* \ of knights .

    A ghostly woman stood just near the docks within La Noscea overlooking the raging ocean; each rising crest raced down into the harbor, beating down the shoreline. Didn’t seem like any ships would be leaving port soon, the sea’s had other plans and among them was inconveniencing the swordswoman. Didn’t seem to matter how much gil she offered up the sailors would hear very little of it, her words were lost to all ears – even the most greedy – cowardice reigned supreme for now. That was until a voice caught her attention just to her back and with barely a turn, a single gold eye caught sight of a slender man garbed in darkness; a boa of shadow drenched in crimson to its very ends, draped in silver chains and various other baubles of renown; so he too was honorable? Good. “ Lisheti lichkech… ” Fully turned revealing her disfigured face; ashen white crawled along her brown skin, veins and scarring marred much of her eye and brow. The lishet were a fascinating peoples and she was no different; four of her ears took the appearance of feathered dragon wings, much like the ones folded to her hips, clasping their claws just to the front of her garment to keep out of the way, whilst to her back a slender tail swayed languorously side to side; the ends splayed in beautiful feathers arrayed in pinks, purples and blues. Truly one of a kind.

     “ Ae’ir. ” Was her simplest reply, voice flat and lifeless much like the haze in her eyes, their beauty was merely aesthetic for whatever light they held… suffocated. “ Captain’s won’t take me out to sea. Is there another way? ” She wasn’t at all familiar with this side of the world, afterall, it would be best to leave it to her guide – he was being paid.

     “  ae’ir  .  “  he  would  repeat  ,  simply  ,  cementing  it  within  his  memory  ,  for  the  time  being  .  he’d  skip  the  formalities  usually  offered  at  introduction  ,  on  his  behalf  ;  as  she  didn’t  seem  like  the  type  for  small  talk  &&  meaningless  gestures  .  with   a  light  shrug  of  the  shoulder  ,  he  would  respond  ,  whilst  tucking  pipe  away  on  his  person  .  “  as  much  is  to  be  expected  ,  with  the  current  tides  .  fortunately  ,  airships  are  the  primary  means  of  travel  ,  these  days  .  people  don’t  often  embark  on  normal  shipping  vessels  unless  they  fear  the  skies  .  “

     “  ah  .  .  .  you  must  be  my  client  .  “  low  voice  would  hum  ,  smoke  curling  from  painted  lips  and  disappearing  into  the  air  above  ,  gradually  .  fingers  would  curl  around  the  handle  of  the  blade  that  rested  at  his  side  ;  lifting  it  ,  somewhat  ,  offering  visage  in  the  form  of  confirmation  that  he  was  who  he  claimed  to  be  .  this  blade  was  forged  by  her  people  ,  after  all  . . .  or  whomever  had  learned  their  long  forgotten  craft  ,  more  accurately  .  with  a  silent  breath  ,  he  would  push  himself  to  stand  ,  after  dabbing  out  the  remaining  light  of  his  smoking  utensil  ;  the  flame  flickering  ,  dully  ,  before  dying  out  completely  .

                                              Eliraine  Ruingoht  .

a  knight  hailing  from  distant  lands  ,  he  was  born  to  a  whore  mother  and  absent  father  .  despite  her  profession  ,  she  did  her  best  to  raise  him  within  her  means  ;  and  he  adored  her  for  it  .  many  of  the  beauty  tools  he  utilizes  to  this  day  were  learned  from  his  mother  ,  as  well  as  his  methods  of  general  upkeep  .  he  would  study  the  art  of  knighthood  in  his  spare  time  ,  as  a  youth  --  aspiring  to  be  something  great  ,  and  to  earn  enough  money  to  support  both  himself  ,  and  his  mother  ,  and  free  her  from  her  degrading  avenue  of  career  .

he  would  eventually  achieve  his  dreams  ,  being  granted  knighthood  and  learning  from  the  finest  swordsmen  in  his  respective  land  ;  however  ,  the  second  half  of  his  dream  would  never  be  realized  ,  due  to  his  mother  dying  rather  suddenly  ,  from  illness  .  the  loss  of  her  broke  him  ,  in  many  ways  ,  leaving  him  with  a  void  that  made  it  feel  as  if  his  life  was  without  purpose  .

