[PRP] Calculating Claws (Astraeus & Ichika)

[sbuggy166]

Ichika stood stalk still, slightly crouched, fully alert, intent on her task. Danger was all around and all around was danger. She feared that if even one claw she moved feared she that the danger would be real. She resisted every urge to twitch or move of even look around. Looking around would only make the danger more real. Real danger came from looking around, so she did not move. She stood stalk still, slightly crouched, fully alert, intent on her task. Her task that she was so intent on was at her feet. She dared not move on claw for fear of making the danger real. Real danger would come from her moving even a single claw, but if she did not move then she would die from standing still too long. Ichika Was intent on her task, fully alert, slightly crouched, and stood stalk still.

Ever so carefully she lifted one foot of the ground and tried to take a step forward. She had, however, been standing stalk still for so long that her leg had a muscle spasm and she stumbled forward. Ichika caught herself last moment before she fell to the ground. She tried to straighten herself, but her legs were so tired that they started to shake from the exhaustion. Finally she gave in and lay on the ground. The undergrowth of the thin forest she was currently in was like a soft cushion on her weary body. She had been traveling non-stop for almost three days and she simply could not take in any more. She lay her head down and look a quick nap...nap meaning she woke up the next day refreshed and rejuvenated. The danger that she had felt earlier of her legs giving out and the earth jumping up to meat her had vanished. She was strong enough again to stand and keep the earth under her feet. Sometimes earth was tricky like that. Sometimes it tried to trick you and jump up to meat you, but she was well rested and would be able to hold the earth down.

Ichika took a deep breath and started on her journey again. She was heading back to the desert. She had had enough of forests and tricky trees and odd creatures that lurked in the dark. She missed the warmth of her homeland and the simplicity of life in the desert. Nothing was tricky in the desert.

After a few minutes of casual walking Ichika stopped and took in a big wiff. She stood stalk still, slightly crouched, fully alert, intent on her task. Danger was all around and all around was danger. This time the danger was different. It was not a danger of her own mind games that she often played with herself. It was not the danger of tripping or the danger of biting ones own tounge when eating too fast. This was real danger, Ichika took another sniff to make sure, and the danger around her was real. The smell that decided to graces her nostrils was that of the dreaded Harpy Flock. That dangerous group of self proclaimed bird ponies that strutted around their feathers and clacked their claws and flashed about like fillies filled with floundering flamboyance. Ichika suddenly felt exposed and there did not seem to be enough places around to hide. She was too bright a color to run through the territory unnoticed, so she decided to try and casually walk through. If she kept her distance from the main nest then those clawed, clacking, kleptomaniac, clutches could possibly not see her, and her own claws. She knew it, she knew in her heart that they wanted her claws.

She proceeded with caution.  

[LOLTERNATIVE]

A breeze rolled through, bringing along with it the scent of fresh flowers and ruffling his hair - which had been carefully pulled back so as to not get tangled as he wandered the more shrubbier land that was the outskirts of the flock territory. A bag hung from the stallion, almost full with flowers in every colour. He'd been out here for quite some time, carefully pruning flowers as per the request of a mare who, in exchange, would teach him how to mix dyes. He didn't much care for the artistic side of it - he simply wanted to understand how it was she took regular flowers and turned them into something else - a painting or dyed cloth; even a dye for feathers that washed out over time.

A glance of colour in his peripherals had Astraeus turning, glimpsing in the distance. Instead of a cluster of flowers, as he had expected, he instead saw a mare. He paused for a moment - it was not a mare he recognised as belonging to the flock but then again it was possible he'd missed her arrival - in a basket or otherwise. His lips pursed for a moment and he clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. She didn't appear to be dangerous, if she was an outsider and if she attacked the guard would be close by enough that he'd not be in any danger he couldn't survive.

He walked towards her, slowly at first before picking up her pace and closing the distance between them. "Mistress," he said with a slight bow - one that was less than was considered respectful. "Do you require assistance with anything?"

sbuggy166

Yay it's the weekend. o u o

 

[sbuggy166]

She had not made it far before she heard someone address her. Ichika had been so careful to not draw any attention that she did not even notice the male coming and he nearly scared the life out of her when he spoke. She let out a little squeak of fear, but quickly recovered and addressed the male.

"Oh my you scared me. But I am fine as you can see. Now if you would just let me be..." She stopped talking when her eyes drifted down to his claws. Her mouth fell open at the sight. He was a he and had four sets of clacking claws at his feet. She continued to stare as she tried to process his feet. Sure it was known that one could posses a full set of claws, but not Harpy males. Was she not told by some stranger that the mares of the flock stole claws and kept them for themselves. This false rumor said that males in the flock had their claws stolen and given to the mares so that the mares would be better dancers.

