the supine

Vesper · 03-21-2012, 09:00 AM

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Word Count :: 468
She's depressed but will snap out of it soon enough I think. >__> Also she's in optime.

She walked south, south across grassy beaches and through forests, until she could smell the oak and ash again and let her scrawny body collapse on the sweet-smelling earth. Her nose pressed between her forepaws, she closed her eyes and fought off the grief washing over her—though wasn’t this why she was here? Because some part of these woods held memory? Dully, Vesper looked up again to see the gaps in the trees where branches were bare were decreasing. Flower and leaf buds sprouted on twigs, softening the impression that the sticks were clawing at the patches of sky. Had it truly been autumn when they were here? Fall and winter had passed and it seemed like two more years of her life had.

For a second, she took hold of her twitching core and let her sore body transform. Her muscles protested as they stretched, and her legs wobbled as she attempted to rise onto them. Her sobbing in the mountains and her fast-paced travel to reach Ethereal Eclipse had taken its toll, and with a cry she collapsed on her back.

Vesper did not move. She did not deserve to move. Her chest heaved for oxygen as she stared at the breaks in the tree canopy, flashes of blue and yellow, sky and sunlight. And she wanted to cry again.

“Boy getting up,” came a scolding caw. Dark wings blocked the beautiful colors, and she might have leaped up to catch the raven had movement not ached so damn much. “Getting up!” Stark croaked again, his voice taking on such authority that she had to obey, she who obeyed only her Aquila. Her claws found the earth for purchase, and she managed to rise into a sitting position, which alone left her collapsed forward on her knees. She wrapped her skinny arms tightly around them.

“Why here?” Stark asked, suddenly perched on her shoulder. She had not the strength to shake him away.

“Blind didn’t die from a bear attack here,” Vesper answered.

The moment of solemnity passed long and languid, a cool river breaking over her back and bringing her away from the heat of her earlier conniption. And then her scouting shadow pecked the silver ring on her ear. She recoiled and growled at him, which made him flap down to the forest floor. He bobbed his head a few times as if searching for words.

“Stark and boy walking,” the bird said after a moment. She raised a brow. “Stark flying,” he amended with exasperation. “Stark praying boy finding something interesting, stop being sorry wreck.”

Vesper snorted, but his dryness amused her. She grunted as she pushed herself to her feet, grasping for a low tree branch for balance, and followed him as he flitted up in the safety of the leaves.

Image courtesy of venomxbaby@deviantart; Table by the Mentors!

Terra · 03-21-2012, 11:08 AM

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OOC lalala moving to april 4 where did giant post come from

Moving along outside the pack Terra couldn't help her relief. She was finally able to move around! The injuries she'd gotten were all healed up now, able to breath without broken ribs protesting, no injury on her side to tear open. There were three thin pink scars running down alongside her shoulder now, something which the vain coyote absolutely hated. She'd always prided herself on being quick enough to only ever get shallow wounds that healed, nothing allowed close enough to dig deep enough into her skin for a scar. The stupid cougar had ruined that though, and a single moment of being off guard had cost her more than she had been willing to pay.

Promising herself that it would never happen again Terra carried her two daggers in her mouth, looking for an optimal place to change shape so she could practice. It would be best if she did practice with her daggers, working on the maneuvers she had learned and testing new ideas out. She needed to be ready. Terra was unsure of how to fight in lupine, as odd as that was for someone who spent so much time in it, using her speed and size to help her escape rather than fight when the time came. That hadn't helped her last time though, so she determined to brush up her ability to fight in the one area she knew how.

She reached a small clearing, one with lots of trees and bushes. Terra would be sure to hear if anyone approached through here. Lifting her head she smelled the air, making sure there was nothing that could tear apart the small coyote nearby. Satisfied that her life wasn't going to end up hanging from a thread again so soon after her last one Terra dropped her daggers and backed up a little. Concentrating she worked on shifting for the first time after her injury. Her body screamed with protest, out of practice and very unwilling. Her still broken leg was the worst, pain wracking through her entire body as it was forced to elongate, paw widening to accommodate for the larger size. Fingers came out, tearing wildly into the ground as Terra kept howls of pain from escaping.

