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 Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 3:36 am
Fang lay lazily on the tree branch, his heart pounding and his head suddenly relieved. The pain caused by his ability was unbarable, and even after the energy was released causing someone to have a nightmare he felt weak and irratable. It was a good job, he thought, that no one tended to come near him due to his dark appearance. Afterall if they did he would be more than likely to bite their head off and then ask questions later.
Stretching in a very feline manner he swished his tail from side to side and then decided to jump down to the ground. Landing with the softest of 'thumps' he yawned once more and looked around for something to relieve his bordem until his headache disapeared. It wasn't exactly easy, it was night after all and everyone who had anything of interest to do tended to take it with them when the bedded down for the night. Rolling his eyes a little at the thought of sleeping at night he started to walk, heavy paws pounding the ground with each elegant movement.
Hunt? He could hunt, but he wanted to stay away from others right now. Find a new home? He could but what good would that do when he would merely be forced to move the next time he gave someone a nightmare. You see Fang always tried to give different people Nightmares rather than isolating them to just one or two animals, at least then they would have a better chance of dreaming of something nice that could make them forget the Nightmares. Nightmares that often took hold of him before their release, forcing him to act and sound differently. A soft growl escaped his voice as he slammed his clawed paw down sharply into the log in front of him. He hated the sence of being out of control. Hated the blank spots in his memory where he could only imagine the choas he caused. Nothing to ground him, nothing to save him -he would be like that forever. A Nightmare all to himself.
He clenched his paw, causing the claws to dig deeper into the wooden log before he withdrew them. Flexing his paw open and closed, clawed and unclawed, he decided to leave something here that people would appeaciate. Eyes wandering to the log he decided he would carve something into its hard surface using his claws. The only problem..... he needed inspiration for a subject matter. What was it people liked? Flowers? The sun? The moon? He didn't know due to avoiding others most of his life, yet he still felt a connection to them - a need that could never be filled.
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Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 1:24 pm
Xyneus was between homes. To be more specific, she wasn't between places to live. It was just her way. Every night, she was always drawn to poor souls who just couldn't find their way into a peaceful night's rest. Deep inside, her great desire was just to help. She always had that nurturing spirit. She was also extremely empathetic. When there was a poor fox or lion out there who couldn't find sleep and were tortured through bad dreams or inability to find their dreams, she was drawn to them like a bug to the light.
She was starting to feel rather concerned on top of a little tired sooner than normal. Why was it that it seemed as of late her work had seemed to multiply? She had been hot on a trail of carousel critters who were well tortured out of having any rest. At this rate, she might have to take a break to refill herself. She thought a break was definitely in order.
She trotted over to where she could find a small creek. Nothing was better than fresh running creeks or rivers to her. What a soothing and comforting sound it was. It was the perfect place that would be serene and recharge her batteries. She sighed with some relief.
Still, in the middle of the night, she could feel a pull. There was that tug. It was urgent and needful like most the normal pulls she feels to go minister to someone. Yet, this felt.. heavier, stronger, and much more potent. What was that? Was that... why things had been so busy lately? Is that feeling the source of what's causing so many creatures to be so restless? She'd find out... soon. She just wanted to lay there. She slid to the ground, rolled over, and spread her wings against the dirt. She basked in the moonlight as it bathed her wings and halo.
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 2:02 am
After several more moments Fang decided that he had no idea what he could ever carve into the log that would bring others joy and so he decided it would be best to simply leave things how they where. Before long he would be gone, and those he had effected would forget him, forget his Nightmares, forget the pain and remember their dreams. Dreams and wishes that needed to be cherished and guarded close to their hearts. Of course his Nightmares sometimes had a nasty habit of replaying night after night in certain 'victums' but that was nothing he could predict. The energy that he released simply found and settled within the closest and best of hosts. If there was another way Fang would take it, but he couldn't hold off the insanity for long.
Heart heavy with sorrow he jumped on to the log and the off again as he set on his way. It would have been quicker to use his wings to travel but he had no energy to spare after the release of his Nightmares.... and so he walked.
Walked and walked. For what felt like an eternity. Until, lit by the moonlight he saw someone litterally appear to glow before his eyes. A halo, soft white wings, and a pelt of black that was glistening in all the colours of the rainbow. The figure was destinctly female, and suddenly Fang felt dirty -as if he had no right to look on someone or something so pure of heart and mind. He turned away and looked to the ground. He had two options.
