...by Association - Printable Version +- 'Souls IPB Archive (November 2007–October 2012) (https://soulsrpg.com/ipb) +-- Forum: Dead IC (https://soulsrpg.com/ipb/forumdisplay.php?fid=110) +--- Forum: Dead Topics (https://soulsrpg.com/ipb/forumdisplay.php?fid=21) +--- Thread: ...by Association (/showthread.php?tid=24311) Pages:
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- X'yrin Exultare - 01-12-2012 [html] http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/ ... eowl-1.jpg); background-color:#531F11; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: top; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right:5px; padding-top: 350px; border-radius:15px; -moz-border-radius:15px; -webkit-border-radius:15px; border-bottom-left-radius:15px; border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px;">
From the afternoon spent in conversation and onward, there was little more for the Nomad to do other than patrol the lands under the guise of necessity. Upon relieving a stunning revelation about herself, the woman couldn’t bring herself to socialize with the growing family for the time being, even with her mate sick and awaiting her return. For a moment of her choosing she wanted to keep to the snow covered lands and distract herself from what lay nestled warmly within the den.
Family was what this pack was to be about, and yet she found herself growing more detached to them. Though she cared for the all, and worked herself near exhaustion to keep them secure, she felt terribly out of place with no means to add to the emanation of familiar warmth. Her mind and body were still scarred by the absence of life meant to have been seeded within her. Even as the days slipped by into a week, she could not relinquish her disappointment in herself. Without that promised life, she no longer felt a part of that serenity that kept the den alive and pleasant. With each glimpse of the suckling pups, even the rambunctious smile of her newly placed charged, she felt the vice of jealously clench tighter around her heart and felt the composed façade gradually crack away under the pressure of pain. It was better not to call attention to it, fearful that it would strike up an uncomfortable debate among the inhabiting family.
Their constant care was assuring, but unneeded towards her. For even if she confided in them the troubles that plague her, her harbored jealously that threatened to split her in twine, what could any of them do about it? Even Saluce would not be able to do anything other than console her and claim that everything was alright as he had been. She could not believe his words or even the ones she uttered to herself when around them. She had found comfort only briefly when his loving words assured her that there was a grander purpose for them than to have a family now, but she was growing impatient to see exactly what it was. Was it to provide for everyone else? Would this purpose be to care for pups that were not their own; to watch them grow and prosper adorned with apprehensive smiles?
It was not enough. If this was what her ancestors had in store for her after her relentless devotion and praise of their names, then this repercussion of watching others lead the life she wanted was not enough. She could not even look to this as another trial delivered by her all seeing forebears. It was too late for that when already they had instilled in her the hopes for pups of her own, to lavish in the affections thought lost to her culture; to reclaim that possession of child to parent and nurture it in the ways instinct demanded of her rather than the learned behavior of her culture. She had wanted desperately to experience that love she had felt prematurely for Sarian wholeheartedly and come to make it a part of herself. She wanted to experience that blessing with her mate and cement the bonds of their love with the life they had created.
But it was not her experience to have; the bonds that tethered mother to child were not yet hers to grasp. And the woman was better off keeping from the den then allowing any of them see how bitter this truth had made her.
- Saul Stormbringer - 01-16-2012 [html] Many apologies for not replying sooner! The past day had been relaxing and enlightening, as far as the young Stormbringer was concerned. He'd arrived back to Ichika in the evening and he'd had a conversation with Nayru. They'd agreed that they should move out of the den that Saluce and X'yrin had settled in, but they would not be moving far. He'd finished his conversation with Nayru before exiting the den and running in to Jace. He shouldn't have been surprised that the female had found him and he felt glad that she had. It was good to see her looking well again, even if she'd lost the certain glow of pregnancy that she'd had when he'd left. It had been replaced by the slightly less appealing tiredness of a new mother, but Saul had assured her that they would soon be out on their own and they would need less watching. It was, afterall, what the pack was for. To watch ones back when otherwise occupied. He'd attended to Hermes after his conversation with Jace before attempting to return to Nayru and the children. He hadn't gotten very far when he'd heard the scream and had found Neela by the river. word count → 602 ;; image © Fir0002/Flagstaffotos ;; table by lin .saul-owlooc {font-style:italic; color:#000000;} .saul-owlcred {font-style:italic; color:#000000; text-align:right; font-size:9px;} .saul-owl p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;} .saul-owl b {color:#D1C2B9; text-shadow: 0.0em 0.0em 0.1em #5C4633; letter-spacing:-.2px;} .saul-owl {font-family: georgia; font-size:12px; color:#5C4633; letter-spacing:.2px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:450px;} .saul-owlinner{background-color:#9D7C5E; background-image:url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i32 ... aulbot.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:10px 0px 150px 0px; width:450px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;} </style>[/html] - X'yrin Exultare - 01-17-2012 [html] http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/ ... eowl-1.jpg); background-color:#531F11; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: top; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right:5px; padding-top: 350px; border-radius:15px; -moz-border-radius:15px; -webkit-border-radius:15px; border-bottom-left-radius:15px; border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px;">
For now it would seem that company would be this new distraction. From the desolation of despair, the endless white and the rolling banks, she turned back from whence she came to see the form of her den neighbor and supposed familiar. The relationship between this boy and her mate extended well beyond the fraction of a time the lovers had spent together. There was a history yet to be explained and a forged bond she could not yet intertwine within, let alone touch. She could not share the same excitement as seeing her mate or familiar like Jace, but looked upon his distantly familiar face as yet another packwolf she knew little to nothing about. Their prior conversations had been fleeting, briefly utterances spoken in passing. This was perhaps the first time she was engaged with something akin to purpose in his voice.
