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| Seek and Descry (hiatus); PRIVATE - Sequel to Hide and Seek | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 11 2010, 08:50 AM (1,384 Views) | |
| Oop | Nov 11 2010, 08:50 AM Post #1 |
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so they scream
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((In case no one noticed, this is private for Cookie Dough. Feel free to read, though. Cookie, this post sucks. Forgive me.)) The bowstring posed no challenge to her strong, skilled fingers. Talia drew it back, feeling the sinewy cord brush against her cheek. She remembered hunting the unfortunate goat whose hard muscles she'd untangled to make this bow. She remembered spending hours whittling a bow out of what had once been a sturdy tree. Talia focused on the target, almost farther down the range than she could see. She exhaled slowly, and released the string. The arrow flew true, and she could see the straw that shot from the target, though she couldn't hear the impact. "Bull's-eye," a familiar voice said from behind her, and she turned, smiling. "Da, how would you know?" she teased. She could not remember when, exactly, he'd told her that he was losing his vision - a condition unheard of among snow leopard shape-shifters of good health and young age - but she tried to make light of it. For him. She could tell that, despite his joyous demeanor, a cloud of sadness hung about him. Most couldn't notice, but Talia could sense his aura. "Because you spend every waking moment out here. Surely by now you can hit any target in sight." "As long as I can hit more than Leo, I'm satisfied." Her smile morphed into a tight smirk. She loved Leo, her brother by mate, but they competed ruthlessly against each other. "You may be better with the bow, but in melee, he's bested you three times over." Lazriel smiled, sinking slowly to the ground to sit. "Da!" Talia cried with feigned indignation. True, he bested her in hand-to-hand combat, but he was nearly twice her size. Talia, though extremely tall for her age (probably her father's fault), was lithe and less bulky than most wolves. She was built for a good combination of speed, endurance, and strength. Eirian, on the other hand, could fly (once dragged away from his books and maps). Watching Lazriel and Eirian race was absolutely unbelievable. The track, of course, had to be straight and nearly obstacle-free for Lazriel, though he seemed, most of the time, to just pretend to be blind, he moved so smoothly around things that would strive to trip him. Talia loved watching her father run, stretching out his long, slender body to its maximum stride, hearing his even breathing as he slowed to a stop, watching his long fur ripple with the wind, his muscles contracting and then lengthening. Surely he could have caught any mate he wanted, back when he was younger. She'd heard stories that only Chiisa had eluded him in a fair race, but Talia rarely saw Chiisa run, and even then, she didn't look quite as majestic as Lazriel. Neither could Eirian match their father, even when he could be coaxed to actually try. He could certainly come close (if Laz let him), but even blind, he was unstoppable. "Talia, come here," Lazriel said gently, patting the grassy patch next to him. Talia, out of respect and reverence, would never dream of disobeying her father. He was king, and he was her greatest role-model. She aspired to be like him in all things that she did. She sat beside him, looking into his misty gray eyes, so like her own, but clouded with lack of vision. If he hadn't trusted her to handle the information of his handicap, she would have wept bitter tears for what the gods had stolen from her father. But he did not allow himself the pleasure of weeping, and so she would not allow it to herself, either. Talia closed her eyes as he lifted a calloused hand to her face. She didn't move as he ran his fingers delicately over her features: along her nose, over her mouth, across her brow. "Just like your mother," he said with a smile. "Beautiful." Talia smiled softly. She loved stories, and especially sought out those that said anything of her mother. A fierce warrior, a fair leader, a genteel woman, and a devoted lover. Talia's favorite story was the one of her mother storming the castle in Esralia to save Lazriel and Luna. The glory of it almost overshadowed the horror of the story of what had happened to Lazriel -- and Luna, too -- inside the castle. Her father had never told her that tale, but she'd heard from other kids. Sneaking about the castle in Abeo, she'd heard hushed whispers about it. About all the bends in the hard road Lazriel had walked since childhood. His youth, it seemed, had been composed of a series of unfortunate and abominable events. His family, slaughtered. His inheritance, stolen. His home, abandoned. His faith, shaken. And just when it got better, history nearly repeated itself. It didn't seem fair. "I want you to have something," he said, reaching behind him for something Talia hadn't noticed. "Formally, I suppose it should go to Delise, but I think you will appreciate it more." He showed her the long earring, then, silver with a red jewel at the bottom. She didn't know what it meant, but it was beautiful, well-crafted, and by the way Lazriel held it gingerly, full of meaning. "In Esralia, before the change of power, I was a prince. This showed it. When I went somewhere, I didn't need to be announced, because one look at this bead, and they knew who I was." Talia was beyond words. This earring was a relic! It was a piece of the stories she so loved, and it was a piece of her father. She reached out and ran a finger over the detailed metal. "Aplin, Kale, and Delise are the inheritors of a throne meant for no specific species. They are wolf and leopard. But you and Eirian are only leopard. You are the purest of our kind, and prince and princess of a dynasty that has no throne." He did not mention Luka, son of the traitor Laliel in Esralia, but Talia knew that he, too, was a prince of this intangible dominion. She didn't speak, though, just listened. Her father may not have had the normal qualities of a snow leopard, but his voice was smooth and gentle. Captivating. "I don't have two of these, but between you and Eirian, you are the warrior, and the one I worry the most about. I want you to have this. Let it remind you in danger that Eyasha abandons no one. Let it remind you to be fair and compassionate. And let it remind you that nothing is hopeless." He held out his empty hand, and she placed hers into it. He placed the warm silver on her awaiting palm, and then closed her fingers around it. It felt heavy in her hand; heavy with the weight of new responsibility. Talia would never sit on a throne, but he had challenged her to be a princess just the same. ((Too lazy to reread right now. I'll go over it later.)) |
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| Cookie Dough | Nov 11 2010, 12:42 PM Post #2 |
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Death to Babies
