can't see beyond my doubts {open}

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 200px; background-color: #141251; border-left: 8px solid #141251; border-bottom: 8px solid #141251; border-top: 8px solid #141251; border-right: 8px solid #141251;] ”Did that really happen, it couldn’t have…” Recklessly crashing around the Fantome territory, she was trying to find the least destructive method of releasing her anguish and stress. She wasn’t known to get this angry, over anything, never having reached this caliber before. What was she even mad at? The vixen, who is probably older and more experienced than her, gaining the title of alphess? She was certainly bitter of that fact, yes, to say the least. Giving up, she threw herself to the ground and laid motionlessly on the cold soil. Basically everything she was ever taught about being selfless and being content with what you have flew right out the door. ”Mother and father would be disappointed,” she whimpered like a pathetic pup. Pull yourself together, Sevati… Even her own self-encouragement wasn’t quite good enough. What had she expected? It’s not like she was going to be worshipped; she wasn’t a queen, nor had she ever even held high status within a pack. As far as she was concerned, she had already failed her goal before it even began. She felt useless. The fae knew this behavior was unacceptable and acting this way wasn’t going to solve anything—at least she was alone so no one would have to see her immaturity—an immaturity that never seemed to exist before this night. Inhaling a deep breath, the crisp oxygen filled her expanding lungs. Rolling over, she positions herself that she was laying on her back. Her short limbs rested limply on her stomach; the night was still, with crickets chirping and a few birds mingling in the trees. Her eyes flickered closed, and within no time she drifted into a light slumber. The least concern she had was of someone finding her; right now, she was just going to enjoy her fleeting moments of soltude while they were lasting. ooc; Basically Sevati venting. xP My muse is poopy, but what she could really need right now is someone to talk her out of her unreasonable state. Bleh.

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[candybunny]

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[atrb=background,http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y284/Babycandies/shadetablebg3.png] {OOC: I don't know if he'll cheer her up exactly, but...this is Shade.} He disliked being new. It wasn't the fact that he had earned no recognition yet, nor that he hadn't earned the respect of any members of the Fantome. He really couldn't care less about their opinion of him. No, it was simply that he resented being informed by higher ups on how to do basic things like hunting. His “teachers” didn't get far past their first sentence when they realized that Shade's nose wasn't as wet as they expected; and in a short amount of time—though not short enough for Shade's comfort—they left him alone. He filled his quota of catches and then retired for the day. The gray fox had just polished off his own meal when a vixen wandered into his designated hunting area. From the shadows, Shade watched her with critical eyes, sizing her up as he pawed a few bloodstained feathers away from his muzzle. She gave off a dark aura, seemingly frustrated and angry about something. Her white fur was fluffed up, making her seem bigger than her true size. Was she pouting? His ears caught the faint sound of a whimper before she plopped onto the grass, exposing her stomach. Shade's eyes narrowed. How could she be so unwise? He curled his bushy tail around himself and continued to gaze at her from his vantage point, which happened to be up in a tree where he'd managed to snag a bird that had been roosting for the night. The shadows of the branches encircled him, effectively concealing his body from her sight. He was downwind of her too, so his scent wouldn't be carried by air currents to her little black nose. Still, it seemed like she should have been more cautious wandering alone at night, especially in her current state of mind. Perhaps it wasn't really his place, but maybe he should scare her straight. He half rose from his position, one paw poised in the air as he hesitated. Shade had a soft spot for vixens. Ever since Halo had died, he found himself going out of his way to please them, as if making females happy would make up for his failure to save his sister. With a little decisive nod to himself, he crept down the tree. When he reached the ground, he realized the vixen had actually managed to fall asleep. He flicked his ear with annoyance. He had expected that when he entered the Fantome, the females wouldn't be opposed to ensuring their own safety by whatever means necessary. But this girl apparently thought that no harm could possibly come to her! So far she had given no indication that she was even aware of his presence. The reynard lurked closer to her, and now sat directly in front of her, bushy tail laid neatly out behind him while he leaned ever so slightly forward. He prepared himself for some fight or flight reaction, muscles tensed, ready to jump out of harm's way. After all, he had no idea what power she possessed. But now that he was here, he had no idea what to say, so he just stared ominously for a good minute. His eyes flicked over her delicate frame, her serene expression as she breathed. Her ears were so...small...compared to his. She looked so breakable, and a shudder ran through him as Halo died in front of his eyes all over again. A sort of unbidden hiss escaped his parted jaws as the pain from those memories hit him as sharply as ever, which he masked quickly by clearing his throat. Well, that ought to wake her. Word Count: 603 Tag(s): Sevati Muse: S'all right Music: None

