Fantasy The Other Side - Accepting Characters!

[Genii]

Shepherd
Location: Barn (Hayloft)
With: Shikari & Connie

“There are Elves in Eastwind?” Shepherd curiously commented. He’d never actually met an Elf, and doubted he ever would now that Otherfolk weren’t welcome here.

“Oh, there are plenty of horses in Mirim - especially in the city.” The teen said as Shikari expressed an interest. “Military horses mainly, but there are work horses, ponies and donkeys too.”

“I can show you the rams tomorrow if you like… after breakfast. We can have eggs! Oh, wait… unless you don’t eat eggs?” The half-elf cringed, unsure if Hawklings ate those… being part-bird and all.

Shepherd couldn’t help but look worried as Shikari explained that his friend was sickly. The forest was very dangerous at night, but he didn’t want to upset the injured Hawkling. “Don’t worry. It’s like you said, he’s strong, fast and brave. I’m sure he’ll be ok.” He attempted to reassure.

When Shikari started to panic, Shepherd sat up, afraid he’d done something wrong. “They’re in the old pigsty… why? Do you think more will come?” He’d been joking when he said that to his parents earlier. “… is someone after you?”

 

[TaperedNightjar]

Shikari Khavan​

• Location: A barn (Shep’s barn)
• With: Shepherd and Connie.
• Wearing: [x]
• General status: Injured.

Shikari smirked when Shepherd caught himself for suggesting eggs. "I do, actually. I eat eggs, bird, deer... I eat all kinds of things. There was no room to be picky back home. Birds in the wild also eat other birds all of the time." He slunk down in the hay pile a bit, clearly settling in a little. "I would like to see the horses and rams. I was told by another traveler that there are elves there in Eastwind. Maybe you will see them someday."

His mind then went back to the dogs. "I think other dogs may follow the smell in the snow. Even if new snow covers the blood. We got attacked by a pack before, out in the forest. Vyrik fought them off, but then this new pack came. The pack that followed me here. I think the guards will wonder where their dogs went and maybe send another pack of the sniffing ones on a search. I don't want your family to be put in danger for helping me."

It was clear that he was worried about being found. Not only for his own safety but that of Shepherd's and his parents as well. "The Eagles used dogs to track us. We had dogs too, but we used them for hunting and protection mostly. The Eagles trained theirs to hunt us. They were very frightening dogs, scarier than Connie." He eyed the collie with a sideways glance. "Much scarier. Connie is a nice dog. Nothing like the foul beasts back home."

 

[Genii]

Shepherd
Location: Barn loft
With: Shikari & Connie

“… maybe.” Shepherd smiled. It would be exciting to go off on an adventure and meet other elves, but he’d feel too guilty about leaving home. His Da expected him to take over the family farm someday, and he still had a lot to learn.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine.” The teen shrugged off Shikari’s worries, even though his troubled expression said otherwise. “Da can always say he took the dogs in to save them from the cold or something...”

“I’ll er… just go and bar the doors… just in case.” Shepherd casually mentioned as he went to do just that, sliding down the ladder to go and lock the barn doors from the inside.

On his way back up, he grabbed his crook and a spare cloak from a hook on the wall, which he took back upstairs to use as a blanket. As soon as he threw the fabric over himself, Connie army-crawled underneath it, to act as a furry heater.

“We should get some sleep… we’ll need energy for finding your friend tomorrow.” Shepherd said as he curled up in the straw near the top of the ladder. If anyone tried to sneak up on them during the night, Shep and his big pointy ears would be the first to know about it. “Good Night Shikari.”

 

[TaperedNightjar]

Taavi Jokela​

• Location: Garwood Forest.
• With: Lapis and Stoney, three guards and their horses.
• General status: Fine.

The dog let out a snort as he inhaled the snow on the ground. He lifted his head, black ears perked up and eyes scanning the edge of Garwood Forest. His black nose twitched once, then twice, powdered snow clinging to the edges of it and then quickly melting away from the body heat. The dog's tail was short, docked some time ago, yet stood straight as an arrow. His body was stiff and he watched the tree line, concentrating. After a short silence the dog grumbled and then took off at a dead run.

Behind the canine was a large black horse with a toned and athletic build. It set off quickly, It's rider's face hidden by the fur-lined cloak he wore. Taavi's hands were protected only by insulated riding gloves. He gripped the reins firmly as his horse cantered through the knee-deep snow. The sky was black and cloudy and although the moon was out it offered little in the way of light.

The large black dog lunged into the forest, barking loudly as he caught the strong scent of blood. It didn't take the trio long at all to find the dead guards in the snow. Taavi pulled his horse to a stop and slipped from the saddle. His brows furrowed as he scanned the scene. It was plain to see that one guard had died quickly and without too much trouble. The other however? Something had bit down into his midsection and broken everything inside. Taavi's expression was flat, save for the wrinkles that formed at his brow.

The dog sniffed the bodies and then began circling the trees in the surrounding area. He whimpered and scraped at the snow. There were multiple trails to follow. Two went up separate trees. Another set circled the bodies. There were also many dog tracks and hoofprints. He trotted back over to Taavi and stood next to him once his ears picked up the sounds of hooves coming toward them.

"Captain Jokela!"

Patrol guards! There were three of them on horseback. The group pulled up to the scene and the horror they felt was quick to show on their faces.

"Captain, our hounds came this way. Have you seen them?" One asked as he dismounted his horse and knelt down to get a better look at the bodies.

"No," Taavi answered flatly. "Stoney came right up to this scene. There are tracks there, however," he said as he pointed to the ones that led away from the area. "Tell me, what were these two doing here on their own? You are all to travel in groups of five. No less! They were supposed to be with you. So why were they not?" His words were sharp and they cut like a knife, something that was common for him. Taavi was not one to take it well when his workers did not adhere to their orders. Especially when it cost them their lives, or that of their peers.

"Johan was feeling quite ill, Captain. He was not fairing well on post and was a danger to have with us. We did not wish to leave our post unattended. Three of us stayed behind while Johan was to be escorted home by Norris." The guard adjusted his own cloak hood. It was clear that he was nervous and fearing Taavi's wrath.

