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 Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 4:27 pm
 *new Elder image pending* Despite their size, the Winiko female's pawsteps were light upon the ground. She had never expected to continue to grow, and size increase had been something to adjust to, but the 'new' Elder had learned to keep her steps as quiet as they had been in her former life.
That was what it felt like, anyway. Another life. She had come so far, done so much since then, she had to be a completely different demon. Maybe that's what had sparked the change. She was never entirely sure, but Aponi sure seemed like she'd known something. Though, she did that a lot, seeming to know more than she'd let on to the smaller demon. Well, not smaller anymore.
It'd been a long time since she'd been outside the InBetween. Little seemed to have changed on this side of the barrier, which was honestly, somewhat comforting. Afterall, wasn't that what much of the fighting had been about? The right to choose whether one wanted to live in the InBetween, or on this side with the humans? Or was it about something else? It had dragged on so long, Dyani wasn't even sure she knew anymore. She just wanted no part of it; no different than when she'd been trapped in the InBetween amidst the fighting.
So much violence...so much death. And yet, in the darkness, there had remained a glimmer of hope for the quiet Winiko: the few young demons in whose lives she'd managed to make a difference. That lone spark in the darkest hour had helped to carry her through. Even when she'd been ready to give up, she'd found encouragement in her co-conspirator, Aponi, as well as some of those younglings' scared, but hopeful expressions.
When the bridge had been reformed, relief had settled over her. Dyani had badly needed some peace and quiet. Even if there was still work to be done in the InBetween, she felt she deserved a little time to herself. She'd been cautious not to be followed; even in these times of turbulent, wary peace, one could not be too careful. Now, surrounded by the forest, grass folding quietly beneath her paws, she allowed herself to relax for the first time in longer than she could remember.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:46 am
(ooc: Lol they are very alike aren't they, both caregivers in the war, both new elders, both nature types, hahaha perfect match rofl ) He had left the inbetween for a while. The war was mostly over, and though much needed to be rebuild, Pan had just wanted to be away from the momories.It felt so good to just wander though a shaded deep forest for a while without the danger of being attacked at any minute.
His friend Dwery would have laughed at him if she were around, "what kind of true male Demon hangs out alone in a forest?" he could just hear her in his mind. But Deep forests were, and had always been, his sanctuary. he could be himself and feel at home here.
He had looked himself over in the reflection of a small pond. He had grown & changed a lot, not just physically but both in Emotion and Knowlage as well. He hardly recognised the Demon he had been before the war in the reflection of the demon he saw today. He was fine with most of the change, but the emotional difference unsettled him. Pan had always been a calm and silent male, but since the war he had felt cold and lonely inside.
Taking advantage of peace and quiet, Pan had decided to rest for a while. Laying down between the roots of a great tree, he fell asleep for a while. Sadly his dream were enything but peacefull, sleeping brought back the blood and the faces of Demons he had been unable to help. after a distinctively unpleasant dream moment he woke up startled.
He slowly looked around, the dream had been horrid, but he felt that it had not been what had awoken him. the thing that had woken him up was on the very edge of his hearing, he could almost not be sure anything was really there. he scanned the forest around him. would it be his human? No the human was never this si........
His train of thought was broken. There something moved between the treeline. Slowly Pan got up to take a better look.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 6:44 am
((Haha, oh wow, they really are, aren't they? XD)) Dyani allowed herself a quiet sigh of contentment, pausing as she placed a paw delicately atop a fallen tree trunk. The silence in the InBetween always seemed so tense, as if one were waiting for it to be broken at any moment by the sounds of fighting once more. But here? The forest was still, calm, waiting, but in a different way. Waiting only for dawn to break on the horizon, casting warmth and light over the land as life stirred for a new day. Waiting for life to begin again after a long night's rest. It was the silence of rest and renewal.
She began to step over the obstacle when some instinct caused her to freeze. Her ears dropped back, flat against her head, and she fell completely motionless except for her eyes, frantically searching for the source of her sudden distress. She was posed somewhat precariously, one paw in the air, but she dared not move. She seemed like a deer, frozen at the scent of a predator on the wind.
Sensing danger as early as possible was the best way she'd found to avoid it. It had proved especially effective when one had others, especially small ones, to worry about as well. She narrowed her gaze, scanning the area. Calm yourself, Dyani...what reason would anyone have to follow you here? What would make you so special as to merit some sort of assassin sent to the other side just to find YOU? Your imagination is running wild.
After mentally chastising herself, her tension seemed to relax only a fraction. She was still alert for signs of danger...but some of the panic was being replaced by her silent encouragement and reminders of how many worse situations she'd gotten out of during the war...even if it had been an assassin, it was likely only one.