Auburn locks slipped from her shoulders as she turned fully to look at him. The single lock of obsidian mane was delicately grasped between an opposable digit and index and was bothered fervently to dispel a sudden growing tension. What did he want with her, this unsuspecting cause to her reluctance to return home? None the less, she politely dipped her head in greeting though her glowing eyes lacked the familiar warmth they were known for. “A pleasure Saul,” she replied methodically. “What brings you out into the cold?”
- Saul Stormbringer - 01-17-2012 [html] <33! It hadn't taken the young male long to recognise the strain on the matriarchal female. Saluce had fallen ill and was bed bound for the time being, and X'yrin had picked up his duties as well as her own. He'd only been here matter of days and he could see that the female was running herself into the ground. It wasn't fair that she would have to do this and Saul felt incredibly guilty whenever he saw X'yrin. He was trying to find a place to dig a better den for him and Nayru, and their impromptu family, as well as trying to earn his rank back. He knew why Nayru hadn't just handed him the rank back when he'd come home- he needed to earn his place amoung the pack once more. It didn't bother him too much at the moment, but he knew his patience wasn't the best thing. word count → 400 ;; image © Fir0002/Flagstaffotos ;; table by lin .saul-owlooc {font-style:italic; color:#000000;} .saul-owlcred {font-style:italic; color:#000000; text-align:right; font-size:9px;} .saul-owl p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;} .saul-owl b {color:#D1C2B9; text-shadow: 0.0em 0.0em 0.1em #5C4633; letter-spacing:-.2px;} .saul-owl {font-family: georgia; font-size:12px; color:#5C4633; letter-spacing:.2px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:450px;} .saul-owlinner{background-color:#9D7C5E; background-image:url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i32 ... aulbot.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:10px 0px 150px 0px; width:450px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;} </style>[/html] - X'yrin Exultare - 01-17-2012 [html] http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/ ... eowl-1.jpg); background-color:#531F11; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: top; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right:5px; padding-top: 350px; border-radius:15px; -moz-border-radius:15px; -webkit-border-radius:15px; border-bottom-left-radius:15px; border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px;">
The learned trait of patience was currently put to its test as she waited idle in the cold. Adrenaline from movement still surged through her form, causing her body to tremble subtly with the resurgence of energy with every heart beat. She needed to move again, do something other than stand for pleasant conversation, but she was not so rude as to wander off after only a few words. So she waited for her body to calm, for the cold beneath her paws to seep through the calloused pads and chill her limbs and freeze her veins forcing the adrenaline to slow then recede. She breathed in as her trembling ceased and was rendered still and attentive.
To learn she was followed by scent was little bother to her. Obviously if one was to inquire about another that was the only means to do so. Just as if she had wanted something from another of the pack, she would have followed their scent to inquire as well. Apparently the green-eyed father wanted something to do with her other than idle chat… unless that’s what this was. The woman sighed reluctantly, hoping that this wasn’t the case. She hadn’t the energy to humor a chat nor the will, but to comply with her accommodating persona she stood still and patient letting nothing other than complacence crossed her eyes.
An ear intuitively perked at his invitation as her brows mirrored the same intrigued ascension. Weren’t they fed enough from her earlier catches, she wanted to voice but kept herself silent. Or perhaps this was some bonding exercise just as she and Saluce had done when they first met… If anything she would learn how the boy was able to utilize his still growing frame. Upon first glance he looked too young to be a father, let alone a guardian to a Ryu and her charge. His body was not useless, but terribly unrefined, still in need to fill out proportionally that would only come with age. To the Nomad’s eyes, he resembled her sister very strongly, lacking the definition in muscle through training but had a natural girth that had yet to developed. She had been placed as a Mareck when she was born small and perhaps had the woman been there to witness this boy’s birth, she would have marked him as the same.
