CLEAN Roleplays discussion

((note-- this is all out in the wild.))

Eve spread her wings, testing the air with a quick swipe of her head before diving off the sturdy branch of a slash pine. Angling her wings upward, she rythmically beat the air until she was just high enough and--yes. A draft of warm air caught beneat her and she rose immediately. Angling her wings, she leaned into the wind and kept her altitude. Clicking her beak absentmindedly, she searched for a better place to roost and hunt from. She settled for yet another slash pine--this place was full of them--that had no leaves on the top. It was a standing deadtree with sprawling branches that would provide a good line of sight.

Settling on a branch, she opened her beak and screamed the Hawk hunting call, one she took to mean "Fear."
Fear, Fear! she called. Her careful eyes scanned for movement below. Any creature startled by her cry would squirm, and she would see it. She would dive and catch the creature before it had time to escape.

Russ silently padded through the undergrowth, until he saw a small stream up ahead. He gave a happy squeak and darted over to the water, dipping his head to lap up a few swallows. He sat back and stared at the water, admiring his reflection. He held a small paw above the water and quickly darted forward to disrupt the damp surface of the log. He watched the ripples spread out until they disappeared. After a while, he pranced away. He found a hollow log and sat in it, watching a beetle crawl across the surface. Suddenly, there was a loud cawing sound.

A hawk!

Russ squeaked in fear and desperately looked for a place to hide. There was none, so he shrunk against the log, hoping his reddish pelt would camoflauge him.

Eve's sharp eyes caught a small shiver, the tiniest tensing of muscles at the sound of her scream.

Without hesitation she leapt off the branch, angling herself in a graceful dive for a hollowed-out log not too far from her tree.

As she sped closer, her thoughts carried her sight away and she lost her angle and her purpose. She snapped her beak twice in agitation, and alighted on the hollowed log, hoping that her nearness would scare the creature that had been close to it and she could hop around and snatch it. As she landed she scraped her talons along the bark, tearing it partially to take out her frustration and partially to create a noise animals instinctively shied away from.

Russ fearfully darted away and ran towards the nearest solid object, in this case, a tree. As he ran towards it he braced himself for the scrape of the hawk's talons against his flesh.

Eve leapt into the air at the sound of tiny paws on lush grass, pivoting her wings to spin her rapidly around and toward the sound. With a strong flap of her wings she was on it. Her talons missed though, fumbling clumsily with the creature. When she finally tried to just give up she found she was on top of the creature--an ermine--staring it in the face. she clamped her talons around it but they were still clumsy and didn't take. Her eyes narrowed as she hopped again into the air, almost in slow motion, to switch talons so she could get a hold of it.

Russ twisted himself around, and, slipping out from under the hawk, he ran. To the tree, and up. He wasn't as used to climbing as some, so when he paused at a branch, he was panting. He was only a few yards off the ground, but he looked down for the hawk.

Eve opened her beak slightly and pushed the air beneath her, rising rapidly upwards with a powerful beat of her wings. She swooped forward from above the ermine, catching it under the chest and flipping it high into the air. With another wingbeat or two she had caught the creature in her right talon and swung it sideways into the other, carrying it, holding it tightly. A single claw she felt jabbed into the ermine's side, but not deeply. It would hold it still while she pounded the air with her enormous wings, trying desperately to rise to a branch and not hit the ground, where she would lose the creature for sure.

Russ squirmed in the hawk's grip, then winced when the talon dug into his side. He craned his head to see where the hawk was taking him, and he scolded himself for being caught.

Finally, she released the ermine from one talon--the one that had clawed into the creature--and alighted with a heavy thump on the tree branch. She let her wings hang as she panted, trying to catch her breath. Rising directly vertical is very difficult on a bird, especially one so large. She panted heavily, her beak open and her eyes wild, while she watched the ermine carefully. Lain over the tree branch and held with only one talon, it could easily escape, but Eve barely noticed. Her eyes scanned the creature and she pressed harder on the talon holding it. While she panted, she looked it in the eyes, tilting her head. She huffed once and clicked her beak. Give me one good reason not to eat you, now that I've finally caught you. Truth is, she was a little sadistic, and thought funny the pleas of her prey to let them go.

((I think this one is going to be a little difficult to roleplay without the animals "talking." What about you? Think we can manage it?))

((Sure, good idea.))
Russ blinked at her. Then again. "I," he paused. "I'll make a deal with you. If you let me go, I'll give you something that you want. Any kind of object. What do you say?"

