Puddles [Hermit's Organic Doorbell]

[Kiara]

Thick foliage was probably one of the best hiding spots, until that foliage was to be burned, or perhaps frozen dead and pushed away like paper. Luckily, it did not seem to be the case today as it didn't seem to be fifteen years ago, and every day after that. A hermit well into her thirty's with a face to show it sat near silently in her dirt hut, a hut well bend into the bushes and trees that surrounded it. It was almost impossible to find unless you had the most daring eye or happened to run into it - even then, it may seem like a small pile at first if not hitting the door directly.

On a dirt bed with a fire raging underneath to provide warmth, the softly cloaked hermit slowly twisted and turned a bolt into the belly of a droid she had been working on, while her cameras slowly turned in their hidden leaves and bushes, cleverly adjusted in a large circle around the house to see for nearly a kilometer. Her holopads, laying on the wall in an organized chaos had their screens constantly changing to view new and old cameras as they had their adjustments lined out, just about ready to set their silent alarm to any new visitors who showed near her home.

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Kiara"]

The mixture of chaos and quiet that emanated from within the heart of the forest created a queer sense of soothing. The branches gnarled and twisted with the passage of time, marked upon by forces that life could barely contemplate in deep thought, and which they could by no means control. There had been a log at one point that had spoken of a pair of siblings, etching marks into their creations which sentient life had come to know as aging, and when finally they become bored of their creation they would simply smooth over the imperfections with their incorporeal scythes, recreating something new and splendid with the materiel available. It was a curious and fanciful tale, but one that could reasonably be attributed to the religious system of a primitive tribe.

The gentlest morning dew seemed to settle upon some of the plants, drops of water occasionally falling to the ground in a natural and rhythmic orchestra of nature. The blue skinned explorer continued forward, arm outstretched and brushing past a bough that had since been ensnared with the choking grip of a vine. He was not an expert in the study of foliage, though it seemed obvious enough that the plant would soon die, killed by the vice that held it. Another being might have considered removing the vine, as a kind gesture to a plant, even if it really had no significant worth in the grand scheme of things, however Abelain understood that it was necessary for death to be allowed it's meals, otherwise another piece of the ecosystem might be unraveled by a seemingly inconsequential activity.

The faint tingle of iron reached his olfactory senses, awakening them to the presence of a familiar substance; Blood. In the manner that a predator locks onto it's prey, the Arue'tii began to follow the scent, allowing it to amplify it's presence before attempting to better examine it. After traveling a few meters, Abelain took notice that the smell seemed to indicate human, or at least was close enough to it to be distinguishable as such without a more intense study. There were many different species throughout the galaxy, and it had been Abelain's experience that each had a varying blood to them, albeit there were many with quite similar scents.

Upon concluding his short journey of discovery, the acolyte came upon a chunk of dense foliage that he gradually began to push through, approaching the scent with renewed vigor as he freed himself from the grasping arms of nearby trees. It seemed to be coming from within a rather large mound of dirt, somewhat confusing considering that it was fresh blood, though not quite intense enough to have been spilled from a corpse. Could it be possible that the individual was trapped within the mound? There was potential, but the Arue'tii settled upon better examining his surroundings in hopes of unraveling the curiosity.

 

[Kiara]

Panic. Alright, random voice in my head. You've been doing a great job of keeping me alive this far. ​

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Kiara rose a few paces from her warm spot on her entirely dirt and fire bed, raising the nearly hundred pounds with her as she balanced onto two very firm and very dirty new pair of black boots she had found from a small vacation of being a hermit. It was a lovely story, and something she didn't tell often to people who asked. Because no one asked. The day the pirate came, and nearly sixty new sets of armor, supplies, and weapons had been added to her collection was the same day she had to make a whole new dirt and stick shelf on the already full walls. Her eyes cleverly avoided the look of new clothes and weapons to better not remind herself.​

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Her droid belly softly clattered onto the shelf as she rapidly made her way to it with only soft pads of her rubber boots on the firm dirt ground before her. The piece, landing with the droid's three limbs and a head. One fully finished arm with basic plating and wires yanked out ready for stripping and connecting, one rusted leg with almost everything gone or demolished, and a spiney white tail yanked around the neck of her beady eyed droid. Lots of these robotic creatures littered inside the house, from the corners of the walls, to inside the ceiling of the dirt hut, though those were usually just for decoration and had the backsides far too broken for repair.​

