the sound of shattered silence [reserved]

[Anita Gellard]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] The day had just gone from bad to worse in but the blink of an eye, and with it, so had her mood. A quick report from one of her scouting parties had informed her that a member among their ranks, Helena, had fallen prey to the Reaper a few days ago, and that her remnants had been left up on the peak of one of the cliffs. A recent rainfall had washed away the bloodshed, but her bones and feathers still remained. Ann had also been told that it had been an act of murder, something which she found deeply disturbing. Who had dared to invade her territory and steal away a cherished scout’s life? One of the reporters, a young raven, stepped forth to deliver more news, “It was difficult to detect the scent of the intruders, Ms. Gellard – the rain did nothing to help – but it was a strange smell. Foreign. No retromorph scent that we know.” Anita’s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise, but her expression remained more or less impassive – only the bitter smile that touched her lips gave away any real emotion, and this was, in turn, a facade. In truth, her mind was a torrent of sorrow, anger, and vengeance. She wanted nothing more than to punish the ones who’d done this. Quite honestly, she’d been expecting to learn that it was a member of the Analoya – they were always causing conflict with the other retromorph groups, being the top predators. Resting a hand lightly on her chin, she muttered, “So shifters, then...how many? Could you tell which ring?” The raven gave a hopeless shrug of his wings, glancing away with a shamed expression. “It was impossible to tell, miss.” Damn. No good, no good...they would need to do something about this breach in their security, and soon. “Alright. Double the amount of patrols for now and switch the parties more often. I want everyone to be as alert and awake as possible. Send a kondukteur to notify me if you ever see any strangers coming, and report all your findings at the end of the day. Go now, and may your wings be fleet.” The raven bobbed his head, once, twice, then leapt into the air and spread his wings, the rest of the group following behind him. She would take along a member later to go and check out the cliffs, but for now, all she wanted to do was get rid of this growing headache that she couldn’t seem to shake off. It had started yesterday evening. What she found most alarming, though, was that she couldn’t remember anything about the day before she’d woken up with this pounding in her head. It wasn’t just her head, either, but her ears – they ached just as much, and every time someone spoke to her or made some noise it seemed to echo and sound unnaturally loud. And this had only continued to develop over the course of this new day – which each step she took everything grew louder. Noise, noise...why could they not quiet down? It was driving her mad. And then, suddenly, everything seemed to erupt in an explosion of sound and she fell to her knees on the ground from the crippling force of it, her hands clasped over her ears in a desperate attempt to block out all she heard. An agonized moan rose in her throat, and she toppled sideways, arms trying to burrow her head and failing miserably. “Oh..oh my god...” she panted, nearly breathless from the pain. Hundreds of thousands of sounds were rushing through her ears all at once and she could do nothing to stop it – the sound of metal on metal, an axe chopping through wood, wings – so many wings! – in flight, the thundering gallop of an equine, water streaming over rocks, a body falling with a hard thud...somewhere....and so much more. None of it was happening where she was, so what was happening to her? Had she finally lost what was left of her sanity? Eyes watering, she blinked away a few tears and managed to sit up in a limp huddle, hands strewn in her lap as shudders racked through her body. It was pain as she’d never felt before, and yet she was already coping, her mind fighting to try and block or numb it. And then she realized – how hadn’t she remembered before?! – that it must have been because of the men in white. The keepers. They’d given her another ability before, empathy, and it had left her entire body aching dully for days. Nothing compared to this, though. What had they done? Trying to think through things as best she could, she figured it obviously had something to do with her hearing. They’d made everything...louder...better? How could it possibly be better, though, when such pain accompanied it? Still, they didn’t seem to give out these abilities to specifically cause pain to their user, so it would probably help somehow in the long run. In the mean time, though, how to deal with this newfound problem was her first priority. If she couldn’t think clearly enough, then what good was she as a leader? With a sigh, she pressed one hand to her right temple, leaving the other to cover her left ear weakly, though for all the good it did, this was a pointless action. The sound penetrated right through her hand. Carefully she got to her feet, wobbling slightly, and then began to head down the lightly treaded path that wove down the smoother side of the cliff, trying to flee from the steady stream of sound. “Silence, silence...please, everyone just be silent!” At the last word, her voice rose to a sharp, angry pitch, and as her own words reverberated back harshly at her, she let out a frustrated cry, tears once more welling in her eyes despite her best wishes. word count; 985 ooc; reserved until further notice, might turn into open thread

