cause there's beauty in the breakdown - [closed]

[Quinn]

[atrb=width,325,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=6c2013] She hated being sober. It brought the nightmares back, with frightening clarity. She was back in time, the night she turned fifteen years old. She had walked home from the movie alone, keeping her head down and gaze lowered. Her mother hadn't told her where she'd gotten the money, but she'd pressed it in her hand and begged her to go. It's your birthday sweetheart. You deserve something nice. So Quinn had gone, at her mother's request. The movie had been long, overly drawn out, but it had been nice. She'd enjoyed herself for once. She dragged herself up the steps to their second floor apartment, hoping that maybe her father was asleep by now. She twisted the key in the lock, and pushed the door open quietly. The TV flickered without sound, silhouetting the slouching form of her father. Liquor dripped from the bottle in his hand, as she shut the door and tiptoed into the kitchen. She shrugged out her coat, and opened the cabinet that held their glassware. Quinn remembered reaching for the glass, and having it half way full when she saw her. She had barely lifted it to her lips when it slipped from her grasp, shattering on the floor. Her body had been hidden behind the kitchen table, but it was overturned so she was clearly visible. She opened her mouth, too horrified to even scream. She scrambled across the kitchen, throwing a chair out of her way as she fell to her knees. "Mom! Mom! No!!" She reached out to touch her mother's body, and it was cold. Colder than ice. She wrenched her hands back, the rage boiling inside bubbling to the surface. After that, she couldn't remember what happened. Quinn jerked herself awake, a strangled scream scratching its way up her throat. Her eyelids popped open, blue-green eyes frantically glancing about as she took a deep, shuddering breath. A hand went to her forehead, fisting up a handful of her hair. “Damn it.” She said nearly inaudibly. Her heart was racing, thrashing around as if trying to escape her ribcage. She rolled off her side, propping up on to her elbows. The park wasn't freeland anymore, having been taken over by Fulsi. She knew it, but it didn't detain her from sauntering in anyway. Things couldn't be much worse, in her opinion. She was sober, being held in this hellhole against her will, she had freakish ears and a tail. She sat all the way up now, reaching and grabbing her toes in a stretch. She'd been napping for a while now, and her ears twitched...listening for any sounds that might have been lost in her nightmare. She shuddered. Why couldn't the Keepers take that away from her? Quinn chewed on her lip absently, taking in the sights. The Menagerie was still new to her, every place a new adventure. So she had no ideas on who she was going to run into next, or what she was going to get herself into next. ---- words!: 503

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[kimber]

'The funny thing about acting like someone you aren't is that sooner or later you start to believe your own lie.' Kimber mused.

The short-ish blonde woman had stepped, and none too hesitantly, into what was now well known by all to be Fulsi territory. With each step further into what had once been no man's land any nervousness she had dissolved until she was walking quite confidently through the park. A contemptuous smirk formed on her lips as she surveyed the park. The contempt wasn't for the park though, oh no-it was one of the few beautiful things (in her eyes at least) that still clung to life in the city-rather, it was for the blatant lack of security. Clearly the Fulsi had gotten a bit to big for their britches if they thought that not only could they snatch up as much no man's land as they pleased, but they could also neglect to keep an eye on it.

"Buncha idjits." She muttered under her breath, lifting an amber bottle to her mouth. She took a swig of whatever liquid was inside-most likely alcohol, considering it was Kimber Rooksley. Was she drunk already? Probably not. She had a reputation for being able to hold her alcohol and hold it well. One bottle, one 'little' bottle by her standards, was not going to put her under.

The hare-shifter took another look around and froze. Who was that? A Fulsi? The red hair was certainly hard to miss...but it seemed somewhat familiar. A Fulsi she'd knocked across the jaw once, maybe? Curious now, but wary, she walked closer until her other senses, namely scent, were able to kick in. Rooksley found herself both relieved and disappointed as she realized it was someone from the Fallen-like her. She smiled. It seemed she wasn't the only one brazen enough to waltz right into Fulsi land.

"Well, well, well. Ain't you a bold one." Oh how her old teachers would have cringed if they heard her using the dreaded improper grammar that was 'ain't'. Her grin broadened at the thought. It faded all too quickly though. The thought of her teachers reminded her that she used to have a real life. She used to be normal. She didn’t have to act tough to survive. Hell, she didn’t have to do anything to survive. That’s what parents were for…though a fat lot of help they were when they found out she ’wasn’t like them’. They threw their track star out as easily as if it were trash day and she was the garbage.

The shifter‘s eyes glanced to the girl‘s ears. An anthro…but she was a Fallen. That made her okay in Rooksley‘s book…not that she was quick to judge anyone on appearance. Some of the trashiest looking prostitutes had been incredibly nice to her…well. At least until they heard the boss threatening the shifter. Key word: Shifter. It was what was inside that counted really…Unfortunately, on the inside Kimber was a rabbit…and well, that didn‘t sit well with a lot of the ‘normal‘ population.

She cocked her head. The girl looked like she‘d just woken up from a none-too-pleasant dream. "Don't tell me you were actually sleeping here. Even I'm not that brazen."

