welcome to your new hell, Welcome to the Menagerie. Or as we like to call it, Dome Sweet Dome! We are an eight-year strong futuristic shapeshifter and sci-fi creature roleplay, dedicated to bringing you a world unlike any other; a world in which your character has become an experiment and must fight for survival in a domed city, cut off from the rest of the world. Choose to be any animal in your fight for survival in an artificial world built by the Keepers as they subject you to experiments beyond your control. Choose to wander the world inside the walls alone, as a Rogue, or find safety in numbers in one of the groups known as Rings. How will you survive?
60 - 65 ºF
blustery with scattered showers spotty sunshine
YEAR 2309
shift bans.
» Cougars (aka Puma, Mountain Lion, Panther)
» All Tiger Species
» All Lion Species
» All Wolf Species
» African Leopards
group bans.
none.
encouraged !
FEMALE CHARACTERS! create a RETRO or ANTHRO and get 250 CP + a free skill! read me for more info!
last updated: april 19th, 2016
Click on each Ring or Retro group image to view their ranks!
GROUP UPDATES
CARNARING
Jocelyn Edelwolfe is the new Alpha! Seija Mulviene is the new Beta, and Grey is the new Delta. Lead Hunter is now Boone Haywood, Head of Border Patrol is now Noelle Ndango!
FALLENRING
-
FULSIRING
Fulsi has a standing treaty with the Nakoma, granting limited access to their fresh water.
NAKOMA TRIBE
-
ANALOYA PRIDE
a while back, the Analoya suffered a suspicious poisoning of their river, luckily with few casualties; the Bellator are suspected of having taken part in it, and there are whispers that Pride leader Wanderer is talking alliance with the Nilda for access to their clean water.
BELLATOR HERD
As new leader of the Bellator, Loril has instituted some rank changes. See this thread for more information!
LAWAII FLOCK
no updates!
NILDA PACK
no updates!
CARNARING QUICK STATS
ALPHA -- Jocelyn Edelwolfe, Clouded Leopard, played by IronChild
BETA -- Seija Mulviene, Spotted Hyena, played by Seija-chan
DELTA --Grey, Mackenzie Valley Wolf, played by Kriss
_______________________________________________
Tonjes could not help but wonder at the snow as it fell from high above. Even as she squinted past the trees and falling flakes, she could not see where the cold, white flurries were coming from. It had been falling for days now, collecting on the ground into high piles that were hard to walk through. At first, it was easy but as the days dragged along it became harder and harder still for her to move through the snow.
Thus, the last few days it had been hard for her to find food especially since the prey seemed to float over the top. She was shivering cold, the snow having clung and melted against her fur in the hours she had spent looking for food. Instinct drove her to hunt, something deep within knowing that she had to eat something or else she would freeze to death in this winter wasteland. Many of the animals that she would have hunted were burrowed into their holes, making it harder to find them but not impossible.
Her paws were busy digging away at a burrow hole that she had found with her nose, the warm smell of meat driving her onward as her front paws tore through the frozen earth. A low whine rose up from her throat, her ears high on her head and on the alert as she tried to find the meat before something else found her. The rabbit that she found was fairly young, and not very bright as it had only burrowed deep enough down to be warm, but not safe.
Its tunnels were not even half begun so it was effectively trapped for her so long as she did not give up or was chased away. She paused digging for a moment, her head picking up, her red fur sticking out in the white snow, as she gave a long listen to the world around her. Her nose was cold, but still in working order, and the wind brought nothing new to it as it breezed by. It certainly did not mean that nothing was around, but it gave her the confidence to keep digging. She pushed her muzzle into the hole, now big enough to accommodate her head and deep enough that the terrified rabbit was just out of reach.
Tonjes pulled back, ears flattening against her head as her numb paws set back to digging and then suddenly, the rabbit burst past her, sending her toppling back with a yelp of fright. The white blur zoomed off into the distance, and she was upon it, giving chase even though it seemed hopeless. Her run was sloppy, but soon she found that she was catching up, the snow just thin enough that she did not sink very far at all. That predator instinct kept her keen, and the prey gave a slight topple in its turn giving her just enough of a break that her paw was able to send it tumbling on its back.
She was on it then, her teeth clamping down to the back of its shoulders as it tried to right itself to run. It wriggled and kicked, yet her teeth were unrelenting as she held onto it tight enough that it could not free itself but gentle enough that her teeth were but barely in its flesh. The fur felt disgusting against her tongue, but it was something that she was learning to ignore, to shut off the human pieces of her that still existed. Luckily, the she-wolf was mostly animal thanks to her rearing back in Hungary, but that human side of her was still awake, still in there somewhere.
Her heart racing, the adrenaline still coursing through her, she might have flopped to the snow for a bit of victory rest if it hadn’t been for the fast falling snow. She knew that she needed to get away from the cold, so that she could attempt to eat in peace. She had a difficulty eating raw meat, because while she knew that she could and that she should, it was hard for her to simply accept that it was okay. The rogue moved off, albeit slower, the rabbit still kicking and jerking in her jaws.