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[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] The acted like birds, even in their human forms. Constantly restless, shifting their arms as if they wanted to leap into the air, moving their weight from one foot to the other, movements quick and sharp. They stepped lightly, as if prepared to take flight in a flurry of wings. Even as he watched, the raven took off, the others following close behind, leaving a woman behind to descend on foot. It was easy to see she was the leader, or some sort of second in command. The flock deferred to her more than any other he’d seen. Sain made these observations from farther along the cliff, stretched out on a small ledge and hidden in shadow. He had seen the border markings that claimed this area as territory, but had disregarded them. He avoided the concentrated city for safety and solitude, but he wasn’t going to go out of his way to accommodate other retromorphs who thought they could take over the wilds. It was a ridiculous and unnecessary idea – since when did they get caught up in the illogical conceptions of humans? Packs defend their land against other packs. Lions keep other lions away. You never see sensible beasts fighting other kinds, unless in defense of a kill or offspring. The jaguar flicked an ear in dismissal. There was no point in pondering the choices others made – most often they made no sense. The retromorphs had formed their groups, and would likely remain in them until the shifters got fed up with their hunting being impeded and declared war, or whatever they referred to it as. It was folly to think that they’d allow the retros to continue living where most, if not all, of the fresh food came from. And however much they strive to resist, as of yet there were far more shifters trapped in this living hell, and many of them believed themselves better than the retromorphs. It was only a matter of time before a battle broke out; it was only undecided on the matter of who would be fighting who. These thoughts were interrupted when the woman, whom his gaze had been tracking idly, suddenly fell to her knees, clapping her hands over her ears. Sain rose to his paws in a fluid motion, ears tilting back with alarm as he stepped to the edge of the ledge. He remained there for a moment, motionless, until she tipped over sideways, wrapping arms around her head. Deciding that he couldn’t simply leave her without knowing what was wrong, he sprang off the ledge, leaping nimbly down the sheer and rocky cliff face. The path that the woman was on curved – he could intercept it, and follow it up to where she was, instead of trying to move directly across the steep slope. Reaching the narrow track, he turned and slid along it, sticking to the shadows cast by boulders and rock outcroppings when possible. It wouldn’t do to be spotted by a Lawaii flying in the distance. The entire flock would attack him, for simply being in their land, so close to their leader. His intentions wouldn’t matter, without any proof to assure that he didn’t mean to kill her. A female voice, pleading for silence, caused his ears to prick forward. He shifted, hoping he’d appear less threatening as a human and perhaps not be recognized as a feline, and turned the corner. She was walking slowly toward him, hands on her head and tears of pain spilling down her cheeks. So something was wrong with her head or ears? Perhaps a migraine – those made one sensitive to sound and light – but in his experience they didn’t come on quite so quickly. She had seemed fine before suddenly dropping to her knees. “You’re in pain.” The statement was quiet, in deference to the agony noise seemed to bring her. He took a cautious step forward, lifting his hands palm up in a gesture of good will. “May I help? I mean you no harm.” Hopefully she would be still be coherent enough to realize that if he did want to attack her, he could have do so without announcing himself first. ooc; Ann, be nice! xD words; 698

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[Anita Gellard]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Distracted as she was by her painful predicament, Ann didn’t even take notice of the man until she was less than three feet away, and the only reason she’d looked up in the first place was because he’d spoken in a way that allowed his voice to be distinguished amongst all the other, louder voices and other various sounds. Surprisingly, they didn’t smother or crowd his soft tone; instead, it stood out like a beacon, one of which she welcomed with some relief. Of course, that didn’t mean that he himself was welcome there, because as far as she could tell, even through her tears which had blurred her vision dramatically, he wasn’t a member of her flock. A quick glance up and down as she studied him only seemed to further confirm this; he moved slower and more smoothly than any bird she knew of, and he lacked the restlessness that seemed a mandatory part of the species’ behaviour. Eyes narrowing to slits, she cocked her head briefly as he spoke, offering her his help. How did he, a perfect stranger, know what was happening to her? And how could he possibly help when she didn’t even understand it herself? No, it was too odd not to be suspicious of ulterior motives. What she really was curious about, though, was how he’d managed to sneak into her territory completely undetected. Lowering her hands from her head and trying to ignore the pain that had dulled to a throbbing ache, she folded her arms tightly, fingers twitching anxiously every now and then. Lips drawn in a thin line, she watched the other for a moment longer, rocking back on her heels and preparing to take flight should he suddenly decide to attack. More desperately than anything else, she didn’t want to appear weak or defenceless, even though he’d obviously seen her breakdown moments before. And so, she went for threatening. When she spoke, her voice was light but sharp, tones just short of biting (this time, the sound of her own words reverberating back did not bother her nearly as much), “No harm? Then what are you doing here, lurking about?” She took an involuntary step forwards, arms loosening to fall at her sides and posture becoming more threatening, “I think it unwise to be stalking someone in their own territory.” Another step. “So what are you, then? No bird that I know of. And no shifter, either, oh no. Your scent confirms that, at least.” A low hiss escaped her now parted lips, blue eyes flashing in warning. “Tell me, friend, are you a cat?” She paused to tap a finger to her chin, pretending to survey him again, and watched as he shuffled uncomfortably beneath her gaze. “You seem to move like one. And as the old saying goes,” she crept towards him again, steps airy and quiet, then circled around him, leaving them a decently wide berth, more for her sake then his, as she wanted to be able to escape it he retaliated. “If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. But you must be a cat. And, by extension, a member of the Analoya, am I correct?” She nearly spat the other group’s name as she said it, and as her speech finished, she winced in pain as somewhere nearby, two birds squabbled loudly over who truly deserved the highest-quality mouse from the ever-growing food pile. Idiots. She could hear their entire conversation, and it wasn’t one she actually cared to hear. Struggling, she managed to refocus her attention again on the dark-haired man. “Shift back?” she murmured, voice dangerously low. It wasn’t so much a question as a command – her time spent as a leader had some influence over the way she spoke, and she was too used to giving out orders to bother changing it now for the benefit of this presumed Analoya. “Shift back and tell me why you are here, dear cat, and perhaps I will refrain from attacking you here and now.” One of her hands had crept into her jeans pocket, fingers closing around the slim folded switchblade she kept there; it provided some comfort to her, knowing that a weapon was so close at hand should she need it. But, she’d play nice and give the kitty a chance to explain – as long as he realized she was no free meal, she was more or less safe. And if she needed back up, well, she had plenty of minions to help her out. word count; 770 ooc; she's trying to be nice? D: xD

