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Post by Lucca on Apr 22, 2009 5:12:53 GMT -5
 It was second nature to the small purple and black cat to walk silently and stealthily, keeping to shadows when she could and her head low when she couldn't, despite the fact that she no longer had to. Despite the fact that she was in the Capital, where exotic Cards were a fairly common sight, and a normal looking Torquehelm like her would be passed over by almost everyone. And despite the fact that, at the moment, she was even in a quieter part of town. Why was she here? Well...for the most part, she was just wandering, currently. Her goal was to eventually leave the Capital and travel to some of the other Realms, but she hadn't decided on a direction quite yet, so exploring within the bounds of the city would have to do. Sneaking along in the shadows, Eldryia's sharp purple eyes scanned the surrounding area for any sign of movement. Really, she had nothing to fear, and in fact wasn't afraid. But when your goal was to be a spy, if you saw someone before they saw you, you weren't doing your job correctly. |
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Apr 23, 2009 22:19:42 GMT -5
In this quiet area of the Capitol, Sadie had become relaxed. The guard that she normally put up had been dropped, and she indulged in a thing that she hadn't done for a while - sitting in the shade of a tree wearing her animal form. It normally would be a risky thing to do, of course, being what she was. A quiet afternoon could be ruined by the attentions of even one curious watcher. Then every minute of what was supposed to be time for herself would be, inevitably, spent trying to get away from the attentions of the indivudual as well as any people they would bring to themselves all while answering a multitude of questions. It was always a nightmare, and it had quickly become something that the Diamond Queen would stop at almost nothing to avoid. Yet, all the same, there she was, in a public park in the form that most clearly displayed exactly what she was. Of course, as far as she knew, there was no one there to see her. Antennae twitched ever so slightly as a cool breeze washed over her, and the mantis let out a contented sigh. As much as she was eager to leave for the Courts, it seemed a pity to think about something like that on such a wonderful day, and so she relaxed and just let herself feel the sun on her body. Her eyes slid shut, dangerous forelegs drawn up tightly against her chest, and a faint smile began to tug at the corners of her beak. Warmth. What she wouldn't give for this sort of temperature at all times of the year... The cat was, of course, entirely unnoticed. |
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Post by Lucca on Apr 24, 2009 7:29:04 GMT -5
Eldryia, though still making cursory scans of the area around her for people, was beginning to relax just slightly. It had been a while since she'd seen anyone else in this surprisingly empty part of the city. The fact both saddened and relieved her. She loved watching people, but interacting with them? Not so much. As she passed through the outskirts of a small park, she paused in the shadows, looking for any sign of life. Trees...playground...trees...hello, what was that? Quickly, Eldy focused in on the flash of bright color she thought she'd seen beneath one of the trees...and her eyes widened in surprise.
What was THAT? It looked like...like an Insect! Even in the Capital, such a thing was rare...Eldy had never seen anything like it. She decided to get closer, sneaking along at an angle to the Thing, not wanting to be seen. It had some fairly dangerous looking claws, after all. She decided to climb the tree next to the one she was sitting under, to get a better view. Digging her claws into the soft bark, she quickly climbed up, shooting glances over at the Insect as she ascended. Until an unexpected branch caught on her binding...with an audible THUNK. The cat froze, wondering if this meant she would be caught, mentally cursing at the stupid, infernal binding. She had no idea how good Insect hearing was...
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Apr 25, 2009 14:52:13 GMT -5
Caught in the lovely feeling of the sun on her shell, Sadie's antennae twitched rather absently. There were many things to smell and hear, and they all seemed to blend together in a sometimes wonderful, sometimes terrible soup. Today, it was the former, and the quiet buzz that her odd sensory organs picked up combined with the heat and the lovely breeze began to lull her to sleep. After a moment of fluttering, her vividly pink eyes slid shut and a moment later her head began to nod, catching herself before she dozed off with her chin against her chest.
Then, not a moment later, a sudden sound jerked her awake. What in the..?!
The mantis raised her killing claws in front of her, her wings opening wide in an impressive display as she hissed at the whatever-it-was that had been sneaking up on her. From the corners of her beak, a pair of dangerous looking mandibles slid free and clacked menacingly against the hard chitin of her beak, a clear threat.
