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Post by Mr. Peace-and-Logic on Jan 31, 2010 18:08:30 GMT -5
The lake was rather beautiful around midday, thought Sasha as he strolled around the grassy edge. The sun hit the water in such a way that the rippling waves were transformed into blinding sparkles, adding a pleasant touch to the clean blue lake. Few people were enjoying the site as the teen was, for another effect of midday was the baking heat. Warm sunshine was just a little too warm, with no cloud cover to block it every now and again for some shade. The water, as pretty as it was, also did nothing to help improve the temperature, and as such, kept most away. Sasha, however, wasn't deterred. The lake provided a great place for relaxation and contemplation, and it was one of the few places where he wouldn't earn weird stares from his peers. The teen stopped his roundabout journey about halfway through, and sat to take a small break.
As the darkly-garbed male rested, he took a look at his surroundings. Besides the lake, which he had been staring at throughout his entire walk, there was a vividly bright forest behind him. The sunlight shined down through small gaps in the leafy treetops, making the dirt woodland path a mottled canvas of yellow, green, and brown. Sasha rose, his curiosity piqued. I've never been down this way before, he mused as he made his way slowly to the start of the path. I wonder what's down here?
After a few minutes of leisurely strolling, the teenage shifter felt as though he was lost in some sort of fairytale. The forest was every bit as beautiful as the lake, the trees around him a dizzying mix of green hues. The crisp blue sky was just visible through the leaves, and all around him, Sasha could hear the sounds of creatures in their natural habitat. A smile suddenly broke out onto the boy's pale face; he felt completely at peace here. He continued walking along, delving further into the mystical feel of the forest -
Until he saw a rather large, rather menacing looking shape lying lazily on a tree branch.
Almost immediately, every muscle in Sasha's body tensed up, and his smile disappeared as quickly as it had come. His ice blue eyes were now wide in fear, for the dark shape in the tree appeared to be some sort of big cat, basking in the warm, mottled rays. A panther, his mind cried dismally. He let out a quiet curse in Russian, and took a slow step back. Maybe if he was lucky, he could get away without being noticed...he highly doubted it, though. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he desperately hoped that the great feline would remain asleep.
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Post by Terenzio DeVito on Jan 31, 2010 22:02:37 GMT -5
Rohjyx relaxed happily, his great form stretched out along the strong branch with all but his right front leg dangling over the sides of the branch, and continued to sleep peacefully. The warm sunrays on his gleaming black pelt felt so good and the gentle sounds of the forest around him lulled him into a sleepy daze he rarely allowed himself to be in. A bird chirped its happy song in a branch nearby and at the base of his tree he could hear a squirrel snuffling around; probably looking for nuts or something. He tuned them all out in favor of sleeping lightly, his tail swishing with the soft breezes that weaved along the trees.
It was a good day. Better than normal, even. So far he hadn't had any trouble with any Thieves or with people in general. It was a slow, lazy day. He liked it, especially since he didn't have any work that he needed to do.
He didn't know how long he dozed for but when he heard the soft sound of gentle footfalls coming up the trail he immediately woke up and pulled his legs up onto the branch, except for his left rear one. That one dangled down leisurely. He stayed pretty much the same otherwise, giving off the feeling that he was sleeping soundly. He kept one ear trained on the sound, though, and when he heard whoever it was stop suddenly and curse in - what was it, Russian? - he cracked one eye open to examine whoever had seen him
It was a teenaged boy, unnaturally tall for what age he looked, with bright blue eyes and black hair that reminded Rohjyx of his own. The only difference was their skin tones; Rohjyx was a lot more tanned than the kid, from what he could see.
Lifting his head and opening both eyes to stare fully at the boy, Rohjyx eyed him for a moment before rising steadily to his paws on the branch and leaping down to the ground below. Eyes locked on the kid steadily, Rohjyx stared at him for a slow moment before walking with fluid grace towards him.