At last the shift finished, long red hair in her face. Shaky from the change Terra stayed there for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Twisting her head around she studied the damage she'd done to her leg. The wrappings that had held it together were completely shredded, blood seeping from it. At least the pain was fading, and nothing was jutting out that shouldn't have been there. Delicately she pushed herself up, wavering slightly as she kept her broken bones from settling wrong, weight off it. Limping to her daggers she picked them up, determined to finish what she started.

Closing her eyes Terra concentrated, the pain slowly fading from her mind until there was nothing left. Teeth bared wildly Terra's eyes flashed with success. One dagger in each hand Terra slowly began her practice, working on flipping them from a hidden position to a strike position, slashing and stabbing at the tree before her. At first it wasn't deep, but as she picked up speed bark began to fly off, her strikes becoming more violent and powerful as she grew used to the attack.

Vesper · 04-01-2012, 09:39 AM

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Word Count :: 343
Haha you wrote more than meee. x3

With the large black bird doing his best to navigate through the tangle of twigs and leaves, Vesper padded underneath him. She’d managed to find a branch that was perfect size for a walking stick, and she used that to keep her balance. She was tired and vulnerable, but with Stark looking out from above, she felt safer than she would have otherwise. She hated using her optime form in the neutral territories, but her body was rebelling against her.

Her stick pushed into soft dirt and rotten leaves and glanced off rocks and was used to knock aside the debris of a bush torn from its roots by wind, which had an easier time passing through the Eclipse in bare-bones winter. Winter was relinquishing its grip here, however, and she realized how little time she’d actually spent in the region.

She was still young—still just a “boy” as the raven would say. She glanced at the bird with a wry smile, although it was a weak rendition of one, none of her usual confidence behind it. Blind had been younger, more innocent and untouched. Wolves should never die young.

“Stark seeing clearing,” the raven croaked once, after sweeping around in a circle to check out the area.

Her ears tipped back. “And that’s your definition of interesting?”
His beady eyes flashed, and he angled his wings to swoop off in the direction of the clearing. Vesper followed with a frown, sweeping her stick in front of her as if she was blind—which was nearly true in this thick forest. It would be dark here soon.

Moving less quietly than she was used to, she pushed through the vegetation to find Stark perched in a high tree—one that was currently being attacked by a dagger-wielding luperci. Immediately, the she-yote recoiled, her pupils dilated and her arm drawn up for protection. She turned her head to see if there were others, more blades, more attackers, her body tensed to flee though she knew she was not nearly fast enough like this.

Image courtesy of venomxbaby@deviantart; Table by the Mentors!

Terra · 04-01-2012, 10:03 AM

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OOC here.

It was hard work keeping up with this. The rhythm filled her, leaving little room for anything else. Terra didn't notice the bird that settled in the tree, and it took a moment for the scent of fear to sink in. Her response was sharp when it came to that. Terra spun around, daggers gripped in her hand to look for the threat, only to end up with her leg buckling on her, sending her to the ground. It hurt a lot, the wrapping having been broken with her shifting. The smell of her blood was in the air now, Terra biting back the cry that would have come from her.

Refusing to show exactly how weak she was Terra grabbed her daggers. She didn't bother trying to stand back up again, knowing how bad her balance was. Perhaps she could bluff the canine off, keep them from striking. Looking around Terra didn't see what would make the fear though. Just another coyote, standing and looking terrified. Confused Terra cocked her head. Realizing how silly she probably looked Terra stopped baring her fangs at nothing. Pushing on the ground Terra leaned against a tree when she was up again, stabbing the daggers into the wood. Leaving them on the ground wasn't an option if she wanted to access them. Why so scared?

