He was twirling the wand of dragon-heartstring core again as he followed Professor O'Conner away from his woods. There was an odd feeling as he moved further away from the treeline, a tugging, like the forest itself didn't want him to leave. Stupid to think that, though; if anything, it was his tie to the pack he felt. He wasn't no goddamn Fenris Fenrir, forest sage. He was just Orca, who was sometimes someone else if need called for. Or, if he was just really bored and felt like fucking around with people. That did tend to happen a lot.
They walked by the lake, and Orca drew to a stop, unwilling to go any further from the forest and any closer to the school. He began tossing the wand in the air and catching it; this time, his dexterous lycan fingers did not fail, but instead caught the length of wood deftly each time it fell.
"So," he began, still not entirely sure what was even going on. "What is it you want, miss? I think we should keep this short. Who knows when your friend back there might want to join us." He didn't sound entirely too concerned; the lycan's mind was on other thing entirely.
Post by Professor O'Conner on Jun 17, 2012 11:28:47 GMT -5
Ashelle stopped and turned to face Orca.
"You had me fooled I must admit King Orca, but I want you to know my gut was telling me something was up. Rare is the student who plays with their wand like that," she began, indicating his spinning and tossing.
"I promise you I want nothing more than for you to have your woods unhindered and without stipulations or amendments. There are those who do not. Have you heard of the BFC? My Grand wishes me to finish what I started when I first opposed them. However, I am not sure I can alone. In fact I am not sure I can at all."
She took a deep breath and exhaled quickly. This was not how she'd wanted to broach the subject, then again she had feared she'd have to chat about it with Fenrir, so this -so far- was much preferable to that.
"I can't ask for your help, according to my friend, Marc Streampaw's clan laws. He tells me asking another wolf to risk their life for you is beyond rude, especially when first meeting. Since I do not know your rules on the matter I will stick to his and instead ask for a treaty between myself and your clan. Is this allowable in your laws? I swear I want no special treatment or favors other than what we decide is a mutually agreeable way for me to contact you when needed."
King Orca? The lycan's eyebrows shot up, but his expression turned pleased. He wasn't exactly... Well, whatever. It certainly wasn't a bad thing. The look on his face turned a bit more amused as she pointed out his bad habit of wand-spinning. Ah. Of course no student in their right mind would play with their magic-stick like that. Could go off -- bang! -- and they'd be, like, blown up, or whatever. Shit, he didn't know. He stopped tossing the wand, though, and held it steady in one hand, more a prop than anything else. Just in case, you know, someone happened to see him.
B-F-C. He'd heard of them, but he let her finish talking first. The last part made his smile disappear somewhat. Streampaw, huh? He remembered that cub; he'd been a weird one, with all these weird formalities and talk of clans and whatnot. Regrettably, Orca himself wasn't a born lycan, so he'd never really sympathized with the kid. Pretty nice guy, though, if a little noobish in the way of the world. Even after the girl had finished talking, Orca kept quiet for a minute, eyes steadily on her. The lanky male straightened, then pulled his arms over his head in a stretch.
"You know Sparky?" As far as topics went, that one was so far left field it was almost a foul, but he said it anyway. "Sparky Cobalt? Teaches Muggle Studies, or whatever. How's he doing?" He hadn't seen his -- whatever you call it -- in so long, he was feeling something almost like concern. Sure, he knew the girl's issues were important, but she'd pulled him out of his way to talk, and so they'd play by his rules. He smiled in her face, like she hadn't just opened her heart to him and practically begged for his assistance. They'd get to that later -- if he felt like it.
Post by Professor O'Conner on Jun 17, 2012 13:40:39 GMT -5
Ashelle blinked at Orca for a moment, but then quickly answered - if this was some kind of test, she didn't want to fail it miserably and have Orca decide to do his worst or anything.
"Mr. Cobalt? I was in his class long ago, quiet the unpleasant experience as I recall, a Miss Larkin ruined the class for everyone. I haven't met him again, yet. Did you want me to deliver a message? I will be glad to do so, as a token of good will."
