07-14-2017, 02:47 PM (This post was last modified: 07-14-2017, 03:38 PM by Vesper.
Edit Reason: forgot to mark safe stuff :|
)
"I CAN'T PULL YOU CLOSER THAN THIS
IT'S JUST YOU AND THE MOON ON MY SKIN."
I wasn’t expecting to emerge on the other side of the portal. Not if I was being honest. Each and every step towards the unknown had been so final. Each and every step felt like they were bringing me closer and closer to my doom. But I had Mama and Papa, so we’d meet our fate together. I just wished Virga could be here. I’m not sure if I could ever get over the guilt of leaving him behind, but I supposed that wasn’t important if we were stepping into the unknown anyway.
Could the dead even feel guilt?
But the time for thinking, for dwelling on the what ifs and the what could have beens, was over. One step. Then the next. And another. And then a sensation of incredible pressure. The air felt like it was being ripped from my lungs and pushed back into my nostrils all at the same time. Squeezed my eyes shut against the sensation and felt that I was anchored to the world of the living only by the sensation of Everly’s talons digging into the flesh of my withers.
Then we were falling into the void of blue and teal light. My eyes snapped open as damp, humid air rushed past. Instinctually, my wings opened, and I managed to land upright, quickly folding my wings tightly against my side. The first thing that I realized is that I didn’t see Mama or Papa, even though we had all gone through the Portal together. Had they made it through? Had they just landed somewhere else.
Everly, do you see them? I asked, doing my best to quell the fear brewing in my gut. The Zephyr, though equally as hesitant about this strange place, took off from her perch on my withers and flew a wide circle around the clearing before returning to my side. See no one, she reported, with a distinct tone of helplessness.
I let out a soft huff. The time for grieving would come later. For now I had to survive. I had more to think about than myself. I had Mama, Papa, and two new baby sisters to consider. They had to be here somewhere, and I needed to find them.
Magics:
{*]:: [ Magic: Dark | Able to transform into a shadow form of herself that can pass through physical matter ] \n:: [ Restrictions | Transformation is painful, can only pass through objects 10m or less. ]\n^ Safe Please.\n\n{*}:: [ Magic: DarkxLight (P) | Silver parts of body glow though more brightly at night. ] \n:: [ Restrictions | Of no use in battle. ]\n^ Safe per SWP participation. \n\nEnchanted items\n{*}:: [ Item: Enchanted Moonstone Arrow | Offensive. Moonstone arrow that is controlled by whistles. ]\n:: [ Restrictions | Moonstone has regular durability; 10m radius ]\n^Safe\n\nRift-god / Kaos items\n{*}None.\n\nAmulets : 1 Moon.\n\nCompanion/s : \n[*}Everly - Born 05-28-2016 - I'm literally useless at Rift dates. Ask Neo. :|
Species change (if applicable) : Nope. She's still a Tribrid.
Requests: If her glowy passive could be changed to something offensive that'd be fab. She had a blinding-type magic on her wishlist that she could control which would be kinda cool (can control her glow and blind people with it). But I'm down for some star or shadow based creativity. :)
Regular Items she'd like to bring:
:: [ Item: Jewelry | Small glass charm bundle. ]
:: [ Item: Trinket | A figurine of the moon goddess that glows purple. (from Iona) ]
:: [ Item: Trinket | Miniature quiver with a black leather loop to hold moonstone arrow; foreleg accessory ]
Please tag Vesper in every post.
Force and magic are permitted, but please check before inflicting serious injury. image credit
We float into the sky. It's not quite falling, not quite flying - there is no way to aptly describe it, because in the absence of gravity there is no way to understand where our bodies belong. My claws wrap and entangle in her soft gold mane; she is my anchor to this world, the one we're leaving behind, the one we're soon to find. We try to follow Neaera, to stay with our mother, to cling to the familiarity of family, but in that infinite second of belly-dropping float we are absolutely alone, and the feeling is unbearable.
We land unceremoniously upon the ground, a tangle of wayward limbs and bruised egos and petulant cries. I remain curled in the space between her barely budding horns, clinging to Savera's short forelock with all the strength of a newborn kitten (quite literally), while she moves and jolts beneath me, raising shakily to spindly legs, her face a mess of snot and tears. Her eyes are mirrors, as wide as saucers, as she stares into the murky dark, the strange light, the foreign cacophony of color and sound. Something moves to our right; Savera dances away on wobbly legs while I peer out past her ears, trying find the source of the uneasiness that this place wears like a blanket. My eyesight is impeccable in this brooding light - but even I am lost, blind, my senses muted and my intuition dampened to the point of near uselessness. Which is a problem, because my morning star is growing swiftly overwhelmed, the enormity and unfamiliarity and loneliness of this place encroaching on her already fragile mental state like sharp, too-skinny fingers.