that  was  until  he  was  offered  his  first  job  as  a  bodyguard  ;  serving  as  both  the  sword  and  shield  to  a  notable  noble  figure  .  his  every  waking  moment  would  be  dedicated  to  ensuring  their  preservation  ,  from  sun  up  ‘til  sun  down  . . .  and  it  was  a  relief  .  to  not  have  to  contemplate  his  own  life  ,  his  own  goals  ,  and  instead  wholly  dedicate  himself  to  another  individual  .  it  felt  right  --  and  he  felt  complete  ,  once  more  ,  finally  .  unfortunately  ,  it  was  only  a  temporary  service  ,  and  eventually  he  was  once  more  without  home  .  

now  he  ventures  ,  in  search  of  someone  with  goals  that  align  with  his  own  morality  ,  so  that  he  may  serve  them  to  the  best  of  his  abilities  .  he’s  stepped  foot  within  gridania  ,  ul’dah  ,  and  ishgard  ,  now  his  latest  ventures  lead  him  to  the  sea-bodied  lands  of  la  noscea  .  

                                                    appearance  .

eliraine  stands  at  around  six  -  foot  two  inches  ,  not  including  the  additional  height  granted  by  the  heels  he  often  dons  .  hair  is  shoulder  length  ,  ebony  in  colour  ,  and  slightly  textured  .  garb  consists  of  body  suits  ,  generally  ,  with  lavish  furs  and  silver  trinkets  adorning  them  for  the  sake  of  fashion  ,  and  warmth  ,  both  .  make  -  up  is  generally  very  striking  ,  and  accents  his  features  well  ;  a  trade  he  learned  from  his  late  mother  .  

voice  is  deep  ,  honeyed  ,  and  lightly  accented  ;  often  heard  curling  his  r’s  when  he  speaks  .  scent  consists  of  lilacs  and  vanilla  ,  and  occasionally  rich  herbal  smoke  ,  if  he’s  recently  partaken  .  

battle  style  is  centered  around  the  one  -  handed  sword  ;  his  own  ,  dubbed  morgiana  ,  is  a  steel  blade  encrusted  with  a  few  gems  ,  one  he’d  had  custom  made  during  his  first  year  of  knighthood  .  form  is  graceful  ,  consisting  more of  thrusting  and  quick  slashes  than it  is  powerful  strikes  . 

                            Alejandria ‘ Pantera ‘ Margrace .

     a  former  denizen  of  the  rozarrian  empire  ,  she  got  her  start  into  the  troubled  life  at  a  young  age  .  groomed  to  be  a  political  spy  ,  she  was  trained  and  shipped  off  to  dalmasca  with  the  task  of  getting  in  good  with  the  hierarchy  there  and  sending  back  information  to  her  home  continent  .  things  didn’t  go  quite  as  planned  as  instead  of  falling  in  with  the  royal  crowd  ,  she  was  drawn  more  to  the  street  urchins  --  or  rats  ,  as  they  liked  to  call  themselves  .

they  would  steal  from  the  wealthy  in  order  to  provide  for  themselves  as  well  as  the  other  poor  children  &&  teenagers  that  called  the  sewers  their  home  ,  in  rabanastre  .  during  this  stint  ,  alejandria  would  have  numerous  run  ins  with  the  authorities  ,  spending  many  days  and  nights  behind  bars  for  theft  ,  assault  ,  and  all  other  manner  of  bad  dealings  .  eventually  she  would  graduate  from  petty  thievery  and  establish  a  gang  of  sort  ,  dubbed  ‘  Las  Panteras  ‘  ,  or  ‘  The  Panthers  ‘  .

they  were  a  family  first  ,  and  a  unit  second  .  they  would  eventually  leave  the  sewers  of  rabanastre  behind  and  call  the  sands  littering  the  outside  of  the  establishment  their  home  ,  setting  up  numerous  camps  and  tunnel  systems  in  order  to  navigate  the  deadly  dunes  with  minimal  effort  .  alejandria  would  ,  through  time  ,  turn  them  into  quite  the  rebel  force  ,  giving  life  to  merchants  ,  sell  swords  ,  and  of  course  ,  thieves  ,  the  same  ,  all  with  the  intentions  of  continuing  to  build  and  thrive  .