[adam]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=d6eaf3] Being the newly appointed Head of border patrol wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Already Adam had been feeling the heat from some of Restan’s old supporters, they claimed he was too inexperienced for the job, that he would get them all killed. It was true that he’d been a Tenderfoot up to the day he’d challenged and fought for his new title but it wasn’t true however that he was clueless about leadership or tactics. He’d been a career criminal for god’s sake, Adam thought he knew something about getting around without being noticed or why else would he have been able to steal so often without ever being caught? He could even sneak up on Ven occasionally and that was a feat in and of itself considering the Hunter had been a former hit man. A sullen pout glued to his face, he tried stopping his musings and once again started off towards the park. He figured he should hurry up and get to the newly claimed territory, he had after all told the patrols to lay off it for today. Adam wanted someplace to himself and the park was always a good hideaway where he could think in relative peace. It wasn’t at all like the Inn where pod people frolicked around falling through ceilings and nearly squishing innocent bystanders. Yes, the park was a safe place where he could swing while making sure none of the Carna would try anything. Adam didn’t include Fallen on his list of things to watch for, not yet at least. Too many of them were friends and the alliance was so recently broken, it was hard to think of them as enemies even more so for people like his friend Fylnn, that medic’s own sister was a Fallen. Though Adam had bent the rules for the muscled blonde Medic and allowed his sister to pass unharmed. He’d done the same for her odd little friend, Keiko, he thought her name was. But lately he was starting to rethink that. Running a hand through his hair, pausing the motion halfway to tug nervously at a few locks, he mused that with the recent increase in scouting missions conducted by the Fallen, he’d really have to start watching them. Lemon scented bugs must have slipped into their brains, controlling the normally peaceful ring and making them violent, though he thought some of them had just been born violent but then again, that was only a single Fallen girl. Approaching the outskirts of the park, Adam had another little anxiety triggered quake, if he ran into any trespassers he could easily be killed. What could one long Fulsi do when the whole Carna could be lurking behind the bushes of the rundown park? Or even a troop of bug puppet, Fallens? He might have his weapons but they were so difficult to use without killing the target and he didn’t kill, no matter what his nightmares whispered to him, he never killed. One hand gripping his bag handle tightly, he hoped that shifting alone might be able to frighten anyone off. Most people would back off at the sight of his lumbering tiger shift but still, he knew there were others that might still take the chance. That terrified him more than an actual fight. He wished there was some way of telling the world not to attack him, that he wasn’t stable enough to be attacked. It was like the butterflies and their hospital lemon scented cleaner smell, they only brought tears. Only tears, just like him. Shaking his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts, Adam stepped into the park. For a moment he relaxed, happy to see that no one was there then his heart sank. That was the last straw, the shaking and stuttering Adam couldn’t take the day’s stress any longer. First he’d been mercilessly bullied, then he’d been forced to wonder around shirtless bearing the awful scars for all to see, and now. And now! There were people invading his only safe place. It was time for Adam to rest for a while, to forget the pain long enough for him to just notice the blanks in his day. And it was time for him to come out and play. Gazing around, no longer shuddering but at ease in his skin, he tried to analyze the situation. There was indeed someone there, two someones in fact. Fallen from their scents, one appeared to be just waking up from some sort of nap and the other appeared to have just arrived on the scene. He was mildly offended by the fact these Fallen thought the Fulsi were enough of a joke that they could just lay around here but yet he was more curious about the first Fallen. The red head had ears, not human ears but wolf ears. He guessed that she was an anthro but he hadn’t nor had Adam actually met one until now seeing as they weren’t allowed in the Fulsi. Walking closer, he made no attempt to sneak up upon the pair, this was his land and he refused to make it seem otherwise by creeping like he didn’t belong there. They were the ones who didn’t belong. His head was tilted in interest and he could barely contain a laugh at the blond haired girl’s words as he closed the distance between him and the pair. “She’s right, you shouldn’t sleep on another’s territory. You never know who might show up.”

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[Quinn]

[atrb=width,325,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=6c2013] Quinn heard them before they even got close enough to see her. Her head was whipped around to the left, listening intently to what she was certain were footsteps. Hesitant, cautious footsteps, ones that were trying to be certain of something before making themselves completely known. When the short blonde came into view, Quinn simply frowned, wondering what in the hell? She didn't know the figure right off the top of her ears, and the figure didn't seem to know her either. But when she approached smiling broadly, her posture did nothing to relax. Still propped on her elbows, Quinn was at a clear disadvantage with this one, but as the little blonde got closer...it was clear they were on the same team. Or whatever. Quinn still wasn't totally clear on anything except that the three 'rings' were competing for the supplies, possibly at the Keepers own entertainment. And that the Fulsi and Carna were assholes because they didn't allow Anthros into their 'society'. The girl before her was quite a jabberer, and Quinn slowly sat up looking over her with a slightly...lost expression. "Bold. Stupid. Take your pick." The lilting accent of her Irish-British tongue was a bit sour, as if the female had interrupted something. Which she hadn't. Quinn eyed the amber glass bottle dangling form the woman's fingers, her mouth going a little dry. She could smell the alcohol from here. She noticed the Fallen's eyes drift away from her face and to her ears, which surprisingly was a refreshing change from the whole staring at boobs thing. "Mind sharing there, comrade?" She gestured to the bottle. It didn't bother the Anthro that they hadn't even bothered to exchange names, no one seemed to like to do that. The next set of words hit her ears, and she smiled just a bit. "Don't tell me you were actually sleeping here. Even I'm not that brazen." The smile tugged a bit more at the corners of her mouth, as she stretched lazily. "Nothing like a power nap. And the nightmares make for a good alarm clock." A man's voice made her stiffen, blue-green eyes flickering to a man standing just a little ways off. Males were her least favorite, especially if she was totally sober. Which she was. Her posture was fairly rigid, but she made an attempt at non-chalance. "True words there, Fulsi. I'm not good with authority though." She winked casually at him. She gestured to a place near enought to her to seem friendly, but far enough that she could spring away if the need arose. "Want to sit with us for a while?" She asked, even though her heart was having a panic attack. the man looked fairly young, perhaps a little older than her? His appearence made her uncertain. If he was relatively new then he'd have been uncertain about her, and her 'friend' right? So older, more experienced. Her ears twitched, particularly the left one, as she looked away from the man to her blonde companion. "Come on now, pass me a drink, would you?" she extended her hand for the bottle, trying to let some of the tension out of her body with the movement. One little drink wouldn't put her under the table, particularly since she only intended to take enough to loosen up. "I'm Quinn. Quinn Lynch. Anthromorphic freak" She chuckled humorlessly at her predicament. Maybe this Fulsi guy wouldn't be too much of a spoil sport. She'd have to steal his underwear or something, and give him a wallop or three. --- ooc: Don't ask me what she's up to. xDDD words: 593 - short fail post -shot-

