Flashback Ferret Out the Ferret [Chev]

[Meville Brightshade]

5th of Winter, 506 Winter was Meville's favorite season for two reasons. The first was it was slightly warmer, which meant he could often leave the Warrens without a cap. The second was because he could forgo his cap, he wasn't constantly leaving it behind at the scene of his various crimes. Crime was, perhaps, an inaccurate word to describe the young boy's pranks, though at times they certainly did boarder upon legality. The less Meville had to link back to him, the less trouble he was in at the end of the week. Less, never none, for the little devil rarely made it through a day without causing someone some kind of trouble, be it out of amusement or boredom. Like most mornings, Meville leaned his face against the glass of the window that looked out into the snow that had fallen the night before. His blue eyes flicked to and fro, taking all the outdoors had to offer from the safety and warmth of his home. Some ways off from the Warrens, there was a couple holding hands and pushing their faces together in a distasteful kiss. A short ways from them a group of children were playing, though none of them appeared at all interesting. There were the usual passersby, though they only really passed after the initial paths had been forged for that morning. With a disheartened sigh, Meville pulled himself back from the glass with a slight pout. Nothing. Since there didn't seem to be anything of importance happening outside his window, Meville decided it was as good a day as any to go on a journey through the white streets of the icy city. Pulling on his boots and sliding into his jacket, he stuck his tongue out at his cap before departing, calling up to his father's room with a cheerful, "I'm leaving now!" Once outside, Meville proceeded to ball up some snow and lob it at the couple before dashing off down one of the many paths. His relatively short height allowed him to blend in with the snow a bit if he stooped. Chuckling at the shouting from behind him, Meville found himself a good distance from where he'd started. Looking around, he spotted a the happy face of a young Frostfawn engrossed in his animal companion. Having nothing better to do, Meville pulled himself up onto the ledge of a nearby window to sit and watch in relative silence. He knew the other child was a Frostfawn by the little white ferret dancing around in his hands. That Hold of Vantha had a strange connection with animals that Meville could not understand. To him, the creatures were... Well, animals. To the Frostfawns, they were companions. Equals and, at times, superiors. He couldn't grasp the concept. The animals couldn't speak, so how could they be considered equals? Meville frowned as he watched the merry scene before him. Better yet, how did they gain so much pleasure from interacting with each other? Meville had always thought the Frostfawns had some sort of mental connection with their animals that allowed them to communicate. Of course, they never said they did. He didn't believe them. There was no way they would treat animals as they did unless they could speak to then in a conversational way. Meville snapped out of his thoughts when he realized the Frostfawn had noticed him. Jumping from the sill, Meville offered the other child a friendly wave and grin. He made his way closer, so that he wouldn't have to shout. "Hello! I called Meville. Nice rat!" Meville's Vanti skills were a bit to be desired. He'd been learning it from the old woman at the Warrens, but certain vocabulary he had yet to learn. Grammar was a bit beyond his reach at the moment, but he found he was able to communicate fairly well. Though, the word "ferret" was something he didn't know, so he just substituted it with the closest word he could think of. After his introduction, he stuck out his hand with a friendly grin.

[Chev]

“Sit.” Frosty stared at Chev, standing upright on his hind legs, twitching his forelegs with expectation. Chev grinned back at him, sitting cross-legged in the snow, with his palms placed in front of him. “Okay. Stand!” Frosty chose this time to roll over. The ten-year old boy giggled in delight, clapping his hands at the naughty snow ferret who wouldn’t listen to his “owner.” He wasn’t at all bothered by the fact that his authority was being tried. Frosty was a friend—you didn’t really order around your friends, unless you were mean. Chev liked to think of himself as a nice kid. Frosty danced in the snow, flicking up bits of white as he trampled across the pure fluff like a dire polar bear. He was all-mighty and triumphant, and Chev was his loyal audience, his eternal “yes-man.” Chev sniffed, looking up from the day’s entertainment. His eyes sought out the figure of another child. He seemed a bit older than he, with hair swept over his head like golden waves of wheat, and his pale blue eyes scrutinizing him with intense curiosity. The young boy noticed him and lit up, a refreshing grin decorating his face. He waved as he approached, before introducing himself in clumsy-sounding Vani. Chev tilted his head, processing what the boy called Meville had just said. It didn’t sit right with him. He shared a glance with Frosty. “Didn’t he say that funny?” The snow ferret responded with an action that (according to Chev) seemed akin to a bemused shrug. He turned back to the boy, however, the corners of his lips lifting. “Hello! My name is Chev. This is my snow ferret, Frosty.” He spoke with accentuated syllables, decelerating his speech to make it easier for Meville, who talked in a queer manner. “Are you okay? Your Vani sounds strange,” he said with his tone devoid of any negative undertone. Frosty chattered, scampering to circle Meville’s feet, sniffing him with profound zeal. OOCThis thread needs a timestamp. I'd recommend the Season of Summer, Day 5, 506 AV.

