Dragonfly Fen Intoxication, paranoia, and a lot of fame

@Darrah Cousin time <3

Camouflaged against the snow, Celandine made her way down the mountain. Not long ago, she had traversed the other side to find Deacon, and now it seemed she had to know what else laid East. The glen was somewhere, but she knew she couldn't find it alone. Moving had been hectic enough without counting every landmark, yet for some reason she wished she had. Maybe it was simply nostalgia, or greed. Would another band of wolves find the Magnolias? Even the thought of a pack taking up their old haunts proved to be too much to bear, so she set her mind to other things.

Focusing in on the cold, and watching her breath pour out in hot puffs of steam, the princess continued. Weaving through a dense forest of pine trees, she thanked the gods that they were bare. Had it been the middle of summer, she felt her journey would have been shrouded in darkness. Not one to be fearful, Celandine had to admit something about the place unnerved her. There was a silence so great that her ears were ringing. Quick to note that there was a severe lack of paw prints, she decided that not even prey animals found themselves wandering through the area all too often.

Cella tried to chalk it up to her imagination. She was reading into things, only to freak herself out. Unfortunately, her blood was already pumping. Terror coursed through her veins, as the snowy hairs on her neck rose. Something was out there, she knew it, and when it found a young princess all alone, she would be a goner.

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

Darrah recalled memories in which he didn't even know what snow was, oh how he missed those days. Though it wasn't the snow that bothered him at all. No, the snow was almost as beautiful as the stars.. 'It gets dark so fast these days..' the prince sighed as he trudged through the icy fen. He was so used to heading out immediately after it got dark, that was when his pack started heading for bed. That was when he didn't have to answer so many questions about where he was going. Now however, wolves would stay up forever past dark. He knew the wolves were just watching out for him, that still didn't make it any less annoying. He wasn't much of a talker, so the less questions the better. 'I won't run away from them like my mom did.' he scuffed at the thought. 'I'll always come back.' though sometimes he wished he could just run away. Leave his problems behind, maybe find a new life full of wolves he actually felt comfortable talking to. Wolves he wasn't always comparing himself to. 'Wouldn't that be something...'

The prince didn't quite know where he was headed to tonight, he just knew he needed to keep walking. Find things to distract him from overplaying stupid thoughts in his head for hours on end 'The way the moonlight plays on snow is just so mesmerizing..' he glanced around, admiring everything in his sights. "I wish everything was this beautiful..."

I'm sorry if this sucks, Kelsey literally WOULD NOT STOP TALKING :(.

@Darrah

A disembodied voice called out. "I wish everything was this beautiful..." Already on edge, the pale girl almost jumped out of her own skin. Wildly retracing her steps backward, she flung her head around. Bright eyes scanned the trees, searching for the owner. Ready to bolt, Celandine gave the land one last glance. However, her gaze fell upon the stranger. Letting out a relieved sigh, she took a moment to collect herself. Dawning her mask once more, the heiress padded toward him. After all, he didn't seem dangerous.

Holding her head up high, the youth carried her title well. It could have been seen as a challenge, but this territory did not belong to him. She knew that much at least. Pack lands had a certain scent to them. A mingling of perfumes, and heavy markers. Having not ran into any, her posture was more confident than ever. "Good evening sir." She planned on recruiting him, unless of course, he already had a home. Bringing back a wolf could do wonders in putting Evy and herself on a level playing field once more. Perhaps there was a more conniving reason to her desires, but that was still up for debate. She wanted wolves to swear themselves to her, but she still was unsure what to do with them after that.

Closing the distance between herself and the stranger, Celandine hoped to give him only a few tail lengths of space. She was in control of the situation, or at least she thought she was.

(This post was last modified: Dec 22, 2014, 05:20 AM by Celandine.)

The nearby voice startled him, but he had learned not to show fear in front of strangers. She did catch him off guard, and he did jump, but he was ready to play it off if she brought it up. 'Who...Is she..' as she approached his first instinct was to run, but what kind of Prince runs from a lady without reason? 'She might be in trouble.. Maybe lost. ' he studied the stranger up and down. 'Her fur is almost identical to the snow.. She's very pretty.. But wow does she look intimidating.' The way the young girl composed herself, the way she talked, she seemed confident. Maybe too confident. "H-Hello. And who might you be?" he tried to be just as confident, but that look didn't quite suit the Tainn well.

