The Camp Grounds [Ore]

"No!" He felt sick inside, from the the mixture of fear that he angered his friend, and disgust at the acceptance he still received after the deed. "I don't want to keep being like this." He pleaded, yearning to burrow himself in Gibbous's comforting embrace, but not daring to lest he contaminate the other's purity in any way.

"You don't understand! When I'm not around you its like there's something that goes off kilter and I can't think right any more. Right before I met you it happened with a vortailer. Then when you left to find food I started to do it to Corran, and then this morning when you weren't there I did it again. Its only when I am back with you that I realize what I have done." he swallowed convulsively. At the moment he thought have small glimpse of what had haunted him, but he was afraid that he wouldn't have the clarity for very long. Trying to explain it all at once he stammered, "I forget whats right or wrong and start spiraling and then I asked for some nuts and then it wasn't enough and when I saw the fear and I felt like a demon was inside me and it burned like honey..." His despair made his jumbled tale incomprehensible. He tried to not hide anything, but the sense he had made of it was slipping away like a dream. Still, he kept trying. He knew he was unprepared for the reaction he might receive for the mindless actions he was struggling to relate.

"I want to change, I hate it, but its like I can't see straight." He hid his face, "I know you must find me more than impossible. I can't stand it either, now that I understand a little. And after all I've done to you....... you should have left long before now, but I still have to beg you to help me more."

Spoiler:

Yaktooo was glad to have one less worry on his mind. He had only been at the camp a little more than 24 hours and already his stay was incredibly eventful. He found the area where divisions were being assigned. He strode up to one of the tables.

(Swiped from Icey's post)

"Name? Hurry up now."
{Yaktooo}
"What the?" The green Plato leant over the table to see the telepathic Vortailer. "Erm, anyhow, you're going to the Sea division with Captain Ghonabon. We know you originally requested Sky, but there's gonig to be a great need for you to help with the mechanics work. Unfortunately the sub was built mostly by trained petpals to create a smaller and more compact engine - unfortunately that means those with... larger statures can't get in to repair them." With the explanation, the vortailer was handed schematics of the underwater submersable.

(End of swiping)

Yaktooo stepped out of the way and opened the schematics paper to examine it. He was a little bummed that he was not assigned to the Sky Division like he requested, but this more than made up for it. He was literally handed a key piece of data. This could be used to pinpoint weaknesses on the vessel or even to sabotage equipment. It had been very difficult digging up good information so far. None of the other recruits knew as of yet where their destination was. It wasn't until now did he even know they would be using a submarine. Wulf and his commanders had been doing a great job keeping the common soldiers in the dark so far, obviously to avoid information leaks to spies such as himself. At least he had made it into the Volunteer Army to begin with. It was unfortunate that he had to get somewhat personal with the side that was going to lose.

Waving off the thought, he addressed his next worry: he was to be a mechanic? That was hardly his specialty. If the submersible operated on gems with enchantments, it would be a lot easier for him to work with. If you oriented or arranged gems on a gadget or weapon a certain way, you could optimize the effect when they were fully harmonized. He could even do a bit of repair work on damaged or shattered gems, or if he had multiple gems or fragments and the proper smelting tools, he could transmute them into a more efficient product. Rifling through the papers again, he didn't see any obvious design to accommodate gem power. Then again, the schematics were very detailed and technical anyway. He didn't have the knowledge of mechanics, let alone the technical vocabulary, to understand 90% of the material. He pushed this worry to the side as well. He'd have time to study the design plans later, and surely he couldn't be the only mechanic on the ship. It would be foolish to assign a totally untrained recruit to such an important task.

Yaktooo found a quiet place behind an equipment stash and flattened out the schematics paper. He reached into his bag and drew out the thin, crumpled, waxy paper his cracker from breakfast was wrapped in and smoothed it across the top of the schematics. Then he plucked a piece of graphite from his back and traced out a rough copy of the design. He moved the papers around periodically to make the lines better for him to see. His dim, watery vision made the original markings even harder to see underneath the paper. It took him several minutes to finish. It wasn't the best copy ever, he left out many tiny details, but they would do, he hoped. He rolled up both copies neatly and placed them back in his bag. He glanced around, then nonchalantly made his way to the area where crates of equipment and other goods were being loaded and unloaded from a convoy of large wooden wagons to look for the Ore contact who was supposed to meet him here this morning.

