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Post by blacksilver on Jul 29, 2009 14:28:12 GMT -5
Midnight crawled with the unmerciful heat of the previous day, the air just as thick with the warmth and not letting up even for a cool breeze. The moon shown as a half in the sky, lighting up the heavy air and making the waves of the ocean glow with its light. The resting night was silent and quiet on the harbor, only a few stayed awake to see what came out at this hour, and most wouldn't even believe what they saw.
A low rumble of a roar echoed from the burly chested white brute as he walked the length of a sandy beach not too far from the wharfs. His white maw was painted maroon, eyes wild and bright green in the darkness. Not too far away, the body of a young girl lay among the rocks, torn apart by the white lion. He felt nothing for the girl or her family. Felt no remorse or pain for them. Emotionless demon that struck without empathy for his victims, for they were all items in his game that he played easily.
Heavy paws hit the sand slowly as he ghosted down the shore, his mane clinging with blood and heat from the night. He panted, letting out a low rumble of a growl with each breath. His long fangs held crimson on them too, his tongue sweeping over them to lick up the last of the sweet liquid. He took in the taste slowly, the metallic, rich taste that made his heart race like a raging river. Oh how lusting it was for him to have that taste, that thrill, pulsing in him.
Blonde pelt showed his thick muscles as he padded to the water, lowering his thick head into the water he rinsed the rest of the tasty maroon blood from him. When his head raised from the surf, the water dripped down his chin and into his thick mane, colling him only slightly from the drug-like night.
He pulled a bit aways from the edge of the water, sitting down on his haunches to clean his pelt. Smoothing down the thick fur with his comb-like tongue, he looked like a giant house cat cleaning the water from its pelt. Being in lion form made him feel much more alive. He was himself, a giant beast that ripped apart prey for the shear joy of it. In human form he had to lie, pretend he was something he was not. At least when he was a beast, he was being honest about it.
Ears twitched as he caught sound of something. Maybe a human? Another young girl who dared wonder the streets at midnight? He licked his chops and raised his regal head to watch the boardwalk intently. His muscles tensed with eager hunger and he smiled in the dark, the tips of his long sabers sticking out against his lips.
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Post by tameri on Jul 29, 2009 14:57:16 GMT -5
The night had come and Tameri's uneasiness began to wane. She'd escaped the safety of the suburbs and had found herself at the harbor, exploring its docks and sand. There had been an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach as of late and Tameri had an idea why. No matter. Tameri would wait for the uneasy feeling to pass. Maybe she didn't need to shift tonight? How long had it been? Tameri couldn't remember. She, unlike most of the residents here, perferred her human form over her animal form. Tameri thought of her animal form and shuttered. Striped Hyena. She didn't think she would ever get used to that. Tameri wished she had the ability to change into any other creature but that. Sometimes, Tameri wished she wasn't a shapeshifter at all.
She sighed and tucked her midnight hair behind her ear. Her brown-green eyes did not betray her and showed little emotion. The night was comforting and she knew that if she had to shift, she would be alone. At least, she thought she would be. Tameri leaned against the wooden barrier that looked out onto the waters and sand. Far off, she heard a gull calling, but that was it. The gentle rolling sounds of the ocean calmed her and Tameri could not fight against the peace that tried to wash over her.
And then, she longed for the water. Tameri wasn't much of a swimmer but she did enjoy the comfort of water from time to time. Shifting her weight, Tameri eased herself on top of the wooden fence and leapt down onto the sand. The same jump would probably have injured a normal human, but the shapeshifter meade the leap gracefully and almost silently. She had little idea of the terror that seemed to be prowling these very beaches.
Tameri continued walking and it was after a few seconds she realized that the uneasiness had crept up within her once more. She walked barefoot along the sand and tried to concentrate on the water's breeze that tickled her smooth legs. Something was off, and it frustrated Tameri that she was not able to pinpoint what it was. For now, she would try to stay comfortable. The Egyptian girl closed her eyes, hoping that the uneasy feeling would come to pass.
