Vertigo

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

No worries! Glad to have you back. No time to actually post yet and owe a few other posts first anyhow, but did the roll and got a 4, oof. At least I can mark exp as Fellwing gets ambushed by something.

Shoujo⁴: Hatsukoi Reunion

@VertigoOooookay, now that my brain is functional again, allow me to reiterate: I love that, it's adorable. I would also like to add an additional possible layer of cute: if he found it more difficult to approach her after she got more popular, then as a kiddo she could've seen that and wondered why he wouldn't talk to her much anymore, did she do something to make him mad and he didn't like her now? Him just kinda casually getting roped into helping her and it still having an effect on his life even now just drives it home even further. She was probably sad when he stopped showing up for summers, she always looked forward to him being there.

The one thing I'd like to mention is that you mention 'once she got to elementary school,' as though she would've been putting up the laundry by herself, outside, at five years old tops. She would've wanted to help and stuff, but she just wasn't coordinated or tall enough, yknow? I think it would make more sense if they met in like, third year or so, when she was eight and starting to actually function like a human being. And we could still keep the whole 'he found it harder to approach her' thing, since he could've met her during her summer break, it's like a month and a half with no school, which is plenty of time for them to get acquainted before school and stuff. Though if he was spending time with Mikako during summer, he definitely would've been introduced to Suzuka and Eikichi too, since she used to play with them a lot.

@Lemons

@Vertigo If Ryuu was visiting in the summers and hanging out with Mikako, he most definitely hung out with Suzu and Eikichi too, but idk if you want them to be more than childhood playmates. Eikichi doesn't like trouble if he's not the one causing it, but since it's likely that Suzu and Ryuu will become close, he'll definitely be keeping an eye on the resident delinquent to make sure nothing funny happens with his best friend...

@OliveYou

Haha, yeah, my bad, I forgot they start elementary earlier in Japan than here in Europe. Then yeah, let's make it during elementary school! He was only on the island during summers, so I imagine there would've been both moments when Mikako was alone and moments when she was with her friends - so yeah, the avoiding approaching her when she was surrounded with others still works really well B)

As for Suzuka and Eikichi, I feel like he would've definitely tried to avoid hanging out with her when they were around, especially since it was around the time he was 8+ years old, because by then he already had a bad reputation and was likely told not to cause trouble. He might've interacted them with in passing but not enough to really befriend them, at least from his side. So he'd only really get to know them in current day, and probably be veeery apprehensive about it at first! Especially so if he realized that Eikichi was indeed a little put off by the trouble he brought, whether in the past and/or current-day. But I think Ryuu and Eikichi starting out suspicious/sort of avoidant of each other is a fun dynamic, especially since Ryuu will not only become close with Mikako, but eventually cat-friends with Suzuka too, ha.

@Vertigo
So, first off, with regards to Ryuu’s hijinks. Chance encounter sounds great. Maybe they both encountered each other in the mountains then? This could be when they were both fairly young, so Junko would’ve still been a dainty little girl who was doing stuff like lifting small rocks or pushing/pulling trees or stuff like that. Kinda giving the image of a kiddo replicating hardcore training. Kinda like a sealed childhood memory that is vaguely incongruous to their present selves so neither of them made the connection. That being said, maybe later down the line, Junko encountered Ryuu in a scrap with some bullies/delinquents and stepped in? That’d be the incident where she broke her nose, which she treats as a badge of honor because she definitely tossed the dude into the stratosphere immediately afterwards. And maybe there’s some form of ‘fight buddies’ connection afterwards, with Junko offering a hand whenever Ryuuichi needs backup in a scrap, and Ryuuichi never taking that hand because he’s a lone alpha wolf in his head.

