Solo or RP Format Counts as 5 RP growth Points Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7
Spring storms can often appear with out little notice and last for days. They are filled with strong winds and heavy rain, which means one must halt their travel if they are able to even get outside during the downpour. Your character has found themself stuck away from home in an area with others seeking to avoid the storm. Who do they meet? What do they talk about? How do they feel about the storm?
[ A storm has resulted in your character finding themself stuck in a location with others. Who do they encounter? What conversation do they have? And how do they feel about the strong storm rolling through? ]
With her bow held in a loose grip, Zakia tilted her head toward the canopy above and squinted. After living in Zena for so long adjusting to not seeing the sky as easily was hard, but even without her sight the huntress knew a storm was brewing. The tips of her antennae flickered with the change in pressure, as if they were sensing something she inherently knew, but couldn't name, while the wind started to pick up around her.
It had been some time since she'd gone back to Chibale and for the past couple of days she'd spent her time tracking some particularly elusive prey in Jauhar. Away from her sisters, in earthling territory, she felt almost...at home? Like she'd lost touch of what it meant to be an actual Aishan. And maybe that's why she didn't notice the signs, at least until a few fat globs of rain watcher landed on her arms.
And then the downpour commenced.
Sabra Knight
Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2024 7:58 am
Painted Moose
After a lengthy talk with Ziya, Azreal had finally packed his bags to leave Zena. The mage was still sorting through exactly what he was feeling and what he wanted to do, but at least now he knew that he had to move forward no matter what the result his actions caused. It was better than being stagnant and losing the chance to someone else, especially after how heated he had been just seeing Greer near Zakia near the sanctuary. Azreal pinched the bridge of his nose just at the very thought of it, the mage's stomach twisting with frustration. Just talking about it had made him sound bitter and confused, the very reason that Ziya had pushed him to leave Zena. Just go already! That b*****d was so pushy that even though Azreal knew he had good intentions it didn't stop the mage from being more annoyed at the fact that Ziya out of all people had shoved him forward.
He was so lost in his thoughts about the whole situation, the mage more and more distracted the closer the merchant's cart go towards Jahaur, that Azreal didn't even realize the sky was becoming the color of his silvery gaze which was similar to storm clouds now. It wasn't until the merchant had gone his separate ways, leaving Azreal in the middle of the forked path, that the mage even realized the sky was rather dark. And by that point it was too late as the first drop of rain landed on his skin, the clouds not holding back as one drop became a torrential downpour that chased Azreal into the jungle to look for shelter.
[Azreal 1]
Sabra Knight
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Painted Moose
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2024 7:33 am
Sabra Knight
Zakia wrapped a vine thrice around her forearm, gripped it tight and ran the circumference of the tree trunk before dropping into a free fall. Even with her reinforced grip the rain slicked the vine enough that it slipped a little, causing a brief spurt of panic to light up the hybrid's heart before she dropped down onto the another branch. The longer she stayed in the wild the worse the storm became and soon enough the rain wasn't her only problem. Winds as strong as any beast tore through the trees, nearly pushing her off the branches themselves, and all at once Zakia remembered that storm in Zena.
The very one that had trapped her in snow and nearly took her life.
Breathe, just breathe.
Panicking wouldn't solve anything. She grasped another vine and lowered herself once more, this time onto the main trade route. In the storm it was nearly indistinguishable, but Zakia followed it. The hybrid walked for what felt like ages, with wind and rain tearing into her skin, until she came across a little cave. It looked to have been a den for something years ago, half carved from stone and half formed by the trunks of a mighty scarlet tree, but thankfully big enough for Zakia to slid in.
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2024 8:47 am
Painted Moose
Azreal was fairly disgruntled by the time he had managed to navigate the deeper jungle. While the mage had managed to make it fairly far without getting completely overwhelmed by the storm, there was not enough energy for him to do much else than shield his own skin from the heavy drops of rain that were beginning to mix with hail as the wind whipped through the trees. He had never been to Jahaur before, but from what he had gathered such storms were not that common in the rainforest. Rainstorms yes, but nothing quite on this scale of power with dramatic lightning and thunder to boot. Almost as if the spirits are even telling me to go home. He thought, his lips curving downwards into a sharp frown even as he pressed forward. His cousin had been enough of a nuisance already about him not going in the fisrt place, it would be even worse if he just turned around now! "Good thing they consider me a stubborn a*****e." Azreal whispered, keeping his gaze up to survey the area as he kept going forward until he finally found something that looked like it could serve as a good shelter. From the distance it looked like a little cave, something that he nearly missed with how it was blended into a tree, and while Azreal normally wouldn't hunker down in something like that he decided to give it a shot. Even if he felt comfortable in the storm, there was no use trying to navigate the jungles on his own until daylight returned and he could hopefully find another traveler to direct him. How else would he find any trace of Zakia? Just by wandering the jungle for the next few weeks? What a great plan.
And so he took a few final strides forward, Azreal looking at the darkening storm clouds for a moment more before blindly entering the cave without knowing what waited him inside. That was until he snapped his fingers, fairy lights forming around him, and he saw the figure of someone else who had entered the shelter before him. "Hello?" He frowned, trying not to believe anything until the lights danced across the cave and cast everything in a pale blue glow. It wasn't possible, was it?