"So why is it you come now? Your post replacements are not due to arrive at the canyon for another three hours." The Captain knelt in the snow and placed his hand on the back of Johan's neck, checking to see just how cold the freshest body was.

"Our hounds came this way, signaling trouble Captain."

Taavi inhaled sharply. It was taking everything he had to keep from raising his voice mindlessly at the trio.

 

[tityanya]

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𝐸𝓂𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝒱𝒾𝓈𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓉𝒾​

I am here: Castle
With: Oksana
Wearing: outfit
​

Princess Oksana's face lifted at the mention of a library. Emory smiled at her. He had similar feelings about it. A place to go and hide and worry about someone fictional's problems for a while. She took the candy Emory offered, to which Emory nodded. She didn't think it was weird, hopefully.

Princess Oksana moved towards her desk, rummaging inside and pulling out a stack of parchment. Her manuscript. Emory looked at his shaky, drunk hands, wondering if he was truly in the correct state to hold something so important. Then she told Emory what the contents were: a story her father wanted buried of something terrible that had happened to her. Emory's eyes grew wide. The man was still at large? What had he done to the Princess? Emory was burning with questions, but he didn't know if it was his place--they had just met. He didn't want to pry unnecessarily. And her novel would reveal the story to him in a way that she didn't have to see his reaction.

A clamor was heard outside, down the hall. Emory recognized the voice. Lord Stefan. Emory retreated inwards. Stefan was certainly looking for him. And he was in some other woman's room. The need to escape was clawing out of Emory's chest into his throat. They could continue their conversation somewhere else, later. The library, the dining table, hell, any common space. But her own chambers?

Princess Oksana pushed the papers to Emory's chest, before rushing outside. Oh, good lord. He hadn't gotten a chance to tell her who it was. Stefan was loud, and maybe a little destructive, but he was ultimately harmless. He was hurting, and anger was the only way he knew how to express it. He was so close to Alicia, her little shadow. Emory sighed and looked down at the manuscript in his hands. Should he leap across the balcony again? He didn't want to risk getting caught sneaking away. Emory sighed again, laying on the floor next to the fireplace, lifting Princess Oksana's manuscript above his head as he began to read.

 

[tityanya]

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Ⲋⲧⲉ⳨ⲇⲛ Ⲃⲉⳑⳑⲥⲟⲙⲃ​

I am here: The castle
With: Princesses Aurora and Oksana, Guards

Stefan watched Aurora's eyes widen with a bit of glee. Yeah, she hadn't expected him, had she? Quickly, she backtracked, saying "no." Stefan didn't believe her, but before more could be said, another voice shouted at him. Stefan lolled his head, long and slow, to look towards this newcomer. Some redheaded woman, clothes damp. Not someone from their high society. A foreigner, then? Maybe even...the Princess Oksana that the guards were mocking. "Some foreign lady comes to me and tells me I need to leave? I, who have more right to be here than her?" Stefan said, his eyes blazing and his tone cold. A new target for his anger had entered the ring.

Princess Aurora went up to the woman to try and smooth things about, confirming Stefan's guess. This was the Princess Oksana. "If you're Princess Oksana, then you have every right to be enraged as I do. The Princess' guards were calling you a whore." he turned his gaze back to the guards. "Back in the old days, gossiping servants would have their tongues cut out. The late King abolished that practice, but maybe King Jero will bring it back," he said, a sadistic grin on his face as the guards' faces paled.

He hadn't noticed Princess Aurora approaching him, and about jumped out of his skin as she grabbed his hands. What a fearless, dumb child she was. Her words didn't do anything to soothe Stefan's anger. "Is Emory around right now?" he made a dramatic show of looking up and down the hallway, but no Prince Emory emerged. "Then you can say her name. Alicia/" he dragged the name of his sister out, lengthening it.

Stefan's face became bewildered when she offered to have breakfast with him. It nearly broke away all his concentration on his anger as he just looked at her, mouth agape. She asked again, and Stefan pulled his hands out of hers. He looked in her sweet, stupid face, and just stared. Why would she want to have breakfast with him?[/I]​

((ooc: Not having Stefan answer Aurora's question yet cause I want to see how the interaction with Oksana goes!))
((outfit))​

 

[viloxii]

OKSANA
I Am Here: Castle
With: Stefan, Aurora, Emory
Oksana watched as Aurora let her know that all was well and she was relieved. Now, to the white haired pretty boy. "I don't care what right you have. Although it is more than mine, this IS Aurora's home and I'd like to ask that you have a little more respect than to participate in causing her any unrest." Oksana explained calming herself. Perhaps, she didn't know the full scale of the situation. Regardless, Aurora was practically being tormented. You'd think it would be obvious that everyone has their own method of grief. Some more selfish than others. Oksana thought to herself studying Stefan.

She tried ever so hard to maintain composure in response to this mans spiteful attitude. How could someone be so poison-tongued. "I too am enraged. But I would expect more respect for Aurora from you than a guard that does not personally know her, don't you think?" Oksana's tone became gentle. She realized that maybe things were more complicated than they appeared. "I propose that we see that those guards are FAIRLY punished. Maybe in a way that Aurora sees fit." Oksana added trying not to retaliate viciously towards Stefan's violent suggestion.

Oksana's blood began to boil once Stefan began commanding Aurora to say the name of the deceased. Her nostrils began to flare. She hoped ever so hard that Emory would emerge from her chambers. Although she wouldn't blame him if he didn't. She knew that maybe he could put this whole debacle to rest.

 

[tityanya]

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𝖁𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖈𝖆 𝕽𝖔𝖘𝖓𝖔𝖎𝖗𝖊​

I am here: Forest
With: Sol and Vyrik
Form: Dark​

The golden man spoke to Veronica, saying that he was a man of his word, and hoped to prove that to her one day. "We shall see, then." Veronica answered simply. Her life had taught her to place her trust in very few people. The man contemplated for a moment on her question on what exactly it was that she held in her arms, but he seemed almost sad as he told her he could not. Guards were missing? Veronica didn't know that. But looking at the marks on the man she held, she wasn't entirely surprised he had killed a squadron of guards. Dogs and their master were one thing. She couldn't take on a whole group trained to kill her. Increased strength and speed also unfortunately, didn't mean an increased knowledge of how to fight. She should invest in self defense classes, when she had the time.