@ERode

Oh, I definitely like the eventual fight-buddies angle! He'd bitch that he doesn't neeeeeed help but still appreciate it, secretly, probably. And yeah, chance encounter and her stepping in when some bullies outnumbered Ryuu, maybe seeking revenge, sounds pretty good. I imagine Ryuu would've tried to protect Junko as he used to do for people back then, only for her to turn the tables and do the same for him lol. I think present-day Ryuu wouldn't connect the dots of having met her in the past at first or even for a while, especially if she was dainty back then and decidedly not nowadays, but once he does realize it, there's definitely some nostalgia for him! Maybe he'll even finally join that judo club...

I think I got everything OOC there? Lmk if I missed something! Caught up on reading the IC as well, and started a post as well, though still kinda flip-flopping between a few ideas for it, hmm.

And yeah, intro posts and ones where you're by your lonesome tend to be bigger on principle, I wouldn't sweat it. I've seen people trying to pad out conversation posts by describing a mail box for three paragraphs (an oldie but a goodie, real example) so... more isn't always better, trust.

Shoujo⁴: Hatsukoi Reunion

Weekend be comnin' so will endeavour to finally catch up tomorrow!

SPIRITUM

__________________________________________________

At the suggestion — or, well, at that point it might've only been a question — of moving down their own, the thought of a destructive fire spell briefly flashed in Silje's head. They could. It could be fast, too, but fast was also flashy, and she wasn't sure if flashy was good. There were a lot of secret goings-on... well, going on.

A carbine was tossed Silje's way, though she was too preoccupied to notice before Kalina had already snatched it and offered it to her. Silje grinned, reaching for the weapon with both hands. They weren't her favourite way to deal with things, since in most situations using them felt like trying to pick a lock with a hairpin instead of just blowing up the entire door, or... something like that! But she was still a WARDEN, adept at handling mundane weapons in addition to magic, and since they were lacking Mist right now—

"Thanks!" she chirped, smiling despite herself as she glanced up at her friend — her smile growing ever wider as Kali confirmed that they should actually go after the man who had the princess! Justice thought so, as well — and indirectly said no to the big flashy explosion, boo. Somewhere in all their minds, Morden confirmed he was holding off whoever was downstairs.

It was settled, then. She'd focus on finding Stupid Mr. Sunglass-Head! Or, rather, she'd find his cargo; the girl who was practically leaking Mist. She wasn't sure if the spook had done something to suppress that, just as someone had suppressed the Mist in the room, but if not—

Instead of heading for where they'd come from, she tried to break off to see where the spook had originally ran off to, focusing on the colours around her without loosening her grip on the carbine. Her world was slowly getting more and more saturated again as Mist seeped in, but it was still at half a capacity — which, she hoped, would actually be useful in what she tried to do! She gathered Mist around her, called for it, molded it into a form better fit for purpose, then sent it back out again — flowing towards where there was more of it. Where, perhaps, a constant source of it was being held. It was a magical, heat-seeking missile of concentrated Mist, swimming through the air fast and furious as a shark, teeth bared, trying to smell blood.

Err, Mist. The blood would come after.

Shoujo⁴: Hatsukoi Reunion

Ryuu, local delinquent

R Y Y U I C H I S A K A M O T O
R Y Y U I C H I S A K A M O T O

^{"I ain't got time for games. You wanna say somethin', say it to my face, damnit."}

