Heralia il Gardlanda (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
awryprincess) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
middaeg2020-08-06 09:16 am
awryprincess) wrote in middaeg2020-08-06 09:16 am
Entry tags:
Our love is like water
Who: Heralia il Gardlanda and OPEN
When: Auguril
Where: Various
What: Catch-all! Quests, event, Full Moon Shenanigans(tm)
Warnings: A bit of blood and body horror for babby's first transformation. Will update as needed.
[1: Auguril 3rd, Full Moon, Night]
[She'd felt it itch like an infected cut, under her skin. Things flitting past her vision were... distracting for the whole day, and by the night, she could feel the itch across all of her to catch those distracting things in her claws (claws?) and bite them with her fangs (definitely doesn't have fangs). Something wanted to come out. Something bursting her at the seams.
As the sun sets, and the moon rises, Heralia understands what it means to be a Turnskin. Her skin stretches over something much larger, bulkier, furrier than she is, splitting and cracking, and the beast within starts to emerge, with a slosh of some... sticky, unidentifiable liquid that's a bit like peritoneal fluid, though it smells less like viscera, and more like wet dog. The skin liquefies as it hits the ground, into that same, strange, watery substance.
She bursts out of her old form with a growl, fur wet and slick and gleaming in the moonlight, and proceeds to... shake herself off, splattering the nearby structures with the remnants of the liquid. Her tongue runs across her forearms to clean off what's left of the substance, as though the taste doesn't bother her. And it doesn't - it tastes a bit like liquefied fat, with a tinge of blood. Once the grooming is complete... the hunt is on, and the wereleopard, now standing a good almost foot taller than Heralia's usually diminutive stature, rights itself from four legs, to two, and scents the air.
Hm. Something smells good. Something like... meat, perhaps?
She's out on the look for it. Close enough to the edge of the city to go hunting for live prey, but close enough to the wall to smell meats curing overnight, or someone sneaking a midnight snack. Whatever it is, the leopard stops, and stares, almost expectantly, long, pink tongue lolling out and curling over her muzzle.
Luckily, she can be sated with food. She can be sated other ways, as well, but it's not like she can communicate that at the moment. Or, perhaps, another Monster wants to join her on a hunt. Leopards are solitary predators, but pack instinct among Turnskins means she can be brought out for something more productive and less dangerous.]
[2: Match Made - Around Aefenglom - Lunasa]
[Let's rewind a couple of hours, or a couple of days. Ah, a festival made for romance. Such a thing had been a priority of hers, once, when she was a young girl, dreaming of a love that would sweep her off her feet, and promise adventure and companionship.
She got that, eventually. It just took an attempt on her life, and... well, it's not like her relationship with Laurel was traditionally romantic. That with Moraster, or the other dragons, either. But the end was more or less the same as what some people tried for when they married for love - and she got it without even needing to go that far.]
Oh! How's the happy couple? [Whether or not it looks like your character is dating said person they're standing next to, or not, she's there - she's there, and she's making that statement just to get attention. If she's right? Great. If not? Well, she can take the argument it'll spawn. Work it to her advantage. She's good at that.]
[3: Hazard At The Harbor - Aefenglome - Whenver]
[Through the harbor, a child runs, clearly holding something.]
And what do you have there? [And there's Heralia, calling out as the child scoots past, heading toward a back entrance to the factory.
A knife! [There's a glee in the child's voice. Definitely something they weren't expecting. Heralia claps her hands together.]
Excellent! Then you found the crate! Use it wisely~.
[Yep. She's giving kids knives. That's how she's going to start the urchin factory revolution. She feels eyes upon her, though, and looks to whomever is approaching.] Ah, hello!
[4: Antler Fruit - Wildes - Any time after the full moon]
Shh, shh-shh. [Heralia says, and drops into a crouch. Her ears, definitely furry and cat-shaped, swivel to the fore, pointed like radar dishes at the deer that's pawing its way through the underbrush.]
Theeeere it is. That must be it, yes?
[5: Lady of the Lake - Wilde - Any time after the full moon]
Well, well. Isn't that a sorry sight... [She mumbles to herself. This must be the lake and that must be... the spirit. Heralia looks at her traveling companion, as though to dare them to take the first step forward.] Well, let's get this started, shall we?
[6: WILDCARD]
[For all your Wildcarding needs! You can make your own starter, you can hit me up at Heralia's plotting top level, you can get me on Plurk at![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
Reslari or you can hit me up on Discord, Reslari#9561.]
When: Auguril
Where: Various
What: Catch-all! Quests, event, Full Moon Shenanigans(tm)
Warnings: A bit of blood and body horror for babby's first transformation. Will update as needed.
