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 Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:22 pm
Gold-gray wings snapped open, helping him to glide down to the rookery where the eggs were being kept. After making sure the eggs were safe and tucked in nice and warm, Alister wandered away from the rookery, looking for a good target for the night. He opened his wings, letting the winds pick him up onto a higher cliff, and looked around from his vantage point, eyes gleaming wickedly. It was a clear night, perfect for slinging pebbles. No pesky clouds to cast shadows on his targets. It was perfect.
Now if only he could find that damned target.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:39 pm
 Alestair woke with his mind focused, he leapt down and landed gracefully away from the cliffs. He stopped for a moment to close his eyes and spread his wings. The moonlight bathed him and without his wings cloaked around him his scars stood out a stark contrast against his pale sandy skin. It was rare for him to relax like this, but being constantly tense and battle ready was wearing on him. He was so quick to fly into a rage at the slightest thing, perhaps it was time to learn to relax and take things in stride.
Deep inside though he knew that such relaxation did not come to one who had spent life constantly vigilante and prepared to attack. Still, the years were marching on, and even faster now thanks to the pearl. He did not like the trade, for he planned on having no eggs of his own, but his strength and youth he needed to protect the clan. Still for those it made happy he could understand, and it was true that the clan now flourished where before it had seemed to be fading.
With a soft sigh he opened his eyes snapping back to reality after having let his thoughts consume him. "Let us hope I age with grace at the least..." He huffed softly.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:45 pm
Alister's devious gaze landed on the warrior Alestair, and he eyed him appreciatively. He was handsome, he decided passingly, but moreso, he was curious about those scars. And he was picking out where the best spot would be to attack him, and when. Oh yes, he'd found his target. Without taking his eyes off Alestair, in case the Gargoyle decided to go and disappear on him, his hand snuck out and snatched a small pebble. He felt it without looking, frowning. It was jagged, but small. Grinning a little, he loaded the slingshot and aimed, closing one eye to sharpen his vision in the other.
He pulled back, watching Alestair wordlessly, and then let go, the stone flying for Alestair in a straight descent, aimed for the back of the male's head.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:51 pm
Alestair was just considering heading to guard his post for the night when he felt a quick sharp pain in the back of his head. He let out a growl and spun his eyes instantly targeting Alister. His eyes glowed bright white, flashing with anger and the promise of retribution. He leapt, his powerful legs turning the bound into a high enough leap that he spread his wings and glided to latch onto the cliff side. With powerful claws he made a fast climb up.
Just as he was about to grab the younger Gargoyle he took a deep breath, his eyes were still narrowed however. Hadn't he just been contemplating how to control his quick temper? How quickly the trick of some young fool had set him off. He growled softly trying to find words without yelling and flying back into a rage.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:56 pm
Alister watched triumphantly when the rock had hit Alestair in the head, eyes gleaming. The gleam and smug smile died quickly when he saw Alestair's glowing gaze from a distance. Instinct snapped his wings open, but he could scarcely get more then a few feet away before the angry Gargoyle was closing in on him. He closed his eyes, leaning against the cliff-face behind him, and braced himself for a hit. It wouldn't be the first time he was decked on account of a nice little prank. But a few seconds passed and no hit came. He opened one eye hesitantly, squinting at the gargoyle.
"... At least it wasn't an egg?" He offered. Because it just isn't good enough that he pissed him off, Alister had to go and shove his foot in his mouth as well.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:04 pm
The younger male's cocky response elicited a growl once more before Alestair's eyes faded to their usual red-brown. He glared and finished the climb standing before the light green Gargoyle. "I suppose you think your little prank quite amusing then? Your lucky it wasn't an egg, such waste and I would have been forced to thrash you."
The older male couldn't keep the deep growls from his chest, but he was making some effort. He shook his head as he realized that while the other male sounded cocky, he was braced as if ready to be hit. Alestair frowned and put his hands on his hips staring openly. "What is your name foolish one?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:11 pm
Alister winced sheepishly at the scolding, looking down like a child found with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. "But it wasn't," he grinned sheepishly, looking back at Alestair. "Just a pebble. A sharp, pointy pebble." He was not helping himself out of this hole, instead he was probably digging it deeper. Just can't keep your mouth shut, can you, Al? He fumed at himself, looking down.
"Alister." He said after a minute, looking up at the gargoyle and blinking at the way he was standing. He crossed his arms, not so much pressing himself against the stony wall as leaning against it now. He wasn't going to hit him, Alister was almost certain, so there was no need to cower like a child. Even if the growling was kind of scary. It was only because he was big and bad and possibly earned those scars smashing gargoyles like him for being smart asses. No reason to worry. Nope. Not at all.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:17 pm
"Yes a sharp pointy pebble indeed...one with such youth, strength, and accuracy should be out training, protecting, fighting for the clan. NOT pelting their clan members at random without thought of the harm that it might cause." The older male glared at him his eyes flashing white again for a moment.
He took another deep breath and shook his head "Have you nothing better to do this eve Alister?" His eyes narrowed on the young male feeling doubly annoyed at the carefree attitude he had. What the boy needed was some focus, or for someone to give him a good thrashing, either or.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:22 pm
Probably both, really.
"This is a form of training," he replied sheepishly, reaching up to itch the back of his head. "Always making sure I've got good accuracy, y'know? Can never be perfect." He grinned. Because grins were infectuous, and he was curious to see if he'd grin. And if this gargoyle's grin was as scary as the rest of him. Yeesh. "You're not bleeding, right?" Because then he'd feel guilty on top of ashamed.