Someone had been watching her, sneaking close. Her antennae twitched, "tasting" the air for a sign of whatever or whoever it was, but she didn't even flinch from her posture. If they were going to try and attack the Queen, they'd have quite a fight on their hands, she'd see to it.
"Show yourself,[/b]" the Diamond Queen hissed, eyes narrowed to mere slits as she focused on the tree Eldy had been climbing. She could see black and purple, the glint of... metal? Was it a Torque? That would explain the awkward sound she'd heard...
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Post by Lucca on Apr 25, 2009 15:02:59 GMT -5
Eldy's ears went back and all her fur puffed up as she watched the Insect, having clearly caught on to the fact she was being watched thanks to the noise, reveal all her natural, dangerous weapons. Not to mention the fact that she was a Queen, which meant she had dangerous powers, too. The cat really didn't want a fight. Her mother would be so dissapointed in her, and plus, how lame would it be to actually SEE something this amazing...and then not live to tell about it?
Forcing her fur back down, Eldy let go of the tree and fell, twisting agily in midair to land on the ground, paws landing with barely a sound, though her binding landed an instant later with another heavy THUNK. She looked up at the Insect, and schooled her frustration with herself. She hated being caught but...she had to be...tactful if she wanted to keep her life.
"I meant no harm," she told her truthfully, eyes focused on the huge mantis claws. She tried to recall if she'd ever seen even a non-sentient insect look like that...
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Apr 26, 2009 20:49:23 GMT -5
So she'd been right. Sadie felt herself relaxing as a small Torque feline - female, from the looks of things, and her apologetic tone just confirmed that - dropped in front of her. The poor girl looked utterly terrified, and for a moment, the mantis grinned to herself. It was good to know she could still make someone who was invading her space cringe in their proverbial boots. Slowly, the Insect relaxed her claws as she looked the girl over. They never quite dropped fully, but her pose was decidely less offensive when she finally spoke.
"I can see that now, girl,[/b]" the woman spoke, only a hint of the earlier threat in her voice. For the most part, she looked mildly amused. "Though I'd reccomend that you speak to someone the next time you decide you want a closer look at them.[/b]"
She paused with a thoughtful glance at the cat, her antennae flipping back ever so slightly. For one with such a heavy-looking binding, the girl moved well with it. Clearly, her parents had spent time teaching her how to be successful even while being crippled... "Otherwise, they might think you're a spy or some other threat. Which you aren't, right? You were just... curious?[/b]" Sadie was fairly confident that she already knew the answer to that question, but she wanted to hear the girl's honest answer. It would make this meeting all the more interesting, after all. "There's no harm in curiosity. My name is Sadie.[/b]"
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Post by Lucca on Apr 27, 2009 20:22:28 GMT -5
Even though the claws were only partially relaxed, it was enough for the remaining tenseness to leave her muscles, though she remained her ever wary self. You never knew when you would need to bolt at a moment's notice, especially when dealing with...Queens. The cat stole a glance at that prominant red marking the other displyed so proudly. She wasn't a heart, though, and that decreased her worth slightly in Eldy's eyes. After all, she had grown up in the Court. There was no way she'd lack the pride shared by so many of her suit.
Eldy's ears went back slightly at the words, feeling a bit...patronized. Ugh, this was why she hated being caught. But years of failing to control her reactions to things that annoyed her had taught her caution where it was due, and she merely nodded meekly at her. "Yes, ma'am." Did that mean she was going to do that? Of course not. What sort of spy would she be if...
Eldy couldn't help the ghost of a grin at the next words. She opened her mouth to respond, and realized abruptly that, being a Diamond, the Queen would see through a lie. Well, crap. What an annoying ability! No wonder Diamonds weren't very well liked. "I was merely curious about you, Miss Sadie," she admitted, affecting a shy smile. "After all, it's rare one meets a Card so beautiful as yourself." There, it wasn't a lie. Though considering herself a spy, Eldy had never taken an official job as one yet. That would come when she was better at not getting caught. THEN she could lead the exciting life her mother did. Well, except for the being a member of the Courts thing. She'd pass on that. In this case, she really had just been curious. Habit told her to sneak first and speak later, even if she wasn't 'spying', persay. Ha! Take that lie detector ability.