Eve snorted. "Unless you can get me one of the shiny rocks that hang around the human's necks several miles away ((a diamond necklace, lol!)), I'm not interested." She leaned forward and clicked her beak just above the ermine's chest fur.

((lol :D))
"Oh, but I can!" Russ insisted quickly. "Trust me." He looked desperate, but he forced his voice not to shake. "If you tell me where the humans are, I'll find you one of the stones. And I collect lots of things, if I have a stone, I'll give it to you!"

Eyes narrowing, Eve gently lifted her talon slightly. "I will carry you to the people. I don't want to wait for you. And I will follow you. Never will you go somewhere without me. If you fail in your attempts, you are mine."
With that, she fully released the creature, watching him carefully. "If you run now, I will kill you."

Russ scuttled back a few inches and nodded. He blinked at the hawk. "Soo.." he began tersely, "if were going to be working together, can I know your name?"

Eve accepted the few inches between them. "Evelynne. And yourself?" She opened and refolded her wings, stretching absent-mindedly, turning her head away but still watching the ermine in her peripheral vision.

"I'm Russ." The ermine nervously sunk his short claws into the bark of the tree to regain his balance and looked down; it wouldn't be good if he fell. He looked back up at Eve, and after an akward moment he said, "Hello, Evelynne."

Evelynne's beak stretched in the closest a bird could come to a smirk. "Hello, Russ."

She tilted her head to the side for a second, making her puzzled thoughts obvious. "Now, what to do with you while I go hunting...?"

Russ blinked at her. "Um. You could put me in your... nest?" His ears twitched absent-mindedly.

"I don't have one... perhaps you could follow me? Or I could carry you until I find a tree too tall and steep for you to dare climb down..." She hopped next to Russ, stretching her talons. "I think I'll do that. Care to line up nicely, or will you make me stab you with my talons again?"

Russ obediently stepped forward and lined up in front of Eve. This is my chance to escape! he thought. When the hawk was gone hunting, he could somehow escape, even though he wasn't the best tree climber.

Evelynne jumped into the air and twisted, letting gravity pull her down upon the ermine and tightly wrapping her talons around it. A single stroke of her wings lifte dher into the air, and a warm draft of air caught her and spun her upwards.

Hah! Stupid creature. I'll bring him to the wolves instead. They will hold him for me while I hunt. Diamondstar owes me one, anyway.

Content, she glided forward, scanning with her eyes for the familiar "Moon Tree," a white, leaf-bare tree that the wolves centered their den around.

Russ craned his head to look up at Eve, then he looked around nervously. He saw a pale tree in the distance. The Moon Tree. He hoped Eve would turn around soon, for he didn't see any tall trees he could be kept in. He had heard about the wolves at the white tree.

"Where, if you may, are we going?" Russ said politely. After a pause, he said, "I don't see any tall trees nearby."

Eve sighed. "Mmm... I took a second look at your claws. You're able to climb down any tree. I'm taking you somewhere else." She left it there.

Within moments they had reached the white tree. Fear, Fear! she called as she transferred Russ to her right claw and landed gracefully on the topmost branch. An answering howl met her ears as she hopped down several branches, searching the ground for the nearly-always graceful movement of the Wolves.

((OMG! I just had a crazy idea! What if, just what if, the Moon Tree is where the wolves in our other roleplay eventually end up? Where they make their new home? How cool would that be?!))

((OH, good idea! That sounds awesome! :D))

Russ started shaking. Not the wolves! He again cursed himself for being caught.

((Of course, with the name of the Leaderess, Diamondstar, being a Warrior-type name, this should probably be a long time in the future. Diamondstar should be a direct decendant of your wolf, and her Beta or Second [whatever you want to call it] a decendant of mine, or the other way around. This can be REALLY cool.))

Safety, safety! was the answering reply disguised in a howl. Ah, Diamondstar. My eternal friend.

Eve clicked her beak several times as a shadow-black figure emerged from under the canopy of green trees. An average Pack of seven followed her.

In the graceful swaying movements of a formal, respectful wolf, Diamondstar spoke in the language of the Hawks as well as she could. What need you, strongest wing?

Eve huffed quitely through her nose. It was supposed to be strongest OF wing, but she knew what Diamondstar meant. She clicked her beak several times again, and, a little impaired by the Ermine in her claws, attempted Wolven. Something needs to be kept safe. ((She actually forgot the verb, "to be," but the wolves understood.))

Diamondstar cocked her head in a very bird-like movement. What?