He stopped no more than two feet away from him and swished his tail across the forest floor behind him, a curious look in his eyes. Why was it he could smell bird on the kid? Was he a Shifter? This thought made Rohjyx's ears perk up and he immediately sat back on his haunches, his head tilted to the side to show his curiosity. He had to remind himself that, although the kid was most likely a Shifter, he could not understand Rohjyx while he was in his Shifted form. But he let out a low meow anyways, just as a way to try and calm the kid down.
It wouldn't do for him to be terrified, after all. That was no way to carry a conversation.
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Post by Mr. Peace-and-Logic on Feb 1, 2010 16:25:47 GMT -5
Liquid gold eyes fixed on Sasha as the boy stood perfectly still, limbs locked in horror. The panther was coming towards him. A small, quiet whimper of terror escaped Sasha's mouth, though he was doing his absolute best to stay calm. How did a panther even GET out here?! part of his mind screamed, while the other plotted a way to escape the situation. "N-n-n-nice k-kitty?" he asked, trying the temperament of the creature before him. He stumbled over the words clumsily, however, making them difficult for even a human to understand. The boy realized this, and mentally cursed his nerves.
Surprisingly, the panther didn't seem to mind this, and let out a soft, almost calming meow. It was like a deeper, lower version of a domestic cat's call, like when they were asking for play or food. Sasha would've laughed, were he any less frightened. The black beast stared at him calmly, with its head tilted elegantly to the side. For all the world, Sasha felt like he was being scrutinized by a doctor or authority figure. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.
Suddenly, a thought struck the boy. There WAS a way for him to escape, but it wasn't without risk. If he transformed into a chickadee fast enough to fly away, he'd be free...but if the panther managed to catch him in his wickedly sharp claws, he would be killed for sure. He had to wait for the perfect moment, one where the panther was too distracted to notice, or too far out of range to grab him.
The great cat remained in its sitting position, silky black tail in slow, patient strokes. It looked completely at ease, and even a little curious. Sasha's tense muscles relaxed, and he allowed himself settle into a wary, but less frightened stance. He stood straight, rather than his fearful crouch before, and attempted to not look the panther in the eye. Somewhere, he had learned that eye contact in cats was used to show hostility, and that was the LAST thing he wanted. "I-I-I'm n-not here t-to hurt you," he said softly, forcing his voice to stop shaking. He was aiming to sound soothing and even, but it sounded more like he was nervous.
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Post by Terenzio DeVito on Feb 1, 2010 17:21:58 GMT -5
Rohjyx watched the terrified boy with curious eyes, his own icy blue eyes blinking slowly. Wow. What the hell was wrong with him? Yeah, so seeing a panther wasn't normal. He could understand that. But Rohjjyx was doing everything he could to show that he wasn't going to do anything to the boy. What else could he do besides Shifting and talking to him?
Not much, sadly. Shifting was his best choice if he wanted the kid to calm down at all. Although he did have to admit that he didn't like Shifting in front of people he wasn't entirely sure about. What if he just hung around a ton of birds? Or maybe he had a girlfriend who was a bird Shifter and hung out with her all the time.
Calmly ignoring his to-be-expected words, Rohjyx eyed the boy for a moment before heaving a sigh and rising to his feet again. Fine. He would Shift, if only to make the kid shut up about "not being there to hurt him". Psht. Like he could hurt Rohkyx, especially when he was in his panther form.
Locking his ice blue eyes on the kids averted eyes, Rohjyx shifted forms. He ignored the odd way he felt while adjusting to his new persective and mentally checked to make sure he had complete control of his limbs. He did, and he felt a lazy smirk crawl onto his lips as he took a deep breath and felt his nicely-toned chest expand before returning to its normal broad size.
"I'm sorry about scaring you like that," He drawled. Amiably, he held a hand out to the kid. "I'm Rohjyx, and as you can tell I'm a panther Shifter. I couldn't help but smell birds on you; are you, perhaps, a bird Shifter?" He then added, his low voice a pleasant rumble.
