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Topics - Rhindeer

#1
Zantaric / Mistakes Were Made
February 05, 2024, 01:48:41 AM
@nephero


It was the morning light shining directly into Mei Yi's closed eyes that finally roused her. Even filtered through the dingy window it was still bright enough to bother, and with a yawn and a groan, she threw her arm over her face. Bleh. She was normally an early bird, rising at dawn with a perkiness that made the night owls cringe, but her head felt achy and she didn't want to move.

Except the rest of her was kind of sore, too, now that she was awake enough to notice. Probably had something to do with the chair she was curled up in.

...chair?

Cracking her eyes open and rubbing the sleep away, Mei flicked a look around the familiar room with a mixture of confusion and...triumph. Huh! So she'd earned room and board after all! Or something like that! She didn't actually remember how; she remembered dinner and talking over wine, and it was right around the history lesson that things started to get fuzzy. She didn't remember how she'd gone from the stool to the chair, and worst of all, she couldn't  remember if she'd finished the lesson or given the appropriate quizzes to check comprehension and retention. Ohhhh boy. Hopefully it hadn't gone completely off topic. It had been a while since she'd had that much wine at once, but any beverage was a danger in her vicinity when she was on a roll, as she tended to be a mindless sipper.

With another yawn and a stretch that made her spine crack, she slid out of the chair. It was early still, and quiet. Shea must be asleep or otherwise occupied. Whatever the case may be, she had promised breakfast, right? Or maybe he had? Ah, it didn't matter! She was hungry, not quite hungover but also kind of sort of, and she certainly owed him for letting her crash instead of shooing her out the door.

And that's how she ended up back in his kitchen. She found one of her books open on the table—not her notebook, but a smaller one she'd brought with her from a library in Thanatos. She instantly recognized it: Saya Ling's Compendium of Beasts, Vol 2, and currently it was opened to a page on the Thunderblacks. Oh. Ohhh, yes, it seemed their history lesson had taken a turn at some point (or, optimistically, she'd finished and then segued into dragons, because oh man, she loved dragons) and she couldn't remember what that was about.

After discreetly closing it and plopping it back into her bag to clear up space, she put more poultice on her leg (it was looking, and feeling, much better), rolled up her sleeves, and got to work.

Soon, Shea's kitchen had become a research project.

Mei gathered a few veggies from his garden and then set about raiding his cupboards and ice box—and got distracted by both. With extra time on her hands now that they weren't both hogging space and trying to whip up dinner, she took a moment to really examine the contraption. She even drew up a rough sketch and labeled all the parts she could see and remember from his description. Truly, it was magnificent! There must be a way to accomplish the same effect without using forbidden magics, surely? She made a note to explore that line of thought more later.

Then as she plundered his spices, that became another detour of its own as there were a few herbs she didn't recognize, perhaps ones native to this area. Those went into her notebook in the section on plants. As she set aside the spices she wanted and put away the ones she didn't, she casually reorganized them. Alphabetically. Using his language of course, not hers, because that wouldn't make sense for him. It was good practice, though, since she spoke the Trader's Tongue more than she wrote it.

...And breakfast still wasn't made and she still didn't know what she was making with the ingredients she had spread out over the counter and grouped into loose meal ideas. Some sort of potato fry up or something? But there was a hiccup: she had no idea where to get water since Shea had provided it via magic last time.

Alright. Plan B!

He had flour, salt, and milk, and there was butter. Gathering those up on the counter and searching until she found a suitable mixing bowl and spoons, she combined ingredients until it looked like roughly the consistency she needed. She had a flint so she lit the hearth and grabbed a pan.

Soon enough, Mei was settled comfortably by the hearth flipping dough with her hands, which were covered to the wrist in flour—along with a significant portion of the entire front of her as well as his floor.

The kitchen was a mess of half finished and abandoned projects.

But hey! Fresh flatbread!
#2
Connlaoth / Summer Daze; Courtesan
January 31, 2024, 11:09:50 PM
__________________QUICK STATS
Name
Summer Daze (Not her real name.)
Age
21
Gender
Female
Species
Human
Ethnicity
Connlaothian
Height
5'4"
Occupation
Courtesan
Residence
Bellkrath

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Summer has a classic "country girl next door" vibe to her. Her skin is brown from spending a lot of time outdoors and covered in freckles, and her dirty blond hair is usually pulled into two braids, long enough to reach mid-back. She's built toned and slender with a slightly athletic build, and has sky-blue eyes.

Personality
Bubbly, cheerful, and kind to a fault, Summer tries her best to get along with, and befriend, everyone and rarely has a bad thing to say about anyone. A glass half full sort of person, she tends to be able to see the bright side of any situation. From an outside perspective, some might call her simple or air-headed, but she's not stupid.

She's a bit flighty, the sort of person that feels her feelings in a big way and wears her heart on her sleeve. There's never really any question about what she's feeling, because she is quite comfortable sharing her emotions and encouraging others to do the same. A dreamer, she falls in love quickly and fiercely—but of course, in her line of work, that never lasts. Some might find her obnoxious, especially those put off by steadfast cheerfulness.

Truthfully, she's a "laugh so I don't cry" sort who's just trying to survive.

Magic/Abilities
None!

Relationships
Emery Ramaker and Alkereth
Knew Emery casually because Emery hooked up with Angel, but Summer never hooked up with her; wasn't Emery's type. Very much tried to hook up with Alkereth and is VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED THEY ARE NOT MARRIED.

Angel
Her BFF! She adores Angel! <3

Caleb
Best bro! <3 She loves him too!!

History
Joined the brothel within the last year as she had run out of options and had nowhere else to go. They've become her found family.

__________________THREAD TRACKER
Current Threads

Complete Threads
The Night the Fire Fell
Summer's disastrous debut where she falls in love and has her heart broke in the span of like three posts. 
#3
Connlaoth / Angel Lowell; courtesan
January 31, 2024, 07:24:29 PM
__________________QUICK STATS
Name
Angel Lowell
Age
29
Gender
Female
Species
Human
Ethnicity
Connlaothian/Serenian
Height
5'1"
Occupation
Courtesan
Residence
Bellkrath

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Angel is built soft and curvy with an ample bust, with pale skin and inky black hair that falls down her back in silken curls. She has misty gray eyes framed by thick, dark lashes, giving her an almost doe-ish look. She has the opposite of resting bitch face; she usually looks vaguely amused by everything, which is absolutely true.

Around the brothel, she can usually be found in any number of the silky or lacy, usually sheer, robes and lingerie she loves to wear. Many of them are gifts from patrons, but she told them what to buy. ;D She absolutely loves to get dolled up and, quite frankly, she loves how she looks in silk and ribbons. She wears those for her, not for the clients. (Though it does help bring in that bread.)

When she's not working, she dresses in the tightest corset she can manage without passing out. Her breeches tend to be tight with floral embroidery.

Personality
Friendly, playful, warm, and approachable! Angel knows how to carry a conversation even with the most surly or quiet folk. She's perfectly happy being the entire conversation if she has to be. (Though, of course, she prefers not to, lol.) She's lucky in that she can self-entertain quite easily! If the conversation if boring, she still has a rich inner world she can retreat into.

Tends to be a bit of the "mom" role in the brothel, always looking out for the others, especially the younger and less experienced workers. And while she doesn't have much of a temper (she tends to simmer rather than burn, and it takes a lot to get her there), nothing will make her go mama bear faster than anyone daring to put a friend at risk. She's small, but in those instances she can be mighty.

Magic/Abilities
None! Though she's got pretty good aim when it comes to throwing objects at unruly people.

Relationships
Emery Ramaker
Angel has known the Mordecai off and on for a couple years, as she was Emery's favorite. Their relationship was casual and friendly. (And sexy, of course, but there were also plenty of nights spent just chatting.)

History

__________________THREAD TRACKER
Current Threads

Complete Threads
The Night the Fire Fell
Angel is introduced and plays a bit role! 8D
#4
Kunata / One More Look at the Ghost [MorningStar!] [M]
December 27, 2023, 03:33:14 PM
For someone in her line of work, the week had been peaceful.

Of course there were the usual little hauntings. There always were. But none had been particularly complex. Ah, days like this were nice. Fang loved her work, she truly did, but she would be lying if she said didn't also love a chance to be a little lazy for a change especially after an earlier string of troublesome hauntings and, in one case, a possession.

No, she took her downtime when she could get it. No one called for her, she saw nothing more than the usual nature spirits that were always there. This area was, surprisingly, rather clean for the time being. At least right now during the day; that could always change.

And so Fang saw fit to treat herself, stopping by a small, cozy teahouse that sold a wide array of flavored teas and dainty pastries. It was quiet inside save for the conversations of the other guests with dimmed lighting to give it an intimate feel--the perfect place to relax and be with one's thoughts. And goddess but it smelled amazing, all the many warm spices coming together in a way that made her mouth water.

She ordered a spicy blend of chai and settled down at a corner table to write in her journal. Nothing fancy, just a quick letter that she would tear out and send home to her mother whenever she got a chance, because it had been a while and she should. Except, she didn't get much written before she noticed him.

Or, not even really him. But what was around him.

There was another person sitting solo, a foreigner by the looks of his hair and dress and skin and sheer height even sitting, and sweet Inima, how had she not felt him when she walked through the door? There were specters attached to him, black and angry like a stormy cloud; she had to adjust her eyes to focus on physical sight versus spiritual, just to be able to see the man beneath.

