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Post by bearcups on Feb 13, 2013 17:33:43 GMT -5
Ever since King Former took over the pride, Tolvia Donovan had steered clear of the land of her birth pride. She, like any daughter or son would be, was distraught with her fathers death and refused to acknowledge any who tried to replace him as dominant male, therefore she roamed the lands, far and wide, up until now.
Now she had returned. She had set her arthritic paws on the path to find her way home, and came across the Flame Grotto first. She remembered it as a place of relaxation and warmth, which is most likely why she was drawn there in the first place.
"Its good to be home." She murmured as she lay down, stretching her back legs out before resting her head on her paws, claws sheathing and then retracting.
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Post by Jason on Feb 13, 2013 18:01:54 GMT -5
Shard of Shattered Jasper trotted about the Veldt lackadaisically. He was quite happy at the moment, but rare did he seem anything other than frightfully joyful. The smallest adult in the entire pride. He was proud of that. Why? Because anyone could be a giant in this group. The eye rolls, the looks of disbelief, the doubt of his ability, it was too much. He burst into hysterical laughter at the thought of it. "And mint leaves," he crooned. The words had no meaning. He simply was not all there. Or maybe he was.
The land was still much too warm for his liking, but few enjoyed subzero temperature like he did. Perhaps he could burn some off? He would have to go to the Grotto for that... And thus, he was swiftly on his way there. But when he reached the sweltering cavern, he was not alone. In fact, there was a familiar form lounging about. "Tolvia!" he shouted, absolutely delighted to see her. "At last! Someone from the days of yore," he trilled, dancing over to stand before her. He needed the ground excitedly, claws actually cutting through the rock. "Ah, forgive me. I forgot that I look like this." He chuckled and took a claw of to his face and slashed it open. Black ichor flowed forth and sank into the stone, dissolving it as acid does a w rotten piece of wood. The wound healed, but the smell remained. His voice had not changed at all, thus he still sounded like the monster she would probably remember him for. "These days I go by Shard, though. Short for Shard of Shattered Jasper. Tribal spin on my more known name. Tribal is incredibly trendy these days."
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Post by bearcups on Feb 13, 2013 18:27:44 GMT -5
At the sudden shouting of her name, the large lioness raised her head to peer over at the smaller feline. She did not recognise him immediately, her automatic and innate reaction being a ripple in her dark red fur, the single strands rising to stand and bristle in warning. However, when Tolvia put a face to the voice speaking to her, the fur immediately flattened and her lips pulled back in a genuine smile, shifting her body so she could turn to him and yet remain comfortable at the same time.
"Jasper!" She positively beamed, though with noticibly less enthusiasm than he. "If that is what you prefer to be called these days then I'll try to remember, but do try to forgive me if I forget. My memory isn't quite what it used to be," The end of her tail flicked against the ground in amusement, her body loose and relaxed. "It is damn well lovely to see someone from back when Father ruled, bloody assholes have taken this place over. Where you here this whole time? I've only just returned myself." She paused to swallow and flex her aching paws, her wings fluttering for a moment. "If you don't mind me asking, whatever happened to Cloud? I don't remember a time when I'd see you two apart. Oh, and how are you? Still bubbly as you used to be, I see." She said, her smile giving way to a light chuckle, blue eyes trailing to the floor to look at the burnt rock. "Well. That's... Great." She chose her words carefully, remembering exactly what the brothers were known for, deciding it was best to keep on his good side.
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Post by Jason on Feb 13, 2013 19:18:04 GMT -5
Shard purred as her reaction turned from agitation to something of delight, though not as extreme as this volatile feline, whose behavior always seemed over the top. His paws continued to knead the volcanic rock, slowly reducing it to rumble. "Don't worry dear, I will hold nothing against you. After all, I was adopted by Dante a lifetime or two ago. Thus, you are under my protection, should you ever need it." He moved to sit closer to her. "Indeed? I'm excited to see what might happen next. What comes next? Who know, but I eavesdrop on hushed words, listen to the signs of dissent... Problems shall soon arise and blood may be spilled. And I intend to cut a few, nasty deals with the losers." His eyes glittered in the gloom, and the flames in his fiery eye may not have been a reflection of the burning pockets of gas from the lava flows. "I was beheaded quite a few years ago, so no, I arrived here quite recently." The smile did not leave his face, apparently dying was a regular thing for him. "I did meet the past leader, Former. As for Clould, or Neo as he is usually called these days, he has found a rather interesting demon to hunt and has been completely absorbed in tracking her these past few months." A soft laugh came from him as he let his mind seek out his brother's, curious if he had caught her yet. "He's still hunting her." He examined the joints in her paws carefully and looked at her. "Ice will relieve the swelling and make it feel better." He sat there and tilted his head to the side and blew on a rock, which immediately became encrusted with ice, showing that he had the ability to assist her. "I have been well. I have decided to take on this less assuming form of late because my more notorious figure is now more horrid than ever, my demonic nature runs too high in that form."
