Spring Cleaning the Spirit {Kesle}

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Spring had arrived, and it was glorious. It was her favourite time of the year by a clear mile. Temperatures were still bearable, there was a pleasant mix of sun and rain to keep things entertaining....and then there were the flowers. Oh, their heady scents could make her nearly delirious. So many different shapes and sizes, smells and colours! There was such life in spring, and she could jump for joy. Which she promptly did. Sturdy legs propelled her mottled torso into the air, grey and browns in stark contrast to the blues and greens and purples and reds and yellows below her. She liked the yellow ones the best - little reminders of sunshine and hope and happiness.

She yipped excitedly upon landing, hopping back into the air and prancing through the meadow of flowers in a manner very much like a springbok. She didn't care if she was behaving like a pup - one was only ever as old as you felt and acted, and she was feeling more than sprightly.  A gentle breeze plucked at her fur, like a puppy's teeth demanding play time. "I know, I know!!" she called to the spirits that fluttered by her. "It is a wonderfully beautiful day! Come on, I'll race you to the tree over there?" She didn't bother waiting for a reply, hurtling off towards the designated tree with the wind racing alongside. She probably looked more than crazy, talking to beings that few bothered to try and see. But she knew better. She knew that the world was made of living things and when they passed on their essence was still able to roam the lands. How else would you find yourself in odd places for a unexpectedly important meeting. All the little quirks in life, the odd interactions that were never planned...those were down to the spirits and the guiding hand of the Great Mother who nourished them all.

She reached the tree, panting heavily, her blue eyes sparkling with mirth. "Oh, alright. You win. I conceded defeat, you silly devil" she laughed, batting a paw playfully at the wisp of air that danced before her eyes. She watched the spirit dancing about for a moment longer, before with breath of wind it vanished in a  puff of wild laughter. She walked slowly through the tall grass, feeling the long stalks tickle her tummy as the sun smiled down from a perfectly blue sky. Yes, this was the life, alright. This was the very heart of what living was about. It was about enjoying the moment and seeing the beauty in everything.

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[K]

Kesle rolled over onto her belly, sighing as the sun warmed over the sensitive light gray skin and fur. She let her paws dangle in the air and her head to fall back so that the world was turned to an upside-down picture of vibrant colors- cerulean sky, emerald grass, and flowers of every shade and variation of a myriad of blues, yellows, reds, purples, pinks. Yes, it was quite a lovely day. One like this would be more than guaranteed not to happen in a northern spring. Kesle could guess the climate even at this moment in the White Forest. Probably slate-gray sky, cold winds and bare trees. Just like winter, in fact- only wetter. The bare snow of winter replaced with drippy freezing rain and sleet. Only in late spring, early summer would the tiny, delicate white and blue flowers peek from under their protective snowbanks.

It couldn't be more the opposite on the Golden Plains, Kesle reflected as she studied a brightly-hued butterfly that was flitting among a patch of bright yellow flowers. Here, everything that walked or swan or slithered or flew came roaring to life at full speed, it seemed, for the flowers were already in bloom, insect and bird calls echoed through the air, and the scents of a hundred tiny creatures were on the wind, in the grass, in the dew that sparkled off the flower petals. One could believe that the Golden Plains were the epicenter of life.

Between the warm sun and the calming drone of insects and the pleasant scent of new grass and sun-soaked life, Kesle began to doze. It was so very peaceful...

And so when a laugh rang out from the field to her right it startled her almost bolt upright. Ears pricked, Kesle peeked above the screen of flowers surrounding her.

Sure enough, it was a wolf.

Laughing and leaping, a grey blur against the brilliant flowers, all joy and exuberance, her voice ringing out- but who was she talking to? Kesle sat up just a little so her head and neck could be seen above the flowers. There was no other wolf in sight, only the stranger... and Kesle, of course, but she was almost entirely sure that she wasn't the one the wolf was talking to.

A light breeze ruffled the tops of Kesle's ears and back and suddenly, with what sounded like a playful challenge, the wolf was off, racing as fast as she could before abruptly skidding to a stop beneath the shade of a scraggly tree. Kesle heard her call out merrily to no one; "Oh, all right, you win. I conceded defeat, you silly devil."