Vesper · 04-08-2012, 06:25 PM

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Word Count :: 252

The tawny fighter was almost never afraid, or at least the kind of afraid that had her heart pounding and her body tensing, fear-stench leaking from her pores. But her skin remembered the knife, remembered being punctured again and again, and it crawled under stiff fur. She remembered another blade too, a crooked spiral bloody against white. Daggers were sharper than fangs, with more reach, and she was probably right to be afraid.

The other hybrid questioned her fear, and Vesper blinked once. Everything came into focus then: the stranger crumpled against the forest floor, streaks of blood blossoming from a mostly-wrapped leg. When the luperci managed to find her feet, she simply thrust the blades into the tree.

“You mistake caution for cowardice,” came the Infernian’s retort. It was a bluff from her younger months, when she was only a yearling yapping indignantly at crook-backed old wolves. There was a caw of laughter from the tree above, and she bared her teeth at the raven before realizing her folly. Large ears folded back into her cropped smoky-wood mane, and she sighed. “You get cut enough, you start freezing up at anything sharp,” she admitted, the spirit gone from her. Like as not she’d start trembling at bears too.

“Anyway, what the hell happened to you?” Vesper went on, her voice crisp and cocky and close to normal. “I guess you’re training to face whoever will take advantage of your bad leg? It seems altogether safer to stay in your pack lands.”

Image courtesy of venomxbaby@deviantart; Table by the Mentors!

Terra · 04-08-2012, 06:48 PM

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OOC here.

Her words seemed to snap the coyote back out of it, if she was still rather fearful and stiff. Terra grinned cockily, feeling rather sure of herself compared to this frightened stranger. It was a clear lie too, a bird laughing above. Terra chuckled, completely agreeing with the raven. It was foolish for her to try and bluff out of something so obvious. The explanation that followed made more sense. Terra had been clawed plenty of times before, but never deep enough to scar. This was her first time with that, and Terra would certainly be a lot more cautious around cougars now. Well, the problem wasn't the cougar. The problem was that she'd gotten greedy and dug in without checking the area. Something she'd never admit to.

Seeing the coyote deflate was annoying. It dampened Terra's own spirits, making her feel like she had to cheer her up in some manner, and Terra didn't know how to do that. Doesn't matter what got me. What matters is that the one who did it is dead and I'm not going to let it happen again. Asked why she wasn't in the pack lands Terra looked around, pretending that everything was just fine. You know, they got a little worried when I came back like this. Thought it better if they didn't see this. You know, to stop them from worrying. In other words, they wouldn't like what she had done and would stop her if they saw it. I couldn't just stay still.

Vesper · 04-16-2012, 04:31 PM

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Wondering if she could throw a rock far enough to reach the raven, Vesper folded her arms tightly across her white chest. She was self-conscious and awkward as always, and might have been able to face this ruddy hybrid more confidently on four paws. She was useless like this, and it bothered her almost as much as the daggers did.

She snorted as the other woman remarked that her attacker was dead. Would that she’d been able to kill the dog bitches that had assaulted her and Kiara for only petty reasons. As much as she hated killing, anyone who took a knife to someone out of boredom or hatred for a few splotches of grey deserved to be killed.

She nodded at the explanation about the pack. “Sometimes it’s easier to deal with things alone,” she agreed, although she wasn’t thinking about an injury to her leg. She ignored the reproachful look from Stark, who recognized that she wouldn’t be open to his scolding. He let out a noise close to a sigh and began to preen his glossy blue-black feathers.

“So,” the light tawny coywolf said awkwardly in the silence that followed, “is it hard to learn?” She gestured. “Fighting with those things, I mean. I already know how much damage they can do.”

Terra · 04-16-2012, 04:56 PM

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OOC here.

Terra looked at the coyote curiously, feeling that they weren't exactly on the same page. She was avoiding her pack members so they wouldn't stop her. It sounded like the female just wanted to avoid them, for whatever reason. Well, it wasn't her business. As long as the coyote didn't get in the way of her practice Terra was just fine. Holding onto the tree Terra yanked the daggers back out, managing to avoid toppling over from the effort.

