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Post by seraaches on Oct 17, 2007 8:26:37 GMT -5
(( Be prepared for Rai to be snarky, mean, and bitter. He’s not had much reason to trust others. Also, can you see the number of times sera’s warped sense of humour rears it’s ugly head? ))  He stood still, watching in horror as the Lowlanders ripped into a mirror image of himself. Green mouth gaped open to show even, white teeth frothed with blood. Yellow and gold-brown stripes lurched in agony as first one canine, then another ripped into flesh with teeth and crimson-ridden claws. The open, festering wounds of the Lowlanders disgusted him, but not nearly as much as his self-hatred.
“Rai!” the image cried out in pain and horror and he shrilled his fear back.
“Help us! Please!” He screamed at the grey and slate blue creature staring idly at the scene. A skunk. He hated skunks. Almost more than he hated the colour blue. It was a Diamond. A low Diamond. Simply staring at them as though they were some type of exotic show. “HELP US!”
The skunk lofted his nose and said, “Neutral.” And he walked off as Shin cried out for wot was only the first time over the next three hours.
“No,” the equine whispered in disbelief. “Come back… COME BACK!”Shinrai gave a terrified snort, kicking abruptly back to his feet with ears flat against his skull and grey-green eyes rolling white. He stood with his head up, nostrils flared, as his sides heaved and he stood quivering on his thin legs. He needed to fight, needed to run, needed to hide, needed to rend something bit from bit for leaving them on that fateful day all those years ago. Rai was lathered in sweat, the white foam slipping down his flanks. It was the middle of the night, but he had to get out, had to move. His long tail twitched uneasily and he trotted into his shower to rinse off swiftly. The nightmare didn't accurately reflect the events of that terrible night; he hadn't been able to just stand idly by, though he still struggled with guilt over his own survival and not Shin's. More than anything else, however, Rai had found something far more encompassing than guilt, shame, grief, or regret. Vengeance. And he would claim its payment as soon as he was powerful enough to do so. He shook off the excess water and, with a toss of his head, headed out his door into the night streets of Capital City. He had long since left the Marsh behind him; revenge had demanded that he leave as soon as he powerful enough to make his bid. Soon he would seek the Courts for an introduction as he continued on his way to the top; and soon he could continue his life’s work: revenge. Yellow and gold hooves tripped gently down the moon-kissed cobbled streets, willing his mind to stop thinking of the past, stop thinking of the mirrored image of himself from all of those years ago, stop thinking of, perhaps, revenge for at least awhile. But only… for a little while. |
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Post by Nathalia on Oct 17, 2007 8:53:04 GMT -5
((OOC: Aha! Perfect!)) A small figure bolted down the street, breath coming in shrill gasps of fright and pain as his feet pounded over the stones. He had no idea what to do, where to go, or who to go to...only that his mother had told him to go... Mother...why couldn't you come too? He didn't doubt that he would kill her...he may held off for the four years that they were in hiding after that first dreadful meeting. But he knew as surely as she did. One day he would come to them...and kill them. The air in his lungs was like fire, sandpaper seeming to scrape the sides as he kept his legs pumping by sheer will, a small leather rucksack thrown over his bony, Human shoulder. His unkempt black hair falling into his eyes...half the time he had no clue whether or not he was about to hit something. He only knew that he had to run. If he didn't then his mother will have died for nothing...that could never happen.  "Come on, Merlin. We have to go faster!" He wheezed. A small sneeze was heard in answer as a shot of green raced a tiny bit ahead of the fugitive, only slowing just enough for it's master to catch it up.  He saw something move in the distance, stepping off of a stoop. He couldn't stop, if he did he might never stop again...he would just have to hope that the stranger bore him no ill will... |
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Post by seraaches on Oct 17, 2007 9:12:10 GMT -5
Green ears flicked, and his eyes rolled to the side as his body tensed to move... an action that didn't occur in time. Something shot beneath his belly, and he was on the verge of rearing up when something else slammed into his hindlegs. Hooves don't hold well to cobblestones and Shinrai fought desperately to remain upright as his hindlegs scrambled against the polished rock in panic. Besides a hatred of being on his sides against his will (heaven knew where -that- particular paranoia had come from), Rai had no desire to squish someone without knowing who they were and why they were being squished.
