BARBARIAN

[RED&BLACK !]

  

nerissa

Want me to come around and give you good karma, but no
We escalate, up in this bitch like elevators

The breeze whistles and Nerissa's heart shrieks. It is violently bragging, pounding, within the deepest parts of her chest, fueling the stream of sanguine ichor that keeps her alive. It rustles and beats against the cage that her ribs make, but the sable queen ignores it, stepping forward without a trace of doubt or hesitation. Perhaps she should not be this confident. Perhaps it is dangerous to meet Cicero in his homeland, to have not brought Rhaskos with her, but. How much harm can he do?The king of the valley is soft and Nerissa knows there is not a violent bone in his body, not a trace of viciousness in his blood, where hers swims with it.

The forest queen pushes down her thoughts, which rise in tumultuous waves, then fall quickly. Grinding her teeth, she measures her exhale through pursed lips and velvet-lines nostrils, the ache in her chest ebbing and growing. Diligent, Halloween's daughter continues forward, Cicero's scent becoming quickly stronger; her legs extend with purpose and cut deep circles into the dirt, ropes of muscle coiling and Stygian skin shining under the sunlight. There is an end to her mission, and it lies at the border of Jade Valley.

When the herd's scent becomes stifling, Nerissa stops short. Her eyes squint against the glare of pale sunlight from above and ears prick forward in search of sound; she finds no voices, but an incoherent mumble from far below, and the whistle of an indolent wind. It brushes soft fingers against the muscle of her shoulder and gently curving sides and sends the stands of trees around her into a rustle, their leaves hissing and branches bowing. The grass under her feet is a bright emerald and easily crushed by Nessa's weight, dotted here and there with wildflowers in pale shades of yellow and blue; it is beautiful. 

But Nerissa smirks to herself. It is no fortress. It is no castle for a legend.

Cicero? the sable queen calls out, her voice carried by the breeze to some far away place.

SHIN OF GS + ADOX
WICKED♪ ♫ to talk some stuff out lmao

          

[WICKED♪ ♫]

YOU’RE THE BARBARIAN

He is not asleep, but his eyes are closed. His hide, black and draped with a blanket of snowflakes, is disguised beneath the shade of an old coniferous tree. Ears flick lazily atop his head, taking in the sounds of life all around him: the wind through the trees, the swish of the summer grass, the songs of birds delivered from high above. It is peaceful here, a small place full of love and quiet. Or it used to be. She is here. His eyes blink open, as curious as they are blue. First it is her scent, that unforgettable smell of forest and air, blood and skin. And then it is her voice. She is not far, but this is not a large land. He hears her voice as a whisper on the wind, but it achieves her purpose. He is shaking himself now, animating his body which has stood still for so long. And then he is going to meet her. Her hair is caught in the wind when he approaches, making her look almost dream-like, standing in his valley of grass and flowers. But she is no dream. She is flesh and blood and the sting of a knife between the shoulder blades. He narrows his eyes as he approaches, his jaw set in a hard line. ”Can’t call it a pleasure to see you,” he says to her, his voice unusually cold. ”But I figure you must feel the same.” He shakes his head once, his eyes disappointed. ”You had me good and fooled. How foolish I was to think we were friends.” RED&BLACK ! CICERO this should be fun xD

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[RED&BLACK !]

  

nerissa

TOUGH GIRL, I'M IN PAIN, IT'S LONELY AT THE TOP; BLACKOUTS AND AIRPLANES, I'D STILL POUR YOU A GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE, TOUGH GIRL WHOSE SOUL ACHES

She is not surprised to find distaste on Cicero's features as his figure crests on the horizon. The sable queen takes it in stride, as she expected nothing less. Instead of indignation, a tiny smirk curls her lips, carving a pleasant line into the finely crafted lines of her face. Cicero's opinion is of no matter to her while his herd still lies, somnolent and idle, in this beautiful valley that is more a jail than a paradise. She takes in the lush green grass, the clumps of frail dark flowers, the ripples and rolls of the valley, and decides - this is a prison. 

