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Post by Ava Lynch on Jun 17, 2012 13:34:57 GMT -5
Sometimes these cuts are so much deeper then they seem
You'd rather cover up, I'd rather let them be[/left] I am in misery
There ain't nobody who can comfort me, oh yeah
The sun was beginning to set and the world was a dazzling sea of gold. On the rocks, in the leaves and especially in the sky as colourful clouds danced in wisps of pink, orange and tinges of violet. Avianna had been travelling for days from the city to the mountains, she had heard rumours of an overpopulation of deer around here. If that was the case then she had some fun tracking ahead of her in the next few days. For now she just had to set up camp for the night in a cave and get a rest before she started out in the morning.
Ava reached a small cave that she had discovered a few years ago. It was perfect for her needs. It was close to foresting so in case she needed a quick getaway she had it, and it was hidden behind a garden of scattered boulders so she rarely had intruders. And last but not least, there was a small mountain stream of drinkable water that fell close by. It provided her with water and on more than one occasion, Ava probably would have died without it. The cave itself was small, but rather flat. It had enough room for her to make a small bed of her blanket, using her satchel as a pillow, and a small place to keep her sword and bow. It was ideal for her needs. She ducked in and began to settle.
Ava changed from her thick, leather armour into a simple brown shirt and pants. She took a long drink of water and removed her shoes. When she was ready to get to sleep she decided to watch the sunset. It was the best source of entertainment aside from hunting in these parts. She climbed one of the boulders outside and sat cross legged, barefoot. It was a pretty sight, she sighed and started planning out where she would go hunting in the next few days.
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me, oh yeah[/left] And now I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna get you back |
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Post by Cernunnos Wilde on Jun 17, 2012 22:47:19 GMT -5
Cerunnos was not in a good mood.
It wasn't like the banshee was in a good mood very often. Indeed, Cernunnos spent most of his days snapping back witty retorts to the people who bothered him (and these people were many) and then sinking into a dark sulk, emerging out of it only long enough to shoot a well-aimed, snarky opinion at his dark corner before he returned to his brooding. Today, especially he was wallowing rather darkly in the deep end. He had been caught in the act of stealing from a traveling man and had to take flight...literally. Then his hunting had gone awry and then he had fallen into a pond, of all things, so by the time he returned humiliated, hungry and soaked, his feathers thoroughly ruffled...literally.
He alighted clumsily on the edge of the cave-on-the-edge-of-a-cliff that was, for now, his home, his usual poise and grace diluted by his temper. He kicked a random animal carcass off the edge of the stone ledge, not even waiting to watch it go splat! on the rocks below. He did a quick sweep of the area, checking for enemies, otherwise known as the bastards who would jump out and severe his head from his shoulders, if given the chance. Exactly what they would do with his neck wasn't specified and he had spent a few amused hours contemplating this, but had never reached a logical answer.
Grunting in distaste for the entire kingdom, Cernunnos knelt down by the charred remains of a small fire: a pit staged roughly in the center of his rocky home that served as his source for heat and light every evening. Snatching up the dried remains of weeds, Cernunnos struck flint stones against each other, creating sparks that hit the kindling and soon ignited. Not impressed by this in the slightest, the banshee warmed himself by his small fire, but then froze, his delicate nostrils quivering.
As a banshee, Cernunnos had a highly elevated sense of smell and what he sensed, wasn't right. Straightening up, he made his way to the ledge and crept around until he was peering into the entrance of the other cave. Two stolen glances were all he needed to see a girl, probably mortal and in her late teens, sitting in the cave-let below his...like she owned it. Irritated by this new development, Cernunnos scrambled back up to his own home and spreading his wings, lowered himself into the air until he appeared before the intruder, wings beating lazily to keep him suspended in the air before her.
"Terribly sorry to interrupt, but you're squatting by my cave!"
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Post by Ava Lynch on Jun 18, 2012 17:25:47 GMT -5
Avianna's eyebrows shot up like toad's tongue catching a fly, she laughed and gave a scoff of disbelief, "Oh, really? Well that makes you quite hypocritical then because you just happen to be flapping your feathered flaps from your back by my cave. I don't know about you but I'd call that even" she replied, her annoyance not quite as thick as his, but just as meaningful.