When she opened her eyes again, the feeling grew worse and Tameri thought she might get sick. The dim light from the boardwalk had caught against something...white. "What the-" Tameri quickly shut her mouth so as not to give away her position. But from the looks of it, it seemed as though the magnificent white lion had already seen her. Tameri took a few steps back and turned her head away, as if doing so would make her invisible. Her mind began to race and a blitzkrieg of questions began to assault her thoughts. Fear pulsated within her veins and the sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach began to gnaw. Ugh. Lions. Her lips curled back involuntarily. For now, she would try her best to ignore the fact that there was a freaky white lion on the beach. Right now, Tameri's only thoughts were to run.
And so she did. If she knew anything about lions it was that they were pretty lazy things. Maybe this one would not feel the need to chase? Tameri had an ugly feeling that it just might want to chase.
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Post by blacksilver on Jul 29, 2009 16:12:56 GMT -5
On any other occasion, Gabriel would have made something up. Shifted while the girl was running and say that he had seen the lion too, maybe even fought it off, something like that. He was have lured her slowly, taking his time to make sure that he had her trapped before he killed. But, being already in the drive, his mind did not want to take the time to do something like that. Instead, the flowing of churning adrenaline and fear scent sent him into a spiral of hunters wild chase, and she was running.
He was after her before his mind even processed the movement of his paws, pounding against the sand, his muscles tightening and bulging against the effort as he took off like a sports car in full gear. Lions could move fast if they put their minds to it. And it was easy to out run a human, especially one that was afraid. Her fear scent drive him mad, his tongue lolled from his lips as he took in the smell of her fear.
His strides lengthened into a sprint as he gained on her, his body moving like flowing water as he easily bonded to her left. A snarl broke from his chest as he leaped ahead of her. He spun on his feet, facing her quickly and blocking her escape down the shore. He stood in front of her, maw opened to breath as his green eyes showed with eager intent. His shoulders arched and rolled as he stood to his full height, coming up to almost the girl's shoulder.
Head lowered so that it was closer to the ground, closer to the height of the girl's legs. A low growl echoed from his opened mouth, a subtle roar that was more to scar the girl. Claws unsheathed onto the soft sand, his fangs showed like knives and his head lowered. His shoulders rolled and he gazed at her like she was prey, frightened, startled prey that had wandered too close to a predators domain.
Gabriel smiled, cold and cruel against his feline lips. He gazed up at her with bright green optics, now taking a grey hue as he waited intently. He looked more human than ever then, waiting with patience of a killer, and tactful like a murderer. He enjoyed this, the girls fright, her fear, it fed him like blood.
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Post by tameri on Jul 29, 2009 16:47:41 GMT -5
She felt the lactic acid burn her muscles. Even at full speed Tameri knew that she would be painstakingly slow compared to the great cat. She began to drown in her own pessimism and fear. Her skin grew hot and her hair clung to her neck and lips. Her breathing intensified, but was punctuated with panicked gasps. The calm, peaceful scene she had seen before was no more. Now it was her, the nighttime, and this white lion. Had she been dreaming? No. The shortness of breath was too real. The tightening of her lower calves was too real. The air that stung her eyes when she ran was too real. Tameri knew that it was all real. Even the ghostly lion was no hallucination. He looked and sounded real enough.
Tameri continued running, hearing the thudding against the sand grow louder and knowing what it meant. She watched, with wide-eyed horror as the beautifully terrifying animal eased its way past her. It looked like he wasn’t even trying! Tameri began to shake. She stopped just as the lion did and watched as he lowered himself, ready for the strike. She stared at him and found his greenish eyes unnatural and twisted.
Was she about to die? Tameri was not ready to accept it. Her own eyes narrowed and the uneasiness that clouded her mind seemed to lift. A new feeling erupted in the core of her being: a kind of cold fury. Breathing heavily, Tameri watched the lion carefully now suddenly unafraid to look this herald of death in the eye. There was no way in hell she would become food for this thing without a fight. Especially a lion.
Tameri closed her eyes for a moment and allowed her muscles to relax. There was a pain in the pit of her stomach the spread to her limbs and dissolved into a cold shiver. The feeling burned icily and Tameri knew that she was shifting. It always hurt a little when she changed forms. It didn’t matter. The whole process took a fraction of a second.
