IRON ,

[talulah]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 395px; height: 350px; background-image:url('http://i.imgur.com/IwDrF.png');] the night was drawing nearer, and that fact in itself was causing some alarm in the petite deer as she hovered at the fringe of the meadows, hooves swallowed by the thin covering of snow and brambles littering the forest floor. as lady of the woods, cordelia had spent the day making her rounds, visiting both friend and foe in the same benign and peaceful manner. she had witnessed the birthing of babes and played mediator to quarrelling creatures, all the while keeping the same air of quiet deference about her being. though, as short comments had been thrown at her turned back and the quiet snickers of younger mammals had been heard, the fae couldn't help but to allow her thoughts to drift to namaste. had he been skulking by her side, cowed by the sunlight, it would be likely that the male would not allow such utterings to reach her ears. he was a mostly placid creature, however the lord of the forest had the ability to make himself heard, more so than she did. their partnership may have been an extravagantly strange one, but it worked, in a way. cordelia was namaste's eyes and ears during the day, and he was the same for her at night. she was the calm and melancholic bystander, whereas he was more aggressive and prone to snapping. they may have been unconventional, but they worked. however, cordelia was steadily becoming afraid as she sidled closer to the slope of an oak tree, pressing her dappled hide against its great height. she hadn't seen the maned wolf since the day before yesterday, and yet, such occurrences weren't out of the ordinary. with that said, the doe could feel the last of her courage seep from her as the sun ensconced the foilage on the otherside of the clearing, before dipping below the horizon. she could hardly see at night, due to the oblong pupils which were finely tuned to pick up the slightest disturbances in a scene during the day. though, coredlia couldn't decide if she felt safer under the trees or out in the open. as if to make her mind up, the female folded her appendages beneath her, and leaned against the oak, simply watching as dusk coloured the meadow into a dismal grey. she might have been in her own land, one where she reigned supreme, but old habits seemed to die very hard indeed. years of humiliation, fear and cowardice had rendered her incapable of ever feeling truly safe, no matter where she was. tucking her finely tapered maw into her chest, the lady of the forest shivered, desperately hoping that her lord would wander near sometime soon. FROZEN TO THE BONES, NAMASTE, THIS IS SHORT, RIGHTFUL LORD & LADY OF THE FOREST, LELELE.

[cookiecutter]

The sun sank slow and stately, a lord nearing the end of his reign; hazy blues creeping up along the sky's boundaries and pulling that fiery orb to be swallowed by the horizon. Her warm eyes gazed upon the conflict in the heavens, wide and bright and transfixed; incandescent. Bromide irises picking up castaway slivers of light and donning them proudly along with her awe and wonder. It was the same routine every day, sunrises and sunsets so orderly and routinely that you'd wonder why they still bothered making such a beautiful fuss of things.

You'd also wonder why this particular white-tailed deer still bothered marvelling at it when it had been the same thing over and over for as long as anyone can remember. You'd hear quiet snickers from the others as she traipsed through the woods, her slender hooves tripping across branches and piles of leaf litter and her head angled dreamily skywards. But they were amused snickers, and she honestly didn't mind- there are worse things to be said, things that would never cross the minds of these truthfully very sheltered creatures.

(sheltered for how much longer, she didn't dare consider; what with the rumors on the winds from the North...)

Night drew its curtains over the forest, and Quinoxe finally lowered her head to glance around the woods. The forest had a different persona at night, cloying and mysterious under the masquerade-mask darkness. Equally fascinating to explore, to just take a few steps and soak in the atmosphere and watch as characters stroll from the bushes and tales unfold in the chilling air- a giggle escaped her snout as she continued on her way, as her mind's eye spoke of epic nighttime duels backlit by raging flames. A clash of horns and claws, hooves and teeth, silhouetted by screams and a frantic pounding of footfalls as the damsel in distress quivered under the meagre protection of an oak tree-

-there was, indeed, a deer huddled under the oak tree; indiscernible beyond that in the half-light. Quinoxe shuffled forward, ears pricked and eyes desperately sourcing for any scrap of light still clinging to the trees- the moon had not yet risen- squinting.

"Ahh, hello! Who may that be?"

