[PLOTPRP] Naga's From Different Worlds (Zulf and Twilight)

[Tartara Seabreeze]

Away from home.

It was a thought that kept popping up time and time again all through her journey. With it being such a long one, it appeared quite a lot. She was surprised when they finally caved to her begging to go out. To see the world on her own for once. But now that she finally had her wish, she wondered if it was really what she wanted.

Ironic. When inside she only thought of the outdoors. Once outdoors she kept thinking of the inside. Of home. With her moms.

Out of principal though she continued. Traversing bridges, forests and fields to get where she wanted, one place out of the two that she was told to never, ever go to.

Dragnid.

That and Laisidhiel were the two places she was made to swear she wouldn't go. And to always stay on the roads. Not to mention not talk to strange pae, don't eat strange items and make camp every night instead of trying to walk when dark. There were quite a few strings attached to this arrangement. She was being a bad daughter though, and breaking their main one.

Her golden eyes peered forward as she slithered to a halt, a hand tightening on her pack. Behind her the marsh's, in front of her a dark, foreboding forest. Impossibly it seemed far darker on the inside than what should be. As if the very sunlight above couldn't penetrate the leaves, leaving a sharp change from day to night. And a feeling. A deep, awful feeling. Something evil lurked in there. It both frightened and confused her. What was in there that made her parents so afraid? That was why she was here, to know. Because they didn't.

But now her tail had stopped her from progressing any further. Even as her mind willed her forward, her body had frozen still.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

Maybe she should turn back.

She had journeyed so long and far though, and indecision left her paralyzed.  

[Daisicle]

To say that Zulfiqar was counting down each and every day he had to tolerate his clan - his father - before he could finally be rid of them and make a name for himself was an understatement. It was nearly all he thought about these days. Soon... Soon enough he'd be rid of their incessant odors and voices and presences. He could nearly taste his freedom. And when he was done, he'd start a clan of his own (of course), and it would be nothing the sort of his father's kind.

It would be strong, stronger than Jahleel could ever hope to be!

He'd already started to moving around and becoming intimately familiar with Dragnid Forest, the location he'd presumably call home. Zulfiqar would need a place strategically located to key resources, yet also sufficiently far from the other clans in the area. A place like the forest's edge could be just the sort of location...

He paused, his eyes glancing about.

There was another naga nearby, of a clan he couldn't recognize.

Occasionally pausing to shift the color of his scales to blend in with the background, he moved closer to the other nearby, stopping only when she came into view. If she had any sense, she'd likely recognize him as being nearby and might be able to find him in the foliage soon enough.

Tartara Seabreeze

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

Go. Don't go. Go. Don't go. Why was this so hard? She was typically brave, and she wanted to be brave now, but there was something so wrong about this forest! There was something-

her body suddenly tensed. There was something rustling, and she felt eyes...and smelled...her snake tongue flicked out briefly, smelling the air. Something smelled like her, but not like her. As her golden yellow eyes scanned, she saw it. Wasn't hard to spot bright neon green against darkness. Her tongue slipped back into her mouth, but her jaw remained dropped. He had a tail! Like hers!

Wait, stranger danger! Her jaw snapped close with a click as she straightened her back and tail to appear bigger and taller than she was. Confident. "Who are you?" The purple naga beckoned, not showing an ounce of the fear she just held for the forest.

Daisicle

 

[Daisicle]

Zulfiqar narrowed his eyes, continuing to silently study the mannerisms of the female before him even after she spoke out. Her tone and current posture were considerably different from the moments prior. What had that been...? Fear? Of the forest? The teen had no knowledge of any clans located outside of the Dragnid, discounting when his father's had taken residence in Venus' Temple, and surely few dared to traverse such reaches of the land without the protection of a clan. Certainly not one of their age.

Certainly not a lone female.

Yet, this one seemed different. Softer... perhaps, was one way to describe her. As though she came from beyond.