I try to purr encouragingly, but all that comes out is a shuddering mewl, a piteous cry, and Savera is not comforted. Her heart is a butterfly, a caged cat, a dying star. She shies again from an unheard noise, fresh tears rising to hazel eyes, head waving wildly as she bobs and weaves, utterly unsure where to look, what to focus on, how to start understanding this new hell. Where is Neaera? Where is mother? Where are all the things she knows, the little pieces she has carefully put together, constructed into a small but comprehensible world? She steps backwards, gold legs quivering like her auerate lips, teardrops like crystals clinging to long lashes.
Another sound, and she spins around again, ready for a new wave of horrors to overcome, a new onslaught of strangeness - but instead, familiarity, a merciful and beautiful spot of comfort, a heartrendingly familiar figure beneath the oppressive gloom. "Aaa!" the filly vocalizes, her cry of relief punctuated by my own ecstatic screech, our joy at finding Vesper almost as absolute as our fear. She charges toward the older girl, stumbling, calling, pleading for this to be real, for her sister to be there; hoping that, when she crashes into the older girl's side, Neaera will be there and the sun will come out and this will all have been a terrible, wretched dream.
Magics:
:: [ Magic: Light | Able to heighten the emotions of others ]
:: [ Restrictions | Lasts 1 post in battle/opponent may resist; must be within 10m radius ]
SAFE PLEASE
:: [ Magic: Dark | Able to transform into a firebird ]
:: [ Restrictions | Transformation causes pain, immobilizing for 10 seconds. Retains coat colors. ]
:: [ Magic: Light (P) | Coat color changes to mimic the light of the sun ]
:: [ Restrictions | Of no use in battle ]
Enchanted items
:: [ Item: Leg Band | Made of platinum gold; can be worn on leg or tail dock; causes night to follow wherever wearer goes. ]
:: [ Restrictions | When removed, wearer experiences normal solar and lunar cycles. ]
SAFE PLEASE
:: [ Item: Moon Goddess Flower | Purple everlasting flower in mane ] (I think?)
Rift-god / Kaos items
None
Amulets
:: two sun, one moon, one kaos
Companion/s :
:: [ Companion: Griffin | Mythical, common | Draining Clutch & Molten Dagger | 0 months ]
:: obtained 07-08-2017, rift birth date early drench 1173
Species change (if applicable) : None
Requests: Feel free to do whatever ;D Especially with her passive?? I'm up for anything. If her flower mutated to just grow permanently in her hair that'd be cool, too.
Items:
:: [ Item: Ability to have 3 active magics | Genetic Mutation. ]
:: [ Item: Jewelry | A dainty net of silver and gold chains interspersed with moonstones, worn woven in her mane ]
:: [ Item: Jewelry | A dainty net of silver and gold chains interspersed with moonstones, worn woven in her tail ]
:: [ Item: Armor | Defensive. Silver breastplate decorated with moonstones and diamonds, with an 8 inch moonstone in the center. Stretches up her wings in chained cuffs along the humerus, also ornately decorated. ]
:: [ Item: Jewelry | Silver and moonstone anklet with small bells ]
07-14-2017, 06:15 PM (This post was last modified: 07-14-2017, 06:21 PM by Neaera.)
Truthfully, Neaera hadn’t been particularly attached to the old world. Everything there had been strange and confusing, the fact that they were sucked through a portal and brought to somewhere new just sort of seemed to roll with the theme that had been her life up until that point. The only thing that mattered, after all, was the presence of her family.
Now where was her family?
By family, Neaera’s mind immediately conjured up the image of her sister. The others were important, and may grow to be more so as she ages, but at that moment it was her twin that she needed. Everyone else was secondary.
She hadn’t landed on her feet when she came through the portal, and thoughts of her sister (she must get up, Savera will need protecting) are what encouraged the small purple filly onto trembling legs. On her back, her two zephyrs were nestled into her folded, downy wings and they were beginning to squabble - the roc panicking because something was gone. Neaera could feel it too, as though someone had neatly carved out a piece of her soul with a blade so sharp it didn’t even hurt. The injury just existed.
