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 Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:02 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:03 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:03 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:03 pm
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The Fox and the Hound
RP between Cerberus and Kumiho
 The dark figure slinked through the brush, stomach growling and myriad eyes darting in every direction. To Cerberus's ears, the growling originated in the pinions that rested on his shoulders, cajoing and wheedling and begging for dinner. The maw-like structures snapped and whined as he plodded on soft pads, scenting for a meal. After all, what else was he to do now than hunt in the woods like any other beast? He no longer had a master, and Cerberus could not fully comprehend the reason why. Had he done something wrong? Was this punishment... or reward? Regardless, alone again, in some strange-feeling world certainly felt like no reward. While there was an echo of familiarity, it was the sort of reminiscence that came like the reminder of a dream. A taste of the familiar, but nothing to link it to. This was not home. This was not his duty. The great gates that he could have etched in the dirt from memory was his home. Not this sprawling woods or strange inhabitants. There was a hollow feeling in his chest. A lack of purpose. And if Cerberus were not already mad, than this aching feeling would certainly drive him so.
He could not even recall if he were sleeping again. The days just seemed to melt into each other. Each one indistinguishable from the other. So he walked. Constantly on the move, hunting, prowling, broken. His only purpose was to find one.
The silver fox rustled through the underbrush of the fallen leaves, the air brisk and cool as autumn began to melt into winter. Food would be getting scarce soon, and Kumiho had no intention of going hungry. She had been feasting all morning on the slumbering mice and chipmunks that
has burrowed themselves into a false sense of security. After one satisfying, particularly chunky bunny she finished, the ache in her full belly was enough that she would give herself a much needed rest. She perched up on a rock in the sun, and began licking her paws clean. She
often did her post-feasting bath. Bloodied, and proud of it, she would sit out in the open and meticulously clean herself to perfection. There was no shame in her bloodbaths - she found no reason to hide her deeds or her breed. It almost a challenge, daring anyone to say
anything...hoping an unsuspecting hawk or owl might snatch her up just so she could see the shocked and horrified look on its face as she ripped its throat out before they were a few feet off the ground.
She didn't hurry. Her beauty ritual often took hours; just because she was hungry for blood was no excuse to prance around like a barbican with pieces of your meal hanging off her beautiful fur. As she was picking a gloriously stringy piece of rabbit innards from her teeth when a sound
of movement made her ears swivel around. She had just told herself she was full enough for today, but if a tasty looking young doe was going to walk right up to her...
...but it was no doe. The rhythm was off, made by too large a creature to be a deer. She listened to the gate. It was a Soquili. Or...wait. Was it? It did not sound like hooves to her. The were softer - paws - tromping over the ground.
She paused her tongue bath and turned her head, sniffing the wind. Perhaps another skinwalker? She smelled something distinctly canine about the shadowy figuring moving just beyond her line of sight among the trees. But unlike every other barbaric beast she had encountered in
these Western lands, this creature did not smell like a wet, rotting dog carcass.
This required further investigation. She quickly fluffed herself and shook, clearing herself of her kill the best she could in this short amount of time, and jumped off her rock, skittering in the shadows towards the figure.
There was not much that surprised the Kitsune, but this creature rocked her to her core.
He was magnificent... something otherwordly like she had never come across in the Western lands. A hulking beast, not a skinwalker but definitely not just a Soquili either. He had a lupine face, paws, horselike only in his build and his gate. He had wings - beautiful, haunting wings that seemed to move on their own accord. Jet black fur and red, piercing eyes all over his body, like a Kami.
A flood of emotions gathered in the kitsune's chest, crashing over her all at once. A rage bubbled in her - jealousy perhaps? And something more...a desire to possess this Beast. No creature she had ever seen in her life had come so close to be nearly as perfect as her - what gave this strange beast the right to exist without her knowing - without her ... allowing it. If he was a Kami or Oni...why was he here? How did he have the audacity not to alert his presence to her domain? This was uncalled for! The fox puffed up and hissed loudly at the intruder, gnashing her teeth and demanding her presence be acknowledged and marveled at.
The great black beast paused in his trek at the snarling hiss. A bloodred eye on his flank swiveled and blinked before others also swiveled to look. Then, it seemed, the head of the strange stallion turned to give the fox its full attention. The eyes in his head were the same pupilless red orbs, faintly gleaming under the shade of the leafless trees. He had seen other creatures in these woods similar to the small canine that now dared to snarl at him, however none had the courage, the gall to snarl at Him. Did this lowly beast now know what he was?? Although... no other creatures possessed a slew of tails bristling and waving behind them either. It was canine, and there was still a strong smell of blood clinging to her, however, if anything, it only reminded Cerberus of his own hunger. His stomach churned again, and then his dark wings jerked to attention, the jawlike shapes snapping at the air like chained hounds, followed a moment later by a snarl across the stallion's own face and a bristle of fur down his back. He did not seek out words, but seemed to be acting upon a long-honed instinct. Words had little use for in his duties, and none but the heads on his shoulders had stayed for conversation over the countless years.
Had a meal seeked him out? This was not the typical faire of his palette. He found the grass-eaters much more delectable, less stringy than another predator, even if it was such a small one. But in his years of servitude and the unending hunger that was always with him as he stood by those gates, Cerberus had never been picky. Mortals, spirits, soquili, beasts. He had devoured those that dared to cross to the wrong side.
