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+--- Thread: Shadow Mountain And when we're bored, we play in the woods (/showthread.php?tid=42586)
And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Simmik - July 14, 2020
for @Revui
set for 7/15 just after sunrise
set for 7/15 just after sunrise
She had woken in the dark cave when before the sun had risen. She knew it was morning, though, not that it mattered; she had slept enough. She still felt all the emotional remnants from the night before, like at any moment, she might burst into tears again, but she tried push through it and make her way to her next destination. The hollow was just a day's journey through the mountains from where she was now, and she needed to be in a better state when she finally arrived there. Hopefully, a rigorous trek through the rough terrain would have her feeling less fragile; she really hated feeling like she had no control of her feelings, and the last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of her family.
By the time she reached the highest peaks of this part of the range, the sun had risen and spread its soft light across the narrow path she was following. The air was still crisp and chilly, though, which she liked. She hoped this far up, she wouldn't feel the warmth of summer like she often did in the valley below where her forest was.
The climb up had her panting, and she stopped to look around and catch her breath. It seemed she was completely alone up here, which went along with how she felt. She might have taken the time to hunt now, but she found she wasn't hungry at all. In fact, the thought of food only made her stomach hurt, like it was also sensitive from all the emotions of the night before. She could see the green of the hollow from where she was, and it made her heart race and knots of nervous energy form in her stomach. What would she find when she finally returned home?
RE: And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Revui (Ghost) - July 15, 2020
Rather than return to the valley and the pack to which he had pledged himself, Revui lingered on the mountain. He could not pull himself away from the fantasy that it was his home; for a little while, he could pretend as if he knew each contour of this mountain as if it were Moonspear, and imagine what it would be like to lord over such a place. Charon's daughters ruled there now and as proud as Revui was of his family, he was removed from them. This mountain was mighty in its own way and he felt powerful merely breathing the thin air upon it. It was better for him to burn through his excess energy here — although it left him ignorant to the dangers lurking within Ursus.
No, he was determined to conquer this mountain. He needed something to distract him from the endless routine he'd created for himself, something to shake things up. Harassing neighbours could only go so far. Plus, he was hungry for what felt like the first time in months. That powerful appetite Revui carried inside had somehow weakened after some time with the bear wolves; now, on his own and given time to figure some stuff out for himself, it had returned to him.
But he was not alone on the mountain.
He'd caught sight of something glimmering in sharp contrast to the murkwood that dominated the hillside. It was so brief that he didn't even think to stop, as if it were a mirage. It came again in his periphery and this time, the slow-brained Revui noticed the opposite: a lethargy to the shape, a sulkiness, as if they were prowling but without the heart to hunt. He began to mirror its movements. His strides were purposeful as he began his pursuit, arriving a few feet adjacent to the girl's haunches.
Revui could have announced himself. Instead he chose to do his introduction this way — trying to startle the stranger, merely to see what she would do.
RE: And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Simmik - July 15, 2020
She was stupid to think she might make it through her search without being delayed by strangers. How many times had she met strangers while out exploring before? Only then, she was happy to do so. Right now, the thought of conversing with someone just seemed kind of exhausting.
She heard him before she realized how close he was, and she tried to ignore him, hoping he would just go on his way. But she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye and whipped her head around to see him—following her? Why? This territory wasn't claimed, at least it hadn't been marked as such. So then why the strange behavior?
She finally stopped and spun around to face him.
Do you always follow strangers around? Or do you need something?She asked, raising her eyebrow and looking him over. He was bigger than she was—the warrior in her noticed that right away. She hoped he wasn't here for a fight, because she really didn't feel up to that. Maybe he just needed help or a friend or something? She could manage that probably.
