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
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Post by Vivian Whitman on Jul 7, 2013 19:11:07 GMT -5
Vivian had never been one to settle for less. If she could get more than she would've been quick to seize the larger portion of whatever it was she was trying to get. Even if said thing wasn't available in a larger quantity she would at least try to find a larger piece. But, as fate would have it, there was no other option. It was this or nothing. With the sun high in the sky, filling the world with its warmth and light, the weather was relatively nice. It wasn't unbearably hot or humid as it had been the past week. That had been a torturous week to go through. As she had coat of fur that covered her entire being, she was forced to experience the heat more than she would've wished. She couldn't shed away the layers to help cool off or anything. She was stuck with it. So, the canine anthro had spent her days panting and trying to find some source of shade to cool down in. But, thankfully, today was not one of those days.
It was still warm as it was expected to be during the summer, but the heat wasn't as intense and there was a soft, gentle breeze that would occasionally blow by, ruffling her fur and swirling around her hair. That was of little concern at the moment, though. No, Vivian's focus was on something much more...Well, important matters. Ears pressed forward for a brief moment, she quickly flattened them back down as a small, furry creature turned in her direction. Remaining motionless, Vivian kept her eyes firmly on the small chipmunk that sat on the tree stump no more than twenty feet away from her. She herself was hiding behind a rather large rock that held her well enough to stay undetected by the rodent. After a few moments of silence, the small creature returned to its task of finding food for itself, turning is back to the anthro.
Vivian would've much rather have had something larger to eat, but as the day drew nearer to an end, she would settle for this so she could have at least something in her stomach to manage through the night. Running her pink tongue over the lips of her muzzle, wetting her whiskers as a faint breath caught them, causing her lips to twitch. Her fingers gently drifted over the wooden shaft of her bow, debating on what would be the best way to kill the tiny bastard. Surely killing it with an arrow would be the worst decision ever as the arrow head would most likely either miss it completely or just go through and carry it with it. After a few moments of pondering, Vivian finally made up her mind. Quietly putting the bow down beside her, she slid off the small quiver that hung from her back and placed it down with the bow. She wouldn't use such a weapon for this hunt. She would go the natural way. Crouching down further until her hands touched the earth, Vivian kept herself low to the ground, her tail straightening out behind her.
Her paw pads pressed heavily against the ground as she began to creep up onto the chipmunk, but it was clear that this style of hunting was neither practiced or well thought out. Within moments of leaving her hiding spot, the canine anthro failed to keep her movements slow enough. With a high pitched chirp, the chipmunk twisted its head towards the young woman before it darted ahead, scurrying over the earth. Frustrated that she may have lost her one and only meal for the day, Vivian pulled her lips back into a silent snarl before she tried running after it. The rodent was fast, diving into a small hole that rested beneath the roots of a nearby tree. "You blasted rat, get out here," she growled, skidding to a halt at the hole and crouching close to the entrance. Now, whether it was simply led by her determination to get the chipmunk or by some stupid animal instinct, Vivian found herself digging at the hole a bit, widening it before sticking her muzzle into the hole. It was something she quickly regretted as she felt the sharp teeth of the rodent scrape over the sensitive skin of her nose.
Yelping, she jerked herself away from the chipmunk's den, her paw-like hands grasping her now slightly bleeding nose. "You little f***er!"
It had been an interesting transitioning from winter into summer. These days the little black winged anthro girl spent her time poking around her tiny garden, drawing, or singing. Several of the Nakoma had expressed concern with her being alone so much but it didn’t bother Aurora. As a girl raised in captivity, it was ordinary existence to her. As much of the older social developments had passed her by, she had somehow retained a childlike curiosity, innocence, and wonder which managed to keep her occupied most days.
In the afternoons, she adored exploring (especially on such lovely days as this.) The light winds were gentle enough that as she wandered about the occasional draft would lift her softly into the air and she would giggle as she floated to the ground. Large black wings billowed out, the sheen of her feathers yielding as healthy a glow as her equally black hair and her clear dark eyes.
Scribble, scribble, yelp. A noise caught her attention, and Aurora stilled to listen. Silently, she lowered to the earth and whispered behind a large rock where she peered over the top. What looked like a kind of spotted dog was digging in a tiny hole. Aurora’s large eyes widened as she watched curiously. What was she after?
