Downpour -- {(open)}

[shinren26]

Drip... drip... drip...

Slowly the casual spattering of rain grew... the air became thick, and the moisture dominated the senses. Soon the light spitting became a heavy downpour. The sky was black, occasionally a far off flash of lightning would illuminate the ground and surroundings. That inconsistent illumination was the only help to wandering souls who wished to travel onwards through the storm that constantly raged above these lands. That was why no one had laid claim to them yet... not many had the tenacity to accept the constant rain. It made hunting and communicating difficult, and it turned the ground into a muddy slosh that covered the paws and weighed one down.

In the darkness of the storm, something moved on the plains. Something glowing slightly and walking slowly. It was a male, the high shoulders, gaunt face, elongated claws, and masculine build all pointed to this fact. He walked with no hurry, simply wandering through the fields. His fur was matted down to his bony frame, which only promoted his look of undernourishment. He was soaked from snout to the tip of his tail, which dragged solemnly in the mud behind him. His eyes were a fiery glowing blue, helping him to find his way though the darkness and the thick sheet of rain in his path.

He walked like this for some time, seeming to have no real direction at all. Then something prompted him to turn sharply to the east and his pace quickened. There was something ahead. A rock outcropping. After breaking into a light trot he reached the outcropping in a short time. Once there he stopped and followed the outcropping wall until he came upon a cave. He used his muscular shoulders to push his way through the bushes meekly guarding the entrance. Once inside he shook off energetically, droplets of water and mud spraying everywhere. This action enticed a rather violent shiver that racked his body with tremors for a moment. He growled slightly at the discomfort.

He looked around slowly, there was a dim light that came from his claws, half caked in mud but still projecting a dull light. It wasn't enough to be able to see more than about three feet around him, but he would manage. He had further assistance from the flashes of lightning that wormed their way through the bushed into the cave. The lightning didn't illuminate that much, and he couldn't see to the back of the cave. A gust of wind suddenly blew in through the cave, filling the space, tossing the stagnant air inside around in every direction. That's when the scent hit him and he turned to the back of the cave... he wasn't alone.

[Aveilthé]

O, Valo, great god of the sun, why abandon Tsuyu with your lofty light? No prayers would be said unto you, O Lord, for you have forsaken your followers on this day.

Pale eyes, like the surface of ghostly light, peered haughtily where Valo's great, shining eye should have been. The great god hid behind Itukka's realm, where there was certainty that the thunder lord would divulge his might hereafter. With this in mind, the pale eyes blinked and slipped away from the semi-light of the day and into the damp confines of an obscured cavern.

That cavern was where she hid. It had since begun to rain, as far as she could tell. Fear gripped her in the gut like a snakebite; she feared Itukka and his legion of thunder-birds that danced amidst the forest of black clouds. But thunder had not yet come, thus she eased into a comfortable ball, wrapping her lionlike tail around her lithe frame.

Lacrimosa was an odd creature, to say the least. With ears unnaturally long and tubelike which tapered into a fine point, she had impeccable hearing. With a slender muzzle that sloped into a humble gesture, and a face that exhibited a natural meekness, she looked fair and innocent--the true epitome of youth. To the eye of the beholder, it was objective enough to say that she looked elegant, as a young Empress should. Well groomed and pampered, she was the most spoiled thing in all of Giaku. Like a crown, a pair of virgin horns sloped from her head, never having felt the pleasure of puncturing the flesh of an enemy like so many before her had.

But a perfect thing, she was not. High expectations were reserved upon her by all those interested in domestic affairs. She especially held her uncle's opinion in great regard, for he was her ultimate tutor. Would she be a good ruler? Time would tell. A silly, naive little girl was not exactly what the empire had in mind for a ruler.

These thoughts were currently weighing in her mind. It was a very heavy adult thought, too, for one as young as she. Barely even one, and she was thrust with the responsibility of ruling an empire she knew next to nothing about--now she neared the age of three, and she learned many things, but still managed to maintain that childlike innocence. Uncle Charon hoped it would never leave... if it did... Lacrimosa may become a corrupt ruler like her grandfather.

Regardless of the heavy burden she carried on her shoulders, she found momentary happiness in her loneliness. But now that she had wandered too far, and the fact that Itukka was brewing something sinister, she feared for her safety. A creak of her blue scales could be heard as she squeezed herself into a tighter ball, all the meanwhile trying to talk herself into being a big girl...

