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The dead city of the humans loomed in the distance. This was as close as the she-wolf had come to it. Even though the humans had been gone for years, there was still that strong instinct of fear that had been bred into the lupines. Old habits died hard for some. Living in a human house was one thing, but actually going into one of their cities still spooked the girl. Whenever she did decide to finally venture inside of it she didn't want to be alone. As her emerald orbs gazed at the decrepit buildings a chill went up her spine. Shaking her ebon pelt she turned away from the unpleasant sight.
Savina had followed a slightly overgrown trail to this peninsula. It surprised the femme to say the least, to find such a seemingly untouched habitat so near a large human town. From what she had learned many of the humans had little respect for nature. Of course many traces of the old rulers of the world were beginning to disappear, reclaimed by the earth. But it was still obvious that this had been a lush and uninhabited place. Intrigued by the beauty of the area the Twilight Vale wolf had decided to take a stroll down the trail and view this wonder.
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-tastes sour!-
Although she'd only been "living" in the Halifax area for a handful of days, Festivity had already discovered the jewel that was the protected peninsula. The sheltered wilderness was a healthy jaunt from the downtown library. Yet it was here that she found the cleanest water and the most diverse herbs; even the odd berry bush where she might scavenge the inner fruits the birds had missed. The tricolored hybrid had also taken to setting a handful of snares among the thick undergrowth. Her hunting skills in the traditional sense were marginal at best, and she found that her success rate with snares much better. Pity she could not live on bread alone, for it might have made eating simpler.
Fortune favored her on this day. Two of the traps were sprung, but empty and had to be reset. The third however held a hare who had been growing fat in the riches of late summer. Festivity grinned as the snowy myna on her shoulder whistled in appreciative anticipation for the upcoming feast. "Not so fast Valyrian. It'll taste much better cooked and seasoned." After resetting the snare, she grabbed decorated staff in one hand, the unfortunate rabbit in the other and headed for the trail that would take them back to the city. Hungry and focused on the meal ahead, the african hybrid nearly barreled right into an ebony wolf walking along the same path. "Whoops! Pardon me, miss."
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Yay pretty new table by Tammi!  And since I left it kind of open Savvy will be in optime form 
That they left here from the time before
The Indus wasn't paying much attention to the road ahead of her, simply letting her gaze wander over the many flora and fauna of the land. That was until a shorter canine nearly ran right into her. Or...at least she assumed she was a canine, considering she as well was in a shifted form. The Italian wolf had never seen anything like the one in front of her before. Her mouth was slightly agape while emerald orbs stared at the multi-colored being. It took her a few moments to remember her manners. If midnight hued fur didn't cover her you could've seen the red flush of her face from embarrassment. "Oh...I'm really sorry. I'm acting so rude..." Her Italian accented voice stuttered. "Please forgive me. I've just never seen anyone like you before." A sheepish smile spread across her slender muzzle.
It was only after she had snapped out of her inspection of the other foreign girl that she noticed the bird on her shoulder. Savina had never seen such a bird. It was beautiful. She also noticed the other's staff, decorated with odds and ends from many different places. Of course the wolfess had never traveled to any distant lands, except of course the one they were now both in. "That's a very lovely bird you have there. What's it name?" It would have, of course, been more polite to ask the girl's name first. It seemed she was forgetting all her manners today. Absentmindedly one of her hands went up to play with her long mane of wavy raven hair. That action was becoming the femme's nervous tick while in her shifted form, which she still was getting comfortable with.
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Festivity was used to being considered an oddity. The stares never upset her, not really; although they embarrassed her from time to time. Fortunately, a flush was always hidden by darkly furred cheekbones. There was only a faint one there now. Certainly not noticeable to an observer and the discomfort scarcely an afterthought to Festivity herself. "That's quite alright," she commented with a forgiving smile. "I'm a foreigner here, and newly arrived at that." She had by this point stepped back to give the other a bit of breathing room and retrieved the rabbit where she'd accidentally dropped it in surprise.
Truly, the wolf had been right to stare. Festivity was small by lupine standards, short and compactly built. Even fully shifted, she was scarcely five foot in height; her facial features a petite mixture of jackal and wild dog. Dark eyes and a long, thick mane of hair completed the ensemble. Festivity had been told her features were oddly ugly and exotically beautiful, oftentimes from the same speaker. While a calculation of her beauty was not something that interested the 'souls newcomer, the value of her reception was. Her looks had already been brought up a time or two in conversation before any other topic was addressed. All the same, she had not yet been met with hostility, which was an improvement from European standards where each new introduction was a risk.