Fang tensed, quickly putting her brush and ink away into her satchel on the floor and blowing carefully on the wet ink on the page, giving herself time to think. Ohhh dear...oh goodness...

Mmm...right. How exactly did she go about this, now??

The man wasn't Thanati. At least, he certainly didn't look it. And in her (very limited) experience with foreigners, they didn't tend to understand, or react well, to all the spirit stuff at the best of times. Telling someone they had a spectral cling-on was...yikes. It was going to require a level of tact and, perhaps, cultural sensitivity that she just didn't have. Fang chewed her lip and glanced around at the other patrons sipping their tea or engaged in quiet conversation amongst themselves and, after a moment of internal debate, decided the only way was to be direct and blunt. There was no magic formula that would prevent a freakout if someone was predisposed to them, so may as well get it out of the way fast so they could move onto solutions!

This wasn't about her, it was about him, and he deserved to know.

Downing the rest of her tea in several quick gulps like a man chugging booze for that liquid courage, she rose from her table and made her way toward him, rehearsing her delivery in her head. While she was fluent in Common, had been a long time since she'd spoken it and she feared she'd be a bit rusty. Not enough to cause misunderstandings, though, she was certain. Now to just get his attention and...

She reached out and gently touched his shoulder.

"Excuse me," she said in thickly accented Common, leaning in close so she could speak to him discreetly. "You have dead person on you."

Nailed it.
#5
Sirantil Valley / Cold Trail, Warm Bed [Nightcrawler!]
August 29, 2023, 07:05:38 PM
The trail had gone cold.

For a while, things had seemed promising. The job was an easy one, an open and shut case: some charlatan mage was performing "miracles", claiming to be blessed by Ansgar or whatever other offensive nonsense those sorts came up with. That was a serious matter on its own, being blasphemy and all that, but what concerned Liam the most was that people actually believed that malarkey. How people who professed their devotion to Ansgar could be so easily mislead by a little smoke and mirrors was...mind-boggling.

But it wasn't his job to judge the believers and the faithless; that was the Church's business. Liam was only in town for the mage.

One would think that a guy that brazen, that foolishly arrogant in his deception, would be easy enough to find, and for a while it seemed like he would be. As it turned out, "miracles" were hard to keep secret and people were all too excited to gush about it. It hadn't been difficult to follow the trail of gossip from one backwater town to a town just outside Uthlyn--but that was where things went quiet. Either the mage knew somehow, or suspected, or they were taking a break and being smart for a change.

How obnoxious.

Night fell and with it came a cold rain that finally forced Liam to admit defeat. He was tired, achy from travel, hungry, and frustrated, and all of that alone would have been enough to sour his mood. Being wet on top of it? Unforgivable. With his clothes sticking to his skin and chaffing in all the wrong places and his hair flat and dripping, he trudged his way to one of the few places he hadn't yet been:

The local brothel.

Liam was a pious man. He followed the rules. He stayed out of trouble. He said his prayers.

He was also only human and made of weak flesh.

Besides, he reasoned as he passed his horse off to a stable hand, brothels were full of scum and villainy and patrons often had loose lips around their...paramours. (Ask him how he knows!) A brothel made a lot of sense. He could kill a lot of birds with one stone: shelter, food, bed, and research.

...Right.

He headed up the muddy walkway to the door, stomping his feet to knock off the filth caked to his boots, but he still tracked in dirt as he slipped inside. His nose wrinkled at the heady scent of smoke, body odor, and too much perfume--it was enough to give him a headache if he didn't already have one.

Some of the patrons and courtesans quieted as he walked past them, dripping water as he went and ruffling his hair in a vain attempt to dry it. He was used to the stares; some of these smaller towns didn't get a lot of Mordecai action and the armor and tabard sort of gave him away. Which was the point, as far as he was concerned, for he wore it for the intimidation factor as much as he wore out of a sense of pride and duty. Liam cast not-so-subtle looks at them as he went, searching briefly for any signs anxiousness, but all he saw was curiosity.

Shame.

He slid heavily onto a stool at the bar and slid the barkeep some coin. "I'll take whatever hot meal you've got to offer," he said gruffly, resting his chin on a hand. God's sake, he was beat--and doing his damnedest not to shiver in the name of stoicism. "Warm bed too, if there's any empty." A pause. A resigned sigh.

"Preferably with a lady in it. Who's free tonight?"

Liam was a pious man.

But not that pious.
#6
Kishahn Jungle / Cat and Mouse [open!]
August 23, 2023, 12:55:40 PM
Raxta lounged in the net she was currently trapped in, which swung slowly from the canopy above. Or rather, it looked like she was lounging, but in truth, she'd worn herself out from her frantic struggles and now lacked the energy to do much more than just swing there and...

Accept her fate, she supposed.

She had tried to escape, but when the net had swept her off her feet and up into the trees, she had dropped her knife. Though she had claws and teeth, the fibers of the net were too tough to bite through, too thick for her claws to cut. She'd tried clawing at them, she'd tried biting, she'd tried screaming in frustration and thrashing for all she was worth, but it was no use, and it was made all the worse by the sight of her dagger laying on the ground below, hopelessly out of reach.

Like it was taunting her with freedom she couldn't attain.

Eventually, she wore herself out, which she knew was probably good. The humidity was getting to her, sweat slicking her skin, and struggling would only make her lose more water. Dehydration was her number one danger right now--second only to the obvious question of who laid the trap?

And what would they do when they found her in it?

With a sigh, Raxta shifted in the netting and tried to get comfortable, but it was scratchy and bit into her skin in the worst of ways. Her tail slipped through the netting and twitched anxiously as she waited, arms crossed over her chest as she stared up into the trees, a low growl in her throat.

At this point, she wasn't worried about being found; she wanted the culprit to show up. If it was an accident, so be it, but if they were hostile?

Well, they would see what happened when one messed with jaguar-kin.

They would learn then and there that she was the hunter, and that they, truly, were the hunted.
#7
Serha Plains / Get off my lawn! [Aeyt!]
August 23, 2023, 01:53:02 AM
It was a cold day, one that found Jayari bundled up in a fur-lined coat and hat. Her mare, Zala, was a little annoyed by the cold white stuff on the ground, but Banyur horses were strong and stocky and built for the climate so she tolerated it, even if she let out the occasional snort, breath frosting in the air, that let Jayari know of her displeasure.

"We're almost done," Jayari said, patting the mare's neck as though Zala could understand half a word she said. "Just a few more lines to check, then we'll go home."

Five fat hares were already tied to the saddlebags; it had been a fruitful day! And as she rode Zala through the snow and over a stream, she dismounted and headed to check one of the last snares--and cursed.

That one had had a rabbit, but from the looks of it, the snare had been tampered with. And by the footprints she saw in the snow around it...it hadn't been an animal.

"Again?" It also hadn't been the first time. Two of her other traps had shown the same signs, over the course of the last few days. Whoever was doing it was bright enough not to take too much; they were trying to be smart about it, but not quite smart enough.

With a sigh, she mounted Zala and turned her to head upstream, where the final snare remained. "Clever bastard. I swear, Zala, I'm gonna find this thief, and when I do..."

She trailed off, because that was when a dark shape in the distance caught her eye. She squinted, trying to make out the shape. She couldn't see any distinct features from this distance, but she saw just enough to know it was...unfamiliar.

Her eyes narrowed. Perhaps that was her thief.

Either way, it was a trespasser.

"C'mon!" she said, spurring Zala into motion, and they tore off over the grasslands, leaving a cloud of snow in their wake. Reaching behind her as she rode, she drew her bow and had an arrow nocked before they even reached the stranger, drawing to a stop several yards away.

Far enough to be safe, close enough the wind would carry her voice--and her arrow.

"You there! Halt!" she shouted in Duhjari, for she had never learned Common, having kept to her group all her life.
#8
Coastal Serendipity / Never Fear Shadows [Aeyt!]
August 22, 2023, 10:15:14 PM
Riyarin just wanted to go home.

Go home--and never see another human again.

But it had been a long time since she had been home and safe in her jungle--and it was looking less and less likely that she would ever return.

Things had been rough from the moment she had been dragged from it, and while there had been bright spots amongst the darkness, in the end that light only made the shadows longer. For one shining moment she had believed, really believed, that she had a shot at going home. That she had made a friend, that things could get better even if they would never be the same, and that she would see her family again.

It didn't last.

Nature was unpredictable, and humans were no less.

And so she had found herself on a ship sailing under unfamiliar constellations until, finally, they made port somewhere even more alien than the last. She had been in her true form when she had been captured and chained, and with the enchantments fused into the iron, she had not been able to shift or summon her fire. If only she could--she might have been just small enough to slip the chains and...

And...well...she would have been small enough to slip the chains. Her plans had never gotten farther than that because she was, after all, on a ship in the middle of the ocean. But if she was patient and waited until this very moment, as she was being dragged off the ship and down the gangplank, she may have been able to make a run for it.

In the meantime, all she could do was make it difficult.

Two crew members tugged her along by her chains while she tossed her head and snorted sharply, her flared nostrils expelling tendrils of smoke. She dug her hooves into the wood, long tail lashing, and refused to budge. Or tried. A third one, the one she had come to recognize as their leader, gave her flank a sharp slap to get her moving, like she was a horse, and Riyarin pinned her ears back in indignation. The nerve! Letting out a whinnying snarl, she wound her hind leg up and aimed a sharp kick at him with a cloven hoof, and he didn't even bother to try to dodge.