Cicero is blind. He has a lot to learn and a lot to unlearn. Nessa does not admire his faith; it almost makes her uncomfortable. As he strides toward her, her mind clicks and whirls, putting together pieces of the puzzle that he has so confidently presented to the killer queen. He is scared.

Of what? She hesitates to answer, trying to draw from the length of his strides and the flutter of his lashes, and of course finds nothing. But why would he accept her so readily? Why would he open his shoulderblades to the point of a dull knife after one experience with her? Nerissa decides that he is scared. That he needs friends. And that this is something she can easily turn to her advantage. 

As the valley monarch draws closer, Nessa draws in a long breath, nostrils flaring around a lungful of cool air. She observes Cicero with a light and almost suspicious look, and braces herself for what comes out of his mouth.

But then her lips split in a childish grin, and she giggles, carelessly rolling oceanic eyes into the back of her head. Oh, don't take it so personally, Nerissa replies, dismissive and oblivious to the hurt in his gaze.  It's not you. She pauses for a second, shrugging her narrow shoulders in contemplation. He's so serious. Anyway. What are you gonna do about it?

SHIN OF GS + ADOX
WICKED♪ ♫ damn this took so long lo siento

          

[WICKED♪ ♫]

YOU’RE THE BARBARIAN

Don’t take it personally, she says. If he didn’t know her, if they hadn’t spent their young years growing up in the same herd, if he hadn’t taken that stupid swim and chased after silver fish with her, then maybe he wouldn’t take it personally. But he has these memories with her. Some are fuzzy, just glimpses and flashes at the edge of his memory, but still, there they are. And now here she is, rolling her eyes and laughing. Something in his gut twists and he pins his ears at the trespassing queen. What right does she have to waltz onto his land, laugh in his face, and then ask him what he is going to do about it? ”Why are you here?” He asks it in the midst of a sigh. Still young and already he is tired. Unlike his father, unlike his younger brother, he isn’t cut out for this. He’s not a good leader, and he knows it. Nerissa knows it. Everyone knows it. He is trying so hard to hold it together, and yet things keep slipping apart. So when a raven stallion comes cantering across the valley toward him, Cicero knows this isn’t going to go well. ”You must be Nerissa. May your father rest peacefully.” Castro nods his head once in respect, and then turns his skyline eyes to his son. Of course they have discussed Raskogr being stolen away. It was a huge blow to the herd. Raskogr was to take over the valley, to carry it upon his strong shoulders to victory. Both Castro and Cicero know this, but the younger of the two still doesn’t like it. It’s always ‘Raskogr this’ and ‘Raskogr that’. He’s the golden boy, alright. “You stole my son,” Castro says to the sable queen. “And I can assure you that whatever plan you may have is not going to work.” He draws himself up and looks down his broad nose at her. ”Raskogr will always be loyal to his family, regardless of his residence.” Cicero resists the urge to step back. Here his father is, aging and speckled with gray hairs of old, and yet he stands taller and stronger than Cicero ever has. Why couldn’t he have grown up to be just like his father? Why did he have to grow up to be so…weak? RED&BLACK ! CICERO I still love cas <3

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[RED&BLACK !]

  

nerissa

I've gone to take my throne above,
but don't weep for me 'Cause this will be the labor of my love

Perhaps Nerissa made a mistake in letting Cicero feel comfortable around her. Perhaps it was better when she could forget about how her father had taken away his childhood to spend with her instead, how he had showed him the forest, and the way the fish blossom in fright when one cuts into their water. Now Cicero's blue eyes are turning black with distrust, and Nerissa's grin is growing more vacant by the minute. She stifles a growing discomfort and distracts herself by watching the lines of Cicero's face twist and harden when he speaks. And the sable queen starts to form a reply in her head, something bright and sweet like rattlesnake venom, until a larger figure appears on the horizon. Her brow curves upward. Have they met before? She knows him, of course, has studied her history (after all, this is what he is now). But she can't remember if they've talked or not, and so she takes a moment to weigh her options.

