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I'm There For You (Open) « Thread Started on Jun 6, 2010, 9:06am »
The sky was darker than usual, obscuring what could have been a fine, full moon. It was midnight, and creatures of the dark were skirting along the edge of Lacrimosa's vision. She fancied she saw shadows peering upon her with whitened eyes, flickering red at the smallest movement. She did not fear them, but respected the distance between she and them.
If any of the Giaku members were to gaze upon her now would see that she did not look like the puppy she used to. Her legs have lengthened, now she is a couple of inches taller. Her muzzle tapered as did her ears. If at all possible, her neck got even bushier. She looked positively regal. It was as Uncle Charon dreamed and hoped... she grew up to be a fine young wolf.
As she matured, sacrifices were made. She no longer found silly games to be pleasant. Rather, she acquired an interest in politics, as her family knew she would. Hopefully she would not become corrupt because of it...
Often she preferred to be wandering alone, but found nothing of interest here in the Wabishii Badlands. She already familiarized herself with every rock and tree of her empire. Every wolf and wolf-child she knew by face, but could not put a name to them. She was friendly enough, but somehow managed to retain her shyness of her childhood.
But one thing was certain, she was not quite a full-fledged adult. She still had room to grow, for she stood a mere five-and-a-half feet tall. Uncle Charon hoped she would reach six feet by the time she became three years old. Lacrimosa grimaced at the thought. She liked being small. She imagined herself bigger and fatter, bumbling around and knocking things down. It was not a nice thought at all. She liked her lightness, her speed, and her ability to jump over things with ease. Being bigger meant strength, and less agility. Oh well. She was not a future-thinker. It was always the here and the now for her. Live the moment.
A pause, and a sniff in the air. A bunch of cackleberries were ahead in the nooks and crannies of the distant canyon's wall, making an absolutely awful racket. She flattened her ears, and turned away. Keeping her distance from them was crucial unless she wished to partake in the most horrible death.
So boring. There was nothing to do. She felt a pang in her heart, a desire for a companion. Her thoughts drifted to the wolf Lufelon, and felt herself blush. Not necessarily that kind of companion, she thought. A friend would do. She thought of Ammon. He was a kind wolf...
Joined: Feb 2008 Gender: Female Posts: 417 Location: Yer Mom's Bed Karma: 7
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #1 on Jul 21, 2010, 8:27am »
In the distance, a powerful silhouette had appeared. Arkham, or Ace as those he gave permission to called him, moved steadily, if not with some difficulty through the thick terrain. It was not the elements that were hard on him, it was his own condition. His paws had grown hard and callous in this landscape, his fur thick and insulating, his eyes accustomed to the ever changing weather. However his muscles were swollen with aches, after a hard day of training soldiers. It was his job as one of Giaku's Generals, and he never doubted his position. It wasn't exactly high ranking, but it was what he did that he loved most. Battle. It was his duty to teach the younger generation the wills and ways of War, and his experience in such a field was unrivaled.
Mosquitoes danced around his thick black pelt, he had been out here for a while, searching. His maw was stained with blood, he clearly had caught something, but evidently it was not enough for the General. Oddly enough, but not surprising, he was hunting solely for himself at this moment in time. His intense ruby jewels focused on the slightest movement in the distance. A hare. Patches of white clung to the elder rabbit, making her stand out in the darkness. Excellent. He crept forward. He crawled, dragging his heavy frame through the long grasses in an uncomfortable, but necessary way. Closer, closer..... He sprung, and ran towards the hare, kicking up dirt as he went. The prey noticed a bit too late and started running, and he gave chase, snapping at her long legs, managing to trip it up, just enough to try to bite at it.
Practically falling upon the screaming rabbit, the brute snarled at it's reeling form, trying to get a grip on anything it was flailing. Success! He managed to rip at it's back and stomach enough to make it stop struggling. Arkham panted, still laying halfway on the rabbit. It had been a while since he had caught his own meals, and the rush of it all returned, and he welcomed it warmly. He glared at the drift that caused him to stumble, but was soon hit with a scent other than blood. He looked around, not believing it till he saw it. Lacrimosa. Giaku Empress. His eyes narrowed at her form, contemplating if he should greet her. Deciding against it however, the brute stared at his kill, licking the seeping blood spilling from it's wounds.
