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
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FULSIRING
Fulsi has a standing treaty with the Nakoma, granting limited access to their fresh water.
NAKOMA TRIBE
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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 James Colt on Nov 15, 2013 22:09:57 GMT -5
James crouched on his haunches, gazing intently at the jumble of deer tracks at the crossing of a creek. He sharpened his vision, trying to isolate which tracks belonged to his current prey, a deer that was favoring it's left hind leg and should be relatively easy to run down. Finding the right tracks, he stood, confident that he knew which way the injured deer had gone, and glad that the movement no longer caused his ribs to ache. The scent of the deer was relatively fresh, at least, as far as he could tell since the keepers had caught him, again, and messed with his senses. He supposed he shouldn't complain if it made him a better hunter, but he hated it when they changed him without his consent.
A ways behind him two Carna tenderfoots and another hunter waited, and, not for the first time, he asked himself which of his superiors he had angered to earn him this assignment. Apparently, since he'd been showing one tenderfoot around Carna territory, he was suddenly suited to showing every green kid how to hunt. Usually he loved hunting in a group, it meant going after bigger prey and bringing home more food, but, as he listened to the tenderfoots chatting away with no concept of 'quiet', this was beginning to feel more and more like punishment. Which, to be honest, it probably was, none of his superiors were too happy with him after he brought a fallen into their midst, even if Grey was being sent on his own missions now, James was still copping flak for it from every side.
Even having to drag two tenderfoots hunting with him wouldn't have been too bad, if they didn't question his every action and loudly proclaim that he had 'lost' the deer, while muttering about him being a Fallen-loving traitor in the same breath. He sighed under his breath, at least they'd sent another hunter with him, hopefully the hunt wouldn't be a total loss. Maybe he could stash the tenderfoots somewhere and then make them carry the deer home once he and the other hunter had managed to bring it down, it was obvious the tenderfoots would only get in the way once they got closer to the deer. He hadn't heard much of anything from the other hunter, Arrow he thought his name was, but it wasn't like either of them could get a word in edgewise with the two chatterboxes in tow. James rolled his eyes, usually he was the one who talked to much. He was starting to seriously consider duct taping their mouths shut, enough was enough.
"Oi, listen up you pair. The deer we're tracking is less than an hour ahead of us, if we get much closer you're going to spook her before we even lay eyes on her, I'm not losing my chance at extra food just because you two can't shut your damn mouths. So either you stay here, look for some rabbits or something and try not to get yourselves killed while we go after this deer, or I duct tape you to that tree with a pretty little sign that says 'fair game'." He finished with a growl, already completely out of patience with the two of them.
The tenderfoots complained, loudly, about him being unfair and not giving them a chance to hunt, at least, they did until he got the duct tape out. Leaving the two of them with firm instructions to stay more or less where he left them, and to try not to fall off the cliff, he turned to the other hunter and raised an eyebrow.
"You coming? Or do I have to drag this deer back all by my lonesome?"
ooc: Does this suit you, or do you want me to change something?
Post by Ace Difur (Arrow) on Nov 20, 2013 13:15:09 GMT -5
Stretching out his wings, the white bellied sea eagle, yawned loudly as the two carna tenderfoots yapped on and on and on and on about something completely irrelevant to the assignment. The leader of the hunt, James Colt, lent down to the floor on his haunches, looking for which was his injured deer went. There were several different tracks from several different animals that had pasted through the same patch over the past 24 hours or so but only one track matched our victim. Once James had found the trail again, he turned back, listening to the two tenderfoots rabbit on about him being a traitor and him losing the trail of the deer and many other failures he'd supposedly done. Rolling his eyes, Arrow grumbled something under his breath, sinking his claws into the moist ground.
Suddenly, Arrow snapped to attention and the golden tabby tiger growled at the two tenderfoots who were helping none. Finally... Arrow thought, as the two were starting to annoy him and were partly to blame for losing the deer in the first chase. The tiger wasn't going to lose his hunt again and so decided that the only way to bring home the bacon was to leave the two 'helpers' where they are. After James speech, the tenderfoots began whining and moaning about how they weren't getting a chance to learn the tricks of the trade until the tiger pulled out a roll of duct tape which shut them up. He warned them to stay on the cliff before turning to me.
'"You coming? Or do I have to drag this deer back all by my lonesome?"'
Ace nodded, answering back in his Australian drawl. "Let's catch ourselves a deer." He stretched his wings again, taking to the skies. Once high enough, he glided on air, waiting until James moved off. They had a game plan to fit 4 hunters. Would it work with only 2?
OOC:: First post you made was fine. Mine's a little short but it's something to work with.
19 || White Bellied Sea Eagle || Single || Bisexual
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James nodded at the other hunter and shifted, and was unable to stop himself from stretching with a chuff of pleasure. It had been far too long since he'd been able to shift without risking further damage to his newly healed bones, this was the first time he'd been able to hunt as a tiger since his run in with the fallen. Shaking himself, he began to follow the injured deer's tracks through the rocky terrain. The deer's scent was still reasonably strong, and he was able to stay on the trail even when it crossed over rocks. The deer wasn't moving very fast, lagging behind other tracks and already separated from it's herd, making their job easier once they managed to catch up to it.
He moved into a fast walk, closing the distance between himself and the deer while conserving as much energy as he could for when he found it. In the past, before he was captured by UNIT, he had often spent days tracking the same deer, slowly closing in through bush and scrub without spooking it until it practically walked into him. He didn't have the time for that sort of hunt anymore, not with his superiors breathing down his neck. He couldn't let this deer get away a second time. It might have sounded easier to bring down the deer with two extra shifters, but he was willing to bet a weeks rations that the tenderfoots would have spooked the deer before he got close enough to pounce, again.
He glanced up at the sky, focusing his vision until he could see the white and grey eagle above him with something like envy; He wouldn't trade his shift for the world, but being above your prey sounded like one hell of an advantage, and some small part of him that had never really grown up kind of wished he could fly. He was sure that between the two of them, if they were careful, they wouldn't have any trouble bringing down their prey.
For about half an hour there was nothing but the soft padding of his paws as he moved over rocks and scrub and through deeper and deeper patches of forest. The ancient redwoods rose around him, offering a respite from the harsh winds closer to the edge of the cliff, and the dappled sunlight and shadow playing over his coat made him all but invisible despite his lighter fur. The scent was slowly getting stronger as the deer seemed to slow down, whether due to it's injured leg or just because it felt safer between the trees he didn't know, either way he was getting closer. Judging by the smell and how recent the tracks seemed, it couldn't have passed through here much longer than ten minutes away.