RE: And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Revui (Ghost) - July 15, 2020
He followed her easily enough despite not knowing the mountain. He knew mountains, and while each one would have its own charm it felt as if he belonged here among the twisting routes and thinning air, to the point that Revui did not miss a step. He was breathing a little heavier by the time he was caught by the stranger — so accustomed to being in the valley at this point that his body wasn't so adapted to the higher altitudes — but he did not let that dissuade him. He lurked just out of her reach for a few moments, following after her until she turned to address him.
She met his presence with questions. Words. Not with teeth, as he'd anticipated. He responds with words too, sharp, mindless:
You are on my mountain.He has not made any true effort to claim this space in any traditional sense, and is still loyal to Ursus, but he feels the words deeply. They ring true for him. This mountain, the next mountain, every mountain — he wants to conquer them all. The leviathan stalks around some trees and is briefly lured out of sight by a hedgerow, then reappears very close. A shark in the water, circling for blood.
You look strong. You can stay if you can prove your strength.
There is a small window to study her, and he does so. She's healthy enough at first glance. Bulky, but not overly so, and certainly no contender to his own size. There is a tired expression on her face beyond the severity of her stare. The woman is young, and so his hope for something interesting to come from her is dwindling quickly.
RE: And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Simmik - July 18, 2020
His first words were met with a skeptical raise of an eyebrow. His mountain? Simmik was not an idiot; she knew the markers of a claimed territory and this mountain had none of them. His scent was faintly mixed with others, meaning he belonged to a pack, but that pack did not claim this mountain. Normally she would have questioned him over it without hesitation, but she wasn't feeling her normal, persistent self today. She just wanted peace to look for her family and figure her shit out, and it seemed she couldn't even have that.
She really didn't care whether she stayed or not, but a challenge to her strength tugged at her pride. Even exhausted and lost, she couldn't seem to pass up the opportunity to work off some of her angst. She straightened up and looked him over. He was larger than she was, but she had been training, and so she was confident that she could at least hold her own.
A spar then?she asked.
And after, I can pass through to get to the valley?A spar would show her strength with minimal injuries. She was too far from home and in a mostly unfamiliar place; she didn't want to be weakened by a serious injury.
RE: And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Revui (Ghost) - July 18, 2020
The woman does not seem very pleased with his assertion and for a moment he wonders if she'll refuse, then leave him to the mountain. After a moment to consider things she offers to spar. He nods — a small dip of his chin which transitions in to a lowered head snaking before his shoulders.
He will not make the first move; that honor will be her own, and for now he merely watches her, studies the shape of her body with anticipation.
If you defeat me I will let you pass.Revui claims, as if he is truly the gatekeeper here.
RE: And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Simmik - July 20, 2020
She was eager for a distraction from her current thoughts and feelings, and a spar would be good for that. She did wonder how trustworthy this man was, though. After everything with Donovan, she found herself questioning the motives of anyone she didn't know very well. Were they showing her their true side or what they thought she wanted to see? How could she ever tell for sure? Until she had an answer for that question, she was just going to assume everyone that wasn't in her inner circle had ulterior motives.
Still, she was intrigued as she slowly eyed his form. It wouldn't be easy to beat him; he was larger and probably stronger, and no amount of training could evenly match her own strength against his. She could use other skills, though, it would just make things more difficult. This led to a very important question. What if she didn't defeat him? Would she be allowed to at least leave? It was a question she should have asked, but she was too excited by the idea of a spar with someone new. Whether or not she was able to win, she would still learn something valuable, she was sure.
Her posture shifted to something less tense and more focused as she tried to decide where to start. Going for something she had been taught about bigger, stronger wolves, she launched herself forward, picking up speed as she closed whatever distance was between them. Her aim would be for one of his front legs when she finally reached him. Careful to keep her chin tucked, she attempted to grab a hold of his leg and throw her weight into him to knock him off balance. It was her hope to get him to the ground or at least discombobulated enough to try something else if he didn't budge.