[mockingbird]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 200; height: 600; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/Lr7Sv.png); -moz-border-radius: 40px 40px 40px 40px; -webkit-border-radius: 40px 40px 40px 40px; border: 12px #2e2e2e solid;] the east was no haven. it could not salvage the sane from the tyranny of the ice king nor could it preserve the rationality of the generations. however it was home. the residence which Namaste and his followers flourish and such could not be overlooked. secluded amongst this very undergrowth lies the wisdom of liberals, creatures clinging to whatever they had left, all that evaded the vexation of the north. Namaste could not promise them indefatigable protection but for today he could obliterate a single worry from his registry of sorrows. daylight. as the sun dipped low beneath the horizon and darkness flings its shadowed overlay across the expanse of the east Namaste could almost begin to feel the taxing layers pressure begin to flake from his mind. the loss of a single burden created an unforeseen illusion of weightlessness, a luxury which had abruptly taken the male by sudden surprise. perhaps it was a backward form of logic, the idea of locating security amongst murkiness but Namaste had never been a creature who willingly familiarized oneself with illuminative sources. sunlight in particular. however in spite of the departure of sunlight yet another irrational fear descended upon him – distance. he and his queen had not graced each other for quite sometime, the voices within his conscious deduced it had been at least two days since their last encounter and as day continued to deteriorate he knew she’d be lying in wait for him, her savior. her body would be trembling against he whims of mother nature, her mind recollecting the remnants of past fables regarding the autocracy of the north. she’d be whimpering. lost. alone. ” cordelia? “ Namaste vocalized, intentional worry laced within the syllables of his words as his thoughts turned to her assumed dread. b]” cordelia? “

[/b] his words rung again, battling against the night.

the doe hadn’t responded.

not a single audible word was heard above the resonance of forestry nightlife. during their last antagonizing separation the female had wound up cowering against the support of an oak tree, her eyes wide with silent fright as she awaited his return. could it be possible?. Namaste’s hinds forcefully turned his figure diagonally, limbs teetering due to the instability of the earths exterior. ” cordelia? “ he called once more before allow his composition to move at will. she had to be there, no doubt.

and thus, after what seemed like endless travelling Namaste had reached journey’s end. the fringes of his paradise. his intuition had been his indicator, chaperoning his attention to his distant left. ’Ahh, hello! Who may that be?’ bellowed a familiar voice – disconnecting his trail of thought with a single sentence. the source had been familiar, its figurative outline standing within the distance seemingly similar to what he was looking for – but its identity did not match that of cordelia. but even so, Namaste couldn’t help but question. ” Quin, what are you concerning yourself with at such hours of the night? “ Namaste called above the sounds of nature, his lips pursed into a questioning grimace as his expression turned relatively sour with mute disappointment. but even as he spoke it appeared his conversation did not reach her – instead the female remained fixated on whatever it was that caught her undeniable attention. ” Quin? “ the deity questioned once more before diverting his own gaze in a final act of curiosity.

Exhale.

There she was. Cordelia.

” Cordelia… “ Namaste muttered, maw inching closer with every step forward he had taken. ” forgive me, I took quite a long time… “.


ooc:
omfg whut.
i actually really hate this reply but it's 2:20am and I simply cannot be assed with it any longer. beware, spelling error galore! i'll probably re-read this when I wake up. Cordelia posts next! then Quin, the Namz then rinse and repeat.




[/center]
[/td][/tr][/table]
[style= color: #000000; font-size: 9px; float: right; padding-right: 50px;]MOCKINGBIRD♥[/div][/style]



[/center]