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Post by Mr. Peace-and-Logic on Feb 2, 2010 20:34:01 GMT -5
Sasha watched the panther nervously, waiting for its response. Curiously, it actually sighed, sounding for all the world like it was slightly irritated. The darkly clothed boy was sufficiently creeped out; he wasn't used to wild animals sounding almost human. Even so, he remained alert, ready to transform the second the opportunity presented itself. The great feline was watching to closely, and would have more than enough time to react, so Sasha had more yet to wait -
That is, of course, until his plan was wrecked unexpectedly by the panther turning into a human.
It was a shocking change, one that caught Sasha completely off guard - even though he himself had done it many times. In what felt like a split second, the smooth black body of the panther lengthened, changed color and shape, and began forming a completely different creature. In the blink of an eye, the great beast had become an intimidating looking man. He carried no traits of his previous animal form, except for the same cold ice blue eyes. He was wearing a relatively nice outfit, well-suited to him, but still somewhat casual. His combat boots, however, suggested a certain roughness to the stranger. Even though he looked as though he could break a man's arm with little effort, he wore a calm smirk, and seemed to radiate a strange sort of friendliness.
Sasha was stunned. How...but...what? he thought, his mind as scrambled as his speech usually was. How was this even possible? It certainly explains why the panther was there in the first place, but...he was a shifter this entire time? Suddenly, the tall boy felt incredibly silly. The stupid things he had said to try to keep the panther calm were even more stupid, now that he knew he had actually been speaking to a human in disguise. Terrific, his mind muttered glumly.
"I'm sorry about scaring you like that. I'm Rohjyx, and as you can tell I'm a panther Shifter. I couldn't help but smell birds on you; are you, perhaps, a bird Shifter?" the man asked, breaking the stunned silence with his deep, amiable voice. Sasha took a second to stare at him in disbelief. Not only was that a seriously far-stretched guess, it was also incredibly dangerous. What would he have done if I WASN'T a shifter?! the sarcastic part of him demanded. He then reminded himself that this man could turn into a panther. A very big, very dangerous panther. He'd probably just eat me, said his common sense. "Y-Y-Yes. H-how did y-you kn-know?" he said, finally replying to Rohjyx's question. He hated the way he sounded with his stutter and accent, but with the anxiety he was feeling at that moment, it was a wonder he wasn't even less coherant. "I-I-I...I'm S-Sasha," he added after a few moments. It was only polite, after all.
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Post by Terenzio DeVito on Feb 6, 2010 11:53:02 GMT -5
Rohjyx watched the kid as he gaped, looking completely stunned, but Rohjyx knew it was more because Rohjyx had just Shifted right before him than because of him being a Shifter. It was increadibly stupid and dangerous to just randomly Shift in front of people, even if you were almost completely certain that they were Shifter's too. You just never knew.
"Y-Y-Yes. H-how did y-you kn-know?" Stuttered the boy and Rohjyx smirked. Tapping his nose, he said, "I could smell it. Like I said, you smell like a bird." He explained, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "I-I-I...I'm S-Sasha," he then said and Rohjyx blinked. Sasha? What an odd name for a guy. He was definately Russian, no doubt about it.
"Sasha? Interesting name." Said Rohjyx calmly. "What brings you out here on this fine day? And, if you don't mind my asking, have you heard of the Shifter Guilds? There are two." He added, nonchalantly dusting some fuzz off of his outer shirt. He was like a cat in that sense; he loved to be clean and if he saw something on him that wasn't supposed to be there, he immediately went to clean it away. "By the way, are you Russian? Your accent and name make me believe so."