Eve dangled the Ermine over the side of the branch she was sitting on. This.

Diamondstar's eyes immediately narrowed, but not in anger. In worry. The Pack must be hungry. Perchance she cannot control them long enough for me to hunt, and she knows it.

((The point of me using silence instead of quotations: Each creature is speaking the language of the other. Unless Russ can recognize Hawk-speech on a Wolf and Wolf-speech on a Hawk, he's not supposed to understand what's going on. Just that they're talking and all of a sudden he's dangling and the wolves' eyes are narrowing.))

((Okay! Also, these wolves could be the ancestors of our wolves. Since they have Warrior-like names, it could've been so long ago that they've adapted to other kinds of names. I like your idea too. What do you think we should do?))

Russ tried to shrink. Seeing the wolves close up was even worse. Their fangs were bared, their jaws dripping saliva. He tried to squirm away, which was hard with Eve's talons gripped around him. He stopped struggling and listened as the hawk and leader wolf spostrange other animal language.

((I like your idea best. That would explain why Tamika still gives temporary Warrior names to people she doesn't know! :D AWESOME! This will be perfect.))

Eve opened her mouth and hissed at the threatening Pack. Ears flattened and lips recovered teeth. Eve stuggled with what she wanted to say next. How...?

Keep safe, I will hunt with you.

Diamondstar nedded and translated for the Pack. Several half-huff half-moans followed, but the Pack agreed.

Eve glided down, holding the ermine up above the ground. Diamondstar came and took him by the scruff with her front teeth, securely but without hurting him. She nodded at Russ. "Stay with them. They will not harm you." She spread her long wings and bowed to Diamondstar before turning and hopping off into the air. She hovered over the Moon Tree to make sure Russ was doing as he was told.

((Yay! :D))

Russ whimpered quietly as Eve left. He closed his eyes tightly. The wolf's breath was hot on his neck, and though he wasn't hurt, those teeth made him uncofortable. He squinted his eyes open and looked around at the wolves.

Satisfied that the ermine was staying obediantly still, she soared off to find good hunting places in the vicinity. the top of a lightning-struck tree was perfect. She alighted as quietly as she could, then, Fear, Fear! went her hunting call. A quick movement in the grass lead her into a formidable dive that landed her on top of a large rabbit. She beat it over the head with her wings and snatched at it's throat with her claws, killing it. She started to de-fur the animal, and that gave her time to think. Why on earth had she ever given the ermine Russ a chance? She should have killed and de-furred him just as quickly. She would be full and the wolves untroubled. But oh, well. Too late now. And once the rabbit had filled her, she would get to hunt with the wolves. It was one of her favorite things to do. She could be nimble enough to catch on the deer's neck before any wolf, and slow it down for them or even end up killing it for herself. She daydreamed as she picked the rabbit apart.

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Diamondstar put the ermine's feet on the ground, then a paw on his tail. She let his scruff go, but kept her muzzle close. "You have no idea how hungry we are," she breathed to him in a sweet, high voice that commanded attention. "Make one move just a little too fast... and they will have to kill you." Diamondstar's stomach rumbled, and a beautiful white wolf with black tips on her ears and blind eyes whimpered. Diamondstar jerked her head up. "I'm sorry, Whispertouch. You should lead the others on a small-game hunt. Perhaps that will hold you all over until Sister Hawk comes back. She will hunt with us then." Whispertouch smiled, in her wolfen way. "I heard her call and an almost immediate crash. She will be back soon." She walked close to Diamondstar. "And besides," she whispered, "I can't go without you." Diamondstar shook her head, but leaned close to the white wolf. "If you say so, my Sister. If you say so."

Russ listened silently, trying to decipher the wolven language. He realized the white wolf with black ears was named Whispertouch, and the other wolf seemed to be leader. His attention was then turned to the other hungry wolves. A few were watching him, their eyes narrowed and jaws dripping. A reddish wolf bared it's teeth and licked it's lips, looking ready to pounce on the ermine at any moment. The wolves obviously didn't have any sympathy for Russ. He wished Eve was here.

((O.o I've made this Pack up already. How the heck did you know there was a reddish-brown wolf in it?!? His name is Quiverleaf, for his stealth. H's rather like Flint. There is: Diamondstar[f], Whispertouch[f], Singingwind[m], Quiverleaf[m], Leapingbrook[f], and Fallingsong[f].))

