[ALL FALLEN ATTEND] Wish for the World

[Skye [RIP]]

LIFE IS FOR DREAMERS
and i'm a believer.

Petite arms wrapped powerfully around a pile of sticks as she scampered to her so-far small fire. She stumbled slightly and dropped the sticks, but thankfully they landed where they were supposed to be anyways. It was nighttime in this desert...therefore being quite particularily cold. Still, the fire grew and started to light up the whole area, one tossed train car set up for seats, little blankets piled in sections for seats and larger logs around the fire for more seats. Though her sky blue eyes glowed with excitement, it was obvious she'd been at this for hours... For one, there were no sticks with in their own perimeter. Self explanatory. She continuously pushed the collar of her jacket over her nose to hide her mouth, self concious at best, but remember that she needed to provide confidence to her ring. After a moment, she pulled it back down and with smooth, lithe strides, she hurried over to a farther away traincar and started to pull out large cardboard boxes, nearly as tall as herself. There were about five of them that she pulled out and three she did not. Today would be the day she shared what she collected over the years. Inside the boxes, there were all sorts of random things... Human items that she'd slowly come across. She'd shared this once with Leila only a long time ago, but like a little pack rat, it was starting to pile up. In another area, there were long, powerful blades of grass for weaving baskets. She guessed most of them wouldn't know how, but teaching was easy, and the needed something to send a little food and supplies over to the Carna in return for their protection against the Fulsi...

She had no ill wishes against the Fulsi. On the contrary, her daughter by blood was over there. A crease of worry found it's way between her eye brows. She'd thought Jazz would be safer there...away from her...She'd be better off afraid of her. But with all the havoc and tension between the Carna and Fulsi, perhaps she'd made a mistake.
Of course, she couldn't speak with Legend about it. He would be free soon, though...Would soon be too late? She knew right now that what she was doing was best for her ring. The Carna were strong and would keep them safe against an alliance that had turned on them. She did her best not to be offended by it.

But tonight was not a night for such worries...At least not for her family. In the midst of all this disastor, they had to stay close and maintain their own peace. Unity. Love. Peace. She sighed and pulled out a blanket from the traincar, spreading it out on the ground and grabbing several bowls of different sorts of berries. She sprawled out and started with blue berries, trying to smoosh them into juice...some sort of paint. Instead, it splattered in her face. She squeaked in surprize but then licked her lips and purred, picking at the smooshed bits and eating them. When that bowl was gone, she kept on her best 'I didn't do it' face and moved on to the next more, more successful in actually making it liquid this time. She wiped off her face on the blanket when she was done and stretched out in a cat-like manner, rolling on her back and starring at the stars. ...Were they real?
She had high hopes for tonight, to see how her ring would interact with one another...to see if they were truly the amazing people she knew them to be. How many of them would sit up on the largest logs and tell all sorts of great stories? How many would play in the paint and experiment or explore the boxes or try to weave? How many of them would interact and play, star gaze, exchange stories?

How many of them would love? She trembled in anticipation.



ooc: C: You guys can use one of your Fallen characters so that there's not too many, much like the raid...and we'll just go in order. More characters joining will end after awhile also though(I'll post when) that way we can move it along. This is for fun - don't stress!
Also if you have a character interested in having a new rank (there are a couple higher ranks open..) now would be a good time to convince Skye of their skills! 8D

[Delilah Harper]

[atrb=width,450,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=f6deae] It was a beautiful night tonight and Delilah was really looking forward to see all of the Fallens' faces when they arrived tonight. Skye invited her earlier than most of the other Fallen due to her cooking abilities. All Skye had to do was hunt the food and all she had to do was cook it. For dinner, they were going to have a wild boar and some hares. Definitely enough to fill up the Fallen ring's hunger. Delilah was glad she was almost done cooking it and adding the right spices from the wild to make it tastier. Thank goodness she had her camping skills to keep her alive this long in the Menagerie. Without them, she knew she would have died a long time ago and would have really been ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Looking over to Skye, she giggled when their Alpha accidentally got the berries to explode into her face. Delilah always thought she was adorable from when they first met from her initiation into the Fallen ring. "It's a beautiful night, wouldn't you agree?" The silence was starting to get to her. It was just too quiet between them even though it was loud enough the cracking and the sparks from the fire in front of herself. Burning beautifully, it was hard not to be distracted by the fire as the mistress within the flame danced her gypsy dance to the beat of the music that played in the fire's own world. Finally, the food that had been cooking for so long is finally done so she clapped her hands together and make a squee sound with pride and enjoyment. Four hares and one boar all set for the night. Raising the bar higher, she needed the boar and the hares to be kept warm and not get cooked by the flames any longer. Turning to Skye again, she exclaimed, "The food is finally done! When all the other Fallen come, we'll be having a feast meant for kings! Luckily for us, we are the King and Queens for tonight." Just their luck, the Fallen started to arrive. Only a couple of them, but it was still people arriving. Delilah was very excited tonight to have this big bonfire just to have peace between the ring. Nothing like getting everyone together to get along with one another, right? Sighing, she was a little tired from cooking for so long, but it was definitely worth it. Now, for the feast and the love between the ring members of the Fallen to begin. Delilah hoped everything goes well tonight because tonight is supposed to be perfect. No negative thoughts! Tonight is going to be perfect.

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[ari]

Ari watched the flames of the fire flicker and cast shadows around the clearing where a couple of who she assumed to be Fallenring people sat. She pushed the hair out of her face as a wind blew across the ground. She wanted to walk over there. She wanted to stand up straight, hold her head high and introduce herself. She imagined the way they would accept her and talk to her and automatically think she was a great person.

Stop it, she told herself. Whenever she was nervous she tended to picture an ideal meeting or moment instead of actually facing her fear. Ari herself was a confident person. That confidence however, ran out when she was meeting new people. Nothing scared her more than the thought of people possibly judging her. She hated that weakness and metnally kicked herself for being so weak. Now more than ever she should be strong and fearless, thats what she needed to survive.

Her thoughts drifted to her previous life, as she had come to call it now. She remember how in her parents eyes she had changed from the perfect child to some abomination. The thought stung like that of a bee sting. What happened to a parent's "unconditional love"? She thought bitterly. Ari cursed when she felt the hot tang of tears as they slid down her face. This was pathetic. She could be strong, she could overcome her parent's betrayal. And then the thought hit her. It WAS betrayal and that's why it hurt so much. She'd never been betrayed before. All her life she'd kept her friends at a distance, never fulling trusting anyone accept her parents. And why? To escape betrayal, exactly what the most trusted people in her life did.

Ari's eyes found the warm glow of the fire again and the hatred and pain faded. She focused on the yellowish light as it swayed like that of a dancer. Even that brought memories. The scene from only last summered popped into her mind like an unwanted pop up. She saw a campfire, not too different than the fire in front of her. Her parents were perched on logs around it talking about college. She remembered walking out of the cabin they rented every summer, her arms loaded with the makings of smores. Her parents had turned and smiled to her in a way that said how much they loved her and cherised her.

What love? she thought rebellious. It hurt too much to remember even the best memories. They were all fake. A facade. One little event and everything she had known had shattered like a piece of glass dropped onto hard wood floor. She stood up slowly, the muscles in her legs crying out from no movement. She stretched some and took a step forward. Was this the right choice? What choice is there? So many thought raced through her mind. Pain, fear, worry, anxiety, nostalgia. It was like a whirwind had invaded her mind and stirred up everything she had tried to press down.

