+- Beasts of Beyond (https://beastsofbeyond.com)
+-- Forum: Other (https://beastsofbeyond.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=7)
+--- Forum: Archived Roleplay (https://beastsofbeyond.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=6)
+---- Forum: The Typhoon (https://beastsofbeyond.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=17)
+---- Thread: FIGHT TO THE FINISH! || Entrance Ritual (/showthread.php?tid=14541)
FIGHT TO THE FINISH! || Entrance Ritual - VAYNE CIPHER-VANTAS. - 04-12-2021
[glow=white,1,400]LIKE WE FORGET WHO WE CAN TRUST ! — ｡+ﾟ.[/glow]
Although the tradition that Vayne was going to participate in was called the Entrance Ritual, she knew that it was technically allowed for any Typhooner, whether they be new to the group or had been born into the group. She didn't warn anyone about her decision however, mostly because she didn't want to worry her adoptive family and Danny - the latter had already been so worried about her Blood Division Ceremony, she didn't want him to get worried sick over her having to possibly deal with bad hallucinations. But there can be good ones too. Vayne reminded herself as she made her way to the Tavern, a determined look on her face. If you worry about the bad, it will happen. With that, Vayne took a deep breath before she approached the bartender of the Tavern, requesting for the jungle juice that she was supposed to drink for the ritual. He warned her about the hallucinations it could cause, but she insisted and he eventually agreed and made the drink, and had another worker of the Tavern lead her off towards a boat that would take her to Haven Island.
Once there, Vayne hopped off the boat and onto the spooky island, her legs shaking. She couldn't find the words to say anything right now, but dipped her head in farewell to the Tavern worker as he headed back off, telling her that there will be someone waiting to bring her back home by sunrise. The effects of the drink hadn't started yet, but Vayne could feel a worry starting to rise in her chest. Something that felt very wrong. She didn't like the worry and anxiety that hung over her, but she decided to go deeper into the island to try and walk the feeling off.
As Vayne got deeper into the forest of Haven Island, the fog surrounding her got thicker but despite that, it seemed her senses were heightened - all of them except for sight, of course. The scent of blood was in the air which at first made the orange-spotted Cipher check her paws to see if she had accidentally stepped on a thorn again, or something. But upon realizing that the scent wasn't coming from her, Vayne followed it to investigate. As she followed the scent trail, there was another familiar scent that got stronger, one that made her heart skip a beat. Danny? Had he came out here before her? Did he even know about the Entrance Ritual? The second thought didn't linger in her mind for too long as she came across the body of the dark-colored wolf.
"Danny!" Vayne cried out and rushed over to his side. Danny was once again in the state that he was when he had first been attacked by Caesar, though the only thing that bled was the wound inflicted on his throat - the scar he earned during that day was normal. "God damnit Danny, not again, please!" She pressed her paws against Danny's throat again - wincing at the blood that was getting over her paws. He was breathing, but made no reaction to her attempt and didn't open his eyes. Vayne felt herself getting sick, a frightening wave of sadness and fear washing over her as she frantically tried to stop her friend from bleeding out. "Come on, Danny, d-don't die on me." She couldn't get help out here, not when she was [i]alone. She should have gone to one of Roan's classes. She should have, she knew she should have, and maybe at least she could be able to stop the blood properly and try to keep Danny alive up until the two of them could get back to the main island.[/i]
Vayne pressed down harder on Danny's neck, and suddenly the vision of him vanished. He disappeared into fog around her paws, making the young girl falter backwards for a moment, blinking and staring at the place where her friend had been laying. Or at least, where she thought he had been laying. The blood that had been in air, as well as on the ground and on her paws was gone. Vayne's heart pounded in her chest despite the realization that what she had just seen was an hallucination, with her still trying to process it. "Danny's okay." She told herself out loud, hoping that hearing her own voice will calm her down. "It was just a vision." The girl stayed where she was for a moment, before she shook her head. Getting out of this foggy forest might be the best situation for right now. With this in mind, Vayne made her way back towards the beach and as she made her way back, the fog started to disappear.
As she made her way back to the beach though, she could make out multiple familiar faces - cheerful and happy, enjoying their night. It's another hallucination. Vayne told herself, already worried that this was going to end up horrible. There was something wrong here, she felt, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint what. That is, until an older-looking version of Danny approached her, dipping his head in what seemed to be respect.
"Captain Vayne," Grown-up Danny barked at her, causing Vayne to blink at the title that he called her. Captain? It came as a shock. She definitely was not the Captain - unless she was supposed to be in the future? Is this... my future? Was that even possible? Granted, the juice could cause hallucinations of your true desires so... perhaps this was normal.
"There's, uh, someone here that wishes to speak with you." Illusion-Danny went on to say, nodding his head towards the docks. Vayne followed his gaze for a moment before thanking him, making her way towards the vision of the docks. Danny didn't follow her - no one did, but Vayne wasn't complaining. She wasn't aware that the rest of the fake-camp was disappearing behind her, though.
Right before her was... her mother. Vayne stared at the vision of the white-furred she-cat, puzzled for a moment. "Aphra?" She spoke, confusion clear in her voice. "What are you doing here? You know you're not welcome here." Her mother seemed amused by her words and chuckled, tilting her head in a mocking way.
"I've come to take you home, dear." Aphra's voice came in that sickeningly sweet manner, the same voice she always used when she talked down to Vayne. The sound of Aphra's voice made Vayne flatten her ears slightly, the noise of it almost sounding as if it was chalk on a board.
"The Typhoon is my home. I've told you this already." Vayne replied. With her recent vision in mind - and not completely aware of the fact that this figure of Aphra that she was seeing was real - the young she-cat quickly went on, "Now leave before I call my crew." Aphra clearly didn't like that response, as evident by the way her expression quickly switched to an angry one, her claws sliding out.
