Sun Mote Copse I thought my world was crumbling

Fennec had been thinking a lot over the past few weeks about what things would look like from now on.  She wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even her parents, but she knew she couldn't just sit here and do nothing.  Not now that she was actually staying.

An idea had been niggling at the back of her thoughts, one that she'd never taken seriously before because it always felt like a cop out.  She liked Uncle @Eljay well enough, but he wasn't the type of wolf she really... wanted to be.  But it had come up in the past, the idea that what he did was something she might actually be able to do.  Before, she scoffed at it. She could do anything.

Now, though, she found herself wandering the direction she knew he and @Weejay had always stayed.  No one needed to know... but it couldn't hurt to ask.

Eljay was fussing over the garden a lot lately. It was almost as if it was a metaphor of some sort -- something that he could use to make his life seem better, somehow, some grand reason to stay here. And it was, in some way, because Weejay was his biggest reason to stay (next to believing that the ones he wanted to go to didn't want him around, anyway). He thought of the conversation with Phox, and how he still needed to talk to Weejay about things. But then again, what was there left to talk about? And would she try to argue him again if he tried to convince her that she was reason enough to stick around? That they didn't want him, anyway?

While pondering over these thoughts and lapping up some of the water still soaking the garden -- as if that would make the dead flowers come to live again, somehow, as if it would really make a difference -- he saw Fennec's approach. He honestly didn't know Fennec all that well. Eljay chuffed, honestly not entirely sure how well she could see -- or smell or hear -- that he was close and how close he was, and waited to hear if she was visiting for any particular reason or just passing by.

Luckily Eljay was polite, though she could hear him drinking soon enough when she passed the garden. It allowed her to confirm it was him; sometimes it took her a while to get the sound of someone identified, and Eljay she hadn't really made a point to hang around.  Not for lack of desire; more for lack of interest?

Hey.  You heal people, yeah?  She asked, deciding to shoot straight to the point.  No use dodging around it.  How?  I mean, how'd you learn?

Once she'd realized, when she was younger, there wasn't a cure for her eyes, Fennec's interest in medicine had been fleeting and a little scornful. She'd hated the idea that she didn't have anything cooler to offer than the role of caretaker.  Now, though, curiosity and the need to feel needed drove her.  She could at least find out what it was about.

Fennec got right to the point, which flustered Eljay a little. He blinked and said, uh, yeah, though he wouldn't necessary call it healing himself. It seemed a bit of an overstatement since he couldn't really heal anything; just aide the healing process.

She then asked how he had learned and that was an easier question to answer. Raven taught me most, Eljay explained. It was always best to learn from someone else on these things.

She should have seen (lol) that coming.  For some reason she had hoped there might be an easier method... some secret thing that would let her instantly know it.  Universal cure all or something.

Oh.  Well, I want to learn.  she said, unknowingly dropping her head a little.  If... you'd be willing to teach.  But you can't tell anyone.  She shifted on her paws a bit.  She didn't want anyone to find out until she knew if she liked it.  She'd spent too long denying any interest to deal with people getting excited or saying I told you so or anything.

Eljay was surprised to find out that Fennec was interested in caretaking, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. He was surprised that she said that he couldn't tell anyone, though. Uh -- why? he wondered out loud. He hadn't intended to be so blunt (for his doing, anyway) but it came out before he realised it. I mean, I don't think that taking interest in something is a bad thing by anyone's standards.

Because... I don't know, you just can't, okay?!  She'd almost misunderstood, and thought he was asking why she wanted to learn in the first place.  Really she didn't want to tell him either answer.  It was fine to not want them to know because it felt like a cop out on all the things she'd wanted to do before; but as soon as she said it out loud, it would make her sound like she was trying too hard.

She was trying too hard, but he didn't need to know that.

If you do, I'll figure out how to put a curse on you, she said, with only a small smirk to indicate she was joking.  Cursing probably wasn't a part of his lessons, but if she was going to become a proper witch of the glade, she wasn't about to miss a chance to look into it.

Eljay was surprised that Fennec so badly didn't want anyone to know about her learning how to be a medic, but he also decided not to push it. She seemed very adamant, and though the curse thing seemed to clearly be a joke -- curses were a thing only of stories -- there was an edge to it that made Eljay decide not to push further.

He chuckled and said, Alright, alright. to indicate that he wasn't going to question any further. Secret caretaker lessons, it is. Eljay had taught Sugar Glider a bit and Weejay too (though her interests lay a bit differently than his -- she had already grown much better at identifying flowers, for example) but somehow it still surprised him when anyone came to him asking to be taught. So what do you already know? And what area interests you the most?

She relaxed visibly when he acquiesced.  She didn't thank him, though she did feel grateful.  Now she could start to learn without anyone getting excited about it, and she could decide for herself if it was something she wanted to do.  She just.. pictured her mom or dad learning, and she didn't like the thought of disappointing then if it turned out she hated it.

Definitely herbs and potions and stuff.  And poisons! Do you know how to make those?  Her face lit up with interest, then she smirked.  I wouldn't use them on anyone, course, I just need to know what they are right? To know what not to use.  It didn't matter if she used them, it would just be so cool to know how.

She seemed interested in herbs mostly. Maybe he could set her up with Weejay for a bit of extra teaching too, he thought. Eljay frowned as she mentioned poisons, then said: I don't know much about those, except a few bad plants. I mostly know what herbs we do need for healing.

He added: Weejay isn't necessarily a medic, but she does know a lot about plants and flowers. You could ask if she wants to teach you some things, too. Eljay paused shortly while he considered Fennec's condition. It might take a bit more time or different techniques to teach you about the plants, but I'm looking forward to it. He smiled softly and encouragingly, even if she couldn't see it.

That other stuff is alright too.  Healing might be boring, it might not. While she'd mainly shared the aspects she thought might be coolest, learning to deal with injuries and such wasn't too bad.  She just wasn't sure how it worked.

I'll ask her later.  Fennec paused, not really sure what to say.  Thanks?  She didn't really have anything to be grateful for yet, he hadn't exactly taught anything.  Uh... cool.  I guess I'll... catch you sometime? Unless you wanted to, Y'know, start now.  A small hesitance entered her tone there.  A part of her was eager to begin, but she figured he couldn't, and what if someone came and saw?

wanna fade this? :)

If only it wasn't so wet. It would be a lot easier to get started then. But as it was a lot of the fresher plants were destroyed and a lot of the herb stores were, well, also destroyed. Eljay frowned thoughtfully while she asked if they would start right now. It's a tricky time to start because the flood destroyed a lot of plants. But maybe we can walk and try to find some..? And then I can explain about a few of them while we walk? Then even if they wouldn't find anything it wouldn't be in vain.

Yeah, okay.  That was good enough.  She followed along as he led, and listened with surprising attention as he described the uses and properties of whatever plants they happened to stumble upon.  It was muddy going and not particularly interesting in some ways, but in other ways, she found herself enjoying it.  It was odd to do something and not have her blindness actively working against her.