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Post by Kaelan Avallochson on Jul 22, 2014 2:40:51 GMT
A sigh left the young man’s lips as he caught the apple for the umpteenth time. Kaelan was lying on top of a stack of boxes that needed to be taken from the deck down to the storerooms sometime soon. But at the moment they were out of the way and far enough from a majority of the Drakonrhedi that were out practicing on the deck. One or two of the Iduneus had already come by asking what he was doing and telling him to do something productive. Like they were doing something productive. They were probably just lounging about somewhere else, avoiding their duties. Kaelan tossed the apple up into the air again. He was tired and didn’t want to be practicing anything at the moment. He just wanted to sleep, but he’d tried earlier and that had just wound up with him staring at the ceiling in his room. So, he came out here and did… well, nothing really. He’d climbed onto the boxes and started tossing the apple that he’d gotten from lunch and had meant to eat it later. The dark red fruit came down again and Kaelan caught it deftly. It was still weird throwing things with his right hand, but a feeling he knew would go away soon. Give it time, he’d get used to it. One thing he’d not get used to would be his new mentor situation. Really? They just had to give him Pryfektus Donalbain. A harsh man who wanted excellence at every turn. It was exhausting trying to keep up and do everything the man wanted. His mentor drove him hard when it came to practicing and Kaelan didn’t think he’d even heard a word of praise or anything from the man’s mouth in the time that they’d known each other. Kaelan didn’t like the situation and wanted nothing more than for Larael to come back from whatever she was doing. At this rate, though, it seemed to him that his “temporary mentor” would end up being permanent. Great. So not what he wanted. But there wasn’t really anything he could do about it except take it and make the best out of it. Kaelan let out a snort and threw the apple up as hard as he could. He watched it for a moment then sent a shadow racing after it, spearing it in midair. The shadow brought it back to him and dropped it in his hand before it molded back into the shadow it was supposed to be. Kaelan examined the fruit in his hand for a moment, peering through the hole, before he bit into it. He chewed on it for a moment before his ears caught the sound of approaching footsteps. Oh please don’t be someone else coming to tell me to get up and do something.
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Post by Thalia Lai'ore on Jul 23, 2014 0:54:04 GMT
The disappearance of her mentor in the middle of their training session was anything but pleasing to the Tiro, especially in the mindset that they’d only just begun. Thalia had watched Faolan make his exit, weapons and report in hand, and had given him a moment to get out of ear’s reach before she let out a pent- up sigh. Stopping wasn’t something she wanted to do right now. Not when she was starting to actually get the hand of things. But he had had the confidence in her that she wouldn’t destroy anything and said that she could – and should – keep practicing, so on her own she did exactly that. That was, until she got bored. Things easily became rote to the girl, and in an unfortunate turn of events the magic that she was testing was doing just that. She needed to move on, but she didn’t dare try to go any bigger with the lightning she was conjuring. Not without supervision. So Thalia jumped to the next best thing; shifting. She returned the metal practice sphere to the desk across the room, knowing that the Pryfektus would have them use this room next time. A small drawer called to her, and so she placed the ball into it carefully, watching it roll about as its surroundings slid back into place. Once that was out of her way, the girl slowly changed herself into the mouse form that she had subconsciously come to accept. Everything grew around her – or so it seemed in her perspective – and she smiled a small, mouse-y smile. It was too much fun not to. And adding to the fun was Thalia’s decision to take things to the next level and go exploring. She surveyed the room for her exit route, settling on the door. As she approached it she realized that it was closed, but she didn’t mind. Even for a mouse she was on the smaller side, and with just a little bit of squishing and finagling she managed to squeeze through the small gap underneath and came out on the other side. That will certainly come in handy, she mused as her mouse form scampered down the hallway. The girl made sure to closely hug the wall so not to be stepped on, and every intersection that she passed was a daunting one. Something that would only take a human a couple of steps to cross would take her many more strides, and the risk of running into a cat was quite high. Those factors put her on high alert. Being in that mode really got her in tune with just how well she could hear things now. Conversation after