When she had finished, Tameri had taken on the appearance of a matured Striped Hyena. Compared to the great lion, she only stood about three feet tall. She was more lithely built, with her sinews covered by an interesting display of beige and black stripes. From the base of her neck down to her rump there was a bristling mane of black fur. She positioned herself facing the lion, lips curled back to reveal a row of pointed teeth shaped just to tear up hardened meat.
Tameri backed up a few paces. Her strategy was not to fight. It was to just get away, and in one peace. She released a feral snarl. She hoped it would be enough to tell him that she refused to be easy prey.
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Post by blacksilver on Jul 29, 2009 17:41:46 GMT -5
Green eyes found themselves widen as the girl shifted into a hyena. The shock was brief, for a new kind of hunger struck him. Lions killed hyenas, Hyenas murdered lions. Thats how it worked in the wild. His tail twitched and he smiled, his voice rumbling darkly as he growled, "How interesting.." He licked his lips and started forward, his muscles rippling on his shoulders. The ivory monster's teeth shown, a vicious roar challenging the girl's snarl. His green eyes flashed like lightning, loose and wild and intent on his prey.
At the last few feet that separated them he leaped, heavy body turning so that he spun to slam his thick shoulder into her side. Hunters reflexes made him strong and quick in the fit of the fight. Paws clubbed down at her, aiming to hit her with their razor sharp claws on her flank and back. He would grab her if his slam failed, try to push her to the ground with his weight.
A throaty snarl echoing from his barrel chest, a hungry and bloodthirsty sound that churned anyones fear up. His thick mane would protect his neck, his tough muscles would protect his body. Male lions were build to attack at close range, they were made to fight. It was even said that a male lion could kill a tiger, tigers may be bigger, but they weren't as experienced in fighting as lions.
His attack in his hopes would knock the girl down to the ground. He always had favor of pinning his prey and killing it slowly, watching it squirm. The fact that his prey happened to be female, made him even more cruel. Quick deaths were not common with Gabriel.
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Post by tameri on Jul 29, 2009 18:10:28 GMT -5
Tameri’s deep, murky green eyes focused on the lion before her. His words sent up a signal at the back of her mind. He was a shapeshifter, too. Well obviously! The cold fury within Tameri continued to burn. Who the hell did this guy think he was? He knew she was a shapeshifter! Why did he not stop his attack? Tameri had little time to deliberate these questions. No…she had more pressing issues on her mind right now, like the bad-tempered asshole in front of her.
She gave her fur a great shake and her muscles seemed to tense instinctively. She watched him leap and knew that this time, she could not be faster than he. She took the blow, bracing herself for the impact. Whether it was his intention or not, Tameri was forced back when she felt the intense pressure along her ribcage. She kept low to the ground, with her head up as the male reared his paws upwards in order to slice the flesh along her back. Now, her entire side was exposed to him but Tameri knew what she had to do.
To the best of her ability, the striped hyena shifted herself so that she faced her opponent face on. She took a few steps back, and caught a few blows to the shoulder. The impact did not cause her limbs to buckle but it did remind her of the little time and opportunity she had to counterstrike.
Without delaying, Tameri used the pent up energy in her powerful hind quarters to launch herself at the lion’s face. Her aim was the side of his nose and lower jaw. It was the closest and most effective target she had. She would have to come up with a way to get beneath him and rip the soft skin of his belly.
She felt a hot, sticky something roll down her front limb. The air smelled like iron. Her energy was focused and driven and Tameri knew that she could hold her own if she wanted to. Lions may be stronger but hyenas were faster.
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Post by blacksilver on Jul 29, 2009 20:09:38 GMT -5
Gabriel carefully watched the hyena, feeling his blows make contact and the blood well in his claws. He faced her when she turned, he watched her with smug superiority that would make anyone want to slap him clear across the face. He met her attack, feeling her slash across his jaw. He turned his head and snapped his jaws, biting down at her shoulder, aiming to grip with steele tight jaws. Being this close gave him that chance, and he would take it.
The blood dripped off his face where she had slashed him, the liquid running down his face to dry on his pelt. He slammed his body against hers again, pushing down on her with his massively clawed paws. A cool calm overflowing his features as he did so. Anger or pain only weakened his abilities to kill.
