Post by malak on Dec 30, 2008 21:19:22 GMT -5
Wooded Terrain
================================================================================
Heading away from the lake means moving into the woods where trees stand in varying stages of growth. The older trees are taller and reach to the sky while the smaller and younger trees struggle upwards towards that same light. Along the ground are bits of broken tree limbs and different types of shrubs and other vegetation staking their claim on whatever sunlight they can find and keep. Leaves rustle and grasses wave in the breezes that occasionally come through this area, though most of the surrounding air is fairly mild compared to some areas. However, when winter or a large storm hits, this wooded area offers protection to all creatures who can make their way to safety. The flow of melted snow from the south continues down the gentle slope towards the north, emptying into the nearby lake.
=================================== Exits ===================================
[North] to the Lake [South] to the Highlands
[Southwest] to the Grove [West] to the Stone Formations
================================================================================
[IC] Azriel
[IC] Aylin
[IC] Malak
The cougaress had spent a relaxing afternoon with her children, content to watch them sleep and feed, tousling among themselves and doing a good job of looking adorable. When she's with them, as they are now, there is a strange contentment that falls over her. But every mom needs a break, and she uncurls herself from her cubpile and leaves them near the dozing Azriel, moving off a short distance from the fallen trees to stretch her legs. The kills that her brother had stashed are long since eaten, and her stomach is growling she trains her attention to the surrounding woods. "Quiet," she whispers to herself, smoothing down her whiskers. Another few steps forward before Aylin manages a little laugh, realizing all that's happened; boy, what a fix she's in. "Who knew?" she asks of herself, ears twisting forward.
The past few days have been very peaceful for Malak. Though the lake has not gone down, and he does not like that at all, he /has/ appreciated the break. Currently, he is just lying down, grooming himself. As a familiar voice reaches his ears, though, he stops and looks in the direction of it. Well, apparently his break is over, as Aylin appears to be getting closer. He remains lying down, though, and just listening to her as she walks.
If he were to move, she might notice, but as he is, lounging in the deep brush, Aylin doesn't notice him. Her scent is blown by her, and his does not reach her nose. Aylin settles herself on her haunches, pausing to groom her forelegs and forepaws, enjoying the quiet and solitude that the deeper forest provides. She even emits a sonorous purr as she grooms, strangely content. After a while, a glance back toward the stand of trees confirms that Azriel has not eaten her children, and she stands to continue her leisurely walk through the woods, whispering to herself, "A wonder.. the woods.. a time and place beyond anything else." She sighs, gently, "What brought me to where I am?" she asks of herself, sounding almost distraught.
What brought her to where she is? The idea really makes it hard for Malak not to laugh. Speaking up, though he remains still, he says, "You were very eager to be where you are now a few short months ago, Aylin." Indeed, she was very angry with him for not helping her gain her current position.
Her head snaps up, looking for the owner of the voice, and eventually she spots him in his little hidey hole. Her ears slick back, but not in anger, moreso embarrassment for herself, and at first she says nothing. Aylin considers turning back, ignoring Malak, returning to her children.. but something stops her; glutton for punishment. The cougar strides forward, meeting the male face to face and settles herself across from him, dark eyes trained intently on his face. Silence, for a long time, before she asks, "Why do you hate me, Malak?"
This again? "I don't hate you." Is it just that he doesn't feel strongly enough about her to hate her? Possibly, but Malak has yet to meet a cougar he actually hates. He does not even hate the unknown cougar who attacked Moonseeker. It is true, though, that Malak certainly does not /like/ Aylin. There are many things she has done that he does not like, but not a one of them has been enough to make him hate her.
Aylin supresses a sigh, and instead looks away into the woods, thinking. Her maw is drawn into a thin line, and soon her eyes are back on Malak with a steely glint behind them. "Very well. Why do you dislike me so. You have tried to be civil, but underneath that mask is something else." She narrows her eyes and studies the male, wondering how two brothers with the same ideals can be so different, so uncaring. She settles herself a little more comfortably, waiting for her response, though she adds: "Be honest. I'm a big girl." STARE.
