Post by Sohtoh on Dec 18, 2009 1:38:31 GMT -5
Starring:
Aspen - Female Whitetail Deer
Roscoe - Male Whitetail Deer
Setting:
Deepening Woods
-------------------------------
Something has been stirred in the forest. Aspen knows not what, but there is excitement in the air. Sensing it has a feeling of renewal coursing through her veins. A fresh sensation that awakens her once tired mind and clears her troubled thoughts. Something big has happened today. Something big and good. But now, the day is over and the colors of dusk has given way to the inky black and blues of night. The silver light of a partial moon filters through the branches of trees, dimly spotlighting a few places here and there. Birds have quieted themselves, and the forest seems asleep. But there is at least one creature stirring alone in the darkness. Aspen walks quietly through the woods, moving down a slight hill upon the path through the trees. For once, Chanson is nowhere to be seen, and the doe travels alone. She's quiet, expression reserved and calm. Quite the difference from her state of being the last time she was seen.
Indeed, something big had happened that day. Something big, and something that the rather melancholy buck disliked even thinking about. Imagine, a regal creature such as himself siring a creature such as the one that Tix had given birth to not but a few hours ago, when it was still light outside. The thought was almost too much to bear, and Roscoe had all but convinced himself that Tix had been impregnated by another buck.. probably by Chanson some time before he had his time with the doe. The conclusion that he hastily jumped to had angered him much more over time, the entire 'tragedy,' as he was making it out to be, stewing within the bowels of his mind minute after minute. The reddening hue of his coat glowed faintly in the silvery moonlight as he trudged; very un-Roscoe like, though the deepening woods that evening. His head was low and still stained with the mud that he had laid in earlier, the same being said for the 'white' underbelly that was now stained dark brown. Eyes half-closed, he found himself tired once again, and didn't even bother to look around cautiously at the moment, just plopped right down in a bed of leaves that was scratchy and uncomfortable, but he stayed there anyway. This behavior of his was childish and he knew that.. but he hadn't been this upset since his father had passed. Having a deformed son was like a kick in the face for the buck.
The sudden sound of noise has Aspen pausing, body tensed with alarm. Her eyes widen, as do her nostrils, t take in every scent and sound possible as her head slowly shifts from right to left in order to get a good look at things. The muscles in her legs slightly quiver, strained to be kept utterly still, fearing danger. But what predator makes so much noise, if not a young and inexperienced one? But even if it is some teenaged toothy thing, her current condition still keeps her on edge as she surveys her surroundings. But it's not a predator that she spies so sulkily depositing himself on the ground. It's...Roscoe? She blinks once, not quite sure whether or not to believe her eyes, and her tail swishes rapidly. Yes, that's him. Her eyes divert as the thought of fleeing takes hold. Whether or not she ever speaks on it, his last words to her hurt, and leaving him alone for a while has been her grand plan. With no interaction, things can only get better, right? She glances at him again, bewildered by his behavior. Where was the holier than thou, never rest in duty attitude? Ignoring the flags of warning going off in her mind, she reluctantly turns and heads his way. "Roscoe? What's wrong?"
Thinking of course, that things couldn't be worse than they were.. they got worse. In his foolish lack of surveillance about the area, he had failed to realize that one of his own was lurking nearby, and how embarassed he was to see one of the does reluctantly trop upward, and question his well being. Rolling his eyes, the Buck hardly bothered to speak up at all, simply shifting his face away from the doe and rubbing more of the grimy mud along his cheeks in the process. What did he care, at the moment? Worst. Day. Ever. Letting out a quiet sigh, he continued to not respond for another moment or so, before he finally murmured something into the ground. "I'm very tired, that's all." His voice low and somewhat raspy from yelling earlier and not talking between that time, the disshevelled Prince closed his eyes slowly and then reopened them, as if in a slow-motion blink. No antlers to show off made everything worse.. and this damned season to boot. Thinking once more about the consequences of his behavior, he knew how ashamed his father would be of him at this moment, and a slight frown appeared. Dammit, he was /trying/.. but nothing seemed to work out in his favor. So, he cast a brief glance up to the familiar doe, and then shook his head gently against the ground. "I apologize.. for letting you see me like this. It's very disrespectful, I'm aware."
