The sound of waves crashing against the shore and the light clip-clop of a horse's hooves were the only sounds that were to be heard, at least, at the moment. A furry figure was sitting on top of the horse as the beast moved in a slow trot. Ophelia, the Luperci that was sitting on top of Ether, had a smile perched upon her ebony lips as Ether trotted along. "AHHH! Isn't this great Ether? The cool weather here feels so good~" Ophelia gave a toothy grin as the horse seemed to roll her eyes. Ophelia had thick fur that was normal for her species, but boy, did it get hot in the baking weather of Honduras! Ophelia felt as if she was practically meant to live in Canada. Ophelia lifted her long arms and stretched them behind her head, before giving out a happy sigh. Ether snorted, as if she was laugh at her owner. Ether slowly came to a stop as Ophelia and her trusty steed reached their campsite, where they had been living for the few weeks that they had been in Halifax. It was a pretty nice set-up, at least, in Ophelia's thoughts. Her camp was set-up in what seemed to be an abandoned restaurant, tables and supplies still there. The stove and oven even worked, although Ophelia did have to pull out the plants that were beginning to invade kitchen. Ophelia slept in one the farther back rooms, and that's where she kept most of her supplies. Ether usually slept in the main room, where the diners of the once restaurant would eat and converse with their companions. Ophelia even made a nice, big horsey bed for Ether, made of dried out plants and hay that Ophelia just happened to 'find.' Life was good for Ophelia, at least, for now.
Ophelia dismounted Ether and soon led her over to her horsey bed, letting her drink from a large bucket of fresh water that Ophelia also 'found.' Ophelia stood, watching her horse taking a long drink of water. A light breeze ruffled Ophelia's sky blue dress, caused Ophelia to feel a cold breeze against her upper legs. Ophelia shivered ever so slight. Ok, maybe she wasn't completely made for Canada, but pretty close.
An idea then came Ophelia's mind, and she let out a small 'oh' at the thought. Ophelia rushed into the back, and seemed to be rummaging around, looking for something in her room where she slept. Ether lifted her head from the bucket, mild curiosity bubbling in her dark brown eyes. Ophelia came bustling out from the back moments later, holding a violin case in both of her hands. Her short hair was messier then usually, giving proof that Ophelia had to search for her violin. Ether seemed to roll her eyes at Ophelia, in which Ophelia responded by sticking her tongue out at her horse. Ophelia walked out of the old restaurant, Ether watching her as she left. Ophelia continued to walk until she got closer to the beach. Finally, Ophelia stopped, only fifteen feet from the water. Ophelia crouched down, a serious look in her bright blue eyes as she opened the case and picked up the violin. Ophelia gently plucked the D string, only to hear that it was terribly out of tune. Ophelia grimaced, and slowly took on her bow and tightened it, until it was just perfect. Placing the bow hair upon the D string, Ophelia slid it across in constantly pattern. Left to right, left to right. While doing so, Ophelia tuned violin by turning the pegs. Finally, when all the strings were tuned to perfection, Ophelia gave a charming smile. "Ok... One and a two and a three..." Ophelia began to play. It was soft first, almost drowned out by the loud sound of the water crashing against the ground. But it began to escalate, until it was far louder then the ocean. The song had a warm and sweet sound, one that fit a proud and confident creature. This song went by the name of Jupiter, and Ophelia had memorized it easily. It was one of her favorite songs, due to the impression that it left on others. A smile came onto Ophelia face as her eyes slowly closed, as if she was put into a daze by the sweet sound of the music.
I said, I cannot follow the river
of her myth; but I can
follow her sweet desert song
like a stream through the fiery hills.
Word Count → 621 :: And the music tames the beast...
Vesper was hating life right about now.
Her body ached as she trotted along the eastern shore, eyes balefully scanning the waves lapping at the beach. It had been a few days since her encounter with the Infernian brute, and while her wounds were not life-threatening, they did not feel good. She paused to lick one, frustrated with the itchiness of the scab forming and tugging on her fur. Her only regret was that she hadn’t ripped his privates off before the end of the fight; she’d limped off like a fool, a weak woman. Her pride was in more agony than her actual injuries, and to say her mood was stormy was an understatement.
