Nice Place Here

[Anonymous]

Celosia walked swiftly over the perfectly manacured lawns of the castle. She didn't bother to stop and look at the beautiful roses that grew along the path. She was focused only on one thing. That thing was finding a place to sleep for the night. Her eyes flickered over the grounds as she looked for anyone else who might be of use to her. She gave a small sigh when she didn't see anyone but that only made her wish to find someone all the greater.

"You'd think that there would be servants around or something," she muttered to herself as her long legs covered the yards to the castle's stone walls. Inwardly she cursed all the inhabitants of the castle with every swear word she knew for no apparent reason besides the fact that she was in a bad mood. In fact she got a lot of practice with her swearing because she was in a bad mood on many occasions.

Celosia might be considered a beautiful woman if she let anyone talk to her about her looks. She was vain but she also knew that thinking only about how her golden hair looked in the morning would do nothing to help her with the day's sword practice. She fingered the hilt of the sword that hung at her side. Her golden hair swept loose down her back to reach her waist as it hung between the flaming red wings that adorned her back. Her skin was visible around where her wings atatched to her body where she had cut slits in her shirt to allow better movement.

Her silver armor glinted red in the fading sunlight as she wandered around the grounds taking in the avaliable exits and entrances though she did not enter through any of them. Her eyes were trained not on the natural beauty of the castle but on the man-made stone as she made mental note of where she could escape should she be stuck in a fight. She winced as she brushed up against the rough stone with her left shoulder. The shoulder had been cut open in a fight although so far it was healing well it would not do for her to go banging it against walls.

[Anonymous]

((Sorry it's bad xP Haven't played Tarlaka in a while))

Another boring day, Tarlaka, now actually showing pregnancy was no longer allowed to walk around in her own armor or carry her swords. Who told her this? The lady who looked after the castle that’s who. Tarlaka was feeling bitter about it sure, but the housekeeper had a point, it certainly wasn’t doing <I>her</I> any good to wrap herself up in the tight (well, now it was) armor and faint occasionally. When she got ‘un-pregnant’ she knew everyone would look at her differently, no matter, she’d still be the commander and still kick anyone’s butt who thought it should be otherwise.

Apparently the garden was beginning to be her favorite place, Tarlaka hardly ever left her room anymore and when she did, it was because it was stuffy. So, she came outside and sat in the gardens, thinking for horribly random things and snarling at her rounded belly because <I>she</I> certainly didn’t want it there. Tarlakas silver-blue eyes got caught by someone with large red wings and golden hair, who was this? Priding herself on knowing all of the recruits at least by face she figured this was a guest, someone who was just snoopy or a new recruit. Tarlakas elfish ears allowed her to hear what the young lady said and Tarlakas expression turned into an unamused smirk.

So, there Tarlaka was, not a guard in sight, in a dress, pregnant, without a sword, and walking towards a fully armed stranger. Ah well, she could take her chances, right? So, with regal steps, Tarlaka followed this ‘guest’. Tarlaka made quiet of a picture of herself, with the dress she looked like visiting royalty from some elfish kingdom, her hair, blue in the front and black in the back, reached her middle back in waves and her pointed ears kept the blue from mingling with the rest. The dress was black with white lining in a sad attempt to hide her rounded tummy because wearing tight armor just wasn’t going to do it anymore.

Tarlaka, still following the girl with a question plastered all over her face, so she didn’t make a bigger shadow, the elfish knight pulled her black feathered wings closer to her body. Tarlaka noticed that the girl had cut holes in her clothing why do that? Shaking her bicoloured hair, Tarlaka sped up her pace a bit and walked past the girl before turning around and crossing her arms over her chest and opening her wings slightly in an instinctual way of making herself seem bigger. Despite the lack of armor and weapons she still had an air of authority around her.

�Can I help you, miss…?�

Her voice was a little icy sounding, and Tarlaka was very glad it was the evening, had she really been outside for that long? From the front, the girl didn’t look like a girl at all, but a young woman but that didn’t change much for Tarlakas opinion on the stranger, the wound on her shoulder didn’t alert her, and she just stood there. Welcome to Adela, meet Tarlaka the guard dog.