Malak is not dense. He could have figured out what Aylin wanted to know. He considers the distinction important, though. Malak remains lying down as he looks over Aylin. Before answering, he glances north, toward the lake. While his gaze is still away, he begins speaking. "I do not like you because you put your own desires ahead of everything... Even the well-being of you and those who you should care for." Is Malak not guilty of the same thing, to some degree? Well, of course he is, but the difference is that his well-being, and the well-being of those he cares for, /is/ what he desires. Everything else is to that end, and he sees no problem with that being more important to him than everything else.
"Are you not guilty of selfishness?" she asks to the side of his face, angry at him and his weakness for looking away from her. A real man would speak with her face to face. "Is not every creature guilty of their owns desires at least once in this world?" She leaves those questions hanging and shakes her head, disgusted with Malak, and looks away from him. For a while she says nothing, something unspoken hiding behind her eyes, before she whispers, "Have you ever considered someone's reasons for what they do? Are you so blinded by your own self-arrogance that you can't understand why someone would think one way and act another?" Can you be so stupid? This last is unsaid, though it hangs on the tip of her tongue, ready.
The fact that he had looked away simply proved that he wasn't acknowledging the confrontational nature of the discussion. That has changed, though, as Malak again looks to her. "What do I care for the reasons of others? Why should they matter?" No doubt, the animals who killed his father and mother could have spoken for days about their reasons. None of them would have changed Malak's mind. "The difference between you and I is that my selfishness is actually self-serving, while yours... Have you ever in your life wanted the same thing for more than a moon, Aylin? By the time you get what you want, you complain about getting it. You do not think ahead, and by not doing so..."
In an instant, fallen leaves are flying as the female rises to all fours, muscles bunched, and nearly pounces Malak and swipes her claws at that arrogant face. She doesn't, instead stopping her viscious advances centimeters from his face, breath hot as she growls lowly in his direction. Azriel would be proud. Her normally dark eyes swirl a passionate purple, and she snarls through her teeth. "You assume dangerously," she seeths, tail lashing behind her to hit her side, thudding loudly, "You. Do. Not. Know. Me." Her anger nearly boils over, she works hard to subdue it even though she would love to tear his manhood from him. "Your self serving reasons sickens me." Aylin creeps forward, if she could anymore, and glares at Malak through those hateful eyes. "You are only interested in your paltry 'suffering'," she sneers, "while other's pain is just not worth it to you." SNARL.
The female cougar is no longer pregnant, and she may have just made a serious mistake. Malak does nothing more than brace himself for the coming blow while Aylin is moving, but when it does not fall, he rolls to his feet swiftly and leaps forward, aiming low in an attempt to knock her feet out from under her. He is growling openly as he does so, and if he is successful, he will do what he can to pin Aylin to the ground, but that is as far as his return attack with go unless she fights him.
Its the snarls of his sister that has roused the male from nearby. Though he's well aware his sister can handle herself and so it didn't take him near as quick as last time her heard her to arrive on the scene. The slight semi-scuffle between Aylin and Malak gets a low warning growl from the male. Not really directed at Malak, more his sister. He's sure the other male isn't stupid enough to attack the female and Azriel can guess that Aylin's temper probably got the best of her and so he sets a pair of neon eyes fixed on them both, sliding back to his haunches comfortabley. The growl is to warn Aylin to watch her mouth, if Malak choose to rough her up and it ended badly, Azriel was /so/ not watching those cubs. >_>
She only has a moment when Malak moves away to brace herself or move, and she ends up skirting Malak's blow, but just barely. She trips up on her paws before she wheels to face the male, head bowed low as she issues a decidedly disgusted snarl at her liason's brother. Not mate; liason. "I knew it," she hisses through clenched jaws, claws kneeding the ground beneath her. "So /base/, so /male/. You can't even admit I'm right, blinded by your arrogance and your crotch. Just like all the others." Even Az'. And.. go figure? The second snarl is caught with a twist of her ears, but she shoots Azriel an icey glare. Shut up, brother dear. <3
The glare that Malak fixes Aylin with could best be described as murderous. And this is the cougar who claims not to hate her? Were it not for Azriel being here, he might have attacked again. As it is, he just remains crouched on the ground, his teeth bared, still growling. "You know as little about me as you think I know about you. Everything I have ever done has been in service of others." Because, as he said, what do reasons matter? His reasons may be selfish, but why should she care? "Those could be my cubs, and it would have made no difference to /you/. They aren't, and still I have provided for them. So tell me. Of us, which one is thinking with their crotch?" Would Malak just love to rake his claws through Aylin's flesh right now? Yes, he would. He restrains himself, though, and even takes a step away, preparing to leave. His anger will fade. He sincerely doubts it would blossom into anger. But nothing has changed. He wants nothing to do with this female, or with her brother. Or, more and more, with his nieces and nephew.
