ORIGIN - Mysterious as the Dark Side of The Moon [Merry Men Meeting]

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Head held high, he was stumbling by the end of their journey as it had taken a far while longer to get here than he had first anticipated. The occasional break was taken, a combination micro cloud was used on Booker in order to both dull yet multiply the disease that lay within his breast. During these breaks, he had been wary of the pink and white dragon but he had come to realize that they had something going on between the them he hadn't seen before. Eventually, this would have to be utilized for his own gain but he could wait. There was much more to do before then.

Ascending to the platforms, the weight was shrugged off his shoulders as he pushed the numbat onto the ground a little bit too roughly. Head rolling around his shoulders as he cracked his back, his amber eye snapped open. It would seem that living up so high was an extremely hazard idea with his impaired sight but if he fell to his death that was fate right? Most of his philosophies were changing as he went out and experience the world, felt pain and been on the brink of death. That was certainly something to cause massive upheaval in a person's morals, but it only made him more aware of mortality and how fragile it was. How easy it was to smudge out.

A deep breath out and he straightened his body, the pink dragon should be up here shortly but he had to assemble everyone. Diamondfang had been speaking of war, certainly this would not be the meeting to call them together for it but rather to announce his new prizes and then begin to formulate a plan. Especially with talks of a wedding, he wasn't sure who but even he knew not to ruin something like that. Maybe the only piece of heart and kindness he had. "MERRY MEN YOU BETTER GET YOUR ASSES UP TO THE LARGEST PLATFORM AS I HAVE VISITORS," a smirk and a gentle nose nudge of the numbat boy. While he slept he was so innocent, it made his smirk wobble and waver but there was no break.

Not good with large groups exceeding more than two, he figured he would tag out once the thief woman got here. She was a lot better at this whole leader thing than him as he was merely a Witch Doctor with a penchant for wanting to cause harm rather than heal. There wasn't anything wrong with that. Settling down next to his seriously ill guest, he ran his tongue along Booker's fur in an almost soothing way. Certainly intimate for him, and he wondered why he enjoyed it as much as he did but he found caring for Booker... We'll stop there.

ooc; set after the proposal thread when talks of the wedding are starting to spread, please let Baratheon and Booker post first <3. Anyone with ties/interest in joining Merry Men is welcome to join!

@Booker @Nemesis @Gwazi @Diamondfang @Baratheon @Fleur @Magdalena

It felt as if they had been travelling for days, weeks, centuries, an unending cycle of being re-infected, sapped of even more energy, unable to keep his eye open to even guess at where, exactly, they were heading. Booker's bond with Baratheon, so beautiful before, a bright chain of white and pink, was shriveled on the numbat's side, now, infected and covered in creeping puke-green tendrils, sagging under the weight of Louie's disease. The most the tiny Gembound did was hiss, claw blindly at his captor, sending across continually softer messages to his brother, trying to calm the dragon down, trying not to think of severing their bond entirely to spare Baratheon the pain. This was one situation Booker couldn't, for the life of him - quite literally - find a way out of, not even with his connection to the Mother.

Eventually, Louie began to limp, then to stumble, then to slow, and finally, he heaved his shoulders. Caught off guard, Booker couldn't do much to roll into the fall, dropping to the cold floor with a thump and a pained squeak, gem spires clacking against the stone loudly, sending a spike of pain through the numbat's head. Breath knocked away, Booker lay, struggling to pant, open his eye, do something... but he stilled. This place, it felt familiar. Wrenching his eyelid open, the tiny Gembound sucked in a breath, grimacing, gaze darting about the wretched place. "Mono... ceros... should've... guessed," he grunted, ears pinned back, shifting his head slowly to glare up at Louie. It surprised him that the beast hadn't killed him yet, but then, Booker couldn't understand much of anything about the fox.

