Chunks

[Rey'na]

23rd Zi'da, 716

As she walked along, she realized how strange a concept it was to be walking with a wolf. People had tamed weirder animals, yes, but she hadn't ever thought about it in depth. Perhaps she'd need to help him become a puppy. That way, she could take him for walks and play fetch and so many other things. Then an idea flew through her head, and a smile spread across her face.
"Hey Fridgar" Rey said as she picked up a stick. She looked to him with a playful smile, as if he should know what was coming next. She drew back her hand as if she was throwing a knife, or how she threw knives. In truth she wasn't the best, or good by any means, but she was working on it. Maybe a stick would work like a knife. "Fetch!" she shouted as she launched the stick in to the woods.

Whether he ran or not, she would then carry on when he was back. She walked along the path she'd only recently got off of. After a while, Rey stopped and looked in to the woods - the place still silent. "We're here" Rey would say, lowering down to look out in the woods. After a few trills of silence, Rey realized she should probably explain.
"Earlier, when I was out in these woods, I was admiring the silence. Not because nothing was here, but because everything that is here seems to be asleep and peaceful" she explained. "I then realized - what's the easiest prey for a wolf?"

If he didn't understand then, he would now. She stood up and looked to him expectingly.
"So, what are you waiting for? Go get yourself some food."

[Varthakh]

Padding along through the snow, he continued to entertain the woman that was treating him to dinner, or at least try to. She called out to him as he pranced through the white landscapes, prompting him to stop, look up and turn his head to her while panting with his tongue out. 'No... Anything but that...' he begged internally as she picked up a stick, knowing all too well what would come next. She threw weirdly, he hadn't seen someone throw him a stick to fetch in that fashion before - he widened his stance briefly, lowering his front end playfully and watched the stick as it flew - as a dog would. He growled, turning over with a leap and chasing in the direction that the stick flew.

He wasn't a mutt, why'd she expect him to pick sticks up from the forest floor with his mouth? Why did so many others also!? He pursued the stick regardless, it was only fair - she was getting him food, he kept the reward of prime ribs in mind as he picked up the stick, gagging slightly. He ran back to her and dropped the stick at her feet, sitting up proudly and ignoring the splinters of wood that clung to his tongue, that was going to be gross when he turned back to a Lothar. Apparently satisfied, Rey'na kept walking and he followed. A few bits later, Rey’na stopped. He looked up at her curiously - they weren't in the city? Trils passed in silence, so he barked to prompt a response from the girl. His jaw dropped as he realised what they were there for.

She not only had expected him to put a dirty stick in his mouth and fetch it back to her, but she also expected him to eat some dirty forest animal straight from the outdoors? His skin would have more than likely turned green with sickness at the mere thought, but it was impossible to tell under his fur. He'd killed, skinned and harvested from animals before, sure - but eating them? Fresh from the kill? That was madness! Had she forgotten he was a person!? With a whimper, he did as she said and scampered off ahead, sniffing the air. He turned his head to the right a hole lay in the ground, he got low and prowled to the entrance, looming above like a predator.

Waiting at the entrance like this felt like cheating, and it was boring. He sped things along by thumping his paws on the ground, stirring movement beneath the surface. He opened his maw wide, waiting for something to walk out from under. A bunny rabbit popped its head out of the hole, inspecting what had trampled the earth above its home, meeting eyes with Fridgar before swiftly being chomped by his comparably massive, powerful jaws. The creature's screech filled the otherwise quiet woodlands, piercing the tranquillity with a sick popping noise as Fridgar pressed his jaws into the critter. Within trils, the creature’s cries were silenced with a final crunch and a sudden give to his jaw. The taste and scent of blood filled his senses as the warm, thick liquid leaked into his mouth.

He cringed, maintaining a grip on the limp-critter and padding over to Rey'na, dropping the animal's body at her feet. He sat and looked up at her expectantly before turning to the left and hacking, trying to get as much of the foul taste out of his mouth as possible. Turns out, wolves can't spit like humans can. He leaned over and bit into some snow, closing his jaw around it and letting it melt, then opening his mouth and letting the red-tinted liquid pour into the snow, his mouth finally clear of the rodent’s blood. Praying that she wouldn't make him eat it, he looked up at her with pleading eyes and a whimper.