[1: Auguril 3rd, Full Moon, Night]
[She'd felt it itch like an infected cut, under her skin. Things flitting past her vision were... distracting for the whole day, and by the night, she could feel the itch across all of her to catch those distracting things in her claws (claws?) and bite them with her fangs (definitely doesn't have fangs). Something wanted to come out. Something bursting her at the seams.
As the sun sets, and the moon rises, Heralia understands what it means to be a Turnskin. Her skin stretches over something much larger, bulkier, furrier than she is, splitting and cracking, and the beast within starts to emerge, with a slosh of some... sticky, unidentifiable liquid that's a bit like peritoneal fluid, though it smells less like viscera, and more like wet dog. The skin liquefies as it hits the ground, into that same, strange, watery substance.
She bursts out of her old form with a growl, fur wet and slick and gleaming in the moonlight, and proceeds to... shake herself off, splattering the nearby structures with the remnants of the liquid. Her tongue runs across her forearms to clean off what's left of the substance, as though the taste doesn't bother her. And it doesn't - it tastes a bit like liquefied fat, with a tinge of blood. Once the grooming is complete... the hunt is on, and the wereleopard, now standing a good almost foot taller than Heralia's usually diminutive stature, rights itself from four legs, to two, and scents the air.
Hm. Something smells good. Something like... meat, perhaps?
She's out on the look for it. Close enough to the edge of the city to go hunting for live prey, but close enough to the wall to smell meats curing overnight, or someone sneaking a midnight snack. Whatever it is, the leopard stops, and stares, almost expectantly, long, pink tongue lolling out and curling over her muzzle.
Luckily, she can be sated with food. She can be sated other ways, as well, but it's not like she can communicate that at the moment. Or, perhaps, another Monster wants to join her on a hunt. Leopards are solitary predators, but pack instinct among Turnskins means she can be brought out for something more productive and less dangerous.]
[2: Match Made - Around Aefenglom - Lunasa]
[Let's rewind a couple of hours, or a couple of days. Ah, a festival made for romance. Such a thing had been a priority of hers, once, when she was a young girl, dreaming of a love that would sweep her off her feet, and promise adventure and companionship.
She got that, eventually. It just took an attempt on her life, and... well, it's not like her relationship with Laurel was traditionally romantic. That with Moraster, or the other dragons, either. But the end was more or less the same as what some people tried for when they married for love - and she got it without even needing to go that far.]
Oh! How's the happy couple? [Whether or not it looks like your character is dating said person they're standing next to, or not, she's there - she's there, and she's making that statement just to get attention. If she's right? Great. If not? Well, she can take the argument it'll spawn. Work it to her advantage. She's good at that.]
[3: Hazard At The Harbor - Aefenglome - Whenver]
[Through the harbor, a child runs, clearly holding something.]
And what do you have there? [And there's Heralia, calling out as the child scoots past, heading toward a back entrance to the factory.
A knife! [There's a glee in the child's voice. Definitely something they weren't expecting. Heralia claps her hands together.]
Excellent! Then you found the crate! Use it wisely~.
[Yep. She's giving kids knives. That's how she's going to start the urchin factory revolution. She feels eyes upon her, though, and looks to whomever is approaching.] Ah, hello!
[4: Antler Fruit - Wildes - Any time after the full moon]
Shh, shh-shh. [Heralia says, and drops into a crouch. Her ears, definitely furry and cat-shaped, swivel to the fore, pointed like radar dishes at the deer that's pawing its way through the underbrush.]
Theeeere it is. That must be it, yes?
[5: Lady of the Lake - Wilde - Any time after the full moon]
Well, well. Isn't that a sorry sight... [She mumbles to herself. This must be the lake and that must be... the spirit. Heralia looks at her traveling companion, as though to dare them to take the first step forward.] Well, let's get this started, shall we?
[6: WILDCARD]
[For all your Wildcarding needs! You can make your own starter, you can hit me up at Heralia's plotting top level, you can get me on Plurk at
no subject
[Not working on commission means she's not that invested, but it is a cute, fun little thing to do to fluster people.
This one is definitely not able to be flustered, though, so she very quickly is uninterested in continuing trying to push it. It's less fun if people don't react.]
It's a silly festival either way. I suppose they have to have this kind of propaganda here, though. Keeps people inundated with the desire to Bond, to keep everyone safe. Least, that's what I think it is, yeah?
i swear i'm not usually this slow, the adulting in my home is getting out of control
[The way he says it is completely serious, it's clear that he definitely means what he's saying - that it makes more sense to be paid to be at a romance festival than to come because you like romantic things.]
Mm, that also makes sense. I've run into quite a few people who aren't interested in the idea of Bonding, or who really hate the idea. It isn't my favourite either, but if it's necessary, it's necessary. This kind of thing...
