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Festivity’s introductory thread. Aw
After slogging through the burnt husk to the east, the fertile lands on the other side of the halcyon mountains opened up like the gates to paradise. Gaunt with hunger and stumbling with fatigue, it was nigh on the second day before the jackal-wild dog hybrid realized that the landscape was clearly marked by tokens of habitation. Decrepit sigils from humanity’s no-so-forgotten age pocketed hillside and valley; more noticeable than these old failing signs were rich scents rolling on noon’s high breezes. Packs lived here, many and strong so it would seem. Excellent. Her trade relied rather heavily on a dense population. A storyteller is welcomed rarely enough, let alone in these places where civilization was – at best – another lost definition.
There was an old city here though. The canines of the locale had yet to repopulate the long roadways and dark alleys, and the city – soon identified as Halifax – was relatively untouched by pillagers. Experience led the world-traveler downtown and eventually to a large library where she’d eventually establish a quasi-home. Better described as a base camp, here Festivity would leave her heavy pack and scrounge for new books, stories, and ideas to add to her repertoire. Also, it would be the appointed meeting place for Festivity and Valyria, her lifelong avian companion.
The sun had scarcely risen on this particular day. Festivity exited the building with kitchen pot in hand and headed for an old watershed that had turned into lively creek bed. She returned with a full pot of water in one hand and an oblong branch tucked under the other arm. Humming while she worked, the petite luperci stoked the fire and put water on to boil. Attracted by the noise of breakfast-making, the splendid mynah returned from his nighttime perch in order to warble sweet nothings into Festivity’s thrice-pierced ear. She scratched his head gently, and reminded him that all of the flattery in the world would not boil the water any sooner.
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RAWR RAWR RAWR
The city loomed overhead and the red hued dog unconsciously slunk along closer to the ground, as if to ward off the unknown that lurk in the surrounding buildings. Having seen the manor at Twilight Vale and the short, stout buildings in the cemetery close to the city Leland was not completely unfamiliar with buildings, though the concept of actually using the human’s refuse was all still new to him. However he hadn’t imagined that hollowed out shells that once housed the two legged could seem so menacing, but then again, until he came upon the city streets he had never imagined such tall creations could be built, by luperci or humans. Leland tentatively considered entering one and finding his way to the top, but as he approached the first one, one of the taller ones, anxiety ceased him and Leland discovered that he was terrified of the idea.
Instead he opted for one of the shorter buildings, and approached it with no such ambitions as climbing to the roof. As an added bonus, and perhaps a contributing factor in his decision to pick such a building, it was already occupied by a canine. Female, and a canine like he had never seen before, which was quite a novel concept as normally his coat was the oddity in other’s eyes. Clearing his throat at the shifted female, Leland bowed his head politely. "’Cuse me miss. I hope I’m not interrupting much. My name’s Leland." Bi-colored eyes flitted over the pot of water, the bird, and then back to the lady. "Errm... whatcha doing with that pot? If I may ask." It was clear she was boiling water, but why?
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</style> he's everything you needhe's everything inside of you that you wish you could be
His feet shifted ever slightly on the roof of the building, and more dusty sand swirled around his heavy boot and moved skyward. His boot may have been strange looking to any other Luperci, considering that many did not wear anything on their feet, but it was perfect for him. It was a perfect fit; he had not taken one made by man, but had, in fact, fashioned it himself. It was soft and formed to his foot, making very little noise on surfaces such as that and, like his wapiti hide clothing, had been made when he was fully grown and filled out. If he had any skills, it was the woman's skill to create clothing out of animal skins. This, and bare back riding, which he often did but never flaunted. Many of these lycanthropes had never even been close enough to a horse to touch one. He considered, briefly, what the reaction to the varnish roan Appaloosa might be.
Nonetheless, he dismounted from Adonvdo's broad back the minute they had reached the city and he had gone on alone. His saddle bags were left in a tent that he had set up on the fringe of Ethereal Eclipse to await Ayegali's verdict. He had managed to climb the library, skilled at climbing as he was (truly, Dohi had many skills that he had developed in Nature, but as humble as he was, he rarely would admit it), and now he looked down upon the two very unfamiliar canines.
One was clearly a dog, but the other was totally unidentifiable. Another odd point, he noticed, was that the second — a female by the different scent — was cooking. In his tribe they had dried meat before for travel, and AniWaya females knew how to cook (and it was a skill, again, that he had picked up over time), but he wasn't too certain if it was only tribes that did it. Now, he saw, it was something that other werewolves seemed to have picked up on. The tuxedo paused a moment to listen carefully to the words of the dog, and then he lowered himself to drop onto a balcony, and then hopped down to the ground.
