Funhouse Mirrors (Open)

[Fawn]

Creeping alone in this mysterious but so year exciting place known as the swamp, a little spotted wolfling crept here and there as her senses were on high alert as she explored. A short attention span had caused her self-guided adventure to weave an intricate broken web through the territory, so many different things to check out and discover. 

So far it was just new creatures, shy things that scurried away when she got to close. More like pranced towards them to try and initiate some sort of game but they were for some odd reason not willing to partake in the sport. Not one to be kept down, the pup named Fawn barreled through the foliage full bore. Skidding to a stop which actually ended up with her nose buried into the soft earth due to her spontaneous change in speed. Sitting down to try and wipe the dirt from her face then looked around with big bright blue eyes in wonderment at the new area she found herself in. 

After glancing around, she grew bored and took off again. How would she get home? That was for another time to think about, she couldn't be bothered with it now. Besides how hard could it be? Thumping around and having a blast doing it was all that the youngest of five was concerned about. Danger was naught and if there're were any to show up, she was confident she could handle it.

Once again she skidded to a stop as something caught her eye, a spotted little thing that looked just like her. Staring at each other, the similar youngsters seemed to try and figure each other out. This new creature wasn't a wolf like her, not as thick of fur and had much longer legs. But their coloring was exactly the same. Tilting her head quizzically and smiled at her funny looking counterpart.

[Croix]

Like several times before, Croix found himself wandering away from his mother and going to explore new places. He truly was not a home body. He hated being kept in the den or constantly being watched over. He loved being out on his own, going wherever he felt like, and learning things on his own. Already he had discovered the brilliant waterfall and it always mesmerized him to watch the falling water. He would always imagine himself at the very top, looking down into the pool of water at the bottom before jumping down with a big splash. But unfortunately, he had yet to learn how to get to the top. But, he was determined to one day turn his imagination into reality.

His newest adventure was taking him even farther away from the den and to a place he had never been before. It was the time of day that he had heard people refer to as dusk and the sun was starting to go to sleep. Yet, he didn’t care. No time of day would deter him from going out and learning about the world. No weather would either. So, with his nose to the ground, he continued on. As he walked, the air seemed to get thicker and the trees grew larger and denser, blocking out even more sunlight. The grass grew taller, making him feel rather small, and the ground started to feel wet. It was a weird place but all of a sudden, his thoughts switched. His ears perked as he caught a familiar scent and silently, he crouched down, stalking forward.

He moved with intent through the tall grass, keeping his steps as quiet as possible. It wasn’t until he found the source of the smell, his younger sister Fawn that he stopped. She was staring at a creature in front of her and he knew her guard would be down. So, with a growl, he pounced forward and landed on top of her, nipping her ear playfully. He tried to move so that he was pinning her and with a smirk he barked at her, “Gotcha!”

[Eve]

Eve was beginning to grow quite accustomed to the murky swamps. She was getting more and more familiar with the scenery each passing day and soon she was completely comfortable, relaxed even. Her large paws dug into the moist earth, squishing the mud between her toes. Her talons dug into the earth as well, leaving large paw prints behind her. Her light green occuli scanned the terrain as she listened to the sound of frogs croaking and occasional birds chirping though the birds never stuck around for very long. They were easy prey here as well as the few stoats that lived here. She continued to walk through the forestry, her dark pelt allowing her to blend in perfectly. It was as she was walking that a few scents drifted her way and her auds instantly perked. She recognized them faintly but they were not completely familiar to her. The scent of Messoria clung to the air gently which confirmed that they had to have been some of her "adoptive siblings". A mischievous grin flickered across her maw as she lowered herself completely to the ground, her underbelly sinking into the muddy terrain. She lay completely still and waited patiently for her prey to enter the scene. It did not take long before a very petite frame came into view. The light cream colored fur with delicate ivory dapples was a clear indicator that it was Fawn. Eve could recognize her from a mile away. Her coat made her special and everyone doted on her. Eve was sometimes jealous of the interesting colors she had been blessed with, but you deal with the hand that you have been dealt.