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Post by bearcups on Feb 14, 2013 5:37:49 GMT -5
As soon as the advice was given and a solution for her sore joints offered, the lioness shifted and lay on her stomach, her back legs folded underneath her as if she was preparing herself to pounce on Jasper. She extended her forelimbs, claws automatically peaking out from their sheaths as she closed her paws around the icy rock. Naturally she bristled and wrinkled her nose, the sudden change in temperature on a single body part making her body react by pumping blood through her faster, closing up the veins near her skin to retain heat.
Still, through the pain of moving voluntarily and the mild shock of the ice, Tolvia's smile kept its place on her face. She welcomed the males presence and rather enjoyed relaxing with him, barring the looming danger that was his more... Colourful side. "While I do appreciate having you as a 'guardian angel'," She was pleased with her choice of words, knowing full well that Jasper and his brother were anything but angels. "I'm sure I can fend for myself. Unless I manage to bear another litter or become ill, maybe then I'll accept some help from you." She said thoughtfully, tilting her head slowly. "It's always amusing to hear what you and your brother get up to. I don't think I've heard anything from either of you two that hasn't entertained me in some way." She chuckled quietly and produced an even bigger grin, flexing her paws over the ice. "Thank you for this, Shard. I haven't felt relief on my paws in months."
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Post by Jason on Feb 14, 2013 10:38:16 GMT -5
Shard rolled onto his side. His paws stuck into the air as he rubbed his back over the rock, acting a bit strange as always. “If only half an angel,” he meowed coyly. The desire to defend oneself and only accept help when there was no other option was something he understood quite well, so he simply nodded. “If you must know, you are quite young by my standards. I have grandchildren older than yourself.” He wondered if someone may be eavesdropping on this conversation. If they were, they would likely be quite confused. Gazing into the lava, his eyes glazed over a bit as memories swam through his mind, some of the long forgotten past and some quite recent. Violence, the reoccurring theme throughout his life. Should this be depressing? He was not sure. After all, he did enjoy pain and suffering, and not just others’, but his own as well. Spending time with those who knew him for what he was always seemed to make him reminisce. “Mmmn… I’m glad you feel better. There are always plenty of stories to share between myself and my dear brother. We’ve lived a very long time, after all. My youngest son, Victor, was actually captured and imprison by the last leader of this pride. He was running his mouth and did not have the skill to back it up.” He rolled his eyes at the memory. “I let him sit a bit before Neo and I came to bail him out. That way he would hopefully learn his lesson. And he did.”
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Post by bearcups on Feb 14, 2013 12:01:40 GMT -5
Talk of children and grandchildren brought a dark cloud of thought over the adults eyes, her claws ever so slowly digging into the ice. The contracting muscles strained in her paws as she buried them deeper, though all of this was subconscious as she thought of the litters she had had and the cubs she had lost. She was not the best mother in terms of keeping her brood alive, but she always tried her best. A memory sparked in her mind; the three cubs she had birthed while away from the pride, leaving to find food for them all and maybe something for them to practise with, then returning to an empty den and a single tuft of bloody fur in the mouth of the den.
Shaking her head as if she had an itch, Tolvia quickly retracted her claws and relaxed her muscles. "I think I have heard of the boy," She said, masking anything she felt that wasn't positive with a genuine interest in Shards stories and a small smile. "It's a shame such measures had to be taken with him, though. I would have assumed he would be able to back up his bark with a rather nasty bite, like you," She tilted her head in a playful manner, her long tail rising and slapping the ground. "But genetics dont work that way, unfortunately." After allowing her blue eyes to scan over Shards form, which wasn't hard, he was much, much smaller than she was used to, Tolvia quirked a brow and rolled her wrists, finding the ache soothed and almost nonexistent. "Why did you choose that form? You could have taken a bigger one, couldn't you? You must be the talk of the pride, I don't think we've had such a small animal since Hepsut."
