Closed An Unusual Patient(Spirit)

[Minosayaa]

Mino would approach this conversation with great care. Tread lightly as they say. She flexed her injured hand. Pain. And again. Pain. She'd do this a few more times like someone touching a hot pan, reeling away from it just to touch it again. Mino was that person. How would she put things now? opening her mouth to say something but then closing it again deciding it not best to put things that way. Perhaps this way..."Spirit, you are a human with one human life. What is your life meant for? What will you live for? Dogs, right?" Mino exhaled, "Let's pretend you did this but earned what you do now, lived how you live now. No Mizas, no fame, no easy life. Would you still want to do this? Most people would say 'no' to that. Money would be the only thing they'd see. Humans are greedy creatures, and greed leads to nothing good. You have to understand why I had to ask that. You also must deal with the fact I'm not immortal. But there are ways...to make this work." She itched her head," If this is really what you want, there will be conditions, Okay? Research to be done. All in all lots of work, but if you are truly doing this to better dogs and training this will be nothing to you learning how to make this work." "I wasn't trying to be mean, please understand that."

[Spirit Frostfawn]

Spirit looked up, tempted to glare at Minosaaya, but relaxed a little when the girl seemed to speak in a calmer, less accusing tone. ”Yes,” she replied simply to the first question. She loved dogs, and she loved working with them. Their sense of a pack, their individual personalities, the different breeds… Even raising puppies had been a blast, though… a painful one. Both physically and mentally. She could still feel one of the more painful bites she’d received. A playful nibble, but a painful one. Her current job was great, and she loved it… but doing something on her own would be nice. She helped with creatures other than dogs here, though it was nice to see Silver, but if she had the space and time to rear her own pack.. it would be amazing. Teach people how to care for, and how to train their dogs.

The next question brought a frown. She’d actually considered this earlier, and come up with an answer. Still, she let the Kelvic finish her statement. ”I would say yes,” was the answer, coupled with a shrug. Since she was beginning to feel better, she straightened, fingers still combing Wind’s fur. She hesitated, then added ”There would still need to be a way to support the dogs, though… I’d have to pay for food…” She pouted a little, a tiny bit irritated at this prospect. It ruined the point, as logical as it was.

”I guess Kelvics don’t live as long as humans, though… but we’d be able to work something out. You’re still young, right? There’s many years left. Your sled drivers don’t already have a new dog ready to take your place once you get old, right? Though… that may be the wrong example. “ She rolled her shoulders a bit, then noticed the tears that had developed earlier. She blushed slightly, and wiped them away hastily. ”Sorry…” she finally added with a tiny smile. ”I guess I… overreacted…”

[Minosayaa]

"You work with what can be done. Start small, nothing huge. First steps would be to make deals with your suppliers and breeders, offer them a puppy trained by our methods. Tell them if they aren't happy with it's training they can kill the deal and return the pup. I doubt they will. That should seal those deals. Now as far as kelvics go, I once heard of a city that uses kelvics just for breeding and kills them when they fail. You can buy them and they won't kill them. No doubt they'd have a dog or ten. That's all my fingers, right?" She looked at Spirit. "I can't count or read, so... Anyway taking these kelvics would spare their lives and give them a purpose, along with increasing those who could translate to the pups. A condition, teaching Kelvics will be rescues no fat cat breeders. Okay? Remember we have dreams and ideas too. Our lives matter too. Find out what city I was talking about cause I just heard it in passing." She giggled "You hear a lot of stuff if you stay at the tavern long enough. All the travelers and their stories and no one ever suspects the dog gnawing on a bone in the corner is listening." Mino gave Spirit a grin." You can read right? I bet the city is in the library along with tons of other stuff!"