Her chains rattled, her leg stopping short, and she growled in frustration.

Her legs had been chained together to prevent this exact thing. There was just enough slack to allow her to walk.

"What a beast," the merchant said with admiration, scratching his beard as he looked her over. She bared her sharp teeth at him, daring him to come within biting distance. "Still haven't the slightest idea what it is, but if there's ever a market for oddities, this is the place."

Oddities! Riyarin glared at the merchant as the crew members pulled her along, unable to resist as the chains bit into her neck. They had no idea what she was even worth! She was just an oddity! She staggered after them, but she made them work for each foot they gained, stamping her hooves and pulling against them. She was strong, and they would have been no match for her...had she not been hobbled like this.

And that was how she wound up in the town marketplace, put up for auction like livestock. Like a horse. A strange horse that was more deer, and kind of dragon, with scales and antlers and a fiery mane that brushed the ground.

She could not believe this. Her people had always claimed luck ran in their blood.

Riyarin was beginning to doubt that.
#9
Selevea / The 13th Swan [Aeyt!]
August 21, 2023, 03:55:17 PM
Night fell over the quiet lake, and as it did, thirteen swans--white, black, some even gray--landed gracefully upon the water's surface and spread their powerful wings and arched their slender necks as though to soak in the moonlight. It touched each of them in turn, and as it spread over them, they were no longer graceful swans but graceful--if naked--humans, men and women alike.

Aderyn was among them, and she shivered as the cool water soaked her to her waist. Yet it felt wonderful as it always did, the sensation of water on smooth skin instead of water-repellent feathers, and she drew in a deep breath and savored her humanity.

When she finally pulled herself from the lake, limping and wet and covered in gooseflesh (ha!), Dia, a woman several years older than her, was already dressed and at the lake's edge to meet her, holding a towel in one hand and her dress in the other. "That was a close call," she said. "Almost too close."

Aderyn was quick to dry off and slip the white dress over her head. "The fox or just now?" she asked, and looked around the area for signs of the creature. The lake was safe, for the most part, but there were still risks; this time it had been a fox that had forced them to take flight, and they had stayed out for the day, long enough for it to--hopefully--think they had left for good. They'd barely made it back by nightfall, and that would have been a disaster all on its own!

"Both!" Dia said. "Imagine getting stuck out there? We'd get in so much trouble."

"We made it, though!" Aderyn said, grinning, still thrumming from the excitement of the day. Escaping from foxes and flying out over the city! She'd never realized the city was so big. "And we got an adventure out of it, didn't we? I've never been that far before!"

"And you don't want to go that far again," Dia said with a grimace. "Foxes aren't our only problem. There's hunters, too, remember? They can't tell the difference between a swan that's shape-shifted and one that's...real."

That brought a momentary halt to Aderyn's giddiness, and she paled. "...You mean they'd eat us?"

"Well, yeah."

There was a long pause as she considered the implications. "Do you think we'd...turn back? Or would they just...never know they were eating human-swan? That they'd be cannibals without ever knowing?"

That earned her a cross, disgusted look from Dia. "I try not to think about that."

What a disturbing thought! Aderyn shuddered and rubbed her arms, and Dia shook her head. "Alright, as much as I'd love to keep talking about all the horrible ways we could die, I'd better get inside before the harpy has a fit. I'll bring you dinner later, okay?" And with that said, she turned and headed toward the theatre beyond with the others, leaving Aderyn alone.

With a sigh, Aderyn watched them go, and took a seat by the water's edge. Several days earlier, she'd injured her ankle in practice, and that meant sitting the next few weeks out until it healed.

Which also meant a lot of boredom and lonely nights. She could have gone inside with them and watched if she wanted, but she'd done that the first few days and it had only made her frustrated she couldn't join in. At least out here it was peaceful.

And it gave her some time to ponder what happened when swans died.
#10
*~Rhi's Character Catalogue!~*

All my characters! And a little snippet about them. Basically, I'm open to anything! I'm also willing to make characters for you!

I love spontaneity, romance, comedy, adventure, drama, horror, and all that good stuff! BRING ON THE PLOTTIN'S.

Some characters come with trigger warnings, and those will be noted.

Characters are listed by location, but I can find an excuse to toss them anywhere you need them!

ADELA
Aderyn Klaussa // female // 22 // cursed human // dancer
Aderyn is a dancer in a high-end private theater, and like the theater's other performers, she is cursed to be its captive. During the day, she takes the form of a swan, and only during the night does she return to her true human form. She is naive and optimistic and passionate, and doesn't realize that she is being used. Instead, she feels grateful and indebted to the theater's owner, Mistress Evangeline, for saving her from what she feels was a worse fate.
Relationship Status: Single!
Trigger Warning: The theater is super goddamned messed up and deals with sex slavery and stockholm syndrome. So trigger warnings aaaall over the place.

Briar // female // 23 // human // thief of awesome 
An adrenaline junky and quite full of herself, Briar is a thief, though at this point it's a compulsive addiction rather than an actual "gotta steal to survive" situation. She is also gifted with psychometry, which she would argue is less gift and more inconvenient curse, though it definitely has its uses. It's an ability she keeps mostly hidden, however, as it takes a great toll on her--and as some out there would like to exploit a power like that.
Relationship Status: In a...complicated relationship with Dirk

Jayari // female // 19 // human // heir to the Banyur tribe
Adventurous, outgoing, and competitive as hell, Jayari has always been attracted to dangerous situations and, you know, showing off. She loves to compete, and won't pass up a dare, no matter how stupid. In fact, her father decided to make that one of the stipulations for her marriage--she will only marry the one who is tough enough to beat her in battle! So, of course, she's doing what she can to keep on top of her game. |:
Relationship Status: Single!

Maya Lekari // female // 20 // human // noblewoman
Spoiled daughter of an Adelan nobleman and an Essyrni merchant princess, Maya is used to getting her way. She loves fashion, tales of exotic places, and attention, and though she is cultured and well educated, she is also ignorant to the world beyond her personal bubble.
Relationship Status: In a complicated relationship with Lex

Niaaki D'varan // male // 18 // half-fae // runaway noble
A flighty half-fae, Niaaki loves the finer things in life--like wine and soft beds. He is runaway nobility from Serendipity, though he keeps that hush-hush. Very fae-like in nature, which is to say Niaaki is capricious, headstrong, manipulative, spoiled, and playful, and he experiences his emotions in the extremes rather than as a gradient. He's quite proper and well-mannered as a result of his upbringing but is never above laying on the charm to get what he wants. Tends to carry around a doll that is the source of his magic. Also has a complex in that he looks more like a beautiful girl than a guy. However, he doesn't mind that so much when he can use his looks to his advantage.
Relationship Status: Single!

Sita  // male // 40 // human // horse-trader 
A rough and rugged horse-trader! Is originally from a tribe in the plains, but got ousted and now makes a living traveling between Adela and the plains, catching and breaking wild horses and selling them in the city. He lives rough and likes a good drink, a good brawl, and has a weak spot for gambling, mainly betting on races and fights. He's also a chauvinist and a traditionalist.
Relationship Status: Single!

CONNLAOTH
Alexander Beringer // male // 42 // human // retired soldier
Alexander is a bear of a man that's a teddy bear at heart. Relaxed and calm after a life dedicated to serving and protecting, he's rather patient, tolerant, and respectful. Basically, the guy is trying to turn over a new leaf after years of fighting and killing.
Relationship Status: Single!

Emery Ramaker // female // 27 // human // former mage-hunter, current sell-sword
Emery is a Mordecai and ex mage-hunter, after an encounter with a particular mage challenged her views in a way she could not ignore. Now a traitor, she has made a new life selling her services to those willing to pay. Her specialty is tracking. Cold, ruthless, confident, and driven, she does what it takes to get the job done and is not afraid of taking charge in all aspects of her life. On the inside, she's a tangled mess of issues. To those who gets to know her, she's loyal, has a hell of a potty mouth, and has a crass sense of humor.
Relationship Status: 100% in love with Alkereth and 100% in denial.|:

Faolán Ruane // male // 16 // human // soldier-in-training
Playful, optimistic, and a shameless flirt, Faolán only recently joined the Connlaothian military. He's got the new recruit syndrome--everything is exciting! He can be a bit overenthusiastic, though, which gets him into trouble, and as he's young and impulsive, well...he doesn't always think things through. A lot of the time, this is a result of him pouring on the bravado to try and make an impression. He's really making an effort to prove himself and carve out his niche among so many other great soldiers, but he realizes he has a long way to go.
Relationship Status: Big ol' crush on Killian

Liam Sommer // male // 25 // human // Mordecai
Liam isn't the most approachable guy; he can be pretty cold and cranky, because he's fairly bitter and jaded about the world. He's a firm believer in Ansgarism, and can be quite fanatical in his views, having a stark black and white view of the world.
Relationship Status: Single!

Siobhan Abel // female // 21 // human // Knight of the White Lily 
Siobhan can be rather air-headed and silly, but she has the best of intentions! She's been with the Knights for several years and is quite adept with a sword, which can be surprising to some, considering her overall demeanor.
Relationship Status: Single!