It took a magnificent almost leap to keep from flattening his 'attacker', and all he really accomplished was to collapse in an equally magnificent heap, nearly taking out the Bander instead.
“The world grows ridiculous,” he muttered under his breath, twisting his maneless neck so the long, angular face could turn towards….a small Human creature. Surprise briefly lit through his eyes, but Rai had been working a long time to learn to keep his facial features blank and without that short glimmer through his grey-green gaze, the horse could be rather frightening.
Though, perhaps if he wasn’t a tangle of legs he would be scarier. It took a moment of work, but Rai got himself unfolded, then carefully pushed himself upright, now towering over the dark-locked child. The wide frightened eyes stopped him from snapping about taking care to remain with one’s parents.
”So?” he snorted flatly instead. ”Wot do you want?”
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Post by Nathalia on Oct 17, 2007 11:36:08 GMT -5
Hie eyes widened in horror as the large green stallion fell. That was the only reason he had stopped running, what if the creature's legs had broken?
He whipped around, the startled sneeze of his nearly squished bander frightening him almost as much as the angular face that now loomed over him. He stood to attention, back snapped straight, eyes wide and fearful.
He thoroughly expected to be kicked, at the very least, with those golden hooves, especially when he saw the bright red Jack symbol....
And the Heart.
He visibly quailed.
"I-I'm sorry, s-s-sir...I didn't mean to run into you... I just have to get away. You won't tell, will you?" The last question tumbled out of his mouth suddenly, as he sank to his knees before the Equine, trembling. "P-please! Please, don't tell them where I am, I...I'll..."
The boy's voice trailed off as he stared up into the expressionless face, what was this man about to do? He had no idea at all and suddenly wished more than anything that he could just go back home....
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Post by seraaches on Oct 17, 2007 19:34:22 GMT -5
Rai liked to consider himself a fair horse: he only hated those who deserved it. He had taken off the heads of those who ran into him before, but this child evidently hadn't meant to run into him. Even if it had ended in his fall. He flicked his tail a bit irritably, but took a calm, centering breath; an action that only worked when not in the presence of his hated enemies. At least the strange little human wasn’t a Lowlander or Worse. Of course, if the Four had been, he’d likely have caused the horse’s fall on purpose. For now, though, that wasn’t here or there.
Shinrai's ears flattened at the absolute terror in the child's voice. Wot in the world had happened to this little Clubs? His gaze moved up the street, but for now the night was still and silent. This part of the Capital didn't have much traffic during these hours of darkness, one of the reasons he had picked to have his temporary home in this neighbourhood. These hours of the nights belonged to ghosts. Was this child one? A ghost of someone else’s past as his lurked within his mind?
He couldn’t quite unbend enough to even sound overly kind, and nor did he truly care to, despite the fear in the child’s gaze. His voice was still cold, "Tell who where you are?" No promise of silence, no attempt to calm the human.
(( George is so cute... <3 ))
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Post by Nathalia on Oct 18, 2007 12:45:46 GMT -5
Purple eyes squeezed tightly shut as he seemed to be searching for the will to say what was asked of him. His shoulders shook as he slowly reopened his eyes, staring at the ground, unable to meet the Equines steady gaze.
"George... M-my, my name is...George." He hunched slightly. Did anyone in their Court know about him? Aside from Mother, Shana the maid and Henry the kitchen boy...and Uncle Varestes...No, he couldn't think of anyone.
But what if his father had a warrant out for his arrest? What if his father had told everyone about his dissatisfactory son...what if they were hunting him?
What if this man was one of them?
George waited with baited breath, Merlin; catching the fear from him, huddled next to his masters' leg and growled softly.
All he could seem to do was stare at the Heart symbol...it almost seemed to stare back, filling the boy with dread, he shifted, trying to avert his gaze. As he did so, his shirt, unbuttoned opened slightly, showing the thin chains wrapped around his middle, displaying his Torquehelm heritage in ways his Human form couldn't express...
Silently he waited.
