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+--- Thread: They're Not All Bad (/showthread.php?tid=7472)
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They're Not All Bad - Pride - Feb 03 2020
Pride's delicate steps led the way through the shallow water, droplets sparkling like diamonds behind each raised silver hoof. Pisces' light ran along the pale tines of his antlers, dancing over his fur, flashing through the gemstones at his throat.
"When I have spoken to him, he is usually in the waters ahead. In the deep pool," the stag explained, his musical voice fluting quieter beneath the roar of the waterfall.
"If you are still... worried," he added, glancing to his smaller, tawny companion, "I do assure you again that he is very kind."
The white stag led the way to the edge of the lagoon, peering down into its deep crystal waters--into the sheets of ice that hissed thick below the surface. He glanced one last time at Desert Rose, and then nodded down, at the blue depths. "Tenzin?" he called, hesitant; "Are you there?"
@Desert Rose Thirty-Five
RE: They're Not All Bad - Vander - Feb 04 2020
With every step Desert took, he shook out the foot that raised behind it. It was like he was a dog with booties on- this water was not the ideal for him.
"We don't have to go in with him, do we?" His more serious demeanor had cracked away into one of upset snarkiness, even if his overall tone didn't change. Why did he agree to this...
Desert managed to not crinkle his nose as they neared the lagoon in question."I don't doubt you. I'd never met him in person, so I might as well not force assumptions on him before the first impression." Way to learn, buddy.
As Pride peered in, Desert leaned forward and felt his stomach drop at the depth. Oh- nononono. He scooted back with a few splashes, closing his eyes and steeling his nerves. He looked like an artichoke with how much his scales had flared out. His wings planted themselves on the ground to give himself a lifeline to stability.
"Sorry-" His voice choked. "Water. Uh- My gem's made of... sand." It was convoluted to explain, but his ears pinned back with strong discomfort. He hadn't known of the cover it grew over itself. All he knew was that water was bad when it was for anything other than drinking.
He tried not to remember the flood in Hydra, and in doing so, his anxiety only rose.
Desert managed to not crinkle his nose as they neared the lagoon in question.
As Pride peered in, Desert leaned forward and felt his stomach drop at the depth. Oh- nononono. He scooted back with a few splashes, closing his eyes and steeling his nerves. He looked like an artichoke with how much his scales had flared out. His wings planted themselves on the ground to give himself a lifeline to stability.
He tried not to remember the flood in Hydra, and in doing so, his anxiety only rose.
@Pride
RE: They're Not All Bad - Game Master Dark - Feb 04 2020
For a long moment, Tenzin lay silent beneath the rush of cold. He could feel the stones above--the hard diamond, familiar to him, and the fragile twist of selenite beside it.
He heard his name, not urgent but he heard it, and he wondered at the small vandenbrandeite that normally accompanied the diamond. Faint sadness fluttered through him; had it faded, then, at last? Was the selenite another that the diamond wished to aid?
Tenzin shifted in the deeps. A thin shell of ice broke around him, and he shrugged away its shards before ascending. A moment later, beneath the waterfall a little distant from the pair, he erupted in a roar of water. The falls froze here and there, glancing off his wings as he rose beneath the rush. Glittering shards reflected and sent light dancing along silver feathers, and light blue; his form was enormous, his wings spreading out as if he were trying to touch the walls of the cave.
He was careful, as he swept toward them, not to send up a tidal flood as he had last time. But still the water overspilled, its icy flow pouring out over the rock under the Gembounds' feet, out and then receding with the displacement of his body. And there he came to rest, peering far down at them, still half-submerged in the lagoon.
His voice came gentle and light. "You have called me?" This one, at least, was never flippant with it; his intentions were good. How things had changed.
He heard his name, not urgent but he heard it, and he wondered at the small vandenbrandeite that normally accompanied the diamond. Faint sadness fluttered through him; had it faded, then, at last? Was the selenite another that the diamond wished to aid?