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Her collection was large, full of various items and mostly mechanical, though the occasional cookie that she managed to steal, or small smile of credits laid hidden and tucked away, probably never to be truly used. There was still an intruder, and to surprise it didn't show up on any of the holopads. At least, it didn't give her a proper warning before her own instincts kicked in. That was the one problem with Dagobah she truly disliked. So many non-sentimental creatures roamed the place, it was hard to filter them all through and still have near-humans targeted.​

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The wooden door had a firm shut and imperfection to the rounded hut of dirt and wood, something that could say it was originally a plan to have the entire thing made out of the material, but never happened. It was clear there was some form of curious or stupid creature around her home that didn't take threatened to the large sense of fear that always radiated from it, or perhaps it was simply too smart to be affected by it.​

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Numerous questions raced through the hermit's mind, but she did nearly nothing to stop the creature from coming in. Instead, to a surprise by herself, the voice in her head called out to grasp the durasteel staff that had saved Kiara to many times, and wait standing low in the middle of the room, right where the door may open to reveal. ​

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| [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] | ​

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Kiara"]

It was not trapped.

Whatever lay within the supposed tomb of dirt was moving about with surprising ease. There was another flicker of confusion, though it quickly evaporated under more thorough examination of the structure. The front of it opened into what appeared to be a wooden door, the rest of the curiosity fell into place with surprising speed. The home naturally belonged to either someone suffering from the crippling effects of poverty, unable to afford a better or more comfortable housing arrangement, or it belonged to an individual that wished not to be found, and thus laid camouflage upon the dirty structure to conceal it's occupant and give the impression of a natural mound.

It was a viable strategy, and Abelain granted that to whomever resided within, though it reeked of paranoia. There was also the chance that it was justifiable, and that the individual within had reason to believe that they were being hunted by sentient foes. They might have been an average, lawful citizen simply trying to weather out a storm of violence from an antagonized party, though the problem with that ideal was revealed in a rapid glance upwards. More vines choked trees, hanging above and blocking out the sun at points; killers not only of life, but also of light. Beneath his feet was the suckling grasp of mud, attempting to drag him into it with every step taken.

When taken together, one began to realize how utterly destitute and foreign such a planet would be to a majority of individuals. That left the option that the person camped and currently rushing about inside of the mound was a criminal of some form, likely a smuggler that had made bad deals with untrustworthy heathen. It was not in good practice to judge without knowledge, and the Arue'tii felt inclined to further investigate and resolve his curiosity now that it had reached a potential thesis. With a long step towards the arboreal entrance, he raised his hand and rapped a singular time upon the hard wood.

"Now, we shall see who inhabits." He rasped under his breath, eyes glaring directly forward and awaiting the appearance of the tenant.

 

[Kiara]

Despite clearly knowing what was coming to be, the woman still jolted lightly at the sudden knock on her door. She slowly stepped forward and opened it without hesitation, as if it were a normal day, and her staff were only used for walking. The figure didn't surprise her, but it's shape and size was a curious thing to ponder on. Without mentioning a word, she beckoned it inside and returned to her seated position.​

​

Her tush landed on the dirt bed with a small plopping sound, the bed itself barely rising a few inches from the ground, but still supported both herself and her weight. Somewhere in the room of robotics and holograms laid a single bow and a wooden thing of arrows, all of which were used and worn down from months of use. She waited just a moment before her aging and barely used voice sounded for the stranger creature, in a raspy small tone. "Aren't you a curious one?" She asked from the blue, keeping her attention more so focused on remembering how many items she had in the room. Two thousand fifty two spare deadbolts, thirteen coils of wire...​

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| [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] |​

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Kiara"]

The door swung open, revealing a small woman behind it, hand clutching onto a staff; likely for protection from strange visitors. As he examined her more closely, she motioned for him to enter the structure, and promptly took her seat upon a dirt construct. Immediate thoughts twisted around the previous hypothesis, taking notice of how unlikely it would be for a vicious and deadly murderer, or a smuggler to open the door so rapidly without first taking time to remove their contraband or tools of the trade. There was still the possibility that they were a citizen that had been frightened into taking refuge in the destitution currently surrounding them. That theory found itself holding far more weight than it had previously, the alternative dissipating into fantastical thought.