She looked down at the Mareck with a curious eye, letting the silence settle as she contemplated a response to his invitation. She did not know what he intended to get out of this hunting excursion… perhaps a meal and nothing more, but she did not bother to ask why. Her form gracefully crouched to all fours aligning herself for when the bone and sinew began to alter and shift. Situated to the larger of her four-legged forms, she extended her forelimbs out in a stretch to loosen the kinked muscles and reacquaint her body to its preferred hunting form. “There was nothing to interrupt,” she said at last, stretching out her formidable jaws with a wide, tongue curling yawn. “Where you choose to lead, I will follow.”
- Saul Stormbringer - 01-17-2012 [html] <33! While her outward appearance was one of polite interest, there was something off about her body language. He wouldn't ever begin to assume that he knew what another was thinking, nor was he in any way omniscient. But he got the certain feeling, a gut instinct that told him there was far more beneath the surface that she wasn't letting on. Perhaps it was the rather stiff quality to the way she held her shoulders that gave away her tension, or the slightly tightening of her eyes, but there was the distinct feeling of things left unsaid, or unnoticed between them. Saul tried to push it aside, to tell himself that he was reading into her posture far too much for his own good. No good would ever come from him over-thinking things, it was just an insecurity on his part. He wanted X'yrin to like him, to understand the bond he and Saluce shared, no matter how strained it was at the moment. word count → 364 ;; image © Fir0002/Flagstaffotos ;; table by lin .saul-owlooc {font-style:italic; color:#000000;} .saul-owlcred {font-style:italic; color:#000000; text-align:right; font-size:9px;} .saul-owl p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;} .saul-owl b {color:#D1C2B9; text-shadow: 0.0em 0.0em 0.1em #5C4633; letter-spacing:-.2px;} .saul-owl {font-family: georgia; font-size:12px; color:#5C4633; letter-spacing:.2px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:450px;} .saul-owlinner{background-color:#9D7C5E; background-image:url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i32 ... aulbot.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:10px 0px 150px 0px; width:450px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;} </style>[/html] - X'yrin Exultare - 01-17-2012 [html] http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/ ... eowl-1.jpg); background-color:#531F11; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: top; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right:5px; padding-top: 350px; border-radius:15px; -moz-border-radius:15px; -webkit-border-radius:15px; border-bottom-left-radius:15px; border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px;">
But this was not her hunt indicated by the lack of retort to his pull on her ear. He cast no attention to the male until the auburn topped head turned toward him, heeding his suggestion with forward poised ears. The gleaming eyes of the owl were fixed upon the green-eyed male, studying him like a hare in his sights. His talons gently raked through the thick fur of his master to graze flesh in anticipation. “We’re following him?” he hooted softly, blinking slowly as he returned his gaze to the sullen amber of his handler. “We are,” she woofed quietly for his ears to receive already carrying them off after the ambitious boy.
What energy she managed to muster was well conserved in her strides. Rather than the proud, purposeful march of the hunter, she kept her steps soft and light, exerting little more than what was needed to maintain a trot to keep them going for a little while. No doubt the harem was made aware of the lands they grazed were a hunter’s delight and had moved further into the Wentworth for cover. But even that sanctuary of greens and space was idea for predators to rob them of their weakest link. Upon feeling the tightening on talons on her back, she lowered her ears to signal the bird to keep down, having felt his preparing to take off countless times before. Without a work, she instructed him to keep to her back and remain out of sight from the herd til he was needed. For the time being, he would be reserved as a gambit; a tool to weaken their prey when it was singled out. But for now, it was up to the hunters to first single out their target before charging in teeth and claw for the kill. “Be patient.”