"Not really," Alister replied, grimacing at the narrowed look. "I already checked on the eggs in the rookery, and that's all I really do at night, make sure the eggs're okay and none of them're hatching early and stuff." He said quietly, shrugging.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:30 pm
Alestair shook his head wondering if perhaps he was simply too old, too out of touch with the younger Gargoyles in the clan. "Your accuracy seems just fine..." He muttered and gave a wry grin at Alister's question. "It would take a far hardier blow then that to make me bleed."
He gave a soft snort at what came next "Tending the eggs and the rookery is a woman's work." Alestair didn't consider himself sexist, of course what Gargoyle did, he simply saw things from an old and skewed perspective. Not that he didn't have plenty of respect for his fighting sisters. He simply thought that when a female was done with her fighting days it was her pleasure and duty to see to the younger generation. And what of him? He hated to think of his fighting days ever coming to an end, but someday they would...and then what would his duty and pleasure be?
He brushed away the unpleasant thoughts and looked back at Alister. "I suppose all is well with the eggs then? No harm has befallen them, no sharp pebbles have fallen from the cliffs and cracked them?" His tone was a bit harsh, but it was bound to be considering he, the ever vigilant warrior had just been thwacked in the back of the head by a gargoyle half his age.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:38 pm
He smiled. "Just fine isn't perfect." He said simply, grinning at the grin. However wry it was, it was a grin, and it wasn't half bad on the guy. "Good." He nodded. "I'd be afraid of a warrior like you bled so easy." He was entirely honest in that statement, nothing in his tone was complimentory.
"Then I'm a very ugly woman," Alister said without missing a beat, snorting. Alister wasn't a fighter. He was strong, and he'd lend his strength to any battles Lainnir required him to fight, but by nature he wasn't someone who went out and fought humans for the thrill of it. It was a requirement and a brutal one. Alister much preferred playing around with the children or snatching food from cooking mothers when they weren't working. It was his nature, his immature purpose in life.
"When I last checked on them," he said, scowling a little at the harsh tone. "Every egg was fine. No harm has befallen them, nor sharp pebbles." He had deserved that jibe regardless, but it still make him scowl a little. He didn't endanger people until they were at least teens!
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:47 pm
Alestair sound the wry grin turning into a soft chuckle, he had to give the lad credit he could certainly verbally spar with the best. He shook his head, his tone and features serious once more. "Well such dedication is commendable, but I would thank you kindly not to use my head for target practice."
He shook his head, mildly confused by the lack of desire in the other male to fight, there was no tension here. It was strange how calm Alestair felt, it was nice, yet the warrior instinct that had been honed for so long was twitching within. His wings flexed, his tail lashed, he could not help but have some part of him ready to lash out.
"Well I suppose it's good to know we have such care and protection for the eggs, imagine if anything should come flying at them, you might shoot it right from the sky."
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:53 pm
"I make no promises." He grinned mischeviously. "But next time I'll try finding a smoother stone." Anything to get the serious look off the gargoyle's face. It seemed he was far too serious, if he couldn't smile for very long, least of all laugh. "Or a pile of dung. That's soft enough, isn't it?" He said in good humor, grinning.
He watched him, taking the brief moment of silence to really get a look at the gargoyle in front of him. It was as though he was in a constant perpetual Battle-mode. Alister himself was a twitchy gargoyle, even now his hands flexed and his toe claw tapped lightly on the stone beneath them, but this scarred gargoyle seemed constantly waiting, as though someone could fall out of the sky and strike him down before he could react if he relaxed. He couldn't imagine living like that. All the tension would kill his shoulders.
"I don't think I'm that good." Alister couldn't help the blush that made his cheeks a darker gray-green. He fumed a little, rubbing his cheeks. "Besides, I hardly have much to protect with gargoyles like you. You'd be in the skies before anyone could have time to react, I bet." He grinned at him, shrugging.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:01 pm
He rolled his eyes and shook his head, the thought of having dung being flung anywhere was enough to make him tense further. "I doubt anyone would appreciate you flinging dung about, or pebbles, and if your going to hit me I suppose I prefer you stick to your sharp rocks."
The blush of modesty made Alestair grin, clearly what the young male needed was some compliments to his skills. His words however wiped the grin from his face as he shook his head. "The years have passed, I'm not half as fast as I once was...I can only hope that our younger brothers are ready to leap to defend the clan." The words were tinged with bitterness. It was hard for him to accept that soon he might not possess the speed and reflexes needed to stand at the front lines and lead the battle.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:06 pm
"Yeah, most gargoyles don't like being flung with dung." He looked sheepish, recalling his youth. That was the day he'd flown faster then he'd ever thought possible, and he still got his hide handed to him. "It doesn't make a lot of friends easily." Alister never liked the idea of having friends anyway. He preferred his solitude and slingshot. Pranks, while not nearly as long-lasting, made for better amusement in the long run.
"Half as fast as you were, you'd still probably get up there." He smirked a little, glancing past him towards gargoyles skyborn. "Younger gargoyles are getting there." Leave it to him to be the spying eyes of the clan. "But youth brings foolishness." He'd often heard his mother complain about that foolishness Alister had. He smiled a little. "Of course, you could always whip those youngin's into shape yourself..." Yes, that was an old man jibe. Feel free to whack him.
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