Cheery thought.
Well, best to not let them think themselves secret anymore if that was the case. Perhaps, knowing they were exposed, they'd simply leave her alone...
Trying to still the slight quiver in her voice, she called out with more confidence than she felt, "Who's there?" Her tail twitched with anxiety, but perhaps the whip-like motion would be interpreted as being more intimidating instead.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 7:33 am
Pan had stood under the tree motionless for a little while, the movement in the tree line had not appeared again. Yet pan was sure he had not been mistaken, he had seen movement, and had heard the very faintest of footfalls. Hadn't he? ..................
For a moment he thought back to the inbetween. Living there during the war he had always been attentive and on edge. both for creatures that needed help, and for Demons that might appear out of nowhere to hurt him.
Could it be that this was simply a result the war had had on him? Would he be followed by movements and shadows that would startle him for the rest of his life? would he not even be able to find his own peace within the calming blanket of the deep forests anymore? These kinds thoughts made him retreat into himself even more and made him feel even more alone and out of place. He shook his head and came back to himself.
Suddenly a voice sounded, that broke though the last remnants of his thoughts. The voice sounded female, and had a quiver of fear in it. He slowly and silently moved closer towards the sound of the voice, until he stood consealed within the shadow of another great tree. He could see her now through the trees. She was a Winiko Demon. Pan let out a soft breath, he had not noticed he was holding, in relief.
The tension of being ready to defend himself from whatever was to come left him completely. He stepped out of the shadow of the tree, but decided to not yet get any closer to the frightened female. "I am terribly sorry if I have in any way frightened you, I was simply on a stroll through the forest, and was in turn startled by your appearance." He spoke in his soft and calm voice.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:13 am
She hadn't really even expected an answer. She'd convinced herself after the long silence that either she had been imagining things, or her pursuer had fled upon being detected. As such, Dyani was unable to suppress a slight jump as a voice answered from close by, which she tried, likely unsuccessfully, to cover with her movement of turning towards the other.
Relief flooded her system as she took in the sight of the male Winiko Elder stepping from the shadows, even before she registered what he was saying. Normally, she supposed he'd strike quite an imposing figure, but all she saw was one of her kindred, and his soothing tone went a long way to ease her fears. Visibly relaxing, she lowered her upraised paw, her tail slowing its anxious movements. Though she remained a quiet Winiko most of the time, she had fortunately managed to work through many of her shyness issues long ago.
Little time for that, after all. Especially in war time.
"I must honestly admit a similar reaction, sir," she said politely with a dip of her head as a sign of greeting. "I apologize as well for disturbing you. I was simply seeking to enjoy some peace, then feared that I had been lax in letting myself be followed." She spared a momentary glance to the side, as if checking their surroundings again. She seemed to catch herself, then turn an apologetic smile to the other. "I suppose that old, well-developed habits are hard to break."
Rather than raise her voice to be heard, she took a step or two closer to maintain her soft tone without seeming threatening in her approach. "As I was the one to intrude upon you, allow me to introduce myself first." She bowed her antlered head again politely. "My name is Dyani, sir. It's a pleasure to meet another of my kindred on this peaceful evening."
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:44 am
Pan usually did not miss much, therefore he did notice that he had alarmed the female demon annew by speaking without warning. It was strange to have this effect on anyone, He was normally not one others would have any need to fear. more often than not demons and other creatures had come to him for aid during the war. he wasn't even sure if he could be at al imposing anymore even if he would be willing to try.
He saw her emotions move from fear to relief, and felt glad himself. Eventhough he had not anticipated hostility from a fellow winiko, it was good to see she was of a like mind. As she set het paw down Pan started to feel hopefull that she might be willing to have a conversation with him.
As she spoke he momentarily got a bit lost in the soothing tone of her voice, until she mentioned being followed. Much the same as the lady Pan caught himself looking around this stretch of the forest to make sure nothing was amiss. Catching both himself and her in this involuntary act of surveillancing their surroundings made Pan smile a bit. at least he was not the only one who was still on edge.
As Dyani bowed her head and introduced herself, Pan returned the bow deeply "Then it seems Mylady that we both sought the refuge of the forest for the same reason, My name is Pan and I am honored to make your acquaintance. it is indeed good to see a friendly face within a friendly space" he spoke. "The forest has often been a place for tranquillity to me as well, so I can understand your reasoning".