[Anonymous]

Celosia was completely unaware that she was being watched. She continued on her way, looking around, muttering to herself about the "lazy humans." She flicked golden hair over her shoulder and then was forced to stop and pull all of her hair up and over her wings. She silently cursed. She knew that she should have cut her hair short. She suddenly pulled up short. A woman had appeared out of, seemingly, nowhere and was now standing in front of her.

Celosia looked the woman up and down. Black wings, black and blue hair, elvin ears... she seemed to have a rather commanding air about her. Celosia would have bowed had she not seen the buldge around the woman's middle. She raised one war-callused hand to hide her smirk. She wiped it off her face in a flash. This woman was unarmed, which was good for her if the female tried to attack. Celosia doubted that the winged elf would be so stupid as to do that.

So they do have night watches around here, she thought to herself as her fingers traced the red jem set in the hilt of her sword. Celosia unfurled her large, fire-red wings in a half-hearted attempt to strike some sort of fear into the other woman. She stiffled a yawn and pulled her wings to her back with a snap. She gave the woman a smile and a graceful bow, her golden hair fell into her small, boned face. She straightened and gave another smile. This one was more genuine than the last one since she decided that she couldn't get into the castle on her own.

"Actually I'm just looking for a place to stay for the night. So if you could point me in the general direction of the guest rooms I would be most pleased," she said, wincing slightly at her tendensy to make her O's and U's sound like OO's... she would have to fix that sometime in the near future. An unpleasent reminder of her past.  Fixing her face into a small smile she let her eyes wander over the body of the night-watch. She noted that the woman must have been a knight, considering the way she carried herself, her callused hands, and her muscled build.

She took her hands away from her sword while kicking herself for trying to look impressive. She crossed her arms over her chest and almost raised an eyebrow. (She usually stood with her arms crossed when she was staring down at some poor page while she asked where he had been earlier that evening... which was why she usually raised her eyebrow... for some strange reason.) She gave a slight sight under her breath. Just the way to start a conversation with somebody... act like you're going to kill them... brillient.

[Anonymous]

Ice blue eyes narrowed at the new ‘guest’ did she even know this was the castle? Tarlakas mind tried to wrap it’s self around how people kept thinking the castle was open to simple guests, where did they get that idea? There were Inn’s in the <I>city</I> for guests, not free rooms in the castle. Ah well, this lady could wait for a few moments longer until she got booted along couldn’t she? The black dress was annoying, she didn’t like the fact that she couldn’t run without hiking up her dress, or that flying was harder than usual with the extra weight around her middle, stupid whelp.  Tarlaka brought a hand up to her face to rub her temple when the lady started to talk. Ah, it does do more than mumble about places it just got to, surprising.  Tarlaka decided to ignore the smirk she saw when the other females eyes landed on her rounded belly.

�I’m afraid you’re not in the right place; the castle offers guest residence for diplomats and knights who don’t have homes or a place to stay in Ketra… I don’t believe you’re a new recruit, so, Miss… Just who are you?�

From the way the girl was standing looking like she wanted to pick a fight. That’s how the boys stood until one of the instructors taught them how to really fight or they got their asses kicked badly. Before her pregnancy started showing she was still teaching those classes, Tarlaka resisted the urge to snarl at the ground while in the presents of the ‘guest’. Just who was this person that came to the castle requesting a room? Tarlaka wouldn’t mind putting her up in the soldiers barracks, it wasn’t a guest room in the castle but those were reserved for other nobles and the knights who didn’t have homes in Ketra, as she said before.