Exhausted, Booker let his eye slip shut, whiskers twitching at his captor's loud decree. Visitors, he thought with a huff of amusement, leaning against the bond within his mind-space. A nudge made him shiver in fear, reaching out to his bonded with a wince, trying to hold onto the quickly shrivelling comfort. The scribe heard Louie sit nearby, and braced himself - would the fox kill him now, in some sort of show of power? But no teeth made their way to his flesh. The only pain he felt was the clogging of his lungs, the stiffness of his muscles, the ache of the virus. Instead, a tongue groomed at his fur, and unconsciously, Booker relaxed into the gesture. It had to be Baratheon, after all - what would Louie be doing, being kind to his prisoner? Comforted, the numbat relaxed into the sensation, snuffling, trying to block out the howl of the wind through the very place where he and Baratheon had almost perished.

Poetic, huh, Bara? Had to be Monoceros. Funny.

@Baratheon

"Baratheon Speech"

As they traveled Baratheon had hung back. He didn't know where they were going, didn't care really. All he cared about was watching Booker and making sure that he wasn't hurt. So far the fox hadn't hurt his Rider and the walk was relatively quiet but that was probably because he refused to speak. Half-Face deserved nothing from him, not even his insults. All he needed was death... As they walked along he focused his attention also inwards, on the Bond. It helped to keep his mind from the rage which would certainly bring on the fever. Half-Face had tainted the Bond... clogged it with sickness that dragged at Booker's life force like a plague. He tried to filter his strength and hopefulness that they would get out of this situation. He was a guardian, it was his job to figure out a way to get them away from this danger. He could not... would not let this fox win. He was an alpha... a leader, it was his job to keep his Rider safe.

If he couldn't then he was hardly a dragon at all...

He snorted, smoke filtering from his nostrils. Ae'thiya forbid that he fail in his task... He wouldn't, he could do this. He was a dragon, wild and untamed. He wouldn't be bound forever by this stupid half-face! He just needed a plan of some sort but what? He didn't know...

They reached Monoceros, he could tell by the rush of wind to his long fur. With a blink he focused his thoughts outwards but kept the hold onto Booker with his bond, making sure to keep filtering his strength and resolve. Perhaps it was good that he focused himself outwards or he might have lunged at Louie for dropping Booker in such a fashion. As it was he simply let out an enraged roar and flapped his wings, heading right up to the platforms where he stood protectively over the numbat as he glared down the fox. Don't do it again or I'll kill you... His eyes said.

He leaned downwards to nuzzle his Bonded softly while his tongue briefly slid out to give him a soft lick. Before sitting down on his haunches but turning his gaze around to await the others to assemble. It was almost poetic but he wasn't much into poetry. What he found himself focusing on at this moment was, Magdalena... His thought spoken voice was nearly a growl. This was Magdalena's place alright... So why had her crony taken them as prisoner?

While he looked around he felt something, gross, foreign, wrong. He made a disgusted snort and shook his head in irritation. After a moment when he could ignore the strange sensation no longer he turned his head to Booker and Louie with ears pinned to his skull in irritation. What he saw had him hissing at first but then stopping with a slight head tilt. It was that licking that he felt but he felt it as an invasion of his body while Booker seemed to enjoy it. It disturbed him. The fox was licking him in such an intimate way and intimacy in general disturbed and confused him... What should he do? Stop it? Let it go on? He hated Half-Face and hated that he was touching Booker but he wasn't hurting him but... his very existence hurt him... The result of his confused emotions sent out a mix of body language. His ears were still pinned and his lips curled in anger but his head was tilted and eyes wide open in confusion. That isn't me... His voice wasn't angry, wasn't even curious... It just was. He would gauge Booker's reaction and act accordingly.

@Booker @Louie @Fleur @Magdalena @Gwazi @Nemesis

In silence, the dog spent a lot of her time reminiscing, thinking; memories of the voices of ones she knew flitting through her mind like recordings. She played them over and over, cherishing what she knew and had experienced, delighting in each reiteration as if each time they may hold something new to her. She remembered when Delphine had come to visit, and how worried she had been only to find relief in that she had recovered. She remembered the feeling of being lost when Nemesis was trapped in her chrysalis, and the happiness of her breaking through the orange crystal, the happiness that was her waves of warmth. A sensation blissful in its reality. As Magdalena sat in the heart of the room where the twister once was, meditating and honing in on the swarms of prokaryotic life she had come to covet, she remembered, and she focused.

