|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 6:27 pm
 Where You Won't Find Them.....
Where there is ugliness of the heart.
Where the world is poisoned and trampled beneath concrete and pollution.
Where people have no time to appreciate wonder, or beauty.
Where violence is rife, and respect for others is scorned.
Where death and disease hold sway.
Where life is a throw-away commodity.
The mystical and beautiful creatures known as the unicorns are slowly dwindling from existence. They hide in the forests, but with the growing of technology and the destruction of the world, their land is being taken away, little by little. They have nowhere else to go, but remain in their dead home, waiting for death to come and take them away. The Hunters. Men and women who hunt these beautiful creatures for the mystical powers of their horns.
[X] is a young unicorn living in fear for his life in Central Park, New York City. An usual place for a unicorn to reside in. His father and mother left him in Central Park when Hunters were coming after them. Promising they would come back, they left. That was a while ago...
So now he lives in the city that never sleeps, hiding himself from the many humans that visit the park daily. He stays close to the canopies of the trees, and has never been spotted.
But will that all change when a hunter sees him for the first time?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 6:29 pm
Name: Purizo Belos
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Personality: easily excited, highly curious, caring, ambitious, and strong-willed
Bio: Although his parents have always disapproved of his choice of career, Purizo always followed his path with absolute devotion. More skilled at actual shooting than tracking, he has nonetheless been able to carve out a small profit for himself in the hunting business, having captured many different things in the past; run-away children, wanted fugitives, lost pets, and even big game. If someone wants something brought in that they can’t find themselves, he’s more than happy to take on the challenge of finding it. Having been brought to New York by a certain client asking for a unicorn’s horn, he can’t help but be skeptical. Would such things really exist in a city? And why does someone want it’s horn so badly?
Race: Human???
Appearance: PurizoName: Cernun (pronounced KER-nunn)
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Personality: Often troubled [removed](as shown in pic) due to his fear that he will one day be caught. Prefers to leave things be and not poke around. Enjoys playing the pan flute. Slow to anger unless he feels he is being threatened.
Bio: Cernun was born in the coastal city of Swansea in Wales, the land where many Western unicorn myths originated from (that and Scotland). His family had been discovered by hunters and fled across the Atlantic Sea when he was still very young. Like new immigrants, they landed on Ellis Island in New York. Unfortunately, the hunters were still on their trail. Cernun's parents took him to Central Park where he would be hidden by the thick foliage. They promised to return, but never did. Cernun grew up in Central Park, hiding himself from human eyes, but always listening in on the fascinating things happening in New York. His one human friend is Ludo, a blind old man of German origin who doesn't know of Cernun's true nature and spends his days in Central Park. He often shares his human snacks with Cernun.
Picture: Here he is looking all worried and burdened and whatnot. razz Click
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 6:35 pm
Walking into Central Park with a satisfied sigh, Purizo looked all around him once, spinning gleefully. It had been such a long time since he'd been able to visit a real city like that. Having been born a city child, it was nice that his work often allowed him to get away from it all on occasion, but he always ended up missing the city and returning there, one way or another. For now, he was on a mission, although he couldn't see the harm in enjoying himself as well. After all, he was a master at his trade; certainly he could pull his job off and find a little time for sight-seeing. New York was such a huge city, what person in their right mind would visit and not take the time to breathe it all in?
Coughing suddenly, Purizo remembered that it was also a city of pollution. Although it wasn't as bad as some other places, it certainly had its share of problems. Finding an empty bench and sitting down, he took a notepad out of his pocket and flicked it open. Flipping through the pages easily, he finally found the information he had been looking for. A name, a telephone number, a request, and a reward, all written down with perfect accuracy. A young woman in the area had contacted him with a rather peculiar request, even when compared to the kind of jobs he normally did; catch a unicorn and bring it directly to her. There had been no further instructions and Purizo had to wonder what her intentions were.
Not only did Purizo have absolutely no idea where to start looking, but he wasn't even sure there was still such a thing as a unicorn. In the olden days, sure. They had lived in pure forests and seen only by the most virtuous of humans, mostly virgin maidens, but these days not only were the forests of the world slowly being destroyed to the point of nothing, but humans had become so heartless and greedy. Even though he himself was not a bad person, Purizo had to wonder if such creatures could still exist when there were so many terrible people running around with abandon. Humans killed each other without reason every day of the year; what would stop them from killing such a priceless beast if they ever found one?