- Saul Stormbringer - 01-18-2012 [html] <33! The whoosh of wings was his only warning as the large owl exited the trees behind him. He paused his run for a moment, glancing back to watch the owl land on X'yrin's shoulder. Large amber eyes caught sight of him and Saul stared back, trying to get the measure of the bird. He hadn't seen the owl around in the last day and a bit, but there was no doubt he belonged to the female. Saul thought back to the egg in Nayru's room, nestled among his things. Could it be an owl in there? He had no idea, and he wasn't about to stop and ask X'yrin about her familiar. He shifted back to the front, shaking his body once in a quick, decisive motion. It would not do to get distracted at this moment. Grey flecked tail swayed back and forth with no instruction from him- the excitement of the hunt was beginning to settle in his bones. word count → 556 ;; image © Fir0002/Flagstaffotos ;; table by lin .saul-owlooc {font-style:italic; color:#000000;} .saul-owlcred {font-style:italic; color:#000000; text-align:right; font-size:9px;} .saul-owl p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;} .saul-owl b {color:#D1C2B9; text-shadow: 0.0em 0.0em 0.1em #5C4633; letter-spacing:-.2px;} .saul-owl {font-family: georgia; font-size:12px; color:#5C4633; letter-spacing:.2px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:450px;} .saul-owlinner{background-color:#9D7C5E; background-image:url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i32 ... aulbot.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:10px 0px 150px 0px; width:450px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;} </style>[/html] - X'yrin Exultare - 01-18-2012 [html] http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/ ... eowl-1.jpg); background-color:#531F11; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: top; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right:5px; padding-top: 350px; border-radius:15px; -moz-border-radius:15px; -webkit-border-radius:15px; border-bottom-left-radius:15px; border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px;">
Falling behind as support on a hunt was not a role the woman was used to, nor did she feel put off by it. The only time in which was played the role of support was with her mate, and even then their roles alternated to better accommodate the other’s attacks. Together, they worked well systematically, rotating efforts fluidly until it was time for the kill in which case her fangs always delivered the killing blow…unless she was feeling generous. The golden death-dealer did not know how she felt particularly at the moment, but recognized the call to arms once the male lead caught scent of their quarry.
In a soft rustle of wings, her avian predator took flight in an instant, his eyes centering on a lame doe trailing the rear of the harem. While the wolves crept, he soared overhead to survey the mindless beasts as they lumbered on unaware of the danger lurking near them. Yet when they became startled, the chase was on, and as the beasts hurried off to escape the danger closing, the nameless bird swept from his impressive height toward the struggling female.
As the tawny male strode beside her awaiting the fangs of the owl’s golden master to wound her, the speckled bird descended with outstretched talons to her face, and where his beak may have been useless, his curved knives were not. The beast let out a horrid bellow when frenzied claws tore through the soft gel of its eyes, rendering it blind and aimless. As her frantic strides became more erratic, the waiting she-wolf charged forward from her seclusion and into the thick of the scene. Her form was a body of reserved power expelled with each impressive grasp of the ground. Her fangs were unfurled and ready, seeking the vulnerable backside of the beast as she neared. She had heard the direction, but her strength was better used for a more wounding blow.
Weight and muscle plowed into the lame side of the deer with tooth and claw sinking into the flesh with her bound. Her ears were deaf to the female’s cry as they were filled with pounding blood and adrenaline. As it continued to buck and kick to free itself, she held fast to its backside only sliding gradually with each jerk of its erratic movements freeing more blood to stain the white ground. But her intentions were made true to slow the female down just long enough for the killing blow. All she need do was wait for that theft of precious life.
- Saul Stormbringer - 01-20-2012 [html] <33! It was times like these that Saul rarely took notice of those around him. He had learnt to trust his hunting partner to do what was necessary, to stick to the assigned roles and make sure that the kill did not slip from between their jaws. Therefore he didn't pay attention to what X'yrin was doing at that moment in time. She would either support him or she wouldnt and there was very little he could do about it. He just about caught the whoosh of wings as they took off into the afternoon sun. Creamy paws remained insistent on the ground, a thrumming against the earth to say that he was on the hunt. He glanced back for the moment and was pleased to see X'yrin closing on the hind quarters of the doe. It would be over soon and the two of them would be able to feast as they liked before returning the meal back to their pack mates. word count → 481 ;; image © Fir0002/Flagstaffotos ;; table by lin .saul-owlooc {font-style:italic; color:#000000;} .saul-owlcred {font-style:italic; color:#000000; text-align:right; font-size:9px;} .saul-owl p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;} .saul-owl b {color:#D1C2B9; text-shadow: 0.0em 0.0em 0.1em #5C4633; letter-spacing:-.2px;} .saul-owl {font-family: georgia; font-size:12px; color:#5C4633; letter-spacing:.2px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:450px;} .saul-owlinner{background-color:#9D7C5E; background-image:url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i32 ... aulbot.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:10px 0px 150px 0px; width:450px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;} </style>[/html] - X'yrin Exultare - 01-20-2012 [html] http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/ ... eowl-1.jpg); background-color:#531F11; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: top; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right:5px; padding-top: 350px; border-radius:15px; -moz-border-radius:15px; -webkit-border-radius:15px; border-bottom-left-radius:15px; border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px;">
And then stillness overcame the thrashing form and silence soon after. The golden body still clung to its hindquarters eventually dislodged but kept the weight of her front firmly laid across the fallen deer’s back almost possessively. But it was in fact a tactic to spare the hide from further damage of frenzied teeth. The meat rich with blood was perhaps more important than the outer skin, but to the Nomad it was just as a valuable if not more. Aside from the tears made by her claws the hide was relatively intact and therefore still had a use. Once the meat was sectioned and its innards were freed she would skin the beast and leave its bones and lesser meats for the scavengers.