Tenzin shifted in the deeps. A thin shell of ice broke around him, and he shrugged away its shards before ascending. A moment later, beneath the waterfall a little distant from the pair, he erupted in a roar of water. The falls froze here and there, glancing off his wings as he rose beneath the rush. Glittering shards reflected and sent light dancing along silver feathers, and light blue; his form was enormous, his wings spreading out as if he were trying to touch the walls of the cave.
He was careful, as he swept toward them, not to send up a tidal flood as he had last time. But still the water overspilled, its icy flow pouring out over the rock under the Gembounds' feet, out and then receding with the displacement of his body. And there he came to rest, peering far down at them, still half-submerged in the lagoon.
His voice came gentle and light. "You have called me?" This one, at least, was never flippant with it; his intentions were good. How things had changed.
RE: They're Not All Bad - Pride - Feb 04 2020
The stag glanced at Desert Rose as the first shift in the lagoon sent stirs through its water. "No, no, of course not. He will come to us." He paused--it sounded arrogant, in retrospect, but he wasn't sure how to rephrase it and anyway, Tenzin was now coming.
Pride took a step back, familiar with the wash of the ice phoenix's rising. He waited until the bird was high, peering down and speaking to them--and with a glance sidelong to ensure that Desert Rose was still all right, he swept into a low and respectful bow. It wasn't forced, but it was genuine. Tenzin was a creature of great power, and one who was both kind and generous with it. Pride respected that, deeply, and his antler tines damn near brushed the ground to show it.
"I am sorry to bother you," he offered, his fluting voice raised against the rush of retreating water still sloshing to and fro. "But I wanted to thank you, and I thought that you should know, that Amazon is well. She is recovered--she was in her stone, for awhile, and it somehow reformed in a way that does not harm her, I think. If there is anything I can do to repay your kindness, please ask."
Pride then nodded to Desert Rose. "This is Desert--Desert Rose. He had a question for you, I think, or a topic to speak on--if you have the time? -I hope we are not disturbing," the stag added, with polite concern.
@Desert Rose Thirty-Five
RE: They're Not All Bad - Vander - Feb 04 2020
Desert struggled to return to a more natural stance. He shouldn't be nervous, right? Just going to talk to someone who's had the opportunity to hold your life in their hands for eons. The water's motion set alarm bells ringing in the dragon's mind, and he bit into his cheek to keep himself from going into a full-blown panic.
At least he wouldn't have to learn how to swim.
Desert needed no encouragement to bow alongside Pride. Even as he'd never interacted with a Master, he knew they were beings to be respected, as they'd kept him living for all those years. As water flowed over his claws, Desert lowered his mane to the ground in position of near submission, like a dog being scolded, and stared up with awe.
Tenzin was massive. Not just in size, but in presence- the chill in the room set in more as he shuffled back up with water dripping from his fur.
He wasn't sure how to start. Pride had begun, speaking on Amazon, and turned the conversation to him. That wasn't enough time to formulate what to even say, even if he was typically a more conversationalist being.
"Master Tenzin," his voice came out at a squeak at first, before he cleared his throat and regained his composure. "My designation is Desert Rose Thirty-Five." He nodded when Pride added concerns on bothering the master, before stepping back up next to the deer's place.
Where to begin."I... Do have several questions. There's a lot I've heard, and I don't know how long I- we, those who were in Tunnel P's walls, however many there are..." He paused, looking up to judge Tenzin's reaction, greeted with an encouraging nod. Taking a breath, he continued. "How long have we been asleep? Was it just us near Hydra? Masters turning on one another, new beings created from nothing, it... None of this makes sense. Orion's in ruins. Raheerah attacked the caves." His ears danced lower beside his face. "Is this what the Masters desire? This chaos?"
He shook his head, drawing into himself. He'd shoved down those thoughts, knowing they'd come to break him someday.
That day may as well have been today.
"I'm sorry to bother you-" he cut in quickly after himself to add in. "I know I'm just a Champion of Hydra, and it's- it's not my place, but my Overseer's at a loss too. Pride," he gave the most gentle glance he could to him, nodding, "suggested speaking with you. That you've helped these new creations."
He shuffled in place."I think some of us old ones need some help, too." His muzzle dipped down and he studied the lapping water, averting his eyes in an act of flaring anxiety.