The golden man nodded over the direction they came, before speaking about the horse. Veronica nodded while processing his words. Wait...did he want them to eat the horse? Veronica gave him a perplexed look as she glanced at the horse. She...wasn't that desperate. Maybe after she had aged another ten years. And she had nothing to chop it up with so she could feed the man. The golden man told her that the horse hadn't properly been discharged. Veronica gave off a barking laugh. That's why you're willing to give it to us! It's stolen from the military. Alright, I'll take it," Veronica said, grabbing the reins tightly in her hand. "I'll make sure to dispose of it properly before we get to the castle gates."

The golden man said his goodbyes, signaling that their conversation had come to a close. Veronica nodded, hoisting her ward unceremoniously onto the back of the horse. Under better circumstances, then, she said, hoisting herself up next. It took some maneuvering to get him sitting up in-between her and the horse's neck. She didn't want to use too much force and break him. And so she set off to the edge of the forest. There was no way for her to get back into the city without looking suspicious. She didn't want to draw the attention of the guards, and carrying an unconscious man would do that. The horse couldn't pass the gates, because it was stolen from the military. She was at a bit of an impasse. Should she find something to cover up the scorch marks? She doubted the horse would be recognizable beyond that. It was just a generic horse. But what would she do with it back in the city?

Sir, I really need you to wake up, now, she muttered. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could hide the vampiric features behind her hood and glamor the guards as she went through. It usually worked with those meatheads, but what about in the city? Any person walking by could potentially see her and out her. Maybe she should stick with the original plan of going to a farmstead. Farm people tended to be mistrustful of the crown and guards. For the moment, Veronica and the horse stood at the edge of the forest as she tried to make up her mind.

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((ooc: ))
((Outfit))
((Age appearance: Early thirties))​

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Elena Arturo
Location: Kalihina Center
Interacting: TheHistorian (Yinson)​

Elena froze up at the beckon of her name. Already recognizing the voice, she turned around to meet eyes with Yinson Castor, one of the guard captains she served under. She composed herself in an almost robotic way, eyes widening frozen until the taller man's face became a blur. "Yes, sir!" she said quickly to his first question. While she did not personally know Captain Castor too well, she at least knew it was he who could easily make her duties much harsher; it was best to stay on good terms with the superiors.

But in order to do that, Elena never expected a direct ask into the palace! She was clearly taken aback, mouth agape as her brain took a few seconds to rewire itself. "Would... Would that really be alright, sir? If it's not too much trouble, I am content with accompanying you, but surely there are more... experienced guards you could trust?" Elena gripped her sword handle tight from nerves. What reason could the captain be requesting her company? She had no clue, but she knew there was likely no room to refuse his offer.

Nonetheless, Yinson appeared kind enough. As he asked about her presence in the palace, she loosened up, recalling memories of the building from afar. "I-I can't say that I have, sir. The castle has always been a distant sight in my life. I don't believe I am qualified enough to set foot there..."

 

[animegirl20]

Aurora
Location: Castle - In her room
Interactions: tityanya (Stefan') viloxii (Oksana)

Spoiler: current outfit

Stefan pulled his hands away from her and stared at her. The longer he did the more embarrassed she became. Why was he looking at her like that? Did she do something wrong? Was it weird to ask? Why would it be? Her face went red and she looked down. Well it did seem to stop his rampage which was good and was her goal but she also suddenly felt dejected. For a moment the dejected look showed on her face then in a split second it was gone then she smiled at him. "Haha sorry I guess you have better things to do then to have breakfast with me. For get I asked." She then looked over at her guards. Thinking about what Oksana said until suddenly she heard a voice and she immediately straighten up.

"Aurora!"

Aurora turned to the voice. It was her mother. "It's calmed down mother there is no reason to-." Her mother walked over to Aurora and gave her look that told her to be quiet then looked at the guards. "You are dismissed I will have word with your captain is that understood now leave at once before you no longer have a job." The guards quickly left and the Queen turned to Princess Oksana. "I am terribly sorry for this rude man disturbing you Princess and as for you." She turned to and Stefan and took a step foreword towards him. She then looked him straight in the with stern glare commanding glare. "I would like to remind you that if it wasn't for that step son of mine you wouldn't be allowed to step in this castle as you do. So I am going to give you a warning. If I ever see you cause a ruckus like this again ESPEACIALLY in front of my daughter the way you just did I will personally make sure you lose any title and nobility you have and will be permanently ban from this castle. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD!." She then glanced at her daughter. "Head back to room now and do not come out until I have sent for you."

"But mother I-"

"I SAID NOW!"

Aurora was stunned into silence but only for a moment. "Yes mother." Then quickly turned and headed to her room. "Good." The Queen said. She then turned back to Princess Oksana and gave her the most pleasant smile. "Again I do apologize. Please don't bother yourself with this fool." Then without another word the Queen headed back down the hall leaving silence in her wake.

Aurora quickly went into her room and shut the door. She then leaned against it and looked around her room and noticed breakfast for two sitting at her table. She sighed no longer feeling hungry and sat on her bed. Suddenly Artemis her cat jumped on to her lap. "Well that was a mess............well guess it just you me again......but that's fine! Nothing we're not use to right?" Aurora said smiling at Artemis. "Meow."

 

[TaperedNightjar]

Vyrik Tal’Ho​

• Location: The edge of Garwood Forest.
• With: Sol and Veronica > Veronica.
• Wearing: [x] and Veronica's cloak.
• General status: Injured, ill, malnourished, generally unwell.