She was going to make her appearance when sure enough a second scent blew across the breeze. Eve knew there must have been two of them and her tail wagged gently, proud of the amount of patience she was able to show for the time being. It was not long before Croix was pouncing on Fawn, the poor girl completely unaware of his presence. Gotcha! He yelled and Eve continued to smirk to herself. They both were unaware that she was hunting them. Finally her patience began to wear off and she silently stalked forward. Leaning forward she counted the seconds in her head, by the time she counted to three she was already sailing through the air to land on top of them both. Her large size made it extremely easy to pin them both beneath her. I believe it is I who has you. She sneered before the sound of a low growl reached her auds. Instantly she froze, still on top of the two other pups. Her head turned quickly and in her peripheral vision she could see the incredibly large form of a crocodile. Go. Now! Her vocals screeched as she hopped quickly off of the other two pups to give them a chance to run. However it was not long before the extremely irritated crocodile was making his way towards them, his next meal clearly on his mind.

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notes; hope its okay I threw her in here also
tagged; Fawn + Croix + open
muse; decent
word count; 652
status; complete.

[Fawn]

Pure wonder danced across her small features, it was pretty and amazing to see herself in another creature. She was about to walk over and talk to it when she was clobbered from behind. A squeal of surprise as the weight of her brother crashed onto her. "Croix! You heavy oaf," she laughed as she teased him. She didn't mean it meanly, everyone was heavy compared to her and the sudden weight on her small frame was the recipe for her to collapse to the ground. Turning her head this way and that to try and snap at his handsome stone color face, Fawn forgot about her look a like and immersed in play.

But then the sun went dark and a new form towered over her. One she never met before but one she knew of. Yet the name completely escaped her little mind. One problem with having such a short attention span was she didn't always listen when her elders spoke. Catching green eyes and dark fur just like Mothers stood over them and Fawn glanced quickly to Croix to make sure he was still there. Forgetting her shock, Fawn smiled at the stranger although she wasn't sure if the older female really meant to play, "You're good at this game."

A growl caused her smile to fade and just her eyes turned to look for the source. An ugly bumpy creature with huge teeth and dragging it's belly on the ground seemed the owner of the horrible noise. "What's that?" She didn't get an answer only an order to flee. Scrambling to her feet, she then remembered the look a like and she looked around for it worriedly. "What about the other me? Croix, we have to find her!" Not even noticing if he was following her as she circled around behind the bigger darker female, Fawn whimpered in concern.

Croix Eve

OOC: She's an easily distracted girl

[Croix]

Croix was extremely pleased of himself for having the patience and stealth to sneak up on and pounce on his sister, Fawn. Granted, she was so focused on the deer in front of her that it wouldn't have taken much work at all but still, it was the start of better things to come. He wanted to be amazing at all the he could be, including hunting and fighting and what better things to practice with than his siblings? He chuckled at her remark and tugged on her ear with a playful growl, trying to keep her pinned under him. He pawed gently at her sides as his tail wagged excitedly.

However, that excitement soon vanished when a strange wolf was suddenly on top of them. With his hair raised, he snarled as deeply as he could at the other wolf. He had never seen them before so they definitely didn't belong pouncing on them. He could tell they weren't too much younger than he was but still, he wasn't fond of strange wolves tackling him and his sister. "Who are you?" he demanded from the other wolf, standing protectively by his sister. 

Once more, his attention shifted. This time, however, it was to a much more serious situation. A hungry crocodile was headed straight towards the young pups and a vicious rumbling was coming from it's chest. The strange wolf was demanding that they run but Croix was not about to tuck tail and flee. He wanted to go after the predator, to conquer it and make his father proud. Again he turned to the stranger but this time with determination, "Go help my sister find her twin!" Hoping the two girls would listen, he turned back to the approaching danger and snarled at it, crouching like he had seen other males do before a fight. 

[Wildlife [NPC]]

NAMELESS - ADULT NILE CROCODILE.
(click here for first on-site appearance)

It was happening again. More pups, different month. She was tiring of it. The dry season had come, and her clutch of eggs rested nearby, some in the muddy water and some lain ashore. Gender of offspring was dependent on temperature of the egg in which they resided- though she would never know them, they were important. She wanted both males and females. The female wondered, albeit briefly, if she had ever looked one of her sons or daughters in the eye. Perhaps they'd fought for territory, or over the same mate. Perhaps she lived with some of them during the wet season. It didn't bother her or make her happy either way- it was no matter.

Her curious musings on the past were short-lived. As the youthful spawn drew closer to her nest, she grew angry. She had just eaten her fill of a passing Tapir, and she did not hunger for the meat of the young creature. She knew better than to overburden herself with food when she had eggs to protect, but it would not stop her from scaring them off at any cost.

As she rose from the water, hulking and massive, she let out a low rumbling growl from deep in the bellows of her stomach. As one of the tiny wolves turned and took fighting stance at her, she hissed. "Fool," her voice scratched in a tongue she knew the wolf would not understand. The earth shook as she twisted her body, walking slowly towards him. "You are a bird. Fragile. Stupid." The puppy could not possibly be thinking of fighting her, did it?