[Rey'na]

Rey watched the kill with morbid curiosity, seeing how animal hunted animal. Predator hunted Prey. Normally she would be upset to see a cute animal die, but that wasn't what was on her mind. For just a trill, she forgot that the wolf she was watching wasn't actually a wolf, but a man in the shape of one. It was like killing was natural for him. Her eyes widened for a second, then a smile spread across her face as she watched him from a distance.
"Lissira, if you can hear me" she started quietly. "Denebah may be gone, that much is true. But I think I may have found someone better" Rey said with a slight tone of joy. She found herself grinning at the idea of it. She wouldn't just have someone to disguise who she was, but someone to protect her. A literal animal, willing to kill at her order. She'd found perhaps the perfect man for the job - if you could still call him man when she was done with him.

As he came back over, Rey could tell he was disgusted. Wolves didn't normally wait to eat or wash blood out with snow. She wanted to make a good impression on this man. He was kind, thus far, and he'd followed through her orders well. It was a strange mix of adoration and control, one she had normally been the victim of. She loved how the positions had changed.
"If you don't want to eat it, there's no need" she said, kneeling down to scratch under the wolf's chin. "But if you are hungry, it might be a problem. I can't cook well. Though I suppose something burnt is better than raw, right? So why don't we come back to the house and I can cook this rabbit up."

Rey looked to the bleeding rabbit. She didn't want to ruin her dress, but at the same time she didn't want to make Fridgar have to suffer anymore than he had. She sighed and picked it up, holding it out to her side so the light wind was blowing it away from her, and so no drops fell and landed on her. Luckily, she avoided the blood for the journey.
Rey opened the door with her free hand and came in, placing the rabbit down on her table. She'd have to clean that up later. She shut the door behind Fridgar, then went over to the fire and lit it.
"If you want to turn back now, the food is cooking. Unless you'd rather stay like that?"

[Varthakh]

With a sigh, he relaxed a little. Thank the immortals that he didn't have to chew up and swallow the rabbit carcass. It would have been bony, hairy, dirty and generally unpleasant, he cringed again at the mere thought. He shut his eyes and wagged his tail as a symbol of his appreciation at the scratch of his chin, and perhaps his gratitude of not having to eat a raw animal. His ears perked as she spoke - cooked rabbit? Now that was something he could get behind, how bad of a cook could Rey'na be? She seemed hesitant to pick up his kill, then he noticed it was still bleeding and shuddered. Bleeding meant that it's heart was still beating - a beating heart meant that it was still alive.

He gulped, holding back a gag. 'Poor Bunny...' he thought to himself as Rey picked it up by one of its cleaner patches of fur. She was awful cautious not to get any of it's fluid on her, or so it seemed - going as far as to shift the way she held it with the changing directions of the wind. He padded along at her side, happily. The bleeding stopped along the way, it merely leaked blood with the aid of gravity, leaving spots of red in the white canvas as they walked. Once they reached their destination, Fridgar pawed at the door before Rey'na opened it, allowing him to rush in with enthusiasm, panting with his tongue out while he was at it.

To be fair to the girl, she certainly had a... 'unique' method for cooking rabbit. And that unique method involved simply throwing the whole thing on the hearth, without preparing it for a stew or even skinning it first, fur and all! He thought back to when he'd asked how bad of a cook Rey could have been and cursed himself for tempting fate. He pondered her offer, did he turn back or stay as a wolf? On one hand, he would be able to chew up the critter in big gulps and the ordeal would be over with quickly, but Rey might suspect that he lacked faith in her abilities. On the other hand, he would have to take smaller bites and drag out the inevitably unpleasant taste of charred rabbit fur, but he'd be able to at least try to act like he was enjoying it - Then again, he was admittedly a terrible liar.

He lowered his head, drooping his ears while maintaining eye contact with Rey. With the aid of gravity, he slid his totem necklace to the floor and laid down, focusing on the totem that made up the material of his true form. He managed to meditate so much easier this time around, perhaps he was just more comfortable with Rey'na being there? When ready, he reached out his paw and pressed to his totem with intent, initiating the transformation with a piercing howl of agony as his flesh twisted, his bones crunched and features shifted, growing, shrinking, moving position - the works.