Very tired? That hardly sounds...feasible. Sure, every animal gets tired every once in a while, but every animal is not Roscoe. Roscoe is not the type to let weariness get in the way of anything, especially his watchful eye. And Roscoe is not the type to make excuses for himself. It's all looking rather unbelievable to Aspen, who fixes him with a doubtful look. But, she's walking on thin ice with this male. Watching what she says and thinking beforehand how it'll effect his mood are things she'll need to perfect if she wishes to hang around here, and now seems to be her first opportunity to practice. "We all have our moments when we ... act in ways that we wouldn't normally. No one should be judged in those rare moments've anger, or sadness, or grief, ... or weariness," she says, watching him pointedly. "It would not be fair to be judged, and so I'm not judging you. The forest was excited today. I know you must've felt it."
The male certainly appreciated her kind tone and words, but he simply couldn't believe them, much as she didn't believe what he had to say. Not judge him? Every creature judged every other creature in some way, and for him to be moping about in the fashion that he was, was so very unlike him on all counts. A grin was forced, and he muttered a quiet, 'Thank you,' but that was it for the moment. Staring off past her, he did another slow blink, becoming so tired in an instant that it felt like he could get a nap in right then and there. And oh, how he would've loved a nap. Good sleep did not come easy to the Prince, and his depression; however displaced, was the perfect remedy for that. Red eyes found their way back to the doe, and he rose a brow in regards to her comment about the excited forest, scoffing afterward. "The forest is deceptive."
"It can be," Aspen agrees, nodding her slender head once, "though never for long, and always for a good reason .. even if we never figure out what the reason is," she extends with a hint of a smile that doesn't last long. Her brows vaguely furrow as she watches him. Pft, and they say females have mood swings! One day he's his usual self, the next he's wandering through the forest with hardly a word, and now..this. Her calm eyes hold his reddish ones intensely, searching for the answer that evades h, though half-wondering if she even wants to now what's wrong. After the way he spoke to her, he should rot for all she cares! .. Unfortunately, such vengeance is only a passing thought, and her head turns in an expression of question as she speaks next. "What happened today? I know you felt it too."
"No, it always is." he reiterates sharply, the doe's optimism getting on his nerves to some extent. Could he not be alone to his thoughts for a night? He never had trouble finding quiet places when he was in his uasual, good or apathetic moods.. but now that he wanted some real alone time, it seemed as though it would never be granted. Lifting his head from the mud, a few drops of the liquified Earth dripping back onto the forest floor from the fur along his jaw line, he stared at her intensely for a moment. "Listen, Aspen.." he begins, and pushes himself onto all four feet in a fluid motion, the mud dripping from him still and making him look anything but Princely, "I know quite well that you and I are not on friendly terms, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to weasel information out of me by pretending to care about what's going on." Ears dropping backwards and his head held rather low for his standards, he pulled his hooves from the mud and began to walk past her, headed in the western direction to seek some solace in his glade. Before he abandoned the doe completely however, he did offer the news. "My /son/ was born today.." he said, the word 'son' spoken in a disgusted tone, though the reason was left to guessing.
Aspen's mouth opens wordlessly in response to what he's said to her. Bewildered beyond words, and worse than that, she can feel a bubble of anger beginning to rise up in her chest. Here she was, almost feeling sorry for the guy, trying to show that she's not the incapable idiot he seems to see her as being and doing the adult thing of letting bygones be bygones...and what does he /dare/ do? The anger grows swiftly, seizing her heart and manhandling it so that each beat feels almost painful. As he rises, she can only watch him, trying to get a handle of the flood of words that have bombarded her mind and fight to be the first that is released from her mouth. Like before, the muscles of her legs somewhat tremble, though this time it's due to the war raging inside of her and her efforts on keeping civil. "..It's sad that you've kept yourself so distant from us all that you can't see genuine care when it's given to you.." she says as he passes by, a vague sneer showing itself on her muzzle. "It's pathetic that you believe that the only reason I would speak to you is to /get/ something from you. You must live a very sad life. No wonder you can't find a single thing that brings you joy." She too begins to move, heading off in the opposite direction of him, though an ear does turn as he offers that last bit of information in a tone that seems to solidify her last sentiment. "Not one single thing," she confirms with a slight shake of her head and an almost sad expression. "I'll pray to the gods he does not have your personality," said as she continues on her way, departing.