She was about to restart when questioned. Curiously she glanced over to the coyote. I'd say it's fairly easy. They're just like giant claws. Of course, you don't have to worry about accidentally letting go of your claws. The principal's the same though. That's how Terra managed to use them. She didn't exactly know how to fight, but if she took some of her instinctual drives for attacking and combined it with the methods that she was taught, Terra could hold her ground in a fight, if still weak at it.

Vesper · 04-18-2012, 07:12 PM

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The smaller coyote hybrid jerked the blades from the tree; tiny shards of bark went flying from the abrupt motion. She compared the daggers to claws before pointing out the difference; at this, the Optio snorted in amusement. Swiping her tongue over dry lips, she eyed the slender blades distrustfully. “I suppose if you do lose the blades, you always have claws as a backup,” she remarked, glancing at her own pale, unsheathed nails. “Not the same if you lose a claw.” She picked between a pair of teeth with one then frowned.

“Mind if I watch you for a little bit?” Vesper asked, realizing she probably sounded childish or silly. Maybe this stranger wasn’t as experienced as some giant and scarred warrior, but she felt safe here. If things went bad, she trusted herself to be able to fight back and escape. The loss of her dear Blind had dulled some of her emotions and senses, but her survival drive would never decrease. Learning an additional way to fight would only help her battle the world for when the days turned dark.

Terra · 04-18-2012, 08:43 PM

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OOC here.

Terra couldn't stop her eyes from widening with horror at those words. Lose a claw? She already had to deal with being smaller than her opponents. Having to deal without her claws would have her dead within days. As quickly as she could Terra worked on settling down. She still had all her claws. She wouldn't be losing them anytime soon. As long as she was quick enough Terra would live and be able to mock everyone else.

The request was a little strange, wanting to watch Terra. She studied the coyote, wondering why she would want to watch Terra. Measuring for weakness? It didn't seem like it. Perhaps she was just curious about using the daggers. Warily Terra moved, making sure that she could keep an eye on the stranger while she worked. Go ahead. Terra started up again, practicing the flip from hidden to open, slicing and cutting at her imaginary opponents. Her speed started building up again, only the occasional twitch of her ears revealing that she was still paying attention to what was around her.

Vesper · 04-24-2012, 09:16 AM

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302

Pine green eyes regarded her almost suspiciously after her request, but Vesper didn’t blame the other coywolf in the least. She would have been hesitant about letting a stranger watch her shadowbox or otherwise train, knowing that they would be able to root out her strengths and weaknesses for later, but she doubted she would even see this stranger again to do so. She liked to fight, but she wasn’t one for mindless violence. The world had enough of that.

Hoping to look more curious than scrutinizing, the optime-formed Optio took a seat on the ground, sitting on her legs. The raven flapped down from his branch to land on her shoulder, but she didn’t bare a tooth at him this time. She didn’t understand most of Stark’s teaching methods, but maybe she’d gain something from this encounter yet. At least it was getting her mind off Blind, which was probably his intent. Later, she would realize how ridiculous and soft she was being over the death of someone she truly hardly knew. Only little girls cried, and she wasn’t a little girl. She never had been.

The other woman struck out with the daggers, and Vesper watched her for a while. She supposed she imagined it would be more refined, the glitter of blades and the sweeping arc of an attack, slash, parry, but this was a frenzy of weaponry and energy. She liked that much better; it didn’t look as complicated.

“Do you mind if I try?” Vesper asked, rising slowly from the ground. The bird flared his wings out to keep balance as she stood. “Just one dagger; you can keep the other. I’ll cut up this tree over here, too.” She gestured, hoping that leaving the young woman with a weapon would be a show of good faith.

Terra · 04-24-2012, 01:50 PM

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OOC here.