The coywolf didn’t even know why she bothered walking through Halifax. She had visited the city more than twice before, sometimes meeting wolves and sometimes walking along peacefully. It was good for her to explore as much as she could of Nova Scotia, and she’d memorized some of the twist and turns of the city, but generally her excursions were only when she was in a good mood. Today, she was simply excessively bored and angry, and so she ended up passing the same pickup truck three times. The final time, she snarled and whipped around, attacking the tire until her teeth hurt, not managing to do much to the thick rubber. Licking the black scraps from her teeth, she growled bad-temperedly and skulked back along down the sidewalk again.
I need another fight. Another fight would be incredibly stupid.
The conflicting thoughts struck against each other—fire versus ice, rage against sense. She could rip up the first wolf who looked at her cross-eyed, but at the same time, picking fights when she was already injured had never been the smartest thing. She would only lose, and her sore pride would make her irritable again. It was a never-ending cycle, and she was surprised she wasn’t dead already. At her worst, Vesper was an arrogant creature, and the losses she suffered seemed more extreme than to a canine who’d be considered a “good sport.”
A strange sound caught her attention while she was padding by a seaside restaurant, one that smelled oddly of horse. At first, she had to strain her coyote-large ears to hear it, but it crescendoed, falling into soft lulls like the ocean, edging high and low again. The hybrid froze, blue eyes widening as she listened to the sweet high voice of the violin, the sharpened edge rising higher and higher in pitch until it was impossible not to hear it. One last high note held out against the bass roars of the water, and Vesper found herself drifting in the direction of the treble, soprano voice.
Never had the beast heard music like that before. When amongst the coyote band, the others had often lifted their juvenile voices in song, and her sister Sparrow had been a fine singer. But the odd quality of the music entranced her, and she was not walking of her own accord as she ascended to the doorway of the building and brushed her head in.
A luperci was there, holding an oddly crafted wooden object in her hands, drawing something against it to produce the noise. A light blue plaid dress clung to her slender optime frame, the color complementing a gorgeous chestnut coat. Lids hid the hue of her eyes, but there was a soft smile on her face that seemed to match the music.
The scar-covered loner stepped a little further into the room, not sure how close she would be permitted to stand next to the lovely woman and the musical magic. She was still for a while, managing to say, “Beautiful.”
OOC Dios = God Mi Mi = My my Sorry that it's so short >.
The song ended with classical extravagance, ending on a long B natural. Ophelia wiggled her fingers in short and quick motions, causing a pleasant verbrato to be added to the last whole note. A light sigh escaped from Ophelia's lips, as her eyes began to slowly open. Ophelia held her pose for awhile as she took of the bow, and she could hear Ether snort in the back, as if she was impressed with Ophelia's playing. A joyful giggle came from Ophelia's mouth, her serene smile evolving into a rather cheerful look. Thank you, Ether! Why was Ophelia thanking her horse? Because Ophelia had yet to notice her lupus audience.
Then, a single word came to Ophelia's eardrums. Ophelia paused, a confused look on her face, as slowly turned around a faced the scarred female. Ophelia stared at her for a moment, her face completely blank, as if her brain was registering something. After a few seconds, Ophelia finally reacted with a surprised look in her face and eyes. "Oh my! I didn't know I had an audience! An audience other then my horse, that is." Ophelia held her bow and violin all in one hand, as her other furry hand motioned to the back, where Ether whinnied right on time, as if she knew that she was being talked about. Ophelia rolled her light blue eyes at her intelligent (sometimes more intelligent then Ophelia) horse. "I'm Ophelia, violinist, dancer, luperci, female, two years old, traveler, uhhhhh.... and I'm from Hamlet." Ophelia nodded as if her last three words were a fact. Ophelia didn't find it strange at all if she told a stranger all about herself. Not at all.
"Oh yeah, my horse, Ether, is in the back. She is my usual audience. Oh! Yeah! Come in, come in, I won't eat you! Ether... I ain't so sure." Ophelia gave a humorous wink as she set her violin tenderly down on the counter. Ophelia walked over to one of the old chairs, and pulled it out, patting the seat for her new 'friend' to sit in. Ophelia pulled out her own chair, and sat down, a hopeful and friendly look on her happy face. Ophelia watched the scarred lady warmly, only then noticing her wounds. Ophelia's mouth then made a shape that was very similar to a circle, and she soon began to panic, by jumping up from her seat and pacing around, tripping here and there. "Dios! Are you alright? Do you feel fine? What happened? Are you ok? Mi mi! Do you need help?" Ophelia was panting by the time she finished asking endless questions, for she hadn't breathed in between each one. A look of complete concern appeared on Ophelia face. For a stranger. Yep. She does that.