eventually  things  would  get  too  hot  for  them  in  dalmasca  --  legally  --  and  they  would  seek  to  relocate  elsewhere  ,  with  more  lax  rules  .  this  is  where  eorzea  comes  into  the  picture  ,  specifically  ul’dah  ,  a  city  -  state  that  seemed  as  if  it  were  made  specifically  with  them  and  their  professions  in  mind  .  it  was  like  taking  candy  from  a  baby  ,  how  easily  they  adjusted  ,  thriving  in  this  new  land  ,  and  economy  .  not  the  type  to  sit  back  and  watch  all  of  her  comrades  do  all  of  the  work  ,  alejandria  has  taken  to  participating  in  the  bloodsands  ,  using  her  tried  and  true  practice  of  brawn  over  everything  ,  she  has  excelled  in  her  newly  found  profession  ,  thus  far  ,  establishing  a  name  for  herself  in  the  process  ,  in  these  new  lands  .

her  appearance  is  tall  ,   with  tanned  skin  and  well  trained  muscles  .  she  sports  lengthy  ,  slightly  textured  ebony  hair  ,  and  face  bears  a  few  beauty  marks  .  lips  are  full  ,  the  top  of  which  being  painted  black  ,  per  her  native  culture  .  clothing  generally  consists  of  blacks  ,  golds  ,  and  reds  ,  sometimes  loose  fitting  ,  others  form  fitting  ,  wholly  depending  on  her  intentions  .  

combat  style  is  centered  around  her  prized  greatsword  ,  the  first  real  item  of  value  she  and  her  crew  managed  to  pilfer  ,  all  of  those  years  back  --  a  towering  blade  dubbed  “  save  the  queen  “  .  though  skilled  ,  she  is  entirely  self  taught  ,  when  it  comes  to  combat  ,  so  her  manner  of  fighting  is  more  brutish  and  centered  around  quickly  overpowering  her  opponent  than  it  is  being  graceful  and  tactical  .

scent  consists  of  sandalwood  and  lavender  .  voice  is  slightly  deep  ,  honeyed  ,  and  thickly  accented  .  mannerisms  are  strong  ,  stalwart  ,  and  commanding  of  respect  ,  generally  ,  though  once  close  she  is  considerably  more  lax  ,  treating  everyone  like  family  ,  mainly  in  part  due  to  her  lack  of  a  real  one  .

                                                    Hooks  :

for  hire  :  las  panteras  are  available  for  hire  for  several  different  kinds  of  jobs  .  ranging  from  heists  ,  to  security  work  ,  and  all  other  avenues  of  profitable  ventures  ,  just  approach  her  with  a  price  ready  and  things  can  be  ironed  out  .

bloodsands  :  be  it  an  opponent  or  a  fan  ,  alejandria  enjoys  conversing  with  those  that  share  an  interest  or  passion  in  /  for  her  chosen  profession  .  

                       “ He–OAF! ”

     PLAP! Right into the dirt fell the small Thosok, dust kicking up with bits of pebbles flinging this way and that with the strangers’ supplies scrawled along the ground. She was tempted to put all the blame on this mysterious klutzy jerk, but such wasn’t very true… after all, Uso made it a point to stand there and scold the large man for not side-stepping and it seems he hadn’t heard her because here they were. “ You lug, you can’t–EEK! WHAT’ER YOU–?! ” He didn’t even wait for her to finish bitching, up she went with her small arm yanked into the air and back onto her heeled feet, even more startled when he started dusting off her hips, thighs and backside – though his intent was innocent, it sure got a lot of weird looks from those passing. This was just so weird?! She’d normally fuss up a storm about being groped up by some random boar man, but, the look on his face? How could she? Seems he genuinely believed everything was fine, so… it was difficult to get snappy. Oh well.