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #2 on Jul 21, 2010, 10:27am »
The sky broke, and now a full, pregnant moon sent it's soft rays upon Lacrimosa. Her black coat shone, soft and glossy to see. She was slender, and long like a feline, even tread like one. For one with large hind feet, she moved with very little difficulty.
Something caught her attention then, a flickering movement in the darkness. She paused, her head snapping up, her ears at full attention. She was still, save for her long, tufted tail, which flicked left and right like a lioness sensing prey. Black nostrils flared. She read the wind, and anything that it carried. The scent of blood overpowered the stench of a fellow wolf. Obviously, a hunter had made his kill. And not just any hunter. He was a Giaku general, one of which she was less familiar with.
At first, she felt uncomfortable at the prospect of approaching the general. But deciding that it was only proper to do so, she stepped into the dark, her eyes reflecting a tiny white glow. "Good morning, General," came her voice, sounding mature and no longer childish. A young adult crossing the threshold into real life... "I shan't keep you for too long," she began, her expression detached. "But it was only proper for me to show myself. Emperor Charon asked me to scout the perimeters and make sure the guards had them secured, due to Lufelon's pack. He's suspicious of him, but I... I'm withholding my judgment." She looked away, as if attempting to hide any secret feelings she harbored for the seemingly great and noble Olu.
Joined: Feb 2008 Gender: Female Posts: 417 Location: Yer Mom's Bed Karma: 7
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #3 on Jul 21, 2010, 9:15pm »
Ears perked in the now moving Empress's direction, but eyes stayed firmly on the catch before them. He wasn't a very social brute, rarely making conversations with anyone. Except his Soldiers of course, often they needed a reminder of where they were, and what they were going to achieve. Many reminded him of himself when he was young, which wasn't always a good thing. Arkham never let stupid behavior circle the unit, and any offender was dealt with harshly. They all knew the consequences of any foul play, and yet some still pressed him. And while it infuriated the General, such confidence was welcomed.
Surprisingly silent, the Empress neared his location. He was not familiar with the Royal family, alas, he didn't have to be. He was treated well within the Empire, and even though he had never met the ones that made it so, his loyalty to them astounding. Who's wouldn't be? He got fed, had access to females, and he gets to do what he does best. Only a fool would argue otherwise.
With his head still low, Arkham let his ruby optics fall upon the approaching Empress. Hardly ever sociable -in a nice way- to anyone, the brute knew just how vulnerable he was. Such power did the Empire hold. One slight error and it could all be taken away from him. Raising his head fully now, the brute lifted his bulk frame to a stand. Then, bowing his head ever so low, he greeted his Queen in proper manner. Staying silent as she spoke to him, Arkhams mind reeled at the mention of Lufelon. He had never met the lad, but harbored the same suspicion as Charon had. But Lufelon wasn't the only one, Arkham was suspicious of all whom hadn't pledged their alliance with the Empire. The brute was surprised as she spoke, revealing were her words, and he wondered if that was just the way she was. His maw wrinkling ever so slightly, the brute pulled his head back up, but not enough to assure dominance over the female.
"Morning."
He stated gruffly, after she had finished, his voice thick and rustling.
"You should listen to your Uncle, my Queen. He has never been wrong before."
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #4 on Jul 21, 2010, 9:51pm »
The young empress's ears ascended in an act of registering and comprehending General Arkham's words. She held no resentment to her uncle's perception towards the strange visitors, but did feel that it was not fair to hold them in such contempt. If they were truly so vile, would they not have done something by now? She decided against sharing these thoughts with the general; surely he would already know and not care. When he said that she should trust her uncle's judgment, she gave a brief nod of agreement, even though her expression looked deadpan.