He stopped and sat on his haunches, sure that Arrow was close enough to notice his sudden lack of movement and investigate. He didn't want to get too close to his prey without going over some sort of plan. He wasn't sure if they'd need one, but he was used to hunting either alone or with someone he knew well enough to anticipate their moves. He didn't want a last minute misunderstanding screwing up the most crucial stage of the hunt, and he wasn't sure if Arrow knew how close they were to the deer.
Post by Ace Difur (Arrow) on Nov 21, 2013 15:23:53 GMT -5
The golden tabby tiger moved off. Giving him some space to lead, Arrow held back a bit before letting the wind drift him off to follow. As soon as they were on the correct trail, Arrow sped a little bit, flying higher to see if he could see the deer in the small gaps of the tree canopies. It was very unlikely to see him in the thick of the brush but it was worth trying. James stayed at a steady pace of a fast walk, perhaps trying to keep the scent of the animal instead of rushing off and losing the deer again.
James glanced up at him, Arrow smiling. He had no idea of the thoughts James had about flying or the injury he'd been through so just thought he was checking up on him. Wouldn't it be great to be a land animal? You'd be able to go so far and run so fast. I love the feel of flying but running on four legs would be awesome.
Suddenly, James stopped and sat back, making Arrow stop and glide on the wind again. He looked towards the tree canopies, hoping to spot a glimpse of brown in the distance but nothing. Why has he stopped? He circled back on himself, lowering slowly towards James. Opening his wings wide, he braced himself for impact with the ground. Digging in his claws, he stopped running a little forwards as he balanced himself back up. "What's the matter? You lost the scent or something?"
Post by James Colt on Nov 21, 2013 19:50:51 GMT -5
James rolled his eyes at Arrow, "Hardly, I'd have to cut off my own nose to miss the scent now. The deer passed this spot about ten minutes ago, it's slowing down, maybe even stopping. Maybe it thinks it's safe here?"
He scanned the trees in front of him, trying to get a feel for how thick the trees were. The tracks were following a winding game trail between the tress, and there wasn't much cover on the trail itself. However, off to the sides there were plenty of bushes, rocks and fallen trees, perfect for a hungry tiger to hide behind. He nodded to himself, he should have no problem getting close enough to strike.
"If you follow the trail, I can move up beside it. If you fly from tree to tree you shouldn't bother it to much. I'll keep an eye on you, if you spot the deer if you make some sort of signal, I'll get close enough and pounce on it. I should be able to get to its throat before it can escape," He paused for a moment, thoughtful, it always helped to have a backup plan, "If it manages to get loose before I can bring it down, you should be able to swoop in and latch onto it until one of us can finish it off."
He waited to see if Arrow would agree to his plan. He had no problem trying to bring this deer down himself, but this way, if he failed, they shouldn't lose the prey. He certainly didn't want to go back to the Waterfront empty handed. They probably wouldn't let him lead any more hunting trips if he did, maybe they'd even make him work with the tenderfoots full time. He couldn't imagine a worse assignment. Sure, some of them were okay and genuinely wanted to learn, but some of them would be more useful as a doorstop than a hunter.
Last Edit: Nov 21, 2013 19:52:25 GMT -5 by James Colt
Post by Ace Difur (Arrow) on Nov 22, 2013 13:16:28 GMT -5
Arrow listened carefully as James laughed gently at his question as if it were obvious of the answer. Scanning the trees, they looked towards the game trail the deer was following and then towards the thickness of the brush beside the trail that followed its slightly windy path. Turning back to the bird, the tiger spoke again, telling them their game plan. Nodding throughout, he thought about how weird this would look to humans. A tiger and a bird working together to hunt down a large prey. Back when he was free in Australia, he lived near the coast, targeting smaller sea birds such as seagulls and crustaceans such as crabs and other shellfish. He'd never seen a deer until he came here. He wasn't used to working as a team either. The prey he used to hunt were small and didn't need teamwork to hunt as he were usually superior to them in many ways such as stealth, intelligence, height of flight and size.
He finished speaking, looking towards Arrow for his opinion. Snapping back to reality, he nodded again and answered truthfully. "Yeah. Sounds like a good plan. I'm fast in the air so I could easily grab him if he was to escape again. I'll caw when I see him for you to pounce." He gave a demonstration so the golden tabby tiger knew what he was listening out for. "Is that alright?" Spreading his wings, he launched into the air towards the nearest tree to sit on one of it's high branches so he could still see James but also see the trail in front. "Ready when you are, James."
19 || White Bellied Sea Eagle || Single || Bisexual
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Post by James Colt on Dec 12, 2013 22:15:10 GMT -5
James nodded at Arrow seriously, but his blue eyes danced with excitement. If he'd been human he wouldn't have been able to hide his grin; this was what he was made to do, damn it, he was a hunter, not a babysitter. He melted into the bushes, crouching low on his belly, the shadows making him all but invisible. He moved slowly through the brush, placing each paw with practiced care, the last thing he wanted to do was step on a branch and alert his prey.
His nose was thick with the scent of the deer, sweat, musk and damp fur almost overwhelming, still not completely used to his new sense of smell. The hot, metallic smell of blood from the wound on it's leg was enough to make him feel a little giddy, far from distracting him, it sharpened his focus, and he narrowed his eyes as he crept lower through the bushes. His nose told him he was almost on top of the deer, and he settled into a crouch, waiting for the signal to attack.
There! he heard the call that Arrow had demonstrated earlier, he was close enough to pounce. Coiling like a spring he launched himself through the bushes, ignoring the branches and leaves that scratched across his face in favor of locking his eyes on his target. The injured stag had just enough time to look at him in shock before he was landing on it's haunches, having adjusted his leap in midair.
He hooked his claws into it's back, holding on as it tried to dislodge him, attempting to get his jaws around it's throat. The stag fought him, fear and desperation making it strong despite its injury, and he felt himself slipping. Determined to do as much damage as possible before he fell of, he dug his claws in deeper and raked down its sides. As soon as he felt his paws touch the ground he launched himself again, managing to seize the stag's injured leg in his jaws.
He held on tightly and bit down, shaking his head from side to side viciously until he felt bones cracking between his teeth. If he had been hunting alone he might have let the deer's leg go so he could get a lethal hold, but, with backup so close, he didn't need to risk it escaping. Instead, he just dug into the ground and held, ignoring the weakening struggles the deer and waiting for Arrow to move in.