Great! she thought, Just what I needed, a pest. she gave a great stretch of her arms while saying, "And really, there are only so many caves-but practically an infinite amount of potential residents. So, it's quite possible that someone just happens to be staying in the cave below yours-isn't that true? she ended with a yawn. Quickly, she slipped down the boulder and leaned towards her cave glancing behind to see the disgruntled banshee, mostly so she could keep sight of her things. They really were all she had and she had nothing without them. Plus, if she needed them-they were only a nice, quick summoning charm away. You never really could trust anyone in these parts, especially ones that interrupted the only entertainment she had in the last three days, especially not the ones with wings.
She ran her fingers through her hair and squinted her eyes so she could see through the blinding sunset. The banshee seemed rather annoyed for some strange, most likely amusing reason. He seemed rather ruffled, physically and mentally-perhaps he'd make even better entertainment for the moment than a pitiful sunset. "So what's got your feathers in a twist?" she asked as she continued to stretch a little more to keep herself awake just a tiny bit longer. "This cannot be the first time you've encountered someone close to your cave."
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Post by Cernunnos Wilde on Jun 19, 2012 16:00:51 GMT -5
"Wings!" He snapped, dignity stinging. "They are called wings! And it's my cave!" He repeated, like a stubborn child arguing that the sky was bright purple.
On first glimpse, he had not been able to see much of his new-and-soon-to-be-no-more neighbor, but know he could see that she was nothing short of lovely. She had long, curly golden hair, blue eyes and flawless skin as weather-ridden as his. She had been lounging peacefully in full view of the sunset before she had moved and she reminded him of a goddess. In fact, if he hadn't been in such a dreadful mood, he would have found himself being attracted to her.
"Young lady," he began, in his usual condescending tone, "do you realize where you are? You're in the Outlaw Mountains, squatting in my cave in the land of criminals and outcasts: murderers, rapists, arsonists, con artists, madmen and me. Do you really think it's wise for something who's clearly as uneducated as yourself to be gallivanting around with people of that sort? Or do you get a high off of it? An adrenaline rush? Just because you're out and about doing things while Mommy and Daddy are out finding you the most boring husband in all the kingdom?"
He alighted cautiously on a nearby rock that jutted out of the cliff at the base of the smaller cave (his cave!) and gingerly let his wings hang on either side of him, partly because they were still damp and partly so he could take flight at a moment's notice if this woman, no, girl, turned out to be dangerous...although he seriously doubted that.
"Uh-huh, the last time there were people 'close to my cave', I killed them. I don't do neighbors. Noisy, and they attract people who want to kill me, even if they don't kill me first, so for the last time, get the hell out of my cave!"
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Post by Ava Lynch on Jun 19, 2012 17:40:04 GMT -5
While he ranted and whined and completely just made a fool of himself acting like a child she paused, a moment of silence then spoke, "Well." she began, amusement bubbling in her lips, "Excuse me, for not being frightened of a whining, brat with wings." she said simply,
"But, I do know where I am, and who is also here-but do know what I'm doing. So, thanks for your concern but I can handle it.", she walked towards the entrance of her cave and crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall, protective of her space.
The banshee himself was not entirely scary, even while he was so angry and annoyed and threatening. She was not leaving, not after hiking all that way. She was settled and she was staying, even if she had to fight for it. She had rested and she wasn't that tired, especially not after the pure energy of an oncoming fight. "I've met people 'round here and I ain't scared. These caves are first come, first serve. I was the first to come, I've been served, so get you're own. damn. cave." she said simply, with a sarcastic smile on her face.
Why did everyone think Ava was a city girl? Sure, she was pretty-but she never wore dresses or put barely any thought into her looks. She wore boy's clothes for heaven's sake! She hated the way she was treated, if she were a damn man people might actually respect her a little, not think she was some prissy girl that belonged in a castle somewhere surrounded by rich, completely annoying suitors. Seriously? No man had to put up with that, they were admired for their skill in battle-but it just wasn't expected with someone of her looks. Sure, if a few things had changed in her past she may as well be a noble in a castle with a wimp of a husband-but this was how she was. She stayed in the forest and in the Outlaw mountains. She killed animals for coin and food and all she wanted was a little damn recognition. "You're a bird, can't you fly and find another cave?" she asked, "I'm human, I have to climb."
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Post by Cernunnos Wilde on Jun 19, 2012 18:12:36 GMT -5
The banshee growled, his already aroused temper flaring up even more. He had been through hell and high water since he was fourteen and he didn't appreciate being told that he was whiny, never mind how whiny he might actually be.