I said, I cannot follow the river
of her myth; but I can
follow her sweet desert song
like a stream through the fiery hills.
Word Count → 676 :: That's not short, and I don't care about post length. xD Sorry for Vesper's bitchiness, haha.
Vesper was vulnerable and open, somehow, as the music ended on its last, gently quaking note. It was as if the song had sucked some of the anger from her, calmed her volatile spirit, drew her closer. The fact was that listening to something she found she enjoyed had naturally soothed her former aggression, and while the music itself had not been magical, it had sounded close enough due to the skill of the luperci holding the violin and bow. She was mostly amazed because she had never heard something like that before, and the curiosity at odds with her cautious nature made her inch forward again, ears pricked. The chocolate woman was frozen with paws on the instrument, eyes fluttering open, and the moment in itself could have lasted forever as far as the coywolf was concerned.
But perfection never lasted. It was attainable, Ves believed, but something always cracked the moment.
The beautiful woman turned into a happy girl as she grinned, and the snort of another animal made the hybrid flinch, effectively bringing back her stiff posture. She looked to the horse settled down in the dining area of all places, but in the moment she noticed the equine, the violinist noticed her.
There was an awkward pause, both females staring at each other in confusion (and unease on the fighter’s part) before the woman made an exclamation. She seemed to be friends with the horse in the same way as Leigha and Archie—which meant that Ves thought the companionship was ridiculous. Quickly, she proved herself to be just as talkative as the she-wolf she had met in Flanders Field, her personal information bubbling from her mouth.
“...Vesper,” the tawny loner said in response. Her expression was rather aloof and somewhat disapproving, as she didn’t understand why one would blurt out all that information at the beginning of a conversation, if at all. However, she had to admit she was somewhat interested, and she figured if they talked more she’d get explanations. “Where is Hamlet?” she asked, automatically assuming the unfamiliar name was a place by the way it had been presented.
The chocolate and crème wolf went on to introduce her horse Ether, inviting her deeper into the restaurant. She joked happily as she talked on, and the coywolf slowly set foot into the restaurant, her ears back and legs stiff. Part of that was a product of her wounds more than anything, but she inched inside and snorted at the horse. “I’d love to see the day a smelly grass-eater has predator on the menu,” she stated sarcastically, blue eyes narrowing at the beast of burden. Yeah, insulting her seemingly friendly host probably wasn’t the best way to ensure she’d make it back out of this place, but her pain and returning irritation was clouding her mind.
As soon as she’d limped into the dining room, however, Ophelia leaped up from where she’d been sitting and stumbling around like a deer on ice. The motion caused the tense loner to bristle and wrinkle her lips back in warning, but there was no attack; instead, the woman was whimpering about her wounds and panicking and asking a whole host of questions that left Vesper breathless.
“I’m alive,” the coywolf snapped, retreating a step. “Some asshole near Inferni tried his luck with me. None of these wounds are serious, all right? They just sting a bit, and I’m a bit sore.” Her aggression faded, leaving her looking exhausted. “I’ve never needed help. I’ve been worse off.”
That was a lie. While her wounds were very minor, there were several of them, and many emotional scars that weren’t visible. She frowned and looked down at her paws, eyes skipping over the bite marks on her slender legs. The fact of what she had just been snarling struck her in the face, and she looked up at the brown lady with apologetically lowered ears.
“Sorry,” Vesper muttered, scuffing a paw on the floor. “Thanks for your concern, but there’s really nothing you can do.”