"I shall," said she. "Being as I am still young and naive, I have much to learn, but I hope before long I can make the right decisions and earn the respect from all of Emperor Charon's fine generals."
Apparently she was trained well with her words, but it was such a diplomatically polite answer--too polite, in fact, to truly mirror her real thoughts. There was so much she wanted to say. The child in her screamed and clawed, bitterly wanting to voice her opinions, to make her words count. But in politics, achieving this was harder than she thought.
"I would trust you with my life, General Arkham," she said. "My grandfather, the late Emperor Tartarus, highly valued you and all his generals." She gulped, looking away, thinking back when she was a baby and how she feared Tartarus, and how he in return loathed the products of his exiled son.
Joined: Feb 2008 Gender: Female Posts: 417 Location: Yer Mom's Bed Karma: 7
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #5 on Jul 22, 2010, 12:18am »
The brute cocked his head in surprise as Lacrimosa continued to talk. She was very open. He allowed his eyes to met hers, his ruby optics searching. Searching for what made up her conflicted soul. He sensed her withdrawal, she was keeping something from him- and herself. He did not judge however, he often bottled up his own thoughts, them never to be spoken in actual words. She was young, the youngest Heir to the Giaku throne. He silently thanked Charon, for being at her side in this time. Without him, he was certain Giaku would have fallen under her rule. But in due time, the stupidity would be driven out of the female- and she would take the hint. You couldn't hold and grow an Empire, just by being an 'Heir.' Naive to him was basically stupidity, just covered up to make it seem not so... stupid.
He would never express such thoughts to his Queen, and even though he held her in high regard, only time would bring out the Queen she would need to be. His stance faltered at the mention of Tartarus, and the brute looked away from her. He had spent much time with the ex Emperor, and his death did not go down well. At the moment, he truly could not see such connection with his ruling to Lacrimosa's but there was plenty of room to be proven wrong. He nodded slightly at the Queen, she was right to trust him. He would do anything for the Empire, and it seemed that fact was well known.
"Thank you, my Queen."
The words almost came out a whisper, this social session still made him uneasy. For a minute he just stared at the beauty, who had turned away from him. Somehow, he felt for her. The conflictual thoughts in ones mind was enough to drive anyone crazy, he knew this personally. It seemed she wanted to say something, anything, to scream it out into the night. Although her face was expressionless, Arkhams let his face fall opposite. Did he care? He highly doubted, but there was something. Perhaps it was the bottled up emotions that he felt a connection to, or perhaps her appearance still had him in shock.
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #6 on Jul 22, 2010, 8:47am »
Now it was difficult to pull her from her reverie. The image of her late grandfather was implanted strongly in her mind. She'll never forget the time when he barreled down upon her and her sister like massive raging freight train, jaws agape, saliva flying from his mouth as his intense, golden eyes leered upon them. Then his sons, Kratos and Charon, leaped out in front of the cowering sisters, challenging the Emperor in unison with a screaming roar. Lacrimosa realized with a pang that it was her uncles she should thank; she was still alive today because of them. If they hadn't protected the siblings, Tartarus would have killed them in cold blood... all because of their relations to that white prince... the greatest shame of Giaku...
"I have a lot to live up to," she said again, this realization crashing down harder on her than she thought. "Being who I am and all. I think I can understand why my fellow wolves detest me becoming Empress, and not just because I'm a child." She said this more to herself than to Arkham, her eyes weaving about the broken clouds in wonder. "But I am not my father," she said firmly. "I know things about him, not everything, but I know he was bad. But I won't follow in his footsteps. I know they all expect it. But I won't." She paused, looking a little baffled at this revelation. "Have you ever met my father?"
