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Questionable Shapeshifter
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 Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 6:42 pm
 The storm from the night before had passed long ago, but the darkened cloud still lingered above the world. While there was a blanket of gray above, the ground was wet with rain dribbles and dew and in this early morn there was a light spray of mist. The birds were not singing...the flowers still slept, and even a few trees still had ice on their branches.
Everything just seemed...so quiet.
---~~~---
A groan escaped his throat as the dragon rubbed his long form across a boulder, his muscles stretched and ached in delight at this feeling and his scales shudder just the same.
This...was an odd morning, to say the least. For once he found peace within it, for everything was...wet. Xiobi leaned his head over the boulder and picked up his fish toy, gnawing on it for a moment before moving off. It was not long, however, before he came across another...He prepared to just walk away, upon noticing something odd about the other Carou.
It was Jatai, a fox who was quite ambiguous in appearance and nature, and...well, she seemed solemn.
He watched from afar as she stared aimlessly up into the thick cover of clouds, not seeming to notice anything else around her. It wasn't that he...cared, but he found it odd to see. The few times he did see her, she was always very jubilant. A wild spark, one could say.
It was just...odd.
"And what has you so down?"
"Huh? Wha--AACK!" Jatai fell backwards at his 'sudden' arrival much to Xiobi's annoyance. "...I'm so very glad my company is welcome," he said lowly with lips curled back.
"Shut up--I didn't see you there."
The fox turned over onto her feet again, retorting, "And what about you sneaking about, hmm?"
"..." 
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 8:20 pm
 
”Quite drab, isn’t it?” Bero called to his companion, an amiable smile on his face despite the weather. As of late, he had started to pick up on the usual form of speech that was commonplace nowadays – how much had changed! – but it was still evident he wasn’t originally of this time. Still, that didn’t seem to bother the smaller fox beside him and they had, over time, become acquaintances – acquaintances that happened upon each other’s company earlier in the day and had begun to seek dry shelter together.
“It’s strange that the weather should be like this during the winter,” he continued, having waited only a fraction of a minute for a response. It seemed he was used to the other’s silence, but found no discomfort in it. “But,” he continued, taking care to step over a particularly larger puddle without getting himself wet, “It’s much better than snow, I would say.”
Again, Xenos gave no audible reply. He did glance at Bero, however, to acknowledge the tiger’s words and show that he wasn’t ignoring him. He had paid attention to everything said, although he felt little regarding them. It hardly mattered whether there was rain or snow or sun. It would have to be faced despite one’s feelings on them, after all, but he did find Bero’s unusual dislike of it almost amusing, as if he took after his own pelt, for he knew many other tigers actually liked the things Bero complained about it. He was about to murmur the idea to the male, too, to see what he thought of it, but found his attention taken up by what appeared to be a bicker, if the sudden scream was any sign.
Bero, too, heard the sounds, along with their origin. His talkative mood disappeared with the appearance of these new carousels, and he became quiet and reserved, more out of the awkwardness and discomfort he felt than anything. But it wasn’t as if he could, or even wanted to, leave and, when he was close enough, he cleared his throat quietly and offered a polite, “Hello.”
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Questionable Shapeshifter
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Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:56 am
The two turned their heads at the unfamiliar Carou, Xiobi's blue eyes studying them while Jatai's own merely did not seem too interested. Her mind seemed...elsewhere.
"Good morning," Xiobi greeted politely, "You two are...new faces. I am Xiobi." He glanced at Jatai, who more or less, appeared to be shifting nervously and so he frowned. Subtly he flicked at her with his tail fin; "Nngh...My name's Jatai," she stated rather monotonously. Her indifference air was starting to really irritate the dragon, not because it was a attribute he found particularly annoying, but he was one whom did not enjoy change. He found his mind asking all sorts of questions as to why the usually active Fox was so...the opposite.
He found his rarely calm day turning quite sour...
"Perhaps it would have been better for you to still be of porcelain--What in the devil's name is wrong with you?"