---

_______________________________________________ Identity Full Name - Ryuuichi Sakamoto Nicknames - Ryuu, to all those who know what's good for them; he hates his full name Age - 17 Gender - Male Year - First Personality A man of action So it's no secret that Ryuu is... pretty bad with words. And whether the hen came before the egg or not, he's always preferred to show his feelings and beliefs through his actions rather than his words. After all, he has some trust issues when it comes to words, both his own and others'. Sometimes people say what they don't mean, either by accident or on purpose, or what they say gets misconstrued, or something goes wrong and leads to misunderstandings. But if someone puts themselves between you and danger, or brings a shoulder when you really need to lean against one... yeah. That's way more difficult to mess up — not that... he hasn't managed to done that, too. After all, his propensity for action does mean that he often leaps into things before thinking, and that if he feels like something needs doing now, he's going to get up and do it — even if it's the middle of history class. Self-fulfilling prophecy If you're told you're a trouble maker your whole life, if you weren't one before, you sure as hell become one eventually. While there might have been a time when Ryuu tried to explain his side of things, he rarely bothers to do so anymore. In fact, ever since he managed to make like-minded...ish friends in Tokyo, he's embraced people's views of him, and even encouraged them to a degree — as evidenced by many aspects of his appearance and outward attitude. So yeah, even if he doesn't need to it, he may as well kick the shit outta that trashcan when he gets angry, or whirl on that guy touching his shoulder to ask him to please quiet down, because that's what people expect, anyway. It's easier to make everyone at least leave him the hell alone than trying to change just to make friends. Is it bravery or stupidity? Probably both, in his case. All too often, his readiness to act despite danger comes from the fact that he hasn't yet stopped to think about the possible consequences, aka, he doesn't even realize he should be scared until after the fact. What, there's a cat stuck in a tree, precariously hanging off the side of the mountain?! Hold his bag, he's scaling that shit. Falling? ... Oh, yeah, guess there was the danger of that, too, huh. Anyway, here's the cat. He can be somewhat of a daredevil, and has a burning need to prove people wrong whenever they tell him he isn't able to do something - unless, of course, that something has to do with school. He's given up on his grades. Also, come a difficult social situation? That previous bravery and boldness is very quick to wane, no matter how much he tries to cling to the illusion it hasn't. A sense of justice?! Though it might be difficult to believe nowadays, the sense of justice that guided many of his seemingly unruly actions as a child is still there, buried underneath layers upon layers of anger and bitterness as it may be. It doesn't make up for the bad things he's done, nor does it prevent him from doing bad things in the future (he will kill over his grandma's flowers, seriously, watch your step, or watch him), but it does mean he won't clock just anyone for any reason, contrary to popular belief. He's not about to get physical with someone who can't fight back, and to this day, he will still intervene if he sees someone getting bullied or otherwise discriminated against in his vicinity. Which... is admittedly ironic, because to some of his peers, he's decidedly the bully. Character Relationships Osanai Suzuka "Shit, shit, shit, she saw me feedin' and playin' with Mochimaru-chan the other day! I don't think she's told anyone, not like she talks much anyway, but... I mean, she does have a buncha friends, so... huh. Come to think of it, how does she have that many, when she's kind of a loner like me? She must know somethin' I don't. ... Imma ask her." Isshiki Mikako pending whether they've met before! Fuji Eikichi "The guy can talk, I'll give him that. That's... kinda awesome, gotta admit, always managing to say shit the way you intend to. Means he's gotta be smart. I can tell he's tryina look cool, and yeah, he's popular, he's getting there, but-- I think dude needs a dye job. Not like I'm gonna tell him that, though, I sure as hell don't need to meddle with a meddler." Haruto Morioka "I don't trust him. No, seriously, dude's always happy and smiling, that just ain't right! I mean, yeah, he seems genuinely nice and-- actually, he kinda reminds me of Mika-ch-- Mikako. Hell, they must get along well. Super well. Like two peas in a bed. Pod? Bed. ... Shit, I really don't think I like him." Arashiyama Junko "Scary. What? I ain't say nothin', alright?! Just, yeah, she's a lot. Looks-like-she-could-fold-me-into-half-lot, you know? It's cool. She's pretty cool, but also-- wait, is she lookin' this way? What does she want?! I told her I'm NOT joining the damn judo cl-" Shinomiya Koharu "Oh shit, talk about a glow up. It's not like I knew her all that well back then either, but I almost didn't recognize her now! At least there ain't no way she remembers me now either, thank god. Glad she's doin' well, but I really don't need her talkin' to me and drawing even more attention." Takaya Chihara "Nerd alert! Man, can't believe I was ever friends with this guy. Dude's just like the rest, saw him almost drop his stack o' papers tryina avoid me in the hallway. Fine, whatever, not like I'm all eager to sit down with him and talk about... what, studies? Grades? Borin'." Other Information - Spends a lot of his free time playing online games, usually as a medic, healer, or whatever the game's equivalent is. Lately, he's been pretty into Underwatch. He enjoys knowing that, as a healer, he is in fact needed by an entire team of people, even if they don't outright say it. And there's nothing quite as satisfying as passive-aggressively shoving his healing staff where the sun don't shine if one of his teammates acts up. So, well, if you've ever wondered why your cute catgirl of a healer becomes a swearing, toxic hellian at the drop of a hat, now you know. It was probably Ryuu. - Green thumb by circumstance, all thanks to Grandma's garden. Granted, his hands are still often scratched up, if not because of the cats, then because he isn't very good at handling sharp objects or thorns in the garden. - All the moving and trouble he's gotten himself into have caused him to fall behind and miss enough school that, at seventeen, he's the oldest first year to start at the local school. He tries to hide his age, but few things stay a secret in such a small community.