Really, Tarlaka wasn’t trying to be mean, she was usually always like this, rough around the edges and mostly a total bitch without noticing. It mostly depended on the person though, what a better way to make a new friend than at twilight with them looking like they just go out of a fight, Tarlaka knew personally that looks weren’t everything. She herself looked like an angel, the wings slightly helping with that, but, she was indeed a bit of a bag and didn’t like change all that much. Tarlaka took a deep breath and looked at the lady, grudgingly Tarlaka pulled her own wings back towards her back, the main flight feathers nearly brushing the ground. The black dress, black hair and black wings made her pale skin and blue eyes all the more fight. The two females standing together made quite the sight, both winged and one as bright as they come, and one consisting of three colours.

Tilting her head to the side, Tarlaka wondered for a moment, did this girl even know she was in Adela? Silly travelers, ah well, first questions then helping out with sleeping arrangements. Who knows, maybe if this girl impressed her she’d actually let her stay in the castle…

[Anonymous]

She snorted softly and quickly tried to cover it up when the woman said that the rooms were only for "diplomats and knights" she was a freaking knight! Obviously they didn't know one when they saw one. Okay so she had been booted from the ranks for her temper, so what! No one else had to know that. Ketra? Where the hell is that? she asked herself in her mind as she fumed for no apparent reason. She felt her leg muscles tense unconsiously as she watched the woman from beneath her long, black lashes.

Sighing she looked at the woman and tilted her head slightly to her right as she again did an exagerated double-take of the woman and ended, again, at the woman's mid-drift. If she wanted to pick a fight then Celosia didn't feel like letting her without the knowledge that she was undoubtedly pregnant and Celosia was not and that she was unarmed while Celosia had her sword and about seven knives tucked around her person (four of them were tucked in her thick red feathers.

Grasping the hilt of her sword again she fought herself to keep her anger in check. Why did she always have these stupid tantrums? Why? Ah well, time to take the thoughts off the fact that I have anger managment problems and put all thoughts on how to get into that blasted castle. she thought with an inward sigh. Stupid castles. She looked at the woman full in the face.

"I'm afraid I havn't introduced myself. I am Celosia de Laranda, Knight of the Fallen Moon," she said giving her old title. But since her obviously wasn't in her home lands anymore she doubted that the knights of the fallen moon had people in this part of town. She shrugged off all thoughts of having to sleep outside... again... and consentrated for the most part at the task at hand. Hopefully the word knight would get her into the castle so she could sleep.

[Anonymous]

Tarlaka’s expression soured a little and she really wished she had still carried her sword around or had aborted the thing inside of her so she could at least still wear her armour. Either way, she made a choice and she was currently living with it, and deal with a fussy child while she was at it. Bah, today would have been another good day to spend in her room reading or something of that sort, she really didn’t want to deal with unknown ‘knights’ from some fallen moon place that she had no knowing of. Though apparently the word ‘knight’ was supposed to just open up the doors to the castle, not so, poor thing must have misunderstood her. Tarlaka schooled her expression into a cool and professional one while she spoke to the hot tempered girl.

�I’m afraid you misunderstood me, Miss. Celosia, I meant Knights of Adela, not just any knights. I don’t see why we can’t put you in the Soldier Barracks, but I’m afraid that would probably be beneath you...“

Bored eyes noting the girl grasp the hilt of her sword and Tarlaka frowned. Ah, great, now the girl was threatening her? Why did she feel more like she needed to laugh when she should be scared? Probably the fact that she did the hilt fingering when people she didn’t know came around, did they feel like rolling their eyes and sighing too? If this was someone else Tarlaka would have openly slapped her face with her palm from sheer annoyance, she really didn’t need this little get together at the moment. Maybe she should introduce herself too? It probably wouldn’t change much, but it wouldn’t hurt to get her name and title out there in the open, could it?

�I am Tarlaka, Commander of the Knights and Military of Adela… So, I suggest you leave your sword alone entirely, or leave the castle grounds, I do not take threads idly and I will not take them from some wayward person who is calling themselves a knight to get into the castle.�

The black feathers on her wings ruffled slightly and her eyes narrowed in slight anger. This person was quite the patient’s pusher; she also had one up on Tarlaka. The red winged girl had a sword and armor, Tarlaka had a few hand-to-hand combat skills and her wings, which she could attempt to fly with or, hit with. All in all though, this Celosia girl was quiet a few steps ahead of her as far as equipment goes. Though Tarlaka wasn’t afraid, probably because she’d faced worse before, and what was a little pain? If she had any luck the shock of a sword thrust into her shoulder would make her go into premature labour and that would eliminate that little problem. Sighing lightly, ignoring the looks to her stomach Tarlaka decided to word the issure.