"My name's Eldryia, or you can just call my Eldy," she offered.
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on May 31, 2009 21:11:46 GMT -5
Yes, this was going.. somewhat better, Sadie decided. The girl was a Six of Hearts, and she sensed no lie in the reply. Simple curiosity... While it was troublesome sometimes, in this case she could stomach it. After all, there was only the one observer. No one else had been attracted to the scene by the noise. Otherwise, Sadie probably would have just up and left, preferring not to have to deal with such a crowd.
A small smile twitched at the corner of the woman's beak, and she settled.
"Well then, Miss Eldryia, I thank you for your compliment and your honesty.[/b]" She replied in a light tone, gently extending one viciously hooked forelimb. It was more of a polite gesture, as in this form neither had proper hands for shaking, and even if they did... Her hooks weren't exactly built to be gentle.
The mantis then inclined her head to the side, bright pink eyes bright with interest as she considered the young woman. Really, the feline was a lovely creature, and Sadie couldn't help but be impressed by the grace by which she moved with the heavy-looking binding that dragged behind her. "I must say, you climb well for someone with such a binding,[/b]" she commented in an off-handed sort of way. "If not for the slip, I never would have known you were there. I take it you have... practice with this sort of thing?[/b]"
There was no threat in her words, only a genuine curiosity. Such a sneaky spy... Sadie knew enough about the courts to recognize that someone with such skills could be potentially useful to her, even if she was only a Heart. Her low rank made her even better suited for the job in the mantid's mind.
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Post by Lucca on Jun 1, 2009 19:45:59 GMT -5
The cat inclined her head politely to the mantis, figuring she didn't need to say anything else on the subject of her...honesty. Yes. Best to leave that where it was. Her tail twitched and she looked at the claw that had been extended...surely she wasn't expected to try and shake that...weapon of a forelimb? She settled for putting out a cautious paw and touching it briefly to the top of the claw before withdrawing. While her manners were decent, it might be evidant that Eldryia's experience in these sorts of situations was lacking.
She considered Sadie cautiously at her next words. Despite the flippant tone, she had a hunch that there was more behind the question than merely curiousity. She considered her answer carefully for a moment before replying.
"Yes, I have had some practice. After all, one does not live with such a burden for one's entire life without learning how to compensate," she said. "As for being quiet...you might say it runs in the family." She smiled, but there was just a hint of challenge in it. Wondering if the Queen knew anything about the members of the Hearts Court. After all, she had been told she looked remarkably like her mother. It was why she'd needed to be careful for much of her life, as her very existance could have put both her and her mother in danger.
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Jul 7, 2009 21:49:43 GMT -5
The Torque was sharp. Sadie watched her curiously, wondering how she'd reply to the casual remark. She could see that the other woman was somewhat wary, taking her time before responding to her questions. That made Sadie happy. This was seeming like a better idea the more she spoke to the feline. When Eldy responded, Sadie nodded thoughtfully, using one foreclaw to scratch at her chin. "Of course. I was referring also to your grace. I've seen many a Torque with a binding less severe than your own that moved far less smoothly than yourself.[/b]" she smiled slightly, a vague twitch at the corner of her mouth.
A family business of being quiet... Now, wasn't that an interesting idea? As soon as the feline mentioned it, Sadie found herself looking the cat over a little closer, wondering if this could possibly be the daughter of a Heart noble. Perhaps she'd ask for more infomation and try to learn more? At least as far as she could. Assuming Eldy was as good a sneak as she appeared to be, she wouldn't give away a family secret easily, especially not one that could put her own mother at risk of being caught.
At least, Sadie hoped she wouldn't.
"Have you ever... been quiet professionally?[/b]" Sadie asked, her grin widening. Skirting around Eldy's actual profession wasn't actually needed as there was no one around to listen in, but the feigned caution was amusing to the Queen.
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