conversation flitted through her big pink ears as she passed by each corridor, and they reached a crescendo as Thalia emerged onto the Deck. Many voices carried through the air, but the real kicker was the noise of the weapons. The constant pounding of fists was like a second heartbeat, and the metallic clashing of weapons brought it to the point where it was too much to bear. She slipped into a quieter corner and shifted back, breathing a sigh of relief as the noise easily died down. As she rose up onto her feet again, Thalia realized that the corner she had thought she entered was actually not one at all to a human. It was just a large pile of stacked boxes. Someone should really move these, she thought, but let the thought dissipate. One of her toes found the side of a wooden crate and curiously tapped it in the light pre-action of a kick. Not hard enough to break it, of course, but enough to see if anything fun was inside of it. Anything fun would make a cool noise. And after a disappointing silence, the Tiro could tell that it was just boring supplies. Her small escapade over with, Thalia’s eyes then drifted upwards to the tops of the boxes. There were enough of them to reach above her eye level, but not quite to hide the figure lying atop them. An arm suddenly shot up to catch something, which only peaked the girl’s interest even more. She pushed herself onto her tip-toes, fingers holding the edge of one of the boxes and eyes cresting the rim to see the culprit of the action. A knowing smile crept onto her face as Thalia recognized the figure laying a few feet away from her. In a way she found it funny. They always managed to run into each other at such random times. Never at lunch, nor at dinner. But at five in the morning and atop piles and piles of crates. In a way it fit, but it was funny nonetheless. “Well, fancy meeting you here,” she commented, stretching to place her elbows onto the crates. The action left her arms folded one on top of the other, and Thalia rested her chin on top of them, looking over at Kaelan. --- Tags: Kaelan AvallochsonNotes: I used the word finagling. You're welcome
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Post by Kaelan Avallochson on Jul 24, 2014 1:55:51 GMT
A sudden voice next to Kaelan startled him from his thoughts and distracted him from the approaching person. He looked over at the source of the voice and one side of his lips went up into a crooked smile. “Well if it isn’t Thalia. And here I thought you never want to talk to me again.” After all, last time they had met it didn’t end so pleasantly. He’d been blunt and she hadn’t reacted as well as he had hoped. Rather she’d shot down a ball some other Drakonrhedi had and said goodbye curtly. She’d probably been furious with him, but he couldn’t exactly blame her. Just as he wouldn’t have blamed her if she had decided to avoid him after that. “Glad to see that you didn’t decide to.” Kaelan looked back up to the sky, letting the lop-sided smile fall from his lips. It was a pretty day; barely a white puffy cloud interrupting the nearly endless pale blue sky. A light breeze washed over the deck every now and then in soft breaths that tugged at his clothes playfully. Kaelan could feel the rays of the sun warming his face and it could have put him to sleep if there had been enough time to. He closed his eyes and pulled in a lungful of the air, holding it for a moment before he let out silently. Opening his eyes, Kaelan brought the apple to his mouth and bit another chunk out of it. He chewed on the piece, savoring the slightly tart flavor. The young man much preferred his apples a bit sour than the sweet he often got. It was always a guessing game though when it came to apples. Never knew when one would be better than another. “So,” he said after he swallowed, turning his head to Thalia. “Are-“ A clearing of throat cut him off and Kaelan sighed as he pushed himself up, leaning on his elbow, and looked to the other side of the crates. An Iduneus stood there, eyes narrowed and her arms crossed over her chest. Kaelan could have rolled his eyes. It wasn't like he was doing something terrible, unless she counted sitting and talking to someone. “Yes, yes. I’m actually doing something.” His tone was annoyed, and he wasn’t about to hide it. Instead he gave her a somewhat irked smile and sat up fully. He then scooted around, turning his back on her and facing Thalia. “Like I was saying, are you going to join me up here so I can actually talk to you as we exchange tips on magic?” he asked purposefully. He heard the woman huff behind him and before he listened to her footsteps signaling her leaving. Oh thank the gods that worked. She probably didn’t believe me, but at least she left. Oh well. Kaelan mentally shrugged before he offered Thalia an apologetic smile. “They’ve been getting onto me for just sitting here. Anyway, are you actually going to come up here or just stand there?” He examined the apple for a moment before he bit down on it. Tags: Thalia Lai'oreInspiration: Pandora! Notes: Finagling is a fun word.