[Spirit Frostfawn]

OOCI'm so sorry for the delay on this! It really wont happen again

Spirit frowned at the mention of a place made for breeding Kelvics. It sounded wrong... but her mind was dragged away by Minosaaya's proposal. Buy the Kelvics? That would be a solution to help them. But how many were there? It would be complicated, and hard... would she even have the money for it? How much did you buy a Kelvic for? It made her feel uneasy just thinking about it. Buying people was... wrong. Just wrong. She shook her head a bit, frowning.

"I... guess? But... we could work that out later. Start with your first idea. Maybe go to some of the sellers at the Menagerie, and offer to train some of their puppies. They'd pay a bit at first, and a bit later, I guess... and don't have to pay at the end if they're not happy. Then from there, we get more puppies, train more... and on it goes. One problem though..." She winced at this. "Space. My room is already full to the brim, and there's no way I'd be able to stuff another couple of puppies in there. I've tried. So..."

She frowned, thinking over the options. "Get... more space? It doesn't have to be indoors. Just... a small penned area big enough to hold the dogs, a few kennels... that stuff." Spirit nodded at the idea, feeling a little pleased about it. It worked, didn't it? Some of her own dogs could live there too, and it would give them a solid, physical, base to work off of.

[Minosayaa]

"Well, can't land be bought or even rented? I mean there's a whole lot of nothing for as far as the eye can see, couldn't we make use of it? Keep close to the hold though, then the entire hold would benefit, right?" Mino was simply thinking out loud, sometimes it helped her understand her own thoughts better. "We could hire the hold that's good at building maybe they'd want puppies to y'know as pets or working dogs, either or. I could hide a pup or two in my quarters, but no more than that! All they talk about is nonsense 'hey I chewed a shoe!' and other meaningless things like that. Training them I can do, but living with a bunch of them would drive me mad."She gave a sigh, just thinking about it was exhausting. "Now talking to older dogs like Wind here, is pretty good. He's seen life, chewed his share of shoes and other things puppies yammer about. So it's not something he has to bring up in conversation. In fact he spoke mainly of you and your vet abilities. I don't know who played match maker with you and him, but they did a good job. If this goes well and people want our pups, let me find the right one for them personality wise." She gave Wind a smile. "In fact, Wind could help as a teacher as well. If I explain what our goal is he could just as well teach pups too. Have you any other dogs somewhere between my age and his? They might be able to help as well."Mino stopped to think. "You know, we get an influx of Kelvics every so often here... If they needed a job, all a training Kelvic needs is to be in the canine family." Mino was doing her very best to rationalize everything and figure out what needed to be done and how.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

The Kelvic was surprisingly smart, rattling off thoughts as they passed. ”Renting land would work. I’m not exactly rich, but I can probably get something… and near the hold is a definite.” She let Minosaaya continue speaking, interrupting only once to insert the name of the ‘building hold’: ”Iceglaze.”

The comment that Wind and her made a good match made her smile. It might have been that, but they’d also grown up together… many long years, and Wind had long passed his peak. He was in remarkably good health for a dog his age, but she was… concerned. He would leave one day, and she didn’t want that to happen with all her heart. She didn’t know what she would do without him…

She shook away the morbid thoughts, after missing part of the Kelvic’s explanation. ”I have two dogs in that age group… one nearly three, and the other nearly four. They can probably help… Fog is especially sensible.” She gave a small smile, shrugging a little.

”Have we got that worked out, then? Rent land, make deals with puppy sellers… I can probably do most of the work with people… a bunch of them know me, when I sold my first litter of puppies.” She smiled a little, knowing the comment implied that she would have more… and also that the litter was actually hers… which was completely incorrect. But she did plan on breeding Fog again, as well as Orange…. When they were ready, however.

”Then you, Wind, Apple, and Fog can all work teaching to puppies. Dogs teaching dogs… I guess it would work. We could do some specialized training as well, for a higher price. You know… teaching them how to pull a sled, or my cousin could help with some practical hunting experience… though I’m pretty sure Apple knows some too.”

It was funny to think of her dogs knowing specific things, but… they still had minds, right? They still learned. They were similar to humans in that manner, and Minosaaya was the link between the two groups. This would… work well. She hoped.

