[SFW] Squirrelly Days #024 - Chyla
#24 of Squirrely Days
Rolling over, Chyla stared up at her dimly lit ceiling and groaned loudly.
```
Chyla: I really thought Yineh would show up and comfort me... *depressed sigh* I guess she's already lost interest in me... I guess I'll start the day... I'm sore, but I'm sick of laying here.
```
Rolling up, Chyla picked up a brush and stared at herself in the mirror for a moment before tossing the brush aside while declaring it didn't matter if no one cared.
After throwing on her uniform, Chyla lethargically made her way out to the trainee common where Reteh and Demoron were sipping tea together.
```
Reteh: I think you look cute all messy, but I'd be happy to comb your fur for you if your arms are too sore.
Chyla: *blushing smile* T-thank you... but I don't know, it's already really late in the morning. *hesitant* Where's Yineh and Wafit?
Reteh: I assumed Yi-su was with you.
Chyla: *dismayed* Nope... I haven't seen her since last night when they broke off to spy on Teran and his mother.
Reteh: *concerned hum*
Demoron: Now the question is, did she get herself into so much trouble that she was forced to work all through the night, or did she get into some crazy sex thing with Te-su and/or his mother?
Reteh: I'd really like to think it was the latter, but I'm almost certain it's the former.
Demoron: On the topic of missing people, we should probably check in on Lina since Viv's not here.
Chyla: I'll do it.
```
Making her way over to Lina's room, Chyla knocked a few times before poking her head through the curtain to find Lina sleeping sprawled out on her back with a book wedged open underneath her.
```
Chyla: My-my, how can you even sleep like that...
```
Chyla made her way over to Lina and pulled the book out from under her, then began shaking her gently.
```
Chyla: Come on Li-li wake up, you're starting to scare me.
```
Feeling as confused and helpless as she had been with Kion Chyla froze in place and stared at Lina for a few moments until she opened her eyes and yawned.
```
Lina: Moring Viv... wait, you're neet Viv...
```
Chyla pulled Lina into a hug and cried quietly into her shoulder.
```
Lina: *confused* W-what's going on?
Chyla: Sorry, I was shaking you, and you wouldn't wake up, and it just freaked me out a bit.
Lina: Jsha, sorry about that. Viv was teasing me about that, too. I've been told in the past I was a heavy sleeper, but until Viv was teasing me about it, I didn't realize how much so. I had nee idea people could pick me up and move me around while I was sleeping... It's kind of unnerving when I think about it. *awkward laughter*
```
Chyla took a deep breath, then let go of Lina and stared into her eyes.
```
Lina: You jhure you're alright?
Chyla: Probably not...
Lina: Anything I can do to help?
Chyla: Not unless you're secretly a medicine woman or herbalist and can teach me how to not be completely useless when someone's hurt.
Lina: *nervous awkward laughter* I'm--certainly not, but I've heard that Mirra, Enkoro, Teran and most of the other senior rammu are quite skilled at a variety of healing arts. Pardon me if this a rude question, but being a farm girl, aren't you used to seeing people get hurt?
Chyla: Bumps, cuts, scrapes, a common bug bite and the like sure. Clean out the wound, slap the right salve on it, bandage it up if needed. But that doesn't do me a lick of good if the person is laying unconscious.
Lina: *surprised* Huh, doesn't Airina give you lectures when she treats you or someone from your family?
Chyla: I wouldn't know. No one in my family's ever been treated by Airina.
Lina: I guess farm life isn't as dangerous as it seems... I had always thought it was quite dangerous since- *stunned*
Chyla: Since?
Lina: *nervous utterance* Since it's just what I've heard. *awkward laughter* *blushing heavily* A-anyway y-you want to kiss or anything before we start the day?
Chyla: Really? I thought now that we were past the full moon you were just all about Viv, or at least that's what I assumed since you basically told Yineh to get lost for a whole phase.
Lina: Nee, I just wanted her to stop interrupting me and Viv, she has the worst possible timing. Also, both Viv and Wa-su say I need to be stern with her if I want to keep her excited and happy. I don't really get it myself, but I want her to be happy. *blushing heavily* I-is there anything special that would make you happy?
Chyla: To be honest, I'm missing having a little sister to cuddle at night. Since Yineh is the perfect size, I was kind of hoping to talk her into being my nightly cuddle buddy, but I'm getting the feeling that wouldn't work with her.
Lina: Jho~ you want me to be your "cuddle buddy"?
Chyla: We~ll you are the third smallest trainee. *hopeful smile*
Lina: And that really matters to you?