Only a shrill bark had shattered the fragile concentration of the dog; the tender grasp she had on the bacteria cultivated around her would shudder, and her place in the memory fell to the wayside, leaving nothing for her to hold onto as she meditated still. Her attention finally left the cultures, the swell of life that lingered on the walls and the floor, and it wandered up to the voice of the fox that had called out to them. Demanding and familiar, she didn't mind the callous tone and obscene language he used to summon them. It was hardly graceful but she accepted it for what it was. Magdalena didn't need to be told twice to get going. Her hind limbs unfolded and she strode forward, her sloped nose angled downward for now while she focused her paws over the uneven earth. She moved, stumbling only once or twice before reaching the platforms, and blindly she clambered up until she had reached what she thought was the biggest platform.

Post-Roll Edit:
An outpouring of magic beckoned for the feel of familiar bacteria. It came first to her as Louie's, a pulling that took form as it waited nearby. But what came to her after were two more - one smaller than the fox, and one massive, a titanic presence that made her spine quiver. A flash of memory, sounds and pain; anger. She hesitated once she had reached the platform, but knowing now who stood before her, visitors, she advanced once more. Those slow steps took her to Louie and the numbat and dragon bent to his will. She didn't know that they were here against their will. She didn't know anything of the fox's plans, but her apprehension and bitterness towards the dragon had kept her from greeting them. Her blind eyes wavered just above the fox and she whispered only to him, "Finis originae pende." before falling silent and still. Feeling the swell of Baratheon's presence, she wished that her Fire would arrive before long.

Nemesis, recovering her wounds with the smell of burnt skin and blood, came to Louie's call. It hadn't been too long since her fight with Niru, but her body eluded the waves of heat as her body churned and fought to survive. She stuck true to her namesake, Fire, as she plodded up to where the foul mouthed fox was.

She heard the Dragon before she reached Magdalena, before she even saw Louie. Her ambling walk turned into a charge, her body lighting up in flame, flame that threatened to swallow her. Her frill cast a ring of fire, her tail and feet blazing the storm of smoke behind her. She ignored the pain that came with it as she came to the meeting area, the scene unfolding before her. The beast was huge, long-- a banner of white-- grown much in the two weeks of sleep she was subjected to.

The rhino did not take any time to absorb what she saw: Louie with a skinny cave rat thing, Magdalena by herself before them, and the dragon staying beside the fox, looking for permission to rampage once more... With just a glance, she could tell the white monster was tethered by a thin line. "LOUIE!" She shrieked, racing to her Princess' side.

Her body willed her to stop, to quell the flames in her heart, but she burned them stronger instead. The wounds that scored her body were well hidden by the fire (and thankfully, the smell of blood covered by the scent of burning flesh)-- and she hoped that her monstrous appearance would be enough to discourage the dragon to stay away as she moved in front of Maggs, shielding her with the broadside of her burning flank.

"What is the meaning of this! What is that thing doing here! Trespasser-- I'll fuck you up so fucking bad if you so much as touch Magdalena, you hear me?!"

Diamondfang
Aug 26 2015, 07:17 PM

Diamondfang and her young pupil were out in a tunnel near Monoceros. The mongoose thought it high time they work on some techniques together to prepare her for an eventual heist. In the tunnel Fang had the skunk run through an obstacle course consisting of a part where the skunk had to leap from rocks spaced a few inches away from each other and another part where she had to balance and walk on her hind legs for a period of time. At odd intervals the mongoose would toss a rock to the skunk and have her practice holding it while walking. What was the point of this? To get Fleur used to going about on her rear legs and free up her fore. Fang found it intensely useful to be able to go about and hold things in her forepaws, things such as swords and tools. If she passed this test then Fang would reward her with her own sword or spear to play with but until then they would practice.