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Post by seraaches on Oct 18, 2007 19:30:04 GMT -5
He didn't have eyebrows, but the ridge above his right eye shifted slightly as the shirt fluttered sideways, allowing a tantalizing glimpse of chains. A Human Torquehelm child. Lovely. A low-numbered, low-ranked child. For a moment, Rai considered just breaking off the run-in; he had no reason to be here, no reason to even contemplate assisting, much less just listening to wot was going on.
But he could see that dark gaze resting on the prominent Heart imprinted boldly across his green chest. The look brought echoes of remembered terror, terror in the face of dripping bodies and canine faces. His eyes rolled slightly, showing the edge of white. No, he would not think of that now; he was out tonight to avoid the memories. He could not deny, however, that his own remembered fear was reborn in the frightened eyes before him.
Blast it all.
”Who are you running from, George?” His irritation sounded in his voice; he didn’t want to care about some kid who was out on the run, but he couldn’t forget his own panic as a child and how, if only –someone-, -anyone-, had stepped up to help, Shin might still be alive. He wasn’t having this kid’s death on his conscience. Blast it.
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Post by Nathalia on Oct 18, 2007 22:58:25 GMT -5
George was caught slightly off guard by the question...he had expected something a little more along the lines of "I've found him! He's over here!" followed by intense pain.
This was not what he had expected, the Equine looked annoyed, to be certain..but he didn't look too, well, threatening. He swallowed thickly, unsure of himself. You can't trust the Hearts...
"Everyone..."
He whispered, clutching at his shirt and trying to button it, fingers clumsy in his fear.
"Mother knew he would kill her, so she told me to run...he'll send others out after me...I don't...I d-don't know if y'you're one of them..."
His voice got even softer.
"I shouldn't tell you. They can hear me, even now."
The small green and grey barred Bander made a soft huffing noise as the wind blew through the street, it wanted to be on the move again...it didn't like that its master had stopped this long. The fear it had felt on him before, told it to keep running...
George looked up into the cold face.
"The Court of Hearts."
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Post by seraaches on Oct 19, 2007 0:22:14 GMT -5
"The Court of Hearts."
Shinrai froze at those words, the stillness of an animal that had just realized that it was prey and the hunter was breathing down its neck. Heartbeats rang the time as his mind froze in a sudden overload of decision. Blast. Blast. Blast, blast, blast, blast, blast! His brain surged forward in a sudden rush of concepts and thoughts and goals and memories. He shook his head, trying to get a handle on his runaway mind.
Blast.
The Court of Hearts. The place he was looking to gain entrance into. This child could be his ticket in, his easy street to power to gain revenge. If the Court was looking for this little… George (calling the child by name certainly wasn’t a good idea; he needed distance to make a neutral, well-thought out decision), then surely the Queen would be grateful to whoever brought the child in.
Those large purple eyes, though… they were piercing as the memory of grey-green eyes screaming their agony to him. The horse shuddered suddenly and turned his head away, unable to bear the weight of that gaze, haunted by a past that wasn’t even the little Four’s.
BLAST.
He needed time to make his decision. And if he decided the unthinkable, he would have to cover his tracks –very- well so he would not lose entrance to the Court. Blast.
”Come inside, George.” The horse’s voice was firm as he turned and headed back to his building. They had to get out of the open and he had to figure out wot he was going to do. He turned his back on the child because he couldn’t bear to see that terrified gaze any longer.
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Post by Nathalia on Oct 19, 2007 18:53:49 GMT -5
George nearly bolted at those words. He would have if it weren't for the fact that in turning to do so he tripped headlong over Merlin.
The Bander sneezed in shock and mild outrage at being trodden upon. The Human shook and tried to stand, slipped and cracked his chin on the hard packed earth.
"P-please! No, I didn't do anything! I don't know why he hates me, I've only ever seen him once..I d-don't know what I've done!"
He shivered and tears began sliding down his cheeks as he waited for large teeth to grab him by the scruff and drag him bodily inside.
When this didn't happen he glanced up once more into the impassive face above him, terrified. He would never be able to outrun this man, his long legs would catch George up within seconds. He sniffed and desperately tried to stem his flow of tears.
"Sir, wh-...what are you going to d-do with me?"
He asked, trying to stop stammering, the hiccups building in his chest were not helping the matter.
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