⇨ [the shadows are coming]... ☠

[lynettetan1]

(Ari is open, if anyone wants to rp feel free to come into the stall. )

Ariessa Wolfe

As the sun slowly rose, a little town started stirring. There were signs that the town was waking, as lights were turned on, and the sounds of people shuffling around and moving things around started filling the air. Situated somewhere in the middle of town, was a shop, bearing an iron sign. The sign was dusty, and showed slight signs of rusting at the corners, but it'd held up for a long while, showcasing the shop owner's skill. After all, she'd made the sign herself. However, though the town was awakening, the shop remained empty, no lights giving it life from the inside, no loud, clinking sounds accentuating the silence, which was usually always present, well, when she was awake, of course.

It wasn't until about 8 am when a loud shriek ran through the vicinity from the shop, screaming at a volume to wake up just about anyone whom was still asleep. From the inside of the store, someone stirred. Ari let out a soft groan, before groping around to grab something and throw it vaguely in the direction of the sound, though the fluttering of wings and the panicked squawk told her she'd missed. "Confounded bird..." Ari muttered softly, wondering why she'd got the loud mouthed falcon, whom woke her up simply so she could feed him. Sure, he was always useful when someone entered the shop whilst she was working-there wasn't much she could hear when she was smithing-but the darned thing could try getting used to her schedule... As the falcon let out a rising warble that would soon evolve into another scream, Ari growled, letting out a loud 'whoop' to shut the feathered mess. Hearing the calling of a predator, the falcon fell silent. Ari sighed, getting up. "Alright, alright, I gotcha." Her hand grasping the chair that had been that night's bed, Ari yawned, before stumbling around towards the fridge. Once there, she got some fish and threw it out, the falcon catching it mid air, before sighing. She was running out of food, and so would have to get out the shop to do some shopping soon. Chronically lazy, Ari hated even moving out of her store, and often spent her days smithing and sleeping.

With that done, Ari restocked the wood and lit the fire, which had blown out last night, before she sighed, watching the flames slowly devour the wood. She wondered what exactly was happening to the kingdom. So many orders had come in recently for weapons, not all of them reasonable. She'd had a few revolutionaries come demand weapons for free so they could overthrow the king. Please. Her weapons weren't the cheap stuff you found anywhere. Everything she made, from a nail to a shield was made with heart, and they better believe it. No way would she sell anything for free. Some thoughts in mind, she wondered if Shay was coming today. The guy was almost always perpetually drunk, so Ariessa wouldn't be surprised if he didn't pop by, but she had found that she had liked his company through the years, and so she didn't mind as much. Sighing as she went and flipped the notice to say her shop was open, Ari retreated back into her shop, pulling a chair up next to the fire. Might as well catch a bit more shut eye.

[rukavis]

V I K T O R t a g g e d ----> thomas


Thomas lived in a town that was very far away from Theraide, as Viktor was just told. It took him two weeks to walk there on foot. And he wanted a job in the castle. Viktor smiled. He'd be in luck - a lot of people worked in the castle. However, it probably wasn't going to be too easy for an outsider to work there. He'd have to prove he was trustworthy...

"Well, for one, you're not going to want to stay at this inn here. They're packed full of travelers. It's the busiest I've seen them. Normally there's one or two, five at the most, customers in the room, but there were more than ten when I walked out. I'd suggest you go over to The Traveler's Friend over there. It's a silly name, but it's better than Leopard Inn over here," Viktor said, referring to the awkwardly named yet popular inn they were standing outside of. "As for jobs in the castle, you'll need inside connections. Luckily for you, I'm a cook for the royals, so I work in there. I could introduce you to some people who could give you a job. Albeit, I don't actually know these people, but that's completely beside the point," Viktor laughed, imagining the face of the strongest guard on the force when Viktor would show him this muddy traveler. Not because of the muddy traveler, but because Viktor was known for being a bit different.

"So, how about it? Should I show you inside the castle?" Viktor gave the complete stranger a comforting smile. He didn't know why he always tried to make people happy - it was like how he didn't know why he had counted the eight smudges on Thomas' shirt and three on his face. Viktor forced himself not too look at the shoes, but it had proved to be too much. There were eighteen small smudges on both boots, mixed with larger smudges. Nevertheless, Viktor gestured to the looming castle to emphasize that he was serious.

[darĸнowl]

{{ Today was a long day and I'm exhausted. I promise to get my reply in by tomorrow! }}

[Dark.]