She had taken to living in a house again, having found it on one of her hunts just a few days before. It was warmer than the thickets, and plenty of places for her to hide when people did happen to come in. There were also people that she had seen coming in every day, which told her that there were…more permanent residents of the house but it was easy to avoid them, the place being quite large. She crept up to the inn, the rabbit giving little shrieks and she gave it a shake to make it be quiet. It was funny to think that just a few weeks ago, a squeak like that would have made her drop the rabbit in fright, but now she was more attuned to being essentially a wild creature.
Tonjes hesitated at the door, looking around with her prize before slipping inside. Her nails made clicks on the wood floors, her shoulders bunched as she made a quick trot over to the stair closet that she had claimed for herself. It was small, enclosed, and quiet and while she had trouble sleeping in it, it was easy to defend. She curled up in one of the corners, pinning the rabbit to the floor with her paws, her mouth still holding onto it; afraid to let it go. Her dark eyes wandered, listening to the quiet house as the afternoon sky cast a low light through the dirty windows.
Post by Hestia Murray on Dec 28, 2012 22:37:45 GMT -5
There was someone here. Someone other than the man on the top floor. He was no problem; that fellow was sleeping away, most likely as a result of his obvious trip to the Speakeasy. Hestia was comfortable with leaving him there and going about her business. That wasn’t nearly as uncertain as she’d been expecting upon coming here. She should have known it was too good to last.
Compared to many others, Hestia’s sense of smell was only lackluster, but it told her enough. The newcomer was a wolf, with no scent of any ring. She wasn’t sure, but she thought it was female. It was tempting to just try and ignore it. For one thing, Hess was quite settled in this corner here, and it was a long way down the wall in spider form. In addition, approaching the wolf might just stir up someone who would have otherwise left her alone. Much as she hated that possibility, it chewed at her to be in a building with an unexamined stranger. She wasn’t undetectable only because she was small, and she couldn’t leave here as an arachnid. The weather wouldn’t allow it.
But what really lured her out was the smell of blood and rabbit that came with the wolf. Most likely that would make the the stranger more guarded; but there was always a small chance she would be in a sharing mood, or could be forced into said mood. After all, Hestia was in a bit of a situation here. She hadn’t found any game before having to take shelter, and had spent any potential grazing time searching for some meat for once. Nor did she have anything stashed in this particular building, it being one of the more frequented…that, and it was on Fulsi territory. That bothered her most of this little disaster.
She stewed over this but didn’t turn back as she skittered down the cracked plaster. Nor did they leave her once she reached the floor and shifted to her zebra body. That should be enough to deal with a lone wolf. If the need arose, she was currently equipped to kick and trample, which should be enough. And if the need never arose, being a prey animal tended to make people underestimate her, which would help the impression she hoped to give.
The wood beneath her feet creaked, but she did nothing to lessen the noise. There was no need for stealth. She knew where the other shifter was, and Hess was almost guaranteed to be detected by a wolf’s nose. If said wolf wanted to attack right off then the zebra was ready; if not, sneaking around would just make her seem apprehensive or suspicious and gain nothing.
She plodded past the doorframe close to the opposite wall, leaving plenty of space should the canine charge. At first she only eyed the closet calmly, as if assessing it as shelter, before her eyes shot wide and she took a step back. The shiftertongue that broke from her was perfectly surprised. “Ah! Begging you pardon, I thought perhaps this space was not occupied.”
[ female - 24 - American - plains zebra/Adelaide funnel-web spider - 5'9" - asexual/aromantic ]
+2 deerhorn knives
Thanks to Silfrvarg for the sig! <3
She readjusted her grip on the rabbit, and its struggling grew less and less until she could rest it on the dusty floor without it trying to kick and squirm away. Blood and fur mixed on her tongue, and she knew that she would have to end this life before very long. It wasn't right to make it suffer, she should have killed it within minutes of catching it. But she was still struggling on the idea of eating it, that human aspect of her brain functioning fully at the moment.
There was almost nothing feral about her except her nervous, and anxious nature. Her ears flew to attention, the floor of the house creaking and it was enough to make her nervous. She sat up, her fur bristling as she listened. Her ears flatted against her head once more as a large body moved past her doorway, a low growling whine the only warning that she could give. Her nose was still full of rabbit smell and blood, so she was not getting a good smell on this new thing. It was like the black monster that had nearly stomped the life out of her in the thickets, but this one was strangely marked.
The rogue shrank a little, the rabbit screeching in her tightened hold on it. She wobbled onto unsteady feet, her paws frozen and her hip aching from the cold. The cold always made the fracture worse, and her hip was often stiff as it were. However, she needed to be on her feet if this creature turned out to be as violent as the black beast had been. Her head tilted violently, her shock apparent as the beast spoke as clear as day to her. What in the world? Her tail which had been tucked up under her was now loosed, giving a small, delicate wag.