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Post by Thalia Lai'ore on Jul 24, 2014 19:58:11 GMT
The easy smile on Thalia’s face leveled off into a straighter line and she winced almost unnoticeably at Kaelan’s opening line. She could easily recall the events of their last encounter, and they weren’t ones that made her very proud of herself. He’d given her the truth outright – just like she had done for him. Except he had taken it in a decent manner. The boy in front of her hadn’t been thrilled with opening up to her – she could tell – but he’d done it, and told her everything. She’d barely scratched the surface and yet her attitude had turned like a ravage tide. It was a side of her that she hated and one that most people had never seen. She had been angry that he’d said it, yet she had no real right to be. After the fact she had really let his advice sink in, though, and had even applied it in her training session. But as she looked over at the Tiro on the boxes, Thalia knew that he didn’t know that. He must have thought that she was mad at him. As she thought about it, the girl had never really been mad at Kaelan – just at his words. She would have reacted the same way whether they came from him or a stranger. And if he had thought that he’d hurt her, she knew that he didn’t deserve that. For a moment she wondered if she should apologize. Then Kaelan spoke again, and her smile came back; she got the feeling that he had already forgiven her. “Not talk to you anymore? Oh, I’m not that easy to get rid of!” The tone in Thalia’s voice brought her joking intent to the surface, but she quickly severed it at the sound of a cough. She shifted her eyes from Kaelan to a disgruntled-looking Iduneus. Her posture gave her mood away enough, but her gaze was trained on the boy propping himself up rather than the Tiro standing next to him. Kaelan seemed to know what she wanted, because an annoyed twang entered his words as he spoke back to her. He then whirled around to face Thalia, and she suppressed the urge to raise a curious eyebrow as he let a poor excuse flow from his mouth. She almost laughed at what he came up with, but it was apparently enough for the Iduneus because the Drakonrhedi left, leaving the Tiros to slack off as they had been moments ago. Kaelan then offered her a small smile of an apology which Thalia returned with a smirk. She knew the pain of being nagged, especially by those only a rank above you. It was amazing the attitude change that seemed to come from that single promotion from a Tiro to an Iduneus. Suddenly you weren’t lowest on the totem pole and assumed that that made you all that. Most abused their ranking against those beneath them as if trying to make up for the years that they themselves had been put down. Such a ridiculous concept. Thalia made a mental note to never be like that. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” she replied with a slight huff of laughter. “Just waiting for my invitation, is all.” With that the girl hauled herself up atop the crates. She sat on the edge for a moment, looking to her feet. Sitting up here made them dangle – a feeling she kind of liked. Floors were overrated. But then Thalia returned her thoughts to Kaelan, and she spun herself around to face him, pulling her legs in criss-cross-applesauce style. “I’m guessing you’re supposed to be moving these?” --- Tags: Kaelan AvallochsonInspiration: Ordinary Day – Vanessa Carlton Notes: I'd forgotten about it for a while :3
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Post by Kaelan Avallochson on Jul 24, 2014 22:01:37 GMT
Her smile fell. She probably didn’t like being reminded of that, of getting angry and practically storming away. She could have been ashamed of it, or maybe that comment could make her angry again. But no, her smile returned a moment later and Kaelan was kind of relieved that it did. Seeing her frown, or her lips go into a line; it didn’t fit her. A smiled suited her the best, and he’d rather see her smile and be happy, than not. Kaelan could see the amusement in Thalia’s eyes as he asked her about the magic tips. A poor excuse and they both knew it. As far as he knew, she still hadn’t tried using it and still hadn’t shifted either. What tips could she give him? Nothing. He could possibly give her some advice, but who knows if it would actually be helpful or not with them having two completely different magic types: his being of shadows and stealth and hers being of electricity and chaos. Probably couldn’t get father away on the ends of the spectrum than that. As soon as the woman left, Kaelan’s apologetic smile turned into a thoughtful look. “Hm, maybe I should try harder next time,” he said after a moment, referring to her comment that it wasn’t that easy to get rid of her. He hadn’t had time to reply before that Iduneus came up to see what they were doing. He didn’t mean it though. The young man actually enjoyed her company despite all the bluntness and emotional wrecking there had already been in their short and somewhat odd relationship. For both of them to open up to each other like they had, him more than her, it was just odd and unusual. His eyes flicked from the apple in his hand to Thalia as she laughed shortly and clambered up on top of the crates and settled beside him. The girl turned sharply to face him before she crossed her legs. “I’m guessing you’re supposed to be moving these?” Kaelan’s lips parted slightly and he gave her a strange look before he cracked a grin and began to laugh. It rang out loudly, but he didn’t care. His head tilted up slightly and he closed his eyes for a brief second as he rocked back. The young man then blinked and looked at her leaning forward again. “Me?” he managed to ask between bouts of laughter. “Oh gods no.” Kaelan managed to calm himself, but the mirth was still in his eyes. “Please, like I’d actually be able to move these?” With magic maybe, but definitely not without it. Having only one arm got him out of doing some of the things that Tiros normally did, like cleaning out the drake stalls. Nearly impossible without two good hands. Besides, they’d probably not trust a Tiro his age with handling supplies just yet. No, he was just sitting here doing nothing, and that's exactly what was getting on a few of the Iduneus' nerves. To the more strict and adhering Iduneus, a lazy Tiro who wanted to relax for a few moments was a big no-no and their world would explode if they didn’t correct it in time. Kaelan thought that most of these types just liked feeling the power of authority and abused it as often as they could. The stupidity of some people. Power was not to be abused and all for fun. Responsibilities came with it and it should be handled properly. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case with most people. They liked taking advantage of their power; Kaelan didn’t want to be like them. When he went up in title and position, he’d not try to abuse it. Tags: Thalia Lai'oreInspiration: Haha nope Notes: xD Well, at least you remembered it.