Within eight bits, he lay on the floor covered in sweat, a Lothar once more. Strange, he hadn't sweat like this as a result of his arcana since he'd started learning under Eric six arcs ago. Then he looked up with realisation - he'd managed an unleash, his first unleash. Eric would have been so proud. A chuckle escaped his lips while he hung his head, then fell to his forearms before flopping to his side and laying on his back - everything hurt, he couldn't help but laugh. He lay there on the floor, completely nude and laughing profusely. He then shot his head to Rey, slowing his laugh to a snicker "...That was awesome.".

He tried to sit himself up, his abdomen wasn't having it - seemingly done with his crap. His arms and legs were even worse off however, he'd been running for trials on end only to go and become over the space 5 trills within half a hour of turning back to a Lothar from a horse. It felt as though his body was in pieces, in fact no - it wasn't that bad, he felt as though his body were in chunks, like he'd been chewed up by some predator and spat out. 'Irony, I love it.' With his eyes alight, he turned onto his side and put his hand to the floor, pressing to push himself up. His arm merely shook with strain, burning vigorously. Another laugh forced its way from his broken lungs - this was amazing. Baring his teeth, he put a little more effort into it, turning up onto his forearm ant continuing the press.

Bits later, he'd sat upright. 'Note to self, don't unleash unless you freaking need it, idiot.' his inner voice had a good point, he'd only gone and done that to show off to the beautiful Rey'na, but now he was little more than a puddle of broken muscle. He looked to Rey with an euphoric smile "So, whatchya think?" He asked, seeming to have forgotten that he was naked. "Rey, I literally can't move." he confessed, exhaling. "Could you... Uhh... help me up?" He asked, reddening at the cheeks a little and extending a hand to the girl - he took note to try and not get sweat on her dress if she decided to help him.

[Rey'na]

Rey watched the rabbit cook, occasionally looking back to see how Fridgar was doing. It looked painful, and the cries of pain just strengthened the idea of it hurting him a lot. But it made her curious. Maybe she'd have to learn one day, though it didn't seem that simple. She pondered its uses though. Transforming to something powerful, an animal of brute force. Or something small, even. Being able to slink around when she needed to. In her line of work, that sounded beyond useful.
Once Fridgar had finally turned back, Rey started to ignore the fire and watched as he struggled to stand. She would offer to help, but all the men she knew had pride issues and were usually offended when she offered a helping hand. "I think that was impressive. Perhaps one day you can teach me how you did that, I would be beyond grateful for it - so long as it isn't too much of a bother."
Rey was relieved when he asked for her help, it meant she had no reason to offer. However, she'd went through all the hassle of avoiding making a mess of her dress thus far, and she didn't want to risk that now. She looked to him politely. "Of course, but allow me to change first? I won't be long" she offered, before walking in to her room.

When Rey walked out, she was wearing a black skirt with a blouse. It was less formal, and thus less important. She would stand above Fridgar, placing her hand out towards him to help him up. She bent her knees to keep herself stable, barely able to lift the Lotharro. Fortunately, after a few trills, he was off the ground. She led him to a chair and sat him down.
"Once you feel better, you can change, but you'll be alright for now. Would you like a blanket?" she offered, leaving the room and bringing back the blanket from her bed. She kept it folded on the table in case he didn't want it. Then she looked to the fire and remembered the rabbit. She quickly ran over.
"Burnt" she said, matter-of-factly, with a frown across her face. She put out the fire, leaving the burnt rabbit to cool down on the hot surface. "I hope you weren't too hungry, I can't let you eat that mess. I'm sorry, Fridgar."

