Fantasy Code FERAL

[Lioness075]

When Beth asked him what he was sorry for, Manjano furrowed his brows, as he knew he couldn't just say something on whim here. He needed to think this through.


What exactly was he sorry for? For leaving her alone in the kitchens when she left him startled and confused after his words had somehow hurt her? For never trying to approach her over the past three weeks and mend things? He knew now how big of a mistake that had been to avoid her, but he was good at avoiding people and even better at avoiding people who may be able to help him. It was a weird feeling to want to be helped, but to not want any help at the same time.


Sighing, Manjano decided to make a little list of things he was sorry for instead of just one thing.


"I'm sorry for storming off when I upset you. I'm sorry for upsetting you, though I still don't understand what I did or said to upset you. I'm also sorry for avoiding you for the past three weeks."


Unsure of what else to apologize for, Manjano became quiet again, as he now absentmindedly rubbed at the table with his finger while he kept his head propped up on his other hand.


Why was this so difficult? Maybe it was because this reminded Manjano of times before when he'd unknowingly upset someone he cared about and was chastised for something while he remained confused about what he'd done wrong to begin with.


That, or this moment reminded him harshly of the last time he tried to be in a relationship with someone and how it had ended similarly with Manjano unknowingly upsetting the other person and then not being there for them when they needed him.


Or better yet, the fact that his last relationship had been with a guy, not a girl, and he felt absolutely baffled by the fact that he was so drawn to Beth. Perhaps it was some similarities between the two of them, but Manjano felt as confused as ever.


@Flutterby

 

[Lioness075]

Falarion grinned at Totus when he said that he'd make sure Falarion's ball wasn't taken away from him. Falarion wasn't sure how upset he'd be if he ever lost his ball, but it would probably be like a young child losing their favorite stuffed animal or blanket.


As Falarion rested his head on his good foreleg, he absentmindedly watched Zoe playing catch with Barry, though seeing Zoe blushing instantly made Falarion think back to when Gigi had said things to him and made him blush.


Flattening his ears against his head, Falarion wondered how he could communicate with her now. They couldn't be together physically now, which absolutely sucked.


Remembering Laohu mentioning something called FaceTime, or was it Skype?, Falarion wondered how he'd be able to use that to communicate with Gigi. He'd never grown up with much access to any electronics and so he knew very little about them. Neither of the twins knew much about electronics either. They'd had cell phones a long time ago, but they'd just been flip phones. Beyond music, Falarion really didn't know much about electronics.


Maybe Duik would be able to help Falarion out with this dilemma. After all, he was almost always fiddling with his phone or ipod. Duik probably knew how to help Falarion communicate with Gigi.


Alas, Falarion felt too tired from the day's activities and he soon felt himself beginning to drift off while laying out in the sun.


@Flutterby @DawnAntalios @Bolts

 

[Bolts]

He watched her jump back. Such courtesy is appreciated when you rocket a ball towards someone. With both verbal warning and a very strong wind up, Barry placed his hands a little forward from his chest. [holy crap!] he both thought and mouthed from instinct. She wasn't kidding about a challenge. This ball was going a bit too fast for no gloves, even if it was a slightly squishy ball. Luckily, this ball was going in a straight line. That wind up and the balls twist were enough to tell it wasn't a curve.


He stepped out of the way. That thing was going to hurt if taken on directly. Placing a hand out to his side, he picked the opposite leg up to his other knee. The ball made a resounding slap when it connected with Barry's hand. A small wince from stinging but was easily unnoticed by his next move. He followed the balls momentum. Allowing it to continue its stride yet Barry also twisted his torso slightly. He spun. Around three spins on one leg before be bobbed down and released the ball to the ground. Coming back up with composure, he set his leg back down.


He proceeded to vigorously shake his hand to get the sting out. It was pretty red on the palm. He looked back at Zoe with a bit of suprise. BARRY! You ok? She said flying up to him. Barry nodded. He proceeded to give a few claps. That really was impressive. Ok good! Now Zoe! Zoe zo zo! I bet I can fly faster than you can throw. No! I know I can. That was soooooo slow that even a turtle could see it coming. Ha! You up for the challenge!?