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[kimber]

"Bold. Stupid. Take your pick."
Rooksley frowned slightly at the girl's sour tone. As if she was interrupting anything important. Well, sleep, for all intents and purposes, was important, but the girl's choice of a rest-stop left much to be desired in the safety department. The frown deepened as the anthro asked if she minded sharing her whiskey. Uh...hell yes? Who knew when she'd next have the chance to scrounge around in the bar underneath the church. Every part of her screamed for her to down the rest of the bottle herself--right then and there even. She resisted the urge but couldn't help her fingers tightening around the bottle.

"Nothing like a power nap. And the nightmares make for a good alarm clock."
The shifter's smile returned a bit at that reply. The girl was still a stranger, but she was a sassy stranger. Sass was something the head of border patrol liked in a person, just as long as it didn't stop them from following through with orders. Of course, Kimber couldn't really hate sass, being one to dabble in it herself. Despite the girl's nonchalant words though, she kept up an air of wariness. Or was it tension? Understandable...considering neither of them knew each other's names. A rather awkward situation. Perhaps that anonymity was what was keeping Rooksley from being more willing to share. After all, it was one thing to share with someone you knew, or at least partially knew. It was another thing entirely to share with a stranger. Given her history, Kimber was mildly surprised she still had an aversion to giving anything to strangers. As far as an outsider looking in was concerned, she'd just about given everything that could be given to strangers. The bottle drew her eyes. Surely one little bottle was fine? She could always get more. It might take her a bit to find the time, or rather, let herself find the time, but yes, she could get more. The bottle would be empty one way or another in any case.

As she was offering the whiskey to Quinn, another figure approached. This one...Fulsi. Definitely Fulsi. A Fulsi she felt as if she should know, maybe not because they had met before, but because he was simply a person that she should know. she wracked her brains for who he could be but nothing came to her. How sad. “She’s right, you shouldn’t sleep on another’s territory. You never know who might show up.”
She snorted a bit at his words. Oh yes, you shouldn't sleep on someone else's territory. In all honesty, you shouldn't put even a foot on it. But the Fulsi, she remembered, had been doing an awful lot of stepping as of late. Right onto the Fallen Oasis if memory served her right...and when it came to her own ring's land, it most certainly did.

"I'm Quinn. Quinn Lynch. Anthromorphic freak"
Kimber had only been half-listening as the anthro started to banter with the Fulsi. But at that remark Quinn gained the shifter's full attention once more. "Quinn, huh? Well, I think the only real freaks in this place are those damned viruses." She passed the drink, albeit hesitantly. "Kimber Rooksley's the name...although I'll answer to just about anything." Rooksley turned to face the Fulsi and beckoned to him in a hearty full-armed movement. "Come on over, Fulsi-boy. Take a load off."