Physical Description In all honesty, Ryuu wouldn't need to stand out as much as he does. He's only a little taller than average, and doesn't have any particular features that would notably stick out, were he to conform to dress code and lose the garnish. He is athletic, sure, but not to the extent it'd turn heads in a casual setting — especially with absolute units like Junko around. Add in the offensively red hair, red contacts, cap, earrings, and the tattoo his father almost disowned him over and the tendency to try and skirt dress code whenever and wherever possible, though, and suddenly you have a dude that very much sticks out. Part of it is just his personal preference; the way he dressed when he felt part of a group for the first time back in Tokyo. In part, though, it's a deliberate choice, a blaring middle finger, a warning not to stray too close. At least, at school. At home, he dresses much more traditionally, quite liking his grandmother's handmade samue and jinbei in summer in particular. He loses the contacts too, even if he still refuses to tame his hair — though that might be more inability than anything else. Personal Story Ever since young, Ryuu has been a troublemaker — especially if you were to ask his no-nonsense, self-made parents, who hoped their son might not only inherit their successful tech firm, but their good business sense and ambition as well. A futile hope, they realized early on, when Ryuu clearly lacked both the patience and the smarts to keep up with his peers, let alone rise above them. What he did have in spades was curiosity and boldness. He was always the one to go first when exploring new — admittedly, often dangerous — places, and he was the first to speak up for himself and others when he saw the need arise — be it against bullies or teachers. Sometimes his meddling came from a good place; the will to help out other kids who couldn't help themselves. Sometimes, though, he really did it because, quite frankly, he rather enjoyed the rush, the feeling of something happening in a life that his parents did their best to make dull. Reasons hardly mattered to his parents, however. A kid who stood out was a kid in need of stricter rules and boundaries, even punishment if necessary, lest rumours start to spread. For as long as Ryuu can remember, the most notable part of his year were always the summers. His family used to vacation on Kumoriyama Island, where his paternal grandparents lived. Ryuu loved the island. He used to sneak out come every opportunity to explore, and had quite a few interesting encounters there over the years. Every year, upon returning, he seemed to be more well-behaved for a time after, almost as if the clean island air had soothed him, or chased away whatever yokai must've possessed him for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, while still in elementary school, their island vacationing tradition came to an abrupt halt, as Ryuu broke the nose of another boy local to the island. He insisted he'd done it to save a girl, but his parents were decidedly not interested in his reasons and, fearing backlash towards them or his father's parents, decided to no longer take him with them. And so, deprived of not only the one thing that made him happy, but forced to spend his summers thereafter with his uncle in the heart of bustling Tokyo, Ryuu's behaviour worsened. Only, in the big city, he wasn't the only troublemaking kid around — and so, as he reached his preteen and eventually teenage years, he managed to eventually find his own crew. People who understood him and accepted him, without question. Delinquents, many of whom had done way worse things than Ryuu could ever imagine getting involved in. For the first time, Ryuu really cared about fitting in however, and so instead of trying to shed his issues, he cultivated them into a proper tough guy persona. Until, once again, his parents'd had enough. Remembering that the rural island had helped at least somewhat all those years ago, they sent him back to Kumoriyama, this time to live with his paternal grandfather. He had made a man out of his son in his yourh — surely, he could do the same for his unruly grandson. He could not. He did make Ryuu behave for a time, granted, but out of fear rather than respect, and only by forcing him to suppress all the feelings and thoughts his grandfather deemed bothersome or unmanly. So, the boy who used to wear his emotions on his sleeve, crying when sad, shouting when angry, became a ticking timebomb, calm until the dam burst, and then came the fists and the violence and the plethora of rumours and tales and whispers shared between the locals. A truly troublesome kid, that Ryuu. Troublesome to a point, some said, that he even drove a good man to an early grave out of sheer stress! Never mind that his grandfather had already been old as time when Ryuu had moved in, let alone when he'd passed at almost ninety. By then, Ryuu had already been in trouble with the law more than once, and considering he was now a minor without a guardian, a move back to the mainland seemed to be in order. At least, were it not for Grandma, living on the other side of the island. Grandma was not truly Ryuu's grandmother, their blood connection distant at best, but to Ryuu she quickly became the closest family he'd ever had. She took him in, and the few years he spent with her were— if not calm, at least calmer. Until she, too, had to leave. Her daughter overseas needed her, living alone after a grave accident. Grandma promised, however, that she would be back as soon as she was able, and that she would send postcards regularly. She's kept that promise, and Ryuu's learned patience waiting for her return and taking care of her house, garden, and the many cats she used to feed. In the few months since her leaving, Ryuu has managed to keep out of trouble for the most part — except that one time he assaulted a police officer, who came to check the premises with no regard for his Grandma's beloved flowers. He ended up locked up for a few nights for that. And he'd do it again, goddamnit.