She was saved from trying to figure out what was happening by a screech that caused her heart to soar in delight, and immediately she scrambled over towards her sisters - a very brief whinny of delight escaping her as she neared them, moving to press her head in greeting first into Savera’s neck and then into Vesper’s shoulder. She desired the physical contact to confirm that they were present. Together, they would find their parents.
Magics:
{*]:: [ Magic: Light | Able to lower others\' inhibitions. ] \n:: [ Restrictions | Lasts 1 post in battle/opponent may resist; must be within 10m radius. ]\n^ protect please\n{*}:: [ Magic: Dark | Able to transform into a strix. ] \n:: [ Restrictions | Transformation causes pain, immobilizing for 10 seconds; retains coat colors. ]\n{*}:: [ Magic: Light (P) | At dusk colour streaks across body mimic the sky. ] \n:: [ Restrictions | Of no use in battle. ]\n\nEnchanted items\n{*}:: [ Item: Enchanted Armor | Defensive. Gold armour that emits harmless embers and collapses into a crown at will ]\n:: [ Restrictions | Heavy ]\n^ protect please\n{*}:: [ Item: Medium Rock | permanently glows ] (I don’t know if this counts?? but thought I’d mention it anyway)\n{*}:: [ Item: Sun God Flower | Gold Sun God flower in mane ] (again, also not sure if it counts as enchanted - it’s just an everlasting pretty flower but I\'d love to keep it even as a regular item if possible!)\n\nRift-god / Kaos items\n{*}3 x Kaos amulet\n\nAmulets : 5 (3 x kaos, 1 x moon, 1 x sun\n\nCompanion/s : \n{*}Charon - common phoenix zephyr - Early Drench 1173 - July 8, 2017\n^ protect Charon\n[*}Nix - common roc zephyr - Early Drench 1173 - July 9, 2017
Species change (if applicable) : nope!
Requests: WHATEVER! A corruption to her shapeshifting and/or passive would be fun if she gets to keep them!
Regular Items:
:: [ Item: Jewelry | Gold beads worn in mane ]
d'Artagnan the Nightshade
But with the beast inside, there's no where we can hide
After finding a grotesquely weird looking forest full of funky looking fungi and living there for a good two years not really knowing who he was, what he was going or what was happening in general, d’Artagnan finally weaned himself off the plants enough to have a few clear thoughts. It was those thoughts that had led him back to Helovia, or so he had intended, with the humblest intention of returning to the familiarity of a homely snowy mountain and finding some spotty old guy to make fun of. The Nightshade had drowned his grief of Aviya by losing all sense of time and day, months passed and he didn’t even notice, until they too turned into a year and then almost another before he eventually came to some sort of rational thinking. d’Artagnan’s idea of rational, that is. The last Helovian he had seen was his son, Sacre, who had tried to follow him only for the big red bay to send him back home. The shade had made it sound like a great noble deed, as if it was his duty, little Sacre liked things like that, and it was the only way to keep him from following. In the end, it was Sacre who was perhaps the noblest of all.
Even through the dizziness and a throbbing pain near his poll that made him feel like someone had clobbered him over the head with a boulder, there was a familiar heaviness he felt in his heart at the loss of his son. How many of them were left? He had lost his lover, his daughter and now Sacre. If he was more of a father he might now be inconsolable, but d’Artagnan had never really been close to any of his children, apart from Aviya. He would remember Sacre fondly and with the surety that he had lived a joyous life, Sacre had forged his own path early on and never looked back.
After landing in an uncoordinated heap on the floor, the fogginess in his head cleared a little for him to peer at his surroundings and the more he looked the more he began to wonder if he had slipped any narcotic into his grass recently. He remembered something vaguely in the back of his mind that the Kaos God had cried and then being pushed into this portal, those who didn’t he presumed were dead, at least this new maniac carried out his threats. d’Artagnan could appreciate Gods of their word. Not that he appreciated this ear splitting headache and the weird mumbling sound he could hear—oh
“Pissing hell” the Nightshade peered at the scowling Aramis at his side who had just spat out the curse. “Oh… yeah” he wasn’t hearing voices; it was just his vexed Hellhound. Who looked rather worse for wear, d’Artagnan noted, looking at his moth eaten fur and the odd cut that marked him. “What happened to you?” the Doctor suddenly burst out laughing as the hellion stalked off, his pointed tail flicking angrily from one side to the other, which only caused more gales of laughter to follow him.
d’Artagnan accompanied the hound, a few cautious steps behind, looking at the surroundings as he passed them by. The mix of mist and smoke, the shadows and neon eyes only proved to make him more fascinated. Of course, he was already thinking about the possibility of whatever new poisonous delights that might exist in this new bawdy place. He continued walking until Aramis limped to a quick halt causing the shade to look up from the browsing of the portal world he had been absorbed in, with a curt grunt. There were three young winged fillies, which was enough that d'Artagnan already wanted to turn around and walk in the other direction, and the older darker one looked familiar in a way that unsettled him.