Another awkward silence. It seemed Ophelia had a quiet one on her hands. But of course, Ophelia was fine with that, perfectly fine. "Pleasure to meet you, Vesper!" Ophelia gave a bright giggle as she continued to smile. Even though the chestnut lady was smiling, she couldn't help but have her concerned eyes placed on the lady's wounds. Oh, how Ophelia would have wished so could run over there and heal her up! Of course, Ophelia wasn't exactly a super good healer, to tell the truth, she would probably make it worse. Ophelia stood there, lost in her thoughts, before her new 'friend' spoke of Hamlet. Ophelia was confused for a moment, lifting a single eyebrow while titling her head. Whaaa...? Oh! She got it now. Ophelia let out yet another laugh, before giving a small smile. "Miss Vesper, Hamlet isn't here." After a brief pause, Ophelia quickly said, "Well, I mean he is.... but he isn't... ERRR. Hamlet is a book, in which is in my possession. My name is from that book. Hamlet isn't real... at least, I think so? NO. He isn't real or alive. He was a human, after all. Unless he somehow was changed into a wolf, coyote, or dog...." Ophelia took a moment to ponder this. After a minute or so, Ophelia finally shrugged and finished thinking for the day.
As Ophelia heard Vesper speak, Ophelia faced Ether, and inhaled through her sensitive nose. "Hmm, you're right... Ether, you need a bath, you stinky horse!" That was Ophelia for you. She completely ignored Vesper's insult, besides about Ether being stinky. Perhaps being naive like Ophelia wasn't so bad. Ophelia held her bright smile on her face, which was not unusual, for Ophelia was a happy and carefree being who was relaxed around anyone and everyone. Even if they were a threat.
As Vesper stepped back and snapped at Ophelia, Ophelia's ears slowly went down, finally laying flat. Ophelia's bright smile changed into a sad frown. Ophelia didn't want to be alone. And didn't they just become friends? As Vesper cussed, it seemed Ophelia shrunk a bit. Ophelia wasn't fan of curse words, you see. After a brief silence, Ophelia managed to finally speak, I-I'm sorry-y.... I-I only-y wanted-d to h-help... I'm-m sorry-y if-f I'm being pushy-y...."
An rather uncomfortable silence appeared like a heavy cloud, taking up all the space in Ophelia's camp zone. Ophelia was unsure of what to say as she stood there, eyes staring at the ground like she was a child who broke her mother's prized vase. Ophelia fingered the soft fabric of her dress in her fingers as she stood there, eyebrows scrunched together. Suddenly, a whinny broke the uncomfortable silence. Ophelia lifted her eyes from the ground and instead stared at Ether, who obviously did not feel the tension in the air. Ophelia could have run over there and kissed Ether to death for breaking the silence. Shortly after her beloved steed broke the silence, Vesper also spoke, her ears back in an apologetic way.
As soon as her uncomfortable new friend apologized, Ophelia acted like her normal self once again. Giving an attritional smile, Ophelia also apologized. "I'm sorry, too, Miss Vesper! You shouldn't be apologizing! I was being far to pushy and nosey, I should give you some space, yes? We just met and all, I'm sorry for seeming too friendly. It's a habit, I guess." Ophelia gave a light hearted laugh before moving around once more. "Are you perhaps hungry? Thirsty? Need a place to stay?" Ophelia grinned, sitting herself down in her chair once more, eyes bright with hopefulness. Vesper seemed a bit... shy. Yes, shy is the word. The shy type of animals needed their space right?
I said, I cannot follow the river
of her myth; but I can
follow her sweet desert song
like a stream through the fiery hills.
Word Count → 535 :: Ophelia is the adorable one! <3 Sorry for this crappy post, btw. Ves will have more to say as she opens up a bit. :3
Did horses cause girls to completely lose their minds? Vesper was less than thrilled about meeting another happy-go-lucky luperci, but it was better than the alternative. She knew that she was lucky, meeting someone so friendly, but she had to wonder how wolves like that survived in life. Did they really want a scar-riddled stranger staying in their homes? Or did she look more pathetic than scary? She gave her wounded leg another lick then pricked her ears as Hamlet came up.
The coywolf had first assumed that Hamlet was a place, just like Nova Scotia. However, when the pronoun “he” started coming up, the hybrid blinked and cocked her head in confusion. “A book,” she echoed flatly, raising a brow and lifting the cut that ran across it. The explanation did make sense if one took out all the babbling, and she frowned. “You were named after a character in a book. Okay.” She looked to the side awkwardly. “Well, I can’t say I’ve ever read Hamlet, or any books at all.” And she refused to believe herself uneducated because of it. Wolves had gotten along fine for thousands of generations without needing to look at tiny letters on a page. She’d never even seen a book before, if she thought about it, due to how fragile the pages became.