[Azreal 2]
Sabra Knight
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Painted Moose
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2024 9:00 am
Sabra Knight
With her hunting gear laid off to the side, Zakia had just gotten comfortable enough to start wringing out her dreads when a figure appeared at the mouth of the cave. She stilled, one hand slowly dropping from her head to a dagger at her side. There was enough light from the glowing fungi behind them that she could tell the figure was bipedal, but anything beyond that was lost to her. Her heartbeat stilled, fingers flexing around the hilt when-
-the glow of fairy lights popped up? Zakia's little brows pulled together. All at once several things became clear. The figure was some sort of mage -
-and the figure was Azreal.
"Az?" Zakia's hand dropped away from the dagger and instead settled at her side as she sat up. She subconsciously shifted away from the light, at least until she could shift her slip of a loin cloth over her legs. Having bare skin on Chibale meant nothing, but, well, suddenly having him here felt a little more...awkward. But there was more pressing things to worry about! "Azreal, is that you?"
Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2024 9:56 am
Painted Moose
Okay, so it was possible. Azreal couldn't help the laugh of disbelief that left his lips as Zakia's voice greeted him from the darkness of the cave. It was almost like the spirits were just messing around with him at this point. What were the chances that they would meet here because of some strange storm? "It's me." He managed after a moment, the mage walking forward a bit more and averting his gaze once he registered Zakia's current state that was faintly outlined by his fairy lights. "Should I say, surprise? Though I was not expecting to run into you here out of all places so this is well...a thing, I suppose." Perhaps further into Jahaur once he got some directions, even if it meant trespassing into Aishan territory, but not once had he thought Zakia would be in the outer area trapped in a cave like this. It would make sense though as much as Azreal hated the unexpected and surprises, that nothing would be going to plan out here in Jahaur. As usual it seemed he was completely out of control as soon as Zakia came into the picture, the very thought bringing a frown to his lips despite how relieved and happy he was to actually see her.
The flash of lightning from outside the cave reminded him of their situation, the mage's expression softening as he dared to peek back towards Zakia. "You're not injured are you? It's hard to tell with everything going on at the moment." He moved to remove his travel cloak, the mage brushing his fingers over the material to dry it before holding it out towards Zakia if she wanted it. "I didn't expect such a nasty storm the moment I arrived in Jahaur." Ah, yes. Small talk, the best way to try to get over his shock and awkwardness of this whole situation.
[Azreal 3]
Sabra Knight
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Painted Moose
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 2:16 pm
Sabra Knight
The huntress was so flabbergasted that for a moment she just stared at him. "Injured?" She parroted the word without a shred of comprehension as he started peeling off layers. "Ah, no, I'm fine. Soaked but whole." Which is why she'd been pressed into the back of the cave. In Jauhar she didn't need the multitude of layers she'd had in the north, but away from the humidity and sunlight the rain water coating her skin had turned chilly.
She greedily took the offered cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. For a moment she was content with just that, but in the end the Aishan brought her knees up to her chest and did her best to hide away underneath it.
"I didn't expect to see you. What are you doing here? I thought you were going back to the Academy to teach."
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2025 4:41 pm
Painted Moose
"I see." Azreal nodded, not even explaining himself as he sat against the entrance of the cave as a barrier against any wind or rain that dared to come inside. "I thought it tended to rain a lot in Jahaur, but this does seem excessive." It was a lot easier for him to focus his gaze towards the outside world which was away from Zakia. Seeing her like that had nearly made him lose his focus, the control that he kept over himself nearly slipping at the sight even as he handed the cloak over to her a moment ago. But if he couldn't handle a simple conversation now then what was the point of coming all this way if he ruined things within moments of reuniting with her?
The direct question did make his shoulders tense, Azreal understanding that it was inevitable but still not quite certain how to go about things. It wasn't as if he had expected a sudden storm to chase him into a cave where Zakia already was after all. The fates truly be damned today for such a prank indeed. Azreal's lips pressed tightly together at the thought before he let out a soft sigh and turned slightly so that his profile was more angled towards Zakia even as he kept watching the rain. "The professor decided to stay for a final year before I can take his place. I thought it would be nice to finally stretch my legs a bit outside of Zena before going back. Is that alright with you?" The question wasn't supposed to be rude, it was more cold in an attempt to keep calm as he finally turned his gaze towards Zakia again, the once midnight blue eyes as gray as the storm clouds rolling above them.
Sabra Knight
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Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2025 7:37 am
Sabra Knight
This was far from the first time she'd seen Azreal in a storm. She wasn't sure what it was that connected the man before her to the chaos above, but it fit. As she listened to him, Zakia was able to see the hard edges of his body that were framed by the lightning outside. His rain soaked skin, more exposed now without his cloak in the way and the material of his clothing too wet to hold shape...The Aishan pulled the cloak up further around her neck to hide the way her ears warmed.
And just as quickly the bite in his voice was bringing out one in her own. "You're already here, aren't you?"What are you doing? She couldn't help it; even the least bit of challenge in him brought out an uglier side of her and Zakia had to force it down.