[Meville Brightshade]

Meville, though a little disheartened at the other boy's confusion at his Vani, was extremely grateful for the accentuated syllables and slower pace. Ah, so that's what a ferret was called in Vani. Though his eyes belied his disappointment at his awkward Vani, he returned the smile with a toothy grin. "Sorry! I learn Vani, but bad at." With a serious crease in his brow, he turned to the ferret and tried again with a question in his voice as he pronounced what Chev had just said. "Snowferretfrosty." It was certainly a long word for "ferret", but Vani was pretty different from Common at times. Meville didn't really think too much about it. Still grinning, Meville tilted his head slightly, reaffirming that Chev was, indeed, Chev. "Chev play?" In a way, speaking broken Vani was exciting because he could figure out which words he knew and the many he didn't. Even now the words for "ferret" were quickly fading from his memory. Having been around the Vani for so long, one would have expected Meville to have known the language well enough to speak it at a conversational level. Unfortunately, everything Meville knew was due to his own drive. If he wanted to know something, he either sought out the old woman or asked one of the many different travelers staying in the Warrens who knew Common. It was an extremely eclectic sort of schooling, but Meville had learned quite a lot of interesting tid-bits regarding just about everything. The only thing he knew quite well was Common. Anything else was fair game and a complete hit and miss as to him knowing. He'd taken upon himself to learn Vani after realizing there were better ways to communicate than simple gestures. When he spoke in Vani, he did so with an over-enthusiasm, as if her were telling an exciting story with every word he spoke. It didn't really help with subtle implications, but Meville didn't use those often in Vani or Common. Standing before the Frostfawn, Chev, Meville felt pretty comfortable. The other boy had said Meville's Vani was strange, but he hadn't been condescending about it. Sometimes, the other children would make fun of him. He was used to it, but it didn't really mean he enjoyed being on the outside of the language circle. With Chev, the other boy just seemed a bit confused as to why Meville's manner of speaking was so different from his own. Maybe it was their age difference. Meville could tell the other boy was a bit younger than he, which had little bearing upon how he treated him, but may have had an effect on how Chev viewed Meville. Either way, now that they'd gotten introductions out of the way, they were officially friends.

[Chev]

Chev giggled at the boy and his strange way of speaking, not quite understanding why somebody who was older than him couldn’t speak the language that he’d known almost all of his life. He expected the elder boys to be more knowledgeable, to be the ones teaching him about everything. To think that a boy who looked older than him would be bad at speaking . . . Chev took it upon himself to help the boy with his queer speech habits. Now shouldering a worthy responsibility, Chev bounced up, dusting the powdered snow from off of his lap and offering a warm smile at the boy. “Don’t worry! I’ll help you speak better.” His chest welled up with pride as the words exited his mouth, discovering a new sense of duty that he could dedicate himself to. “Are you shy? Maybe that’s why you speak so strangely.” Unfortunately, the boy had yet to fully grasp the concept of a non-Alvanthian. Chev’s head bobbled up and down at the prospect of playing, his unkempt hair slapping his forehead. Even if he couldn’t speak so well, Chev was certain the boy could at least become a great playmate. His older siblings were often busy tending to household chores that Chev wasn’t able to participate in, so he sought Frosty’s company when he wasn’t looking around for work to do. “Yes, play! I wanna!” Chev beamed at Meville. “What do you wanna play?” As if on cue, Frosty let out a quick shrill of delight before shooting out from between Meville’s two legs, scampering off to seek attention elsewhere. Chev whirled around, causing little puffs of snow to fly into the air before settling back onto the ground once more. “Frosty! Where are you going?” Chev turned back to look at Meville, his face wrought with a confused and apologetic grin. “We have to get Frosty.” It was hard to speak slowly in such a situation, as Frosty was rapidly gaining distance over them. As soon as the words were out, Chev shot after Frosty, secretly hoping the boy would follow. OOCSorry for the wait! And feel free to write Frosty's actions, as long as you keep it reasonable.