But while those actions were for the future, her mind was brought to the present once more, observing her smaller counterpart as he ‘prayed’ over the life they had taken. The she-wolf tilted her head curiously, finding it odd that he would do such a thing. To her, so long as one didn’t kill more than one buck or take the life of too many females, they would not starve and the cycle of life for their quarry would continue. Was it necessary to think this deceased creature? To her the act itself as an oddity, but she had a greater respect for other cultures than her own to question the actions. Instead she quietly observed as he took a portion of meat and wedge it between the crevice of a tree to feed the scavengers that could reach. Had she not uttered a firm bark to retrieve her companion, the owl would have undoubtedly gone to the meat and had it for himself.
Instead the great bird veered from the tree and returned to his master’s shoulder with a rough peck to her head. He gave an ill tempered hoot directly into her ear, scolding the wolf for robbing him of an easy meal. “Behave,” she chided, rounding her shoulder to adjust his sharp, wet talons. She would feed him his reward for a well done job once Saul had his fill. The practice by herself and Saluce was well preserved when it came to the hunt. Whomever made the killing blow had their fill before the other was called to join. It was a strange ritual for the more civilized of their infected brethren, but for them it was an instinctual practice beginning when the two first hunted together and continued to even now. But this present arrangement lacked the leniency allotted by the two lovers, allowing them to feed at the same time despite who made the kill. It was not her teeth that delivered the killing blow, but Saul’s and thus he was permitted to eat first regardless of their difference in rank.
Patiently, she remained reclined on the hindquarters of the carcass, watching the boy expectantly with an agitated owl upon her shoulder.
- Saul Stormbringer - 01-20-2012 [html] <33! While it felt natural for the young man to thank the doe for her life and the kill they'd just made, Saul knew that it wasn't a habit he'd been born with. He'd learnt to respect and thank his kills in this way from Alae, a past member who had retreated so far into herself that Saul hadn't at first noticed when she and her owl had left. It saddened him, but there was nothing he could do about it. The iron tang of blood in his mouth was satisfying as he moved back towards the kill and X'yrin, who had taken a protective stance over the rear end of the deer, most of the front half of her body protecting the dead animal. He just caught her own bird wheeling back towards her and Saul suppressed a smile. He'd wanted a bird for a while now and he was just a little jealous of the X'yrin and the owl that now perched on her shoulder. word count → 451 ;; image © Fir0002/Flagstaffotos ;; table by lin .saul-owlooc {font-style:italic; color:#000000;} .saul-owlcred {font-style:italic; color:#000000; text-align:right; font-size:9px;} .saul-owl p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;} .saul-owl b {color:#D1C2B9; text-shadow: 0.0em 0.0em 0.1em #5C4633; letter-spacing:-.2px;} .saul-owl {font-family: georgia; font-size:12px; color:#5C4633; letter-spacing:.2px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:450px;} .saul-owlinner{background-color:#9D7C5E; background-image:url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i32 ... aulbot.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:10px 0px 150px 0px; width:450px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;} </style>[/html] - X'yrin Exultare - 01-20-2012 [html] http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/ ... eowl-1.jpg); background-color:#531F11; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: top; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right:5px; padding-top: 350px; border-radius:15px; -moz-border-radius:15px; -webkit-border-radius:15px; border-bottom-left-radius:15px; border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px;">
Amidst the sound of snapping tendon and flesh, the woman occupied her thoughts with the list of daily chores always completely. Where most would have filled the void with idle chatter to ease out of the quiet, X’yrin was content to sit within it, disturbed only by the sounds of feeding.
