hadthehighground | Ryslig Inbox

The trip is much simpler (and perhaps even quicker) this time. Xingchen no longer has to depend on deciphering distances and landmarks to navigate - he can follow Jiang Wanyin's scent to the treehouse and Obi-Wan's scent through the woods from there, only really bothering to mind any obstacles or people along the way. And if there were any doubt whatsoever in his mind, it would very much be dispelled as the faint breeze carries the scent of delicious food in his direction, no doubt Obi-Wan's own culinary contribution, since Xingchen has been invited to bring his own.

The chatter comes next, a bit of instruction on preparing the table, reminders of manners. The voice that responds is chipper and a bit gregarious, not one that he recognizes but nonetheless somehow familiar in spirit, and his lips press together a moment as he resists the sudden urge to smile. A-Qing sounded much the same way when he solicited her for help with meals, livening up the entire ordeal.

It's not ten seconds later that he comes into sight through the trees, following along Obi-Wan's typical route. Xingchen looks... very much identical to how he looked the last time the men met, with no visible signs of any form of monstrosity. If anything, he moves with more confidence than before, the sounds of each step telling him somewhat of what to expect from the next one. Cradled in one arm is a basket with the lid of some sort of container peeking out over the top.

A greeting smile is offered to Obi-Wan where his faint movement-sounds suggest that he stands, and he says, "I hope I'm not terribly late. My sense of time is, unfortunately, as middling as it ever was." Get it, because his senses have sharpened? (It seems Obi-Wan has graduated to the level of friendship in which Xingchen inflicts terrible mild-humored jokes, congratulations and I'm sorry.) He turns to the girl now, offering her a smile now too before bowing his head a bit in the loose approximation of a respectful greeting. "My name is Xiao Xingchen, but just Xingchen is quite fine. You're Miss Gosalyn, aren't you? Or would you prefer Lady Gosalyn?" 'Lady' is typically reserved for one of at least mid-teens in age, but any young girl who endures such a place as Ryslig is more than resilient enough to be a Lady if she'd please.

Many sounds and smells will greet Xingchen as he comes into the clearing. Not just the smell of the two of them but that of several animals. Which would be made even more apparent as the soft clucking and scratching of distant chickens would confirm. The crow of a rooster then sounding as he announces his presence to the newcomer. Just so you know this is his turf Xingchen.

Obi-Wan meanwhile looks up and a smile comes easily to his face, followed by a chuckle at the joke. “Just so long as your sense of taste is working just fine. We have tried our hand at making omelets, though they are no hawk bat eggs, chicken eggs will do.”

The fact that Xingchen is moving more fluidly and confidently certainly hasn’t escaped Obi-Wan’s notice either. A moment of joy coming to him as he is glad to see that the sharpened senses are indeed making things easier for his new friend. Bringing with it a relief that he should be just fine in this world.

“BAAAA!!” Another Animal has decided that Xingchen is worth investigating. This time in the form of a goat who comes right over and takes a sniff, then decides those robes would make an excellent snack.

"Hawk bat? What the heck's a hawk bat?" Gosalyn gives Obi-Wan a curious look, momentarily ignoring their new visitor. This was an important question to have answered!! But then her manners caught up with her and she turned to smile at Xingchen... forgetting that he couldn't actually see it.

She was just about to actually say hello when the goat decided to munch on his robes. "Hey!" She rushed forward, waving her arms to shoo the offending animal away. "Stop that!"

The girl asks a good question, honestly. Xingchen isn't familiar with 'hawk bats' either, and none of the bats he's familiar with lay eggs.

"Chicken eggs are more than satisfactory," he reassures, thoughtlessly reaching down with his free hand to begin to pry fingers into the corners of the goat's mouth to beg his sleeve's freedom (a habit he has long since learned, after assisting many a farmer in their plights). And 'more than satisfactory' isn't an exaggeration: Chicken eggs were honestly a delicacy for the last three years of his life, even rarer than meat (if wild game counts, at least), since they had neither chickens nor money. A-Qing took a bit to warm up to trying her hand at cooking them, issuing the very valid complaint that without her sight, she had no way to know if she just cracked a baby chicken into a pan until it was already burnt. (Xue Yang, under his guise of mischievous benevolence, chimed in that A-Qing just didn't want to have to do the cooking.)

