welcome to your new hell, Welcome to the Menagerie. Or as we like to call it, Dome Sweet Dome! We are an eight-year strong futuristic shapeshifter and sci-fi creature roleplay, dedicated to bringing you a world unlike any other; a world in which your character has become an experiment and must fight for survival in a domed city, cut off from the rest of the world. Choose to be any animal in your fight for survival in an artificial world built by the Keepers as they subject you to experiments beyond your control. Choose to wander the world inside the walls alone, as a Rogue, or find safety in numbers in one of the groups known as Rings. How will you survive?
60 - 65 ºF
blustery with scattered showers spotty sunshine
YEAR 2309
shift bans.
» Cougars (aka Puma, Mountain Lion, Panther)
» All Tiger Species
» All Lion Species
» All Wolf Species
» African Leopards
group bans.
none.
encouraged !
FEMALE CHARACTERS! create a RETRO or ANTHRO and get 250 CP + a free skill! read me for more info!
last updated: april 19th, 2016
Click on each Ring or Retro group image to view their ranks!
GROUP UPDATES
CARNARING
Jocelyn Edelwolfe is the new Alpha! Seija Mulviene is the new Beta, and Grey is the new Delta. Lead Hunter is now Boone Haywood, Head of Border Patrol is now Noelle Ndango!
FALLENRING
-
FULSIRING
Fulsi has a standing treaty with the Nakoma, granting limited access to their fresh water.
NAKOMA TRIBE
-
ANALOYA PRIDE
a while back, the Analoya suffered a suspicious poisoning of their river, luckily with few casualties; the Bellator are suspected of having taken part in it, and there are whispers that Pride leader Wanderer is talking alliance with the Nilda for access to their clean water.
BELLATOR HERD
As new leader of the Bellator, Loril has instituted some rank changes. See this thread for more information!
LAWAII FLOCK
no updates!
NILDA PACK
no updates!
CARNARING QUICK STATS
ALPHA -- Jocelyn Edelwolfe, Clouded Leopard, played by IronChild
BETA -- Seija Mulviene, Spotted Hyena, played by Seija-chan
DELTA --Grey, Mackenzie Valley Wolf, played by Kriss
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Akane did not wake easily. After her little episode last night with Slan she had slept like a rock and hadn’t even noticed when he’d gone. Richard was also gone and as she shifted into her human form, stretched and yawned she grinned to herself.
”Nice Slan, knew you thought he’d be cute but damn!” she chuckled to herself and rolled out of bed. The birds chirped outside as she hauled the door open to let in the morning air. She stretched in the light, from fingers to toes and yawned again as she swung her arms to loosen her shoulders.
Her mind was a jumble, and her emotions were a mess. She decided that some good old fashioned meditation and yoga would help center herself again. She tied her hair into two half pony-tails, making it look like she had curled puppy ears and stole a large shirt from Slan.
Dragging a carpet to the middle of the floor, Akane began the movements her mother had taught her - a combination of tai chi, yoga, and gymnastics. She started on the floor stretching out her legs and arms before shifting a bending. It was elegant – each move deliberate as she breathed methodically with each change of position.
Her concentration was strong enough that she did not notice the presence in the doorway. She exhaled, her arms stretching out and her palms lifting to meet above her head as she balanced on one foot. The other tucked in and braced against her leg heel to thigh. Breathing in, her leg stepped back as her top half bent backward, her spine curling as she rested her arms on the floor behind her and kicked lightly to lift her feet into the air – her legs scissored out slowly so one foot curled to point toward her head and the other used as a counter-balance. Her breath gusted outward
Slansky had woken up early, like he always did. He experienced a moment's disorientation, sandwiched between a sprawled fox and a sprawled young man. Jesus, this kid is a cuddler. He untangled himself from both bodies gingerly (and with some talent--he narrowly avoided stepping on one or the other) to open the door of the train-car and gauge the time. The sun wasn't up completely, but it was getting there, and he figured that he should report for the morning and get a time for patrol, and some morning rations. He returned to the makeshift bed and nudged Richard with his boot, until the kid woke up with a start. The rattler had slept quite soundly, it had seemed, even after that little late night dilemma that Slan was doing a good job of forgetting, for the moment. If anything, the Czech-Russian had been humbled and ashamed of it--he still couldn't get the regret of his words out of his thoughts.
Richard gave him a sleepy smile. Slan's eyes widened some, and he glanced away to clear his throat. The kid is cute. "C'mon, Richie. Time to meet Fallen."
