head, she reached warily for her small canteen. She shook it lightly, allowing what water was left inside to swish around.

There wasn't much left. But hopefully it would be enough to help hydrate him just a little, just enough to get him into the village for help. She took off the cap and offered it him, placing it in front of him. "Drink. It's not much, but it may be enough to help you feel a little better," she said softly, settling into this new role.

[orion]

Orion took the canteen with shaking hands and lifted it to his lips. The water stung the back of his throat in a way that he hadn't expected. He coughed, lowering the canteen and clutching it to his chest -- but the fit halted abruptly when his stomach threatened to repulse its contents.

He held his breath and swallowed the bitterness that had risen in his throat. His wings pulled in close again; this time covering his face when tears fell down his cheeks. The feeling that he was going to die wouldn't leave, and the aching in his throat didn't help matters.

His wings were trembling when he moved them ever so slightly to drink again. He was looking out to the desert again, wanting to be warmed by it's hot sun. This water was cold, but he drank till the last drop was gone.

His stomach had settled itself, and Orion rested the canteen in his lap. A breath forced itself out of his lungs and then violently drew air in again. Tears spilled from his eyes as he hid behind his wings.

He was going to die.

[ninjaofdoom]

Oi-vay, Riki thought as she watched the tears roll down the boy's cheeks. He must be scared out of his mind. Alone, someplace he didn't recognize, and he probably felt really . She put her hand against his forehead, trying to make sure he wasn't coming down with a fever, too. His face was warm, but not alarmingly so. Probably just a mild fever, but he looked like he was feeling cooler than that. Was he actually...living in that place? she asked herself as she looked back toward the desert. She couldn't say she ever hated the desert, its warmth felt nice compared to cooler days like these, but it was just so...exposed. She shuddered at the idea of not having anywhere to hide.

She took a deep breath and moved herself lightly, but heavier than she normally would have, in front of the boy. She didn't want to frighten him more than he probably already was. "Hey," she said, trying to reassure him. "Everything will be all right. There's a village just down there, and I'm sure they have a doctor who would know how to fix you up. If not, there's nothing a little rest can't take care of, right?" She held out her hand to him, even though he wasn't looking at her, hidden behind his wings. "Oh! How careless of me! I never introduced myself. My name's Riki Chimoki. You can call me Riki, though. I try to avoid all the formalities," she added, smiling. She really hoped he would let her help him. She felt horrible watching him cry.

[orion]

Orion sniffed, and moved his wings slightly to look at her. She was smiling at him, and her voice was pleasant. But something about her made him want to-

He looked down, his tears coming on heavier than before. He held his arm over his eyes when his wings held themselves out in a very prone position. He was trembling and gasping for breath, his wings shaking and jumping out of his control. Then suddenly he moved.

He lunged forward; throwing his arms around Riki's middle, and, crying into her chest, he clung to her. This woman was safe. She was safe and she was warm. He didn't want her to take him anywhere, he just wanted her safety, and he wanted to cry.

[ninjaofdoom]

He lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her waist, crying into her chest and clinging onto her with a great deal of strength in his fingers, despite that he was trembling from his sadness and his sobs shook him. This surprised her, but she couldn't be angry with him. As he cried, holding on to her, she let out a little sigh and wrapped her arms around him, rocking him back and forth as she remembered how the mothers of her old clan had comforted their children when things..didn't always turn out nicely. "Hey, it'll be okay," she said softly as she let him continue to cry.

They stayed like that for a while, the boy crying into her chest, clinging onto her as if he wouldn't be safe any other way. She waited patiently for his sobs to subside a little, and for a while it seemed like they wouldn't. Eventually, though, she could hear him catching his breath a little, coughing here and there. Good, he's getting it all out, she thought pleasantly. "Hey," she said again, trying to be gentle, "do you have a name I can call you? It would feel awfully rude calling you 'boy' all the time, don't you think?" She tried to be lighthearted for him, testing the grounds to see how she could make him smile. The most important thing, however, was to get him talking. Not for her, but for him. He was definitely lost, and confused. Asking him questions might jar his memory or help him get his bearings.

[orion]

He was breathing now instead of gasping, although his chest would still lurch with the demand of more air as he recovered. He didn't move, he only relaxed against Riki. The sound of her heartbeat drummed, muffled, in his ear, and the gentle rush of air in and out of her lungs would have lulled him to sleep had she not spoken to him.

"Or-rion," he said. A short gasp had interrupted him, but he didn't feel inclined to say it again. The sound of his voice seemed a little strange after his weeping. It was dry and choked, and he would much rather listen to Riki's voice than his own.

He sighed and let his eyes fall closed. Now he felt better. He still didn't remember where he was from, or what had happened to him, but it was better. There was somebody here, and, in her arms, he wouldn't die. It felt like the right place to be, and he wasn't going to leave. Ever.

[ninjaofdoom]

She thingyed her head to the side as she listened to his name; an instinctual habit, really, and it couldn't be helped. She couldn't help but smile as he closed his eyes after speaking and rested his head against her. She had never known what it was like to have someone depend on her, and it felt good.

"Well, Orion," she said, using his name this time, "why don't we move over there by those trees? And then you can rest, okay?" she suggested, mostly wanting to get out of the open area. It felt...uncomfortable, especially with Orion here, so vulnerable. There weren't too many trees at the particular location, but it felt safer than here. She wrapped her arms more tightly around him and started to lift him, helping him off the ground, but not too much. She would let him decide if he wanted to move or not.

[orion]

"Mm." Orion hummed a small sound of affirmation as he stood with her. His head spun a little, and his wings shot out to steady himself. His arms were still around Riki, but it didn't help the odd falling sensation. After a short moment it faded, and his wings lowered again.

"Riki?" He looked up at her. His face was still damp swollen from crying, and there were strands of hair sticking to his cheeks. "I'm cold."

Colder than he had been before. Probably because he was tired. His body was starting to fall asleep, but his mind was still awake.

[ninjaofdoom]

She nodded as she held him stead for a moment before leading him over toward the trees. "I know," she said softly, raising her arm to test the skin on the back of his neck. It felt warmer than his forehead, which she expected. She helped lower him down next to the tree and sat down with him, as his arms were still firmly around her. She kept him close to her side, her arm around him, hoping her body heat might make him feel more comfortable. "Now, then. You should rest. It'll help you feel better," she said after they had settled in to the spot. She waited until he closed his eyes to start scanning the area, keeping watch.

[orion]

He leaned against her, closing his eyes and taking in her warmth. He nuzzled into her, and moved a wing to cover his face as he fell into a light sleep.

He would fade in and out, becoming aware, absently, of things like the passage of time, or the feel of the person he was sleeping on. And he could see bits of things playing behind his eyelids, but nothing made any sense...

((Hey, however you want to proceed from here is fine by me. Orion's just sleeping right now, so if you just want to have Riki wait around or... do something... I dunno'. Whatever you want, I guess))