A second later, the dog withdrew holding its nose and cursing. Aurora froze with a gasp, she was so … so … it was then the anthro dog’s eyes snapped her direction and she jumped. Her delicate fingers lifted to tuck long hair from her face and before she thought better of it she smiled hesitantly.
When the turned slightly, the girl realized she was a full mix of human and dog and her eyes widened in awe. She'd never seen anything like it ...
Post by Vivian Whitman on Jul 7, 2013 21:03:54 GMT -5
With tears burning her eyes, Vivian continued to rub at her nose, a high-pitched whine leaving her. She had gotten bit plenty of times by a number of things, but never on the nose. It hurt like hell! As she ran her fingers over the small, but painful scratch, a pair of sneezes escaped her. Shaking her head with each sneeze, she just barely noticed the fact that she wasn't alone any longer. The fur along her neck prickled and stood on end, bristling as she jerked her head around. Her ears press forward sharply as she stared at the young woman before they pressed back against her head. Great, another Nakoma scout no doubt. As much as she loved mooching off of the tribe, she found it irritating to constantly have to deal with the scouts. It didn't matter who they were. It was always one of two things; they either chased her off of the land or offered her a chance to join them. Now, while the option of joining the tribe would no doubt make her life easier, Vivian wasn't one who worked well with large groups.
She wasn't much of the socializing type, her small family back home having been plenty for her. It became especially hard for her to trust others, though, after being forced into the life she was stuck in now. So, to have to put her trust in others every day was simply a no. But, it was clear that chasing her off didn't do much of anything. No matter what they did or said to her the canine anthro would always come back. It was her place of safety. The Nakoma was the place where she could roam around and not worry about a brutal attack from shifters. Brows furrowing as she narrowed her eyes faintly, Vivian straightened up a bit though kept herself tense and rigid. Her ears remained pressed back against her skull as her tail flicked from one side to the other. This winged woman was in her way of her weapon, the only one she had and it hadn't been the easiest thing to get either. She couldn't just leave her bow and arrows, but she didn't want to particularly fight this woman either. "...what do you want," she questioned, a deep, heavy growl rumbling in her throat.
The creature was … beautiful. It’s spotted coat was a canvas of earthy color, and when it turned Aurora’s soul smiled. Her head tilted …
”So pretty,” she whispered in awe. Just then the anthro grumbled at her and the small winged girl ducked behind the rock with a gasp. The canine anthro had sharp teeth. She had learned about that from Lyric once when her hand had strayed too close to a snack, but she bit her lip and rose her chin. Stand up for yourself, he would have said.
She slid out from behind the rock with false confidence that broke as soon as she knocked into a bow and arrows with a loud clatter andher arms went above her head protectively. An eye opened experimentally, and when all was still she relaxed and dropped her arms.
”Oh I don’t want anything thank you,” she said cheerily as she dipped to pick up the bow and sheath of arrows. It was obvious she had no idea they were weapons as her small arms wrapped around them and she walked her load – wings spread for balance, to reach the anthro. There, she froze.
Her irises were larger than normal, and dark as pitch – a contrary to her ivory white skin, as well as her long black hair and enormous jet wings. Said ebon feathers ruffled once and folded to her back as she smiled and offered the anthro her … things. This close, Aurora could see she was a perfect combination of some kind of canine and human. Lovely fur covered every inch of her, and her canine head was cute, with upright rounded ears, and a feathered tail.
Post by Vivian Whitman on Jul 7, 2013 23:08:14 GMT -5
There had been many times when Vivian had stumbled across a Nakoma scout, and she knew the routine by then. They would question her then let her be, but this girl...Well, something wasn't right. Tilting her head to the side faintly as her ears pressed forward, she watched with confusion as the woman hid behind the rock that had once hid herself from her escaped prey. This wasn't right. Scouts were fearful or weary in such a manner. She would've liked to go with a guess that perhaps the woman was new to the Menagerie, but the heavy scent of the anthro tribe told of another story. No, this woman had been here for a good amount of time. At least enough for the tribe's scent to linger on her. Frowning, her dark chocolate eyes watched her, though there was a curious gaze in her eyes that accompanied her firm stare. It was the winged-woman's words, though, that quickly pushed her back to her previous state of hostility.
