She walked a ways in Vazi's company. They kept up polite conversation, asking how she was and how she had spent her time since they last saw each other, but she was distracted. She missed her little gems already, constantly looking back as if hoping to see them around the corner. She wanted to be with them again. They made it to the beautiful Orion room, and as always, she looked skyward, mesmerized by the glittering stars. They always rendered her speechless, and she remembered how she had tripped the last time, and how that led to her meeting her clever cat. With that, she glanced towards the cliffs. Would she meet Bartos again? She mentioned them briefly to Vazi, describing their rock collection and adorable demeanor, and how skilled they were with their magic. "...and how the ground shook!" She smiled, remembering it as if it were yesterday. "It knocked me over, I'd never seen anything like it! And they were so bashful about it afterwards!" She started to go into how she lulled Bartos to sleep with her story, but her words faltered when Vazi stopped, looking purposefully about. Were they looking for someone too? "This is how I speak."

He heard his name called once, and cringed. He didn't want to go out there, didn't want to face Vazi; it was the way it always went. He was scared, but he had to obey. What would happen if he ignored Vazi would be far worse than what would happen if he didn't. He could see him approaching, anyway; the heavy brown body, the branching tines above his head. And there was a stranger, with him--like Vazi, but white like Beast. Strange. He ran forward as if something were snapping at his heels, then dropped down to cringe on the ground only a few feet before the two deer, ears flattened and heart racing. He never knew what would cause the stag to lash out, to kick or slash him with his antlers--and the long gashes healing on his sides attested to that. It was best to stay quiet, stay submissive, and hope for the best. He glanced up only once, wide-eyed, to take in the stranger; then he quickly buried his face between his forepaws, practically grovelling before the two in terror. In this position, he awaited further commands. ______________

@Hasira

VAZI HASIRA

"shattered innocence"

---

Oh! How wonderful it was to walk along with his friend. They caught up with each other and talked the time away. Before long they were back in Orion in no time flat! Hasira couldn't believe how wonderful it was. The white doe was just perfect. He couldn't wait until she was re-educated and had adopted his ideals but steady did it. Didn't want to expose her too quickly and just ruin her... Oh no. He needed her innocence and purity, it was quite refreshing.

The doe was currently telling her a story about some stupid feline but he pretended to be interested. Asking all the right questions and nodding at the appropriate times but now that he was back home he had something to show her, to get her hooves wet. The stag stopped walking and peered around until he saw just what he wanted to in the distance. A smile curved at his lips before he stamped and barked quite loudly, "Beast! Come here now!" He waited while the terrified creature practically broke its neck trying to reach him.

Perfect. The snot-nosed brat was learning quite nicely. He looked down at the cub, pleased at his groveling before turning to the doe. "Remember when I said all carnivores were evil and would always end up hurting you? Well, I have found a way to keep that from happening." He tilted his antlers towards the cub and smiled, a far too happy smile for one talking about a half-starved and beaten cub. "If we re-educate the carnivores and teach them to be herbivorous like us then we help to remove some of their inherent evilness. By doing this I am helping the carnivores to be better and in turn protecting herbivores like us!" He was completely convinced that this was the only way and that the doe had to learn about it to truly be safe.

His voice had been soft, kind, for his beloved doe but now as he turned his gaze to the beast he increased his volume to an angry bark. "Stop groveling and say 'hi' to this kind doe! She will be living with us for a while and you will treat her with the utmost respect!" He didn't say "or else" but with his voice and the glint in his eyes the threat was there.

---

words: 392
tagged: @Beast @Clover
ooc: ---
muse: 6/10

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

Beast risked a wide-eyed glance up. He was still a cub, still young, but he was no longer the tiny poofball thing of youth. Somehow it was perhaps more terrible to see the rangy, nearly half-grown white lion cringing and cowering and nearly in tears. If lions could cry, no doubt Beast would have been. If he'd been on a meat diet, perhaps he'd have grown faster, had the scraps of a mane, or muscle, or a large size, but he was still under-fed, and so seemed much younger than his age. Though perhaps "under-fed" was an understatement; every knob in his spine and each rib in his side stood out prominently against his pale and lackluster coat. Even the spiral, antelope-like moonstone horns growing from the back of his head were stunted. He looked, quite simply, pathetic. He cringed back at Vazi's words and tone, lowering his head further and flattening his ears, and stifling a cry before it could quite escape him, as if in reflex. But he obeyed. "Hi," he managed in a quiet, choking voice. Stop grovelling, Vazi had said, and so Beast managed to half-raise himself in an uncertain crouch, half-glancing away before managing to make trembling eye contact with the doe. So this is Vazi's friend? Will she be like him? She'll kick me, too, but at least she doesn't have antlers. He winced again merely at the thought, the wounds laced down his back a stark reminder of what exactly antlers could do. It had never occurred to the cub that he was growing hooked claws, and fangs, and he could easily strike back. It just wasn't, to him, even a possibility. Then again, that was probably for the best; he'd seen what Vazi's magic could do, and it was unpleasant, to say the least. She's white, like me. At this sudden and random realization Beast eyed Clover again, the fear still visible within him, but tempered now by curiosity. The gentleness of his mannerisms became apparent as he delicately scented the air--but at the same time, it was clearly the gesture of a predator, the movement of a lion, with his head pushing even that tiny bit forward to take a specific scent--instead of lifting into the air to sniff around for danger. Almost immediately Beast cringed away, again, glancing sharply at Vazi, expecting retribution. ______________

((I hope you don't mind that I stuck this in, Clover--I figured since Beast reacts to Vazi, it'd give Clover more to react to!!))