Tonjes had not met many people that she understood, so this was quite the surprise. It did not sound like Hungarian or even Romanian but it was something different and strange that she could understand. There was a long moment in which she considered the beast before her, blinking at it as if she could draw the answers right out of it by staring. She started to slink across the floor, slipping out of the coat closet and lingering in the hall. It would have been a mighty strange sight, a wolf holding a rabbit having a standoff with a zebra in a hallway.
The wolf's head and tail were low in active submission, blood dribbling off her mouth and onto the floor, the prey's struggles stopped as it was dying in her jaws. She gave it a final crush, her teeth snapping bone before she dropped the pound of fur, making a face as she tried to get the fur off of her tongue. It took her a moment, but she was unsure of what to say, looking up at the striped beast with uncertainty. What did it want, exactly?
tonjes - twenty four - female - single - rogue - red wolf
thank you mou!
Post by Hestia Murray on Feb 8, 2013 12:54:19 GMT -5
Well, there was no need to fear an attack. Sheer appearance already had this creature submissive. Hestia herself felt a moment of fear at the sudden cry from the rabbit, sidestepping quickly with the whites of her eyes showing. Oh, that was irritating. In countless situations she’d tried to stay calm and collected, only to go momentarily crazy at sudden stimuli. All the fault of the instincts of her otherwise very likeable zebra form. Sometimes it even got to her as a human; in fact, as a child her peers all knew she was among the best targets for anything that involved shrieking ‘boo.’ Those were the kids that sometimes found unpleasant surprises in their backpacks.
Alas, her stature may have been a little more than she wanted. “Oh! Don’t leave, I didn’t intend…” Madam wolf actually stopped. Whether because of her own plans or because she was actually listening to Hess was unclear. That left Hestia unsure if she was holding the wolf around due to curiosity or because she already had some leverage on it with her words.
Either way, the other shifter was waiting for something. Hess paused, wishing the wolf would do something other than just stare. A twitch of her ear, and then she shifted, sinking slowly to her knees. There was less protection from the cold, but it was far easier to express friendly intent this way. Hess made contact with those wide, intent eyes, offering a small smile.
Most likely it was a retromorph. The more animalistic behavior, the reluctance to speak…it was of course possible in a shifter, but less likely. Either way, knowledge of dog behavior would be helpful, and Hestia’s was only so-so. There was a lot about pecking order, right? So be kind, but don’t be meek. With this individual it probably wouldn’t be hard to assert oneself. Now, if only madam wolf would communicate.
There was more hope for it when she dropped the rabbit. Hess didn’t even look at it. She wasn’t supposed to have any interest in food right now. No, she was just a kind soul reaching out to a frightened, cold sister shifter. Right? Right. “Don’t worry, I won’t offer my hand for you to sniff. I would imagine that’s a tired move. If not insulting.” She was fully seated now, hands visible in her lap. After a moment she tried again. “You need not be afraid, your teeth far outdo mine. Could I bother to ask your name?”
[ female - 24 - American - plains zebra/Adelaide funnel-web spider - 5'9" - asexual/aromantic ]
+2 deerhorn knives
Thanks to Silfrvarg for the sig! <3
The large red ears folded back as the strange striped beast looked her over for a moment longer, and then became something much more recognizable. A human. A low whine whistled through her throat, her head lowering a bit more as the human knelt down to sit on her knees. Was she going to hurt her or was she friendly? That was the question. Their eyes met, a small smile on the other woman's lips and Tonjes quickly lowered her eyes in a submissive gesture.
Her front paws gave a delicate shiver, though it was more from nerves instead of cold. She didn't like this at all but how could she leave without turning her back on this one? Everything in her screamed to run but there was a very small piece of her that was curious, that wanted this stranger to be a kind one.
She gave another whine, stepping over the rabbit corpse with nervous movements. Her front legs were shaking, her head and body seemed to lower with every step, even though the woman was asking her not to be afraid. Sixteen years of being afraid was something hard to break.
She gave a delicate sniff of the other woman's jeans. She smelled different, unlike her family or even her father. Her tail was wagging very softly, still low and nearly tucked up under her as she moved along the right side of her. Her nose moved up to the hands, and her tongue stole out for a lick.
The rough texture of her tongue passed over the outside of her hand, as her tail gave a soft wag. The red wolf settled down, propping her bad leg so she wouldn't lay on it. She gave the woman an apprehensive look before laying her head against her knee, almost begging to be patted or shown some kindness.
tonjes - twenty four - female - single - rogue - red wolf
thank you mou!
Post by Hestia Murray on Feb 14, 2013 9:06:53 GMT -5
Still no verbal response yet. While Hess considered what to do next, however, the red canine stepped towards her. Hestia sat perfectly still, not wanting to ruin this progress.