     “ Okay, so first off – don’t touch my butt. That’s rude. Secondly – uh… well, guess there is no second. Just don’t touch me up like that again! ” How embarrassing! And boy did it show because her entire body had bits of blushing red much like her face, violet ears pinned so far back they disappeared within her messy tresses, the bow large and fluffy, in full view. Finishing off his earlier attempts to clean her up; hands patting down her freckled thighs and grasping for the flap of her one-piece, giving a hard whip flinging any remaining debris to the wind. “ … you said Zero? Huh, my name’s Uso. Say… what’er you carrying around, anyway? ” Her nose wiggled curiously. 

    a  blink  .  then  another  .  thrice  .  with  a  hearty  laugh  ,  he  would  cross  his  arms  over  his  chest  and  allocate  her  the  task  of  clearing  the  remaining  debris  from  her  person  .  “  believe  me  ,  i  wasn’t  intending  on  it  .  you’re  not  even  my  type  !  “  with  a  cant  of  his  head  to  the  side  ,  fingers  would  knead  at  tender  muscle  in  his  shoulder  ,  as  he  observed  the  other  .  she  was  . . .  quite  antsy  ,  from  first  glance  .  with  a  shrug  of  his  shoulders  ,  he  would  answer  ,  honestly  .  “  all  of  my  travelling  belongings  !  i’m  actually  on  my  way  to  a  mage  that  possesses  the  ability  to  seal  them  within  a  scroll  ,  that  can  be  utilized  whenever  i  need  an  individual  item  .  cool  ,  huh  ?!  “

     crash  .  “  oops  ,  sorry  !  “  deep  voice  would  exclaim  ,  sheepishly  ;  clawed  fingers  sifting  through  ivory  locks  before  rubbing  the  nape  of  his  neck  in  embarrassment  .  he  hadn’t  been  watching  where  he  was  going  while  carrying  numerous  heavy  boxes  full  of  his  wares  ,  and  had  bumped  into  a  smaller  individual  ,  carelessly  .  he’d  move  to  quickly  restack  his  wares  ,  before  offering  a  helping  hand  to  them  ,  lips  curling  upward  into  a  comfortable  ,  apologetic  smile  .

     how  interesting  they  looked  .  with  a  brief  wave  ,  the  tyrfiin  would  venture  over  ,  hands  on  hips  as  he  introduced  himself  ,  eagerly  .  “  hey  !  the  name’s  zero  --  what  about  you  ?  “  arm  would  extend  ,  hand  offered  in  greeting  as  he  admired  the  other’s  genetic  makeup  .  fuschia  coloured  skin  ,  horns  more  stout  than  his  own  ,  and  impressive  ,  near  impossible  stature  in  terms  of  height  .  how  cool  was  she  ?

                                                 Zero Lumens.

     the  tyrfiin  are  an  endangered  ,  but  incredibly  long  lived  ,  bovine  -  esque  race  native  to  the  plains  of  la  noscea  .  they  generally  bear  long  manes  of  hair  ,  a  set  of  horns  ,  and  soft  ,  rear  facing  ears  that  are  extremely  sensitive  to  sound  &&  touch  .  they  have  extraordinary  strength  for  humanoid  creatures  ,  and  thus  the  ones  who  venture  outside  of  their  tribal  structures  are  generally  known  for  taking  up  intensive  manual  labour  avenues  of  work  .  they  are  extremely  fond  of  alcoholic  beverages  .

zero  is  rather  young  by  tyrfiin  standards  ,  aged  at  around  twenty  -  eight  years  old  .  he  decided  to  venture  away  from  his  tribe  rather  recently  ,  in  favour  of  living  the  vagrant  lifestyle  &&  becoming  a  world  -  renowned  sky  pirate  .  he  is  still  highly  unused  to  the  custom  of  exchanging  currency  for  wares  ,  as  he  comes  from  a  tribe  that  still  utilizes  the  barter  system  ,  so  it  is  not  uncommon  for  him  to  get  into  trouble  for  trying  to  exchange  items  for  services  ,  after  utilizing  them  .

he  is  also  incredibly  fond  of  nature  ,  often  waking  up  before  the  crack  of  dawn  to  go  on  nature  walks  and  /  or  exercise  .  fishing  is  a  favourite  pass  time  of  his  ,  although  due  to  his  being  horrible  at  cooking  ,  he  never  keeps  what  he  catches  .  