�I’ve noticed you’ve been looking at my stomach; it’s called being pregnant… And before you ask, Adela is the name of the Kingdom you are in, Ketra is the main city and this castle is where it’s royalty lives.�

Though it’s royalty was currently away and making her worry. Stupid males. Tarlaka didn’t take her eyes off the ‘guest’ and shifted her weight to one hip and stop in an aloof manner her arms still crossed across her chest. She knew she didn’t look all that intimidating without her armour or her sword, but what the hell did she care? If this girl attacked her she would be a criminal and be sought after by one or two other knights and she’d never ever get into the castle. That wouldn’t be too smart of a thing to do at all…

[Anonymous]

Deep blue eyes clouded for a moment as she mused over the new proceedings. She didn't like the fact that this woman, Tarlaka did she say her name was?, was treating her as if she was some sort of tramp with no real value. Although she did catch the fact that the commander was taking into account her -Celosia's- sword and armor. She raged inside for a few more moments before realizing that, should Tarlaka chose to attack, Celosia would be hard put to keep that hound-dog of a woman from doing some serious damage not only to Celosia's body but to her pride also. She laughed to herself as she realized that, though Tarlaka might be pregnant, the hag could be of use to her.

She suddenly looked up at the point when she realized she should have been listening to where she was. Adela and Ketra, what quaint names, she thought with a small inward smile before she clamped down on all emotions and gave Tarlaka a half-genuine smile. She bowed deeply and gave a soldiers salute though she doubted that the salute of her people would be recognized her but she wanted to make a good-girl, meek impression.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize that you were the commander of the army," she said in smooth tones. "You see I'm not really from around here, as you can probably tell so don't make any remark please, and I am unused to how you treat new-comers around here." Here her smile turned half way into a sneer before she regained control of herself. "But forgive me if you could point me in the general direction of an inn I would be almost pleased." The word 'almost' was said in an undertone while she let please slip over it. Curses. All she needed was this lady knight to point her in the direction of the nearest cliff!

She almost placed her hands on her hips but she thought better of it and crossed them again over her chest. The night was growing chilly and so she wrapped her red wings around her shoulders making use of the hook-like bones on the tips. Her wings were made up of millions of tiny bones making them almost like feathered bat wings. She glanced towards the direction of the rising moon. It would soon be dark and Celosia usually didn't like being out in the dark without a sleeping plan even though she could just conjure up some fire if she needed to but that would let Tarlaka know that she had power over fire and, really, there were some things that Celosia didn't like to go blabbing about.

[Anonymous]

(OOC: Hope none of you mind if I jump in. :P)

Brilliant blue eyes survey the castle's surroundings for anything out of place as Adelan Knight, Denkou Tora, insists himself to watch the walls. Usually the guardsmen take themself up for this task, but Denkou is a bit different from the other knights. The man doesn't wear armor or show himself to be protected by anything. His double-sided scimitar, strapped to his back, even sets him aside from any other fighter within the walls of the castle. He used to be a travelling mercenary before settling in the kingdom.
Denkou rubs his chin with his left, armlengthed leather gloved hand as he gazes off at the lights in Ketra's distance. Even though the city is practically right there. The black long sleeve shirt he wears is missing the left sleeve where the long glove takes over. His green headband is there to keep his hair up and out of his face.
The ex-mercenary's attention is turned when he could hear voices nearby in the gardens. He peers over the wall from his standpoint atop it to see what is going on. More to his surprise, he sees Tarlaka 'welcoming' a 'guest'. By the looks of the stand off, it looks a lot like a fight is about to break out. Denkou decides to quietly move in a bit closer, still on the wall, just in case a fight does start. Tarlaka is really in no condition to be fighting anyone.