Azriel accepts the glare with a steady one of his own as he listens to the males words as well as his sisters. A faint smirks tugs at his maw as he moves off to teh side and dissaperes into the trees there. He's far from gone, just a silent warning that should it be needed he'll be back but this was his sisters fight, not his.
All she can do for quite a while is snarl and growl deeply at Malak, disgusted at his existence just about as much as he is of hers. At first she moves to the side with him, cutting off that escape he so desperately wants, dangerously dark eyes transfixed on his face. What she wouldn't give to tear his arrogance apart piece by piece. "You disdain because it suits you, but your soul is as black as ash," she growls, ignoring Azriel's retreat. He sucks anyway. "I hope you feel all the pain you have caused twice upon your soul. I hope that one day you learn what it truly means to be hurt." That said, she tries to relax her muscles as she backs off, knowing that her cubs are now by themselves because jerk-brother decided to abandon his duty. Fine. Slowly, claws digging into the ground bneath her, she stalks a wide circle around Malak and heads back toward her children. One last, parting shot over her shoulder, hissed icily, "I hope the one that you love, /if/ you can love, is raped one day. Maybe then she'll be able to explain to you what I cannot seem to." She finally turns with a disgusted growl, afraid for Malak to see the tears standing in her eyes. She'll have to move her cubs now, afriad for their lives. With her relation with Malak as such, she wonders if Revan will even allow them to live? It.. is not a pleasant thought.
The female truly does not understand him. He would not risk harm to Aylin's cubs, no matter what she thinks, but he also has no intention to see any of them again, if he is lucky. He stares after her as she walks away. If the one he loves turns out to be anything like Aylin... /Could/ he love anyone like Aylin? Hopefully, the answer is no. Once she is out of sight, he turns to leave, to go vent his aggression on something that is not her, Azriel, or one of the three cubs.
================================================================================
Heading away from the lake means moving into the woods where trees stand in varying stages of growth. The older trees are taller and reach to the sky while the smaller and younger trees struggle upwards towards that same light. Along the ground are bits of broken tree limbs and different types of shrubs and other vegetation staking their claim on whatever sunlight they can find and keep. Leaves rustle and grasses wave in the breezes that occasionally come through this area, though most of the surrounding air is fairly mild compared to some areas. However, when winter or a large storm hits, this wooded area offers protection to all creatures who can make their way to safety. The flow of melted snow from the south continues down the gentle slope towards the north, emptying into the nearby lake.
=================================== Exits ===================================
[North] to the Lake [South] to the Highlands
[Southwest] to the Grove [West] to the Stone Formations
================================================================================
[IC] Azriel
[IC] Aylin
[IC] Malak
The cougaress had spent a relaxing afternoon with her children, content to watch them sleep and feed, tousling among themselves and doing a good job of looking adorable. When she's with them, as they are now, there is a strange contentment that falls over her. But every mom needs a break, and she uncurls herself from her cubpile and leaves them near the dozing Azriel, moving off a short distance from the fallen trees to stretch her legs. The kills that her brother had stashed are long since eaten, and her stomach is growling she trains her attention to the surrounding woods. "Quiet," she whispers to herself, smoothing down her whiskers. Another few steps forward before Aylin manages a little laugh, realizing all that's happened; boy, what a fix she's in. "Who knew?" she asks of herself, ears twisting forward.
The past few days have been very peaceful for Malak. Though the lake has not gone down, and he does not like that at all, he /has/ appreciated the break. Currently, he is just lying down, grooming himself. As a familiar voice reaches his ears, though, he stops and looks in the direction of it. Well, apparently his break is over, as Aylin appears to be getting closer. He remains lying down, though, and just listening to her as she walks.