'She's a little close..' He wanted to back up, give them more space.. But he didn't want her to see that as an advantage. Wouldn't that make him seem just as uneasy as he felt? 'She looks about my age. I don't think I've met any other wolves my age.. I mean if you don't count my sister... I wonder what she's doing out here alone... Or wait, is she alone?' He tried to nonchalantly sniff the air for other wolves. 'Nothing... She might actually be all by herself. Maybe she really is lost.' That only made him more nervous. Depending on where she needed to get to he would be of no help. He waited eagerly for her response.

@Darrah

His stutter gave him away. The little hitch in his 'Hello' told her everything she needed to know. His confidence was wavering, and the young princess could use that. Taking yet another step closer, Celandine reveled in the discomfort she hoped she was forcing upon him. Flicking a plush tail, and adding a little more swagger to her gait, she hoped to use her appearance to meet an end. On her terms of course. When she spoke, it was with a honey laced tongue. Her voice sweet and calm. "I am Celandine Argyris, heir to Silent Moon Plateau, formerly Magnolia Glen. And yourself?"It was her first time using the method. She knew she was gifted with beauty. Whether it could work in her favor or not was about to be determined.

She was not so lost in her new found method that she might forget to size him up. The male was juvenile, possessing a not-too-thick build. Confident in the fact that she could take him were an altercation to occur, she chanced another step. His perfume was heavy, spreading through the air like wildfire. Somehow there was a familiar hint to it, but one she couldn't place. Had they met before? Refusing to let the curiosity spread to her features, Celandine maintained a nonchalance that could have lasted ages. Her brow raised lightly, as if she were merely waiting for his answer. Which of course she was, but this boy was not her prince. That spot was reserved for another, so it couldn't truly matter.

"Uh..Oh!" He was almost to confused by the situation to even realize she had spoken to him. Why did she look so impatient? Was he wasting her time? She approached him though! "Celandine Argyris..." The last name was one of which he'd heard before... But from where? "I-I'm Darrah." he awkwardly stood a little taller and puffed out his chest in an effort to seem 'tough'. "Darrah Tainn. Son of the great Triell. Prince of Oak tree Bend." He thought he pulled the look off swimmingly, but was more than happy to flop back into his regular posture. "It's a pleasure to meet you." he bowed a tad to show respect. 'Okay you know her name... Now find out why she's here. If she isn't lost then ask what she might be doing out here.. If there's no need for you to stay, tell her you must get going and leave. It's easy!' easier said than done. He was about to break out in a nervous sweat, this boy was no good with other wolves. How would he ever rule his pack one day if he couldn't hold a decent conversation without flipping out?

"So, Celandine. Might I ask what you are doing out here alone this late at night?" See? That wasn't so bad. He mentally gave himself a pat on the back for the accomplished hard work. 'But wait, I worded that wrong I think.. I asked why she's here alone so late.. But I'm out here alone this late.. Will she get the wrong impression? I wasn't trying to sound like I had more right or anything.. Oh no. Oh gosh.' And just like that he was freaking out again.

@Darrah

Tainn. She stood, frozen in place as the world came crashing down around her. Not because her plan was now null and void, but because he was a reminder. A disheartening truth that stood there mocking her. It seemed that there were still Tainn's residing in the Lore, yet not one of them happened to be her mother. Celandine went through the motions; Felt anger, felt betrayal. She wanted to snap at him, scare the boy away for announcing that name in her presence. He had no right to carry the name that she once wore so proudly. Unfortunately, she was still a princess, and she had a duty.

A little stiffer than before, and without the initial swagger she had displayed, the girl sat. An inner monologue took place, or a war really. She didn't want to tell him, yet she felt some duty to give him that much at least. "And you." Growing aware of the strange silence, in place of what she had considered control, she gave it a try. Diplomatic as ever, she did her best to keep any ill placed malice out of her voice. "It seems we are of the same blood." Having no idea how they were related, as Borlla hadn't stuck around long enough to recite her lineage, Celandine left it as she had. The boy might ask, but she had no answers to give.

"I should ask you the same. Oak Tree Bend is far from here, is it not?" That was rude. Too rude for someone of her status. Sighing, she made an attempt at fixing her mistake. "I guess I might be out here for the same reason as you." Of course she had no evidence, or anything to back up her conclusion. It was said merely to rid them of the tension, and hide her brazen comment .

