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 Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 5:41 pm
Sauti was a beautiful place. Shadiya sighed in contentment as the breeze whisked past and ruffled through her hair. Perhaps it was because of the more recent events - her kidnapping and then rescuer turned lover- that she could find such peace out here. It seemed as if things were coming to a lull and there was finally a time for her to stop running. Oba had forever haunted her, and still would until her uncle was defeated, but now as she stared over the swaying grasses the girl could rest.
Or maybe not...Shadiya still felt her cheeks flush as she thought about things. Dexurn...she and Dexurn...what would happen next? "Stop it!" Stomping her feet in excitement the girl placed her head in her hands as she suppressed her squee. So this was what it was like to fall in love!
And the festivals that were starting soon...it truly was going to be a great week!
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 6:12 pm
Summer was an odd time of year for Sol. It was a widely celebrated season in Zena because for two months some patches of ground weren't coated in snow. During the short period the people of both Sauti and Zena migrated to a central location; which was both a source of horror and excitement for the young boy.
Sol was a lyrical boy who, much like his Papa, loved all things song and dance. However, unlike his father, he never showed it in public. It drew too much attention to him which wasn't a good thing as far as Sol was concerned. He knew he was special, he knew he was great, but others didn't seem to get it. For a time he had slipped away from his family, sneaking around as he did best with Sev at his side. The chubby raptrix was growing steadily each day, but she still retained her pup-like personality. Thus she still bumped into him with her nose, rooting around against his tunic, hoping to prod him into a quick play session or a head rub. However, with her growing size, she very nearly bowled him over in her attempts at affection.
Sol reached back to swat at her, and when she whined he put a finger up to his lips. Shush! If she wasn't quiet they were going to get caught and the only way to get out of a crowded place like this without being scene was to stay quiet.
The young lad maneuvered around the backside of a vendor's tent with his raptrix in tow. He pulled his cloak over his head, masking both his facial features and his antennae. The area was sparsely populated since the festivities had yet to take place, but there were enough bodies milling about to cause him grief.
All at once Sev started barking. The sound, which resonated just behind his right ear, caused the boy to jolt. She'd spotted a moracker scurrying about and in an instant the great lumbering beast gave chase. He called out to her, hoping to get her attention and was rewarded with a 'thwack!' of her tail as the raptrix promptly left him in the dust.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 6:18 pm
Shadiya lifted her arms above her head in a peaceful stretch. If it wasn't for the noise of the nearby crowds the girl probably could have taken a nap. As it was her break was nearly over - in a few short hours she would be dancing once more at the tavern that had housed her for the time being. They had taken a gamble that they wouldn't be tracked to the same location, not after recent events at least, and had come to stay during this time of festivity.
Honestly seeing all the people from Zena had her interest. What was it going to be like once they crossed the mountains? After the festivals it would be simple enough to take a caravan over into the snowy region. The thought filled her with nerves and excitement both. Still, her daydreams quickly shattered as a rushing wind sped past and caused the girl to spin around. What was that? Blinking, Shadiya watched as the raptrix raced on by. "Hey!" Cheeks flushed the girl looked around. Now who did that creature belong to?
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 6:43 pm
Small boots pounded against the hard packed earth with nary a slip. Sol was more adept at running in snow that came to his knees, so funny on relatively flat ground was an absolute breeze. He dodged past a few bodies, even going so far as to squeeze in between a pair of icelings in chase of his raptrix. She was too happy barking at the stupid moracker to pay him any attention! "Sev! STOP!"
She dug her fat paws into the earth, screeching to a halt on ragged claws before flopping her big butt down on the ground. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth with a fair amount of drool while she searched for the person who'd spoken to her. Of course she wasn't looking at Sol; she was looking at Shadiya.
Sol came to a grinding halt next to his raptrix, and had to reach out, wrapping both scrawny arms around her thick neck just to keep himself from falling. His lungs felt like they were on FIRE! He couldn't get enough air into them, and was forced to take great, gulping breaths just to get himself calmed down enough to pinch her hide. The canine yelped, turning to snarl at her master. "It's your fault! You know better than to run off." Now, where had he heard that before....?