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[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] As he’d half expected, the Lawaii leader didn’t take to kindly to his presence. She drew herself up, reminding him of a bird poofing out its feathers. Whereas moments ago she had been in the grip of pain, vulnerable, now she looked hard and unforgiving. It seemed that her expression hinted strongly at anger, but human expressions sometimes eluded him, despite his time among them. When she spoke, her tone was sharp, and speak she did. Sain had let his hands drop and now linked them behind his back, resigned to waiting out her triad. While she questioned and accused, she stepped closer, and he resisted the urge to sigh. Did she know nothing of hunting? If he were stalking her, he would have laid an ambush for her on the path. Or if he were a lion or some such feline, he would have crept closer under the cover of camouflage until he was in pouncing range. It was only after the woman hissed and asked yet another question that he was able to offer any input. “I’m not your friend. I’m not even sure I like you all that much,” he said amiably. She continued, ignoring him. She was circling him now, but he remained unmoving, trusting that he would sense if she tried to knife him in the back. At the assumption that sounded like an accusation, Sain frowned. “No, you’re not. I’m a cat, yes, but not of any group.” Did she think him suicidal? He knew the Retromorph groups weren’t exactly on friendly terms. Why the hell would he have revealed himself if he was of the Analoya? The only reason he’d come forth was because she was in pain, and he figured that as a rogue she wouldn’t have any particular reason to want him dead. “Shift back?” It was spoken as a command, and the first traces of irritation flashed in his dark eyes. “I am not yours to order about.” He paused for a moment, to collect himself before he said something rash, then continued in a more moderate tone. “Besides, I assure my natural form is more dangerous than this one.” If her previous actions were anything to judge by, he was about to be interrupted, so he breezed on without giving her a chance. “To answer your first question, I wasn’t lurking, I was observing out of curiosity.” If she responded with ‘well then, curiosity really did kill the cat,’ it would be ridiculously cliché. The woman had reached into her pocket, and he tracked her with a level gaze. She obviously had a weapon – there was no other reason to put your hand in a pocket when in the vicinity of someone you considered an enemy. “If you’re going to attack me, please hurry up and get on with it. I have other things I could be doing, if you don’t want my help.” Really, he wasn’t looking for a fight, but if she insisted on one he would finish it quickly and vanish before anyone was the wiser. As a general rule, birds annoyed him – they were chatty, jittery, always inclined to sharp, restless movements – and he normally would not tolerate one unless necessary. If she wasn’t going to allow him to ease her pain, there was no point in lingering, unless he wished to be sneered at and insulted some more. ooc; -rolls- words; 564