While her pallet craved the fresh taste of blood, she was not truly hungry. As often as she hunted and had a small section of meat or an organ for herself now and again, it was a wonder she hadn’t bloated. It was the amount of energy she exerted in a day that kept her relatively fit and well muscled. But the subtle pouch of her abdomen left by her faux pregnancy was not so easy to be rid of. No doubt a focused workout would be needed to return the belly to its taut glory, but the time… or the need for it wasn’t precedent enough to warrant her immediate attention. She had given up hiding it, for what was the point anymore? Warriors that felt the pain of a scar wore it upon their hides… so why not she, even though it was a scar from a different lost battle…
Softly she sighed and lowered her front to the ground near the carcass, drawing the bird down with her as well. Occasionally she would spare glances at the boy, watching his hurried bites with a kind of amusement found only when pups attempted to eat more than they could when they were at last granted the taste of meat. The woman found herself wanting to assure the boy there was no need to rush, that he could take his time and savor the meat but she remained quiet and let the silence watch over her until it lengthened with the pause of hasty bites.
Her ears then perked as she head turned while atop her paws to watch her companion clean his face in the grass, signaling the end to his feeding. Slowly she rose with the owl balanced on her shoulder and waltzed to the open neck of their quarry. Her jaws clasped around its open maw with a snap then wrenched its lower jaw free after several determined tugs to free it. Of the meat, it was all she needed for it was not for herself but for her trusted companion. She let the jaw fall solidly to the ground then shrugged her shoulder for the bird to release her and eat. He needed little motivation to have the meat for himself and swept down possessively over it to fill his gullet. Much like a mother guarding its pup, X’yrin remained near her feathered charge, encompassing his speckled form with her enveloping shadow as he fed. “Don’t say I don’t feed you…” her towering form peered down at the feasting bird as he ripped and wriggled the stubborn meat free.
With no hunger to appease, she let herself lie next to her nameless friend rolling partially onto her side with limbs comfortably outstretched as she reclined. She became one with the silence almost immediately.
- Saul Stormbringer - 01-22-2012 [html] <33! The young male watched from his vantage point on the ground as X'yrin ghosted forward, golden eyes fixed on the doe's head. He wasn't entirely sure what she was doing as she grasped the lower jaw of their deceased quarry, tugging and pulling until it levered free. He watched in silence as she gave it to her bird, before laying down close by. He didn't want to intrude on her silence, but it appeared she wouldn't be eating today. It would mean more for Nayru and anyone else who wished to feast on their catch, but it also meant that X'yrin wouldn't be eating, Green eyes were critical as he looked her over, trying to see if she was genuinely just not hungry or whether there was something wrong with her. He couldn't see anything on the outside, but that meant nothing. So instead, he shuffled forward a few paces so that he could stretch his neck out, touching the pad of her left back paw with the tip of his nose. word count → 450 ;; image © Fir0002/Flagstaffotos ;; table by lin .saul-owlooc {font-style:italic; color:#000000;} .saul-owlcred {font-style:italic; color:#000000; text-align:right; font-size:9px;} .saul-owl p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;} .saul-owl b {color:#D1C2B9; text-shadow: 0.0em 0.0em 0.1em #5C4633; letter-spacing:-.2px;} .saul-owl {font-family: georgia; font-size:12px; color:#5C4633; letter-spacing:.2px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:450px;} .saul-owlinner{background-color:#9D7C5E; background-image:url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i32 ... aulbot.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:10px 0px 150px 0px; width:450px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;} </style>[/html] - X'yrin Exultare - 01-22-2012 [html] http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/ ... eofone.png); background-color:#000000; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: top; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right:15px; padding-top: 320px; border-radius:15px; -moz-border-radius:15px; -webkit-border-radius:15px; border-bottom-left-radius:15px; border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px;">
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She went on oblivious to the concern on her behalf until the gentle prod of her paw jerked her awake to the present again. Her ears drew forward and brows creased with mild interest as she looked from her feasting companion to the boy nudging her paw. Her muzzle wore further surprise when he inquired about her, wondering if she was alright.
Her tail flipped mildly on the snow as the initial surprise of his concern wore off and she reclaimed her sense. With a quiet as she had been, it was a wonder he had not asked sooner. Any other would have known that this was simply how the female was the majority of the time, silent and content unless invoked to speak. But he did not know her well… or at all for that moment. A stranger to him as he was to her, though the philosophy of Ichika bid that such distances be closed. Embrace one as family with security and love; was that not the way of Ichika?
“I’m alright,” the woman offered softly, raising her paw to gently brush the boy’s crown to assure him of her word’s validity. “I do not speak very often. As a Nomad, words were hardly necessary unless they were to instruct us by the lessons of our particular families. We are a more gestural people that dwell in silence.” An aspect of her culture that she was learning went against the more enthusiastic and engaging of Ichika’s inhabitants. Despite the time she had spent within her new family, talking was simply an art she could not delve into without purpose. But…it was not necessarily unpleasant.