The coyote did seem only curious. Terra relaxed into the pattern, just letting the movement relax her and take away the pent up energy from days of staying still. Her movements lacked the beauty of a true warrior, a mix of the instinctual strikes that she would use and the lessons she had gained. It was a roguish way of fighting, mixed and blended with what she had seen to allow her to defend herself the best she could in all situations she could imagine.

Again the female pressed in. Terra looked over, curiosity instead of hostility this time. Why was she so interested in Terra's practice? Terra might have watched someone with knives for the flashes of metal, entranced by the beauty. She would have stolen one later on. The only reason why she knew how to use them was because someone had actually offered to teach her, instead of leaving her as she was simply fiddling with the knives and accidentally cutting herself when she gripped the wrong part.

Shrugging Terra stepped away from the tree. Do you want to learn how to use these? I can't imagine another reason for you to be entranced. Idly the coyote twirled the knives in her hands. She couldn't do the fancy tricks Caspa could do, but she could make them dance, a simple extension of her thieving skills to make items vanish. Stopping she held one out, tail swishing. How about you attack me instead? She grinned, waiting for the other to accept her game.

Vesper · 04-29-2012, 10:02 AM

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The coyote hybrid shrugged and questioned her motives for watching, and uncertainly Vesper inclined her head. She had always spat upon human weaponry, and she might not even go as far as to keep a blade for a weapon—she liked hand-to-hand or fang-to-fang fighting too much—but she had to admit to being entranced. “I want to understand,” she confessed, her ears lowering back against her short shaggy mane. “I want to learn however much I can.”

She watched the other twirl the knives, and the raven quorked from her shoulder. She smirked weakly, about to tease him about birds and shiny objects, but he flapped up to the tree again and watched with beady dark eyes. Ignoring the show with some effort, she languidly stepped forward before the other held the blade out.

The suggestion surprised her, but she mirrored the grin, less smile and more teeth. “I might accidentally hurt you,” she warned, but she took the dagger anyway. It was odd to feel the coldness in her hand, although the grip was warm from the other’s palm. Having the blade in close proximity to her made her uncomfortable, but studying it under her control made up for that a little bit. She ran a thumb along the flat of it, taking a practice cut, a practice stab—imagining plunging it into a dog’s chest. Such revenge would be sweet, but she knew she’d never be good enough with a human weapon to fight them solely like that.

“All right,” she said, turning to the coywolf and adopting her usual fighting stance.

Terra · 04-30-2012, 11:06 AM

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OOC here.

Understand? Terra knew that draw. It was what drew her to investigate everything she came across, sticking her head into all kinds of situations. Her curiosity shot high through the air when it came to that. There wasn't much she could share with this coyote, unfortunately, as she didn't grasp much of the weapon beyond it being like a large claw. The flash of teeth at her suggestion excited Terra, her tail picking up her pace. Yes, a battle would be nice. She was fairly confidant that she'd get out of this relatively unscathed, if slowed down by her leg, and this was exactly what she craved.

I'll be fine. Fighting might not be her expertise, but dodging death was. Terra let the remaining dagger change hands back and forth for a short time before settling down. How was she supposed to do this? Terra hadn't fought against others often, and she knew how vulnerable she was. The stance the stranger took up was much more experienced than her own, sending a chill through her. Recklessly Terra moved around, making sure she had support for her leg. Terra might be able to force herself to put weight on there for a short time, but she'd rather not. Carefully she struck forwards, a test to hit against her opponent.

Vesper · 05-06-2012, 07:32 AM

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The other hybrid wagged her tail and adjusted her stance as well, and Vesper realized that she would have to compensate for her injured leg. It would make this practice fight a lot easier, balancing her lack of skill, and she allowed herself to muster some confidence as she adjusted her grip on the dagger and waited, ears tilted back against her narrow skull.

The emerald-eyed coywolf struck then, and Vesper leaped back easily, adrenaline starting to pump through her veins. She tried to stay calm, but she didn’t like this at all right now. Baring her teeth, she came in and attempted to stab the other’s blade shoulder—keeping herself restrained so that, even if she was able to get a hit in, it would only poke the woman.