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[Anita Gellard]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] The woman offered him a skeptical look, eyebrows rising. So, he wasn’t a member of the Analoya, then? While she supposed it made some sense – no sane cat belonging to that group would dare set foot on their land – she couldn’t help but remain suspicious all the same that perhaps, just maybe, he was lying to her for some reason; it was just in her nature. At the mention of him being curious, though, her eyes narrowed immediately. A curt response followed his words, “Curious? About what? Surely you know the habits of birds by now, hm, being a cat and all? Why, I have half a mind to think that you were hoping for an easy meal if one of us happened to fly too near.” Frowning heavily, she shook her head a little, the dark locks framing her face bouncing atop her shoulders. “That will simply not do, I’m afraid.” She pulled the knife from her pocket and tapped it absently in the palm of her hand, considering things. A rustle of wings drew her attention, although she didn’t turn her head to observe – while she wasn’t exactly the most stable person around, she was far from stupid. Besides, it’d merely been some bird passing overhead, probably hunting small game in the valleys below. Neither of them had been spotted yet – ‘yet’ being the key word, of course. A bird’s eyes were sharp, after all. It wouldn’t take too long, now before they were. Ann merely sighed as the next soft sentence reached her ears, gazing back at the man just as steadily, the fingers of one hand fluttering at her side, clenching and unclenching, the only thing that revealed her uncertainly. And then she released the tension in her body, every muscle relaxing, albeit warily, the switchblade slipping back into her pocket in one smooth motion. He’d played his cards well, for as much as she currently disliked him, she was also inclined to give him a certain amount of grudging respect at his blunt way of putting things. “You must realize,” she muttered, stepping closer and starting to walk around him again, “That it’s necessary for me to find out all I can about those who enter this land,” As she circled behind him, she casually ran her hand lightly over the back of his neck, nails raking ever so slightly, and then swung around slowly to face him again, her other hand catching his chin gently and cupping it in her palm. A strong wave of calm flowed through her fingers as soon as she made contact, trying to pass the emotion on to the man. “It’s nothing personal.” The words were uttered so softly that one could have described it as a purr, the tone a lull. In fact, she may have come across as completely harmless, if not for the fact that her eyes didn’t match her sweet smile; they were hardened like chips of gray ice, both in despair and frustration. As she let go, she smacked him lightly on the jaw with her fingers, hissing abruptly and backing away. Whatever calming sensation she'd managed to channel had been effectively broken. “When you are on this territory, you will listen to me,” It was not, however, spoken as a command, but rather a mere statement. She continued to back away, expression one of complete misery. “And when I say you cannot help me, believe me, it is the truth,” A slight pause, and then a sigh. “Nobody can.” For once, there was no malice to her words – only desperation and the beginning traces of hysteria, despite the fact that she was trying her hardest to keep her voice steady. “This is not something that can be healed. It is the work of those who play with us as if they are Gods!” Her hands rose to her head and ran through her hair, pushing it back, as though she were deep in thought, and then she paused, lowering them again and speaking slowly. “I will give you whatever information you desire that I know of in exchange for any knowledge you have about them. The Keepers, that is. But,” she cast a quick glance at the sky, and then back at him. “You cannot stand here in the open. Come.” And with that she was off, striding hurriedly in the direction of an outcropping of rock and beckoning at him to follow – it proved a decent shield from prying eyes above, she’d found. With any luck, perhaps this stranger knew some way to ease the ever-throbbing pain in her head as well, despite all she’d said. word count; 780 ooc; ....x.x creeperAnn. Sorry Sain D:

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[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] “Curious? About what?” He shrugged a shoulder in response, knowing there was no way to respond to the question. He simply didn’t know the answer - there wasn’t a particular reason he ventured into the mountains, he simply wanted to see what was going on. As for hunting, well, if he actually did plan to take one of her flock, she never would have seen it coming. But why bother, when there was a herd of deer and other hooved animals not too far away? More difficult prey, perhaps, but far more substantial. Even the largest birds would be mostly feathers and hollow bone. When he pointed out that he’d like to get on with the attack if it was indeed coming, the woman wavered, fingers of one hand moving restlessly. Sain waited in alert silence, wary of a sudden lunge. However, after a few moments she relaxed and slid her knife back into its pocket. Normally this would be a signal to be at ease, but she ruined it by immediately coming closer to him. It wasn’t that he was afraid of her, but he liked his space and was made extremely uncomfortable by any unnecessary contact. So of course, she had to run her hand across the back of his neck. Sain flinched away from the touch, startled. “You want to know about me? Fine,” he grumbled. “I don’t like to be touched.” He moved to step back and put more space between them, but her hand caught his chin, causing him to freeze, going rigid. It wasn’t the contact that affected him, but the unnatural calm that suddenly washed though him. He met those utterly merciless gray eyes, refusing to show the tide of panic that was rising in him, shoving away the lucid calm. Inhaling, he turned the panic into anger and glared at the Lawaai leader, jerking his jaw out of her grip. Her fingers tapped against him in response, as she released him and backed away. He continued to glare, but didn’t respond otherwise to her hiss, having realized she was arrogant enough to do whatever the hell she wanted, protests aside. As she continued, completely unashamed for trying to lull him with fake calm and returning to his offer of help, the glare faded. There was no telling why people did things; it was best to let it go. “I will give you whatever information you desire that I know of in exchange for any knowledge you have about them.” His eyebrows rose at this, but before he could respond she was leading him toward a rock overhang. Taking up a position as far away from her as the cover would allow (Sain was wary of his emotions being influenced by her touch again), he crossed his arms loosely. “I know nothing of the Keepers,” he said shortly. “Other than the obvious.” The obvious. They were cruel. They had stolen his and others’ freedom. They had no rights to hold him captive, but they did. He hated them with a passion. But all of that was common knowledge, shown simply in the existence of the Menagerie. None of that would matter to her. As for her pain.... He shook his head. “When I say help, I mean offer some relief. If it’s something they did, I cannot ‘cure’ it anymore than I can my own ability.” However, while he would keep his word, now he was more reluctant than usual to come into contact with her, for fear of woman’s power over emotions. ooc; HAH. did this before you got back. u.u words; 589