[Varthakh]

He looked to her before wiping the sweat from his eyes with shaky hands. "You... want to learn magic?" he asked with confusion. "You know magic is Illegal, right?" he raised an eyebrow. With a sigh, he spoke "Well, once I've learned how to turn birds into totems, I'll fly over here and teach you some trial - if you're still interested." he scratched his chin, seeing Rey's expression, he thought it best he explain himself. "Well, Like you said - the city isn't a nice place to live. I think I'll try Krome next, once my body has recovered..." he spoke as to inform her, his tone was flat. "I'll have to bimble my way through the woods back up to Andaris and find an inn to stay at for a couple of nights-" he spoke before raising his eyebrows and looking to the woman pleadingly - a thought had struck. "Unless you'd be okay with me crashing here? I'll get out of your way as soon as I'm ready or if you want me gone sooner. I won't make a nuisance of myself, I'll stay out of your way, please?" he begged - it was a lot to ask of someone, but he enjoyed her company.

He chuckled before nodding in response to Rey, she really liked that dress of hers, didn't she? That or she just didn't want to get Lothar sweat on it, as most people wouldn't appreciate. Once she returned, she'd successfully helped him to his feet and then helped him to the chair - but his clothes? What about his clothes? He opened his mouth to ask, but Rey spoke, she was okay with him being naked in her house? "No it's fi-" he managed before she'd already disappeared into one of the doorways in the room and returned with a blanket. He pondered whether she'd seen the state on him - did she really want the stink of Lothar on her bedding? He raised an eyebrow and looked to her suggestively, maybe she did want the smell of Lothar in her bedding...? 'Curb it, Casanova. She's on the rebound, remember?' Reminded the voice in his head, he nodded solemnly to himself. "Thanks Rey, I'll wear it once I'm dry." He spoke before reaching into his bag and removing one of his towels and drying himself off to the best of his ability while sitting.

The smell of burnt meat caught his nose, 'The Rabbit' he sighed internally. Oh well, protein is protein, and he'd need that if he ever wanted to walk again at this rate. His heart sank as Rey spoke, she wouldn't let him eat it? "No-no-no! I'll eat it, it's fine!" He begged as she set it down to cool. "Please!?" He spoke, sounding desperate - he seriously needed that protein, burnt or not. He pushed up one the table with his hands, forcing himself to his feet, shaking like a madman. Baring his teeth, he inched himself around the table, leaning most of his weight into it while he made his way to the hearth. Once he'd gotten as close as he could with the aid of the table, he took hold of one of the chairs and leaned on it for support, pushing himself toward his goal - the charred Rabbit. At this point in time, he couldn't recall a more appetising meal ever passing his lips, his mouth watered in anticipation.

The chair had only gotten him so far before slipping out from under him and sending him to the floor. He'd gathered enough strength to crawl, albeit slow. So, he did, he crawled the rest of the way to the hearth and sat himself up. He looked to the rabbit, then to Rey'na "Please?" He asked between exhausted breaths. 'Are you seriously asking permission to eat the rabbit dude?' Well, yeah. She cooked it, she might want some too.

[Rey'na]

Rey listened intently as Fridgar asked if he could stay with her. It was risky, but to say she didn't feel bad for the man was a lie. That was part of what scared her, however. Why did she care or worry for this man? They had just met, but the time they had spent was beyond fun. She genuinely liked him, in a way she rarely did for people. The egg in her head didn't even give her hell for it.
"Well, if you wish to stay, there are a few things I want to make sure of first" she said. "Firstly, it gets cold here and...that bothers some people. Secondly, I uh...can't cook" she admitted. Good timing, too, she was midway through cooking him a meal. She hoped that hadn't put him off.
She let out a small sigh, one that seemed more of relief than annoyance. "What I mean to say is, you are more than welcome to live with me if that's what you want. If it helps you, I'd be happy to assist you" she replied. Then the egg started. It was faint, a little twist of pain, but it was there - like a warning. She ignored it, the only evident sign of pain being the slight wince that escaped her.

Rey watched as Fridgar came to her for the rabbit. Was he really wanting to eat that? He never failed to surprise her. Perhaps it was his pride again, wanting to make Rey happy. Perhaps he liked his food black and burnt? Maybe he was just incredibly hungry. If that was the case, she should have had him catch another rabbit - then he would have plenty to eat, she thought.
Rey kneeled down beside the now collapsed Lotharro, curious. "You know, if you wanted the rabbit that bad you just had to ask" she smiled, the egg twisting a little again. This time she ignored it entirely. Rey offered her hand to help the man up, before sitting him back at the table and bringing the rabbit over. She drew her dagger from it's sheath, slicing off a small bit. The crunch of the rabbit's skin and meat echoed through the house.
She placed a little in her mouth, then smiled pleasantly. "I've tasted worse" she thought aloud, not that it was much to be proud of. "Here you go" she offered, cutting him off a chunk and holding it up to him.