She smiled back, a real smile, one she's discovered she possessed at the compound. If this was the new ruler of the forest Ashelle had confidence they could get along, perhaps even be friends.
Not that she was fooling herself for one moment about the dangerous situation she was in, but if she could save more than one Lycan in all of this, maybe even Orca's whole clan, it was worth the danger.
Mmm, so she hadn't seen Sparky. That wasn't really what he had wanted to hear, but he wouldn't fault her that. Not her problem that Sparky was so painfully antisocial hardly anyone ever saw him outside his classes. He tipped his head and scrubbed his fingers through his messy hair, lost momentarily in thought. "No, it's okay. Don't worry about it." There was nothing more in his tone to suggest the question had been anything more than a passing fancy, despite the disappointment he actually felt.
"I know of them BFC, yes." They were hunting him, too, but he kept that particular tidbit to himself. "What kind of treaty do you want, exactly?" Did she expect him to come like a pet dog when called to defend her? Is that what she wanted? He kept smiling, though, blue-green eyes bright like they were discussing a favorite movie rather than a potential alliance. "Tell me, Professor, I understand what the Bee-Eff-Cee wants with me and my kind, but what do they want with you?"
Post by Professor O'Conner on Jun 17, 2012 16:18:19 GMT -5
"In all honesty? I really haven't a -" For a moment Ashelle seemed to have something stuck in her throat. When her words wouldn't come out she sighed. "-I haven't a bloody clue," she finished sounded frustrated and disappointed.
"Then again I also don't understand why they'd feel the need to persecute Magical Creatures and Beings who honestly have never done wrong in the eyes of the law. The BFC was not always like this, but I won't bore you with my stories of yesteryear. I suppose they want me because in their new philosophy, anyone who takes the side of the Beings and Beasts of the forest aren't fit for anything but to share in their destruction."
She looked down at Orca's feet, worrying that he might think her frustration was just a way to skirt the issue. Looking back up at him she added;
"The facts of the matter are Marc Streampaw came to me with some very damning evidence against the BFC. I was at the time a Hunter for them, but his story the piece if the High Church's Holy Cloth he had to collaborate his story, made me change my mind about working for them, quick. Ever since they haven't been able to let me go - of course the fact that I am bent on exposing them for the genocidal maniacs they are probably isn't helping."
Post by Adolf Petersen on Jun 17, 2012 17:31:39 GMT -5
"In short, they want you because you are a traitor." Adolf said, quickly striding over to where the pair were speaking. Even back when the lord of the woods had first encountered the Hunter girl. He had no intention of interrupting them then, especially when that other friendly man had dropped by to chat about his miniature dragons. The less of a scene they made, the better. From there, he had skirted the edges of the forest, doing little more than keeping an eye on the young lord.
It was the talk of the Black Forest Church that brought him from hiding. For, once upon a time, in what seemed almost like another life entirely, Adolf had also been a hunter for the church. Yet, unlike Ashelle, his reason for abandoning the organization was truly justified, rather than an act of cowardice and betrayal. Despite his personal opposition to the church, he had no love of turncoats.
"King Orca? You certainly are moving up in the world." Adolf said, shooting a quick glance at Orca as he drew up beside him before turning his gaze back to Ashelle.
He kept listening to her, all ears even if he didn't understand most of what she said. That was fine, though; apparently he had a translator.
There was no surprise on the lycan's face as Adolf joined them. Mere friendliness appeared in Orca's Caribbean-colored eyes when his second-in-command spoke, and his head tipped to one side, considering the redheaded girl.
"Huh," was all he said aloud about the entire Church business, followed by an entertained, "right?" to Adolf regarding his apparent promotion. "I guess that makes you my goddamn royal guard then, huh?" The thought of being King Orca was obviously laughable to the young lycan. He wasn't no king, no way, no how. O'Conner couldn't exactly know, though, so he didn't blame her. She was young and not a lycan, so... Whatever.