At the very least the other shifter would be able to keep the deer down long enough for him to either go for it's throat or shift so he could stab it in the heart. The stag was already dead, it just didn't know it yet.
ooc: Sorry for the powerplay, I can change it if you want. Also, sorry this is so late, December is the busiest time of the year for me.
Post by Ace Difur (Arrow) on Dec 24, 2013 15:58:28 GMT -5
With James moving off out of sight, Arrow spread his wings and moved from tree to tree, managing to swoop silently between the branches. His white head and mottled grey body showed clearly in the darkened, shadowed trees, making it obvious to James where he was if he tried to spot him. The deer wouldn't mind him so much - birds are a common thing in trees so why should he fear this one? His wing span stretched a very wide 2.2 metres long making it easier for the eagle to catch a gust of wind. For his size, he was incredibly agile, weaving in and out of the swaying branches.
Soon, the deer came in sight. Looking down at the brambles and bushes beneath him, he used his eagle eye vision to spot the invisible tiger. He was close to the prey. Cawing, Arrow flew from the tree he was in to the one just above the deer's head. He was in position for if something went wrong.
Ripping through the sharp thorns, the golden fur of the tiger shone in the escaping sunlight which the deer just caught a glimpse of before he felt the male's claws sink in to it's tender rump. Finally, the deer had realised what was happening and started to panic, fighting in fear and desperation for it's life. The tiger was slipping so he sunk his claws in deeper to cause as much damage as possible so if the deer got away he wouldn't get far without falling. With a last tempt at trying to stop the deer, James lunged himself at the prey's already wounded leg desperately. Now was Arrow's chance to step in.
Opening his wings, he let the wind pick him up so he could do a little loop and dive in at the deer's neck. He wasn't suited to on land hunting but using the skills he knew, he aimed them at the deer. Just before he hit the deer with his grey beak, he pulled up, opening his talons. He reached down at grabbed his prey's throat. Landing, he shook his body with all his might, ripping open his neck, exposing his air pipe. Trying to do as much damage as possible, he shook his body again.
Thump! The struggling deer's body went down. Exhausted and injured, the animal could no longer carry on it's fight. It knew the end was coming. He took his last few breathes heavily, struggling as his windpipe was slashed open. All James had to do was end the poor animal's suffering and then the Carna could feast.
OOC: It's alright. I don't mind a little powerplay. It's when people really start to control your character and you don't have a say. You just made my character make a noise. No problem. It's alright for the late reply. Mine's also late as I've been sooo busy. I understand what you mean with December and all.
James kept his grip tight as Arrow landed on the deer, and he felt his prey collapse underneath him, finally giving up the struggle. All that was left was to finish it off cleanly; he had no problem with hunting and killing an animal, his survival had depended on it, but the last thing he wanted to do was let it suffer. He released the deer's leg and rushed for it's neck, seizing the back of it's neck, just behind the skull, and twisting until he felt it snap. He kept his hold for a moment longer, making sure the animal was finally dead, before letting it go and stepping back, shifting back into human shape.
He examined the deer they had brought down, the leftover adrenaline making his eyes dance with excitement and triumph. Bringing down such a large animal would make his superiors a little happier with him, and, even after giving half the kill to the rest of the ring there would be plenty of meat to divide between the hunters. If he was feeling generous he might even give some of it to the tenderfoots despite there uselessness.
"Well done bringing it down. Looks like we'll be eating well for a while," he flashed his teeth in a sharp grin, "Might even be able to put some weight back on. Now we've just got to find those tenderfoots and get it back home in time for dinner."
Getting it home might be tricky, it was a reasonably large deer and he had no doubt that it would be heavier than it looked. He'd left his horse at the base of the cliffs, so once they managed to get it down Renegade could carry it the rest of the way. It's be easier if the horse could carry it the whole way, but he wasn't about to risk Renegade on the cliffs just to make things a little easier.
Sighing, he looked around for some fallen wood sturdy enough to suit their needs. After a few minutes of searching, he found a reasonably thick sapling that would do the job. A few more minutes of chopping with his Kukri and reminding himself to resharpen it later, he had the sapling down and trimmed. Duct taping the dead deer's legs together and sliding the newly made pole through he stepped back and grinned again.
"There. It's not pretty, but it'll do the job. We should be able to carry it down now."
ooc: So we've been mistletoe'd. If we want to try and do that I think James being James could go pretty much any way you'd like to play it. Whether it's accidental or on purpose or one sided or just the result of James' relentless flirting and Arrow wanting to shut him up. Let me know if you've got any ideas for completing that, I usually check my ooc mail pretty often.
Last Edit: Jan 1, 2014 21:21:13 GMT -5 by James Colt
Post by Ace Difur (Arrow) on Jan 17, 2014 14:18:04 GMT -5
He flew up in the air, letting James take control of the prey's head. Snapping the neck was the kindest way to do it, not wanting the animal to suffer more that it already had. It was a big kill, heavy probably. He landed on the ground, watching the tiger shift. He did so neatly, obviously used to the transition. Ace sighed, knowing he'd have to do so too. He was a bird and lived as one. He didn't like the concept of changing. Reluctantly, he shifted, not as tidily as James.
The now-human tiger spoke, Ace nodding in agreement. He didn't like speaking human tongue. "Well done bringing it down. Looks like we'll be eating well for a while. Might even be able to put some weight back on. Now we've just got to find those tenderfoots and get it back home in time for dinner." The male wondered off, leaving Ace alone with the kill. The man had left his horse at the bottom of the cliff, not taking any chances with injuring the horse. We should have ate the horse - easily meal - and they wouldn't have had to trawl all the way here for it.
With his thoughts still in his mind, James came back with half a tree cut in half. He strapped it to the deer's legs with duct tape, lifting his end up. "There. It's not pretty, but it'll do the job. We should be able to carry it down now." Sighing and nodding, he lifted the other end up onto his shoulders as the men came around the same height, human form. She knew the pain he'd have to endure but he'd only have to get back to the tenderfoots before he could pass the logs onto them. They trudged forwards together in unison. Any sudden movements or timed out steps would slip the deer from their shoulders, injuring both them and the kill they'd worked so hard to get.
OOC: We should do it where Ace finally gets fed up of James' babbling. It's where I've tried to steer this post. I'll edit it if you like and change the story round if you don't like the idea.