Terra · 05-06-2012, 10:22 AM

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OOC here.

Of course the coyote leaped back. That would have been Terra's choice as well, if she'd been able to move. Terra flipped the dagger to her other hand, wishing that her leg wasn't injured. It would make this so much easier. Practice or not, this was a battle, and she would be giving as much as she could in it. Not that she had much to give. Terra's idea of battle tended to be a lot more slippery, all kinds of dirty tricks used.

Terra stayed calm at the flashing teeth, focusing on reading the flow of the strike. She wanted to twist out of the way of the strike, leap away, but it was impossible. Instead Terra brought up her free hand, pushing up against the arm and away, moving to grab the hand and make it useless as she moved forward with her own dagger, slashing in her attack. True, that wasn't just strictly using her dagger, but hey. She couldn't be expected to just fight with a dagger when she couldn't move, right?

Vesper · 05-11-2012, 06:48 PM

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Her blade shot forward, but while her aim was true and the coywolf did not move, her attack never landed. Instead, a dark hand sneaked forward and wrapped around her dagger wrist, which made Vesper’s brows come together sharply. The other woman wasted no time in using her own blade, which flicked through her fur and tickled her skin and caused her to bristle.

Vesper snarled and twisted her blade hand, trying to free it from the coywolf’s grasp before swinging her claws at her head. She needed to make her loose her grip, and she would waste no time coming in to slash at her stomach instead.

Terra · 05-12-2012, 06:45 AM

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OOC yeah...terra fights dirty XD

She didn't draw blood, but Terra felt the coyote's skin flinch at the touch of the metal. Point for her. Grinning Terra drew it back, this time preparing to take her dagger and drive it upwards, perhaps striking through the vulnerable exposed throat. Terra was actually calm in this little exercise, not feeling any particular need to act up. Her tail swayed behind her, green eyes measuring everything that was being done.

The hand twisted in her grasp. Immediately Terra let go, unwilling to sacrifice her balance for the grip. The twist had knocked her slightly off kilter anyways. She spent precious time wavering, ducking her head down against the blow that came for her head. Luckily a tree was nearby for Terra to lean into. She moved her dagger to catch the blow, only managing to knock it sideways towards where her arm was.

Vesper · 05-12-2012, 06:50 PM

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Ves normally respects fighting dirty. >> Anyway, I was vague about where she's going to hit, so you can decide wherever she was aiming. xD

Vesper was all too aware of the other’s calmness, despite the grin dancing on her lips. Her fear of blades was affecting her own demeanor, as well as her judgment and skills. Despite the reassurance that it wasn’t any different than fighting with claws, she over-thought everything with this piece of steel in her hand. It was as if she was newly-turned again, stumbling over her own feet and swiping clumsily at the air.

The grip on her hand was released, but as the scarred woman drove forward, the other ducked deeply and leaned into a tree to keep her balance. Her dagger knocked the blow aside, but Vesper did not relent. She pressed close, hoping to keep the woman trapped against the tree, stabbing high while her claws came low.

Terra · 05-12-2012, 07:36 PM

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OOC here.

The cut on her arm was shallow, thankfully. Terra wasn't sure how she'd cover it up if it actually needed medical attention, since all of this was something she most likely shouldn't be doing. Terra's grin widened as the coyote drove forwards, keeping her pressed against the tree. Not that she could have moved elsewhere anyways. It was a good practice at least. Taking Terra seriously now would be useful later on.

Two blows came for the fearless female, trying to think of how she was going to get out of this one. Pinned as she was there wasn't a lot of maneuvering she could do, and fighting never had been her strong suit. Teeth bared she braced herself for the slice against her leg and the blow to the chest. She couldn't duck either one. They stopped just before they tore her open. Panting Terra looked down, laughing at the sight. You got me.

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