At least he wouldn't have to learn how to swim.
Desert needed no encouragement to bow alongside Pride. Even as he'd never interacted with a Master, he knew they were beings to be respected, as they'd kept him living for all those years. As water flowed over his claws, Desert lowered his mane to the ground in position of near submission, like a dog being scolded, and stared up with awe.
Tenzin was massive. Not just in size, but in presence- the chill in the room set in more as he shuffled back up with water dripping from his fur.
He wasn't sure how to start. Pride had begun, speaking on Amazon, and turned the conversation to him. That wasn't enough time to formulate what to even say, even if he was typically a more conversationalist being.
Where to begin.
He shook his head, drawing into himself. He'd shoved down those thoughts, knowing they'd come to break him someday.
That day may as well have been today.
He shuffled in place.
@Game Master Dark
RE: They're Not All Bad - Game Master Dark - Feb 05 2020
The gentle rustle of silver and blue was accompanied by a soft patter of freezing water sleeting down across the rock. "I'm very glad to hear that she is recovered," he trilled, quiet, but his tone was clearly pleased.
There was silence as he listened to Desert Rose, with that periodic trickle of frozen droplets, some of it dancing, sparkling, like diamonds as it fell. Desert Rose Thirty-Five. Tenzin nodded his great, soft head in greeting to this introduction. And Desert Rose had so many questions.
'How long have we been asleep?'
Tenzin thought about this, bobbing gently up and down as he considered. It was a long pause before he spoke. "I do not know," he answered, with a little sorrow in his tone. "I believe... at least five thousand years. Many have slept," he added. And as to the rest...?
'Is this what the Masters desire? Chaos?'
And again the ice phoenix hesitated, quiet, the waterfall's reflected light dancing over the silver feathers. For a long while he simply studied Desert Rose, and he could have been examining him, or perhaps he was troubled--it was difficult to discern from his calm, glowing gaze. "You were to be the chaos. The force behind it. Before all went quiet," Tenzin told him, solemnly.
His eyes shifted to Pride, paused, and then looked back to Desert Rose, and he spoke kindly. "Your visits will never bother me. You will never be burdens to me," he told them, and it sounded warm, but almost sad.
There was silence as he listened to Desert Rose, with that periodic trickle of frozen droplets, some of it dancing, sparkling, like diamonds as it fell. Desert Rose Thirty-Five. Tenzin nodded his great, soft head in greeting to this introduction. And Desert Rose had so many questions.
'How long have we been asleep?'
Tenzin thought about this, bobbing gently up and down as he considered. It was a long pause before he spoke. "I do not know," he answered, with a little sorrow in his tone. "I believe... at least five thousand years. Many have slept," he added. And as to the rest...?
'Is this what the Masters desire? Chaos?'
And again the ice phoenix hesitated, quiet, the waterfall's reflected light dancing over the silver feathers. For a long while he simply studied Desert Rose, and he could have been examining him, or perhaps he was troubled--it was difficult to discern from his calm, glowing gaze. "You were to be the chaos. The force behind it. Before all went quiet," Tenzin told him, solemnly.
His eyes shifted to Pride, paused, and then looked back to Desert Rose, and he spoke kindly. "Your visits will never bother me. You will never be burdens to me," he told them, and it sounded warm, but almost sad.
RE: They're Not All Bad - Pride - Feb 05 2020
Pride bowed his head again as Tenzin expressed his pleasure at Amazon's survival. And to the rest, he simply listened, his pale eyes shifting from the ice phoenix to the sandy creature beside him, listening.
Desert Rose, it seemed, was carrying more baggage than the stag had realized. His stag-brows arched ever-so-slightly as Desert first gave himself a number, and then launched into an apparent almost-desperate small-scale tirade against the Masters. He sounded... tired, worried, almost at the end of some rope that Pride, up until now, hadn't been aware existed.
But Tenzin's response, if somehow a little sorrowful, was kind; and Pride found himself responding.