Chyla: Have you ever tried cuddling someone bigger than you? It's way too awkward and not as cuddly feeling.
Lina: Neet really. Vivica always cuddles me. During the full moon, everyone else did too.
Chyla: Alright, then give it a try.
```
Chyla laid down next to Lina, who hesitantly cuddled her from behind for a couple of moments before pulling away.
```
Lina: Point taken, that does feel... awkward.
```
Hearing a knock at the door, Chyla turned her head to see Reteh's head poking through, holding a bulletin board message.
```
Reteh: We figured out what happened to Yi-su.
Lina: *worried* something happened to Yineh!?
Reteh: Kind of... the note's actually from Te-su, it reads, "please let Enkoro know that Yineh and Wafit are coming with me and my mother. We should be back in a phase or so."
Chyla: They're going to be gone for an entire phase... Can they even do that? Yineh's Kion's mentor and Wafit's Lina's...
Lina: Jsha, who's going to be mine and Kion's mentors now?
Reteh: Not me. I'm far too new to be mentoring anyone. I still see Wafit as my mentor... I imagine one of you will get Demoron and the other might get Petra or Dasak if they can be spared, otherwise, Viv will probably wind mentor two people at once.
Chyla: *excited* I like the sound of the latter. Sharing a mentor with Kion would mean more time with him.
Lina: H-hey! I want Viv as my mentor, too!
Chyla: If we're lucky, Viv will just be everyone's mentor. *giggle*
Reteh: It's ironic to think that not long ago Viv was convinced she should never be a mentor and now she has trainees fighting over her.
Chyla: Why would she think she shouldn't be a mentor?
Reteh: You know... the blabber mouth thing...
Chyla: *blank stare* What's that have to do with anything? It's a cute and useful trait.
Lina: *concurrent nodding* Very useful trait.
Reteh: You two remind me of fan club members.
Lina: *excited* Oo~ Vivica fan club... I've always wanted to be in a fan club!
Reteh: *stunned* R-really?
Lina: Jsha, I've read about them in books and always thought it would be fun to get really excited about cheering someone on. I tried looking into a few of them in Tarico, but I could neever find anyone that clicked with me. All the people who have fan clubs around them are all jho~ fake, and full of themselves, or rammu and... I ah, never got into the games jho~ *awkward laughter*
Reteh: Viv is certainly neither of those things, but still... I think such a thing would go against our desired ethics. We're supposed to avoid becoming overly attached to any single fellow rammu.
Chyla: *pained groan* I never gave Valtala much thought in life before becoming a rammu, or maybe it would be more accurate to say I tried to avoid noticing it, but now it seems like Valtala's hymn is an inescapable melody that follows me everywhere.
Reteh: That is the nature of being a rammu, yes.
Chyla: While we're on the topic, why did you want to become a rammu?
Reteh: *blushing heavily* I always enjoyed hearing Freone's and Teran's stories, and wanted to be like them when I grew up.
Chyla: I think it was more than their stories you liked. *knowing smile*
Reteh: Perhaps...
Chyla: Since you didn't hang around for the full moon to chase Teran, I'm assuming it's Freone you liked? What kind of guy was he?
Reteh: *blushing heavily* I like Teran and Freone equally. Freone is a lot like Teran... warm, kind, caring, and is true to himself. *nervous fidgeting* Their both rather amazing because they're not like most other senior rammu.
Chyla: I'll admit they are both... quite a lot different than the other senior rammu I've met, though I haven't met all that many either.
Reteh: The rest are either cold like Enkoro and Kylola, or rather wacky, like Mirra, Isalla and Bora. Sharon is nice, though. He's like a softer squishier version of Freone and Teran, but not as true to himself. He's a good guy, but being true to yourself is very important to me.
Lina: What exactly do you mean by, "true to yourself"?
Reteh: Teran explains it as being true to your personal honor. It's important to be honorable in the eyes of others, but it is most important to be honorable in your own heart, even if it's at the cost of your perceived honor.
Chyla: Ye~ah, I got a very long lecture about the difference between being true to my own honor and being a reckless idiot... Now, given he didn't say I was an idiot, but I'm sure that's what he was thinking. *pouting*
Reteh: *knowing smile* That's not entirely a bad thing, if true.
Chyla: H-how can that--not be a bad thing?
Reteh: Teran--really enjoys teaching people. If you want to spend a lot of time with him, all you'd need to do is be interested in learning from him.
Chyla: *hard gulp* I did pretty much the opposite since I was trying to impress him...