She was balled into a niche in a rock in the cave, shivering from the cold. That was when she heard something walk inside the cave. She froze up, feeling the furs on her shoulders and neck stand on end. She could not smell anything, for her nostrils were filled up and useless. But she could hear. Oh, yes, those ears of hers twitched with the slightest of sounds. Her own claws raked the ground involuntarily, out of puppy-like fear. She refused to emerge. With her damp, black coat, she might be able to blend in well with the dark cavern walls, for she was only half-hidden inside that niche in the wall. Her tufted tail stuck out oddly, looking very much like some sort of strange, alien plant amidst rocks. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to be ignorant of all sights. To see what may approach would only worsen her fears.

[shinren26]

Immediately he acted on his first impulse, his fur bristled, he bared his fangs, unsheathed his claws to their full extent and a deep menacing growl sounded in his throat. He was a tall being, imposing at the best of times terrifying at the worst. The guttural growling that sounded from his lungs was surprising not because of his size, but because of his thin build. The starved looking wolf looked rugged, but weak with only enough energy to muster a faint snarl and huff. However the noise he emitted was harsh and vociferous. He hoped that he would be able to intimidate whatever creature was in here with him enough so that he could avoid a fight. He simply wasn't in any condition to fight, he may not even be able to call his demon forth in this state.

He had been starving for days wandering through Tsuyu, the rainy lands. He had caught a young rabbit, but the poor thing had no meat on its bones and most of its body went to waste. He was hungry, and had been walking in a daze. This confrontation had woken his inner mind to the outside world and it was unsure of how to react. He had been trying to reach Ajna through his thoughts, and his body had simply been on autopilot until he had reached the cave.

He continued to growl for a moment longer before coming to a higher realization. He stopped his aggressive vocalizations, but held the snarl stapled to his features like a horrifying mask. His eyes still blazed, no pupil was visible, they were simply electric blue orbs of fire that searched through the darkness of the cave, desperate to find the source of the smell. The realization he had come to was that the scent, wasn't a dominant scent as his barely functioning ind had first thought. No, it was a female... strange though, not like any other wolf smell he'd encountered. He considered leaving and trekking through the muddy plains again but thought better of it when he shivered violently again from the cold, his damp fur sucking the heat from his body.

Females could be very aggressive sometimes, even more so than males depending on whether on not they had pups of course. But there were the occasional females who were just macho and violent because they wanted to prove themselves. He contemplated... he could probably still fight back against a female, even if she was quite strong. He wasn't sure but he could feel Ajna's presence in the back of his mind again, a good sign that he may be able to contact her and call the demon if the need arose. He truly hoped it didn't though. The he heard it, a faint raking of claws over rock. His focus was immediate.

Even though the light was dim, the cave wasn't very big, twenty feet deep at the most. Cautiously, fur still bristling, he headed toward the scent and the direction the faint rustling had come from. He found the back of the cave wall. He scratched at it experimentally for a moment, musing to himself that it was possibly some kind of limestone. He stopped a moment later, turning his attention back to the task at hand, finding the creature in the cave. He cast his gaze slowly over the back face of the wall... he had to be close because he could hear the sound of one silently breathing in fear, holding their breath until they could not any longer. The faint rush of air traveled in the cave and it wasn't hard to pinpoint the sound.

It was a plant. No... that was wrong, it looked like some kind of feathered plant dangling down from the wall of the cave. But as he stared interpretatively at it, he saw it tremble slightly, though there was no wind in the cave anymore. He followed it upwards seeing it disappear into a small niche in the wall. It was someone's tail. His own tail swished slightly, it was Ajna. She was always eager to make friends, and encourage him to bond with others. He frowned at her excitement concerning the discovery of this new creature in this lonely cavern.

He wasn't sure how to approach the situation. He sat on his haunches, about three feet from the tail. He really had no idea how to start communicating to this tail... creature. He thought about grabbing the tail with his teeth and yanking the female out of the niche, but he felt Ajna's sharp reprimand soon after the thought solidified in his mind. No that wouldn't do. He thought about waiting for the creature to come out on her own, but that too was out of the question because he was fairly certain that she wouldn't approach him anytime soon. He sheathed what he could of his mud caked, softly glowing claws and spoke with a genuine tone.

"... are you.... afraid?"

He questioned the quivering tail, his ears cocked towards the niche.

[Aveilthé]

Though she had kept her eyes shut, she felt morbidly curious as to what beast stalked her. So she uncovered her sight. A trembling, leathery black nose peered cautiously from the hole, nostrils quivering, and dripping with snot. It withdrew as quickly as it appeared.

She was certain that she blew her cover and that she had been found out. But what could not escape her thoughts were the strange glow she recalled seeing when she dared look out from her hiding place. A high-pitched whine could be heard, a whine of defeat and fear. Oh, if the empire could see her now. Would her uncle be ashamed of her for acting like this? Probably.

Still she would not permit herself to be seen. Stress and apprehension forced her entire body to quaver uncontrollably, but she would not move if she could help it. She flinched when the shiny-clawed beast spoke.