Now she ignored the tears streaming from her eyes. If people asked she'd think of an excuse. What did it matter anyway? Confidence wasn't what fueled her as she took step after step towards the fire. No, it was determination. Determination to show her parents they were wrong. To prove to herself she could be the best she could be regardless of what had happened. That's what she was thining as she faced her fear and walked towards the firelight.

[hiccup]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=f2f3ed] Laura was hesitant. She wasn’t sure whether attending the fireside meeting would be the best of ideas. Sure she wanted to help boost her comrades morals and of course do whatever needed to secure her ring’s safety but that didn’t make her churning stomach any more calm. The shock of what the Fulsi had done still lingered in her mind, she just couldn’t believe it. Hadn’t Laura just been hanging out with a quiet Fulsi by the tracks? She hadn’t seen any signs of betrayal in his wide grey eyes and there was still the question of her siblings. They were Fulsi, Fylnn and Pru were part of the ring that had so suddenly turned it's back on the Fallen. It made little sense to the pygmy shifter, was land really worth so many broken friendships? Certainly not in her eyes, Laura thought with a sad little shake of her head. There was no place in the world she would deem even remotely worth the bonds she’d made, not even London and she really did love her home. Still she’d been coming to see the Fallen land as her new home of late and for all her love of certain Fulsi, she harbored a tiny sense of anger over what had happened to her ring in the last few days. It was a passive anger however, buried in hurt and disappointment towards the people she thought she could call friends. It was with these emotions hid easily behind a cheerful smile, that Laura arrived. She stood awkwardly on the edges on the gathering for a brief moment taking in the sight of the few fellow ring mates that had also assembled. There was food, she noted with a growl of her empty stomach but the crying girl seemed like something more important than her petty hungry. Laura could feed herself later, she was nobody important and the food should go to someone more vital then her. Now she should comfort the girl….Yet her gaze drifted to some oddly placed cardboard boxes, her treacherous mind begging Laura to riffle through the boxes like the pack rat she was. Sometimes Laura cursed the way she loved to collect petty things, whether they useful or not and she also loathed the fact that she cherished looking at them just as much. Why couldn’t god have made her more useful and less useless? Then she spotted the grass and an Idea flooded her brain. It had worked with the children at her brother’s hospital, so why wouldn’t it work here? Stepping quickly over to the long blades of grass, Laura deftly grabbed an armful and hurried over to the brunette girl standing up by her lonesome. The plants in her arms tickled her nose and Laura puffed out her cheeks to prevent a sneeze. She didn’t want to get germs all over what she hoped would soon be turned into baskets for carrying supplies. It wouldn’t be very helpful for her to spread a possible cold all throughout the Fallen, though it would be highly ironic since she was after all a Medic. Her ever present smile grew even more as she saw the girl approaching the fire and she tried to manage a wave, nearly dropping the grass in the process. “Hello!” She called plopping not so gracefully onto one of the logs laid out by some caring Fallen. She could only assume that it was done by Skye. Her Alpha was resting on one of the blankets, most likely enjoying a brief break from leading the ring and setting up the meeting. Laura regretted not stopping over to pay her respects to the women she admired but she thought the Alpha deserved a moment to herself, especially in such stressful times. Ah but she was getting off topic again. “My name is Laura, may I ask for your’s?”Returning her attention to the girl and vowing to keep it there till there was a grin replacing the girl’s frown, Laura released her bundle beside her onto the log before relieving herself of her jacket. She laid the cloth down over the sand in front before carefully depositing the plants on top of it. “I know we’ve just met and all but would you like to help me?” She gave the girl her best version of puppy eyes and gestured at the set up before her. “I’m making a basket. It’s a good distraction and it might just cheer you up to make one as well.” She didn’t think the girl would tell her what was wrong even if Laura asked, not yet at least. Perhaps she might warm up as they sat beside the fire, either way Laura had tried and the Fallen would have at least two more baskets by the end of the evening. That was if the other girl knew how to weave baskets or even wanted to. Almost as a second thought Laura turned back to the other scrunching up her face comically, humor was always a good way to communicate with people. "Ahh, If you don't know how, I could teach you!" She said idly patting a spot on the log next to her. "It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it."

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[shepherd]

Since his arrival to the Menagerie barely days hence, Shepherd, a French-Canadian shifter who’d fallen in with the Fallen, had made strides in the realm of exploration. His wandering was a by-product of his anxiety over this new environment, a need to explore, understand, and acclimate. The doctor, a young man in the world’s standards and an old one by the M’s, had trekked all through what lands he’d been told were reasonably safe on steady elken hooves, and now that he’d returned from his day’s wanderings, he was happy to finally have something to show for the time spent in soul-settling discovery.

Nothing flashy, it was true, nor all that useful, but pleasant nonetheless. Blue-grey eyes studied the dried-up leaf balls that sat in a tin on his lap in the filtered light of a boxcar, his shirtsleeves rolled up, as usual, past his elbows. Camellia sinensis was the plant he’d found; tea leaves, of all things! Shepherd hadn’t been able to miss them, as his grandmother had grown them in the garden he’d spent many days playing hide-and-seek with his sister in as a child. He supposed it was the heat of the southern region that had fostered their growth. Shep hadn’t been exactly sure what to do with him once he’d found them. He knew that one had to dry them, somehow, and he’d managed to do a creditable job of it, he thought—to a refined palette which had lately been deprived of the delicacies it was used to, the scent of the tea leaves as he took a deep whiff of them was absolutely delightful.

And was that…roasted meat he smelled, as well? The doctor rose to his feet, sore in the confines of his worn black dress shoes, the tin of tea held carefully in one hand. He peeked his head around the lip of the boxcar door, his expressive brows raised in piqued curiosity. The shifter had heard talk of some sort of gather or other tonight. Naturally, he’d planned to attend. After all, he had explored his physical surroundings. It was now high time he committed to his social surroundings, and the people who would sustain him—and he, in turn, sustain, through the duration of their time here.

The Fallenring, they styled themselves. Ourselves, he mentally corrected, trying to drill it into his head that he was one of them, even though he didn’t feel integrated into the group…yet. It would come with time. At the moment, he wondered at how they’d gotten such a tragic sort of name, and then reminded himself that the majority of those interned here were in their late teens; tragic names came naturally, he supposed. A slight smile lifted the corner of his mouth as he watched the preparations being made, the Alpha, a young woman named Skye, who he’d met and instantly liked, lifting boxes and another young woman (who he was sure he recognized but couldn’t place) turning the spit and spicing the roast. The thought struck him that his tealeaves would be a lovely greeting gift, a small contribution to the night’s feast. After all, one had to have a beverage to go with all the food.

The sometimes-handsome doctor picked his way carefully out of the boxcar, stumbling in the wavering half-light that the small fire cast. He would be glad of a bit of tea, himself—it always made his scarred shoulder relax, and any small respite from that ache was a welcome one, especially now that he was without painkillers to take the edge off the pain that pulled and seized terribly beneath his shirt. There was a pair of girls sitting with a bundle of rushes on a log by the fire, but other than them he appeared to be one of the first to arrive to the little get-together. ”Madame Skye, I—“ his speech, peppered as ever with smooth French, paused for a light laugh, having caught the fierce little woman covered in blueberry paint. ”I’ve brought a small contribution for the rendezvous. I thought the ring might appreciate some tea?” He grinned, indicating the little square box of tea leaves, held gingerly to keep from spilling any. The doctor had no idea whether or not it was a common thing to have much besides plain water to drink here—that was all he’d had so far, anyway. Still, he doubted anyone would frown at the trouble he’d gone through to prepare the stuff either way. Perhaps his prize would win him some friends, as well?