Cowering body, low tail, lack of eye contact, even she could read more than fear out of that. It was submissiveness. It could be very easy, and perhaps quicker, to get what she wanted from the wolf with force. But then, the most fearful ones were often the ones who fought with the most ferocity when they felt trapped. Any possibility of a fight was enough to make any other routes the better ones to try.
It seemed like such a success when the wolf actually closed the distance between them. Still, her only movement was a small turn of her head to better watch. Apparently they did like to examine your hands. Hestia called no attention to it, however. The shifter woman simply watched and tried to interpret what she could. She was rather pleased by the lick. It was communication.
Although, it was nothing compared to when the wolf plunked down next to her and snuggled up. She was even wagging her tail a little. Hess grinned, outwardly warm but inwardly smug. Perfect. “There you go, miss! Not so bad, is it?” she crooned. Maybe she could take action now. Ever so slowly, she moved her hand behind the canine’s ear and scratched. The feather-light touch carefully increased to what seemed like the right force. But she stayed ready, least her acquaintance grew uncomfortable with the petting.
A genuine curiosity was developing as to whether or not the other shifter could talk at all. Hestia gave it another shot, trying to work her way in with more compassion. “Are you alright? Did someone attack you?” Her fingers worked deeper into the fur. She leaned over to try and make better eye contact with madam wolf. “I will not hurt you for speaking…or even laugh. Even if you had the most ridiculous of voices, which I doubt you do.”
[ female - 24 - American - plains zebra/Adelaide funnel-web spider - 5'9" - asexual/aromantic ]
+2 deerhorn knives
Thanks to Silfrvarg for the sig! <3
There was a flicker of fear in her as she rested her head against the leg of the shifter. Would the hands hurt her, like they had before? Or would they be gentle? Kind? Her tail wagged a bit more, begging for that kindness without words. The soft voice had her tail going harder, sweeping across the floor as she let out a low whine. Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaseeeeeee. She seemed to say, glancing at her uneasily as her hand began to move.
It came down softly behind her ears, ruffling the fur lightly at first and then a bit more firmly. Her tongue flickered out to lick her lips, her chest heaving as she gave a light sigh. Contentment. Finally. The scratch felt so good, the cooler fingers nice against her warm fur. Tonjes slid back up onto her feet, meeting the woman's eyes for a moment before giving a great shake.
The shift was a little slower than most, her fractured leg slowing the process a little. But finally, she was free of fur and a canine mouth. She was dressed simply, and in black from head to foot. Her hair was barely a tuffet on her head, which would have made her appear like a boy if it were not for the girlish features of her face. She rocked back, sitting on her bottom once more she she hunched in on herself a little. Her face was a little pained but she managed, biting her lip nervously.
Her movements were a little skittish, animalistic. She considered the other woman a little, not really willing to open up about being attacked. It took her a long moment in order to find her voice, and when she did speak it was very soft and very rough. "Tonjes." She murmured, her fingers finding the bottoms of her shoes, tracing the hard, bumpy edges that made the boot tracks. She shuffled a little. "You?" She asked, unsure of how to really piece her words together.
English was not her first language but she was unsure how to unlock the Shiftertongue. She could understand it, but she was over thinking about actually speaking it. Her voice was full of accent, heavy accent that might have made her hard to understand. Her eyes flickered up and then down again, waiting to see, waiting to hear. Maybe this would be a good human, maybe this would be like Papa.
tonjes - twenty four - female - single - rogue - red wolf
thank you mou!
Post by Hestia Murray on Feb 24, 2013 0:02:08 GMT -5
Hestia couldn’t have hoped for a better reaction, the way the canine practically exhaled her tension at the ear rub. Okay, maybe they just needed to take things really slow. Rather than try to prompt more speaking, then, she decided just to It was a bit surprising, then, when the wolf suddenly pulled out from under her hand. Hestia carefully pulled the hand back to her lap as she watched the wolf, plans developing in case it wanted to slink away again. But no, after a moment of staring, it put to rest any possibility that it was a mere animal. After a somewhat off version of shifting, Hestia was in the company of a woman who looked about her age. The girl’s humanity just emphasized how pathetic and fearful she was. Quite possibly she looked even wilder than she did as a wolf.
And in further progress, the girl spoke. Hestia wasn’t sure what she meant at first. It sounded like something in another language; her intonation certainly wasn’t that of a native English speaker. Strange that she wouldn’t use shiftertongue, though. “Tonjes…is that what they call you? It’s a lovely name.” Maybe she’d guessed wrong, maybe not. Still, it seemed a good time to introduce herself. “My name is Hestia. Hestia Murray,” she said, a hand going to her chest just in case. The fact that Tonjes gave only her first name made her wonder all the more if she were retro or shifter. Maybe she didn’t have a last name, or maybe she had just forgotten it. But if Tonjes was a shifter, it would be interesting to find out what made her behave like she did.