He bristled and snarled the warning of the guardian - the one and only warning that he had given those who wrongfully approached the gates before they reached the end of his tether. And truly, he was a terrifying visage. Every bit of his posture seeming to scream with no language required: Go no further - your death lies here. Perhaps it was habit, for it certainly was not a conducive habit for a predator to warn its prey. But there was that recognizable flash of intelligence in this animal's eyes that he responded to instinctively.
This creature did not know what he was looking at. That was obvious. perhaps for a moment, the Kitsune felt pity for the thing. But it was fleeting. Regardless... either giving it another chance at life or not, she could not be able to fell this beast in her fox-form. The air began to shimmer around her, like waves of heat on a summer day, and in a fluid, unworldly manner the little fox began to grow and change. Time seemed to suspend as the metamorphosis occurred; turning the smell fluffy fox into a sleek and dangerous mare. Her fur was snow white, adored with red brush-like markings and donning sleeves made of the most exquisite silk known to the world. Her Obi tied to her her greatest treasure, the hide of the True Kitsune that gave her powers. It was silver, glimmering, pristine, laid over her body and held in place by the silk of her obi. From underneath the hide's fur, a jet black mane cascaded over the mare's neck. She did not smell of rot like most cursed
skinwalkers - for the skin that adorned her was that of a Goddess. She smelled of incense long soaked and spice with the pungent sweet-sour smell of floral decay.
"Identify yourself," she said in a fierce commanding voice, her multiple tails flailing behind her in a liquid trance. "And, if you have one, a good reason I shouldn't slay your for Trespass!"
Her eyes lingered over his coat, coveting its sleekness, boring into the eyes that freckled his body. For the first time in her very long life she almost wished she wasn't a skinwalker - just so she could experience ripping the hide from this beast, wearing around her, enveloping her... feeling his heat spread over her body...
The thought made her shudder and she stomped the ground, kicking up the dirt.
There was a very momentary flash of surprise in the stallion's eyes as he watched her form flow outwards, growing larger and significantly more formidable. This, he had not expected to encounter. But despite how foreign most things were in this land, a true skinwalker was something more familiar to the hellish beast. So much so, that his ears pressed backwards in confusion, the bravado hesitating. Why was she here?
The venom in her voice was evident, but the words were muddled in his ears as he fought for cognizance through a sea of madness.
Words were awkward on his tongue, and punctuating them was a rumbling growl and snapping barks that Cerberus perceived being added by the other-hims on his shoulders. The mouths that did not speak but bark, that did not eat, but could rend nonetheless.
"Has the master sent you, then, skinwalker? Sent you to bring me back again?" There was no fear in his voice, just the gravely, snarling and slightly delirious tone. "Or to even give me an answer to my bays as to why I have been released from my post. My chain broken and the path to this realm opened before me." They likely had been the most words he had used together in years.
Her scent was strange - not the all-enveloping, cloying scent of the pit, but something that sizzled his nose all the same.
The Beast was speaking nonsense. "I have no master, Thing, I answer to no one. If you so seek a master it is I who you must answer to now! I hold Dominion over anyone who crosses my path, it is I who decides if they live or die!" She puffed out her chest and narrowed her gaze. Some creatures are not easily threatened by females, but Kumiho was making it very clear that she was no trifle to be tampered with.
Then the clarity hit. Of course, it was the perfect the solution. Why she could not rend his skin from his flesh and wear him like she did the pelt of Kitsune, he would have to submit to her. Perhaps he would be
allowed to live. Kumiho was a quick thinker, not a dribbling rabid beast like the cursed coyote Walkers that plagued this land.
But of course... is this creature had a Master somewhere, she wondered what kind of a risk she might be taking snatching the reins from him or her. Such a perfect, powerful Animal such as this thing could not be
controlled by no mere mortal Two-legger or Soquili. But she was not to be bothered by such pesky details. Whatever being had 'owned' this monster before was not able to keep hold of it. 'Finders Keepers' so the pale two-leggers say, and Kumiho could hold her own against anything that crossed her: mortal or otherwise.
With a dark, chuckling growl, Cerberus lowered his head and lashed his tail. Some of the words that she said were begining to make it past his haze. Things were clearing slightly, and conversation seemed to be helping. His fur ruffled and he sniffed her over again. The scent was odd, but there were many more parts of the underworld than just the entrance that he stood guard over.
"You would only be returning me to whence I came. You may send some to their death, Skinwalker, but I, Cerberus, make certain that they stay that way." He grinned widely as he listened to the chortles of the mouths on his shoulders.
 "Suuurrrrberisssssss...."
She purred out his name low in her throat, feeling it out how it sounded in her mouth.
Her frame relaxed a bit, turning from aggressive to receptive, as he seemed to be willing to speak in sentences that made more sense. Perhaps he was a kami after all. "A Guardian of death are we? Tell me, Cerberus, are my victims plotting my revenge? Is that why you are here?" Her eyes narrowed again, sizing him up, letting her eyes linger over every muscle, eye, the gleam of his fur. She began to walk around him a wide circle, head held high and unafraid.
The beast watched the mare carefully as she took on a less aggressive posture. As was it should be. But she did not seem to be granting him the healthy respect that he was due. Had he changed as well since arriving in this... strange land? Had some of the measure of his ferocity and power been revoked along with his duties and that relentless hunger? At least one thing, it seemed to be easier to think here in this chill wind, his ornate neckpiece no longer shackeled to the gates he guarded.