Joined: Feb 2008 Gender: Female Posts: 417 Location: Yer Mom's Bed Karma: 7
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #7 on Jul 22, 2010, 9:47am »
Arkham sat silently in wait for the Empress to continue. His tail thumped the ground lazily, but he was intrigued now with what she had to say. She still hadn't looked back at him, her eyes instead searching the night sky. He allowed his own orbs to stare upwards, the ever changing clouds dancing under the forgiving light of the full moon. Just staring at the perfect circular form somewhat calmed the brute, the warm breeze sweeping through his silver mane. Lacrimosas voice began to filter into his audits again, and he turned to face her once more. He gave respect when respect was due.
With one ear swiveling ever so slightly as he listened to her, he was listening to their surroundings as well. He was on high alert, the Empresses presence he felt was his duty to protect in this point of time. She mentioned her father, Endymion. His face twisted into a silent snarl, another reason her Heir to the throne was not welcomed by many. He harbored no hatred for the young femme in front of him, even though she was spawn of such a pig. If she could keep Giaku strong, he was happy. Opening his mouth to speak, Arkham quickly snapped it shut. It was a time to think carefully, he wouldn't want his potty mouth to be his downfall.
"No, I never met your father. Although, I too have heard about him."
His answer was short and sweet, savor the things he really wanted to say. He was almost jealous however, no matter how retarded her father was. Arkham had never met his own father, the elder male had rejected him as soon as he was born. Sometimes, he thought he could understand why. His mother did not survive the birthing, and he believed, that his father believed, that he had killed her. This explains his lack of pups, or mate at his age. Never would he let himself be at mercy to another, or suffer such loss. What if he became his father? So many questions, and no-one to answer them for him.
A thick tongue caressed his dry maw, his eyes dropping to his kill. It was cold now, and with a wrinkle of his nose, he flicked it away from his paws. His stomach grumbled in protest, but he paid it no attention. Focusing on Lacrimosa again, the brute cleared his throat softly, in a bid to draw her away from the mysterious sky. He was glad to hear her declaration of how she wasn't going to turn out like her father, but again, only time would tell.
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #8 on Jul 22, 2010, 4:29pm »
In some ways, Arkham was just like her. Rejected by a family member, and afraid to disappoint someone. But she knew none of this.
At his words, her face fell in disappointment. He too had heard of him, just like everyone else. Not truly knowing him, but knew him from afar, or perhaps heard of him through word of mouth, likewise sharing everyone's beliefs that Endymion needed to die. Well, they got their wish, she thought pensively. She blinked, her brows furrowing. Her sister, Mascamora, would surely mock her for being hypocritical--it was her sister, and not she, that wanted more than anything to find out more about their father. Moria, their mother, refused to tell them anything.
"It's foolish to ask questions about my father, I apologize," she muttered deftly, chancing a glance upon him again. "I suppose I was holding onto some false hope that he wasn't as terrible as everyone made him to believe." Her mouth threatened to curl into a grin, but she held her face still. It wasn't right to joke about that sort of thing. Regardless, she kept on going. "Who wants to be known as the daughter of a world-renowned monster?"
Joined: Feb 2008 Gender: Female Posts: 417 Location: Yer Mom's Bed Karma: 7
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #9 on Jul 22, 2010, 5:10pm »
Arkhams bid to get the Empress' attention had failed, however he did see her white slitted eyes glance in his direction. He offered her an awkward smile, but he doubted she had seen it. The more he stared at her, he began to realize just how pretty she was. He wondered how long being Empress would take it's toll on her. His job was stressful enough, he couldn't fathom her responsibility. Then again, she did have Charon to help her for the moment.
The brute could see the female was again lost in her thoughts. Her words continued to tumble out though, and even while the things she was talking about might have been enough for one to break down into a blubbering mess, Arkham admired her strength. Her words came out in a monotonous tone, proving she could mask any underlying feelings that would deem her weak. Her final question almost startled the demon, making him wonder if he should actually answer it. After a minute of silence, he did decide to speak. Perhaps offering the only 'heartfelt' answer he had ever given to anyone, ever. His voice was smooth now, the thick sound now at ease, as his uneasiness seemed to disappear into the shadows around them.
"Sometimes, my Queen, it is not who or what you are that matters. It is what you do with yourself that will define your time here."