╔══════════════════╗
══ Animal;; Black Panther
══ Rank;; Commoner
══ Job;; Merchant/Procurer
══ Status;; Single
══ Crush;; --
══ Tagged;; Roy
╚══════════════════╝

♟ Kᴀᴛᴀʟɪɴᴀ "Kᴀᴛ" Rᴏss ♟

Kat was stood behind the counter, leant over the tabletop. In front of her lay some crinkled pages of accounts and expenses. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly as she read through the documents, deciphering people's hand. Then she heard the roar. Kat had been so in grossed in her reading that she jumped slightly - much to her own displeasure. The paper scattered from beneath her hand, spiralling in every direction. She let out a curse of exasperation and raised her head to look at the front of the shop.

"Oh for God's sake." Kat rolled her eyes as she watched the lion's tongue lick up the panes of glass; leaving unsightly slobber-smears in it's wake. It wasn't unheard of for pests to appear in the windows of her shop, causing trouble. They were usually local drunkards. This certainly was a first however, for a lion to be the cause of her irritation. Of course, she knew that the eldest prince, Roy, transformed into a lion - but she didn't stop to think for two seconds that it would be the Prince outside her shop.

Angrily she balled her fists and slipped out from behind the counter. It had been a long night, and the sound of the lions claws clacking on the glass was enough to add fuel to the fire. Katalina wrenched open the door and glanced out at the beast, narrowing her eyes. On closer inspection, she could tell that the animal was not yet fully grown; it was probably some drunken teenage boy.

Kat allowed herself a smirk, resting her shoulder on the doorpost. She kept her eyes fixated on the lion, "How about I give you till the count of five to get the hell away from my store, otherwise I'll make you go squealing home to your mother." her voice was patronising. Truth be told, it had been a while since she transformed. It would be nice to stretch her claws teaching this punk a lesson, "1...2...3...4..."

[wibeke]

Nick O'Malley - 23 - stable hand - donkey - location: stables

"Yes... uh, your highness," Nick responded awkwardly, his face reddening slightly in embarrassment. His enbarassment quickly turned to annoyance as the stallion landed a nip on his arm, whichever was immediately countered with a smack on the nose.
He shuffled off to the tack room, gathering Obsidian's tack and cursing under his breath. Between waking up early and making an ass of himself in front of the heir (he figured it out, just a bit too late), his day wasn't off to a particularly good start. He was also pretty sure that the horse was mocking him, as strange as it sounded. Shaking his head, he grabbed a saddle pad that looked like it would match Christina's outfit and walked back out.

"Here you are," he said, placing the saddle on the horse's back and tightening the girth, making sure to stay as far out of the stallion's biting range as possible. "Is there anything else I can do for you," he asked while putting on the stallion's bridle.

[darĸнowl]

т н o м a ѕ ➳ a м в r o ѕ ι υ ѕ
◘ υneмployed ◘ ѕιngle ◘ age 25 ◘ ѕнιғтer ғorм - ѕnow leopard ◘

Thomas looked up at the sign for the inn, only just noticing what it was called. He nodded as he listened to Viktor, glad he'd saved him now from making a fool of himself. Listening to the new voice, he could make out all the little differences in the way the two of them spoke, including the accent. Then Tom remembered his remark on his own accent. I really have come a long way, then.

'So, how about it? Should I show you inside of the castle?' Thomas' smile faded. Now? At this hour? In these clothes? His heartbeat quickened in slight nervousness. The castle. Viktor treated it like something casual. Well, Tom supposed it was to him since he worked there. But this was his first time. What if he saw someone important? One of the royals maybe? Or the duke or duchess.. or a lord or lady- He was in no state to meet them. What would they think of him? That he was just a dirty mess of a boy. He twined his own fingers together, startling blue gaze shifting to the right as he tried to make up his mind.

No. Stop that, you foolish cat. He was being ridiculous. Viktor was behaving surprisingly kind enough to a stranger whom he'd only just met to show him around. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad. Plus, what were the odds of seeing someone like the king or queen? Very little. He looked back up at the dark-haired young man. The smile returned to brighten his distraught face as he finally said, "Yes, please. That would be perfect." He extended his arm, letting him lead the way before following and added, "You know, you're one of the first actually decent people I've met throughout the journey here," as he adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder again and stared up at the gigantic castle. Never in his life had Thomas seen such a building this large and this... well, beautiful. He appreciated the things like this. He appreciated beauty. For all he knew, the people that lived in Falconmoor or the castle itself probably didn't even think twice about the majesty of it anymore but for someone like Thomas, this was a blessing sent down to him by the gods. He let out a soft, content sigh, as if he were in some dream. Now the questions popped in his ginger head. He wondered what type of shifter Viktor was. Why he liked to cook - or if he didn't like to, and that would be a very entertaining story, Tom guessed. What everyone else in the castle would be like. How on earth he'd get a chance to do what he dreamed to do.. He snapped out of his daze as he followed Viktor, feeling the anticipation, anxiety and excitement creep up on him all at once.