"Were I doing my duty, none would escape their death and return to this place. The most motivated or revenge-driven spirit only found his way faster to my jaws." But if he were not guarding the gates now... who was? Could they do as good a job as he?! In all of his years... there were only a small handful of successful trespasses. The one with the music and honeyed cakes... He had been beaten for that. His ears pinned back at the memory.
This was quickly turning into a game that she would love to play. She was unaware of his plight, his apprehension that he might have lost some of some of his ferocity or power was not the case. While any lesser Soquili would surely be cowering in fear from this beast,
it was stirring all kinds of unfamiliar emotions inside the Kitsune. Though it must be noted, that most emotions besides rage, hunger, and
the pleasure of inflicting harm in others, were rather unfamiliar to her.
Something about this... Cerberus. He was different, pure. Powerful. She felt a hazy, powerful high being around this power, consorting with
a Kami or oni.... perhaps these Western lands weren't completely without their merits after all. She had heard the other Soq talk about their
Angeni, Western-kamis with giant wings and heavenly presence. Was he like this? Different, darker of course. But his presence radiated from
him. While this should repel any sane Soquili, Kumiho's existence was sucked into it, wanting nothing more than to possess it for herself.
"That is not a very comforting statement, Mr. Sir-ber-usssss," she purred again. "I'm sure there are many I have killed that would be
highly motivated to escape death to bring me there." She paused, a smile sneaking onto her face, "But that's begs the question - why are
you not doing your 'duty?' Sleeping on the job, are we?"
Cerberus bristled and snapped at the implications. "I have never abandoned my duty!" His wings seemed to pantomime his motions, and while silent to Kumiho's ears except for the snap of the air as they sprung to life, Cerberus could hear their growls and snarls.
He paced between two of the the large trees of the area - an old habit - his tail lashing behind him as he spoke in his gutteral voice, still scratchy and throaty from disuse. But even the gravel of his voice could not mask the exasperation, "I have been... released." There was no satisfaction to that pronounciation. No freedom, just confusion and frustration.
The eyes on his flanks roamed over her as he paced like a caged beast. "You are certain He did not send you here to fetch me back? I know of skinwalkers sent to the world above on duties... or who have bypassed my gate." His head turned back towards her with narrowed eyes. But no, that was not his duty any longer. As much as the lack of purpose carved at his innards like the hunger from before, he could not serve a duty to a master who had sent him away from his post. Without so much as an explanation. A word of gratitude or anger. Just.... abandonment.
Kumiho showed no (outward) emotion to his outburst, save a smooth lift of her eyebrows. "Released of your duty?" she inquired, the tails waving behind her now in synch with a smooth, back-and-forth motion. "Forced into early retirement? You don't seem too happy about that," she cooed, knowing this was a subject that was getting under his (implacably perfect) skin.
Her expression changed to that of strained sympathy, "Whatever are you to do now," she asked as she counter-paced him, walking by him and
giving him a side glance as one of her tails ever so lightly brushed across his ankles.
Cerberus grunted in displeasure at the skinwalker's sarcastic placations. With a curl to his lip, exposing long, perfect fangs, he snarled "Early is perhaps not the best word. But no. I am not pleased. I performed my duty unquestioningly for longer than I can recall. And now... this. THis... exile? Retirement? " He growled, swiping at a piece of offending bark from one of the trees had was pacing between.
"These lands are not my home. They are full of foolish mortals who mindlessly go about their days, wasting life that gets shorter by the moment." He snapped and snarled again, barking like a mad dog with a shake of his head as if he had latched onto a phantom rabbit.
As one of her tails brushed his leg, one of his wings dipped down, 'nipping' at the brush. It did not do much damage, merely a small pinch. "And I do not know!." She had certainly found the nerve.
The fox-mare gave a hiss of disapproval as her tails jerks away from the offending limb. But it was a momentary spark. She forced her burning rage in her chest to a simmer as she re-focused her gaze on her current 'prey.'
"Exiled?" The kitsune asked with a faint upward note of surprise. "That simply means one of two things... you did something wrong..." she was expecting a reaction to that and readied herself to glide out of the way of any snap or bite. "Or you've been given a new post?"
She planted the seed of inquiry in him. If he was the slave to some "Master" whose to say that he couldn't be a slave once again to a different one? Kumiho might not be a true Kami, but she was no ordinary Soquili either. Trapped in a curse somewhere between torture and immortality, she was akin to an spirit creature herself... well, whose to say she wasn't a God in her own right? This Beast certainly didn't have
to know.
As predicted, Cerberus's reaction to Kumiho's first hypothesis was less than pleasant. Again, one of his wings darted towards her in an aggressive nipping motion, although her anticipatory side-step avoided another pinch.
However, his aggressive bristling and snapping of the maw-like structures on his wings abated at her second suggestion. He had not considered that possibility. A new post? But why had he not been informed? Then again, it was only on the rarest of occasions that he personally saw his master. He was his loyal hound, hardly an important advisor, and his position had been understood. He received little personal contact, little praise, and few direct commands.
He looked about him again. His eyes roaved the barren trees, the light dusting of snow and leaves littering the ground. "And what in the name of Hades could I do here?" he responded with a scoff to his voice.
"Do you not know who you are speaking to?" Kumiho said, her voice brimming in indigence. She puffed up as much as she could, her tails spiraling behind her in an almost hypnotic backdrop. "I jest not when I say I am the Master of the lands..." she paused momentarily, to give a snort. "Or, I will be."