The muscles were taunt on his neck and shoulders, rolling growls climbing out of his throat. Blood from his maw dripped to the sand, making it clot on his toes but not slowing him down. The heat of the fight and the air around him made his skin twitch, he would be sweating if lions could.
He would protect his belly from her, it being his only weakness. He crouched low as he attack, making sure that she wouldn't be able to squirm under him and chomp at his soft belly.
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Post by tameri on Jul 30, 2009 9:45:42 GMT -5
Tameri's mind began to calculate. So Gabriel had the advantage up close. Tameri needed to put some distance between them. At the rate that they were going, she would probably die of blood loss. Hmm. At least she wasn't tired. And at least she'd gotten a hit on that face of his. Tameri would have to switch up her strategy, especially if she expected to last a little longer. The hyena relied on all instincts now. She seemed to act blindly, but there was a driving force that told her the best things to do at the best times.
Tameri’s teeth made contact with the lion’s muzzle, but it seemed as though she had to let go of her vice grip just as soon as she’d acquired it. In order to protect her shoulder Tameri eased her way backwards, more towards the lion’s rear than anything else. Just when she had thought she’d picked herself up, the lion reared again and slammed his body into her own. She felt the impact and this time she was aware of making contact with the ground. Tameri lay on her side but not for long. She pushed herself up onto her wary limbs.
The blood that coated her onyx and beige fur gave her crazed appearance. A sickly look crept into the depths of her murky eyes. Her tongue lolled out from the side and her panting was quick and precise. The black mane of fur that extended from the base of her neck to her tail was bristling and Tameri was thankful for it now. She had little damage to her back and neck. Her sides were thoroughly bruised, maybe even a broken rib. The most damage had been done to her shoulders and upper limbs. Tolerable, but if this didn’t end soon it would be the death of her.
Death of her. Ha ha ha.
A frenzied smile tugged at her black lips and Tameri backed up a few paces, crouching low to keep her own neck protected. She watched him bemusedly. For nearing the end of her life, Tameri had adopted an unnaturally calm demeanor. Hmm, she was probably insane or something. She ghosted herself in the opposite direction that the lion was going, backing up whenever he took a step forward. She remained in a crouch. A sharp pain on her left side indicated that the lion had indeed broken a rib. Tameri’s face did not betray her. The blood that dripped down her shoulders seemed to coalesce into one large mass. The weight of it coupled with the airiness of her wound made her limbs feel numb and unreliable.
The air smelled and tasted like blood. Her blood. She didn’t want to chance a look down to see the mess. At that moment, a strange desire washed over her. If Tameri was to die, which now it seemed almost guaranteed, she wanted to be in her human form. Whether it was that or pure exhaustion that drove the change, she did not now. Almost instantly all her muscles relaxed for but a second and the icy-burning sensation erupted in her center, spreading to her limbs.
Tameri the woman lay on her back, the warm sand not particularly comforting her. Her eyes were unfocused, sans emotion. Her beautiful black hair was in disarray, clinging to the blood that had smeared across her collar bone and shoulders. Her shoulders. Tameri was surprised to find out that as an animal, she had a higher pain threshold. As a human, well, she hurt like hell. Hell probably offered tamer services than the pain she was feeling now. Tameri needn’t look to know that her shoulders were a bloody mess. The blood that seeped from her abrasions dripped down her arms and chest. Her breathing was sporadic. Hmmm. Humans were so much less resilient than animals. Too bad you won’t live to be a Hyena again. Tameri thought. She wanted to laugh, kind of. More than anything she wanted to scream. The woman refrained. She could do this one little thing, couldn’t she? Not make a sound. Tameri remained unmoving, laying on her back her body exposed to the elements.
Would the damn lion hurry up?
ooc- Sorry, I didn't leave you much to work with. It seemed kind of a stretch for Tameri to put up any kind of fight against Gabriel. She hasn't been shifting very long and never really fights xD Buut yeah, if you could not kill her that'd be marvelous. Maybe Gabriel could kidnap her or do something malicious? I don't know. Your choice!