[adam]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=d6eaf3] “Oh?” He raised an eyebrow at the anthromorph, she apparently didn’t know well enough to recognize her own head of border patrol, a pity really. One should be ashamed when the enemy knows more about your higher ups then you do, though he had the advantage of the sketches he’d extorted from the Fallen Medic he’d captured. Whatever, he felt that saucy anthro should be informed. “But you’re sitting right next to some authority. Both Heads of Border Patrol apparently find you of interest.” He finished, lazily sprawling out in the spot the anthro had indicated. He’d worked all last night on trying to straighten out the mess of patrols the former Head had left him with and today he figured he’d leave the Fallens alone, for the most part. He was just too tired to start a pointless battle. Besides he doubted they would be capable of a decent fight anyways, a waste of his effort and time to kill. And perhaps, though he loathed to admit it, the Fallen were amusing, interesting even and while normally his judgment was good, well he was a sucker for odd things and people. It was why he was in love with someone who still thought Adam couldn’t handle his job and found it fun to make Adam cry every once in a while by getting himself half drowned to save a freaking Carna. Sometimes he seriously considered killing Ven when Adam was sleeping, the boy would get over it…eventually and it be better for them both. Yet the blond still held mysteries that he had to solve before the Russian met his death at anyone’s hands. Lost in his thoughts, he nearly forgot to state his name or rather Adam’s, it never really seemed like his name but no others seemed to fit either. “Nice to meet you too, Miss. Lynch but I doubt you’re a freak. There are much worse people here. And I’m Adam Petite.” He tried not to laugh at the anthro, she seemed normal in this place compared to the amount of crazy he’d seen running about, himself included. That was without even going into the virus problem, those creatures were messed up and he had to wonder exactly how demented the keepers were to have invented such things. He had to admit though, from a distance Viruses were quite fun to observe, useful for trapping enemies as well. It was always an easy way out, just to run from a group of Carna, slip into the hospital and then run like hell out the back door while the rest were torn to pieces by the Viruses that lived within. The frantic screams of the Carna were like music to his ears. Giving his head a tiny shake, he tried to focus on the present but it was hard for him. Adam had gotten to live those moments and by remembering them, it almost seemed like he’d been the one there, that he wasn’t just a protection mechanism for the boy’s fragile mind. Still he gave it his best effort and listened to the Fallen’s words and their thoughts. Blinking at the other Fallen girl, the one who’d named herself as Rooksley, he was tempted to say that drinking wasn’t something a higher up should be doing at anytime, especially not when they were on enemy territory right next to one of the enemy. It was beyond him why these Fallens were so calm, they must not have gotten his note or perhaps all the blood had blocked out the words. Either way he should make a new one sometime. He felt people should get a warning before he conducted a raid on them. It wasn’t nearly as fun if the job was simple. “I’m over, I’m over.” He murmured, laughter tingeing his words. Whether it was at the Fallen’s naiveté or the thought that had just passed through Lynch’s head, he himself wasn't even sure. Give him a wallop and steal his underwear, how amusing. He wasn’t so easy to take down and he figured he should be offended by this arrogance that the Fallens were showing but instead he was oddly entertained. “But it’s hard to take a load off when there are intruders lurking on my land who apparently….. want to steal my underwear and give me a few wallops, I believe?” He raised an eyebrow with an entertained little smirk. “I might have to take back my early statement Miss. Lynch, you might really be a freak, After you just met me and you already want my undergarments.”

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[Quinn]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true]

[bg=040404] "Heads of Border Patrol, eh?" She looked between the blonde and the Fulsi. She been put under as a...Tenderfoot? Yeah, Tenderfoot sounded right. Quinn was definitely unclear on what all of these terms and shit meant but apparently she was in the presence of authority. Too bad she didn't take authority very well. She was some boot licking suck up. "Well well. Might pay off one day to have friends in higher places. I was only released...three...four days ago? Maybe a week." She grinned slightly, but her thoughts were in a darker place. A cold slab, and being tied down. Dr. Jarvis and Dr. Grey standing over her...sometimes together, sometimes alone. She bared her teeth unconsciously, letting her ears slide back slightly before she realized she probably shouldn't be looking like that. At least not in this company. "I'll let you call me Quinn, if you'll let me call you Adam?" She raised an eyebrow at him, blue green eyes focusing on him. With Rook at her back she felt a little more comfortable. Aside from Grey, no woman had ever done her any harm. She offered a smile to Rooksley, as she reached for the outstretched bottle. "Thanks mate." Well at least he wasn't going to be a difficult Fulsi. From what she'd gathered they were just a smidge better than Carna, and apparently the Fallen and Fulsi had been allied at one time. What had happened to that alliance was a mystery to the red head, but she shrugged the thought away. It was gone, done, kaput. Her delicate hands wrapped around the neck of the bottle, careful to avoid Rooksley's fingers. She used the corner of her shirt to rub off the woman's germs, though hell...her shirt might not be any better. Better knowing what she'd been rolling around in than knowing what ol' Kimber there had been kissing. She took a swig, the stuff burning the back of her throat in a good way, as she handed the bottle back to her. The Fulsi, Adam she mentally corrected, had taken a seat where she had indicated and she relaxed a little further. Sitting was better than standing, gave a little more time to react if there was something coming. His words had another smile quirking at the corner of her lips. These Menagerie people were a hell of a lot easier to get along with than the London natives. Or so it seemed, at the moment. "I was only going to do that if...you...Wait." Her eyebrows scrunched together, gaze flickering to Kimber. "Did I?...did he?" Her head tilted to the side, completely taken aback. "Did you just read my mind?" What the hell? She thought, not sure whether to be intrigued or pissed. Invaded her privacy, the last shreds of secrecy left to her had been shredded to nonexistent bits because he could read her mind? But how could he do that? "Were you picking my thoughts or was that thought just loud?" She asked, leaning forward slightly. The first Fulsi she'd ever met in her life and he could read bloody minds! She turned to Kimber. "Did you know he could do that?" Quinn asked, turning her head away from Adam for just a moment. "And for your information. If we were going to do anything, I'm pretty sure we would have done it already. I did happen to miss the sunlight and the trees. Cell bars just don't do it for me, alright?" She curled her lip up just a little, something in her wanting to poke the man in front of her. Just...poke him. Just as long as he doesn't touch me. But that probably wouldn't go over well. "Told you." She grinned again, as he spoke about taking back his previous words. She felt hyper now, adrenaline and booze mixing and causing this weird attitude. ------ ooc:failpost x-x she's just so hyper right now. freaked and interested at the same time. xDD words: 644

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[kimber]

So that's why he was so familiar. Adam Petite. Head of the Fulsi Border Patrol. Memories of reports flooded back to her. Male, tiger shifter, nasty blades. She sighed mentally. She was almost positive the saying didn't go 'Life sucks and then you get mauled by a tiger'...but the result was the same. Adam seemed relaxed though, as at ease as she and Quinn were acting. But who was to say that he wasn't acting as well? The shifter kicked at the dirt. At least he was sitting down. She liked the odds of being able to get the...tenderfoot, was she? Well, the younger girl back over the border, when there would be hopefully enough warning of an attack.

