[B] In deep [Turn to Ash + Nettle]

[Beejoux]

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft] He wasn't entirely sure how any of this had happened.  Sure, he knew the mechanics of the predicament he found himself in, but the progression...

It seemed to him that things had tumbled out of his control completely and very quickly.  From the moment he'd met Stomp to know, she'd been the one in the lead, and he'd been so damn entranced by that carefree attitude that he'd just gone along with it.  And now?  Now he was no different, except instead of following in her hoof prints he was out in the swamp looking for some old buck to seek out a blessing for the babies they were now expecting.

Babies.

Well.  Ready or not, right?

@blue

[blue]

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... h_blue.png[/imgleft] There was a turtle here.

It was a turtle that stood out against the landscape: shockingly, alarmingly blue, bright like a forget me not, absently gnawing its way through a pile of leaves. At the sound of Ash's approaching footsteps, its head turned and its eyes narrowed and it focused in on him. It chewed, slowly. Food fell from its mouth.

And then there was another turtle here. [imgright]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... _blue5.gif[/imgright]

This one sat with its hind legs in a puddle and its front on the shore, eyes closed and head nodding just a bit. It didn't so much as glimpse up at the sound of hooves stomping through leaves.

@Beejoux

[Beejoux]

Ash slowed as he noticed it, and then stopped completely as it's head turned and eyes narrowed.  Just watching as it slowly chewed.  It took a moment for him to notice there was another, and it got a cock of his head.  Did turtles usually travel in pairs?  And did they often...lounge like that?  Because that's exactly what it looked like the second turtle was doing.

@blue

[blue]

The sound that turtles made wasn't very impressive, or loud, or intimidating. As the blue turtle laid eyes on Ash, it pulled its head back slowly into its shell, and let out a series of hoarse little barks, rough rattling sounds. It sounded sick. But then, that was kind of just how turtles sounded.

And it did the job, anyway. The other turtle opened its eyes, its own mouth falling open as it blinked around the den. A rarity: the yellow of its eyes shone with an internal light like that of a Kimeti, something unseen in the lesser creatures of the swamp. Its attention settled on Ash and, while its face wasn't terribly expressive, it did seem to frown.

@Beejoux

[Beejoux]

"Um..."  Dark eyes flicked from between the two, settled briefly on the blue one as it started to...bark?  Gurgle?  Whatever that somewhat alarming sound was -- and then back to the other one as it finally seemed to notice him standing there.  it made him shift where he stood, ears flicking back. 

"Is that...normal?"  He asked finally, head tipping towards the blue turtle, not entirely sure the other would understand him, let alone respond.  It was just a turtle.  Wasn't it?

@blue

[blue]

[imgright]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... _blue3.gif[/imgright]The way those yellow eyes narrowed -- it seemed like the second turtle understood, attention flicking from Ash to the turtle and back again. He hissed once, and the blue beast finally shut its mouth.

As it did, Nettle stepped out of the water, standing to shake himself off. As he did, he shed the second form as well, and stepped back into his usual skin. His eyes still narrowed. His expression unimpressed. The frown hadn't so much as budged.

"Do you often go about talking to turtles?" It was a grumble, unimpressed, his chin lifted as he shook more water off his hind legs.

@Beejoux

[Beejoux]

Well, that was a relief.  Not sick or dying, just...strange.  Ash eyed the blue turtle for another long moment before the other stepping out of the pool pulled his attention back.

And boy, did it.  His eyes widened as another Kimeti stepped forward where the second turtle had been.  And for as different as they were from each other, the change had been utterly seamless.  "Well..."  Seemed like he'd found what he was looking for.

"Not often, I find they're usually lousy conversationalists."  His head tilted, gaze flicking over the older buck.  "Things tend to get a bit one-sided."

@blue

[blue]

Nettle should have laughed -- or maybe he should have scowled -- or in some way reacted to the joke. Instead he stared at Ash flatly, unimpressed, tail flicking off a few more drops of water as he did. It was some time before he spoke, time he took to assess the buck standing in front of him. And when he finally spoke, it sounded equally unimpressed.

"....do you need something?"

@Beejoux

[Beejoux]

Literally anything would have been better than the lack of response the other buck was giving him, and Ash's tail flicked restlessly, gaze skirting off to the side before flicking back at the question.

"I do, yes.  I need..."  He paused, frowning faintly as chewed over a response.  Stomp hadn't really explained how to ask, just that he should.  "We've got little ones on the way, I need a blessing.  Please?" 

@blue

[blue]

"Oh, I see how it is." Nettle stalked around him in a slow circle, head cocked and eyes narrowed to just glowing gold slits in his face. He looked Ash over as he did, tail swishing -- thrashing, even -- behind him. It brushed up, briefly, against the buck's flank.

"You all come seek me out when you need something."

@Beejoux

[Beejoux]

"Er..."  He shifted where he stood as the other buck circled around him, twitching at the brush of tail against his side.  "Well, I suppose..."  Hard to argue with that, since that was exactly what he'd been sent out to do. 

"I mean no disrespect.  Your time is valuable."  Well, he'd been lounging in a puzzle, but who was Ash to question it.  "If I could make it up to you, somehow?"

@blue

[blue]

Nettle sniffed in reply, sharply, tossing his head just a little bit as he did. He settled next to Ash, tail still thrashing and eyes narrowed while he considered how to respond to that. His eyes were still narrowed, only that vibrant glow making them clear in his face.

"...you'll owe me a favor, in the future." He said it slowly, looking up toward Ash's face. "Nothing in this world comes for free. An important lesson."

@Beejoux

[Beejoux]

He shifted in place again as the older buck settled beside him, the skin on is rump twitching with the air tickling over it from the trashing of his tail.  "What sort of a favor?"  It didn't seem unfair to him.  He was asking for something important, after all.

And while Nettle's eyes glowed, Ash's were almost lost in the darkness of his face -- black on black -- save for the subtle shine from the dim light of the swamp.

@blue

[blue]

Nettle sniffed at him, though, chin tipped up and expression still....flat. He didn't seem like a stag who smiled often, Nettle. If ever. Maybe his mouth had never split into a grin in his entire life --

"If I knew that I'd just ask for it now, wouldn't I?"

@Beejoux

[Beejoux]

"...ah."  Right.  Dark ears flicked back as the younger buck thought it over for a moment.  "So, how would you find me to collect this favor?  Or...?"  He didn't live terribly far from here, but it wasn't close, either.

@blue