He did not really know what to say next, but something deep inside of him told him he desperately did not want her to just walk away and leave him behind alone, thinking fast he continiued "If you fear being followed Mylady we could perhaps accompany each other on this walk. As two make a far less likely target then one alone." He almost held his breath waiting for her to respond.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 9:36 am
Dyani knew only too well how rare such 'peaceful' places could be, especially given where they'd both come from. As such, it was a mild surprise when he suggested that instead of going on their own ways, that they stay together. So much for solitude.
There's solitude...and there's loneliness. One may be welcome, but the other is not.
The passing thought shifted her thinking, forcing her to focus again. There was no harm in accepting some company, was there? Especially such polite, reassuring company. And, he had a very valid point. "Six eyes are better than three, yes?" she joked lightly with a chuckle.
In response to the formal title he'd granted her, she answered with her own. "It would be a pleasure, Sir Pan," she turned, glancing in the direction she'd been traveling, but paused as if waiting for him to draw up alongside. She wasn't much of a fighter, to be completely honest, if they were to run into any trouble. Perhaps he could handle himself better than she. Of course, she figured she could likely do a little damage, with her added size and strength...but honestly, she much preferred the strategy of 'get away' rather than 'fight.' Hopefully, the sight of two Elder Winiko traveling together would dissuade any potential hostilities instead.
Taking a few steps towards the fallen log, she glanced up momentarily at the trees overhead. She'd picked up from his behavior and comments that the other was a survivor of the war, much like her. It didn't take much to recognize the signs of those who had lived through the trouble, when compared to those who were only recently joining the world. "It seems like little has changed here," she observed quietly. "Stark contrast to...back home..." she trailed off in thought.
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Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 8:21 am
Pan was not expecting anything as he awaited Dyani's response. it had been very forward and out of character for him to request her company. Like her the forest was his place to come and be alone, but after the war he had to admit being alone wasn't always something to find happiness and peace in.
But even though she seemed to be a friendly winiko Pan was preparing himself for rejection. After all he had to admit, that even in the most festive of moments, he had never been one to be surrounded by others. he was to silent, to much of an Introvert to be an enjoyable friend. The presence of the more boisterous and outwardly happy male demons had always been greatly preferred over his, he was therefore used to being simply ignored for being who he was.
So when his offer was unexpectedly accepted, he did not really have an appropriate reaction ready. He felt the start of a smile around his mouth, and at her simple statement about the eyes he could not suppress a soft laughter that bubbled up from within him.
"I feel greatly privileged by your consent to let me join your walk Mylady." he responded as friendly and politely as he could think of. Meanwhile he stepped in beside her, so they could continue the walk in any direction she might prefer. As he did he scanned the forest again to make sure there was still nothing out of place.
Following her gaze up he nodded slightly "It is a safe feeling to think there were at least some places that the darkness of what has happened in the inbetween could not reach." He took a deep breath of forest air. "In which direction had you planned to travel?" He asked her, feeling positive and cheerfull for the first time since the war.
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Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 8:32 am
Continuing to gaze upwards, Dyani nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Though, I suppose that was the point, wasn't it? To protect places like this from the spreading hostility and chaos. To keep it from reaching to this side and destroying all we've found here." She had never been overly fond of her human or the seemingly nonsensical things she did at times. Yet, their connection had allowed her to explore this strange world, to see things she'd never have seen in the InBetween. Overall, she liked this place. "It is good to be back at last," she finished, lightly placing her front paw on the fallen log in front of her as she lowered her gaze.
She flicked an ear at his next question, then blinked, perplexed at how to answer at first. Then, her expression softened with a chuckle. "You might think me quite foolish, Sir, but...I have no idea. It's been so long, I hardly remember my way around anymore. This place seems like one lost in a long ago dream. I simply picked a direction and started walking. I suppose I was more focused on the journey than the destination," she smiled with a tilt of her head that seemed to imply the Winiko-equivalent of a shrug.
"If you've become more familiar with the area than I, perhaps you might suggest a destination? Else, I suppose we could continue wandering aimlessly until our paws grow weary," she joked with light laughter. It had been some time since she'd had much casual company aside from Aponi. The refugees had been primarily young ones or the injured and infirm, more taken by fear and sorrow than concerned with conversation.
Despite her lingering awkwardness with others, it was nice to have someone so kind with which to share a casual conversation and company on a peaceful evening. Somehow, Dyani's pawsteps seemed lighter, as if some unknown weight she'd become used to carrying and nearly forgotten about had been lifted from her back.