She held back a remark when Ophelia sniffed at her horse, but she was glad that she hadn’t upset the chocolate-furred girl. She had hay for brains, but she only meant the best. The coywolf was considering what she had been offered, but when she made her decision that she didn’t want help, Ophelia finally showed signs of hurt. Her ears lowered, and the smile that had danced gleefully across her face faded and turned downward. Her stammered apology struck the hybrid with guilt, and she wondered if she was getting too soft.
Once the apologies were over, Vesper smirked faintly. “I could be a lot less snappy, I guess, and you could be less talky. You’re probably used to wolves with a bit of manners, anyway.” She shrugged her shoulders again, admitting that she didn’t know much when it came to social interaction. She was fine enough to hold her own, and she wasn’t antisocial, but her nature as a loner meant that she was proud and aloof.
“Just be careful who you let into your home,” the tawny female muttered. “You might run across someone more of a threat than me.”
She blinked when the girl sat down and asked her if she needed anything, and for a second the loner considered the offer. Swallowing her pride, she padded forward again and glanced at the second chair meant for her. It would take a bit of a jump to get up on it, due to her lack of a tall two-legged form, so she instead settled down on the ground near the young woman.
“I suppose some meat and water would be nice, but I tend to wander rather than settling down in one place, even for a few days.” She forced herself to meet the girl’s pretty blue eyes. “I hope you understand…though this is some set-up you have around here.”
OOC I love Vesper's grumpiness and secret softness <3 By the way, the Spanish is: I'm Spanish, Baby! xD
Word Count → 641
"Yep, a book!" Ophelia nodded, giving yet another cheerful grin. As Vesper spoke of never reading a book, Ophelia couldn't hide her surprise. Ophelia wasn't exactly used to non-luperci, for she grew up in a pack that was full of luperci's, and the pack hardly ever encountered non-luperci. "Yep, I was named after... Ophelia. I was in love with Hamlet, I guess, and then I went mad and died. The end." It was kinda scary at how Ophelia spoke in such a cheerful voice as she spoke of her so called 'death.' "If you want, I could teach you how to read?" An eager smile appeared on Ophelia's chocolate face, her light blue eyes shining with hope. Ophelia loved teaching other's things, along with being taught new things in exchange. Ophelia jumped up from the chair, again, and suddenly went into the back of the room, searching for something. "I'm almost sure it's here somewhere...." She mumbled as she looked through the room filled with random things. "Aha!" A victorious bark came from Ophelia mouth as she lifted a dusty book from her basket. Ophelia walked over to Vesper, and showed her the front, that clearly stated "HAMLET." "Here it is, Hamlet!" The book was in fairly good condition for it's age. The pages were yellowing, and the ink was starting to become faint, but it was still readable.
Ophelia had set the book on the ground, just in case Vesper wanted to take a peek at the book. As Vesper spoke of Ophelia being less talky and her being less snappy, Ophelia couldn't help but give a laugh. As soon as wolves with manners came from Vesper's mouth, Ophelia shook her head. "Nope. Most wolves I meet are waaayyy worse then you." Ophelia was being rather blunt, her head now shaking up and down. "I should learn how to talk less, but there is always so much to say!" Ophelia grinned once more, settling in the chair.... yet again. Ophelia crossed her legs a she sat with her hands on her lap, her back as straight as can be. A dancer's habit, at least, in Ophelia's opinion.
"NO NO NO NO Vesper, you're a huge threat! GINORMOUS!" Ophelia couldn't help but feel as if she had made Vesper mad, for not treating her as a threat. Ophelia didn't treat anyone as a threat, for she was overly, and stupidly, friendly. "And, and I promise I will be more cautious, so I won't let EPIC THREATS like you in my home!" Ophelia nodded repeatedly, her eyes wide. Oh, Ophelia, Ophelia.... Ophelia and her ever so messed up logic.