"You don't get a choice, Vayne. We are leaving." Aphra growled but when Vayne opened her mouth to respond, her mother quickly pounced on her and the two of them went tumbling into the sand. Pain - actual pain flared through Vayne as she realized that Aphra had taken a swipe across her face - though the wound she caused wasn't deep or anything life-threatening. Aphra pinned her to the ground, baring her teeth and growling at Vayne as she stared up in shock at her mother.
This is real. Vayne realized. Aphra is actually here. And she's trying to take me with her. There was a brief flicker of fear that passed through her before she realized that no, she had every right to deny going with Aphra. The Typhoon was her home, not with Aphra. Gritting her teeth, Vayne gathered her strength in her hind legs and kicked Aphra off of her.
"I said no!" She spat as she kicked Aphra off, scrambling to her paws quickly before her mother had a chance to get up and get right back to pinning her down. "My home is here in The Typhoon. Whether you like it or not, Aphra. I am not your daughter." She spat. This statement, of course, enraged Aphra more and her mother once again leapt at her, though the only thing that Vayne felt was Aphra's claws slicing through one of her ears as she dodged the attack. Aphra landed face-first into the sand, sputtering and coughing. Vayne quickly used his moment to reach into her mother's mind and daze her with a mental screech - something that was extremely taxing on Vayne's end, but seeing Aphra grit her teeth and flatten her ears in response came as a satisfaction. Vayne got closer to her mother's cringing form, before she inhaled and went forward to sink her teeth into one of Aphra's legs.
Aphra let out a screech of pain, flailing and shoving Vayne away from her. She hopped backwards a few paces away from Vayne as she got up, keeping her injured paw held up. She glared at Vayne for a moment, as if she was going to say something, before the she-cat turned and fled. Vayne watched her leave, her breath quick but not exactly gasping for breath. She was tired and worn out, was all. A voice called out to her and Vayne realized that it was someone actually from The Typhoon here to pick her up. With one last glance towards where Aphra ran off, Vayne headed towards the boat.
----------------------
Of course, Vayne's torn ear was still slightly bleeding and so was the small slash on her face - but nothing that was too bad. Nothing worth worrying over, is what she told the NPC that picked her up. She reached the main island's beach and started making her way back home, the exhaustion finally setting in.
//TL;DR - During Vayne's entrance ritual, she had a couple of visions: one where Danny was dying in front of her, and one where she was Captain (though both were brief). During her vision of being Captain, a grown-up version of Danny said there was a visitor for her, which was ironically a real Aphra. Aphra attacked her when Vayne told her she wasn't going to leave The Typhoon and fought her mother off.
Injuries: Just a small cut on her cheek and her ear is torn - not the one with her earring tho[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]
Once there, Vayne hopped off the boat and onto the spooky island, her legs shaking. She couldn't find the words to say anything right now, but dipped her head in farewell to the Tavern worker as he headed back off, telling her that there will be someone waiting to bring her back home by sunrise. The effects of the drink hadn't started yet, but Vayne could feel a worry starting to rise in her chest. Something that felt very wrong. She didn't like the worry and anxiety that hung over her, but she decided to go deeper into the island to try and walk the feeling off.
As Vayne got deeper into the forest of Haven Island, the fog surrounding her got thicker but despite that, it seemed her senses were heightened - all of them except for sight, of course. The scent of blood was in the air which at first made the orange-spotted Cipher check her paws to see if she had accidentally stepped on a thorn again, or something. But upon realizing that the scent wasn't coming from her, Vayne followed it to investigate. As she followed the scent trail, there was another familiar scent that got stronger, one that made her heart skip a beat. Danny? Had he came out here before her? Did he even know about the Entrance Ritual? The second thought didn't linger in her mind for too long as she came across the body of the dark-colored wolf.
"Danny!" Vayne cried out and rushed over to his side. Danny was once again in the state that he was when he had first been attacked by Caesar, though the only thing that bled was the wound inflicted on his throat - the scar he earned during that day was normal. "God damnit Danny, not again, please!" She pressed her paws against Danny's throat again - wincing at the blood that was getting over her paws. He was breathing, but made no reaction to her attempt and didn't open his eyes. Vayne felt herself getting sick, a frightening wave of sadness and fear washing over her as she frantically tried to stop her friend from bleeding out. "Come on, Danny, d-don't die on me." She couldn't get help out here, not when she was [i]alone. She should have gone to one of Roan's classes. She should have, she knew she should have, and maybe at least she could be able to stop the blood properly and try to keep Danny alive up until the two of them could get back to the main island.[/i]
Vayne pressed down harder on Danny's neck, and suddenly the vision of him vanished. He disappeared into fog around her paws, making the young girl falter backwards for a moment, blinking and staring at the place where her friend had been laying. Or at least, where she thought he had been laying. The blood that had been in air, as well as on the ground and on her paws was gone. Vayne's heart pounded in her chest despite the realization that what she had just seen was an hallucination, with her still trying to process it. "Danny's okay." She told herself out loud, hoping that hearing her own voice will calm her down. "It was just a vision." The girl stayed where she was for a moment, before she shook her head. Getting out of this foggy forest might be the best situation for right now. With this in mind, Vayne made her way back towards the beach and as she made her way back, the fog started to disappear.
As she made her way back to the beach though, she could make out multiple familiar faces - cheerful and happy, enjoying their night. It's another hallucination. Vayne told herself, already worried that this was going to end up horrible. There was something wrong here, she felt, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint what. That is, until an older-looking version of Danny approached her, dipping his head in what seemed to be respect.
"Captain Vayne," Grown-up Danny barked at her, causing Vayne to blink at the title that he called her. Captain? It came as a shock. She definitely was not the Captain - unless she was supposed to be in the future? Is this... my future? Was that even possible? Granted, the juice could cause hallucinations of your true desires so... perhaps this was normal.