Inhaling a deep breath of the cool evening air, the stag continues to trudge along slowly through the damp terrain even as the doe goes on speaking about what a sad life he lives, and what's worse is that he knows that she's right to some extent. He wished to remain distant in order to be a better protector of the herd, and not necessarily for personal reasons. Even though his words seemed harsh, he had not meant to anger Aspen in any way. In fact, he rather thought his words would be a relief for her, knowing that she didn't have to bother with sympathy; be it fake or genuine. Rolling his eyes once again, he speaks out to her even as the two of them wander their seperate ways. "I appreciate your concern.." he speaks lowly but clearly, turning his head a bit in order for her to hear him better, "But I know better." In fact, he did not know better. Aspen was right, he simply would not see that, however. His apathetic expression turned sour at the thought of that fawn once again, shaking his head, he spoke quietly this time. "Had you seen him, you wouldn't be happy either." A brow rose, and he smirked. "I would not want such a strange looking creature such as that.. to be anything like myself."
And she should've known better than to even give him the time of day! She should've just kept walking and left him to whatever misery had him arriving in such a state. But it's too late to dwell on what she /should/ have done. All Aspen can focus on is the present and what she can do now. And the best thing seems to be to keep her mouth shut. Let him say whatever it is he feels as if he needs to say, and just keep walking. She succeeds in doing this until he speaks so curiously of his newborn son. Strange-looking creature? Her steps somewhat slow as she considers what that might mean. Was he born with three eyes? An extra hoof? Something missing? A cripple? Hrm..she'll need to find Tix and offer her congratulations anyway, so eventually she'll be enlightened. Regaining the rhythm of her step, the still pregnant doe slips into the shadows without having spoken another word.
Aspen - Female Whitetail Deer
Roscoe - Male Whitetail Deer
Setting:
Deepening Woods
-------------------------------
Something has been stirred in the forest. Aspen knows not what, but there is excitement in the air. Sensing it has a feeling of renewal coursing through her veins. A fresh sensation that awakens her once tired mind and clears her troubled thoughts. Something big has happened today. Something big and good. But now, the day is over and the colors of dusk has given way to the inky black and blues of night. The silver light of a partial moon filters through the branches of trees, dimly spotlighting a few places here and there. Birds have quieted themselves, and the forest seems asleep. But there is at least one creature stirring alone in the darkness. Aspen walks quietly through the woods, moving down a slight hill upon the path through the trees. For once, Chanson is nowhere to be seen, and the doe travels alone. She's quiet, expression reserved and calm. Quite the difference from her state of being the last time she was seen.
Indeed, something big had happened that day. Something big, and something that the rather melancholy buck disliked even thinking about. Imagine, a regal creature such as himself siring a creature such as the one that Tix had given birth to not but a few hours ago, when it was still light outside. The thought was almost too much to bear, and Roscoe had all but convinced himself that Tix had been impregnated by another buck.. probably by Chanson some time before he had his time with the doe. The conclusion that he hastily jumped to had angered him much more over time, the entire 'tragedy,' as he was making it out to be, stewing within the bowels of his mind minute after minute. The reddening hue of his coat glowed faintly in the silvery moonlight as he trudged; very un-Roscoe like, though the deepening woods that evening. His head was low and still stained with the mud that he had laid in earlier, the same being said for the 'white' underbelly that was now stained dark brown. Eyes half-closed, he found himself tired once again, and didn't even bother to look around cautiously at the moment, just plopped right down in a bed of leaves that was scratchy and uncomfortable, but he stayed there anyway. This behavior of his was childish and he knew that.. but he hadn't been this upset since his father had passed. Having a deformed son was like a kick in the face for the buck.