(This post was last modified: Jan 02, 2015, 08:09 AM by Celandine.)

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

The mood changed in a matter of seconds and Darrah didn't quite know how to handle it. The once proud and beautiful wolf now presented herself a little.. Sloppier? Maybe Angrier? Was it something he had said? He grew nervous, the prince wasn't ready to experience even more negativity, hadn't he been through enough? The more time that passed without words being spoken the more the boy just wanted to flee. He didn't have to be here. He could be at home taking a nap right about now. That situation sounded a lot better than this one.

It seemed like a century had passed before she finally spoke, though in reality it was probably only a few minutes or so. Either way he had more than enough time to realize he wasn't wanted here anymore, and at this point that was perfectly okay with him. "Wait.. We're.. Related? How?" He thought deeper on the name Argyris, but nothing was ringing a bell. "Who are your parents? ...I-if you don't mind me asking." Maybe he could piece some things together with a little more information. Good thing his last name was Tainn, he only really knew about his fathers side of the family.

Darrah didn't appreciate the tone in the young princesses voice, but he'd let it slide out of fear of conflict. "For the same reason I am?" he chuckled a little. "Well I'm here to star gaze and forget about my horrible mother! So if you're out here for that reason then I guess we have a lot in common." 'Wow way to make things even more awkward.' he scuffed at himself.

@Darrah

Tongue bathed in malice she spoke. "My mother was a Tainn." Celandine knew very little about her father's lineage, and even less about Borlla's. She held only the knowledge that Oak Tree Bend was made up of mostly Tainns, and somehow her mother fit into the puzzle, but the rest? It was possible that her father might know, but asking those questions would be treading on dangerous territory. Too much history. Too much bad blood. Taking a step back, and planting herself upon the snow, Cella steadied herself. She had never said the name aloud. Battling between running him off, and providing a name was not easy on her conscience.

"Borlla. Borlla Tainn." Having lost the fight, she sighed.

They were in the same boat it seemed. Both losing mothers who probably bore the same last name. Maybe it was a curse. One she would pass on to her cubs, and them to theirs. It was like a small weight had been lifted, as she finally realized she wasn't alone. "You know, I'm not an expert on stargazing, but if I might offer a bit of advice?" Without waiting for an answer, because surely it was something he needed to hear; Something she wished she had known from the start, Celandine continued. "You won't forget her. She will be with you always. Whether you want her to, or not. She will haunt your thoughts by day, and your dreams by night. Eventually it will spread. The hate in your stomach, the rage in your heart. If she comes back Darrah," Using his name for emphasis, to make sure he was paying attention, she let the most important information fall from her tongue. "Never forget that she has broken you. Never forget the feeling you have right now, and never feel like you owe her a damn."

Talking about it was almost therapeutic. Almost.

(This post was last modified: Feb 06, 2015, 12:32 AM by Celandine.)

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

'Borlla Tainn...' just has he thought, the name didn't sound familiar to him at all. Still being young, when chatter of his extended family occurred he found himself too distracted to pay much attention. He knew a little, probably what he was 'supposed' to know.. He now wished he would of paid more attention. He'd ask his dad about her later. "S-sorry, I don't think I've heard of her before.. So how we are related.. I have no idea. Maybe cousins? I've heard I have a few around my age so.." he sighed in disappointment.

Celandine's voice lightened up when she spoke of advice. It wasn't happy, but it sure wasn't as harsh. He stood in silence, curious about what she would say next. "You won't forget her." those words struck like a dagger to the prince's stomach. He already knew that. He knew she would never leave his mind. He knew years from now, if she hadn't returned home he would still hate her more than anything. Hell, even if she did return.. Celandine was completely right. He knew these things,but hearing it from someone else made it real. He wanted to cry, but as a future pack leader he felt he wasn't allowed. 'You're done CRYING over her Darrah.' his blood was boiling. 'She's right.. Never forget what she did to me, but not just myself alone. My fathers been a mess since she's left. My sister... We don't even talk anymore. It's all her fault.' he couldn't think of anything to say to the princess, he wished he didn't have to say anything at all. "Thank you, I won't ever forget.. But.. Did your.. mom.. leave too? Is that how you know?"

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.