RE: And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Revui (Ghost) - July 29, 2020
He was not sure if she would accept after all, or back down once the challenge was made. She sized him up carefully; the shrewd look upon her face gave his heart a familial thump, thinking she would be right at home upon Moonspear among his sisters. Maybe this stranger held the same level of training as himself? She did take on a physical stance that told him she'd been trained by someone, and then when she finally did deign to attack, she moved with precision. Not a step too many, nor with any more force than required.
She chose to set upon him head-on and he was appreciative of the maneuver—if only because it was his own style of no-holds-barred berzerking turned around upon himself—but Revui could read her too easily. There was only so much one could accomplish with this style of straight-forwardness. She was aiming for his forelimbs and he hesitated to react by a fraction of a moment, curious to see what would happen, only to sweep himself back and away from her with surprising ease. Testing her, to a point.
RE: And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Simmik - August 03, 2020
His move took her by surprise, which probably showed in the way that her wasted energy flung her across the ground, once he was no longer there to take the brunt of the force behind her hurled weight. He clearly had anticipated her move, which was frustrating, but she tried not to let that distract her from coming up with a second attack. She skidded to a stop just a foot or so from her opponent and then immediately launched herself forward again. Her hope was that she would take him by surprise; she might have been thrown off and needed to time to regain her focus, but she had forced her mind to keep thinking, calculating some way for her to gain some kind of advantage over him.
This time, she hoped to sink her teeth into the fur of his neck, followed swiftly by the rest of her weight. If successful, she would only hold his fur firmly between her teeth without causing any lasting injury, and her hope was that the rest of her weight would knock him back and allow her to use that to her advantage with her next move.
RE: And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Revui (Ghost) - August 04, 2020
The girl launched herself towards him after a brief pause. Her pale body was easy to track because of how the light caught upon it, not that he needed the assistance, as she was not backing down from the spar in any way. He could read her body easily enough; the back-and-forth of her thoughts played out in the tensing of her limbs, the twists and turns of her steps, as she tried to position herself. And when she threw herself at him he welcomed the contact.
She hit his shoulder and grappled at his fur there, her hot breath against his neck. Revui grit his teeth against the force of her body colliding with his, bracing his hindquarters, turning himself to welcome her in close; he wanted to use her own momentum against her but did not time it well enough. His arrogance cost him a second of combat. As she thrust the rest of her weight against him to try and destabilize his position, it mostly worked.
He felt himself lose balance and tried to correct the situation with a shift of his weight, but with her own position so close now, it wasn't going to be enough. Revui was knocked back and missed a step, slamming awkwardly against the dirt. He loosed a grunt of frustration and pushed against the earth, standing to face her again.
RE: And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Simmik - August 10, 2020
She could tell he was trying to turn this situation in his favor, and he might have, had he been faster. But he wasn't, and when her body collided with his, her teeth sinking into his scruff just enough to hold on firmly, he stumbled back and hit the ground. The force of the fall pulled hes flesh from her teeth and pushed her to the side.
She jumped up from the ground as quickly as she could manage, hoping to jump on top of him before he did the same, but she was too late. He was up and facing her at the same time she righted herself to face him. Again, she didn't want to pause and give him a chance to retaliate, so she immediately launched forward again, her maneuver pretty much the same, but this time she aimed for the underside of his neck. Her body was aimed for his chest as she tried to knock him back again. She hoped he wouldn't be able to get out of this hit either.
RE: And when we're bored, we play in the woods - Revui (Ghost) - August 11, 2020
He stands for a minute, likely less than that, before she's charging in for another round of attacks and he is caught off-guard by her swift and decisive change in angle. When he thinks she's repeating one style of attack, she veers down and then in, close to his chin, and then up in a maneuver that is too quick for someone as thick-set as himself; he hadn't anticipated such speed from her, and the uppercut lands an effective blow. It catches him sharply and drives his head up, teeth clicking in a grimace, and he sees stars - then, Revui is briefly destabilized and stumbles, hitting the dirt promptly. One-hit-KO.