Well. Kesle raised an incredulous eyebrow to herself, unaware that she herself was staring, head and neck sticking out of the flowers. She must be quite mad.

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Zaphira hadn't walked very far when her sapphire gaze caught sight if a pair of pricked silver ears and a fluffy, lupine face. A wolf!! And one she didn't knoe, to boot! She bobbed excitedly on the spot fir a moment, tail swishing happily left and right before she exploded forwards in a puff of old dandelions. She cantered towards the head that seemed to float above the flowers, coming to a neat stop just im front of the female's nose.

"Hello there" she spoke brightly, a broad smile on her lips. "I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting. I'm Zaphira." She eyed the wolf for a moment making sure to memorise the scent and features. There was nothing worse than not being able to recall the name for a scent or face. It was terribly rude and thus also quite embarrassing.

She waited patiently for the other wolf to offer an introduction, her concentration slipping as she saw butterfly land on a nearby primrose. She watched the delicate wings flutter, a pale blue to rival the sky. Like a moment frozen in time, she stared at the butterfly before the insect took lightly into the air and danced across the green grasses. The beown and grey female snapped her attention back to the lady, just in time to catch her opening words.


OOC: i've typed this on my phone, so sorry for shortness and typos

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[K]

It certainly didn't take long for the she-wolf to notice her presence, which in retrospect wasn't surprising. Kesle felt her ears begin tl burn with embarassment at being caught staring, but there was no time to feel sorry for herself or regret things before the stranger was across the meadow in a few bounds and in her face, bright blue eyes twinkling merrily.

And so it was with a slightly surprised expression and mild inner confusion that Kesle answered the wolf's- Zaphira's- beamingly-delivered question, watching bemusedly as Zaphira's attention quite obviously strayed from the conversation. She didn't seem capable of harboring I'll will, this Zaphira, that much was obvious even to Kesle. She felt herself relax just a little. 

"K-Kesle." Zaphira's attention snapped back to the conversation when Kesle began to speak. And the intensity, earnest though it was, of said attention made Kesle's nerves begin to fray just a little and she stumbled over the familiar syllables of her name. She thought perhaps it had sounded like a cough, even to her own ears. Pox and mange, pox and mange. Fix it, fix it- "Er, that's my name. I'm, uh. Kesle." 

The added babble didn't do very much to salvage her attempts, unfortunately. With an inward cringe, she offered a small "How do you do?" hoping to at least move the conversation along past her clumsy-tongued blunders.


OOC: my iDevice is equally good at posting as your phone, it seems, so this one's short too, and probably with some spelling things as well. :/


 

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Her new companion was a shy creature, by the looks of things. Half-hidden by the green grass and fragrant flowers; those large eyes staring at her with mild surprise. Zaphira didn't mind, nor did she pay any attention to it. She had learnt long ago that there was no point in changing the way your were...and so she was going to remain chattery and bouncy today. A single word managed to find its way past her new friend's lips, spoken almost as though it were something to hide. The brown and grey wolf bobbed lightly up and down on the soles of her paws, hyped up with the marvellous energy that was spring time. She gave the girl a kind smile as she stumbled over her second introduction. 

"Nice to meet you, Kesle" she replied easily, making sure to remember the name for future encounters. Name and face and scent. With all three neatly checked and stored away, the brown and grey wolf felt more than comfortable about moving things along a little. She really couldn't stand here all day, trying to get Kesle to feel comfortable enough to open up. That would be a waste of sunshine and flowers...and, most importantly, it would be far too much effort on her behalf.

At the question that was sent back in her direction, Zaphira grinned broadly. "I am doing quite wonderfully, indeed!" Her reply was exuberant, blue eyes sparkling with her inherent joy of life. "Spring time was always my favourite time of the year. Everything is in the throes of life; blossoming and blooming. The animals are courting and the birds sing their sweet little songs." She paused for a moment, turning in a tight circle as a gust of wind tickled her side. "It is quite singularly magnificent! She beamed at her proclamation, her tail wagging forcefully behind her. "Tell me, Kesle. Have you ever snorted dandelions?" Oh, it was so much fun to puff the pale grey spores and watch the little powder-balls disintegrate!