"Thank you," he said, and it wasn't to the information, it wasn't thanks for Tenzin's time. It was gratitude for his sentiment that they would never be in his way.
As to the rest..? Pride did not know what to make of that. His gaze slipped again to Desert Rose, wondering how one single little Gembound could possibly be the driving force behind mass chaos. And, perhaps more importantly--why would the Masters want such a thing?
On his back, Mischief shifted and lounged, uncaring of her master's thoughts. But Pride was wondering, now. Astraea might have been capricious, prone--if stories were true--to fits of sadism and cruelty. And Raheerah was inherently violently dangerous. But Tenzin-? Why would Tenzin have wanted such things, himself?
The stag, however, did not ask; he felt that this moment was between the phoenix and Desert; there was something Desert Rose needed from this, and he himself waited quietly to see how it might play out.
@Desert Rose Thirty-Five
RE: They're Not All Bad - Vander - Feb 06 2020
Desert waited between pauses for the answers, still barely daring to look up to the Master he was talking to. With such a fear instilled in him, who could blame him? His mouth was dry, and his tail curled around his back legs as he struggled down fits of panic, pushing it down further and further.
Tenzin's compassion helped. But- when he answered the first question, Desert's breath quickened. Five thousand..? That- No. How could they have been dormant for so long? What woke them? And why now?
He shut his eyes hard enough to see stars in an attempt to not lose himself to his thoughts. He needed to stay grounded, and he flashed open his eyes on an inhale and looked up to the pheonix. Blue eyes met the blue of Tenzin. Huffing, Desert sat and forced his nerves to calm, looking over the Master in a chance to remember everything.
Chaos was what they desired, but not in this form. Desert's jaw clenched near painfully as he looked to the faint ripples in the water, shuffling on pointed claws. They were to cause chaos- on other hives? He squinted down. Was that the purpose of Hydra's trials? In truth, he'd never had known what was next- he just knew that he had to test.
What was he testing for? And why did they stop?
Too many questions flowed through his mind before Tenzin's soothing words sparked him out of them, drawing him to glance at Pride with an expression of hard confusion. It was clear he was thinking- spiraling, more like it, but he tried to play it down to the best of his ability. He nearly wanted to apologize for wrapping the deer into all of this before he spoke, too, and Desert nodded with him."Thank you," he murmured, his voice low.
He cleared his throat, ready to finally voice all those gears rumbling inside of him, as each answer gave him one more cog to complete the machine that was this puzzle."I must admit, some of this raises more questions." He laughed breathily before giving out a clipped huff. "I guess, first- what made us sleep? Five thousand years, I just..." He shook his head, claws digging into the ground. "I'm glad we survived that long. The quiet must mean we all were hibernating at the same time," came a guess, going out on a limb to test his theories.
But, as for chaos, he looked up at Tenzin."Why would we sleep, though, if we were supposed to be some sort of chaos? Were we meant to train to be some sort of... Fighting force? To drive forward chaos with our aptitude to survive?" At least, that's what he drew out of the purpose of Trials- create better lifeforms to be this 'chaos' they both spoke of.
With his questions out, he glanced to Pride, finally looking over his expression. There was a wonder, there, ignored by the rabbit he kept close. Somehow, seeing her calmed him- she didn't have to worry about all of this. She survived, just as well as the rest of them.
But Desert knew this would eat him up if he didn't know. And so, he sat, eyes wide up at the bearer of answers to questions he never knew he had.
Tenzin's compassion helped. But- when he answered the first question, Desert's breath quickened. Five thousand..? That- No. How could they have been dormant for so long? What woke them? And why now?
He shut his eyes hard enough to see stars in an attempt to not lose himself to his thoughts. He needed to stay grounded, and he flashed open his eyes on an inhale and looked up to the pheonix. Blue eyes met the blue of Tenzin. Huffing, Desert sat and forced his nerves to calm, looking over the Master in a chance to remember everything.
Chaos was what they desired, but not in this form. Desert's jaw clenched near painfully as he looked to the faint ripples in the water, shuffling on pointed claws. They were to cause chaos- on other hives? He squinted down. Was that the purpose of Hydra's trials? In truth, he'd never had known what was next- he just knew that he had to test.