The entire building seemed to have been fitted for someone of smaller stature, though there was little difficulty in inserting himself into the premises. His eyes caught notice of the metallic glint of droid pieces scattered upon the ceiling, apparently in chaotic disarray, though they may have held a system that he simply had difficulty perceiving in his current state of mind. The item upon which the hermit lay seemed to be composed in majority of dirt; dried and set into the shape of a sleeping spot. Abelain wondered for a moment how the construct was capable of holding the weight of the female, though she did not seem to weigh too heavily, and the bed did not rise far above the ground and thus create an issue with it's height.

The raspy light tone that she spoke with seemed to match her appearance quite well, though perhaps with more rasping than he initially anticipated. Her words were formed into an inquisitive statement more than a true question, but they held little surprise to the Arue'tii. He responded in turn; "It may be that I am strange to you, but you also are strange to me, that is why I have come." He paused for a moment, examining her more closely for any indications of personality or work, and then continued in his rumbling voice, "Why do you lay your head in such a place?"

 

[Kiara]

Kiara was more of a simple one. Well, not a simple one, more of a not so interesting one at the least. Little stories to tell unless someone was ever so strangely specific, no things to give unless someone specifically asked for it, and no skills to show unless someone knew exactly what they wanted. It seemed the creature and her already did not have very many of these aspects to share.​

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The hermit's eyes scanned over the creature again as her mind quickly counted up the items in the small space of enclosed warmth, finding it more curious as to how it actually glowed with such a strange power inside of it. She couldn't ponder on it too long, as a question erupted the silence of her housing and entered her mind. To it, she softly pursed her lips and turned her gaze back to the dirt construct she laid upon. ​

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"Comfy. Warm." She answered simply, giving it a few simple pats. She was proud of the work, even if it was a campfire under a construct of dirt and large rocks. It still served its purpose, and a little more. "Do you have a better place to lay your head?" She countered with an uprising curiosity. ​

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{ [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] }​

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

The answer given was logical, especially when one considered basic creature comforts that seemed to affect a majority of species throughout the galaxy. Even animals sought out warmth, though there were the taboo cases of creatures that flourished within the cold and tundra as opposed to the heat. Abelain found that it added variety to life for creatures to live in different environments; if they all lived only in one biosphere, resources would be competitively gathered and it would become difficult for any animal to find enough food and water to ensure the survival of their species. The Arue'tii were sentient beings that enjoyed heat, their blood was frozen and cold; incapable of creating warmth for themselves, they relied on the heat that came off of natural surroundings such as the great steam geysers scattered throughout his homeworld of Ghul, or even the scorching hot of fire.

Close examination of the woman seemed to indicate that she had trouble retaining attention on any singular object, and he took notice of her wandering eyes scanning the contents of the somewhat cluttered building. Nearby lay additional pieces of a droid, apparently abandoned in their reconstruction upon his untimely visit. Abelain breathed in the air, taking notice of the humidity that seemed to be at least somewhat negated within the structure, though it still permeated throughout the entirety of the planet. Thankfully, the walls did do a fair work of repelling any unpleasant odors that would otherwise have entered and disrupted pleasantness. Her question came suddenly, though through a logical series of thoughts that the Arue'tii could easily understand.

He considered for a moment, staring into her eyes and awaiting the light twitch of motion that would indicate she had gone back to searching the walls, though he did not restrain his answer until that moment. "What is better in one's eyes," He motioned to himself, and then towards the tenant, "Is not necessarily better to another." There was logic and social understanding carried through that statement, especially in terms of the matter of truth and fact. To Abelain it was true that his resting place was superior in nearly all facets, however the hermit may find it true that their home was better. Reason dictated that only one could be fact, but both could be true without being mutually exclusive.

He followed with another question, eyes still locked upon the curious tenant; "Who are you?" It was a question not only of name, but also of identity. What did the female perceive when she thought of herself?