Oh yeah, every time he ran off and Baba or Papa caught him. Sometimes Ygraine...most always Ygraine.
Sev barely paid him any mind; she kept turning her head to look at Shadiya, and finally Sol caught on. He turned to look at the woman as well....and just stared. What kind of person was THAT?
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 7:06 pm
Well that was surprisingly effective.
Before Shadiya had time to figure out how to deal with the strange creature that had stopped at her yell the girl found another strange creature tumbling her way. Blinking, Shadiya took a moment to stare equally back at the small child that was looking her over. She had never seen such a strange race before! Brows furrowed the girl tried to figure out those eyes before catchign herself staring, "Um...I'm guessing this ball of fluff belongs to you then?" She found herself saying while her cheeks flushed lightly.
"It's pretty good at almost knocking people over, you know." She paused and stared at the raptrix, "I've never seen a creature like...it before." Or like you either for that matter. The thought only served to bring more of a flush to her cheeks as she stared at the strange pair.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 7:33 pm
Sol nodded meekly, his little legs already shifting so that he could hide behind Sev. She wasn't nearly large enough to cover him entirely, much to her master's dismay. He didn't like strangers; especially weird ones that wanted to talk to him. Couldn't she see he was trying to get away? But if he ran now she would either chase him, or worse, start yelling, which would bring others around. In his eyes, Sol was as good as caught.
He reached up to tug his hood further down his face with blue tipped fingers. The crystals on the back of his hand caught a glint of sunlight, but were quickly subdued when he pulled his arms back underneath the cloak. There was no true face of hiding his face from her and so it came to be that his pensive frown was easily visible. Why was she still talking? Why did girls have to talk so much?
"...she's a raptrix. From Zena," he added as an after thought. Sev flipped her head from side to side, quirking her face with the adorableness only known to pups. One ear up, one ear down; a totally chill canine.
Sol could hear voices calling out, one that sounded suspiciously like his Papa's even if he couldn't make out the words. Time to lay on the charm. "Miss, can you help me?" He put all the pleading he could into his words, genuinely looking over his shoulder to see if he was being chased. So far so good. "They're after me and I'm so scared...I don't want to be caught again..." Just to cement the act, Sol sniffled, pulling on all the false panic he could.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 8:00 pm
"I see." Shadiya reached out a hand towards the pup and wiggled fingers playfully towards it. Honestly the more she looked at the creature the less scary it was. More adorable really. Though she had to wonder why the child was so eager to hide away. Perhaps he was shy or was there more to it? The glimmer of a gemstone caused her to pause more as well...truly what was this boy's heritage?
"Can I what?" Shadiya frowned as the situation suddenly changed course from a simple encounter to something more severe, "Why would they be after you?" Still not one to risk another's safety the girl sighed, "If you're truly in trouble then I suppose I know of a place...but you'll have to hurry along." Perhaps it was due to her own past circumstances of being on the run, but Shadiya couldn't just leave someone alone after they asked for her help.
Surely that was fine, right?
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 7:20 am
He could practically feel his Papa breathing down his neck. Callum wasn't going to be happy with his son's latest stunt, but if he never found out..."I don't know why I just know they're coming!" The tinge of panic in his voice was real now. If he was caught he would be punished for running off, and he really didn't want that. What more of a reason did she need, anyway? He was a weird looking kid in a big group; surely she could think of a few on her own!
Sol buried his fingers into Sev's fur, latching onto a collar that was hidden beneath folds of fur, feathers and chub. "Just show us where to go, miss, and we'll go. We won't bother you after that." Mostly because once he was safely tucked away Sol didn't plan on sticking around. He just needed a quick place to stay for a while before seizing an opportunity to flee.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 7:56 am
He didn't know why? Shadiya pursed her lips, but swallowed her protest. There had been some real panic in the boy's words. Honestly...where was the boy's parents? Why weren't they near to help?
"Alright, come this way." She reached out and grabbed at his free hand before dragging both the boy and his familiar along. Shadiya almost seemed to fly through the markets before she stopped at the familiar sight of a tent, "In here." Inside would be a mess of people as dancers and musicians alike were beginning to prepare for the upcoming festivities.