ESSYRN

Faris Zaman // female // 24 // human // soldier
Friendly, optimistic, and outgoing, Faris is a paladin at heart with a strong sense of JUSTICE! It can be easy for other people to not take her seriously, and to estimate her, but she's unrelenting in a fight. She makes a living as an Essyrni soldier, patrolling the streets and keeping the peace.
Relationship Status: Single!

Frost Novali // female // 18 // human // slave
Frost is a mage taken from Serendipity to be sold in Essyrn. She has the magical blood, and the ability to amplify magic! She is smol and angry. |: For good reason. And very valuable and expensive! As of yet, she has no master.
Relationship Status: Single!

Nakato // female // 32 // jackal-shifter // bandit
Nakato is a bandit whose primary home is Essyrn, but at heart she's a drifter. She likes to prey on the caravans and travelers heading for the city. Overall, Nakato is a rough and feral sort that lacks human morality, driven by her baser instincts, but when she's not on a "hunt", she's a playful sort (though usually at the expense of others). While she may take on a couple partners-in-crime, she tends to be more of a loner.
Relationship Status: Single!

Nasrin Nagi // female // 26 // human // bandit leader
The leader of an all-female bandit gang, the Wild Roses, Nasrin is confident, in charge, and cunning! And while she normally has a fairly chill disposition, she also has a violent temper when pushed. Fortunately, it takes a lot to trigger it--and mostly seems to manifest where her sister's safety is involved. By day she and her gang operate as street performers, and by night the thieve.
Relationship Status: Single!

Sahar Nagi // female // 18 // human // temple priestess
Sahar was gifted, and cursed, with clairvoyance and it comes at a cost. She is also quite skilled in other forms of divination. A temple priestess, she was dedicated at a young age and remains devoted and devout. However, she has spent so much time studying and practicing her faith, and living for other people, that she has scarcely had a chance to learn about herself. She comes across as rather refined and serious to those she's just met (it's the mask she presents to outsiders), but anyone whose known her for long knows she can be quite silly, and that while sheltered, she's not really as innocent as people assume.
Relationship Status: Single!

Yasmin Kader // female // 23 // human // gladiator-slave
Yasmin is a slave forced to fight in the Colosseum. While originally it was as a joke and it was believed she'd quickly die, she's proven to have a lot of cunning and cleverness, and has thus managed to survive for over five years. Though she lives a stressful, depressing life, she smiles so she doesn't cry, and puts on an air of being carefree and goofy, with a rather dark sense of humor borne of, y'know...a profession centered around death and bloodshed. The act is also for the sake of the crowd in hoping to garner popularity. She has dreams of surviving long enough to buy her freedom.
Relationship Status: Single!
Trigger Warning: She's not a terrible person, but she deals with some heavy themes that could potentially come up in threads. So we may have to discuss stuff in advance!

HYOITE
None yet.

KISHAHN JUNGLE
Katxiel // female // 20 // human // sacrificial priestess
Katxiel was destined to die from the moment she was born. And you know what? She's pretty okay with that. She's accepted her lot in life and views it as her sacred duty...scary as it is.
Relationship Status: Taken!

Raxta // female // 21 // jaguar-kin // hunter/explorer
Raxta is jaguar-kin! Basically, human-looking with jaguar features and the ability to shift into a jaguar. She lives deep in the jungle amongst her all-female clan, though she has always been curious about what lies beyond and often explores further than she ought to. Shy, elusive, and solitary, Raxta doesn't trust people at first, but she is quick to warm up to them once she's certain they're not a threat. Though she may act intimidating at first, the truth is she's rather lonely and hungry for companionship. She is a very literal individual and doesn't always understand jokes and puns, usually taking them at face value, and she has no real concept of personal space or boundaries.
Relationship Status: Single!

LA'MARRI
Niamh Mera // female // 18 // human // crusader   
Cocky, overconfident, tomboyish, and religious, Niamh sees the world in black and white as opposed to shades of gray. There's right and wrong, good and evil, and she's on the good side. She's highly opinionated and not afraid to tell people exactly what she thinks, and can get pretty pushy about it, too. She loves a good challenge, too, though she tends to overestimate herself.
Relationship Status: Single!

SERENDIPITY
Adamaris Locke // female // 18 // kelpie // Noblewoman
A kelpie that thinks she's people. She doesn't know she's actually a monster, and is scared of the strange impulses that tug at her brain. She is doing her best to be normal, but it's really difficult...
Relationshiop Status: Complicated. |:

Astrid Di'veera // female // 46 // human // High Lady of Featherfall
A strong, confident, and tough woman, Astrid is sister to Qiana, Queen of Serendipity. She can be quite intimidating to some and likes control, but she is not unkind.
Relationship Status: Married; if you would like to play her husband, PM me!

Ife Avita // female // 21 // human // baker/sugar mage!
Ife makes a living as a baker, selling pastries with a little bit of magic in 'em. ;D She has big dreams to one day be the head baker for some noble house (or the queen!). She's social, cheerful, and a bit on the prim and proper side, and can also be a shameless flirt. But despite all that, her magic does have the potential for darker uses, and Ife isn't even aware of how powerful her magic really is.
Relationship Status: Single!

Kyran // male // 22 // half-incubus // flirt
Kyran is, bluntly put, a flirt with a high sex drive and low judgment which, as can be imagined, is a bad combination. Reckless and impulsive, he also runs by his own rules of logic and doesn't quite understand the word "boundaries".  Beneath the perverted jokes and cheerfulness, however, Kyran is a mess of insecurity. He could use more friends.
Relationship Status: Soon to be in a polyamorous relationship. 8D

Owl (AKA Lady Einin Beirne) // female // 20 // human // MASKED CRIME FIGHTER VIGILANTE NOBLEWOMAN
Owl lives a double life. By day, she is the Lady Einin Beirne, your average noblewoman, if known as a bit of an eccentric who doesn't seem very interested in Balls or marriage. By night, she is Owl, a masked vigilante who fights crime and kicks butt! Or at least, she's sure trying to!
Relationship Status: It's complicated. |:

Pepper // female // 18 // human // mage student
Pepper has the potential to be a rather powerful mage. But right now, she's just a student at a mage academy in Arca, working and learning to pay off her debts. She was once a street urchin and petty thief before she was found and, as a result, can sometimes be a little rough and tumble, and feel a little out of place, though she is trying hard to fit in.
Relationship Status: Single!

Qiana Di'Veera // female // 37 // human // Queen of Serendipity
Confident, strong-willed, and self-assured, Qiana is a go-getter that knows what she wants and is not afraid to pursue it. She has caused some scandals in the past as rumor has it that she had a woman for a lover. (And that she prefers women, in general.) Yet the rumors have quieted down lately with the news that she is pregnant with her husband's child.
Relationship Status: Married!

Quinn Freyna // agender // 28 // human // demon hunter
Quinn is a blood mage and member of the Order of the Moon! They make their living hunting demons and vampires and other dark creatures that prey on humanity. They're adventurous, foul-mouthed, and love their job--but they can be a little all work, no play, and socially apathetic. But if you need a demon slain, they're your go-to person!
Relationship Status: Single!

Sachi // female // 24 // gryphon-shifter // thief
A playful thief, Sachi has a crow's mentality and loves collecting shiny things. 8D Always up for an adventure, always doing her best to evade the law. (And sometimes failing.)
Relationship Status: Single!

Valor Liira // male // 19 // human // noble
Outgoing, social, and dorky, Valor has caused some ruckuses of his own by generally being irresponsible and reckless (and letting other people clean up his disasters). A bit of a vain snob, Valor enjoys the finer things in life. He's also, admittedly, jealous of his older brothers as he feels rather useless as the last in line, so he takes this out by making a fool of himself and, through him, them. Rather enjoys making a splash at social events and loves taking the piss out of other nobles. Also loves singing bawdy tavern songs and seducing the ladies. (And menfolk.)
Relationship Status: ...Maybe slowly catching feelings for a certain winged lady. >_>

THANATOS
Fang Ruan // female // 24 // human // priestess/soul-speaker
Optimistic and altruistic! Fang is hopelessly naive and sees the best in other people! She is also incredibly pacifistic, as she believes any problem can be solved through patience, understanding, and empathy. She makes a living as a traveling priestess, calming the restless spirits of the dead.
Relationship Status: Single!

Hayate // male // 20 // human // librarian
A socially awkward nerd who's more comfortable around books than people.
Relationship Status: Single!

Mei Yi // female // 18 // human // traveling scholar
OMG LEARNING! BOOKS! SCROLLS! TRIVIA! Mei Yi is passionate about knowledge and curious about the world, which has her leaving Thanatos to explore. She can be a bit of a walking encyclopaedia, and as she's very blunt about her curiosity, she can sometimes be...invasive when encountering something new, whether that be an object or a person.
Relationship Status: Single!

YOREIQ
Makani // Male // 27 // human // Bone Witch
Rather difficult to pin down, but for the most part, Makani is super chill and laid back and not much seems to ruffle his feathers. He performs magic with blood and bone, and offer a variety of services!
Relationship Status: Single, polyamorous.