Eve wiped her beak on a tuft of rabbit fur and left the bones without a thought. Her daydreams of hunting with the wolvs had been so enticing, she had to get back immediately. She beat her wings desperately fast, but still well controlled, each wingbeat increasing her speed. Without realizing it, she spilled air from her wings. By the time she realized she was losing height rapidly, she realized also that she was above the Moon Tree and landing before Diamondstar, who had Russ held down with a paw. The leaderess' Second was beside her. The reddish wolf that would never bow was seriously contemplating eating Rus out of diamondstar's paw. Eve Leapt at him, hissing formidably and raising her talons in threat. He backed off and let the ermine alone.

Eve went back in front of Diamondstar ith shot little hops, bowing deeply before her. Thank you. She scratched her talons into the soil. I will hunt with you now.

"Russ? Have they harmed you?" she asked the creaure, just to be sure. The red-wolf looked very confident, and unashamed.

((HA, I didn't know that! I just made a random wolf. Wow. :D))

Russ shook his head quickly. "No," he said. "But could you explain why I'm here, Eve? I've never been that.. comfortable... around wolves." He gave a sheepish smile, which looked a bit strange on an ermine.

"I needed someone to watch you while I hunted. Diamondstar has always been my friend, and I knew she'd keep you. I also need to hunt with the wolves now. I promised. You'll have to stay with them a little while longer. They'll put you with someone trustworthy, promise."

Eve translated some of that to Diamondstar, about the ermine staying safe from the Pack.

Diamondstar said to Whispertouch, "Who is safe to hold on to the ermine while we hunt?"
"Leapingbrook," she said without hesitation.
The brown-rock-colored wolf pricked her ears at her name. "Yes?" she asked in an innocent voice. This wolf has never done anything wrong in her life...
"You need to watch the ermine while we hunt," commanded Diamondstar. "Perhaps the Hawk could carry back food for you?"
Leapingbrook didn't complain. "Sure, no problem. I won't bother him, promise."
"I know you won't," chimed in Whispertouch. Leapingbrook glowed and trotted over, laying her feet on either side of her charge. She gave Russ a kind-hearted look and gave him a little lick on the forehead, smiling at him without showing her teeth.

Russ blinked in surprise. After some hesitation, he gave a small bow of his head. This wolf seemed friendly enough. At least, until it got hungry. "I'm Russ," said the ermine, not knowing if the wolf could understand him.

Leapingbrook's brow furrowed. "Lee... hold on..." she said, trying to mimick Ermine. "Leap...Leaping...Brook. Leapingbrook." She smiled at her accomplishment, hoping that it really was one.

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Diamondstar turned a desperate look to Eve. "May we hunt now? Please?" The wolves of the Pack howled in agreement.
Eve smiled. "Sure." She used one of the nearby wolves as a launching pad, and leapt into the air, hovering over the Pack. "I'll scout ahead. You all follow Whispertouch in case she's faster than I am." Enthusiastic nods followed. Even Quiverleaf agreed. Eve struck the air with her wings and swept into the air, looking for something big. She couldn't see through the canopy, so she dove beneath the branches and wove around them, silent and deadly. Her sharp vision caught the light imprints of a deer's track and she followd them, weaving above and below branches. She knew they were far from the deer though, so she sped quickly, hoping that she would find the deer--from the weight of the imprints it seemed like it would be a young doe, but not a child--in close proximity to the waiting Pack.

"Leapingbrook," Russ repeated. He bobbed his head. "Nice name.." He spoke slowly, partly so the wolf could understand him, partly because he still wasn't sure if he should talk to a wolf. He gave a small smile.

Leapingbrook smiled and wagged her tail back and forth, glowing. "Thanks!" She laughed. "You know, the last thing I ever thought I'd do was talk to an ermine... Oh, I'm sorry. I don't mean to offend you. And please," she added, "don't look so scared of me. I have the best sef-control in all the Pack. You've got nothing to worry about!" She stopped short. Crap! That was in Wolf... "Ummm... can you understand that?" She asked in Wolf again. She'd much rather not struggle with words.

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Eve's prayer was answered. Within a few moments, she had locked on to the sight of a deer, peacefully curled up in the grass, sleeping in the sun. Eve was about to turn back when a hunting yell sounded from the thicket next to her, quiet, but enough to rouse the deer. "Fallingsong!" hissed a voice--Eve thought it was Quiverleaf's-- threateningly.
Eve alighted next to them. "It's okay, I'm here." She glared down at Diamondstar. "On your orders." Diamondstar nodded. She whined softly several orders, and the wolves fanned out around the slowly waking deer, licking their teeth in anticipation. Eve clawed her branch. This was going to be fun. She hopped, turning around, and prepared to dive at the slightest signal, her talons itching for the hunt.