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It's fine ![]() A long howl echoed across Abeo, indistinguishable paws leapt from behind the mountain and raced down. Two large deer were held excitedly between the young pack. Leo was easily noticed, he was oddly large for a wolf as well, not just in his human form. He was even bigger than Snow, and she was bred from wolves known mainly for their large size. He was still no match for his mother when she decided to use her abilities, but that would be an awkward size for a normal wolf. He was splashed in blood, none was his own of course, but it made him look, truly, fierce. He was only able to enjoy a few minutes of banter with his hunting pack before he heard that annoying bark... It was always- "Tiyree stop nagging me! I know Mom said not to hunt deer, but they weren't that close to any human settlements! We could have screamed out there and no humans would have been aware of where we were!" He sighed, having changed back to a human. Tiyree got on everyone's case... She was such a brat sometimes... And his parents let her have everything she wanted, which made it worse! "I'm telling!" Tiyree resembled their mother in nearly all aspects except her face. She was unusually small, had thick brown hair, and a tight build. As a wolf this did not change and she had white fur, as all female Demon-bloods did... However, her face was not as fay as their mother's, it was more... almost regal looking. She really had the face of a princess (though she was sixth in line for throne next to himself and Talia) and held herself like one. He wished she would do something that would get her in trouble, but, of course, she never did! Tiyree ran off to tattle on her brother. "Whatever, if I get in trouble, I get in trouble..." He rubbed his eyes, still that dark red, but with some green swirled in to soften the color. His mother had been surprised when his eye color had simply gained some green as he grew, males didn't have red eyes usually. He picked up the small pack. Whenever he went out he took it with him so he could pick up anything interesting he found. He closed his eyes, his ability to see into other people's minds and emotions was extremely overwhelming when he was younger, now he found he could turn it on and off at will, as long as he was calm and emotionally stable. Unfortunately, that control was useless if his emotions were just slightly stressful or painful. He could be happy and excited, but any negative feelings made him have to sit and wait to calm down or else suffer massive headaches from overload. He tracked Talia down easily enough, then, physically, went to her location. He knew his dad was there too, he didn't want to intrude, he knew how much Talia loved him. He whistled to get their attention, with his abilities, something like his father going blind could not be hidden, so he knew noise was better than just walking up to them. "I just got back, caught some food with my friends! I actually found a good deal of stuff this trip too, some humans must have been camping way up in the mountains and froze, we found several bodies. We buried them of course, so we could not be tracked having gone there. Look what I found though- they were craftsmen, they had all sorts of books and materials for weapons..." He produced a small, worn book. The pages were just as worn, but the information was all about forging weapons and other useful tools. He laughed, "Maybe I should give this to Eirian, he's probably bored reading the library repeatedly, he might be entertained with this for a day!" |
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| Oop | Nov 11 2010, 06:00 PM Post #3 |
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so they scream
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Talia, despite her perfect vision, did not notice Leo approaching until he whistled sharply. For a fleeting moment, disappointment flooded her. She and Lazriel rarely had time to spend together, and, of course, here came Leo to ruin it. But then she would remember that, although he reeked potently of wolf, Lazriel was his father, as well. She couldn't be greedy with his time. As Leo spoke, she watched Lazriel's face - how the corners of his lips turned downward at the mention of the humans. He didn't have to tell her that these intruders added yet another problem to his abundant supply. It seemed that every time he thought he'd managed to stave off one attack, another came from somewhere completely unexpected. Yet, he hid his worries well. Not that it mattered. They all knew of Leo's abilities; he'd apparently had them since birth. The joke at Eirian's expense brought a smile to Lazriel's face, though, and so Talia relaxed. "An hour, maybe," she quipped. She'd never had much interest in books or reading. She was not illiterate, but what Eirian could read, translate into any of three languages (leopard, wolf, and human, which Luna had taught him), and comprehend in a moment took her hours of mental labor, if she could grasp it at all. Talia liked action: giver her a bow, a sword, a stick, and she'd find a way to make it useful. But hand her a book, and she would sink in defeat. She probably shouldn't have skipped almost all of her classes when she was younger, but he mind thought in battle strategies, not dusty literature. "I suppose you're right. Maybe it will be as useful as the last book," Lazriel joked back. The last book they'd taken from a human had been a book of recipes, all calling for ingredients unheard of in these mountains. In effect, it had been utterly useless. Still, Eirian had delighted in reading it, and if he read it, he knew every line of it. His mind was like the best of traps that way: information went in, and never escaped. Her father stood (he was a good deal taller than Leo, and certainly more regal looking, Talia noticed not for the first time, than even most leopards, let alone wolves), brushed himself off, and held his hand out. "I'll take it to him. I'm sure you two barbarians have a squabble to finish." "We're not barbarians, da," Talia said. "Oh, of course not, dear. You just like to romp around and wrestle in the dirt. That's perfectly civilized." He smiled, and then patted Leo on the shoulder (for his lack of sight, he had a remarkable talent for locating people). "Thank you. I appreciate your contributions - even if the illiterates don't." He shot a pointed look at Talia, who pretended to be as deaf as he was blind, and then walked away with no hesitation in his steps and not stumbles in his footing. Talia didn't know how he managed to do so well with no vision, but she was glad for it. To see her father sickly or incapable would render her -- as well as almost all of Abeo -- heartbroken. When he was out of earshot, she tilted her head back to look at her brother, and then looked back down at the earpiece in her hand. She'd had her ears pierced before, but usually the small hoops (usually wooden or of a common, brassy metal) fell out or broke frequently. This piece, she knew, would never come out if it wasn't carefully removed (which explained the rip in her father's earlobe; he had so many scars from so many unpleasant events that she feared asking about the stories behind them). She looked back up at Leo, her closest friend and sibling, and her biggest rival. "Would you help me with something?" she asked, holding out the earpiece for him to examine. It would probably be better to ask one of the girls to help her, but she couldn't stand how finicky they were. She could ask Eirian, but he felt the same as she did about time spent with their father, and she wouldn't dare infringe upon it. Leo would have to do. "Just try to center it, would you?" |
| If you're gonna hit it, hit it until it breaks. | |
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| Cookie Dough | Nov 11 2010, 07:13 PM Post #4 |
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Death to Babies