Ichika realized that she was staring at the males feet still, how rude she must seem to him. She looked him up and down and saw the bag that he carried laden with flowers. Ichika crouched down and dramatically gasped at a flower that was right by the males feet. "Oh my this flower is so exquisite. Exquisite it is as it is something that catches my eyes and my eyes it catches with its colors and its shape is a shape that would catch someones eyes even if they were in mid-sentence." There, hopefully he would not notice that she almost had a freak out over the fact that his claws had not been stolen yet. She pondered over whether or not she should warn him about his impending doom.

LOLTERNATIVE

heck ya I love the weekend!

 

[LOLTERNATIVE]

Astraeus noted the squeal of surprise with a quirked brow and a soft smirk. Her staring was noticed similarly and he shifted, a little uncomfortable. No matter how long he had been with the flock, he was not used to being oggled by mares. Though this mare's gaze seemed different; she seemed shocked by his claws - which was silly for a mare in the flock. There were claws everywhere. Unless.. He smirked a little. She wasn't from around here. Which meant he had a little more freedom in regards to his.. pleasantries.

His musing was brushed aside as the mare spoke again and he looked down at the flower in question. "Never understood the fascination with flowers. These are just going to be used for dye for one of the mistresses." He paused for a brief moment and bent down to carefully pick the flower out of the bag before placing it before the mare. "But if you like it so much, keep it." He shifted. "Is it just pretty or is there something special about it? There's a lot more back that way. But that's a bit closer to flock territory and since you're not from around here.." He shrugged. "You're a mare so it wouldn't be an issue unless you tried to kidnap me or something."

sbuggy166

ugh work why you so busy

 

[sbuggy166]

Farther into flock territory?! What was he playing at? Or was he even playing at all. She eyed him trying to decide his motives...he had smirked at one point, her acute attention to detail would never let her miss something so obvious. He was indeed playing a game. Ichika now had to find out what the rules are, and if it was a game that she wanted to play as well.

She perked up and let her feathers stand a bit as she smiled at this clawed stallion. "Oh, I will keep it because it is pleasing to look at. Its colors are like yours infact." he knew that she was not from the flock...yet he was not raising an alarm and he was not attacking her. She was cautious of him, but felt a little more at ease than earlier. "Lets go look at the flowers that you want to show me. I wont steal you because you belong to them and them is something that I do not want to belong to so I will not steal you no." She glanced back down at his claws, the topic of stealing seemed to be on her mind. "My mind is curious, if I can steal you does that mean you are owned by them? And if I cant steal you then what can I do here?"

LOLTERNATIVE

For some reason I pictured you dragging a body bag when you said "work is a drag" ... Happy Halloween! pirate

 

[LOLTERNATIVE]

Astraeus watched her with a curious eye, a small smile playing on his lips as she prattled on. He turned and began to walk the way he came, pausing to pick up various flowers as he went, adding them to his satchel. He paused for a moment, eyeing her. "I belong to the flock, yes, as all males do." He pursed his lips a little. "It sounds a lot worse than it actually is. I am care for, protected and fed. My loyalty has earned me certain privileges; such as travelling without a guard and a space of my own so that I may study things that intrigue me."

He bent to pick up a purple flower, glancing at it for a moment before he nudged it towards her. "This will go nicely with the one you already have," he noted before continuing on. "Mares can do what they like so long as they don't bring harm to any members of the flock without reason. They can't lash out at a stallion just because he is a stallion. But if one insults them, they may punish him as they see fit." He shrugged. "There's no specific role for women. They can spend their days lounging about producing sons and daughters or they can protect the borders. Even the men don't need to do anything unless asked and they aren't asked often unless they're trusted." He nodded his head towards the satchel at his bag. "Such as these flowers I am collecting for one of the mistresses. She uses them for paint and collages. The bag itself was made by a stallion whose weaving talent rivals most females and puts others to shame."

sbuggy166

so sorry. end of year is the worst for me, apparently. @_@ should be back to regular.

 

[sbuggy166]

Ichika walked with him and watched him pick the flowers. Flowers for a mare that was his mistress. Mistress was a concept that she understood, but only because her home clan was one that practiced breeding for strength. Was it the same here she wondered.