"It's all in the tail. Use it like a balance beam an' you'll be fine." The tiny queen was reclined against the wall as she watched her pupil work. Her tiny paws were on her hips while her sharp eyes examined the skunk's every move for a sign of weakness. Merrymen was all about strength and she would push and push to make sure that Fleur had it. It was during this moment that she suddenly heard a fierce roar and a loud exclamation from the Fire. The mongoose leaped in her fur and blinked in surprise. What on earth was happening? The creature was naturally a coward at heart but she felt more confidence when her bodyguard was around so she felt safe enough to go back to Monoceros rather than running away.

Diamondfang whistled to the skunk then waved a paw towards Monoceros, a signal that they should go investigate.

----------------

Upon arriving Fang saw a few of the Merrymen assembled at the Platforms. What caught her attention was a huge white furry thing standing next to Louie. Who was that guy? More importantly why was he here? Did he want to join the Merrymen? She hoped so, they could use brawn like that! The queen smirked, rubbing her paws together in satisfaction. Oh, what a glorious little gift Louie had brought her. She could always count on the handsome man to bring her little surprises. "Sit tight, little Princess, this should be an interesting meeting." With that she scampered up the platforms and went right up to Louie. She stood next to him, eyes first on Nemesis and then on the huge dragon who seemed a bit peeved. "Whoa whoa whoa! What's goin' on, Fire? If we have new members that want to join then I say let's welcome them. He looks awful strong anyway... and you..." She had just noticed the tiny thing in Louie's paws. Aww, wasn't he a cutie! He was her size and though he looked a bit sickly she liked what she saw. One silvered eye winked at the little creature. "You're a cute guy, a bit nerdy, but I think that's sexy. Who are these fellows, Louie?" Now her gaze went up to the witch doctor who held them captive. That scar was a new thing on him but she liked it. Showed a bit of toughness. So many cute fellows around here.

words: 574
tagged: @Fleur
ooc: Fang... please... stop
muse: 6/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

Fleur
Aug 26 2015, 08:44 PM

Fleur de Lis

LET ME DEFINE A LEADER

Fleur panted, ears pinned back, eyes narrowed, sweat dripping down to slick her long, snow-white fur, focusing on her task with dogged determination. Her legs were shaking from first the rock-hopping course, and now she balanced on her two hind legs, holding a pebble in trembling paws as the skunk tried to focus. At her mentor's advice, the tiny beast lifted her tail, wobbling, immediately sighing in relief as her center of balance readjusted. A quick glance towards Diamondgfang showed that the mongoose was still watching, eyes examining her every move, and Fleur snapped her head back forward, trying to focus on the strange sensation of bipedal motion. One step, another, and the skunk started to grin - and swiftly lost her posture when an angry roar ripped through the tunnel, causing the thief-in-training to lose both her rock and her awkward pose, tumbling to the floor with an irritated, frightened grunt.

Baring pink teeth in the vague direction of the noise, Fleur got back up on all fours, shaking out her fur and followed her leader, scurrying behind Diamondfang so as to make sure nothing could sneak up on the mongoose. A few minutes of this hypervigilant travel later, the duo arrived in Monoceros proper, a group of Merrymen already filling the space. She recognized Magdalena and Louie, and vaguely thought the fire-thing resembled the chrysalis Mag had been protecting, but the gigantic, menacing beast standing next to Louie was... less familiar. Unconsciously sending the creature a wary glare, Fleur opened her jaw with a sharp crack! as if to speak - before watching her teacher go running straight towards the thing. "Fang - what...?"

Utterly baffled, Fleur stared after the mongoose, mouth hanging open in a stunned, sparkly o. Snapping her jaw shut, the tiny plague vector sat back on her haunches, snuffling in annoyance at being unable to protect her friend. After all, this "Fire" seemed to have the same job for Mag, and she was doing it! Fluffy white tail swishing back and forth, the babe stewed, watching Diamondfang keenly for any signs of distress. Cute... guy? Was there something else besides the roary-thing? Trying to peer over the crowd, Fleur caught sight of a bundle of fluff by Louie - was that little thing really a Gembound? Perplexed, the skunk sniffed, ears twitching this way and that, an attack dog waiting for its orders.

"Listen to me."