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Post by Mr. Peace-and-Logic on Feb 8, 2010 20:25:15 GMT -5
Sasha stared nervously at the strange man as he smirked even more, tapping his nose in a short, quick movement. "I could smell it. Like I said, you smell like a bird," he stated, explaining how he guessed the teen's secret so quickly. Sasha felt a little creeped out that the man - er, Rohjyx - knew his scent...and that he actually smelled like a bird. His thoughts took a short detour towards whether or not he smelled like a human in chickadee form, but they stopped as soon as the man began speaking again.
"Sasha? Interesting name," Rohjyx commented casually, his tone neutral. Sasha looked down at his feet, expression suddenly melancholy. It usually wasn't long until someone mentioned his peculiar name, though they usually used much harsher words. The kids he had talked to were much, much crueler than this man, and though he was in the middle of staring at his sneakers, he felt a twinge of respect for him. "What brings you out here on this fine day? And, if you don't mind my asking, have you heard of the Shifter Guilds? There are two."
At this, Sasha looked up, eyebrows raised ever so slightly. There were guilds for other shifters? There were actually enough shifters to make up TWO separate guilds? He blinked blankly, taking in this new information. "I-I want t-t-to get some f-f-fresh a-air," he stuttered out quietly, answering Rohyjyx's first question. Then, after a short pause, he continued. "A-and no, I d-d-didn't. Th-there are...a l-lot of others, l-like us?" He asked the question carefully, as though he were stepping on a thin sheet of ice. He wasn't entirely sure where the man's particular line of questioning was going to go, and he was also still trying to take in the idea. More shifters? he mused, his anxiety quickly transforming into curiosity. Even so, his caution remained. This man was being awfully talkative and up front, and it was giving Sasha a bad feeling.
As Sasha attempted to get his inquiry out clearly, the man occupied himself with the nonexistent dust on his outfit. He certainly looked like a well organized, impeccable type of man - definitely a leader, of sorts. He radiated a sort of collected calmness, though there was a hint of alpha-male dominance in his demeanor. Suddenly, after picking off a piece of fuzz, the man asked another question; "By the way, are you Russian? Your accent and name make me believe so."
Again, Sasha's eyes were downcast, staring at the dirty gray of his shoes. Yet another observation that made him feel absolutely horrible. Again, Rohjyx was kind enough to spare him the mockery that most people threw at him, but the mere mention of it still stung. "Y-Yes," he muttered tersely. A thought brought a fleeting, thin smile to his lips; maybe he should have answered in Russian? No, that would have been a bad idea. What are the chances he'd actually understand what I was saying? the bird shifter thought glumly.
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Post by Terenzio DeVito on Feb 9, 2010 1:10:15 GMT -5
Rohjyx noted with some confusion that Sasha didn't seem too fond of him mentioning his name, or his heritage. Why? There was nothing to be ashamed of. His name was fine and Rohjyx had made several very good acquaintances that were Russian. They had proved to be very helpful in many situations and although Sasha seemed very skittish, he could probably be of good use as well.
"I-I want t-t-to get some f-f-fresh a-air," Rohjyx had to wonder; was he really that scared or did Sasha always talk with such a powerful stutter? "A-and no, I d-d-didn't. Th-there are...a l-lot of others, l-like us?" Rohjyx decided not to call him out on it and instead nodded pleasantly. "Why, yes. You didn't know that Shelpey Alley is practically crawling with others like us?" Rohjyx shrugged then, as if it didn't matter. "Well, I could tell you about the two Guilds, if you'd like. I'm in one of them, as it is." He added, carefully leaving out that he was the Leader of the Assassins. If he was already this nervous talking to him without knowing that he was the Leader of such a big gang, how would he react if he'd known that Rohjyx was, in fact, the Leader? 'He'd probably pass out, I'd think.' He muttered mentally, half-wondering if it was worth it to recruit someone so timid into his Guild.
Rohjyx shook his head. Of course it was. He had a powerful gut feeling that something big was going to happen, and that it was going to happen soon. He just didn't know what. But he knew he needed more Assassins if he was going to get through it and so had taken it upon himself to recruit as many Assassins as he possibly could.