Vyrik was cold, very cold and yet warm at the same time. He'd been under for several long minutes, and yet no time at all. A lot came to pass while the Moonwing was shrouded in darkness. His unconscious mind hosted no dreams or memories. There was nothing but complete darkness for some time. The sound of voices eventually reached his ears. There were two. One voice was a familiar one, female. The other was new, that of a male. The male sounded almost... empty? Vyrik couldn't tell. Perhaps it was simply Vyrik's mind playing tricks on him. The Moonwing tried to listen but he could not quite understand what they were saying. The language was familiar. In fact, he knew how to speak it and read it. Yet he could not understand either person in that moment. This caused the man's heart to start racing with anxiety. His eyes were still closed and he was quite still and dead-weight, however, in his mind he was panicking. It was as though his current state had wiped out all memories he had of the language the others were speaking.

Next thing he knew, Vyrik was being hoisted up once again. He found himself no longer cradled by the the woman who had been carrying him. Instead, he was laying across something like a sack of potatoes. One sniff of the horse's coat and he knew exactly what it was. Veronica swung herself up behind him and then hoisted him upright. His head lolled to the side, and then she spoke. This wasn't a dream, was it? He hadn't had any dreams moments ago. He was certainly awake. It took Vyrik a long moment to process what Veronica had said. Her words were familiar. He knew what they were. He had not forgotten the Common Language after all!

Black eyelashes flicked and a few moments later he finally opened his eyes. He felt nauseous as he tried concentering on what was in front of him. Long ears and a soft mane. They were indeed on a horse. Vyrik tilted his chin back a small bit and tried to turn his head so that he could get a good look at Veronica. However, it hurt too much to move and he did not have the strength to try too hard. No words were able to escape his lips, but his shifting in the saddle showed that he was slowly coming around.

 

[Caffeinated Joy]

Hector Darius
​

Location: Castle grounds, near the guest wing
With: No one, at the moment.

Hector took a large bite of the massive sandwich he'd filtched from the kitchens as he strode around the castle grounds, peering through the snow. Princess Oksana was settled safely in her rooms, so this was as good a time as any to explore where he was permitted and familiarize himself with where he was expected to stay for...however long they were staying here.

It seemed to him, sending a Ursine to protect Eastwind's princess while she was in Mirim was a little like waving a red cape in the face of an angry bull. When King Briar summoned him to issue the command, Hector, perhaps unwisely, questioned the wisdom of it. After all, he was breaking the law in Mirim just by breathing the same air as humans here. It was pointed out he was the best equipped to help deal with any trouble Princess Oksana might find, and his ability to hear beyond the range of most people would give him access to information a normal, ungifted human would be able to get without considerable risk, especially if he played up the image of "big, dumb and strong". He would simply have to be careful to not advertise his race, and instead pose as a gifted human. Simple stuff, right? Sure. Simple.

So far, his experiences with people here had gone pretty much as expected. They either gave him a wide berth, or sized him up assessingly. He successfully ignored them, so far. Being greeted by King jero was something else, though. Hector had never worked so hard keeping his gaze averted, and a neutral expression on his fae in his life. Sometimes, you could bath a person in the prettiest oils, and it would do nothing to cover their stink of rotton. Princess Oksana was overjoyed at their welcome, which he could understand, he supposed, giver her history. He held no illusions, though. If the King ever discovered their true purpose here, that warm welcome would dissapear as quickly as an ice cube over a hot flame.

He finished his sandwich and then stretched, yawning cavernously. Ursine's didn't hibernate, but the cold weather sure did make him sleepy. A noise from above caught his attention and he squinted, peering up at a figure leaping from one balcony to Princess Oksana's. Who in the hell? He took a step closer, shifing slightliy to put himself downwind from them, and felt his lip curl when he recognized the scent of Prince Emory. Oh no. Not on his fucking watch.

Cursing loudly, he spun and hurried back into the castle, his tiredness forgotten in a rush of adrenalin. He bolted inside and up the the stairs, his long legs clearing them 3 or 4 at a time. He barely registered people scurrying out of his way, and he silently cursed the need of nobility to live in monstrous castles big enough to house a city. As he drew closer, his sharp ears picked up the sound of a man shouting agrilly, followed by Princess Oksana's voice, raised in indignant protest. If anyone was hurting her, it wasn't going to be pretty. He slowed to a walk only when he saw the Queen and an unfamilair nobleman striding angrily away. They didn't seem to pay him any mind, but he bowed respectfully before continuing to the Princess' quarters.

 

[tityanya]

Ⲋⲧⲉ⳨ⲇⲛ Ⲃⲉⳑⳑⲥⲟⲙⲃ​

I am here: The Castle
With: Princesses Oksana and Aurora, the Queen, briefly Hector

There was nothing Stefan’s anger disliked more than a rational argument. His eyes narrowed at Princess Oksana as she said that this was Aurora’s home. The Princess also forced herself to calm down. Stefan could see it, her trying to quell the rage inside. That was a skill he used to have. But the anger had broken down the floodgates, and there was no one skilled enough to repair them. So he simply simmered as he looked at the uncomfortable face of Princess Aurora.

He didn’t even come here for these two. He wanted to argue with Prince Emory. It wasn’t his fault that these guards were hideously undisciplined, and Princess Aurora was too soft to punish them.

Princess Oksana further bit into him, saying that he should have treated Princess Aurora better than the guards did. The thought of being compared to those cretins caused the anger to flare up inside him again. Princess Aurora, ever spineless, retracted her offer for breakfast. Stefan rolled his eyes. “Couldn’t wait for me to decide for myself?” he scoffed.

Any further comment, however, was cut off by the sound of a voice shouting Aurora’s name behind him. Instinctively, Stefan’s body snapped straight to attention. A lifetime of noble decorum didn’t just disappear because one was angry at the world. The voice was that of the Queen. He bowed in response to her presence, not looking forward to what might happen next.

Princess Aurora, much to Stefan’s surprise, tried to assuage her mother, saying that the situation was dealt with. Well, in Stefan’s mind, it wasn’t dealt with. But the arrival of the Queen meant no further argument could be had. Stefan was angry, not stupid. He smirked a bit as the Queen dismissed the guards, threatening them with their own job security. The Queen might be a cold-hearted bitch, but the castle needed someone like that. Alicia could be a cold-hearted bitch when she put her mind to it, too.