As it barked, the intentions of the creature were made clear. He wanted to attack her. The crocodile stopped in her tracks, her massive tail striking the ground behind her. Her scales were like armor, making a lethal bite impossible. Surely he knew that in the event of his attack, it would take her just moments to snap his bones and tear his head from his frame?

The crocodile was unwilling to kill another being when she was not hungry. She did not kill for pleasure, and she had not survived all of her sixty-three years on rash decisions. She retreated into the water nearby. This was her territory, and her homecourt advantage. She could protect her clutch from here... and should the tiny creature want to face her, it was here that she could make his death as quick and painless as few rolls of her body.

ooc: Threw my little beaut in here since it was open. Assumed you didn't want him killed instantly... lol.

[Ossa]

She had spent her day saying farewell to her brothers as they eagerly escaped Ina'mos, and effectively their mother as well. They were off to Vor'asa to train in the agoge to become great warriors in the name of Kairos. They had been so excited and she was excited for them, but as soon as their heads, bobbing above the tide, faded into the horizon her heart began to sink. The waters that surrounded their little island between the coasts of Anikira and Tas'alea could be treacherous and her brothers were still so young according to Ossa's standards.

She had desperately wanted to go with them but knew that that was not possible. She was not a fighter, and did not show any signs of being a lethal weapon, except against prey when her stomach grew hungry. Alas that was not enough. Her brothers were leaving and someone needed to stay with their mother to console her in their absence. As she sat on the shore clinging to the hope that she would see them again, she idly thought of who they would become. They of course would be the newest protectors of Kairos and all that Goliath and the others stood for; but who would protect them? That had been her role, whether they knew it or would have ever admitted to it...

The sun was setting in the distance to where her brothers had swam and she prayed that they had arrived in Vor'asa safe and sound. Sighing deeply she allowed a tear to escape her brilliant green eye, just before she rose to all fours and turned away from the sunset, back towards the swamps and on to her mother who she supposed would need some form of comfort.

She had walked slowly for some time, her mind reminiscing on all the times she and her brothers played in the swamps when they were younger. Ossa felt her childhood slipping away from her - things were going to be different from now on. She would not find comfort in the dens that would seem empty without Othrys and Olympus beside her, their warmth radiating through her. She was brought to heel at the ominous hiss of an angry crocodile; one of the many that laid claim to the swamps, and a shrill bark from a young wolf.

Scanning the area she quickly spied them as she caught the movement of the crocodile retreating back into the waters. Quickly jogging over to the wolves she planted herself between the three of them and the waiting croc. "Are you numb?!" she snapped, looking between Eve and Croix. She spied Fawn cowering behind the two of them looking every bit lost as she always did.

While Ossa had always favored the company of her brothers, she was not blind to notice the eruption of pups and take careful note of who everyone was in Kairos, and more importantly, who she was somehow related to. Eve was a half-sister and looked nearly identical to the twins except her eyes that were a few shades darker than her own. Croix and Fawn however were Goliath spawn. Ossa always categorized families by who their father's were rather than mothers, it was the only way to make heads or tails of anyone around here.

"You could have gotten yourselves killed." she said a little softer, though still stressing her concern for their well-being. She herself was taken aback by her sudden outburst. She had never spoken to any of them before, she doubted very much that they even knew who she was... She could have rolled her eyes and the thought but instead let her features and stance soften, feeling confident that the situation between the younger pups and the crocodile had been quelled thanks to her.


muse: fantastic
tags: Eve Croix Fawn

[Eve]

It seemed like time was slowing down, enough so that everything looked like it was happening in slow motion. Out of all of the times that Eve had frequented the swamps she had never seen a crocodile up close and personal, and what she did see was enough to make the fur rise along her spine out of natural instinct. The loud hiss of the crocodile instantly made her auds flatten tightly against her skull and she quickly glanced over at Fawn to determine her location. What about the other me? Croix, we have to find her! At first Eve was dumb struck, she couldn't believe what she was seeing or hearing. The words of Croix fell on deaf ears aside from him encouraging her to help her find Fawn's twin. Eve was just getting ready to speak when she heard another hiss from the crocodile, and she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Croix only a few feet from the mother. Eve knew that it would be beyond foolish to follow her into the water, that was her stomping grounds and they only really stood a chance against the babies, not the mothers. She went to move but was frozen where she stood, until a set of unfamiliar vocals echoed through her auditories. Are you numb?! It was then that Eve acted. Her large limbs closed the gap between herself and Fawn almost instantly and without hesitation her jaws closed around the scruff of her neck. It was an easy feat to pick the smaller pup up and carry her away from the danger, meanwhile her "twin" was no where to be found. Eve bounded further away, muscles bulging beneath her sleek pelt before dropping Fawn gently to the ground at her feet.