She twirled in a tight circle once, as if allowing Cerberus to get a good look at her. "I have traveled from the Mystic lands in the East to these new cursed, barbaric lands." She pawed at the ground to emphasize her points. "I traveled the Un-ending ocean," she motioned in a west-ward direction. "Past the horizon; from a Secret Kingdom. I wear the hide of Gods as clothing, little Beast, do you not know what I am?"
Of course Kumiho considered herself more than a mortal Soquili, perhaps even a lesser Oni, but she told her tale with as much dominance in her voice almost she believed for a second she was a truly a greater force to be reckoned with.
All of Cerberus's eyes watched as the skinwalker turned around, scrutinizing and examining. Skinwalkers were not an unknown to the hound, despite his unfamiliarity to most of the beings in this land. However, lending credo to her claim, she was quite different than any he had seen before. The writhing tails behind her, the intricately woven pieces of clothing and the delicate hairpins. Most skinwalkers even from the realm below were savage creatures. Implements of hunting and torture. Not that different from him.
This female... well, she bore a very different scent. Her Otherform was small, quick. Was she truly the mistress of this realm? Had he been sent here to be guided by her. An ear flicked back in indecision. "Then why did you not know of my arrival?" He growled, but there was uncertainty in his tone. "If the master below sent me to your domain, why did he not prepare me?" She looked very little like his other master. She appeared to be more like Cerberus himself than Him.
"What use are these lands? What could I do here?"
Kumiho grinned as her plan seemed to be off to a great start. "No, I did not know of your... specific arrival," she said, stepping
closer to him. "But he didn't tell you about your change of duties either. Perhaps it is a test?" She shook her head and clucked her tongue. "Master would be so angry if you disappointed him."
"These lands... they have a mysticism to them." Well, that was true. The Kawani lands simple crackled with a strange, dizzying magic.
Brimming with an unknown force, never in her long life had the Kitsune seen a place quite like it. It was almost a shame the native Soquili
were too stupid and unattuned to know what they had. The lands was riddled with rare and different types of Soquili - more Oniborn Soquili
than anywhere else she had even heard of, except perhaps the Underworld itself. They called themselves 'Kalona' here. And the fertility -
never had Kumiho observed less than two foals being birthed at a time, but just as many times were triplets bore from the same pregnancy.
Foal mortality rate was staggering low (something Kumiho would hope to control herself in the coming seasons).
These native Soquili, they created life like it was some kind of ... recreational activity. Fervently procreating like some kind of lowly
field mouse; watering down their bloodlines and swapping life forces like one would share a bale of hay. The fox shuddered at the thought.
She didn't let that train of thought go any further. Not now. She looked back expectantly at the Beast, as if that should have been a
sufficient enough answer, waiting to see how he interpreted her statement.
A grumbling sound rumbled in Cerberus's throat as he lifted his head and surveyed the land again, this time with more scrutiny. Granted, he had not bothered to give a very thorough investigation of the lands since his arrival. He was too enmeshed in his own jumbled thoughts, listening to his ever-present, bickering and growling companions, and seething with hated frustration at his sudden expulsion from his home. A gnawing embarrassment began to squirm in his innards. Had he been too dense to recognize a test when it had been presented? The master's influence was wide, and his previous duty of utmost importance to the balance of things. Surely, he had done his job well. Was it unthinkable that his abilities might be needed elsewhere? Here, this land, something about it when he sniffed and closed his eyes to the differences of it all, did set his fur on edge. There was an importance here. Nothing he could quite yet put a paw on, but .... there must be a reason for him being sent here.
He turned back to the female with the silvery pelt with considering eyes. "And what is your purpose here, Fox?" He asked cautiously. "What does the power of this place mean? How can it be used?"
The quick witted fox was silent only for a moment, her mind racing for a good answer that she was making up on the fly, but sounded genuine and important. "That's it, you see." She motioned to the land around her with a paw. "I was sent here to find out. Sent from my ancestral homelands with a Mission....a calling." She turned her back to the Beast again, letting her tails wave hypnotically behind her, slowly, seductively. "I have already faced such... staggering dangers." She peaked over her shoulder to make sure he was paying attention. "Tsunami's rising taller than mountains, wanting to engulf me." A pause. "Villagers ready to slay me at sight." She turned back around with a flourish, stepping closer still, so now her muzzle was just
inches from his own, "I am too important to fall to such obstacles as I face my mission!" she said, her voice loud and resounding with passion. "Your Master knows this, he must!" Her voice turned to a more pleading tone. "He must realize how much is at stake here! Don't you see? You were sent to me! From Him! He would trust no one less!"
She kept a close, hopeful gaze on him, acting confident but ready to flee on the offchance he caught onto her ruse and attempted to attack
her.
The fox had his attention. And, Cerberus thought to himself, there was a tinge of excitement about the notion Kumiho proposed. For as long as he could remember, Cerberus's world was limited to the confines of the Gate and its viscinity. That was his domain. Now, he could walk for a day and a night and still not reach the end of a leash, or the land for that matter. If he was sent here as a forward scout, to seek out the source of the power in this land, or perhaps the Master was seeking to expand his territory. This was engaging, this was challenging. This asked more of him than his teeth. It had been... so long. Had there even been a time before he stood guard for the master? His ears flicked back and he shook his head.