"Did you know he could do that?" No. No she did not. Which meant the reports she had been given were incomplete. She understood being concise...but to cut out or forget such a big detail was a bit...stupid really. Or maybe none of her own had encountered him after he was 'given' the power. "I do now...Which I guess is better than not knowing at all." She examined a nail, the hint of another smile at her lips. "Well, Petite, sir, it's better than having intruders who want to steal the land itself. Something your little group is quite knowledgeable in as of late." Now she had a nice little cover for being here. Never mind that it wasn't her intention before. There was no real reason not to give Adam her own little note-verbally. "You step, we step. It's as simple as that."

It wasn't really a threat...but it wasn't an invitation for dinner either. As lax in attitude as Kimber was, she didn't think she could get away with a direct challenge. She certainly wasn't going to try either when the result might risk both her life and that of the tenderfoot. Something told her Skye wouldn't really appreciate that.

"Buuut. Quinn has a point. If we were really going to do something, we would have done it by now. Dreadfully simple folk that we are." She smiled sweetly. Maybe Skye would let her do something...nothing major...just a little something that would keep the Fulsi from trying to encroach anymore than they already were.

Kimber glanced at the sky. Later, though. It was too beautiful a day to be starting any trouble. She couldn’t quite fault Adam completely if he tried anything. After all, were she in his position, she’d feel justified in doing it. She turned her eyes back to him. Maybe the sunny days would persist. Maybe they wouldn’t. Weather had a funny way of making a person think it was placid and sedated before hitting them with one hell of a nasty nor’easter. At least it had on the outside. In the Menagerie it was much more unpredictable, if that was possible, for the simple reason that it was controlled. Ideally, in a place where weather could be controlled, enough rain should fall to sate the plants, enough sun should shine to sate the animals. Was that what the Fallen were to the Fulsi now? The ideal controlled stimulus? Easily controlled and manipulated to suite their needs. That would have to be changed. Or maybe it was already changing.

In the end though, it was really up to Skye. The girl might have been younger than Kimber, but Rooksley wasn’t going to do anything to really cross her. The younger girl had a certain aura about her, an ability of judgment beyond her years-probably the reason for her leadership in the first place. There weren’t many who were willing to try and keep a peace. Sure, there were those who said they wanted it, but no one really had the guts to do anything. Or do nothing, as it would be. Always there was the desire to throw a punch. Who among them could stand there and take it?

But there was peaceable, and then there was cowardly. A whole slice. A slice, had been taken. Not acceptable. Kimber wasn’t going to sit back and pretend that she didn’t have any blame though, because she did. And it was that blame that hardened her gaze toward Adam. She had no doubt he’d get what was coming for him. Maybe she’d give it to him. Maybe she wouldn’t. But he’d get it alright, she’d make ure of that.

Her eyes settled back into their normal relaxed state and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her tattered jeans. “Well well. Might pay off one day to have friends in higher places. I was only released...three...four days ago? Maybe a week." ”Might.” she said for lack of anything better to say at the moment. Kimber thought on it more and added, ”But you might want to be careful. Sometimes friendships don’t work out quite the way you thought they would.”
Good lord she was in a bad mood. What the hell? Only a few minutes ago she’d been downright cheery. Dark thoughts breed dark moods? Ew. It was hard to turn her thoughts away from the arrogant FulsiRing though, when one of their higher ups was standing right smack dab in front of her. The return of her drink gave her a distraction and she welcomed it. ”Yeesh. Damn near polished it off.” she said with a laugh.