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Post by Thalia Lai'ore on Jul 25, 2014 1:01:50 GMT
Thalia had known that her question was a rhetorical one, but she’d asked it anyways. It was clear that this job wasn’t made for Kaelan. Though it did make her wonder who was supposed to be doing it, and why that freaking Iduneus wasn’t hunting them down instead of pestering the Tiro about menial things. She watched as Kaelan gave her an almost - incredulous look as an answer and waited for a snide remark to accompany it. But then he broke into a grin and began to laugh. Not subtly like she’d caught him do once before, but a true laugh. He rocked back with the action, and Thalia’s eyes and smile widened slightly when she realized that he couldn’t even catch his breath to reply to her. She reveled in the noise and the way that he lit up. It really made him seem like a completely different boy. He slowly began to regain control of himself, but as Thalia searched his eyes she was glad to see that his joy was still there. Over the past week or so she had come to realize that she quite enjoyed Kaelan’s company. She didn’t talk to many other Tiros – only two or three, and even then it was normally because she had to ask them a question or something. But he always made her want to stop working, or practicing, or whatever she was doing, just to talk to him. Even though they often digressed into pretty touchy topics, the times that they didn’t always felt like a nice relief from the strictness of life. He was so easy to talk to, and she couldn’t understand why he always just made her so … happy. Huh. Thalia pulled at a strand of her hair, twirling it around her finger as she looked at the boy in front of her. The sun was bright today, without a single cloud to interfere with it, and it shone down on the two of them. Its light illuminated his features, and she found herself studying him. His striking green hair, the slight angles of his face. She then found her eyes moving downwards, and she pulled herself sheepishly away when she realized what she was doing. A bird cawed overhead, and she took the distraction more than willingly, moving her eyes directly upward to watch it fly. She kept her gaze away for a moment or two until she felt calmer inside, then chanced looking at Kaelan’s amber eyes again as she made her next comment. “I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Thalia started, a half-smile creeping onto her face as she remembered her day’s training session. “My mentor and I worked on magic today.” --- Tags: Kaelan AvallochsonInspiration: Absolutely not x.x Notes: ~
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Post by Kaelan Avallochson on Jul 25, 2014 1:54:12 GMT
As his laughter died down, the breeze picked up and played with the remnants of the sound until there was nothing left and the cacophony of the training Drakonrhedi’s voices and clanging of their weapons filled the air instead. Kaelan didn’t pay mind to them. The all too familiar noise faded, his ears barely registering it. It had gone silent between the Tiros, but he didn’t mind. It was a companionable silence. It wasn’t forced, it wasn’t awkward, it was nice, and it gave him a moment to think. Thalia had taken a strand of her blond hair and was twisting it about her fingers absentmindedly. Her green eyes were set on him, watching him. What did she see in him? A disabled young man who was struggling with his life. A young man who was trying his best to succeed when the die and fate was so against him. Perhaps a friend, someone who understood her to a degree. And what made her keep coming back and want to keep talking to him? He’d given her more than one reason to leave, to hate him, to never want to speak to him again. But it was like she didn’t care, it was like she turned a blind eye to his faults. It was like she could only see the good. Kaelan averted his gaze from her, choosing instead to look over her shoulder and past the deck’s railing to the sky beyond. That was until a shout behind him distracted him and he turned his head slightly to hear what was going on. His eyes focused on the edge of the crate he was sitting on, but his ears picked up the sound of someone cheering and laughing. They must have just beaten someone, or perhaps broken a record. It was nothing important. Well, at least not important to him. He could have turned back to Thalia, but he still felt her eyes on him, and it made him feel… awkward… embarrassed? No, he didn’t want to meet her gaze just yet. Her sudden movement, which he’d caught out of the corner of his eye, made him look back to her. She was looking up, and a small glance heavenwards told him that she was watching a bird. But Kaelan wasn’t watching it, he was watching her. Why did she make him feel… embarrassed? No, that wasn’t quite the word, but he couldn’t place it. And why did he want to see her more often? It was weird, and a thought he wasn’t used to. Since when did he want to really hang out with other people? Never, really. But… “I’ve been meaning to tell you.” Kaelan realized that she was looking at him again, but this time he held her gaze. A smile rose to her lips. “My mentor and I worked on magic today.” “Oh?” Pleased surprise flitted across his face before he smiled. “And how’d that go? Have you shifted yet?”