[Anonymous]

( I don't... Tarlaka might ;P)
This was getting tiring. Tarlaka looked down at her self and smoothed out her black dress in front of her legs before looking back at the girl. The knight wanted to laugh when she girl bowed, she didn’t Tarlaka wasn’t that rude as to laugh when someone made a mistake, not that it was much a mistake, but, after showing her true colours to Tarlaka it was a bit foolish. Who would fall for that? A male, maybe, and she could imagine just the one. Raising an eyebrow, Tarlaka pushed the blue hair behind her ear and shook her head, a light smirk on her face and she held out a hand as if to signal the girl to just stop talking.

�Nice try, Miss. Celosia, I’m not stupid and I find it very hard to believe you’d go from a little impudent bitch to a sugar and honey girl unless you wanted something.�

Because she was getting tired of just standing around, she slowly started to talk to the other side of the girl, a good two arms lengths away just incase the girl tried to do anything not very knight like. The comments about how she treated new comers was a little true, she did treat them all a little awful when the first arrived, mostly because she didn’t like half grown children, and men who thought her unworthy of her rank because she was a woman. Tarlaka shook her head a half amused smile on her face.

�You’re not a new comer, you’re a trespasser who has no respect for the castles occupants or it’s guards. I treat you the way you deserve to be treated.�

Elf ears came in handy, especially when people were bashing the guards and her home. Adela castle was her home away from home, even if she felt like a babysitter half the time. At least, she used to. Now she couldn’t pick up a sword with some maid or another breathing down her neck and making her rest or… Something. Now Tarlaka was to the side and behind the girl, her hands at her sides, the long sleeves almost covering her hands. Looking the girl over again Tarlaka tilted her head to the side, noticing Denkou up on the roof. She resisted the urge to swear and instead ignored him.

�The nearest Inn is in Ketra, I’m sure it will have a sign, or you can ask him to help you,� Tarlaka nodded towards Denkou whom was, she was assuming, spying on them, “ Because I certainly won’t.�

If it wasn’t clear that she wasn’t stupid or that a cute voice and a bow would make her forget about how snotty the girl was, not that Tarlaka wasn’t giving it back. So, she stood there, waiting like a good hound dog that she was for this girls decision, then she would go to bed and sleep and then read a book or something.

[Anonymous]

She looked up, following Tarlaka's gaze, seeing Denkou she wrinkled her nose. She was not a huge fan of men. Looking at Tarlaka's expression she figured there might be something going on between the two of them. Her insanitable curiosity got a hold on her and she raised and eyebrow and a smile twisted onto her lips.  Flicking golden hair over her shoulder she let her dark blue eyes skip from the man to the woman. The smile changed to a smirk.

"Is he a friend of your's?" she asked with a polite tone of someone trying to make small talk to pass the time. In truth Celosia had never really been one to walk up to people and ask questions, especially not if they were men. Bad memories streamed into her brain and so she decided to ask someone else about an inn when she got a few laughs out of this pair. Her flame coloured wings opened slightly as she waited for an answer.

Her eyes sparkled with laughter at some unspoken joke and her smirk had found its way back to a smile for now. Let them think that she was rude, they would be thinking the truth. You don't have to be polite to everyone. The small fact that Tarlaka was the commander had slipped her mind along with all thoughts of a place to sleep. Only when she remembered that she had been labled an intruder did she blink slowly. Ha! An intruder or a simple traveler who had no idea where the hell she was. Bitch. she thought.


(ooc: Sorry, whas not so good today)

[Anonymous]

Oh great, Tarlaka spotted him. Well, at least he can get the drop on the intruder if she does try something against Tarlaka. Nevermind, she saw him too. So much for that. When Tarlaka nodded in his direction, he took it upon himself to drop down from the wall. He landed next to the new face and kept his arms behind his back.
When the woman decided to perk up with a question concerning Denkou and Tarlaka, he could only raise an eyebrow. Of course, he was fathering the unborn child in Tarlaka's womb, but it's best that such things are left unsaid. He remained quiet to let Tarlaka deal with that opportunity. The way things are going, it seems like Denkou will be escorting this mysterious woman out of the castle.

