|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2024 8:16 pm
((In order of appearance...))
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2024 7:08 am
Wink didn't really have bad days, usually. Usually, he had neutral days, if not good days. Things were easy in his world - simple and serene, just the way he liked it. Sure, sometimes, loneliness nipped at his hooves like an especially persistent herding dog, and sure, sometimes that loneliness was made worse by the fact that he was more shy than other Soquili he'd met, but...he always found a way to take the edge off.
This time, that way was personified in Ruby Maxine, a fellow Unicorn he'd met in his travels. She was quiet, like him, but warm. Comfortable. He found her presence reassuring, and he enjoyed that when a silence fell between them, it was a pleasant one, not awkward or uncomfortable. He didn't know much about her yet, but that was alright by him - she would share, or not, as she would, and he wouldn't pressure or force it out of her. He appreciated that so far, she was showing him that same respect.
Little did he know, there was a presence on their tails that didn't plan to respect them at all. In fact, it hoped to be rather disrespectful - and more than a little bit murderous. This presence thought unicorn tasted especially sweet, and when the presence had noticed the little wings rising from behind the mare's ears, it had absolutely shuddered with delight. The only thing better than a Unicorn was an Angeni - and this presence was, above all, hungry.
But Wink and Ruby didn't know that - not yet. For them, ignorance really was bliss...for now.
((wc: 264))
It perhaps wasn't a popular thing to admit aloud nowadays, but Ruby just felt better - safer - when there was a stallion nearby, offering his protection (whether explicitly or implicitly, simply by virtue of being there). She had been raised with the idea of what a lady should be, and what a gentleman should be, and even when the world showed her over and over again that most Soquili failed to reach these standards... well, that was no reason why she should fail to reach them herself, was it?
So Ruby almost always had the company of a stallion, when she could arrange it. She made sure to be as good a companion for the stallion as she could be - within reason, of course; she was not so desperate for protection as to denigrate herself beyond her morals - and it seemed, fortunately, that this stallion preferred quiet. She could be a lively conversationalist when the situation called for it, but she was just as happy to enjoy a comfortable silence, truth be told.
It was, it would turn out, just as well that they were being quiet. That way, when a discordant twig was inadvertently snapped by a too-large paw, she heard it, clear as a bell, and recognized that it meant something was wrong.
"What was that?" Ruby Maxine paused, eyes scanning the forest around them for signs of incongruity. Her new friend, Wink, paused as well, but he seemed more confused than she did; perhaps he hadn't heard the snap, or if he had, hadn't heard the... was it possible for such a sound to have threatening undertones? Because it certainly had felt that way to Ruby.
((wc: 281))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2024 7:33 am
Lavender Violet, unlike Ruby and Wink, was neither quiet nor observant. He hadn't even noticed when he'd stepped on the twig; he'd stepped on a million twigs, probably, because he was going completely in circles and was sure that he was going to die in this forest, never to see another living soul ever again--
Wait! There! Living souls!!! Unicorns, too!! Surely they could help him!!
So he took off at a gallop toward them, bursting through the trees so loudly and with such single-minded attention that he didn't even notice the huge, hulking, antlered blue-yellow-and-white Bear that had paused just a few feet away from him.
"Thank goodness!" Lavender Violet said, completely missing how his arrival had made the both of the unicorns jump about a foot in the air. "I'm so glad to find you!!" Before they could ask who he was or what he was doing here or gather any kind of information, LV continued. "I've been stuck in this forest for, like, ever!" It had maybe been two days. "Do you know the way out? Can I go with you? Please please please?" He looked between the two of them, utterly unaware of how desperate and childish he seemed - or of the fact that at least for Ruby Maxine, these elements changed the look on her face from wariness to pity.
"Of course you may," Ruby Maxine said softly, a little smile on her face. "What is your name?"
"Lavender Violet!" Lavender Violet chirped happily, a broad smile on his face as she answered him. Thank goodness, he'd found some friends and now he'd get out of this forest that had trapped him for ages and ages and ages. "But you can call me LV, if you like! Lavender Violet is kind of a mouthful, I know, and LV is just easier! What're your names? Do you have nicknames?"