[talulah]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 395px; height: 350px; background-image:url('http://i.imgur.com/IwDrF.png');] perhaps, and had cordelia been any other creature with a different mindset, she wouldn't have practically jumped out of her precious, speckled hide upon hearing the shuffling of another creature nearby. the meadows were supposed to be the safest area in the east, and yet, cordelia wasn't quite so sure. not now that it was dusk, and not while she was away from namaste. though, she was a queen in her own right, and for that reason, the fae rose to her own cloved hooves, tipping her snout and exhaling quietly. the scent, one that was carried to her across the cloying aroma of the forest floor and still air surrounding the unlikely pair of entities, was a familiar one, at least. yet, it took cordelia some time to pull her courage and wits about her before she was able to part her maw and illicite speech. however, just as she was about to address the deer before her, cordelia turned her face towards the sound of her name being called. it was somewhat useless to attempt to see namaste, but at least she could hear him. that in itself was a reason enough for her to quietly call out, her voice made up of the alto melodies that marked the speech of her species - " namaste? " as soon as she had spoken his blessed name, the female turned to address her other company, ears twitching as she heard her lord speak yet again. " quin... oh yes, it is i, cordelia. " though, the other doe was liable to already knowing this information, seeing as the wolf had previously uttered it himself. as namaste crept closer to her, cordelia turned, her expression reproachful as he apologized. " no, no, don't fret, my lord. " sidling towards him, the female relaxed entirely as his russet form dwarfed her own, reaching up with her maw to gently nuzzle the underside of his chin. an unlikely pair, and yet, they were in harmony with one another. cordelia had missed the male desperately, and as a result, was rather happy that he was alive and well. " you are here now, and that is what matters most. " murmuring in her usual calm mannerisms, she finally turned her attention to the onlooker of the scene, lips pulled into an benign half-smile. " how are you this evening, quin? " though, the words had to be uttered with some inclination of her features upwards - after all, the other female was quite a lot taller than the petite cordelia, a fact which was further amplified by the enormity of namaste beside her. she had so much to speak to him of, and unvoiced concerns of how he had managed to fair the day without her. however, politeness and deference coloured her actions as she offered quin an olive branch, figuratively speaking, and extended her maw in an action of acceptance and appreciation. FROZEN TO THE BONES, NAMASTE & QUINOXE, ERR, A LITTLE LESS SHORT, ANNDDD HOLLA, COOKIE <33

[cookiecutter]

She tilted her head forwards, the very picture of innocent confusion; front hooves splayed out across the slippery snow, tail swishing impatiently as she tried to will some sense of recognition to flicker across her mind. It would be overwhelmingly tempting for any predator to just reach out, to strike down such an easy target- but Quinoxe wasn't born yesterday, and she took such liberties because it was common knowledge that predators that predated were few and far between in the East. Even as the rumbling growl of a familiar canine came to her ears, accompanied by an unsettled sort of gait- a delicately curved ear twitched to Namaste's direction, and nothing more. Because the other deer was getting to her hooves, her head snapping diagonally as if pulled on by a puppeteer's string- Quinoxe followed her gaze, equally blinded by the clandestine night, blinking rapidly as if it made a difference.

"Namaste- oh, Cordelia! My apologies, I didn't realize it was you."

The proffered olive branch was readily accepted, because after all, what would deer of all creatures do without the lovely cover of foliage and canopy and low-hanging branches to nibble leaves off? The soothing aroma of peace coiled in thick wreaths in the air- crisp and brittle and warm like sandalwood and leaf litter, and all very figurative of course- and all was calm, as all things are in the East. Quinoxe tracked Cordelia's unsteady progress across the short stretch of woods, a wide smile pulling her lips back as the Lady sank against her Lord's side with nothing short of a relieved purr- she dipped her head in polite formality. After everything was said and done, even if her voice was colored with more friendliness and curiousity than it ought, she was still a member of this court, and they were its rulers.

"Very well, Lady Cordelia. Lord Namaste- it's great to see you both!" It in fact was less than great mainly because she couldn't see that well, but their intimacy suffused the air, almost tangible as the aromatic atmosphere of the East- they were its universal constant as different as they were, as volatile the land around this fragile sanctuary of a forest was.

And it was obvious, from every small nuzzle and nuance and gentle word, that they would make for such tragedy if one knew how to pull the strings. She sometimes wondered why they were put at the head of the system, dysfunctional and forever broken (with hairline cracks that appeared as nothing but strange oddities and unnatural deference and asymmetricalphobia, gosh- but broken nonetheless) or rather forever changed beyond normalcy, to be more impartial. But mistakes happened all the time, and the East wasn't the only domain with a history for rulers that didn't quite fit their thrones. And they were doing fine, for now. The tale played itself out before Quinoxe's eyes, filling in the gaps before her mind could twist anything awry- she's only taking a stroll, after all, and she very sincerely hopes that she's not interrupting anything.