He was bewildered for a second, probably from being drowsy, but the kid got the gist and began to put on his shoes. Minutes later, the two of them had left the train-car, Slan casting one haphazard glance at Akane. He was hoping that she wouldn't wake to more nightmares in his absence, but he figured that this was about when she got up anyway.
The two men talked about random things. Slansky explained to him the gist of Fallen and said that he would probably be ranked as Tenderfoot initially. "I've got a real nice friend who needs a roommate, Slan had told him, and a few minutes later he had Richard set up with Micah, a greater kudu shifter.
Slansky got rations, trying to think of something to make up what he had done. A woman named Lill owed him a favor... And he remembered hearing that she had found a stash of blueberries recently, when she was Scouting. Maybe it was just rumor, maybe not. But he figured that it had been some time since Akane had eaten anything sweet, or in any substance, and after a few minutes of bartering, begging, and convincing, Lill handed over her stash and Slan returned to the car with a spring in his step.
He approached to find the door opened, and he walked up to it without really thinking about it. When he saw what was happening inside, he was in shock for a few seconds. Slan hadn't thought someone could bend like that. His second thought was that she was flexible. Like a damn gymnast, for Christ's sake.
But then again, he was reminded of how little he actually knew about her past. What she had done. What she had enjoyed. He cleared his throat to get her attention, hoping it didn't startle her badly. "If you had told me you were this flexible, we could have rearranged our sleeping arrangement." He spoke lightly, with a bit of a jest in his tone. He was trying to make some amendments, and so he held out a medium-sized sack, containing a harvest of blueberries. Some of the juices had leaked through, staining it like a bruise. "Like blueberries?"
It took concentration to hold the position and she was out of shape. Her arms shook from the effort, and she breathed in through her nose calmly and out through her mouth. With the throat clear her eyes fluttered open. Holding the pose moment longer in effort not to topple over, Akane slowly uncurled and placed her foot to the ground. She wobbled slightly, then stepped into a lunge pose as he commented on their sleeping arrangements. She couldn’t help but smile, but pointedly did not look at him in favor of maintaining her meditation.
Her foot slid along the floor smoothly as she breathed out, and when he asked about blue berries she couldn’t hold her position any longer and she collapsed on the floor. She laughed, and sat on the floor.
”Yeah, I do!” she beamed as she crossed herself to stretch each arm. ”Man I am out of shape!” It had been too long since she had been disciplined every morning, and she thought she should maybe start it up again. A light sheen of sweat touched her brow and she panted lightly. The effort exerted was considerable, but she always felt better afterward.
”So where’d you sneak off to? Showing Richard all that the...” she paused and arched her brow. ”Fallen have to offer?” she waggled her brows suggestively with a broad grin, then pointed her toes and hooked her fingers around her heels to stretch, her forehead touching her knees."I knew you'd think he was pretty,"
[/color] she mused and if her face had not been hidden she would have winked.
Slan arched an appreciative brow as she continued to change her positions. He marveled a little bit, considering he could barely touch his toes on a good day. He noted that she was straining some, and her skin was covered in a thin layer of perspiration. He shook his head disbelievingly. "Only way to get back into shape is to keep it up.
At her next comment, he let out a rueful laugh. He figured that there was no point in fighting it, and what the hell, she was going to be the only one hearing his reply. So he arched a brow. "Actually, Richard was an experienced with horses." A wicked smile took over his expression. "So I took the kid for a ride."
It was obvious he wasn't telling the truth, but the suggestiveness was unmistakable (as well as the dry humor of it). Slansky pulled himself into the train-car, rolling his shoulders. His one that had been injured in the raid was still a little stiffer than it had been in the past, despite the fact it was mostly healed by now. He presented her with the bag, smirking. "Oh, he was very pretty. Nice eyes. Blonde hair. Killer... body." Slansky sat down beside her, trying to gauge her mood. She seemed happy. Much happier than she had been last night.
And he was relieved. Slansky still had the thought that there might have been irreparable damage done, and the lighthearted banter was only beginning to manage mending a void. "I hope you know," Slan began, dryly. "That I had to sell my soul to get those berries."
Akane laughed appreciatively at his joke, and collapsed on the floor panting from exertion as he sat beside her. Just a short break. She knew all about getting back in shape and that it hurt … even worse the third day. After a moment she sat up and he handed her the sack of fruit.
I hope you know, that I had to sell my soul to get those berries, he said wryly. She popped one in her mouth, and the taste exploded deliciously. She smiled at him wickedly. ”Oh come on Slanny Boy how many times does that make it?” she chuckled and popped another berry in her mouth.
