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 Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2021 1:34 pm
Quote: Prompt 4 (Fear and Feathers): The moon is bright tonight and reflects off of the snowy ground, illuminating everything with an ethereal glow. Destiny City feels almost safe, even at night. The fresh fallen snow seems undisturbed and brings a sense of peace. Only, nothing is ever as good as it seems, and there’s something eerie about it. After a while, it feels like someone--or something--is watching you. In the shadows of the trees, a set of milky eyes watches. Whatever it is, it’s tall and bulky. If you walk quickly, you feel it follow you but once you leave the line of trees, it disappears. If you try to approach it, a great beast will screech at you: a six foot tall snowy white owl takes flight. It may tackle or claw at you, depending on how you approach it, but it will always take flight and disappear in the night. If you choose to attack it, for the next few nights any time you look out your window you will see glowing eyes in the distance--or worse, hear it scratching to get in. Eventually, the temperature rises and the visits stop. For now. Fangnyl had decided to go for a walk in the nearby woods. He loved watching nature at play, and even as winter made most animals disappear, there was still enough activity to be very exciting to someone so brand-new to Earth. There was just so much to Earth, he doubted he'd ever feel less than brand-new. The snow— the snow!—crunched under his feet and he gave a pleased little squeal that scattered a few birds. This was simply amazing. He loved it, even if he was cold, because it was just so... real. He had no idea how artificial everything back on Valencya felt until now. And he loved it. Even as the cold air stung sharply in his lungs as he breathed it.
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Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2021 6:45 pm
The snow was beautiful, and it was new weather, which made it worth researching, but Naeria was not sure if she liked it. It made it difficult to continue her observations of the local biodiversity. She had to push away handfuls and handfuls of freezing ice crystals just to find something as simple as a few blades of grass to catalogue. She was still out in the woods, trying to keep up with her records, but it was a welcome distractions when she saw a fellow Vanguardian approaching on her ComTech GPS. Although, when he came into view, she she found that it was not someone she knew well, so all she managed to say was a quick, slightly nervous, "Fangnyl."
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2021 1:23 am
Fangnyl nearly startled, but he kept his reaction under control. He didn't need to let her know he'd been too distracted by the beauty of everything to actually pay real attention to his surroundings. About dangers and things like that. "Naeria!" he exclaimed softly, smiling. He didn't know her so well, but it was nice seeing someone else. A fellow Cadet. "Are you enjoying the weather?" he asked enthusiastically, gesturing to all the snow, "This is so much fun. I've seen people building snowpeople and having snowball fights. What would you think about doing that back at the home?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2021 2:33 pm
"It's cold," said Naeria when he asked what she thought of the weather, "And I can't find the samples I was looking for." He was smiling, so she smiled back at him, even though she did not think that she liked the snow quite as much as he did. She'd seen the snowpeople, but they confused her. She did not know why people would want to touch the ice powder simply to roll it into balls. It was cold and unpleasant enough to touch it for science. The fights she could maybe understand. "Snowballs could be an effective sparring tool?" she said. She was not sure if it would be practical to actually make snow on Velencya, but she could not bring herself to say as much, in fear of disappointing Fangnyl.
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2021 10:45 pm
He nodded eagerly. "Yes, definitely. And the home we have here does have a large enough yard, we could organize something between all of us." And it would be very fun. Cold, but fun. Fangnyl loved fun. "Sorry you can't find your samples, though. Anything in particular you're looking for? I could help," he offered, then flinched as a screech tore through the air. "What is that?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2021 6:28 pm
Naeria was quiet at first. She seemed to take a moment to process the concept of a snow battle in their own backyard, but eventually she nodded. "I think Fae-Fae would like that, too," she said. She'd been talking about trying out Earth winter customs, too, and if enough of the others were interested, then Naeria would try to join them. Then, she heard a screech. Her blaster was out from its place at her hip in a moment, a reflex that she'd been working on since that hilltop battle. "I've heard there is dangerous wildlife in this region," she said, and shot at the ground at her feet, hoping that the noise and light from the blaster would scare it off before they had to worry too much.
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2021 6:58 am
Another screech pierced the air and Fangnyl whipped out his dagger. He wouldn't go down without a fight, as much as he found beauty in the nature of Earth. Nature could also be brutal, and he wouldn't fall to it. Or let Naeria fall to it. He'd never forgive himself, especially since she was good friends with Fae-Fae. Then, a shadow moved in the dark and swooped on them, impossibly large, and Fangnyl went to dive to the ground and take Naeria with him so they weren't hit. Hopefully.
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2021 12:57 pm
Most of the wildlife that Naeria observed was skittish. Even when she walked through the woods quietly, all the birds would jump off of their tree branches and flutter away when she got too close. This one did not even flinch at the sound of her blaster. She watched, half nervous and half curious as the thing swooped down, closer and closer. She didn't move until it would have been too late. It was only Fangnyl pulling her to the ground that kept her from ending up with a talon in the face. She gasped from the impact, even if it was softened somewhat by the snow, but after, she gave Fangnyl a nod of thanks. From the new lower angle, she kept an eye on the owl while she waited for her blaster to recharge.
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:56 pm
Fangnyl shivered as they were swooped over, and sat up, wielding his dagger in case it got close again. "You're not hurt?" he asked quietly, eyes scanning the treetops. He spotted the owl again and raised his dagger defensively. The owl hooted in warning and took off, leaving them alone. "Thank the stars."
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Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 6:54 am
Naeria watched as the bird vanished behind the trees. She did not relax as soon as it was gone. She wanted to make sure it did not return. Or, that failing, she wanted to make sure that they were out of its way when it did come back. "Not hurt," she said quickly, sitting up so that she was no longer in quite such direct contact with the awful snow. "It didn't get you either, did it?" she asked. She didn't think so, but she wanted to be sure. "We should go back. Now."
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Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 8:37 pm
He shook his head, not putting away his dagger. "Not hurt either. But let's get out of here, yes," he agreed, taking her hand. He didn't want to lose her on the walk back.
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