@Flutterby @DawnAntalios @Lioness075

 

[Peaceswore]

Ash smirked at the comment and placed a hand on his chin as he looked Simon up and down. "This is true, many would find the tattoo to be a good second or third impressive thing that's on your body." He hummed before placing his hands in his pocket as he listened to the others talk. Though he blinked when he was called a string bean as that was a new one for him since he was taller than the average man... Though now that he thought about it he was on the lean side wasn't he. "String bean?" He repeated as he glanced down at himself before letting out a small chuckle. "I guess compared to you giant I would appear that way." He said calmly before he raised his fist in a defensive posture. Despite his outward appearance Ash was pretty muscular under all of this clothing. He could gain more if he set his mind to it, however he found his body to be perfect the way it was. Muscular enough to pack a punch, and lean enough to move swiftly, that in combination with his kickboxing and Kara Magv he could be a force to be reckon with even with his weaker looking appearance.


"Lets try not to break bones or do any serious damage. Would really hate for either of us to be in the hospital just moments before we get a new mission." He didn't attack right away as he looked at Simon for a moment, he had seen his fighting style over the course of the week and knew a good bit about it. Like it would hurt to no end if he received a direct punch from the man, oh and he seemed very proficient in his way of fighting. Not saying a thing for a moment he soon smirked and swiftly took a few steps toward Simon going for what looked like a frontal assult. Only to side step at the last second and send a fast punch to the man's side.


@zCrookedz @Anyone in the gym really


Fie had given Haku a hug back when she wrapped around him and upon hearing her suggestion he placed his hands in front of his mouth and giggled. "Kehe I haven't targeted him yet~ So.... Yesha! We should totally prank him... I mean show our love to him, in a rather fun way!" he chimed as he let his hands fall in front of him. "But hmmm What to do. Usually I do research on people before pranking them so I know the best time and ways to do said prank! but I don't know much about Rinny... Soo You have to tell me k?" He chimed as he grinned.


Not waiting for much of a response he conitned. "What is Rinny's favorite food? Does he shower night or day? What is he like when he is angry? Has he ever been pranked before? He wouldn't slice a huggable monkey with that sword of his right? Oh!! And what size clothing does he wear? Please note all of these are very important!" He chimed happily before taking a deep breath since he had just talked nonstop in that line of questioning.


@andujarprime

 

[fishfeet]

Idk ehat to do for an intro, so I'll just keep this simple then move on to longer posts.))


Julia walked into her new Watch base. Her animal companion was right behind her, asking more questions than usual. Of course, no one could hear him because he was mute. And of course, Julia ignored him which annoyed Aslan to no end. "Aslan, be quiet, I have to look professional!" She scolded him, which earned her a silent growl.

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon's determined glare spread across his face as Ash moved into a defensive position. Jimbo looked the two men over and sighed as he stood from the mat and wandered over to the sides next to Amber and Rin. As he found himself a spot to watch the spar, Jimbo looked at Ash and mulled over the man for a moment. Simon was at a bit of a disadvantage, he hadn't been paying attention to the others training while he had been. Jimbo had, he had been watching Ash training for the last several hours, and from what he saw of the man's fighting style, it was rather vicious. Simon was going to have to keep his guard up if he was to stay on his feet.


Simon began to bounce lightly on his feet as Ash spoke. He smiled at the man as he readied his fists into a defending stance.


"Agreed, I think a little light bruising would be alright, though."


Simon had no intent on harming Ash, he was merely exited to be sparring with someone other than Jimbo or the "trainers" that Calist had set them up with.


Simon watched for a moment waiting to see is Ash would make the first move. When he saw the mans smirk, Simon took in a quick breath and watched as Ash began his aproach. Straight towards his face, Simon readied his fists to meet the attack and deflect. But when he switched to the attack to the side, Simon had to think quickly and drop the elbow of the raised arm to defend against the attack. As the hit made contact, Simon let his body roll through the motion of the block and follow through with his oposite arm and throw his punch at Ash in the close proximity.


Jimbo watched as the battle commenced and found a suport beam behind him as he leaned back to watch. A bit absentmindlidly, Jimbo began to scratch at the underside of his chin as he watched. As he did, he looked up to Rin as the man joined hte group.


"That was some impressive sword work in there Rin. How long have you been practicing?"