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Post by Thalia Lai'ore on Jul 25, 2014 2:46:01 GMT
All though Thalia’s eyes were trained skyward, she glimpsed Kaelan move in her peripheral vision. He had turned his attention from something in the distance – probably the unruly crowd doing gods-know-what – to her. She got a feeling inside of her when he did that, and wondered if he’d felt similar when she had been looking at him. Perhaps it was just the idea of being stared at that triggered such an emotion. Being judged by anyone would make someone uncomfortable, after all. But this reaction wasn’t an uncomfortable one. It was almost pleasurable, and she found herself enjoying it. Then his reply caught in her ears, and Thalia thought about his question. He seemed genuinely interested in the topic, and it made her happy that she’d brought the discussion to the table. She had thought that maybe he would be pleased that she had ventured into the new field. It was after his words to her, after all, that she had decided that she was comfortable enough to at least try it. The fact that she had a very decent tutor only aided her in the fact. Now she recalled what she’d done so far, eager to recite it to him. She just had to make sure that she didn’t get too excited. “It went all right. The magic part is still … interesting. But I did shift, albeit slowly. It’s pretty fun!” After she said it, Thalia’s mind drifted to what he would think of her animal form. She now found it fun, but her initial reaction was still fresh in her mind. A mouse; puny, weak, nosy, and alert. Those adjectives pretty much summed it up. It was a mammal that had incredible potential as a spy, but throw them in an open space and they’d probably have a heart attack. Literally. She remembered just the several feet that formed the open crossings in the corridors below deck and how treacherous that had felt. Thalia couldn’t even imagine trying to traverse the deck of the ship – so many feet to step on her, drakes to try and play with her, and other people’s animal forms. God forbid a person with a cat or bird form got bored and thought that she was just an average mouse. Thalia bit back the small amount of fear as that ran through her brain. She was just going to have to be careful and only use her other form when she was sure that either there were plenty of hiding spaces or no threats around. Her mind also drifted to what Kaelan might be. It didn’t seem like he used his animal form much nowadays for the obvious reasons, but she could be wrong. Perhaps it just wasn’t a practical one. Being a bull or an elk or something along those lines while on the ship would be more of a burden than an aid. She tried to analyze what he could be based on what she was to her form. Many things matched up, both personality-wise as well as physical ability and body build, though many other things didn’t. If it was at least partially paired to compliment your human traits, then Thalia knew he had to be something strong, and that it was most likely a predator. Not in a bulky way, but more in terms of determination. Something with patience that didn’t mind watching its target for a while before attacking. “And I’m certainly not a dog, or a bird, or a narwhal. So we were both wrong about that.” --- Tags: Kaelan AvallochsonInspiration: My tired mind Notes: nerp
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Post by Kaelan Avallochson on Jul 25, 2014 18:25:09 GMT
Kaelan was just glad that his words had indeed sunk in instead of going in one ear and coming out the other. It could have taken a day or two, or maybe just hours, but what he had said did affect her, sticking with her and she had tried. She had practiced her magic and was facing her fear. She may not ever get over it completely, but she was trying and that was all that mattered. And with time, he hope, magic would become more than just interesting for her. For him, magic was useful, a part of life, one that was bigger now than before. What would it be like to not have magic at all, or never even want it? What made Thalia so terrified of it besides the obvious? There was something more there, he knew. But he still wasn’t about to ask. Yeah, he would agree with that. Shifting was fun. Feeling the wind his fur, having a ridiculously long tail, hearing things that he couldn’t normally hear (which sometimes wasn’t that great), a completely different sense of smell and sight. Being able to pad along and no one hear him or really detect him. Or rather it had been fun. Sure, he still could shift, but it was the walking that was a problem. Being used to having four legs in his animal state and then suddenly having three threw a wrench in the system. His smooth and seamless gait was no longer smooth and seamless. Rather, now he had a weird semi-hopping gait. Kaelan hated it. Here he was with an animal form that was the epitome of sleek stealth and an almost perfect hunter, who, at the moment could not be stealthy or a hunter. Of course it would take time for him to become used to having a new gait, and then he’d really become comfortable shifting in front of other people again. But for now, it was awkward and annoying. Kaelan gave a small laugh to hide what he was feeling. “Yeah, it is pretty fun.” He brought his knees up and rested his arm across them, the apple still in his hand. “And I’m certainly not a dog, or a bird, or a narwhal. So we were both wrong about that.” He arched a brow at her. “Then what are you? A unicorn?” he joked, his head tilting to the side. He then brought the apple up and bit down on it, chewing thoughtfully as he examined her. So if Thalia wasn’t a dog, or a bird, or a narwhal, he thought with a small laugh, then what was she? She probably wasn’t a cat or something big. A fish would be just strange. What did the person who even shifted into a fish do? Just never shift? Possibly. She was a mammal probably. A smaller mammal; something slender. A deer? No, that didn’t quite fit. It could be something attentive, yet easily distractible, something that moved quickly and wasn’t that noticeable. He wasn’t quite sure what it could be, but he knew that she’d tell him in a moment and then everything would make sense about her animal. Tags: Thalia Lai'oreInspiration: ... Notes: This should not have taken as long as it did.