At any rate Hestia was glad of the situation and didn’t hesitate to give her full name. It wasn’t at all polite, but it could give a slight psychological advantage over the wolfgirl. It could give the impression of being more civilized, therefore more dominant. And if not, she doubted Tonjes would attack her for her rudeness.
She would make her move soon, but not yet. “You haven’t any smell of a ring on you, miss Tonjes…are you out here all alone?"
Last Edit: Feb 24, 2013 0:03:08 GMT -5 by Hestia Murray
[ female - 24 - American - plains zebra/Adelaide funnel-web spider - 5'9" - asexual/aromantic ]
+2 deerhorn knives
Thanks to Silfrvarg for the sig! <3
The girl drew her good leg in as much as she could, but her attention was really on the other woman. Her tongue rolled inside of her mouth, trying to make words like her. Her wide brown eyes were paying attention to detail, her shoulders hunched a little but she appeared inquisitive, if shy.
She gave a hasty, affirming nod, happy to be understood for once. "Hestia....Mur...ray." She said, surprised to be speaking in shiftertongue. She hadn't really even meant to speak. She blinked, but then let her mouth split open into a smile. She did not know what to do with her own hands, though they itched to do something. Her tail would have been wagging if she had still been a wolf, but instead she was left to tell her excitement in her body language alone.
She became a little more relaxed, elated that this chance she had taken had turned out to be a good one. Hestia Murray was nice, and not mean at all. Tonjes shifted her weight a little, leaning more on her good hip to relieve the pressure that was making her slightly uncomfortable. Her head tilted heavily to the right, the smile faded as there was more talking.
Rings? What were rings? Her mind sought to give her some answer, but all she could imagine were the tiny plastic play rings that she had had from before. Her favorite had been gaudy and purple, with a pink plastic crystal heart on it that her friend from school had given to her. She looked down at her hands, but she knew she didn't have the trinket anymore. Mama had taken it away from her for being bad, and she had not seen it since. But she did understand the word alone, and nodded quite solemnly.
"Live in the beasty lands, with the thunderfeet." She nodded, happy to provide the information. The Bellator did have thundering feet, especially when they were chasing her off their lands. Though lately there had been much quiet, in her thicket home, though she didn't know it was because the herd had moved farther south for the winter time. Tonj's nose gave a twitch, inching just a little closer to the other woman. Eager to please, eager to have more kindness.
Post by Hestia Murray on Mar 14, 2013 0:54:20 GMT -5
It was fairly safe to assume they were calling each other the right thing now, given the way Tonjes repeated the name said to her. And now it was the intonation of the universal language of the dome’s denizens. Hestia only raised her eyebrows a bit, but Tonjes seemed completely dumbfounded that the language had come out of her own mouth. Judging by the proud grin that split her face, it wasn’t something she was good at, if she’d ever used it before. The behavior was something that would be labeled ‘cute’ in a lot of folks’ books, or even adorable. Hess was more inclined to deem it pathetic.
At first, it seemed the next question might be more than the wolf girl could understand. Once the girl started stringing words together, it was apparent she did indeed think in less sophisticated terms. Hestia tucked away her disdain for the other’s mangled speech. It wasn’t exactly fair to put all the blame on Tonjes, anyway; most likely she spoke like whoever she’d learned from. Shame, then, on whoever was passing along their linguistic deficiency. It sounded so uncouth. “Surely you aren’t an actual member of the Bel…the Thunderfeet, though? I can’t imagine they would be very happy about your dietary choices.” She gave a small smile. “You must be a clever wolf, staying there without their permission.”
After a moment’s study, the zebra shifter was less sure of her success. Tonjes looked as though she were…fighting something, like there was something she wanted very much to do. Hess was almost inclined to think it was something other than flee, but it was important not to get too optimistic from a little headway…hm. Hess just wasn’t the body-language master she wished she was; life wasn’t allowed to be that easy, of course.
On a whim, Hess slowly reached a hand over, pausing if the other shied, but not backing away. Eventually the hand made a feather-light landing on Tonjes’s hair. A moment of stillness, and the Hestia very gently rubbed back and forth, easing up if she thought she sensed too much tension, but again never relenting completely. In pretty much any other situation, Hess would never have done this. It was strange. It was personal. It wasn’t dignified, for anyone involved. But there was no one else to see them, and she doubted Tonjes would recognize it as something that just wasn’t done in polite society. She suspected the wild girl wanted it, even if she didn’t realize it.
Still, she attempted to distract her acquaintance by speaking as she moved. “Are you like the Thunderfeet, animal first? Or were you born as a person?” She had no intention of dipping to Tonjes’ level of speech, but she could at least avoid specific terminology.
[ female - 24 - American - plains zebra/Adelaide funnel-web spider - 5'9" - asexual/aromantic ]
+2 deerhorn knives
Thanks to Silfrvarg for the sig! <3
ooc |I'm horrible. But at least here's something?! ;)
There was something inside of Tonjes, a desperation to be shown affection and kindness that was like a poison to her very soul. She wanted to forget the bonds of cruelty that her own family had shackled her with, to find souls that would not raise their hands to hurt her. She was mentally an eight year old child, with no ability to sense underlying intentions.