As she continued to speak, describing the challenges she had faced, he did not back down, but neither did he snap. Even his pinions were poised, raised high and pointed towards her. He watched her with sharp eyes, listening with pricked ears.
When she finished, he finally took a step back, taking a long, barumphing breath. "the path was laid before me." he finally said quietly, remembering how the path to this realm had seemed to open before him. "There must have been a reason. You say that I was sent here to guard you as I once guarded the black gate? To aide you in finding the value and power of this land?" His tail flipped back and forth, consideringly.
Kumiho chuckled low in her throat as she let the Beast fall squarely in her trap. She loved putting things into play... unlike most Walkers who thrived on immediate gratification, the Kitsune was a patient and thorough oni. Sometimes it would take weeks, months, even years at time to fully observe the reach of her influence, but she wouldn't have it any other way.
Now she planted the seeds in this monster's mind. She would possess this magnificent creature...if she couldn't wear its Skin she
could at least rule its mind. She was pleased with herself and her obvious triumph.
"Exactly," she said, addressing him and nurturing the ideas forming in his head. "There are many who which to cease my life, and I am too
important to allow that to happen." She reeled her head back, letting the hairpiece flash in the sun. "Now I'm quite capable of taking care
of myself, but it distracts from my duties, you see. I am brains, you see, but you a true instrument of war."
There was a slow, but rumbling ascent in the beast's throat as he eyed the mare. Cerberus had been wandering without purpose since he came to this land... how long ago now? Time was a funny thing to him, very difficult to measure or compare. He had a very poor grasp on it, and something told him that that was a thing that he should probably be thankful for.
What she was suggesting, no, offering, was a purpose again. A duty both to the master, and one that would allow him to see more than just one stagnant gate. It was more challenging, more thrilling. And perhaps, just maybe, it could help keep his head clear once and for all.
A fangy grin split the creature's face and his tail swished left and right before he, in his mind at least, let loose a triple bark. "Very well, Skinwalker." He straightened, fur bristling in a self-important fashion. "I shall protect you on your mission here. With my aide, we shall discover the value of this land." |
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:03 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:03 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:03 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:03 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:04 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:04 pm
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Leave of Absence
Solo RP with Arcana and references to Anju, Taraxippus, Grimoire, Kamiki, and other soquili Arcana knows
 Arcana huffed to herself in frustration and exertion. It had been several strange and yet wonderful months since she had found her new home. There really was no other way to put it. She never had felt right in the herdground she grew up in - from her cruel brother to her distant, frightening father. But mostly, there was the overwhelming feeling of inadequacy with every look from her family or even adopted family. She was weak, she was a coward. She couldn't be bold or scary or strong like the others. Her wings were delicate and her build was slight.
She had gone out to prove herself once... she had mated with a stallion that seemed to be as heavily built as a bison - a massive Kalona named Dyson Graves to prove to her father and siblings that she was worthwhile. But her foals seemed to carry more physical traits of herself than the demon father. At least physically. But the foals were headstrong and stubborn to put it delicately. The foals she wanted to love and accept her did anything but, making her feel even more alone. Lycaenidae was distant and difficult to relate to. Diogenes was fierce, stubborn, and impossible to control. Grimoire acted sweet, but after a while, the facade was shattered. She didn't listen, and there was something dark in the breast of the young mare that gave Arcana a shuddering feeling. While Diogenes was blunt and forward with his intent, Grimoire... it took Arcana a long time to realize her platitudes were not genuine, and she just as difficult to control as Diogenes. They didn't listen to her - their own mother. They... didn't love her.
She had left, and had found her real parents - her ACTUAL family! They had welcomed her into their herd, where she should have been all along. They were still strong, differently, but proud nonetheless. They accepted her for who she was. And it was certainly the best months of her life. And yet, she still never felt quite right, quite at home. Perhaps it was how she was raised, but Anju's instructions since she was a young foal had shaped Arcana. Even if it was not the shape she was destined for, it affected her. As right as eating only grasses felt, she almost felt guilty about it. Things seemed TOO easy.
And when she met Parixaeus that one fateful afternoon, a lot of her upbringing had come back to her. The kalona blood in the stallion was evident - and while most of her new herd would have chased him away - not only was demon blood obvious in his traits, but he lacked the wings that her new herd required - she did not. She had been straying near the edge of these new herdgrounds and was intrigued by the new face. Something about him was magnetising for Arcana - the darkness that Anju would have liked - a misfit... And he was a charmer - he had complimented her, called her beautiful. something that she had ached to hear. And he said that he was picky, no less. She had longed to be accepted by someone, even if this half-kalona had no interest for the long-term. Arcana wasn't looking past the moment.
And she had done something that in retrospect was likely a mistake. She couldn't quite explain why, but something about bad boys, dark stallions drew her. She envied them. If she had been like them she never would have felt alone growing up, inadequate.
IT had been a few weeks before she realized that, once again, new life was growing within her. She had gone to her mother, Kamiki - distressed. She knew the rules of the herd - to never fraternize with those whose hooves could not touch the clouds. That they were "lesser". She had nothing wrong with them personally, but she had gladly agreed in order to be accepted. And now she had broken the central tenant. She was a failure. A screw-up no matter where she was.