The stories say that his head is no longer level, but they say the same about Nerissa and her father before her. When he draws close and speaks in a voice low and smooth, she stiffens on instinct. The brunt of her loss is still being felt, and the dark-skinned heiress is still suspicious of the other leader's seeming respect. Her father was not a good man, and Nerissa is not a good woman.

But she will take what she can get.

Thank you. Her words are bracingly clipped, maybe on purpose, maybe not. With a deep breath, the forest queen takes a moment to reorganize herself: dealing with Castro, dealing with a titan, is different than teasing his softer-willed son. So she raises her chin to look him in the eyes, carefully shifts a dark curl from her face, and wills the tides in her gaze to freeze for a moment. She may be bird-boned, romance-driven, but those are the storms no one expects - rendering them a thousand times more dangerous.

Castro provides her the perfect opening; her lips curve into a contented smirk. Is that why he is begging me to teach him how to rule? There is a long moment of silence where Nerissa's eyes widen innocently, and curiosity tilts her head a few sharp degrees, daring the pair to answer her. That must hurt. But he's enjoying himself. And I'm sure he could learn many more tricks from the army at home than here. She shrugs, committing the words to their graveyard. There is an infuriating nonchalance in her voice. Nessa knows she is pushing too hard, but she cannot seem to find another choice.

He misses you, she says finally. Her jaw grinds and her eyes go dark a shade in something close to empathy. But he's not going back. Not without closure.

SHIN OF GS + ADOX
WICKED♪ ♫ yay! we're still playing this like isadore
is in the herd, right? or time skip to after the battle?

          

[WICKED♪ ♫]

YOU’RE THE BARBARIAN

Nerissa’s response to Castro’s bite is smooth, flowing from her lips as though she has practiced the lines. Castro does not bat an eye at her insult, but Cicero knows it is aimed straight for him. Why must every conversation lead back to his inability to lead his herd? And why must it be Nerissa who fires the bullets? In truth, he envies her. Here they are, both following in their father’s footsteps, and yet Cicero still needs Castro standing over his shoulder. It is demeaning. Part of him wants to turn on his father, but what good would that do? It would arrogant, disrespectful, and not at all helpful. Castro is not trying to humiliate his son. On the contrary, he wants to help Jade Valley appear strong, even when it is not. Raskogr would have been its strength, but his potential is now holed up in Bear’s Den. The old raven king lets his ashen whiskers twitch as he smiles. ”Ah, still as driven as ever. Your father’s ways were questionable, but he was a mighty leader. If you have inherited any of his prowess, then it will do my son good to learn from you.” He chuckles once, the sound reverberating from deep in his chest. ”It will strengthen him to be away from home. He must learn to stand on his own four feet. But don’t expect him to stand in your army for long.” When Nerissa’s tongue lets something sweet slip across its surface, Castro smiles. He has no bones to pick with this young leader, holds no grudges against her. She too is trying to find her place in this world, and Halloween’s hoofprints will not be easy to fill. ”Please tell my son that we are anxiously awaiting his return.” He nods once, shares a look with Cicero, and then trots off across the rolling green landscape to return to the rest of the small herd. Cicero watches his father go, and then clears his throat. ”Not without closure?” he asks. ”What is that supposed to mean?” His summer sky eyes have darkened, storm clouds rolling in from under his raven lids. He had at one point thought that Nerissa may prove to be an ally, but every moment spent in her presence is convincing him more and more that that will never happen. They are quickly becoming enemies, and he’s trying not to let it get to him. RED&BLACK ! CICERO yes, let’s say she is still here. Also, we should have a training thread with nessa/ras/whoever else ^^

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