"Oh get off your high horse..." Jatai grumbled before pivoting round, "You're the one always talking about why any of us came to life--Don't preach to me about things like that! Ugh, I'm leaving...!" Without waiting for a reply, the fox bounded off though she wouldn't go too far...
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Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 1:50 pm
Xenos dipped his head in greeting, but offered nothing more, and his mouth remained firmly shut. He did not look to the fox expecting a response, but instead let his eyes stray off to the side. A boulder of moderate stature lied close behind the two strangers, along with pressed mud and grass, showing the path both took to get where they were now. Puddles littered the ground, unable to sink down to the already flooded dirt without the aid of the sun.
The sound of the fox’s voice drew his attention, not because of the way she spoke but because of the response her words elicited. His ears drew back with surprise, as it was the first time he had heard of another saying such a thing, to question the cause of their origin, and had, apparently, “preached” of it before. Many carousels he had met were so elated by their newfound ability – to move and speak and do as they willed – that they had strived to life their life to the fullest, without dwelling on the very thing that had birthed and, in their opinion, enslaved them. But if what the fox said was true, if the dragon was one who always talked of why they had come to life… it could help him. Finding the source of the magic that had released them could help discover the reverse: how to send one back.
For the first time in a long, long, while, his eyes held a spark of interest and he looked toward the dragon, Xiobi, curiously.
”I am called Bero,” Bero replied when the dragon offered his name, then looked towards the fox expectantly. Under normal circumstances, he might have given Xenos a gently nudge with his tail to prompt him to have some courtesy and give his own name, but just now, his attention was diverted. The fox, whom he had at first thought female because of her scent, sounded much like the opposite gender. This perplexed him, for he hadn’t expected a female to be so… masculine. He had never met a carousel that wasn’t undeniably its gender and, struck by confusion, he couldn’t help but stare as she – or he, or it – ran off.
Still, the first impression he got from the fox was that of a female, and he couldn’t help but to run after her. Who knew what troubles a girl could get in contact with! And all the puddles everywhere – she could get her paws wet or, even worse, end up muddying her fur! Hurriedly, he went after her, in hopes of preventing such a disaster.
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Questionable Shapeshifter
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Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:31 pm
"Hmph...Why do I bother?"
He chewed at his fish for a while, but upon realizing there was still the other Carou...Now what was his name? Xiobi frowned at him, wondering why the male fox was still here. He certainly didn't seem to be a talker and then it occurred to him:
He could leave.
The dragon, with toy in mouth, aptly turned round and whilst trying to remember where the nearest source of water was, began to slither off.
In the other direction, Jatai had slowed to walk now, currently unaware she was being followed..."Stupid Xiobi...Sticking his big muzzle in everyone's business," she grumbled to herself, bounding over any mud puddle she came across. When she heard the padding of feet against wet earth, she turned quickly and came face to face with Bero. Once again, taken by surprise, cried out and fell backwards--Into a rather large mud hole. "Oh--pfft...! This is freezing!" the female exclaimed, frantically and clumsily climbing out.
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Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:10 pm
Xenos, surprised with Xiobi's sudden departure (for he was used to at least some acknowledgment, whether that be polite or aggressive, before one made his or her leave) and unused to wanting company, could do little but stare for the first few seconds in silent contemplation as the dragon slithered away. And then, recollecting himself, he followed.
He offered no explanation as to why he chose to do so. In fact, he did not even mention one word, and his steps would have been as silent as himself if not for the still-wet earth. It sucked at his paws like a vacuum, making a queer noise with each step he took and sending small bits of dirt flying. He frowned and stopped but, deciding that he wouldn't let such a thing stop him, resumed following Xiobi.