19 || White Bellied Sea Eagle || Single || Bisexual
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James moved forwards carefully, keeping a good grip on the sapling so it wouldn't slip off his shoulder. He made sure that he moved slowly enough that he wouldn't move to far ahead of Arrow and make one of them lose their grip. He had carried kills like this plenty of times before he was caught by UNIT, but he wasn't sure if the other hunter had ever done it before. They shouldn't have too much trouble getting the deer through the forest despite the roughness of the terrain, when they got to the cliffs though... well, things could get interesting.
They could have cut across the foothills instead of risking the cliff, but that would take them right up to the Fallen boarder. Usually he wouldn't care about the danger of being caught, hell, usually that would make him more eager, but he'd already spent weeks recovering from his little stint in captivity. The last thing he needed was another week in the filthy holes the Fallen called a prison, and they could just decide to kill him outright this time, repeat offender and all. It wasn't just his freedom he'd be risking either, he might be careless with his own life, but he wasn't about to risk the lives of his hunting party. He was the leader this time, it was his duty to get everyone back safely. It was... strange, being in charge again, being responsible again. He smiled to himself grimly, knowing that Arrow wouldn't be able to see it. It almost felt like being free again.
The other hunter was silent for the most part, only seeming to speak when directly prompted, and only then if it was related to the hunt. He supposed it was a good thing when you were hunting, no point chatting away and letting your prey know you were here. Nevertheless, it disturbed him a little. He could deal with disrespectful tenderfoots whispering about him, he could deal with laughter and insults and anything anyone ever tried to bring him down with; he'd never been able to deal with silence though. It made him feel tense and uncomfortable, nervous even, it reminded him far to much of being locked up. So he did what he always did, and filled the silence himself.
"So do you think the tenderfoot's have been smart enough to bag some rabbits yet? It might be too much to hope for, I'm not sure if either of those two even know the meaning of stealth. I don't know how anyone expects me to turn them into hunters, I've run with eight year olds that showed more promise. 'Least once we find them I'll be able to teach them the very important art of carrying heavy crap. Maybe they'll complain enough about it that they'll get themselves assigned to a hunter that actually wants to teach sheltered little brats how to not die."
He shrugged the shoulder that wasn't supporting the kill, loathe as he was to admit it, he didn't mind teaching kids to hunt all that much. He'd done it before, back when he was just learning to hunt himself, but those kids had wanted to learn. Of course, their lives had very much depended on it. He wondered idly if he dropped the tenderfoots out on their own with no rations and told them to catch their own food how long they'd last. Might be a good training excercise actually...
"Do you usually keep so quiet, or am I just special?" he asked lightly, "Did I say something, or do something? Or you could just be quiet, what do I know? Did I flirt with you or something? I don't remeber flirting with you yet, though that doesn't mean I didn't, I've been slapped enough times to know that. Well... slapped and threatened with castration, but eh, details."
He peered over his shoulder and eyed the other hunter, raising an eyebrow with something like appreciation; he'd certainly flirted with worse. Nothing ever came of any of it, he flirted with anything with a pulse, grinned through the slaps and thoroughly ensured no poor fool would ever end up attatched to him. People who got to close to him had a nasty habbit of dying, so it was better to drive them off from the start so he didn't have to mourn them later. Hell, at the moment Grey was the only person who would willingly spend time with him, but he supposed they were sort of stuck together at the bottom of everyone's shit list, and if they got bored they could always kick each others asses again. Might be fun.
"Beginning to think I should be flirting with you, just to be sure. Even if I have, your not exactly hard on the eyes, might be worth getting slapped a second time. Do you blush? It's always fun when I can make someone blush, don't try it with some of our ladies though, they know how to make me blush." He peeked over his shoulder again and waggled his eyebrow suggestively. He was having fun, Arrow could't slap, or punch him, or try to kill him until they got back to the tenderfoots and put the deer down. He thinks the tenderfoots will like seing him get slapped. He turned back around, one corner of his mouth lifting in a wry smile; least he could do after leaving them behind for being useless idiots was give them some entertainment.
ooc: That sounds good to me, James will certainly be surprised by that reaction, I think he'll probably have a miniature panic attack.
Post by Ace Difur (Arrow) on Feb 1, 2014 16:19:55 GMT -5
They set off down the trail they'd come from just minutes before, trudging along. It felt kind of awkward. Silence just filled the empty space between them even though there was no need to do so - they'd caught the food and so could chatter away happily. But, no. Maybe it was because Arrow had never worked with this feline shapeshifter beforehand and he didn't really know that much about him. Or maybe that if Arrow did get to know him, he'd become too attached. Either way, neither sounded great and, by the sounds of things, James didn't like the silence that much either. Rabbiting on, he discussed the tenderfoots first - the spoilt brats they'd left behind whilst they fetched their dinner. He certainly loved talking but Arrow did not know of his past and so company maybe the only thing that keeps James from committing suicide or something each day. Arrow stared at the back of the man's head. No! His brain yelled at him for even considering such a thought - handsomeness was not a judgement to be made right now. "Probably not. The tenderfoots have the attitude of a two year old and the mental state of one too. They've probably completely ignored us and gallivanted off somewhere. Either that, or they've got bored and turned back to go back to your steed. I f***ing hope not, though. I was hoping to dump this..." He shrugged his shoulder, making the deer wobble a little. "...on them. I'm not keeping it all the way down the mountain! Tenderfoots like them aren't made for hunting. They need to go join something like the healers because they'll be move use with bandages than knives. It makes you wonder who gave birth to them - spoilt little..." He screamed internally. "They need a punch in the face and face up to the harsh reality of life." With his little rant over, he sighed heavily.
Again, James spoke, this time on the subject of Ace himself. "Do you usually keep so quiet, or am I just special?" Arrow sniggered. "No, I'm always like this. Nothing special about you with my attitude." Saying it, he immediately regretted his choice of words and so stumbled in his brain to gather another selection of vocabulary to use. "I didn't mean it like that - I mean, like, I don't just change my personality and attitude for anyone." What the f*** was that? Frustrated with himself, he listened to what else James had to say. James rushed through his sentences, most of them questions. "No - it's not you. You haven't done anything...yet. I'm always like this. Quiet. Maybe if I spend anymore time with you on anymore hunts then perhaps I'll speak a little more and open up to you." He garbled on about castration, Arrow completely ignoring that and letting it pass over his head without a flinch or a word.