But he couldn’t help but feel afraid when she turned that cold gaze towards him. He frowned at the thought of Prince Emory being the only reason he was allowed in the castle. He didn’t like that. It made it sound like he owed Prince Emory something. No, Prince Emory was the one that owed him for taking his sister away from him. Yelling at him when he was in a bad mood seemed to be a currency both of them accepted.

The Queen threatened to take away Stefan’s noblehood if he continued to misbehave in front of the Princess. Stefan bolstered at the threat, before forcing himself to calm down. If she did that, he would lose his circle of friends. No one would want to face the social suicide of interacting with a stripped noble. Plus, it would be a horrible way to honor Alicia’s memory. Her dear younger brother being thrown out after her death? This whole argument started because people weren’t honoring her. So Stefan bowed his head as though he was ashamed of his behavior. He wasn’t. “I understand, my Queen,” Stefan said.

The Queen decided to take her remaining anger out on Princess Aurora. Stefan opened his mouth to defend the girl, that she had done nothing worth being banished to her room, but closed it again. It was probably for the best not to draw more ire from the Queen. Despite his anger, he wasn’t entirely being sarcastic with that “dear sister” comment earlier. He cared about Princess Aurora, even if in this moment she had enraged him.

The Princess escaped down the hallway, and the Queen told Princess Oksana not to bother herself with him. Well, more specifically, she called him a fool. his temper flared again at those words, but he said nothing. The Queen stalked away, leaving him and Oksana alone in the hallway in silence. Stefan stared at her for a moment, no anger on his face, just confusion. Should he just…walk away? Prince Emory wasn’t here. He had no taste for argument after the Queen’s intrusion.

At that moment, a very large and hairy man strode by, heading in the direction Oksana had come from. Stefan’s eyes widened by the sheer mass of him. He seemed barely contained in the giant corridors of the castle. Stefan thought he was rather tall, but the man towered above even him. He bowed in Stefan’s direction before moving along the corridor. “I think that is the largest man I’ve ever seen in my life,” Stefan said, his voice full of awe.
​

((ooc: ))
((outfit))​

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[viloxii]

PRINCESS OKSANA​

I Am Here: Castle
With: The Queen, Princess Aurora,
Stefan Bellcomb, & Hector Darius (Passing by)

Oksana decided not to entertain Stefan's presence any longer. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't upset that she had found the one person she didn't get along with right off of the bat. Oksana loved to make people happy and it embarassed her that she had already made a bad impression. She thought to herself that surely she would make it up to Stefan somehow in the future. Perhaps a sentimental gift? She would figure that out later. Oksana wanted to make sure that her and everyone in that castle were on good terms. Not in the name of the mission, but instead because she was already growing fond of it's occupants. No matter the circumstances. Already, the mission was becoming hard to focus on.

Oksana watched as The Queen reprimanded Stefan. She stood there respectful and silent, careful not to interrupt her. The two had met a few days ago, and they seemed to be on good terms. Once the queen was finished getting onto Stefan she made sure to apologize to Oksana for the unrest. She assured Oksana that everything was alright. Oksana's focus quickly shifted towards the thought of Emory, she agreed with his decision to stay in the room. It was honestly for his own good and reputation. Which was quite important for a man with such standing.

Just then, Hector, her Ursine Guard came barreling down the hallway. Fear surged within Hector. She had no idea how that kind of meeting would unravel. Quickly, Oksana sprinted after Hector, holding her dress up as to not trip on the skirt. "Hector!" Oksana exclaimed grabbing onto his arm. "I couldn't find you so I asked Prince Emory to... go riding with me. He hasn't decided yet. But, I've been very flustered recently and just need to calm my nerves. I wante to wait and see what you thought but couldn't find you." Oksana explained hurriedly trying to save Emory. Although Emory seemed to be able to hold his own in combat. He'd have to kill Hector, to avoid the consequenses of Hector finding him in her room.



​

 

[Caffeinated Joy]

Hector Darius​

Location: Inside the castle
With: Stefan (briefly), Oksana

Hector glanced over shoulder at the tall pale noble as he heard his muttered words about his size. He recognized the voice as belonging to the same man who was shouting earlier. He was a nobleman ... a foppish, overly pampered nobleman, by the looks of him, but a nobleman nonetheless. Getting aggresive with him without more than, "I heard your voice from farther away than any human should be able to hear" was suicidal. He would ask Oksana about what happened before deciding how to deal with it.

He continued down the hall, his purposeful strides taking him closer to Oksana's door. The tell tale sound of her rapid footsteps followed him. Well, speak of the devil. He set his jaw as she stuggled to keep up wth him, briefly entertaining the thought of walking just a little bit faster. When she tried to justify exactly why Prince Emory was in her quarters, he rolled his eyes heavenward and stopped, stepping to the side so she wouldn't run into him.

"Really, Princess? In this snow?" He gestered to her clothing. "Wearing this? Does Price Emory have to leap from one balcony to the other to accept your invitation? Or is that a strange Mirim tradition I'm just learning about now?"

He inhaled deeply, and smelled the faint odour of whiskey and nervous sweat. It was anyone's guess whether the sweat was from Oksana, Emory, or both. "Let's ask him, shall we?"

Hector spotted the fear in her eyes and sighed heavily, shaking his head. He squatted down so he wasn't looming over her, the heavy leathers he wore creaking with the movement. "Your highness....Oksana. How long have we known each other? You're a shitty liar." He rumbled softly, "I promise, if he is not up to anything....unseemly...I won't hurt him. I will simply urge him on his way. Gently."

 

[viloxii]

PRINCESS OKSANA
I am here: The Castle
With:
Hector Darius (In Hall) Caffeinated Joy
Emory Visconti (In Oksana's Room) & Stefan Bellcomb tityanya
Aurora (In Her Room) animegirl20

((OOC: She's about to sound like Tiabeanie from Disenchanted, I apologize, haha. But that's the best way to describe her tone.)

Oksana's body stiffened with anxiety as Hector quickly caught onto what she was hiding. "Yes in the snow! I ca-." She began hurriedly, but she knew it was too late to pretend. "Alright, yes. So, what happened was. Now hear me out." She began nervously. Hopefully Hector would believe the explanation she was about to give because it was the truth. She put her hands up lightly waving them up and down. She wasn't fearful for herself, but over the years she had seen what Hector was capable of in moment where she was in danger or being disrespected.