"There's, uh, someone here that wishes to speak with you." Illusion-Danny went on to say, nodding his head towards the docks. Vayne followed his gaze for a moment before thanking him, making her way towards the vision of the docks. Danny didn't follow her - no one did, but Vayne wasn't complaining. She wasn't aware that the rest of the fake-camp was disappearing behind her, though.
Right before her was... her mother. Vayne stared at the vision of the white-furred she-cat, puzzled for a moment. "Aphra?" She spoke, confusion clear in her voice. "What are you doing here? You know you're not welcome here." Her mother seemed amused by her words and chuckled, tilting her head in a mocking way.
"I've come to take you home, dear." Aphra's voice came in that sickeningly sweet manner, the same voice she always used when she talked down to Vayne. The sound of Aphra's voice made Vayne flatten her ears slightly, the noise of it almost sounding as if it was chalk on a board.
"The Typhoon is my home. I've told you this already." Vayne replied. With her recent vision in mind - and not completely aware of the fact that this figure of Aphra that she was seeing was real - the young she-cat quickly went on, "Now leave before I call my crew." Aphra clearly didn't like that response, as evident by the way her expression quickly switched to an angry one, her claws sliding out.
"You don't get a choice, Vayne. We are leaving." Aphra growled but when Vayne opened her mouth to respond, her mother quickly pounced on her and the two of them went tumbling into the sand. Pain - actual pain flared through Vayne as she realized that Aphra had taken a swipe across her face - though the wound she caused wasn't deep or anything life-threatening. Aphra pinned her to the ground, baring her teeth and growling at Vayne as she stared up in shock at her mother.
This is real. Vayne realized. Aphra is actually here. And she's trying to take me with her. There was a brief flicker of fear that passed through her before she realized that no, she had every right to deny going with Aphra. The Typhoon was her home, not with Aphra. Gritting her teeth, Vayne gathered her strength in her hind legs and kicked Aphra off of her.
"I said no!" She spat as she kicked Aphra off, scrambling to her paws quickly before her mother had a chance to get up and get right back to pinning her down. "My home is here in The Typhoon. Whether you like it or not, Aphra. I am not your daughter." She spat. This statement, of course, enraged Aphra more and her mother once again leapt at her, though the only thing that Vayne felt was Aphra's claws slicing through one of her ears as she dodged the attack. Aphra landed face-first into the sand, sputtering and coughing. Vayne quickly used his moment to reach into her mother's mind and daze her with a mental screech - something that was extremely taxing on Vayne's end, but seeing Aphra grit her teeth and flatten her ears in response came as a satisfaction. Vayne got closer to her mother's cringing form, before she inhaled and went forward to sink her teeth into one of Aphra's legs.
Aphra let out a screech of pain, flailing and shoving Vayne away from her. She hopped backwards a few paces away from Vayne as she got up, keeping her injured paw held up. She glared at Vayne for a moment, as if she was going to say something, before the she-cat turned and fled. Vayne watched her leave, her breath quick but not exactly gasping for breath. She was tired and worn out, was all. A voice called out to her and Vayne realized that it was someone actually from The Typhoon here to pick her up. With one last glance towards where Aphra ran off, Vayne headed towards the boat.
----------------------
Of course, Vayne's torn ear was still slightly bleeding and so was the small slash on her face - but nothing that was too bad. Nothing worth worrying over, is what she told the NPC that picked her up. She reached the main island's beach and started making her way back home, the exhaustion finally setting in.
//TL;DR - During Vayne's entrance ritual, she had a couple of visions: one where Danny was dying in front of her, and one where she was Captain (though both were brief). During her vision of being Captain, a grown-up version of Danny said there was a visitor for her, which was ironically a real Aphra. Aphra attacked her when Vayne told her she wasn't going to leave The Typhoon and fought her mother off.
Injuries: Just a small cut on her cheek and her ear is torn - not the one with her earring tho[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]
Re: FIGHT TO THE FINISH! || Entrance Ritual - daniel - 04-13-2021
Danny would certainly be lying if he said that he wasn't worried sick when the time came for the entrance ritual. Admittedly, there was no volcanoes involved, and it was one isolated location rather than the entire stretch of territory. Still though, unlike the division ceremony, if something happened that wasn't supposed to, it was where he couldn't follow, unless he tried braving the sea itself, which was a terrible idea with or without the injuries. He had no problem with risking his health if it meant helping someone out, helping Vayne out, but he was pretty well aware that doing something that particularly stupid would have upset her if there was no actual need. Besides, this was a perfectly normal tradition, several others completing it before either of them were even born, and the Typhoon itself hadn't collapsed under several fatalities. It was fine, everything was fine. So he told himself when he watched the girl leave the Tavern, taking a brief swim in the ocean to work out his aching muscles from laying around with a lower possibility of fucking up his wounds. There was a concerned frown on his face but no more than that when she eventually left towards Haven Island. Haven his ass.
Sleeping would have been preferable to what he actually did, alternating between the Tavern and the beach, and getting several drinks throughout the night to keep himself awake, nothing alcoholic mind you. He was never totally alone, the group of night owls that were quietly shuffling about the bar kept him distant company, though he wasn't a huge fan of any background discussions about how the ceremony was possibly going. Neither direction the buzzing went pleased Danny, any questions about what Vayne's greatest internal desires were none of anyone's business, and of course the gossip about bad hallucinations pissed him off, a crankiness that was both foreign to him and unusual to everyone else. He would have liked to say it was just because he was tired from staying up, but he was often tired, and he knew that wasn't it. He'd never be confrontational, somewhere beneath his agitation he knew it was just normal curiosity about an important ceremony. But still.