"Food and water, gotcha! Coming right up!" Ophelia rose from the chair... AGAIN. She walked around and grabbed a few things from her basket, until she finally came over to her new non-luperci friend. Ophelia had a bowl, a bottle of clear and fresh water, and some jerky that would hopefully satisfy the female. Ophelia crouched down, and poured the water into the bowl, which would hopefully make it easier for her injured friend. She set the jerky down in front of the female, and Ophelia sat down, a single piece of jerky in her slender hand that she took a rough bite from. A satisfied smile came onto her face as she tasted the salted meat, and Ophelia couldn't help but grin down at her new friend. "Thanks! It took me awhile to find a livable building. So, Vesper. Are you originally from here? I'm not." Ophelia shook her head and took another bite of jerky. "I'm from Honduras, Yo soy español, baby!" Ophelia laughed once more, watching her new friend for her answer.
I said, I cannot follow the river
of her myth; but I can
follow her sweet desert song
like a stream through the fiery hills.
Word Count → 664 :: Warning -- this post sucks; I wrote it really quickly and probably missed something and the timeline's all awkward. >>
Ophelia described her namesake, and Vesper cocked her ears forward in disbelief. The name Ophelia itself was pretty, but to be aware that it meant insanity and subsequent death… She gave her head a quick shake and smirked faintly. “Your parents couldn’t have named you after a storybook hero or something?” she pointed out, more amused than criticizing. She didn’t like it when wolves read too much into words, and that included names. She barely gave a thought to her own namesake, the evening star and the deities associated with it.
An eager smile danced across the luperci’s features as she suggested that she teach the coywolf how to read. While the smile was countered instantly by a skeptic frown, Vesper held her tongue and watched her as she disappeared, presumably to dig for something. She returned with a book, dusty and filled with pages like almost-brittle leaves, stating that this was Hamlet. She proceeded to set the book down on the ground, and Vesper walked up to it.
“I don’t think I could ever learn,” the small hybrid mumbled when she nosed the cover open, squinting at the resulting cloud of dust. Her nose skimmed across the faded ink of the tiny, intricate symbols. “That’s…a lot to look at,” she stated, referring to the letters. She understood the concept of a symbol representing a meaning, but to see so many pressed so close together was making her head spin. With a slight wince, she stepped away again.
Ophelia laughed at her comment at rudeness, saying that most wolves were worse. Despite herself, the hybrid echoed her laughter. “I feel bad for you, then,” she teased. She supposed there were tons of idiots out in the world, though it did make her feel a little better to know Ophelia liked her enough. Then again, Ophelia seemed like she would coo at a rattlesnake that slithered into her home. The happiness and trust she exhibited was perplexing, but Vesper didn’t want to go into it yet. She instead smiled and watched the girl sit down; it might have appeared like perfect posture to another luperci, but it was odd and stiff to the four-legged one.
“Maybe you shouldn’t say less, but—say less at a time? Spread out your words? It makes conversation last longer.” Vesper smirked slightly, tail tapping the ground. Her easygoing expression disappeared, however, as Ophelia burst out about her being a threat, her words exaggerated in a way that Vesper couldn’t tell was playful or sarcastic. Regardless, she bristled, and a statement flew from her lips before she could amend it.
“I’ve killed before.”
Sky blue eyes blinked, and Vesper shut her mouth, regretting her words. She lowered her ears and looked away immediately. She wanted to be treated with some respect, but she didn’t really want to be seen so much as a threat that Ophelia would be afraid of her. “I—never mind.” She wasn’t a murderer, she wanted to cry out, but she didn’t know if Ophelia would take her seriously in the first place.
She focused on the food and water provided to her, instead. With a grateful wag of her tail, she lapped from the bowl and licked her lips. The bottled water tasted differently than the streams she usually drank at, but she couldn’t decide if it was a good thing or not. She chewed more happily on the jerky and pricked her ears at Ophelia’s questions.
Laughing at the foreign words she’d blurted, Vesper nodded. “I wouldn’t have guessed. How far away is Honduras?” She left a polite pause for the answer—hoping it wouldn’t turn into a speech—and answered the question asked her before Ophelia could go into the history of Honduras’ founding and how many generations of her family had lived there.
“I’m from north—a ways above Nova Scotia, though not anywhere insanely far away. I lived mostly in the wilderness—or what you luperci would consider wilderness, at least.”