"Are you ashamed of your name or heritage? No need to be. I've met plenty of Russians with the name Sasha. They were all powerful men." Said Rohjyx, watching as Sasha kept his head bowed. He really did look ashamed of his name. "I spent a few good years in Russia myself. I quite liked it there, for the most part." Rohjyx smirked and let out a light chuckle in an attempt to get Sasha to stop being so skittish. It was annoying him. "No place is perfect, though." He shrugged. Calmly, he started for the trail at a slow, leisurely pace.
"You can come and learn about the Guilds, if you'd like. I won't force you to do anything." He called back, more for Sasha's sake than his own.
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Post by Mr. Peace-and-Logic on Mar 20, 2010 11:25:06 GMT -5
Soon after Sasha's answer, Rohjyx gave him another smirk. "Why, yes," he began, his tone very slightly amused. "You didn't know that Shelpey Alley is practically crawling with others like us?" Though he didn't sound as though he were making fun of the teen, the man's words stung - they made Sasha feel like an idiot. The way Rohjyx spoke, it was as though it were common knowledge that the boy should have known. After a pause, the man continued. "Well, I could tell you about the two Guilds, if you'd like. I'm in one of them, as it is."
Sasha's eyes immediately went wide, and he replied with a quick "Yes!" He was eager to learn more about these guilds, to learn about people who maybe wouldn't write him off as a freak. After all, the strangest thing about us is what we have in common, right? he mused, all feelings of incompetence dissipating. "I-I mean, yes, please e-explain m-more about them." Just shouting out 'yes' seemed a bit rude, and he didn't want to offend such an intimidating figure. Even so, his renewed curiosity helped remove some of the tension, which cut down on his stutter dramatically. "A-and, if I may ask, wh-which one are y-you in?"
"Are you ashamed of your name or heritage?" Rohjyx suddenly asked, catching the tall teenager off guard. He certainly wasn't expecting such a personal question, and as such, had to take a moment before he could even think of a reply. "No need to be," the man continued, "I've met plenty of Russians with the name Sasha. They were all powerful men." Now, instead of speaking, the dark haired teen bowed his head slightly, eyes flicking over to the ground. Strong men, huh? Like I could ever live up to anything like that, he thought bitterly. "I spent a few good years in Russia myself. I quite liked it there, for the most part. No place is perfect, though." At this, Sasha smiled thinly - it seems that if he had answered in Russian, Rohjyx would have understood him after all.
"I guess you c-could say th-that I was a-a-ashamed..." he muttered, gaze returning to the man in front of him. "B-but not really of m-my h-heritage! I-I mean, I'm n-not angry that I'm Russian, b-but...n-nevermind," he finished quietly, feelings of inferiority creeping back. Like this man wanted to hear about his emotional issues. Why he was even still talking to him, Sasha wasn't sure of - maybe Rohjyx was just bored.
Not a second after he finished, Rohjyx began moving away from him down the dirt path. His pace started off slow and leisurely, almost as though the panther-shifter was just meandering for his own enjoyment. "You can come and learn about the Guilds, if you'd like. I won't force you to do anything," he called over his shoulder. Sasha immediately began following him, already somewhat excited to hear about these mysterious groups. He vaguely wondered if he should start asking questions, or just wait for Rohjyx to speak.
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Post by Terenzio DeVito on Jun 3, 2010 15:43:05 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] | [atrb=background,http://i949.photobucket.com/albums/ad340/Toki_Graphix/Posting%20Tables/Rohjyx---Black-Panther-2.png]
The excited "Yes!" that tore from Sasha's lips had Rohjyx blinking for a moment, almost surprised at the lack of stutter and definitely surprised at the strength behind the word. That in itself wasn't too surprising, really, as a lot of Shifter's were ecstatic to learn that they weren't alone, and that there was enough of them to make separate guilds. A light, amused chuckle left the Leader and his normally cold eyes glowed with mild amusement. The smirk he already wore grew a little as Sasha ducked his head, quickly saying, "I-I mean, yes, please e-explain m-more about them. A-and, if I may ask, wh-which one are y-you in?"