[Maegan]

Skye had mentioned this little get-together to Maegan as she had begun planning it. This type of thing was a specialty of the anthro. She always enjoyed a good bonfire. The woman was fond of friendly gatherings and knew quite a few stories that she could share. This would also be a time for the members of the ring who were more ambitious to show their skills. Maegan knew that the heads of the two defense groups had yet to be appointed. She would have loved to be the head of either herself, but she knew that even with the time that had past since the war--anthros were still not the most accepted of things. She would still be a help to her ring, training the members on how to fight without weapons. Use their bodies, their minds, to outwit their opponents. She would help them showcase their talents for Skye. If they wanted her help of course. Very few believed that she was indeed one of the best fighters in this place. She had been a street fighter, a boxer, she had to be tough, she had to be the best. They had made her the best and she wasn't about to forget those skills. Those would stay with her until the end.

For now though she would share her many talents with the Fallenring. This little gathering wasn't going to be her just training and showcasing those who wanted to, she would share her many stories--all the Madagascan folklore that she knew as well as some stories from this place that she'd collected over her time, and some that she'd gotten from the notorious Robin Hood of this place. The anthro was also one for the tribal vibe and she could get some dancing going, lemur style. Not that her ways were terribly different from the natives of the US that had disappeared centuries ago. Maegan would see where the evening would lead her. For now she just had to arrive.

Maegan had helped briefly with the set-up before wandering off to find some more wood for the fire. She'd stopped for a moment to pay her respects for the day to her dear departed friend Zephyr. There hadn't been a day gone by where the former Bestian hadn't stopped to give a moment dedicated to the former Bestian leader. Maegan had done her best to protect the woman in the battle, but to her worst nightmares, she had failed to do so. It was an ongoing process to heal the wounds from the death, but Maegan had long since found herself able to forgive the beast that had taken Zephyr. The woman was very peaceful in nature, despite her extreme fighting skills which made her the excellent teacher.

Coming into the area that Skye had set-up, Maegan found that others had already arrived. Carrying a large pile of wood she'd found a lengthy distance away, the anthro dropped it in a pile near the fire and wiped her hands off. She smiled, satisfied with the work and found her dear friend and leader lounging on the ground looking up to the sky. She smiled down to her friend, saluting in a friendly manner. Squatting down, the rather fuzzy woman spoke with a smile as always, "Shall I kick things off with a story m'dear?" She looked around, only a few had shown up so far, but Maegan had the strangest feeling that this party was going to kick-off very quickly. She stood back up, tail coming up and resting gently on her own shoulder as she moved toward one of the more central logs that looked just wonderful for people to gather and tell stories. She had grabbed one of the bowls of 'paint' that Skye had made and played around with it some, streaking marks on her face and arms that looked quite a bit less solid than they should due to the hardly visible fur covering her body.

[petermyers]

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[atrb=background,http://i46.tinypic.com/2rw96q9.jpg] Peter trailed rather lazily upon the train cars as he headed for the fire. He wondered if anyone noticed at all that their Beta had gone missing for sometime; well not missing exactly. Peter just merely disappeared for a few days without telling anyone. He half wondered if he would get chewed out by Skye, but ever since the incident with Adison Peter was very tense. He did not get along with the young Carna and for obvious reason; their last meeting was less than civil. The black cat snorted; civil?! Was that what he was calling it now? He had all but mauled the boy and he regretted none of it, except for maybe Skye jumping on him. Her tiger form was alot heavier than his shift ever was. Peters' shift almost looked a bit sickly. Her little approach to stopping him ended up giving him a back ache. He was a bit irritated at it, but he had a decent relationship with Skye that he figured he could tease her some about it tonight. He stopped an observed the few members already there. There was a decent number and for the first time in a long time he started to purr. He wasn't exactly at peace, but there was less tension in him. Smirking he jumped down. Bones cracked and shifted beneath skin until the man landed a bit away from Skye. Peter grunted in annoyance at the stiffness in his back and neck. The popping sound it made even sent a chill down his spine. He looked upon the gathered with the same expression he looked upon everything with before he turned to his Alpha. "Skye." He nodded his head and offered one of his rare and tiny smirk in acknowledgment. Walking to-wards he stopped by her side and sat down next to her. His arms were hanging around his knees rather lazily and he kept his eyes ahead." Good turn out I suppose. And I inform you that when you jumped on me some time ago you ruined my back." The slight smirk spread across his stony face as he turned to look at Skye. "Makes my day all the more harder. Just ruins my perfect existence." Chuckling he winked at her to emphasize he was only joking; although he was pretty sure Skye would understand. - - - - - getting back into swing with him.

[hypermonkeygirlx3]

Isamu and Keiko Koizumi
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The family that plays together

An enormous smile graced Isamu's face as the large, glowing flame came into sight. It was quite exciting thought, all of the Fallen gathering together for just a night of fun, a time to just relax from all of the tension and grief and really get to know each other as ringmates. Tonight was not the night to wallow in miseries from the past or to dwell on the Fulsi betrayal. Tonight was not the night to worry about Boni-sama and how he was supposed to come visit his daughter and the rest of his extended family here in the Fallen when they Rings were now enemies. No, tonight was about making friends, telling stories, and forgetting all of the troubles that plagued the FallenRing members if only for just one night. Isamu for one was quite looking forward to the evenings festivities. Despite how long Isamu had been a loyal member of the Fallen, Isamu had not really spent the time to get to know the ring mates outside of her make-shift family. The monkey shifter was hoping to meet some potential friends tonight, as well as learn how everyone else has been doing. Yes, quite a night Isamu had planned for herself.

Isamu squeezed her daughter Keiko's hand lightly as the two finally arrived at the bonfire. Keiko had been insistent on coming to the party as well so that she could play all ends of the night with her friends. The Fallen scout decided that it wouldn't hurt to let Keiko come along since the fifteen year old would be safe around her fellow ringmates and within Isamu's sights. They had always been paranoid, Isamu and her husband Xavior that is, about Keiko's safety since the young girl was still so innocent and had a deer shift. It was a miracle that Keiko had survived for so long in the Menagerie, since most children didn't make it at all, let alone children who were so completely oblivious to danger as Keiko was. But Keiko has made it so far, and that was a miracle that Isamu and Xavior thanked God for everyday. It was such a shame that Xavior couldn't come to the party, too, but the Rouge felt like it would be best to stay home since the party was just for Fallen. Honestly Isamu had forgotten that Xavior wasn't a fellow Fallen since he stayed in the Fallen so long with her and Keiko. However, it was Xavior's choice whether he wanted to come or sleep at home, and Isamu could only hope that he was having sweet dreams so he could be happy too.