1. Walk away.
2. Talk to her.
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 7:56 pm
As she lay there trying to spiritually find her way through this feeling as though doing so would reveal the source of this tension, her tail had been twitching. Then, the sense of sorrow and a great burden just kept growing. After not too long, it felt like it was so big and heavy. It was like an aneurysm that coiled in the brain and suddenly feeling about to burst. The pressure was almost painful. She was finding herself beseiged with mixes of anguish and compassion, pain and healing. Of course, the first in those were the empathetic traces she picked up from someone nearby. The latter were her automatic responses. The type she couldn't control within herself. The goddess who nursed the broken wings of birds. The goddess who fed lost starving animals.
Her tail pointed out straight and stiff when the feeling grew so great. ~What could this be?~ she wondered to herself. She tilted her head backwards out of exasperation. She rolled her eyes to the trees. The line of sight was dotted with read beads of... what was that? Her eyes moved to follow them. The beads seemed to placate another creature which seemed hidden in the shadows. Was this it? Could such unparalleled inner turmoil exist in a single being this way? She felt it was almost too much to bear. If it were this hard for her, how much more excruciating was it for the one who bore it.
She rolled over and slowly approached this shadow form. She knew better after having been so long a creature of the night. Too many frightful and evil things lurked in the dark. She was careful and approached in slow distances. The moonlight kept hitting her halo. This made it hard to keep herself from going unnoticed.
She sniffed the air to see if it would tell her anything. Nothing she wasn't already sensing. Tsk. She knew she had to get closer. No other way would solve these riddles. She pressed her wings to her back as to attempt to hide the features that gave away her diety status. "Hello.... Can I help you?"
Surely that was enough. If this was a creature of evil, she'd find herself quickly ensnared in a quarrel within moments.
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 4:50 am
Fang stayed almost deathly still as the ethereal creature gracefully came towards him. Gods and Goddess as a rule never came too close to one another without invitation but he was fully aware that he was hidden and probably didn't look much more than a black shadow with red eyes and blood coloured stripes not even the blood like droplets floating around his neck could be seen. Hesitation filled him, he had no idea what he should do. His headache continued to pulse and it only made concentrating all that more impossible. Unable to simply ignore her Fang stepped forward, no smile or emotion upon his face bar the pain that was clearly written within his eyes. "I do not think you can help me." Was all he said. With each word his little fangs became obvious, and he made no effort to hide his bat style wings. He was who he was.... the God of Nightmares.
Sitting down, he closed his eyes and tried to will the pain away. Of all the times he needed to think clearly this was it. Now that he was closer it was obvious to him -despite her effort to hide it- that she was a Goddess of some description, and he predicted that she was good and kindhearted. Helpful. Unlike him. They where opposites. Of this he was certain.
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 10:38 am
Xyne's empathic nature synced her right up to him. Once he stepped forward. Every drop of his voice. It was like when she was with someone who had a bad dream sort of. Only this time she was awake. He was awake. Noone was asleep or seemingly trying to be. She gave her eyes time to look him over. Oh. Well this was something different. In her travels, she hadn't met other gods or goddesses. Of course, she was out and about at odd times. Any chance of being around other gods might only occur if she is summoned by their need for a good dream and sleep.
"You look like you have blood on you. Why is that? Are you hurt? What do you mean that I can't help? I can always help."
She stared at him earnestly. Obviously something was wrong. She could feel it rolling off of him in waves. She was so intoxicated with that sense; she found herself immediately snared in the need to do something to beset it.
She narrowed her eyes. "Or.. is it just that you don't want my help? Is that it? Are you too proud?"
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 11:08 am
Blood? Hurt? It took him a moment to realise that she was commenting on his appearance, he couldn't hide what he was -couldn't hide the curse that was clearly licking his fur at every opportunity. It wasn't real blood that seemed to paint his fur, although sometimes he thought it was, he felt the torment of the Nightmares that he carried.
Yet here before him was a woman who accused him of being too proud, of not wanting to accept help. How could she be so foolish? How could she not see the truth of him just by looking at him? Still she stood before him, unphased and with a strenght of will that seemed to literally radiate of her and warm his soul.