The sudden sound of noise has Aspen pausing, body tensed with alarm. Her eyes widen, as do her nostrils, t take in every scent and sound possible as her head slowly shifts from right to left in order to get a good look at things. The muscles in her legs slightly quiver, strained to be kept utterly still, fearing danger. But what predator makes so much noise, if not a young and inexperienced one? But even if it is some teenaged toothy thing, her current condition still keeps her on edge as she surveys her surroundings. But it's not a predator that she spies so sulkily depositing himself on the ground. It's...Roscoe? She blinks once, not quite sure whether or not to believe her eyes, and her tail swishes rapidly. Yes, that's him. Her eyes divert as the thought of fleeing takes hold. Whether or not she ever speaks on it, his last words to her hurt, and leaving him alone for a while has been her grand plan. With no interaction, things can only get better, right? She glances at him again, bewildered by his behavior. Where was the holier than thou, never rest in duty attitude? Ignoring the flags of warning going off in her mind, she reluctantly turns and heads his way. "Roscoe? What's wrong?"
Thinking of course, that things couldn't be worse than they were.. they got worse. In his foolish lack of surveillance about the area, he had failed to realize that one of his own was lurking nearby, and how embarassed he was to see one of the does reluctantly trop upward, and question his well being. Rolling his eyes, the Buck hardly bothered to speak up at all, simply shifting his face away from the doe and rubbing more of the grimy mud along his cheeks in the process. What did he care, at the moment? Worst. Day. Ever. Letting out a quiet sigh, he continued to not respond for another moment or so, before he finally murmured something into the ground. "I'm very tired, that's all." His voice low and somewhat raspy from yelling earlier and not talking between that time, the disshevelled Prince closed his eyes slowly and then reopened them, as if in a slow-motion blink. No antlers to show off made everything worse.. and this damned season to boot. Thinking once more about the consequences of his behavior, he knew how ashamed his father would be of him at this moment, and a slight frown appeared. Dammit, he was /trying/.. but nothing seemed to work out in his favor. So, he cast a brief glance up to the familiar doe, and then shook his head gently against the ground. "I apologize.. for letting you see me like this. It's very disrespectful, I'm aware."
Very tired? That hardly sounds...feasible. Sure, every animal gets tired every once in a while, but every animal is not Roscoe. Roscoe is not the type to let weariness get in the way of anything, especially his watchful eye. And Roscoe is not the type to make excuses for himself. It's all looking rather unbelievable to Aspen, who fixes him with a doubtful look. But, she's walking on thin ice with this male. Watching what she says and thinking beforehand how it'll effect his mood are things she'll need to perfect if she wishes to hang around here, and now seems to be her first opportunity to practice. "We all have our moments when we ... act in ways that we wouldn't normally. No one should be judged in those rare moments've anger, or sadness, or grief, ... or weariness," she says, watching him pointedly. "It would not be fair to be judged, and so I'm not judging you. The forest was excited today. I know you must've felt it."
The male certainly appreciated her kind tone and words, but he simply couldn't believe them, much as she didn't believe what he had to say. Not judge him? Every creature judged every other creature in some way, and for him to be moping about in the fashion that he was, was so very unlike him on all counts. A grin was forced, and he muttered a quiet, 'Thank you,' but that was it for the moment. Staring off past her, he did another slow blink, becoming so tired in an instant that it felt like he could get a nap in right then and there. And oh, how he would've loved a nap. Good sleep did not come easy to the Prince, and his depression; however displaced, was the perfect remedy for that. Red eyes found their way back to the doe, and he rose a brow in regards to her comment about the excited forest, scoffing afterward. "The forest is deceptive."
"It can be," Aspen agrees, nodding her slender head once, "though never for long, and always for a good reason .. even if we never figure out what the reason is," she extends with a hint of a smile that doesn't last long. Her brows vaguely furrow as she watches him. Pft, and they say females have mood swings! One day he's his usual self, the next he's wandering through the forest with hardly a word, and now..this. Her calm eyes hold his reddish ones intensely, searching for the answer that evades h, though half-wondering if she even wants to now what's wrong. After the way he spoke to her, he should rot for all she cares! .. Unfortunately, such vengeance is only a passing thought, and her head turns in an expression of question as she speaks next. "What happened today? I know you felt it too."