@Peaceswore @andujarprime

 

[SilverFlight]

Alec froze for a moment, taking a few seconds to process the fact that there was a giant animal bearing down on him. He looked at Eos' thin legs. He didn't want to hurt the stag, but he also didn't want to end up as shish kebab on those sharp tines either. Finally deciding he waited until the last moment before ducking out of the way, staying close to Eos' flank and reaching out for the foreleg that was just about to come down. With luck it would overbalance his opponent and pitch him forward.


@DawnAntalios


Amber watched both fights carefully, trying not to look too irritated that she was still not allowed to participate.


"Watch your footwork Sinclair!" Amber yelled at Simon. For some reason picking on him made her feel better.


@zCrookedz


Duik meanwhile had sniffed out Fie and grinned at the little monkey and Haku as they schemed.


"Hey Fie! Haku!" He gave them a sideways glance. "Are you about to pull a prank?" His eyes began to shine. "Ooooh take me with you! I wanna prank people! Pleeease!!" He threw him self on the floor at their feet, his small tail waving excitedly and his brown eyes as wide as he could make them.


@Peaceswore @andujarprime


((Mission brief in a few posts?))

 

[Flutterby]

Beth smiled bitterly. "I'll give you two out of three." She said, putting the last piece of the bottom half in her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. "Storming off, bingo. Avoiding me, you betcha." Beth paused, and dropped her eyes. "But you were not the one that upset me." As she said it, her bravado faded and her attitude deflated in a matter of seconds.


"For that, I should apologize. I know how confusing that must have been for you, I was going to try to explain, after I took a minute, but you.. I was never upset with you, until you left. Other leaving, you did nothing wrong." She gave a small shake of her head and poked at the fluffy muffin top. Beth held back a sigh and frowned distantly. "Except maybe chosing me as your person. I probably would recommend someone else." She muttered, poking the muffin a little too hard and leaving a dent.


Everything leaves a mark, Beth mused as she fell in a dark silence.


@Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Hearing Beth's response of saying she'd only give him two out of three left Manjano more so confused than he already was. Only two out of the three, why?


When Beth paused, Manjano tentatively glanced up at her in time to hear her say that he hadn't upset her. What?


Seeing the sudden change in attitude, Manjano furrowed his brows and tilted his head to the side while listening to Beth talk about the moment and how she'd planned to explain things to him, but he'd rushed out of the cafeteria before she'd had the chance to do so.


Would Beth understand if he told her that he'd had an anxiety attack in the moment and couldn't have waited even if he wanted to?


Before he could bring it up, Beth then added that he made another mistake of choosing her as his person. Wait, what?


Blinking and eyes a bit wide now, Manjano' face flushed a bit, as he realized what Beth was saying. Well, she was kind of beating around the bush in saying it, but he still understood what she meant.


At the mention of looking for someone else instead of Beth, Manjano frowned at her before saying softly, "I left because I was having an anxiety attack. I assumed what I'd said had hurt you somehow, but I started panicking before I could wait around for a possible response from you."


Pausing, Manjano then added, "Also, I 'chose you as my person' because you're the first person I've ever met who can truly understand me. My own twin sister doesn't understand me, hence why I don't talk to her anymore. We've...had our differences in the past and just couldn't get over them."


As Beth fell silent, Manjano then said in a sad tone, "I personally can't stand being alone anymore."


@Flutterby

 

[DawnAntalios]

For a few moments Eos has though that Alec was paralyzed by fear and that he would not move from his charge. Fortunately however it appeared that it was only the part of his deliberately planned tactic and the stag watched as Alec wanted to destabilize him. He made an effort to avoid this but he succeeded only halfway, making him stumble and almost fall. Turning towards Alec he smiled.


" Good! Going for the weaker points is preferred! You are clever! " he roared as he managed to regain his balance. It seemed that Alec wanted to turn his own power against him - an interesting approach.


" Your enemy's power can indeed be used against him - but can you prevent yours being used against you? " the old one said as he once more started to approach Alec. But this time instead of directly charging at him he started to run circles around him, lunging in his direction once or twice in the process.


" Your eyes can not always be trusted, do not let your enemy confuse you. " he said wile dashing around " Focus, concentrate and strike firmly. Listen to your heartbeat and attack only when you are ready! "


@SilverFlight


The smile on Zoe's face quickly turned into worry as he watched Barry struggling with the ball, his hand being red from the impact and making him lose balance. She quickly dashed up to him and with worried eyes she stepped next to him.