"Out for a picnic? Anything nice?" the Nightshade's gruff voice slid from his lips in his usual dispassionate tone.
:: [ Magic: DarkxWater | The ability to poison the water in other's bodies and cause narcosis ] safe if possible please
:: [ Restrictions | Can render an opponent asleep and foggy for the duration of 30 seconds ]
:: [ Magic: Time (U) | Can form a space/time barrier that will teleport away or rebound magic attacks aimed at it ]
:: [ Restrictions | Can only teleport away noticeable magic, and it requires intense focus and will leave him exhausted with extended use. In battle only has the energy to use it once ]
Enchanted Items:
None
Rift-god / Kaos items
none
Amulets
none
Companion:
Aramis — Common Hellhound — Hellfire & Superspeed
Hatched: 02-02-2013 (4 Years 5 Months) 1169, Late Freeze??? Hazardous guess lol
07-15-2017, 07:13 PM (This post was last modified: 07-15-2017, 07:16 PM by Rift Presence.)
Shadows thicken. Voices scream. Soundless words. Sickened dreams. Death is done. Life has come. Things to scratch, to break, to bite. Prey to trap, to play, to fight. There is no hope, don’t dare escape. Beware, give in, these darkened shapes.
A skull, more bones. The earth, it groans. Dare to oppose—to fight and brawl? Or give in, away you’ll crawl. There is no winning, by either side. No moral scale, truth has died.
The Rift, its jaws now open wide. Tables turned, changed has the tide.
Magic:
Transformation: Able to transform into a shadow form that may pass through physical matter.
Transformation: Able to cause silver parts of body glow at night.
Items:
Offensive: Moonstone arrow that is controlled by whistles.
Amulets: Shadows quietly slurp the last of the moon’s blood you carry with you.
Magic:
Offensive: Able to heighten the emotions of others
Transformation: Able to transform into a firebird.
Transformation: Able to change coat to mimic light of sun; causes debilitating sneezing when used.
Items:
Vanity: Platinum band that causes night to follow wherever wearer goes.
Vanity: Purple everlasting flower from Helovian Moon Goddess.
Amulets: The cluster of jewels from foreign, militant gods you dare to bring into this land suddenly begin to vibrate so hard that they scream, before bursting to thousands of sharp pieces.
Companion:
Devi : Griffin
OOC Obtained: 8 July 2017
Rift Birthdate: Early Drench 1173
[TRANSFER NOTES : NEAERA ]
Magic:
Offensive: Able to lower others' inhibitions.
Transformation: Able to transform into a strix. The shadows devour final magic, ever ravenous.
Items:
Defensive: Gold armor that emits harmless embers and collapses into a crown at will.
Vanity: : Everlasting gold flower from Helovian Sun God. The rock is now useless, as the shadows cannot stand to have such a normal, bright light among them.
Rift-god/Kaos items: You aren’t sure how, but a heavy feeling crawls down your throat and into your stomach. I wonder what it’ll do, there.
Amulets: The dark blood of Kismoa coalesces, melting and absorbing the weak Helovian godsblood; and then it moves. Traveling, slithering; like a snake across your skin, up your neck. It comes to rest behind your jaw, the raised ebony-like lump sending tendrils of glowing teal across your cheek. But no all of Helovia is lost; it softly glows purple at night and gold during the day.
Companion:
Charon : Zephyr
OOC Obtained: 8 July 2017
Rift Birthdate: Early Drench 1173
Shadows eagerly engulf the dark bird, sucking dry the bond that links it to your soul—and it brushes there, seeking to suck even you dry. But it leaves to follow the now-feral bird.
Nix goes wild into the Rift.
[TRANSFER NOTES : D’ARTAGNAN ]
Magic:
Offensive: Ability to poison the water in other's bodies. Your other magic is a delightful snack for the neon light.
