12-19-2009, 10:19 PM
This is a long-ass post. ._.
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It had been virtually the opposite for Snake—he might not have understood having four-legged forms if he had not been born in one. Everyone in his first home lived in their bipedal states, and it made sense when you lived in human ruins. Wolves felt at home running on all fours in forests and meadows and beaches and stuff. The concrete jungles were meant for those that imitated the cities’ first creators, and so they had been. This was largely the reason that Snake felt most comfortable in his Optime form, even after he had left the city and traveled out in the wilds. Yet he found his other forms useful, for what they were good for. He didn’t often shift and run about in them unless he was following someone else’s lead, as he had today. Time meant nothing to Snake, so he often didn’t mind the increased amount of time running it took to get from one place to another in his Optime form.
As they neared these strange, scentless clouds—as they were scentless, like water, for the air was conspicuously devoid of the scent of smoke—no feeling of adventure blossomed in Snake’s chest. No, he was far too unfeeling for frivolous things like that. He merely saw this as a mission, a dispatch that he was on with one of his commanders. He was a soldier, through and through.
The name that Kaena mentioned sent Snake into thought, trying to remember that elusive first word. He was certain that it was not celestial, though he was also sure it was something just as ethereal-sounding. “No, that wasn’t it. Something like that, though,” he replied between breaths as they grew closer to the source of their interest. “You probably wouldn’t know it. They said it didn’t last too long—only a few months.” Just like all the other places his parents stayed. They were nomadic creatures, enjoying life on the road far more than pinned down somewhere. Snake wasn’t sure whether or not he agreed. He liked Inferni so far, and he had no intention of leaving at the moment.
It did take him a second for him to realize that, in Kaena saying that she was glad that his parents had told him of this place, that she was also telling him that she was glad he was there. His gaze shifted to her sharply for a moment (though she might not have noticed, as they were honing in on their destination) before it flicked back to looking before him. He didn’t reply, but not out of rudeness or modesty. No, it was more that Snake didn’t know how to feel. He had never felt appreciated in his life, so it was something alien to him.
If ever asked, Snake would be more than willing to spar—it was pretty much what he had been raised to do. Perhaps the oddest thing about Snake and his realm of knowledge on that subject was that he did not shy from fighting in his Optime form. Patriot had taught him a very practical form of martial arts that was codenamed CQC, or close-quarters combat. His werewolf “father” had said you never know what form you’ll be caught in to defend yourself—or aggress—so you should be familiar with all of them. Any fool could run forward, claws slashing and teeth scything. Only the more cunning ones could take fists and feet in Optime form and use them to break the body down into pieces that no longer worked cohesively… which was something that Snake could do, given the chance.
He was oblivious enough to not notice Kaena checking in his direction, as she perhaps had missed his gaze. No, he was much more interested in their surroundings now. They had reached the source of the clouds, and now there was a chalky film in the air from the warm air struggling upwards. He didn’t expect it when they came across the hot springs, and he, at first, had no idea what they were.
He glanced at Kaena, wondering if she had any idea. He would not approach without her, though. It was a hidden military instinct in the back of his head that he leader always led when it came into forays into the unknown.
It had been virtually the opposite for Snake—he might not have understood having four-legged forms if he had not been born in one. Everyone in his first home lived in their bipedal states, and it made sense when you lived in human ruins. Wolves felt at home running on all fours in forests and meadows and beaches and stuff. The concrete jungles were meant for those that imitated the cities’ first creators, and so they had been. This was largely the reason that Snake felt most comfortable in his Optime form, even after he had left the city and traveled out in the wilds. Yet he found his other forms useful, for what they were good for. He didn’t often shift and run about in them unless he was following someone else’s lead, as he had today. Time meant nothing to Snake, so he often didn’t mind the increased amount of time running it took to get from one place to another in his Optime form.
As they neared these strange, scentless clouds—as they were scentless, like water, for the air was conspicuously devoid of the scent of smoke—no feeling of adventure blossomed in Snake’s chest. No, he was far too unfeeling for frivolous things like that. He merely saw this as a mission, a dispatch that he was on with one of his commanders. He was a soldier, through and through.
The name that Kaena mentioned sent Snake into thought, trying to remember that elusive first word. He was certain that it was not celestial, though he was also sure it was something just as ethereal-sounding. “No, that wasn’t it. Something like that, though,” he replied between breaths as they grew closer to the source of their interest. “You probably wouldn’t know it. They said it didn’t last too long—only a few months.” Just like all the other places his parents stayed. They were nomadic creatures, enjoying life on the road far more than pinned down somewhere. Snake wasn’t sure whether or not he agreed. He liked Inferni so far, and he had no intention of leaving at the moment.
It did take him a second for him to realize that, in Kaena saying that she was glad that his parents had told him of this place, that she was also telling him that she was glad he was there. His gaze shifted to her sharply for a moment (though she might not have noticed, as they were honing in on their destination) before it flicked back to looking before him. He didn’t reply, but not out of rudeness or modesty. No, it was more that Snake didn’t know how to feel. He had never felt appreciated in his life, so it was something alien to him.
If ever asked, Snake would be more than willing to spar—it was pretty much what he had been raised to do. Perhaps the oddest thing about Snake and his realm of knowledge on that subject was that he did not shy from fighting in his Optime form. Patriot had taught him a very practical form of martial arts that was codenamed CQC, or close-quarters combat. His werewolf “father” had said you never know what form you’ll be caught in to defend yourself—or aggress—so you should be familiar with all of them. Any fool could run forward, claws slashing and teeth scything. Only the more cunning ones could take fists and feet in Optime form and use them to break the body down into pieces that no longer worked cohesively… which was something that Snake could do, given the chance.
He was oblivious enough to not notice Kaena checking in his direction, as she perhaps had missed his gaze. No, he was much more interested in their surroundings now. They had reached the source of the clouds, and now there was a chalky film in the air from the warm air struggling upwards. He didn’t expect it when they came across the hot springs, and he, at first, had no idea what they were.
He glanced at Kaena, wondering if she had any idea. He would not approach without her, though. It was a hidden military instinct in the back of his head that he leader always led when it came into forays into the unknown.