So he left, again, to wander out by the shore and cast glances at the distant island while battling the anxiety wrestling with his sense of logical thought. The beach was a lot colder at night, he noticed, the tide rising until it splashed over his paws where it normally would not have during the day. Again, he could have slept. He could have slept and by morning it would almost be as if he time skipped all the way through the anxiety inducing hours of waiting, but that was exactly why he couldn't. He couldn't have slept even if he tried. A long, exhausted sigh left the wolf, once more trying to convince himself that it was fine. Lord knows if he even had the slightest idea what was actually rolling through that fog he would have had a grief stricken heart attack, at least for the part that he was still shouldering the blame for. After all, would that have been the nightmarish half of the hallucinations if she hadn't witnessed firsthand his near murder? What was worse, seeing something new or replaying a tragic event? Questions he couldn't answer. Granted, that wasn't even the worst, learning of Aphra hunting down her daughter on the island would have made him livid. Feral levels of lividity.
"I hope you're still alright out there." Danny thought to himself, only not saying his thoughts out loud in the mere chance she might have been able to read his thoughts even from here. He caught on pretty quickly to her newfound ability, almost as quick as her learning how to use it, a blessing and a curse. On one hand, thank the gods, he didn't have to say as much, but one misstep and thoughts he might not want her to have access to could be read. No bueno. A little awoo passed his jaws, not a full howl but a sound he couldn't bring himself to contain. Perhaps out of worry.
The hours passed by miserably, watching the sun rise gradually and the stars go away while anxious was like watching paint dry. Others woke up and passed him by, and he was zoning out several times by the time the sun was out. Eyes closing and threatening to stay closed, falling asleep standing or sitting up, which would have resulted in him going face first into sand, which was...less than ideal. But the closer the time got to the moment Vayne was coming back, the less he could afford falling asleep and missing her return. Danny was so exhausted from his all-nighter that he thought he felt a distant sense of nausea, muscles burning. He was gonna tell her congratulations, make sure she wasn't shaken up or anything, then go back to the Tavern and sleep for the next few hours. At least when he caught word of her return he had a little extra energy to even make it over.
"Thank the gods, you're alright-" Danny stopped, blinking at the minor sustained injuries, still bleeding a little. Must have been fresh then, he assumed, but why? It wasn't...terrible, but it also didn't look like anything she might have perhaps obtained while walking around the foliage, maybe. "Vayne? What happened? Are you...you okay?" He asked anxiously, motioning to his own face with a paw hoping she got the idea. She was probably just as tired as he was, but he couldn't help it, he really couldn't, even with the guilt gnawing at his gut.
Sleeping would have been preferable to what he actually did, alternating between the Tavern and the beach, and getting several drinks throughout the night to keep himself awake, nothing alcoholic mind you. He was never totally alone, the group of night owls that were quietly shuffling about the bar kept him distant company, though he wasn't a huge fan of any background discussions about how the ceremony was possibly going. Neither direction the buzzing went pleased Danny, any questions about what Vayne's greatest internal desires were none of anyone's business, and of course the gossip about bad hallucinations pissed him off, a crankiness that was both foreign to him and unusual to everyone else. He would have liked to say it was just because he was tired from staying up, but he was often tired, and he knew that wasn't it. He'd never be confrontational, somewhere beneath his agitation he knew it was just normal curiosity about an important ceremony. But still.
So he left, again, to wander out by the shore and cast glances at the distant island while battling the anxiety wrestling with his sense of logical thought. The beach was a lot colder at night, he noticed, the tide rising until it splashed over his paws where it normally would not have during the day. Again, he could have slept. He could have slept and by morning it would almost be as if he time skipped all the way through the anxiety inducing hours of waiting, but that was exactly why he couldn't. He couldn't have slept even if he tried. A long, exhausted sigh left the wolf, once more trying to convince himself that it was fine. Lord knows if he even had the slightest idea what was actually rolling through that fog he would have had a grief stricken heart attack, at least for the part that he was still shouldering the blame for. After all, would that have been the nightmarish half of the hallucinations if she hadn't witnessed firsthand his near murder? What was worse, seeing something new or replaying a tragic event? Questions he couldn't answer. Granted, that wasn't even the worst, learning of Aphra hunting down her daughter on the island would have made him livid. Feral levels of lividity.
"I hope you're still alright out there." Danny thought to himself, only not saying his thoughts out loud in the mere chance she might have been able to read his thoughts even from here. He caught on pretty quickly to her newfound ability, almost as quick as her learning how to use it, a blessing and a curse. On one hand, thank the gods, he didn't have to say as much, but one misstep and thoughts he might not want her to have access to could be read. No bueno. A little awoo passed his jaws, not a full howl but a sound he couldn't bring himself to contain. Perhaps out of worry.
The hours passed by miserably, watching the sun rise gradually and the stars go away while anxious was like watching paint dry. Others woke up and passed him by, and he was zoning out several times by the time the sun was out. Eyes closing and threatening to stay closed, falling asleep standing or sitting up, which would have resulted in him going face first into sand, which was...less than ideal. But the closer the time got to the moment Vayne was coming back, the less he could afford falling asleep and missing her return. Danny was so exhausted from his all-nighter that he thought he felt a distant sense of nausea, muscles burning. He was gonna tell her congratulations, make sure she wasn't shaken up or anything, then go back to the Tavern and sleep for the next few hours. At least when he caught word of her return he had a little extra energy to even make it over.
"Thank the gods, you're alright-" Danny stopped, blinking at the minor sustained injuries, still bleeding a little. Must have been fresh then, he assumed, but why? It wasn't...terrible, but it also didn't look like anything she might have perhaps obtained while walking around the foliage, maybe. "Vayne? What happened? Are you...you okay?" He asked anxiously, motioning to his own face with a paw hoping she got the idea. She was probably just as tired as he was, but he couldn't help it, he really couldn't, even with the guilt gnawing at his gut.
