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 Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:39 pm
Itzcóatl was feeling rather smug and that put him in a very good mood indeed. He was an odd sort of fellow. You couldn't describe him as being an 'anti-social' or 'vicious' sort. He was just...odd! He was quite friendly and could have made a lot of friends if it were not for his supersticious tendencies. These, more often than not, put others on edge and often directed a rather negative response.
But this snake had been brought up that way and superstition was in his blood. Nothing could change that. Not now. Not ever. And what harm was it, really, to see meaning in all aspects of life? In colours and in markings and in odd happenings. Itzcóatl was fascinated by such ideas and was always looking for new opportunities to leap up at him.
However, for once, he wasn't looking up at cloud formations or scaling the pride for anything out of the ordinary. Instead he was moving on the outskirts of the lands, moving from rock to rock in search of a perfect sunning place. After his success at becoming bond to the Dark One's eldest he was quite happy to sit and enjoy the sun before it dipped into night.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:20 pm
 Straying so far from home was not something Vuvi was really interested in- she knew her Jeraha would be cross with her if he discovered she had wandered without telling him about it first. Still, she found herself quite some distance from their cozy den by a waterfall, looking around in a perplexed fashion. None of it was familiar to her, leaving her to wonder the sanity behind wandering around at all. It had been an irrational move that really hadn’t done anything good for her.
A lose-lose situation.
Perhaps she could argue that she was at least away from the children, whom had her trying to slither up the side of the den on most days. She was not one who really understood how to deal with kids. Jeraha, granted, was no better and he managed to do it just fine. Maybe there was something that changed in an animal when the kids were yours.
As she slipped over the ground, her body glistening in the right way in her opinion, she noticed she was not alone in this strange area. There was a snake, a charcoal one, not far from her, though he didn’t seem nearly as lost as she plainly was. Curious, having never actually met another snake outside the family, she drew closer.
“Hello,” she offered.
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Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:08 am
The voice took him by surprise, but it didn't show on his face as he turned his head to glance across the sands. There, interfering with the gold expanse, was the grey and green scales of a serpent. At first he thought it might be one of those other green ones, but it wasn't, thank goodness. They hadn't been friendly at all, in fact he was sure that the male had been ready to attack him! And why? Because he'd told them that the jungle was a dangerous, terrible place. Was he not allowed an opinion? Besides, it was more than just an opinion! It was a warning. A good one too! Even the Firekin would never enter the jungle and they were the biggest and strongest of all lions!
He loosened his coils and moved forwards to address the stranger, his tongue flicking slowly. "Hello." He seemed to admire her for a moment, tipping his head from one side to the other. "You have very interesssting markingsss."
And she did.
"Where are you from, Vine-Ssscaless?" Not the desssert, not with that colouring." Though, he could say the same for himself. His black scales meant he often felt the heat to a terrible extent. That was the reason he hid away during the hottest times of the day.
"You aren't the friendsss of the Jungle Dwellersss, are you?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 4:01 pm
The female watched him, saying nothing. She didn’t mind being looked at, after all, and didn’t want to spoil the moment with speech. When he commented on her markings, she smiled, looking herself over a moment before her eyes returned to him. “Thank you,” she offered faintly, “I suppose I did inherit the good markings.” Unlike her new companion, Vuvi didn’t speak with a hiss. This was a very carefully endeavor from the snake, who was aware that if she allowed herself to her speech would slur just the same as any other snake’s might.
When she spoke, she made sure to shorten the ‘s’ sounds, wanting to sound refined and intelligent like her lion friend Jeraha. He spoke with such authority. Something that just wouldn’t happen if she was always sliding on those ‘s’ words.
“I come from the jungle,” she replied with a slightly bemused tone, “but I don’t know what you mean. I’m not friends with anyone in the jungle but Jeraha, and I don’t think you’re talking about a lion, are you?”
She really didn’t like to socialize all the much, especially after the past couple of encounters she had with the general public. A p***k of a jackal had gotten her so frustrated and she didn’t think talking to other snakes would be any different. At least this one hadn’t tried to attack her, that was something different.
Maybe he wasn’t so bad.
“Do you have a name?” She asked.