Bero, on the other hand, wasn't bothered at all by the mud. Why, he was running so fast it didn't even have time to splash against him and instead settled in odd, conspicuous clumps around the impression of the pads of his paws. As he caught up to the fox, he questioned whether he had understood correctly that it was indeed a female. She did not stop by any of the puddles, waiting for help so as to ensure the least amount of dirt and water got on her fur as possible. Instead, she bypassed them as easily as he did, without showing any sort of reluctance even to the most largest of puddles in the area. Why, she... she acted as he did! Had he been mistaken?
He was about to slow to a stop – if the fox was a male, then, really, did he have any reason to worry? – when suddenly he (yes, he had decided this fox was a male, now, for what else could explain his actions?) spun round in surprise and fell into a mud hole. Rushing to him, Bero clutched at his scruff and helped the fox climb out, asking through clenched teeth, "Are you all right?"
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Questionable Shapeshifter
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Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:47 pm
He was following him.
Xiobi narrowed his eyes as he took subtle glances back, seeing Xenos there behind him still...And as quiet as ever. Of course. It was just his luck; be followed by some stranger for absolutely no discernible reason--Oh wasn't life just full of bloody rainbows and rotting gumdrops?
After a while, the dragon stopped and turned smoothly so that he was already laying on a low branch--"What do you want?" Xiobi demanded of the fox, "and why can't you get it from someone else?"
---~~~---
"Pfft--Am I ALRIGHT?!" she exclaimed, eyes wide with bewilderment. "What in the devil's name would make you think I'm Alright?! I'm cold, wet, freezing, and completely drenched in sticky mud! This is going to take forever to clean up...and, ow--Your teeth is digging into me!" Jatai pushed herself away from him roughly, only to fall onto her side from all the gunk that clutched to her form. "Ugh...I was trying so hard to avoid getting all dirty...This is disgusting.
And why were you following me anyway?!"
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Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:10 pm
Xenos remained quiet and uncommunicative, despite the fact that it was obvious his presence wasn't any secret between the two and the fact that they had walked on for quite some time with very little happening. He was interested in talking to the male, but not eager, and even if he had to wait, he wouldn't have minded. The wait he expected, however, was abruptly cut short. Xenos slowed to a stop, his eyes, which showed no emotion, never leaving Xiobi's.
"Do you know how we came to be?" he asked quietly in response to the questions asked of him. He offered no other explanation on why he had suddenly inquired about it, or how it was related to what he wanted or why he couldn't ask anyone else but merely sat, watching and waiting.
Bero flattened his ears with the response he received, apologetic but still unwilling to let go of the fox as he dragged him out, thinking the least he could do was at least get him out of the hole. This thought wasn't mutual, however, as was made evident by a rough shove that pushed him away. He stumbled back, falling with a splash into his own puddle and emerging just as wet and dirty as Jatai.
"I suppose I deserved that," he mumbled, looking like the perfect image of a wet cat. Sure, most tigers enjoyed water, but he sure didn't, especially when it was so dirty and muddy it would most likely require him to go find a cleaner body of water so he could dunk himself in again.
"I was... trying to stop you from falling into a puddle," he told him, realizing just how silly it sounded after the very thing he was trying to prevent actually happened – and not once, either, but twice. He was just glad he hadn't done so in front of a girl, and he shook the water from his fur, keeping his distance so that it wouldn't land on Jatai and cause another outburst.
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Questionable Shapeshifter
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Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:06 pm
The muscle which served as a brow raised itself, quizzically as the inquiry the fox gave to the dragon. Xiobi, for the most part, was speechless. He wasn't sure...if Xenos was serious at first, but it occurred to him by now that he wasn't the type to 'joke'.
He...wanted to know.
His air seemed to soften about him, and Xiobi looked away with subtle distancy.
"...I don't know, exactly, how we turned from glass and porcelain to flesh and blood. Why for years and decades after being left to rust and rot...we came to life to leave that which birthed us. But I question it.
I've been questioning it day after day since my own 're-birthing'...I question, my questions, but have little to show for my turmoil.
I shan't rest, however. Not until I find my answers."