Shoujo⁴: Hatsukoi Reunion

Finishing up my sheet after food as well, just still unsure about some of the previous encounters he would've had during his summers on the island! I think so far I got that he'd met Suzuka and Eikichi for the first time after properly moving to the island in recent times. Maybe Haru as well? And that he'd known Koharu as a kid when he saved her from a bully. Will write the character connection sections with that in mind, but can always edit them later, no sweat.

For Junko and Mikako---

@ERode did ya wanna take me up on the offer of Junko and Ryuu having met by accident as kids or nah? Like in some secret spot without really knowing who each other was or something, since both were pretty lonely. Chance encounter. I'd imagine they don't necessarily recognize each other nowadays either way, though.

Also, @Lemons would you prefer Ryuu and Mikako met one/on some summers too in the past? Maybe they could've met back when she was busily throwing herself at chores around the house, and he could've helped her out or something. Like seen her put up laundry and at first teased her, all "Eww laaaame, you're doing chores!" but then somehow gotten roped into helping her, maybe because he felt guilty just watching her be so nice and doing it all. Maybe he can still randomly fold laundry like no one's business because of her, lmao. Once she got to elementary school, got more popular and was surrounded by people though, Ryuu would've found it more difficult to approach her, but if they ever did manage to meet on subsequent summers, I imagine he would've tried to drag her into adventures, while her presence would've helped calm him. He would've definitely helped her during the elementary school summers too where he could, maybe like carrying groceries for her, going, "No it's because I'm a MAN and this is TRAINING, it's not for YOU ewww gross."