Introductions continued, and the trio began walking once more. The presence in the woods followed, slowly, stalkingly, behind them, waiting for their guard to drop once more. Three Soquili might actually prove something of a challenge...but probably not. At any rate, the presence would at least eat well tonight...
((LV wc: 310))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2024 8:06 am
Sneffels Uncompahgre, the presence in the forest, the only thing that did have threatening undertones (and overtones, and every kind of tone), was many things: mean, cruel, heartless, hungry, determined, selfish... but, he was, above all, patient. He liked to take his time; he didn't understand the Shifters that would rush into a situation. He liked to be assured of his victory, and of the maximum levels of fear and anguish he could instill in his victims. In his opinion, it made their meat taste even sweeter.
Because that was all these pathetic creatures were to him: meat, waiting to be ripened for the taking.
Sneffels also liked a challenge. He could have taken down the stallion ages ago; he seemed like the daydreamer type (pathetic), and the mare, when she'd joined him, and seemed empty-headed and in need of a rescue from the world (even more pathetic). But this Soquili that joined them, the one that looked like it had stolen a rabbit's ears for its own head...that one was by far the most pathetic of them all. How do you not even notice the giant, bloodthirsty bear a few feet to your right? Sneffels had been almost sure he'd have to rip the Soquili's throat out to keep him from screaming, but no. He hadn't even noticed him.
Sneffels was almost offended. Almost.
Sneffels lost track of time, as he followed the trio slowly, carefully, a shadow in the trees behind them. The stallions settled into conversation - or, at least, the oblivious rabbit did, mostly talking at the other two rather than to them - but the mare remained suspicious far longer than he would have thought she might. He had to give her a modicum of credit for that.
Not that it would matter, of course. In the end, they would all fall to his claws, his teeth, his antlers...his might. His domination.
((wc: 319))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2024 8:20 am
The stalker had become the stalked, and he didn't even know it.
Aithghen was not the most offensively-equipped Angeni there had ever been. She had seen some of her Angeni brethren that were practically tanks, with weapons and shields and powers designed to protect the innocent or punish the guilty. She had seen some incredible actions taken by her extended, angelic family, but she... was not as well-equipped for the fighting part of 'being an Angeni'.
Her powers, such as they were, were passive. Internal. Special, yes, but not exactly the kind that leaves villains trembling in their hooves and claws.
Still, she was an Angeni, and when the wind had sent a particularly miserable, rancid scent to her nose...she knew that it was her responsibility to investigate. To stop a terrible thing before it could come to pass, maybe, if she was lucky. If she wasn't too late.
So the stalker had become the stalked. Aithghen knew she was too big and cumbersome to possibly get the drop on a Shifter from the ground - so she had taken to the sky, following the scent as best she could from above. She'd seen a flash of white far below her, and the faint outlines of a couple of Soquili nearby. These must be the targets of the villain. She was too far away to make out their breeds, but it didn't matter. She would do whatever she could to protect them, if necessary, even if she wasn't, technically, a fighter.
Aith swooped in a large circle, trying to stay behind the action - if she flew directly overhead, there was a chance that the Shifter would see her and change its plans. Granted, perhaps if it saw an Angeni overhead, it might divert for easier prey...but most Shifters weren't so easily spooked, and it would just lose her the one thing she had going for her: the element of surprise.
((wc: 320))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2024 7:23 pm
Ruby realized, very quickly, that instead of having now two brave protectors and two stout stallions at her beck and call, she now had not one but two immature, talkative, goofy boys to manage in a strange forest, by herself.
Fantastic. Wonderful. This is absolutely ideal, Ruby thought to herself, gritting her teeth slightly.
But she was a lady, and lady persevered. If these two were to be her responsibility, then so be it; she would get all three of them to safety, one way or another. And, regardless of their energy, surely there was still safety in numbers. Who would be foolish enough to attack three fully grown Soquili, two of which were full-blooded Unicorns?
"Gentlemen," Ruby said, trying to stem the flow of words (what were they even talking about) as best she could. "Gentlemen, please. I think we need to focus on the task at hand, if you both wouldn't mind?" When she was met with blank stares, she put on her best patient, magnanimous smile.