What was he testing for? And why did they stop?
Too many questions flowed through his mind before Tenzin's soothing words sparked him out of them, drawing him to glance at Pride with an expression of hard confusion. It was clear he was thinking- spiraling, more like it, but he tried to play it down to the best of his ability. He nearly wanted to apologize for wrapping the deer into all of this before he spoke, too, and Desert nodded with him.
He cleared his throat, ready to finally voice all those gears rumbling inside of him, as each answer gave him one more cog to complete the machine that was this puzzle.
But, as for chaos, he looked up at Tenzin.
With his questions out, he glanced to Pride, finally looking over his expression. There was a wonder, there, ignored by the rabbit he kept close. Somehow, seeing her calmed him- she didn't have to worry about all of this. She survived, just as well as the rest of them.
But Desert knew this would eat him up if he didn't know. And so, he sat, eyes wide up at the bearer of answers to questions he never knew he had.
@Game Master Dark
RE: They're Not All Bad - Game Master Dark - Mar 10 2020
For a moment, again, Tenzin was silent. He rocked there, a mirage-shimmer of silver-blue, those gentle, sad eyes watching Desert closely. How much they suffered.
At last, he spoke, and his voice held the tone of thoughtful consideration, as if he were mulling things over even as he replied. "We all slept, yes - the survivors. We slept because we were no longer needed," he explained, though he was careful not to go into too much detail. "There are battles, and there are wars; a battle was fought. Not here."
Wings rustled. Crystalline water slipped down the feathers' surfaces, tinkling back into the lagoon. There were things he had told others among the Gembound, in the past, and one of those things he carefully repeated now. "There are many things it is not my place to tell you of. Things we are not allowed to speak of. There are those who rule even us," he added softly, remembering again his dreams of flight, of freedom, of the sky and clouds and drifting snow that he saw only in his dreams.
At last, he spoke, and his voice held the tone of thoughtful consideration, as if he were mulling things over even as he replied. "We all slept, yes - the survivors. We slept because we were no longer needed," he explained, though he was careful not to go into too much detail. "There are battles, and there are wars; a battle was fought. Not here."
Wings rustled. Crystalline water slipped down the feathers' surfaces, tinkling back into the lagoon. There were things he had told others among the Gembound, in the past, and one of those things he carefully repeated now. "There are many things it is not my place to tell you of. Things we are not allowed to speak of. There are those who rule even us," he added softly, remembering again his dreams of flight, of freedom, of the sky and clouds and drifting snow that he saw only in his dreams.
@Desert Rose Thirty-Five
RE: They're Not All Bad - Vander - Apr 06 2020
As Tenzin mulled, Desert's head retreated into his mane, cheeks absorbed by the wiry fur curling around his face. The Master's gaze had swept over him like the waves of his pool lapped at their feet. Survivors of what? Of- of the battle? Battles? Desert's claw dug into rocky ground as his eyes glanced to the blue waters that matched them.
He was about to ask further, but Tenzin was... Reserved. Wary. That was enough to give him pause, but the last sentence struck him. If he wanted to speak after that, he'd have to contend with a constricting throat- tense with confusion and muddled thoughts. Masters of Masters? Trying to withhold his emotions, his eyes only widened as he shuffled in place. What could he do with this information?"Can you speak of... why you can't tell us?" He didn't want to toe the line, not here, not like this. Not if it put a Master in danger.
And why should he need to tell him anyways? This- was a Master. A being that didn't need to be pried open like this, not one to find loopholes about.
He was about to ask further, but Tenzin was... Reserved. Wary. That was enough to give him pause, but the last sentence struck him. If he wanted to speak after that, he'd have to contend with a constricting throat- tense with confusion and muddled thoughts. Masters of Masters? Trying to withhold his emotions, his eyes only widened as he shuffled in place. What could he do with this information?
And why should he need to tell him anyways? This- was a Master. A being that didn't need to be pried open like this, not one to find loopholes about.
@Game Master Dark
(me: god f to desert being threadlocked. also me: wait-)