"I was just taking a stroll... I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

[mockingbird]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 200; height: 600; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/Lr7Sv.png); -moz-border-radius: 40px 40px 40px 40px; -webkit-border-radius: 40px 40px 40px 40px; border: 12px #2e2e2e solid;] ever so faintly could he hear the candied beating of his ladies heart, a vague pulsation which heightened upon contact. rapture, paralysis and vulnerability was all that engulfed his existence as the maiden, his maiden caressed the underside of his jowls with underrated potency. had she continued her speechless guise Namaste could have been lulled to sleep, his mind wandering for all of eternity had her words not anchored him to reality. ’you are here now and that is all that matters’. an amiable snarl rolled from the tip of his tongue, an eccentric interval that showed content above all else. ”my lady, forgive me” he breathed once more, his countenance disconcert as his face buried itself within the crooks of her neck. ”I had missed you…” the atmosphere had become heavier, the often dainty tenor of the wild overcome by a thickness that Namaste assumed was nothing less than affection. His love affair with a deer had been something most creatures objected to. After all their liaison was quite condemnable, a partnership between foe and prey was bound to consign the preordain of the east. Some christened their association to be taboo, an act that defies the laws of consortium. But they had made it work, and as Namaste nuzzled the tender exterior of his lover he begun to entwine himself even further into the intricately weaved web of social value defiance. ’I was just taking a stroll… I hope I’m not… interrupting anything?’ The sincerity of yet another doe broke Namaste’s mindset. his facial profile diminishing from a carnal predator into his once admirable form of leadership. ”Ahem.” Namaste cleared his throat forcefully, withdrawing his physique away from the vicinity of his queen with modest abashment. ”Of course not Miss. Quin” Namaste murmured, his voice sublime against the almost silent thrum of the forests nightlife. Miss. Quin Namaste’s mind reeled, plucking threads of information from the depths of his consciousness. Quinoxe Alucem. Five years old. White-tailed deer. Symmetrical.. ”The forest looks spectacular tonight, does it not Miss. Quin? Perhaps as beautiful as those who inhabit it” the canis continued, his eyes flickering toward the two does in amusement. ooc: omfg. cordy you made namaste whipped, LEAVE . LEAVE SO HE CAN REVERT TO HIS PAINFULLY ECCENTRIC SELF.

[style= color: #000000; font-size: 9px; float: right; padding-right: 50px;]MOCKINGBIRD♥

[/div][/style]



[/center]

[talulah]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 395px; height: 350px; background-image:url('http://i.imgur.com/IwDrF.png');] maybe, had her mother informed her that this was the life that she would live in future, cordelia would have progressed through her early years with more courage, more resiliance, and more enthusiasm. however, she doubted that the old doe would have been able to guess that her daughter would end up pressed into the side of her natural enemy, practically humming with the suspended affection for him. indeed, there may have been more of a glow or perhaps even a smoulder to her dark irises, particularly as namaste apologized. in her mind, it was an apology not well-deserved - he was able to go where he pleased, as the lord of the eastern territory, however she had worried about him, particularly with his paranoia in regards to the hours of daylight. " always, my lord. " responding in a benign murmur, the female shifted slightly, sighing as the wolf's breath settled upon the dapple of her pelt. in this light, it was unlikely that the unsymmetrical nature of her hide would be all that noticeable, however namaste had somehow put it into his mind that the erratic speckles were not a threat to him. cordelia couldn't say the same for other creatures that were burdened with the "unfortunate" lack of symmetry - namaste was prone to turning his nose up at those who did not fit his ideal vision of perfection. quaking with fondness, the doe momentarily cursed the deity that had placed her mind and soul within this form. had she been a wolf, their affair would have been lacking the title of "starcrossed" - it irked her that she would never be able reciprocate namaste's affections with anything more than a nuzzle here and there, and playful banter. " and i, you... how did you fare the day? " her words were slightly nervous, as she wasn't sure how much their company knew of the lord's inability to embrace the daylight like any other. surely, it would be seen as a weakness in the wrong mindset. though, cordelia was finding it hard to keep a negative thought in her sorely-pressed mind as namaste inched impossibly closer. had she been able to purr in that moment, the doe most certainly would have. though, she couldn't help but to attempt to stifle a smile as quin interrupted, stirring both the lord and lady of the forest from their momentary thrall. she didn't want to be apart from him, and thus appeared to be disappointed as he moved away - at least her lord was merely a pace to the right of her, as opposed to an entire forest away. " as my lord stated, quin. " it was difficult to make out what namaste's expression was due to the lack of light in the meadow, but she could almost feel the cold calculations that he was making in the stillness of the air around them. " have you heard news, perhaps? " cordelia did not have to concern herself with explaining - everyone was keening for information from the north, herself and namaste included. of course, the royalty of the forest were liable to having the most credible of information, however occasionally, idle gossip did prove correct. inclining her maw as namaste spoke again, cordelia issued a stream of laughter, the sound alike to the quiet muttering of a stream - " oh stop it, namaste " she was not afraid to be repproachful of his playfulness, afterall, who truly knew namaste for what he was, if not her? " though, i digress, my lack of fondness for the night leaves me incapable of truly appreciating the forest's beauty at such a time " sighing eloquently, the female found herself settling, slowing lowering herself to the ground before her audience as her weariness set in. the duties of the lady of the forest had rendered her near exhausted, and she did not feel the urge to hide such a fact from quin, nor her lord. FROZEN TO THE BONES, NAMASTE & QUINOXE, I DUNNO, WORDS?, NAMS & CORDY 4LYF 5EVA <33