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[Anita Gellard]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] If she had hoped for more details she was sorely mistaken, out of luck once again. A small hiss of frustration passed between her lips; this stranger knew nothing more than she did, which was in fact very little, besides the obvious; that the Keepers were monstrous beings, worse than any of the rings or retro groups in this place, and that even despite their advanced technology and knowledge about everyone, they could never hope to match the powers of those who weren’t bound to this earth. No matter – the more they tried, the harder they’d fall, in the end. And when that happened, it would be sweet justice for those who’d been served with injustice. If only they could be handed over to her; she would give them the treatment they so desperately deserved. Idly, she wondered if the rope fixed to the tree branch of the tallest tree in her territory was still in good working condition. She’d have to test it later. For now, she shifted her weight restlessly, showing her annoyance to the other retromorph – though, really, she supposed it wasn’t entirely fair of her to be irritated with him when she herself was in the same metaphorical boat -, and although she’d relaxed somewhat now that they were both hidden away, the tension from earlier remained; there were few male presences she would tolerate, and even around those ones, she rarely let her guard down. It was in her nature to be suspicious, even paranoid – and what had happened to her before had engrained that in her even more than ever now. “Well, then I have no information of my own for [you. Other than the obvious,” she muttered, her eyes narrowed as she turned his words back on him. There was a pause, a tilt of the head as she considered his offer, and then, “Relief from this would be a blessing. I am,” her words cut off and she gritted her teeth as the pain briefly intensified in her head, and then subsided, “Curious as to how you might do that, though. I have never come across a retromorph with such a... gift as your own.” She eyed his hands suspiciously, wondering what sort of magic they held; perhaps it was similar to her own, how she could transfer energy with her hands and unleash any emotion she desired upon the victim – provided their willpower was weak or they were distracted. As it would seem, neither of these cases applied to him, which made her talents virtually useless. There was, of course, the chance that he was some sort of psychopath, who was in fact lying about what kind of power he had – he could be intent on screwing with her mind even more. Her gaze flicked back to his, intense and cold, trying to determine what was the truth. And then she sighed, relenting; if there was a chance that he could help her, she would take it. But first, she would test him; see how it worked before he tampered with her head. Slowly, she withdrew the switchblade she’d pocketed, flicking it open, and glancing at him briefly, holding up one hand to show that it wasn’t meant for him. Then, with careful precision, she coolly drew the blade across her palm, watching as blood began to well from the wound, and then extended her hand towards him warily, taking care not to spill any droplets on him. “If you are really a healer, then perhaps would you be able to show me how you do it?” Absentmindedly, she held the blade to her mouth and slowly licked away the blood – she had few clothes, and didn’t want to dirty the ones she wore by wiping it clean –, all the while regarding him with eerie calm and repocketing it when she was finished. word count; 642 ooc; Failpost with a dash of creepiness thrown in for good measure. Try not to flail, Sain.

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[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] As the woman sliced open her own palm, he suppressed a sigh. It was unnecessary, and would only succeed in tiring him, but she was obviously paranoid. And more odd than he had originally thought, he corrected mentally, wrinkling his nose as she licked her blade clean. Sain didn’t comment though, accepting this as another one of those things he would never understand about people. Instead he moved closer and extended his hand, covering her palm with his own. Being watched in such a fashion was disconcerting in addition to making him uncomfortable, but he did his best to ignore her scrutiny. Eyes half-lidded in concentration, he directed energy at the wound, willing it to mend. The familiar decrease in energy was ignored - it was shallow, nothing that would exhaust him. After a few moments he drew his hand away, leaving her’s unmarked. With his clean hand, he drew a scrap of cloth from his pocket to wipe her blood off his palm, then tossed it to her in hopes that she wouldn’t lick her hand clean as she had done for her knife. “Now if you’re satisfied?” He gestured toward her head and, when she didn’t object, eased warily closer, resting his hands lightly on her temples. His eyes closed, a slight frown touching his expression as he concentrated, directing a slight, steady flow of energy through his hands. “Let me know when the pain stops, or decreases,” he murmured as an afterthought. “It will take a few minutes.” When a person is in pain, their body starts producing Endorphins to block it. He was, for all intents and purposes, simply speeding up that process, making her body react more quickly by giving it energy that it would automatically use for self preservation. That was what he guessed, anyway. He could only assume what happened with the energy - all he knew for certain was that it had worked on himself. It may or may not work on the woman, but it seemed logical that it would. ooc; I know you're probably soooo excited for this post. xD words; 338