((I know it isn't much for a first post, but it sets the stage. I promise I can make it longer or not according to our needs. That's what she said.))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:25 am
It was the same sound of distant New York City traffic that slowly lulled Cernun awake every morning. He rubbed his eyes with a yawn and slid down off of the leafy moss bed he had found and perfected to use so many years ago. It was still morning, and the only people out and about in Central Park were joggers and dog walkers, those who worked later in the day.
Cernun went about his morning business before finding a quiet spot with some nice grass to munch on. Even though he was in humanoid form (other than his prominent horn sticking out of his head), his diet was still that of an equine. The sight may have disgusted any passers-by but luckily, Cernun took great pains to make sure that would never happen. He also ate human food whenever Ludo brought some over for them to share. The old man wasn't here today, but Cernun was very patient. It took patience to stay in this park for years...
That fact made his thoughts run to his parents. Cernun felt a painful twinge in his chest as he wondered what had happened to them. Unicorns would never willingly leave their foal behind, and he had come to terms long ago that they were most certainly dead. Whether it was at the hands of a hunter, he didn't know, neither did he want to. It made him sick just imagining it. The worry of being caught constantly burdened his young shoulders like an unshakeable weight. The thought of living in this park for the rest of his days was tedious, but he would rather do that than be killed like a common animal for his horn. Cernun had heard people talk of poachers taking elephant tusks and rhino horns. He didn't know what those animals were, but he always subconsciously rubbed his own horn whenever he heard those gruesome tales.
That was another thing he did to pass the time; he listened in on human conversations, always curious about life outside this park. He didn't know who Lindsay Lohan was, but whatever this drunk driving activity was that she did didn't sound very pleasant, and yet people can't stop talking about it. Strange, these humans are. Cernun finished his breakfast and hopped up into a tree, looking for people to spy on. The only thing he wore was a pair of shorts Ludo had given him. The old man had presented to him some clothes which he had stashed away and often washed in one of the ponds in the southeast corner of the park.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 9:38 pm
As evening began to fall and visitors were finally leaving Central Park to head to dinner or back to their homes or hotel rooms, Purizo finally found himself alone. If ever there would be an opportunity for him to find a unicorn, it would be tonight while things were relatively quiet and the moon was full without a cloud in sight. Walking slowly around the park with his hands stuffed in his pockets, Purizo kept his ears sharp, waiting for the slightest hint as to where his target might be.
After only a few minutes, he finally began to pick up on something, and wandered leisurely in its direction. Whatever he was hearing, it was something soft, and not likely a human. Either it was an animal or there actually was a unicorn hiding in Central Park. Carefully wrapping his fingers around the gun in his pocket, Purizo could feel his heart racing despite his cool exterior. Finally, once he'd reached a clump of bushes and trees away from most of the benches, he peaked around one of the larger trees and saw the gorgeous beast for the first time.
Not wanting it to run, he took a deep breath before stepping out from behind the tree and waiting to see its reaction. While he would pull his gun out if he had to, something in him still wanted to believe that he would be able to take the creature with him peacefully. What intrigued him was how old the man standing before him was. When he had first been contacted about finding and capturing a unicorn living in Central Park, he'd thought it was a child, something small that could hide easily. This man, however, was about the size of an average human, although the horn sticking nobly out of his forehead was a clear giveaway of his true nature.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush with you. I'm a Hunter. If you don't know what that is, it's essentially someone who get hired to find things, and usually to bring them back to where they belong. Sometimes we take other jobs, like finding people or information, but it's all about the same. I've been hired to capture a unicorn, and I have reason to believe you are one of a very few left alive on earth. If it makes you feel any better, I haven't been hired to kill you or cut off your horn. I was merely instructed to bring you to the house of my employer." Keeping his hand firmly around his concealed weapon, he added, "I'm not a poacher. I would never let someone kill an endangered species just for amusement or profit, so if the employer demands something unreasonable of you when I hand you over, I'll refuse them."
Shifting his stance slightly, Purizo wondered what it must be like to have lived in secrecy for so long only to be cornered like this. Had others come before him and tried the same thing without success? Or was he the first Hunter to face off against such a legendary creature? Keeping his eyes firmly planted on the beast, he warned, "I'm going to take you in one way or another. Whether we have a pleasant time of it or you force me to drag your unconscious body over to the meeting place is your choice, not mine. Make your move."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:50 pm
Cernun wasn't one to make a lot of noise. It was no surprise that he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard someone talking to him. It was nightfall, and people were leaving. He was ready to find a place to nest and sleep, but now he had been found out. After all these years, someone had discovered him.