[adam]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=d6eaf3] He considered the anthro’s words for a few moments longer then he should have, Adam wasn’t really his name, it was well, Adam’s name and lately they weren’t anything close to the same person. Still he couldn’t refuse without alerting them perhaps to the fact that something was wrong. He didn’t doubt after all that at least the Kimber girl knew about Adam, she’d have gotten a report and if she’d acquired even a half way decent one then the Fallen Head of Border might have known that for the most part, Adam was but a meek and helpless, stuttering mess. She must suspect something, he would be more alarmed if she didn’t and his hesitation would not help him here! So with a tiny sigh, he turned to Quinn with a smile, false but perfected in technique from years of abuse“Adam’s fine.”It was hard to detect the flicker of hate in his eyes at the sound of that man’s name, but it was there and for a while it kept him silent and subdued. It must have seemed as if he was actually relaxing to the Fallens, sitting there contently with one leg extended, the other bent and serving as a sort of arm rest, but it was merely his way of dealing with these things. The more stress, the more at ease he acted. It was the trick that had unnerved so many of his opponents and of course, it had been the only reason he’d survived those four years of being a living blow up doll. Though he did managed to pull out an unnerved expression just for the two Fallen, as if his comment had been just a slip of the tongue and not something he cared to reveal. It didn’t matter whether the women knew about his new found mind reading skills, if he really wanted to keep it a secret, it would only be a simple matter of either cutting out the Fallen’s tongues or just killing them all together. “I might have, might not have. It could just be that you’re easy to read Quinn.” He fought to keep from eye rolling, it was clear that he had read the anthro’s mind and from what he knew mind readers in the human ant farm weren’t all that rare anymore. The red head shouldn’t have been so shocked. But that didn’t bother him too much, the misinformed and the ignorant were always a joy to mess with but what peaked his interest was Miss. Rooksley’s words. “Prehaps, we might not have stolen your land Miss. Rooksley if your Ring had actually bothered to fulfill it's half of the alliance. Basket weaving and stargazing are not desired skills, I'm sorry to say. A bunch of Tenderfoots, no, Whelps could take down your Ring.” His words verged on purring, a mocking sort of purr but a purr none the less and some part of him knew that this might cause trouble but he refused to drop the subject. “Your Alpha is a tree hugging child, who thinks that sucking up to the real powers will save her sorry hide from being conquered. Not to mention when the very Ring she had cowered behind with was under attack,what did she do to assist? Nothing. The Fallen are a bunch of useless leeches and so can you really tell me that the Fulsi had no right to step as you say?” For a moment, he let the sentence hang there. It hadn’t been said with the malice one would have expected to accompany such words rather he’d been almost monotone, nothing but condensing feelings attached but now he let the threat drop. “And I’d advise against trying anything, simple people or not. The Fulsi aren’t like you Fallens, people are pawns to us and we have no qualms about throwing them away when we’re done playing.” He smiled for at them for a moment, one hand creeping just a bit closer to his bag. If they wanted a fight he give it to them. Turning his head towards the sky, miming Rooksley’s actions without even thinking, he tuned into her thoughts. They were amusing to say the least, she was mad at him or rather the Fulsi in general but mainly him. He had the urge to tell her that decision had not been made by him, that the former head of border patrol had been the one to go along with that and that if it had been him, the Fallen would not just be missing land. “I would have razed your precious little Ring to the ground, love. So don’t pick a fight with me, it won’t end in your favor and I assure you that it won’t end in hers.” The statement was a mental one, delivered through his new powers and accompanied with only the visible slid of his grey blue eyes towards the anthro. To Quinn, he only flashed another grin. “I suppose you were right then, good job Quinn. I hardly ever eat my words.” He was starting to like the red head, it would be a pity if Rooksley did something to get her killed. Ooc: *Locks him back into his straight jacket* O.o Sorry this took so long. ANDANDETCH. Thanks for the insults.

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[Quinn]

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[bg=040404] Quinn was watching the Fulsi intently, trying to catch something false about him. He was much too at ease, though...she wasn't sure she minded. But at the same time, something had her senses tingling that he wasn't as calm as he appeared. He'd hesitated on letting her use his first name, which made her curious. Was he holding back because he wasn't sure he wanted her using his name...or she had suspicion that maybe it wasn't his name at all. She crossed her legs, sitting indian style, watching him with her head resting in her palm. "I mean, I could just call you Fulsiboy but I thought we were a bit more civilized than that?" Her ears twitched, and she glared up at the top of her head where she could feel them moving. She absolutely hated these things to the point where she considered cutting them off. They hadn't bothered her as much when she'd been a simple shifter, the form coming naturally to her, but now permanently stuck in-between was literally driving her bonkers. She let her gaze flicker between Rooksley and Adam, uncertain as to why exactly they were determined to be hateful to each other. She rolled her eyes, wiggling just a bit as the hard ground started to really bite into her nerves. "You two are determined to fight like old women over who's recipe is better for snicker doodles." Quinn muttered, unaware of just how serious things could be. She had decided to ignore Adam's comment on whether or not he'd actually read her mind, tsk-ing under her breath. This place was turning everyone into animals believe it or not. Animals that pretended to be civilized people that wore clothes but underneath they were becoming savage. Just like the Keepers wanted them to be. Rooksley's comment about stealing lands had Quinn flicking the other girl's shoe. "And here I was thinkin' you came just for me." She chuckled, letting her gaze flicker back to Adam. He had seemed completely normal at first, but the more time she spent in his company the more that she got that something might be wrong with him. The two of them bickering had certainly soured her mood, her ears drooping with irritation. She was pretty much biting her own tongue just to try and stay out of it. "Look, dammit. I don't have the slightest clue about what either of you are talking about but you two are getting ridiculous. Rooksley, show the man some respect here. We're on his turf apparently. And you..." She prodded a finger in Adam's direction. "Get your knickers out of a twist, we done told ya that we don't mean any harm by comin here." A few of the red strands of hair fell in her face and she pushed them away. A sound had her ears twitching again, her heightened hearing alerting her to the sound of something gliding across the grass. Her gaze dropped from Adam's smiling face to his hand, making the connection of the noise to the movement towards the bag. She stiffened visibly, thinking of what he must keep in that thing. Weapon of some sort, she supposed. Her own weapon was lodged in her shoe, but she kept still not wanting to provoke something. He might be reaching for his own bottle of alcohol, she tried to rationalize. It seemed...unlikely. Rooksley's accusation startled her into a slight jump, her blue green eyes unwillingly flickering to the blonde. "Oi, it was nearly empty to begin with. Besides, you're the official. I'm just tryin to keep you on alert." She said, laughing halfheartedly. Then Adam's voice had her attention again. His hand seemed much closer to the bag. “I suppose you were right then, good job Quinn. I hardly ever eat my words.” She attempted a smile, but it was a little harder than she wanted. "You're gonna be eatin somethin else if you don't keep your hands outta that bag." The warning was clear, if a little halfhearted. She didn't particularly feel like attacking the man, knowing that her ass would be handed to her. But she didn't want to be the one being swung at either. So it was either swing first or get swung at. And somehow, Quinn knew she was gonna strike first if he kept moving that damned hand. However, his words were really starting to tick her off. The switchblade in her shoe practically tingled in favor of being used. A bunch of Tenderfoots, no Whelps could take down your Ring. Quinn understood that the words were not directed at her, not in the slightest but she'd joined the Fallen because no one else would have her. She fisted her hands in the grass, her eyes raking over his bare chest. She'd regret this later, probably within seconds of doing it but...hell to the nah was he going to insult the only person who'd bothered to take one look at her. There was a low sound under her breath, as she lurched forward. The growling sound under her breath was louder now, a full out snarl. She attempted to take the Fulsi down, the feel of his skin under her hands sending a shockwave of naesau and disgust through her body. Quinn Queezed though, refusing to let it make her weak. "Shut. Your. Mouth." She growled, forcing her eyes to stay on his face. To see that this was not her father, that this was not London. She took her hands off of him like he had burned her, snatching them away and tucking them against herself. She lowered her head to them, pressing her lips to the fingertips. Quinn shuffled back, gritting her teeth. Christ, it was like this everytime. Every damn time. ------ ooc: SPIDERSENSES ARE TINGLING! o-o u.u Quinn you are definately strange. Sorry its a little jumpy. I wanted to fit everything in. But attacking and then talking normally seemed off. u.u So...let's say his words made her think and more she thought the more she got mad. u.u words: 961

