[PRP] Why So Serious? (Pooka & Oyoac)

[Sabin Duvert]

Gleaming red eyes peered out through the bare bushes that tenuously clung to the snow-covered ground. Once again, the small filly had managed to slip out from under the watchful eyes of her big brother, Taraxippus. He was fine and grand, but certainly could be no fun. So, she took it upon herself on more than one occasion to find her own fun.

Although.

During the dead of winter there seemed to be precious little of interest. She had managed to dig up a slumbering rabbit deep in the earth to play with before finding a fine meal of it. And while the snow was entertaining, it certainly was cold. She didn't have the blessing of her big brother to not seem to be quite all there. HE didn't seem quite that bothered by the snow. No, she had some substance on her bones. And while shadows licked at her fetlocks and streamed behind her in the form of a tail, she was, for the most part, solid. And while delicious thoughts had slipped through her mind at just what fun she might have if she were like her father or brother and could slip effortlessly through thick brambles... being solid had its... uses.

At the moment, Pooka was enthralled in her own mind, crunching through the virgin snow and digging at the hard earth with her hooves after the scent of what seemed to be a chipmunk deep in its burrow, imagining what delights might be in store for her - and it - when she unearthed the hibernating creature.  

[[ vance ]]

Head bent low against the bitter wind, the stallion made his way through the snowy wasteland. One might question any sane being's decision to venture out at this time, when the world was so cold and dead-- then again, sanity had never been one of Oyoac's strong suits.

Though he had spent his entire life on the road, winters were always the hardest. Winters were the only time when his mind shifted from troubled matters, to thoughts of warmth and shelter. Even now, feeling his energy flicker and wane, Oyoac exhaled-- sending smoky wisps into the air-- and decided to call it a day.

He would continue his search tomorrow. And again, per usual, the winding roads would lead him nowhere.

Eyelids heavy, frosted with ice, Oyoac scanned the white nothingness for any sign of shelter. There-- just beyond that snowdrift was a dark patch. A cave, perhaps? He had begun to make his way in that direction, when to his faint surprise... the dark shape moved.

Emerging through the snowy mists, Oyoac's chest sank as the darkness turned out to be a creature, not a resting place. It was a creature much like himself: four-legged, point-eared, though smaller-- and engaged in what looked to be... digging? In any case, it was none of his business, and he cared not to make it so.

Hooves sinking through the powder, the stallion continued onward. He was about to pass the small figure when it paused, seemingly having found something under the snow... and Oyoac caught a glimpse of the side of its face.

...Four.... eyes?

He paused in his tracks next to the figure, staring forwards. Four red eyes had gleamed from the darkness. Had he merely imagined things?
Oyoac turned his head slightly, silently, all thoughts of shelter momentarily gone.  

[Sabin Duvert]

There. Enough dirt and snow had been scraped away gingerly to reveal the tiny furry bundle. It was cold, barely moving, but she had seen enough of them to know that it was still alive. Just deep deep asleep. Well, it was time for a wake-up call! She placed her hoof delicately on top of it and began to press. Ever so slightly at first - until it began to squirm. And then... she snatched it quickly before he teeth lifting her head to whisk it away from its warm burrow.

But then, just as she was about to toss it into the air, something caught her attention from the corner of her left eyes. She turned quickly, chipmunk dangling by the tail from her jaws, sluggishly begining to squirm. Her four eyes narrowed, appraising this newcomer. She had not seen this soquili before! He certainly was not from her herd! Newcomer. Stranger. And interesting. Despite being on her own and a distance from the rest of her family, there was no fear in her posture. Her eyes lit on the skeletal adornments on the stallion with interest, eyes lingering on the bloodred shadows that clung to his feet. A wide grin stretched her face as she approached him, not bothering to drop the scrabbling rodent.

Her dark tail swished from side to side and a tittering laugh bubbled out from her maw. "Yerr new herr." She mouthed around her furry morsel.  