Valrian made an appearance next. The bird was a rarity and a far more exotic one than his keeper. A member of a species - bali mynahs - known for their intelligence and beauty, the white avian had been Festivity's faithful companion on countless adventures. Moreover, he was a ham who loved attention, and had a knack for knowing whenever he was being addressed. "This is Valrian." Festivity introduced the bird, who promptly left her shoulder in exchange for the other's - he had always been fascinated by curly hair. He was also a decent judge in character, so Festivity skipped her usually wariness. "I would apologize for his manners, but he appears to like you."
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That they left here from the time before
Savina was a bit shocked when the bird came over to perch on her shoulder so quickly. She'd never had the experience of a smaller animal being so friendly. Most were scared of wolves (rightly so), so this was new. Though she had to admit it was pleasant. The beautiful alabaster avian began playing with her flowing raven mane and the girl giggled. It tickled, having him mess with her hair as he was. She didn't mind though. "Well its very nice to meet you Valrian" Once again her attention returned to the smaller canine. "I'm very pleased to meet you as well. My name is Savina." Her voice was soft, with her usual thick Italian accent.
It was pretty obvious that the other female wasn't from around here. However the question was where she was from. The wolfess was fairly certain that there were none of her kind in Italy. Of course there were many other places in the world. "So where do you come from? Was it very far away?" The two year old assumed it probably was. After all, she herself had come from quite a ways away, and wasn't too terribly different than any of the other lupines here. She waited expectantly to hear the other's tale of how she ended up here. Valrian continued to enjoy inspecting her hair.
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It quickly became clear to Festivity that English was not the other lupine's native tongue. Her accent was thick enough that Festivity had to pay more attention than usual in order to bridge the gap between hearing and understanding. She surmised that one of the romance lanugages might be the large female's native tongue but would not hazard to guess which. Besides, they were communicating well enough as is and there was no need to confuse the situation by tossing in an entirely new vocabulary. At least Valrian had broken the proverbial ice. Here, everyone might benefit: there would be no lack of conversation and the mynah would be in his preferred place at the center of attention.
The mynah chattered a friendly response and continued inspecting Savina's curled locks, which earned a quiet smile from the traveler. "I'm Festivity," she replied with a slight bow, using the English translation of her earned name which she'd received on her first birthday. "My family consists mostly of traders who move around almost constantly. You might say, therefore, that I am from everywhere -- and nowhere. I was born in Africa, though, east and south across the sea." Throughout her younger years, the multi-racial characters of the caravan formed the roots of her origins; the people of their nomadic tribe were the ones that mattered. Later, the more permanent dwelling of her aunt's family had provided a stable shelter against the storm generated by her mother's untimely passing. She was ultimately driven from there as well, but a traveling life suited her well enough. Certainly, 'twas never boring.
Due to the events of the last twelvemonth, the topic of her origins was still a tender one. Festivity would eagerly discuss the places she'd been and the personalities she'd met there, but home was still a rough, painful and uncertain term. Her world had been overturned -- which was why she ended up here, far from the heated sands of her 'homeland' -- and she was eager not to discuss the particulars with a stranger. Moreover, her driving natural curiousity led to the topic's mutation. "Do you live around here, Savina?" She thought she could smell the tracings of a pack's scent on the other's fur, but couldn't be sure. If she'd learned nothing else, the tale-teller had learned never, ever, assume anything.
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wc 372
That they left here from the time before
The Italian wolf couldn't imagine having a nomadic lifestyle as the one in front of her had. After all, she had only ever resided for any substantial amount of time in two places: her birth pack in Italy, and now here in Twilight Vale. True to her nature, Savina was a social creature, and could not imagine traveling far distances all by herself. That might sound silly, considering she had in fact traveled from Europe to here on her own. But of course that had not been intentional. Though it did seem that at least for some of her journeying, Festivity had been with family. If the ebon femme had ever looked at a map or knew from which direction the boat she came here on had gone in, she might have realized how close their respective birth places were. However she was ignorant in such matters.