" I am sorry! " she exclaimed " I... I should have thrown it softer, I... " she felt blush covering her cheeks " It is my fault, I let my zeal overwhelm me and well... I am glad that you are all right. "


She took a step back, looking at Barry with glinting eyes. She didn't want him to be hurt because of her hubris - making her allies suffer for her mistakes was not something she wanted to see. When she saw Barry clapping she blushed again. It was strange that he was not mad at her - in fact it seemed that he actually approved that throw of hers. Turning towards BB who offered to race with her throw she grinned.


" You got it, birdie. " she said as she looked around. Falarion seemed to just rest, he was tired after all - it seemed to be the best idea not to disturb him in his slumber. She, however, looked at Totus with curiosity and asked the wise owl.


" Totus, you want to race as well? I will try to throw the ball to see who will be faster! "


She waited for a few seconds, preparing to hurl the round object once more. Looking at BB she concentrated.


" Ready... set... go! " she shouted as she threw the ball as far as she could with such force that she fall back, losing her balance, falling in front of the feet of Barry. She grinned with satisfaction as she saw the toy slicing through the wind with ease.. Though she was sure that she gave all she got the birds might had the speed to match her throw - and probably surpass it.


@Bolts @Flutterby @Lioness075

 

[deer]

Laohu raised a brow when Leandra managed to roll away from his pounce. "She's improved, Hui, especially when she's in combat with a predator like me." He said, grinning, letting his fangs show, as he managed to swiftly follow Leandra's movements. Seeing that she was feigning to the right and then to the left to aim at his shoulder to paralyze him, with his reflex, Laohu managed to move away from her jabbing, cutting it close to mere inches. "That was close." Laohu said, only for Xiao Hui to call out, "Lea! When you're aiming for a certain spot, be careful to not let your opponent follow your gaze or be too eager!" Laohu took this opportunity as he roared loudly, causing the ground to shake beneath them lightly, only wanting Leandra's balance to crumble as he used this advantage and swiftly ran towards her left and right, readying his right paw to take a swing at her. He knew it would leave him defenseless but it was a risk he'd take to see how much Leandra has improved. Xiao Hui, on the other hand, stayed on the sideline watching the spar between the two, more than capable of holding her balance from Laohu's roar. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at her partner, knowing exactly what he was doing: egging her on. "Come on, Lea, I know you can do this. You've already proved you're more than capable of defending yourself and getting your opponent down." She whispered to herself as she looked on ahead, seeing Laohu "playing" with his "prey".


If Xiao Hui had to be honest, she was afraid to teach Leandra. although she proved more than capable and quite a great student, she just hoped no one would use that ability against her and that she focused more on defending herself in combat. If Father knew she taught an outsider those techniques, he'd have her head, then again, she was already in deep trouble, so why not? A sense of rebellion passed through her as she continued looking ahead, watching Lea carefully and was ready to jump into the sparring if necessarily, even though she was sure Luness would stop it before anything. Xiao Hui trusted both of them, however, sometimes, sparrings can get intense, especially if the two wanted to improve by constantly testing their stamina and strengths. However, Xiao Hui was brought out of her concentration on the fight when she heard Alec supportively cheering Leandra on as she grinned. It was true, the girl had guts and she was holding her own quite well, if she must say, especially against a tiger. Anxiety and worry gone for a few minutes, Xiao Hui took a deep breathe, feeling quite estatic for Lea and at the same time joyful still at the prospect of teaching someone other than Laohu what she's learned. However, hearing a swish, Xiao Hui looked over, seeing Rin over where the bamboo floor was placed. She wondered how long he had taken up his fighting style as she merely observed his technique and stances. It was similar to her style, in a sense where precision and calmness was needed, however, the stances were different. Maybe one day, when they get the chance, she'd ask Rin to spar with her, now that her wounds have officially healed and it's just a scar now.