Always taught to answer when spoken to, the young Empress heaved an exasperated sound like cross between a sigh and a gasp. In an attempt to find her voice, she parted her lips and tried to coax proper words to come out, but nothing came except a tiny squeak. Embarrassed, she was privately glad that the other could not see her... as far as she knew, any way. She was not exactly the most observant type, and that came with being naive. Hopefully she would grow out of that.

In her attempt to act brave, Lacrimosa licked her front lips gently and lowered her ears before slowly bringing out a single paw, and her muzzle.

"I'm terrified," she squeaked.

[shinren26]

After he spoke, he watched the plant... tail thing for any reaction. It only continued to shiver and he was slightly irked. If this creature wouldn't talk to him he might have to pull her out of the wall to be able to communicate with her. As he watched though he heard a barely audible squeak come from the niche.

It was a small squeak, in another situation he would have mistaken it for a mouse. The tail swayed slightly, and once again his own tail swished slightly in response. He stiffened it immediately, pushing Ajna to the back of his mind. He didn't want her here with him now encouraging him to be friends with this tail thing he found randomly while wandering through Tsuyu. But Ajna was more determined than usual. She forced thoughts of pity, comfort, and empathy into his mind, and he shook his head slightly to rid himself of them. Finally he gave up the mental struggle and let her have her way, frowning in defeat.

Slowly the tail moved slightly and a black muzzle and tentative paw emerged from their hiding place in the niche. In the dim light created by his own biochemical anomaly, he was able to see her face. She had a slender face covered with oil back fur, like his own almost. He glanced down slightly at his mud caked body, and thought she must be at least cleaner then he. He looked up again, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were... beautiful. Ajna's voice whispered in his head, substituting the word he had been mentally fumbling with. Yes... he mused, they were very pretty in a way that was both gentle and dangerous. Prefect milky white orbs, split by an ellipse pupil down the center. She spoke with a trembling voice.

"I'm terrified,"

She sniffled slightly, and he wondered for a moment if she had a cold or something. He was struck again by feelings of empathy and pity. This poor scared creature was alone in this cave while it stormed violently outside. Then to make matters worse he had come, teeth bared and growling aggressively. No wonder she was scared. He felt a twinge of guilt.

"I'm sorry,"

He apologized, wishing to add more. He almost thought it would be appropriate to leave the cave, leave the female her space and find another shelter. However as he thought about this also thought about trudging through the mud and slosh again in the freezing rain. He changed his mind, deciding to stay. He focused on the female again.

"Do you have a name?"

He asked, the structure of small talk flowing from him before he could think of something intelligent to base a conversation on.

[tovaana]

T O V A A N A
see ya on the flip side

Now the dark begins to rise
Save your breath, it's far from over
Leave the lost and dead behind
Now's your chance to run for cover

A ghost could not sleep. One could try, but every time she had attempted this it was a downward spiral into a living nightmare. She had veiled herself with a camouflage- which was easy being already not really…well, real. Her red eyes had shifted out of rage, and now were their normal autumn orange- which happened to be a good blend with the pile of leaves she was ‘laying’ upon. It was boring to just lay there, but she refused just yet to leave Lacrimosa alone. She already guessed that the girl sometimes felt like she had left her, but would perhaps be amusing for her to know it was quite the opposite. Somewhat guarding the entrance, Tovi heaved a sigh that blew no air. Even without needing oxygen to fuel her lungs, it was uncomfortable not to pretend to breath. But now she held her lungs still as a sound quietly approached through the rain. She moved her head lower and squinted her eyes- but the male wolf had only one target, the same cave that Lacrimosa hid in. She didn’t bother hiding herself as the brute went within; instead she stared at the entrance , thinking and wondering how she could use this to her advantage. If he was kind, then she’d have to think more carefully- for if he were to mess with her plans in any way… She almost growled, but instead lifted her lips and crouched, shifting into her white lioness form.

With a flick of her tufted tail the ghost jumped into the uncomfortable rock that made her insides squirm. Tovaana loved feeling anything whenever she got the chance, but the feeling she got when walking through physical objects was no feeling that she sought for, instead it was pardoned for its helpfulness. It was dark inside the rock, but she could hear a voice and then Lacri’s voice. Going through rock was not so bad as going through the ground was, but what had to be done, had to be done. She dove, her insides chilling- it almost felt like she was floating now or being sucked into an abyss. Pawing at the air until she was under the form of the empress she lifted her nose until she was head above the ground in the furthest corner of the cave where even she would have a hard time seeing her.

“Lacrimosa…”

She whispered so softly, like it had been but a breeze- it hardly had a sound- only for the black and blue femora to hear. Tovaana kept her eyes behind the young wolfess, to not be spotted even further, using camouflage to turn into the dark stone and blackness around them.