[He waves a hand vaguely at the entire festival around them.]
...this wouldn't convince me if nothing else did.
Adulting is the worst and I understand
Yeah, but I think if you were raised in this place, and you had stuff like this happening every year, with all the other talk they always have of encouraging Witches and Monsters to take Bonds, then it'd like... just saturate you and be more normal. I don't know about you but I don't really come from a society anything like this, so instead it's just quite strange.
[She waves a hand, and her ear twitches.] Either way, everyone's into different things. I guess if you think you have to have a romantic connection to Bond with someone, since it's basically a handfasting, then this is the kind of place that would appeal to you! Doesn't sound like that's your mentality though. I'm with you, as it is; it's a practical thing. Especially when it comes to, say, keeping Witches from exploding, or Monsters trying to eat people.
I've very little interest in dying. I have things to do at home. Might as well make myself useful as a Monster, here. But also! I need money~! Makes the world go 'round.
it's so bad...but I think....the light at the end of the tunnel is visible...
I guess so. I already have a Bond figured out, though, and we'll go through the ritual whenever it becomes necessary. The world that I come from is pretty similar to this one actually, but there are none of these Bonds and there are no Monsters, just mages. There is a disease though, and walled cities, and all that.
[There's a pause while he considers the whole concept of romantic Bonding and how it's basically a handfasting, and for a moment he feels very strange about his planned Bond with Reynir. Is that what Reynir thinks it is?]
Don't people have platonic bonds, though? With friends and that. They aren't all romantic, are they?
[There's a hint of tension in his voice when he asks those questions, and he can feel the slight jitter of nerves building up.]
I don't have any interest in dying either, so Bonding is necessary, and it is for him too. Going feral would be almost as bad as dying, it's too much like what happens to people at home who get sick.
no subject
[Okay, maybe two if she counts the capital of Moira, but... that's a conversation for a different time.]
That's what I hear; that's really what I am after, as well, when the time comes. Business partner, friends... well, 'family' is a bit of a question with me. But still, the ritual for it is a lot like a handfasting, so I can see where people would prefer it to be romantic.
[She waves a dismissive hand, like she thinks the concept is silly. Because she does.] At least you can wake up from being feral. You don't wake up from being a crater.
no subject
[It's nice to know he's not the only one interested in a platonic Bond, though he wouldn't exactly call it business. Friends maybe, or something like distant family perhaps, with Reynir. But not, he thinks, romantic - that's not something he's ever thought about, particularly not in relation to Reynir.]
Hm, when you compare it to handfasting, I can see your point. But it's good enough for me if it doesn't have to be that way. I'll have to check to see if he thinks of it that way, though.
[A pause, while he considers that. Waking up from going feral, but not from a crater. He can't help but think of what 'going feral' would mean where he comes from, and how dying would be so much more preferable. He can't help but think of Tuuri.
That line of thought is shut down very quickly.]
True. But sometimes waking up after something that bad isn't the best option.
no subject
[Among other problems. There's a decent population of-] Well, and all the different races and all the different ways they interact... and hate each other, and then there's more wars. [A laugh.] It's kind of pathetic.
You should, though! I think it's important to set what it's going to be from the outset, so no one has any wrong assumptions. No point in breaking someone's heart unintentionally...
[And then, she giggles.] I assume you mean being feral...? So long as you yet live, you can always try to make amends for anything. Death isn't going to solve that, either.
[Then again, there is not a single thing Heralia can think of that she would do while feral that she would regret to the point of not wanting to keep living or going on. Even if she seriously maimed or killed someone, or like. Desecrated a corpse or something. She wouldn't want to know about it if possible, but she'd be fine.
This is what she gets for not caring that much about other people.] So yeah, I'd rather be in my predicament than the Witches'.
no subject
[A shrug, but he listens with interest to her explanation of how her world is. It doesn't sound like a particularly pleasant place to live, though he can't exactly judge without knowing any of the history or why things go the way they do there.
The comment about being able to make up for things as long as you live, and he makes a soft noise in his throat, noncommittal. It isn't necessarily something he agrees with because after all, the Beasts and Trolls and Giants are still alive, but there's no way they could make any sort of amends for anything, providing they did anything bad in the first place. He isn't sure he'd hold them responsible anyhow.
But feral Monsters are different than Beasts and Trolls, he supposes.]
Mm, you have a point. Though there are things you can't make amends for.
[Shrugging, he writes it off as a difference of opinion, probably because of having such different backgrounds and coming from such different places. He's had that kind of difference of opinion, even with people he knows and likes.]
I guess I'd rather be in my predicament than a Monster's. But hopefully it won't come to that in either case.