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Leo watched their father leave, "I'm sorry, I should have waited, I just have a feeling Mom's going to kill me. We were hunting deer, even though I know she told all of us they are too close to humans..." Leo talked a lot, but he rarely said anything important. He knew a lot about too many people, and his foresight for life, in general, was uncanny (he had the wisdom of hundreds of people to help him). However, he found it hard to talk to others, regardless that he knew so much about everyone else. Talia was his only outlet. They had been raised together and spent more time with each other than anyone else, so it made sense that Talia knew when he was bothered. Leo never told her everything, if he said anything, but she was good at picking it up by the snippets that escaped during all his chatter. This time, Leo was actually going to tell her something right out- maybe. He thought for a minute before nodding, holding the earring tightly to make sure he didn't drop it, Talia would kill him, "Don't tell okay? I actually went to a town- while everyone else was tracking down the herd." He left it at that, looking guilty. "I don't like them, they mean to cultivate farther and farther, they'll come here... Abeo already has enough problems..." He then looked at the earring, "Fine, I'll do this, but don't blame me if it's not pretty~!" He rolled his eyes and grabbed Talia, pulling her closer. With one push he had the earring through and he closed the other end up so it would stay. He wiped off the bit of blood and surveyed his work, "Not too shabby if I do say so myself! Anyway, I got you a present!" He handed her a dagger. Not only was it paper-thin and well-balanced, but it was extremely sharp. "It was at the campsite we found..." He then stopped and looked past her, "Hey Sai! Vey!" Like Chiisa, Saiya and Vemae were both stunning creatures. They were flirtatious, well read, quick-footed with brains to match, and had boys drooling over them left and right, a lot of times, literally. They were also incredible teases, both wanting attention from any and all sources, so most of the boys they flirted with they didn't care about one way or the other. Of course, they weren't mean-spirited, it was more subconscious than anything; they couldn't help it. Leo, for all his abilities, was a bit of a blockhead when it came to crushes. Of course he had girls that liked him, he was attractive and talented, plus in a position of some authority and power. Though Saiya obviously was one of those, but he never seemed to get the picture. Saiya smiled, her sister having parted from her, "You're covered in blood- always up close to the fight, hmm?" Her voice followed leopard rules for its silky and beautiful sound. The wolf in her came out in her temper. For someone so petite and lady-like, she had been in her fair share of meaningless rage-fights over silly things. "Hello Talia! Excuse me, but, your ear is bleeding a little, Sweetheart... Oh what a lovely ear piece!" She cleared her throat, putting her attention back to Leo. She smiled sweetly. "Yeah, can't let the pack take all the fun. Err, and I'm not the best with jewelry I 'spose... Talia's tough," He hit her on the shoulder lightly, "Right Sis?" He smirked. He scratched his head, "Actually, I should get going, your dad is giving a speech in the barracks today about new weaponry, actually, so I'll have to talk to you later." Sai was rethinking her approach, obviously. "Funny you should say that, so was I! We can go together!" Lie. She had little interest in weaponry and organized war or fighting. She had a bit of a temper and got in a few fights, that did not mean she learned anything about form or battle. Though Leo seemed surprised, "Very nice, a good daughter I guess!" He laughed in his ignorance, "You should come Talia, I know we can't enter the army yet, but you'll find it interesting for sure!" He turned into a wolf, Sai following suit and changing beside him. It must have frustrated her greatly that she, of all people, could not get a mind-reader to even notice her for anything more than another girl. She was petite and long like Chiisa, built for speed, her body was longer than Leo's, but he was much more bulky and taller, even as a wolf. |
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| Oop | Nov 11 2010, 09:34 PM Post #5 |
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so they scream
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The only indication that she felt any pain at the piercing came as a brief hiss of air through her front teeth. Leo wiped the blood away, and Talia held a hand to her ear, pressing it in an attempt to staunch the slight wound. She then focused on what he was telling her. "Leo, you shouldn't do those things... by yourself." She'd be no better than a hypocrite if she chastised him over something she herself would do. "You should take someone along next time." Talia grinned conspiratorially. She hated to hear that Leo was putting himself in danger, but she understood -- she and Leo were similar in their need for action, for adrenaline, for something to break up the monotony of the days. She hated to hear that he was having fun without her even more. Gingerly, she accepted the dagger that Leo offered her, testing it in her palm and between her fingers. It was of magnificent craftsmanship, she realized. Abeo didn't have daggers with such seamless lines or such pristine edges. "Thank you. It's marvelous." But he no longer paid attention to her. Sai and Vey approached them, and Talia simply watched on with something akin to smug pride and disgust. It seemed to her that Saiya had no backbone - no assertion. She was all slinky flirting and no definitive statements. If she liked Leo, she should just say so. And if Talia didn't believe in letting people work for what they wanted, then she might help the girl whom she'd been raised with by telling Leo. But she wouldn't. She simply watched as Sai made no progress. Talia didn't claim to be an expert in romantics; she knew little about it, actually - especially the female aspect. Because of her attitude and strength, she often spent more time with boys than girls. But she was observant, and reading people was a perk of that trait (another reason she and Leo related so well to each other). She only knew that Sai liked Leo because of the girl's flagrant displays. She never noticed any such advances on herself by any boys, but sometimes they touched her more than entirely necessary, just quick brushes on her arm or shoulder, enough to notice, but not enough to take offense to. She knew that Sai had no interest in weapons, but only raised an eyebrow. Talia wiped her bloodied hand on the grass, treating it as nothing more than water. She didn't think that she'd gotten any in her hair, since she usually kept it tied back in a loosely plaited braid. She ignored the odd displacement of her balance - the earpiece was surprisingly heavy! - and forced her neck to hold her head straight. She would have to get used to the extra, uneven weight. "I do want to go. I've heard that they may have something stronger than goat sinew to make a bowstring out of." As she spoke, she rose and slung her bow over a shoulder. She untied her braid and wrapped the band around her wrist. She changed into her leopard form, smoothly landing on all four paws. As she stood nearly a head taller than most of her peers, so she stretched longer. Training, though, had bulked her out, especially in her arms (due to bow training). Her fur, like Lazriel's, was almost entirely white besides her gray-and-black spots. Talia yawned as she stretched in her feline body, the sinew holding the bow to her back making a strange creaking sound as it, too, stretched to accommodate the action. Without even thinking about it, she grinned, stepping forward, and said, "Hey, Leo, I'll race you to the barracks!" Edited by Oop, Nov 11 2010, 09:41 PM.