---~~~---
Jatai frowned as his explanation; "Trying to stop me from falling...? Well that didn't work very well, now did it?" she retorted, trying to shake the majority of the muck off her pelt. "Why would you try to attempt that anyway? We don't know each other--What, you 'fell in love at first sight'?" she smirked mockingly, though very clearly annoyed still. This day had already started out badly for her...and now it was getting worse and worse.
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Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 6:30 pm
Xenos was never one for socializing and, although most habits and customs that accompanied it eluded him, he could tell that Xiobi had become a fraction less unfriendly. This raised his hope, for surely it meant that what the fox had said about the dragon rung true, and that it wasn't simply just some over exaggeration on the part of an angry fox.
Although Xiobi's response revealed no true answer on how he could return to his original form, he couldn't have said he was disappointed. If he were able to discover it so soon, and in such a simple way, where all he had to do was ask another, it would have made all his work seem irrelevant and a waste of time. And he wasn't surprised, either, for he himself hadn't found anything solid that could offer him help, no matter how hard he searched. What he felt was almost a sort of relief, and he was glad to know that he wasn't alone in the world. If two were searching for the answers, instead of one, it could be found that much faster.
"I am the same," he said simply, as if that alone would reveal all he thought and felt about it, and all he wanted to know.
"It didn't," Bero said, rubbing a paw against his head to try and loosen some of the mud that clung to his ears and whiskers. He wondered how he could ever have thought the fox was a female, for his demeanor and attitude held neither the delicacy nor kindness that was expected from them. He was beginning to regret having ever tried to help – evidently, the fox could take care of himself, and he had been of no help.
"Why wouldn't I have? I–" Before he could continue, the full force of Jatai's words hit him, and his eyes widened. He hadn't become conscious until a few moments before his release, and so he knew only what he himself had experienced, and what his creator had known. The latter had lived during a time when ideas such as same-gender relationships were so uncommon they were almost unheard of and, having heard it for the first time now, could only react with surprise at such a foreign concept.
He recollected himself quickly shortly after, and he realized the fox was mocking him. He wouldn't let him fall to it, however, and merely replied with an, "Of course not," seeming almost indignant as he said so.
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Questionable Shapeshifter
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Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 6:59 pm
"The same? The same what?" he replied curtly, "Confused, annoyed, frustrated? I'm not a mind reader and on that note, who are you?" His tail gave a fidgety flick, and that 'fraction less unfriendly' was moot. It was one thing to be short and to the point...but this guy was just being short, and Xiobi was getting shorter. "Start making sense, fox, or whatever it is you want from me...I'll be leaving and taking it with me."
---~~~---
Jatai gave him one of her toothy smirks, though she resisted laughing loudly at his hesitance. Although she wasn't aware he didn't know she was a 'she', Jatai found his reaction simply hilarious! "What's wrong handsome~? Didn't you come bounding after me to see if I needed rescuing after all?" Jatai cooed, leaning over to prod at his side. "Oh my knight in mucky armor~! Haha~"
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 6:20 pm
Xenos, having met with such an unprecedented thing, frowned. It came as a surprise to him; he had expected Xiobi to understand right away, to realize as he did that they were similar. It did not occur to him that he was being vague, and that the other might not comprehend what he was trying to say. He himself knew, after all, what he was trying to get across. Having rarely talked with another past the occasional murmurs, it really did come as a surprise to him that a few-word response might not be enough.
"I am Xenos," he started, determined to get his message across. Even if the dragon knew just as much as him, it was still a chance he wouldn't lose without a fight. He felt a whirl of emotions within him, a mix of desperation and resolve and even relief and so much more, but, surprisingly, none showed on his face, and he spoke as monotonously as he always had, his face blank in a stark contrast to his jumbled thoughts.
"There are no miracles; everything can be explained with logic, even if it takes time to discover what exactly that logic is. Carousels are coming alive, and few humans know, but we see as they do and speak as they do and think as they do. They created us, and we resemble them more than we do our wild counterparts. What made us like them, no one knows," he said, his words patched together roughly. Again, he had not expected Xiobi to not understand, and so he spoke the thoughts as they came, thinking it good enough. He was surprised with how much he had said, surprised that he did not feel tired as he had expected in the slightest.