She accepted the flower. "You are right they do look good together!" She tucked the flower next to her blue one and admired them for a moment. "Your flock sounds a lot like herds that I have passed, but the genders are switched. Normally the males wander around and protect and feed the females and the females stay for that protection. That and good breeding, males like good breeding, females like good breeding too." She nodded and looked Astraeus up and down. "You have the looks of a male that has good breeding, strong body, good colors, bright feathers, its all good. Do they keep you for any other reason besides your looks? Can you make baskets or do you just pick flowers?"

LOLTERNATIVE

Welcome back ;D And no worries, sometimes life is busy busy.

 

[LOLTERNATIVE]

Her compliments faltered him a little and he cleared his throat before continuing. "I took the time to learn to weave a basket but it's not my favourite thing to do - don't like sitting still for that long just to make a basket. Sometimes I tinker with jewelry if I want to win a particular mare's favour or wish for some time to myself." He pursed his lips, shrugging. "I prefer to create useful things. Jewelry is nice," his own glittered in the light. "But it doesn't serve much of a purpose." He picked a new flower. "But making new brushes for the mares who paint so they get smoother lines - that's useful. Or making paint that keeps its brightness and lasts longer."

He laughed a little. "They haven't kicked me out so I must be doing something right." Pausing for a moment, he regarded her. "And what about you? Are you more than just a pretty face to keep me company for the time being?"

sbuggy166

 

[sbuggy166]

Ichika's Feathers fluffed up at his compliment. It was an involuntary reaction, but the fact that it happened gave her a thought. She was not one to be won over by stallions, or even acknowledge a stallions pursuits, but there was nothing she could do about her bodies reaction to a good looking peacock. If she was feeling this way then obviously the only conclusion was that her was trying to win her over, or in short, flirting with her. Now the question was, was she going to let him win her. He is after a member of the flock...

...if there was anything that Ichika learned from her conversation with Astraeus, it was that those claw snatchers valued their males...If Ichika really wanted to do then harm then it would not be through attacking them, but rather through taking a male. She had already promised not to steal him...but that did not mean that she could not take him...oh what a perfect plan, she would take him by letting him win her, for she was not a member of the flock, and it showed that the flock was flawed that one of their trusted males won the attentions of an outsider. It was a perfect plan.

Ichika smiled at his compliment. "I am known for my strength in battle and my wit in strategy. I have won many victories for my clan, but I am also a good hunter. I do not know much in the ways of art, but that does not mean that I do not make good company." Ichika stepped closer to him. They were practically face to face. "In fact, I do make good company and I would like to keep you company for as long as I am able." She looked up at him with a coy smile, curious to see if he was able to match her meaning, curious to see if she was going to win.

LOLTERNATIVE

 

[LOLTERNATIVE]

Astraeus' cheeks flushed as she came close and his breath caught in his throat. He was used to compliments - females of the flock interested only in his beauty had thrown them around more often than not - but in those times he knew why. But with this mare, he had no idea her intentions and so he wasn't sure how to react. He stammered for a moment, shifting on his feet. For someone so logical, he could not find a logical response.

"Well then," he started, finally. "You're welcome to keep me company for as long as you wish - though I will eventually need to return to the flock territories." He paused, recalling her earlier fears. "You would be more than welcome to stay, of course. "

sbuggy166

 

[sbuggy166]

His blush was so innocent, it made her blush a bit in return. "Oh I will stay for a time, but do not think that I will stay with the herd. If you like your life here that Is fine, but I like my life out there." She gestured away from the herd territory. "Why do you stay here? Being a part of one place will only let you see one place and know one place and you become one person. I see many places and know many people and I am now part many people and they part me."

It was really hard for Ichika not to go off on a rant about something deep and educational and soul searching. In fact, it was taking all of her mental energy just to keep focused in this moment. It was her nature to explore the world and to explore the mind, but right now all she needed to focus on was exploring this male.

"I will stay yes, but just long enough for us to get to know eachother. That way when I leave to go and see more you will still be with me, and hopefully I will be with you. This is how you enrich your life."

LOLTERNATIVE

 

[LOLTERNATIVE]

He watched the mare carefully as she explained and found he enjoyed the way she lit up as she explained the way she was - or anything in general. It was a beautiful way to think of fleeting encounters - one he had not considered before. Beautiful, but bittersweet. He would remember his encounter with this mare fondly - but also with a sadness because eventually she will leave.

"It is not so bad. We have visitors quite often and I learn what I can from them should they share. I have friends here and one day I will have family here and I can sleep easy knowing they will be safe." He bent to pick a daisy, adding it to his bag. "Should I really wish to leave, I could. But I have no need to or desire to."