Sitting tall he spoke once more, he needed to get her to understand the truth of him -but not enough truth that she would run. She could never learn how the Nightmares tormented him, changed him, forced him to inflict them on others to relieve the pressure. The thumping headache would be the reminder that he could not allow that to happen. "My name is Fang, I am the God of Nightmares. So no.... I do not think you can help me." He bowed his head a little, "but thank you." He was truely touched by her offer of aid. It was more than anyone else had ever offered -yet there was nothing to be done.
And so he waited for her reply. This goddess that radiated warmth and love.
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 11:25 am
Xyneus didn't like this. She didn't like it one bit. She might have only been a goddess over dreams, but she had always been helping other animals at every opportunity. Here before her was something she could do nothing about? Really? Then, she felt a little ashamed. How dare she feel conflicted over her inability to do or not do something. She looked upon him. It must not have been blood then. If he was a god, perhaps it was a stain on his life. But for what reason? What a poor dear. Was he intending just to go around like this?
Still, she felt determined to do something. Every second closed in on the blistering refusal to just walk away and leave him alone in all this discomfort. If she couldn't do something to help him, she certainly wasn't going to just leave him alone to suffer by himself. She closed her eyes for a moment as she searched her feelings. She didn't really think he'd hurt her. While his visage might warn otherwise, she felt for a certainty she'd be ok. This conviction propelled her to get up and walk up closer to him.
She sat right up against him and looked in his eyes. Now being much closer, the waves of negativity were at their most intense. She was certain that the pulls she felt earlier when laying down was because of him. Has it always been that the pulls she felt towards others because... of ... nightmares?
She slowly stretched a paw down to his. She was careful to leave him room to shrink away or pull back. She closed her eyes for a moment when a tear stole away out the crease of her eye. She opened them to look deep into his eyes. "Well, at the very least, I am not going to just leave you here to suffer like this. You don't have to suffer alone."
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 7:29 am
He watched her quietly, his heart in his mouth as she closed her eyes to think about the situation she found herself in. Part of him was trying to will her to leave him here and save herself, yet the other side of him wanted to keep her close so that he could feel her warmth and kindness all the time. But that would be selfish.
And despite everything that Fang was, selfishiness wasn't one of the traits that surfaced very often. "I...." he began, not knowing which voice to listening to. Not wanting to scare her off. Not wanting to make her hate him. Yet, he was a Nightmare. If she stayed too close, Goddess or not, he would eventually give her Nightmares it was only a matter of time. And as he looked into her beautiful face and honest eyes he knew that he never wanted to give her a Nightmare, never wanted to see her cry.... but never would be a long time, and as he very well knew he could not control himself at every minute of every day. Especially went the Nightmares took control. He didn't even recognise himself then.
Even after all his thoughts, he knew what he needed to say. The truth. "....in the end of the day, that is up to you m'lady." He hesitated, not sure what to say or how she would take it. "But I must warn you, that being around me too long is likely to corrupt you...." and I don't want that. He muttered under his breath.
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 3:53 pm
Xyneus listened to his warnings. She listened to both his words and the feeling behind them. She felt the truth in what he was saying even if she didn't understand it. Still, despite that foreboding sensation, she couldn't just abandon him now that she saw him in need.
In all truth, she couldn't really pin point to herself in any specific manner how she would even manage to help. Beyond that, she still couldn't resist the need to help someone who seemed to so badly need another's help. He seemed like he needed another in at least the most minimal regard. She was certain that in the greatest of suffering when noone can do anything but let nature take its course; they still need one thing. That thing is something anyone could give them. That was company. Though she knew it was hard for some to rise to the occassion and give company to one who suffered. It wasn't easy to go through the worst of things with an animal or person.
She felt that there must be some way to compromise. Couldn't there be a way that she could help him... without being corrupted? She believed this was so. She believed it with an unflinching faith. It was rock solid and unmovable. And... what's more... She held a small hope that perhaps... and even just maybe... It might be her who could have influence over him. Maybe.... he just needed to have... a good dream? Or, a good night's rest. Or, a good day's rest....
"Well, when do you take your rest? You seem like you haven't slept in a long time. We could start with perhaps taking you home somewhere. Wherever it is you call home..."