[Rated R]

♞♘♞♘♞♘♞♘♞♘♞♘♞♘♞♘

NAME; Drazahn Aygir
AGE; Twenty-One
GENDER; Male
JOB; Lead Royal Stallion
ANIMAL; Black Stallion
ANIMAL KNOWN AS; Obsidian
FORM; In Stallion Form
CRUSH; To be Determined
LOCATION; In Stall, Tacked
TAGS; Christina, Nick

♞♘♞♘♞♘♞♘♞♘♞♘♞♘♞♘

With a snort and a stamp of his hoof, Drazahn accepted the fact that the heiress hadn't brought any treats for him. What horseman came down to the stables to ask his horse to work without a treat? Well, Drazahn would have to deal, otherwise he'd certainly receive a scolding from the King later when they would meet. At least she's not Nick, he thought to himself, a low nicker murmuring from him as though it was a hidden, stifled snicker.

As Nick tacked up Drazahn, the black stallion squealed at the girth tightening. Never had Drazahn liked the girth, especially when it was done by Nick, for it was the moment when the stablehand could suddenly squeeze it tight around Drazahn's chest for some sort of payback for silly antics. With pinned ears and a neigh, Drazahn initially refused the bit, lifting his forelegs into a small rear. As Nick successfully managed to get the bridle on the horse's face, Drazahn was sure to attempt to snag one of Nick's fingers. He wasn't really sure if he managed to bite Nick's finger, as the cold bit tingled his tongue, but he certainly thought he has bitten something. Eh, could've been the bridle, thought Drazahn, calming himself and seeming much more suitable for riding when he noticed the princess look towards him.

[rukavis]

V I K T O R t a g g e d ----> thomas , andrew


Viktor watched as the smile faded from Thomas' face. Did he not want to see the inside of the castle? However, the smile came back, so Viktor mirrored the smile. Thomas motioned for Viktor to lead the way, and lead he did.

Viktor spoke as he lead the way to the building. It was big, and he definitely took the place for granted. Albeit, he worked in the castle every day, so he got used to it. The surprise and amazement on Thomas' face reminded Viktor just how beautiful the castle really was.

"Yeah, you'll find that not everyone here is super sweet and helpful. I simply try to be to make up for those fools," Viktor explained. "One of those fools just happens to be my boss." Viktor gave Thomas a joking smile, despite the fact that he wasn't joking. Well, he'd made a joke, but it was true. Viktor wasn't too sure how to convey that. "Anyway, the castle will seem really complex and big the first few days you're in here. I've gotten lost fourteen times so far, but that was when I first started working here." The looming double doors got closer and closer. He could only imagine how Thomas would think when he saw how elegant and big the place was. Of course, to Viktor, it was normal. The guards by the door also got closer and closer, however. Viktor realized he'd have to introduce Thomas to them.

"Oh, I almost forgot. There are guards here. Lot's of guards, actually. They know me, but they might be a bit mean to you. Don't worry - I got this." Viktor strode confidently up to the guards at the door. He recognized one of them and spoke to said guard. He'd seen this guy around a bit. "Hey, would you mind if I let my new friend inside the castle?" Viktor gestured to his muddy friend, only realizing at that moment what the counted smudges could do for his first impression with his possibly future boss.

[zoso]

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Ｅｄｗｉｎ Ｂｒｉｓｔｏｌ

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Ｌｏｒｄ▬Ｗｏｌｖｅｒｉｎｅ

On his way to go and maybe acquire something to help with the headache he was doing his best to ignore, Edwin was surprised when he heard a sharp noise, which was something quite unwelcome, given his current state. Ready to snap at whoever, or whatever had produced such a noise, Edwin's upper lip curled slightly, and an eyebrow raised. Gods, whoever had done that was going to get an earful. Just as he opened his mouth to scold the guilty party, he looked down, and noticed the culprit: a petite blonde woman, who Edwin could swear he had seen before. She wasn't of royal blood, or any status that he could see... Did she work within the castle? Ah, yes, that was it. She was one of the maids, right?