"Uuuuhh.." Russ thought for a moment. "I can sort of understand that. I think." Then, "Maybe you could teach me wolf language, and I could teach you ermine language?" He hoped Leapingbrook had understood him, for he only knew one language, and that was his own ermine language. "Then we could communicate better..."

Because Leapingbrook could understand but not speak almost every language under the sun, she nodded vigorously. "I... can... know... what you... say..." she stumbled in ermine, struggling with the verbs. "...if you...um...if I..." she huffed. "I. Can. Know. What. You. Say. I can...NO... talk... good..." She shook her head in defeat.

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Ten long seconds passed. Eve was about to start getting impatient when a full-blown hunting yell sounded from her right and the wolves exploded into the clearing, the drowsy doe leaping several feet into the air before darting off. Eve dove as soon as the deer was up. The wolves gave chase with several loud yells and a single howl, their feet pounding the earth as fast as they could go, but Eve was faster. She tore through the forest, staying just above the height of the deer's back, streaking closer and closer with each wingbeat. Adrenaline flooded her system as she accidenatlly caught an unexpectted draft and soared upwards. She used the altitude to her advantage, diving out of the canopy and twisting at just the right moment to sink her talons into the deer's throat. A scream tore through her being as the claws made contact and she felt her momentum swing her around the fragile neck, effectively slitting the throat. She let go as the left-over force flung her into the air while the deer stumbled and the wolves caught up. She hovered where she'd been thrown and screamed again at the deer, the wolves' snarls ripping the air as they caught and held the thing as it died. It took her several seconds to return to her normal state of mind, but when she did she glowed with pride at the spectacular move she'd accomplished. I could never replicate that if I tried, she thought as the body laid still and the wolves started to eat.

Russ gave a chuckle. "You mean you can understand what I'm saying, even if you can't speak it? Same here. Sort of." He shook his head slightly in confusion.

Leapingbrook paused. "You understand Wolf, then?" she asked in the language, tilting her head.

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Eve swept down upon the feeding wolves. "What is there for Leapingbrook?" The wolves all stopped and froze, with no idea what to do or say. After a moment, Quiverleaf angrily wrenched a hock from a haunch and the haunch from the body. "Just take her that!" he snarled, and resumed eating. The wolves fell back to ther feast without a thought. Eve looked at the bit. It was a young doe, so it was actually kind of small and wouldn't end up being too much for her to carry. She hopped on top, dug her talons into it, and lifted off the ground. Fear, Fear! she called as she hovered in the air, awaiting Leapingbrook's howl as a landmark.

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Before Russ could answer, a loud hawk's call sounded around them. Leapingbrook tilted her head upwards and let out a beautiful soprano-toned howl, scooting her feet together so that Russ couldn't escape while she was singing. She let her song drift to an end and then looked down at the ermine, her grip loosening. "Your caretaker is on her way."

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Eve dove after the sound and, weighed down by the haunch, dropped to the ground almost like a stone when she reached the Moon Tree, managing to save herself from a crash by only a foot or so. "Trade ya." She dropped the meat and swooped over the ermine, landing lightly on his back but with a firm hold on him.
"Looks like youwere making a friend," she told him jokingly, looking down at him in a playfully taunting way.

Russ gave a sort of smile and shrugged. "Whatever." He looked back at Leapingbrook and gave a small nod to the wolf, in farewell. At least, he thought Eve was going to leave. He looked up at the hawk.

Eve widened her eyes back to normal and clicked her beak once absent-mindedly. "Now, I know where the humans live, and where they keep their things. Do you want to find a safe place to rest, or would you rather get this over with as soon as possible?" She cocked her head in a lightning-fast twitch and stared intently.

"Let's just go now," Russ said. To get this over with. The ermine shifted to a more comfortable position. "I'm ready, Eve. Let's go. Goodbye, Leapinbrook," he added.

Eve repositioned him so she wouldn't harm him and leapt into the air with Russ in her talons. Leapingbrook howled a soft farewell as she soared away, gathering air beneath her wings and riding a current of warm air. They had been above the ground for quite a long while when the tips of houses appeared in the distance. "I often see a female human with what I want around her neck. She lives directly next to the woods, on a little horse-place. I will drop you off near the house. If you can get to my jewel, then you must." She tightened her talons for emphasis, then loosened them.