Yes. She had just moved ahead. She hoped she wouldn't seem rude to him to not really outwardly acknowledge his warning. She heard it loud and clear. She deliberately chose to disregard it for the time being. She'd see for herself how this was.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:48 am
Fang could feel the turmoil inside her, as if she was trying to decide what action to take. He tried to send her warning waves, make her do the right thing -stay away from him. Leave while he still let her, for he never knew what form the nightmares would take next. All he knew is that he didn't want to harm this elegant, graceful creature that seemed to have the purest heart he had ever seen.
Yet when she spoke, her words washed over him like a calming soothing river. She still seemed to want to help him even though she knew the consquences.
"I... don't sleep unless it is a must." He didn't feel like explaining the reasons why, he didn't want to give her nightmares just by mentioning them. He looked away from her and to the landscape that surrounded them, before he spoke. His voice was slightly distant. "Home.... I have no such place."
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 1:08 pm
Xyneus looked at him with eyes full of compassion and pity. The knowledge of him having no home at all just pulled at her. She certainly would not leave him alone now. What a poor soul. He had no rest.. no home.. no company.. all he had were... something that haunted him.
Still, regardless of all the warning she perceived from him. Her mind was made up, and her will would not be persuaded. Her determination flooded into her eyes as she pulled her resolve together.
She slowly and gradually moved up closer to him. She stopped when she was close enough to touch his paw with her own. She gently put hers on him. "You know what.. I have a secret place I go to sleep during the day. It's a very dense thicket of the jungle area. It's hard for most animals to pass through, so they avoid it all together. Behind it is a field of prickly thorn bushes, so noone will sneak up on me while i sleep. I want to take you there. Would you come with me?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 12:42 am
She wanted to share what was hers with him? It was a concept he didn't fully understand, but perhaps that was simply because he had no place to call him own, no place to share. Nothing to call his own bar his so called gift.
He was just thankful that he felt so exhausted this night, at least that was one advantage he had -the gift would not surface fully for a few days. That did not mean that he would not give her nightmares still simply by being so close to her.
Yet as Fang looked into her face, her gentle precious face, he saw himself unable to turn her down. Unable to see her sad. He simply nodded and looked to the ground as he spoke. "Are you sure M'lady. I do not want to be given anything by which I can betray you." It was true that Fang never intentionally betrayed anyone, yet sometimes when the nightmares took hold, when he wasn't himself -things happened and it was betrayal none the less. He didn't want to put her in such a position, especially after her kindness and trust.
He turned to look at the landscape once more, mainly in an effort to clear his head of the effects that her endless emerald green eyes where having upon him. Yet as he found some strength it begun to rain. instantly he turned towards his companion once more. "We should get you out of the rain." It would be heavy before too long, and even he didn't want to be out in such a thing.
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:26 pm
Yes. It was probably great advise and the best wisdom for her to not give him anything with which to betray her with. Nevertheless, she had already made up her mind. She felt entirely sure about her course of action. She wasn't naive enough to think that such risks were without chance of regret. She also believed that they weren't without possibly consequences to be had even if you got what you desired of a situation. Regardless, she had an unshakable faith that he could be helped.
"Hun.. um.. I forget.. did you say your name? I'm Xyneus. I would like nothing more than to take you with me. I am sure a little rain never hurt anyone, but we'll go right away. Just follow me."
She then turned and began to run briskly through a path in the trees. She stopped every so often, pausing in mid run to look back and be sure he was with her. Before they made it to where the thicket started growing, the rain started to fall heavier. She wasn't sure if she should warn him now or later that Even as great as her little hidey hole was; it couldn't prevent leaks entirely.
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 2:01 pm
"I....." He went to argue with her, but knew he had not the energy nor the heart to hurt such a kindhearted creature. Closing his eyes he thought about the situation he was in for a moment, but it seemed he had no other option but to accept her generous offer.
Once again opening his eyes he tried to smile, revealing two little fangs within his mouth -canines that where slightly longer than those of a normal tiger, be they a God or not. "Fang." He stopped smiling instantly after saying his name, suddenly very conscious how silly he looked. Coughing softly he got up and walked beside her in preparation for following her. "It is nice to meet you Xyneus. And thank you... it is not often I come across such a generous spirit."
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