"Don't call me that!" He growled, cursing himself for not bring his bow and quiver of arrows. He wasn't going to actually shoot her -- she was just a harmless girl with a tongue that flapped too much for her own good -- but he was not opposed to shooting an arrow inches from her left ear, just to show her about his talent with a bow.
"Oh you have, have you?" He challenged, "Well, aren't we just the little social butterfly. Oh, and 'ain't' isn't a word, Ellie Mae." He pointed out, a superior tone in his already-condescending voice, giving her the name of a blonde hillbilly girl who collected random animals, but didn't have any real use or purpose in the world.
"I'm a bird, honey, I'm a banshee!" He snarled. "Big fucking difference. And no, I cannot very well just go flapping off to find a new cave. This is my cave. I like my cave. And I'm going to stay in my cave. You're not. Capeesh?"
She was stubborn, as she stayed there and when it became apparently to Cernunnos that she wasn't going anywhere without further persuasion, he rolled his eyes and took flight to the top of his much more spacious cave. Snatching up his sword, he sheathed it at his side before grabbing his bow and slinging his quiver full of arrows over his back. In a flash, he had returned to his 'basement'.
"Let me explain something to you, Ellie Mae. This is my bow and these are my arrows. I use my bow to shoot my arrows at people and kill them. People who piss me off. Comprehende?"
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Post by Ava Lynch on Jun 19, 2012 19:33:57 GMT -5
Ava rolled her eyes, "Sorry, I didn't realize I was presence of a grammatical genius." she gasped over dramatically, placing her hand on her forehead and pretending to faint a little in sarcastic drama. "And my name isn't Ellie Mae, and I don't appreciate you calling me that. If I knew your real name I'd call you that, but obviously I don't." she rolled her eyes. Everywhere she went she was pushed around. It was time she started dropping bodies to let people get the point she didn't like it assumed she was a pushover, or someone easily threatened.
He flew back there was his weapons, Great. Now I have to defend myself. Yippie She rolled her eyes, took a few steps so her back wasn't at the wall and flicked her hand towards her own quiver of arrows and her bow-which were promptly summoned into her hands and she loaded and aimed straight at him quickly. She did not touch her sword for three reasons. One, it was useless against flying objects and Two, she couldn't shoot with it and Three, she was teased last time extensively and did not need that again. Fencing was still a deadly sport and she could and would kill people. It's just they didn't walk around telling stories about her to everyone-did they.
"Oh, look at this!" she laughed, "This is my bow that I use to shoot my arrows to kill people that piss me off." she continued to aim right at him. She had been practising with the bow everyday since she was ten years old, she could hit a full grown bansee in air no problem. "Now, unless you have something a little more persuasive, I'd suggest you find your new cave. Because this is my cave. I like my cave and I'm going to stay in my cave. You're not." she paused, smiled and simply finished with, "Capeesh?"
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Post by Cernunnos Wilde on Jun 19, 2012 19:46:26 GMT -5
Cernunnos rolled his eyes. Yeah, right. Like he was going to dignify her 'real' name by using it. Cernunnos was funny about names -- he refused to use people's given names, no matter how much they preferred them. Instead, he made up his own names for them and used them liberally, the more ridiculous and insulting, the better, unless he was feeling nice and gave the person in question a semi-decent nickname, but he still refused to use their 'real' name.
"Yeah, whatever Ellie Mae." He said, loud enough for her to hear every syllable.
He didn't miss it as she was able to pull her bow and quiver through thin air. Oh, so this was a witch he was dealing with. Well, at least that put them on even footing. He could fly and perform hairpin turns in the air to avoid her arrows...she could use magic. He could fly aware when he had had enough (and make it impossible for her to get any sleep that night, thus forcing her to move out) and she could make her toys zoom around her cave his basement. Fair enough.
"Fascinating." He commented, in monotone. "But can you do this?" And with that, he loosed his first arrow, shooting it not even an inch past her right ear. It hit the stone behind her and fell to the ground with a faint clatter.
"This is a neighborhood of one. Now get out!"
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Post by Ava Lynch on Jun 19, 2012 20:53:15 GMT -5
She rolled her eyes, fine. Let him call her Ellie Mae, the insensitive, immature, jerk... She sighed and rolled her neck a little, still trying to keep her blood running in prospect of the fight. As she turned right though when she turned to her right an arrow clicked and she turned back with a small shake of the head.