[glow=black,2,300]— ❤ —[/glow]
Re: FIGHT TO THE FINISH! || Entrance Ritual - LUMIA CIPHER. - 04-15-2021
The Entrance Ritual. It was a part of The Typhoon's culture, and a part that Lumia knew she would have to go through eventually. She knew that it wasn't technically required, but she still didn't feel right about not going through with it. The young feline didn't want to disrespect the group that had taken her in. They had fed her, and cared for her, and made her feel as if she had a true home. She'd never ignore their traditions after all they had done for her – she wasn't so selfish, like certain other members of her family. Caesar, Aphra... she had to wonder if they had ever gone through the ritual themselves. She supposed she could've asked one of the older members of the group, but she also found that she didn't really want to. She didn't want to hear of those days, when her father and half-sister had either been outright cruel to others or hiding their no-doubt awful intentions. It would only fill her with more anger towards them than what she already had inside of her – which was quite a lot, mind you.
Obviously Lumia had no idea of Vayne's intention to undergo the ritual herself. The wheat colored feline had figured her niece would eventually go through it – or perhaps had even done so before Mia had arrived? – but she didn't think it would be so soon. She also didn't think it would be without telling her, at the very least. It would make sense in retrospect, considering Vayne disliked worrying others. Still, it would also sting a bit to find out about. However, Lu also knew quite well that she couldn't deny how worried she felt when she did find out about what was going on. Instead of finding out from Vayne herself, the younger Cipher had actually found out about it through the various tavern-goers she talked with or listened to that night. The tavern was often a place where she came to relax and chat with others, so it wasn't unusual for her to talk with the usual patrons. It was unusual, however, for them to be talking about her niece. Not only talking about Vayne, but talking about other things as well. Her fears, her desires... Haven Island. It didn't take much to put it all together, and it also wasn't long before Lumia's heart dropped like a stone inside her belly.
She held herself back from what her initial instinct was, however. Immediately, she wanted to go and rush to Haven Island. To do what? She wasn't sure. She wasn't sure if she wanted to stop the ritual entirely, or just watch Vayne from afar, to make sure that she remained safe. Either way, Lumia only got as far as turning to head towards the door of the tavern before she froze, her eyes widening slightly. Danny. He was at the tavern too. That was... certainly an odd sight, considering how much the canine seemed to hate social interaction. With that in mind, it didn't take long for Mia to connect a few more dots. The other must've known about what Vayne was doing, or put things together in the same way she had. And as much as she hated to admit it, Danny cared for Vayne just as much as she did, if not even more, somehow. If he was able to remain within the tavern – albeit reluctantly – while Vayne went through the ritual? Well... then she could too, even if every instinct was shouting at her to run and make sure her niece was alright. So, with a heavy sigh, Lumia turned and headed towards the bar, figuring she could strike up a conversation with someone who wasn't focused on Vayne.
By the time the morning came, Lumia was the second one out of the tavern – after Danny, of course. She wasn't able to travel as fast as Danny with her shorter legs, and she didn't really make an effort to, at least for the moment. She had no doubt in her mind that Vayne would be proud of her accomplishment, and she didn't want to take away from that by looking too worried. After all, she did have faith in Vayne, and the abilities that she possessed. So, with a heavy sigh to calm herself, Mia followed slowly after Danny, paws sinking into the warm sand as she opened her muzzle. The fresh scent of Vayne filled her with relief and joy, relieved that the other had definitely returned from her journey. However, the smell that came along with it – that of blood – failed to put her at ease. In fact, the young Cipher found herself speeding up, her pace progressing into a light jog as she grew closer and closer to where Vayne was walking.
When she finally did reach where Danny and Vayne were standing, she was once again flooded with relief. She instantly spotted where the smell of blood had come from, and she wasn't happy with the injuries that decorated the other, but... they weren't life threatening. She hadn't come back crippled, or sobbing, or devastated in some other way. Perhaps that was a low standard, but Lumia knew that she had been picturing the worst within her own mind. With a shaky smile coming to her muzzle, Lu moved forward to touch her nose lightly to her niece's uninjured cheek. As she did so, he found herself muttering, "So you did it... I'm so proud of you, Vayne. But... I am annoyed you didn't tell me beforehand! You won't believe how worried I was!" Her tone was scolding but fond, and she still had a smile on her face as she pulled herself back. Nodding along with Danny's questions, she then followed up with her own, "I take it the hallucinations were pretty rough?" She didn't think someone would accidentally tear up their face while imagining their greatest desires before them. Of course, she had no idea of what had actually happened.
Obviously Lumia had no idea of Vayne's intention to undergo the ritual herself. The wheat colored feline had figured her niece would eventually go through it – or perhaps had even done so before Mia had arrived? – but she didn't think it would be so soon. She also didn't think it would be without telling her, at the very least. It would make sense in retrospect, considering Vayne disliked worrying others. Still, it would also sting a bit to find out about. However, Lu also knew quite well that she couldn't deny how worried she felt when she did find out about what was going on. Instead of finding out from Vayne herself, the younger Cipher had actually found out about it through the various tavern-goers she talked with or listened to that night. The tavern was often a place where she came to relax and chat with others, so it wasn't unusual for her to talk with the usual patrons. It was unusual, however, for them to be talking about her niece. Not only talking about Vayne, but talking about other things as well. Her fears, her desires... Haven Island. It didn't take much to put it all together, and it also wasn't long before Lumia's heart dropped like a stone inside her belly.
She held herself back from what her initial instinct was, however. Immediately, she wanted to go and rush to Haven Island. To do what? She wasn't sure. She wasn't sure if she wanted to stop the ritual entirely, or just watch Vayne from afar, to make sure that she remained safe. Either way, Lumia only got as far as turning to head towards the door of the tavern before she froze, her eyes widening slightly. Danny. He was at the tavern too. That was... certainly an odd sight, considering how much the canine seemed to hate social interaction. With that in mind, it didn't take long for Mia to connect a few more dots. The other must've known about what Vayne was doing, or put things together in the same way she had. And as much as she hated to admit it, Danny cared for Vayne just as much as she did, if not even more, somehow. If he was able to remain within the tavern – albeit reluctantly – while Vayne went through the ritual? Well... then she could too, even if every instinct was shouting at her to run and make sure her niece was alright. So, with a heavy sigh, Lumia turned and headed towards the bar, figuring she could strike up a conversation with someone who wasn't focused on Vayne.