he  has  a  rather  bright  ,  up  -  beat  personality  ,  always  preferring  to  look  on  the  brighter  side  of  things  and  encouraging  others  to  do  the  same  .  his  voice  is  deep  ,  smooth  ,  almost  honeyed  in  nature  .  body  is  muscular  ,  toned  ,  and  complexion  is  dark  ,  by  lominsan  standards  .  he  bears  a  head  of  long  ,  feathered  ,  ivory  hair  &&  matching  ears  .  horns  are  short  ,  but  tough  ,  and  eyes  are  golden  and  vibrant  like  the  sun  . 

zero  can  often  be  found  frequenting  pubs  /  taverns  ,  seeking  out  local  work  (  no  matter  the  contents  of  such  ,  so  long  as  it  isn’t  nefarious  in  nature  .  )  .

                                                          hooks  :

      for  hire  .  :  :  zero  is  always  looking  to  take  up  oddjobs  to  fund  his  eventual  airship  purchase  and  his  everyday  living  expenses  .

     old  friend  .  :  :  being  well  adventured  ,  it’s  not  uncommon  for  him  to  run  into  previous  acquaintances  ,  often  .

     weaponry  .  :  :  with  his  preferred  choice  in  weapon  being  the  seemingly  highly  uncommon  greathammer  ,  he  is  always  looking  for  improvements  to  his  arsenal  ,  be  it  ways  to  strengthen  his  weapon  ,  a  better  weapon  ,  or  magicks  that  can  assist  .

                                                  more  to  come  .

                                   appearance  references  below  .

                                                      Control  .  

control  is  something  especially  important  to  felias  ,  and  he  will  do  all  that  he  can  within  his  power  to  maintain  it  ,  even  when  it  comes  to  those  with  authoritative  superiority  over  him  .  he  feels  ,  inwardly  ,  that  a  lack  of  control  is  akin  to  vulnerability  ,  and  vulnerability  akin  to  weakness  ;  a  poor  thought  process  inherited  from  his  youth  ,  and  one  he  still struggles  with  ,  to  this  day  .  it’s  incredibly  difficult  for  him  to  follow  the  lead  of  someone  else  ,  and  to  render  his  emotions  visible  ,  as  well  ,  thus  making  growing  close  to  him  particularly  difficult  ,  the  same  .

     “ Felias is just a naïve young boy, he see’s only the value of this… written knowledge and other things he deems as important. But really? He’s just terrified of feeling the all engulfing love of a woman. A true, loving and skillful woman~ Has his father not taught him this? What a shame. I don’t mind teaching him, if he wasn’t so stubborn. OH HO HO! ”

     Oh no, yet again he stood below with a searing glare, much like a stern father vehemently demanding her below and remain civilized. How boring. Who was he to say what was normal and not? Besides, most of the people seemed indifferent to her antics, of course indifferent in Venus’ terms was being blatantly stared at with passive aggressive remarks in attempts to correct her. Lucky she hadn’t attracted the attention of the knights, though who knew for how long, “ aww… you’re always raining on parades, did you know that? What if I like it up here? ” Twisting around with one hand and clawed foot dug into the side of the building, hanging the other two free before grinning wide, smoothly purring “ why don’t you come up here and make me— ” she all but went silent and straightened her expression, eyeballing a hume that was just off to the side of the duo, listening in, lewding staring upon the glorious bottom of her highness.

    “ My lady, so fair and beautiful are thee. ” Dramatically he reaches arms high, elegantly stroking his breast whilst the other pointing high to Venus, “ bold and free~ Is this scoundrel bothering you? Perhaps I could shoo him away? ” She, herself, did nothing but watch with a quizzical expression; what made him think to flirt with her? He was ugly, a human and… so very disrespectful speaking of Felias in such a way, “ … . ” Immediately red-violet eyes danced back to her true object of obsession, “ well? Are you going to do your duties or force me to… reprimand him? ” Surely he’d disagree with her methods of punishment: Loyaian were far too violent and cruel, morbid even, that would most certainly land her a wanted criminal by the moral standards of villages and cities. That was one thing she did miss about home: the respectful address of all clans, the climate and most importantly; her Kisses~ Hopefully she wasn’t too lonely.