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[kimber]

[atrb=width,410,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=000000] Kimber shoved Quinn lightly, her eyes twinkling merrily. "If I couldn't hold it I wouldn't drink it." The cheerful moment was a standout in the conversation that followed. It was one of the only truly happy and innocent things that had occurred. Since Adam's arrival the tension had steadily risen despite everyone's cheerful and carefree expressions. Odd, that their positions on the ground were as relaxed for peace as their minds were ready for a fight. Instinct compelled each to go down a road which wouldn't end as bright as their smiles, and, chances were, that the road would be nearly impossible to avoid. Rooksley supposed that she and Quinn could try to be on their way...but Adam Petite certainly wasn't someone she wanted to have at her back. She would have rather have had a bear. Something more predictable. Something she knew more about. Well, not that she knew much about bears...Still, at least with a bear attacks would be obvious and cumbersome. The attacks that might come of whatever was held in Adam's bag were most likely neither of those things. Or at the very least, if they did have those qualities, some advantage would far outweigh their disadvantages. Adam's vicious words, spoken in monotone, caused a large sigh to be released from the woman. It wasn't one of those overconfident 'so we'll be doing things the hard way then' sighs, but rather the type that came from someone who was very tired. And it could definitely be said that Kimber was a tired sort of person. An odd sort of thought came to her as she reflected upon his little speech. "So?" Fingering the bottle in her hands, she studied it for a few seconds before continuing, "I'm not gonna exchange insults with you..." Not to say a part of me doesn't want to get you one across the jaw for that. "...But yah should make sure your own house is clean before you go commentin' on how someone else cleans their's. Your 'valuable skills' are what keep this place in a perpetual state of war. I suppose it's only natural you feel contempt for anyone who thinks differently as far as how things here should be done...Even if their thinking is to bear only the necessary and unavoidable tortures." She sighed again. "As for trying anything, even the most docile dog with bite if you whip it enough." Did she regret threatening to take action? No. It would be a simple but bloody and hard matter to get Skye to agree to to show the Fulsi that the Fallen meant business, and despite all of their 'useless skills' it wasn't entirely out of reasonable achievability. However, as Adam's silent though jarred her, she knew that while she could pick a fight, she couldn't pick one now...Not when the most likely result would be something horrible to the tenderfooot, and even more likely herself (for she'd certainly put the tenderfoot's safety before her own). Adam's hand inched closer to his bag, and Rooksley glared at it. Oh. Yeah. Sure. Advise us not to try anything and then you go and start tryin' something. I hate a man who can't follow his own advice. It was a hypocritical thought, considering she herself struggled with following her own advice to subordinates (or in this case someone of her same rank), but it would be wasted words to ask Kimber if she cared. She waved a careless hand at Quinn. "Seee? I can be civil." "Not today." She said, almost groaned, under her breath as a growl rose in Quinn's throat. "How the hell did we go from talking about stealing undergarments and sleeping to this?" As the anthro rose Kimber sensed the metaphorical shit was about to hit the fan. She herself rose to a ready crouch almost in time with Quinn's lurching, her own hand reaching for her weapon while her paranoid mind justified her actions with Adam's reaching for the contents of his bag. She was not, however, completely set for a fight even when the tenderfoot took a swing for Adam. Almost as soon as she had touched him Quinn had jumped back as if instantly regretting her actions. That was enough to partially convince Kimber that the situation might not be entirely lost. She stood, placing a restraining arm in front of Quinn. "Now, You deserved that as much as you would have if you'd fiddled with our skirts. Not sure even your tongue could find a reason why you didn't. You can't exactly go around insulting people." She pulled back her arm to flick Quinn on the arm, unwilling to take her other one away from her weapon, lest Adam decide to return Quinn's favor. "And you, miss, can't go around hittin' people, at least, not for petty insults like that. You could have at least waited for him to really get going before you did anything." she said, trying to add humor to the situation. Rooksley attempted a smile. "Why don't we try something a little different. Why don't we..." Her mind flew all over the place. What was she doing? Was it really worth it to try and keep the peace? Adam had probably been waiting, looking for the chance to hand them their asses. Any protests to a fight were probably futile and downright silly. Of course, her reasons for wanting to prevent things from getting bloody had expanded to include her own selfish desire to not be goaded. She wanted composure all around, or, or, to feign disorder. "Stop being prigs and discuss the matters of the broken treaty over a drink or something." The suggestion flew out of her mouth before she could even think about it and she had no real choice but to go with it. "We obviously have issues with the reasons you've cited...and it would seem you have some issues with the way we go about doing things...so the logical thing to do would be to talk about it instead of going at it like rabid beasts. I mean, what are words for after all? I know we don't live in a civilized state, but that's no reason not to be civilized." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she thought And that's about all I can do for your vision, Skye. Booze is my contribution. I hope you're happy with it. "Or, we can be no better than the keepers think us and have at it. Either way, I'm gonna need a brandy after this is all done with." Rooksley muttered. ooc: That's right Kimber. Try to save the situation with bribes of boooze. |D