By the time the morning came, Lumia was the second one out of the tavern – after Danny, of course. She wasn't able to travel as fast as Danny with her shorter legs, and she didn't really make an effort to, at least for the moment. She had no doubt in her mind that Vayne would be proud of her accomplishment, and she didn't want to take away from that by looking too worried. After all, she did have faith in Vayne, and the abilities that she possessed. So, with a heavy sigh to calm herself, Mia followed slowly after Danny, paws sinking into the warm sand as she opened her muzzle. The fresh scent of Vayne filled her with relief and joy, relieved that the other had definitely returned from her journey. However, the smell that came along with it – that of blood – failed to put her at ease. In fact, the young Cipher found herself speeding up, her pace progressing into a light jog as she grew closer and closer to where Vayne was walking.
When she finally did reach where Danny and Vayne were standing, she was once again flooded with relief. She instantly spotted where the smell of blood had come from, and she wasn't happy with the injuries that decorated the other, but... they weren't life threatening. She hadn't come back crippled, or sobbing, or devastated in some other way. Perhaps that was a low standard, but Lumia knew that she had been picturing the worst within her own mind. With a shaky smile coming to her muzzle, Lu moved forward to touch her nose lightly to her niece's uninjured cheek. As she did so, he found herself muttering, "So you did it... I'm so proud of you, Vayne. But... I am annoyed you didn't tell me beforehand! You won't believe how worried I was!" Her tone was scolding but fond, and she still had a smile on her face as she pulled herself back. Nodding along with Danny's questions, she then followed up with her own, "I take it the hallucinations were pretty rough?" She didn't think someone would accidentally tear up their face while imagining their greatest desires before them. Of course, she had no idea of what had actually happened.
WATER POURING DOWN FROM THE CEILING
— Reggan
Re: FIGHT TO THE FINISH! || Entrance Ritual - VAYNE CIPHER-VANTAS. - 04-15-2021
[glow=white,1,400]LIKE WE FORGET WHO WE CAN TRUST ! — ｡+ﾟ.[/glow]
There was pride in Vayne's mind for accomplishing yet another bullet in her life as a pirate, but above all, she was tired. Still, the sight of Danny and Lumia running towards her perked her up a little. She was being greeted by close friends - family, in Lumia's case - and she felt herself waking up a bit from the happiness of seeing them. Vayne purred and smiled as Lumia touched noses with her, and Lumia's worried-filled rant was a bit amusing too her. "I'm sorry," Vayne began, looking at Lumia as she spoke to her. "I didn't want to worry anybody." Although clearly that seemed to have caused quite the opposite, though Vayne didn't really expect NPCs to be talking about her behind her back (quite literally).
But the lingering question was in the air - what happened to her? Vayne took in a breath before she replied while exhaling, "Aphra attacked me. Actually Aphra and not a hallucination. B-but she's not here anymore, I don't think. I fought her off. She tried taking me with her again."[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]
But the lingering question was in the air - what happened to her? Vayne took in a breath before she replied while exhaling, "Aphra attacked me. Actually Aphra and not a hallucination. B-but she's not here anymore, I don't think. I fought her off. She tried taking me with her again."[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]
Re: FIGHT TO THE FINISH! || Entrance Ritual - daniel - 04-15-2021
Danny jumped a little bit when Lumia joined the duo, now trio, with all the energy she always expressed. He hadn't heard her coming, probably due to his own exhaustion, but there she was, voicing her concern in an endearing scolding. A tiny laugh escaped him, amused by the almost maternal attitude the other Cipher girl had, despite them all being around the same age. "Sounds like you're getting grounded." He joked, aiming to lightly thunk Lumia on the back with his tail. He'd already expressed [i]his relief over the safe-ish return of the fellow Privateer, so didn't feel the need to do so again, besides, he didn't want to come off as too obvious. "I'm always worried."
He wasn't sure what he was expecting as the answer to his question, perhaps not actually expecting anything, but one thing was for sure, he was not expecting nor prepared for the reality. Danny blinked without another word, as if he was either processing the answer or refused to believe it, it wasn't quite clear which direction his brain was taking when his face had yet to betray any emotion. "Aphra." He repeated, voice quivering slightly towards the end of the word, the name, but tone otherwise flat, flat in a way it shouldn't have been. Danny was always quiet, that was just a fact generally well known by now, but his voice was never dull or laced with any negativity or malice. Never had been, not even when he was being actively ripped apart by Caesar or when he had to discuss handing off the corpse of his mother to Roan for preparation and burial. But then again, neither of those were anger inducing. Just fear, or misery or something of the like.
Danny closed his eyes, inhaling sharply as he felt his own heart beat roar in his ears, picking up speed until he felt dizzy. Adrenaline, surely, something that reacted differently with how his brain was wired, or perhaps just too strongly. What he wouldn't do, under any circumstance and no matter what caused his stomach to twist in his abdomen, was get enraged before Vayne. Even though something raged away in his soul and echoed back the desire to skin Aphra Cipher alive. The conversation they'd had about the woman was still quite vivid in his head, make no mistake, the damage that had been done from her...less than adequate parenting broke his heart. But to think she would return after so long and bring physical harm to Vayne enraged him. Which of course was an emotion he was not used to, and did not know how to respond to. It was the only thing to nearly override his anxiety. His jaw was clenched shut, corners of his mouth twitching until the contrasting white of his sharp teeth were visible about halfway. "Don't get mad, don't get vicious, don't freak her out. But i'll kill that bitch. I'll make Roxanne look like a saint."