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| Cookie Dough | Nov 11 2010, 10:05 PM Post #6 |
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Death to Babies
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Leo snorted an affirmative, between his size and her more agile body, they came about even. Leo was just raw muscle. He couldn't go for very long at such speeds, but he could bowl over anything in his way without flinching. He was like a tank. He burst into a sprint, tearing the ground with his claws. He clawed into the ground to stop before the barracks, panting. The warmer half of the year he tended to win, the colder half she tended to win. They were too close in speed to best each other on a turf they were not suited for. Sai caught up with them, afraid of the dirt Leo kicked off when he ran. She had never been seen running at full speed, her sister had done no such thing either, though Hard-Blood was confident they could outrun chasers, so obviously they had been granted the speed of their mother as well. It had already started inside so they crept to the back to sit and listen. Leo smirked, "Beat ya, you'll just have to wait until there's more fresh snow, Sis!" He whispered. Hard-Blood was talking about crossbows today, an efficient kind. Warriors could ride into battle with large crossbows on their backs. Someone fast could go through and trigger them, setting off a wave of shots in succession. Right after it was emptied, they could be reloaded by another warrior and fired again. Of course, it was just a theory, he had a crossbow to show how it would work, but he had no idea if it would be practical in the heat of battle. For now it was just an idea. "In the past, we have tried using plant materials for bowstrings. However, due to their inability to stay taught from too much water exposure, we reverted to a bit weaker, but moisture-resilient, animal intestines, sometimes even sinew. Now, those bows are fantastic, but plants still have a better power ratio. I was not theorizing on how to make plant material become available for bows, but one of our studious princes found that, in fact, beeswax is quite moisture-resistant. To test this out I brought one such treated bow. It is plant material, however, it has been treated with beeswax. We will be changing the bows from the militia to this bow from now on, though transition will be slow due to the rarity of bees in the snow, here, alright? If any problems arise, I'm sure our archery princess will know before we even have them properly figured in battle..." The men and women chuckled. It was a large barrack, it made sense that Hard-Blood did not see them all the way in the back... ((I'm just leaving it open for response, you can add stuff or make them leave and take to a new place, just leaving it open since I go too far in one post sometimes >.<)) |
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| Oop | Nov 12 2010, 10:01 AM Post #7 |
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so they scream
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((Man, I forgot how creative you are! Beeswax. Who'd've thunk?)) Leaving the barracks, Talia excitedly discussed the prospect of the new weapons with Leo. Apparently they'd also discovered a way to make swords less brittle, and so more resistant to breaking. Talia liked swordplay, but she didn't excel at it like she did archery. Apparently her mother had been the same way. Leo's earlier win didn't rifle her. He always won in the spring, and she always won in the winter. In fact, she'd lost count of exactly how many each had won or lost. But, even more than that, she forgot about it her excitement over the possibility of better bows. She wondered at how they'd gotten the plant material to stretch without snapping, but she had no doubt that, if Eirian was working on the problem, it wasn't a problem at all. "We should go see Eirian. Surely, if anyone knows all there is to know about these things, it's him," Talia said, and started leading the way to the library, where Eirian more lived than worked. He had his own office there (the office that used to be Lazriel's before his failing vision rendered it useless), as well as a lab area to conduct experiments. In fact, now that she thought about it, she'd seen Eirian much less lately than usual. She wondered what he'd been working on so diligently for so long. She also wondered if they were experiments commissioned by Abeo (namely, their military leaders), or experiments for his own pleasure. "Maybe we can see what he's working on right now." Talia didn't pretend to understand her brother. His intelligence far surpassed that of anyone in Abeo. She didn't pretend to know what he muttered about a good deal of the time. Yet, his exploits into unknown knowledge intrigued her. She liked hearing about what he attempted to do, and if it worked or not. And, sometimes, she knew that he appreciated the company. He seemed lonely with no equal intellects around. Surely he would enjoy a quick visit and some interest in his work. ((I s'pose we'll hit Eirian (and, if I remember, he and Miiya are pretty tight, right, so she could be there painting or something?) and then herd the family together for some more intros. Sound good?)) Edited by Oop, Nov 12 2010, 10:01 AM.
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| Cookie Dough | Nov 12 2010, 11:05 AM Post #8 |
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Death to Babies
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((Good with me! And actually, I can't take credit for the beeswax. I actually looked up this one- so it's factual. Apparently plant linen and hemp coated with beeswax is moisture resistant, but stronger than animal sinew and intestines)) Sai was flustered, to say the least, when Leo hit her shoulder (much lighter than he would Talia, he was aware of differences in people's muscle) and said he had to go. That had all been for nothing, again. Only girl Leo paid any attention to was Talia, his other sisters to a degree, of course. Leo smiled and walked alongside his sister, he had always been taller than her since they had grown at around the same times. Leo was looking forward to a few more inches to be taller than his father. "If you see Tiya or Ma warn me. When I got back Tiya immediately ran off to alert her I had been hunting deer... Such a brat!" He yawned, whenever one of his siblings or either of his parents had bad dreams, he would often get them too. When he slept he dove into someone else's mind and it seemed to always want to attract to the most negative one. He was tired, to say the least. He pushed open the door, looking around, his mother had gotten very good at blocking her mind from him (at least when awake), he didn't want to be caught off guard. When walked into the library, Eirian would always seem so wrapped up in his work. The second you made any sort of noise louder than a squeaking whisper, suddenly he wasn't so wrapped up in his work. Leo always found himself a bit clumsy in tight spaces. When he was younger and first getting used to how bulky and tall he had grown, he had come in here and knocked over half the library one day by accident. He was much more careful now, but the memory was funny, just the same. Miiyena had a large canvas up beside the entrance to Eirians laboratory. On it she was painting some form of a model. She could take measurements and data and just put them on paper, almost accurate to the millimeters. For that reason, whenever Eirian was working on something where he actually was at the point for visual aid, she would paint it for him. She was drawing a person and a leopard, red dots going on vital areas. On the other end she had a crossbow and was drawing the different angles and where each angle would hit from how far away. She wasn't much for figuring out these things, how it would work, but give her the specs of any weapon and she could tell you how to angle it to hit it where. What was so funny about that was the fact she was too weak to even string a real bow, she didn't use weapons. The heaviest thing she ever had to hold was a brush. She was very pale due to her time indoors, she had little muscle and so she looked... stringy, in a way. She looked like she could be snapped in half, but she ate almost constantly. She probably ate almost as much as Leo, an impressive feat for someone so small. She was tall and had strait blonde hair. Leo had the same blondness, a strange hair color for wolves, apparently their biological father had been blonde, for Luna was a deep brunette. Miya had long legs and fingers, perfect for her artistic nature. Her whole body looked like it had been stretched out, not to the point she looked weird, just a bit on the too-skinny side. Her face was where people had to wonder what their father looked like- what his mother looked like- wherever she got it from. She had big, gold eyes with thick, long eyelashes and rosy cheeks. Her mouth was small, but whenever she smiled her face lit up all the more. Her body may not have been too fantastic, but her face was very beautiful. Her voice was a bit rough, like a wolf's should be, but she had a wonderful singing voice and played numerous instruments. If it made sound, chances are she could play it. She wrote and played music whenever she was not with Eirian, painting or drawing. Leo smiled, "Hey, nice picture!" He was whispering of course, "Where's Eirian?" Miya simply pointed into his cave (so Leo had nicknamed it, he spent all his time there and had a bed in there- it was nearly his cave). She waved to Talia half-heartedly, not even turning from her painting. It was nothing personal, she was just always very involved in her work when she was in the library. If she was in the music room she was much more friendly, music put her in a sort of... bubbly mood. "Eirian?" He whispered as he carefully made his way inside; the last thing he wanted to do was knock over any of the strangely-placed experiments or books (occasionally food) that Eirian had in here... ((Sorry if I god-modded a bit XD)) |