[[ vance ]]

What was he supposed to do? Golden eyes, normally half-shut in disinterest, widened as the black filly approached him, grinning and giggling in a way that made his hairs stand on end. Or perhaps the confirmation that he hadn't been hallucinating was what unnerved him-- indeed, four red jewels swept across him appraisingly, seemingly oblivious to the panicked critter below them.

He had seen many strange things through his years of travel. But this... was something in an entirely different league.

Ears twitching, his eyes narrowed at her garbled words; it was hard to concentrate on much else but the shrieks of the unfortunate chipmunk. That, and the shadowy, smoke-like form that appeared to be her tail, swaying hypnotically. His head jerked upwards after a moment, though, finally realizing that he had been addressed.

"I..." Oyoac paused, snow gathering upon his motionless form as he regarded the other. "...thought demons only existed in Hell. If so, then yes, I suppose I am new."

He hadn't imagined Hell to be snowing when he finally arrived, though.

That, and home to plump chipmunks. Speaking of which...

"Are you going to eat that?" he asked faintly, head tilting towards the struggling creature. It really wasn't any of his business, but...  

[Sabin Duvert]

Aha - there was the perfect lie for the day. It was so much more fun, and easier to dupe others into her stories, when they had a skewed perspective to begin with. And there almost always were interesting stories to capitalize on when she was the proud owner of such distinctive features.

And the stallion before her was infinitely more interesting than the squirming rodent between her jaws. But what was even better was a game between the two of them.

With a twinkle in her four eyes, she dropped the rodent. But, just as the creature let loose a squeal of joy, thinking it free, she darted a hoof out, pinning it firmly by the tail.

There. Now she could speak freely.

A wide grin once more split the face of the filly and her tittering, creepy laughter bubbled out of her mouth. "My, we are a quick one, aren't we? Bet ya didn't even notice as the cold took you." Her shadowy tail swished from one side to the other. "Most don't yannow. It's like a blanket." She looked to the pelt draped over the stallion's back. "This relief of the hurt and the cold... just covers you and lulls you into a nice, warm sleep." Her voice was soothing, mimicking the lure of hypothermia. But suddenly, it turned on its edge into a harsh snap. "And then you're HERE. You must have done something really nasty to wind up HERE."

Her eyes trailed down to the chipmonk, as if noticing it for the first time. "I was thinkin' about it." She let the words hang in the glade for a deliberately long pause. "Souls are so tasty, you know." She finished with a triumphant grin.
 

[[ vance ]]

For a long time Oyoac only looked at her, golden eyes half-shut, unblinking. It was a habit that tended to unnerve most creatures he met, but merely signified deep thought. A scrabble and squeak punctured the silence; the stallion's eyes finally broke away, and he turned, bone adornments clanking hollowly.

"All I've done is walk. Forever." His voice was faint over his shoulder, lost in the icy wind. "If every step I've taken was a sin... then I'm not at all surprised to be here."

The only regret he had was not finding answers, after all those years. It looked as if he were destined to remain in the dark, without identity, for eternity.

But lords, was it cold. Not even the pelt he had picked up on his travels could help him now. And was it his imagination, or had it gotten darker as they spoke? ...Did night and day even exist in this forsaken place? Stamping his legs for warmth, Oyoac turned again to his small companion, and wasn't surprised to see that she looked perfectly fine.

"So... eater of souls. Tell me. Is this the part where I slowly freeze from the hooves up, and know no more?" His voice was low, gaze resting on the rodent under her grasp.

"Or--" --his eyes slowly rose to meet her unsettling ones-- "Does Hell perchance house a cave or shelter nearby, where I can face my doom in the tiniest of comforts?"  

[Sabin Duvert]

Quiet. The stallion was so quiet for a time. Was he seeing through her story? That would certainly be no fun. But with practiced discipline, Pooka did not tip her hand. She kept her eyes on her mark, and the grin never left her face.