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Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 2:06 pm
Pan listened to Dyani’s sweet calming voice, what she was sating made absolute sense. “I think you are right Mylady, & I do believe that was once the goal with which a lot of us started out in the beginning of the war. But so many lost their way, or were led astray during, that I am glad that the peace, beauty, and life on this side have actually been protected. It could all have so easily have been very different” slowly pan felt the pain and cold trying to sneak back into his mind. He resisted, being here right now, he had every reason to not be cold distant and introverted. “Please forgive me Mylady, I did not mean to rack up the unpleasant past.”
Dyani pointed out that she did not know where she had been travelling, and he suddenly realised, though he had known he was deliberately moving towards the east, he had not had a set destination in mind either. “That sounds like a completely relaxing mindset to be travelling in.” he smiled softly.
Seeing as she asked he thought about the forest, he had been here many times before, but that had been before the war, and though the feeling of peace was still the same, the layout of the forest might well have grown and changed. For a moment he tried to remember fixed points That could not have changed. “It depends on what Mylady is most interested in exploring”.
He gave a short nod towards the west “That is the direction I came from, it offers little in the way of views or distraction”. He pointed slowly towards the north “If you wish to be able to walk on for days without seeing anything but forest north would be the way to go. The forest stretches out in that direction for about another 3 days walk, before it hits the mountains foothills.” Finally he looked east again “Towards the east one could find a small beautiful grove, it has an ancient stone circle with an amazing Cirus tree in its center.” As he said it he realised that had probably been where he had been headed, it had always had a sacred magical feel. “I would say the choice of direction is yours Mylady”
Pan slowly took in the sights of the forest again, this time not in fear of danger, but simply to see and feel the peace. He felt very lucky that he now had a chance to share this place he loved with someone who appreciated, and admired it as much as he himself did.
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Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 8:49 am
Smiling kindly, Dyani shook her head. "It's quite alright, Sir. I am just as guilty for dredging up thoughts of the past. I suppose that even though we try to leave it behind, we still carry the darkness with us for now. Perhaps in time, we can finally leave it buried."
She listened with interest to his description of the options they had for travel. Though the unchanging nature of seemingly endless forests had a reassuring appeal, she found that her interest had been captured by the description of something a bit more unique. Tilting her head curiously, she answered, "This grove...it is not far? I don't believe I've ever seen this place before. If you are offering and would not mind...could we go there?" She had no idea what type of tree it was he'd referred to, but the description of the area sounded both serene and yet unique, an opportunity that she could not pass up.
For a shy Wini who had once clung only to the familiar, seeking out new things was the equivalent of an adventure, if she had been the same as before. She really had changed, it seemed. She had come out seeking peace and quiet. Instead, she found herself with a kind stranger, journeying to see new sights with little care for what happened later when she needed to return home.
Where had the old Dyani gone?
And more importantly...who cared?
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Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 12:39 pm
The kind smile he recieved disspelled the last of the darkness that had tried to invade his mind. He was glad he had not broken their conversation with his harsh words about the war. The point of this walk had been to forget all that in the silence of the forest, not to burden another demon with his troubled thoughts.
Though having found another demon within the vast forest was a surprise in the first place. ….Situations had taught pan that one could share a forest with numerous creatures without ever crossing paths with one. As Dyani seemed to be considering the different travel options he had offered her, Pan took his moment to think over their encounter.
He could not remember the last instance in which he had been able to feel so free and comfortable with a demon he had just met, probably because he never before had. As he looked at his new companion he felt light and positive, this walk was turning out to be more interesting and distracting than he could have imagined beforehand. And he caught himself being hopefull that it would not end to soon.
"No" He answered the question she put to him "the walk from here to the grove should not be to far Mylady, and the path there is one that used to pass a number of interesting and beautifull plants and places. It will be my absolute pleasure to show you the way." as he answered he looked forward to the trip, to visiting the Grove, and spending more time with Dyani.
"Let us start the journey and get underway Mylady" He said as he turned towards the east and found as he moved that there was a new spring to his step.
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Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 1:32 pm
If she thought it strange to so easily trust a stranger she'd just met, Dyani showed no sign of it outwardly. Once, long ago, she had let few into her tiny personal bubble. She'd been extremely shy, keeping other Winiko at a distance and only opening up to a choice few after much time and effort.
The war had changed many things. Perhaps not all of those changes were bad.
There had been no time for being embarrassed or awkward when survival had been the name of the game. To be quite honest, only briefly had she seen her new travel companion as a stranger or one to be wary of. Her primary thought now was that he was one of her kind, and that went a long way to opening the door for further conversation. His kind, soft-spoken nature was only a pleasant bonus.
"Well then, let us be off, kind Sir!" she answered, the hint of laughter touching her voice. She turned, light on her paws as she hop-skipped over some roots for no apparent reason, as she could have easily stepped over them instead. Her tail swished low, brushing lightly though the grass, nearly, but not quite, touching the ground.