ZANTARIC
None Currently

WANDERERS
Aki // male // 26 // wolf-shifter // antagonist
Aki is a wolf that can shapeshift into a human. He's an antagonistic, sarcastic bastard with sadistic, bullying tendencies (simply because he gets a rise out of pushing peoples' buttons), but he's a pack animal that likes company, too. Currently, he's traveling with his dear friend, Snowball. He has major alpha dog syndrome--he organizes everyone he meets into a hierarchy in which he is on top and oh yeah, he has an ego the size of a large nation. Also, he doesn't function on human logic and is a creature of impulse; if he sees it and wants it, he'll find a way to take it.
Relationship Status: Single!
Trigger Warning: He's an abuser, antagonistic at best and villainous at worst. So, y'know, proceed with caution, and we can discuss stuff in advance.

Axieva // female // 24 // peryton // mercenary
Axieva is a mercenary for hire! And very Not Human. xD She's rather feral and lacks human morality with a lot of wild instincts. Very morally ambiguous and basically just does the things that benefit herself. If she helps someone, it is rarely out of the goodness of her heart and more for her own advancement, and the same applies to if she hurts someone. It's not really personal, it's just for her own gain.
Relationship Status: Has a mate, Rit!
Trigger Warning: She eats people, specifically their livers. So things can get kind of gross. |:

Cadmus // male // 30 // human/shifter // sell-sword
Cadmus is the polite, formal, and quiet sort who prefers being by himself--because other people tend to be a liability. He makes a living as a mercenary, and will take up any job that pays well enough, regardless of what it is. His moral compass is kind of broken.
Relationship Status: ...Not being too subtle about the feels he's catching, but in denial.

Corryn Delgado // female // 25 // human/werewolf // wandering swordswoman
Corryn is a werewolf! She is also Adelan nobility, but she can't go back because it's...very complicated and messy. So now, she lives life as a wandering swordswoman, helping those who need help along the way and doing what she can to make a positive and heroic impact on the world!
Relationship Status: Single!

Kota // male // 21 // human // pirate
Rather the serious and cautious sort, though that doesn't mean he's humorless. He has a sense of humor! He just prefers to think things through carefully before taking action, because while he enjoys a life of adventure and piracy, he also enjoys living, thank you! Originally got into piracy to escape a betrothal (hey, it just sort of happened!) and fell deeper and deeper into the lifestyle to the point that there really is no going back now.
Relationship Status: Fake-married. >_>

Riyarin // female // 24 // kirin // wanderer!
Riyarin is bluuunt and honest, even when you might not want her to be. In fact, she cannot lie, and she can sense when other people are lying, as well. (Though if people get creative, or lie by omission, she wouldn't be able to tell.) She's rather quiet and shy at first, since she has been hunted before, and for the most part she's a gentle creature. She has no filter, though, and is unaccustomed to human culture, and can therefore easily make other people uncomfortable. Whoops. But she's lonely and wants to be around others! So she's trying!
Relationship Status: Single!
#11
Northern Serendipity / Best Behavior [Spicy!]
April 09, 2023, 01:37:35 PM
"Try not to get into too much trouble this time. Just try. Do you think you can manage that this time?"

They were the first words out of Professor Cain Syrrus's mouth as he and Pepper approached the gates of Airelos University, the elderly man sat atop his chestnut gelding while Pepper awkwardly rode atop an older tawny mare. She had learned to ride while traveling with Cain, but she was convinced it would never feel natural--and she was still scared to death of the blasted horse no matter how gentle Cain assured her she was. Somehow, though, she had survived the trip from Moonspear to Darken Vei.

Now she just had to survive their stay there.

She was still, technically, serving out a previous punishment in response to a much earlier offense at her own University back in Arca: work for Cain for a month doing boring menial work or whatever. She had served only a portion of her suspension before things had...gone to hell in a hand basket, to say the least. Trusting a wolf, nearly getting sold as a slave. She had been allowed to recover back at the University for a time, but they hadn't forgotten her sentence, much to her dismay.

She had hoped they would, but...here she was. Cain wanted to study and translate some dusty old scrolls the University had here, and she was to be his scribe. Ughhhh...

Pepper scoffed and adjusted her large, floppy hat, setting it at a jaunty angle. "Don't worry so much, old man," she said. "I toldja, I've changed. I'm better now. Wiser and stuff. Lessons learned an' all that." She rolled her shoulders back and grinned. "Ain't gotten in a fight in a whole month!"

Cain arched a bushy brow, and Pepper pulled the brim of her hat down over her eyes, the jaunty look gone. "Oh c'moooon, man. Pushin' Arianna don't count if she pushed me first, 'kay? Weren't MY fault she fell in horse shit. Not like I was aimin' fer it."

"You were."

"Not," Pepper shot back with a frown. Cain's Disappointed Dad look made her reconsider, shoulders hunching. "Okay, maybe just a little 'cause it was there. Stupid floozy deserved it."

"Pepper..."

"I'm kiddin', I'm kiddin'! Cross my heart, Cain, ya got nothin' to worry about. I'll be on my best behavior, promise."



They had arrived around dinner time, so Pepper was excused from work and allowed to settle. She was shown her room, given a rundown of the layout, and then she had the evening free to herself.

It had gone well at first.

Then came dinner in the mess hall.

Naturally, the students here were curious about a new student who spoke and dressed differently from them. Pepper always preferred baggy robes that hid her figure and she spoke like an uneducated urchin, so she was used to being a tempting target, especially for the privileged, insecure sorts that were all obsessed with hierarchy.

What these sorts never expected was a target that was fully prepared to fight back and fight dirty.

She didn't start it. She had been eating her stew peacefully by herself, brooding over all the boring busy work she just knew was waiting for her tomorrow, when some idiot boy came up and knocked her hat off her head.

"Hey!"

Pepper bristled, twisting in her seat and glaring daggers up at the too-pretty fop smirking down at her. Right. Best behavior. With a huff, Pepper reached down to pick it back up, but the guy stepped on it before she could. "I'm doing you a favor, dummy," he said, "No one's worn that style in like ten years. Leave it."

"Don't care," Pepper grit out, and tugged at it. "Step off."

"Like I said, I'm doing you a favor. You stand out enough as it is, newbie. You're only making yourself a target. Besides, you look better without it."

"Don't care," Pepper repeated, but stopped tugging because she didn't want to tear it. "Move."

"You'd look even prettier with a smile," he added, and Pepper felt her blood rush to her cheeks—not in a flustered blush, but an angry one. Her glare hardened and she bared her teeth in a grimace, the closest thing to a smile he was getting. "Aw, c'mon, don't be like that, honey. You know, I'm kind of a big deal around here—" He ground his boot into her hat as he spoke. "—so it's best you learn your place early, see. Now, why don't you give me a smile—"

He had started to touch her face. The instant his fingers brushed her chin, all bets were off.

"Don't fuckin' touch me!" She kicked him. Hard. Right between the legs. With a howl he went down as she bolted from her chair, but she didn't get far. He grabbed her ankle and she toppled with a yelp.

Everything after that was a bit of a blur.

She didn't mean to get into a fight on her first day there, and yet somehow she found herself rolling on the ground with that asshole, nose and lip bloody where he'd punched her, but his eye was already swollen shut and darkening fast from her own blow. At first, with his nuts no doubt aching, it had seemed she had the upper hand—but then he got her beneath him and straddled her, and punched her in the face, and she thought, okay, maybe she had escalated things a little too quickly.

Well. Shit.

Cain was gonna kill her for sure if this guy didn't.
#12
Arca / Research Projects [Bluuuuuue!]
March 13, 2023, 02:19:48 AM
Kyran was not the studious sort.

In fact, a library was about the last place he ever wanted to be.

He was literate enough. He could read, for his father had smacked his letters into his head growing up, but he never enjoyed it. He'd always found it difficult to pay attention, his mind wandering to everything and anything else, but he grasped enough to get by if he could only focus. Yet today he found himself standing awkwardly between one of the many aisles of Arca's library, staring vacantly at the many spines of so many different tomes.

Where did he even begin...?

How did anyone find anything here?

And how did he make it seem totally innocuous and not a bit suspicious?

Just a few days earlier, his father had dealt him a metaphorical punch to the gut: guess what, Kyran, your mother wasn't actually an elf--she was a demon! And to make it even more fun, you were definitely not planned or wanted. There was no romance. There was no love. There wasn't even consent. She was a succubus--which explained so, so much about his life, and yet...

His skin crawled and he shivered, rubbing at his sleeves. He wished he had never been told. Wished he could stay blissfully unaware. Then he wouldn't have to feel so suddenly sick about his own existence, so worried his only family maybe secretly resented him, so--no. Deep breaths. He had already gone down this path and it went nowhere good. He understood why his father told him; members of The Order of the Moon were in town and his father felt it was time he knew--for his own safety. Just in case.

They killed demons, after all.

With a low, tired sigh, Kyran gave up on the aisle he was in and moved to the next, but he was less actively searching so much as wasting time. His mind was racing and hadn't stopped since he'd received the news. Did he really want to know more?

Yes. Probably. Maybe he'd also stumble upon something there that could fix him.

He was having zero luck, though. Would the library even carry information about demons in the first place? There had to be some rhyme or reason to how this place was laid out! Stepping out of the aisle and frowning, beginning to grow frustrated at his lack of progress, he swept a look around the place for anyone who looked somewhat competent--ah! There! That guy looked pretty smart!

He was dressed head to toe in white, tucked away in a corner with a book and wearing such an intense expression that Kyran wondered if the book had personally kicked his pet dog. But that just had to mean he was knowledgeable or something, concentrating hard like that. Plus it looked like a pretty big book. Someone dumb wouldn't be reading a brick like that!