(more to come)

Gibbous sighed. Without thinking, without a care for the consequences, and without batting an eye, he stood. He paced over to Rav’s side, and without a second thought, he gently nuzzled the non-mechanical side of him.
“Rav, listen to me and understand what I’ve said. You are the first to have accepted me as a normal being. I cannot turn away from you now, nor do I think I could turn away from you ever,” he paused, pulling away from the nuzzling and staring him in the eye. He gently placed his forehead to Rav’s and continued, “If I am here and you need me, simply call my name. If I am gone and you require my services, think of me and I will be there. If you need me when I’ve passed on, pray for me; I will cross worlds to have my spirit by your side.”
He sighed again and took the bowl of nuts and combined it with the one with berries. “That said,” He crouched down in the same pose to allow Rav to climb on his back. “I believe that the time has come that we need to attend to are given duties. I will take the food in case we get hungry along the way.”

Spoiler:

Rav nodded, unsure of himself, and still shaky from the feeling of losing control. Still, he was safe for awhile longer, and he tried hard to believe what Gibbous had told him. He pushed away the thought of the other's death, and tried to strengthen the idea that thought would bring Gibbous's assistance. It also bothered him that the only reason he could imagine for the attention that Gibbous was giving was because he was 'the first one to accept him.' Again he buried the thoughts for a later time and did his best to be get a hold of himself.

"Yes," He chirped. "We can go now, I am ready." He decided to take the meal that had been prepared along, and after declining the offered ride with, "My ankle is fine and it wouldn't feel right to ride anymore," ate it little by little as they walked. He was feeling much better now, mentally and physically, and hoped that Gibbous understood that.

Perhaps he has stated it wrong. Rav seemed almost too hesitant to accept his assurance. Nonetheless, he looked as if he was feeling well—as if he was feeling even better than when he had met Gibbous.
Although this revelation cheered Gibbous up in a way, in a different way he was frightened. This time it was not a fear caused by his odd sense of selflessness that bordered on self-sacrifice, but his own suspicion of the other. He hid it with his very practiced poker face, but couldn’t help his own thoughts. Now that Rav was happy, would he leave Gibbous? The tides were turning; the camps were dividing; what was there to stop Rav from trusting someone else as deeply as he had Gibbous? His mother had left him, his father had left him, his clan had left him… He wondered if he would be able to handle someone else leaving him as well.
Of course he could, but he would have to brace himself. He couldn’t be warm and friendly anymore; that would only allow him to get attached again, and being attached was never a good thing. He could handle being abandoned by someone he cared little about; such was nothing but a part of the circle of life.
It seemed like forever as Gibbous and Rav walked in silence to the area where they would receive their assignings, but soon enough, they did arrive.

Yaktooo spotted the pink Theron he was looking for. He crawled over to a bush nearby, pretending to be interested in the berries on it. While picking berries and stowing them away in his bag, and idley chewing on a few, he watched the Theron as she unloaded rather large and heavy looking crates with the help of a few other workers. She was as rugged as any of the other male workers. She wore a worn yellow vest. Yaktooo didn't know her name, and had never seen her before personally, but she fit the description he was told back in Nirvana.

{Hello. Which way do the winds blow tomorrow?} he directed his speech to her, phrasing the words carefully. The Theron stopped moving, and almost dropped her end of the box. She re-shifted her stance and recovered the box. "Kicked a rock. I'm ok." she muttered to her fellow workers and continued hauling the crate. She didn't respond to Yaktooo otherwise or even turn to make eye-contact, and so Yaktooo knew he was talking to the right person.

Spoiler:

Yaktooo and the Theron appeared to be going about their own business, the Theron unloading and the Vortailer gathering lunch, but Yaktooo was telepathically streaming as much information as he could explain to her. He told her about the Glassdawn and the Vahara and their captains, troop numbers estimates, current positions, his current assignment, and even the short list of royal persons he knew of who had enrolled into the army. Finally he pulled out the extra copy of the Vahara's schematics and buried them under a thin layer of dirt beneath the branches of the berry bush. {I am leaving a copy of the submarine's schematics in the dirt underneath this berry bush directly behind you. Pick it up before you leave.}

Spoiler:

Having finished the exchange, he went off in search of the docks where the Vahara should be waiting.