    Just as he was preoccupied with the human male that was still beside himself in gaining Venus’ attention, frustrated that the both of them were completely ignoring his existence. Pursing her lips tightly hoping to hide away an excited grin, patiently waiting for her viera companion to scare him off before she took flight herself right over the shingles that had been holding her by mere threads. Powerful legs propelled her from rooftop to rooftop, skillfully diving over ledges to hopefully lose Felias in the many alleys and crowds – not that she’d go into them but at least could use their disgusting scent to mask herself. There was very little time to waste, the Everstone was surely here and who knew for how long? If the energies were absorbed she’d lose the scent and be left to interrogate person after person, ugh, what a nightmare.

     Unless they were corrupted and started destroying things, that probably makes it simple too. 

     “  if  raining  on  parades  is  what  you  dub  behaving  rationally  and  not  sticking  out  like  a  sore  thumb  upon  foreign  soil  ,  then  it  is  a  title  i’d  bear  proudly  .  “  he  would  murmur  lowly  in  response  ,  wistful  sigh  caressing  his  lips  as  he  ran  gloved  fingers  through  ebony  locks  .  he  wouldn’t  play  her  games  ,  and  as  such  he’d  refused  to  join  her  in  leaping  from  rooftop  to  rooftop  in  search  of  whatever  thrills  she  could  possibly  desire  .  no  ,  instead  ,  he  would  be  tasked  with  ridding  himself  of  the  company  of  this  newly  -  found  vermin  .

from  where  and  when  his  jagged  lance  had  appeared  was  a  mystery  of  little  import  --  what  mattered  was  the  man  that  was  at the  other  end  of  it  ,  quivering  helplessly  like  a  mewling  babe  .  frown  marred  his  lips  ,  free  hand  resting  on  hip  as  he  stared  ,  and  stared  ,  and  stared  ;  with  venom  dripping  from  his  gaze  .  “  i’ll  have  you  know  that  is  royalty  that  you  were  ogling  ,  sehr  --  royalty  i’m  tasked  with  watching  over  .  removing  your  tongue  would  be  a  justifiable  punishment  ,  should  i  so  desire  . . .  but  i’ll  merely  let  you  go  with  a  warning  .  think  not  to  even  gaze  in  her  direction  lecherously  ,  again  .  think  not  to  even  fantasize  in  our  absence  ,  lest  you  favour  the  thought  of  your  nether  region  being  hoisted  upon  a  spike  .  “

                “ Hm? ”

     One of his smaller ears flicked in the direction of Felias’ voice ranting on about his partner, golden eyes peaked through heavy lids while the rest of his body animated to life. Where had they gone again? Ah, yes, the village. He gave a quick glance around his person: leaned up against some barrels for a much needed half-snooze; two ears and one eye open but relaxed enough to knock out. Unbeknownst to Felias, however, the dreaming prince had been attempting to enter the minds of the villagers. What better way to gather information than the subconscious. “ Hm hm hm! Foolish. ” Came a groggy reply, straightening up his back so he could give a long feline stretch: claws and tails stretching high. “ Do you desire to cage a beast? Smother a lively flame? It.. is in her nature to be this way. ” Sliding down the barrel again, closing one eye out of annoyance to the sun.

    “ Even if I wanted to help you, there isn’t a thing I can do. Venus listens to my words as much as she does your own: very little if at all. I hear all Loyaian women are this way, quite irritating to be frank. ” As much as he did love his chaotic venomous flower it did leave scars on occasion, and left a headache or three in its wake. But this was also the part of her he loved the most, a wild untameable soul that demanded everything and anything, no matter how impossible. However, there was… ONE thing that irked him. “ You said flirtatious? Ah, it was only a matter of time before she took a liking to you. After all, she has…. certain proclivities when it comes to her lustful gaze. Think nothing of it, with enough shunning she will lose interest. ” No, no there wasn’t anything he’d have to do about it. Now, on to more important matters, “ you did get a room at least for myself – yes? ” Don’t be a smartass. Don’t make him sleep outside. Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Somnus could feel the hairs stand on the back of his neck, eyeing him up. He loved Venus very, very much. But he’s not sleeping outside.