Within moments of arriving at the camp fire, Isamu immediately trotted over to Delilah, the Alpha, and the Beta, pulling her young daughter with her. "Konbanwa, Delilah-sama," Isamu cheerfully greeted as she gave her good friend and roommate a gleeful hug. The monkey shifter couldn't help but feel so happy when she was around her friends. Seconds later Keiko quickly wrapped her arms around Delilah as well, equally excited to see her aunt at the party. "Hiya, Tia Deli," Keiko greeted in a sing-song voice, pink lips spread out into grin. It seemed Keiko was feeling no less hyper than she had when she was five-years-old. Then Isamu let her hands slip from Delilah-sama, turned toward their Alpha and Beta and respectfully bowed from the waste to both of them. "Konbanwa, Skye-dono, Peter-dono," Isamu greeted, equally as cheery, before straightening back up and letting her hands clasp together behind her. Her daughter titled her head to the side in confusion at Isamu's salutation. Large, green eyes quickly focused back onto the Alpha as Keiko smiled again. "Hiya, Mrs. Skye-tiger-lady and Mr. Peter-black-kitty-guy," Keiko chirped with a friendly wave, her own personal form of greeting people. Isamu quickly turned to Keiko and put one hand on her shoulder, slightly embarrassed by her daughter's behavior. "No Keiko, you call her Skye-dono or Alpha Skye," Isamu corrected pointing at Skye, then pointing at Peter, "And he is Peter-dono or Beta Peter." Keiko's brows furrowed together for a moment before smiling and nodding at her mother. However, Keiko's sort attention span was immediately switched to a couple of girls weaving grass baskets a few logs away. "Mama, can I go and weave some baskets?" Keiko pleaded, putting on a puppy dog face for good measure. Isamu sighed before she smiled and nodded at Keiko. Keiko giggle with glee, and before her mother could say anything else, Keiko zipped off to play. The Fallen scout shook her head and turned back to Skye. "I'm sorry about that, Keiko can get a little excited when she meets people," Isamu giggled nervously, scratching the back of her head. With another smile Isamu looked between the small group. "So, is there anyway I could help out?"

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Keiko giggled as she skipped up to the two fallen girls sitting on the log. One had long, brown, wavy hair while the other had long, black, wavy hair that seemed to have a blue-ish tinge to it. They both seemed very nice, though the one with brown hair looked like she had been crying. The deer shifter couldn't help but feel some sympathy for the girl; nobody should ever have to be sad, though Papa always said that crying can help one feel better when one is sad. However, it seemed that the one with the black hair was trying to cheer the brown-haired one up. Keiko wanted to help, too! Without so much as a second thought, Keiko bounced up to the pair, her green eyes gleaming with excitement. "Hola, I'm Keiko, what are your names?" The hyper 15 year old greeted to the two girls, rocking back and forth a bit on the heels of her pink, flip-flops. Just like her Mama, Keiko was determined to make some new friends, that way if Adelina went off with her boy friends again then Keiko wouldn't be lonely.

Keiko blew some of her dark, brown hair out of her face as she sat on the opposite side of the raven-headed girl. Her legs sprawled out forward as Keiko rested her hands on her lap, green eyes focused on the two girls. "Do you mind if I make some baskets with you guys?" Keiko inquired with a friendly smile, "I don't really know how, but I could try!" With a nod of confidence, Keiko picked up a couple blades of grass and kept her green eyes steadied on the two other girl's processes. The Tenderfoot began to try and copy the other girl's moments as they strung the grasses together, hoping that she could learn to make the baskets, too. Then, if anyone if her family needed a basket in the future, Keiko could just make one for them right on the spot. Yeah, that's what Keiko could do. That or try and make other stuff with the grass. "Hey girls," Keiko called out to get the two's attentions, "Do you think we could use the grass to make other cool stuff, too?" Suddenly, the wheels in Keiko's mind began turning, "Then we could hand them out as gifts to people around the camp fire." It sounded like a good idea to Keiko, and a great way to meet more people in the ring. The more friends, the merrier, her Mama always said.

Stays together.

[Adison Sotero]

[atrb=width,525,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=12111a] The drifting, delectable scent of cooking food floated through the dry FallenRing air, reaching the Carna boy’s sharp nose. Pale brown eyes suddenly snapped open, and Adison felt his mouth rush with moisture— He hadn’t eaten properly in a few days, and the overwhelming scent of meat sent his mind whirring. It was especially potent to the boy, since his sense of smell had long ago been enhanced, making it sharper than that of almost anyone else in the place. In fact, as of late he’d begun to be able to see the scent trails he followed, and as his eyes scanned the room, he spotted the pale remains of Fallen scent trails, leading out of the boxcar in the same direction that the food smell was coming from. “I wonder what’s going on,” He mused quietly, hopping out of the train car himself. Adison had come to the Fallen almost a week ago, after his father, Manic, Alpha of the dreaded CarnaRing, had threatened his life with a knife wound. The boy was beginning to think that it had just been a warning, but the rush of terror that he’d felt as his father’s blade seared through his flesh still left Adison with night terrors. Since then, his cousin Adolf, and his rather close Fallen friend, Adelina, had been keeping him company. It seemed that everyone had left him for someplace better though, so the Carna headed off in that direction. He was no longer scared of being caught, as Skye had granted him temporary permission to stay, but that didn’t mean that Adison was welcomed with open arms. Most Fallen shot him icy glares, and others looked at him with horror and fear in their eyes— The rumors of his father’s cannibalism, true though they were, had spread through gossip in The Menagerie, and some were inclined to think that Adison was simply a mini-version of his fearsome father, and a monster all the same. He scoffed at the thought, though quickly straightened himself up as he neared the light of the fire. He bore a striking resemblance to the Carna Alpha, though no matter how Adi wished they were close, the two were still so different. Some Fallen just couldn’t understand. The firelight suddenly reached him, and Adison’s already strikingly pale eyes looked specter-like against the warm glow on his creamy tan skin. His dark, wild-looking hair added to his animalistic appearance, and as the eyes of the Fallen already assembled fell on him, and he suddenly seemed like a cornered dog. Adison’s feet shuffled nervously in the sand, and he inched closer to Skye. She seemed to care about him somehow, and it led Adison to believe that his mother had been a Fallen after all… Did that mean that some part of him belonged here? At the moment, Adison didn’t feel much like it. “…Hello, everyone,” He mumbled, his eyes falling hungrily to the boar and hares roasting on the fire. Oh, it was more wonderful than anything he’d ever seen in his life! Food was hard to come by in the Carna, and that was all he had ever known. His mouth flooded again, and he had to forcibly pull his gaze away from the food before the hungry Fallen killed him for just thinking about it. Adison wasn’t used to feeling so vulnerable— in the Carna, he held some sort of power, commanding the Scouts as Head of Border Patrol. Here, he was just some filthy Carna intruder, who would have only been able to stay in the Cesspool, if not for the Alpha’s soft-spot for him. He was sure that some of them resented Skye for letting him stay here, Peter namely, but Adison just wasn’t ready to return to the Carna… or the train car. Now that he was there, he supposed it would be odd to turn and leave. How else would he get in with these people? The new alliance would help, but he’d entered the Ring as an enemy, and it would take time for old wounds to finally scab over between everyone. Coughing nervously, Adison moved to join Skye on her little blanket, when Peter swooped in beside her. Adison felt his skin crawl with anger and perhaps, a hint of jealousy. That dumb Beta was spending time with the only woman Adison could call family, and perhaps the only Fallen here that he felt comfortable with! He paused, wondering what Peter would do with him so close. He couldn’t break out in a fight in front of his own ring, especially not with the Carna Alpha’s son! Aha, so the alliance was already working him his favor! Adison waltzed over and plopped down on the free side of Skye’s blanket, so close that his arm brushed hers, though the boy hardly seemed to notice. Growing up in the Menagerie had left him with few morals besides the Carna’s, and even less knowledge of people’s personal space, which most people learned from their old life on the outside. Besides, it felt good to be close to another person, especially in the cold night air, which was slowly being warmed by the fire. “You throw a good party,” Adison laughed quietly, eyes darting around to the gathered Ring members, coming to rest coldy on the Beta next to her. “It is alright that I’m here, right? I want to meet your family,” He added, turning to Skye and searching her face for an answer with a charmingly innocent smile. Though part of him wanted to rile Peter up, the other side didn’t want to be such an outsider… Adison had never really felt the meaning of true love and acceptance, except from his cousin Adolf. Wasn’t anyone else capable of loving him, too? Even if Peter couldn’t, he suspected that Skye and the other Fallen might. Ooc: So you all knowww, Skye gave Adi permission to be hurrr. C: Since he’s temporarily in the Fallen. And lol, I had to edit cause Peter posted! XD Adi had the same ideaa~ Also, omg long post. x.x