Cernun didn't move as he gazed at the man. It was a hunter, and a good one at that if he could track him. His heart was beating so hard against his chest that it was becoming painful. He was aware of the cold shiver of dread crawling up his spine. The survival instinct was kicking into his system; he was caught, cornered, he was about to be taken away. Cernun barely paid attention to what the man was saying. Someone wanted him, wanted his horn. He was being told that he would be harmed. Lies, lies, LIES! All humans lie and this one is no different!
He turned tail and bolted in the other direction, hoping his superhuman speed and the cover of darkness would both aid him in his flight. His breath was heavy around him; he could hear his blood pumping in his ears as he ran between the thick trees. He was caught. His mother and father had been captured and now it was his turn. He wouldn't be caught... not without a fight. He needed to find a hiding place. Somewhere... the park wasn't safe anymore. But where would he go?
Think about that later. Run. RUN!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 6:06 pm
Seeing the creature bolt, Purizo cursed under his breath. Pulling out his gun quickly, he aimed and fired off two rounds, only the second one hitting the beast in the leg. The only bullets he ever carried around were blanks, the kind with rubber tips and his silencer usually insured his going unnoticed. Having been hit by them a few times himself during training, he knew they stung like hell when they hit, but they rarely left more than a bruise to show for it. For some reason, though, most people seemed to act the same regardless of what kind they got shot with until he told them they were blanks. Perhaps it was a reflex, to minimize damage by not exerting their strength when they thought they'd been hit. While he didn't understand it, he did understand how badly one shot could throw you off balance.
Hurrying up to the creature's side as it faltered in its step, Purzio grabbed one of its arms and pulled it back, forcing the guy down on the ground. Pulling a pair of cuffs and a choke collar out of his jacket pockets, he restrained the beast's hands behind its back and slipped the choke collar around its neck. "I wouldn't have had to do this if you hadn't run like that. Now, I'd like you to come with me quietly. If you keep struggling, though, I will sedate you. Don't push me," he warned, wishing that it hadn't come to that. While he felt bad for having to treat a unicorn of all things so roughly, Purizo had given him fair warning. Unfortunately that hadn't been enough.
Standing back up with the end of the choke collar in his hand, Purizo frowned when he looked at the beast again. It was more human than he'd originally assumed, but perhaps that was a function of some magic. On top of that, it looked so helpless, bound up like a rapid dog. While he tried to rationalize it, the whole thing seemed kind of cruel. Still, he had a job to do, and he would make thing as painless as possible for the poor thing, maybe even try and make it up to him later. "Now, are you going to come with me quietly? If it's a matter of trust, all I can really give you is my word, which probably isn't worth much." Shrugging his shoulders as he waited for some kind of response, he added, "It's your choice."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:32 am
A sharp pain in his leg made Cernun stumble and he fell on one knee to the grassy ground rather gracefully. He ignored the throbbing and was ready to continue on, but felt his arms being pulled back. He struggled and growled (an unlikely thing for a unicorn to do, but this was a desperate time) and kicked his legs back, wishing to God he currently had hooves so he could break something off the damned hunter.
He felt himself being restrained on his hands and neck, and instantly he felt his throat tighten with fear. He wanted this thing off, now NOW NOW! Cernun flipped himself on his back, still struggling to free himself and glared at the hunter. The hate he felt boiling up to his chest was unlike any anger he had ever felt before. The fear of dying was still floating somewhere in the corner of his mind, but right now all he felt, all he saw in front of him, was the need to tear this man apart, rip him limb from limb for taking away his freedom—the only thing in this world he had left. And now he was going to die, to be taken away to some rich philanderer who saw him as nothing but something to mount and display on his wall.