Arrow watched as James' head moved to peer towards him, raising an eyebrow up in his direction in appreciation, almost. Oh, heart. Stop it now! Arrow needed to stop all his bloody love affairs. Nothing ever became of them because he'd never taken action upon them but this was...different...than the last. Ignoring it, he listened to James carry on his ranting session, letting him get it out of his system and wondering whether or not the rest of the journey home would be this way. Mentioning the ladies within the Carna, Arrow's attention drew. "...don't try it with some of our ladies though, they know how to make me blush." At that, he spun around and waggled his eyebrow suggestively at him. Now he was starting to flirt. At the moment, Arrow could take no action whatsoever but once they'd passed the carcass onto the tenderfoot, Ace had the freedom to do as he pleased. A smile lifted up on his face as a thought crossed his mind. What are you smiling at? At his statement, Ace laughed aloud. "Thanks for the warning. I'll try not to."
19 || White Bellied Sea Eagle || Single || Bisexual
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They were making good time despite the heavy load. When they had been stalking the deer it had taken them an hour or so, they hadn't been able to go direct as the game trail had meandered through the forest, and they had had to move slowly and carefully to avoid stumbling onto their prey. Moving directly and with no fear of making noise they would make much better time, possibly less than half an hour.
Arrow actually seemed to get a little flustered at the questions, it was strangely endearing and his heart was doing funny little things to him no matter how hard he told it to stop. The last thing he needed was to actually start liking anyone, especially not in that way. He could count one one hand the number of people that he had loved unconditionally, and they were all dead. He could admit that he had cared for the kids he'd been pressed into leading even if they were little brats, but all of them were dead or distant, the few he'd run into inside the dome hadn't even glanced in his direction. So yeah, love was a bad, no, a terrible idea, especially for him.
His hopes of keeping his emotions (stunted and repressed as they were) in check were casually obliterated as Arrow laughed at his flirts. It wasn't the laugh he usually got; loaded with all the derision and rejection he was trying to achieve and secretly loathing. No, it sounded genuine and Arrow was smiling and his heart was definitely not listening to him anymore because it sped up. He was glad that his back was to Arrow because, to his mortification, his cheeks felt hot. Apparently all it took to make him blush was someone not slapping him or laughing in his face. Who would have guessed? Despite his brain trying to have a little panic moment he felt himself smiling.
"Good, I want to be the only one that makes you blush."
James blinked once, twice, his brain not quite catching up to what his mouth had gone ahead and said and how weird and slightly possessive it must have sounded. Well... crap. It might do the trick of actually chasing off Arrow before either of them could get attached, but... well, the other guy hadn't exactly ran off when he started flirting. He honestly didn't know how he felt about that, was he upset that his plan to avoid anything more than indifference had failed or was he pleased? Could he be both? Apparently so because he had an uncomfortable mix of hope and dread nestled just below his ribs.
"Well that thought was kind of supposed to stay in my head where it belongs, but apparently my mouth didn't get the message," he admitted, "Even if it had I guess I still would have said it, might have rephrased it a little... Probably not though, I mean, you're kinda nice looking and I bet you'd make a blush look good, and I'm probably making it worse and I should probably shut up before you decide to drop the deer just so you could deck me."
He rubbed his neck sheepishly with his free hand, deciding that it might be a good time to keep his mouth shut. He let the silence sit for a few minutes, focusing on getting to the clearing where they had left the aspiring hunters. After a short while he shrugged his free shoulder, figuring he might as well keep talking, but no more flirting. Well, no more intentional flirting... or unintentional flirting... or opening his mouth without thinking, or... Screw it, he'll talk if he wants to.
"So, now that I've run my mouth and probably suitably appalled you I guess I should probably ask you a little about yourself? Where did you come from, before UNIT got you I mean? You've got a bit of an accent, Australian? I'm a Queenslander myself, well, at least, I was a Queenslander. Now I guess I'm just an animal in the world's most messed up zoo. Good game in Queensland if you get far enough away from the cities. Roo, camel, deer, a few goats even, enough bunnies to feed every man woman and child in this bloody dome, more than enough to keep a shifter going."
He smiled a bit, sure, it had been full of venomous creatures and poisonous plants, it had been dry and hot as hell, but once they'd figured out which rivers didn't dry up and how to hunt they'd managed to make a life out there. It might not have been the easiest or the safest, but they had been free.
"I kinda miss it, though I guess not much changed when they let me go in here. I mean, hunting to feed myself and my group, avoiding people that wanna kill me, hell, even wrangling little idiots who think they know better than you do. Only difference is the weather, and the snakes. Well, I couldn't flirt with anyone back then, they were kids, half of 'em weren't even teenagers yet. Heck, even if I did flirt with them they would probably rip me apart as well as any good Carna could." He smirked proudly, they might have been skinny little brats who took every opportunity to be difficult, but they had been his little brats.
"So what was life like for you before UNIT messed it up?" He asked curiously. He was always interested in what people had been before this place had changed them. He hadn't changed all that much himself, the switch from homeless half wild hunter out there to sewer dwelling half wild hunter in here wasn't all that much. Some people had had lives though, dentists, teachers, firemen, straight A students with scholarships, soldiers... some people hadn't always been screwups.
ooc: Now Arrow's done it, he's never going to get rid of James now lol. So do we want them to have a Thing, or are they going to kiss and then manage to talk themselves out of a relationship and be awkward penguins lol? I'm right for either, though it could be interesting to see how James would react to someone who isn't just tolerating him.
Last Edit: Feb 3, 2014 7:36:59 GMT -5 by James Colt
Post by Ace Difur (Arrow) on Feb 4, 2014 16:42:56 GMT -5
Ace had only just realised how close they were to the Tenderfoots. It had taken them so much longer when they'd been stalking their prey but now they could follow the trails and not be bothered about noise, then they seemed to be making great progress. They'd cut also half an hour off their time.
He felt the silence soon come and swallow him up. James was being oddly quiet for James - had he said something to offend him? Awkwardness followed the silence as neither man spoke for a while. When the silence was finally shattered, the thing that filled it was not what Arrow had expected. "Good, I want to be the only one that makes you blush." Coughing, he hit his chest hard to stop himself from choking. It achieved nothing. Shit... Maybe Arrow had led the guy on - or was it this flirting that he'd been talking about the whole trek back. It just sounded a little...possessive...ur...Arrow hesitated with his answer to that, considering to not give one at all. With his free hand, he smoothed his sandy blonde hair down in the heat, shaking his head a little. James soon realised where he'd gone wrong and rushed on to explain what had just happened. He smiled. "No sweat. I do it all the time - speaking without thinking. My mouth just rushes off without consulting my brain and I just end up looking like a goldfish at the end of it all." He'd been driven mad from the constant teasing and bullying he'd been put through as a child and so this was one of those many faults that had been a result of this change in personality.