[cookiecutter]

Symmetry. Quinoxe was symmetrical indeed, dark eyes matched and ears relaxing back as she straightened up. Two eyes, two ears, two front legs and two hind ones, two by two by two by two- and two more, two sides of the metaphorical coin, her curious senses taking in both sides of the East; day and night and life and death. These did not necessarily correlate; night could equal beauty and life and moonlight dancing off trees and haloing intricate webs, something more than death or vulnerability which most of her kind seemed to think.

"Oh, each hour of the day places its respective charms on the forest." She responds, a silly smile creeping up her face as she tilts her muzzle up again- contemplating the possibilities, the overlooked dewdrops in the morning, the hazy lethargy of noontime. Nighttime was different, a colorscheme wholly separate from the vibrance of day that even she couldn't quite catch in all its dark-hued glory; but if eyes half-lidded and ears quirked, you'd hear the choir of cricketsong, the rustle of the wind's baton through the trees. Inhale with lips slightly parted, tilt your muzzle away from the musky wolf-scent of Lord Namaste and the dainty perfume of Lady Cordelia- the crispness of the night alighted on Quinoxe's tongue with a welcomed chill, like a mint, a reminder that sight isn't everything. "The night does have its unique glory that you can't quite replicate anywhen else, though."[/color]

She paused for thought, closing her eyes and tasting more of the cool night air. The Lord and Lady were intimate, perhaps she should leave- but then again why should she, when the offer for conversation was so kindly extended? They were lovely creatures. The Lord, especially, and his ice-sharp thoughts when he wasn't juggling his role in a Romeo and Juliet along with everything else. The news? She had heard the news. If there was news, Quinoxe was likely the one to have scouted out the most versions, pieced together the best possible summary of all the rumors .

"The news?"
[/color]

Although, it was bad luck to talk about such things nowadays. The forest creatures cower in apprehension and gossip in hushed whispers, hoping that if they talked about it softly enough they wouldn't jinx the situation, and everything would have just been overblown and the East would still be a haven. But Quinoxe was no such creature, and neither did she believe that the East could remain pristine-perfect forever.

(Would the cracks start showing in its ice-castle facade, its fragile symmetry- would that happen in her lifetime? Who knows. She wouldn't discount it. She doesn't discount things, it makes her less surprised when they happen.)

"...I have heard..."[/color] (naturally.) "Rumors from the North. Discontent from the Ice Kingdom over their ruler."[/color] And more- the Queen, something about the Queen, and lots of wild exaggerations about the brutality of the King. Whether he was planning a conquest of the other lands, whether he was planning to slam an iron fist down on his own. But they probably did not need or want the full story. "As well as...whispers from the South. These are less founded, but the Desertlanders may be getting quite tired of their exiles..."
[/size][/i][/color]