illusion and dream - [niara/open]

[siri.ariadnae~]

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[atrb=width,240] The leopard had slipped away, like most into a nearly unconscious state of mind. When in actuality she was just in a deep sleep. Living in a dream world that the leopard only wished was real.. She was in a dark abyss, the only light radiating off of the memories coming to life before her. Childhood thoughts and play things circled its way around her. Visions cast by illusion and dream, personal fantasies and hopes. Figments of her mother and brother appeared right in front of her. Their ghost like figures smiling and welcoming her with open arms. Fat oily tears began slipping down her face, clinging to her fur and slipping off the tips of her whiskers. The very aura of their forms began to slip away into oblivion. Slipping away like dust in the wind. 'No..' The leopard writhed madly, swiping her paws through them. Silently she screamed their names in her head. In her mind they were dying and she couldn't do anything about it. Except sit there and watch, the tears flowing like an endless river now 'Help..' Siri clung to the ground before her as it to began to melt away into nothingness. Claws sank into the ground but it dissipated and she was falling and falling into the darkness... Then she awoke, the nightmare was over. Her breathing was harsh and her face was wet. The foreboding darkness, the horrifying dream she hated to face was back.

[atrb=width,100] words , 217 tagged , niara malika, open notes , n/a

[Niara Malika]

A slight breeze stirred the trees, blowing fragrant summer air. This place known as Comatose Glen was a refuge to many cats of Dolce, part of the wooded area known as Elke Circle. It was cooler here, with large trees packed close together to provide shade. Water was plentiful, running in fresh streams that provided a babbling music of their own. But just because it was peaceful place to some, didn’t mean that all enjoyed the little glen.
Niara was in a rotten mood. Being sold into slavery will do that to you. She didn’t understand anything about the village known as Dolce, other than knowing that she was supposed to serve the ‘worthy’ cats and keep her mouth shut. Though she would never admit it, she was terrified. Her future was no longer in her paws, and she was going to have to rely solely on the intentions of others to get by. Which wouldn’t be so bad, if the people in charge here were good. But they were just bad, bad, bad…
A hiss of irritation escaped her throat as a droplet of water from a recent thunderstorm hit her ear. She flicked it off irritably. “I’m so sick of this goddamn forest,” she muttered to herself. Everything about it was wrong to her. She was a lioness, a creature of open spaces and heat. In her old life, days had been spent lazing around for hours a day caring for her mate and cubs. Hunting had been the only real work, and that was a task she very much enjoyed and never considered a chore. Here, most of the environment was as foreign to her as the species of cats that she had never seen in her life until recently. The forest she found herself surrounded by now was certainly pretty, but it wasn’t a relaxing place for her. For one thing, she was freezing her tail off.
“Time to leave this hell,” she thought “Only question being, how do I get back…” She paused mid-thought. Where was she going to go? She had no desire to return to the place where she had been sold into slavery. She didn’t even know where she was allowed to go. Certainly she would get a beating if she accidentally turned up in the royal court without being sent there by someone, or something else equally wrong and with horrific consquences. Niara sighed. When had life become so complicated?
The lioness continued to wander through the forest, her jaws open to take in any scents. She jumped in surprise as she heard a noise ahead of her, and the smell hit her a moment later. Someone was there, and they sounded like they were in distress. She paced forward cautiously. In her head, she knew that it was probably a much better idea to turn the other way and get out of there. As the stranger came into view, she began to relax a bit more. It was a female snow leopard, a breed that Niara had become somewhat familiar with in her time here. The female in front of her was young and very small…tiny really, especially when compared to Niara’s muscled bulk. She wasn’t weak, and Niara could see no injuries other than some scarring . So then why was she so upset? Niara came out of the shadows, keeping her distant from the white leopard. “Are you alright?” she asked in a concerned tone. She hesitated, wondering if she should add a ‘miss’ or something to the question. Everyone was very particular about ranks and titles here, especially when being addressed by a lowly slave such as herself. “Screw it,” she thought, flicking her tail. She was sick of trying to adapt to a culture she didn’t understand.

word count ;; six-hundred-and-thrity-one.
reserved for;; Wolfy with Siri.
ooc notes;; none.

[siri.ariadnae~]

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[atrb=width,240] The thunder rolled in the distance, telling the tale of a storm that had washed on over. Siri hadn't noticed that until now her pelt was soaked, not to the bone but sodden enough to give her the chills. But it didn't come to a surprise to the young leopard. She'd been asleep some time caught up in a delirious state. Like someone wandering around a strange place after a night on the town in a drunken stupor. Where everything was smoke and mirrors, casting the wrong image. She shook her crown again and sat up now. Her heart still beating rapidly as she reminisced on the dream. All she could remember was the shattered broken scream she let out as the darkness consumed her. As the fear inside tore at the wall of her body. Making it feel like a caged animal begging to be freed. Siri dug into the wet muddy ground and felt a surge of anger go through her body. Her nape fur bristling. “Are you alright?” She whipped her head around met eyes with - low and behold a lion. Ever since the day she was attacked by those lions back out on the open savannah. Her opinion had changed thoroughly about them. And being faced with one now and how she felt. Not good. The experience left her scarred and had her inner mind blaming the disappearance of her mother and brother on them. Without hesitation the snow leopard allowing a vicious growl escape between her clenched teeth. "What's it to you, filth! Leave me be!" Siri was lost in a loose and twisted daze. This wasn't usually her true self but faced with a lion and the remembrance of her family. It just all came without a second thought. It was nothing personal, but Siri belittled lions, as a whole and as a species. Feeling that she was above them, no matter the rank they were all the same. "Your kind doesn't belong in my presence! Off with you." It finally struck her what she was saying and immediately she shook her head again. Common sense finally rushing on back. The lioness looked to be malnourished, but still strong and could easily crush her. Size was definitely something the lion had over the snow leopard who by now should've at-least measured up to almost her height. Who was she to judge the lion? Even if she was a lioness - the same type of lion who ganged up on her, scarring up her body and leaving a bad imprint. She wasn't doing anything to hurt her, but no she had a reason. Plus this very lioness could've held a high position in the royal Dolce family. However from her appearance Siri highly doubted it. But looks could always be deceiving.