Surprisingly, Xiao Hui felt her body shiver slightly, feeling as if someone was talking about her as her line of eyesight went over towards Alec, Simon, Ash, and Eos. Tilting her head, she wondered what was going on over there. Her? Sparring? With Ash? Blinking in surprise, she was curious to know how he fought. But, seeing their stance and positions, it looked to her that there would be two more sparring matches today. Soon enough, the two battles took off as she found herself getting more excited as she onlooked between three matches. However, seeing Ash's movements and technique, she knew he was a force to reckon with at the same time Simon had to think on his toes and use his strengths. From above, Xiao Hui knew Luness had to be alert with Ash's and Simon's sparring, considering it was in close quarters, at the same time Eos and Alec were also battling it out, Eos shouting pointers here and there while Alec was clever. Xiao Hui took this moment to look to see how her tiger and student were doing only for her ears to pick up on the words "trafficking" and "China". Her heart stopped slightly, as she felt herself froze in her spot, not breathing for merely a few seconds, only for to quickly regain her composure as she watched the spar between Lea and Laohu. "Lea, concentrate!" She spoke up, though there was a quiver in her voice and it sounded more as if she was telling herself to than Lea.

@Lioness075


[mentions: @SilverFlight @andujarprime @zCrookedz @Peaceswore @DawnAntalios ]
​

 

[Flutterby]

Beth sighed and ran a hand through her loose hair, ruffling it a little to make it lay the way she wanted it too. Her voice was small when she said, "I dont want to be alone anymore either." There was a paused where she stared at her hands, picking at one of her cuticles, before she took in a breath. "You also know how I feel about your relationship with your sister. It wouldnt kill you to put in a little effort. I saw how worried she was when you were injured. She just didnt know how to approach you." Beth swallowed and looked up at him. "People will understand you if you let them." Another pause, where she considered her next words.


"As for the anxiety attack.. that kind of reaction is exactly why I dont think this is good for you. If dealing with me is going to be detrimental to you, I dont want to put you through that. Which is why I didnt approach you in the last three weeks, even though it hurt, I was hoping you had made that decision yourself." Beth stared at the table top again.


"My issues arent going away, Manjano. And you will probably never understand them. If hurting myself by not being your friend, or whatever we are, will keep you from being more hurt in the long run, then so be it." Beth's eyes hardened a little, as she steeled herself for her next words and his reaction. "I would rather see you happy being with the team, with your sister, with anyone else, than damaging yourself trying to be there for me."


Beth scowled bitterly, adding, "Anything you could want from me, anything you think you might get out of it, I cant give you. " The venom in her voice wouldve been hard for even Totus to hear, and he had stomached even her worst rants.


@Lioness075

 

[Flutterby]

Totus gave a happy churr as Zoe caught the ball, glad to see not only that she was enjoying it, but that she was being successful. It was nice to see someone who had been so stiff and overzealous finally loosen up and just..


Decide to beam it back in a challenge. Totus opened his beak to say something, but Zoe had already let it rip. Barry managed to stop the ball, but it clearly stung, and his hand turned a nice shade of red. Zoe immediately realized her mistake, and apologized, so there was that at least. And, Barry was very kind about it, to his relief.


He perked up at BB's mention of racing the ball, and had already lifted in a downstroke when Zoe extended the challenge to him as well.


"It would be my pleasure, but I cannot guarantee I will be able to keep up." He said, as his wings already ached from the intense flight training he had been doing. He readied himself, flying a little higher into the air, and when Zoe shouted "go" and loosed the ball, he gave his best speed dive and leveled out into a tan streak beside the ball. The ball's start was faster, but Totus quickly caught up to the projectile, with a happy screech.


@DawnAntalios @Bolts

 

[Bolts]

Caught off guard, BB wasn't sure how she felt about Totus participating. Before she could even think about an argument, the ball was thrown. Fluttering there for a second, the owl took off with fast speed. Fast enough speed to catch her that is. He even mentioned that he might not be fast enough but within record time he had caught up! He might be slower from training but how fast would he be after a long rest? She made the challenge though. It was already a few seconds past her. Shrugging off her instinct of staying away from the bird. She zoomed forwards toward the ball.


She neared it working miliseconds as the owl was pretty much hovering over it. Tailing behind him for the time it took to let the ball fall. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to zip anywhere near him. Good..job. She was at a loss of words believe it or not. She made the stride to get closer than comfort, but it wasn't enough. He was sapient! She knew he had cognitive thoughts. He wasn't a wild, unbonded, owl. Things just didn't work out the way she hoped no matter the way she thought about it. One day, she might get over it. First day here wasn't the solution to her problems though. She turned to Barry who was having better luck at making friends right now. Even with his whole mute thing.


