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 Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:04 pm
xFlighty steps lightly resounded throughout the forest, their noise bouncing off of the jaded, gray tree bark. Lavender irises, flecked with an unbiased mixture of curiosity and hesitation, persistently scanned every rupture in the looming foliage. The ghostly femme was not lost, nor was she running away from her home. Instead, she was merely satisfying a craving, some inexplicable obligation to investigate the deep woodland. The pale sheen of her pelt contrasted greatly with the darkness of her surroundings. In fact, even the fog that began to set in during this night was incapable of masking her existence. The silver portions of the feathers that adorned her ear caught the moonlight’s attention; its muted light flickered off of them creating a diminutive sparkle. She knew that she was visible. She knew that she was possibly engrossed in danger. She knew this, but it all washed away with the waves of inquisitiveness that began to flit through her mind.
Curiosity beckoned from some unknown vicinity of this dark place. Oblivion continued to swallow her.
Ever since she was born, Nyx had a taste for getting herself enfolded in hazardously irrevocable situations such as this. The pale female constantly ran the risk of being attacked, but finding answers was more vital to her. She preserved an expression of emptiness as she continued to wind through the forest. Even as the swirling band on her left leg attempted to restrict any muscle expansion, she failed to show signs of pain. She had been traveling for a long time, but she perservered. Nyx looked up at the night sky which was partially obstructed by some of the treetops which branched out and hovered overhead. A slight breeze teased her pelt, blissfully amusing itself by flicking pieces of her pallid hair in every direction. The night was undoubtedly handsome.
A light sigh resonated through the forest as her paws started to move again; keeping pace as if a metronome had been placed in her ear. She knew not where she was going or what she was looking for. But at least when she emerged from this place, she would do so with tails of what was inside; advice or even warnings which she would tell the other analytical beings who wished to dig at their perpetual itch. The faintest smile crossed her lips, barely tampering with any other facial features, as she continued to haunt the mystifying wood.
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:13 pm
 He was nought but a silent ember in the night, a darkened flame that coasted the trees without fear of setting them alight. Tonight Axel had taken the time to try and perch himself up in a tree for a change in routine, a feat that was very hard considering he had not the claws nor the best ability in trumping trunks. Eventually he did find himself lying on his belly clinging to a lower branch, taking deep breaths to slow his heartrate. A regular hound might have appreciated the beauty of the forest bathed in shadows, but to him it was just another area filled with plants that just so happened to be a great area for spying on others. Axel had way too much time on his hands and a lot of energy to spend wasting it, whatever his languid position in the trees suggested. He crossed his front paws, layed his head down, and allowed himself a bit of rest after the long travel here.
He was just about to loll off to sleep when his acute hearing picked up the soft sounds of pawsteps brushing upon foliage. Instantly his eyes flew open and, without moving a limb, attempted to scan the area before him that didn't escape beyond his peripheral vision through the dense foliage that convoluted this confounded tree - although it did make for nice bed padding if he had decided to stay up there, Axel found that the branch just wasn't thick enough for him to move around. Eventually he caught sight of a bright flash of white; he froze as the creature gave a soft sigh and began to pad just beneath him. An idea was born, and a smirk made itself known as, carefully, Axel inched his head forward until his snout breached the leaves.
"Who disturbs my slumber?" came the deep, menacing rumble from within the tree, the foliage shivering slightly from his breath as though alive.
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:33 pm
xThe pale femme was just about to walk off when she heard an intimidating voice resound through the forest floor. It echoed inside of her ear with great power and force, causing her to flinch slightly. She spun around with her tail dipped between her legs, ears low, lavender orbs slightly worried. The hound pivoted numerous times like this, looking for the sound. But through every space where the growth of trees ceased, through every break in the dense plant life, there was nothing. Finally, as she focused, she heard the shiver of a tree. The leaves shook with weariness as they held the weight of whatever had released those daunting words.