But thank the spirits her mother smiled in understanding. The lands here were lush, safe, and the herd was good. But there had been more members once - land-bound soquili that had left, starting their own herd. She had gently suggested a... sabbatical. And that after the foals were old enough, she was welcome to return. That she could not take them with her without dealing with explanations, especially if they did not bear wings. But she would have a family.
And so, with a heavy, guilty heart, Arcana sighted the soquili that Kamiki had described, and flew down to meet them, wondering what new soquili she would feel like a misfit among. |
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:04 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:04 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:04 pm
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Hardly a Princess
RP with Fianna and Dae'Ruil
Fianna's large wings beat with an even measure as she soared over the expansive stretch of green below her. Occasionally, a large lake or flowing river crossed the sea of green below her. It just never seemed to end! As a small filly, her herd lands had seemed massive to her - but over months, every brook, every tree had become familiar. She could close her eyes and fly in circles, and be able to find her way back home to her mother based on the landmarks. She had done it on more than one occasion when boredom had set upon her.
She had never imagined just how large the world was outside of her herdlands. She could fly all day and still there was more. And unlike the soquili who were bound to where their hooves could take them - who had to navigate rivers or steep hills and mountains, Fianna could soar above them at breathtaking speeds. Granted, she couldn't fly forever. After long stretches her wings would get tired, and she would stop for the night. That was also something she was unprepared for. It was a big world out there with many unfamilar things. Sometimes, in the dead at night, she'd hear the yowl of a cougar or something worse - that she couldn't immediately put name to. And she'd realize just how alone she was. But! She told herself - she was strong, fierce! She could take care of herself! And when she found her father, she'd make him so proud of her!
The concept at first had seemed perfect. While she knew it woudln't be EASY per say to find him, she did know one thing: her mother when she had descibed him had said that he had not borne the gift of wings like her. He was more like her sister Bronwyn - with horns, a tail like hers, but no wings. And that meant that even if he was traveling (in a vaguely West direction Hunter had told her) - he was limited by things like rivers, mountains, and the like. Fianna had an advantage! And this was the pearl she clung to. For despite how massive the world was around her, she cold probably travel in a day what would take many days for someone on land.
However, she had no idea just how big the world out there was. He had been traveling from before the day she was born - and there was a lot of world out there. Who knew what direction he had taken, or where he was going. And what if she somehow passed over him without even seeing him? If he were in dense woods, or something like that.
But still, Fianna refused to give up. This was her quest - and quests were never easy. And Fianna was living life - not just grazing at home with family. She'd met new faces, and go on great adventures!
Besides, her father had to have met other soquili in his travels as well. And it was a lovely excuse to meet new faces herself. Eventually, their paths would draw together. She knew it.
Thus far, she'd only met a few others, and none of them had heard of him. But she would not give up! And who knew where her life path would take her.
Her ears pricked as she looked down at the green grass besides a large lake. There, another figure stood - a soquili! Brown and dappled but with a long blonde mane and tail, and accents of blue. A wild, curious smile spread across her face. Speaking of new faces...
She angled her flight, and headed in for a landing.
Dae'Ruil sighed as he looked down at his reflection in the still, blue lake. The face of a rather nervous young stallion looked back at him with every bit of the defeated attitude that he felt.
Why had he left home? It was his HOME. His FAMILY. There, he had been cared for. He had somewhere soft to sleep at night, food to eat, and the attention of people who love him. No, strike that. People he thought loved him.
His parents were aging, and the time to pass on the crown was drawing nigh. his brothers were caught up in their competition for priviledge of being the next king. They had years on him - years of private tutors, combat training.. and where Dae'Ruil had enjoyed being pampered, he had realized that no one took him seriously. He was the quiet little foal in the background. Of no consequence. And when he had finally tried to talk, people had laughed. Exactly what he thought would happen.
He wanted to be brave, like his brothers. he wanted to be proud and charismatic and charming.... like he had been at the ball when he was under that spell. He hadn't remembered who he was or the troubles in his family. He was... free. Confident. But when the spell had been broken, all of that confidence had washed away again when his memories came back.
He had wanted to be brave. And when he had gathered up his things and his friend Mirage, he thought that leavin would be brave. To set off into the world. But now he realized, as he looked down at that defeated face, that he had just been a coward and run away. Now, he didn't know where he was. He didn't even remember how to get back home, and that made him feel stupid. It had been days since he left - he didn't know how many. Probably over a week. And their kingdom was secluded and intentionally hard to find. And the outside world was so... wild. Dirty. ... frightening. It wasn't at all like home, or how he had expected. He had found no kindly women in small villages willing to lend a young prince a place to sleep for the night. There were no massive hollow trees in which he could sleep. There was just dirty ground with small rocks and twigs and pebbles that poked him at night. Or worse, muddy river banks or overgrown forests with unfriendly creatures.
His little friend, Mirage, was his comfort. The little rabbit, while silent, hung by his side - a warm, friendly face. Despite the fact that Dae'Ruil could sense the bunny's fear from time to time - at the screach of a hawk or howl of a wolf. He felt guilty for bringing him along into this - but he couldn't leave him behind.
He felt stupid, defeated.
And, just when he was wondering if it was all worth it, if maybe he should just hang his head and try to find his way back home, he heard a flurry of wings, and the soft of hooves settling onto the ground.
He looked up quickly to find himself face to face with one of the most striking mares he'd ever seen before. She was a russet dapple, with vivid green eyes that seemed to be brimming with life.
His jaw hung open and words seemed to escape him.