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[Anita Gellard]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Although he seemed reasonably uncomfortable as her cold gaze continued to stay fixed on him, he didn’t make a protest, or any noise, really, to show it, and for that she gave him some credit. She held those who could stay calm under pressure or judgement in moderately high regards, and though she would never have admitted it if someone were to ask, she even envied it, for, personally, it was not her strongest point. After her little outburst earlier, this seemed to be clearer than ever, much to her annoyance. She’d have to try and get a handle on it sometime or another; she was the leader for god’s sake! The combination of a low pain tolerance and a – at times – loose mind had just gotten the better of her. It wouldn’t happen again. Through narrowed eyes she watched him work, lips parting in surprise at the strange sensation of the healing energy flowing through her palm; it felt almost like a warm, soothing breeze, and, she guessed that if a larger amount of the same type of energy was used, it could lull a person into a false sense of calm, almost like a drug, just as she herself had tried to do with him. So very odd; it also evaporated the slight, tingling pain she’d felt when she’d sliced her hand, and she flexed it experimentally before casting him a wide-eyed stare. Never before had she seen let alone experienced such magic – it was a very useful tool, and as she gazed upon him, it was with new, calculating eyes. Now that he’d proved his use, she couldn’t help but wonder if there was some way to convince him that serving her flock would only benefit him. He could hone his skill while helping those who couldn’t help themselves. It was brilliant – unfortunately, she knew their rough start could potentially hamper her efforts in actually getting him to see the use of it. But that would have to wait, for now. She absentmindedly wiped the blood off her palm when he threw her the cloth, and then tossed it back on the ground near him, before letting him rest his hands lightly at her temples and closing her eyes. Her expression was thoughtful as she listened to his words, and when she felt the energy flow into her once again, said expression grew expectant as well – she was confident that it would work. At first, the dully aching pain seemed to waver, as though it was undecided whether to leave or not, and mentally she tried to will it – of course, it was ludicrous to do so since she couldn’t control it – figuring that it was better than just giving in to whatever happened. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, even though it was a mere thirty seconds, it started to decrease, ebbing away in small doses. A sigh escaped her throat – it was as though a huge pressure had been lifted from her head already. “It’s...starting to lessen, I think.” word count; 501 ooc; I DO SHORTPOST, SEE? x'D

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[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] When she informed him that the pain was lessening, he made a faint sound in the back of his throat to confirm that he’d heard, but didn’t break his focus enough to respond properly. The healing was draining him faster than he had assumed it would, using his reserves of energy at a disturbingly quick rate. Sain kept a close watch on his physical sense, wary of accidentally burning himself out. More than anything, he did not want to fall unconscious in the presence of this woman. Who knew what she’d have done to him before he woke. Despite the speed at which he was becoming weary, it was another couple minutes before he released her and opened his eyes, swaying slightly as the world spun and blurred, leaving him lightheaded. Automatically, his hand sought the solidity of the stone beside them, steadying himself as he braced against it while the earth rocked beneath his feet. After a moment his vision focused properly and he moved closer to the rock, leaning a shoulder on it, resisting the urge to sink to the ground and pass out cold. He yawned, then passed a hand over his face in an attempt to wake himself up. “Is it bearable, at least? I’m not sure how long the healing will last - at least close to a day, perhaps as long as the pain does.” In theory, now that he had given her endorphins to ward off the pain, her body just had to maintain the amount. Theories were all he had, though. This was the first time he had attempted such a healing on another person, and it was anyone’s guess as to how it would play out. He was in no mood to speculate, exhausted as he was. He yawned again, then forced himself upright and took a step away. “Either way, I can’t do any more right now, so it will have to suffice.” Finished with what he had set out to do, now he was ready for a nap. Or an entire month of solid sleep, whichever came first. However, before collapsing he was going to get as far out of this crazed Lawaii’s territory as physically possible. The last thing he needed was to be attacked by a bunch of birds while sleeping off a such a draining healing. ooc; A SHORTPOST?! o.o -takes a screenshot, prints it, hangs on the wall- 83 words; 389

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[Anita Gellard]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] She automatically leaned away when she felt the pressure of his hands lift off her head, and eyed him warily while she took a moment to take note of the pain in her hand. Or lack thereof, as it were, for it had mysteriously vanished, to be replaced by only a faint sort of woozy calm delight and a lingering warmth at the spot where his fingers had rested. It seemed he himself was more than a little dizzy, although it was for, obviously, different reasons than her own. Ann lifted a hand to her hair, pushing it back away from her face, a soft sound rising in her throat only to be pushed back down as she murmured her thanks instead. The flush of color in her cheeks was really the only thing that attested to her remaining high. “Hm, yes. Very bearable – barely even there, in fact,” she grinned – the grin itself being a few shades too wicked to really be considered all that friendly -, eyes glittering with something like malicious glee. “That will be fine, I think. Thank you.” Her gaze followed him, narrowing as he stood up, and her mouth upturned into a firmly set frown, a small hiss of frustration playing on her tongue. This would not do – no, no, not at all. She hadn’t told him he could leave yet, and rogue or not, he was in her lands. Thus, her ruling still applied. She followed suit, rising to her feet with grace that resembled a cat’s rather than a bird’s, and slowly paced towards him, arms folded lightly, face carefully neutral. “It does suffice, yes, but our business is not yet finished,” a slight movement drew her up to his side, and the grin slowly filtered back across her face. “ Not right this minute, anyhow. I have a...proposition. I thought you might find it of interest.” Her eyebrows rose as though to emphasize her words. “Your healing powers are quite extraordinary. Consider this. What if, say, you served my flock as healer – on call; it would be quite beneficial for you. You’d receive experience in return, and perhaps we would be able to offer you other things as well.” She paused a moment or two, then added, “Any thoughts on this?” word count; 380 ooc; OHLOOK, AN EVEN SHORTER POST! ...and a creeperAnn >.>