She did not want to fight, she wasn't bloodthirsty. All she wanted was to sleep in her cave in peace. But, no. This pathetic banshee she had to ruin a perfectly good night. She had gone through the forest without encountering a single beast, so she thought that she might just have had some luck. But luck obviously didn't like her because somehow she managed to get on the bad side of everything that had ever happened to her. Well, she'd just have to get him back. She now had a chance to maybe practice some magic tricks and her Archery skills.
She narrowed her eyes and quickly changed her target to his wing and shot right back at him, she could only pray it hit him though. He was well aware of her bow and able to dodge, which was too bad. She rather preferred easier targets, most people do. But if he wasn't fast enough, then she had aimed right for the base of the wing. "Come on!" she moaned, "I am not in the damn mood!" and she loaded again quickly.
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Post by Cernunnos Wilde on Jun 19, 2012 21:32:07 GMT -5
He saw the arrow coming. How could he not? He had plenty of practice dodging arrows and he pulled out of a jack-knife dive, snapping his legs and wings in to avoid the potentially lethal arrow, but he wasn't fast enough. The arrow grazed his hip as it whizzed by and he yelped out in pain, his voice much more high-pitched than his unusually high speaking voice revealed and he awkwardly stifled it and as he pulled himself up.
"Seriously Ellie Mae? That's the best you can do?" He taunted, his face smooth now, even though he had been grimacing in pain mere moments before. His hip stung, the pain coming in wave after wave, seemingly much too painful for such a small wound, but then the smaller ones always seemed to hurt more than the big ones and all Cernunnos could do was not let her see that it was affecting him.
He knew she wasn't going to leave that night, not unless he was very, very lucky and that meant that neither of them would be sleeping that night. He wouldn't be getting a second of shut-eye because he couldn't trust her to be an assassin sent to kill him...or now so severely pissed off that she wouldn't climb up during the night and finish him off herself. She wouldn't be sleeping because if Cernunnos wasn't going to get to sleep, he would make certain she wasn't going to get a wink either.
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Post by Ava Lynch on Jun 19, 2012 22:45:06 GMT -5
Yes! she thought, the feeling of a successful hit was always empowering. He tried to taught her but slowly her hunter's instinct kicked in, everything seemed to slow down and she felt adrenaline pump through her veins as she aimed again and let it fly towards him again. Instead of reloading this time she lowered her bow and ducked down, her eyes peeled at him for any movements of offensive actions.
She touched her fingers with her lips and slowly whispered a simple incantation. She felt invisible waves of pure, moving waves of energy flowing around her hand like water moving in a stream, curving over and around the palm of her hand to form a general spherical pattern. This was by far her favourite offensive spell to use, and she hadn't tried it with flying creatures yet, but there was a first time for everything.
She then hoisted back her arm, which showed that it was not quite as easy to control the energy as some witches made it seem. And threw the invisible magic like a bowling ball-but it ran like a torpedo, straight towards the feathered nuisance with the strength to knock over a wrestler. She couldn't see if it hit him because her arm ached with the throw. Usually she went for the knees, knocking the opponent off their feet, but it was much harder throwing it in the air. She flexed her shoulder and turned back towards her battle. "All I got? Oh, birdboy-you haven't seen the beginning of what I got.", she called back as she straightened up again, getting ready to take out her bow again.
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Post by Cernunnos Wilde on Jun 20, 2012 0:20:10 GMT -5
Mercifully, she lowered her bow and Cernunnos did nothing but glower at her darkly. Even though it was barely a flesh wound, it stung, but his ego stung a lot more. He had been hit by a girl, who, in his opinion, resembled a runaway princess fair too much for his own tastes. Growling curses in the ancient fae tongue under his breath, Cernunnos racked his brain on what to do to this girl. He didn't want to kill her (it seemed a shame to kill something so pretty to look at) and he didn't want to seriously injure her either, (then she really wouldn't be able to leave and he'd have to listen to her moaning in pain all night) but he couldn't get her to leave outright and --
He was interrupted with a powerful invisible ball of something came from her general direction and hit him square in the chest. He was knocked backwards in the air, his wings flapping uselessly as he plummeted down the side of the cliff. His lungs fought for air as he kicked his legs to no avail. Finally, less than ten feet from the ground, Cernunnos managed to slow himself with his wings, so when he finally hit the ground, it only mildly stung his feet and he kicked back off immediately, panting hard.