"Let's put aside the traitor bit for now." He didn't know the girl from Adam, but Adolf had no reason to lie. "What's this 'damning evidence' you have?" He was interested, and with back-up even closer than before, he felt no qualms about speaking freely. The lycan stowed his useless wand and crossed his arms, waiting for her response with a smile, as ever, on his tanned face.
Post by Professor O'Conner on Jun 19, 2012 11:11:57 GMT -5
"More like they are the traitors," said Ashelle trying her best to hide how angry the comment had made her. Who was this Lycan to tell her she was a traitor when she was on his side for peat sake.
"When I was a Hunter, I worked for a Black Forest Church that stood up for what rights Magical Creatures have. I still believe that any Creature who obeys just and rightful laws set down for their protection and the protection of the Beings in the vicinity should be left in peace and not killed for no bloody good reason, ahem, excuse my language." Ashelle took a few deep breaths and tried again to be diplomatic. She wished aunt Ashlee was here - the older lady made it look so simple.
"They betrayed those fundamental and simple beliefs, by starting to round up and kill off Clans Like the Streampaws who's only crime was stealing and eating a couple of sheep in a time of famine. In the days of my Mother there was a clear procedure that was followed in such a case including a investigation and a evaluation of how willing the Clan was to make amends with the farmers. Marc was adamant that his Clan wished to clear up this business and that they were never given the chance to even talk to anyone."
Ashelle sighed, she didn't want to tell Marc's story for him, but he was home in the middle of wooing one of the O'Conner Forest Clan's high ranking young females and Ashelle was not at all inclined to interrupt such a scared undertaking. Marc was happier than he'd ever been here, as his friend she would not take away that happiness for all the gold in Gringotts.
"Marc told me they were smoked out of their home the adults were killed and the pups taken hostage. He said they were taken to an underground testing facility, and that he witnessed a savage potion being forced into a pup with who his group was planning an escape and he heard the tester say it didn't kill the Lycan fast enough. It was all hard for me to believe till he told me the story of his escape and handed me," Ashelle cleared her thought she seemed to be having a heard time repeating the story and was very upset about it.
"Ahem, he handed me a piece of the scared alter cloth of the High Temple. The seal was still on it, there was no mistaking it. It took me a whole minute to realize the one place Magical Creatures were forbidden to go in the Church had a underground testing facility dedicated to the destruction of Lycankind under it. It was a crazy, mad, impossible story, and yet where else could he have gotten the cloth. I felt sick. This was not the Black Forest Church I knew and respected. They were not upholding anything anymore, but their own desire to destroy the natural magical balance." Ashelle straightened up and looked Adolf in the eye.
"If it's a crime to abandon such a destructive and corrupt employment, fine. But just remember I am not just any outlaw, I am your outlaw! I am on your side for better or worse. I want the balance restored and you to have you rights as denizens of your forest home.
Post by Adolf Petersen on Jun 20, 2012 18:34:12 GMT -5
Good lord, what the hell was this girl on about? It was probably a good thing he hadn’t accused her of being a petulant child, or else she would be sitting there proclaiming that they were the petulant child instead. Rather than admit to her crime, she just seemed to get defensive and deflect the accusation right back onto the Church.
Though, if he thought this response was childish, the next bit of ranting was, if anything, even worse. Adolf grit his teeth, biting back a retort. Was she even listening to the words coming out of her mouth? Could the Hunter girl possibly believe all this bloodshed was over a couple sheep? Also, that bit about testing on lycans. Did the traitor think that all the hunters of her former organization went into battle with weapons designed to fight magical monsters that had never before been tested? No, Ashelle knew nothing. She understood nothing.
All in all, the only ‘damning evidence’ she had to provide did little more than prove that Marc had probably been to the High Church at least once. As far as accusations of genocide went, Adolf seemed to be better informed than the girl. She was being completely melodramatic, making it seem as though the Church was running about murdering every magical beast they came across. All this garbage about ‘natural magical balance’. What was a supernatural creature but something apart from any semblance of a natural balance?