He immediately tuned himself into their emotions. Resignation, he caught, to the whims of boiling; she was a peaceful woman, for all her unfamiliar physical traits. Confusion; the dog, Dohi noticed, was too mixed up in emotions as far as he could tell to be able to predict his intentions by his feelings. The empath turned first to the woman, the enquiry that the dog had asked written in his own face, but then, what reason could one be boiling water but to cook or brew something with? It was quite clear to the tribal man.
I hope my intrusion is not unwelcome, came his deep and relaxing voice as he sat himself cross-legged on the sidewalk, the library now a forgotten perch in the background. He wasn't there for the food, but the company; and both non-wolves were intriguing to him.
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<3<3<3
As was typical, the mynah-bird noticed company far before Festivity herself. This was only partially due to inattention on her part as the fire was issuing a considerable amount of smoke as she went about reviving it from yesterday's still-warm coals. Moreover, her mind was dually occupied with preparing breakfast and planning out the upcoming day. However, a quiet chirrup from Valrian was enough to alert the African hybrid of the other canines' presence. Looking up from her chores, the traveler quickly assessed her visitors.
The first fellow had a coat overtoned in the color of autumn leaves and unique markings on his face: perhaps a hybrid of some sort, not unlike herself. Visitor number two had the appearance of a normal wolf but was fully clad in animal hide, a curiosity for this region. Festivity was familiar with clothing and had on occasion been dressed rather elaborately, but on this side of the Atlantic she had rarely seen lupines dressed. She preferred traveling in the nude herself although she recognized cloth's ability to keep out damp and chill. Come winter, her wardrobe might need to be expanded, for her coat was built for tropical regions and was therefore rather thin and coarse.
"Not at all," she replied to both of them in general, indicating that their presence was not in the slightest bit disturbing. Festivity was a highly social creature and loved company as a rule, especially if they were new, different, and had stories to tell. Breakfast portions might be a shade on the meager side but it was also in Festivity's nature to share. The caravan she was raised had shared everything and in the eyes of many her livelihood relied on the charity of others. "I am making breakfast," she returned to the russet fellow who had introduced himself as Leland. If she thought the question at all odd, her strongly accented (but easily understandable) voice didn't betray her. "My name is Festivity and this is Valrian," she indicated to the Bali mynah on her shoulder whose stark white plumage stuck out brilliantly against the dark cloud of her hair. Generally she groomed herself before seeking out company, but today's unexpected guests would have to live with yesterday's hairdo. "You are both welcome to join me if you wish. The tea will be ready soon." She eyed the pot critically, where the water was beginning to simmer gently.
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Meeeep. I are slow. Sorry.
Another canine appeared before the female had even gotten a chance to answer his question. Leland watched as the male sat himself down but made no introductions and the husky turned his attention back to the hybrid and her bird. Festivity. Leland grinned at the name and nodded at the bird as it was introduced, unsure of if the creature would care for any acknowledgment but deciding better to do so than appear rude. Brown and blue eyes drifted back to the pot of boiling water as he digested his answer. Making breakfast. But what was there to make? Leland had noted that many of the canines in these area used buildings such as this, and until a few weeks ago that had been a new concept to him. Were there other customs that his pack had been unaware of so much that he had not even heard of it? The easiest way to learn was to plunge in to the culture. "I’d be glad to. Thank you kindly."
His four paws were still firmly placed on the floor as he wandered about the library just a little, his eyes flitting over the walls, ceiling, and books that lay scattered here and there. Once a few yards away, Leland swiftly went through the transformation from four legged beast to the two legged form. It was not that he was embarrassed to be the odd one out, for he often found himself in that position due to his strange pelt in these lands, but merely that if making breakfast required opposable thumbs, perhaps eating it would too. He hadn’t really the slightest idea of what tea was, but he would soon find out. Leland returned to the pair and seated himself on the floor a little unsteadily, landing louder than he had intended. Although he was skilled at shifting in very little time, aside from holidays and rituals he never spent any time in this form, so his gracefulness was a little lacking. Although even when in his four legged form Leland had the habit of being just the tiniest bit clumsy. Grinning at himself, he looked to the other two once more. "Do ya need any help?"
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The smell of the water heating was both unusual and comforting, but still the man didn't say much. His eyes moved from the dog to the wild dog, and he thought, for but a moment, that his company was almost as strange as he. To them, with his bareback riding ways and his osprey spirit, he was probably quite the sight, and that wasn't factoring in the trio of feathers in his hair. That was, of course, if they could see the osprey. Nvwadohiyadv didn't normally show herself until he had introduced her which, to be courteous to her, he didn't do too often. However, he was intrigued by by the bird, Valrian, and figured if she had a live spirit, then his osprey guide wouldn't mind.
My name is Dohi, and the osprey on my shoulder, if she chooses to show herself— which she should, as far as he was concerned, —is Nvwadohiyadv. That's also very kind of you; I'll do what I can to help as well. But otherwise the tuxedo man was still and silent; there was little to say here, and the peace was a silent one anyway. Breaking it as little as possible was his desire. [/html]
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