James rubbed his neck, feeling kind of stupid at his rabbiting moment. It was all a bit of a blur really and it had happened so fast that Arrow had just shrugged it off. It happens to everyone. Once again, silence filled the space between them, making it awkward for them again. Arrow rolled his free shoulder forwards twice and then backwards once to free up his stiff muscles. The male considered his options. He could just walk away like any sane man and forget him or carry on with this illusionary relationship. One thing he knew for certain was that he was not sane.
Changing to subject again, James went on to talk about life outside of the Menagerie, the world's weirdest pet shop. He'd picked up Ace's Australian vibes, making him nod. "Yeah. I'm a Queenslander too. Great country. Being a coastal bird, I spent most of my time around the beaches of the area. Never really ventured back into the cities once I'd got out of them." Coincidentally, he came from Queensland too although he spent more time inland, hanging around where there were land mammals to catch instead of the fish that Arrow fed on for the year he was hunted by UNIT. Being a tiger, it was to be expected. He'd never really seen a tiger try and catch fish. If only they hadn't found their talent of shifting - they'd still be free.
Again, he spoke, talking about his own life outside of the zoo. He had seemed to have a stable lifestyle on the outside. He had had something to live for, something to strive for and someone to stay alive for. All three things that Arrow had lacked outside. "So what was life like for you before UNIT messed it up?" Being brought back to reality, Arrow realised it was his turn to speak up. "I was a messed up kid with social problems. My father left me and my mother before I was born and then my mother decided to become an alcoholic. I was taken into care and I jumped from family to family, always being sent back because 'there was something wrong with me'." He mocked one of the care workers who had scolded him the last time he was returned. It was the last he heard of her before he snapped her neck and fled. "Once I'd found my talent, I left the care homes behind and just ran. I joined and more expert group of shifters to teach me how everything worked and then once I had that figured, I left and ran for the sea. I spent a year pecking peoples' eyes out before being brought here and experimented on like a rat. Comparing each life, I prefer the one inside this hell hole to my life outside. I am quietly content with life here and being part of the Carnas has it's advantages." He smiled at the thought of everyone who cowered before him because of his alliance.
They rounded a bend, laughter filling the air. "The Tenderfoots." It was all he had to say before they came into view, rolling around the floor in a play fight. "Oy! You two! Come here and carry this, you little shits." They wandered over, chattering like the world was going to end tomorrow. He dropped his end of the weight on one of the tenderfoots' shoulders and then walked away from them, listening to their moans and groans of how heavy it was. "Oh, shut up!" He snapped angrily.
OOC: Next post from me and Arrow will move on him whilst they walk down to the horse. I really want something to happen between them. It doesn't have to last long between them if you don't want it to. I really want it to play out though so we have a few more threads together.
19 || White Bellied Sea Eagle || Single || Bisexual
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James felt a little relief, apparently his lack of a brain to mouth filter and general awkwardness weren't particularly offputting for Arrow. The other man got to talking about his past and James felt a little pull of sadness; it seemed pretty much every shifter was screwed up by the time they got into this crazy place. At least he'd has a good family before people found out they were shifters. He wasn't pitying the man, most of the time pity got you a punch in the face in here, but he supposed he might as well share some of the not-so-nice bits of his past while they were being open with each other.
"Wasn't so bad on the outside, grew up more or less normal till my town found out we were shifters. This was before the purges, so UNIT didn't come and snap us up, probably would have been better if they had though. Parents got gunned down, me and my brother got put in cages and forced to fight other shifters while sick freaks watched like it was a game. Heh, they kinda learned it was a bad idea to keep half starved, half wild shifters locked up when I tore out a guards throat then opened the cages so we could hunt the rest of'em down. I don't like killing people, but I made an exception for those bastards. Them and keepers, I ever get the chance at one of them they'll learn the same lesson that guard did." He grinned fiercely.
He was leaving a lot out of course, he didn't particularly feel like dredging up those little bits of nastiness; he saw enough of them whenever he lost his battles to stay awake. Besides, they were coming up to the tenderfoots and the last thing he wanted was to air his dirty laundry in front of them, half the ring would know before nightfall if he did. Right on cue he heard the not-so-dulcet tones of the tenderfoots yammering away. He briefly closed his eyes and resisted the urge to facepalm, the good news was that they were still alive so he didn't have to explain that to his superiors; the bad news was that they were still alive.
As they reached the tenderfoots and unloaded the kill he smirked at arrow, "What do you know Arrow, seems like these little brats did come in handy. Too bad you didn't catch any rabbits tenderfoots, since you didn't have to help take this kill down you'll be lucky if we give you the hooves to chew on."
They were already complaining about the weight of it, "Suck it up princesses, we just have to get it down the cliff and then Renegade will take it the rest of the way. You're lucky we've got a horse with us, otherwise you'd be carrying it all the way back to the waterfront."
He was seriously considering putting in a word with some of his less irritable superiors, these two weren't cut out for hunter training. They would make better healers or omegas, maybe scouts if they learn't to shut up. They kept this up, they'd get themselves killed if they were lucky, captured if they weren't, not to mention any poor sod unlucky enough to be assigned with them. He didn't fancy dying for these two.
Rolling his shoulders to get some of the stiffness out he started walking towards the cliff edge, making for one of the gentler tracks. They shouldn't have too much troubled getting down with the deer, although he knows that the tenderfoots will act like it's a sheer cliff and not a perfectly stable goat track. At least there was a track here, he could be asking them to try and get the kill down further back where the cliff was steeper. Of course then he'd probably lose a perfectly good deer as well as two perfectly useless 'apprentices'.
"Follow me carefully and you won't die; wander off the trail and you probably will, your choice brats. Alright Arrow, let's get this beast home in time for dinner."
ooc: I'm right for this to last as long as you want it to, James needs more drama in his life in between me getting him beat up for giggles. Sounds like a good idea on the cliff thing, maybe one of them stumbles and one of them has to grab the other to steady them and then, suddenly, kiss. Or however you want to do it really, James will pretty much have to do a mental reboot whatever the case.