[atrb=width,100] words , 460 tagged , niara malika, open notes , sorry for the late post :/

[Niara Malika]

The rain began to fall a little heavier over the glen, causing the foliage to weep. Niara shook out her thin dull gold coat. She wasn’t really one who enjoyed getting wet. When she did, it didn’t take much water to saturate her to the skin and leave her freezing cold, especially in this chilly environment. She knew that if the sun would just come out, she would be dry in a matter of minutes but it didn’t look like the sun was going to shine here anytime soon. The leopard whipped her head around to face her. A growl split the air between them, ivory teeth gleaming in the shadowed forest. "What's it to you, filth! Leave me be!" she snapped. The fur on her back stood rod straight and everything about her screamed aggression.
Niara felt something within her snap. She’d been pushed around for just a little too long. “Why didn’t I just walk away?” she cried in her head. She was about to do something she might regret very much. Her tail lashed angrily, flinging droplets of water through the air. Growls roiled from her throat, hot and fueled by anger. She padded forwards slowly, until she was paw to paw with the snow leopard. She lowered her head down to her spotted one, opened her mouth, and roared. She roared for the death of her mate, the death of her sons, the loss of her family, the loss of her freedom, for the first time since having everything stripped away from her, she roared with a force meant to blow the stranger’s whiskers off her face. Without warning, she snapped her jaws shut and turned away. She began to pace the ground in front of the leopard, unpredictable and dangerous.
"Your kind doesn't belong in my presence! Off with you." Niara stopped her facing, her head shooting up to stare at the leopard. Her eyes dug into the strange blue ones, not caring for once about the fear she saw there. “My kind?” she asked, her voice hard with anger and sarcasm. “My kind hasn’t done anything here. The problem in this goddamned village is your kind! You are the filth here, thinking yourself gods just because of some buildings and riches and so-called ‘technology’. How dare you? How dare you think your meager lives worth more than mine? Or that of my mate or sons? Or any slave or servant here? Do not be angry at me for trying to help you. Be furious at yourself for this crime you have committed to nature. It’s my question to ask you: How dare you?” She shook her head sadly, her chest heaving with anger and frustration and sadness.
Niara stalked back until she was a tail length away from the female, able to jump back if she flew at her. “You listen to me, cub,” she snarled. “I have killed things larger than you for food, and even they were politer than you have been within five minutes of meeting me without even knowing my name. What would your parents say? Were you raised in the sewers? Where I come from, our children learn how to respect and honor their elders.” She shook her head once again in disgust before turning away again, flicking the leopard lightly on the head with her tail for good measure. She began to walk away in earnest this time, looking back over her shoulder as she went. “I do hope you have a better day,” she said with a voice that was two parts sarcasm, one part the motherly nature she couldn’t contain. “Perhaps you should try talking to someone about those nightmares of yours.”

word count ;; six-hundred-and-sixteen.
reserved for;; Wolfy with Siri.
ooc notes;; Angry lion. xD

[siri.ariadnae~]

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[atrb=width,240] The hot breath of the lion brushed her cheek fur. The long roar was loud and massive and held a message behind it. For even in the lions malnourished state she still could let out the roar of five males. But Siri didn't flinch, her fur was bristling and she still met the fiery amber eyes of the lion. “My kind? My kind hasn’t done anything here. The problem in this goddamned village is your kind! You are the filth here, thinking yourself gods just because of some buildings and riches and so-called ‘technology’. How dare you? How dare you think your meager lives worth more than mine? Or that of my mate or sons? Or any slave or servant here? Do not be angry at me for trying to help you. Be furious at yourself for this crime you have committed to nature. It’s my question to ask you: How dare you?” Siri drew her lips back and retorted with a deep growl. "I have taken no part in these riches, or adorned myself in lavished fortune. I don't come from the Dolce, I don't come from royalty. And how dare I? It was your kind who have scarred me, it was your kind who done away with my mother and brother! Your kind killed them in cold blood like they tried with me." “You listen to me, cub, I have killed things larger than you for food, and even they were politer than you have been within five minutes of meeting me without even knowing my name. What would your parents say? Were you raised in the sewers? Where I come from, our children learn how to respect and honor their elders.” With the topic of family and her parents brought up, the leopard both emotionally and physically faltered. Momentarily she was out of words to say. But Siri shook herself and tried to match her up again. "I come from the Ariadnae family, lion! I was raised on the harsh cliffs of the Castele mountains, where a slip could result in a harsh death. My mother and brother were both noble giving creatures! Do not bring up my family! Or insult them, or so god help you if you do! For they have done you know wrong! But your kind has! And I cannot forgive them." The words rung out and were filled with truth. Siri couldn't forgive the lions that had killed her mother and brother. The sweetest two she had ever known.

[atrb=width,100] words , 411 tagged , niara malika, open notes ,