Barry squatted down next to her. She seemed to be having fun. How long would it stick was a mystery. At least she knew the feeling now. Simple minded activities were the first step. [even mighty warriors know balance. Some times you just gotta let loose. ] he opened his mouth and made a silent laugh. He might miss his ability to make sound but actions speak louder than words every now and then. He got up and leaned down to help her up.





@DawnAntalios @Flutterby @Lioness075

 

[andujarprime]

Haku just watched Fie for several seconds, amazed at all the energy he had. “Well for starters he usually showers every night, if he’s been training hard then after the gym. His favorite food is ramen, and he likes his alcohol as well. OOhh, he likes spicy foods, maybe that will help us out a little you think?" She added in excitedly. She was happy to be a part of something and she was practically vibrating with the excitement of it. "I can’t say that he’s been pranked, so I’m not sure what his exact reaction would be. But when he’s mad, oh boy you’ll know it.” She finished off with a chuckle “His clothing, well he likes casual clothes that are fitted. Hhmmmm, if it’s that important I guess he’s a 16-16.5 neck, and his pants size are a 32. So generally he’s a medium, or maybe…” At this point she was interrupted by Duik. She turned and regarded him curiously then smiled. “If you would like to join, you are required to hug me first…It is a way of showing that we can trust you, not to blab, and to take equal part in the blame.” She turned to him with a sly smile. She wanted to milk a hug out of anyone that she could, since it isn’t something that normally happens for her.


@SilverFlight @Peaceswore


Rin watched with interest as the sparring begun. He felt himself shake a little when Laohu roared, but nothing that unbalanced him greatly. He was used to staying loose, not rigid at all times. “One must always be fluid, and fluent like a current in the sea of life. Ready to bend, but never break as the willow in a storm.” His father had always said to him during his training. Now it was something that came to him as easily as breathing. He smiled at Jimbo when he took a spot next to him. “Ever since I was a child Jim. From the moment I was able to lift my father’s Katana.” He said proudly, looking down at the wooden sword in his hands. He looked back up to the match and nudged Jimbo. “Simon’s got his hands full with the String bean huh.” He said jokingly.


@zCrookedz

 

[fishfeet]

Uh... They are in the gym, right? Duh, what am I saying...))


Julia arrived in the gym to hear a roar, freezing up. She recovered quickly though, and looked into the room. "Uh... Hi? I'm Julia Thorns, recently appointed to this station. Would anyone like to tell me where the central room is?" She stated shyly. 'Come on, Jules, you aren't usually like this. They look nice anyways. Do you think they would be quiet enough for my naps, though?' Wondered Aslan as he leapt up onto a windowsill.

 

[Peaceswore]

Ash watched Simon's movements closely and was impressed by his quick actions. When the punch came for him Ash took his right hand and timing it the best he could he shoved Simon's hand to his side attempting to dodge it completely. However he still got a decent hit to his side. When this happened he gritted his teeth. 'yeah, don't want a direct him from him.' He thought his smirk not fading in the least as he started to get slightly thrilled from this simple sparring session. After the hit came in contact he kept pushing Simon's arm so he turned a bit his left arm crossing over blocking the right from moving and exposing his back. In this moment he brought up his foot and kicked Simon in the back of the leg to make the older man fall to his knees. He put enough force to make the man fall but not enough to actually deal great damage to the back of his knee.


@zCrookedz @Anyone


Fie giggled at this as he looked at the two. "Ooo Another possible member! Yesha! Kehehe." He then looked at Duik with a grin. "You heard her! You have to give her a huggle... Oh! oh! And you have to give me something sweet! Like candy, or sugar...or more candy!" The monkey chimed as his thoughts started to move away from the prank before he noticed he was getting distracted. "Right prank.... Hmmm Now should we use the tummy hurting potion or something else?" He hummed with a grin.


@andujarprime @SilverFlight

 

[fishfeet]

Aslan, hearing the monkey, jumped down and landed neatly, curling his tail around his paws. He waved his tail in greeting, then hearing the word "prank", he grinned. He may or may not want to be part of this... He noticed a movement in the corner of his eye and turned to see a snake, bristling before realizing it was probably a companion. He hadn't seen a snake since his non-sapient days in the jungle, and that encounter was not good. Nonetheless, he wasn't one to judge.