The other girl was quick to change the subject, so the Indus gathered that she was in no mood to talk of her home or family. The wolfess could understand with great depth how touchy and painful subjects those could be. She usually was willing to share if she felt comfortable enough around the other person, and they asked about it. But she could easily understand where others wouldn't be so forthright with such information. She knew much better than to press the matter, and was happy to let Festivity lead the conversation in a more "pleasant" direction for her. Not only that, but her home here was something she took a great deal of pride in. It was not something you had to twist the female's arm to talk about. "Not quite in this area no, but off to the west. A pack called Twilight Vale. I hadn't ventured near this old city before, but I must admit it still gives me a bad feeling." Her gaze shifted to the dilapidated buildings of Halifax.
Swiftly though she looked back at the tri-colored canine. "Have you taken up any place in particular to stay around here?" Savina hoped that Festivity had found some suitable shelter. She appeared to be a perfectly capable person, but the lupine's nature was to worry about the welfare of others.
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I am baking a cake! It will be delicious and you should help me eat it.
Festivity's dark-featured face dipped in a nod and made a mental note to head west within the next few days. It would be good to find another pack's worth of listeners. Aside from the tale-telling, it would be nice to have company again as well. She had been many days alone on the road before reaching 'souls and had been a long, empty trail since the last port town. "It is wise to be wary of a city like this one. Many of things have fallen into disrepair and if you're not careful, it is easy to get into trouble." Human civilization had been a fragile thing; most of its creations were just as short-lived as their makers. Now, a handful generations after their downfall, already many buildings were completely in ruin. Others looked passable and were viable death traps. Festivity herself had limited experience with places like Halifax, because many of the cities she had visited were at least partially re-inhabited and were therefore well kept. "That said, I think there is a lot to be learned from these dead cities. I know I do, anyhow."
"I've set up a base camp at an old library not to far from here. I was just headed back there now for dinner, actually." Festivity gestured vaguely to the rabbit in her hand, indicating that the rodent was to be the main item on the menu. "Would you like to join me? I get tired of eating on my own."
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Blah, short. I hope you'll forgive me. D:
That they left here from the time before
To be honest, she was relieved to hear that she wasn't being foolish to be wary of the long dead city. Most of the canines here didn't seem to have any problem coming and going from the place. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but it was just taking some getting used to for the born-and-raised traditional wolf. However there was absolutely no arguing with Festivity's second point. "I think you're right. I haven't been inside this one, but before I came here, back in Italy my mother took me to see the old city of Rome. When I was little I was always told the stories of the great human empire that was based there. I found them very interesting." Part of the female wondered if her companion had ever been to her country of origin, since it was clear she had been many places. Surely if she had she would mention it.
Library? If it weren't for the similarities in the languages, she wouldn't have any clue what such a place was if the word for "book" in Italian wasn't so close to it. "A library? Are there books there?" She queried. Savina found this new friend to be quite interesting, and the prospect of dinner with her was great. That and she would be able to take her first steps into the old city with someone (or two rather) by her side. "If you're willing to share that sounds wonderful! Lead the way!" A wide smile was on her face and her tail was gently wagging behind her.
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omg fail D: This post, aside from being horrendously late, does not flow at all.
With a smile, Festivity turned back to the lightly-trod trail and headed up the hill that would lead back to the heart of the city. The distance to the library was not far and the day still hoovering in the latter afternoon. Still, the pace Festivity chose was brisk but smooth, a gait chosen for her by years of long travel. The hybrid's movement might be described as a fast walk, but in being longer of limb Savina might find the journey progressed a slower rate. In any case, travel was a perfect medium for conversation, if for no other reason than it obligated two persons to one another's company for an extended period of time.
"Rome, eh? I've never been, but I've heard a lot about the Roman Empire. For a civilization existing at the dawn of humanity, they left behind a remarkable amount of history. There are hundreds of wonderful stories about emperors, heroes and the pantheon of deities they worshiped." Roman mythology was a particular favorite of hers, and without realizing it, she had lapsed into the more colorful language generally reserved for the thrill of story telling or the flattery of diplomacy. "Yes, there are books a-plenty! Most libraries have been looted or damaged by weather, but this one looks relatively intact. Do you read, Savina?"