“You say you don’t want our help, yet you speak of a treaty. What is the nature of this treaty you desire?” Adolf could express all his misgivings to Lord Orca later, where this girl wouldn’t be able to interject her nonsense at every juncture.
Orca stood at ease while the human talked, his sportive expression never changing. Even his teal-blue eyes remained clear, never flickering away from the Professor's face. His thoughts were a bit more chaotic, however.
Little Marc Streampaw apparently had a bigger part in this than one would think. So this cloth she spoke of was her condemning evidence against the Church? How did she know Streampaw hadn't just gotten it off of eBay, or whatever? The lycan scuffed at the dirt with one black and white shoe, thoughtful. The human finished talking, indignant and fierce at the end, a real fire in her eyes.
Orca stared at her, slightly nonplussed. It had all started because Marc's parents stole some goddamn sheep?
Yeah fuckin' right.
Lycans were goddamn animals, everyone knew that. More likely they stole some sheep and ate their shepherd, or something. Instinct was a strong thing, sometimes overpowering. It had to be something more.
Man. He felt like he was in some criminal investigation show. Next, he and Adolf would begin trading witty one-liners and would pull out their road kits, after which they'd use pencil-thin flashlights to inspect the crime. Somewhere in there, Adolf would make a particularly punny remark, during which he'd don sunglasses and The Who would blast across the lakefront.
He let Adolf speak for him, lazily looking his ROYAL GUARD's way as the older lycan rattled off a question. Wait, wait, screw royal guard. Adolf was totes his Royal Advisor. Awww yeah, bad-ass. Anyway, the question Adolf asked was exactly what Orca wanted to know himself. As far as believing the girl went, he hadn't yet decided. It was a whole lot of talk with little to no walk. As a wolf, Orca needed hard evidence before he could convict. He'd have to ask Adolf his opinion on the whole matter after this. What did he know of the Black Forest Church? It could make or break the situation, really.
Orca turned his gaze back to O'Conner, waiting patiently for her answer, smile mild.
Post by Professor O'Conner on Jun 21, 2012 11:50:32 GMT -5
Ashelle frowned, confused. She got the impression she was still not believed by the new lycan and also his attitude seemed familiar somehow. Déjà vu, thought Ashelle. At least they were getting back to business.
"I have already stated what I don't want, so I won't repeat myself. All I really was hoping for was to set up an agreed upon communication method, so I might ask your opinions on situations and actions I am considering, and also so I may warn you, or you me, should the BFC or other threat approach." Ashelle exhaled, she had always said diplomacy was hard. To her Aunt's family it seemed to come all to naturally.
"If that is unsatisfactory, then I only ask to be aloud to retreat unharmed back to the school. I won't impose on your hospitality again." She hoped between the two of them they could at the least agree to that, if not, well - nothing in this world was unsolvable with a little bravery and thought.
Post by Adolf Petersen on Jun 22, 2012 19:42:51 GMT -5
While Ashelle might have been poor at diplomacy, she would doubtless be skilled at politics if she desired. She seemed to have great amount of skill when it came to wasting a lot of time without really saying anything decisive. What was this about a communication method? The forest itself belonged to Lord Orca, what tidings could Ashelle possibly bear them that the lord could not find out sooner?
“So, if the Black Forest Church comes calling at the school, you want us to give you a hole to hide in?” After all, the best and most reliable form of communication was to deliver a message directly. So, whenever she felt threatened, all she would have to do was run along to hide with her forest friends on the pretense of bringing them tidings. Traitor and coward both. Adolf would have turned her away on that point, if the decision was left with him, yet it was up to his lord alone to conclude this meeting.
“King Orca, I see no true service this girl can provide us. She cannot be trusted and doesn’t even have enough courage to ask for help when she knows she needs it. If this is all she has to say, then I would advise sending her away.” The traitor could get what she asked for.