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| Oop | Nov 14 2010, 11:28 AM Post #9 |
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so they scream
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((No, you pretty much got his character down. ))Nodding acknowledgment back at her sister, Talia continued walking. She slid past Leo so that she could smoothly approach her brother (she was more graceful and less bulky than her wolf brother, and picking a path through the towers of books and heaped piles of notes didn't pose much of a problem). Eirian, like her and their father, had hair pale as new snow. He was tall (almost as tall as Leo, but not quite), and nearly as pale as Miiya, though it looked more natural on him that their sister. Like Lazriel, he had features that tended to look more delicate than outright masculine. Eirian also had a very subtle strength to him, and a grace that seemed directly acquired from their father. In fact, he looked exactly like Lazriel, only younger and less battle-tried. Were it not for the lack of scars, even Talia would have a rough time telling them apart. On her way toward her brother, she purposefully knocked over an empty tube of sorts. "That stupid vial..." the intensely focused boy muttered, but otherwise spared no glance in Talia's direction. So she tipped yet another empty bottle. This time, Eirian turned. He didn't show any surprise or so much as start when he saw Talia and Leo in his tightly crammed workspace. For a boy with exceptionally weak defensive skills (compared to his more rigorous siblings), he was less jumpy than one might think. Actually, hardly anything upset him. He had the patience of a scribe and a level of calmness about him fit for an explorer (though he was interested in no such thing). "I suppose you came from the barracks," he said, and then beckoned Talia and Leo forward with two fingers over his shoulder. He had an irritating way of acting rather pompous without realizing it. Because his work was so important to Abeo, he was used to getting everything he wanted or needed (when it could be procured). In effect, he'd become a bit bossy. Talia stepped up to his currently occupied workbench and gazed down at what seemed to be a bowstring. She reached out, as if to touch it, before remembering how Eirian hated others touching his works-in-progress. "Oh, go on and see how it stands. Eyasha knows you'll be the one testing it in a day or so, anyway." So Talia lifted the string up, tugging, stretching, and pulling it to her heart's content. Eirian watched her carefully, tapping a quill pen on the wooden surface of the table and occasionally writing something in illegible shorthand on a piece of parchment. Finally, after she'd all but attempted to mutilate the thing, she set it down. "It's much better than even the best sinew I've used. Who would have thought that beeswax would solve the problem of broken strings?" She said it in a way that gave credit to Eirian's incomparable knowledge. "The humans," he answered shortly. "Then, of course, they have more bees to experiment with in the warmer climates, and more contact among themselves than us shifters, resulting in more shared and universal knowledge." Talia just nodded, familiar with the signs of her brother about to begin a long tangent about something she didn't care much about. She vaguely listened to him, but wandered away from his desk as he took up the bowstring again. She absently plucked up sheets of notes, which gave her a headache just by looking at them. However, an old journal, nearly crumbling and in dire want of new binding, lay open in a clear area. No bottles or vials set near it. The papers surrounding it looked organized and carefully -- almost painstakingly -- neat. Talia supposed that Eirian was translating it for one of the other scholars. But then, what were those symbols? She'd seen the human writing, slanty and all connected at the bases (it was called cursive Latin, if she remembered correctly). She could read wolf and leopard, each very distinct from the other, but this... It looked like nothing she'd ever seen. "Eirian, what language is this?" she asked, lifting a sheet to show him and interrupting his narration on the benefits of more settlements located closer together, as well as the comparative detriments. He glanced over at her, and then back to his work as he answered. "It's a private language that dad taught me. Only the royal line of the snow leopards has ever known it." He paused, tugging on the string once before continuing. "Do you remember the story of Valian? You know, the she-wolf that trained mom? Well, according to a book that I found on the history of Abeo, she launched an attack on us just because of that journal. Dad wants me to finish translating it for him, although he had most of it done already, thank goodness. It would have been impossible to learn, otherwise." He sighed as the string finally snapped in his hands. He set it aside, then walked over to Talia. He split the stack of papers and handed her one. "Look. He wrote all of this, and even added his own notes in the margins." Talia looked at the paper, covered from top to bottom in tight, neat script, an occasional footnote or line drawn to include some little piece of information that Lazriel had apparently researched. She held the page with reverence, and when she'd finished looking, she set it back down where Eirian had gotten it from. "He never does anything half-way, does he?" she asked, turning around to face Eirian with a smile. She noticed him staring at her ear, and her smile faltered. "So, he gave it to you?" he finally asked, reaching out to touch the dangling silver piece. "He told you what it means, right?" "Yes, he told me. I'm sorry, Eirian. He told me that there weren't two, but-" He waved away her apology. "It's only right that the warrior wear the charm. That way we can identify your body when you go and do something stupid," he teased. She smacked his hand away with an appalled look. "That's horrible!" she said. "I know, I know. Ma and Da would have my head if they knew I said that." "Well, why don't you come with us and tell them yourself? It's time to eat, anyway, and Leo caught us some nice deer today. We'll get Miiya, too. It would be nice if all ten of us could eat together for once. Right, Leo?" ((Sorry. I didn't mean to alienate Leo. I kind of just imagine Eirian as a delicate mix of quiet, studious worker and chatterbox. You know what I'm saying? Like, when he starts talking, he talks a lot. Anyway, you can squeeze Leo into this scene, or just move forward. I don't care either way.)) |
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| Cookie Dough | Nov 14 2010, 12:59 PM Post #10 |
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Death to Babies