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[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] He paused, casting her a wary glance as she padded closer to him. Whatever she meant by unfinished business was a mystery to him, but he didn’t trust the look in her eye, or her bland expression. When she reached his side, he stepped back, renewing the distance between them with a combination of distrust for the power her hands held and his own general discomfort with close proximity. Having seen her tenacity, however, Sain only gave a weary sigh, declining to interrupt her proposal. Cutting her off seemed like it would require too much energy. When she paused, he tilted his head to one side, consideringly. He didn’t see how working for her flock would be beneficial for him; draining himself to support a family that was not his own, to be at the beck and call of this odd woman. All for the sake of practice? It wasn’t worth it. For practice would be all he got in return, despite the “other things” she had mentioned - he could think of nothing they could possibly offer him that would balance the sacrifice. What did he need? Food, water, shelter? He could easily attain those by himself. And he didn’t hold shiny things in the same high regard the birds did. He shrugged a shoulder carelessly. “You have nothing I need or want.” Besides, he could easily find practice elsewhere if he so desired. People injured themselves constantly in this giant fishbowl. All he had to do was wait, or if he preferred a more direct approach, walk up to any of the groups or rings and ask if he could be of assistance. As this woman had just demonstrated, healers were rare and useful commodities. He’d be welcomed virtually anywhere. That was, of course, dependent on the fact that he would want to help them. Which he didn’t. While he had no particular love or hate for the rings or retromorhps, being part of or designated to any one group was distasteful. Sain valued his freedom highly, even limited as it was in the Menagerie, and wouldn’t relinquish it lightly, even if only to be “on call.” Individuals were different, as in this case. It was his own choice, for one, and it wasn’t in any way binding. A one time deal, and that was the end of it. He just had to make this woman see that it was a one time deal, and he had no intention of agreeing to her proposition. “Thanks for the offer, though,” he added, because it seemed like the correct thing to say. He turned to leave, hoping she wouldn’t press the issue further. No doubt his outright refusal would irk her, but perhaps the act of leaving would make it clear he wasn’t at all interested. It didn’t seem likely, but waiting patiently for her to try to convince him otherwise certainly wouldn’t help get the point across. ooc; -ttly not intentionally pushing Ann's buttons- words; 487

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[Anita Gellard]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] She hadn’t expected that at all, nor was it an answer she desired to hear, and Ann let him know as such with an irritated hiss of breath through her teeth, eyes narrowing to slits, the fingers of one of her hands playing with the blade in her pocket, turning it and twisting it. They had nothing he desired? What did he know of their assets, anyhow.....had he been spying more than she’d originally thought? Her flock had plenty of very beneficial things to offer, and not all of them were materialistic, which was what she suspected he thought. It was as though he’d never heard of alliances before, and, quite frankly, she was insulted that he was so quick to turn her down, without even stopping to consider what she’d said, without pondering the potential benefits that could come out of it for him! Not only that, but his words had been so utterly dismissive that, to her, it seemed as though he thought himself superior above her and the others under her rule. And the more she thought this, the more annoyed and frustrated she became, until it grew into a clearly readable expression on her face despite her best efforts to hide it. And then he turned his back on her. On her, like she was nothing! Well, he would see what a grave error he’d just made. To think, he had the nerve to come waltzing into her territory and then just decide to leave at any time he pleased. She hadn’t even dismissed him yet. “It wasn’t one for you to decline,” she snarled to his retreating back. “And you also,” she darted after him, and then slunk forwards to round on him, visibly bristling. “Were not allowed to leave yet. I did not give that order.” The tilt of her head that followed was completely bird-like, as was the swift movement of her arms as she pulled out the blade from her pocket once more and flicked it open, then, leaning forwards, she rucked his shirt up with the blade-hand, slung her other arm around his neck, and then grabbed the shirt with that hand to keep it held up whilst pulling him forwards and trying to push a false sense of fear through her arm and into him. She sighed, tapping the knife lightly against her chin, muttering, “I did warn you.” And in a single, fluid movement, she poised the tip of the knife above his chest, directly over his heart, and began to carve in an ‘A’ with long, harsh strokes. The cut itself was shallow – she’d had enough practice to make it as such, not wanting to stab them, but it still drew blood, and it would still cause pain. When she was finished, she withdrew the knife, and lifted it back up to her mouth, licking away a drop of blood from the tip as it threatened to fall. And then she offered him a coy smile before repocketing the knife, dropping her arm and his shirt, and growling low. “Now you are dismissed. Get out of my land, and don’t you dare come back, or we will kill you.” word count; 531 ooc; sorry Sain </3 And Rumor, I powerplayedddd, lemme know if you want me to change it? D: But I figured since he has healing he can fix it rightaway x'D