With a thought she eyed him slyly, and when he looked away … ”Awwww. How thoughtful are we?” and she shoved a bunch of berries in her mouth. ”Oh you’re SO SWEET. I could just eat you up!” she crowed through a full mouth, then smashed her blue lips against his cheek, smearing berry juice down his neck.
Akane snickered, and gave him a gleeful face before swallowing then running a finger across his jawline to catch a sticky trail of juice before it hit his shirt. Her eyes were wide and innocent as she licked the flavor from her fingers and kicked her foot from laughter. The look on his face was priceless.
He arched a brow again, but kept an otherwise straight face. "This is the first time, actually. Normally I sell other things. My heart, my body." He gave a shrug. "Sometimes you've got to go to extremes!"
He heard something in her voice that made him a little apprehensive, but Slansky kept his gaze on the horizon, though, out of habit--he scanned the surrounding area, whenever the door was left open. That being said, part of him expected trouble. But not that kind of trouble. He felt the sloppy kiss and let out a sound of shock--he turned to look at her, his eyes wide, just as she reached out a finger to remove some of the juice.
How old is she, again? His brows crept into his hairline. And, with the line that their bantering had taken, he could not censor himself. "You keep that up, I won't be chasing after pretty blonde boys. I'll be chasing after you." He wiped the remainder of the juice off of his jaw with the back of his hand, looking at her with a bit of dry humor. He couldn't believe her sometimes, but she was often a comic relief. She made him laugh, and that was something a lot of people struggled to do.
His eyes locked on the shirt she was wearing. "A little big on you, don't you think?" The collar was wide enough that Slansky could see the delicate shape of her collarbones, and the hollow of her throat. For a moment, he imagined running his fingers over--
With his frisky threat she cracked a smile and shook her head, to all appearances not believing him. The berries were good though, and she held out the sack to him to share. So why would he sell his soul for berries? Were these guilt berries? Do you think you're the only one who has felt like this, Akane? Came swiftly and harshly in her mind and she shuttered internally before pushing it away.
She had forgiven him, but damage had been done and where her walls were thick before, she now barricaded herself behind them. It would be a long, long time before she recovered enough to trust someone with her emotions.
He looked at her, commenting on the shirt she was wearing. It was his shirt, she had tied the excess around her waist so her shoulders could move freely but the shirt would not fall and she smiled and shrugged before setting the sack between them and getting up again.
”I needed something I could move in, and you almost never wear this one. What, are you worried I’ll get my girlie smell all over it, and repel your love interests?” she teased as she walked back over to the carpet and resumed her movements. Down into a crouch she breathed, in through her nose and out through her mouth, and stretched out across the floor.
After a few moments she noticed he watched her curiously and she smiled, ”Wanna try? It’s really good for concentration, toning, and flexibility.” Her tone with 'flexibility' was humored and suggestive, and she snickered again as she shifted from a Plank into a Dolphin pose, then curled her body up slowly – stretching each muscle in her back then reaching toward the ceiling.
Slansky took the bag and proceeded to pop a few into his mouth. He liked the bitter ones, especially--it had been a while since he'd tasted anything with much flavor.
The Hunter was grateful that she hadn't noticed his brief lapse in, well, common sense. "No, actually. That's my nice shirt. I wear it on dates... Some of them like that clean, girlie smell.." He arched a brow. The whole conversation was ludicrous, but it was a nice change in pace inc comparison to the night before. And, irrational as the thought was, as long as they continued to talk about shirts and Slan's love-life, he could pretend that everything was fine.
He continued to watch her as she stretched, and finished off the berries. He absentmindedly wiped the remainder of the juice that had stained his fingers onto the cuff of his jeans. Slan... Well, Christ. He liked seeing her in his shirt. He didn't know why. It didn't make him exactly happy, or content. But he liked it.
Her poses changed gracefully from one to the other. He kept his expression very clear of thoughts, except for polite interest, but Slansky could not help but notice the way that her clothes would tighten or loosen, accordingly, emphasizing her slender frame. Her laugh broke him out of his consideration. He snorted. "No thanks. I do push-ups. And sit-ups. Things like that. I can barely touch my toes on a good day." His words were reminiscent of his thoughts earlier.
Slansky leaned back on the palms of his hands and shook his head. "Were you a gymnast or something?" Polite curiosity. And if he continued to talk, it would be acceptable to keep looking at her.
Get a hold of yourself, Slan. She's eighteen. Maybe nineteen. What the hell are you thinking?
That she looked damned good in his shirt, that's what.
