[Flashback] Magic in the Forest (Lunia)

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on June 11th, 2012, 11:26 pm

Tock snorted and shook her head, laughing out loud at the idea that she was a mother. "Oy, I look like I's done old 'nough what ta 'as kids?" she asked. "I ain't done never! I's jus' seventeen..." No, her kids were still just in her dreams, so far. She didn't know how to begin making them. She had to learn. She was sure there was magic out there, somewhere, that she could use to make the family she envisioned. But she hadn't begun to study it yet.

"I's gonna be a mother, though," she said as she slowly, carefully ascended the tree. Hopefully this time she wouldn't fall. "Ain't done gonna 'as no 'uband, neither. What I done need 'at fer? Kids don't need a Da. I's make 'em myself," she nodded seriously, shifting her weight to push up onto a thick branch. She leaned over a bit, several feet above the girls' heads now, and wagged a finger at them. "'At's what's done wrong wit' society, aye? Always gots ta be thinkin' what as a girl needs a Da. But ya Konti, ya done got 'er right, aye? No men! 'At's fer me, aye? Ain't done 'ardly no men 'round 'is 'ole dang city, an' I loves 'at. An y'all done turned out jus' fine wit'out needin' no fathers 'round. An' my kids, 'ey's gonna be jus' fine wit'out one, too." She knew enough, of course, to know that the normal way of making babies needed a man to be involved. She wasn't quite sure how that all worked, except that it was a shameful thing best done behind closed doors. And that a girl could get knocked up with a baby doing it.

But she'd just find her own ways to make her babies. And they wouldn't ever get sick or get hurt or have any worries.

She pulled herself higher, wrapping her legs around another branch. She craned her neck back, looking up higher. This tree was a lot taller than she'd realized. Maybe this was high enough...

She leaned in close to continue studying the leaves as they changed. "Y'all should come up 'ere!" she called down to the girls. "She's a much better view up 'ere, aye? An' ain't done gotta worry 'bout fallin', neither! Conch 'ere can 'eals us up right good, can'tcha Conch?"

by **Lunia** on June 25th, 2012, 4:42 am

Surley the girl knew you needed a male and a female to produce a child. Lunia was younger than her and she knew. Maybe she just meant she didn't have to stay with that dad.

"You could always adopt a child. We have an orphanage here if your staying for a while." She felt bad for the kids there and she liked to visit them, always thankful to her momma for being there for her and her sister.

But what the girl said about the Konti not having fathers, well most did. Or at least knew their father in some way... But not Lunia. She had never met her father, she assumed her older sisters may having, seeing how much older they were than her. But they would never talk about it and her mother would only touch her face, where that weird scar was, when she asked of her father. She never really brought it up anymore, it was a waste of time.

But Lunia looked worriedly up at the girl as she began climbing the very same tree she had just fallen from. She didn't think that was very smart and frowned. "Um, you're just going to fall again... I'm already tired from healing ya...and I am no going up that thing. Meli you go ahead if you want.

But Meli had fallen quite on the mention of fathers and just shook her head as she sat on the tree branch. Lunia sat beside her.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on June 26th, 2012, 12:54 am

Tock shrugged away the protests that she might get hurt again. She wasn't worried. Worrying would have to mean she was thinking about the future, which she wasn't. She was just concerned with the moment.

She waited a bit longer to be sure the color change was complete. Once she was sure it was done, she cut off a few more branches, and stuck them in her backpack. She was curious to learn if they changed more over time; she knew normal leaves, if they were green when they fell to the ground, would wither and turn brown over time. But what about the wintry white leaves? She wanted to see if they would stay white, or wither away to brown, or if their change would be different.

She climbed back down, being more careful this time. Healer or no healer, she'd learned her lesson from the pain when she landed on her rump. She moved slowly, keeping a firm grip on the branches a she lowered herself down, making sure she had each foot well planted before she made her next move. Taking her time made all the difference.

Once she was back down on the ground, she stretched and worked out the kinks in her neck, a bit sore from the activity. Then she started searching around for more branches that had fallen before, or during the color change. She'd take them all home, line them up, and take notes of the changes over the next few days or weeks.

Finally finished, she brushed off her hands and turned to the girls. "Gettin' a mite chilly, aye?" she said. "Time what fer ta 'ead back ta town..." She didn't know if the girls would want to walk back with her, or if they had their own things to do out here, but she'd learned everything she could about the forest tonight. "Thanks fer fixin' me up though, aye? Aye." The magical healing had been something else, and she was grateful for it, both because it got rid of the pain, and because of the pure experience. She almost wanted to hurt herself again just so she could experience the magic once more.

by **Lunia** on June 26th, 2012, 3:19 am

Lunia sighed in relief then Tock got safely back on the ground. She didn't like the risk she was taking and felt better when she could only her herself by tripping, not falling from great heights. But she did wonder why the girl was collecting so many leafs and branches.

"Why do you need the plants?" she asked quietly... "Oh and here," she said in response to the girls chilly comment. She put her hand on her shoulder and pushed some of heat to the other girl. She would feel instantly warmer and this was probably the feeling the girl got earlier as the healing has no effect like this.

She was sad the girl was leaving but by taking a look at Meli she could see thay Meli wanted to go home as well. "Well, maybe I will see you again sometime? How long are you staying in Mura?"

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on June 26th, 2012, 4:19 am

"Cause 'ey's interetin'," Tock replied to the question, as if it should have been obvious. She never understood why people asked questions like that. They should be able to figure out the answers on their own. Tock herself had never really been one to ask 'why?' She preferred to ask 'how?' As in, how did things work, or how was something made?

She shuddered as the healing warmth passed through her again, feeling the rough skin on her hand soften and heal from the minor scrapes she'd gotten from the tree branches. She grinned, and tousled the girl's hair. "Thanks, Sook!" she said. "Yer a mighty 'elpful one ta 'ave 'round, aye? Might 'as ta teach me 'at trick one day, aye? Aye."

Then the girl asked how long she was here for. Tock shrugged. She didn't have an answer to that question yet. "I unno," she replied. "I's... on vacation. Gonna be 'round a good long while, aye? Catch ya in town, maybe? I's at the Pearly Inn Place." She'd been here a full season and couldn't quite remember the proper name of the place she was staying. Though she had every inch of the architecture burned into her memory, it was so stunning and amazingly constructed. "Ya oughta stop by some time! Well, awright, see ya later, Sook!" She gave the girl a pat on the shoulder and headed off, idly wondering what the leaves here would look like if she came back in spring...

by **Cachet** on August 20th, 2012, 11:46 pm

Minerva :

Lunia :

Conclusion:
Neat thread involving the season change, I think this is the first thread like this I have graded involving the Vian tree. Was wonderful to see it used as a central focus for you guys.
Anything seem out of place? Any questions please feel free to contact me ASAP.