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Post by Jason on Feb 14, 2013 13:06:43 GMT -5
Shard lay on the ground still, watching her paws on the rock, curious what old age felt like. It was a phenomenon he had never experienced due to his heritage. He was honestly jealous for her, due to that. “If you would like, I could take your pain. I don’t get enough these days. And I do enjoy the sensation of it. You would still need to ice you joints I believe, but certain aches and such would be mine to share.” He was not lying at all, either. Strange just did not cover him. Something bothered Tolvia, this he could see, but it was fleeting, and if she did not wish to share it, he would not press her for it. For a certain few, he had compassion, and he viewed her as an old friend.
“It’s not that he was weak, it was that he was young. He was a good head or so shorter than you when he decided to challenge Former. Size would not have been an issue if he would have been an adult and have trained with Neo and I for decades, but no. He got cocky.” A soft chuckle came from him. His ears twitched to listen to the bird song outside. The Veldt was a gorgeous place; he was glad to have returned. As vile as Shard may have been, he had a great appreciation for all things beautiful. “At this size, I can go unseen. People are unlikely to suspect what I am and I find it easier to control my behavior. I had a bout a few months back which seemed to truly stir my inner demon, and since then, at the scent of blood, I find myself going absolutely insane with lust. But in this form, everything is suppressed. And I can sit on people without squishing them. It’s quite nice. People fear me less as well and are more likely to tell me secrets. Don’t I seem less frightening as a ‘little’ cat?”
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Post by bearcups on Feb 14, 2013 17:21:34 GMT -5
"While you do seem less frightening, I have reason to believe that you are equally, if not more, as frightening as you were when you were larger than me." The response came with a smile, though it disappeared and a tilt of the head was offered instead when she caught on to what he was saying about the pain relief topic. "You would voluntarily take the pain of another?" She asked, her brow furrowed. She simply couldn't understand why he was so ready to offer an almost painless gait to her. Sure, she would do the same for him and a handful of others, but she wouldn't offer it so casually.
"If I were to, uh," She coughed and shifted, slightly uncomfortable with the prospect of giving Shard pain. She was a Donovan, she was of Meur, but she was not unkind. That was what made her different from many of the other members. "Share the pain with you... how would that happen? What would I have to do to make that happen?"
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Post by Jason on Feb 15, 2013 9:47:08 GMT -5
“Illusions are fun, no?” A soft laugh escaped him as he got up and slowly crawled onto her back and curled up there. “I’m not worse in this form, just deceiving.” He kneaded her shoulders, trying to massage her. However, this motion also released endorphins in cats, thus he started purring rather loudly. “I enjoy pain. It makes me rather good at what I do. I’d take it because I rarely get hurt these days. As well, I can’t really age, so I want to know what it feels like. I assure you that taking the pain benefits me as well as you. I am a masochist, a sadist, and a sadomasochist.” He pressed his head against her wings, enjoying how the feathers felt. “We would simply share some blood. You might pick up some properties of mine. Enhanced hearing, smell, eyesight, touch… Maybe heal a bit faster, I’m not sure.” He shrugged. “I can see more than most, such as ultraviolet light. I can hear heartbeats with ease. Feel the slight trembles of creatures moving. And smell? I could tell you who dies in here last.”
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Post by bearcups on Feb 15, 2013 11:21:18 GMT -5
At first, the paws on her shoulder brought a kind of anxious anticipation washed over her and her physical response was to flick her ears back ever so slightly. She leaned to the side, offering her shoulder while getting into a more comfortable position. As soon as the anxiety left and only positive intent was obvious, she relaxed and even turned her head to gently headbutt the smaller feline, the top half of her body following so she was slightly curled up.
"For a well known beast of fear and bloodshed, you are quite affectionate." Tolvia chuckled, dragging her tongue over his fur to return the affection she was recieving. It took a few minutes for her to decide, but she eventually sighed and drew her paws closer to her body, away from the ice. "If you wish to take the pain, go ahead. You'll get more of a kick out of it than I am." She tilted her head back and yawned, baring each of her teeth before running her tongue over her maw and looked back at Shard.