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((No, it's perfect actually, I imagine Leo would just stand away since he would feel out of place in such an environment. And -squee- you remembered the journal! ^.^ Idk why I like all those little things so much... >.<)) Leo stayed on the outskirts, but as soon as the conversation ended up on the journal, he became interested. He just listened, he knew about it, broadly. However, ever since he was little, his mother had always had a negative outlook towards it, though she was supportive of Lazriel, she felt it was too much information if wolves were willing to die over it. It must have rubbed off on Leo, he spent a lot of time with his mother as well as Talia, it didn't surprise him their views were similar. "Ma doesn't like that journal... I bet it's interesting, though. I guess we all have our hands in some forbidden fruit. Well, except Tiyree..." His thoughts trailed off, but came back abruptly. He growled, whenever he was upset, even if just a little, his voice roughened and actually sounded dark, "Don't say that Eirian! You never say things like that!" He would have hit Eirian had he thought the smaller man wouldn't break (well, he doubted he would break, but close enough). He stepped out of Eirian's cave, "Come on..." He was still a little annoyed. He touched his forehead and disappeared into the library, "I'll catch up..." Any exertion of negative emotion left his head pounding, he had even passed out in the past. If he were by himself or only with a few people it wouldn't matter, however, with a huge city full of working minds, his mind taking all that in... It wasn't good. Right on cue there was a sweet howl that carried through the air, meaning dinnertime. Whenever there was a lot of food, Luna would howl for them all to come eat, she liked having the family together, all the adults tended to. Most of the kids found it more as an inconvenience usually... She sat down next to Lazriel, "Leo hunted this deer... Even after I forbade them! Lazriel, he is so curious of the humans, he doesn't see the danger in being so close. I don't want to punish him, but I don't want him to do it again!" She looked up at Lazriel, pleading for his help. She never would use her abilities on her children, either. That would be wrong on so many levels, and she, simply, could not do that to them. She loved them all far too much. It was no secret that Luna fretted over Leo. It wasn't that she favored him, but she felt the need to protect him more than all her other children, even though Leo was one of the more capable of the bunch. She tried not to punish him, and Leo could easily manipulate her. He wasn't a brat, like Tiyree, but he knew how to tug on his mother's heart strings to get let off of punishment and duties. Delise was in first. She had probably gotten the most pure marks for all of her traits. As a human she had snow white hair and beautiful, soft gray eyes and porcelain skin. When she transformed she had the build of a leopard, red eyes, long legs and the tail of a wolf. Her fur was pure white and was shorter like a wolf's, but soft like a leopards and dirt was not a problem. Her voice resembled Lazriel's too, a sort of satiny purr. The downside to all her perfect traits was her howl. She could howl for short periods of time, but she got tired quickly, her throat was not made for it so much as talking or purring. Fortunately, she was extraordinarily gifted with her abilities on both sides. She was almost equal in strength to Luna, and still so young. The downside to such power was that it could easily escalate. There was some tension about trying to teach her more, people were afraid she could hurt someone without Luna there to stop her when her powers got the best of her. It happened too easily, one minute she could be in perfect control, the next she could be flinging mental kill-shots left and right. She had to keep very calm, very controlled, very balanced. She could heal any number of wounds within minutes without so much as breaking a sweat. Snow thought that her abilities complimented each other, and so, were magnified. It didn't matter if she was wrong or right, because Delise was gifted all the same. She was more social, like Vemae and Saiya, and spent time with other people instead of books, art, or weapons. She could wield a bow or a dagger, read wolf and leopard, along with basic human (she was in the process of learning it still), or doodle a basic picture, but she was not particularly interested or especially good at any of this. She wasn't allowed to hold swords either, balancing a sword was, apparently, impossible to her. One practice swing and she had nearly killed their father- maybe not killed, but he would have been hurt had he not seen and reacted. "Da, I think Snow is coming back. She always comes back right before the cold really sets in, plus I think I heard her howling when I was taking a walk this morning. I hope she comes back with good news... Do you think we will have to fight another human town before winter? They tend to come here, but they seem to have been getting braver lately..." She was concerned, of course. Plus she had a thing for one of the militia, she kept herself posted on war and battles since she was always wondering where he would be put, next. He was one of the front-lines. While she hated that bravery, she also loved the quality in him, so it was a double-edged sword in this case. Tiyree then skipped in, happy as ever, "Lisa, stop worrying about your boyfriend!" She laughed as Delise turned red, moving to sit where Vemae and Saiya sat, she liked talking as so they were good friends to have. Hard-Blood and Chiisa came in after their daughters, sitting down beside Lazriel and Luna. "Hey, I'm glad Leo's got guts, deer is my favorite, hands down!" Chiisa rolled her eyes, "Pig... So, what do you two think of your son's idea about the bows? He's such a little genius, you must be proud! I never would have thought of beeswax!" She laughed, smiling. "Yes, Eirian, don't you hear them praising you? That's what you need, another ego boost!" Miiyena laughed and sat across across from her parents. Then she hit Eirian's shoulder lightly, whispering, "Ma will kill you if she finds out you got Leo upset, you better hope he gets back quickly!" She was chastising him for being stupid, not threatening him, she was no tattle, neither was Leo. ((I would think they would sit on the floor, but maybe they have a table? I don't know- I just made their seating vague >.< And do you want Kale, or should I take him? I'll put him in next post if you rather have me get him. Like I said, either way I am happy! ))
Edited by Cookie Dough, Nov 14 2010, 08:27 PM.
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| Oop | Nov 14 2010, 07:44 PM Post #11 |
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so they scream
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((I don't remember much about the journal, but I thought it would be an interesting detail to keep in, even if it's not important. ![]() And floor sounds good to me.)) Before leaving the library, Talia stood aside with Leo while Eirian spoke quietly with Miiya. She touched two fingers to his forehead and sent her soothing, green aura into him, even if it didn't help entirely. (She also tried to send him positive thoughts, letting him know that she wasn't upset about the comment, and so he shouldn't be, either.) "He didn't mean it, Leo. He's upset. He wanted the earpiece, too, even if he doesn't show it." She sighed, and then lightly hit her brother's arm in affection. "Catch up quickly, okay?" She then left with Eirian and Miiyena, the prior of the two casting worried glances over his shoulder. He and Leo may not have had much in common, but they were still brothers. Eirian had no problems with confrontation (that particular aspect had changed greatly since childhood, being raised with seven girls, one of whom seeming more like a boy), but he didn't like to see it within their family, and he certainly didn't like to be the cause of it. --- Lazriel wrapped an arm around Luna's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "I know it's dangerous, Luna, but maybe it's good for him to see how things work outside of Abeo. Most of our kids -- I'm sorry to say -- have no worldly experience. They coop themselves up in this safe place and think that nothing can touch them." Knowing the Luna wouldn't like that answer, he then added, "Maybe set less strict parameters. He likes hunting, and he likes exploring. So, rather than forbid him to hunt, forbid him to have contact with the humans. Give him a less suffocating restraint." --- Aplin came in second. His hair was an average brown - not light, per se, but not as dark as Luna's - and curled at the ends. Judging by his wet appearance, he'd just been bathing. He ran his long, strong fingers through his wet locks, pushing the hair out of his dark gray eyes. Of all the children, he had the best mix as far as builds went, not necessarily bulky, but not as long or lanky as snow leopards. He was tall, too, though shorter than both Leo and Eirian (likely somewhat due to his younger age, as well). He stood about the same height as Talia. Like all the kids with Lazriel's blood, his face leaned more toward the effeminate side, but not nearly so much as Eirian's. Unlike most of his siblings, he had a creamy, olive skin tone with dark freckles that complimented his serious, gray eyes. When he shifted, he again had the most noticeable mix of characteristics. He had the large front paws, retractable claws, thick coat, and long tail of a snow leopard, but he also had the longer muzzle and excelled sense of smell of a wolf. He could howl or purr adequately, his speaking voice indistinguishable from wolf or leopard. In attitude, being the oldest mix, he was very serious. Compared to all the other children in Abeo, he'd faced the most adversity growing up, and though it had made it