"But there are no miracles," he repeated, continuing. "There is a logic to our creation, and I want to find it." He stopped at that, hoping it sufficient, his eyes still on Xiobi's, expectant.
Bero laid his ears back at the fox's taunt, the burning in his cheeks covered by the darkness of his fur. He leaned away from the male's touch, the sound of wet mud playing against his paws as the weight shifted from one to the other.
"It was a mistake," he said, still embarrassed. He struggled to maintain what reason he held, but really. What had given the fox even the slightest notion that he was interested in that way, for him to joke about it so? He had only been doing as courtesy expected of him, and nothing more, and he couldn't but to add, "But it won't happen again."
Conscious of Jatai's words, he began to better clean himself, his eyes half-shut and his whiskers drooping like a reprimanded child's.
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Questionable Shapeshifter
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Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 10:04 pm
For a long after that, Xiobi was silent. He kept his gaze on this 'Xenos', and though his own expression didn't change much there subtle glints in his eyes...His emotions were spinning; curious, wondering, pondering...disgruntled...taken back. And after a bit, there came a 'tap tap tap'ing sound that repeated itself over and over--Xiobi's claws moved against the stone, unknowingly signaling he was in deep thought...
The dragon closed his eyes and snaked his way off the boulder and prepared his way off. "...We can start searching another day," he said simply, "We will gather our thoughts and...theories for now. If you don't mind leaving your red friend, we will find a calm place to think now."
---~~~---
Jatai continues to smirk openly, but it softened at the tiger's assumed shyness. "I thank you for pulling me out," she told him, "I'm really not as crude as I first seem, honest~" As a wind blew by, the fox gave a shudder as the mud became cold as well--"Ugh...C'mon, we can go wash off at the nearby creek. It'll be quicker that way.
...Oh, my name's Jatai, by the way? Who're you?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 12:30 am
Xenos shook his head, showing he had no qualms about leaving Bero. If he left without saying good-bye, or otherwise letting his companion know of his departure, it wouldn't have been the first time. He rarely hung out with another, and he was so used to going when and where he pleased, without having to let another know, that he did it without thinking. It did not occur to him that he might have been rude; it was simply his way.
Rubbing some mud off his paw, he looked about their surroundings, wondering if Xiobi had a place to go in mind or if they were to look for a suitable location as they went along.
Bero looked up at the male's sudden change of tone, his expression guarded at first, lest he find out the fox's words were nothing more than a joke. They seemed sincere, however, and he replied with a quiet, "you're welcome," glad that things appeared to be looking up.
At his suggestion, he paused and looked around, searching for the green and black form he had come here with. Soon, he caught sight of Xenos and, to his surprise, saw that the fox was openly discussing something with the dragon. From this distance, he couldn't tell what they two were saying, but he did know that he had never seen Xenos' lips so animated in such a short period of time. Thinking it best that he let the two be, he chose to accept the fox's offer.
"It would be," he agreed with a nod. Then, "Pleasure to meet you, Jatai. I go by Bero."
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Questionable Shapeshifter
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Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 10:22 am
Xiobi was silent as he moved ahead, slithering over obstacles with much ease as he did so. It'd be a while before they'd get to that one lake the dragon was quite fond of; it was a little out of the way, to ensure nothing would harm its surroundings or disturb his quiet. Though few did manage to come back, not many could remember the winding path it took to get there--none except himself, thus far.
All the while, he chewed on his fish toy...
---~~~---
"Back at 'cha~" Jatai grinned, "Now c'mon--The creek is just past those berry bushes." She bounded off, though not too quickly with all the mud that clung to her. In fact, a few times the poor fox stumbled and slipped...Letting out a squeak each time she did so.
"Ugh I can't wait to get this gunk off!"
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