Hopeful, he headed over to the man, paused a moment, then lightly touched his shoulder to get his attention. "Hey, uh, sorry! Don't mean to bother, but do you like...know where stuff is...?" Oh, he couldn't be more vague! But as he drew closer, he also couldn't help but notice that beneath the screwed up expression, the guy was...pretty cute...smooth brown skin, most of it hidden beneath pristine clothing, contrasting with blond hair that looked like it would feel so soft between his fingers...

No! No! Bad! Focus!
#13
Suna / Death by Books [Dragonsong!]
February 01, 2023, 10:40:27 AM
It wasn't the most glamorous, or even the most exciting job, but it at least gave Hayate peace. Peace away from people, who he never failed to be awkward around, even when he was trying to be smooth.

Filing books away and sorting them by author, title, and genre. Boring work to most, but it was mindless and kind of soothing in its own way. And sometimes, he came across a title he didn't recognize that looked rather interesting--that he could set aside for later.

Balancing on a ladder with a cart full of books beneath him, Hayate was dutifully working, whistling to himself without even thinking. It was a quiet afternoon; not many people were visiting the grand library at the moment, probably outside enjoying the sunny, cool, and not-too-humid day. Gross. His colleagues had teased him before for preferring a musty library to fresh air and sunlight, but sunlight just lead to sunburns and he fancied himself more of a night owl, anyway. Besides, daytime was when all the people were about, and there was always someone who wanted him to kiss their child's forehead or mumble some blessing, like it made a difference.

Hmph.

Reaching for a shelf above his head, balancing carefully on the ladder's top step and conscious of the way it swayed dangerously as he shifted his weight, Hayate frowned when he found the shelf impacted. Ugh. Time to shift some books around to make more room, which was going to right annoying! Shaking his head, he started to spine some of the faced out books on a lower shelf so he could shift them over, and as he shoved them over, a cloud of dust rose from the shelf. Right into his face. Of course.

Hayate waved it away, but he'd already inhaled some--and he had little time to prepare, no warning tickle, before a bellowing sneeze made his whole body jerk.

The ladder wobbled, just enough to pitch him off balance, and with a yelp he grabbed at the shelf--and his weight was enough to dislodge it.

Down he went, falling hard, along with a shelf full of books that cascaded over him like a waterfall.
#14
Northern Serendipity / Dreamcatcher [open!]
January 08, 2023, 03:06:23 PM
The dreamscape wasn't so different from the real world--mainly because it was influenced by dreamers, and most dreams, while often wild, were made up of elements that the dreamer had encountered in their life. That, and it was influenced by the dreamwalkers themselves; everyone perceived the dreamscape, and the dreams occupying it, differently. For Simonea, it was a dusky forest filled with many strands of silver threads like spidersilk, and each thread was a dream. It was beautiful to her, and yet it always had an eerie, ethereal quality to it.

That night felt especially unsettling to Simonea as she walked through a dream forest, following the silver threads of various dreams, plucking at them lightly to get a glimpse of them. Not all were peaceful; some were nightmares, taut and pulsing a sort of dark, restless energy, their silver tarnished, and she paused over those ones and gently stroked them, hoping to calm them and imbue peace. When the threads relaxed, no longer tight with tension and anxiety, she moved on.

She didn't have much time tonight to do more than that. Tonight was different. Tonight was a test, her first test, for tonight she was to cast away a demon.

It wasn't the first time she had battled a demon. She had dealt with her share of vampiric incubi. But this one was different. Stronger. It wasn't an incubus, but something else, something that lulled its victims to sleep before feeding on their blood--usually to the point of death. It didn't even bother to give its victim pleasant dreams, but instead riddled them with nightmares, relishing in the "flavor" the fear and adrenaline lent the blood. She could track it through the distinct "signature" its nightmares carried--a distinct sort of delight and perverse excitement--and attack it through those nightmares, once she found them. The demon was linked to the dreamscape by those nightmares, and thus vulnerable. If she played her cards right, she could seriously wound it, even kill it, as she had done with several incubi before it.

Of course, tonight might be a fluke. Maybe it wouldn't show up tonight. But there had been several unexplained deaths in the village she was staying in already, each victim drained of blood even though their bodies had no marks. She had to be close to solving this case!

And that was when she saw one nearby thread twitch and dull, and Simonea turned sharply and reached out to touch it--and let out a hissed gasp at the pain that seared through her fingers, burning her fae skin like iron. The thread writhed, and Simonea forced herself to grab it, gritting her teeth through the pain, and focused on the nightmare.

It was Annabel's nightmare, a young girl in a home right next to the inn Simonea was staying in. And as she delved deeper into the nightmare, one filled with more blood and gore than any child should know about, she knew the images didn't belong to the girl--especially as she felt the demonic delight radiating off them. The demon didn't discriminate when it came to its victims.

Fear clutched her heart, fear for the girl, and she knew she had to act fast; a child had far less blood than an adult. Reaching deep and ignoring the pain, she stepped into the nightmare even as every instinct screamed for her to flee. Instantly, she was surrounded by a horrorscape, some awful dream about rogues burning and slaughtering the entire village, and there were bodies and limbs everywhere, the smell of fire and offal so real Simonea gagged. And nearly vomited when she realized she was standing in a puddle of congealing blood.

It's not real, she reminded herself, not wanting to get swept up into the nightmare; it was too easy to lose oneself and fall asleep, whisked away by a dream, if one wasn't careful. And so she focused hard and looked around, searching for the cord that belonged to the demon--the one that linked its life to this world.

A dream-marauder with an axe swung it at her head, and with a thought, Simonea sent him sprawling across the ground. She imagined herself as being surrounded by a shield of light, and when another dream-bandit swung a cudgel at her, it bounced off the shield. Right then. That took care of those distractions.

Focus, Simonea.

Swallowing hard, she walked through the burning dreamscape with her head held high, keeping calm as she could. Her panic would only influence the dream, and influence it negatively. The cord could be anywhere. It could be disguised as an element of the dream itself. It could be--

And then she saw a red, shining cord on the ground, leading inside a dilapidated home. Picking up her pace, and dreaming a sword into her hands, she followed after it even as it slithered inside the home like a snake. Lunging for it as it tried to snake its way up the crumbling stairs within that dark home, she grabbed it in one hand to hold it steady even as she lifted the sword and prepared to strike--

Only for the rest of it to coil abruptly around her feet and yank, pulling her off balance. Before she could recover, another length of it shot around the hand that held the sword, and before she knew it, it had wrapped around her like a python even as she struggled.

She tried to scream, but it came out raspy from the pressure on her chest. And then, from the top of the stairs, a creature that may have once been a man emerged from the shadows and smiled a smile with far too many teeth. "Gotcha."



Simonea woke with a choked scream, eyes snapping open--and when they adjusted, she abruptly realized she was no longer in her room at the inn, but outside in the woods. Heart pounding, she jerked to sit up, but couldn't; her hands, she realized with a jolt of panic, were bound behind her back, and her legs were also bound.

Heart in her throat, hardly able to breathe, she turned her head--and found herself staring straight into the eyes of the demon where he sat not feet from her, grinning like a cat that got the canary. "Scream more," he purred. "They taste delicious."

It was a trap, Simonea realized as dread made her stomach churn like she'd eaten something rotten. The demon had felt her getting closer, had known she was onto it and tracking it.

And it had trapped her before she could trap it.
#15
Ketra / Caged Princess [open!]
January 07, 2023, 09:28:26 PM
Kyori paced the floor of her cage, tail lashing like a striking snake and claws clicking along the dirty floor. It was a busy day at market, and there were too many people crowding around her confines--but very few people bold enough to get too close. She had almost gotten her claws into one foolish human who had pressed in for a closer look, but his reflexes had been solid. Not solid enough that she hadn't taken a chunk out of his tunic; the tatters were crumpled on the floor of her cage.

Her ears rotated, listening. One of the men who had captured her was talking about her in an effort to sell her, listing off her "good" qualities. She was inhumanly strong, great for manual labor, and intelligent enough to follow directions--with the aid of whips and prods, at least. She was also an unrivaled huntress, good for using on game hunts and able to taking down animals far larger than herself. She was also an oddity for personal collections of exotic beasts, capable of turning at least a few heads with her ability to camouflage herself--though one must also take caution with that, considering she could be easy to lose. She could also be a decent guard, if kept on a leash and properly controlled and tamed so she didn't turn on her master.

Oh, and as for the muzzle. Yeah, she spits poison. Best take care with that.

Kyori rolled her eye as she listened but smirked a little, even as the muzzle chaffed. He was doing a terrible job of selling her, since those points only made her sound scary--which she was, and which made her puff with pride. One of those squishy humans would have to be insane to think they could handle her--for she would kill them the first chance she got, and she didn't need her teeth or poison or even her claws to do that.

She would kill this man, too, and his friends, for capturing her. And she would make it a slow death for boasting about it, when in reality they had caught her in a moment of weakness, half dead and nearly frozen in the snow of  her homeland.

And when she returned to her homeland, she wouldn't be there long. She would come back with her people. And they would reign hell on this damned village, if she had anything to say about it.

Which, as their leader, she did.