     an  annoyed  hum  would  vibrate  free  of  the  confines  of  his  chest  .  of  course  she  would  be  wed  to  a  man  who  was  equally  as  lazy  as  she  was  overbearing  .  not  only  was  he  of  no  aid  ,  but  also  had  the  gall  to  make  demands  of  him  ?  arms  would  cross  finely  over  chest  ,  a  lengthy  sigh  of  annoyance  being  given  life  before  he  would  scoff  ,  indignantly  .  “  no  ,  i  did  not  procure  you  a  room  ,  and  based  solely  upon  your  total  lack  of  usefulness  ,  i  surmise  that  was  the  correct  choice  .  enjoy  the  wildlife  ,  sehr  .  “

     “  please  ,  sehr  .  get  a  handle  on  your  wife  .  “  a  narrowing  of  the  eyes  would  signify  just  how  serious  he  was  ,  whilst  approaching  the  other  .  hands  would  rest  against  tattooed  hips  ,  nose  wrinkling  in  distaste  at the  mere  mention  of  the  lecherous  ,  troublemaking  woman  .  he  hadn’t  fancied  the  thought  of  playing  babysitter  for  all  of  his  life  ,  and  thus  he  would  task  her  partner  with  controlling  her  behaviors  .  lest  further  embarrassment  to  their  kingdom  be  made  .

      Her discretion? If that were the case he’d not be ordering her around, stalking and making certain she remained on task due to her mother. You think the least he’d do is entertain her flirting or kept his clothes half-on, but noooo, he prefers not only silence but no company at all! Impatiently clawed fingers rubbed the tip of her flat nose, waiting, waiting, waiting… Why was he taking so long? Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad scoping out the place, no doubt she would be praised for her efforts to remain aware and not goofing off. Swiftly on heel she turned around and took an effortless bound into the air, leaping over a few passersby who shrieked in surprise. So easy to startle, so how did humes dominate every aspect of their world? Ugh. Hanging from the shingles of a home one of her digitigrade legs swung up to sink large claws into the wood before pulling upwards, vanishing.

                      “ What in the world is that woman doing? ”

             “ I don’t think she should be jumping around like that. What if the children see? ”

     “ One’a them viera? Don’t look it. Still bein’ a nuisance,           thinkin’ they can just swing ‘round ‘n the like. ”

   What they said mattered little to the Aksef Princess, how could they possibly understand her brilliance? From the tallest peak on the side of a building she surveyed her new territory with a hawkish glare, unaware of the many teenagers and children surrounding her below taking in awe of not only her brazenness, but climbing skill. Each rooftop sat a small chimney or two, little weathervanes on distant farmhouses and little shacks dancing left, carrying the smell of charcoal drenched in smoke straight into her face. “ Oh mother– ” With a few swings Venus climbed to the roof and started dashing to and fro:  leaping effortlessly from windowsills, shingles and flagpoles. “ There it is again. No doubt it is here, tiny, but still here. ” The aura of the Ethereal Mother was intoxicating, like bouncing embers from the mother flame, riding waves of gray smoke dissipating into the breeze. A dark slathering hunger dripping from each fang, jaw muscles tightened in anticipation to snap into flesh drenched in crimson, a surging adrenaline that flowed and raged much like the sea. Vertical slants in her eyes constricted to near strips, a soft glowing violet filled her very gaze as she inhaled deep, “ You will not escape me this time — ”

     “ Felias, go– oh. ” Blinking a few times, a single finger caressed the bottom of her lip, rocking innocently on her thick toes. “ … I don’t remember how to get back to the Inn. Huh. ”

                    “ Oh well~ Time to adventure! ”

     making  his  lodging  arrangements  hadn’t  taken  too  long  at  all  ;  providing  the  gil  and  subsequently  being offered  room  number  and  key  ,  afterward  .  it  was  of  no  surprise  to  felias  ,  however  ,  that  once  he’d  returned  outside  of  the  establishment  ,  the  woman  he’d  been  tasked  with  tailing  had  gone  missing  ,  once  more  .  fingers  would  pinch  the  bridge  of  his  nose  ,  in  minor  annoyance  ,  as  he  surveyed  his surroundings  . . .  all  he  had  to  do  was  follow  the  trail  of  disgruntled  people  ,  surely  .  footfalls  would  guide  him  in  the  appropriate  direction  ,  a  shadowy  figure  visible  atop  rooftops  ,  in  the  distance  .  in  one  ear  and  out  the  other  ,  per  usual  ,  he’d  muse  .

