[PRP] Meeting Over Mushrooms (Xyris & Selene)

[mistalina13]

He'd finally found himself a place to settle for the time being. His patchwork tent was setup and well secured in a little grove of trees to protect it from the wind. Now it was time to get the lay of the land beyond the basics and do some gathering besides. Xyris set out with a shawl over his shoulders plus small tools and basket in hand. There were mushrooms he'd seen that looked promising, late season greens and signs of tubers as well. If he was lucky perhaps some late season apples?

Despite his careful steps anyone would likely hear before they saw him. His size alone made his stride heavy and he liked to hum as he worked to not pass the time in complete silence.

At the moment he was knelt down examining some of the promising mushrooms. They seemed to be growing well and safe to eat so he plucked a few. As long as he was responsible and careful they would make for a good steady food source.  

[mistalina13]

There were a few soft plonks as mushrooms that had yet to make it into the basket fell from his hands. Xyris' body language would easily read as startled but he didn't bolt. "Hello?" He looked back over his shoulder at her and with him being crouched they were a bit closer to eye level. "Forgive me, I did not mean to trespass. I saw no recent indication of passing or hunting and took it as a positive sign." He wasn't about to judge simply because of her size - he knew it had little to do with might when one was of a mind to do something. Similar judgements had been passed on him before and generally they were wrong.

What was interesting though was she had not sought to attack him. Curious. Perhaps the territory he'd stumbled into was friendly? If it was then that was a little bit of luck on his side.

He was silent for a minute while he turned back and picked up the dropped mushrooms before rising slowly to his full height. "If you will allow, I will only stay the eve and depart when the sun rises." He did not wish to frighten her or cause any trouble. He offered a soft friendly smile, shifted the basket to under one arm.

"I am, ah, Xyris." Probably best to introduce himself before he went and forgot to. Wouldn't be the first time. His free hand rubbed the back of his neck and his cheeks darkened in a blush. "Probably should have said that first, huh?"

Cheri

 

[mistalina13]

"Thank you." She needn't worry about the momentarily upset, he gradually relaxed and settled as their conversation progressed. "It is lovely to meet you Selene."

Centaur hunters? That earned her a thoughtful look and a shake of his head. He'd heard of others engaging in the practice, but fighting - let alone bloodshed - was not Xyris' way of doing things. He went out of his way to avoid it if at all possible. So she would have no concerns with him on that front.

"I do not plan to linger overly long. I still need to find a good seasonal shelter and sure up my store of food before winter arrives." His wandering had brought him far from where he'd been last winter so that shelter wasn't an option this time. "My tent is lovely in the warmer months and into the Fall. But once there is snow it doesn't do so well." And it was a bit late in the season to go looking for properly oiled fabric to help it manage any better.

"How far does your family's land extend?" Before coming here it had been rather hit and miss with finding other friendly groups.

Cheri

 

[mistalina13]

"Good to know." The daisies were an easy to keep track of sign that he was in safe territory.

He smiled sheepishly and scrubbed the back of his neck again. "To be honest it is not something that has ever occurred to me. And I'm not entirely sure how to go about it?" It wasn't a practice he'd grown up with. He learned a little of spirits from his mother, mostly that they should be thanked when you harvested food or materials and that he should try not to piss any of them off if it could be helped. Anything more than that was a mystery to him but he was quite clearly curious. "Would you be able to show me how to do it?" Assuming she didn't mind of course.

Cheri

 

[mistalina13]

He wasn't bothered at all by the lesson and listened intently. "That makes sense." In theory it seemed simple enough. The offering part might be a little hit or miss unless one in particular took a liking to him it seemed like? Thank goodness for Selene's suggestions otherwise he wouldn't have had a clue of what to try and start with. Many of those things were easy enough to come by at least...

The offered of jewelry surprised him though, his ears perking up. "Are you certain....?" This was something of hers??? "I should at least give you something in exchange for it, or at least for helping me."

Cheri

 

[mistalina13]

"Your father made it?" He brushed his fingers over the beads and her hand before picking the bracelet up to examine it more closely. "It's lovely." Even with the various sizes of them the loop looked so small in his palm. He would just have to be very careful with it so it wasn't lost or damaged before it was needed. "Thank you." His cheeks flushed and he focused on tucking the bracelet away in a pouch to settle himself.

"I can certainly do that. Though we'll have to find another patch first. You don't want to take too much at once otherwise it's harder for the plant to recover." He'd seen a few other patches around so they wouldn't be hard to find.

Xyris had already started looking until he realized what she said. "Wait until it's...?" Oh. "If you'd rather do it that way around we can too."

Cheri

 

[mistalina13]

"For this type it is, yes. Some varieties grow separate from each other." Some even had to be handled and prepared differently so they were safe to eat or be used in medicines. He reached into his basket and plucked out a mushroom, offering it to her. "It is safe to eat raw as well, but the texture doesn't appeal to everyone." He got another for himself and bit into it. It was much spongier than it's cooked counterpart.

"Your parents are very talented. Do you have craft work you like to do yourself too?" Or had her interest caught onto something else entirely?

And it seemed a good idea to ask before he got too carried away in a different conversation - "For these prayers is it best they are done at my dwelling?"

Cheri

 

[mistalina13]

Xyris smiled when she seemed pleased by the mushroom. He appreciated her curiosity to try it rather than turning her nose up at it just because it was unfamiliar.

"Much of talent also comes from practice as I've been told." And her parents had had a fair bit longer to do that than she would have so far. But she would get that experience too given the time. His own talents of a similar nature lay in basket weaving... which did give him an idea. If they were to forage once the blessing was done she should have her own basket. He had one nearly done that would serve the purpose well. It just needed a strap and handles to accommodate her.

He nodded in understanding when she continued to explain. So she was more spiritual than a crafter? He wondered briefly how she'd found her way to that path instead but it did seem a little invasive to ask. "It does."

Inviting the spirit to bless his tent made sense, especially if the spirit was to linger around. A fire spirit likely would probably not appreciate being out in the rain or the snow. He certainly wouldn't like being accidentally snuffed out if he was one.

"This way then." It was an easy conversation to continue as he began retracing his path back to his tent. "Can I ask how you would even go about learning what a spirit likes?"

Cheri