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[mo money]

ooc; reservin' mah spot with Adelina, foo'! XD

[Noxx]

Ooc: That makes ten people. XD Should we close it? It's up to Skyee, but I think we should get an answer from her before anyone else posts. c:

[Skye [RIP]]

ooc) That sounds good. c: I'll post after Mourge finishes her Adelina post.

[Adelina Russovo]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=000000] Paws skimmed over the cool sand, teal eyes narrowed in agitation, fur creamy, caramel fur bristling. Damn Fulsi. Blood trickled down the side of her long, pointed snout, tan fur matted and tangled with blood, sand and dripping with water. She’d been at the Oasis again, terrorizing the idiots who were always put on guard there. She’d managed to tear a decent chunk of hair from one skinny, whelp of a girl and gave a tall Fulsiboy a good one-two to the gut. Then they’d ganged up on her, like the Fulsi always did - but, what the hell. She’d gotten out with a couple of surface scratches and one shallow knife wound that she’d already bandaged. She’d had worse - much worse, in fact. Having rather large paws for a female wolf, it took considerably less time to get back to the main camp than it did most others - that and the fact that the Keeper’s had worked their scientific mumbo-jumbo and she now was faster than most other Shifters - hell, she’d already been faster then them. But that was just genetics. Her father’s stern blue eyes drifted in her mind, her pace faltering slightly as she came into the ring of firelight, battered and beaten. She shifted fluidly into her human form and stood for a moment at the edge of the flickering light, tears threatening to well in her eyes as her throat tied itself in a knot. Since the Fulsi raid, she’d heard nothing from her father. No word. No visits. And now...this take over. The flames mocked her cruelly as she imagined her father’s body amongst the chaos and flames of the raid... She cleared her throat and took a hasty wipe at her eyes, effectively smearing blood on her tanned cheek - she winced and wiped it off on her already gore and mud spattered dress, the frustration and fear seeming to drift away when she took in her family and friends - there were a few new folk here, but most of them had been in the Fallen for years. She passed behind the various logs that they’d set up for this event, the overwhelmingly delicious scent of cooked meat almost making her drool over the lady Delilah who had cooked it - the kindly, motherly Medic who’d been in her life as long as she could remember, along with her adoptive mother Isamu and her daughter Keiko, only a couple years younger. They were sisters, really, and Adelina felt a fierce love swell in her chest for the innocent, sheltered girl. Her parents hadn’t done well in keeping her so defenseless, and Adelina had always tried to change that. But her father was one hell of a wuss. She smirked at the thought of the pushover Rogue, trailing her fingertips along the shoulders of her friends in a soft greeting as she passed by. She tugged playfully on Maegan’s ear. “Aw, no one wants to hear your long winded episodes of grand battles!” She mimed a skilled karate kick and waltzed away, sights focused on the taller, older man - he was new. Fresh meat. Teal eyes narrowed as she snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around his mid-section, squeezing slightly. She giggled and whipped around him, poking his chest thoughtfully and having heard his accent mimicked him with a near-perfect French accent of her own. “You’re new. Still got your baby fat, oui monsieur?” The bloodied and bandaged girl giggled playfully and moved on swiftly. Twirling behind Peter, her amiable demeanor shifting subtly. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around the Beta’s neck, squeezing his chin roughly. “And where have you been, Oh Glorious Beta?” A thin snarl laced her voice, now laced with a soft but noticeable Italian accent, low and edged with frustration. She released her grip and slammed her fist ‘playfully’ into his shoulder, forcing a smile. “I missed you so much! Let me tell you.” She nodded respectfully to Skye, feeling slightly guilty at flouting the jerk’s authority right in front of her, but she wouldn’t be easily told what to do - she was rude and uncultured, but hell - she’d been raised in this place, and that was how she worked in this uncultured world that demanded it so. Her eyes lit up when she saw Adison, her Carnaboy “friend” sitting next to Skye. She plopped down beside him, winking impishly before shoving him roughly aside and squeezing in next to Skye - her Alpha. Plus, she didn’t trust the spark of anger in Peter’s eyes or the tension that had sprung between the Beta and the Carna Head of Border Patrol who took his duties quite to heart. Smirking at Peter in a snide little grin and a tiny, mocking wave, she trailed her hand up Adi’s arm to the back of his neck before leaning in and stealing a wickedly enticing kiss, hand snaring possessively in his thick, brown hair that was almost as unruly as her own. Adelina pulled away and kissed his nose lightly, giggling softly - in truth she was just showing she had absolutely no problem trusting this Carna - hopefully some of the other less trusting Fallen would learn to accept him. She observed the gathering of her Ring, pride swelling in her chest - and hunger rumbling in her belly. “Lets eat!” She called, grabbing Adi’s knife from his boot where she knew he hid it and scrambling toward the fire, slicing off a piece of boar for herself for a little taste. “Damn,” She purred happily, licking her fingers. “That’s some good cookin’. Kudos on the meal, Auntie Del, as usual.” She saluted her adopted Aunt and proceeded to cut off chunks of meat for everyone, nodding appreciatively at the newbie as he went about making whatever the hell he was making, serving her Alpha first on the only really good plate they had - the rest of the Ring got served on makeshift platters of stone, wooden slabs and of course the odd - but clean - hub cab. After she got everyone what they wanted - an unusually soft and caring side of Lina - she settled down next to Adi and dug in ravenously, heedless to the rather savage looking way she scarfed down her food, sighing softly in between chewing - it had been a while since she'd tasted anything this delicious. "It's a shame we'll have to share this with your damned Ring," She sighed, picking at her teeth with a greasy finger. ______________________________________ ooc; boop! Overlyfriendly/touchy/obnoxious Fallengirl! XD and sorry for the delay and longpost e.e

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[Skye [RIP]]

BITE THE LIP
forget the bleeding

"It is very beautiful." Voice soft and subtle, she seemed distracted by the sky momentarily, though she did not make as much effort to fill the silence as Delilah to fill the silence. There was something about silence that was not awkward to her...Instead it was amazing. Rare. But other people were different, and so she made her efforts. "The food smells very good, too, Delilah. Thank you very much for the help." She smiled lop-sided, turning her head on the blanket to look and then looking back up. She could sense more people coming, but did not make a move. She heard the voice of Laura openly welcome a newer member, impressed by her ability to be that confident and friendly. However, her shift provided the girl little protection, and therefore Skye had been keeping a special eye on her. She rolled over onto her stomach again at the voice of their new head medic, listening intently on his unique offer. "Absolutely, Monsieur! What a wonderful idea." The last part was spoken softly. How intruiging and different, she thought, for him to bring tea leaves. She supposed everyone brought something special whether with in them or not. She hopped up on agile feet and hurried to a train car, returning with three large jars of water. It was hard to contain water in this old desert, but they managed. She set them down in front of him, glad she hadn't dropped one. Unfortunately, she couldn't help him from there. She did not know how to make tea. These days, she stared at a fork in confusion. It was why she collected so much stuff, trying to keep in touch with her human with in. But she'd already lost her. And it was time to come to terms with that.