If he were to move, she might notice, but as he is, lounging in the deep brush, Aylin doesn't notice him. Her scent is blown by her, and his does not reach her nose. Aylin settles herself on her haunches, pausing to groom her forelegs and forepaws, enjoying the quiet and solitude that the deeper forest provides. She even emits a sonorous purr as she grooms, strangely content. After a while, a glance back toward the stand of trees confirms that Azriel has not eaten her children, and she stands to continue her leisurely walk through the woods, whispering to herself, "A wonder.. the woods.. a time and place beyond anything else." She sighs, gently, "What brought me to where I am?" she asks of herself, sounding almost distraught.
What brought her to where she is? The idea really makes it hard for Malak not to laugh. Speaking up, though he remains still, he says, "You were very eager to be where you are now a few short months ago, Aylin." Indeed, she was very angry with him for not helping her gain her current position.
Her head snaps up, looking for the owner of the voice, and eventually she spots him in his little hidey hole. Her ears slick back, but not in anger, moreso embarrassment for herself, and at first she says nothing. Aylin considers turning back, ignoring Malak, returning to her children.. but something stops her; glutton for punishment. The cougar strides forward, meeting the male face to face and settles herself across from him, dark eyes trained intently on his face. Silence, for a long time, before she asks, "Why do you hate me, Malak?"
This again? "I don't hate you." Is it just that he doesn't feel strongly enough about her to hate her? Possibly, but Malak has yet to meet a cougar he actually hates. He does not even hate the unknown cougar who attacked Moonseeker. It is true, though, that Malak certainly does not /like/ Aylin. There are many things she has done that he does not like, but not a one of them has been enough to make him hate her.
Aylin supresses a sigh, and instead looks away into the woods, thinking. Her maw is drawn into a thin line, and soon her eyes are back on Malak with a steely glint behind them. "Very well. Why do you dislike me so. You have tried to be civil, but underneath that mask is something else." She narrows her eyes and studies the male, wondering how two brothers with the same ideals can be so different, so uncaring. She settles herself a little more comfortably, waiting for her response, though she adds: "Be honest. I'm a big girl." STARE.
Malak is not dense. He could have figured out what Aylin wanted to know. He considers the distinction important, though. Malak remains lying down as he looks over Aylin. Before answering, he glances north, toward the lake. While his gaze is still away, he begins speaking. "I do not like you because you put your own desires ahead of everything... Even the well-being of you and those who you should care for." Is Malak not guilty of the same thing, to some degree? Well, of course he is, but the difference is that his well-being, and the well-being of those he cares for, /is/ what he desires. Everything else is to that end, and he sees no problem with that being more important to him than everything else.
"Are you not guilty of selfishness?" she asks to the side of his face, angry at him and his weakness for looking away from her. A real man would speak with her face to face. "Is not every creature guilty of their owns desires at least once in this world?" She leaves those questions hanging and shakes her head, disgusted with Malak, and looks away from him. For a while she says nothing, something unspoken hiding behind her eyes, before she whispers, "Have you ever considered someone's reasons for what they do? Are you so blinded by your own self-arrogance that you can't understand why someone would think one way and act another?" Can you be so stupid? This last is unsaid, though it hangs on the tip of her tongue, ready.
The fact that he had looked away simply proved that he wasn't acknowledging the confrontational nature of the discussion. That has changed, though, as Malak again looks to her. "What do I care for the reasons of others? Why should they matter?" No doubt, the animals who killed his father and mother could have spoken for days about their reasons. None of them would have changed Malak's mind. "The difference between you and I is that my selfishness is actually self-serving, while yours... Have you ever in your life wanted the same thing for more than a moon, Aylin? By the time you get what you want, you complain about getting it. You do not think ahead, and by not doing so..."
In an instant, fallen leaves are flying as the female rises to all fours, muscles bunched, and nearly pounces Malak and swipes her claws at that arrogant face. She doesn't, instead stopping her viscious advances centimeters from his face, breath hot as she growls lowly in his direction. Azriel would be proud. Her normally dark eyes swirl a passionate purple, and she snarls through her teeth. "You assume dangerously," she seeths, tail lashing behind her to hit her side, thudding loudly, "You. Do. Not. Know. Me." Her anger nearly boils over, she works hard to subdue it even though she would love to tear his manhood from him. "Your self serving reasons sickens me." Aylin creeps forward, if she could anymore, and glares at Malak through those hateful eyes. "You are only interested in your paltry 'suffering'," she sneers, "while other's pain is just not worth it to you." SNARL.