His eyes went from one to the other as they spoke, considering. Thinking. He'd never been a particularly thoughtful creature, but he could be, if he really wanted. Adolf looked to him as he finished speaking, obviously irritated by the human's words. Orca didn't respond right away, but let them stew for a minute in silence before he finally broke out with a wide grin. The teeth that flashed in that smile were not entirely human.
"Sorry, Miss O'Conner, but I have to agree with him. Nothing you've offered could really help, and if the Church is really after you as much as you say, even talking to you could bring them down upon us faster." He looked concerned, at that. His pack were strong and hardy folk, but some of them were so goddamn young. Even if Willow could hold her own, he wanted her as far away from the Black Forest Church torches and pitchforks as possible. He made his voice gentler. "You understand. I have to protect my family."
The lycan stood a bit taller and looked at the girl straight on. "We will not harm you, but I ask that you stay away from the woods from now on. Tell the same to Streampaw, if you see him." While he held no animosity for Marc, he didn't want him around the pack, if it meant it might call attention to them. "If you really need to talk to me, send an owl, and we can meet somewhere else. We have no treaty, and no agreement. Do you understand?"
He glanced Adolf's way at the end of that, looking distinctly amused. "As Princess Adolf said, I'd like you to leave... Unless you do have something more to offer." The lycan let that hang there, lips curled into a cat-like grin.
Post by Professor O'Conner on Jun 22, 2012 23:09:48 GMT -5
Ashelle looked at the two of them with a pleading look in her eyes. Why didn't they get what she was saying? It was a simple concept she was trying to get across to them, strength in numbers! Ashelle shook her head and would have agreed with Orca and turned to go, but just then she remembered something Aunt Ashlee had told her.
When it really counts, sometimes simple, brutal honesty is the only way to go. It seemed to Ashelle like this was one of those times.
"Ok look, I am going, but The BFC won't be beaten by brute force OR the meandering and dumb unwinding of red tape they've got wound around themselves so tightly. It's gonna take both. I need ideas, people, any help I can get to beat Bismarck at his own game. It's true, I once stood for and believed in The Black Forest Chruch. They seemed fair and just, if also brutal. And maybe I was deceived about them giving creatures fair trials, bloody hell, I've never been to one." Ashelle looked them both in the eye and shook her finger at them -albeit holding her arm very close to her body, so as not to seem threatening.
"But I will tell you guy one thing. I would never have joined up in the first place if I didn't really think they were honestly interested in keeping the balance, as well as keeping people safe. Because without balance, we wouldn't have anything." She gestured to the pristine wilderness with one hand and the castle with the other.
"Nothing! - But yeah owl will be fine, no guarantees, you got it. I'll be in touch, because the risk is worth it." Ashelle turned to go, but then stopped and turned back for a moment.
"I probably shouldn't tell anyone this, but Marc is on my family property. The forest is friendly to lycans and he has been adopted into one of the clans that live there. No one will be seeing him any time soon I'll wager. He's - yeah, anyway, till next time."
Did she really sound like Cousin Vicki when she spoke like that? She supposed she'd never be sure, as Cousin Vicki laughed when ever she spoke with such frank honesty. Or maybe that was all the proof she needed.
Teagan Offline: This board is full of nostalgia.
Aug 22, 2020 8:39:09 GMT -5
Missing the old MH: gotta say missing when MH and all that was around.
Nov 6, 2019 0:02:30 GMT -5
Willow_lazy: why tf are there 400 posts about adidas
Sept 6, 2018 17:35:57 GMT -5
Azrael: I'm not hard to find, since I'm the only one there who goes by "Azzy", I'm pretty sure. XD
Feb 10, 2018 16:44:41 GMT -5
Azrael: Dunno if anyone still pops by here from time to time, but if any of you mofos do and still feel like gettin' yo nerd on, I've been hanging around this here place a bunch recently: www.roleplayerguild.com/
Feb 10, 2018 16:44:10 GMT -5
Azrael: hold onto your pantaloons
Jul 25, 2016 5:16:43 GMT -5