Neverwinter Forest chrysanthemum

AW but maybe... @Haoniyao ^^ Maybe for a trade? 

Lenny had to admit, she had a very good life here. It was no surprise why her sister had stayed. Still, thinking of Kyr leaving in the first place caused a small pang of sadness to lance through her chest - really, though, it was her fault for not going with her in the beginning. 

The girl stretched her legs out, waking up from an afternoop nap that spanned into an evening nap - she'd been looking for Ying or guarding the borders or making poor attempts at hunting constantly lately, and she needed to rest every now and then. 

Soft lights glistened in the trees and one floated down near Lenny's face - fireflies, out and enjoying the warmer weather. Lenny let out a soft laugh and lunged for the flashy bug, snapping her teeth just short of it.

The air warmed, becoming much more similar to the air of his home. He enjoyed it, feeling the warm breeze running through his fur. There were even kimulimuli in the air. He nosed them as they floated gently. 

In between the trees he saw the dark form of another wolf. He recognized the laugh. Lenny. 

He took the opportunity. There was no snow, unfortunately, but he could still surprise her. He snuck up on her, getting as close as he could before he jumped, his paws splayed as he tackled her.

She'd been a bit too engrossed in snapping at the fireflies to pay attention to who might be sneaking up on her - this was her territory, too, after all, and she normally felt perfectly safe there. 

Until, of course, something large and heavy slammed into her from behind. 

They went tumbling to the ground, and Lenny wound up underneath her assailant. Silver eyes were round, assuming she was being attacked for real, until she recognized the warm eyes and dark pelt of the play attacker. 

"Yao!" she scolded, trying not to laugh. "Maana!" The language lessons were one of her favorite things right now. Then, she continued, in her southern-belle-esque accent: "Sneakin' up on a lady like that! So rude!"

Her reaction was just as he wanted — shock and a bit of fear before realization and amusement. He laughed, the noise rich and deep as he saw her face, then again as she used her funny voice. Oh! He said, half-offended but still laughing. You say that after you throw snow on me?

Still laying beneath him, Lenny let out a bark of laughter. "You waited until right now to get back at me?" she questioned, a smirk stretched across her maw. "And here I was, thinking we were friends!" It was a game, of course, for she made no move to push him off of her. "I'll throw extra snow on you this winter."

Now was a great time, he looked down at her, smirking at her prone position. I got you well, I don't need snow. He wanted to say, only to be taken aback by her promise. You'll try. He frowned, the expression exaggerated.

"Yeah, you got me well." Lenny laughed again at the frown, stretching up her paws in an attempt to push him off of her. "You'll have to wait and see," she said slyly, then gave pause for a few moments, smile falling just a bit. Perhaps she shouldn't be worried about it, but... well, she hadn't thought Kyr would leave, either. "If you think you'll want to stay until then?" The question was hopeful, subtlely inquiring on whether or not he was happy here. Trying to gauge how attached she should be getting.

He didn't get off her so easily, a cocky grin lingering on his face. Bring your best, he finally stepped off, backing away from Lenny to give her some room. Yao looked contemplative for a moment. He was not sure about the future for him. He thought that staying past the winter would be best — he wanted to see this land enshrouded in white in the full brunt of winter. But he missed home. That became clearer each and every day. But he could not return, not until he proved himself. Whenever that was. I think I will, he eventually said.

"Good." Lenny got to her feet and shook out her fur, ridding it of any mud or dirt that could be clinging to it. She had no idea why Yao had planned to stay, or what he wanted out of his future - or even what she wanted, really, but... this was nice. A friend. Perhaps he'd want to go home one day, in the future, but she was happy to have him for now. Reaching out with one paw, she pushed at his shoulder.

"Tell me a story?" the woman prompted, tail swishing slowly behind her. Perhaps a bit about his past.

Sorry this took so long I had to find a good story/reformat it!

He was glad for her request, grinning at her. He began to search his memory for a story to tell her, settling on one of the first that he had been taught. I will try to translate it, he said, already deep in thought as he tries to convert words from one language to another. This is a Creation story, he does not know what Lenny believes in, or if she believed in anything at all. He guesses that she will just take it as a story, nothing more, but to him it was more than that. It provided meaning.

It is said Unkulunkulu, the Great One, sent a kobe — a living rock with a head and legs, have you seen one? — to the people; he said to it, "Go, kobe, go and tell them, 'Let not the people die!'"