Post by Ace Difur (Arrow) on Feb 11, 2014 13:52:32 GMT -5
The group moved off, the tenderfoots already complaining of the weight of the catch. He growled angrily, his eyes glaring at the two idiots. James spoke jokingly, making him laugh deeply. "Yeah. Looks like it, James." His laugh echoed, making the forest seem less empty and a little friendlier. Stepping forwards, he got a little closer to James, feeling the heat radiate off him. "Come on then. Let's go." He walked past James, slightly brushing his arm with his own. Electricity ran up his arm and to his brain, making him stop. It felt as if he'd had an electric shock. Shaking the feeling away, he carried on and down the narrow path of the cliff face, glad that he was on a trail again and not just trawling through unknown territory.
With the tenderfoots moaning and the pace slow, James decided to rabbit on again. Arrow rolled his eyes, glad that his face was unseen. Ignoring his rambling, he listened to his own footfalls instead, concentrating on the road home. His sturdy boots kept him steady on the track, dust from the dry ground flying up and irritating his nostrils. He lifted a hand to scratch his nose, knocking his concentration. James' voice came back into his head, filling his ears with stories. He'd finally had enough. Suddenly stopping, he twirled around and stared into James' eyes. "You need to learn to be quiet. It may get you into trouble." And with that, Arrow lunged forwards, pressing his own lips against James'. Arrow cupped his head with his hands, the soft, silky curls of James' hair feeling smooth and cool against Ace's palms.
Within a second, it was over. His ears were the first to deceive him. Quietness filled the air. The tenderfoots stared at the pair, mouths wide open. James' looked as gob smacked as the kids. Oh... Shifting, he used his large, grey wings to lift him into the air. With a caw, he flew into the distance. What...what the f*** was that? He mentally slapped himself across the face, feeling his feathered cheeks begin to redden. In a spur of the moment, Arrow had just kissed a fellow hunter he had to work alongside to shut him up! With the wind's help, he used the advantage to let his wings rest as he glided along the cliff face. He looked back, seeing nothing. In front of him though was the familiar sight a buckskin steed. James' Renegade. He landed beside the stallion, shifting again. That's when he finally sunk to the floor and just lay there.
He needed...he needed a time to breathe.
OOC: Sorry this is a little short. Muse is low and I have other things on my mind. It's just a too good a thread to leave. It's also not fair on you.
19 || White Bellied Sea Eagle || Single || Bisexual
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James felt a faint tingle as Arrow brushed past him, and he frowned for a moment as the other man stopped, had his 'electricity' played up and shocked the other man? He thought he had total control over his abilities by now, but maybe he'd been too distracted to notice? He was certainly letting his thoughts wander more than usual, more often than not they were swirling around the hunter next to him.
It was confusing, danger and hope warring in his mind, part of him was screaming to get away from Arrow, to insult him, fight with him, to drive him away with cruelty before he could get any closer; The other part was whispering in his ear, longing and excitement and maybes floating in his head, maybe they could be friends? Maybe they could be more than friends? Maybe, maybe he didn't have to be alone anymore?
No, no!, he thought furiously to himself. He did have to be alone. If he was alone it wouldn't hurt when people died anymore. If he had nothing to care about then he had nothing to lose, no one could hurt him, not really. Sure, they could starve him, beat him, lock him up or kill him, but none of that meant a damned thing compared to losing someone again. If he was alone, if he didn't care... God, he wished he didn't care, didn't feel, he wished he could stamp out that part of him that wanted, needed people. He told himself this, reminded himself time and time again, but it just didn't work. He couldn't stop himself from thinking, from wanting. It was a disaster, like watching a train wreck, horrible and frightening but he just couldn't bring himself to look away.
He mentally shook himself, now was no time to get lost in his thoughts, knowing his luck he'd stumble and fall right off the cliff with only himself to blame. The cliffs were treacherous a good day, but with blustery autumn winds doing their best to tug at clothing and hair there was a new level of danger. He focused on putting one foot in front of the other and making sure the tenderfoots did the same. He knew he could trust Arrow not to fall and die; besides, the man had an avian shift, even if he did he'd probably be fine. To keep himself from thinking too much again he started to speak, prattling on with no real purpose other than to fill the air with words.
"So, who fancies a little dip in the sea? This time of year it'd definitely be... bracing. Might help the smell a bit though, I tell you, living in an old sewer isn't exactly helping my poor nose any. Hell, it was bad before the keepers decided to play around with my senses. No? No takers? Ah well, guess I gotta smell you tenderfoots for a while more. Might dunk you while your not looking later though, hope you know how to swim! Me 'n Arrow will just sit on the shore laughing at..."
All of a sudden his ranting was cut off by Arrow, 'You need to learn to be quiet. It may get you into trouble.' He opened his mouth to protest, he liked trouble, only to be cut off before he could get a word out. Arrow was kissing him, him! He blinked in surprise, hands flailing beside him as his brain pretty much shorted out in shock. He was aware of lips on his own, hands on his face and through his hair making him shiver as his touch senses went into overdrive. As soon as it ad begun, it was over, the tenderfoots were staring and Arrow was looking almost as surprised as he felt. He barely had time to open his mouth before the other man shifted and flew away.
James just stood there in shock, still not entirely sure what had just happened. He tracked Arrow's flight through the sky, watching to make sure the other hunter reached the base of the cliff safely, his enhanced vision letting him see him almost all the way there. It was only then that he realized he was smiling, wide and silly, and he felt his cheeks flush. He had enjoyed that kiss, maybe a little too much. He couldn't actually think of a single person that had kissed him. Oh, sure, he'd kissed plenty, sometimes they'd even kissed back, but he'd always been the one to make the first move. This... this was new. Different. Strange. ...Better.
Of course with the way the other hunter had flown off, he had no way of telling whether Arrow thought the same. Did he regret it? Was it just a spur of the moment thing, a little piece of awkwardness that they would both try to forget? If Arrow regretted it, James didn't blame him one bit. He certainly had a reputation, most of it was blown out of proportion but he knew what people thought of him. At best, he was a jerk, at worst... well... womanizing, lecherous, mean-spirited, smart-mouthed, disobedient, reckless, over-violent, aggressive, fallen-helping a**hole with questionable loyalties was the description running around at the moment. He had kind of hoped, foolishly perhaps, that Arrow didn't care about any of that... that he was attracted to him despite him... well... being him.