[Varthakh]

His eyes lit up as she spoke - ignoring the excuses she'd make on why he might not want to live with her. Then, she said it 'more than welcome to live with me'. A smile forced its way over his features before he realised, did she think he meant forever? She didn't mention him leaving at all. Seeing her wince, he felt he should clarify, a look of guilt about him "Thank's Rey, seriously. Do you mean I can stay here? Like, permanently?" he asked before finally managing to sit himself up on the floor. Permanent sounded a little... Permanent, but he'd already said it - it was out of his hands, he just silently hoped not to creep out the poor girl.

The words she spoke forced a twitch of his right eyelid. He'd gone and struggled through all of that for nothing? Fridgar sighed, helping Rey help him back to his seat. 'I told you so.' reminded his inner voice with sarcasm in its tone, with it, he rolled his eyes. It didn't matter at the end of the trial, Rey'na brought the rabbit over - black and charred. He was almost drooling with need by now, but he'd forced his lips shut. Food. It was energy, it was material to fix his body - he desperately needed both right now, charred or not. It didn't surprise him when Rey drew her dagger to cut the rabbit, he'd come to anticipate or even expect her quirks within the last two breaks that they'd known each other. The crunch of the rabbit’s skin sent shivers down his spine - a most pleasant noise indeed. Watching with anticipation, she took a bite from the chunk she'd cut off.

He sighed with relief at her comment - at least it was edible. Then it was his turn, he peeled the charred fur from the chunk she'd offered him with shaky hands before swiftly devouring the meat. At the middle was soft, gooey, under cooked meat and at the edges, near where the pelt had been being hard and crunchy solidified meat. But between the two, there was a nice, tough chewy layer of meat. He scoffed all of it down, regardless of its texture - protein was protein. Sighing with relief, he sat back into the chair. Maybe it was his imagination, but he could have sworn that he could feel the slow release of energy back into his system along with the repairing materials for his torn muscles. "Hey, that wasn't bad at all." he spoke, looking to Rey through his haze of relief. "My compliments to the chef." He joked with a bow of his head, he'd have offered to kiss the cook - but that probably wasn't a very good idea.

"I can totally make myself useful while I'm living here by the way. I'll go out and get a job, pay rent, hunt the food, whatever you want!" He grinned, sitting up a little, hoping to receive more of the rabbit. "What do you say? I'm not one for free-loading. So, as long as you keep me around, I'll make use of myself." it sounded fair to him. "As for magic, I COULD teach you, I've taught someone before." he spoke with a scratch of his chin. "But what's your pain threshold like?" he asked with a raise of his eyebrow. Most people backed out at this part, but would rey? "It works on these little nick-nacks we call 'totems', a totem is made up of the bone, blood and hair of the animal you want to become." He smirked. "Become... That's what we call ourselves, 'Becomers'." He digressed, returning to his explanation. "Those three materials we call 'The Three Sovereign Substances' and they all have to be from the exact same animal in order to work, not just of the same species but of the same animal." He continued.

"That's what this necklace is..." he explained, pointing a claw to each of the bone fragments as he taught her which ones were for which - bracing for her sudden reaction of horror. "Grizzly Bear, Horse, Hare, Wolf and Cat." He looked her in the eyes for the next part. "And this bead by here, that's me. My little toe. Magic comes with sacrifice, it's not for everyone. I won't think any less of you if you want to back out." He spoke, closing his eyes briefly with understanding. People were awful fond of keeping their body parts - it had surprised him that the Aukari in Saun had been so willing before.