Certainly many moments had passed before he rose in turn, his brilliantly colored scales a stark contrast to the darkness of the forest about him. His stance was fairly aggressive in nature, not uncommon among his clan, and his features clearly more hardened than her own. It would be interesting to see if she would lower somewhat in submission to his presence (he certainly thought she would given his clear strength). "I am Zulfiqar of the Naga Clan Angwi. What are you called; from which clan do you hail?"

Tartara Seabreeze

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

He didn't look warm and inviting, if anything he was the opposite. Her instinct was to shrink back, make herself smaller towards the aggressive male. Somehow her body seemed to think that would work in her favor. But her mother Niday would never show fear or backing down in any situation. So she emulated her mother, and continued to stand confidently as he addressed her. She would not back down, she would hold her ground.

Wait. What was a clan? Was it like a family? And what was a naga? "I am Twilight, of the Clan Tartara." She recalled that was her grandmothers name, so if she had a clan that was probably it.

This...male...had something about him. Something harder, nastier than her family. He emerged from Dragnid Forest, did that have something to do with it? Only the strong could survive in it? "I only want safe passage through here." She certainly didn't want any trouble with the neon pae, especially if he had others to back him up.

Daisicle

 

[Daisicle]

The edges of the teen's mouth twisted upwards ever-so-slightly into a sort of smile. He could see right through her, see the fear and submission in her eyes, yet her stance was unwavered, her tone remained confident. Such actions required a combination of strength and foolishness that was to be admired. Perhaps even respected. Even if she was spitting lies. Her name he did not doubt, but that clan... The name sounded outright comical.

"I have heard of no clan by the name Tartara, and I know of all within the Dragnid's embrace; do you spin tales to deceive me?"

His eyes glanced from her to the forest and back, an eyebrow raising. Could she actually hail from a domain outside of their influence? If so... This could be an interesting prospect for his intentions... Her answer would dictate the rest of the conversation to come.

Tartara Seabreeze

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

He talked strangely. While her mom spoke with as little words as possible, he seemed to do the opposite. But he was smart, she'd give him that. Catching on to her whole Tartara clan. "If I were to lie, you'd never know it. But I'm not here." She was going to stick to her story, fake it til you make it. The instant one wavered in resolve, it was all over. "You might not have heard of us, because we don't reside in Dragnid." Wasn't like she ever heard of an Angwi clan. Or any clan for that matter. "If you know of all...how many clans are there within Dragnid?" Maybe it meant there were more pae that looked like them. Fascinating.

Daisicle

 

[Daisicle]

So it was that case, one of a supposed clan from outside the Dragnid. Given her mannerisms, he wasn't sure he fully believed her tale, but a clanless female would be even better for his intentions; one without a emperor to dictate her wants and desires. He'd go along with her words... for now.

"If you hail from outside as you claim, then you should have little reason to worry... Or perhaps reason all the more." He moved a bit closer, the sunlight now dancing upon his colorful arrangement of scales. "There are two clans which dominate here in their strength and numbers: the clans Angwi and Kisuni. Any from a name but those are hardly a clan at all, yet even they fare better than those who remain clanless."

"The Dragnid is a dangerous and unforgiving place, after all. Even the strongest will eventually fall to her wrath if alone."

Tartara Seabreeze

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

She didn't like him moving closer without her figuring out yet if he was friend or foe. And she'd certainly wouldn't let on that she didn't actually have a clan until she knew that answer. But she didn't flinch or move in the slightest, remaining tall and in control of the situation. He would not bother her, even if he was intimidating. Even if in a battle he would surely win. She would not fear him. "Dragnid is a Jungle, and I come from a Jungle. What makes it so dangerous?" He at least pretended well to know Dragnids secrets. He might be the only one to give her a straight answer as to why everyone was so afraid of it.

Two clans. She tucked that knowledge away. She'd have to confront her mothers later about why they never told her about pae that looked like her. Why they never taught her about Angwi and Kisuni, and why it was so bad not to have a clan.