Then he groaned, only a hint of the growl he was trying to contain edged his reaction, visceral rage morphing into sympathy and misery at the idea of what would happen should Aphra ever succeed. He'd rather not live a life without his closest friend, it didn't feel natural and it didn't feel complete by now. "Oh, Vayne..." Danny's shoulders sank, one of which popped gently after the tension he didn't realize he was putting on them was finally relieved, attempting to gingerly drag his tongue over her injured ear, hopefully to clean off the drying and what little fresh blood there was. "The f-face heals quickly, trust me." He slid his paw over his own face, where the long scratches that Caesar left used to be, a sheepish but genuine smile replacing the previous angry twitching completely. Perhaps it was better to be lighthearted for both their sakes, and for poor Lumia too, wouldn't want to drag her down too, huh? Not to mention, extreme emotion lead to anxiety attacks, and Vayne had it bad enough right about now. "You're alright, don't worry. i, uh...[i]we'll protect you, she'll have to get through us, yeah, Lulu?" A nervous laugh to offset the beating against his sternum, though not anger this time. "I-I can go get Roan if it hurts any."
He wasn't sure what he was expecting as the answer to his question, perhaps not actually expecting anything, but one thing was for sure, he was not expecting nor prepared for the reality. Danny blinked without another word, as if he was either processing the answer or refused to believe it, it wasn't quite clear which direction his brain was taking when his face had yet to betray any emotion. "Aphra." He repeated, voice quivering slightly towards the end of the word, the name, but tone otherwise flat, flat in a way it shouldn't have been. Danny was always quiet, that was just a fact generally well known by now, but his voice was never dull or laced with any negativity or malice. Never had been, not even when he was being actively ripped apart by Caesar or when he had to discuss handing off the corpse of his mother to Roan for preparation and burial. But then again, neither of those were anger inducing. Just fear, or misery or something of the like.
Danny closed his eyes, inhaling sharply as he felt his own heart beat roar in his ears, picking up speed until he felt dizzy. Adrenaline, surely, something that reacted differently with how his brain was wired, or perhaps just too strongly. What he wouldn't do, under any circumstance and no matter what caused his stomach to twist in his abdomen, was get enraged before Vayne. Even though something raged away in his soul and echoed back the desire to skin Aphra Cipher alive. The conversation they'd had about the woman was still quite vivid in his head, make no mistake, the damage that had been done from her...less than adequate parenting broke his heart. But to think she would return after so long and bring physical harm to Vayne enraged him. Which of course was an emotion he was not used to, and did not know how to respond to. It was the only thing to nearly override his anxiety. His jaw was clenched shut, corners of his mouth twitching until the contrasting white of his sharp teeth were visible about halfway. "Don't get mad, don't get vicious, don't freak her out. But i'll kill that bitch. I'll make Roxanne look like a saint."
Then he groaned, only a hint of the growl he was trying to contain edged his reaction, visceral rage morphing into sympathy and misery at the idea of what would happen should Aphra ever succeed. He'd rather not live a life without his closest friend, it didn't feel natural and it didn't feel complete by now. "Oh, Vayne..." Danny's shoulders sank, one of which popped gently after the tension he didn't realize he was putting on them was finally relieved, attempting to gingerly drag his tongue over her injured ear, hopefully to clean off the drying and what little fresh blood there was. "The f-face heals quickly, trust me." He slid his paw over his own face, where the long scratches that Caesar left used to be, a sheepish but genuine smile replacing the previous angry twitching completely. Perhaps it was better to be lighthearted for both their sakes, and for poor Lumia too, wouldn't want to drag her down too, huh? Not to mention, extreme emotion lead to anxiety attacks, and Vayne had it bad enough right about now. "You're alright, don't worry. i, uh...[i]we'll protect you, she'll have to get through us, yeah, Lulu?" A nervous laugh to offset the beating against his sternum, though not anger this time. "I-I can go get Roan if it hurts any."
[glow=black,2,300]— ❤ —[/glow]
Re: FIGHT TO THE FINISH! || Entrance Ritual - VAYNE CIPHER-VANTAS. - 04-16-2021
[glow=white,1,400]LIKE WE FORGET WHO WE CAN TRUST ! — ｡+ﾟ.[/glow]
Danny's concern was warming and Vayne tried to force herself not to freak out whenever Danny licked her face, cleaning the wound that was left there. Fortunately it wasn't very deep and likely wouldn't require Roan's help, but she still appreciated his concern nonetheless. "No, I'm fine. Don't bother Roan over something this small." The poor guy has been through enough, with Caesar's seemingly endless attacks. She smiled at Danny's reassuring statement that everyone would protect her.
That's why she choose to be here in the first place. She knew The Typhoon would have her back, even if they didn't like Aphra. Hell, that was likely why they wanted to keep Vayne here, but she didn't care. She loved it here, and loved being here. The Typhoon was her home and it always would be.[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]
That's why she choose to be here in the first place. She knew The Typhoon would have her back, even if they didn't like Aphra. Hell, that was likely why they wanted to keep Vayne here, but she didn't care. She loved it here, and loved being here. The Typhoon was her home and it always would be.[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]
Re: FIGHT TO THE FINISH! || Entrance Ritual - LUMIA CIPHER. - 04-16-2021
Aphra. The uttering of her half-sister's name caused Lumia's jaw to tense, and her claws to slip into the sand below her. However, her body language didn't reveal the swirl of anger that rose up inside of her, besides the way her green gaze narrowed somewhat. A heavy sigh left her as she muttered, short tail twitching and accomplishing the closest thing to a lash that it could behind her, "Aphra... I should've known that she would try something." After all, she had already attempted it once before, only for Mia to drive her off with claws, and teeth. All in all, though, the younger Cipher sister was confused as to just what Aphra was trying to accomplish. It was obvious that Vayne didn't want to go anywhere with her, so why did she keep trying? All that would end up happening was Aphra getting a thorough ass-thrashing each time. Even if she somehow succeeded in getting Vayne away from the Typhoon, it wasn't as if she would just take it laying down. This entire incident was proof enough of that. Lumia just hoped that, deep down, this incident would stop Aphra's ridiculous pursuit of Vayne.