"You are welcome to join us, Lavender Violet, of course, but we must continue on this path if we are to reach our destination before sunset." And then she began to take that exact action, knowing (hoping?) that the boys would fall into line behind her.
The chattering continued behind her, but she did at least also hear their hoofbeats picking up a moment later. Well, she was glad they each had found a friend; she clearly was not what either of them had been looking for, except in the sense they both needed someone to nudge them along the road (if not the road of life in general).
((wc: 281))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2024 7:51 pm
Wink was now having possibly one of the best days of his life. Not only had he met Ruby Maxine, who was beautiful and wonderful and so smart, but now he had another new friend in the form of Lavender Violet, the large bunny boy that had appeared as if from nowhere.
They'd become best friends pretty much immediately. "Lavender Violet? Like the colors?" Wink asked, which in retrospect was a pretty silly question, and he immediately blushed brightly about it. "That's--that's a nice name, I mean. It, um, it suits you. I'm Wink. That's Miss Ruby Maxine," Wink added, nodding to the mare in front of them just as she began to walk away. "And, um, I guess we should keep up, right?" Wink started to walk as well, but waited to make sure that Lavender Violet did in fact actually come with them, and that he hadn't offended him into dis-engaging entirely.
"Where do you come from? Where are you going?" Wink asked, trying to overcome the embarrassment of his first question, hoping that these were at least...a little more intelligent and not completely ridiculous. "If-- if you don't mind me asking, of course. I don't mean to pry, and you of course don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable sharing, I just... thought that you might... want... to talk..." Wink trailed off, feeling his cheeks blush brightly once again. Was it even possible for him to speak without it all coming out like he was an idiot?
((wc: 256))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2024 8:06 pm
Lavender Violet had never met an awkward pause in his life, and he wasn't about to start now. He gave Wink his biggest smile as he talked, his little tail wiggling happily every time Wink blushed - it was the cutest thing! Wink was so cute! Ruby Maxine was so cute! Everyone was so sweet and cute and they were going to all be best friends forever and ever. Even his bunny thought so, from where she was wrapped around his front paw, with her paws tied together quite snugly just in case, so she wouldn't fall off.
(The only thing that would make Lavender Violet sad would be losing his bunny. The only thing. He couldn't imagine his life without his bunny, and he didn't want to, so he just didn't! And then that way he wasn't ever sad!)
"Like the colors!" Lavender Violet confirmed. "Your name is Wink like the-- the this?" Lavender Violet winked in an exaggerated fashion, to be sure that Wink saw him winking. Ha! Wink saw him wink-ing. Lavender Violet couldn't help but laugh as he did, and then Wink was laughing too as he nodded, and Lavender Violet was so happy.
"I'm from... I don't know if it has a name," Lavender Violet admitted with a sheepish smile. "I just called it home. But then I decided to take a long long walk, and then I got confused and turned around and lost, and I've been here for I don't even know how long, so I guess I just decided to stay here, wherever here is! Does here have a name? Who names stuff, anyway?"
((wc: 272))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2024 9:05 am
If Sneffels didn't want to kill them before, he definitely did now. He wanted to rip out the stallion's throat just to make him stop talking. How the mare Unicorn was putting up with it was beyond him - but that wasn't really his concern. It wouldn't be her concern for much longer either, though, so really, she should thank him for putting her out of her misery (because how could being party to whatever those two stallions were doing be anything but misery?). He genuinely felt that his claws and teeth would be doing her a favor.
Not that he was going to give her a chance to decline his gift, of course.
However, with three Soquili, the strategy did need a bit more thought. He could only assume that the mare would turn and flee when the stallions went down, but he couldn't count on that as definite; he was physically strong and more than capable, but he wasn't invincible - her horn, if she chose to fight him, could still potentially puncture his skin.
Yes, the mare was the true target. He didn't think either of the stallions would put up much of a fight; certainly not the frightened little rabbit. He would be destroyed first, and then in the ensuing confusion, he would at least incapacitate the Unicorn stallion, if only long enough to get to the mare and cut off her means of escape. She was the one with the little wings - her meat would taste the sweetest.
So he continued to stalk his prey, moving through the deep shadows, never taking his eyes off his targets. Before the day was over, they would be his.