By the time he had risen to Ellie Mae's level once again, he had had enough. Swift as lightning, he knocked an arrow to his string, took careful aim and let it fly, aiming for her arm, staying up all night and listening to her moans of pain be damned. She had hurt and humiliated him, and he could not let that go unpunished.
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Post by Ava Lynch on Jun 20, 2012 0:46:18 GMT -5
Ava saw the arrow and she dodged, but like the bird himself-she was just a little slow and it sliced her left shoulder, leaving a bleeding red stripe of blood. She winced and instinctively clasped her hand over the open wound. It wasn't life threatening, but it stung like hell and was wet with her own, warm, sticky, fresh blood. The pain just made her more angry and more determined to fight back.
Ava wasn't wounded constantly, she wasn't a mercenary and she usually battled animals-not archers. Not to say she wasn't tough when it came to blood and pain, but she wasn't exactly covered in scars. Of coarse she could always heal herself magically, but she doubted she could concentrate enough to pull up the incantation, let alone recite it perfectly. Not only that but it would leave her distracted, which would give the birdboy chance to hit her again-this time maybe somewhere a little more lethal. So instead of focusing on the pain, she said a little curse in her head and moved on to her next move.
She grabbed the two arrows that the banshee had shot and held them in the palm of her hand, though it was shaking a little from adrenaline and pain-but she aimed them and used them as magical torpedoes straight towards the flying nuisance. Without checking to see if she made a direct hit, she took out her own bow once again and aimed again straight at the intruder, letting loose and reloading.
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Post by Cernunnos Wilde on Jun 24, 2012 23:08:41 GMT -5
She was using magic to send the arrows his way and he pulled himself up with one mighty surge of of his wings, snapping his legs up as the arrows whizzed past his boots. Next thing he knew, she was sending an avalanche of arrows at him, one coming dangerously close to his neck before he ducked and the other whistling past his left ear. Sick of dodging this way and that to avoid getting shot through a vital organ, Cernunnos rose into the sky and bellowed at the top of his very shrill voice.
"ENOUGH!"
As high-pitched and androgynous-sounding as he was, the banshee's voice was powerful and resonated. The voice was one of the most famous gifts of his people -- along with foretelling death, and wailing and, of course, the wings. And Cernunnos was proud of his voice, even though mortals made fun of him for it, calling him girly or effeminate.
"Stop. Shooting. At. Me." He said, no longer yelling, but still in a carrying voice as he pierced her with his turquoise-eyed stare.
Maybe if he had had a better day, or even a mediocre day, Cernunnos would have felt inclined to go on dodging arrows for a lot longer: maybe even all night. He might have even found it fun. But that day he had: been embarrassingly unsuccessful in the hunt, which meant he hadn't brought home dinner, fallen into a pond and had been caught stealing -- something he took great in never getting caught doing -- and was forced to run away bravely, and now this. He hadn't come home expecting luxury, but this was not how he had envisioned spending his evening.
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Post by Ava Lynch on Jun 24, 2012 23:50:22 GMT -5
The scream made Ava's ears ring like a gong had been pressed against them, but she didn't cover them, she just gave a little wince and ceased her firing. She hadn't heard a banshee scream like that before, though, if she had been prepared for it she might have found it a slight bit entertaining. She seemed to have gotten under his skin and for that, she felt a twitch of a smile come onto her face.
Then he asked, with a much more pleasing voice, for her to stop shooting at her. Ava paused, her breath almost a pant at the concentration she had on him, and how much she wanted to continue shooting at her. But, to avoid another caturwaul as before, she slowly lowered her bow, her eyes still narrowed as if she was aiming to shoot. "Why should I, birdboy? I got way more where that came from, I've barely just started-and I'm not stopping until I can rest in damn peace in my cave!" she called back.
Ava was still aware of the dripping from her arm. Slowly but surely, as she calmed more and more down after her flurry of arrows-the pain began to grow more and more as red liquid dripped down her arm. She winced a small amount, trying to hide the irritation it caused her. But a bolt of pain shocked her and she instinctively turned to it and clasped it with her hand, clenching her teeth in anger at not only him for shooting at her, but for herself for letting the pain get to her. "Fuck..." she murmured under her breath, trying to remember the incantation for healing flesh wounds.
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