Being careful not to let her voice waver, and not quite focusing on anything, Nyx softly whispered, “I’m very sorry to wake you…” She started out peacefully, and then continued, “But it is rude to sneak up on people, you know.” She didn’t recognize who had spoken, or even if it was a hound. She didn’t know if she was just hearing things; simply hallucinating due to her slight anxiety. All she knew was that she needed to figure things out before whatever was out there got a head start on killing her. She was only being cautious when she assumed the worst.
Looking at the treetops, Nyx shivered slightly. She knew how to get herself out of situations gracefully. But when the unknown caught her by the throat, there was no way to slip out of its grasp.
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:05 pm
The tree roared with maniacal laughter and condescension. "The only rude one is you, little pup," Axel corrected her. "You bade no permission to enter and have trodded upon the feet of my family recklessly! Beg your forgiveness now, or be forever cursed to wander this forest as your prison without escape!" If he could tell anything by the sound of her voice, he had a timid one on his hands: excellent. Though not terribly inventive at times, Axel found his pleasure where he could: tree-top hijinks was in test-drive now. The wind picked up slightly around them, unfortunately, carrying his scent perfumed with nature down below and, briefly, tugging gently at his crimson mane so that it came into view like a flower that bloomed within the blink of an eye and was now showcasing its bright petals.
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:18 pm
xAs the wind blew, Nyx inhaled deeply, releasing a sigh soon after. “I’m not a pup…” she thought to herself, a little hurt by the voice’s comment. She knew now, thanks to the light breeze that was crossing through the forest, that whatever was antagonizing her was definitely a hound, and a male hound at that. It made her all the more nervous to hear that he may have actually had family here.
“As far as I knew…” Her feminine voice echoed, “This forest didn’t belong to anybody.” Her argument was a little stronger now that she knew what she was dealing with. “I will not beg for your forgiveness if the only punishment is wandering around here for the rest of my lifetime. This place is quite beautiful.” She smiled faintly and suppressed a giggle. This hound really thought that imprisoning her in this blissful forest was a sufficient punishment.
“Why won’t you come down from there?” Her smile disappeared and she gazed up at the trees with a curious tilt of her head, lavender eyes sparkling as she discovered his crimson hair which spilled out over the leaves.
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Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 4:49 pm
"And miss out on this absolute five-star comfort? No thanks. Your antlers don't look to make a nice soft padding if I did decide to hop off." With the jig up, Axel happily stretched himself out further on the branch, his pose the very opposite of grace as he lolled his head lazily against a limb, the other pushing away the foliage enough that he could see his would-be prey a bit more clearly. Yup, almost unblemished and white with a lot of different objects pinned to her ears; it looked painful, probably moreso than the brand on his thigh. He yawned. "You're right, it's not just anyone that owns this place. The forest belongs to No-one, doesn't it? I don't think he appreciates being forgotten, ghosty," he replied without much interest, tossing his bright mane away from his eyes, steadying himself by placing his two backpaws against the trunk on either side of the branch.
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Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:37 pm
xThe pale femme’s lavender eyes narrowed at the name “ghosty” but she declined the urge to say anything about it; she wasn’t looking for a fight. Especially when she didn’t know a thing about this hound; his capabilities, his strength, the other hounds he knew. She wouldn’t carelessly get herself into a situation like that unless her curiosity was abundant. But she knew what a fight was like and she had no reason to wonder about it. So she just shrugged it off and focused on the bright-haired hound’s dialogue.
She pondered a cautious reply and looked around, humming to herself. “You don’t have to jump on my antlers…I could push a pile of leaves together or something. I mean, if you’re afraid and everything.” Nyx threw in a bit of a taunt just to make herself feel better about his new nickname for her.
But the next sentence that came out of the fiery hound’s mouth was puzzling. Nyx found herself staring up at him in awe. In the end, she decided to humor him. “Yes, I’m sure nobody is angry at me for forgetting him….I do apologize to him…wherever he is...” The female looked up at Axel nervously, flinching a little. She silently hoped that she had said whatever it was he wanted to hear.