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Post by blacksilver on Jul 30, 2009 22:41:55 GMT -5
The beast paused to watch as his prey shifted back. His muscles relaxed as he saw that she did not get up, that no sound escaped her. She was not dead, but close to it seemed. Pity she did not scream. It was a surprise to him that she was not dead already, he had slammed into her so much that he had assumed her back would be broken by now.
Whiskers twitched as he drew closer towards her, steps easy and strong, his body only bruised slightly, the blood drying on his maw. He stood next to her beautiful human form, eyes dark with a tint of emotion, like shadowed water under a moonless sky. The lion growled, fangs shown as his lips curled back in a vicious snarl. A heavy paw raised and planted on her chest, stopping the bleeding from one her numerous wounds. His growl rumbled lower as he lowered his head, fangs lightly touching her neck where the jugular lay, eyes gleaming with malicious intent.
Something stopped him from biting, from killing and ending her life there and then. He felt more, creative with this girl. Maybe it was because she was a shifter, maybe it was because he was insane. He wouldn't know, he never usually acted on his own thoughts, feelings were never brought into situations like this.
Instead he snapped his jaws close to her neck, teasing in a cruel way. Then he pulled back, sitting down, his paw still on her chest. He pulled his paw away slowly as his form shifted. Slowly filling into a crouching man. Hair bloodied, jawline still leaking the slash mark. His eyes glittered with grey-green hue. Blood painted his chin softly, almost as if it belonged there.
He tilted his head, watching her with satanic humor. His face leaned in, breath warm with blood as velvet words too soft to be real parted from his lips, "How beautiful you look dying." Voice crisp with a charming tone that was twisted with malice. A hand reached down to brush a strand out of her face, a smile curling on his lips.
He watched her with unblinking eyes, a finger swiping up a drop of blood from one of her wounds. He looked at it with a lunatic's gleaming eyes before licking the blood from his finger. Eyes lingered on her while he licked up her blood. He smiled gruesomely, his lips pursed in amusement before he purred, "Death you may call, but answer it you shall not, for I am the Reaper." His tongue licked his teeth and he grinned wickedly, eyes gleaming as he stared into her eyes unblinkingly, crouched beside her like a beast ready to pounce.
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Post by tameri on Jul 31, 2009 15:09:35 GMT -5
The pain along her shoulders and ribs diminished her desire to fight back. To live. It was like several hot knives were wedged in the most random of places, sitting idle in the pulsing wounds. At first she could feel the blood sliding down her almond skin, but now even that feeling had been overshadowed. She momentarily closed her eyes, as if being blind to everything would quicken the process she so readily waited for. She felt an immensely uncomfortable pressure on her chest; was she being buried? Her ribs screamed in protest and Tameri clenched her teeth to keep the torrent of shrieks from escaping. The woman felt the lion’s presence draw closer and the growl that erupted from him made her wish that death would come a little faster. It did not.
She felt his hot breath against her neck and Tameri turned her head in the opposite direction, exposing the curve of her neck. It was like she was asking this harbinger to kill her. The feel of his canines against her skin would not be something she enjoyed normally, but given the circumstance, Tameri hoped he would finish his “project.” The cat’s teasing was agonizing for the woman. So this guy liked to play with his food. A pained frown eased its way onto her features and Tameri had a feeling she would not be freed from this “discomfort” for some time yet.
Just as the pressure released from her chest, Tameri gasped for breath. The slow expanding of her lungs and diaphragm made her ribs groan and she shuddered. His words made little sense to her. How can one look beautiful when dying? Wasn’t it more like stepping on a worm and watching it writhe in pain? The worm never looked beautiful. Tameri, upon feeling the touch of his hand, recoiled, exhaled sharply, and winced. What had happened to not showing pain? Tameri opened her eyes and bit her lip. Her eyes were unfocussed and the new onslaught of images before her did not help to ease the pain of her passing.
The man she saw crouching beside her was borderline angelic. The contours of his face made him seem so trustworthy and comforting. His eyes, however, told a different story. Tameri knew he was responsible for this. She looked away, gripping the sand with both of her hands and squeezing tightly. The effort was draining, but strangely enough Tameri felt revitalized through the action. Of course, she remained laying on her back, her mangled body in tatters.
The last of his words caused Tameri to shudder inwardly. ”Finish it.” She growled through a taut jaw. She did not look at him.
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