The stallion eyed her then. "Should you become a part of me, I would like to know your name," he shifted a little. "I am Astraeus."

sbuggy166

good lord she is so precious. /sobs./

 

[sbuggy166]

"Astraeus, It sounds like the stars, which is well because you look like the stars." Ichika Still was not convinced that the flock had much benefit. Her dislike most likely came from her own clan of bloodthirsty warrior. She did not think it was ever a good thing for many strong individuals to gather in one place. It always lead to blood shed, which she hated.

"Astraeus of the stars, I am Ichika. My name has no meaning and no correlation for I was named simply so that after battle the roll call could call out your name if you died. It is just the first accumulation of sounds that came out of my parents mouths when I left the basket."

She shook her head and giggled for she was doing it again. She was about to go down another intellectual path about names and their importance or lack of importance. She looked up rather abruptly, realizing that to him it must have sounded like she was laughing at the own pathetic-ness of her name. She suddenly desired to switch topics for this one was too heavy and she could think of a logical way for a heavy conversation leading to wooing this stallion.

"But well, your heard sounds nice and they protect you which is nice. You have a desire to be a father, a care taker? Thats nice, the flock sounds like a nice place to have a family." Now she just sounded plain silly. Nice was such a bland word. Her attempt to cover up her own intellect was failing and she just felt plain stupid. In all honesty she was not good at flirting or wooing. Her entire love life had been a match up of the strongest and smartest individuals to give the herd better fighters. Who knew actually trying to win someone over would be so hard?!

LOLTERNATIVE

the poor thing is trying so hard XD

 

[LOLTERNATIVE]

He smiled at her. "Well, you are lucky. Your name is beautiful. That's what it means to me." He paused. "You're beautiful," it came out barely above a whisper and he stammered after, turning away and clearing his throat. He shifted a little, a slight frown creasing his brow. 'Pull yourself together, fool. You've seen a pretty face before,' he chastised himself mentally before smirking. 'But never one that was interested in talking so much,' He noted the shaking of her head and raised a brow before answering her questions.

"One day, yes," he explained. "I want the opportunity to teach someone all I know." He laughed slightly. "It's not the most romantic reason - but I would love the child, don't get me wrong on that regard." He stared at her for a moment. "Why do you always do that? Stop yourself short when you speak," it hadn't gone unnoticed to the stallion and he had thought of not mentioning anything at first; but now it confused him. "I like hearing you speak. So full of passion and life. Hard to find that around here."

sbuggy166

Astraeus is confused by his feelings and her pretty face >_>

 

[sbuggy166]

Ichikas mouth fell open for a second, but she was quick to close it. His question had caught her so off guard, that he even noticed, and bothered to bring it up. He liked listening to her talk? She just did not know how to respond. Most others she met would attempt to politely leave or outright ignore her when she got on a rant or if she got too deep. But this flock stallion was standing in front of her, ready and waiting to hear her thoughts. It was shattering her perspectives. It was not what a flock member was supposed to say. Flock males were supposed to be slaves that had their claws stolen and forced to make jewelry to adorn their masters. This stallion was beautiful and certainly fit her mental image of a flock slave, but there was more to him too. He was an individual, and Ichika just did not know what to think now. Normally if she wanted a stallion to mate with her she would play the games and act stupid and all that, but it seems that it was so hard to win him over because she had been playing the wrong game. Maybe she had underestimated Astraeus's character.

Ichika pulled herself together and took a deep steadying breath. If he wanted to hear her speak, she was going to speak freely and unrestrained. "Astraeus, I cut off my speech for it is often not well met. I have traveled far and talked to many. There are not many out there who appreciate the thoughts in another's mind. I met one who listened and talked with me on many topics, then tried to drown me. I have learned that if I want to survive in this land I need to be simple and only think to myself. It is because of this that I do not spend much time with others. I can get lost in the woods for many many moons and come to a realization that is hard to put simply and so others do not take the time to hear it. So, here I am, talking to you. You had a good look about you, strong build and attractive features. You caught me eye and naturally I wanted to talk to you as long as possible. I tried to keep my thoughts short because I did not want to lose you. I wanted to look at you and talk to you and be with you for as long as possible before inevitably I lost your interest and you left me to go back to your flock birds. It seems that I misjudged you, and I'm sorry to label you so quickly as to just be something to look at and not someone who could possibly be an intelligent conversationalist."

Ichika felt an slight feeling of hopelessness. She wanted to take it back and to have just given a simple answer. Her pride had gotten the best of her though. She gave him what he asked for, but was it what he had wanted?

LOLTERNATIVE

haha i guess its time for her to stop trying and just be herself