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Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 7:15 pm
A soft snort escape the leaves. "'Afraid'? Nyaaaaaaaah~" Axel seemed awfully loud in comparison to the quiet femme when he scoffed. Idly he rolled his head back, staring at the canopy of treetops above them and the pinpricks of the nightsky that managed to break through the green, puffing a small breath of air as some locks of red attempted to obscure his vision; not that he was thoroughly interested in what he was seeing since it looked the same to him night after night anyway. "Try lazy. Insomnia does that to you after a while. Pretty lonely in this place if you ask me: too many trees and not enough of them to talk to you."
He became aware that she was watching him with some trepidation. "Got a name, ghosty?" Axel asked eventually without looking in her direction, staring holes into the leafy roof.
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Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:37 am
x"Did you ever think that you wouldn’t be so lonely if you came down from there?” the female giggled lightly, “You can’t expect the trees to talk to you.” Nyx wondered why the male chose to stay in this dark place if he was lonely and lacking sleep. She figured that if she were in his position, she would try to get some sunlight and find a different place to sleep.
The female smiled weakly at her nickname this time as she realized there was no winning with this hound. “I’m really not a ghost…” She turned around to look at herself in the moonlight, flicking her tail as she did so. “Though I guess it seems that way.” She focused her eyes on the other hound, trying to figure out exactly what he looked like. So far she knew he had bright red hair and a dark pelt. The foliage obscured all of the other details. “It's Nyx.” She replied without much focus, still trying to see the male
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Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:54 am
That was the second female in a short time that took his words seriously. Where they all like that, he wondered, guillible, crazy, or both? And if so, if he decided to say that he had a chat with the sun once, argued with it heatedly, and got burned as a result, would they believe him too? Would they ask about the brand and the hair as well, wonder why the former was a strange figure on his thigh and the latter not singed off if he indeed had been raged upon with fire? It was a funny thought if nothing else . . .
"Nyx, huh?" Without further warning he leaned heavily to the side and plopped down from the tree like a ripened fruit, landing cat-like on his paws with a not-so-catlike thud into a semi-crouch, a small grin bared as he straightened himself and tossed his head. "A-X-E-L. Axel: got it memorized?" he asked without fully expecting an answer, finally able to see his strange little friend in full and vice-versa. "So, what, you're lost or something?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 11:37 am
xAs Axel descended stylishly from the tree, Nyx finally saw him completely. When he landed, she couldn’t help but shrink a bit, intimidated by his size in comparison to her. The white-haired femme felt almost child-like standing next to Axel’s tall frame. She didn’t know if he was actually considered big though, because many hounds fit the standard of what Nyx thought was tall. “Axel…” she said to herself, nodding at the fiery male’s question and smiling up at him. She did indeed have his name memorized. How could she not when a hound like this had left such a deep impression already? “Axel is a unique name…” She quietly mused to herself, not quite meaning to say her thoughts aloud. She shook the thoughts away, giggling to herself lightly and then focused on the tall male standing in front of her.
His bright red hair was spiked; it stood proudly near his antlers which were adorned with flames just like the rest of his body. He had deep jade eyes that she imagined could cut straight through her pools of soft lilac. There seemed to be some sort of rope tied around his tail and four tiny spiked weapons sat around his ankles like vicious bracelets. On his side was a number eight in roman numerals that looked like it had been burned into him. It made her frown slightly imagining the pain that it must have been to have that done. She wondered what it represented but suppressed her curiosities about him for the moment. “I’m not exactly lost. I’m just wandering around. I don’t really have anywhere to be anyway…” Nyx was not focused on her reply as much as she was on pondering Axel’s strange features. She circled around him, irises speckled with sparkles of curiosity and spoke again, “This forest just seemed different from the other ones so I decided to have a look. What about you? Is this place really what you call home?” She longed to know more about this hound, his baffling personality drew her in.