"No, it always is." he reiterates sharply, the doe's optimism getting on his nerves to some extent. Could he not be alone to his thoughts for a night? He never had trouble finding quiet places when he was in his uasual, good or apathetic moods.. but now that he wanted some real alone time, it seemed as though it would never be granted. Lifting his head from the mud, a few drops of the liquified Earth dripping back onto the forest floor from the fur along his jaw line, he stared at her intensely for a moment. "Listen, Aspen.." he begins, and pushes himself onto all four feet in a fluid motion, the mud dripping from him still and making him look anything but Princely, "I know quite well that you and I are not on friendly terms, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to weasel information out of me by pretending to care about what's going on." Ears dropping backwards and his head held rather low for his standards, he pulled his hooves from the mud and began to walk past her, headed in the western direction to seek some solace in his glade. Before he abandoned the doe completely however, he did offer the news. "My /son/ was born today.." he said, the word 'son' spoken in a disgusted tone, though the reason was left to guessing.
Aspen's mouth opens wordlessly in response to what he's said to her. Bewildered beyond words, and worse than that, she can feel a bubble of anger beginning to rise up in her chest. Here she was, almost feeling sorry for the guy, trying to show that she's not the incapable idiot he seems to see her as being and doing the adult thing of letting bygones be bygones...and what does he /dare/ do? The anger grows swiftly, seizing her heart and manhandling it so that each beat feels almost painful. As he rises, she can only watch him, trying to get a handle of the flood of words that have bombarded her mind and fight to be the first that is released from her mouth. Like before, the muscles of her legs somewhat tremble, though this time it's due to the war raging inside of her and her efforts on keeping civil. "..It's sad that you've kept yourself so distant from us all that you can't see genuine care when it's given to you.." she says as he passes by, a vague sneer showing itself on her muzzle. "It's pathetic that you believe that the only reason I would speak to you is to /get/ something from you. You must live a very sad life. No wonder you can't find a single thing that brings you joy." She too begins to move, heading off in the opposite direction of him, though an ear does turn as he offers that last bit of information in a tone that seems to solidify her last sentiment. "Not one single thing," she confirms with a slight shake of her head and an almost sad expression. "I'll pray to the gods he does not have your personality," said as she continues on her way, departing.
Inhaling a deep breath of the cool evening air, the stag continues to trudge along slowly through the damp terrain even as the doe goes on speaking about what a sad life he lives, and what's worse is that he knows that she's right to some extent. He wished to remain distant in order to be a better protector of the herd, and not necessarily for personal reasons. Even though his words seemed harsh, he had not meant to anger Aspen in any way. In fact, he rather thought his words would be a relief for her, knowing that she didn't have to bother with sympathy; be it fake or genuine. Rolling his eyes once again, he speaks out to her even as the two of them wander their seperate ways. "I appreciate your concern.." he speaks lowly but clearly, turning his head a bit in order for her to hear him better, "But I know better." In fact, he did not know better. Aspen was right, he simply would not see that, however. His apathetic expression turned sour at the thought of that fawn once again, shaking his head, he spoke quietly this time. "Had you seen him, you wouldn't be happy either." A brow rose, and he smirked. "I would not want such a strange looking creature such as that.. to be anything like myself."
And she should've known better than to even give him the time of day! She should've just kept walking and left him to whatever misery had him arriving in such a state. But it's too late to dwell on what she /should/ have done. All Aspen can focus on is the present and what she can do now. And the best thing seems to be to keep her mouth shut. Let him say whatever it is he feels as if he needs to say, and just keep walking. She succeeds in doing this until he speaks so curiously of his newborn son. Strange-looking creature? Her steps somewhat slow as she considers what that might mean. Was he born with three eyes? An extra hoof? Something missing? A cripple? Hrm..she'll need to find Tix and offer her congratulations anyway, so eventually she'll be enlightened. Regaining the rhythm of her step, the still pregnant doe slips into the shadows without having spoken another word.