"I decided to go sit out in the snow. It's pretty, I like it. As you know, I don't go outside much." She continued giving Hector VERY focused eye contact. Her heart was pounding despite his more confused rather than aggressive demeanor. "Well, snow is cold. I, as usual, thought I could handle it. So I went outside, and I pretty much got hypotherm- whatever. Emory saw me, but I assume didn't want to cause anyone worry from inside the castle. VEEEERY UNDERSTANDABLE." Oksana went on, eyeballing the area. She stuck her arms and craned her neck out stiffly, gesturing at the situation that had just taken place.

"Well he brought me inside and got me near the fire, making sure I was fine. That's how all this happened. Now I am here." She started tiptoeing closer to Hector. She leaned closer to his ear. "Now he's in there reading my writing." Oksana whispered, quickly drawing back from Hector and biting her fingernails. A silence followed, and Oksana became restless. "I'm sooorry." She added desperately, biting her nails.

Oksana knew that Emory wasn't up to anything. When she heard Hector promise Emory's safety, she relaxed immediately. Unlike most brawny men she had seen and heard of Hector had always been a man of his word, at least to her. She knew Hector would be quite reasonable.

​

 

[Gazimon X]

SOL
Apollo - God Complex [comic]
Edge of Garwood | Veronica, Vyrik & a horse >> Alone | Satisfied​

He had not expected her to laugh. Why did she find it amusing? Or was there a different emotion involved? Relief? He had estimated that it would be within reasonable bounds if she was suspicious over his gift to them; while seemingly resigning himself to face the guards and their hounds alone. Ah, but she was more focused on the why. Indeed, but he wasn’t passing the precious mount to her out of convenience. It had been stolen for the express purpose of giving it to her.

His steps wavered for a second, slowing as he considered informing her of this fact – perhaps it would help increase her confidence in him? That would be a desirable outcome from this interaction. No, he could sense the others arriving. There wasn’t enough time. He had to make sure the response party did not pick up on their trail.

Nodding to her departure, he turned and trudged back into the darkness of the wilds.

Hmm… at least she didn’t look the gift horse in the mouth. Sol chuckled to himself. This was acceptable.

 

[Gazimon X]

Marshall Lykeios
Edge of Garwood | Taavi, guards, hounds & 2 bodies | Resigned​

Instead of one cranky old man in the forest. Soon there were two!

“Finally! You’re here.” Came a ragged, breathless huff. Skeletal branches bent and snapped, then levitated out of his way and dropped to the ground as he trudged toward them; gloved hands gripping and leaning against bark as he stepped over gnarled roots. Dr Lykeios sucked in a deeper breath as he halted and bent over a bit; a sunken, sleep-deprived stare looking at them resignedly.

“The hounds got the trail.... but they took off… before I could get on my horse… and that daft thing…. has fled somewhere.” He managed in-between gasping wheezes. The chilling air raked down his throat and he struggled to suppress a cough. “Or fed… whatever it is we’re looking for.” He gestured vaguely at the two bodies and rested his hands on his hips as his eyes flitted between them. Then realisation lit in his expression and his shoulders slumped, a soft groan escaping him.

“Oh brilliant. No one brought a stretcher. We’ll have to bundle them up and requisition a cart from the farmers.”

With such mangled bodies, he would be the one doing the lifting if they didn’t want to leave behind any scraps. And it didn’t matter how many times he’d done it. The sensation of lifting the parts and wet entrails was always disgusting, like a rot infecting his soul. Once they were gone, there was no longer any real reason for him to care. It’d happened too much, too often. Now he just wanted to get them back to the mortuary, get them in suspension, then get some rest before he worked on the reports this incident had spawned.

Work never ended.

 

[tityanya]

.

𝖁𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖈𝖆 𝕽𝖔𝖘𝖓𝖔𝖎𝖗𝖊​

I am here: Edge of Garwood
With: Vyrik, Horse
Form: Dark->Light​

As Veronica and the horse rode towards the edge of the forest, she could hear her ward’s heartbeat begin to change. His breath began to quicken alongside it. Mayhaps he was waking up? But he made no sign of being conscious. His body was still limp, his head lolling around on his shoulders as she kept both of them balanced on the horse.

Once she had stopped, he seemed to regain…some semblance of consciousness. His head tilted back, trying to look at her. Fear grasped her for a moment–her dark form was not one she liked to show off. She knew that, logically, he had seen her in his bird form, but that didn’t matter. She dropped her dark form, all the strength leaving her body. He could probably feel it in her arms, once relaxed becoming tight as she struggled to keep his heavy form on the horse. Her fear was even unfounded, as he couldn’t turn his head all the way around. He said nothing, and Veronica wondered for a moment if he could speak. Well, there was no harm in trying, right?

“You don’t need to speak if you cannot. We can’t take this horse past the city gates. There is a place I know inside that can help us, but we have to pass through the gates, first. Do you feel up to walking? I can support you as best I can. You can tap my knee twice if you understand.”

Veronica hoped he understood. At the very least, he seemed to understand that she was helping him. The golden man’s words of slaughtered guards came into her head. This man was capable of taking out a squadron. If he entered that giant bird form, Veronica wasn’t certain that she would be able to beat him in a fight. But it hadn’t come to that, yet.

“My next question is, how do you feel about eating horse?” Veronica’s face smirked as she asked. The giant bird form could take care of the horse no problem. No chopping and risking getting her clothes dirty. She could just stand a safe distance away while she waited.

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((ooc: ))
((Outfit))
((Age appearance: Early thirties))​

 

[TaperedNightjar]

Taavi Jokela​

• Location: Garwood Forest.
• With: Dr. Lykeios, Lapis and Stoney, three guards and their horses.
• General status: Fine.

Taavi didn't have to look up from the bodies to know who had just shown up on the scene. "There are blankets and rope behind my saddle for just this purpose. You heard the Doctor, wrap them up." His words were directed at the guards who stood nearby.