I don't want to change the world
I just want to leave it colder
Light the fuse and burn it up
Take the path that leads to nowhere

puppet [[[ T . o v a a n a ]]]
play with me [[[ L . a c r i m o s a & slade ]]]
lyrics [[[ I WILL NOT BOW ]]]
notes [[[ tov won't cause too much trouble, if anything be annoying, you can ignore her if you want unless she makes herself known... XP ]]]

[Aveilthé]

OOC: Arrrgh, sorry for not replying. Dx Homework is kicking my ass.

Now that her head was visible, she was permitted to see the other in his entirety. Taken aback by the intriguing wildness about his appearance, she caught herself staring and quickly averted her eyes. She felt inclined to withdraw back into her tight niche. Her desire to accomplish this halted when that dark male wolf spoke.

A lump in her throat made her gulp hard. She was not prepared nor equipped with the right bravery to answer. Her imagination was far fetched in the entire sense of the word. Imagining that he would come forth with a mouth full of teeth and bite her face, she cringed and flattened her ears.

Suddenly, an eerie voice pricked her ears. She tilted her head, looking from the left and then to the right, trying to find the source of the sound. The male may find this behavior peculiar, but Lacrimosa insisted to herself that something was near. It did not take much time for her to figure out that the presence of Tovaana was closer than she thought.

She hiccuped and smiled, wagging her bum as sign to acknowledge Tovaana's presence. It gave her courage to let her eyes peer at the male. With Tovaana around, she can do anything without much fear--at least that is what she thought. Taking a deep breath, she muttered a few words.

"M... my name's Lacrimosa."

Though her appearance may look childish, her feminine voice sounded like she was crossing the border from childhood to adulthood. It was only a matter of time. In a few months, she would become a full-fledged adult. Being spoiled by many did not allow much room for mental growth.

[shinren26]

The female had an intriguing appearance, he noted as she stared at him for a moment before averting her eyes downward. Before he had merely thought her to be a plain wolf type of creature, albeit adorned with a strange tail. This however was a misjudgment on his part. He observed, she had two beautifully smooth, blue horns sprouting from her head angling gently backwards. He mused... the blue was nearly the same shade as his own claws, spines and mane. another small oddity about her was her ears, larger and more slender than his own, almost like rabbit ears. The thought of rabbits entered his mind and his stomach flipped uncomfortably, he was so hungry still. He wondered if this female had gone as long without food as he.

The female looked around curiously, avoiding his eyes as if looking for something else in the room. Suspicion crept from the corners of his mind, were they alone? He snarled slightly and inhaled deeply, drawing the scents around him inside. However all he could smell was the female. Either her strong smell was overwhelming any other scents, or there wasn't anything else here and he was being paranoid again. But seriously, without a healthy dose of paranoia in the system, how was one to survive in this world? His snarl turned into a small smile as he reminisced about his brother saying this exact line with a grin plastered to his features. The smile collapsed as reality sliced at old wounds again.

He was brought back to the cave by the female, she breathed deeply, and spoke finally.

"M... my name's Lacrimosa."

The voice was shaky, but strong. She looked so young still, but she sounded more mature. She fascinated him further. He leaned forward to sniff at her, she smelled of earth, a fresh scent, one he hadn't come across in days. All he had been exposed to recently was mud... and rain. He spoke to her,

"Lacrimosa... that's a nice name. I'm Slade."

He felt weird saying his name out loud. He couldn't actually remember the last time he had introduced himself by name to someone. It must have been before the fire. Two years if that was correct... no three... he shook his head slightly and gave up. His life had been a complete blur until recently, he would try to remember some other time. He heard Ajna trying to squirm into his mind again, pushing for him to communicate more.

"You're alone here."

It was more of a statement than a question.

"Why? Are you lost?"

[talonair]

Manegarm limped through the rain, covering himself with his wings. He grumbled, the weather causing heavy memories to surface, memories he'd rather not remember. His limp was unnescassary, but he put it on in the hope that any wolves would leave him be. He knew it was a futile hope, and that if a wolf wanted to attack him, they would regardless of limp, but the hope was one of the few things he had, excluding his own skin, although a good portion of that had gone as well, he reflected as he looked at the bare bone of his left paw. "How can I still use this?" He wondered, not for the first time. The constant question was another thing that kept him rooted in reality. His ears lifed as he heard talking. 'Fool! You should have been more alert' he told himself in his head, and quickly bolted behind a rock, and listened in case the ones talking looked for him.

[Aveilthé]

OOC: Gah! I forgot about this! Replying to it now. XD

Edit: Oh yeah, Tovaana hasn't replied in a while. I'll just go ahead anyway. >>