Finally, sweetness. She virtually quivered with delight as he described the apparent torture that was his life. "Walking... walking... always walking. Through the mire, through the snow and the cold. Eventually it pulls you down down down." She chortled. "Down here. Down to me."

She cocked her head, never taking her eyes from him. "And the ground doesn't forget your sins. They whisper them to me, you know. The darkness catches up to you, and the cold never lets you go. There is no comfort for you here. Nor is there the bliss of oblivion. But...."

She pressed just a little bit harder on the tail of the scrabbling rodent, making it scream.

"There is... a game."

She looked down again to the chipmunk, petrified again in fear. "Some have said that when you die, your soul takes the form of an animal. Something.... indicitave of your position in life." There was that grin again. "I seem to have caught myself one... and here you are. It can't be a coincidence."

"So tell me. What would you do for your soul back?"  

[[ vance ]]

Oyoac's gaze slid down to the animal, where it briefly lingered, before moving back to the she-demon. With it accompanied the tiniest of smiles, crooked and sardonic. "A chipmunk, you say. I was thinking something more along the lines of a vulture, even a rat-- but I suppose my soul has its reasons to manifest as a fat little nut-hoarding rodent."

The stallion took a step closer, ignoring the snow that had begun to whirl threateningly about them. Though his face showed nothing, his yellow eyes glinted in the darkness. "What would happen if I said I didn't want it?"

His gaze never moved from hers. "Could things get any worse than where I already am, what I am doomed to? What if-- I told you to go ahead and crush it? What, then, would become of me?"

His voice was soft, but full of challenge, as hers had been. "...Should we find out?"  

[Sabin Duvert]

Pooka's stretched grin never faded from her face as she watched this stallion with utmost amusement. Today was shaping out to be such a wonderful day. Who would have thought, given how boring and dismal it had begun.

Whether he knew it or not, the intriguing stallion was trying to call her bluff. Well, that just wouldn't do. "Oh, but I do know what will happen. You see, I am no stranger to souls. Nor is my belly. These little balls of fluff are tricky. They are you energy, your life force. If this is destroyed, then so are you. But, if I eat this, I take into myself your energy, and you and your body shall be bound to me to do my bidding forever. Why else do you think Demons want souls? Collections?" She titterd again, her shoulders shakin wiht mirth.

"But I do so love a game. If you get your soul back... well, you get your soul back. Your life. You get a second chance - that oh-so-priceless opportunity to fix things that went wrong by going back with the knowledge of what transpired here. Many wander down here forever looking for their souls, only to have them devoured by a demon, forever their slaves."
 

[[ vance ]]

"A.... game?"

Oyoac pawed absently at the snow with one hoof, a snort of distaste leaving his nostrils as white mist. Today had truly been his lucky day-- damned to a snowy wasteland, unsettled by a grinning little she-devil, and now... challenged to play children's games. Over his very soul, no less!

He lowered his head to gaze at the trembling fluff-ball once more. Bone ornaments clinked hollowly by his ears, reminding him-- of the places he had been, the nightmares he had waded through. The darkness he had ripped with his own two hooves. Slowly, he felt his resolve flicker to life, grow within him. What could a four-eyed little foal possibly do to him that would be worse?

... Make him her slave?

His maw twisted in a slight grimace. Oyoac, eternal wanderer of the roads, chained under the command of a demonic foal...

"Well, let's hear it," the stallion spat out grudgingly. "Your challenge. You may love your infernal games... but I love my freedom, miserable and aimless as it may be."


(( A thousand apologies for the delay!! Awesome new Soqs in your sig. eek ))  

[Sabin Duvert]

Pooka's shadowy tail flipped upwards at his patronizing reaction to a game. "Yes! Yes, a game! You should be thankful that I feel so generous as to give you the opportunity to win your life back. Do not make me change my mind, stallion!" She huffed, looking critically down to the chipmunk once more.