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Post by Thalia Lai'ore on Jul 27, 2014 23:49:19 GMT
“Yeah, it is pretty fun.” So she wasn’t the only one who thought so. Originally Thalia thought that the initial sensation she got might wear off in the future, and it wasn’t an idea that she was very fond of. The feeling of being something other than herself was hard to describe and even harder to find a word for. Finally, after searching her knowledge of the English language, the closest thing that she could come up with was unbelievable. It was still her, but at the same time it wasn’t. This Mini-Thalia was indeed a completely different being who simply shared her mind. If a cat were to see her as a human, it would see something that could easily hurt it and would most likely shy away. But in her mouse form, that same cat would see dinner. In a horrifying sort of way, the fact amazed the Tiro. Then Kaelan asked the question she knew was coming, and Thalia looked at the boy through laughing emerald eyes. Her mentor hadn’t thought her animal form to be all that funny, but he was a battle-hardened man. He’d probably seen it all. As a teen she found the fact quite comical, and wondered if the boy in front of her would too. Thinking about that sprung up another realization – Kaelan seemed to be in a pretty happy mood today. Granted, it was a laid-back-do-nothing one as well, but pleased nonetheless. She remembered the first day they’d met and compared it to now, the two of them sitting here like friends. His laziness was becoming contagious, but she decided that there wasn’t anything that she’d rather be doing than talking to him. “Hardly! Do you think I’d be here right now if I was a unicorn?” Thalia asked with a flare of mock-scorn. She accented it with a melodramatic toss of her hair over one of her shoulders. But her eyes still sung of happiness as they watched Kaelan tilt his head to the side. The gesture struck a chord inside her and brought a peculiar image to mind. It was one of a curious puppy, waiting for a pat on the head or a treat, and one word blazed through it. Cute. “I wasn’t blessed with the majesty of a mythical beast. Rather, I get to scamper around as a mouse and beg that nobody steps on me.” She felt the small blush of embarrassment rising in her cheeks, but Thalia knew that he’d have seen it before she could make any attempt at covering it up. So instead she let it show, choosing to laugh along lightly rather than regret it. --- Tags: Kaelan AvallochsonInspiration: hahaha, very funny Notes:
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Post by Kaelan Avallochson on Jul 28, 2014 15:39:22 GMT
Kaelan’s other brow went up as well as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. She was pretending her scorn. It was in her voice and in that small movement. He then rolled his eyes at her; he could see her happiness in her face though. Wait, did she just say what he thought she did? A mouse? She was a mouse? A rather amused smile lifted his lips. She was blushing, but instead of trying to hide it she gave a small embarrassed laugh. He laughed along with her. “A mouse? Question is would they even hear you from all the way down there? You may have to shout instead of beg,” Kaelan teased. The young man then shrugged. “It could have been worse. You could have been an insect or something, and then you’d really have to beg and shout to keep people from squashing you.” A mouse. Huh. It hadn’t really been what Kaelan was expecting, but now that she had said it, he could see it. A mouse, something that was loud, yet something that was small, and quiet, and not really that noticeable. But it fit. It fit her rather well. He hoped that she was pleased with it. It probably hadn’t been what she had been expecting either and if she didn’t like it, he hoped that her animal form would grow on her. When he had first shifted, Kaelan was rather happy with his animal form. Some people he knew absolutely hated theirs, but there was nothing they could really do about it except try to find the good of it and make the most of it. Kaelan set the apple down beside him before he moved so that his side was to her. He lay back, placing his hand behind his head. He could feel the rough wood digging into back of his hand but he paid it no heed. His thoughts drifted. Today was certainly a lazy day for him, something that didn’t happen that often, but he was content to just lie there and talk to Thalia. He glanced over and up at her. That was odd too. First being lazy, and then being happy just talking to a girl who he had somewhat willingly opened up to. Huh. What was with him nowadays? He still avoided a lot of people, but with her it was different. Maybe because she seemed to actually care about him unlike the rest. Maybe. But he’d really think through it later when he was alone. For now he’d pay attention to her. Tags: Thalia Lai'oreInspiration: This because it's been stuck in my head for a better part of this weekend Notes: Yeah this is bad.