At the mention of her mate, her ears perked more attentively and eyes became wider with interest. She hadn’t put much thought into the boy before and had thus neglected that he was a part of the life Saluce had before they had met. She had always assumed he was happy with her but hadn’t thought of what he was like before then… what trials he had to endure… what love he had before her. “…not the best luck with women?” she asked quietly with her tail patting the ground with less subtlety. Just how many women had he had before her? And what was more alarming, had he had any children with them he had neglected to mention? X’yrin wouldn’t believe herself to be the jealous type, but skeptical, she was. - Saul Stormbringer - 01-24-2012 [html] <33! She looked as if she might be sleeping, stretched out beside the carcass of a doe and the feasting form of her owl. Her breath rose at a steady pace, although it was not deep enough to imitate actual sleep. But she appeared completely relaxed and content. He wished he hadn't broken the silence now, but as his nose touched her paw, she twisted up to look at him. He smiled sheepishly, an apologetic set to his ears and posture. With his hind legs stretched out behind him, he looked a lot like he might be crawling along the ground rather than stretching out to touch the females paw with his own nose. She assured him, with a gentle paw to his head that he had not expected, that she was fine. Green eyes were just a little sceptical for the moment, before she began to explain a little bit about her quietness. word count → 634 ;; image © Fir0002/Flagstaffotos ;; table by lin .saul-owlooc {font-style:italic; color:#000000;} .saul-owlcred {font-style:italic; color:#000000; text-align:right; font-size:9px;} .saul-owl p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;} .saul-owl b {color:#D1C2B9; text-shadow: 0.0em 0.0em 0.1em #5C4633; letter-spacing:-.2px;} .saul-owl {font-family: georgia; font-size:12px; color:#5C4633; letter-spacing:.2px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:450px;} .saul-owlinner{background-color:#9D7C5E; background-image:url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i32 ... aulbot.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:10px 0px 150px 0px; width:450px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;} </style>[/html] - X'yrin Exultare - 01-24-2012 [html] http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/ ... eofone.png); background-color:#000000; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: top; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right:15px; padding-top: 320px; border-radius:15px; -moz-border-radius:15px; -webkit-border-radius:15px; border-bottom-left-radius:15px; border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px;">
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Saul’s curiosity for the Nomads was dismissed with a flippant whisk of her tail. Of course he wouldn’t know of them, there was only a handful that did and even then the name of the travelling congregation was forgotten over time. She did not want to talk of them now and rekindle their lively and unique spirit. She was keen to understand what the young male had meant about her mate… the life he led before she came to know him.
“Please understand,” She lowered her head at the tail end of his explanation and paused for a moment to process in bouts what all she had heard. “Nomads do not function culturally as many other packs do. I have heard of pairs growing bitter with each other and parting because they were not what the other wanted, or they seek vengeance because of breeched fidelity or the like. I am interested to hear even of the love life he has had before me… because it is something I have never experienced. We do not seek our mates, but our Shepard- the lead of our family- select the most able mates for us and we breed with them to bring about the next generation. We would not dismiss our intended because they are weak or not able, because we are to trust in the judgment of our Shepard to make the right decision for us. And even then, it is unlikely we would have the same mate for another year unless our Shepard wills it.
“And there was no concept of love to invoke defiance to our Shepard’s wishes. Or rather… there was no cause for possession to have us keep whomever we were mated to.”
