He had been pacing back and forth all morning. “This is right, right?” Then a shake of the head, “No, it’s not good enough.” Back and forth. It had been like this for so long that his twin had just scoffed at him and his story before leaving her brother to his indecision. She had tried to help him bless her, but the male was really torn up. It actually amused her a bit at first even. Usually he was so distant from everything save for things she caused. But she had things to do so the lioness had left him alone in their den with a laugh. Such a goofy brother why was it so hard to apologize?
Finally Nox had picked together some fine herbs and other such things that he believed that an artisan would like. Then at the last moment he pushed them back and picked something new. But this item wasn’t something that had come from a fan or from trading in the pride. No it was something that he had found while living in the rogue lands. Some called it silk perhaps? Whatever the material was it glistened in the sun, a pure reflection of the golden rays that warmed it. There.
Tucking it safely in a bundle the lion headed out of the den area and towards where he hoped a certain artisan would be.
-
Parachichi smiled to herself as she worked, humming a little under her breath. Many thought her incapable of noise at all, but she merely didn’t speak. Humming, squeaking, crying, screaming…well, she was capable of all of those. She just rarely did them around others. She glanced down at the paste she was mixing with her paw, the inwardly domed rock made a good mixing bowl, so mixing her paints and her inks was easy.
Her paw was stained pink from the berries she was mixing. A spot of blue was on her cheek and a smear of red across her chest, almost like blood seeping from a cut…which had been the entire point of mixing the red to start with. She had dropped the red off at her mother’s earlier, a prop for Parisette’s latest drama play she was putting together, and then returned to mix more. She had no one in mind for the pink she mixed now, but surely someone would use it.
She hummed some unfamiliar tune as she dragged her paw across her opposite leg, watching it stain her fur with interest. At the end of some days, the lioness was rainbow coloured with her different dyes, some which would last for weeks.
-
When he found her the lion was immediately fascinated. Nox didn’t say a word as he stopped to watch the lioness at work. This was actually the first time that he had ever gotten the chance to truly watch someone doing such a thing. Even more fascinating was the noise coming from Parachichi. Was she actually humming? It was such a pretty sound at that. Nox leaned forward with more interest. So even mutes could make some noise then? It was a small ray of comfort perhaps for some.
Still as he leaned forward a flash of color caught his gaze. Was that a brilliant scarlett? Though he didn’t smell blood the lion still gasped in surprise and worry. Moving forward Nox came out of hiding, “Are you hurt?” He asked immediately peering closer at her, careful of the stain. Was that berry juice as well? His gaze blinked in embarrassment as he pulled back quickly. If so it was very good work. Still he felt sheepish as he looked back at her apologetically.
-
So used to the quiet, she didn’t think to glance up to see if anyone had approached, so when he stepped forward out of his hiding place, and spoke? Well, it was quite startling. She gasped, an intake of breath that seemed loud in her mind, and stared at him. She shook a little, but seemed to recognise him, so she didn’t flee, despite the shock.
She took and steadying breath and shook her head at his question, tapping her paw against the ink that rested in the stone bowl. ‘Just ink’, she tried to sign, reaching up to brush at the red on her chest, but it had well and truly set by now. She frowned. The colour was intense, so it would probably last for a few days now. Not that it bothered her that much, but it might bother the players. She needed to find a way of washing stains out.
She peered at him curiously, wondering why he had reacted like that, even if she had been bleeding, he had yelled at her last time. The concern for her was…odd.
-
Shoot. Nox already regretted just jumping out at her like that. He was trying to make up for last time and already failing. The lion was actually still baffled by two things – his anger that day and his concern to make it up to her now. Then again he realized it wasn’t right to take out the anger stirred in him via his twin on someone like this. That was why he felt such a deep need to make up for that time.
“So just ink then?” He let out a sigh of relief, “That’s good. You were so caught up in your work that I thought that even should you have some bad wound you would just keep on going.” He smiled lightly and brushed a stray piece of mane away from his eyes, “Though I should have known. Nothing like the smell of berries to make up for the lack of salty blood.” He shook his head before focusing back on her. “It’s really good though, your inks that is. Maybe I should come to you sometime for an order?” He paused before sitting down, “That is if you would want.” But this was not about him wanting something from her. Nox sighed. Would it be easier to just hand it to her already? Probably. Reaching out the lion pushed the material towards the lioness, “I wanted to give you something since I made such a mess last time we met.”
-
Parachichi nodded eagerly when he repeated about the ink, pleased she had gottenher message across, and looked a little amused at the idea that she would keep working through an injury. She paused, cocking her head to the side, as if contemplating, before shrugging. She probably would. She nodded at the talk of scents though, it was the easiest way to realise difference between real and fake, though most audience members didn’t bother to breathe deep enough to figure out the real from the fake.
Her eyes widened in surprise and one ear flopped a little as she tilted her head, surprised that he was impressed by her inks. She looked shy at the question and nodded, smiling happily. She’d never refuse an order. Hoping he understood, she slid the bowl towards him, and nodded again.
Blinking, she peered at him, confused. Make it up to her? She shrugged, trying to shrug off whatever it was he was trying to give her.