Rohjyx let his smirk fall into a lazy grin before he answered. "I'm in the Assassins." He said bluntly, before asking of the teens feelings for his name and heritage. He was treated to another bowed head, and another heavily-stuttered reply. He would really have to work with Sasha on that. How would he be a good Assassin if he couldn't even look someone in the eye, or if he couldn't talk without stuttering?
"I guess you c-could say th-that I was a-a-ashamed... B-but not really of m-my h-heritage! I-I mean, I'm n-not angry that I'm Russian, b-but...n-nevermind," Sasha trailed off quietly, seemingly embarrassed, and Rohjyx frowned ever so slightly. He could do one of two things right now. He could be polite and spare Sasha any further embarrassment by dropping the subject, or he could press for more information and possibly make Sasha feel a little more comfortable around him, if possible. He decided for a mixture of both instead, and replied with a low, "I'm not going to make fun of you, Sasha. I'm not that childish. If you don't want to talk because you think I'm going to make fun of you, you can go ahead and put that thought out of your head right now. I don't make fun of people unless they're good friends and understand I mean no harm."
Starting off down the trail, Rohjyx was pleased to hear Sasha running up behind him, catching up to him. Rohjyx wasn't surprised that he said nothing, probably unsure if he should ask or if Rohjyx would begin talking. Rohjyx decided to give the Russian some food for thought before he began asking questions.
"As I already mentioned, there are two Guilds; the Assassins, of which I am a part, and the Thieves. Now, just because those are the names of our Guilds doesn't mean that everyone in my Guild is an Assassin, or that every Thief in the Thieves is truly a Thief. But that's not to say that there aren't real thieves or assassins in either Guild, either, because there are." Rohjyx took a moment to refill his lungs with air and glanced around the trail at the flourishing plant and wildlife that surrounded them. He would definitely be coming back to this area if he ever needed a nap or a reprieve from idiots. "However, just because we have real assassins in the Assassins doesn't mean you have to worry. If you're a part of the Guild, then you're as good as family. You'll have the entire Guild on your side, and behind you to help you if you need it. After all, when you're a Shifter you have to take what you can get for family. It's not like every accepts or understands what we are."
"With that being said, Shelpey is divided into territories between the Guilds. We Assassins have claimed the graveyard, an old bar down by the harbor, the junkyard, and the drainage sewer as ours. The Thieves have the abandoned warehouse, empty prison, old fairgrounds, and the subway tunnel. If we're caught trespassing on the other Guild's territory then the one who caught us has the right to attack us and chase us off. The same goes for them. And it doesn't matter if you or them are outnumbered; if they don't get off the territory before they're caught it's their own fault for not running fast enough." Rohjyx knew it sounded harsh, especially with how bluntly he was saying it, but he also knew it was the truth and that he didn't like to lie to his members, whether they had joined or not. "More often than not you are given a chance to flee, but don't rely on that alone to save your hide. And, if you are outnumbered and get attacked and we aren't anywhere near to help you, then we will go out and get revenge for it. There's a rather vicious rivalry between the Guilds, if you hadn't noticed by now." Pushing the rest of the air out of his lungs with a quiet but pleased huff, Rohjyx inhaled the fresh, clear air calmly and gave Sasha time to digest the information. It was a lot, no matter how you looked at it. Rohjyx had seen more than one future Assassin reel from all the information. A few even decided against joining after hearing the bunt truth from the panther Shifter. Rohjyx didn't really mind too much; if they couldn't stand hearing about it he didn't want them in his Guild.
"Do you have any questions you'd like to ask? Anything in specific you'd like to know about or anything?" He asked after a few more moments of silence, turning his head to look at Sasha patiently.
OOC//: HOLY SHIT 1053 WORDS @___________________@
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