After they were well and truly on their way, Dyani paused in staring at the landscape around them and considered her companion again. While it was always a danger in speaking with another who had experienced the hardship of war, she weighed the decision and decided to proceed. "I understand well the search for solitude," she acknowledged as they padded along quietly across the forest floor. "But, is it always as such? Or have you companions who also enjoy the peace to be found here?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 2:23 pm
As they started on their way, Pan smiled brightly at Dyani’s enthusiastic behaviour. He was still amazed as they walked along, at how familiar this felt. He had never before been able to simply have a nice, peaceful walk with any other demon. Before the war others had mostly shunned him because his behaviour had been distinctly different from that of others. During the war Safe and Peaceful had not been states of mind he had even gotten at all close to. And since the way he had not been willing to face any other demons at all of his own accord. He had not been expexting to be here in the forest with this new companion who ,to him, felt like she had always been there already.
Her voice broke through his happily preoccupied thoughts, and her questions were of the kind he did not really have a ready answer to. for a moment he walked in silence. What answer could he offer her that would not sound to her like the words of a strange, antisocial and perhaps even revoltingly defective male demon. But no, these were thoughts of destruction. Dyani had not seemed at al like a demon that would look down on him because of a honest answer, he took a deep breath and tried to express himself the right way.
"I am not quite sure it started out as a search for solitude Mylady. in my younger years I wasn't like those around me, I was drawn inwards at the best of times. Being loud, boisterous, and looking for fights was never something I aspired to be. this set me apart from others and mostly left me on my own" he paused for a moment "I guess that in the subsequent years I got used to being on my own, and stopped trying to fit in and look for contact with other demons." He thought back through the years "There has only ever been one that I would have counted as a friend, and even her and I were very different, and often at odds over our points of view"
Having given his answer he felt better. whatever she would think of him after this did not matter, he had been open and had answered truthfully. Looking around he saw a small blue flower at his feet, he picked the flower and turning to Dyani placed it softly in her hair.
"How about you Mylady, have you a big family awaiting your return from our tranquil forest journey?" he asked her in return with a shy smile and a soft friendly voice.
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Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 12:10 pm
Dyani listened quietly; though she had initially only meant the walk in the forest today, she did not interrupt, as she supposed that today really was only one day in what must be a series of days if such things were habit. She had worried initially that another survivor might carry some stories of loss from the war, but fortunately, that did not seem to be the case. She had not expected the story that she actually received.
Before she could say a word, she was surprised by Pan's gesture, suddenly finding herself with a new hair ornament. She blinked a couple of times as if unable to process what had just happened, then blushed. She told herself that it could be nothing more than an innocent gesture, no ulterior meaning behind it...but that didn't stop her from feeling flushed and looking away shyly.
Smiling at the ground, she shook her head slightly, though subconsciously careful not to dislodge her new accessory. "Oh no. Not really. I mean...back then, before everything, there used to be quite a few of us on this side. But, when everything happened and we got pulled back to the InBetween," she recalled, tone saddening just a bit, "we got separated. It was just me and Aponi for a while," she related. She didn't want to get bogged down on more talk about the war...yet, she felt the need to explain some of what she'd already said, so she tried to focus on the positive. "She was always bad about mothering over others," she teased lightly with a smile. "I suppose once I got her focus off of me, we both started doing the same to others. We set up a sort of sanctuary during the war; young ones and injured mostly. So um...I suppose that they would count...if they had not tended to come and go so quickly as they moved on. So...just her, I suppose. We haven't found our old human again since we've been back, but...I'm sure she and the other demons are all fine somewhere," she said, ending with an optimistic air. She had to think that they were all okay wherever they were; what good would it do to drag herself down if she allowed herself to believe the worst had happened to one or all of them?
She continued to smile, if it took a bit more effort. "Before all of that though, I was going to say...your story sounded quite familiar," she admitted, a touch of the old shyness returning, as she remained watching the ground as they walked. "Besides the human's other demons, I didn't really interact with many others. And only a few of those, in fact. I suppose my story is a little different...I actually wanted to make more friends, but..." She hesitated, only now that she was trying to put it into words to explain it to someone else, did she realize the truth. "...I suppose, I was afraid. I was scared of most others, even just to talk to them. So, I didn't let many in," she admitted quietly. Once, she may have been ashamed of that, but now...it was just like reciting a fact, like that her hair was purple, or her eyes blue. It had simply been a facet of who she had been. But, not anymore.
Besides, she'd learned later of so many more things to be afraid of.
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