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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:35 am
His eyes watched her, slithers of green in a now face set deep with concentration. Perhaps this was how one talked to other snakes, not as a group, but as a couple. When there had been three he'd almost had his eyes poked out by lashing fangs, at least now things seemed calm...so long as he kept his words in check and didn't offend her in any way.
For a serpent who was often considered mad he was also highly perceptive and he noted how she smiled at his flattery. She liked that, did she? Well, he could flatter her easily. She was very pretty.
At her response his whole body went rigid, eyes widening, mouth opening as he prepared to blurt his supersticious nonsense. Then, just as the words were about to come into being he remembered how angry those other serpents had been at him for telling them that their home was a dark omen, a terrible place that he would never dare enter. Instead, he gave a long, low hiss and let his tongue flicker ever so slightly. Perhaps, if he was careful, he could learn more about this ominous place so feared by Firekin.
"No, not a lion. Two ssserpentsss. Male and female, green but not asss green or pretty asss you." He smiled, noting that she spoke differently from normal serpents and wondering why.
A snake going against nature.
A shudder ran the length of his spine at that thought and again he seemed to recoil slightly. What was she, then? Some strangely evolved snake, beautiful but...but what? He'd have to do some thinking and researching about that. Maybe even ask his parents to see if they knew, for they were the holders of all knowledge. (Or so he liked to believe).
Glad for the change of topic, if only for a moment, he nodded in response. "Yesss, I do. My name is Itzcoatl." He bowed his sleek, black head. "Obsssidian Ssserpent. And you? Do you have a name?" He lifted his eyes to watch her carefully.
Then, after another pause he spoke again. "I wonder, if you would be ssso kind to indulge me. I have a few quessstionsss to asssk you about your home. The jungle. Isss thisss the jungle close to thessse very landsss?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:51 pm
“I don’t know them,” replied Vuvi with absence of interest. If they weren’t prettier than she was, what did she need to worry of them? Though it seemed they had coiled this snake the wrong way somehow- he seemed on edge. Or maybe that was because she lived in a jungle-like area? She couldn’t be completely sure, though it made her want to be a bit more careful just in case she said something that made him snap in some way.
She wasn’t going to lose any blood to another snake.
“Itzcoatl,” she repeated, “I like that. It’s a very powerful-sounding name, isn’t it? Yes, I have a name as well. You may call me Vuvi.” Not as cool, she found, as his name, but females weren’t supposed to have powerful, catchy titles. She felt her name was well suited for her and she wasn’t going to feel embarrassed about her. Like the rest of her, it was perfectly lovely.
Not that she was self-centered, of course.
Haring he had questions, Vuvi rolled her head about non-existent shoulders, not going to deny him just because she felt a little nervous that a fight might start up and she was enjoying the conversation. Not to mention the view. Nodding, she allowed him to continue.
“Not so close,” she replied thoughtfully, “I’ve been traveling for quite some time. It’s just a small patch of trees and water over in the rogue lands. Not much of a jungle, I gather, but the lions I live with still call it one so I’m happy to refer to it as the same. Is there something about jungles that you don’t like? It’s just a place to live as far as I’m concerned.”
A safe place she was starting to miss, actually. Something she hadn’t really experienced before. Living with Jeraha and his cubs had made her soft in her mind.
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Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:47 am
"My parentsss gave me a ssstrong name to ward off the dangersss." He replied smoothly, his tongue testing the air constantly, even when he spoke. "Vuvi? Ssshort and sssweet. A sssound name indeed." And it was. As with everything, Itz read meanings between names as well as odd happenings and colours and...well, pretty much anything and everything.
"Ahh, that'sss alright then." And he settled instantly, turning his head to glance that distant strip of green. "Not all junglesss are bad but the Firekin..." He trailed off. "I've heard ssstoriesss that they do not like thossse treesss. Perhapsss becaussse the land isss rich and fertile, unlike thisss desssert wasssteland, which isss - I can tell you - certainly not a wasssteland at all."