“It was not until I came here that I stood aside and saw how closed of a world I lived in, void of endearment to a single being, discouraged from touching as beautiful and as complicated of an emotion as love. If it were not for Saluce there would have been no reason for me to try and understand it or feel the emotions that came with it. And so I am interested to learn of his life, of your life and your relationship with him, the relationships he’s had with others than me. Because I know that these are experiences I had yet to have. My life before here has been terribly closed off… and I intend to grasp every bit of light that I can even if it is not my own.” - Saul Stormbringer - 01-30-2012 [html] <33! The worry that he'd unintentionally hurt Saluce and X'yrin's relationship was a worry that refused to budge. Saul had always been sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of those around him and today proved no different. Many liked to tell him that he over-thought everything and Saul was inclined to agree with them. He was a natural worrier and he had the feeling that he was never going to change this core trait of his personality. He worried constantly about his pack, his family, his own life and everything in it. Like a chronic disease, the worrying had increased with age, although Saul told himself that it was a reasonable response. As he grew older, he had more life experiences, gained more responsibility and acquired more than he ever thought he'd have. He'd acquired an impromptu daughter in Wretch and Saul knew that while she was gone and might never return permanently, he would always worry about her and where she was, whether she was happy. It was a likewise story with Eclipse- he would forever worry that she had been messed up so bad by her parents that she would never be happy, never have a normal life. Despite the blatant fact that his cousin was perfectly fine and had been for most of her existence, the worry still stung in the back of his mind whenever he thought of his chocolate cousin. And now he'd gone and created something else to worry himself over. word count → 1471 ;; image © Fir0002/Flagstaffotos ;; table by lin .saul-owlooc {font-style:italic; color:#000000;} .saul-owlcred {font-style:italic; color:#000000; text-align:right; font-size:9px;} .saul-owl p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;} .saul-owl b {color:#D1C2B9; text-shadow: 0.0em 0.0em 0.1em #5C4633; letter-spacing:-.2px;} .saul-owl {font-family: georgia; font-size:12px; color:#5C4633; letter-spacing:.2px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:450px;} .saul-owlinner{background-color:#9D7C5E; background-image:url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i32 ... aulbot.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:10px 0px 150px 0px; width:450px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;} </style>[/html] - X'yrin Exultare - 02-02-2012 [html] http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/ ... ecrets.png); background-color:#C77133; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: top; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right:0px; padding-top: 400px; border-radius:15px; -moz-border-radius:15px; -webkit-border-radius:15px; border-bottom-left-radius:15px; border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius:15px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius:15px;">
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For a time, she had fallen silence, and let the winds speak for her to an extent. She said nothing else as she let her explanation sink in whilst she calming wisps of winter’s wind addressed that she had nothing more to say on the matter. She had given her insight into the ways of her home, and to some extent offered information that was unprovoked. But speaking of the Nomads was never an effortless task. Always when thinking of her family she was left with a gaping void in her heart that longed for the recognition of her like spirited familiars again. How the ancestors knew she missed them…
Saul’s words stirred her from the loneliness and compelled her to listen to his tale… the life he had within de Mai, his family, and of course Saluce. His struggle with abandonment did not go unheeded and helped her better understand how this bond between father and son was forged. Relatable to a fault but only just so. While she was placed within a family to grow and prosper within, this boy strove to find his niche within one to fulfill his need for a family. What better place to hope for a family than here within Ichika.
His words began to fall silent and a glimmer akin to sadness touched his eyes drawing the woman’s attention away from herself to him. Careful not to disturb her companion still feasting on his rewarded jaw, she pushed herself up from the snow to stand firmly on all four once more. The snow clung in generous clumps to her belly but she cared little as she peered down at the boy vulnerable to delve down into sadness. Sadness, loss was not becoming of his handsome face and she conveyed such an opinion with a determined rasp to his muzzle in an effort to coax his expression to change. While this was not the family he had known it to be, the one he longed for, it was still one worth his endearments as to those that were graciously offered to him. While her own reservations for taking a fully grown male as a surrogate were duly (if not subtly) noted, it was apparent that Saluce had none and it was none by the boy. At least that could be his start towards this new family, if not to replace his old but to build upon it. All she wanted for him now was to not give in to the longing of memory. - Saul Stormbringer - 02-04-2012 [html] <33! He could feel himself slipping deeper into the memories that he hadn't thought of in so long. It was difficult for him, knowing that they'd chosen to leave. Unlike others who had lost their family to death, Saul knew that his family, barring Conor, were still alive. The fact that they chose to leave him was more difficult for him to grasp than the concept of their life unwillingly being taken. It often made him turn inwards, to look at himself to see what it was in him that had caused his brothers and sister, and his aunt and father for that matter, to leave him. A small part of his mind registered, and screamed at him constantly to stop, that he was wallowing in self pity and he should really just get over the fact that he was on his own. He still had Eclipse and Melee and Range, he still had Saluce, and now he had X'yrin and most importantly, he had Temeraire. word count → 414 ;; image © Fir0002/Flagstaffotos ;; table by lin .saul-owlooc {font-style:italic; color:#000000;} .saul-owlcred {font-style:italic; color:#000000; text-align:right; font-size:9px;} .saul-owl p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;} .saul-owl b {color:#D1C2B9; text-shadow: 0.0em 0.0em 0.1em #5C4633; letter-spacing:-.2px;} .saul-owl {font-family: georgia; font-size:12px; color:#5C4633; letter-spacing:.2px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:450px;} .saul-owlinner{background-color:#9D7C5E; background-image:url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i32 ... aulbot.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:10px 0px 150px 0px; width:450px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;} </style>[/html] |