Broken Boulder as I walk out on the ledge

tagging @Korei Julia since Xahi is PPC :0

Alarian sniffed idly at a fresh patch of herbs growing on the far side of the creek. He was focused. Surely if he nosed them around enough, he would recall the lessons he had received so long ago. Or-- maybe he would, if he was not so intent on avoiding any thought of the one who had given him these lessons. Maybe that was his problem.
He always wanted to forget.
Except right now. The boy squinted harder at a leaf and snorted.
Tell me your secrets! He demanded, not expecting an answer but finding it satisfying nonetheless.

Korei Julia had a cheerful look about her...then again, whenever did she not have a happy look about her? The pale female wolf moved about through the territory. That was until she heard something. Someone...shouting? Who was shouting? She found exactly who eventually, and Korei ended up looking, or rather frowning at the male that was yelling....at a leaf. "Um...Alarian? Are...Are you okay there?" 

The boy froze when he scented and heard Korei's approach; since his conversation with Aditya, since he had realized he had lied to her, he had been avoiding the pale girl. He had lied to himself, too, and that had taken time to reconcile. It wasn't that he didn't love her— it wasn't that Lennon had left, though that hurt. But he didn't know how to tell her the truth; he didn't love her that way.
Alarian swallowed hard and turned, forgetting for the moment to be embarrassed at what he had been caught doing. Oh, hi Korei. I'm, um, trying to remember things. About plants.

Korei Julia tipped her head a little. That was an odd way to learn about plants. "That's not how I learned about them...plants can't talk, silly" she said with a light giggle. How had she learnt? Well it had been from others. "I know a little and I can tell you, that's an alder leaf." Korei had seen some alder trees back in Moonspear. And pines, she was familiar with pines. She also knew that the bark did...something. "The bark helps with stuff. I forget what but it'll come to me." She walked right over to sit across the Alarian, glancing down at the leaf.

The boy found himself oddly frustrated with Korei's innocence in this particular moment-- of course he hadn't thought the leaf would speak to him. He resisted the urge to remind her that he had been trying to remember, too. Instead, Ali said nothing.
Something was boiling within him-- something toxic and irrational. He suddenly feared his own response, and set his jaw tightly as if to hold in the hurtful words threatening to surface. Why was he so irritated with her?

Korei tipped her head a little. He said nothing...he did say he was trying to remember things about plants...she had a thought. Most dreadful of kind. The most unthinkable!

"Ali...you didn't eat a bad plant did you?" She felt a flutter in her chest, what if he had? What if he wasn't talking, cause he couldn't?! Cause of some plant!

Uhhh— no. He cast her a look that was both irritated and confused. Why would she think that? He didn't even want to address it now. The boy turned away from her, then, to move to a patch of dandelions. He paused a moment, thinking he remembered something about these— it wasn't coming to him, though...
Alarian nosed the flowers around, then delicately tore the leaves from their stems. The leaves were bitter, but he chewed them anyway, slow and thoughtful. He glanced at Korei.
Oh— uh, I think these are used for something... I don't remember what though, so I'm going to find out.

She was a bit caught off the guard by the look. Then watched as he went off, took some flowers into his mouth and started chewing. Right away she felt worry. "You don't know what they do?! Ali those could be harmful!" She could only watch as Ali chewed on the flowers. Just staring at him, like he were crazy now.

He tried and failed to stifle a laugh, nearly choking on the leaves— it wasn't really funny, so he wasn't sure why he was laughing, but, there it was. Maybe it was morbid, but the idea of dying from eating a few leaves. Alarian laughed harder, and then he did choke. The boy coughed hard once, twice, then paused— a beat passed, and his coughing fit began again. This time it was worse, and he found himself unable to draw breath between coughs.

Korei just looked at him so confused, was he laughing now?! He was laughing and...now he was choking! Korei paused, what was she meant to do. How was she meant to help Alarian?! "Ali! Ali, what do I do?!" She was freaking out now, with no ideas on how to help.

No matter how hard he coughed, the leaves would not dislodge from his throat. Alarian was starting to panic now, growing lightheaded from the lack of air. The boy's gag reflex kicked in at some point, and he began to gag between coughs. Salty, stinging tears soaked his face from the force of his choking.
The Governor's chest felt tight, constricted; it heaved in desperate search of oxygen. He backed away from Korei, trying and failing to form words. K— Kor— It caught in his throat, and a beat of silence passed. Then— with a harsh, hacking cough, he expelled the remaining leaves. Only a few had lingered, but it had been enough.
He wheezed, breaths coming fast and ragged as he recovered; he didn't dare look at Korei. God, why did she always have to see his most embarrassing moments?

Korei could only just watch as her friend, he close friend, was choking to death before her. Then he got the leaves up, and was breathing again. "Ali! Ali, are you okay?!" she asked, perhaps getting a bit too close into his personal space. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't help! I didn't know what to do!"

To his own surprise, the Governor was fairly unperturbed by the event once he had calmed his breathing. His throat felt slightly raw from coughing, but— well, he felt fine. Certainly not like he had just almost choked to death. He offered Korei a weak grin.
S'okay. Alarian murmured, suddenly a bit tired— or maybe that wasn't the right word. Everything seemed pretty chill, though, so a nap did sound good... He realized then that Korei was rather close to him. Uncomfortably close.
But he didn't really mind that, either. He sat down a bit abruptly, and at once remembered what dandelion leaves were for; calming down. Again, he laughed, soft and full of sudden understanding. Just remembered what those leaves do.

Korei watched him with a careful gaze. Was he truly okay? SHe wanted to be absolutely sure. Then he started laughing again, and came out with a joke. And soon she found herself laughing too, nervously of course. "They aren't meant for choking, Ali!" she laughed along, now smiling. Thankful he had lived.

you wanna fade with your post? <3

You're right, they aren't, He agreed absently, looking thoroughly distracted now. It was strangely difficult to focus— really, he just wanted to lay down now. The Governor glanced at his friend, eyes glazed over. Hey, you know— Lanawyn and I found something pretty cool— Alarian yawned. Awhile ago! D'you wanna see?
Ali totally wasn't just thinking about napping in Paradise Garden, nope. That wasn't at all what was on his mind. Ha. Ha.

Korei Julia wagged her tail, and nodded happily. Would she want to see? Of course she would want to see! "Yes yes! I do want to see, Ali! Where is it?" she asked, almost wanting to run circles out of complete excitement. She wanted to see this pretty cool thing.