difficult for him, it had also made Aplin an exceptional prince. Patient, calm, smart, well-mannered, and truthful, if one didn't know better, they would assume he was the oldest of all eight of the children; he acted more mature than any of them. Though serious and possibly a little detached, even with family, he was not unpleasant. He had no bloodline traits -- no healing powers (typical, though, for a male of his line, according to Lazriel), no mind powers, no auras -- but his mild temper and lack of odd powers endeared him to the people of Abeo. When a domestic problem broke out, the first person sought to help was Aplin, and he never said no. Giving and selfless, he would be the first on any scene of danger, and he always seemed to know exactly what to do. He could wield bandages and salves as well as he could wield a sword (and having been especially close to Primre growing up, that was saying quite a bit). He excelled in most areas, but didn't stand out with any one particular skill like his other siblings. Of all of his siblings, he was closest to Eirian, who perceived things in a similar manner and had the most similar temperament and disposition to his own. Sometimes the two would spend whole days in the library or lab together, often doing nothing more than reading or quietly conferring to find the best herbs to fight any given ailment. Outside of the family, Aplin spent a good deal of time with Luka and Salira, both of them Raffe and Retuli's kids, though he knew that he and Luke were related (second cousins, or something of that nature). He often visited Primre and Neatth often to learn the more intricate details of healing and medicine. He came in and sat beside Lazriel, since Delise had taken her normal seat beside Luna. "Good evening, Da," he said, setting a hand on his father's shoulder. "How are you?" Of all the kids (with the exception of Leo, of course), Aplin seemed best able to pick up on others' moods and feelings. He had the natural ability to sense people's thoughts and intentions, as well as gauge their actions before they themselves even knew what they were going to do. "I'm fine. And you?" Aplin could see that something bothered Lazriel, but obviously he didn't want to talk about it, and so Aplin let the subject drop. Both of them glanced up when Kale loudly entered the room. He had the same olive skin tone as Aplin, but had hair as black as the night of a lunar eclipse, and eyes to match. He Aplin in build, though he was more muscular and somewhat taller. He stood somewhere between Aplin and Leo in height. When he shifted, he didn't look so much graceful or mangled as simply... intimidating, looking like an overgrown wolf with all the balance and guile of a snow leopard. In hand-to-hand combat, he came in behind Leo and Talia, but was not to be trifled with by any means. He couldn't quite get the hang of archery, but then, he could probably throw a stone just as far and with as much accuracy as he could shoot. Spears were his specialty, rivaled only by pikes. In any case, he preferred sunbathing to training, and only really excelled at anything if he put his mind to it entirely. In personality, Kale was the most carefree. He loved pulling pranks and joking around. All of Abeo found him affable and approachable, though none dared to make him angry. Despite his friendliness, he angered quickly, and when he got angry, his judgment clouded considerably. However, no one could doubt his loyalty and protectiveness, especially toward his family. One slipped word of slander, and Kale would do his best to see the offender exiled or dead. As far as literature, Kale didn't have the attention span to sit still in a room long enough to decipher a sentence, let alone actually study something. He knew the basics of reading and writing (though his parchments looked more like chickens with ink on their feet had been set loose on his paper than actual writing), but never put it into practice. He avoided the library (and sometimes Eirian, Miiya, and Aplin, as well) like the plague. Kale didn't have a sibling that he especially bonded with. Most of his time was spent with Ephram, Raffe and Retuli's son. Like Kale, Ephram was always good for a laugh and had a positive outlook on nearly everything. He entered and sat next to Delise, elbowing her gently and whispering something (a joke, undoubtedly) into her ear. ((OMG. That took FOREVER.)) Edited by Oop, Nov 15 2010, 04:22 PM.
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| Cookie Dough | Nov 14 2010, 08:19 PM Post #12 |
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Death to Babies
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Luna thought on what Lazriel said, "I suppose you're right..." Though his absence for the first twenty minutes didn't help her nerves. When he came in, he looked drained. He had probably gotten a nosebleed. It wasn't so much the severity of his anger toward the comment, it was just the anger. He was extremely sensitive, unfortunately, as soon as his mood went down, it was like dominoes and soon his mind was on overload. He sat besides Talia, groaning. "Leo looks terrible! You see, it stressed him! Leo!" Luna hopped up and sat on the other side of Leo, touching his forehead before examining him closely. "Sweetheart, what did you do?" He shook his head, "Nothing..." It took a while to recuperate after these fits as well. He sighed, "It was nothing to get worked up about... I'll be fine, Ma... Go eat, please?" He managed to hold composure for a minute while he looked down at her. She didn't want to, but she went back to Lazriel, elbowing him lightly, "You say I shouldn't worry then he comes in ready to pass out, Lazriel!" She was just worried, she had reason, Leo could be taken down easily if his emotions were not controlled. He was a wolf, known for their tempers, yet his left him on his backside... The irony. Miiyena giggled, "Eirian..." She shook her head and went to the other side of Leo, handing him so meat, "You should eat something, you look terrible, it's usually not so bad, especially with something so little!" "I know, Eirian, I hope you don't feel bad. It shouldn't have gotten this bad. I wasn't that angry..." He sighed, resting his elbows on his knees and then placing his head in his hands. He ate the meat his sister gave him before groaning again. Miya walked back to Eirian, sitting beside him once more. She laughed again, "Bad luck I guess!" Hard-Blood laughed, "So Eirian, what are you working on next, or are you taking your studies from weapons for a while?" "You should make clothes, Brother! We need more of those!" Tiyree smiled innocently. Miya just shook her head, her sister just... had such a limited brain... Delise snorted, her question had been ignored. She would whine to Lazriel later. She was not one of the children that had any detection of moods, she never knew when to let things go or timing on matters. Vemae looked at Talia, pointed at her ear and gave a thumbs-up. She didn't appear to know the significance, but she still liked it. Chiisa had noticed too, she left Hard-Blood and walked over, sitting across from Leo and Talia, "So he gave you his earpiece? Don't loose it, it's relic... I'm sure you know what it means. It suits you very well!" She smiled and looked at Leo, "They've been getting worse... Is something bothering you?" Leo shook his head. Not entirely a lie, he had a lot on his mind all the time. Nothing had changed. He didn't look up at her and she frowned, but got the hint. He didn't want to talk to her. "You know, I actually have some bows for you, Talia. They are poison-tipped. Since you're almost old enough to join the militia, they might come in handy. Well, I'm assuming you're joining. I couldn't imagine you two doing anything else! You should definitely have them, they would do you well. They are for battle only. The poison paralyzes your enemy. You can use it if you come across someone really sturdy or something, you know?" She smiled and left them after a couple more minutes of idle chatter, returning to Hard-Blood and her own children. |
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| Oop | Nov 17 2010, 10:20 AM Post #13 |
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so they scream