The three guards made their way over to Lapis and wasted no time retrieving the blankets and rope. It was then that Taavi finally lifted his eyes and peered over at Dr. Lykios. "How exactly did you manage to lose your horse? I thought you were a better rider than that," his words may have seemed harsh to most folks, but Taavi had very strong opinions of the horses and hounds that lived on the castle grounds. How someone as experienced as Lykeios managed to lose one was a mystery to the grizzled man. "It's no matter, I suppose. What's done is done. We will focus on getting the bodies back to the castle as soon as possible. We need to clear the area before other beasts smell the blood and come looking for an easy meal."

"Baldric, I need you to ride to the nearest farm and retrieve a sleigh."

The guard named Baldric nodded and was quick to canter off on his own horse. Taavi watched the remaining guards as they unrolled the blankets. One of them turned to Taavi and Lykeios, his face having turned quite pale. "Captain, Sir. If we try to move these bodies that will just... fall apart all over the place."

A long sigh escaped from Taavi's nose. "Sorry, Lykeios, it looks as though your skills are needed with this one to ensure we do not leave anything important behind. Once you are done you can ride home on Lapis. He can hold both of us comfortably."

 

[TaperedNightjar]

Shikari Khavan​

• Location: A barn (Shep’s barn)
• With: Shepherd and Connie.
• Wearing: [x]
• General status: Injured but patched up.

Shikari smiled a little as he watched Connie crawl up into Shepherd's cloak. "Goodnight," he told the two of them. He then hunkered down into the hay and pulled the blanket tight around him. The Hawkling was exhausted but his mind was wide awake with thoughts of the night he had just had. Anxiety and worry were still causing his heart to race in his chest. The willow tea had helped to soothe him some, but his mind simply ran with so many thoughts. It took some time but the teenager eventually nodded off.

 

[TaperedNightjar]

Vyrik Tal’Ho​

• Location: The edge of Garwood Forest.
• With: Veronica.
• Wearing: [x] and Veronica's cloak.
• General status: Injured, ill, malnourished, generally unwell.

Vyrik could feel the woman's grip shifting on his body. She was struggling to hold him upright now. Why all of a sudden? Perhaps she had grown exhausted from carrying him. When she spoke of helping him walk he weighed the options. There was always the option to shift into his smaller form, but no bird of his species resided in Mirim naturally. He would also likely be too big to hide within her cloak. Additionally, holding that form for even a few minutes in his current state would likely lead to another episode of syncope. It seemed that walking with her was the only logical option, although he knew it would hurt a great deal. Still, pain wasn't something that was new to the Moonwing. Without uttering a word he tapped her knee twice with a touch no stronger than that of a mouse's paw.

When the woman asked him about eating the horse they were riding he felt his stomach churn and knot up in an instant. The idea was almost enough to make him vomit. There had been times in his village when the Hawklings were cut off from their food supply. Even so, they had trudged on with their daily lives without harming any of their beloved horses. The desert sheep were another story. Vyrik tried to shake his head but his neck was terribly stiff and he doubted that his rescuer would notice the gesture. A part of him wanted to give the horse a swift kick into a canter to give this woman a piece of his mind. However, that would end badly for both of them because if she fell, well, so would he. Vyrik gave her knee a single tap, hoping that she would understand what he was trying to say. She had told him to tap twice for "yes" earlier, so maybe she would get that the single tap was supposed to mean "not on your life."

Golden eyes peered up past the horse's ears again. He squinted as he tried to take in the sights around them. Vyrik had sharp eyesight, but the snow and his weakness were clouding his vision. Ahead of them he could make out the shapes of homes and fences. This was the farmlands he had heard so much about! Vyrik perked up just a little bit as he took in the sight. Everything was blanketed in crisp white snow, which almost gave it a mystical appearance. He had heard of winter in the farmlands and it was more beautiful than he had pictured it to be.

 

[Caffeinated Joy]

PRINCESS OKSANA
I am here: The Castle
With:
Hector Darius (In Hall) Caffeinated Joy
Emory Visconti (In Oksana's Room) & Stefan Bellcomb tityanya
Aurora (In Her Room) animegirl20

((OOC: She's about to sound like Tiabeanie from Disenchanted, I apologize, haha. But that's the best way to describe her tone.)

Oksana's body stiffened with anxiety as Hector quickly caught onto what she was hiding. "Yes in the snow! I ca-." She began hurriedly, but she knew it was too late to pretend. "Alright, yes. So, what happened was. Now hear me out." She began nervously. Hopefully Hector would believe the explanation she was about to give because it was the truth. She put her hands up lightly waving them up and down. She wasn't fearful for herself, but over the years she had seen what Hector was capable of in moment where she was in danger or being disrespected.

"I decided to go sit out in the snow. It's pretty, I like it. As you know, I don't go outside much." She continued giving Hector VERY focused eye contact. Her heart was pounding despite his more confused rather than aggressive demeanor. "Well, snow is cold. I, as usual, thought I could handle it. So I went outside, and I pretty much got hypotherm- whatever. Emory saw me, but I assume didn't want to cause anyone worry from inside the castle. VEEEERY UNDERSTANDABLE." Oksana went on, eyeballing the area. She stuck her arms and craned her neck out stiffly, gesturing at the situation that had just taken place.

"Well he brought me inside and got me near the fire, making sure I was fine. That's how all this happened. Now I am here." She started tiptoeing closer to Hector. She leaned closer to his ear. "Now he's in there reading my writing." Oksana whispered, quickly drawing back from Hector and biting her fingernails. A silence followed, and Oksana became restless. "I'm sooorry." She added desperately, biting her nails.

Oksana knew that Emory wasn't up to anything. When she heard Hector promise Emory's safety, she relaxed immediately. Unlike most brawny men she had seen and heard of Hector had always been a man of his word, at least to her. She knew Hector would be quite reasonable.