She sat down again. "Good luck, Shepherd. I am sure it will be wonderful." With in moments, Maegan had arrived. Skye's eyes lit up as she watched her anthropomorphic friend paint her arms and face. "Sounds like a plan!" She nodded, smiling fondly. Maegan used to tell her stories all the time and they were always compelling and interesting. She loved the fact that she would share them with their entire family now. "Knock 'em dead!" She purred. Oh, but not literally. She thought self-conciously. Skye picked up some of the blue paint and handed it to Peter as he sat down beside her. She laughed at what he had to say and shook her head. "Oh... I am sorry it hurt your back. Did it go something like this?" She growled mischievously and pounced at him, though gently this time and remained in human form, pinning him down with ease though playfully with a victorious smirk before sitting back again, smiling up at Isamu. As she looked down further and saw Keiko, she grew rigid, smile firm and somewhat fake. Her embedded fear of hurting children was more than just a fear...It was real. And it was more than possible. She knew that better than anyone. "Hello, mon petit chou." She returned stiffly to the child before she ran off to play with the basket weavers. As Isamu apologized Skye shook her head. "She is so beautiful... Hmm...I think perhaps Delilah could use help preparing food...If you would like." She offered, although there were plenty of things Isamu could do if she found herself bored with food. "I am glad you came, Isamu." She smiled with big, pearly whites, knowing what a sweet woman she was and an amazing addition to the Fallen.

She was almost sure that this was the Fallen that befriended Bonifacio, a very respectable man of the Fulsi. His daughter remained in this ring and so for him she hoped Adelina did not get in too much trouble. She grinned slightly, knowing a little better and welcoming Adison as he sat down beside her. It is alright that I'm here, right? I want to meet your family. "Our family." She corrected sharply. "Adison, this is your birth place. You are always welcome here." She told him sincerely, eyes locked with his intensely, the message very clear. You belong here. Of course, she would not say that...Or he would high-tail it out of here. And she would have to miss him again. Skye picked up a small bowl of the blue hand-made paint, dipping her fingers in it and drawing a small heart on his arm before Adelina swooped in possessively, stealing the spot beside her. She'd missed her tormenting of the Beta but scooted away quickly when the girl stole little Adison in a rather inappropriate kiss. Well...Skye turned her face the other way, hiding a smile. Who was she to talk? Ready for a story, Peter?" She chirped cheerfully, expecting Maegan to prepare her legends quite soon. In the mean time, Skylar fetched some food and passed some to her Beta, scoffing down with starving urgency and yet somehow odd grace and cleansliness, not a single smudge anywhere. Still, her heart swelled to see several of her members happily conversing and enjoying everything together as one. Brothers and sisters.

[Delilah Harper]

[atrb=width,450,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=f6deae] Tonight has been going pretty well and Delilah was enjoying her time with her Fallen family. Lots of faces she recognized as well as unfamiliar faces as well. The Keepers seem to have been adding a lot more shifters into this place and all she could do was pray that they'd make it through this place to the very end. Well, Delilah prayed for the same thing for herself. Hugging Isamu tightly, it was great to see her here and especially with her daughter Keiko who has grown up so much, but not really at the same time. With a huge gasp, Delilah was so surprised to see Adelina look the way she did. The poor girl looked like she had the living crap beaten out of her. Right now she wanted to run over to her, but she seemed to be fine. Delilah planned on healing her wounds of course, but not at the moment. Adelina was always good to her, but she knew of her hot temper and didn't want her to make a huge deal out of nothing and Delilah didn't want to do the same thing back to her. As Isamu, Delilah, and Adelina put out the food, she needed to figure out how to eat this properly without looking like a pig. Looking over to Adelina, she was devouring the way she didn't want to. Delicately picking up the meat, she ate it elegantly along with Isamu as they always seemed to eat so proper compared to Xavior who seemed to eat so fast that it seemed he never had food in the first place. Turning her direction over to the monkey shifter next to her, she needed to start some kind of conversation with her or it would seem so rude of her not to say anything really to her at all. "Isn't this wonderful? So nice to see everyone come together and just enjoy themselves. Too bad there isn't any music to our little bonfire. Doing this reminds me of going camping with my family, just not with food like this or so many mouths to feed." she said with a little giggle in her voice. Attention now focused on Adelina, she really wanted to heal her of her wounds. It really bothered her seeing her so beat up the way she looked. "Adelina, darling, do you want me to heal your wounds? I'm sure you'll feel a lot better after I heal you. Would you mind me doing that for you?" Talking the way she did, her tone was a mixture of worry, concern, and beauty that she possessed. Being a medic with healing abilities was a wonderful thing and it especially helped having a very dear close friend have the same ability as you do. ooc: Delilah does have healing and has used it in a past thread before. I just forgot to add it into her signature. You can tell since my old username was in Delilah's signature.

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[ari]

Ari rasied her eyes carefully surveying the growing gethering. Icy cold fear tried to clamp itself around her but she pushed it away. Now was not the time to get nervous, not when she was finally feeling somewhat calm. No, she had not been fully accpeted, that would take time, but she wasn't an outcast anymore. The basket weaving girl, Laura, had extended her hand out to her with the lure of basket making. She remembered way back when before everything had happened. Years ago, on her grandmothers ranch, the sun had been beating down with unending furry. Ari, no more than thirteen at that point, had whined about the heat. Her grandmother had wisely come up with an activity to distract her young self. That was where she had first learned to make baskets and now the temptation to grab onto something familiar caught her and she sat down beside the sweet girl and grabbed some grass. She lokoed hesitantly at the other girl as if scared that she was being too bold. "I'd love to make baskets with you," she said sincerely.

She looked up to find a young woman and what looked to be her daughter talking to the alpha. The younger girl had an energy about her that made it hard to ignore her. Quickly, the girl walked over to them and asked to join. It was nice to have others interested in making these simple things. There were so many uses that the Ring could use these baskets for. She looked around the site and realized that they didnt have almost anything that would be useful for carrying things.

She observed two men came o their gathering. One possesively went straight to their alpha. From the way they spoke to one another it was obvious he was second in command. He seemed to have a carefree spirit and joked about even serious topics. He seemed approachable and Ari mentally noted that she should speak to him before the night was out seeing as he was important. She turned to the taller older man with the weird accent. She listened harder trying not to seem nosy but simply curious. The way his words rolled off his toungue was like music to her. He could only be french, she thouhgt. She'd only dreamed of going to Paris and touring all the sights that she'd learned about for years. It was a seret dream of hers and she'd only told her parents.

That thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. She was trying to forget her parents but almost every thought brought back something that reminded her of them. Anger boiled in her blood and she felt like throwing this grass in her hands out into the air just to rid hersel fof her frustration. But no, that wouldnt be helpful and would probably make her Ringmates quesiton her sanity. Instead, she clamped down the emotion and focused on the others arriving. A very interesting girl came next. She had a lemur tail and ears and seemed full of life despite her dismal home. The alpha greeted her warmly and for a second hatred burned in Ari. Her want to be accpeted made her envy others. Calm down, she said to herself. It isn't as if the alpha doesnt like you. Don't be jealous.

Ari realized that she had become very emotional in the Menagerie. Was it her or just the events that had happened to her? Everything was still surreal but too real at the same time. She had barely believed it when she saw herself changing into a ferret and now she lived in a community of people just like her. And I've never felt more alone, she allowed herself to think.

Just then she saw a shady looking person all but crawl out of hiding. He seemed to be nervous and scared as if he didnt feel he belonged. He seemed interesting. She smiled. That would definitely be someone to talk to, she thought her eyes roaming over his dark eyes and long brown hair. Another person then entered into their circle. A girl this time. She seemed to glide over the ground and squeezed in rather rudely between the guy she had just observed and Skye. She is very crude, Ari thought as the girl leaned in and kissed the boy without a second thought.

All her thoughts stopped once she smelled the tempting scent of meat. She had been here for a few weeks and her meals had consisted of anything she could scavange and that hadn't been much. She tentatively turned to Laura and asked quietly, "Are we allowed to eat?" Hopefully the hunger didnt show in her eyes as ravenously as she felt it. Her eyes danced over all the Fallen once more, taking in each one separetly. Everyone seemed so different. And just like that, the nervousness made it's way back into her brain. How would she ever fit in? How would anyone like her? She silently thought these thoughts while staring into the flames, watching as they licked the night air.

[hiccup]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=f2f3ed] It was hard not to contain her grin. Her fellow Fallen had expected the basket making offer and low and behold, another girl had come to join them. It was great, like the feeling of helping that filled the air had become contagious. With a bob of her head she encouraged the newest addition to the little team of basket weavers. “Trying is all we need to do, although succeeding is good too!”She said brightly interweaving another strand into her not really basket-like basket, it was still very much a work in progress. Humming a lullaby that Fylnn had sung to her and Pru as children, Laura focused on her work, puffing air into her cheeks in silent concentration. She could almost see her sister smacking her upside the head for it. Pru was never very amused by her silly faces but Laura didn’t mean to make them, it just happened when she was thinking and boy, she thought a lot lately. Hands never stilling, she weaved away in the cheery silence till it was broken by one of the girls. It was the youngest one and raising her head with a small smile, she considered the girl’s suggestion. While making necklaces would be fun, Laura knew that the Fallen would need the baskets more. So with a tiny and barely audible sigh, Laura gently grabbed the girl’s hands, interlacing their fingers almost if they were about to jump up and down in glee. Exaggeratedly looking back and forth, Laura leaned in. “Shush.” She untangled one of her hands to make a beckoning gesture to the other girl before returning her attention to the Spanish shifter in front of her with a mischievous grin. “I think…” She paused to throw a mocked worried glance over her shoulder before continuing. “That is a great idea, however, I think it should be a surprise.” She figured phrasing it this way would be less hurtful to the girl instead of saying right out that she thought the idea was a tad unpractical in these times. Besides the necklace idea would be nice gesture to their ringmates, just not at the moment. “So I say, we make baskets for now and then go hunt some more of this grass down after the meeting.” She paused to give the other girl, the quickest of winks before delivering her hook. “That way we can even dye them different colors by finding berries and a few beetles.” She pulled away now with a wince and pinched her nose shut. “Though that is a disgusting way to make dye. Still is it a plan, we’ll make the necklaces but for now we’ll work on the baskets.?” She smiled with a friendly wink, offering her hand to shake and seal the deal the old fashion way. As the other girl, a Tenderfoot she was thinking, asked about eating, Laura felt her own stomach grumble. She assumed they were allowed to eat considering the fact several people had already decided to dig into the delicious smelling food that her ringmates had so thoughtfully prepared. Her question was soon answered when one of the hunter’s began cutting up and serving the other’s food. It was a sweet gesture from the girl she’d before deemed sort of crude. A smile flickered across her face as she recalled the old expression, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. The grin was soon replaced however as she took her share, nearly chomping straight into it without bothering to even answer the other girl’s question. “I think that answers that, ah..um..excuse me but I can’t quite recall either of you giving me your names.” She said sheepishly, trying her best not to drool onto her plate. Laura hadn’t eaten for a while, there’d just been so much to do that she hadn’t had the time to hunt for herself. She supposed, finally taking a small nibble of the meat, that it didn’t help that she was naturally absent minded. Sometimes she would just forget that she was human and needed food to live, usually when she was reading or playing with the children at the hospital. It was a nasty habit of hers. Not that it mattered at the moment considering she was trying her best not to stuff her face and stay polite. It was hard to take normal sized bites, even harder to resist the urge to lick her fingers but she refused to risk offending anybody with that kind of awful table manners. She really didn’t think that those gestures were so bad, in fact they seemed like a fine way to show the cook you loved the food but it had been drilled into her by her older brother to forever be the little lady. Speaking of her brother, Laura missed the way he had always prepared tea for her and Pru all by himself at meals despite the servant’s protests. It had always been his way of saying that he cared behind his play boy front and now as Laura sat by the fire surrounded by people she hoped she might someday call friends, she wished that she had some to drink with this meal. It would have made everything just a little more complete, however it was an impossible dream or so she thought. “Tonight, it’s nearly perfect.” Laura said wishfully putting her now empty hubcap or rather makeshift plate on the ground to her side. “All of the ring is here, bonding together in these hard times. The food is amazing and the stars are out as well. It’s almost like a painting.” She trailed off a little there, staring up into the night sky before pantomiming a drinking gesture, pinkie’s out. “There’s only one thing missing..tea!” Ooc: SO SORRY FOR HOLDING THIS UP! Sickness and moving kind of got to me. X.x

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[shepherd]

The sound of Skye's Parisian accent surprised him, as usual, in the same way the South African accents surprised him. It was a language he was used to hearing, but spoken in a completely different way. A nice way, though one that made him feel his Quebecois was a bit slang-y and crude...which was, of course, not the case, he reminded himself with a twinge of pride for his homeland. A homeland that was now forbidden him-- that had hunted him. The alphess had darted off for a moment, toward the same place that the boxes had come from before, leaving the tall doctor standing awkward and thoughtful by the fire.

His face erupted in an expression of gleeful surprise when the three jars of water clinked on the ground at his feet. Shepherd immediately bent to study them, quite delighted. He hadn't really thought about the difficulty of keeping water here, and beamed up at Skye from his kneeling posture. "Ah, thank you, merci beaucoup! This should do fine."

She sat back down, wishing him luck, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Yes, tea was probably far from the norm here in this desolate wasteland, but while he had the leaves and knew how, why not? "We'll see, eh?" And now for the trick of brewing the stuff. He paused for a moment, considering how he was going to accomplish the trick of boiling the water. The jars, he was sure, would be fine, considering that the precious water wasn't entrusted to fragile glass but to some sort of highly-durable plastic derivative or other. He wasn't sure precisely what it was, but he knew it wouldn't melt or shatter, and that was enough.

The man transferred them carefully, with the lids off, to stand on the tops of some stones that ringed the fire pit. It was perfectly hot enough for the water to boil there, so near to the scorching coals, and the doctor stood away a few paces to wait, finding the heat too much for him to stand so near. And just as he was backing up, he felt arms encircling him.