She turned to glance at the two other pups, particularly the older female who was speaking yet again. You could have gotten yourselves killed. Her vocals were softer this time though Eve's gaze had hardened. Yea well we didn't. Her vocals were a bit harsher then what she had intended but she didn't appreciate the fact that she had been caught off guard. I think we've all learned a lesson today.. She glanced over at Croix and Fawn then. Perhaps we should keep moving.. She suggested blatantly before striding past Fawn. Her gaze was sympathetic towards the smaller female but she continued on her path. The sooner they put some distance between themselves and the crocodile the better. Eve only glanced back once, to get a good long look at the older female. It was the first time that Eve had seen her but they were almost the same height. Eve was used to being one of the larger pups on the block and wasn't intimidated by her in the least. However she was curious to see who this pup was, but she wouldn't ask for an explanation. At least not yet. Perhaps if they all continued on the same path with one another she would ask her calling then, but right now she was more concerned with distance and lots of it.

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notes; sorry for the wait guys and I hope it's okay that I did a little bit of ghosting with fawn, if not I can change it <3
tagged; Fawn + Croix + Ossa
muse; decent
word count; 681
status; complete.

[Fawn]

Worry creased her face, she saw her brother walk towards the ugly creature and the dark newcomer seemed to be caught between facing the croc, shooing Croix away from it or scooping up the spotted pup and bolting. Fawn was totally lost. Her twin vanished and she was terribly worried about it. She didn't want Croix hurt but she wouldn't really be able to help him since she was so little compared to....everyone. 

Another voice called out to the misfit group, another wolf she had no idea who they were. Why was everyone new? Fawn wasn't one who has really socialized with other pups or members of the pack, it took to much time and attention. It was so hard to focus on things like that. But eight now one thing stuck in her mind, history may just about repeat itself. On her adventure with Nimue and Moreigan, a mountain lion attacked them and Fawn got into the most trouble. Now it was scaly critter threatening her brother and these girls. 

But out before any solid decision could be made, Fawn was swept up and carried away by the first female. "Croix!!!" She squeaked as the two distanced themselves from the many teeth of the water dweller. Letting her head fall to her chest, Fawns eyes clouded over in sadness, "I just wanted to play. Always get in trouble." Looking up again to see if her brother was safe or if he was stubborn and stayed behind to prove his worth as a fighter. 

"What was it? Will my twin be ok? Who are you two?" Finally able to harness her attention to the present, Fawn stayed very still as she awaited her answers. Focusing was so hard, mother said it was because she was smart but didn't know how to control it yet. It didn't make sense at all, but Fawn wasn't one to argue with mother. 

Croix Eve Ossa

[Croix]

Croix stood face to face with the approaching predator and watched as it moved ever closer. He had told the older black pup to take his sister to safety and he knew that if she did not do such a thing and Fawn got hurt, he would never forgive her. Finally, the scaly creature got a bit too close for comfort and Croix barked a warning tone. He didn't necessarily want to fight this being but he did want to protect his turf and his family. He watched in surprise as the creature stopped moving. Seeing that what he had done worked, he barked two more times. That was when the predator started to retreat and Croix was left simply snarling at it, neither backing way nor coming closer. 

Only after the crocodile had gotten fully back in the water did he turn to find his sister and the other female. To his relief, they had listened and had gotten out of harm's way. He was about to go join them but before he could another feminine voice came from behind him and he quickly turned around growling. "No I am not numb I stopped the thing from hurting my sister," Croix growled angry that someone would be mad at him for doing what he was supposed to do. "Yes we could have but I stopped it," he growled again. 

After that, he worked his way over to his younger sister and nuzzled her confortingly, glad to know she was ok. "We can go for look for your twin after they leave," he whispered to her with a nod before turning his attention back on the two older pups. "Now who are you two anyways?" he demanded with a tilt of his head. He looked at the black female as she spoke and debated going with her or not before nodding, deciding it was safer. "Alright,"  he nodded. Then he moved back Over to his sister and tugged on her ear playfully, "It looks like we'll have some help finding your twin, we should see who can find it first!" he barked playfully, his competitive side coming out.