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Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:07 pm
"Looks like the same old forest to me; all of them do." Maybe that was a girl thing, being able to notice the differences between places like this - handy. "It's a wonder you haven't been pounced on yet, glowing like you are, Nyx. I have to ask, though, what's with those things tagged in your ears?" Sure enough, Axel felt himself being sized over as was protocol for any smart Hellhound who wanted to stay alive these days, but he was a risky sort of fella who took a passing glance over the dainty-looking Nyx, figured she wasn't about to have at his throat for any particular reason, and remained relaxed. He took a step forward, eyes spiraling to the strange accessory wound about her leg. "And while I'm at that, what's with the bracer?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:12 am
x"That’s how I feel. I don’t know how I manage to survive every single time…” Nyx reflected. Then, an expression of pure concentration crossed her face, tampering slightly with her eyes and causing her lips to form a firm line. The memories summoned by Axel’s questions were not horrifying, nor were they blissful. They were merely existent; floating around in the female’s mind only to be brought up when it was asked of them. For this reason they were hard to recall clearly and the pale hellhound was slowly putting all of the fragments back together for her presentation.
Looking at Axel, and wondering just how impatient he may be, she decided to make the anecdote shorter than usual and leave out most of the “sob story” details. “Well, one day while I was feeding my curiosity I discovered this great wall. I longed to know what was inside it but some voice in the back of my mind told me not to come any closer. I was confused because normally I would have barged right in and faced whatever danger was inside. I can be careless….but somebody was holding me back.”
Nyx looked up to the sky, her lavender eyes filled with some trepidation from the thought. She sighed and continued, “Later on, these two big creatures who took the shape of an excessively tall human, they called themselves elves, came outside to meet me. I’m not sure why…but I could hear them, the same voice that told me to stay outside. It was almost like I heard their thoughts or something. And apparently they could hear mine too, all of my questions and uncertainties. They talked about how beautiful I was. I didn’t think I was anything exceptional, but they must have. Then they reassured me that I would be okay as long as I go into the city. One of them, the taller male, ran back into the city and came outside with a cloth bag of trinkets in one hand and the bracelet you see now in the other.” Nyx flinched as she recalled the rest of the memory, “Well, one of them told me that they could recognize me with these and if I ever came back they would know that I was still alive. Then, without warning I felt stinging in my ear. It felt like seven different holes were made. Then came the worst of all…” Nyx nodded so that the feathery mixture which adorned her ear could wave through the air. “That one hurt…”
She decided to hurry up and finish her story. She didn’t want Axel to get bored and leave, there was still so much to know about him. “And the bracer didn’t hurt very much, they just slid it on. Though, I can always feel it when I’m walking. I was merely an adolescent when this all happened, I think they didn’t anticipate my leg growing. It’s becoming a little too tight for comfort…” Nyx finally cleared her head and focused back on Axel. “I’m sorry; I know it isn’t an astonishing story…” She gave a worried expression.
It had been the first time she really told the tale, she had never been asked about it, and quite frankly she never had the desire or trust to tell anybody else. But for some reason, Axel had this sarcastic, dark kind of personality that made her oddly feel like she could trust him. She didn't understand why of all hounds, the one who tried to trick her into thinking that he was a devious tree would be the one that she trusted.
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Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:53 pm
All throughout the tale he was giving her this intent look a listener was expected of, though really he was only focusing on several details of her story he was plucking and storing for conversational fuel more than anything else; interest, eeeeh, not so much. "Quite a tale you got there, Nyx," he commented without any indication that he thought she was a loon for even going near elves just to satiate her curiosity. "Lemme get this straight: you basically got tagged like a pet for no reason other than they thought you were pretty and got stuck with a bracer for kicks? Man oh man." Axel chuckled and shook his head, clearly not sympathizing even as Nyx gave him a worried look, thinking it strange that she would confide the whole story despite just having met him. Still, it at least was making his night interesting.
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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:18 pm
xNyx gave a small nod. “I guess they weren’t trying to be cruel…they just wanted to know that I was alive if I ever came back…” She trailed off, looking at the gleaming stars. It was just like the white hound to pull out every bit of hopeful detail in order to try to make the elves look nice, even if what they did was painful.
Then the female brought her gaze back down to Axel. “What about you?” She asked softly, evidently very concerned about the male hound’s eccentric features. “You have…well…weapons on your ankles and a mark on your side…” She stated, expecting Axel to take the statements as questions about those properties. The female gave him an attentive expression, hoping that he wouldn’t just walk away from the questions.
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