You're gone - Dagger Practice - and I'll never see you again

[Ares]

Mama, they say I'm a terrorist - WHAT?!?
I've done nothing wrong but I'm put on the blacklist!

The dagger that hung around the girl's neck was untouched by said girl, only kept there as a reminder of the one who loved her when she felt all others hated her. Now that she was with a clearer mind, maybe they were trying to help and Ares was just being a dumb, selfish child. She was too scared to find out.

On the beach, the child had someone set up a dummy of cloth and straw for her to use. It was about the size of a dog and was perfect for practicing with her knife. As she gripped it with her jaws she heard a voice echo in her head, 'swing down and up, try to hook the mouth.' Though she didn't know who - or what, was telling her, she abided and swung down, slicing part of the cloth by the jaw, then turning to the side and slashing up, digging the dagger into the jaw.

Something angry boiled in her. Angry at Aurum, at Sophiea, at almost all of tanglewood. 'Don't be angry with them. They did nothing. In reality, you are at fault.' "Wh... who even are you? Where are you?" She whirled around but found no one. 'Silly, I'm in your head. No one will be able to see me, but in your head I'm a silky blond-furred wolf. Again, you can't see me, but you can visualize me.' The voice sounded masculine and with a slight accent. "What's your name." She grumbled, reaching up and yanking the dagger from the dummy and throwing it back around her neck.

'Call me Cire.' The voice rang in her head yet again.

— Reggan

[RHINESTONE.]

Rhinestone hadn't really thought much of Ares, when she had initially arrived. The other seemed rather closed off and kept to herself, and Rhine wasn't really the type to pry – not when it wasn't her own family, anyways. All she really knew about the girl was that she had come from Tanglewood, and supposedly they wouldn't have to deal with any trouble from the other group. That was good enough for the canine, who occasionally observed Ares from a distance, mentally noting that she had brought a dagger along with her. The legate had understood the need for protection, but she had admittedly been a bit uneasy upon seeing it, wondering what someone so young needed with such a weapon.

Now, it seemed as though Ares was actually making use of it, something that only unnerved Rhinestone further. She wasn't technically even an apprentice yet, and now she was lashing out at a dummy? Not only that, but it seemed as though she was... talking to herself? Worry rapidly growing by the minute, the tasmanian tiger made her way over, clearing her throat before she questioned, "Ares...? Are you alright?" She looked between Ares and the dummy, taking in the way that straw fell slowly from its mouth. That certainly did seem... vicious. Sighing, she looked back towards Ares, tail swinging slowly behind her, "It seemed like you were... talking to someone? But I don't... see anyone." Was she having some kind of mental problems? Maybe it would be a good idea to take her with, when she went to ask The Typhoon about medical training. She didn't really know if Roan specialized in mental health at all, but most medics at least knew a little.

☆☆☆

[trojan g.]

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SPIRITS IN MY ROOM FRIEND OR FOE?

When Ares had been seen on the beach, Mazekit had wanted to come over right away and see what she had been doing. He knew what some weapons were, and knew that there were some that he wouldn't be able to touch, but he also knew that his parents had only mentioned no swords. No swords in the house unsuperviced and only with his uncle. But this wasn't a sword it was smaller, it was a dagger and Mazekit wanted to touch it. The three month old child wanted to hold it. He was about to start making his way over to Ares to ask if it was possible to do so when he had seen Rhinestonestar coming her way, and he paused.

He wasn't sure if he would now be allowed to hold it or swing it, and definitely wasn't sure if he would even be allowed at the beach considering he had gone here by himself. But there were two others there now, he was sure that he would be allowed so long as he stuck with them and didn't try to go swimming. Not like he wanted to go swimming after the stunt that Swordskit had pulled so recently within their home. Quickly waddling over the boy would offer a big smile to the two, tail absently waving behind him for a moment before he looked over to Ares, "Can I hold it?" He would ask, paw pointing towards the dagger, "Or just touch it? Mapa said no swords but I wanna use a dagger one day, it looks cool." Hopefully he'd be able to touch it. He was so focused on the dagger that it slipped the child's mind that there might be another presence there that he couldn't see, given Ares's talking before the two others had arrived.

[b]MAZEKIT PENDRAGON — PALM GLADES — PENNED BY TIKKI — [color=#68786f]BIO

[Ares]

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ALL TO CONDEMN ME,
MY FACE IS STILL PROUD!

Ares' ears angled to Rhine's voice and as she turned to look at her Legate, she felt herself stiffen. How would she ever explain talking to a spirit only she could know? Ares sighed, knowing a lie wouldn't do anyone good. "If I told you, you'd think something was wrong with me." She admitted, looking back at the dagger. "Not like it matters anyway, I might just be coping with.. things." She shrugged, looking at the dummy now. Honestly, the way she cut made her skin crawl. It was too vicious for someone like her. 'Things will appear in due time, you're still too young.'

Thoughts were ripped from her as Mazekit arrived, the girl turning to look in a moment of shock. He wanted to touch the dagger? For a moment possessive thoughts gripped her but she pried them away. With a smile, she nodded. "Only touch. My mom gave it to me." She took the dagger away from her neck and laid it gently on the sand, keeping a paw on the cord. "Please be careful, it's sharp." Cire, invisible to all, simply watched from the side, nothing more than a cold spot or a breeze as he moved around the trio. Such a strange group the goddess found herself with, such a strange group indeed.

PALM GLADES - 6 MONTHS - REBORN WAR GODDESS

[sup]© tikki[/sup]

[WINTERHYMNS P.]

Winnie had been cleaning his home since the incident with Swordskit, he had managed to get most of his home dry and clean for the most part but he was tired deciding that he would go outside for a bit. What he didn't expect to see was Ares attacking a dummy with a dagger, he stood there deciding to watch from a distance recalling when he had been just a boy with a dagger of his own. Win could recall how he said he would never use it to his parents but they had let him keep it anyways, the Pendragon did end up using the dagger at one point and his gaze darkened at the memory. It was one that he wished not to dwell on for too long yet it lingered making him hold his breath, the past should be left in the past or that's what he wholeheartedly believed whenever his mind strayed away from him to touch on those memories of his.

His claws sunk into the wood as he steadied himself, the sound of Rhinestonestar and eventually, Mazekit pulling him out of this brief daze. The Pendragon rose to his paws slowly making his way over to where the three of them were at only to greet Rhinestonestar with a gentle smile "Hello there, dear." He greeted with a slow nod of his cranium before his gaze shifted over to Ares soon eyeing the dummy that was behind her as he added with a soft snort "Well, you certainly did quite the number on your psuedo friend right there." But then Mazekit asked to touch the dagger, he could feel the fur on the back of his neck begin to rise as the boy began to explain the house rules did the man slowly relax with a small smile on his maw.

He thought back to the dagger he possessed with his family crest engraved into the gold, it was beginning to collect some dust and Winnie spoke in a gentle tone "A dagger of your own one day doesn't sound so bad," His tail lashed to the sides in a thoughtful manner before he would continued with a slow nod "But when you're a bit older... Perhaps, I could give you the one that was given to me when I was a young boy." He sat down curling his tail over his forepaws, his gaze turning to the dagger that was within Ares possession,  it was a nice dagger to say the least but he couldn't help the cocky thought of his being a lot better. An amused snort left him.