"I just never thought you would come here. We had enough arguments as kids to let me know exactly what you thought of it." Or maybe that was just the impression she took from them? Honestly they'd spat over the smallest of things so it wouldn't surprise her. "I'm...glad you came. It's nice to have a visitor for a change and...I think you would actually like it here."
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2025 12:28 pm
Painted Moose
"That can always change." Replied Azreal, his shoulders tensing even as he tried to hide the bite in his words. Sometimes he truly was like an injured raptrix that couldn't decide if he wanted comfort or to snap at others to keep them away. Perhaps it would be easier to run and deal with the chaos outside...he truly contemplated the option before Zakia's words made his expression shift once more. His gaze was still guarded, but he did seem to relax a bit as he shifted so that he could turn his back to the storm and face his childhood companion.
"I don't know how I truly feel about Jahaur, so it's hard to judge." He replied with a frown as her words settled something within him. "However, you are here which is what matters the most." Azreal looked up towards the ceiling of the dripping cave, the words warming the back of his neck as he cleared his throat and appreciated the loud thunder that gave him a moment to think. How did one interpret a sentence like that? Zakia was the most important reason for his presence, why else would he wander so far away from Zena now after working so hard there over the past few years? He wanted to be with her, not just visit Jahaur. But it was still a feeling that he wasn't certain how to broach and so Azreal, in typical Azreal fashion, had to add more to his statement as quickly as possible. "That is at least I know I can have a guide in a foreign country instead of wandering about at random on my own. It's the more logical option to make the most of my time."
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Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2025 1:05 pm
Sabra Knight
That was...what was she supposed to say to something like that? It was such a heavy statement, but in the warmest sort of way. Someone she'd been so sure that would be just fine on his own, as far away from her as physically possible, had come all this way for her. And to top it all he'd even acknowledged it. She didn't know if she'd expected him to come up with an excuse for why he was here or not, but to have Azreal actually say it...
It shifted something in her.
"Of course," She felt the corner of her mouth quirk up into a smile. "Any guide would do to show you around, but you'll want one that knows the area well enough to keep you entertained." Her smile might have turned into a little bit of a grin, but if he did she wouldn't know because she'd turned away from him to the floor. "...by going to lesser known areas, I mean. I suppose I can spare the time if you'll listen to another's instruction for a change."
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2025 1:35 pm
Painted Moose
Azreal shifted, the hybrid expecting some sort of bite back to his words instead of acceptance. She was alright with that pathetic excuse? Azreal blinked as he looked away from the ceiling just to see Zakia's gaze turn towards the floor so that he couldn't fully read her expression. All he could do was nod and go along with the situation then. "Agreed. It would be easier if you were guiding me and I have to worry less about trickery and such." He managed after another moment, nodding again as if solidifying his case. "I'll endure it. Even I know to acknowledge a teacher in their element, which this is definitely not mine." Jahaur was a foreign landscape to him despite the Shifter blood that ran in his veins. His father had never truly lived in this country and even during their traveling days as a family they didn't linger in Jahaur for long, mostly settling on Tale and Sauti or even Matori before returning to Zena for periods of time to stay at the sanctuary or in the small cottage that his father had set up in the mountains there. Zena was where Azreal felt the most comfortable with the snowy landscape, not here in this jungle with so many mysteries and that sticky heat that made his own tunic cling to his body as the warm rain continued falling outside of their shelter.
"I wonder how much longer this storm will continue..." Azreal mused quietly, his attention shifting back towards the outside as looking over Zakia only made his skin warm even more. "It'll be hard to find a room if we're stuck here until night." He added with a frown, not wanting to think about how strange it would be in a worse situation where they would have to share a cave together overnight because of the bad weather.
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Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2025 3:56 pm
Sabra Knight
7/7
"Even if it lets up I doubt you'll find anywhere with available rooms. I'm betting most experienced travelers nabbed a room as soon as they felt the weather shift." She sat up a little straighter and rolled her shoulders before lifting the cloak. Zakia kept one side tucked to her body, but held the other out, like an avian's wing.
"Come on, we'll be warmer if we're closer. You can't stay there all night." Then thinking better of it, Zakia leveled a look at him, "You shouldn't stay there all night. Don't argue it." As awkward as it might be to be that close to him she would rather suffer through whatever that was then to have him catch cold. She wouldn't make it back to Chibale before night fall, not in this weather, and he wouldn't have a room. So this just...made sense.
Total sense.
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2025 9:00 pm
Painted Moose
Azreal simply stared and then stared some more. Surely she wasn't serious? The back of his neck warmed again at the very thought of sharing a cloak for the entire night while stuck in this cave. He could try to deter the storm, but that would take....a significant amount of energy. The very thought made Azreal's lips press tightly together as he pondered his options. "We'll see how long the storm lasts and leave as soon as it's over." He eventually relented, the mage taking his time and only scooting closer when the storm continued roaring above them and only pressing close when he worried that Zakia would get too cold if she didn't have some sort of support. That was all, as there was nothing else to this moment save for them acting out of necessity for survival. Nothing else...at all.