Of course, while Lumia was – somewhat – able to keep her cool, the same couldn't be said about Danny. Mia could practically feel the anger rolling off of him in waves, and she was quick to press a paw to his side, practically whispering, "Cool it. She's okay, and freaking out won't help." It really was amusing, when one looked at the way Lumia acted. Despite being around the same age or even younger than both Vayne and Danny, she seemed like their elder, often acting in a maternal or at least guardian-like fashion. Perhaps that was just because of her upbringing, however. One needed to grow up incredibly fast when they were dealing with a parent like Caesar. If she hadn't... well, she might not have been able to make it to The Typhoon in the first place. She usually tried to keep this more adult nature in check, wanting to have at least a little time to enjoy her quickly fading childhood. This was a special circumstance, though. She wanted to make sure that Danny didn't blow up. Not that she thought the canine would do so at Vayne, but just... in general. Mia wouldn't really blame him, but she also knew it would more than likely just make Vayne feel guilty about going through with the trial in the first place.
Thankfully, Danny was mature enough to cool himself off fairly quickly, instead focusing his attention back on Vayne's wounds. As he did so, Lumia briefly shook her head from side to side before speaking, "You really think she'd learn at this point, honestly. I drove her out of the territory not that long ago, too. I thought that would teach her a lesson..." She hadn't actually told her niece about that whole incident, mainly to keep the other from worrying too much. Vayne didn't deserve to live in constant anxiety over whether or not Aphra would return, not to mention the fact she'd probably be worried about Mia fighting someone much older than her. Aphra really wasn't much of a fighter, though, so the entire incident had left Lumia with only a couple of scratches on her body, and hardly anything to write home about. As she glanced back towards the train tracks in the distance, Lu then let out a hum of agreement, "Like Danny said... if she tries anything else, she'll have to go through the both of us. And pretty much the entire Typhoon, honestly. Not that I don't think you can defend yourself. I mean, this entire thing makes it pretty obvious that you can." She shot a brief smirk in Vayne's direction, meant to communicate how proud she was of her for managing to defend herself.
Knowing that the other had to be tired, both from the entire trial and from Aphra's attack, Lumia then spoke, prodding Danny gently in the side, "Hey, big guy? I know you're glad to see Lumia back safe and mostly in one piece, but... I have to imagine that she's tired. We should probably let her head back to her place so she can get some sleep." Of course, Mia wouldn't prevent Danny from going with Vayne if he really wanted to. Even with the tensions and emotions between them, Lumia trusted Danny to make sure that her niece was safe, and that was good enough for her. As for her? Well, she had faith in Vayne, and didn't want to go following her around for the rest of the day, especially when she probably needed some rest. So, Lu moved forward to lightly touch her nose to Vayne's cheek, whispering so only she could hear, "Good job, Vayne. Proud of you." She then waved loosely with a paw, turning and heading off back towards the tavern.
( out unless stopped ! )
Of course, while Lumia was – somewhat – able to keep her cool, the same couldn't be said about Danny. Mia could practically feel the anger rolling off of him in waves, and she was quick to press a paw to his side, practically whispering, "Cool it. She's okay, and freaking out won't help." It really was amusing, when one looked at the way Lumia acted. Despite being around the same age or even younger than both Vayne and Danny, she seemed like their elder, often acting in a maternal or at least guardian-like fashion. Perhaps that was just because of her upbringing, however. One needed to grow up incredibly fast when they were dealing with a parent like Caesar. If she hadn't... well, she might not have been able to make it to The Typhoon in the first place. She usually tried to keep this more adult nature in check, wanting to have at least a little time to enjoy her quickly fading childhood. This was a special circumstance, though. She wanted to make sure that Danny didn't blow up. Not that she thought the canine would do so at Vayne, but just... in general. Mia wouldn't really blame him, but she also knew it would more than likely just make Vayne feel guilty about going through with the trial in the first place.
Thankfully, Danny was mature enough to cool himself off fairly quickly, instead focusing his attention back on Vayne's wounds. As he did so, Lumia briefly shook her head from side to side before speaking, "You really think she'd learn at this point, honestly. I drove her out of the territory not that long ago, too. I thought that would teach her a lesson..." She hadn't actually told her niece about that whole incident, mainly to keep the other from worrying too much. Vayne didn't deserve to live in constant anxiety over whether or not Aphra would return, not to mention the fact she'd probably be worried about Mia fighting someone much older than her. Aphra really wasn't much of a fighter, though, so the entire incident had left Lumia with only a couple of scratches on her body, and hardly anything to write home about. As she glanced back towards the train tracks in the distance, Lu then let out a hum of agreement, "Like Danny said... if she tries anything else, she'll have to go through the both of us. And pretty much the entire Typhoon, honestly. Not that I don't think you can defend yourself. I mean, this entire thing makes it pretty obvious that you can." She shot a brief smirk in Vayne's direction, meant to communicate how proud she was of her for managing to defend herself.
Knowing that the other had to be tired, both from the entire trial and from Aphra's attack, Lumia then spoke, prodding Danny gently in the side, "Hey, big guy? I know you're glad to see Lumia back safe and mostly in one piece, but... I have to imagine that she's tired. We should probably let her head back to her place so she can get some sleep." Of course, Mia wouldn't prevent Danny from going with Vayne if he really wanted to. Even with the tensions and emotions between them, Lumia trusted Danny to make sure that her niece was safe, and that was good enough for her. As for her? Well, she had faith in Vayne, and didn't want to go following her around for the rest of the day, especially when she probably needed some rest. So, Lu moved forward to lightly touch her nose to Vayne's cheek, whispering so only she could hear, "Good job, Vayne. Proud of you." She then waved loosely with a paw, turning and heading off back towards the tavern.
( out unless stopped ! )
☆ — something's going on underneath your skin