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[adam]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=d6eaf3] Arching a brow, Adam gave the anthro an amused smile, she was threatening him. How quaint. Did she really think that he would be beaten so easily, he certainly hoped not. Moving his hand further from his bag to both humor the women and to avoid any further annoying protests, he fought the urge to chuckle. “Is that a threat, Miss. Quinn? Because I wasn’t reaching for a weapon you know. I have other things in my bag, ladies. “ That wasn't completely true, he had been reaching for a knife but then again his bag also contained a lockpick which admittedly could be used as a weapon but it also contained Douleur, his tiny pet. The baby monkey was intent on getting out to see what the fuss was and Petite almost felt bad for the little thing but it could get out if it really wanted to, so he left the squirming bag lie. Directing his attention back to his rival Head of Border, Petite could not help but raise an eyebrow at her, what was with these Fallen women and their idle threats? He could only imagine that the men must be incredibly whipped if this was how the Fallen acted around their fellows. “ But the docile dog does not know how to fight like the feral ones. It will lose because it fights to defend not to kill. Still, I agree exchanging insults is futile, neither of us seem the type to back down after all.” His stance was still relaxed but now there was a dark gleam in his grey-blue eyes, a storm was brewing. He saw the way Quinn’s body prepared itself to move and he certainly heard the intent to attack from her thoughts, but Petite did not move. Rather he sat there and let the girl push him down, the lazy smile still firmly in place. He wasn’t afraid of her, she had but one weapon and it was just a measly switch blade hidden in a predictable spot, nothing for him to fear. The network of raised white scars that crisscrossed his chest every which way were testament to the horrors he’d gone through, horrors much worse than any of the people around him were capable of. Still when the anthro, who really he was starting to admire for her boldness, made contact with his chest and retracted her hands like he was made of needles or something, Petite saw that familiar look in her eyes that made him feel just an ounce of regret for his words. She had gone through something like he had, though from the flashes of her thought he’d caught, it had been her father that had done it not the doctors and the guards of a mental hospital. Different characters but the same old story. She was like him and he had made her recall something that no one should be forced to remember. For the first time since he had been created, Petite was ashamed. He look down as the other woman chastised him, he didn’t care what she said. All that mattered was that he’d done something so goddamned stupid and yet he couldn’t bring himself to apologize. It was like the words refused to move past his mind, there was a wall of conceition blocking their path. His pet must have sensed his distress for it peeked it’s tiny head out from under the bag and howled, though it sounded more like squeak since it was still a child. Petite barely noticed the tiny animal, not till it darted towards him, digging it’s tiny hands into his skin and trying to clamber up him. “I don’t drink on the job, alcohol impairs judgment and that can’t be afforded when the Carna are your enemies.” His voice was even, surprising himself a bit. He didn’t feel nearly as composed as he appeared to outsiders. Only Douleur could sense his inward confusion and picking up the small Lemur, only to place it gently on his lap, Petite felt the urge to civil. It bothered him, made his stroking of Douleur erratic but he didn’t let that show but for the slight shaking of his hand. Petite wasn’t supposed to be kind, he didn’t have the right. “Still the offer is appreciated and perhaps we should start this meeting over, maybe talk of….happier things?” The scars on his chest and the ones on his hips that dipped dangerous below his waist line told him that he should be the cruel one and that Adam should be kind and weak, but something in the back of his mind was saying that they were one and the same. Ooc: SORRY FOR THE WAIT! <3

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