[endlessinfinity]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 200px; background-color: #141251; border-left: 8px solid #141251; border-bottom: 8px solid #141251; border-top: 8px solid #141251; border-right: 8px solid #141251;] This instance could easily be deemed as one of Sevati’s careless moments—incredibly careless, in fact. Darkness swallowed her completely, and her shining white pelt was no longer a beacon in the night. Stupidly leaving herself out in the open, she was vulnerable to attack; her conscious warned her of this before she had dozed off, but her other mental voice reasoned that since it was Fantome territory, the troop she belonged to, no internal threat should want to cause her harm. She had not befriended anyone as of yet, but nevertheless, no enemies had been established either. An unusually cool wind brushed through her pelt; it caused her to stir before the throaty sound of the other canine did. Suddenly aware of the other presence, she gingerly sprung to her feet. Ears fell back against her crania, and amber eyes narrowed to study the opposing fox. Their body sizes seemed relatively comparable, with his perhaps a bit larger than hers. His broadened shoulders stood out in contrast to her delicate frame; the only way she could disguise her smaller form was by puffing up her coat into a furry armor of sorts. With a flick of her tail, she continued watching intently. Her muscles were slightly tensed as well, sharing the same fight or flight thought process of the other. Eerie silence hung in the air, but was soon interrupted by her slightly soprano vocals; ”How dare you sneak up on me like that! Who do you think you are?” Amidst her ranting, her lips curled back defensively to exploit her pearly enamels. She weighed the possibilities of this situation: since he was a reynard, it wasn’t plausible that he was the new alphess she indirectly despised. He could be the alpha, but it was unlikely, because as far as she was aware, one was not chosen yet. The odds of troublesome consequences weren’t high, so she allowed herself the opportunity of letting her emotions run free for once. She was often so reserved that could be considered emotionless. The only other major problem that could come about is if he wanted to fight. Sevati wasn’t about to back down from anything, just her stubbornness and all, but she wasn’t quite in the mood to get a potential beating. Even the thought of competing against a troop-member made her uneasy. Still groggy from her resting state earlier, she would not be at the top of her game. From this point forward, she would need to carefully monitor her actions so she wouldn’t dig herself a grave. Allowing herself a brief moment of reflection, her breath returned to a normal pace after being startled from her sleep. Sevati’s heartbeat still thumped irregularly in her chest, but hoped it would settle soon. It struck her for a moment, a slight sadness she seemed to catch in his eyes. Her curled lips fell back over her teeth, no longer sporting a snarl on her maw. All other body features indicated she was in a defensive pose, but something about him seemed slightly off. She had seen sights of bloodlust before, and this wasn’t it. Perhaps she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. ooc; It's totally fine, Sevati is just being a prissy pants at the moment. xD

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[atrb=background,http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y284/Babycandies/shadetablebg3.png] As Shade expected, he ended up startling the vixen. Despite predicting her response, the gray fox couldn't help but leap backwards away from the female, the tip of his tail twirling around as she flew into an aggressive stance. He felt the need to slip into the shadows. After all, he already accomplished what he had set out to do—she was no longer exposed to attack. Was there a need to explain or say anything? Deciding that there wasn't, he half turned to go, though he dare not turn his back fully on her now. But then she asked him who he thought he was. The reynard froze in place. Other foxes most likely wouldn't have responded to that question, realizing that it was rhetorical, but things like that usually didn't register in Shade's mind. He figured the vixen wanted an introduction. She was a member of the Fantome, he could hardly deny her such a small request, despite how haughtily it had been said. After all, weren't they on the same side? From the air of authority she spoke with, he half wondered if he'd crossed paths with the Alphess, but he wasn't one to make assumptions. “I am Shade, a hunter for the Fantome,” he replied evenly in his calm, baritone voice as he turned to face her fully again. He rested the end of his bushy tail over his paws as he sat, leaving a sizable gap between them. He didn't bother to glorify his status at all. Perhaps other foxes would look down on him for his position but one had to start somewhere. He didn't entertain any illusions that he would rise in ranks quickly, nor did he intend to. He felt no need to be ambitious, at least for the moment. A shadow flitted over the pair as an owl drifted past on silent wings. The gray fox's ears lifted and his black whiskers quivered at the faint dying squeak of a mouse, which caused a slight pause in the chirping of the crickets. When they resumed, Shade relaxed a bit, noticing the vixen had stopped showing her teeth at him. Pleasantries required him to ask her for her identity, but he didn't want to know. Sure, he might have potentially protected her from harm, but that didn't mean he had feelings for her. They had hardly had time for that to happen. The only connection they had so far was the fact that they were both members of the Fantome, and both possessed powers beyond that of the standard fox. His dark triangular eyes blinked and refocused on the female, but his mouth remained a grim black line, closed and silent, as it normally was. Socializing wasn't a skill he had really picked up, having always been an outcast of his former clan, and forced to try to be something he wasn't when he was with family. Conversation didn't come naturally to him, nor did he understand how to communicate his feelings about anything. He wouldn't have the foggiest idea of how to tell this girl that he was only watching out for her well-being. Even if he did know how to form that into words, he wouldn't want her to appreciate it to the point of considering him a friend. And so he sat, resembling a statue more than a living creature, contemplating on how high the moon would climb in the sky before she decided to leave. Eventually, everyone abandons you in the end. Still, she was a vixen, and it was his job as a hunter to look out for her well-being. It's something he would have done anyway, with or without that title. Maybe he should ask her some questions. It wasn't to get to know her. Not really. Not personally. But if she told him why she was out here all alone, it may give him a chance to prevent it in the future. With this reasoning, he finally spoke again, this time in a soft tone. “Something is troubling you.” He wanted to add that whatever it was had robbed her of logical reasoning, enabling him to easily sneak up on her. And how dare she allow that to happen when he could have been anyone, anything. She should be more careful! But all the scolding he'd given Halo, all the brainwashing he had tried to undo with her—all the effort he had gone through trying to retrieve the happy-go-lucky sister he had once had—none of it had made a difference in the end. So if this vixen wanted to open up and tell him what the matter was, then that was okay. He was a good listener, if nothing else. But he wasn't going to pry it out of her. Word Count: 796 Tag(s): Sevati Muse: Reasonable Music: Takanashi Yasuharu - Utsusemi