Daisicle

Zulf is so pretty *_*

 

[Daisicle]

To think a potentially clannless female could continue her facade of confidence in these circumstance continued to impress the teen. She was rather nice to look at as well... How promising...~

"I assure you the Dragnid is unlike any jungle. The beasts within have a great strength and ferocity rivaled only by the clan heads. We train in out survival skills always, for that is the only way to survive in this land. Those who cannot or will not..."

"One from outside would not last for long..."

If all of his other talk seemed to radiate arrogance, this singular phrase had a calm seriousness to it. It should be clear that, if nothing else, this was an absolute truth.

Tartara Seabreeze

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

The information was surprising, and a little startling. Superior strength and ferocity...it explained the bizarre darkness that seemed the pulsate from the forest. All at once she was glad she didn't step within. What if the forest effected her?

His last sentence might have been a throw away if not for the serious undertones. She believed him at that moment. "Why don't you ever leave?" Dragnid sounded like a horrible place to live, with everyone and everything being so harsh. Though truthfully it might be best if he and his clan stayed put...training in and out every day. He was fairly...muscely. Very strong looking. Capable. Still slightly frightening.

Daisicle

 

[Daisicle]

"What is there for me if I leave?" His expression softened only slightly, his head tilting just as little, as he spoke in a genuine concern. Zulfiqar understood far too well by now that he was not the strongest male of his clan, nor was he the quickest. If he were to leave their protection, no amount of stubbornness would allow him to survive for long. Some naga could thrive being clanless, but he...

He would certainly perish.

The thought of having to submit to his father and even his brothers and sisters boiled his cold blood, but there was little he could do in this moment. Little way out. Unfortunately, that's just the way things were. Even if one could thrive with some strategy and intellect, without the prowess to back it up, it did little in the culture he lived in.

Tartara Seabreeze

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

She caught the slight change, the barest of softness. Strange. Twilight was a bit of a mirror, reflecting either side of her parents based on what she received. The bit of softness pinged within her. "It's much safer out here. Pae can walk on their own with little fear. And it's much larger out here than it is in there. You can choose to go where pae are, or there are places you won't see anyone ever." She knew she shouldn't really be encouraging him to leave in any capacity...but that bit of concern pulled at her. Dayht was far too sweet to her growing up.

Daisicle

 

[Daisicle]

They way she said it made it seem so... simple... Was that an option, to leave the clan not to commit suicide, but rather to relocate outside the bounds of the Dragnid. He'd not even considered the possibility, yet she alone proved it to be one.

Perhaps... just perhaps...

If he were to leave, it would be soon. There would be fighting for rank within the clan soon, that much he was aware of. What else could that pit in the middle of the encampment be for. If he did not act soon, he would lose what little power he held relative to his siblings and, with that, the prospect of a mate of his own. He glanced back to the forest, seemingly in thought. If he were to take such a risk, he would need some sort of guarantee of reward outside of kinder surroundings and supposedly ample resources. Perhaps the company of another clan...?

"Were I to leave the Dragnid and the Angwi, would there be a place for me beyond it? A place within the clan you hail from?"

Perhaps these were skillfully-crafted sentiments to gain the female's trust, but they might have been the naga's honest concerns and desires. Who knew?

Tartara Seabreeze

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

She could almost see the wheels turning in his head as she waited for a response. But the one she got almost dropped her jaw.

Oh no. Oh no no no. What had she gotten herself into now? "You want...to join my clan?" She tried to keep the surprise out of her voice, but was completely caught off guard. She didn't even HAVE a clan! Or if she did she didn't know it, just a family. "I'd have to ask my clan leaders...Niday and Dayht." Bringing another pae into the family was quite the question. But Dragnid was dark and evil, Dayht would surely want to take a pae away from it. "But...they don't look like us. My clan members." Quick mental math. How many family members did she have? "There's 16 of us nearby, but our allies number in the dozens throughout the jungle." Surely one of them would take in him, if not her own mothers.

Daisicle