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[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] At the snarled response, he grimaced. Though he’d expected a reaction along those lines, it didn’t make it any more pleasant. As he debated whether to turn around or keep walking, the woman darted in front of him, acidly informing him that he wasn’t allowed to leave. Sain frowned. He’d just done her a favor - wasn’t she supposed to be grateful? He opened his mouth, intending to express confusion, then staggered back with a startled sound as her hands leaped for him. Before he could fully process what was happening, her arm was locked around his neck, holding up his shirt, while the other hand toyed with her knife. He growled, but before he could shove her away, another false emotion poured into him. He went rigid, eyes glazing as he struggled against it, trying to conquer the fake fear. Only when sharp pain broke through the haze did his mind suddenly clear, making way for shock. Even as he registered it, the hot line tracing over his skin ceased, leaving only the sting of the marks. Sain automatically caught the hem of his shirt, keeping it off the wound. Obvious astonishment colored his expression as he stared at the cuts engraved over his heart. They formed a symbol, one that he recognized as a letter but otherwise had no knowledge of. Dumbfounded, he traced a fingertip over the lines, then switched his gaze to the woman, brow furrowing. “Why would you do that?” His tone was confused, bewildered, and a bit dismayed. He’d helped her, and now she was threatening to kill him? He had no obligation to stay. He just wanted to get on with his life. He looked back to carved mark, pressing a hand against it and watching as blood welled between his fingers then spilled down over his ribs and stomach. Exhaustion nagged at the edges of his consciousness, but Sain knew he should heal it before it scarred, permanently marking him with a connection to this woman. In addition, he didn’t want to leave a blood trail for someone to follow, or get it all over his clothes. Dragging up the remaining shreds of his energy, he forced it through his hand, sealing the skin. ooc; Ann, no beating on squishySain </3 words; 371

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[Anita Gellard]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] When he did not leave immediately, she let out a low hiss of disapproval, eyes cold and unforgiving, for she was shameless about what she’d just done. His question, although unexpected, was not entirely unwelcome; why not let him know? Perhaps he would spread the message on to someone else that she, nor her flock, was to be trifled with, and that would save her from having to deal with one less intruder. However, before she could answer, the woman watched with increasing agitation as he closed up the wound, and, in the process, directly defying her. Infidel. “Why?” She purred, her voice calm except for the small tinge of anger in it. Casually, she made her way back over to him, leaning up to peer at his face and into his dark eyes. “Because, you made a grave mistake, and therefore, you deserved to bear the burden of such a mark.” A pause, and a slow smile spread across her face as she slung her arm loosely back around his neck, nails teasing lightly at the nape of it. “Never thought to consider what services I might have been referring to, hm, cat?” Of course, now she was only toying with him – infuriating as he was, he was easy to torment, it seemed. She tugged lightly at a tendril of his hair and reached up until her lips were nearly brushing his ear, muttering softly, “I told you to get out. I suggest you listen to me.” The next tug of his hair to follow was much sharper and much harder, and then she stepped back, gave his chest a hard shove, and pointed in the direction of the nearest way to get down from the mountains. “Leave. Now!” word count; 290 ooc; Sososorry for the wait x.x And is short. She didn't have much to say, but I thought this was as good a place as any to end off the thread? <.<;

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[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] She had cut around in front of him when he’d first tried leaving, so when he backed up as she invaded his space, he could take only a few short steps before his back hit rock. Sain drew his stomach in, pressing against the unforgiving stone in an effort to put distance between himself and the woman, as she leaned up toward him. The proximity was making his skin crawl, weariness forgotten in the awkwardness and unease racing through him. The only mistake I made was offering to help you in the first place. He’d have to remember this incident the next time he felt so inclined. So far it seemed nothing but trouble. He shifted uneasily when her arm once again encircled his neck, then flinched as her nails dragged lightly over the back of his neck. Unfortunately, the only direction available was away from the ledge, and thus closer to her. His first reaction was to push her away, but she was so close that he was left with few options of where to put his hands. She had some very definite, though slight, feminine curves, and he was most reluctant to touch any of them. A faint, displeased shudder ran through him, and he pressed back against the rock, trying to focus his attention on her, instead of his discomfort. “Never thought to consider what services I might have been referring to, hm, cat?” The words were paired with a sly smile, and were not helping. Sain stared at her for a moment, then abruptly felt heat flood his face, coloring his cheeks bright red. It felt as if he’d meld with the rock if he pressed backwards with any more force, but he did so anyway. There was a light tug on his hair, so his hand found a small outcropping of stone to clench, while he tried to edge sideways past her. Though he’d believed it impossible, she managed to get even closer to him, breath feathering against his ear as she murmured. Sain craned away from her, then narrowed his eyes at the sharp yank on his hair. Suddenly she was replaced with empty space, and he inhaled sharply, grateful and relieved, only to have her fingers smack against his chest. A lip curled back in distaste, and he stepped away from the rocky ledge, shifting back to his regular form and casting a glance in the direction she’d indicated. “Yes ma’am,” he answered, irony and annoyance lacing his tone. Then, partly to spite her and partly to avoid any ambush she might plan, he bounded over the same ridge he’d been trapped against a moment before, and disappeared down the mountainside. ooc; END THREAD 83 words; 434

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[grace!]

THIS THREAD IS C L O S E D!