(( I don't mind! c: It helps! )) All at once, she was shown a horrible scene. Vazi was telling her about how carnivores needed to eat plant life to stop being evil, and the result in front of her was a cowering, fearful, underfed, starving lion, with their every rib evident to see. It was her every fear for Vicktor come to life, if she hadn't managed to teach them how to hunt, how to survive on their own, if they truly hated to take life and instead starved themselves. She swallowed her initial reaction of disgust - she didn't want that to be her first impression - and it wasn't that she was disgusted at the lion, the poor lion, but at its unhealthy state. Those that ate meat weren't meant to to eat plants. She knew this from her Vicktor and Ambrus' complaints about eating anything green (even though she thought it was perfectly delectable), and from her talks with Aza and Saudade. It was natural for them to hunt, just as it was natural for her to graze. This just...this wasn't right. It was like forcing her to eat meat. She glanced at Vazi with her good eye, forcing down the shock of this flagrant disregard for this lion's health, and heard, she heard, the change in tone from talking to her, to talking to the lion. She couldn't keep her fur from standing on edge, but she could keep a poker face well enough. Vazi hated this poor thing. Why? And why was the lion so afraid? What had Vazi done to them? Maybe, when she and Vazi might be alone, she could talk some sense into them. Surely they would see reason, surely she could help this lion. She swallowed again, keeping a perfectly level expression, and walked very very slowly towards the lion. With a very polite bow and a smile, she said softly, "Hello my love," She saw them flinch, and her heart hurt. "My name is Clover. What is your name?" "This is how I speak."

She bowed. She smiled. He froze, staring, brain simply stopping for a moment. Was this a trick? Did a kick come next? Sliding a sneaking glance at Vazi, he found the stag simply watching--formidable, and expectant. Swallowing back his fear, the white cub looked back to Clover, ears pinned back, and responded politely--as he'd been taught. His voice was hollow with fear as he spoke. "I am filth, and a monster, and a beast, and I do not deserve a name, Miss Clover. Sir," he added, voice cracking a little at the end. He hadn't learned "ma'am"--Vazi was hardly a "ma'am"--so the ending was a bit awkward. Beast looked down as he finished, then slipped another glance up again, hoping he'd answered correctly. ______________

@Hasira

VAZI HASIRA

"shattered innocence"

---

The stag watched with horror as his friend dipped her head to the creature and spoke her kind words. That beast didn't deserve kind words! He deserved a kick in the face if anything. The stag tossed his head but caught himself and tried to still his displeasure. Oh, yes, this doe would have to learn that these carnivorous flea-bags didn't deserve to be spoken to in such a polite manner. "The thing is right, my dear." He turned a smile onto the doe. "Carnivores are not fit to bear names so just call him what he is. A rat. A piece of filth. A dirty beast. Anything will do." Talking as if he were speaking about nothing more than the weather.

His head snapped to the beast again. "You! This is my friend, a deer doe and as such she will be addressed as a 'ma'am'. Is that understood?" His eyes narrowed at the hapless lion before turning back to the doe, calm once more. "Are you hungry, my dear? Shall I have food fetched for you? There are the most delicious berries here. I'm sure you would enjoy them immensely." He turned his gaze halfway to the beast. If she said yes then he would send the servant out to fetch the food.

---

words: 215
tagged: @Beast @Clover
ooc: Next time I take this long to post just kick me in the cbox.
muse: 6/10

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

Clover kept her poker face, even though her heart was in complete and utter turmoil. This was wrong.

Wrong,
Wrong,
Wrong.

She turned just a little bit to the Vazi and politely said, "No, I'm not hungry. But thank you for being considerate." She did her best to keep sarcasm out of her voice, then turned back to the lion cub, moving a little closer.

"I'm sorry you don't have a name, my love," She said softly. "Everyone should have a name. I myself only found mine a scant few hours ago, and going without one is...it's painful. I will....figure out a nickname I can give you. A good one."

She looked over the cub, cowering in fear before her, and she felt like crying. "You look hungry. If anything, we should find you something to eat. Would you like to look together?"

"This is how I speak."

The deer spoke to one another. Beast acknowledged Vazi's words with a low bow of his head, and when Clover leaned down to speak to him gently, he froze in fear, watching her from the corner of his pale and shimmering eyes. Find food? She seems nice, but--... Why would she offer that? Is it a trick? I'm supposed to find food for them. Oh, no. If I say yes Vazi will hurt me. If I say no, she'll hurt me. With a little shiver, the cub resigned himself to his fate, bowing his head. He was still too young to grasp the possibility of tact, to come up with something like "oh let me get them for you" in an attempt to forestall any kicking or stomping. All he knew was what he had been taught, and Vazi was not one for tact. "Yes, ma'am. I know where there's berries, if you would like me to show you where I get them." His voice was meek and soft, but loud enough to hear, since if he were too quiet, Vazi would kick him for it. At the end he sat quiet, his head bowed, uncertain whether to make eye contact or not--so he compromised by sneaking another glance up at each deer before quickly looking down again. ______________

@Hasira