He paused and blinked. "Sssuperssstious fool, sssome call me, but can I be blamed for what my parentsss taught me? Perhapsss there isss truth in sssuperssstition. Either way, I will not venture there. I wasss born in thessse landsss and intend to ssstay. I have a bond here. You mention lionsss, too? Have you a bonded ssssuch asss I?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:07 am
“It looks like a wasteland,” Vuvi replied shortly, surveying the area, “but I suppose I’m just more used to green. I live by a waterfall, you see. There’s always lots of plants around a waterfall. But you say these… firekin… they don’t like the jungle? How very odd. I’ve never seen anything to be upset about.” She imagined it had to do with territory, ritual and such, but she wasn’t sure. Probably something she didn’t need to be questioning him about.
It was really no concern of her.
Listening to him go on, Vuvi found it easy to understand everything he had to say even through the hissing. She was used to the way other snakes spoke. Still, she was confused. “A bonded? I’m not sure what that it, sorry. Jeraha is a good friend of mine. We’re not… bonded to one another, but we still live together. He protects me and I help him understand poisons and plants. I also help him with his cubs. When they’re not trying to bat me across the den, that is.”
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:57 am
He bobbed his head. "The only conclusssion I have come to ssso far isss that the jungle isss jussst too different from the desssert. Rich. Fertile. Plentiful with water. Yesss, a place quite the opposssite from the desssert land they thrive in." He levelled his head a little and waited for her response. He was eager to know the goings on of other snakes. He always had a feeling that they all lived quite different lives.
Serpents were adaptable creatures, able to live in almost any climate. It explained the brilliant patterns, the poison, the ability to slink and slither around unknown. He knew nothing but the desert and was curious about life outside of it.
"It sssoundsss like a sssimilar sssituation to mine. We call it bonded, here. A friendssship between ssserpent and lion, where they ssshare wisssdom with one another. I am bonded to the Dark One'sss eldessst. Her name isss Fia. Her markingsss are odd and do not bode well, but I will protect her. That isss why I ssstay here. That isss my purpossse."
He glanced at her. "I wasss consssidering a hunt. How would you like me to ssshow you what livesss in thisss....wasssteland." He smiled and dipped his head.
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:54 pm
“Yes, it is all those things,” agreed the snake thoughtfully, “very different from this… sand. I suppose to each their own.” She said it, but even her tone didn’t suggest that she really believed the worlds slipping between her lack of lips. How could anyone live in such a desolate place? Could they even be happy? Mostly she didn’t care to find out, happy to get out of there as soon as possible.
Well, except she was rather enjoying her present company. It had been a while since she had been able to sit and talk with another snake that wasn’t a child. Hissing aside, it was becoming quite pleasant.
As he moved on, she listened intently, confused. “Dark One?” she repeated, not really familiar with anyone by that name. Jeraha, at least, never mentioned any Dark One in their conversations. Seemed like someone she should know about, however. “Protecting them is very important, isn’t it? Sometimes I don’t know how lions ever manage without us around to help them.”
She smiled at that, trying to picture how Jeraha would handle all those cubs on his own.
At his offer, she nodded, moving beside him. “Lead the way,” she instructed with a leading smile of her own, “I would love to see how you hunt.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:41 am
Itzcoatl, who had never known anything but sand, had no interest for grass and jungle. It suited him just fine here, where the sun was warm and the sand smooth and easy on his belly. Perhaps it was also his hesitance to leave the side of his bonded for too long that jept him from venturing too far, also.
He flicked his tongue and began heading in the direction of some of the best hunting grounds. Not far away, in a mound of sand-eaten rocks, lived a colony of little desert rodents. They had long, tufty tails, and little legs that had them hopping kangaroo-fashion. However, they were super quick and not easy to catch. In any case, the obsidian snake had been practising and was keen to show what he had learned.
As he went, he answered Vuvi's question.
"The Dark One isss the lion bonded to my own dear parentsss." Itzcoatl explained. "Ssshe isss ruler of the Firekin, her pelt dark asss my ssscalesss are dark. A beautiful thing though I have never ssspoken to her. I am bonded to her eldessst daughter, following in the teachingsss of my parentsss - wissse sssnakesss that they are."
He slowed his motion. "We are almossst there. Sssee thossse rocksss jussst ahead? That isss the home to the tassstiessst of food."
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