[Rey'na]

Rey smiled at his enthusiasm. Why wouldn't he be able to stay? She had a spare room, and he was nice enough. Besides, he was a mage - one clearly without a licence. A small parting went through her lips, imagining what would happen if he broke her trust. The guards would die to hear about a rogue mage, especially one so competent at his trade. He would be worth a fortune. For his sake, she thought, it would be best he played it safe.
Snapping back to reality, Rey watched as he ate the rabbit. He didn't seem too put off by it, maybe she would learn to cook at some point? If this wasn't that bad, imagine what she could do with some practice. Hell, if she cooked a nice meal and poisoned it, the poison would be near enough to unnoticeable. It was perfect. Perhaps one day she would invest in that path.
"I take the compliments graciously" Rey smiled, bowing her head in return to his. It was a genuine grin, for two reasons. One, she knew her food tasted like it was fresh from an active volcano. Two, because he still cared enough to lie to her about it. Perhaps she had found a good friend after all.

"Well, as long as you're willing to help out a little, I don't consider it freeloading. Perhaps you can help me with shopping soon, I am dying to buy some new dresses" she chuckled, showing Fridgar what people normally called her 'girly side'. She loved buying new dresses, feeling beautiful and comfortable with herself. She loved it beyond words. It was comforting.
Rey considered. Shapeshifting, to animals. Being able to work in small conditions, go in unreachable areas. It could be perfect. But, it wasn't what she needed. She told Lissira she would become a creature, a monster so strong that she might as well have been made by Lissira herself. She wouldn't break her word on that. She would become a creature beyond the comprehension of anyone, and becoming already existing animals wasn't the way to do that.
"Thank you, for the offer, but I think you might be right. Maybe magic isn't for me" she smiled. Not this kind of magic, at least, she thought to herself. "Anyway, dig in if you like the rabbit so much. I'm not hungry, so just enjoy - we can go get more later if you feel a bit better. Until then, I suppose - welcome home!"

[Pegasus]

Rey'na

Points!:

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/ 5
Structure: 5/ 5

Knowledge:

Cooking: Rabbit can be cooked.
Cooking: Rabbit should be skinned and prepared before being cooked.
Cooking: Burning is easier than cooking.
LORE: Domain Magic ~ one type is called Becoming
LORE: Domain Magic ~ Becoming requires Totems
Fridgar: Would be a good puppy
Fridgar: If he was a puppy, you could play fetch
Fridgar: Plays fetch anyway
Fridgar: A natural predator
Fridgar: Better than Denebah?
Fridgar: A Becomer
Fridgar: One of his totems used to be his toe
Strength: Bend your legs before lifting something heavy
Strength: A good stance helps you stay balanced.

Loot:

+ 1 houseguest

Fame:

+2 (good deeds)

Devotion:

+5 Liserra (prayers + determination to follow Liserra's wishes)

Magic:

These points may NOT be used for arcana: PLEASE NOTE: The knowledge about Becoming is theoretical and can NOT be used as Domain Arcana knowledge to progress. Thanks!

Fridgar

Points!:

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/ 5
Structure: 5/ 5

Knowledge:

Acting: Who's a playful little wolfie, then?
Becoming: Shifting back becomes easier with practice
Becoming: Intent is a powerful thing.
Becoming: Your first unleash was an intense experience
Endurance: A vital skill for a Becomer, shifting hurts!
Endurance: Recover slowly
Endurance: Crawling when unable to stand.
Hunting: Luring out poor, innocent little rabbits.
Rabbits: Taste surprisingly good raw??
Rabbits: Raw might be preferable to burnt!
Rey'na: Likes to play catch
Rey'na: Throws funny
Rey'na: Threw you a stick
Rey'na: Wants you to catch and kill a bunny
Seduction: Maybe she wants the smell of Lothar in her bedding?
Strength: Forcing yourself to stand when weakened.
Strength: Nutrition is vital
Strength: Protein helps you build strength.
Strength: When you can not walk, you can crawl

Loot:

+1 place to stay. Indigestion

Fame:

+3 (good deeds)

Devotion:

NA

Magic:

These points MAY be used for arcana

Overview:

General comments. What a fun thread! I really enjoyed it and loved getting to review it. What an odd pair, too, I look forward to seeing more of them!
Story Just a crazy girl, her wolf and an innocent bunny. Marvellous! Really enjoyed the thread, it was a great read!
Structure No problems that I could see!

Please do PM me if you think I've missed anything or you have any questions!