Cernun spit into the hunter's eye with all the derision he could muster, then let his head fall back on the ground as he struggled some more. He wasn't going to be the delicate, frightened unicorn men were so fond of writing about. Right now, he was fighting to live, and trying to kill the hunter with his eyes. It wouldn't work, but oh, how he wished it could.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 6:53 pm
Wiping his face with the edge of his sleeve, Purizo hated what such a simple encounter had come to. With the end of the choke collar wound around his wrist, he thrust his hand into one of his pockets and pulled out a zip-lock bag with a wet handkerchief inside. Pulling it out of the bag, he tugged the choke collar taught before stuffing it roughly into the unicorn's face, careful to avoid his horn. 'He's human now, this should be enough ether to knock him out just fine. I just hope it works fast,' he though to himself, not knowing how the man's body might react to the drug.
After a few moments, however, it was obvious the ether worked just as well as it did on people, and the beast's struggles died down a good bit. Replacing the cloth and putting the bag back into his pocket, Purizo looked around to be sure there weren't many people nearby before struggling to lift his subdued victim. Though his job required a lot of him physically, it was rare for him to have to do any heavy lifting, and his grip on the limp body was rather awkward.
Hurrying through the park out of the shadows, Purizo laid the body down carefully in the back seat of his car, buckling it in as securely as he could manage.
~~~
Back at the apartment he was renting for his stay in New York, Purizo brought the unconscious beast in as surreptitiously as he could, not wanting to draw any attention. Once he had the man resting carefully on the couch, he stood back for a moment and thought. Finally, he convinced himself to remove the handcuffs and choke collar. However, he kept his gun in his pocket, which was unusual while he was in his own house, but he knew he would need it should his guest go crazy again. Sighing and sitting down on the floor by a low table, he pulled a magazine over to himself to read while he waited for the unicorn to awaken.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:28 am
It was a good sleep. So good in fact, that Cernun resisted the stirrings of wakefulness as long as he could. The blaring of a car horn outside destroyed those chanced, unfortunately. He lifted his very heavy eyelids, feeling like his entire body was being held down by heavy weights. Everything was a blur of orange colours, like Central Park in Autumn. Eventually as his vision, cleared, Cernun saw that he was in... a room. He was indoors; something he had not seen in twenty years. His brain quickly caught up to him and he began to feel the first stirrings of dread. His eyes roamed around more. There were things, objects in this room that looked so familiar yet he could not name them. Whatever he was lying on was very soft and comfortable. His fingers subconsciously twitched over them and he let out a tiny, tiny gasp at the foreign touch of the fabric. This was a very shocking tear away from what had been his home environment for so long.
And then... his eyes rested on his captor. The hunter was sitting near him, reading something. The need to flee suddenly took hold of him. Cernun tried to jolt up, but the pain in his leg from being shot acted up into his muscles and he merely looked like he was having a spasm before he fell back down onto the soft surface, letting out a grunt of pain. His panting was heavy with fear now, and his eyes kept roaming around, searching desperately for an escape route.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 12:36 pm
Noticing some movement from the couch, Purizo looked over from his magazine with an unconcerned glance. "Oh, you finally woke up. How do you feel?" he asked, wondering if the same side effects from ether which so commonly afflicted humans would also show up in a unicorn. When the beast tried to move, Purizo reflexively reached into his pocket, but relaxed as soon as he fell back down. "Ah, your leg's probably still sore from the shot earlier, huh?" Glancing over but not daring to approach or touch him, Purzio added, "Looks like I hit pretty close to the joint. That's gotta smart."
When he noticed that the man was still freaking out despite the lack of immanent danger, Purizo sighed. "You know, this would all be much easier on the both of us if you could just calm down. I told you before and I'll tell you again, if you just sit still and don't fight I'm not going to hurt you. I wasn't lying when I said earlier that I wouldn't let the client who gave me this job hurt you either, though I don't blame you for not trusting me. Still, whether you trust me or not, you aren't escaping this place one way or another, so you can choose to either chill out or cause trouble the whole time. It's really up to you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:44 pm
(( Aaaagh, I'm sorry I didn't let you know in advance that I was going to be too busy to log on D: ))
The hunter's words were doing little to comfort Cernun. He was still looking at everything in his room. They were so strange... He had seen pictures from the books and magazines Ludo would bring with him. His eyes rested on one of the large books on the shelf. He could read a little (Ludo had taught him) and he recognized the word 'World'. He didn't know why he was paying attention to such things... maybe he wanted to look at anything but the hunter's face. There was only so much ignoring he could do though. The pain in his leg was really bothering him... A unicorn that couldn't run was a very grim thing... He felt like the walls were closing in on him and his throat tightened even more. He finally looked over at the hunter, willing himself not to blink and look down. His mouth felt dry, so very dry. He wanted to ask... but he was afraid. The hunter did say he wouldn't hurt him.