[Anonymous]

The smirks were getting rather annoying and she wished that the girl would just… Rip her lips off or something. Tarlaka resisted the urge to slap her hand to her face and groan a loud, great, this just went from worse to horrible. Oh, the situation was fine, Tarlaka didn’t mind dealing with out of place travelers but the fact that the out of place traveler was such a… little girl… Made the situation worse than it was, then the appearance of Denkou made it that much ‘better’. Though apparently the two of them had something in common, Tarlaka wasn’t a big fan of males either. Either way, Tarlaka decided to ignore the girls question and she simply shook her head ‘no’. Ha, Denkou wasn’t a friend; did she even have any of those here? Tarlaka thought for a moment, nope.  No matter, it wasn’t like she wanted any; biggest pains in the asses were the ones you liked.  For a moment Tarlaka set her blue eyes on Denkou and then nodded towards the girl.

�Denkou, escort Miss. Celosia de Laranda to an Inn… I’m off to bed.�

For politeness sake, Tarlaka nodded her head slightly at Celosia and then lifted her hand in a half-assed wave towards Denkou. Have to at least say goodbye or something, but that was all they were going to get. So, Tarlaka wandered off, her shoulders hurting slightly from keeping her wings so tightly close, opening them slightly then stretching them out to their full length which was a good twelve feet across before neatly folded them comfortably to her body. Tarlaka lied, she didn’t go off to bed, she went to the garden again to sit around. Hopefully no one would check on her and she’d get at least an hour of peace and quiet.

(blaaah, bad post x_X)

[Anonymous]

She flicked her eyes in the direction of the male when he jumped from the wall. Denkou did she say his name was? Oh well. Obviously Tarlaka wasn't going to stay around. Celosia unfolded her large red wings for the sake of her aching shoulder blades. She tilted her head slightly as she let her eyes travel over the male's body. She decided that he wasn't worth anything and so she let her thoughts travel elsewhere. She managed to catch the part in Tarlaka's little speech when she discovered that she would be "escorted" to an inn outside the castle grounds. In other words, 'Throw her out before she causes to much trouble and I have to slap her across the face,' supposing that Tarlaka didn't like Celosia very much.

Keeping her eyes straight foreward she gave Tarlaka a polite nod as the woman went past her. Celosia gave Denkou another double-take before starting in the direction of the castle. She wanted to know how he'd react to her not wanting to be escorted away. She let her legs take into a quick stride as she crossed the grass at a quick walk without looking like she was running. That wouldn't be good for her reputation. And she doubted that Denkou would be willing to show her the nearest servant's entrance into the castle. She reached the walls and followed them at a quicker pace.

[Anonymous]

As if the woman wasn't suspicious enough, her movement towards the castle at a quick pace topped it. No way in hell is Denkou going to allow a stranger to waltz into the castle like she belonged there. His blue eyes narrowed as she moved away. He lept forward, landing four white and balck striped furred paws on the ground. He sprinted after the winged woman on all fours to quickly pass her and stop in her path. He stood up on his hind legs and reached around his back to place his hand on the handle of his double-sided simitar.
"I'd rather not use hostility if I don't have to, but if you insist, you will be living in the dungeon for a while." Denkou speaks in a bit deeper voice than he usually carries. He now stands a bit taller than he normally does. The catlike tail behind him flicks from side to side. If not known before, it is now clear that he is a weretiger.

[Anonymous]

She stepped away from him as she was not completely surprised by him suddenly feeling like he had to stop her. She held up her hands in mock surrender.
"Alright I'm going, I'm going," she said in a resigned tone. She spread her wings and took off into the air. She flew over the palace walls and out of sight.





ooc: I'm sooooo drained of muse I'm really sorry