Her human hand reached up to scratch the side of her head, the shortness still something that she was growing accustomed to. She had once been unable to see at all for the mats and general chaos of her dark hair, but Raul had seen that she was cleaned up. He would have taken care of her had he known of her existence, but he'd come into her life much too late, only to have her taken away from him again by UNIT.
Her dark eyes watched the other woman with great interest, though she was trying very hard not to be too eager. Some of the words that Hestia said flew right over the girl's head. Dietary. Permission. The wolf didn't know what either of those words meant, but she could string together the general idea. Clever. Smart. Her body angled forward, eager to hear more words, eager to be praised. Years of abuse had made her hunger those moments, moments where her mother offered her a bone that had not yet been stripped of all the good meat; or when her father's feet missed her because she was fast.
There was a flicker of fear in her as the other woman raised her hand, Tonjes' body shrinking as the hand came near, her teeth showing but not threateningly instead he was submitting, though a bit fearful about it. The hand landed on her head, brushing the short hair gently. The brushing began to move, and Tonjes waited on baited breath for there to be pain, her eyes staring down at the floor. But the pain was not to come, instead it felt...nice. The wolf girl leaned into it after a few moments, the words throwing her off guard as she tried to remember what the other had said. "Oh." She took a few moments, thinking about her answer.
"Person." She answered finally, nodding to affirm her choice. "Mama was person. Papa...he was person too, and little one. Hestia Mur...ray is person too?" She spoke, being very careful to choose her words. She wanted to make sure that Hesita could understand her as best as could be done. She smiled softly, the hand in her hair no longer a concern so long as it didn't hurt her. "But....animal," She continued, using the word (as her parents had never referred to her as an animal, but rather some sort of demon or monster so she was relating the word animal to monster) "Too?" She was edging closer, pushing the limits on how close she could get without being reprimanded.
Post by Hestia Murray on Jun 3, 2013 13:28:52 GMT -5
The rules were starting to develop. Tonjes assumed almost any movement was meant to hurt her, so no sudden movements. But she also seemed to find solace in physical contact, once she knew it was safe, so in either form, so Hess shouldn’t hesitate to keep her calm that way. Compliments worked as well, judging from the way she perked when the recipient of positive adjectives. All in all she appeared to long for the company that she feared. It was kind of adorable. Pathetic, but adorable.
Hestia made sure to nod encouragement when her companion spoke, lest she give up because of how tricky speech was for her. So little Tonjes girl was indeed a shifter, and in fact had grown up with her family. It made Hestia wonder what sort of people ‘Mama’ and ‘Papa’ were, for their daughter to turn out uncivilized and terrified of everything. She might never find out, but she’d learned not to let that sort of thing nag her. “Yes, I’m also a human first, and the zebra is second. Like your pretty wolf.” And the spider was not for anyone to know about.
Her hand moved as Tonjes edged closer, stroking behind her ear as Hestia’s mother used to when she was little. Hess had once enjoyed this sort of thing as well, before she got older and developed an aversion to people touching her. Most likely it had been a bit disappointing to her mother, who was very much the sort to stroke hair or hug or whatever, and not wait for any particular reason to do it. It was easier than words, which left her to flounder when Hess would always jerk away from such expressions of affection. It had always been annoying, but she’d picked up a lot of useful information too.
Everything appeared to be going well, which she was even more willing to assume as pangs shot through her stomach. There was a chance Tonjes wasn’t going to need her help, now that it turned out she wasn’t from the wild. But she’d work that out somehow.
The African American woman glanced over Tonjes’ shoulder with an expression as if the thought had occurred to her just now, in the silence. “Tonjes…do you have something to skin your rabbit with? I have a knife I would lend you.” It wasn't clear yet if the wild child would slink away in embarrassment if shamed, so Hess chose her phrasing carefully.
[ female - 24 - American - plains zebra/Adelaide funnel-web spider - 5'9" - asexual/aromantic ]
+2 deerhorn knives
Thanks to Silfrvarg for the sig! <3
It was absolutely...magical to her to be so readily accepted by another person. It made her hunger, made her long deep in her soul for more, to be good so that Hestia would like her and give her more affection. She grinned, leaning into the touch that was so inviting, the desire to be more almost overwhelming. She was eager to please, eager to have that stamp of approval that she had been so viciously denied all of her short, young life.
"Zeeeeeeeeeeee-bruh." She tested the word, finding it strange. "The stripey demon?" Tonjes asked, making sure she was connecting the words correctly. A shiver of pleasure rolled through her as Hestia continued to stroke her hair, her fingers brushing skin behind her ear. It was nice, comfortable. Tonjes smiled softly, bare hints of teeth showing, drawing her good knee closer, until her chin could rest on top of it. Her other leg was still splayed, trying to keep as much of the pressure off of it as possible.
