SNAKESKINS [P]

[Noisette Todd]

It could easily have been the results of a bender the night before. Noisette had woken up in an unfamiliar place, feeling crappy, particularly in the stomach and head. Personally, she wasn’t keen on getting drunk but people who were probably didn’t jump to that as the answer either. At least not in the Menagerie.

There was no sign yet of what had been done to her. There hadn’t even been tests this time, at least that she remembered. Maybe the Keepers were just feeling confident, maybe they just didn’t care if something went wrong. Their handiwork would show up eventually. All she could do was hope it would be painless, or at least not life-threatening.

Most likely they were bored today, given that they’d dumped her right in the middle of the Carna realm.

She’d hurried from her point of reintroduction, in case someone was nearby to hear or see it. Afterwards she’d had a little trouble orienting herself, given that the sky was overcast and she didn’t know that particular area. By the time she’d found landmarks, the lack of disaster had lessened the sense of urgency. In the back of her mind, of course, there still buzzed the idea that she shouldn’t be leaving her scent everywhere. That had been fine back when she was a rogue, but now there was Fulsi in her signature, and others who might be hurt by her actions. But she was already here, and it wasn’t her fault for once. Forbidden territory had always had a strong appeal, and to be honest, the possibility of death or dismemberment just made the urge stronger. After all, she’d stayed out for weeks before now. If she dallied a little on the way back home, she wasn’t going to feel any more than her day-to-day level of frustration about it.

For a long time, she seemed perfectly justified in her choices. She traveled as a human when she could, and became a marten when she needed to be inconspicuous. It wasn’t until she was near the border, making her way up an alley, that she actually heard someone nearby. It might be a mad scrabble, but she could still get away as the mustelid. She slipped out of her human form…and wound up the wrong height. The gemsbok had a tendency to butt in at the worst times; of course it would . Except…something was different. Everything was different.

So that was it.

Not that she could figure out what the new creature was that they’d tacked onto her. It felt patched, ungainly. The feet were mismatched. The tail was long, the snout was long, the ears were huge. The neck was off in a way she wasn’t sure how to explain. As she took a startled step backward, an extra pair of limbs stirred across her back. Wings?!.................holy R.A.F. YES.

Perhaps the only real problem was that she was stuck. The…whatever refused to slip into her marten form; after a few moment’s concentration she managed to go back to human form. None of the forms would have done her any good at that point; the stranger rounded the corner just as she finished the change. Sighing, Noisette turned towards them and offered a smile. “Mornin’…I think. Probably.” With the solid sheet of grey clouds, she still wasn’t sure what time it was.





o.o.c. - Those posts you toss out when you trying to get back in the game whoops.
Dionysus

[Xavior Perez]

The Carna Scout traveled around the Carna territory with no specific destination to strive toward. Today was his "day off" so to speak so Xavior tried to enjoy just a simple walk to relax his muscles and get lost in his wandering thoughts about back home. Little things reminded him of different family members in all sorts of ways. Sometimes it was the way someone laughed, the flow of the water, or even just a common pebble. Deep inside there was a tinge of guilt knowing they were all left behind without him being there to protect them. Xavior prayed that somehow he was the weird outcast with the Shifter gene so no one would have to be captured as well.

Something felt different in the air that passed along the breeze that swayed along with the overcast above. Many words ran through Xavior's head as he tried to comprehend the emotion that casted outward. Took Xavior a moment to realize that it was less of an emotion and more of a scent that did not belong to the Carna terrain. No matter on the clock or not Xavior planned on fulfilling his duties as a Carna Scout. Adrenaline began to kick in as he followed the scent that continued to get stronger and stronger.

Each step he took began to get faster when Xavior noticed the scent was moving toward the Carna border. No matter the case the Carna Scout was going to protect his new family. The trespasser could have stolen supplies, information, or even another Carna which Xavior refused to let happen. Purple hair came into view from a distance that clearly stood out from the surroundings all around them. From a quick glance the shifter appeared to be female. Thinking of a way to cut the girl off Xavior decided to try to circle around her to cut in front.

Just when Xavior felt he was closing in on the stranger the person came into clear sight when they shifted into some odd looking animal. The Carna Scout's pace quickened when the foreigner's trail stopped dead in their tracks. As soon as he turned the corner to stand in front of the enemy the creature was replaced with a girl that reaked of Fulsi. An angry scoul spread across his face when the purple haired Fulsi spoke. Xavior was not sure if it was a sign, but right before he got a word in thunder roared through the sky and rain began to drizzle down.

"Let me start off by congratulating you on making it this far into the Carna without being killed on the spot," he stated with a sarcastic tone followed with three slow claps. "Second, how dare you come into Carna territory when aligned with the Fulsi." Memories flooded into Xavior's mind when a gang from his past drove by his home and slaughtered innocent children. Those people were his family and Xavior swore to never let that happen again in his lifetime. Now, the Carna was his family and he planned on protecting them, too. The Carna Scout wanted to make an example out of this girl. "Do you fear death, Fulsi girl?"