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Post by Jason on Feb 15, 2013 14:20:43 GMT -5
The purring continued as he closed his eyes, looking like a normal, albeit a bit rough, cat. He could have been someone’s escaped pet with how immaculate his long fur was. “I’m not all bad. I have some golden blood in me as well. But let’s keep that between us. I have a reputation to keep.” He snorted. As if he cared how others looked at him. Shard pressed his head into hers and his purring became louder still as she rasped her tongue over him. “I’ll have to treat my blood first in an in a mineral bath, to make it… Well, it eats through solid rock on normal occasions. But don’t worry, I’ve done it before.” He continued to knead her muscles, trying to concentrate on the hot spots, where tension was most prominent. “It could end up taking me a day or two to prepare it, mainly because it has to soak, but I can do it with ease>” He sank back into memories, trying to recall every detail he could about Tolvia. “If you do not mind me asking, what children do you have? And if we go into who is a worse parent, I will certainly win that argument. Considering I have had at least ten and I can only remember two or three of their names, I take the award for worst father. I think I did better with Victor though.” He was not going to mention he was scheming to produce excellent offspring, to make the best warriors while he was in this pride. They would have his personal training as well… Maybe not his love, but they would be taken care of.
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Post by bearcups on Feb 15, 2013 16:36:15 GMT -5
Ah, children. A topic that always made Tolvia's smile leave her face. It was automatic now, and even as she responded she couldn't quite help but allow a frown to creep its way up on to her features. "The only one I can even think of surviving is a cub I had with a Blitzkrieg male. Splinter, that was his name. I can't recall the cubs name. I had a daughter, Estella, and another litter but I haven't seen them for years. My most recent litters..." She swallowed, and the memories that took over created a physical reaction that flooded her entire body. Her limbs shifted closer, her wings dropped, her ears doing the same and she lay her head on her paws before sighing. "They didn't survive. I've never had a successful litter. I'd like to have Atleast one litter where every cub survived and didn't go missing because of a silly mistake I made." She huffed, tilting her head so she could look at Shard.
The massage she was receiving made her feel more docile than usual, and the tension that came with the memories slowly leaked out of her body and she relaxed once again. "As long as you don't melt me into a puddle of red fur, blood and organs, I'm fine with the blood part. Do I have to drink it or put it directly in my blood stream?" She asked, mildly curious.
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Post by Jason on Feb 15, 2013 23:07:00 GMT -5
Listening, he moved over her back, her body vast compared to him, massaging different areas of muscle. “I remember him. Strong lad, if a bit odd.” Shard blinked and sighed. “Were you mates for a time?” A patch of fur seemed a bit matted and he combed it with his claws and fangs, showing a surgeon’s precision in such a medial task. He was grooming her as he went, making sure her fur gleamed as he went. “Well, trying to raise children alone in such a harsh environment is hard. And you are still quite beautiful. I am sure you would make any male’s day in this pride if you proposed the idea. And there are still some good genes in here to yield healthy cubs.” He was not very good at comforting others. It was not something he usually did. But Tolvia was special. He shared a genuine bond with her. They were both relics of the past, among those who were too young to remember it. And they had both called Dante father, even if Shard had not shared the beast’s blood. “You would drink it. I lack the tool to implement a technique such as sharing blood like that. I’ll test it on a rabbit first. And then it will be my pet.” He was absolutely serious.
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Post by bearcups on Feb 17, 2013 7:41:57 GMT -5
"Yes, we were mates for a while. However, it was never going to end well. Me and one of my siblings would always fight, or they would fight, just because he was of a different pride. This was all back when Blitzkrieg and Meurtrier hated eachother." Tolvia stretched her right foreleg forward, moving her shoulder blade, enjoying the feel of relaxed muscles that had been tense with stress from the past years of her life. "Thank you, for the uh, compliment. Honestly, I wouldn't go near the majority of the males here even if my life depended on it. Have you seen how diluted it is here now? Its almost amusing, how the pride used to be a rainbow of red and black and now we're just a rainbow of colours." She snorted, shaking her head with a small smile.
"You're seriously going to keep a rabbit as a pet?" Tolvia asked bluntly, turning her head to try and look at Shard. "The silly thing will be dead within days if another pride member gets ahold of it." She said, then she tilted her head back and yawned. She could feel someone watching, but she paid no mind to it. She honestly didn't care - if they wanted to start trouble she would prove that she was still able to fight, and if they didn't, then she would tolerate them.
[ casually........ tells u........he..roin is...... watchin....g]
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