Also oh shit @Yankee, hellou! Yesss Takaya can definitely be the online friend, with Suzuka as the cat/relationship-advice friend, since that did seem to fit her better B) I am changing up Ryuu's bg so that he never lived on the island, just visited every summer, but they could've definitely still been friends back then! I definitely think that if in present day Ryuu sees Takaya avoiding him, he'd do so in return, and that could lead to some fun conflict/mixed feelings. I definitely like the idea of trying to mend things through the game first, as well. What role would Takaya play in the game? He better be a DPS of some sort so Ryuu can shout in his ear, and for the irony lmao.

Edit: Sheet is up, like said can still edit relations if needed. Waiting for Mikako's preference before writing that bit though!

Shoujo⁴: Hatsukoi Reunion

Oh, I actually really like that take! Maybe Ryuu and his parents came there every year for the summer, until the breaking of the bully's nose incident happened there, and they stopped due to the aforementioned fear of a reputation sullied. That way him never coming back one year would've been abrupt and still leave room for a lot of misunderstandings and lost connections.

I think he would've been sent to his grandparents and came back a... year or two-ish ago? Enough to gain his bad reputation in such a small community, but not yet familiarize himself with the others all that well. He did only just start in the high school as a first year as well, after having a gap year of probably helping around his grandparents' house and such. So he's definitely seen and interacted with the cast in passing after his return, maybe made acquaintances/friends with a few, but not yet everyone.

Shoujo⁴: Hatsukoi Reunion

Right, so! Making some edits to his background so that Ryuu would've also spent some time on the island in his earlier childhood, then moved away when his parents wanted to avoid the bad rap on the island, until they realized Ryuu acted even worse on the mainland and yeeted him back to the island to live with his grandparents. Hope that's not too similar to Suzuka, but otherwise, as it is, he would've only met the rest of the cast for the first time some years ago, ha. On that note, going to think up some connections. Some initial thoughts:

- This is a more recent connection, but someone could be playing the same online game as Ryuu. He does play a female character, and if the game utilizes pings/chat more than vc (like league for example), it's possible his teammates assume he's a girl too (without him realizing they do so), which could lead to fun shenanigans. Also, I realized I never replied to it, oops, but Fey, you mentioned Suzuka could've roped Ryuu into giving him advice on what to gift a guy, etc. and well, we could also combine it with them playing together online, her thinking he's a girl, and asking him because he seems to know a lot about dudes lol.

- Since Ryuu was pretty turbulent even when young, and I'm shuffling the timeline of his past around anyway, maybe he could've saved another character from a bully/bullies, whether they were friends at the time or he just happened upon a situation where he felt the need to intervene? The whole incident that first got him a bad rap as a violent kid, when he broke a bully's nose.

- Maybe someone (Mikako? Haru?) always had a really calming presence when they were with Ryuu, and the reason his behaviour spiraled even further after the move away was because he no longer had that constant in his life.

- Also for Mikako, since she was popular in elementary school and Ryuu... was decidedly not, I could see people starting to talk, and potentially being jealous of the two's friendship. So maybe in an attempt to not cause her trouble, Ryuu would have started to distance himself from her (without telling her the reason ofc) a little before he was suddenly forced to move away, so he never had a chance to explain, and there could be that added layer of "oh he/she probably hates me now" in the current day?

- Since Junko was a lonely child and Ryuu was a bit of an outcast himself, I could see them having had a chance encounter somewhere in nature or something? Just a fleeting afternoon/evening, happening upon the same "secret spot" by chance. Maybe towards the end of Ryuu's initial stay at the island, so they never really got to know who the other was properly. Or maybe it didn't matter to them to ask.

⇜ Deicide ⇝ [Dark Fantasy Isekai]

Kitty has been yeeted into the chars tab, post following within a day.