(Now at Sea thread)

Spoiler:

Gibbous was quiet in his self-assured way the entire time as they made their way through the camp. When they came within view of the main square they got in separate lines and before long were at the wooden table. A red clawfur busily was writing and moving papers around, organizing as best she could in the havoc before the move. "Nay-" The Clawfur stopped midsentence upon seeing the half-mechanized Gremlick. "Rav Peritron." Rav said doggedly, watching the clawfur and trying to figure out how best to deal with it without upsetting either of them. "Ah.. ah.." The red-hued Clawfur stammered. "You're with S-sea. M-m-mechanic. Captain Ghonabon." A pair of schematics was thrust sharply towards Rav. He cautiously received them with his biological hands, so as not to startle the already jumpy clawfur. It crossed his mind, but didn't attempt a reassuring smile as he didn't think he could do it.

As he stepped away, he did smile as he became excited by the diagrams he had been handed. He paused only to look up to see Gibbous in line and being helped by a Treico before he dived back into the detailed drawings and information. "Tremendous." He breathed in awe, both reading and figuring at the same time. The design did not disappoint him. He couldn't wait to tell Gibbous what he had discovered already, forgetting for the time being that there was no way his friend could understand the specialized lingo of mechanics. It took him a moment to realize that the scale was smaller than he first imagined, and although that made it more impressive, it also meant that there would be difficulty reaching the inner parts of some of the machines. *Hmmmm, they must already have a way to work on such things, I'll be eager to find out what clever devices they use to do it.* Once Gibbous was out of line, he practically danced as he exclaimed, "We need to get to the Varaha right away! I can't wait to see the machines on board in person! Why, do you know that they have a real, functioning Wankel engine, I can't imagine how they ma---"

He lurched forward, as it finally occurred to him that they may not be on the same vessel. Before he had even properly caught his balance, he blurted, "Gibbous, we are both on the Varaha, right?" he asked in a panicked voice.

((OKAYS goods most people are heading towards their respective ships ^___^ Soon this thread will be abandoned, haha!

Aylias - THE PLOT SHALL BE A CAKE SOON!))

O Kings Almighty, he was conflicted. He had promised to be with Rav, and had told him that he could never think of leaving him, but just moments later, the opportunity had presented itself to him and shown him the consequence of staying. He would not allow himself to die, literally or figuratively, and if he were to wrap himself up in the safety blanket that was Rav’s dependency and almost-addiction, he knew that someday it would be stolen for him and he would be asked to face the cold, confusing world alone with no one to help him.
His heart ached with the decision, but he had been taught from a very young age that only putting his mind over other matters would bring him down the path of that which is right. He would not let another crush him… but he would appease his heart by guiding him to another soul like his own.
Despite his conflict, he appeared serene, as if he were appreciating the situation from afar, smiling gently at Rav’s excitement and perhaps even a bit amused by it all. One would never have guessed the actions he was planning, the stinging in his heart, or the heart strings he was severing at that very moment.
His voice was calm and knowing as he said softly, “Yes, Rav. We’re together on the same ship. I actually have the strangest feeling that they put us together on purpose.”

Spoiler:

Rav thought he might have glimpsed something amiss with his companion. His deep, dark, regal eyes seemed to have some secret hidden in their depths. But, as all things with Gibbous, it was not to be questioned.

He considered the words spoken, and offered, "You think they really put us together on purpose?" He tilted his head quizzically, "Why? I don't know whether it would be because my behavior has changed that noticeably, or if they have some other reason." He turned and started to walk away, still speaking, "But I suppose it doesn't matter. As long as we are together, we can head over to the submarine right away." He turned and continued to walk, backward now. His eyes shone as he lost himself in dreams of gears and levers. "Did you realize, they've given me schematics and want me to be mechanic! Its more than I had hoped..." From their he once again launched into technical jargon on just how special the a few of submarine's mechanical feats were. He hardly seemed likely to let up his chatter until they arrived.

Spoiler:

Kairi woke up in her tent, dazed and confused becaue the last thing that she remembered was telling Nenadair about losing his circlet. Then, Kairi looked around her tent, realizing that both Yaktooo and Nenadair where both gone. Then, Kairi heard the announcement of where everyone should go, whether they be sea or sky.
When Kairi heard her name and heard sky, she sighed with relief, and went to find the Glassdawn.