The kobe set out, but it went slowly — it ate fruit and slept. After some time of waiting, Unkulunkulu sent mjusi — a..lizzzard? Yes, a lizard — with a new message: "Lizard, when you have arrived say, 'Let the people die!'". The lizard went; it ran and made great haste, for Unkulunkulu had commanded it.  

So the lizard went, and when it found the people it said, "I tell you, for Unkulunkulu has said it, 'Let the people die!'"

The lizard came back again to Unkulunkulu before the kobe had reached his destination. When the kobe finally arrived, it shouted, saying, "Unkulunkulu has said it, 'Let not the people die!'"

The people answered angry, "Oh, we have accepted the word of the lizard; it has told us Unkulunkulu's word, 'Let the people die!' We cannot hear your word." And so, through the word of the lizard, the people will die. He trailed off, looking at her expectantly. What did she think?

You're totally fine!

Oh, he was very good at telling stories, it seemed. A creation story? Valencia was familiar with the Gods of Old that her parents had taught her about, but she had not believed in them for many moons. Was she against the idea of there being gods in general? No. But was she skeptical? Yes. 

Still, she had found that when people spoke of creation stories, and gods in general, they were generally attached to the idea. So that's what she took it as. A retelling of the past, for him.

Lenny was silent for a moment, mulling it over, before she spoke. "So, because the kobe was slow - didn't take its job seriously - the people, us, we're... mortal," she tried, glancing back up to the man. "The lizard was quicker, and the... the Great One made us mortal instead of immortal."

There's a rush of relief when she finally speaks after the story is told, glad that she was understanding and absorbing the story. He wondered why he was so hesitant in the first place. Ndiyo he nods, confirming her interpretation. Babu wa baba yangu — ah...my father's father? — he would say that the story is telling us to act quickly when told, and not to be lazy in completing tasks. He smiled fondly, remembering the nights he would spend at his babu's side listening to him tell the myths. He'd call us kobe if we took too long with chores.

"Well, I liked the story very much," she assured him, a small smile forming on her maw as she scanned the larger wolf over. It was clear that the words had meant a lot to him. "My family used to tell us stories, about the Gods of Old. I was never a firm believer in them, and I kind of wish I'd paid closer attention to the stories." It was something she'd never really talked about - or thought much about, really - in the past. 

She paused for a moment, before speaking again. "Do you miss your family?" she inquired, tipping her head to the side.

He looked at her with gratitude, his previous anxiety settling as her interest in the story was cemented. Gods of Old? he said, curious. He knew there were many gods worshipped across the lands he had travelled, numbering more than the languages he had heard, but he truly did not know much about others outside of those he paid homage to.

Yao fell silent, the warm expression on his face dropping as he was faced with the reality of her question. Had he missed his family? He could only answer with two words — I do, — the wealth of emotions that had flooded into him unable to be truly expressed in Common, or even in his mother tongue.

"Yeah. I remember my parents trying to get me to sit still and listen to their stories, but... I was not a very good child," she admitted sheepishly, lowering her head with a small smile. "Maybe Kyr remembers more than I do about them. I'd just get things mixed up if I tried to explain." She shook out her fur to cover up her embarrassment. Yao seemed so connected to his religion, and she was not. Surely that must have looked terrible.

But her attention was diverted when his expression changed, and her ears lowered in response. She could certainly understand missing your family - she'd missed Kyr terribly when she'd left, and she missed Torbine daily. But it wasn't a decision she would take back. "I'm sorry," she told him, moving forward to press their sides together. Offering what comfort she could. "I miss mine too, but... I'm glad I left. I still have Kyr, and I've met a lot of wonderful people here. New family." She paused, cleared her throat, and allowed herself a moment to be a little sappy. "Nilikutana na wewe." And, not to let the sappiness linger too long, she continued, "I'm glad I dumped snow on you that first time."

I can ask her, he said, feeling her discomfort. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to lack that vital part of himself. But he sympathized, 

He was grateful for words. It was comforting to know that he was not alone in being lonely. Her speaking his native tongue did not ease his feelings of loneliness and nostalgia, but the familiarity stirred something else in him. They grounded him, hearing those words from someone else's mouth. He felt connected, even though she was not fluent. He laughed. I am glad also, he pressed his head to hers. Kuonana kwaolewa. Meetings are...what's word...God...s... wills them? They must happen.