-
Nox’s smile grew at her reaction. Maybe he wasn’t messing things up as horribly as he had feared. That was good. Pushing back the faint vision of any teasing Nyx would hold for him should she find out about this actual situation Nox focused on Parachichi. “You want me to take this, Parachichi?” He asked blinking. Though pink was not normally the color he would have taken the lion already was thinking of his twin. He could use it after all. Smiling Nox dipped a claw in there and swirled it around. Grinning he held up his now pink claw, “I hope it suits me.” He commented lightly looking back over at her. “I know my twin will love to use it as well.”
He frowned though at her refusal, “Please?” He pushed the silk back towards her, “I really feel bad about the whole situation…plus it’s not like I can use it for anything.” He nodded with a small smile, “Aren’t artisans the ones to collect and use these types of materials? I’m sure you could make something out of this if you wanted.” He paused thoughtfully, “As it is all it is doing is taking up space in my den. I think it would belong better with a pretty artisan like you.” Though he was not about to mention how long he had carried it with him. That life was done for now any way. It was better off given away.
-
Parachichi nodded quickly at his question, smiling lightly at him, pushing the bowl closer to him as she did so. She had no use for the ink, so perhaps he could use it. With the pink claw up in the air, she blinked at the image, and couldn't help but giggle. The noise was perhaps unexpected, as her humming had been earlier. A soft noise, and short lived, but it was yet another noise. She nodded to him, a half smile on her face. It didn't suit him, but it was amusing. She perked up at the news of a twin, peering at him curiously. She hadn't realised he had siblings...
She looked slightly uncomfortable at the idea of a gift from him, and she tilted her head, peering at the 'gift'. It was...very pretty, she had to admit. She wasn't sure what she would use it for, but she bet she could dye it...something that he said finally clicked and she looked startled. Pretty artisan? She stared at him. What?
-
The lion grinned. Hah! Nox instantly felt relief at hearing a giggle from her before waving his claw one last time before hiding it back in his paw. It had startled him at first, but even though she couldn’t speak what could stop natural noises like that from escaping? He was glad for that then. As a player he was used to watching for nonverbal cues from others and he already figured that the word ‘twin’ would inspire curiosity. “Nyx. My twin sister’s name is Nyx. Our mother found it clever to call me Nox as well. Like our mother my sister loves to cause confusion and trouble for me as well.”
He paused at her startled look, “Hmm? You are an artisan correct?” He nodded slowly before a teasing grin came over his maw, “And pretty goes with that since you are that as well. A compliment nothing more.” He chuckled before reaching up to toss the silk towards her. Watching it drape slowly around the female’s neck he nodded. “There. Even better.”
-
Parachichi smiled at the talk of a twin and scrunched up her a face a bit, trying to think how she could get across her idea. Aureliana always said she was terrible at signing, but mostly because her family knew her well enough to guess, and she…didn’t talk to others often. A curious, if slightly confused expression came on her face, and she pressed her paw to her chest, unknowingly leaving a pink pawmark over her heart, and then pointed to Nox and then to the empty space beside her. His twin caused trouble, but were they close? Did they care for one another?
She nodded at his question, still looking confused, before feeling her cheeks heat and her ears drop in embaressment at the compliment. She stared at her paws shyly. People had always been confusing…clearly boys were even more confusing. She startled as the silk wrapped around her neck, it felt smooth and cool against her fur and she glanced down at it, smiling. She rubbed her cheek against her shoulder, feeling the soft fabric, and unknowingly beginning to purr quietly. She smiled at him, shyly, before grabbing a flower from the ground and placing it by his paws again, her way of saying ‘thanks’.
-
Tilting his head Nox studied the lioness thoughtfully, “Do I have a shadow? Or a heart?” After a pause his gaze widened in sudden realization. “Ah. Nyx has a heart even though she’s a trouble maker. Somehow that’s how she expresses her love for me and I can’t help but to love my twin.” He flushed to actually admitting that, but it was okay to tell Parachichi right? It wasn’t like she would tell any - his cheeks warmed worse. Oh. He didn’t mean to think that way. He just trusted the lioness for some odd reason. Not that he meant that she actually couldn’t-….well he knew what he meant.
Smiling Nox was glad to see her take to his gift. “You’re welcome-“ But before he had the chance to say more a familiar call caught his attention. “Nyx. I suppose that means I need to head on out.” Frowning the lion took the flower and like before twisted it up into his mane, “Thank you.” Reaching for the ink the lion smiled warmly at her, “I’ll come see you again, Parachichi. Even better if you want to come and see me preform.” Standing he looked back one last time before walking off towards his feminine mirror image.
-
Parachichi watched the male leave, a contemplative look on her face as she glanced down at her dyed paws, and then at the silk encasing her shoulders. She smiled. The male was so much nicer when he wasn’t yelling at her. She carefully manipulated the silk to rest more easily around her shoulders, so it didn’t drape into her work, before slipping off to find some red berries to make more blood-dye for the strange sometimes mean, sometimes nice male, Nox. Hopefully he would be nice when she gave him the dye…