She seemed mildly contented, however, when he assented. "And what is a game without high stakes, after all? It gives you the reason to play seriously."

"Leeettsss seeee." She mused, drawing out the words torturously in a shrill voice. "How about a chase... I let this go.." She only pressed down a little harder on the chipmunk's tail, causing it to shriek again. "And we give it a head start.... thirty seconds." Her four eyes seized Oyoac sharply. "And do not even consider cheating. I shall not use any of my abilities to get the edge on you." She paused for a moment, watching him to make certain that he understood. "And then we will both look for it. If I catch it, I eat it, and you are mine. If you catch it, you eat it, returning your soul to your body, and you have escaped."  

[[ vance ]]

Children's games, indeed...

Oyoac's frown only deepened as she spoke. The demon seemed to be enjoying herself at his expense, his discomfort. It was true-- the normally unruffled stallion was quite perplexed by whole situation. During his travels he had heard of trickster demons and deals with devils, but..... never in those tales did they take the form of a young filly, challenging him to hide-and-seek games over a furry, squeaking soul.

As she finished, Oyoac exhaled in one long, frosty breath, feeling as if all logical thought had escaped alongside it. Hooded eyes met her sharp gaze, revealing nothing. But finally, the stallion's mouth quirked ever so slightly-- the ghost of a grim smile.

"Is it a... requirement of this game... to win via ingestion?"

Turning to face forward, the stallion's gaze roved indifferently across the land. "It would be truly inglorious to win back my soul, only to lose it again immediately... all over the snow." The faint smile remained as he glanced back at the foal, muscles shifting and tensing in preparation.  

[Sabin Duvert]

"Of course it is!" Pooka responded indignantly at the stallion's question. That was half the fun that Pooka was looking forward to, after all. If she caught the chipmonk, while she would get a tasty meal, her charade was certain to fall apart, unless this stallion were particularly gullible. But it would be oh-so-fun to watch some plant-eater try to force himself to eat meat.

"If you don't eat it then you can't take your soul back! It just runs about and will probably just get eaten by some other demon if I don't catch it first!" she huffed, ears flicking back.

"And if you retch, you retch. But you'll have gotten the important parts." She paused for a moment, eying him with all four beady eyes. "Now, damned stallion. Shall we play?"  

[[ vance ]]

His tail flicked lazily, amusement growing as the little demon huffed at him. She was oddly intent on having him purge his insides, if he happened to win... strange, indeed. Then again, everything about this day had been strange...

"Odd rules you-- em, have down here." Oyoac gave a small snort, breath icing in the air. It was a crazy proposal from the start, hunting for a tiny rodent in a snowstorm like this... in spite of himself, Oyoac could have laughed. The likes of him, running around at the behest of a filly...

"I am ready." The stallion stood next to her, his gaze trained coolly forwards. He paused briefly, then without looking down, continued in a low tone: ".....Do you find much pleasure in treating your victims so?"  

[Sabin Duvert]

"Wonderful!" she trilled and looked down at the small rodent.

"Rules are rules, and what delightful games you can play with them. Everything has to have rules... how else would you bend them, and find the little loopy holes in them?" She seemed quite mad.

Quickly, she leaned down, nipping the chipmonk's tail enough to draw blood, and a half moment later, she lifted her hoof. The little thing took off like an arrow, shrieking at the sudden pain and simultaneous gift of freedom. And as it took off, a few drops of blood fell onto the pure snow, leaving an intermittant trail.

She grinned, and began to count aloud, keepin her eyes on the stallion "One.... two... threefourfive~!.... Six ... seven... EIGHTNINETEN!"

she eyed him, making certain he wasn't going to break her rules.


EDIT Feb 22, 2010: Since it's been so long since there's been a response, I'm going to assume that this RP has been abandoned. No hard feelings if so. If I'm incorrect, and you have any desire to continue, just drop me a PM, also no hard feelings smile <3.