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Post by Thalia Lai'ore on Jul 28, 2014 17:35:15 GMT
Thalia caught the amused smile growing on Kaelan’s face, knowing he found the idea just as entertaining as she did. Then he laughed along with her, and she felt the embarrassment she’d felt drain, replaced by a comfortable enjoyment of the situation. “So true. I’ll admit I was upset at first – I mean, who wouldn’t be? – but the little thing’s starting to grow on me.” A tingling sensation took hold of Thalia’s leg then, and she cursed her limb for falling asleep. She quickly changed positions before the pins and needles could start, pulling her legs from beneath her and putting them out in front of her. The movement left her side by side with Kaelan, and she let herself slide onto her back as well. She could feel her blonde hair spilling off the side of the crates, and leaned her head back over the edge for a moment. Her upside-down vision showed her the deck of the ship, teeming with people in the late-afternoon sun. Some were training, some simply wandering around, but one in particular caught her attention. Her emerald eyes followed a young man as he weaved his way through the other Drakonrhedi. Guessing at his age, she assumed him to be an Iduneus, with deep brown hair and piercing blue eyes. But none of that was what made her stare. The man was an archer, and he had with him what was perhaps the most beautiful bow she had ever seen in her life. The wood of the longbow itself was only the beginning of its grace, unmistakably made of yew. Anyone would know that that wood was hard to find nowadays, and Thalia wondered where he got it from. It had the signature two-tone coloring, darker on the outside and pale towards the archer. Thalia’s lips rose in a pleased half-smile when she noted the knots in the wood. He had good taste, keeping the natural characteristics of the tree. And to top it off, it was engraved. Not with gold, or inlaid with gems, but branded. Deep black swirls snaked all along the weapon from tip to tip, each ending in some sort of encrypted symbol. One strand was capped with what looked like a feather; another a star. Thalia thought back to her bow in her room, contemplating engraving it herself. He must have felt her staring because he looked over at her with an expression of mild apprehension. She tried her best to quickly ebb what he might be thinking by offering a smile and mouthing ‘I like your bow.’ He must have understood, because the Iduneus returned her gesture with a slight jerk of his chin and mouthing back ‘Thanks,’ before heading on his way again. She thought for a moment about how she wished she could talk to him about it, but the probability of even seeing him again was slim to none, so the Tiro rolled over onto her stomach and looked over to Kaelan, who seemed lost in thought. She poked him gently in the side to get his attention. “What about you? What’s your animal form?” --- Tags: Kaelan Avallochson
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Post by Kaelan Avallochson on Jul 28, 2014 18:34:16 GMT
Kaelan gave a smile as she said that her animal form was growing on her. Good. So she was actually liking it. Would she ever like using her magic though? Would that grow on her too, or just stay as something that was just interesting to her. Only time would tell for that one. Thalia moved, sticking her legs out before she lay back beside him. Kaelan looked over at her to see that she had put her head on the edge of the crate, her hair falling down its side. The sun caught her locks, making her hair a brighter gold than before. His eyes moved up to her face, sweeping over contours of her cheeks and nose. The shadows the sun cast on her skin were a pink color before they turned darker. His gaze lingered momentarily at her green eyes. The girl beside him was definitely pretty. Thinking a girl pretty wasn’t foreign to him, there’d been a few rather pretty girls in his village, but they’d all had their sights on the guys who were showing off, and a number acted like they were better than they were. Thalia didn’t act like that, and Kaelan wondered if any guy had ever wanted her attention. Maybe, but probably not. It took him a moment to realize he had been staring, and he was about to look away when the movement of her lips caught his attention. What? He leaned his head back to try to catch sight of whatever she was looking at. It wasn’t hard to decipher what it was. There was a man, an Iduneus he supposed, who said something back to her. Did he say thanks? Kaelan was sure he did. There was a longbow in the man’s hands. A rather nice one at that. One that made Kaelan wish he could try it out and see how it felt in his hands, or maybe talk to the man. The Tiro averted his eyes, moving his head so that his cheek was resting against the wood, the opposite direction of Thalia. He couldn’t do that. He could talk to the man; he couldn’t pick up the bow and feel the smoothness of the wood and the etchings under his fingers. He couldn’t shoot it. He didn’t even want to pick up his own bow that was shoved into a corner of his room. This was what he hated most. He wasn’t an archer anymore. The best he could do was stare at the others with envy and be reminded daily what he was missing out on. It hurt, and he hated it. A gentle prodding on his side brought Kaelan out of his dismal thoughts as he looked over at Thalia. She’d moved to her stomach and was looking at him expectantly. Oh. His animal form. She wanted to know what it was, and he should have seen that question coming. But he hadn’t as he thought about other things. Kaelan examined her eyes for a moment before he looked up to the blue sky above them and gave himself a small smile that didn’t last long. “Mine’s a leopard,” he replied before he looked back at her.