In the meantime, Gosalyn seems to be charging to his valiant rescue, and Xingchen's smile spreads to a grin. "I suppose we can't fault him for wanting to try new tastes," he says, collecting his sleeve away from the goat now. "I'd offer a better snack, but I fear I've only just made enough for the three of us."

Obi-Wan can't help but chuckle as he watches the two of them try to fend and pry off the goat from Xingchen's robes. The man doing rather in doing so himself as he pries her mouth off with only a disgruntled sound from the goat.

"Gosalyn, would you mind feeding her while I finish up here? That way she won't accost us when we are trying to eat ourselves."

Obi-Wan always kept a bag of feed for the goat in their hut for just such occasions. The animal could be downright ravenous at times and had tried to pluck foliage from him several times.

"And a hawkbat is a creature native to the planet that I lived most of my life. It's a reptiavian whose eggs were considered a delicacy, as well as its meat. Not unlike with the chickens here I suppose."

The sounds of cooking persisted as Obi-Wan continued to make the omelettes. Most everything else having already been set on the table for the three of them.

"Please, have a seat Xingchen."

Gosalyn gave the goat a light bop on the nose, shaking a finger at him. "C'mon, what did I tell you about eating people's clothes!" The goat didn't seem to care about being scolded, choosing instead to sniff her finger. She rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically. "C'mon, you. Let's get you some food that you're supposed to eat! Be right back!"

Giving it a little push in the right direction, she herds it away. Once she'd gotten it closer to its food and water dishes, she raced off into the hut to grab the food. Talk amongst yourselves.

With a lingering warmth to his smile at the antics of goat and girl, Xingchen does indeed sit as indicated, electing to occupy the same chair as his last visit and hoping he hasn't stolen Gosalyn's by mistake. Locating a clear spot on the table, he sets his own offerings there, though he doesn't yet explain what he's brought. Instead - after listening a moment to ensure that Gosalyn has busied herself elsewhere, at least for a couple of minutes - he turns to Obi-Wan, getting rather quickly to the point in case no such time will be found for it later.

"Do you know what manner of monster shifts form between day and night?" The man did offer to lend his wisdom, and that seems the most defining trait by which to identify what he has become. He hasn't heard of any others doing such a thing.

There is a fond smile on Obi-Wan’s face as well as Gosalyn runs off to care for the goat. That girl has brought a bit of joy back into his life, and that was invaluable for him, especially in this world. He then goes back to his cooking, always mindful of the open flame that is on the burner of the stove and wearing gloves to protect his hands just in case.

Xingchen’s quick question though gets his attention and he glances at the man as he now sits.

“I believe there are a few. Gargoyles turn into stone during the day, or so I have heard.” Which clearly is not Xingchen’s issue.

“Werewolves and werebears turn into animals at night if I recall correctly.”

Xingchen might have to provide some more details in order to narrow it down.

No, no, he certainly isn't a gargoyle based on that description. As for werewolves and werebears... Xingchen would hardly say that he turns into an animal, but some of his features do shift to a much more animal-like shape. "What if one doesn't turn into an animal, necessarily," he inquires, "But gains some of the traits of one?"

A beat, and then he thinks to add, "Canine traits, as far as I can tell. Oh, but please - do tell me if you need my assistance with any manner of cooking, I can smell such heat from here." He can't imagine the peril one must experience on a daily basis, to be so terribly flammable.

"I think that runs along the same vein, actually. Admittedly I don't know much about them, but I have met people who are those types of monsters."

There is the sounds of some movement and then Obi-Wan is placing a plate in front of Xingchen. The smell of cooked eggs is very obvious. "Thank you, but there is no need. I'm just finishing up and I assure you that I take every precaution. Gosalyn has been a great help to me in that regard."

He then moves away and turns off the stove, while also cleaning up a bit, before he sits down himself and waits for Gosalyn to come back. A plate having been set at both of their places as well.

"It does sound to me that you might very well be a werewolf. Particularly if those changes happen at night. Majima is also one, and I would recommend getting advice from him should you need it."

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sorry for the delay! grad school, r.i.p.

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