“  i  think  not  .  “  he  would  huff  in  response  ,  from  below  ;  arms  folded  neatly  over  well  -  trained  chest  ,  as  he  watched  her  ,  closely  .  golden  eyes  were  alight  with  vexation  ,  beckoning  the  woman  down  to  ground  level  before  she  should  create  even  more  of  a  scene  .  speaking  of  ;  he’d  just  remembered  he  should  be  keeping  note  of  each  transgression  ,  fetching  small  black  book  from  his  person  and  jotting  down  a  few  notes  .  it  would  do  ,  for  the  time  being  ,  until  time  to  report  to  their  queen  was  upon  them  .

    As always the sour-puss in matters both personal and professional, did he really have to be so stubborn? He couldn’t honestly be that intent on getting back to their land, could he? Curiously she watched him trot along the dirt path towards said inn, pondering on the likelihood of his catching on should she try to tail it in a different direction – oh no, it would be for naught. Felias was an exceptional hunter for sure, even when she actually put effort forward it was always his arrow that struck the mark first… annoyingly. In defiance she whipped in his direction and followed casually with graceful sway of hips, decorative gems and chains jingling rhythmically to the sashaying of shapely hips, “ you can go inside and frolic with the humans, if you so desire. Me? No. You should know better than to mention it, you’re the only one who can fit inside. ” Not to mention all the intense staring coupled with harsh whispers, flickering candles and the stench of ale; putrid. No. Venus would not step into such squalor again. 

    Besides, the idea of being cornered inside such a small space kept nagging in the back of her mind, surely it would not take long for thieves and pirates to hear rumor of shattered gems, plus it wasn’t as simple as removing them from her person — it just wasn’t possible. Not right now. “ Well? Make sure you smile real cute, too, you don’t want to scare them with your coldness, mmm? You want them to see what I see: a cute, strict, mean young boy. ” It was hard to hold back the innocent grin that spread across her orchid face, fangs digging into the fullness of her plump bottom lip, “ fufufu— ”

     All the playful gusto had quickly dissipated as the duo approached the village ever closer; sounds of children laughing, gossiping wives, howling men at work, the air filled with hot breads and pies. Such a joyous atmosphere made the tall woman tense with worry: everything was too loud and the fast movements oft annoyed her nerves. How did everyone live in such a tight enclosed space? Bare clawed-toes started to lift a little lighter, steps were filled with more caution… something was off about all this. No, not the village it felt… further away? Venus quickly began losing herself to her scattered mind unaware that she’d nearly stepped in a basket of a vendor’s vegetables. “ Hey! Watch it! ”

     “  fair  enough--  if  you  wish  to  slumber  outside  like  the  wild  animals  ,  far  be  it  from  me  to  stop  you  .  “  gloved  fingers  would  brush  ivory  locks  out  of  his  face  ,  footsteps  continuing  one  after  another ,  a  frown  of  distaste  marring  his  features  in  response  to  her  choice  of  wording  .  she  was  definitely  the  offspring  of  their  queen  .  the  outskirts  of  the  village  were  within  eyesight  ,  now  .  teeming  with  life  ,  fires  burning  ,  citizens  frolicking  the  marketplace  . . .  quaint  .

“  try  to  fit  in  ,  at  least  a  little  ,  won’t  you  ?  “  he’d  bite  ,  quietly  ,  in  response  to  her  having  nearly  ruined  a  vendor’s  wares  with  her  footsteps  .  he’d  offer  recompense  in  the  form  of  shiny  gil  ,  tossing  the  circular  golden  currency  atop  wooden  stand  ,  before  fetching  one  of  the  vegetables  for  his  own  consumption  ;  lifting  ripened  tomato  to  full  lips  and  biting  into  it  ,  carelessly  ;  savouring  the  slightly  sweet  taste  with  appreciation  .  it  had  been  some  time  since  he’d  last  eaten  ,  after  all  .