Pretty? Although she was not directly close to this newcomer, her rather large ears found it easy to recover her whispered words. Glaring sharply at the woman, her lips just barely curled up into a faint snarl. How could her deformed, horrid self be pretty? That could be nothing more than some cruel taunt the woman was trying to push onto her. Shifting on her paw-like feet, her claws scraping lightly over the earth, Vivian lashed her tail from side to side for a moment in irritation. And, perhaps it was the oblivious, whimsical behavior of the woman, but she found herself growing annoyed by her presence. Ears flicking back, she eyed her sharply as she stepped up to her, snorting faintly as she quickly snatched her bow and arrows from her. "Well, then, the hell you doing hanging around still," she scoffed.
Air blew from the anthro’s canine nostrils angrily and snatched the objects without remorse. Strangely enough Aurora barely flickered an eyelash. …the hell you doing hanging around still. If the winged girl’d had ears, they would have drooped and she looked down at the anthro’s feet. Instantly she was distracted and squatted down to look closer. Her hand reached out, but retracked before fingers touched fur and claw. How … neat.
”I’m I … live here,” she started then looked back up as she popped to her feet. Her wingspan fanned out unconsciously and she smiled. ”Not here. Close!” she had bounced once then regarded the bow and arrow set, then pointed with a questioning gaze.
The girl held an obvious guilelessness about her that could be detected in wide, unsecretive eyes. After a moment of thought, knuckle to teeth her fingers snapped and she smiled,
”Bow!” she piped happily. Aurora knew little more then second hand say so about weapons, and the smooth arched wood peaked her interest though she did not attempt to touch the stranger's belongings again.
Post by Vivian Whitman on Jul 7, 2013 23:54:29 GMT -5
Although Vivian had already determined quite clearly that this woman was a bit on the odd side, it still surprised her when she hardly got any sort of response from her when she snatched away her things. Usually any sane person would pull back at least a bit, but this woman just continued to stand there. Sliding her quiver back over her back, pulling the strap tight against her, the canine anthro tensed as the winged woman bent down, staring at her feet. Vivian quickly jerked back a few steps, her ears lowered as she stared at the stranger with a look of utter confusion and something of uncertainty. It was no mystery that the young woman hated the way she looked, what she had become. She hated her fur, her ears, her muzzle. She hated the tail that hung behind her and the way that she could do nothing to change it. Before the Keepers had messed with her form, she had never minded being a shifter. In fact, she had loved it. She would enjoy days running around in the yard, chasing birds or any wandering cats. It had been then that she had never minded the fur or ears, but only because she could easily be rid of them if she so chose. Now she was simply stuck with them forever.
In a way that was something of another reason she didn't want to be with other anthros. She knew how many of them had been lucky to have only small alterations like the woman before her. She still had her soft skin, her mouth and nose, her ears; they were all normal. The only thing abnormal were the wings that sprouted from her back, but that was hardly anything. It made her jealous. Why couldn't she had had something simple like that? Why did she have to be so disgustingly deformed and altered? Her hands gripped the shaft of her bow tightly as the angered thoughts buzzed in her mind like a hive of bees, stinging at her emotions and self esteem. She was hardly listening to the woman as she spoke of how she lived in the area, though that was something that didn't take a genius to figure out. Rolling her eyes as she gave a small huff, Vivian opened her mouth to say something before the young woman suddenly blurted out. 'Bow!'
Taken slightly aback, brows furrowing, the canine anthro glanced down at the wooden bow in her hands before casting her gaze up at the woman. "Well, yeah. What else would it be, a candy cane," she sneered faintly before she actually took a moment to look of the woman. From how she was behaving, she seemed more like a child than anything else. Her pale skin seemed unblemished and untouched and she appeared to be much better off than Vivian herself. But, that wasn't the only thing that grabbed her interest. The look in the woman's eyes...it was if something was missing, or perhaps something added that she hadn't seen in years, but she couldn't name it.
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Last Edit: Jul 7, 2013 23:55:19 GMT -5 by Vivian Whitman
Aurora’s large eyes stared at the anthro for several seconds. A bird’s eyes were overly large to accommodate excellent sight, and the slight girl’s did as well. Only a small amount of white was seen in her gaze as she view the canid anthro. When the she hand jumped back, Aurora had not moved. In fact, she had inched closer the smallest bit.