Companion:
Aramis : Hellhound
OOC Obtained: 2 February 2013
Rift Birthdate: Late Freeze 1169
"I CAN'T PULL YOU CLOSER THAN THIS
IT'S JUST YOU AND THE MOON ON MY SKIN."
I didn’t want to go too far. I had told myself that logically, Mama and Papa couldn’t be that far away. We had all come through together, surely that meant they had to be close? However, I knew that the real reason that I didn’t want to venture too far was out of some false sense of security here. Whatever it was that had chased us out of Helovia - that had extinguished the light of the moon - didn’t seem to have followed us here. At least, that’s what I was telling myself. I needed to do something to hold myself together.
Perched on my withers, Everly, slipped into unconsciousness with absolutely no warning. The Zephyr dozed for a few moments before startling awake, seeming just as confused and startled by her unplanned nap as I was. I let out a soft sigh as my ears flicked in the direction of every sound. I wondered how many had made it to this place out of all those that Kaos had...harvested. I shook my head at the thought, trying to chase away the memories. Now wasn’t the time to let myself be consumed by those thoughts. Those nightmares.
A noise, small at first, was enough to draw my attention. I spun around, preparing myself to flee or to fight, my muscles coiled and my wings tense. However it was not fear that crested over me like a wave, but relief. The relief was so overwhelming it was almost enough to chase away the other, unsavory emotions that had taken up residence in the deepest corners of my mind and the most primal parts of my soul.
I closed the distance between myself and the silver girl, letting out all the air in my lungs as I wrapped the smaller girl in an embrace. I dropped a moonlit wing over her back, pulling her close. The rhythm of her breath rising and falling against my chest was enough to chase away some of the fear - at least for the time being. And then Neaera was there too, barreling into the impromptu embrace. I opened my other wing to the other girl, holding what remained of my family together - both literally and figuratively for just a moment. “Don’t worry. We’re together now, and we’ll stay together. And we’ll find the rest of our family,” I murmured to the little ones, wondering if I was reassuring them or if I was reassuring myself.
The presence of a stranger, however, was enough for me to immediately raise my guard again. I did my best to stand to my full height, slowly pulling my wings back to my sides and taking a step in front of my sisters. I studied this stranger carefully, before electing to answer him. “Something like that,” I replied, matching his cool tone, but not feeling comfortable elaborating further.
Safety. Familiarity. Home. These are the words that flash though her mind, the symphony of relief that hums like harpsichord in her fractured heart. They coil through her, settling her unsteady nerves, calming her voice into something easy, something still. The girl rests easy in her sisters' embrace, sighing soft relief as Neaera and Vesper wrap around her, a comforting blanket of familiarity. Hazel eyes flutter and close as her breathing slows steadily; she takes in the scent of her sisters, the soft musk of feathers and the smooth whorls of fur, and she knows them, knows them as intimately as her own body, as clearly as she knows her own mind.
Vesper speaks quietly, her voice a melody of comforting notes, and Savera turns her wide gaze to her oldest sister, bi-color ears whirling to catch in every word, ever drop of wisdom the oldest star has to offer. It isn't the content that matters, it's the tone; Vesper sings with sincerity that convinces the child; Savera's faith in her sister is absolute, her adoration for them paramount.
If it is just them, if it is just this, the morning star thinks that it will be okay.
But it is not just them, not just this. Another enters into their solitude, larger and sharper around the edges, a dark thing, a brusque thing, yet oddly familiar. Devi eyes the creature at the stranger's side, blinking owlishly down upon the Natraj-like beast. To her muddled senses the stranger and his horse may well be monsters, or mountains, or ghosts. She puffs out her feathers, pulls down her ears: her attempts to look intimidating are comically unsuccessful, but nevertheless the griffin tries. Beneath her, Savera peers at the approaching stranger, short neck stretching as she cranes to keep en eye on him despite the protective movement of Vesper. Like her companion she is curious, intense, her silver gaze fixed on the tall bay stallion, but she makes no effort to step closer, to speak. She will follow Neaera's lead, ever the silver twin, ever the cautious child. Her mind catalogs the details: the glass horn, the two-tone eyes, the lanky crimson frame.
The only piece that strikes a chord is a silver moon on his flank - but this is not enough to matter to the girl, it is simply memorable, a stand-out feature in an unforgettable night.
Savera is too young to know the severity of her experiences, the extent to which her life has changed, to which it is still changing. To her the world has always been great and wild, untamed, remarkable- and in that factor, consistent and complete.
The Portal