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It happens. I still wuff you <3
That they left here from the time before
The wolfess happily fell in stride next to the smaller canine, Valrian still perched contentedly on her shoulder. Indeed, because of her larger size, she had to moderate her strides so as not to go faster than Festivity. However it did not bother her and in not too much time they were walking perfectly in time. One hand moved up to gently scratch the beautiful bird's head as they moved closer to the city and continued their conversation. With talk of stories of the Romans, Savina's tail began to wag. It was a favorite subject of hers, and to find another who knew of the stories was very exciting for her. "Oh yes! I love all the stories. My favorite was always the one about Romulus and Remus though. Do you know that one?" If not the girl would surely love to tell it.
She was proud to have been able to decipher what a library was. It was interesting to hear that many her companion had seen were not intact or in good health. Though she supposed it made sense. It seemed that the lands of 'Souls were much less "civilized" than they were in Europe. The dark femme didn't think that was a bad thing at all though. Before coming here she had lived a traditional life, so this one suited her just fine. "No, I'm afraid I was never taught. Unlike most luperci in Europe, the pack I was born into lived as normal wolves, so we never shifted or used any human artifacts. A...friend of mine did read me a poem though. It was really beautiful." A warm tingle shot through her at the remembrance of that afternoon with Kansas on the porch.
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Festivity grinned broadly, warming up to the mythology subject like a flower to the springtime sun. "Of course! Romulus and Remus, twin human boys raised by a she-wolf. They founded the Roman empire, though only Romulus was king." There were many rich and lengthy tales concerning the two, varying from their conception to the many conquests of the Roman king. They were just stories of course, but dwelt in faraway times when myth and history intertwined. Truth could sometimes be such a subjective thing.
She had heard of tribes such as Savina's, lupines who shunned the gift humanity's downfall had bestowed upon them. Personally, Festivity thought these groups were making a grave mistake, for there were many advantages to embracing two hands and two feet. Still, hers was not a judgmental nature - the climate she was raised in simply didn't allow for it. "Not everyone enjoys reading, or sees the usefulness in it. I personally love to read, although hauling around books can be quite cumbersome; sometimes it is just better to memorize what you need. I would be happy to teach you though, if you would like to learn someday."
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That they left here from the time before
Bushy raven tail began to wag excitedly as Festivity recited the basics of the historical myth. Lightly she clapped her paws together. "Oh good! You do know it! My mother told it to me when I was very young. When she took us to see Rome we actually saw one of the statues from that story. It was of the two human babes sucking from the she-wolf. I have to say though, I'm not sure those humans who made it had ever seen a wolf before. It was rather odd looking." That was a day she remembered vividly. The three siblings had been full of energy and she and Ehno had personally tried to explore every nook and cranny of the once great city.
As they continued their trek into Halifax, Savina's eyes often wandered about to the great buildings and the interesting sights of nature overtaking civilization. She was so absorbed by everything around her she almost missed what the tri-color fey had said. "I can definitely see why people would be interested in reading. I had never been read anything before, but I really liked that poem my friend read me." Her gaze shot back to her traveling companion as she offered to help her learn the skill sometime. "Oh really? That would be wonderful! I would be very grateful!" She smiled widely at the foreign canine. Then maybe she could be the one to find beautiful words for him. Or just for herself.
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I'm tacking on a sort of fade-to-end post, I hope you don't mind. I'm super slow and this thread is really old. -is failcat- Perhaps we can haz a new one, in Crimson Dreams soon?
"It would be no trouble at all," she replied with a return smile. "I'm probably not the best teacher you can find, but you wouldn't be my first pupil, either." When spending time with her aunt's young family, Festivity had been the local teacher-in-chief and all of her stories were teaching tales of some form or another. Not all of the listeners had been pups either, for not many in that community were travelers and none certainly as far-reaching as herself. Festivity preferred a role as bard to one of teacher, but it was amazing how often blurry the distinction between the two often was.
As they neared the library-side campsite, Valrian took wing and headed for his favorite perching tree, one with an especially good view of Festivity's fire pit. The coals from this morning's fire had been carefully covered with ash and should still be hot enough for fresh flames, given the proper attentions. "Ah, here we are. Welcome to my humble abode," her tone was light, for the place consisted of little more than a tent and kitchen area. There were books and writing supplies inside, safe from the unpredictable weather and sketchy patching of her weather-beaten (but still colorful) tent. Festivity beckoned to her new friend to join her fire-side, where they could pass the evening in food, conversation, and perhaps exchange a tale or two of the foreign lands where they were born.
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