With sarcasm came an vacant regard and after a minute with no response from her, Aurora put a hand out gingerly (as she had been taught among the friendlier people of the Menagerie). ”Hello,” she started then gestured to herself, ”Aurora.”
In reflex Aurora's vision cast down again with the desire to not challenge her. One of her most common errors was speech. There was never much use for it in her former life unless someone asked her a question and she was taught to answer. Thus far, Lyric had been the only one never to comment on how little she spoke. It was then that the girl became uneasy, shifting her weight a moment before she resolved again and gave a look of genuine interest .... What was the other anthro’s name?".
The breeze had wafted past the pair, lending a new sense of smell (which she had been told to pay more attention to) to her nostrils. There was an earthy smell to the anthro, along with a musky dog smell, and something undecidedly sweet.
Aurora's blinked in thought, and decided she liked it. It was different than many of the anthros she had met.
Post by Vivian Whitman on Jul 8, 2013 17:47:28 GMT -5
When one threw out a sarcastic remark it was considered the norm to have some sort of snarky response in return or even an insulted reaction from said person, but this woman did none of that. In fact, she simply stared at her as if she had spoken in a different language entirely. This stranger really was like a child in more ways than just one. Flicking her ears, Vivian stared at her in silence, trying to put together everything. It was clear now that this winged anthro was nothing like so many of the others she had met in the Menagerie, shifter and anthro alike. It was then that she was finally able to place a name to the odd look in her eyes. Innocence. This woman somehow still held some sense of innocence in her and obliviousness that could hardly ever be found in such a land. It was something that Vivian definitely would not expect to ever see again.
Lost in thought from her observation of the woman, the canine anthro found herself reflexively jumping back a bit at the extended hand, not having expected such a gesture. The fur along her neck and shoulders bristled for a moment as she took the time to realize what this woman was doing. Furrowing her brows, Vivian's deep brown eyes flicker up to the woman's face down to the offered hand. No one ever really offered a hand shake any more. It was already something that was only used on occasion outside of the menagerie and something rarely ever used in it. Such a greeting was something the young woman hadn't experienced since she had been taken away. For the longest time the canine just stared at Aurora's hand before hesitantly placing her paw-like hand against her's. "...Vivian," she offered, hardly giving a proper shake before pulling her hand back.
What was the turn of phrase she was supposed to say after that? OH YES! When Vivian let her hand go Aurora offered another smile. ”Meeting you is nice!” she said with a genuine friendly nature.
Her interest took to the anthro’s weapons again and her hands went behind her back (showing she would not touch) as she leaned closer to see Vivian’s bow. Her eyes flashed up once to make sure she wasn’t making the Vivian mad and she sucked in a breath in quiet awe.
The fingers of one hand drifted out from behind her back to gesture at the bow in a questioning manner. How did it work? How did one use the instrument to propel … her eyes shifted to the quiver … those? She had read about bows and arrows but she had never quite grasped the motion in her mind.
Realizing she had drawn closer than she had meant to she straightened suddenly and took several steps backward, hands behind her once more. For the all world she looked like someone had slapped her hand away from something dangerous, however she recovered and offered another friendly and abashed upturn of her lips.
Post by Vivian Whitman on Jul 10, 2013 18:19:19 GMT -5
After discovering what she had been when she was a young child and finding the number of creatures that the Keepers gathered in this cage of theirs, Vivian had never thought she'd ever have a moment where she found herself confused over someone or thing. But, this woman, Aurora definitely took that prize. She was clearly eighteen at the least yet here she was acting and speaking in the same manner as a small child and that was only skimming the top of it all. She had met a number of different people in her life time, but never someone such as this. She wasn't even sure what to do with her any more. Should she try to get her away? Should she just leave her? Or, was this nothing more than an act to let her guard down. Ears flicking nervously at the last thought that crossed her mind, the canine anthro tightened her grip around the wooden shaft of her bow. Her form became rigid as Aurora leaned towards her again, causing Vivian to instinctively flinch back for a moment.