Another human inched in a little closer to look at her, and she hissed like the savage they thought she was and launched herself at the bars, claws lashing out, the bars trembling as she slammed against them. The human fell back on his ass with a strangled cry, and Kyori nearly doubled over with laughter at his pitiful response, so like prey.

But instead she just growled again, low and deep in her throat, to hide the laughter bubbling up.

Idiots.
#16
Kishahn Jungle / Bite me. [Goblin!]
January 03, 2023, 09:28:25 PM
It was a beautiful day to die.

Katxiel had ensured it would be. She could feel storms approaching in the distance, but she reached out to them and asked them to wait, just a little longer. She loved the rain, but she wanted to see one last sunset. It could rain all it wanted after that.

The weather was lovely and not too muggy, and she had gotten to enjoy all her favorites. She got to eat her favorite foods, as much as she wanted, until she could hardly move. She got to spend time with her friends, saying her goodbyes and trying not to cry even when they failed. She got to take the longest bath of her life using the most expensive soaps and oils, her handmaidens scrubbing her down until her skin was silky soft. They helped her dress in finery, replacing her jewellery made of semiprecious stones with jewellery shining with gold and gems, and brushed her hair until it shone.

And then it was time to go. Time for the final purification rituals at the temple. Copal was burned and prayers were recited, and the marks of the goddess were painted onto her bare arms and face with white clay. By the time she was properly prepared and all rites given, it was just shy of sundown.

Her friends and loved ones were there to see her off, but they could not go where she was going. She hugged them one last time, and felt her heart squeeze when she saw her best friend, Rana, was not there.

Rana couldn't bear it. She had avoided Katxiel more and more over the last week, so Katxiel couldn't say she was surprised...

But it still hurt.

She bit her lip, looking out at the familiar faces of all the people she had spent her full twenty-one years among--the priests and priestesses who were like her family, her friends who loved her even if they sometimes babied her, and the villagers who ranged from familiar to stranger. Here and there she studied a face that looked a little like her own, wondering if the one who birthed her was out there watching, too. But then the High Priestess laid a gentle hand on her arm and said, "It's time."

And so Katxiel took a deep breath and went with her the other temple-keepers, prepared to step from this world into the next.



"Is this really necessary?" Katxiel said as she took a seat on the altar.

They had walked a fair distance into the jungle, on a path she was very familiar with. Katxiel had walked it many times in the last week, preparing herself for her final journey so she could gaze upon her resting place. If she rehearsed it a few times, it would be easier when she had to do it for real, right? At least that had been the idea. Everything looked the same now as it did those last few trips: the stone altar was there, the clearing's centerpiece, as sturdy and imposing as it had ever been. But this time it looked different. This time chains were laced through slots in the stone, with a shackle at each corner. Huh...guess she should have been a little more curious about what those slots were for.

She hugged her knees to her chest, frowning at the chains, trying hard to keep her nerves at bay. "I've prepared for this all my life. I've dreamed of this day since my birth. Would you insult me so? You can't honestly believe I'd..."

And then she trailed off, because the unyielding expressions of her guides gave her all the answers she needed. Really. They really believed she would come this far only to fight it? Fight against her entire purpose?

"Human instincts are strong, Ixtacotl," the high priestess said gently, calling her by the goddess's name rather than the vessel's. She reached and tucked a strand of Katxiel's hair behind her ear with an affectionate smile, and Katxiel leaned into the caress, taking comfort from the gesture. "You are our goddess, but you are yet imprisoned by the flesh. No matter how strong the mind, the body often acts without thinking, just as you breathe without thinking. Even if the mind is unafraid, sometimes the body is still fearful. This is here for you, to give you strength even when your body fails you."

Oh...well. She supposed that made sense. "Okay," she said slowly. "I understand, I think." But she still didn't like it.

Seeming pleased with her acceptance, the priestess held a small waterskin out to her. "Drink. It's to help you through your transition."

Obediently, Katxiel took a sip--and nearly spit it back up in surprise. It was not water like she expected, but some pungent, earthy concoction that made her want to gag. But she refused to be so weak, refused to make such an unsightly scene, and swallowed down as much as she could tolerate as quickly as she could in one held breath. When she finally came up for air, she pushed the waterskin back toward the priestess. "Oof, that's strong."

"It's only tea. You remember the kind. It will help you not feel. Now just relax and breathe. That's all you have to do now. You remember your prayers, correct? Pray with me, now."

The priestess helped her lay back onto the stone, and Katxiel couldn't help the nervous flutter in her belly when the first manacle clasped around her wrist. Her heart skipped a beat, then beat faster still, and she swallowed and closed her eyes and focused on murmuring the prayers like she was taught. She wasn't afraid, not really; she just hated feeling trapped, and that claustrophobic chest-tightening only increased with each closed shackle until she could feel herself lightly trembling. Okay, maybe she was a little afraid. But to be fair, she didn't know what was on the other side. She had no map, no guide, no idea what to expect. And she was a little afraid of the blade the priestess held and how it would feel when it cut her skin, but it was freshly sharpened and she was told she would hardly feel a thing.

She was afraid of the beast, too, but had been told not to fear it. He would consume her, just as Ixtacotl had been slain and consumed, but she wouldn't feel that, either. She would be too silly from the blood-letting and the tea that it would be just like a dream at that point, and then she would wake up among the gods.

She had been waiting for this all her life. This was her purpose. Her duty. Everything she had ever done had built up to this one moment. 

She was afraid, but she was ready. It was natural to be afraid, she had been told many times before.

"Are you ready?" the High Priestess asked as though hearing her thoughts, and Katxiel said a breathless, "Yes," before she could lose her nerve.

This was an honor, the greatest one that anyone could ever hope for. 

But the knife did hurt as it sliced across both wrists, bright and stinging, and her chant wavered with a soft cry and a wince. She bit her lip to stifle it, hands curling into fists, then remembered her breathing and tried to stay calm, tried to keep up the mantra as the High Priestess caressed her hair and told her to be brave. Blood ran from the wounds into channels carved into the altar, dripping down the sides and into bowls set to collect it. Oh gods. It was almost time. It was happening, and the reality of it all left her dizzy and breathless with a mix of fear and euphoria. 

Maybe that was the work of blood loss and drugged tea, too...

Once the act was done, and her chant began to fade as dizziness took over, her guides left her to her fate. The blood would attract predators soon, and the ritual would be complete. No one wanted to be there when the predators came to feed.

No one except Katxiel, who had begun to drift in and out of awareness.
#17
Sirantil Valley / Sanctuaaaary! [open!]
August 21, 2022, 03:57:38 PM
Naovi ran as fast as her legs could carry her, heart pounding and sweat slicking her skin. Oh, these people were nasty and persistent! And all over nothing! Who knew that a simple magic trick in a tavern would cause such a ruckus. And then they had the nerve to call her such terrible names, like witch and monster and whore--and oh, that last word was especially hilarious, considering the man who'd wielded it had been very eager to go upstairs with her...until she'd decided to show off with a parlor trick. Funny how that worked!

Humans! They had such short memories for such an intelligent, sentient species.

Hollering up a storm, cries of fear and cries of anger, they'd come for her, calling for the guard for aid, and for some Morde-something to come help. She didn't know what they were talking about, and it didn't matter. Foxes never went into a den without knowing where all the exits were, and though they'd blocked the door, she knew there were others. With the help of her illusions, she "vanished" into a cloud of smoke and cloaked herself in the mundane disguise of a serving wench, and by the time they figured out her smokescreen was fake (and thus killed the illusion completely, for they were only as strong as one's belief in them), she was already upstairs, through a room, and climbing out a window.

By then, the guardsmen had come--and for some reason, her magic had ceased to work.

She'd had no choice but to escape the good old fashioned way.

Running.

Good thing foxes were good at that.

She didn't know where she was going, or where to go, but she was nothing if not fast and she had the stamina to match. It was only when she heard horses behind her that she began to truly worry; this town was small, which meant there were no good places to hide, and she wasn't as familiar with town spaces as she was with the wilderness. But the land wasn't very good for hiding, either. There were no large forests near, save for copses here and there, and the land was so flat. But after hiding in an alley for a bit, listening for signs of her pursuers, she took her chances when the coast was clear and made a break for it.

She had been running ever since, pausing here and there to hide among bushes or clumps of trees--until a juicier target presented itself.

A lonely farmhouse in the distance.

It would provide better cover than out here, where she felt far too exposed. And so, panting, she bolted for it. The moon was high in the sky by that point, and she was exhausted and hungry and sore. It had been a long time since she'd had to do anything like this.

By the time she reached the farm, her feet were dragging, steps heavy. She'd lost her shoes somehow, and her feet were cut and bloody, her dress dirty and torn from snagging on bushes, leaves sticking up in her hair. And her tails--she didn't even want to think of the state they were in. Covered in burrs, if her dress was any indication.

Eugh...

There was a barn on the property, and she went for that instead of the house proper. No need to alert anyone to her presence. She could stay there for the night, and leave before anyone was any wiser.  It was beneath her, to be sleeping in a barn; by rights, the owners should let her into their home with open arms and lend her a bed! But she was too tired to barter or socialize, or deal with any potentially negative reactions, so barn it was.