Tags: @cogs
OOC: Sorry for keeping you waiting!

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[K]

Kesle watched in mild bemusement as Zaphira bounced and leaped, obviously positively overflowing with joy. She couldn't help but crack a smile at the she-wolf's abundant... happiness. She was like a puppy-a very excited puppy. She began to relax just a bit. She hadn't, of course, expected Zaphira to jump at her, teeth bared, in the first place. That was ridiculous. She wasn't paranoid- just cautious. And rightly so, for a lone girl, she defended herself to her own mind. But it was admittedly hard to imagine this wolf hurting anyone or anything, and her enthusiasm eased a little of Kesle's embarrassment. She was so very carefree. It actually reminded Kesle of her younger sister who, though physically frail and sickly, had reacted very much like this to spring. Zaphira wasn't frail or sickly, not in the slightest, and her coat was a multi-toned brown and grey instead of creamy white, but her attitude was familiar.

Kesle returned her beaming grin with a small smile. "That's... certainly a way to put it, yes. Magnificent." She supposed it really was. The brilliantly vibrant colors and spirited songs and calls of the other creatures really were special here, in the springtime of the Golden Plains. 

Zaphira's next question threw her off a little, however. Snorting dandelion seeds? Was that a thing you could even do? As a pup, Kesle and her siblings had sometimes run through patches of the little fluffy flower and watched the seeds scatter in their wake, but she had never even thought of inhaling them. 

"Er.... no? I... I can't say I have," It came out as a question rather than a statement. "Does it... doesn't it hurt?"


OOC: Oh, it's fine! Reply whenever you're ready, love, no rush. 
Tags: @teme

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Ah, there she was. If she could have smiled a broader smile, Zaphira would have done so as her new friend relaxed a tiny bit more. Inch by inch, Kesle was coming out of her shell, she Zaphy was present to witness the beautiful moment. It was transforming, to see a glimpse of what could be if the confines of worries and fears were removed. The grey lady still had a long way to go, but she was confident of the outcome. This was a gentle soul; a kind spirit. Someone who wasn't damaged or traumatised in the way that many of her other friends had been. It was a breath of fresh air to the spirit, and she basked in it.

She had known the Mother Goddess had sent her this far south for a reason - one that was not simply about marvelling at the multitude of flowers. No, Zaphira was coming to the conclusion that it was her path in life to set others onto theirs. Wolf, who needed constant guidance because he wandered from his path so often; Reece who needed to learn that light would illuminate the shadowy trails he followed if only he allowed it. And now Kesle...Not that Zaphy knew precisely what the silver girl needed, but such things would crystallise over time. "Indeed, indeed!" she agreed brightly, nodding fervently as her companion noted the beauty of their surroundings.

Zaphira wasn't particularly surprised to hear the Kesle had never snorted dandelions. It was a rather...peculiar sport if you thought about it. She giggled, hopping into the air like an electrocuted rabbit. "Oh no, it doesn't hurt" she spoke, twisting in mid-air until she was standing at an angle to Kesle. "Come, I'll show you!" With that, she was off, hopping and bouncing a little way across the fields until she found a patch of dandelions in seed. She waited just long enough for her friend to catch up, before she leant forwards to the nearest powder-puff. "Now, the trick is to do it slowly, so you don't end up with all the seeds in your nose. That is a little uncomfortable - I was sneezing for days the last time I did that. So you inhale a little bit, until the first spores your nose..." She demonstrated, sniffing gently and pulling the first few white parachutes towards her. She felt the familiar tingling in her nose, her cheeks twitching at the sensation before WHOOSH, her flanks convulsed and she sneezed straight at the dandelion head. The spores took to the air in a whirlwind of greyish-white, dancing sporadically left and right and up and down.

In between the explosion of dandelion seeds, the brown and grey wolf was bouncing on the soles of her paws, blue eyes twinkling merrily as her laughter filled the air. "Look at the fly" she wheezed, prancing about as the last spores settled into the grass. "Now yout try!" Her tail was wagging a mile a minute, and if it wasn't for the weight of her sturdy body, she'd be up in the air herself.