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((Another absolutely plotless post. But I wanted to introduce Luka.)) "Sorry we're late!" Retuli said several minutes later. She entered the large room, followed by Raffe, Salira, Ephram, and Luka. Salira and Ephram, like their parents, had dark-gray hair. Ephram had his father's strong features and build, and the same large, goofy smile. Salira had a good mix, and though she wasn't incredibly beautiful, she had a daintiness to her, much like Retuli, as well as gracious manners. She was rather soft-spoken, which was why she and Aplin were so close. Luka looked enough like Lazriel to notice the connection, but did not really resemble him. He had the pure white hair and same large, gray eyes, as well as the same mouth shape. Otherwise, he was the spitting image of Laliel: broad-shouldered, tall, strong. Of course, with Retuli and Raffe's nurturing, his personality remained untainted by his father's sadism. He spent a lot of time with Aplin and Salira, and was equally fond of fighting and studying. Well-rounded, Lazriel knew that, if he'd stayed in Esralia, he would have made an even more formidable foe than his father. It had taken a long time for Lazriel to not look upon Luka with disgust, but by the time the boy had gained a year of life, Lazriel had viewed him as nothing more than another child that needed the safety and freedom that Abeo strove to offer. He was Laliel's son, son of the man who had scarred and humiliated Lazriel, son of the man who had taken everything from him, but Lazriel had always had a certain wisdom about him, and he understood that no one could choose their parents. He couldn't hold Luka responsible for his father's flaws. Luka and Lazriel were, in actuality, fairly close. Second cousins, Luka looked to Lazriel as more of an uncle-figure, and often went to him for advice, or simply to ask for information. He'd never been lied to about his heritage, or the happenings that had brought him to Abeo; he knew he was spawn of the traitor Laliel, he knew (and had been sworn to secrecy) about what had happened to Lazriel and Luna in that tall castle, carved into the side of a great cliff. But he also knew that, here, he could live without that shadow cast over him. He knew he was loved and had friends. In personality, Luka was less serious than Aplin, but also less playful than either Ephram or Kale. A kind of social butterfly, he got along well with nearly anybody he crossed paths with. Luka sat between Lazriel and Aplin, and Salira sat on Aplin's other side. Ephram squeezed in between Delise and Kale. Retuli and Raffe simply sat where room afforded them. Right behind the five of them came Primre and Neatth, who, despite their age, didn't seem a day older than when Lazriel had met them for the first time. The healers stayed together, both sitting to one side of Leo (which couldn't have been an accident). They tutted over him, shaking their heads at his misfortune. A wolf whose temper was his weakness. It was almost laughable. Lazriel led the brief prayer of thanks to Eyasha, for family, friends, freedom, and (of course) food. And then they ate. ((I don't know where to go from here.)) |
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| Cookie Dough | Nov 17 2010, 08:45 PM Post #14 |
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Death to Babies
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((It's fine, I have lots of ideas :D)) Delise giggled when Ephram squished himself between Kale and Delise. "You're squishing me!" She laughed and pushed back, gently elbowing Ephram. Delise got along with everyone and flirted with everyone not related to her- even girls sometimes (though not on purpose). It was just her nature. Leo nodded to Neatth and Primre, "I'm okay..." He suddenly stood, "Snow's back!" He hopped outside and doggy-dashed away. Happiness always helped his mind calm. A few minutes later, Leo returned, Snow at his side. Ever since Leo was little, Snow had taught him a lot, her harsh nature attracted him to seek approval from her all the more, and they were very good friends. It was almost a relationship of parent to child, but at the same time a teacher and their star student. "Go sit down, Stupid!" Snow pushed against Leo's face until he sat back next to Talia, Neatth and Primre, his mood improved, greatly. Snow examined each of the children with a hard stare, then snorted, looking to Lazriel and Luna. Luna stood and smiled, "You look well, I hope you have good reports for us!" Snow just grabbed some meat, "I'm actually very tired, I'll have to visit later..." She had changed very little, physically, except a few more scars and having gained some strange muscles for a wolf (spending most of her time in the mountains, now). Her personality had softened greatly towards children, however, she seemed to have no patience when waiting for her needs to be met (usually a sizeable group to travel to a small settlement and take care of the humans there). Besides that she was much more critical of what needed to be done to preserve Abeo and pushed herself to much more difficult work. She always looked tired after coming in for the winter... She continued on to her room in the back, her feet dragging, she really must have been exhausted... Once Tiyree was finished with her meal she sat in front of Leo, "So, I was thinking-" Leo growled, "Whatever it is, no." "I didn't ask for anything!" "No, no, no, no, no..." He snorted, then smirked. Tiyree whined, "Leo you're so mean!" She looked at Talia, "Talia, what-" Leo stuck a firm palm over her face, "Nope. No. Natta. Not happening. Move on, Brat!" Tiyree shoved Leo's hand off her face and whined, stamping her foot as she stood. She went over to Eirian, "Eirian~ Would you mind helping me with something? Please! Please! Pleeeaaaassssse!" Leo looked at Eirian and shook his head. Whenever Tiyree asked for help, she wanted to try some fashionable froofy crap on her victim. Last time she was trying to come up with a perfume. Leo wrinkled his nose just thinking about it- that overwhelming scent! He'd been nose-blind for weeks! Luna put her chin on Lazriel's arm, "I don't think she has good news..." She looked up at him hopelessly. Humans. They always tended to group worse at the beginning of the cold. Abeo could not leave them in those mountains. If even one human saw and reported it to others, Abeo would be swept clean of life and value within weeks. So troops were sent to the mountains, many needed to be sent and many died from simple injuries because of the horrible wind and cold. If a storm hit while they were up there it was even worse news. Even with snow leopard troops, such open areas of mountain could chill them and leave them vulnerable to the human weapons and hardships of nature. Humans were never good news. Greedy creatures. Abeo protected itself by getting rid of people before they could be found. That way, few ventured into the mountains for fear of death by 'frost bite' and other supposed causes. Abeo was unknown to humans, and that's how it needed to stay. ((next post I'll skip to later so story can move on XD)) |
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| Oop | Dec 1 2010, 06:27 PM Post #15 |
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so they scream
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((Despite have more homework/stuff to do in general than you can shake a stick at, I decided I would post. I'm probably a bit rusty by now, though, so don't judge my writing. (That, and I just had to write an entire story for a class, so my creativity/motivation is running on E here.))) Talia had to smile at the large gathering. Rarely could they all come together so completely. Usually one or two people, if not more, could not attend. Although she didn't consider herself as social as some of her more open siblings, she did like the company. She noticed the way it made even Lazriel and Luna relax to have so many friends here, safe and warm. Especially safe. Every day in these mountains was a dangerous day, in the winter even more so. To have everyone in Abeo, ready to settle in for the winter, put all of them at ease. She envied Leo's relationship with Snow. Of all the teachers the Sylvania kids had ever undergone tutelage from, Snow was the harshest, the strictest, the best (at least for the warriors in the group). They all sought her approval, and of all of them, Leo got the most of it. However, Talia couldn't begrudge her brother having a teacher that liked him best. She had one, herself. Piercing-Fang, a wolf well-known for his skill in archery, had come to them from the south, where warm climates dominated, and (so he said) the best of all archers were born. He'd seen Talia practicing one day and, being highly impressed, had offered to teach her. She had accepted with as much giddiness as she ever let herself show, and Lazriel, after a short discussion with the wolf, had approved. Still, even if she wasn't Snow's favorite, it still pleased her to see the other woman. To Talia, she was like a cranky aunt. She came out of her thoughts when Leo shooed Tiyree away. She watched with a smile as Eirian, with more grace and tact than Leo, tried to politely decline helping Tiyree. Talia would have intervened, but she didn't know how to say no to her sister without seeming rude or mean. So she decided to keep her mouth shut and enjoy the warm atmosphere in the tightly packed room. ((Wow. For such a long wait, that was really short. But, like I said before, I have no contributions for potential plot.)) |
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7:52 PM Jul 10