Our medic's entire body went suddenly tense, the shock nearly pushing him into a shift. A small 'Hrk!' left his gritted teeth, eyes glancing wildly around him. Shepherd was a prey animal and a jumpy man by nature, and his war-wounds only made his flight instinct sharper. He tried to relax when the impulsive girl who'd embraced him spoke, her tone teasing and light, but the feeling of being on-edge didn't leave him immediately. "Indeed," he managed, though the word had a sort of forced quality to it, a cold ring in his rich voice. It was a coldness he immediately regretted, but couldn't help. Shepherd apparently was not the sort of person who reacted well to such little 'surprises'. Well, this was doing very little for his social integration. A deep breath was taken, trying to rid his senses of the mixture of blood, sweat and dog. Tea. Tea, he was making tea...tea was nice and relaxing. The man swallowed and went back to what he was doing before the unsettling interruption.

He listened to banter about the possibility of a story being told as he inspected the now bubbling jars, careful fingers lifting the containers, hot as hell to the touch, away from the fire. The surgeon's hand was steady even as the heat torched his fingers, a small grimace lining his lips. He knew better than to be careless with the water. He hoped there would be a story as he tipped the leaf-balls carefully into each jar by turn. Shepherd watched as the tea unfurled and expanded in the water, dying the steaming liquid a soft brown. He sat down by them to wait until the stuff was ready, listening to the chatter of his ring-mates as his mind eased, the fragrant smell of the drink filling the air around him.

The man seemed lost in thought for several minutes, eyes staring blankly out into the countryside, until a young woman's voice reached him-- 'There's only one thing missing...tea!' He smiled at that, brandishing one of the jars in his hand while he tried to catch her eye. "Wish granted, mademoiselle?"

[oh god how did this get so long T_T shep is such a freak lol]

[Skye [RIP]]

ooc: You guys have got to keep up with this thread steadily!

[Maegan]

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[atrb=background,http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f22/sakitu_frost/mbody.png] Maegan surveyed the crowd that had gathered around the fire. To her dismay she was the only anthro to be seen. She was disappointed in her 'race.' She knew it was hard to feel wanted in this place--even in this ring, known for it's acceptance of the 'freaks.' Many of the Fallen did not seem to share the same attitude toward the antrhos with their Alpha, Skye. Maegan had hardly expected them to welcome the anthros wholeheartedly, but the cold glances recieved from many of the others were hardly welcomed by any one of the anthros. Perhaps that was why she was the only one of them to show up. Maegan, herself, wouldn't have missed the party for the world. She was a long time Fallen member--having been there since before Skye had before Alpha. She hadn't been an anthro them. Maegan had been in the Menagerie a t least a year before the Keepers had taken her and messed with her DNA. they kept her for months after, throwing her beck in to find the anthros shunned by all but her old ring in alliance with them. Her old ring allowed her back after the war and she wasn't going to leave it. Her dear friend was the Alpha and she never deserted her friends. And now her friend was having this bonfire get-together. Maegan had come to tell stories, so the now painted anthro decided she should get on with it. As she prepared the stories in her head the little troublemaker, Adelina, tugged on her ear, mocking her. Maegan simply took it in stride--she knew how to take it by now. She wasn't fond of those who dished it out, but who would be? With her nature though, the event was already in the past for Maegan. Once again going over the story in her head, Maegan stood up on the log she'd sat on and surveyed the group with bright yellow eyes. She'd chosen the creation story, as she called it, about Manic and the formation of the rings and it was time for her to begin. "Skye has asked me to aide in this event tonight--I am Maegan for those who don't know. I've got some stories for you all tonight and I do hope you'll enjoy them. I'll start off with one of my favorites and let you decide if I should tell more." Maegan spoke loudly and calmly to her fellow Fallen and beckoned those farther away to come closer while continuing their crafts or food consumption. She certainly hoped they would enjoy her stories for she knew many. She'd learned a few from her rogue acquaintance Josh--or as many knew him Robin Hood--and she'd tell legends of him next if they'd allow her to. For now though, it was time for her first. The lemur anthro stayed standing while she told the story, using her body often to illustrate. "I begin with a tale as old as this Menagerie. A tale about creation, loyalty, deceit... The Menagerie was empty. Not a single shifter, Keeper, anthro, or retro to be found in this godforsaken place. It had been a new concept--enveloping an entire world. Some were lured in by false hopes, others dramatically captured--whatever the method, the Keepers had collected enough shifters to start filling this place. The very first to set foot on the ground of the Menagerie was the Carna leader, Manic. At the time though, it was simply him and a small group of others. It was all up to them to create their own society, and that's exactly what happened. The Ring was created. Manic headed the formation with two others, Anna and Kane, at his side. Together the trio ran this place, setting rules and fixing everything to Manic's liking. Not everyone was a part of this ring though, Manic made sure that only the people with strong shifts were accepted into his ring--the rest were outcast. He put in place the ranking system that we still use today to make sure that he was always in charge. His ring held the monopoly in the M, they were the predators and any who had been outcast were prey. Those deemed unworthy to join didn't often last long before being renamed breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Manic was living on a high horse--but as in any story, change is inevitable. Anna and Kane grew sick of putting aside their own morals and ideas for their Alpha's wants. They were no longer friends to this self-proclaimed god--just pawns. It was time for them to find a way out. Gathering those who agreed with their thoughts and ideas, Anna and Kane split from Manic rather quickly and formed their own rings with help from some of the outcasts as well. Kane and his followers created the Fulsi in the city, and Anna lead her group on to the desert to form the Fallen. Now as you can well imagine, Manic did not take kindly to this sudden departure of his members. The man did not act rashly though--he may have been brutal, but the man knew how to strategize. Biding his time, Manic played nice with his former Beta and Delta, giving them the land and aide to get them off their feet. To anyone outside of Manic, the man was a saint--helping those who'd once betrayed him so willingly. This charade continued on for months as Manic gained the trust of those other rings. It was all a facade though. Nearly three months past the date where the two had betrayed him, both Alphas and a few other members from all three rings went missing. It was all blamed on the few outcasts who were still left. A few of them dangerously accused Manic of taking all of them. The man denied all of it though, showing great compassion toward the two Alpha-less rings. To help them, he appointed two new Alphas from each ring. And though the Alphas have changed over time--the Three Rings of Order remain strong. Many have speculated over the assumed deaths of Anna, Kane, and the other missing members. A reasonable assumtion is that Manic killed or had them killed for betraying him and killed a few of his own members to protect his name in it all. I suppose none of us will never truly know, though. Only the murderers and the deceased will ever know the truth." Maegan finished her story on that note and sat down on the log with a smile, hoping everyone had enjoyed her story. She hoped a couple things would come from it--that Adison would not kill her for accusing his father of murder, and that she would be allowed to tell another story. The next one she had already picked out--the tale of Robin Hood. Not the fabled one of old--the one residing in their very on Menagerie. The one whom Maegan had befriended, and the one who'd told her the stories she knew of this place. The anthro looked around cheerfully, "Might I tell another? That is, if nobody objects?" Her voice matched her mood, and her tail flicked behind her in her happiness as well. She was here to entertain and she'd do whatever they wanted of her. ----> ooc. Sorry for the extreme wait guyss... Super laziness and muse loss to write this story. And it's not an accurate description of past events, just a legend, a story....unless Mourge says it is, it's not entirely truth.