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #10 on Jul 23, 2010, 7:29pm »
The young empress's ears yielded to his words. She felt her paws clench the ground on their own, a mere reaction to what was racing through her mind. "Your words are riddled with wisdom. I hope to follow suit and be like you one day. Tough, wise, worthy of honor..." She looked upon him with mounting respect. "Able to traverse rough lands, even." With a tiny wince, she loosened her grip on the earthy ground and lifted her front paw and examined the padding. They were cracked, but slowly growing more callous every time she walked the rough roads.
"I apologize if my childish tendencies bother you, General." She looked him square in the face as she dropped her paw, her expression searching every crevice of his face. She could no longer pretend what she has been ignoring. "I see I've bothered you while you feasted... the least I could do is to hunt you something fresh since you've put up with me."
Joined: Feb 2008 Gender: Female Posts: 417 Location: Yer Mom's Bed Karma: 7
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #11 on Jul 24, 2010, 12:15am »
The General held his Queen's gaze. He decided if she was prepared to do it, he didn't need to look away. He had no doubt she knew his respect for her and her family was unmatched, and hopefully did not take it as form of indifference. They say ones eyes were the windows to the soul. His red orbs seemed to dance within her large, round ones, what secrets did they hold? What secrets would she see? Her words only fired up his pride, never did he ever want the acceptance of others. But times had somewhat changed his hardened ways, and coming from someone such as she, made him feel what he had accomplished, no matter how big or small, was welcomed. Unable to hide a smile of appreciation, the Beshieka demon nodded to her, acknowledging her comment.
"My deepest thank you, Empress. You do not know how much your words mean to me. And that in itself, is saying a lot"
Arkham cocked his head slightly at the Empresses offer to hunt him something to quell his still growing hunger. With a light laugh, he shook his head. He doubted she had ever hunted for herself. Not that he was implying she would be hopeless at the act, but the thrill of the hunt was something she probably never got to experience for herself. At this thought, he raised a brow. Perhaps this was a chance for her to let loose, and forget about all the troubles that plagued her young mind. Shaking out his massive frame, the brute stood. He was careful of his stance, but she was a little taller than he, and did not think he would be all that intimidating to her anyway. Black nostrils flaring, the General tasted the air. At least they would be able to take down something a little bigger than the hare.
He returned his gaze back to his Queen, waiting to see if she had changed her mind on the matter. In some way, he hoped that she would accept her own offer. The adrenalin she would feel, the tension, would set her reeling mind free- if even for a minute. The thrill of the chase, and the capture, was unrivaled to any other emotion, and it was just a small gift from an instinct they were all born with. He felted gifted at that point, being able to embark on a hunt with that of his Queen. Many would never have the opportunity. His red orbs were alight now, this moment and the events thereafter, he would cherish for the rest of his days.
Re: I'm There For You (Open) « Reply #13 on Jul 27, 2010, 11:23pm »
Lacri arched her neck. "Ahh, what will the others think, when they see that you have gotten soft on me?" She raised her wolfish brows, mocking concern for his demeanor. "Were I another, I would have taken advantage of the opportunity to attack." She smiled and puffed out her chest a little, apparently proud with having dispensed this type of wisdom to one far older than her, let alone one at a formidable rank. "Alright, enough of these pleasantries! Now, where to start... I know the theory of hunting..." She padded away from him, her nose and ears high as she scented and listened to the wind. Such energy! Making her very body stiff and tense as she peered at the open world, she looked more adultlike than ever before. And scared. Definitely scared.
"Oh! You smell that? Ahead! Far ahead, but if we move now, I think we'll be able to catch sight of the red elk! I never thought they'd make it out this far, unless my senses are lying..." Pure excitement energized her, for now she stood on the very tips of her paws, positively dancing on the ground before galloping off. Surely she was not trained, for any sensible wolf would not take off immediately before a hunt. And that was not red elk, it was buffalo. She was probably trying to impress Arkham, but that obviously failed.
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