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[K]

Kesle followed Zaphira to a where a small cluster of white puffs bobbed in the breeze. She inched closer to watch Zaphira demonstrate, apprehensive but feeling safe in the Zaphira's assurance that it wouldn't hurt. She was careful to listen to Zaphira's instruction, not wanting to miss a single detail in case it was important. Suddenly, with an explosive sneeze that nearly made Kesle jump out of her skin, Zaphira leaped straight into the air, as if she was trying to fly away with the little fluffy white seeds whirling around her.

When her feet were (sort of) back on the ground, Kesle inched toward the dandelion nearest her. She leaned down so that her nose was only a few inches away, squeezed her eyes shut (she couldn't help it) and sucked in a deep breath through her nose.

She knew instantly that she overdid it. The little seeds really stung!

Kesle sneezed, once, twice, three times, so hard that her head jerked downward and she nearly tripped backwards. She gasped out a surprised, wheezy laugh. Her eyes were watering, her nose was still stinging and there was a ticklish burn at the back of her throat, but a pleasant buzzing sensation had started at the base of her skull. Kesle suddenly felt a little light headed, but it wasn't a bad feeling. It was kind of nice, actually.

"That was... amazing." she turned to Zaphira, her tail wagging furiously. Whatever she was going to say next to Zaphira was cut off as her eyes strayed from the other wolf as she noticed her tail. She turned in a small circle. "Wow... did it... do that before?" Kesle turned back to Zaphira. "This was the best-" she interrupted herself with a sneeze. "-idea-" Another one- "-EVER!" she giggled and sneezed again.

A breeze ruffled the fur between Kesle's ears and she was suddenly reminded of something she had been afraid to ask earlier. Strange- she didn't feel much afraid now. The nice fizzing feeling behind her ears drove all of her uncomfortable thoughts away.

"Hey, Zaphira...  who were you talking to earlier?"


OOC: In which Kesle has a little too much of the good stuff dandelion spores

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The tan and grey wolf watched her new friend with barely contained excitement. The heady tickling of the dandelion seeds was making her mind a little fuzzy, blurring out the borders of propriety and common sense. She felt as though she could fly and touch the stars with her paws. She opened her eyes wide as the grey wolf got close to a dandelion puff, sapphire orbs watching in delight as Kesle inhaled. "Stop! Not so...much." Her warning was too late, Kesle's eyes watering as the spores shot up her nostrils. Zaphira grimaced in heartfelt sympathy. Goodness, she knew how that would sting and bite and fizz and buzz.

On the other hand, it would intensify the effects quite a bit...and Zaphy was convinced that that would only benefit her shy friend. She yipped excitedly at each sneeze that forced its way ruthlessly from Kesle's jaws, her legs acting like little pistons to catapult her up into the air. Oooohhh, this was great, great, great!!! Her tail was wagging a mile a minute as she waited for Kesle to recover from the sneezes.

When she did, her voice carrying easily on the spring air, a bright smile curved across Zaphira's face. Yes, yes, YES!!!! She had a convert! She bounced happily up and down, snorting another dandelion as she sidled closer to the other wolf. "I'm so glad you think so, Kesle" she enthused, spinning in a wild circle and laughing brightly. "There is such freedom to be found once you've snorted a couple of dandelions. All your worries seem quite trivial." She snorted another dandelion as she plunged headfirst into the next patch of powderpuffs, sending spores everywhere as she sneezed and sneezed.

She needed to pause for a moment, her blue eyes watering slightly from the force of her latest sneeze. She was giggling uncontrollably, feeling lighter than air and happier than she had in a long, long time. This was why spring was great. It gave her more than enough of an exuse to go cavorting about like a crazy wolf. She was caught off-guard by Kesle's question, spinning around wildly on her haunches to face her friend. She trotted back to the grey wolf, sitting down and primly running her tongue along one paw. "I was talking to a spirit" she informed her friend in sincere tones, an affectionate note to her voice. "The world is filled with the spirits of the deceased" she continued, watching her friend for signs of confusion or understanding. "If you open your heart enough, you can see and hear them."


Tag: @cogs Sorry this took so long, my dear!!