Madly Alone

Diaval took a couple of steps back to allow Khepri to inspect the specimen he was able to find. His nose still twitched back and forth, trying to draw in its scent even at the slightest distance. Looking at Khepri, there seemed to be a similar favoritism towards this specific treat that mother nature provided. He did his best to hide his amusement, turning his attention back towards the flowering herb.

He immediately honed in on the instruction given and nodded, his expression telling the other male that he understood completely. Diaval did allow him to do the digging as he crouched slowly, honing in on the method used to safely secure the best part of the plant. Khepri's pause was unexpected and he blinked rapidly, having been caught in his daydream of partaking in the Valerian root after so long.

"Hm? Oh, uhm..." There was a split second where he thought to give into his greed and selfishness. His mind begged him to recall that it was that type of thinking that left him with nothing to begin with. "...ahhh, no...no." Diaval finally decided with a shake of his head.

"I offered assistance without expectation of any sort of payment and I'd hate to rob you of this bounty if it could help someone else." When Khepri explained the herb's usage, Diaval sat up slowly and his ears folded back ever so slightly. He cleared his throat and nodded, honesty trickling from his mouth without prior thought, "Yes...I do know what the root is capable of...all too well, actually."


@Khepri

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da]. click for attributions.

Khepri Tiamat
follow me into the golden wild
stay close with your wounded eyes
absent when i need you the most
in the end, i danced with a ghost

---

Khepri wasn't stupid, or blind. He could see and sense the slight change in Diaval and he realized that perhaps, this was the change others saw in him. He hoped not... if his daughter... he swallowed and shook his head, glancing at their cache with still-hungry eyes.

His ears flicked towards his companion at the mention that he did know what this root did. Ah, so he wasn't completely ignorant... that was possibly not good. He swallowed and lowered his head slightly, his gaze returning to Diaval. "Ah..." Was he caught? This man didn't seem to know much about this place, let alone Khepri so perhaps he was going to luck out and they'd part ways, never to run into each other again. No consequences. "I use it for medicine... mostly. I'll give you some if you don't tell." he said, his voice cracking. He wasn't sure what else to do, he wanted to save his own skin in case this man ratted him out to the army. He couldn't be dragged in for drug use under the watchful eye of his own kin.

Oh, how his mother would love that.

His stomach dropped and he looked at Diaval, his legs tensing. He planned to run, in all honestly, and leave the herbs behind. They weren't worth going to jail.

---

ACTION • SPEECH • 220

Diaval raised his brow slightly as Khepri now offered the Valerian Root, it seemed, in return for his silence? Now, he could see it too. The professor's face was a mirror of his own, an unbridled desire to ingest the herb written all over his expression, dancing in the light of his amber eyes. He let out a breath of a laugh in pure disbelief at the scenario as he simply stared at Khepri, speechless for a moment.

"Ehh...and who would I tell exactly...?" He peered around at the forest that surrounded them, before he returned his gaze to the other man. "I suppose I could let the trees in on it, but it looks like they're well aware of what's going on here." It was a dry attempt at a joke and he shook his head to clarify his true intent. "Honest, I've got not a single ear that would bend to hear a word I had to say...so you've nothing to worry about."

He cleared his throat and avoided looking at the plant, as he kept his sharp gaze pinned to Khepri. "But, uhm...do you think you could, if it's not too much trouble...could you...show me how to harvest it properly?" Diaval smiled nervously and straightened up, adjusting his posture. "For Medicinal purposes and knowledge only, of course..."


@Khepri

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da]. click for attributions.

Khepri Tiamat
follow me into the golden wild
stay close with your wounded eyes
absent when i need you the most
in the end, i danced with a ghost

---

Khepri watched him uneasily, but as he spoke he felt his frayed nerves begin to gather somewhat. He claimed he had nobody to tell and then, asked him how to harvest it. Really... they'd both be at fault here if anything, and so Khepri smiled and nodded agreeably. "Alright, well... you want the root mostly. The rest can be useful as well, but all the medicinal properties lie in the root. So you want to dig around the base of the plant, a little ways out, and then scrape away the dirt until get the root uncovered and then you can pluck out what's there." he said. He turned to the plant, his mouth beginning to salivate again as he bent and began to claw at the ground widely around the plant. Dirt fell away in bits and scattered about until he had exposed root and he paused and pointed at it with a paw. "This is the part you want," he said, noting what he saw as obvious. Then he continued to dig, more gently now, until everything was exposed and he could wrench the plant off the root and separated the bundle by half. He pushed part towards Diaval and nodded his head, his smile thinning. It was only fair, he thought, that they split it.

---

ACTION • SPEECH • 218

Diaval was more than pleasantly surprised when the professor actually agreed to teach him how to work the Valerian Root from the ground. He stepped closer to watch and to listen carefully, nodding with wide-eyed interest as he did his best to commit everything Khepri said to memory. It didn't seem so hard, surely he could do it again if he was lucky enough to find more. He leaned his head forward to peer down at the bulbous root and nodded affirmatively to the other male. "Okay, got it. If I find any more while I travel, I'll be sure to deliver some to you directly. THat only seems fair."