Can't trust humans... Can't trust them!
But he was so thirsty it felt like his tongue was turning into sand. He struggled to sit upon his elbows, which sunk into the soft couch and made him start a bit. He took a few shaky breaths as he tried to regain control of his voice. "W-Wa... Water," he he said, his voice cracking. He licked his dry lips and tried again with more force. "Water..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:55 pm
((It's fine, I've been gone this week as well because I've been so busy.))
Watching as the unicorn continued to turn his head and eyes in every direction other than his, Purizo began to wonder if he was just going to be ignored the entire time. However, he was glad to hear anything come out of the beast's mouth other than another insult and said, "Sure thing," with relief as he stood up and walked into the kitchen. Grabbing a glass from the cabinet, he filled it from the tap and hoped that the unicorn wasn't too picky. 'Hope he realizes beggars can't be choosers,' he thought to himself as he returned to the living room.
Raising an eyebrow at the unicorn's odd posture, he set the glass down on the table and said carefully, "I'm going to help you sit up so you can drink. Just don't hit me or anything." Carefully taking a hold of the beast's arms, Purizo helped adjust him on the couch along with the pillows so that he was sitting up in a more naturally and comfortable position. Reaching over to the table, he handed over the glass and said, "Let me know if you need anything else. Anything. I'm sorry I have to inconvenience you like this, so I want you to be as comfortable as possible here." While he spoke with little apparent emotion, Purizo meant what he said. It was so much more difficult for everyone when his marks fought back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 8:16 pm
Cernun gasped when he saw the hunter approach with a glass of water. He struggled to sit up, but it turned out to be unnecessary, as the hunter pulled him up into a sitting position and then bent down to press the glass into his hand. Cernun greedily drank, unconcerned with not slurping or being graceful as unicorns were wont to do. He finished the entire glass before letting his head fall against the cushions, panting heavily and leaving the glass to fall on the couch at his side. He was regaining a little bit of strength from being hydrated; the dizziness was ebbing away gradually, but the fear was still strong and pounding in his chest. The hunter sat nearby and spoke again. This time Cernun looked at him the entire time he spoke, unsure of what to think anymore. He was outside of the home he'd known for most of his life, confined within walls. He wasn't even sure how far away from Central Park he was, but the familiar beeps and noises from outside assured him he was still in New York City, at least.
He cast another glance around the room, staring at all of the foreign objects. They were things he'd seen in pictures and books, but never up close. If he had ever lived in a home with these things, he wouldn't remember, having been so young. He was curious to touch some of these things, but felt too afraid and too weak to move off of what he deemed the 'safe spot' on the couch. He looked back at the hunter and decided to try to speak once more.
His voice was a little stronger than before, but it still wasn't the deep, masculine thrum he had when at full health. "What... What do they want with me?" he croaked, "Who are you giving me to?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 9:56 am
Picking the glass up, Purizo set it on the table as he retook his seat, seeing that the unicorn wasn't making another attempt at escaping. Shrugging at the question, he explained, "I don't really know much about her, just that her family is pretty well-off and that she lives in some fancy apartment complex in the city. Hang on a second, I'll grab the profile I got." Getting up again, he took the glass into the kitchen and set it in the sink before walking into one of the back rooms and taking a folder out of a bag.
Returning to his company, Purizo sat down with the papers, flipping through them carefully. "Yeah, that's about all that's here. It's got her name too, but I don't know if it would mean anything to you. Do you read the newspaper much?" he asked, wondering how adapted to modern life this creature had become. After all, it seemed nearly impossible he would have been living in Central Park very long without picking up on certain parts of human life. If nothing else he was wearing pants.
"As for what they want with you," Purizo flipped through the papers again, trying to find anything that might help, "it doesn't actually say that much. But, the woman who made the request is a kind young woman. I've met her once or twice before, and if I had to say, I don't think you've got anything to worry about. She doesn't seem like the snotty type who would want you as a pet or a trophy or the greedy type who would want to make a profit off of you. As far as I can tell she's just curious or maybe she's a romantic and wants to see the last of the unicorns with her own eyes. Honestly, I think you'll like her, and as I've said, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I just wouldn't be right."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