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 7:05 am
Finally.
If this lady had dragged her feet any longer then Sol would have been caught for sure! Sev didn't seem keen on following them at first; evidently her sharp hearing caught pieces of Callum, even at this distance, and the raptrix planned on sticking around. Sol gave her collar a good tug though, which brought the chuffy little canine to her paws. Either way she was going to be lavished in affection so Sev followed after her little master.
Slow down! Of course he couldn't actually say that, not when he was supposedly running, but Sol's little legs were having a hard time keeping up. He was already tired from having snuck around all day, and now with the running...Well, it went without saying that once he ducked into the tent the boy's breathing was labored. Pressing a hand to the stitch in his side, Sol leaned up against Sev, who would have almost accidentally whacked his face with a wing if he hadn't pushed it away.
"Wha-?" What kind of a place was this? It looked like everyone in the tent had gone through his Papa's wardrobe and pulled out the best pieces to wear.
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 5:04 am
Laughing Shadiya noticed the boy's expression, "Dancers and the like are gathering here for the festival. I figured it would be the easiest place to lose anyone who was chasing you." She smiled towards the little one, "You can feel free to show yourself here as well...I don't think anyone will judge considering."
Not only were others caught up in the bustle of preparations several had strange costumes on while others were obviously hybrids. Surely no one would mind this strange child here. At least that was Shadiya's hope~
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 10:21 am
That's the ugliest scarf I've ever seen. His Papa might have something nicer to say about one of the dancer's accessories as they walked past, but Sol couldn't help curling his lip. That shade of green shouldn't be anywhere near that pink. For the most part the lively environment reminded him a lot of his home life, so that didn't bother him, but the random gaudy items unnerved him.
Focus.
Looking up at the Oban woman, Sol cast his gaze around the room and sighed. If he wanted to get her trust he was going to have to give a little, which he wasn't exactly comfortable with. Grumbling under his breath, the little boy reached up to pull his hood down around his shoulders. Two little antennae freed themselves from their prison, twitching as if to stretch out stiff muscles.
"C'mon Sev." Tugging on the raptrix's collar once more, Sol pulled her further into the tent. He wanted to bail, but...he would have to pass through more strangers and one stranger was enough for him. Looking nervously back to Shadiya, a real flash of unease passed over his features. "...you coming?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 10:27 am
Gaze widening as the boy revealed himself Shadiya shook her head, "Definitely unique." She smiled though her hands itched to reach out and to poke the antenna. The girl had never really encountered an Alkidike up close, but always seeing those things from afar fascinated her. "I'm behind you don't worry." Shadiya replied quietly as they moved forward, "So what's your name? You can call me Shade. It makes being on the run easier when you know at least who to ask for or what name to shout." She teased lightly, but her gaze did flicker behind them.
Had they been followed?
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 10:58 am
His antennae twitched. Sol wasn't exactly sure if 'unique' was a compliment or not, especially given how some of the earthlings at the festival had treated him. It was part of the reason he didn't like traveling; back home no one cared that he looked different. There simply weren't enough people in his village that didn't know them to care, and usually the travelers were too cold or hungry to bother.
"Shade?" Sol pulled up to a stop, and turned a disbelieving look her way. With all the tact of a child, he blurted out, "You're not dark enough to be a shade. Maybe a rock or some kind of leather-" Finally catching himself, the boy furrowed his brows and let out a soft little huff. "Sorry, I didn't mean -"
How come he couldn't just stick by his words like Ygraine? Or make everyone happy like Papa? "My name's Sol." He said at last.
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 11:05 am
Had her name rung some sort of bell? As recent events replayed in her head the girl couldn't help but to let out a loud laugh at the boy's reasoning. Oh! "That's definitely one way to look at it!" Shadiya giggled, "But no - it's just a shorter version of my name. Makes it easier for casual conversations if I'm just known as Shade."
The girl just shook her head, "No worries, Sol." She almost was ready to reach around when one of the dancer's recognized her. After a few moments of conversation with the male Shadiya bounced back to look at the hybrid child.
"Sooo...I think the best way for us to leave here is with a disguise. What do you think?"
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