As the other looked over her, Tonjes frowned a bit, unsure what she could be looking at. What was stealing her craved attention, already? She turned around, looking until her eyes fell on the bloody mess of rabbit. Oh. She'd forgotten about it, and turned around as Hestia began to speak again. "Oh, the food?" She asked, unsure what a knife was. "Tonjes usually eat it all...like...wolf." She shrugged. "But Hestia Murray could have it, if she wants it?" It was a lot easier for her to eat as a wolf than a girl, since she had no experience what so ever of how to actually cook anything at all.
tonjes - twenty four - female - single - rogue - red wolf
thank you mou!
Post by Hestia Murray on Jun 22, 2013 5:22:58 GMT -5
“Demon? Goodness, I’m sorry if it frightened you so much.” Was a small equine really that terrifying to this girl? “But yes, that was a zebra. If it makes you feel any better, it doesn’t have any sharp teeth or claws.” On second thought, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. Just because someone was timid, that didn’t mean they would never attack you. In fact, sometimes it was that timidity that drove them to violence. “It can kick very hard though, and trample. So we’ll be okay if someone comes trying to hurt us.” There, the warning was placed in Tonjes’ head, while sounding as though it wasn’t directed at her.
Perhaps she’d gone too far, though, because at the mere mention of the rabbit, Tonjes was offering to give the whole thing away. Good heavens, this girl wasn’t going to get anywhere in the dome.
Despite the tightness of her stomach, Hestia hesitated. She was stuck in here with the wolf girl for the night, so best to leave a good impression. No, not even just that; Hestia was starting to think she liked the company. Never mind that Tonjes struggled so much with speaking, and startled so easily, and generally behaved as a pitiful excuse for a sentient being. Thus far it was looking like she was safe, and even if she couldn’t have spoken at all, just her proximity was more than Hestia typically got.
“Oh, I wouldn’t just take what you attained for yourself. However…it’s been some time since I’ve eaten, perhaps if you wouldn’t mind sharing?” Most likely she was going to get a yes, but she kept her hand busy in Tonjes’ hair to further the odds. “I’ll even leave your half raw, if that’s what you like best. Or you can try it cooked. Whatever you prefer.” She flashed a warm smile.
[ female - 24 - American - plains zebra/Adelaide funnel-web spider - 5'9" - asexual/aromantic ]
+2 deerhorn knives
Thanks to Silfrvarg for the sig! <3
Tonjes liked this darker skinned woman, very much. She found it was easy to want to please her because she was very pleasant to be near. There was no fear of her, no fear that she would suddenly use the hand in her hair to strike, grab, or pull. A rare sense of trust had settled in her chest, and so long as Hestia was careful to preserve it...then Tonj would have no reason for fear. Zebra was a strange word for an animal, and she wondered silently if all things like that (She was thinking of the Thunderfeet) were 'Zebras'.
She nodded, quite aware of what those mean Thunderfeets could do, as her poor tail had been on the receiving end of such a stomping. Tonjes sense the hesitation in Hestia as soon as she offered the rabbit to her, and she wondered if the other didn't want it. Was it not good enough? Should she offer to bring her something else, despite the practical blizzard outside? But then she was speaking, affirming the offer to be a good one, although the woman was hesitant to take it all.
Tonjes was grateful, because of the way her own stomach seemed to twist with hunger. She nodded quickly, the hand in her hair keeping her very agreeable. "Tonjes would like." She said, reaching her hand up with a smile to touch the other woman's hair. Then she felt nervous about the action, unsure if her companion would care for her forwardness. It was a sign of affection, of mutual trust and understanding, but would the other woman read it as such? Tonjes was not sure, so she hesitated a little.
"Share with Hestia Murray." She said, nodding affirmatively, smiling brightly. She moved then, dropping her hand from the other woman's hair and moving away from her touch, going to grab hold of the white mop of fur abandoned behind her. She hobbled a bit, her bad leg stiff as she held it up by the ears, and brought it to the other shifter. She held it out for her, eager to have her accept it.
tonjes - twenty four - female - single - rogue - red wolf
thank you mou!
Post by Hestia Murray on Sept 28, 2013 13:28:19 GMT -5
It hadn’t really occurred to Hestia that her actions might be reciprocated. When she realized what Tonjes was doing, her first instinct was to avoid the oncoming hand. Perhaps she even let that reluctance slip through, for the smaller shifter faltered. Instead of taking advantage of that action, Hestia tilted her head closer. She had no idea why. It had been instinctual, and she was rather angry at that instinct as she endured several moments of unwanted contact. It was quite the relief when wolf-girl backed off and handed over the rabbit.
