Moritz continued to somewhat listen as the others spoke, but soon lost interest. Instead he focused on not squishing the tiny forms near him by an inappropriately timed step.
It would be much easier if they were bigger, though he supposed an Okomo stepping on an adults foot would be just as damaging as him doing so to a tiny person. Just, the adult might be more cautious of such things.
He almost rolled his eyes at hearing his sister spout off a long series of names and titles he listened to even less, which were far less impressive than the single worded one for him. Okomo.
The girls simply responded to his lick with a giggle, as if they were tiny giggle boxes and giggles kept leaking out of them at odd times.
When his mother yelled at him for licking the girls, audible even over the loud giggling of the girls, Moritz responded with a turn of his head to meet her eyes. A slight lowering of his head, to look at her out of the tops of his eyes.
To him and other nearby Okomo seeing it, it would clearly be a show of defiance, a "So what, what you gonna do" look if ever there had been one. Of course, unrealized to Moritz, in human and other body language it might come across as a more timid motion. Perhaps as one of deference or of him giving in to her comment.
He felt no wrongness in his action, no shame, as he had done as he done because he had done it. For good reason, and on purpose. Not willy nilly or at random or on a urge. It also did not help his feeling that way, in that everyone else seemed on his side.
After that it was further distractions as he focused on not stepping on the girls as they painted him. At least until his sister stopped to asked his mother a question.
Barding, the skinning of a bard?
He realized though as they spoke he had misunderstood that one, it had nothing to do with bards. Clothing, coverings? Odd though, considering its name had bard in it, but it had nothing to do with bards.
Or at least, that seemed to be what he gathered from what was said. His mothers description seemed... How to put a hoof on it... Odd. Off. Not right.
Protective leather and metal to stop Okomo from being hurt when they fell? That did not seem right. Okomo did not fall so easily, and why would they wear clothing for that? Besides the one today that had been injured fleeing with his sister, he had not seen one fall. And he could not imagine an Okomo as himself, even one untrained in the ways of Okomo as being young as he was, in falling quite often.
So his mothers explanation seemed odd to him.
Or did she mean when people rode them, that it stopped the rider from being hurt? Would that not just be a saddle then? No, this was different, so that did not make sense.
He was pondering this when the other big woman pointed at an example of the named thing, barding. Always useful when learning a new word.
But what he saw did not seem to match his mothers words at all. Had she simply been wrong, not knowing what barding was and telling the wrong thing? If she spoke one thing without knowing, then surely she could do so again. Moritz himself was careful not to say he knew something unless he was sure he knew, but perhaps his mother had no such issue. Thankfully this ohter woman did know and had corrected her, or else he would have misunderstood what that word had meant.
Metal coverings and things over a mighty Okomo. It looked heavy, but on such a sized Okomo it was like a pair of pants on a person he supposed. Little true weight, just like carrying about a person on ones back.
He however was more interested in the Okomo and the one he let ride him than in the coverings he wore. But he inspected them enough to understand what was meant by the word barding.
Those looked more like someone one might wear though to help if another Okomo was being fought with, rather than for falls and such as his mother had said.
Before he could fully consider this Moritz was being shoo-ed away back home. His head turned for a moment to the pile of clothes he had taken off, but then before he had fully looked he turned his head back and began to walk off in the direction indicated.
Maybe if they were left behind his mother wouldn't try to squeeze him into more of those annoying clothes things. He much preferred going about naturally, if he could. And with that in mind he planned to walk home in his Okomo form, if it meant the chance to be free that much longer and perhaps for his annoying clothes to be forgotten.
It would be much easier if they were bigger, though he supposed an Okomo stepping on an adults foot would be just as damaging as him doing so to a tiny person. Just, the adult might be more cautious of such things.
He almost rolled his eyes at hearing his sister spout off a long series of names and titles he listened to even less, which were far less impressive than the single worded one for him. Okomo.
The girls simply responded to his lick with a giggle, as if they were tiny giggle boxes and giggles kept leaking out of them at odd times.
When his mother yelled at him for licking the girls, audible even over the loud giggling of the girls, Moritz responded with a turn of his head to meet her eyes. A slight lowering of his head, to look at her out of the tops of his eyes.
To him and other nearby Okomo seeing it, it would clearly be a show of defiance, a "So what, what you gonna do" look if ever there had been one. Of course, unrealized to Moritz, in human and other body language it might come across as a more timid motion. Perhaps as one of deference or of him giving in to her comment.
He felt no wrongness in his action, no shame, as he had done as he done because he had done it. For good reason, and on purpose. Not willy nilly or at random or on a urge. It also did not help his feeling that way, in that everyone else seemed on his side.
After that it was further distractions as he focused on not stepping on the girls as they painted him. At least until his sister stopped to asked his mother a question.
Barding, the skinning of a bard?
He realized though as they spoke he had misunderstood that one, it had nothing to do with bards. Clothing, coverings? Odd though, considering its name had bard in it, but it had nothing to do with bards.
Or at least, that seemed to be what he gathered from what was said. His mothers description seemed... How to put a hoof on it... Odd. Off. Not right.
Protective leather and metal to stop Okomo from being hurt when they fell? That did not seem right. Okomo did not fall so easily, and why would they wear clothing for that? Besides the one today that had been injured fleeing with his sister, he had not seen one fall. And he could not imagine an Okomo as himself, even one untrained in the ways of Okomo as being young as he was, in falling quite often.
So his mothers explanation seemed odd to him.
Or did she mean when people rode them, that it stopped the rider from being hurt? Would that not just be a saddle then? No, this was different, so that did not make sense.
He was pondering this when the other big woman pointed at an example of the named thing, barding. Always useful when learning a new word.
But what he saw did not seem to match his mothers words at all. Had she simply been wrong, not knowing what barding was and telling the wrong thing? If she spoke one thing without knowing, then surely she could do so again. Moritz himself was careful not to say he knew something unless he was sure he knew, but perhaps his mother had no such issue. Thankfully this ohter woman did know and had corrected her, or else he would have misunderstood what that word had meant.
Metal coverings and things over a mighty Okomo. It looked heavy, but on such a sized Okomo it was like a pair of pants on a person he supposed. Little true weight, just like carrying about a person on ones back.
He however was more interested in the Okomo and the one he let ride him than in the coverings he wore. But he inspected them enough to understand what was meant by the word barding.
Those looked more like someone one might wear though to help if another Okomo was being fought with, rather than for falls and such as his mother had said.
Before he could fully consider this Moritz was being shoo-ed away back home. His head turned for a moment to the pile of clothes he had taken off, but then before he had fully looked he turned his head back and began to walk off in the direction indicated.
Maybe if they were left behind his mother wouldn't try to squeeze him into more of those annoying clothes things. He much preferred going about naturally, if he could. And with that in mind he planned to walk home in his Okomo form, if it meant the chance to be free that much longer and perhaps for his annoying clothes to be forgotten.