[Meville Brightshade]

Chev's offer to help Meville's rather abysmal conversational Vanti was very much appreciated. With the swelling of the other boy's chest came the widening of Meville's grin. Up until that very moment, Meville had only been able to learn from the old woman. Now, he had the chance to get help from a child around the same age as he. Of course, he wasn't entirely sure what all the help might entail, but it was of little consequence. He was more than happy enough to have been given the offer. When Chev asked is Meville was shy, the young blonde gave Chev a slightly confused look before he realized what the other boy had asked. "No!" He shook his head in an emphatic negative direction. Meville wasn't entirely sure what being shy had to do with not being able to speak Vani well. Maybe Chev was just trying to give him an alternative option as to why he wasn't the best speaker? Whatever the case, Meville didn't mind his lack of understanding. It wasn't as if it was all that important anyway, as Chev stated his willingness to play. When Chev asked him what they wanted to play, Meville could only return a blank stare. He hadn't really thought that far ahead. He supposed they could make snow babies and play at destruction, but before he was able to voice his thoughts, Snowferretfrosty dashed between Meville's slightly parted legs. The sudden feeling of fur upon his slightly chilled pantlegs caused a surprised "Ah!" to jump from the bottom of Meville's stomach. Immediately after the departure of the ferret, Meville stuck his head between his two knees to watch the little creature bounce up and down on the now sky-ground off into the distance. Jerking back up to face the other boy, Meville expressed confusion, concern, and enjoyment in the form a giggle with slightly knit brows. Despite time being so important, Chev still spoke using his slower pronunciation so Meville was able to comprehend. As much as he appreciated the gesture and explanation of what Chev intended to do, Meville was much more relieved when he was able to chase after the other boy as the two of them followed after the runaway creature. "This play good! Snowferretfrosty fast!" The words came out at a bit of yell due to the force with which Meville pushed using his voice. His feet thudded against the ground, sending satisfactory jolts through his shins and knees alerting him he was now exerting more than his usual amounts of energy. The little ferret turned a corner, the spray of snow behind him belying the ferret's true course. It was, unsurprisingly, difficult to keep an eye on the little white animal admit the vast expanse of snow that permanently resided in Avanthal. Both the boys skidded around the corner, Meville's laughter bounced around with his running motion as the two sped off down the way on their mission. Now, Meville wasn't the most coordinated young child and had a penchant for ruining valuable things even when he wasn't consciously aiming to do so. As they passed several stalls, Meville's outstretched arms were able to displace several various kinds of goods, sending them toppling to the ground. Fortunately, nothing was broken, so the worst repercussions were just various insulting words thrown at him Meville didn't really understand. The chase continued for a good distance, until the ferret dashed into a beautiful, ornate pot in a stall at the middle of an intersection. Not missing a beat, Meville charged right after the animal with a shout of triumphant glee as he hurtled through the air. Chev was not completely forgotten as Meville's feet left the ground to result in take-off. As he arched through the air, the store-keep frantically shouted in Vani. Several people made a dash to catch the young boy flying through the air, but none were quick enough. Landing with a terrible crash, Meville found himself surrounded by shards of clay that had once been very expensive imported pots, vases, and bowls. Oblivious the chaos that had begun to erupt around him, Meville glared at the single, unbroken pot where the ferret had hid himself. "Snowferretfrosty. Meet your maker." With that, Meville slapped both hands against the pot. The startling noise and vibrations within the pot sent the little ferret exploding out of the hole he had entered. Dashing over Meville's arms and back, the ferret returned to the panting figure of his owner who had taken the liberty of not decimating the various breakables that were now shattered around the smiling blonde boy. At that point, a fairly large group had formed around them. Meville finally noticed what was happening, and gave Chev a surprised look before glancing around to realize the extent of his destruction. "Oops."

[Chev]

The two boys sprinted, the twin epitomes of fun and joy, with their feet flying and hands in the air. Frosty proved to be a speedy little thing, zipping in between legs and over mounds of snow with utmost dexterity, leaving them in the powdery snow he left in his wake. This, however, didn’t discourage them in the slightest. Without warning, a red pot toppled over by Meville, who seemed to be completely and utterly oblivious to the havoc he was creating. Chev grimaced as he passed by, but the fluffy blanket below kept the casualties to a minimum. Still, it was hard to ignore the feeling of wind weaving through your hair, the chilly cold that ran up and down his spine that gave him shivers of pure glee. His grin widened as he shadowed the wild boy on a rampage. Chev, innocent and pure, didn’t understand the grave consequences of their actions—all he knew was that he was having the time of his life! With a great shout, the boy in front of him leaped up high, causing Chev to skid to an abrupt stop to stare in awe. The few moments he was airborne was tranquil and serene, before discord broke loose the moment he crashed into the ground, sending shards of clay flying. One was launched in his direction, narrowly missing him but cutting the side of his cheek. “Ouch!” He brought a hand up to gently pat it with his leather glove, wincing but refusing to cry out—it went against his morals as a man to do so. Frosty, the little troublemaker, hopped onto his shoulder and licked the side of his face, evoking a giggle from the boy. Neither he nor Meville had truly understood the gravity of the situation until they were surrounded by angry Alvanthians. Although Meville probably couldn’t understand a word they were saying, the acid meanings behind their words caused the little boy to clutch the snow ferret to his chest and shrink beside Meville. While he couldn’t understand, he was almost positive that the body language and shouting would mean something to Meville. “They’re angry,” he whispered.