​

Hector Darius
​

Location: Castle
With: Oksana, outside her room and Emory, inside her room

Hector leaned back on his haunches as Oskana switched tactics and went for the truth. His brows knit together when he heard she had fallen asleep on her balcony in the snow, and he was about to ask her, respectfully, if she was out of her fucking mind, when she suddenly flung her arms out to the side and pushed her head forward as if it was on a marionette's pole to loudly proclaim how very undersandable it all was. Watching her animated explanation of exactly what Prince Emory was doing in her room summoned memories of her when she was a smail child, visiting Korillo on dipolomatic visits with her father. Hector had been the first Ursine she'd ever seen, and he had instantly become her very own, personal, overgrown teddy bear. He felt himself smile softly.

She leaned forward suddenly, breaking him out of his memories, to whisper in his ear how Emory was in her room reading her story. He turned his head slightly to whisper back, but she pulled away, just as quickly, and fell silent, jamming her fingernails in her mouth and gnawning on them as if they had offended her. Her apology burst out past them.

He reached out a large hand to gently pull her fingers away from her teeth, "If you're hungry, we can always raid the kitchen. I could eat." He glanced toward the door. "But first, let's bid your guest a good night." Without standing, he reached up with his other hand and opened her door.

 

[Genii]

Shepherd
Location: Shep’s Family Farm
With: Shikari, Connie & Shep’s parents

Shepherd had intended to stay awake, imagining himself as some sort of heroic protector, but he dropped off to sleep in less than five minutes. Unlike Shikari, the teen felt safe being back home, even if they were camped out in the hayloft.

At the Farmhouse, Shepherd’s parents were up well into the early hours of the morning. Oan couldn’t help but check on the barn occasionally, and Mae busied herself making alterations to one of Shepherd’s old woolly jumpers, which she planned to give to their underdressed guest in the morning.

Eventually, they too turned in for the night and all went quiet on the snow covered farm.

 

[tityanya]

.

𝖁𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖈𝖆 𝕽𝖔𝖘𝖓𝖔𝖎𝖗𝖊​

I am here: Carriage, heading towards Florien
With: Vyrik
Form: Light​

The man didn’t respond to Veronica’s question for a while, and Veronica was left wondering if he understood what she had said. She really hoped he did. She wasn’t sure how she could take him into the city if he didn’t. But after a few moments, she felt the lightest tap tap on her knee. He could walk. Veronica would try and get as close as possible as she could to the gate before abandoning the horse. Inside the city, she could charter a carriage to take them close to their destination.

She pulled on the horse’s reins, moving closer and closer towards the city gates. She asked about how he felt about eating the horse. As much as it could, she felt his body tense. Ah, that was probably a no, then. She felt one single tap on her knee. Well, if two taps before had been affirmative, that was a negative. “I feel much the same way. The man who gave me the horse suggested we eat it. I have some money, I can undoubtedly find you something more suitable in the city,” she told him. Abandoning the horse it was, then.

As she trotted through the farmlands, she could feel the man perk up as he took in the scenery. Veronica didn’t see much, just shoddy, old little homes covered in snow. But, well, the man had probably never seen anything like it before. They were boring because she knew them. She remembered when she had first seen the homes of the nobility, she had been amazed and entranced. The things she had found beautiful, other members of the upper echelon degraded as old-fashioned or gaudy. So Veronica took a slightly more scenic route towards the gate, letting the man see the old, slumbering houses and barns.

But soon, they were too close to the gate. Veronica ducked the horse back behind a copse of trees. “We have to walk from here. I need you to pretend like you are drunk at the gate. You don’t need to speak, a few slurred words will be fine. I’m getting off the horse now. If you think you’re going to fall, lean on its neck.” She wasn’t sure that was particularly good for the horse, but neither was being abandoned in the forest in winter. She slid off the horse onto the floor. “Please close your eyes and I’ll help you down,” Veronica told him. She wasn’t sure that she could catch him in her light form. Once he had done as requested, Veronica pulled him off the horse. ”Please keep them closed until I tell you, okay?” Veronica slung his arm around her shoulder, and held onto most of his weight as they made their way towards the gate.

Veronica’s heart beat fast as she could make out more and more details on the guards’ faces. She knew that she could see them better than they could see her, shrouded by the darkness and the snow, but this was the part where everything could go wrong. The guards were peering curiously at them, no doubt wondering if someone was injured. Well, they were. ”We are fine. He is just a little drunk, but there is nothing else wrong with him, Veronica called out, her voice as heavy as she could make it with compulsion. The guards relaxed. She dropped back into her light form, and the man could certainly feel her start to sag under his weight, now.
”You can open your eyes,” she told him, moving into the light of the guards.

“Someone had a little too much fun out in the farmlands?” the guard asked, his tone jovial. Veronica laughed, a tinkling you’re just so funny laugh that men loved. “Yes! The fool wanted to see some snow, and we got a little too carried away. You know all those experimental alcohols that the farmers love brewing, right? He caused a little bit of a ruckus, and our hosts sent us packing.”[/B] Veronica rolled her eyes, like a long-suffering woman tired of dealing with her willful man. She glanced disdainfully at him, meeting his beautifully golden eyes. ”Of course, all that vigor ran out as we approached the gate. Isn’t that right, dear?” She waited an appropriate amount of time for him to groan, and then turned back to the guards.

”I just need to hire a carriage to get us home, now. The servants can help carry him back inside,” Veronica told them. The guard nodded understandably. Slumming was a popular hobby amongst the rich and noble, although Veronica had lived that life and didn’t see the appeal of being a voyeur in it.

“Alright, miss. Get home safe! There should be a carriage waiting across the street right now, actually.”

”Thank you, gentlemen!” Veronica beamed, giving them her most dazzling smile. They smiled back, and Veronica pulled her man across the street towards the carriage. “Ay, Miss. Man got too drunk to go home?” the carriageman asked, watching the very tiny Veronica carrying the very large man. ”Yes, Veronica scoffed. He lives on the corner of Dove Street and Bell Lane in Florien. Could you please get us there, discreetly?” Veronica pushed money into his hand, and he beamed at him. “Of course, miss. Come on sir, in you go.” The carriageman helped push the man inside the carriage, and then offered a hand to Veronica to help her step in. ”Much obliged, she beamed as he closed the carriage door. Veronica slumped against the seat, exhausted. They were almost to their destination.

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((ooc: ))
((Outfit))
((Age appearance: Early thirties))​