[Minosayaa]

Mino gave a bright smile, "Yeah Iceglaze! That's what they're called! How did I forget that?" She happily giggled to herself. She nodded,"Once I'm healed up and all good I'd like to speak with all three, even though I'm sure Wind sort of knows what's going on. He's good at picking up bits of human. He's a smart fellow. Talking to him is like talking to someone who could be your grandpa. It's relaxing and calming." "So we should get our things in order I'll put the word out we're seeking Kelvics, see if I get any hits. You look into the human aspects of this sense I can't read or really count very well. Then I'll meet with your dogs and see where we exactly are with all of this."She nodded to herself as she seemed to have a habit of doing. "If we're gonna work together I should probably tell you a little about myself, yeah? My birthname isn't Minosayaa, it was Emivl. But, the name Minosayaa was the first gift my bondmate gave me. He bought me at the Menagerie, thinking I was just a dog. His reaction to my being Kelvic was pretty funny. We got along well. But, he passed a few years ago. So I keep the name Mino, to honor him." She spoke with a serious tone filled with nostalgia.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

"Wind could be your grandpa" she said with an amused tone, smiling at the Kelvic. If Minosaaya was... what... two... three? Wind was the great old age of ten, so... yes, it was easily possible. She grinned at the thought, then frowned. "He's only bred once... a family friend of mine asked if he could be used as a 'stud dog' with their female Zypherian... well... ages ago. He was I think... four? Something like that. I was eleven, but I asked my Uncle, and he said it was alright." She shrugged, and listened to the Kelvic's own story.

It was a little funny that her first owner didn't know that Mino was a Kelvic... but she had been at a store, so you couldn't complain. It had probably been a surprise to everyone. However, her smile turned into a sympathetic frown as she heard of his passing. "I'm sorry. How did he... go?" It seemed the polite thing to say.

After that line of conversation, she knew it was her turn to speak. "Well... for me... I'm a Frostfawn, quite obviously, and I've lived in this hold... all my life, really. My parents died when I was... just a baby... so I grew up with my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. My Aunt passed away this Summer. I've been really focusing on dogs, and I've bred a litter myself, but most of them have been sold. As for bondmates... well... I did find one late in Winter, but then he... disappeared..." She looked at the ground a little sadly, memories of Kaden still sharp in her mind.

[Minosayaa]

Mino laughed, "Nah, he'd be more like my dad. I'm look young but I'm older than you think!" She gave a wink and smiled, "Thank you for the complement though." "Yeah, I was out minding my own business when a Vantha, he works at the place where they sell animals, found me assumed I was a stray and brought me into Avanthal. He put me with the rest of the dogs, so I just stayed a dog. One day a guy comes in looking for a sled puller, saw me and took me home. During the course of the night while he was sleeping I shifted and ended up falling asleep myself. In the morning there was a lot of confused yelling and flailing on his part, he kept trying to figure out if someone had drugged him and he brought a girl home from a tavern. After he panicked himself out, I explained what had happen. From then on it was him and me. Darrus and Mino! his family took me in happily." She paused reliving some of her memories. Mino was happy to be part of a family, and the Frostfawns were so acceptant of her and what she was. She thanked Morwen for Darrus and his family everyday. She reached under the table and took her bondmate's hand. Mino simply smiled to Darrus. How had I been so lucky? I must of done something good in my past life....No doubt! Mino sat there happily holding Darrus' hand. "He was more than just a bondmate, he loved me. Like two humans do." Mino nodded and continued to eat her oatmeal invention only now using her left hand as her right was holding Darrus' hand hostage. Picking up a muffin she began singing to herself," Ma-ma-ma-muffiins muffins muffins," She had only stopped when one of Darrus' siblings had asked her to spell muffin. "....M...A...F.....I...N......Muffin?" She asked looking to Darrus for an answer. "Muffin?" She was confused. Darrus had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing at the butchered spelling on muffin, even more so when she asked for confirmation. "Uh, close enough." He said, his body shaking a little bit with stifled laughter. "They called it, pneumonia. Said it was rare for a Vantha to catch. I told him he didn't have to work so hard!" Tears stung at her eyes as she tried to push them away. "And that's when I broke in my head, stunted mental growth because of that. I get moments where things are less foggy around certain people and for a moment or two I'm fixed! But only to break again. I guess it's my mind trying to rebond with those who are compatable." Mino listened to Spirit intently,"You loved him, yes? Like he was a person?" Mino gave a sad chuckle, "We're a lot alike, y'know? Both broken. Both on our own just trying to keep up, even though we feel like just laying down. Giving up. We're the same." Mental gears turned in the Kelvic's head sweeping away the fog. "Too much the same to not meet. Fate, why else?" With the end of her sentence the fog settled back in her mind.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