But not Fianna. "Hello!" She smiled to him, eyes twinkling with curiousity.
"I hope I didn't startle you. But it's been a day or so since I've seen anyone around."
Dae'Ruil shook his head quickly, eyes wide. "N..no. No... you didn't startle me." He lied.
"I'm sorry... this isn't your... lake or anything, is it?" He winced. One thing he was familiar with was territorialism.
Fianna laughed, a lovely twinkle that inadvertantly flashed sharp canines. "No! Nonono. I'm travelling myself. My name is Fianna."
Dae'ruil's relief was short lived as he saw those canines and his ears flattened and he found himself taking a step backwards. "Fianna, eh?" He winced. "My... what sharp teeth you have." He added with a nervous chuckle, thinking of the bedtime story he had been told by the nursemaids.
Fianna's ears flattened. "YEah? What of 'em?" She demanded defensively. Only one of the others she'd seen had acted fearfuly of her teeth and her odd tail, and she thought it was ridiculous.
"Look. Whatever, You have yourself a nice day." She muttered, starting to spread her wings again.
"No no! I am sorry, my lady. I was just caught off guard. I've never seen a soquili with sharp teeth before." He whispered, cheeks burning. That was not at all the thing to say to a lady. What a horrible gentleman he was.
"I... am terribly sorry." He repeated, dipping into a very formal bow. "I am Dae'Ruil, and I seem to have absolutely lost my manners. Can you forgive the imposition of this humble stallion?"
Fianna's eyebrow arched and her wings relaxed, settling back to her sides with a small laugh.
"Dae'Ruil, huh?" She asked, overemphasizing his name like he did. "What, are you some kind of knight or something?" Maybe this would prove to be interesting.
"A knight? Oh no, my lady. I am not nearly... well..." He breathed startin over. "I'm no knight." He gave her an akward smile.
Fianna rolled her shoulders, completely unaware that whie he was no knight, he was something much more. "Well, I didn't think so." She laughed.
"So..." She looked around. "Not from around here, I'm guessing."
He shook his head with a shy smile. "No, my lady. I am traveling."
"Oh really? Where to?" She inquired, interest sparking.
He looked down, feeling ashamed again. "I... am not sure." He finally admitted. "I am aware of how ridiculous it likely sounds. But for the moment, I am merely ... traveling."
She shook her head, bemused with the strange, shy stallion. But he seemed sincere and gentle, which was certainly better than a lot of the others she had encountered. And she couldn't help but smile. "Well, Mr. Knight." She jabbed with a grin, "I'm travelling, too. "
"I'm no-" He started, but then just breathed, shaking his head ruefully. He almost wished he was a knight. Knights were fearless, brave. He may have had a decorative sword - but he barely knew how to use it. He had heard so many stories of brave knights, dashing and charming. Just like he had been when he was under his spell and wearing that mask.
A small smile crossed his face. Maybe, some day he could remember how to be like that.
"Where are you travelling?" He inquired. "If you do not mind me being so forward."
Fianna grinned widely. "I'm glad you asked! I'm looking for my sire! His name is Ethan. And he looks something like me... but no wings... and I think he has horns." She added with scandalous grin. It sounded so exciting. Sometimes she wished she had horns like her sisters. She had no idea the negative connotation most soquili associated with them.
"Your sire?" He asked a bit confused. Dae'Ruil had never known a situation where one may not know their sire or dam. "Where did he go? Did he not tell you where he was going?"
Fianna scowled. "If he told me where he was going than this wouldn't be a quest, now would it." She huffed. "No. I've never met him before." She virtually growled.
"Oh...OH!" Dae'ruil caught what she meant suddenly, flushing in embarrasment. "I... I'm sorry."
Her eyes flashed with defensive anger. "Don't be!" She retorted, tail flicking. "I'm not sorry." She responded, looking away. "I just want to find him."
Dae'Ruil cocked his head, regarding her. She was so confident! Sure of herself. He found himself respecting her, despite the fact she didn't even know her father. In his kingdom, that would have been such a scandal. And yet, she was so strong for it. She was more beautiful for that energy, that spirit! Dae'Ruil wished he could be like her.
"Well... good for you." He said honestly. "I... I'm sorry, though, I have never heard of him. I would have known someone like that had he been where I was from." Suddenly, he felt very self-conscious about his kingdom home. He knew it was supposed to be elusive, secret. His trip to the ball had been a very strategic consideration of an alliance with the other Prince's kingdom. And after the disaster with the evil Queen - despite the fact it had been remedied - had pretty much ensured that his kingdom would remain elusive and self-sufficient.
Fianna blew out a sigh, blowing a lock of fiery hair from her eyes. "Figures." She mumbled. "But I guess that's okay. There's a lot more land out there, other soquili. Someone's bound to know him." She breathed with determination.
She looked over at him, cocking a crooked smile. "Well, Mr. Knight. I guess good luck with... your mysterious 'travels." She lifted her wings again. "I've taken enough of a break, I guess."
Dae'ruil felt his heart clutch as he saw her preparing to leave. He swallowed, taking a step forward. This was one of the first other soquili he'd seen since he left home. She knew where she was going. She had a direction, she had a purpose. She had confidence.
And Dae'Ruil summoned every ounce of courage he had when he protested. "Wait! Lady Fianna!"
She looked back with a curious c**k of her head and a smile. Lady Fianna indeed. How charming. "Yeees...?" She asked with bemusement.