((wc: 281))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2024 8:15 pm
Just when Aith thought maybe she was borrowing trouble, or making assumptions, or hallucinating a problem where there wasn't one, the flash of white in the trees lunged toward the innocent Soquili on the path.
Aithghen didn't think. She just swooped down, her wings folded tight against her body as she dove toward the ground. Whatever was about to happen, she had to stop it. It was her duty to defend these poor Soquili who had no idea that death stalked them at this very moment.
Then a lot of things happened very quickly and all at once.
The first thing that happened: the magical candle that lived around Aith's neck flared up, creating something like a miniature fireball around the Angeni. She had never seen it do that before - she was almost as surprised by it as the people on the other side of it were, but she tried not to let her own alarm show. She tried to present confidence and an attitude that said 'don't mess with me or mine'.
The second, third and fourth things that happened: Lavender Violet took off. That rabbit could run. He kicked up enough dust that all three of the other Soquili on the path got it in their eyes, and he was gone over the crest of the next hill before anyone had cleared their vision. Wink recovered first and, in a movement that surprised everyone (himself included), charged at the bear that had attacked them. The last thing that happened? Ruby Maxine screamed.
It was the scream that cleared the chaos from Aith's own mind. "Run!" Aith commanded the two Unicorns. "I'll hold him off!" The bear snarled at her, seeming to ask the very same question that had just occurred to Aith herself:
How exactly was she going to do a thing like that?
((wc: 308 ))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2024 6:05 pm
A lot of things happened very quickly and all at once.
The first thing that happened: a huge figure descended from the sky, seemingly out of absolutely nowhere - one moment the sky had been empty, and the next moment, there was a huge green winged mare falling on top of them all, and it looked like she was a little bit on fire.
Ruby wasn't sure if that was what made her scream, or if it was the next thing that happened: a bear with horns emerged from the woods, also appearing from, as far as Ruby Maxine could see, absolutely nowhere. It was clearly not a natural bear - the horns were the first clue she was conscious of, followed by the unusual coat patterning. No real bears came in blue - of this she was absolutely certain.
That meant only one thing - this bear was a Shifter.
The third thing that happened: Wink charged the bear. Lavender Violet had already taken off, which increased everyone's general confusion and disarray, not to mention dust-to-clean-coat ratio. She couldn't even find it in her to be angry with Lavender Violet, especially not when the mare yelled at Ruby to run, to follow Lavender Violet's hoofprints away and out of danger.
"I--I--" Ruby said, bouncing from hoof to hoof, her brain not able to process everything she was seeing or what she was supposed to do. Would it be cowardly to run away? Should she stay and fight this Shifter off?
The Shifter ducked under Wink and made a snap toward Ruby, mouth nearly foaming as if he might be rabid. He wasn't even directly trying to fight off the mare or Wink - he just wanted to kill her.
This realization crashed into Ruby like a cold wave, and it was the last thing she needed to get her feet moving. With one last painful glance at the stranger and the stallion, Ruby Maxine did as she was told and ran, bolting in the same direction that Lavender Violet had taken off in a few moments earlier.
((wc: 343))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2024 7:41 pm
Wink was not what anyone - himself included - would call a 'fighter'. He also was not what anyone might call brave, but apparently when his fight/flight/fawn response was triggered, he fell more into the first category than either of the latter. He wouldn't have thought it either, but here he was, tussling with a Shifter, for goodness' sake.
Unfortunately, the thing about not really being a fighter was that he didn't have much - okay, any - experience in actually... well, fighting. He had a pointy thing on his head, but that would only get him so far, and--
Well, it would turn out, not even that far. He tried to stab at the Shifter, missed by about a foot, and got his horn tangled in the Shifter's antlers, crisscrossed between the two of them. It all happened in slow- motion, or at least it felt like it did, and the last thing Wink remembered thinking, in startling clarity, was I hope this doesn't break my horn, before the Shifter took advantage of the situation and flipped him like a bag of potatoes over his shoulder and away from the fight, stunning him quite solidly.
But hey. At least his horn wasn't broken!
From his position on the ground, hazy and disoriented as it was, Wink could make out Ruby Maxine's retreating body in the distance, and the large green shape that was their new ally, the Angeni. The Angeni must be a better fighter than he was, or at least have some training, right? Wink sure hoped so, because he didn't think he had it in him to help fight this guy off for real...not when the ground was so solid beneath him and it definitely hurt to move.