What the hell was her interest in her bow? Pressing her ears back faintly, her deep brown eyes watching every movement of the woman with the greatest scrutiny. As she watched her, though, Vivian couldn't help but feel somewhat relaxed. Her actions weren't violent or sneaky, they were curious and inquiring. Aurora held nothing that would possibly be seen as a threat and the look in her expressions were interesting, but no doubt innocent. How could someone manage to hold such a trait in such an unforgiving, deadly world such as this? "...What are you doing," she finally questioned, pressing an ear forward as the other twitched forward before slanting a bit to the side.
Vivian wanted to know. She wanted to know why this woman acted the way she did. Whether she knew it or not, Aurora had captured at least something of her interest and her own hidden sense of curiosity. Vivian wanted to know what was going on in that head of the winged woman and figure out why she felt so at ease with this mere stranger.
The small girl perked and swept her long hair behind a shoulder before extending it out to point at the bow.
What are you doing? How could she explain? Oh oh! Without a second thought, Aurora turned and hurried over to a tree where she pulled a leaf from it's sparse branches and hung it just-so on the bark of the trunk. Once finished, she turned and smiled with a light bounce, her wings ruffling excitedly.
"Demonstration!" she called and proceed to make a poor charade of her using an imaginary bow and arrow to hit the leaf. Aurora had never been uneducated or slow, surely not stupid - but it was often without a doubt that she was utterly unable to see where danger lay.
There she stood, not six feet away from an easy target, asking Vivian to shoot her bow and arrow so she could see now it was done. Suspicion never once crossed her mind, instead she was fully intent on the bow work and happy that she had found someone to show her.
Post by Vivian Whitman on Jul 20, 2013 23:39:08 GMT -5
When she had first been placed into this hell hole, there had been a wide variety of things that had confused her and left her struggling to find an answer or solution. Such a stage had last for at least a month, but since that time Vivian hadn't come across anyone or thing that she couldn't figure out. Of course, she couldn't say that any more. It was just one thing after the other with the girl. One moment it seemed like she had no regards to personal space then the next she would be withdrawn and acting like a child who got scolded for touching an expensive figurine in a china shop. She had already determined that this winged woman was different from the rest, she had made that clear from the very beginning. But, the differences between her and the others that lived and fought to survive in the Menagerie were just growing in numbers. Aurora didn't seem to have any sense of caution or worry. She wasn't frightened in the slightest and it simply baffled the canine anthro. DIdn't she know what she could so easily do to her if she had truly wanted to? She could've killed her by now. One shot with the arrow. Bam! That was it. Or, maybe simply fight her with hand-to-hand combat. It wouldn't have even been a challenge.
How was it possible for this woman to be so calm? As Aurora stepped back and grabbed a leaf from one of the trees that rested around them, Vivian's whiskers twitched as she simply stared at her. She just couldn't be serious. She wanted to throw out some sort of smart-ass remark, but from the look in the woman's eyes it seemed as if she meant ever ounce of that request. Ears pressing forward for a moment, the young woman made no sigh of movement as she thought. There really was no point in showing this Nakoma her skills, but then again was there really any point not to? It wouldn't hurt anyone, besides it would no doubt keep the girl there. Now, even though she would never openly admit it, Vivian was finding amusement from the company of Aurora, something she hadn't felt in a long time. Running her tongue over the lips of her muzzle, she quickly grabbed an arrow from behind her. Her movements were quick and fluid as she set it and pulled it back on the string, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the leaf. After only a moment's hesitation, she released the arrow, sending it flying straight at the leaf, the arrowhead sinking into the wood as it pierced the center of the leaf.
Silence. Aurora had frozen, her eyes locked on the arrow for one endless moment. Suddenly, a noise escaped her and she bounced once and clapped as she laughed. It was easy to see that she was thoroughly impressed.
She moved toward the tree, leaning close to inspect how deep the head and sunk into the bark. Black eyes wide with awe turned to Vivian, and her mouth snapped shut audibly before she cracked a smile and clapped again.
”Amazing!” She called, then looked down at her feet. Sobering, her gaze narrowed before she looked from tree to Vivian. From the tree she paced toward the anthro until her toes almost touched Vivian’s.
”Ten meters! Ten!” she said, then shook her head in returning to herself as she realized she was quite close and took a step back. Her wings had splayed out, fluttering excitedly.
How neat! The bow worked so well! How hard was it to accomplish? How many years had she taken to develop this skill? The questions rattled on in her mind, but long ago she had learned to keep them to herself. In time, they were usually answered in any case. She just had to be patient.