The female cougar is no longer pregnant, and she may have just made a serious mistake. Malak does nothing more than brace himself for the coming blow while Aylin is moving, but when it does not fall, he rolls to his feet swiftly and leaps forward, aiming low in an attempt to knock her feet out from under her. He is growling openly as he does so, and if he is successful, he will do what he can to pin Aylin to the ground, but that is as far as his return attack with go unless she fights him.
Its the snarls of his sister that has roused the male from nearby. Though he's well aware his sister can handle herself and so it didn't take him near as quick as last time her heard her to arrive on the scene. The slight semi-scuffle between Aylin and Malak gets a low warning growl from the male. Not really directed at Malak, more his sister. He's sure the other male isn't stupid enough to attack the female and Azriel can guess that Aylin's temper probably got the best of her and so he sets a pair of neon eyes fixed on them both, sliding back to his haunches comfortabley. The growl is to warn Aylin to watch her mouth, if Malak choose to rough her up and it ended badly, Azriel was /so/ not watching those cubs. >_>
She only has a moment when Malak moves away to brace herself or move, and she ends up skirting Malak's blow, but just barely. She trips up on her paws before she wheels to face the male, head bowed low as she issues a decidedly disgusted snarl at her liason's brother. Not mate; liason. "I knew it," she hisses through clenched jaws, claws kneeding the ground beneath her. "So /base/, so /male/. You can't even admit I'm right, blinded by your arrogance and your crotch. Just like all the others." Even Az'. And.. go figure? The second snarl is caught with a twist of her ears, but she shoots Azriel an icey glare. Shut up, brother dear. <3
The glare that Malak fixes Aylin with could best be described as murderous. And this is the cougar who claims not to hate her? Were it not for Azriel being here, he might have attacked again. As it is, he just remains crouched on the ground, his teeth bared, still growling. "You know as little about me as you think I know about you. Everything I have ever done has been in service of others." Because, as he said, what do reasons matter? His reasons may be selfish, but why should she care? "Those could be my cubs, and it would have made no difference to /you/. They aren't, and still I have provided for them. So tell me. Of us, which one is thinking with their crotch?" Would Malak just love to rake his claws through Aylin's flesh right now? Yes, he would. He restrains himself, though, and even takes a step away, preparing to leave. His anger will fade. He sincerely doubts it would blossom into anger. But nothing has changed. He wants nothing to do with this female, or with her brother. Or, more and more, with his nieces and nephew.
Azriel accepts the glare with a steady one of his own as he listens to the males words as well as his sisters. A faint smirks tugs at his maw as he moves off to teh side and dissaperes into the trees there. He's far from gone, just a silent warning that should it be needed he'll be back but this was his sisters fight, not his.
All she can do for quite a while is snarl and growl deeply at Malak, disgusted at his existence just about as much as he is of hers. At first she moves to the side with him, cutting off that escape he so desperately wants, dangerously dark eyes transfixed on his face. What she wouldn't give to tear his arrogance apart piece by piece. "You disdain because it suits you, but your soul is as black as ash," she growls, ignoring Azriel's retreat. He sucks anyway. "I hope you feel all the pain you have caused twice upon your soul. I hope that one day you learn what it truly means to be hurt." That said, she tries to relax her muscles as she backs off, knowing that her cubs are now by themselves because jerk-brother decided to abandon his duty. Fine. Slowly, claws digging into the ground bneath her, she stalks a wide circle around Malak and heads back toward her children. One last, parting shot over her shoulder, hissed icily, "I hope the one that you love, /if/ you can love, is raped one day. Maybe then she'll be able to explain to you what I cannot seem to." She finally turns with a disgusted growl, afraid for Malak to see the tears standing in her eyes. She'll have to move her cubs now, afriad for their lives. With her relation with Malak as such, she wonders if Revan will even allow them to live? It.. is not a pleasant thought.
The female truly does not understand him. He would not risk harm to Aylin's cubs, no matter what she thinks, but he also has no intention to see any of them again, if he is lucky. He stares after her as she walks away. If the one he loves turns out to be anything like Aylin... /Could/ he love anyone like Aylin? Hopefully, the answer is no. Once she is out of sight, he turns to leave, to go vent his aggression on something that is not her, Azriel, or one of the three cubs.