Hestia was beginning to think it would have been very easy to take the whole rabbit from the wolf girl. In another scenario, she very well could have tried intimidation. A mere raised voice could have driven Madam Wolf away, and physical attacks would have most likely been met with sniveling, rather that retaliation. The only way to silence these musings, clearly influenced by her stomach, was to remember that she very much did not want to be trapped in a building with an angered predator, however unlikely that was.
Still, if something came up that could possibly scare Tonjes, Hestia wasn’t sure she would be all that careful about the action.
So it was not for Tonjes’ sake that the knives stayed concealed for now. That was the usual for skinning; Hestia knew how to manage with her hands, so why bother with knifes that were too large and awkward? Those were for later. The woman resettled with her legs crossed, then went to work. She felt no obligation to talk, no guilt in ignoring the other shifter while she carefully pushed the rabbit’s knee joint against its skin. No, it was for her own satisfaction that Hestia soon stopped her humming and started telling Tonjes stories in an equally absentminded manner.
“Did you know, many of the persons think that this-“ she tapped one of the large back paws “-will bring you good luck? I haven’t any idea why…Perhaps because it was a lucky shot for the hunter. That must sound strange to someone who can easily run down their prey.” Bone ripped through hide, and immediately she shifted the carcass around so she could start removing more skin. “Besides, some people point out that the foot wasn’t very lucky for the rabbit, now was it?” She looked up at Tonjes, flashing a look of how about that?
[ female - 24 - American - plains zebra/Adelaide funnel-web spider - 5'9" - asexual/aromantic ]
+2 deerhorn knives
Thanks to Silfrvarg for the sig! <3
She sat shyly near the other woman, watching her with interest as she took the rabbit and began to skin it. Her knees were pressed to the floor, though her weight favored her uninjured hip. She was watching with bright eyes, unaware of the thoughts that the other was having. It was true, that perhaps if Hestia had reacted with hostility that she would have fled and never come back. Or that she might have tried to slink back in, with appeasing whines and trying to find someway to nose her way back in under the darker woman's good graces. She did not find any awkwardness in the silence that Hestia insisted on, not in the slightest as she edged just a little closer. Brown eyes were watching, hoping to learn a little. Maybe cooked meat would be better than raw, maybe she could learn to cook meat too.
She was a little startled when she began to speak, but if she had her tail still it would have waved a little dust off the floor. "What is luck?" She asked quietly, not entirely familiar with all the concepts. Being locked away for sixteen years tended to do that. The ripping skin did nothing but stir her hunger, the bone looking more appeasing than one might think. "Can...can Tonjes have?" She asked, looking hopeful. Bones were good. Bones were really good, strong with tasty insides. "Pleaaaase?" She said, with a little whine under her breath.
The she-wolf looked hopeful.
tonjes - twenty four - female - single - rogue - red wolf
thank you mou!
Post by Hestia Murray on Mar 29, 2014 21:54:57 GMT -5
Though she watched intensely, there was nothing obtrusive about Tonjes. She seemed to speak only because it was clear she was free to do so. If Hestia decided she didn’t want to converse any more, it would most likely take no time to shut the wolfgirl up.
For the time being, she remained receptive to the Wildgirl’s feats of bravery. While Hestia was still considering how to explain abstract concepts to such a girl, she spoke again. She was asking for parts of her own prey. Good lord.
“But of course! The less we waste, the better. I believe I wouldn’t be able to eat it anyway.” Most likely she could get away with more meat for herself later, when she pointed out that Tonjes had already eaten part of the rabbit. “Give me just a moment, it helps if I can hold onto them while I get the skin off. You can have that, too, if you like.”
Hestia didn’t particularly enjoy watching the hide come off an animal, and the sensation of doing it herself was worse. The questions from her companion were a welcome distraction. “Luck is difficult to describe, because it’s not material. It’s a concept, do you understand? It’s having an unseen thing that makes the world work out the way you want it to. You have luck when your hunt goes well, or when you find rare objects, or something of that nature…although, it’s similar to gods. We can’t be sure if it exists other than in our minds. Some mention it without actually believing in it.”
By then, the rabbit’s skin was in folds around its neck. “Don’t be frightened, but I’m going to get a knife out now.” Hess reached back, watching for any shrinking from her companion. Tonjes might react differently to being told sharp things were coming out, and actually seeing them. Perhaps she’d never even seen a knife, and almost certainly not ones like these. Still, she rejected the possibility of letting her sniff and inspect it. Tonjes was already going to see one of the knives pulled from their hidden pocket, rather than just speculate about any strange shapes under the back of Hestia’s shirt. If their mere existence didn’t cow the wolfgirl, they might need to be moved. “It’s only for cutting off the feet and such, alright?” She held up the two-bladed weapon for a moment, then set about removing those back feet.
Last Edit: Mar 29, 2014 21:56:31 GMT -5 by Hestia Murray
[ female - 24 - American - plains zebra/Adelaide funnel-web spider - 5'9" - asexual/aromantic ]
+2 deerhorn knives
Thanks to Silfrvarg for the sig! <3