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Post by Thalia Lai'ore on Jul 29, 2014 1:24:28 GMT
Thalia watched as Kaelan’s eyes flitted here and there as he replied to her question. She couldn’t tell what he was feeling, but she knew he was feeling something. It seemed like he couldn’t say it while looking at her and it made her curious as to why even though a possible answer was already dancing in her mind. His disadvantage probably carried over into his other form. The physical difficulties that he’d have to adjust to in his human for were only half the battle and most people probably didn’t even consider the daunting task he had of adapting as an animal as well. But he had said before that it is fun to shift, which meant that he was taking the challenge, and she felt a growing pride in him for that. He was stronger than she’d initially thought. Most guys seemed to put on an act in public, pretending like everything was all right in order to sustain their manhood and never really dealing with the problems they had. Kaelan wasn’t like that; he just powered through, determined to keep going. Though Thalia knew that she wasn’t an expert at boy-emotions; she didn’t have much experience with them, after all. Back in her village – what used to be her home – boys held her at an interesting regard. She had caught several looking at her in an admiring way, but none ever went any further. In fact, none would even say hello. They’d just look on from afar as if she was broken glass. Something pretty when it reflected the light in a prism of rainbows, but in the end not worth the time it would take to fix it. So they all went for the girls with less baggage. But it never really bothered Thalia. Sure, it would’ve been nice if one actually liked her for more than her appearance, though she knew that if they couldn’t get over her flaws, then they just weren’t for her. Instead she looked to the future, deciding that if fate meant for her to be with someone, it would be someone who would care enough about her to help her through her problems. And the Tiro always assumed that it would be someone who was probably as broken as she was. After all, they needed to band together, right? When Kaelan looked back to Thalia, he must’ve seen the awe on her face. Her features lit up with delight, all beaming with pleasure. So he was a leopard! The idea of that was incredible; an animal that held such pride and prowess and elegance, yet could kill you with the swipe of a massive paw. And all that she could think was how much he deserved it. She couldn’t think of anyone who was more worthy of such a breathtaking beast than he was. So many people that she had met in her lifetime would brag about it, showing it off whenever possible. But it also brought a new irony to the table. Here was their odd friendship, and this was one more thing to add to the unbalanced scales. He was a large cat, her a tiny rodent. She smiled at the images that flashed through her mind of them standing side by side in their animal forms. What a sight that’d be! Her eyes searched in Kaelan’s as he looked in hers and she wondered if he’d shift for her some day. Undoubtedly he didn’t like doing it as much anymore, but he had to know that she wouldn’t judge him, didn’t he? Though they had only known each other a short time … “Of course you are!” Thalia said with a laugh, her eyes mimicking the act as they held Kaelan’s. “Are we going to need to sign a contract saying you won’t eat me?” --- Tags: Kaelan AvallochsonInspiration: Why do I even put this? Notes: Nerp
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Post by Kaelan Avallochson on Jul 30, 2014 2:00:26 GMT
The wonder in her face took him by surprise. The way it lit up her face and shone in her eyes, she was so happy about it. It was like Thalia had just found out that her animal form was a leopard, not a mouse. Or like he had just told her some amazing secret that could change the world for the better. Why was she so glad about finding out what his animal form was? He was a cat, a big cat. Nothing awe-inspiring. Sure a leopard was more than a lot of people could say. Sure a leopard was some great animal that was impressive, an animal of power and stealth. But he was just a cat; a cat that had only three legs, a cat who couldn’t even walk properly anymore. Yet he knew that that particular skill would come with time and practice. Maybe eventually he’d be that impressive animal again. Thalia laughed as she spoke, and he smiled back. Of course I am? What, does a leopard fit me that well? I’m not so sure about that anymore. He gave a mental sigh. You’re doing it again: thinking about the bad and not the good. Kaelan brushed the thoughts away to listen to Thalia and his smile widened as he genuinely laughed. “A contract? Now why would I want to eat you? You’d be too small to eat. Not worth the effort of even trying. Besides, who’d I talk to if you were gone?” Now there was a thought. Who would he actually talk to? He’d not seen Anton in ages, it was like the older Tiro just upped and disappeared, probably busy with training and whatnot, and Kaelan wasn’t about to talk about his feelings and his problems with him. Larael was gone too, working like always and Donalbain? Not a chance would Kaelan even consider going to the man to talk about feely crap. The others he knew too? No, he didn’t trust them that much. Kaelan broke eye contact with Thalia by looking back up to the blue sky. The bird Thalia had spotted earlier was still wheeling about and he watched it as its wings gave a hard downward push and soared even higher. What would it be like to fly, to not have to be stuck on the ground? Sure the Drakonborg could fly, but it wasn’t the same. There was still something solid underneath his feet, there were still rails to keep him safe; it wasn’t really a freedom like birds had. He knew that he’d find out what it was like to fly in a number of years for when he became an Iduneus he’d be able to choose a drake, and then he’d be able to fly. Right now he’d have to be satisfied with wondering about it. Tags: Thalia Lai'oreInspiration: Nope Notes: This took longer than it should have for the quality it is.
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