Reteh: It's good to remember that he is quite the opposite of Mirra-su. If you want to get Mirra-su's attention fast, simply act full of yourself, and she'll be thrilled to teach you.
Demoron: *shouting* Are you three actually getting ready in there or are you just sitting around talking about boys and Mirra-su?
```
Chyla looked sheepishly between Lina and Reteh until Reteh yelled back to Demoron that they were getting ready.
Reteh looked around the room and picked up a brush.
```
Reteh: Li-li, get dressed and ready, and I'll get Chyla combed out. Nothing fancy though, just going to work out the worst of it.
Lina: U-understood.
```
After half a turn the trio was ready and making their way over to the main common with Demoron where they found a note from Enkoro letting them know that he would be gone for a short while to pick up Moring and upon his return he would return to the common to give them their assignments.
```
Lina: Jho~ I'm guessing for the next phase or jho we're going to have actual assignments rather than our normal self training?
Demoron: That's what I'm guessing. With both Mirra and Teran gone, it's hard to imagine that Enkoro, Petra, and Dasak could actually manage everything on their own. At the very least, I'd think we'll be put fully in charge of watch duty.
Lina: *panicked* W-watch? B-but I don't know all the whistle calls yet!
Chyla: Me either.
Enkoro: It doesn't matter you will be working as a group and both Reteh and Demoron know.
```
Unable to tell where Enkoro's voice was coming from, Chyla looked around the room several times before her eyes landed on Enkoro standing nearby.
```
Enkoro: Until further notice though I would like to put the four of you on exclusive watch duty, you can manage yourselves however you would like, as long as either Reteh or Demoron are present at all times, albeit not necessarily awake at all times. Normally I would ask Vivica, Wafit, or Yineh, however I'll be temporarily promoting them to a special acting rammu-jhu class so that I can temporarily promote Dasak to an active rammu class so that he can take over most of my duties as temporarily head of the rammu while I watch over Moring... *concerned* Where are Yineh and Wafit?
Demoron: *awkward worried chuckle* About that... There was a note on the trainee board to let you know that they were going with Te-su and his mother...
Enkoro: *irritated twitch* I see... *slow deep breath* I did tell Acia she could take anything she thought would be of use to her...
Reteh: If I may, what will they be doing?
Enkoro: I was hoping you'd be able to tell me. Do you have any idea at all?
Reteh: We don't. We haven't seen Wa-su or Yi-su since they broke off from us last night to spy on Te-su and his mother.
Enkoro: *epiphanic* I see that makes more sense. Acia took them with her to keep them quiet. Though I must admit I'm surprised Wafit and Yineh were able to successfully eavesdrop on Acia and Teran.
Reteh: You don't think they are in any danger, do you?
Enkoro: Odd question, we are rammu we're always in danger.
Reteh: Right, more danger than usual?
Enkoro: They're with Acia and Teran, short of walking onto a battlefield or something equally as ridiculous. I can't imagine they would be in any grave danger. With Acia around, they could walk into a den of shadow stalkers and I'm sure they would be unharmed. Unless they hurt themselves by accidentally, of course.
Lina: Jho~ I know not the best time, but who's going to be our mentors?
Enkoro: Reteh, Demoron, you are now Chyla and Lina's shared mentors. Please do your best to work as a highly efficient and self supporting unit. I'm counting on all four of you to go above and beyond anything expected of trainees. If you can find the time and ambition, please handle as many core tasks as you can atop your shared watch responsibilities.
Demoron: We'll do our best, right everyone?
Reteh/Chyla/Lina: *affirmative nodding*
Enkoro: Greatly appreciated. If you do well, when this is over, I will try and reward you appropriately. Unless, of course, any of you decide to forgo staying rammu, at which point the only thing I can give you is well wishes on a new path in life.
Lina: I have no plans on not staying.
Chyla: Same here.
Enkoro: I'm a little surprised to hear that from you, Chyla.
Chyla: I learned a lot yesterday, and this morning, and while it's hard for me to accept that I'm useless at one of the major reasons I became a rammu--at the moment, that will not be the case for my whole life. Which I plan on proving now, in hopes that when this is over, I can request that you teach me everything you know about healing arts as a reward.
Enkoro: *intrigued hum* Interesting, that is certainly not what I was expecting. I'll look forward to teaching you everything I know. *sinister smirk*
Chyla: *hard gulp* T-thank you Enky-sumu.
Enkoro: *creaked smile* I should be going... while I'm sure Moring would enjoy spending the entire day fawning over Kion, it's not the reason she's out here. If you need anything Dasak should be a whistle away, and I'll be back no later than sundown, pending any unforeseen developments.
```