Tiredly, Naovi circled the building, until she found that the owners had left one of the windows open, either intentionally or by mistake. Perfect. Jumping up, she grabbed the edge and hauled herself up and over, tumbling through the window and landing in a pile of hay with a grunt. Ow! "Roll in the hay", humans always said, referring to sexual acts. What a phrase! She certainly hoped no one actually mated in the hay, because it hurt, stabbing through her clothes and poking her bare skin. Grimacing, she rose from the hay and brushed herself off, then looked around for any spare blankets she could use to protect herself.

She found a few good, thick ones and laid them out over it, then crawled into her makeshift bed and curled up. Tired, achy, and thoroughly confused by the night's events, it wasn't long before she drifted off into a deep sleep, her three tails curled around her legs. They were, indeed, full of burrs, and she could feel them scratching against her skin, but right then she couldn't be assed to care.

She'd deal in the morning.
#18
The Thunderblacks / Crash and burn. [Dracoooo!]
April 30, 2022, 12:54:44 AM
Dragons were amazing beasts, and even after all these years, Khaiya was in awe of them. Their power; their grace; their majesty. They could decimate entire villages if they wanted to, entire cities, even, and in the past she had heard it was true they did. And perhaps some rogue beasts still did today. They were timeless and ancient and wise, creatures of muscles and magic that few could kill--and that those that tried and failed rarely survived.

And yet all it took was one large tear to their wing, the only part of them that wasn't covered in armor-like scales, to bring them to their knees.

Or rather, crashing to the ground.

Khaiya didn't know what did it; she didn't see it happen. She was distracted that morning and fatigued from a poor night's sleep, and so she'd let herself close her eyes just to relieve them of their tired burning as she leaned forward in the saddle, the gentle rise and fall of Jasper beneath her rhythmically soothing, the rush of air around her muted by the helmet she wore. It was a lovely day, sunny and calm, and she wasn't even officially on duty today. She just needed to get out and do something, and a quick flight seemed perfect for that. Stretch Jasper's wings, cure her anxiousness...

Of course, that was exactly when it happened.

Jasper let out piercing roar full of pain and anger and his body jerked, his wings working harder to support his massive weight, and Khaiya's eyes snapped open as ever muscle went taut just in an effort to hold on and stay seated. She was strapped in for safety's sake, but she was in no hurry to test just how well those straps worked!

"Jasper! What is it?" she telepathed at him, her heart hammering away in her chest. They were losing altitude, his wings unable to keep him airborne no matter how he strained, his claws pawing at the air as though that would help keep them afloat.

"My left wing," he telepathed back, and that was when Khaiya twisted in her seat to look--and saw the gaping hole that was flinging blood with every beat. "It's...unstrap yourself, Khaiya."

"What?! Are you crazy?"

"We're going to fall," Jasper continued, and she could hear his breath coming out in bursts as he struggled to keep control, and she watched in horror as he aimed them toward a large patch of forest along the mountainside. "I can try to make this gentle, but if we crash...you need to be free. You'll have a better chance if you're thrown than if I crush you when we--dammit!"

His wing buckled then, giving out from under him, and they plummeted Her stomach dropped and though she'd practiced dives with Jasper before, she thought this time she might truly vomit, right into her damned helmet, because this was not a controlled dive like those. This was a rolling, chaotic fall as the world spun around them into a blur of color, the sheer force of gravity whipping Khaiya around like a ragdoll.

And then, abruptly, Khaiya was no longer staring up at the sky but instead the trees below as Jasper rolled, the trees that were growing closer by the second.

"The strap, Khaiya!" Jasper growled, and Khaiya grabbed at it with shaking hands that didn't want to obey her commands--and yanked it free. And then she was staring at the sky again as she struggled free of the stirrups--and let go.

It was the last thing she remembered before she hit the trees.



The sky was dark when Khaiya woke up, and she was surrounded by trees.

She was also incredibly sore. Everything ached, and she knew as she laid there that she was pretty lucky to be alive. That without her armor, without her helmet, she would surely be dead. That she'd probably be dead if she hadn't let go, because there was a chance Jasper would land belly up--and a chance he'd land on his back with her beneath him and--

...Shit. Jasper.

"Jasper!" she yelled, scrambling to her hands and knees and wincing as her bruised and cut body protested. She gasped, pain shooting through her side--she'd probably broken a rib or two--and clamped a hand to the spot as she sucked in air. Shit. Shit.

There was no answer.

"Jasper!" she tried again, this time sending it out along their link, but again there was only silence.

Silence, except for the eerie sounds of the woods around her, and the distant howl of a wolf.

Either he was out of range or...

No. She did not want to think of the other possibility. She'd know if that were the case...wouldn't she?

Reaching up, Khaiya took off her helmet and mopped her sweaty brow with a gloved hand. Okay. She just had to think smart about this. Stay calm and logical.
#19
Serendipity Riverlands / Stupid Cat. [open!]
April 29, 2022, 07:47:42 PM
As a girl growing up, Lyric had always wondered how her cats, mighty apex predators that they were, could be so foolish. They were smart animals. Scrappy and tough, they knew how to survive, how to hunt, and brought her family offerings of small rodents on the regular. (Much to her horror; finding eviscerated mice on her bed wasn't fun.) They were resilient; she had seen one fall from a great height and land unscathed, catching a bird in mid-fight along the way. They were tiny but fierce, beautiful and graceful, intelligent and clever.

And so stupid sometimes.

And now...so was she.

Those were Lyric's thoughts as she stood perched on a high branch in a sturdy oak tree, feline tail waving as she stared down at the ground and tried to figure out how the hell to get back down. She had been going about her business, rooting about for food, when a pack of stray dogs caught her scent and gave chase, barking and baying all the while. Luckily, she was quicker and had claws for climbing, because she'd bolted up the nearest tree (a lone oak that much of the district had been built around, instead of cutting it down to make space) and stayed put until they lost interest.

She hadn't given a thought as to how to get back down. She had always imagined it would be easy: just go down the way she came up. As it turned out, it wasn't quite that intuitive. Up had been simple. But now, staring down at the ground, which seemed so much higher from her current vantage point...

Lyric let out a pitiful mew. This was ridiculous. But even though cats always landed on their feet, and she was no exception, that didn't mean she wasn't afraid of breaking said feet.

Gods and goddesses, this was dumb.

And as she waited, and mewed for help, she sent a silent apology out into the universe, on behalf of all stuck cats that she had previously called stupid.
#20
Sirantil Valley / Trolls beneath the bridge [open!]
April 29, 2022, 07:45:33 PM
This was a particularly dangerous road, but Tessa had crossed it many times before and had no choice but to do so. The other roads were longer, less direct--and she needed to get to Reajh fast. Desperation and necessity had her chancing the more dangerous path and hoping that this time she was as lucky as she had been the last few times she'd been forced to choose the more dangerous route in favor of speed.

God was with her, and He always provided. He'd protected her before, had given her this second chance, and she had faith that He would now.

That night, wolves had descended upon her flock. She'd been tired and while she was conditioned to sleep light and stay aware even in sleep, exhaustion had made her drift into a deeper sleep than intended. She'd awoken to the panicked bleating of her flock and the snarls and growls of her sheepdog, Fable, as she fought off the pack--which was blessedly small and young and gave up as soon as it got what it had come for.

In the end, she'd lost one lamb and Fable had been injured; she couldn't walk right and had some bad cuts elsewhere, and a lifetime of experience with animals told Tessa that if the wounds weren't properly treated, they could go septic.

And she didn't know what she'd do if she lost that dog; she'd been her companion for the better part of six years, raised from a puppy. She was a gift from God, protecting her when she needed it and keeping her company even when others had rejected her.

"C'mon, girl. Almost there," Tessa called to the dog, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. She could see the city in the distance; maybe an hour more and they'd be there. Fable only whined in response, limping along in obvious misery.

If the dog hadn't weighed almost as much as Tessa did, she would have carried her.

Minutes passed in relative silence with no sign of trouble and Tessa started to relax, though she still remained alert and scanned the flat lands ahead for any signs of danger.

It was only when they reached a bridge that crossed over a small section of stream that the bandits revealed themselves, stepping out from under the cover of the bridge.

There were three of them, and each of them was stocky and well built, a couple with the scars to show they'd done this before and come out on top. And there she was, a lone girl with a small flock, money and meat on legs.

Their grins only broadened when they noticed the mage's mark embroidered onto the breast of her tunic.

"Well hello, little witch," one of the men sneered, hand playing with the dagger at his belt as he approached. "There's a price for crossin', y'know. Time to pay up."

Panic gripped Tessa, but she gripped her crook tightly and backed up slowly. She wasn't defenseless and she'd had to defend herself against trouble before. The problem was that she'd always had Fable to help her and the dog was in no condition to fight.

And the only other defense she had was one she dared not touch. Ever. Not even if the alternative was death.

Better death than damnation.

"S-stay back! I'm warnin' ya!" she said, ready to start swinging if they got close and praying that they wouldn't. She was terrified of them--but terrified of what could happen if she did act. A mage's word wasn't worth much; if she hurt them, she could easily take the fall for it, even beyond what they could inflict on her. It was all too easy to convince others that a mage had used magic in self-defense even if they hadn't, and that was what made her pause, made her lower her crook.

As much as death was better than damnation, she still didn't want to die.

"Or what? You'll bewitch us? Zap us with lightnin'?" The man's grin broadened. "Go ahead. I dare ya."

They closed in, and Tessa said a silent prayer right before she gave Fable the command to attack, what little good it would do and no matter how it terrified her that she might not come out of this.

Everything happens for a reason.