‘Older than you think’ wasn’t saying much, when talking to a dog. Once they were out of their puppy years, it was impossible to tell the difference between ages. Two years, or seven? Only once they started aging and greying did years become a little more obvious. She shrugged and smiled, before listening politely to the story.

It was an amusing one, and she could picture it quite well in her mind. Man falling asleep with his new dog, wakes up with a young –naked- girl. That would have been… confusing. And distressing, as Minosaaya said. Her smile widened at the thought, until the story continued onto more morbid topics. Pneumonia. She’d heard of it… but as the Kelvic said… incredibly rare for Vantha. Of course, it was much more common for unmarked visitors. Something about getting cold, falling ill… the like.

The rest of the tale continued to drift into sadness, Mino describing ‘breaking’ and other things like that. Loosing someone she loved, then being injured, and the process repeating itself over and over. It was amazing that she was here, and as utterly happy as she had been at the start of this meeting… though the joy was mostly gone now. There were obvious tears, and Spirit just wanted to reach forward and hug the girl… but she felt stuck to this cot.

Luckily, Wind did the job, hopping into her lap after noticing the distress and licking the girl’s face. It was as if he was washing away the tears… except not nearly so accurate. He even managed to get one into Minosaaya’s ear, an odd place to be licked, especially as a human. That brought back a few smiles, especially from the Vantha.

”I… guess so…” she said hesitantly, as the conversation turned to herself. ”He didn’t really understand human traditions about ‘love’, and I was a little squeamish about it, and he didn’t stay long enough for anything to really be worked out…” Spirit’s face drooped a little, suddenly wanting to be back, hugging Kaden, even though it had caused a struggle when he’d first tried. She wouldn’t consider him human… never human. His personality was too cat-like for that. But… he was a person, as this Kelvic put it.

She sighed, rubbing a forearm awkwardly. She stared at nothing as Mino came up with this ‘connection idea’, nodding a little absently. She was possibly not as broken as the sled dog, but the wounds were still fresh and new… It had been just at the beginning of the season, but then… gone. Slipped away in the night, and never came back. It hurt, just wondering why he hadn’t said anything. What if he’d gotten killed in the Wastes? Then she’d never find him, and…

Again, dwelling on unpleasant thoughts. She stuck out her tongue in irritation, turning the frown into a smile. The Frostfawn took a moment to rub her face a little, then felt… better. More awake. Happier. ”Anyways… yes. You’re right. But lying down is just… silly. There are so many other things to go on for.” She didn’t want to think about what not going on meant. ”Maybe fate,” she admitted curiously, nodding a little.

Spirit frowned at the air, then shrugged. ”Well… my work is done… if you need any more help with the arm, just call on me. We have a plan, don’t we? It would be best to start… next season, what do you say? I can talk to a few people about the land, and the dogs… We can probably get a used paddock? I heard some of the Frostfawns complaining about how there wasn’t enough caribou births to fill it…” She gave her companion a wide grin. ”Sound good?”

OOCI just thought I’d close it up. We can start something right after, say, on the first, and work out the details of the dog training.