((WC: 289))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2024 8:15 pm
Lavender Violet was good at staying alive. Against all odds, he was good at staying alive. He must be, since all odds would've made him as dead meat ages and ages ago. But he was good at staying alive, and so he ran away from the fight. He just ran and ran and ran and didn't stop running.
Until he did. He did, finally, come to a stop, deeply winded and very confused and more than a little bit lost. Not that he was so very confident in his location before he'd taken off, but... still. At least he'd been with friends before, and now he was alone.
Lavender Violet didn't really like being alone.
He did like having friends. That didn't happen all that often for him, despite his very best efforts; people found him annoying, or too loud, or otherwise too much in some way. Maybe too dumb. Maybe too selfish.
Maybe they knew he was the type to run away when things got tough. Maybe that's why nobody would be real friends with him.
Maybe... if he ran back... maybe if he tried to help...
But what if he got hurt? What if he died?
"What do you think?" LV asked his little rabbit friend. His little rabbit friend didn't answer. And that was all the answer he needed.
He wanted friends who would talk to him.
LV turned around and, for the first time in his life, ran toward danger - because if he wanted real friends, he would have take a little (or a big) risk sometime.
As he ran frantically back, bunny friend dangling from his mouth, he could only hope that it would be worth it in the end.
((wc: 285))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2024 6:43 am
Sneffels flipped the one male easily over his back, after the male did him the favor of giving him the leverage he needed. Once he pushed through that feeble resistance, it was just him and--
"What the--"
Okay, it was not just him and the Unicorn with the Angeni feathers - there was suddenly a light that was positively blinding. It was shouting at him, or shouting at something, and it actually hurt to be so close - or maybe he just thought it did, because he was so unused to being on the back foot.
But whatever. A pure Angeni would make as good a meal as any - and he wouldn't let it get in the way of his real target.
So he lunged at whoever was nearest with a deep snarl. He found purchase, but he wasn't sure on what, and it didn't stay caught in his teeth for long - a powerful leg kicked him away.
Away but not down. Being away was good actually because it gave him a moment to orient himself. He'd bitten the haunch of the Angeni, which meant that she was not so tough as she wanted to appear, with her wings and her...
"Is that a candle?" Sneffels scoffed. "I'm just quaking." Sneffels licked his lips and tasted blood - Angeni blood. He did actually shudder slightly - with delight, not fear. Their blood tasted so sweet... almost as sweet as the meat, which would be his next meal.
Slowly, he stalked a circle around the green Angeni. "You know you can't win," he said, so low it was almost a purr. "Why fight? You could still run. Those are your choices, Blessed One. Run or die."
((WC: 281))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2024 7:20 am
"It doesn't matter if I die," Aithghen shot back, hoping she sounded more confident, more brave, and more sure of herself than she actually felt - which was roughly not at all, on any count. She was actually quaking, or close to it, but she couldn't run - it was her duty to protect the innocent, however she could, even if it meant giving up her life in exchange for theirs.
Her eyes flicked from the Shifter to the male Unicorn, who was lying dazed on his side where the Shifter had thrown him (with seemingly no effort whatsoever, which shouldn't have been possible). She couldn't die until all three of the innocents were safe, but she couldn't exactly ask for a quick timeout to go check on the blue male.
When the Shifter started circling her, she started moving as well, making sure her back was never to the Shifter. She could feel blood dripping down her haunch where the Shifter had bitten her, but she tried to ignore the stinging pain that accompanied it. Wounds would heal - if she lived, anyway. And if she didn't, it didn't really matter that her leg hurt, did it?
After a few moments of silent circling, Aith wound up where she wanted to be - between the male Unicorn and the Shifter. She had succeeded in her plan, somewhat - the female had taken off, and it had seemed like she'd been his main target. She'd succeeded in distracting him, at least for the moment; now she just needed to keep his attention.
"You know... I could charm you," Aith said, pretending like she was just having a conversation and not like she was begging for her life and the lives of those she was trying to rescue. "Don't you ever want to be anything other than bloodthirsty?"
((WC: 302))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