When the root was finally pried from its resting place beneath the earth, he had to smack his lips to keep from salivating as the other half was pitched towards him. Diaval's breathing became rapid as his anticipation built, glancing between the bit of root he was given and Khepri with a questioning look. "May I...?" He asked as he first rested a paw on his portion of the root, not willing to partake on the grounds of the College if he was not intended to do so.


@Khepri

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da]. click for attributions.

Khepri Tiamat
follow me into the golden wild
stay close with your wounded eyes
absent when i need you the most
in the end, i danced with a ghost

---

It seemed he'd made a sort of friend in Diaval, or at least a confidant. He couldn't remember the last time he'd relaxed around someone, or with someone else. He briefly thought of Sif, but pushed her from his mind as Diaval spoke and offered to bring him some should he come across it in his travles. "Oh! You're not obligated but... if you must, I keep a store at my home in Melrose near the College for ... medicinal purposes." he said, a bit of a smile touching his lips.

He noted the look in the other mans eye as he stared at his share of their 'prize' and his inquery had Khepri shrugging, with a bit of a nervous laugh escaping him. "Go for it, I'm not Army after all." What would he do? Arrest him? Laughable... he shifted his paws and bent to pick up one of the roots before chewing it up and swalloing it. The mellowing effect of such a small portion was still enough to have him feel even more relaxed and he sighed before looking to Diaval and deciding it was probably best he got this home and left the man to his own devices. Unless he wanted to come back and... well, he didn't know, hang out or something? He was awful lonely and Diaval seemed like someone he could get along with-- if not for their shared common interest. "You want to help me... take this back to my place?" he asked, not sure if he was sounding strange. "You don't have to, but I've got nothing else planned for the day and..." he trailed off, not able to find a not-lame way of saying 'i'm lonely and bored' to a complete stranger.

---

ACTION • SPEECH • 218

A smile that bordered on the beginnings of a snicker peeled back his lips slightly and he quirked an eyebrow at the professor. "You have your own hidden stash, do you?" For a moment he thought to ask for him to show his horde, yet that was a bit forward, was it not? Diaval was only going to offer that when he was out and about, he would divide his findings and drop off the other half wherever he stored it. In the moment, he decided to wait and allow trust to build before making such an offer.

With the other's permission, Diaval dug into his preferred substance, chewing slowly, his eyes closing as he reveled in the feeling of it crunching beneath his teeth, the taste on his tongue, and then the effects that followed after. He let out a groaning sigh of sweet relief, almost forgetting he'd been standing next to Khepri. He blinked his eyes open when the man spoke to him, making the offer himself to lead Diaval back to where he lived.

"Not going to treat me to dinner first?" He teased lightly, offering a charming grin. "Sure, I'd like that." He grinned, lowering his body in a long stretch before gathering himself up to stand aside as his sharp golden gaze landed on Khepri. "Lead the way, Professor."


@Khepri

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da]. click for attributions.

Khepri Tiamat
follow me into the golden wild
stay close with your wounded eyes
absent when i need you the most
in the end, i danced with a ghost

---

Khepri laughed a little nervously and just offered a sort of shy smile at the other man's joke (or what he thought was a joke, anyway). He was glad that Diaval obliged and without another word, he nodded his head and turned to lead him back to his place. He didn't plan on anything shady or weird... he was just a little lonely. It would be nice to have the company, if he was being honest with himself.

After a short while of walking, they approached his small and lonely cottage.

"Well, welcome to my humble abode." he said, looking back at his darker companion. "If you ever need anymore, uhm, 'help' you can come here. I usually have some around." he added. Was this a mistake? Maybe... or it could be a friendship, built on a mutual... hobby. Khepri tensed slightly and bit back another nervous laugh. He wasn't sure how to act, he didn't really 'hang out' with many others. Was he like this during class? Oh, he hoped not.

He stepped into the doorway and looked back at Diaval. "I have nothing going on if you wanna hang out, otherwise I'll... see you around, maybe." he said flatly, tired of guessing on what he should say next. So instead, he just said it and was done with it. With that, he drew a breath and went inside.

exit khepri

---

ACTION • SPEECH • 230

Khepri laughed nervously after his tease and he smirked, enjoying the reaction from him. As he was led to the Professor's home, his eyes roamed the structure, admiring it from afar before they'd reached the threshold. The man welcomed him and he dipped his head in gratitude. "It's a very nice home." He complimented, his eyes catching the other male's as he referred to what they had been doing as his means of providing 'help'.

Diaval's ears perked up and his eyes flickered about to see if they were being watched by anyone nearby before returning his gaze to Khepri with a knowing look. "That's very generous of you. Sure, I think I will take you up on that offer...and try not to overstay my welcome so long as you'll allow me to visit."

His expression mischievous as he played along. "I will even see about replenishing your 'herbal stock' whenever I do show up on your doorstep." He watched as Khepri disappeared into his home, offering an open door to him. Diaval glanced around once more and then smiled to himself, following the man inside to join his company.

[Exit Diaval]




@Khepri

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da]. click for attributions.