With an eyebrow raised ever-so-slightly, Edwin looked the girl up and down. Yes, yes, he was sure he knew her. Just, not her name. He didn't figure it mattered too much. He couldn't remember every servant's name. Edwin was certain her name started with an 'E', but he wasn't willing to risk it. Even though she'd practically have to forgive him if he called her by the wrong name, he refused to risk such an embarrassment. As he opened his mouth to break the silence, Edwin heard another voice, this time belonging to someone he was sure he knew; The Duchess, Elssie. He acknowledged her with a nod and a grin before reassuring the woman who had nearly bumped into him, "Yes, don't you worry for a second, my dear! I'm certain you have a good reason for moving with such haste, do you not?"

Upon the Duchess' inquiry regarding his current state, he laughed lightly, hoping that she hadn't picked up on the numerous signs that would point to him having had a bit too much 'fun' the previous night. Nodding once, he replied, "Quite well, Quite well. I can't complain too much. It's a lovely morning after all, nice and sunny..." Edwin trailed off, unable to think of something witty to tag on to the end of his sentence. That'd require an amount of effort he wasn't willing to utilize with the gnawing pain in the back of his head.

"And the Duke and yourself? How are you two doing today? Is everything going well in paradise?" Edwin smirked. Being an unattached man himself, Edwin never passed up an opportunity to poke some amount of fun at those he jokingly would refer to as 'tied down'. Especially if he was already comfortable harassing one or both parties involved.




{{That was lame, I'm sorry. OTL

**Edited to respond to Elssie as well~}}

[ossa di cervo]

Tags;; - Kat -
Mood;; mischievous and ready to run.
Location;; Outside Kat's shop.

Current Form;; Human

Roy quickly pulled his claws away from the glass when Kat came outside and took a step back. He heard her threats and simply tilted his head.. When the woman reached four he raced toward her, headbutting her thigh and was quickly behind her in his average, teenage boy form, "How about we keep our hands to ourselves, feisty little shop owner?" Roy winked and patted her shoulder with his dirty hand. His hands quickly found the way to his own pockets and Roy had a chance to look over what he was wearing. Simple black pants with a red waistcoat that had gold embroidered here and there and, of course, his favorite black boots.

Roy took a step away and turned on his heel to look back at Kat. This child was acting as if he ruled the entire kingdom, "Unless, of course, you want mother Helena to pay a visit?" Roy waited to see how this shop-keepers expression would change, a huge grin hidden behind his pursed lips. What a kick Roy was getting out of this! Before you knew it he'd have her all flustered and then Roy could race off, leaving her in the dust to find a new victim.

But first.. he wanted to figure her out. He wanted to learn more about her, "What is your form, Miss.." Roy's brow furrowed and he tilted his head, "I never did get your name, ma'dam." Inside his stomach was a twist of laughter and entertainment, but outside Roy appeared composed and genuinely interested.

Tags;; - Jon - Edwin - Emma -
Mood;; Calm.. collected.
Location;; The castle walls.

Current Form;; Human

Elssie woke before dawn had even breached the skies; she simply spent her time in the bathroom. Bathing, manicuring, scrubbing, braiding.. She had to look flawless, of course. She strode out of the bathroom and eyed her bed which still held her fiance's body and she sighed. He was always a late sleeper though she had long since come to terms with this. She crossed the floor and looked down at her fiance with a cruel eye. She pitied him for being a simple pawn in her games and she reached a hand down and stroked his sleeping face, pulling the blankets to his chest again. "Perhaps this facade will turn into something real.." she merely whispered the words, hoping with all her faith that Jon wasn't more awake then she was aware.

Clearing her throat, the Duchess stood and exited the room, wearing one of her short, white dresses. The lady quickly strode down one of the halls, intent on finding food only to round a corner and find Lord Edwin and a.. lady near him. Edwin didn't look nearly sober enough for the morning and Elssie had just rounded the corner when she heard the maid mutter her apology. Elssie's eyes were instantly narrowed and she paced forward, a kind grin on her once angry face, "I should think so, my dear." She let out a cheerful giggle and nodded to the maid, "I'm sure our Lord Edwin didn't mind much though." Her eyes turned to Edwin and she reached a hand up to his shoulder, "How are things this morning, my Lord?" her eyes glittered with her laughter as she waited for a response. She wasn't quite sure how to address Emma, so she simply let the girl watch and waited for her to, perhaps, ask a few questions of the Duchess. \

((We literally posted at the same time.. X_X I really don't want to edit this, but I will if someone PMs me with things that need to be fixed..))