PM to join Welcome to the Jungle [Merevaika]

[Anibesa]

"Common" | "Fratava" | "Tukant"

Anibesa heard Merevaika snort before saying that the chickens were bad, and Anibesa swallowed anxiously, stepping slightly further back as Mere questioned her proximity to the chickens. The sound of feathers fluttering and the clucking caused Anibesa to jump back even more, shocked and scared by the seeming viciousness of the chickens as they tried to get the feed, aggressively pecking at where the feed fell.
She was shocked by how wild and feral the chickens were. Were they worth keeping? They must have worth it in some aspects, otherwise she doubted that they’d still be here.

Then came more words from Merevaika, and she checked how much feed she’d given the chickens. It didn’t seem like much. She’d given the chickens about half a handful, but now she was overly conscious of how much she was giving them and she instead watch the chickens, seeing them eat everything and attempt to steal more from her. Each time they changed their movement slightly, she jumped.

Determined not to give them too much, Anibesa decided not to give them anymore. She figured that if she hadn’t given them enough, Merevaika would be able to give them more later. She doubted that underfeeding them once would affect them too negatively. Not until a few times of being underfed.
She didn’t doubt that Merevaika knew how to look after the creatures, and that was something that she would have to try and learn from the woman. Maybe if she could catch some animals and breed them, she could feed herself without trying to hunt for the animals each time she was hungry? Though it was highly unlikely that she’d be able to even attempt to raise animals for slaughter. She’d have to learn how to slaughter animals too in that situation.

”Did you get the chickens here? Is that why they’re aggressive?” she asked, trying to make conversation before turning to see Merevaika beckoning her over to a fire that she’d recently lit!

Grinning, she walked over to Merevaika, sitting on the floor next to the woman with her legs bent to the side as she lent back on her hands.

”Yeah, it seemed to be north west. I think it was deep in the jungle, and the lights? Couldn’t really see them that well? They could have been all over!” she suggested, before turning to look at Merevaika in time to hear her outburst. The woman was obviously annoyed by the goings on, and Anibesa shrugged in agreement. ”Maybe it’s a one time thing? If it happens again, we’ll get a look at it properly. See if we can see where the lights are coming from.” she suggested with a smile, before opting to change the conversation.

”So, what’s it like looking after so many animals? Time consuming I can imagine.” she grinned, looking towards Merevaika and glancing over her and taking in her firelit appearance. She was quite glad to have spent more time with the woman. She seemed like she could be a good friend to have in the settlement.
~

[Merevaika]

Merevaika

Perhaps telling Anibesa about the chickens not being the most friendly was a bad idea. Merevaika noticed how, after she had admitted that, the woman was on edge, jumping when a chicken even dared to look at it. It was a little funny the first time, because she was overreacting after all, but then it stop being funny, and started to irritated her. If she was this bad around chickens, how did she react in front of literally anything else?

Even if the chickens did bite, it would only be scratch.

"Yes, from jungle," she explained, thinking back to her wild chasing that had got her them in the first place. She had been so stupid then, thinking she could get a chicken like that. But in the end, she had managed, so it was alright. "Wild. All wild." She had debated getting some normal chickens in, from Riverfall, because they were calmer and actually bred for purpose, rather than these wild things. But the cost didn't attract, nor did the fact that the wild chickens and domesticated ones might not like each other. In a fight between the two, the ones she had spent money on would most likely be the first ones down.

As Anibesa moved to sit down beside her, Merevaika shifted in the way she sat, bringing her legs around to the other side so she could face the Ethaefal more openly. Not that she was opening up or anything, she assured herself, but so she could see her face in the dark more clearly and understand her better.

The direction was decided as north west. Merevaika thought about it for a moment, sketching a wiggly line (incredibly inaccurately) for a coast and marking on the vague direction. Up towards the mountains roughly - although she could have judged that without a sketch. If it was accurate at all, perhaps it would have helped, but currently it was nothing more than a squiggle in the sand.

Then the question of it being a one time thing came up. That was one they could answer, by sitting around and waiting for more lights. But how often would they come, if they came at all? Several times a night? Every few days? Once a few years? Syka was a new settlement, Merevaika knew that. So if the lights came every number of years, people may not have seen it before anyway, because Syka hadn't existed back then.

She was grateful for the conversation change. "Annoying," she stated at once, casting an irritated look at the chickens. Merevaika wasn't made to care for anything, especially not vicious chickens. "Every day I must give food, move coop, take eggs - too much work!"

More than time consuming. Why was she grinning? Enjoying how annoying Merevaika found this all? Merevaika tried not to react at the smile, shifting back into the sand. "But I do work, or chicken die and all for nothing." She gave a shrug. It was nice, distracted herself from the irritation of not knowing with this conversation.

[Anibesa]

"Common" | "Fratava" | "Tukant"

Anibesa smiled more as Merevaika confirmed that the chickens had come from the jungle. It made her wonder what other animals were out there that weren’t likely to try to kill and eat her. Though the chickens made her uneasy with their desperation for the food that she held, she knew that they likely wouldn’t be able to inflict any serious damage to her. Getting pecked by them would likely hurt but nothing more and Anibesa was glad for that, though she still didn’t want to be pecked by the feral chickens.

As Merevaika adjusted her position, she found herself more easily able to see the woman clearly, and for a few moments it was quiet as both women considered what was going.
She watched Mere as she drew into the sand, a wiggly line and then another line, and Anibesa was confused for a moment, not knowing what the drawing was supposed to be of, though she wasn’t sure whether it would be rude to ask, so a few moments she stared at it.

It took a few moments but eventually it clicked and Anibesa nodded, before pointing at the wiggly.
”This is the coast right? We know what’s on the coast, but not what’s actually in the jungle. It’d be dangerous to try and look wouldn’t it?” she said calmly, not really wanting to go and investigate. Whatever had caused the lights and noise had been far too big!

When Anibesa had asked what her work was like, she saw Merevaika throw a glance of annoyance towards the chickens and she smiled even more as she listened to the woman speak about how much work it was and how she had to do the work or the chickens would be dead and useless.

”It sounds like a pain, but it sounds more interesting than what I do.” she said calmly before shooting a glance along the coastline to the Tidepool Bar. ”I work at the Tidepool Bar, serving drinks and the like. It’s fun and Stuvantis is nice and all, but I’d rather work for myself!” she said glancing back to Merevaika. ”They might be a pain to look after, but you’re in charge of your own work and you can do things you’re own way.” she shrugged as she spoke, glancing back to the Tidepool Bar, before looking up at the moon. ”Anyway, it’s getting kind of late isn’t it? Aren’t you tired? Because if you are I can let you get some sleep and I’ll head back to my house?” she offered.

She never felt tired when the moon was up, and so she rarely slept at night, instead sleeping during Syna’s time just before sunset and just after sunrise so she could bathe herself in Leth’s glow and enjoy not feeling hunger or tiredness as she did when trapped in her mortal form. Unfortunately most people slept during the night and she was left alone unless someone felt like staying up late and keeping her company, though those lonely nights were a good time for her to consider how to spend her time and to give thanks to Leth.
~