She smiled, ”Nah. Mom was active in tai chi and karate, and combined some positions from her friend who was a gymnast. They taught me,” she commented before lowering into Cat pose. With concentration and difficulty, her knees lifted to brace on her elbows in the Crane pose. It wasn’t particularly hard, it just took balance, however the next part had taken her a year to master. Breath in … and out she reminded herself, and as she exhaled she slowly lifted her legs together and uncurled into a hand stand. Her hands shifted from palm to palm and …
Akane crashed to the floor none too gracefully. It was a feat of strength as well as discipline and as she had said before, she was out of shape. She was not too frustrated however, and sat up rubbing her shoulder where she had impacted. She smiled at Slan though and chucked a bit embarrassed.
”But that’s the point too ya know. To improve flexibility – it’s really good for you!” She stood in a position with one leg forward and her arms straight out. ”Come on, this one is super easy,” she coaxed.
The puppy dog ears that stuck out on either side of her head flopped and she smiled as she pulled down his shirt over her middle. Dates? It made her eyes dance and laugh on the inside, though she didn’t quite know why.
Slansky made a noncommittal sound. It was impressive, and he filed the information away. Mom was. In past tense. It didn't escape him--
Thud. Slansky had seen it happen, her falling off-kilter, but he had known that he was too far away to help her. That didn't keep Slan from half-rising, however, his hands outreached as though to cushion her fall--but it was too late. He sat back down, and grimaced. "You okay?" She offered him a smile though, and Slan figured that she was fine--
Christ. The shirt had ridden up over her stomach, exposing a narrow slip of skin. He had a very clear image of kissing her there, right at the hip--
Shut. Up. The same command as before. Slansky cleared his throat again and rose, with the pretense of humoring her. Really. He was just thinking that he needed a distraction. "I think this is a terrible idea." Besides, it was hard to say no. She looked adorable with her hair like that, and her expression so amused. Maybe he was still trying to make amendments, or maybe he was honestly interested in having "fun".
Or maybe I need something to do, so I stop looking at her like I am. "Like... this?" He had stepped up beside her and mimicked her pose. Just with a lot less grace. And coordination. Not to mention, it was uncomfortable, in jeans. His nose wrinkled, and he grimaced. "This," he began. "Is why I don't do these things. We can just skip to push ups, now." He was only musing. Slan would need to go hunting soon.
Last Edit: Jun 18, 2013 15:12:35 GMT -5 by Slansky Kirov
She couldn’t help but smile as he shifted into the same pose she held; only his face looked like he had indigestion. Akane attempted to sober and school her features but failed when he made a face. His dark eyes looked brown as they only did in direct light, and his strong chin and cheekbones were …. This is why I don’t do these things, and she sighed and collapsed to the floor.
After a moment, she sat cross legged and began untying her hair and the collar of his shirt slipped off a shoulder. Letting her hair down it drifted in dark waves down her back and she stretched her arms up once more as he sat down again by the door, his feet hanging as he sighed and watched the dunes.
There was a moment of reflection as she watched him, and bit a lip in thought. The night before had been so bad … she had been sure she was going to leave, and would have. But he had followed her, and she did not expect that. It softened her anger against him. How much truth had been in the words he spoke? It was something she didn’t believe in … taking things back and saying them in anger. Her parents had always taught her to say what she meant at all times, even in anger.
”No matter how upset you are Akane, once you say something it is out in the world and you can never take it back. Your choice of words can be as important as the decisions you make, so choose wisely,” the doors slammed shut on the memory before it could fully develop. There was no part of her that was going to be ready to revisit happy memories anytime soon, and last night had not helped the situation.
Still … Slan was a man, and men screwed things up a lot. Idiot, she thought though her mental tone was full of fondness. It was something real family did – fight and bicker and lose their patience with one another. It was how people learned about each other. She let out one more sigh, and smiled once for practice before hauling herself to her feet.
She leaned down and swung her arms around his neck resting her chin on his shoulder. The sun was high and the day was heating up nicely. Needing a distraction she smiled. ”I’m gonna go for a run,” she said lightly and before she thought much about it kissed his cheek again.
”Thanks for the berries,” she said in a slightly different tone and pulled away to stand, then jumped off the train car. She landed in her foxform but shifted again in a flash, and took off running. When she reached the top of a dune she turned and hoped backward once with a wave before disappearing down the hill.
Since she had been in the Menagerie she had not gone running in human form. She loved being a fox and in the outside world she was only allowed to shift occasionally. Well, allowed to (but she had all the time anyway) ... however, she needed some distance from Slansky and some time.
And, she thought. It wouldn't hurt to be thoroughly wiped out before bed. She picked up her pace, remembering the rich brown of his eyes.