[endlessinfinity]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 200px; background-color: #141251; border-left: 8px solid #141251; border-bottom: 8px solid #141251; border-top: 8px solid #141251; border-right: 8px solid #141251;] At his initial retreat, Sevati was surprised; the vixen had not expected him to be so jumpy. If anything, she had gathered this stereotype of males being naturally more aggressive than females in situations much like this. But either way, she got lucky, so she wasn’t about to regress and make him change his mind. Perhaps this outing could work out in her favor in some way. The fae glanced over the male, curious of his identity. Before she could inquire about his calling, he graciously introduced himself. ”I’m Shade, a hunter for the Fantome.” At least she had been correct about one thing; their loyalty was technically the same, but whether or not he strictly followed that loyalty was another thing. Only a hunter, though? Sevati had almost expected more—looking at his strong stature, authoritative stance, and glossy coat, it would be easy to see him as such. Figuring the polite thing to do would be to introduce herself, especially after her little, slightly insulting outburst. A bad first impression had been made her specialty. ”I’m Sevati, a hunter from Fantome as well. I’m probably just preaching to the choir,”

[/b] with the latter portion of her remark being added in a sarcastic manner. Ah! Soon she would have to hold her tongue, otherwise she would probably regret it.

Suddenly, the male spoke again: ”Something is troubling you.” The she-fox felt a surge of sarcasm willing to overtake her again, but she held it back. It was a serious matter, she supposed, and wasn’t about to let it be taken lightly, or be mocked for it. ”What is it to you if something is?” was the first sentence that came spilling from her jaws as a defense mechanism. She was torn; part of her wanted to simply vent about it, while the better half of her warned that this wasn’t the time or place for such behavior. Taking the cautious approach, she just chose to not elaborate at the moment.

As some more time passed by the two, Sevai fired back a question of her own, prying into his own business. Shade’s eyes seemed to be glazing off into the distance, and it was time to snap him back to reality. ”What is it that you are doing out here anyway?” It was a very valid question; evening was in its prime and most other creatures would gladly be sleeping at that moment. She had technically been sleeping until he had woken her, but yet he himself seemed wide awake.


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[atrb=background,http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y284/Babycandies/shadetablebg3.png] Part of Shade knew that he should have flinched or felt something at the vixen's snide comment, but he didn't. He merely blinked dully as if he had all the intelligence of a grazing beast, and not that of the cunning omnivore that he was. His plan of leaving the Rustique had only been a temporary fix. He knew he had to at least escape that life, but now that he had achieved it he was feeling a bit lost as to what to do. Simply hunting for his new troop didn't seem to give him the sense of accomplishment that he needed. Something was missing. He knew that, but he didn't know how or where to find it. The vixen was turning the conversation back to him, more like shoving it back. The fact that she didn't trust him was blatantly obvious, but he understood that so it didn't bother him. He didn't need to be liked, and being liked without merit meant nothing at all. “Hunting,” he replied, thinking that it should have been obvious. He had marked the area with his scent in various places so the other hunters would know not to encroach upon his territory. On some days, but not often, it was hard to track down prey. Overpopulating such a small span of land with multiple hunters wasn't wise. The foxes had to make sure they had enough to eat without fully eradicating game in the process. Fortunately the little creatures bred like rabbits, because well, some of them were. The reynard's large ears picked up the sound of the owl finding a perch to devour its freshly caught meal. He never understood why the hook beaks made it a point of spitting out the skeletons. He quite liked to gnaw on bones. It felt good for his teeth, and killed time in the process. It wasn't always easy to stay busy. “I'm more of a night fox,” he added, his bushy tail swinging away from his large paws. The statement had a dual meaning really, but that would probably be lost on this girl since he had yet to display his power to her. “Are you assigned to patrol this area?” he asked casually, although beneath his unruffled surface he was slightly annoyed. Did the leader decide that she should be here too? Had his superiors recommended the change? Surely it wasn't because they were dissatisfied with his performance. He didn't go above and beyond what they advised to catch, because that would be counterproductive. But perhaps she had just wandered this way, and ended up crossing paths with him. It could all just be coincidence. Or maybe, she was new. Maybe she needed teaching. Would they trust him already to do something like that? With this train of thought, his interest in the female was rekindled and he found himself leaning forward on his front paws, waiting for her answer. Word Count: 491 Tag(s): Sevati Muse: Okay Music: None today