Dae'ruil stood with rigid legs. He could say this. "Do you.... could I..." He stopped, and then an idea clicked. He turned for a moment, pulling out the mask that he had brought with him that had thus far remained tucked into his clothing. He tossed it onto his face, not caring for the moment what she thought of his bizarre 'transformation." "Could I accompany you, my lady? A Maiden should have a knight on her travels, after all." He said with a lot more confidence than he felt.
Fianna's brows raised again in surprise and amusement as she looked over the elegant mask he had put on. She wasn't quite sure what the purpose of it was, but she found herself smiling, thinking it charming.
She didn't want to admit how boring and lonely her trip had been so far. Someone to travel with... get to know.... it might really be nice...
He was charming... even if he was so shy! ...and kind of handsome - she had to admit. She coughed, turning her head, not wanting him to see the small blush that had settled onto her cheeks.
"Well." She said with a clear of her throat. "A knight errant, huh?" She looked over again, glancing at his wings. With a wild smile, she grinned to him. "I guess you can come with me... if you can keep up!" She spread her wings quickly, takin to the skies with a challenging whinny.
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:04 pm
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Mixcatl's EncountersRP withMixcatl and Einarr, with references to Xibalba, Psyche, and Brigitte((This is a companion Solo/Plot RP to Einarr's RP Here ))  
With a flurry of feathers, Mixcatl breached the thick canopy of the woods with a gleeful whinny. Every day was an adventure for the unusual young mare - or at least, so she strove to make it.
The forests were her playground ever since she was a filly. Her guardians - Xibalba and Psyche - had long ago given up in trying to keep her under their eyes. They had been in fact the ones who had taught her the amazing treasures that coulda be found if you looked hard enough - to find miracles in the smallest, most unlikely locations. But they had their own concerns. And it was not hard to find new areas for just her eyes. Her wings could carry her faster, higher, and farther than Psyche's - as soon as she had learned to use them, and thus she took to roaming further away from home, discovering new patches of the deep forests. Those were her favorite spots, after all. She didn't care that she traveled alone - she was fearless for such a young age. She learned more than Xibalba or Psyche ever taught her from her own experiences.
There was one thing, however, that Xibalba had shown her, that she was always thankful for. When she had come of age, he had shared something with her- their birth mother - Brigitte. But before she was ready to meet her, she had to pass a test - to prove herself, to show her mother her true face.
Xibalba had a strange way of viewing the world, and because of it, he could almost understand their mother and her madness. Psyche repeatedly had told him that he was lucky that she hadn't attacked him the time he had gone to meet her - instead, she had "given him his face". Xibalba instructed Mixcatl to jouney into the deep woods - to where the wind told her to go - and to find the creature that would give her her own. She would know it when she saw it.
And so she had - Her wings took her somewhere new - somewhere wet and swampy and hot that felt just right to her. And there, she had found a monstrous creature - low to the ground, with skin like armor and a mouth with too many teeth. it had tried to come for her when she stopped to take a drink. It had chosen her - and unknowingly, it had chosen to give its life to her. And Mixcatl had taken it graciously - she had brought it its death and taken the bones in its head to wear on her own. Her new face.
And she had been taken to see her mother. Like Xibalba, it had been a significant encounter for the young mare. Those red eyes had regarded her with what seemed like be a mote of recognition. She had brought her the peppers that Psyche had given her to offer.
Brigitte had rambled, talking of the light and the dark, and between muttered, repeated obscenities, she had gone to the far end of the ancient cemetary and pawed at a thorny bush. From it, she had drawn out a feather whose colors Mixcatl had never seen all together at once. And then, leaving it exposed, she wandered off. Mixcatl didn't know how she knew - but she knew it must have belonged to her father.
***
And it was not since that day that Mixcatl had such a singular encounter than she had just come from. It was a stallion - one that she had never laid her eyes on before, and yet who immediately struck a chord with her.
Like her, he wore a mask made of bone - but the skeleton went all down his back and thin tail. Delicate bracelets of gold adorned his ankles. she had not been afraid to make her introduction. She had never been taught about the soquili species - that his horns and tail spoke of a demonic heritage, that he might be dangerous. Mixcatl was used to soquili with a wide variety of features. She did not know the concept of a pure breed, or the implications of any given features beyond having means gave one the gift of flight, or horns a weapon.
He had been serious, gruff, but it did not put off the wild Mixcatl. He had called himself a warrior - the bones his armor. A warrior - Mixcatl was familiar with that. And she had asked this warrior to pay her homage - with a greedy eye on his bracelets. Mixcatl had a fondness for the shiny gold. And he had the strength, the pride to deny her.
It ruffled her feathers, and yet, she found some respect for this like-minded stallion - who wore the bones of others, and the shiny jewelry. She proclaimed that she was a warrior herself - mistress of the jungles- a wildcat of the woods and a serpent in the air.
Brimming with energy, they had tested each other. In the thick of the woods, her wings were no advantage, but she fought differently than he was used to - more like an animal than any who knew how to place a blow deliberately to cause damage or hit a weak spot. But she had energy where he had experience and calculation. They had traded blows - she knew at least once her hoof had connected with some force, and she still felt a soreness in her hip where his tail had lashed out unexpectedly with some force. But it was a memory of the strange stallion, and one that she did not regret.
She knew these woods well - and she knew his scent now. She would see him again - she knew it!
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