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Post by seraaches on Jan 6, 2008 13:49:32 GMT -5
It was a cold and windy day with a heavy threat of rain and it had all of the Cards in the street pulling cloaks and coats closer around their bodies. The tall, bipedal stallion had his own cloak tucked tightly around his body as well. It was not a pleasant day, not a happy day, and things had not gone well this day. Old memories had reared their ugly heads through some petitioners to Queen Serafino. Tension in the Court seeped into the man and his brisk walk down the city streets was an effort to work out some of his unease. It was simply chance that he saw her up ahead; a familiar white-striped tail amid a sea of slate blue. Instantly anger clenched through his gut and his ears flattened with a need to crush something. It was too easy to begin making his way towards her. |
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Post by seraaches on Jan 6, 2008 18:02:10 GMT -5
She was tired and rather worn down; it'd been a long day of walking. Too many deliveries and too much research. She rubbed her eyes with pale fingers and hoped that perhaps she could just go home and get some sleep. Her bag felt too heavy as it dragged down across her shoulder and the wind pulled at her loose coat and she struggled to get it closed yet again. Her mind went over her mental checklist of things she still needed to get done today. She had a load of papers to drop off at the office, then some interviews to deliver to Minh, and she'd picked up a few books from the library so it'd be good if she could go over it tonight... The voice seemed to come from nowhere, a deep rumbling filled with malice despite the innocuous words. |
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Post by seraaches on Jan 6, 2008 18:09:55 GMT -5
"Long day?" Despite himself, the question seemed to promise that it was about to get longer and harder for the Sorgaire Range woman. The fingers of his left hand drummed a rhythm against his leg as the claws of his gauntlet punctuated the beat with hostile intent. The skunk jumped beside him, skitting slightly to the side as the others on the street continued quickly on their way. She glanced around as though looking for support or aid, but no one wanted to stop on this cold and windy day and when Rai purposefully let his cloak billow open, any would-be heroes swiftly forgot their intents and hurried away. No one wanted to get in the way of a King of Hearts and his intended victim.
"Too bad no one wants to help you," the stallion said, voice taking on a vicious tone nearly despite himself. "Perhaps your vaunted neutrality is coming back to roost."
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Post by seraaches on Jan 6, 2008 18:28:23 GMT -5
Kelasia pulled her coat tight around her frame, unease and fear beginning to show in her pale blue eyes, especially since no one seemed willing to help her. Her tail tucked suddenly against her legs as a deeper shot of fear trembled up and down her spine. If only Theofilus was near... but he was at the Palace today and Rogers wouldn't come looking for her for a very long time indeed.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Shinrai," she said softly, voice trembling. "I have no idea wot you're talking about. If you'll excuse me, though, I have some things I really need to take care of..." She stepped confidently down the street... or, at least, tried to. The large man stepped swiftly in front of her, moving quickly on his hooves, something she found rather surprising. She hesitated, retreating a step.
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Post by seraaches on Jan 6, 2008 22:01:04 GMT -5
The stallion shook his head almost sadly. "I'm afraid an appointment with me is the only thing on your agenda now," he said flatly, ignoring the trembles and fear. "It's long past time that we had a little... chat."
Despite his anger and frustration, the stallion had not forgotten wot Theofilus had told him whilst he was under the sparrow's spell; he wouldn't hurt the woman, but he couldn't help but prodding at her for awhile. He hooked a muscled arm through her furred one and pulled her off the street as he thought about where exactly to bring her. There really weren't any good 'let's beat down this person either physically or mentally' areas.
Well, maybe this little abandoned sidestreet right here. He hauled her down a short ways down and released her arm suddenly, letting the momentum propel her into a wall.
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Post by seraaches on Jan 6, 2008 23:10:47 GMT -5
Kel made a small sound, barely getting her hands up in time to help cushion her collision into the brick wall. She gave a small cry at the unusual violence and jolt of pain shooting through both of her arms. She whirled quickly to stare up at the much larger man in fear and trying to hide it. Which, really, she was doing a terrible job of.
"Wha-what d-do you want from me?" she finally stuttered out uneasily. She wasn't afraid. She wasn't afraid. A giant horse wasn't about to pummel her to death in some forgotten and dirty back alley that nobody would think to check for her body and she'd be the food of vermin for about two months before her bones were swept away by a freak rainstorm. It was all about not showing fear, wasn't it? That's how you were supposed to get out of these situations, wasn't it? Gads, it so wasn't working.
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Post by seraaches on Jan 6, 2008 23:48:52 GMT -5
The stallion shifted his wait to one side, long tail flicking indolently for a long moment as he regarded the woman with a flat glare. He took a single step forward, pausing when she stiffened in fear. A tiny smirk touched his lips as his tail twitched again. "Well, sweetie, all I want from you is some answers. Nothing more, nothing less."
She stared back at him distrustfully and he gave an amused snort. Well, yes, of course. She didn't really have much reason to trust him, did she? And he had less reason to be nice. His amusement fell away like a poor-fitting shoe.
"Where's your vaunted neutrality now?" his voice was hard and unforgiving. "Looks like everyone else is being neutral as well. You're all on your lonesome, sweetheart." He couldn't stop his ears from going back slightly as he fought to keep down the rising wave of hostility.
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Post by seraaches on Jan 8, 2008 1:52:53 GMT -5
Kel's pale eyes skittered from the frightening visage before her to the alleyway opening a few feet behind the large stallion. He was right, of course; no one seemed in the least bit mindful of her plight and quite a few seemed determined to not see anything. Why wouldn't anyone even try to help her?
"I-I d-doubt I h-have the answers yo-you seek," she finally stuttered softly. "I m-met you at the Fi-firm w-with The-Theofilus." She had to make him believe her this time! If not, he just might kill her. A shudder traveled through her body in a wave of rising terror. She didn't want to die! She needed to become a King so she could help Theofilus! She had to help him and be at his side so he didn't have to carry his heavy burden all alone.
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Post by seraaches on Jan 17, 2008 23:00:45 GMT -5
The stallion began to pace back and forth, the left hand petting along the leather of his whip in a smooth, deliberate gesture. He watched the pale blue eyes drop to follow the movement before they darted back to his face, blue chest still fluttering as her breaths danced in and out of her lungs in a frantic near panic.
"Yes, we never did meet before, did we? After all, I was nearly beaten to death and you didn't stick around for very long, did you?" She didn't know wot to say or how to respond, he could read it in her face, in the expression in those pale eyes. It pleased him to see that fear.
"Neutral, neutral, neutral. Fat lot of good it does, huh? It's a double-edged sword, just waiting to cut you." His eyes promised vengeance.
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Post by seraaches on Mar 23, 2008 10:45:39 GMT -5
She was at a loss still; uncertain and unsure. She didn't have a real way to guarantee to the stallion that she hadn't been there; couldn't have been there. Her mother would never have allowed her to just wander out alone. She was always kept near home: nice and 'safe'. She had never argued with her parents; she'd been trained to never, ever do that.
A small worry wiggled into the back of her mind, and she tried to ignore it. She might never have been allowed out... but her brother had been. Surely they weren't the only Sorgaire Range skunks about, though! But, even as she thought it, the idea gained certainty in her mind. It was as though fate had just slipped the missing puzzle piece into her hand. Oh, light, this was still a problem.
The stallion was staring at her in undisguised hate and she cowered slightly beneath that gaze. He would never believe her! He was too determined to believe wot he wanted to. And she couldn't just turn over her brother like that, could she?
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