Edit: Well, a little over a day, it looks like. Has been started though! BI

⇜ Deicide ⇝ [Dark Fantasy Isekai]

Big Cat

^{_{(will also drop this and this here, for reasons)}}

Age of Death: — Older than her cubs, younger than Mother
Gender: — Female
Race: — Ti'kari
Psychology: — Now and always, until the moment she is required not to be, she is a watcher. She observes. At times, she merely stalks; at times, she prowls close and prods, paws, speaks, asks. Anything to satiate the curiosity of a stranger in a strange land. Few are the things that scare her, the jungle sovereign, aware of her power, and not aware of yours. She fights not for fighting's sake, but if claws are to clash, she intends to outlive you and yours. She has a duty, be that she cannot remember it, cannot hear Mother here. But once she remembers, she will act, as sure as the sun rises.

⑇⑉What You Remember⑉⑈

^{[She who hunts]}

All she remembers is the hunt.

The soil underneath her paws, the silence and the sounds both, as the jungle held its breath, and her prey did not. Air escaped it in ragged wheezes, tore from its throat as screams and shouts and terror shaped into words she did not understand. There were those that would, those alike her prey, skin on two legs, but they no longer breathed at all, for she'd caught them a moment prior. They lay upon the jungle floor in her wake, feeding the very life they had tried to take. As she ran, their blood, still warm on her paws, imprinted warnings in the duff; stay away, for you are not welcome here, you who are not of nature and do not obey its laws. You take more than you are given, you take when you do not need to take, and you take, and you take, and you take. The Mother has asked kindly - now, she demands.

There was one final scream, one final swing of a limb torn from a tree, shaped and shaved and made sharp by hands that wanted to take all. They would take no more.

⑴ A body; a weapon: her weapons were not forged in fire, not conjured by a vile humoid mind, that which dreams of war and death and conquest. They cannot be cast aside nor stolen from her, and even fear of death shall not make them tremble. They're Mother's gift to her and her kind, so that she may run, and hunt, and feed her young, and be not tamed by Them who come with cages. Fangs to break bone, claws to tear flesh, muscle to carry her, a predator, to you, the prey.

⑵ A passenger; watchful: she is not alone. She never has been, truly, surrounded by life as she was, wherever humoid had not yet tread. Her jungle, ancient, boundless, was alive in so many ways beyond the comprehension of none but Mother, and it is what made it home. But this is different. 'Tis a presence inside her, lurking underneath her skin, breathing and stirring and bleeding out where her stripes run, dormant, always, except when not. And when it wakes, she sleeps, and her dreams are not of nature.

⑇⑉What You Don’t ⑉⑈

^{[What you took was not yours to take, nor mine to give]}

It had troubled her for a time by then, the pain in her shoulder. Pierced by the wooden beak of a humoid bird, the kind they let loose from wood and string, coated in black when it flew, then red when it struck. It had hurt, but she had been hurt before. Pain had not slowed her, so she'd pounced, and then the humoid had hurt worse. But briefly; always briefly, for a single beat of the heart, and no more.

When it did not go away, the pain, she lived with it, hunted with it, did not know it might fester, worse than anything had ever festered, in the jungle, in nature, under Mother's all-seeying eye. She did not see the signs because she could not look; the crawling up of new stripes, from shoulder to neck, to her head, to her skull, to her brain, to her mind. To what connected her to Mother and all her children, all that was.

It is not of nature to hate, even when one breathes their last. Death has walked with her since she first pounced upon an unsuspecting rodent, since her teeth first tore flesh. She has heard its whisper in the wind, as its taken away the fear of a felled boar, the pain of a deer in her claws. It has taken of her kind, too; a cub before its time, an elder calling for an end. One ought not fight it, the one enemy for whom strength means naught.

Yet, she did. And as she trashed, in pain, in fear, in agony, the dark descending upon her fast, too fast, not from the sky but from beneath her own skin, consuming her, she knew, and it made her angry. Whatever the humoids did, whatever manner of death they wrought, it was not the death of the old or the ailing, it was not the snap of a neck or the closing of tired eyes. It was devouring by a power unknown. It was consumption, as one consumes their prey, but from the inside, and for a time longer than a single beat. It was not of nature. And in fighting it, in fighting Death, she, too, was no longer of nature.

And so, she hated.