He'd been standing with a dumb look on his face for too long though, the tenderfoots staring holes at the back of his head. "What are you staring at brats? Never seen two good looking guys kiss before? Get a move on, we've still got to haul this carcass down the cliff."
With that he resumed picking his way down the trail, keeping an eye over his shoulder so he could watch the tenderfoots. The task kept him from going crazy thinking about what had happened, it let him calm down a bit, too focused on not dying to bother over thinking it. He'd deal with... whatever the hell that had been when he got to the bottom of the cliff. Arrow was hopefully waiting with Renegade, he had no doubts the hunter could take care of himself but he wasn't going to head home without him. He kept quiet for a change, only speaking to warn the tenderfoots when they needed to be more careful, and eventually they reached the bottom of the cliff. He sharpened his eyes until he could see Renegade in the distance, too his relief and a little trepidation, Arrow was with him.
Shrugging to himself, he kept walking, letting the tenderfoots follow behind him now that they were on even ground. He kept his face calm, or as calm as it could be, when he reached the hunter and the horse. With a knicker Renegade trotted up to him, flicking his ears forwards as he sniffed James' hands looking for a treat. He rubbed the horse's neck with an affectionate smile and fed him a handful of wild oats he'd hidden in his pockets. With the tenderfoots' help he lifted the deer onto Renegades back, murmuring quietly to the horse as he did. Once the deer was secure he took a steadying breath and turned to face Arrow.
"So... umm... is this going to be a 'talk about this' thing, or a 'pretend it never happened' thing? 'Cause if you want to forget about it, I can, I mean, I don't want to but I can if you don't want to and..." He trailed off, wondering where his ability to speak had gone, "Look, I like you. If you don't feel the same that's fine, wouldn't be the first time, hell, wouldn't be the tenth. If you do... then I really don't know what to do because I actually don't think that's ever happened to me. No one likes me, I'm a grade A screw up and if you have any sense you'll run off before you have the misfortune of finding out just how true that is, and I don't know if I'm trying to talk you out of this or into this and I should probably shut up right now." He finished lamely, looking at his feet as his cheeks betrayed him and flushed again.
ooc: That's perfectly OK, sometimes my muse runs away as well :) Sorry this is so long, James rambles when he speaks and when he thinks.
Last Edit: Feb 13, 2014 2:31:01 GMT -5 by James Colt
Post by Ace Difur (Arrow) on Feb 13, 2014 16:37:21 GMT -5
Seeing the party come into view, Ace stood, dusting himself off from the sands that had covered him. Renegade left his side, trotting back to the one person who mattered most to both of them - James. Strapping the deer to his back, James was preoccupied, leaving Arrow standing awkwardly alone. He never asked for help but, then again, he offered none either. Oh god. What's he gonna say or do? I'm probably going to be the one being slapped, not James. As he approached, he readied his body for the worst.
Leaving the tenderfoots to fuss over the stud, James approached. Arrow opened his mouth but no words came out, leaving him looking like a goldfish. Filling the silence, James rambled on. Ace closed his mouth to listen. Shockingly, he stopped halfway through a sentence. He was lost for words. First time for everything. ...is this going to be a 'talk about this' thing, or a 'pretend it never happened' thing? What is it? What was it going to be, indeed. Carrying on his little speech, James continued with something Arrow was not expecting. I like you. His jaw fell open and his brain went into meltdown. What? A hand slowly raised to his head, ruffling the blonde mop that sat on top of his head. Arrow spent the next 2 minutes looking like this as James rushed his words, jumbling them together until he had finished. Looking at the floor, he flushed. Aw. "We can be grade A screw ups together then and go through the misfortune hand in hand." He smiled, meeting James' eyes. He used his hand to lift James' chin, his fingers caressing the tip of his jaw softly. "Truth is, I like you too James. Me and you, we have a lot in common and we've been through similar things. I understand you and you understand me. Ying and yang, mate. Ying and yang." Wait, no. His mouth rushed forwards, jumbling words together in a rush. Wait! No, not ying and yang. That's opposites." He tried to take his mistake back, feeling heat rise to his cheeks as he mixed his sayings, meanings and phrases together. With his hand still upon his jaw and the tenderfoots busy, Arrow kissed him again. This time, he was gentler. Sweeter. He held his lips against his, determined to make it last longer than the spur-of-the-moment kiss on the cliff face. Pulling away, Arrow sighed and opened his eyes, his blue eyes shining brightly with delight. "We'll make it work."
19 || White Bellied Sea Eagle || Single || Bisexual
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James blinked in shock as Arrow answered him, it was... well, it was just about the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him. The part of him that wanted to run for the hills withered and died with that, there was no two ways about it, he'd fallen, hard. All his resolve, his determination to cut himself off from the rest of the world for their own safety was shattered, but he couldn't even feel bad about it, not when Arrow was looking at him like that.
If Arrow was looking at him like that... Arrow liked him? He shouldn't, but he did, and James wasn't going to question it, couldn't bring himself to question it because it was everything. Everything he'd ever hoped or dreaded, a disaster and a miracle. Since the darkest days of his life he'd always believed that if he let himself need, want, feel again, it would destroy him. Right now... it didn't matter. His world could burn around him and it wouldn't matter, as long as Arrow was there, safe and alive and by his side.
He shivered as Arrow ran his fingers over his jaw, his eyes fluttering shut and his throat working, unable to help himself from leaning into the touch. He stood there listening to Arrow speak, a small, genuine smile lighting his face. He felt a warm rush of affection as Arrow explained his feelings, opening his mouth the assure the other man that he understood. Of course, his attempt to speak was nipped in the bud as he was kissed again.
He could get used to this.
This kiss was slower, gentler, more than just a short press of lips, and James let himself relax into it, closing his eyes once more. He cupped Arrow's cheek with his right hand, thumb rubbing the other man's cheekbone gently. It was... nothing he'd ever had before, not a quick kiss in the heat of a moment or an almost aggressive, challenging kiss as he'd had from other Carna. This was new, different, this was honest to god affection, and now that he'd felt it there was no going back. No matter what it took, he wouldn't give this up; he couldn't.
He opened his eyes as Arrow did the same, blue meeting blue, and he smiled softly. 'We'll make it work.'
"We will," James assured, more certain then ever before, "I don't know how to do this, I've never... well, never let myself even try before. I'm running blind here, don't know left from right, but we'll figure it out. I don't know much, but I know it's worth it. You're worth it."