Julia looked down at Aslan, already making new friends, and walked over to the bench. If they weren't going to answer because (obviously) they were too buisy, she might as well get used to the fighting styles here. The larger man looked like he packed a powerful punch, and relied on strength. Let's see.. The smaller man, judging by his quick dodges and counters, relied on speed and momentum, increasing strength. Julia heard a grunt from the larger man, now on his knees. Great battle tactics. He looked like he could be getting up, though. Julia, meanwhile, looked like she was thinking about the meaning of life to any onlookers.


(I hope I assessed their fighting styles right. If not, oh well)


@Peaceswore @anyoneinthegym

 

[SilverFlight]

Haku's request for a hug made Duik's grin wider as he played along with her sly tone, giving her a sideways glance and a mock-flirtatious expression.


"I'll do you one better, you can ride on my back!"


At Fie's candy request his expression fell a little. "I don't have any candy...buuut I did see one of the chefs stash some cherry blasters on the top shelf yesterday!"


He rose, putting out a paw for Haku to climb up to his shoulders.


"So come on! What do we do first?" His excitement was evident, but it was then the jaguarundi appeared.


"Ohhh new person!" He grinned down at the cat, standing quite a bit taller. "I'm Duik! This is Fie and Haku." He gestured to the other animals in turn. He then leaned closer and whispered loudly: "We're gonna prank Rin! You wanna come? He can come right Fie? What do we call you?"


@Peaceswore @andujarprime


Alec watched the stag charge in circles about him. How fast could Eos actually go? He dodged one jab but was hit by another and nearly went flying, only to be ringed in once again. If Eos had struck him with his antlers Alec had no doubt he'd have a new hole somewhere..or three. How to get out of this one?


Suddenly an idea hit him and he regained a defensive stance. This time when Eos dove in to attack Alec sidestepped and tried to throw an arm about the deer's neck, using the momentum of his run to try and haul himself up onto Eos' back. From there he would shift his weight to one side and try and pull the stag down to the mats with him.


@DawnAntalios

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon focused on his punch as it made contact with Ash. Even though it wasn't full contact, Simon was proud of his swing and smiled none the less. At the sound of Strong telling him to watch his footing, Simon gave the sidelines a quick glance to see her and Jimbo watching the match, as well as a new face over on one of the benches. The momentary laps in his attention was all he needed to do to lose that moment of confidence in his swing.


His hesitation opened him up to Ash getting the more up hand. As the man rolled off the punch and push Simon's arm, Simon gritted his teeth as he got behind him. He didn't have enough time to continue around, Ash was just too quick. The smack to the back of his legs made Simon's knees buckle and he felt his tendons give way beneath his massive structure. As he went down onto his knees he began to think about how to continue on. Ash now had an advantage over him by being on both feet, but Simon was fairly certain he could even those odds quickly.


As his knees hit the mat, Simon wasted no time in continuing to drop his torso onto the mat as well. His hands hit the mat, and his body only a few inches from the mat as he whipped his head to the side Ash was on to see where he was. Once he saw him, Simon extended one of his legs out and dragged it across the mat with the help of his upper body, aiming for Ash's ankles. While Simon was no kickboxer and knew very little about attacking with his feet, he assumed that simply swiping at the bottom of the Ash's feet would, at least, give himself enough time to get back onto his own.


Simon let his leg continue through, contact with Ash or not until he was able to twist his waist and legs back to where he could get his feet under him once again. Once his feet were on the mat, Simon slowly stood back up his fists returning to his boxer pose and watched Ash with his determined stare to see what the guy might do next.


@Peaceswore @SilverFlight (mentioned)


Jimbo continued to watch the match with great interest. Ash's attack to the back of Simon's knees was well thought out. He had obviously been watching Simon's training the past few weeks and noticed Simon's lack of defense to things not right in front of him. Jimbo had always taken advantage of this though Simon was undoubtedly strong he lacked the foresight for fighting things coming from behind. Something Jimbo had been trying to work on him for a while. He sighed as he watched Simon hit the mat and rubbed his eyes a bit. He then heard Rin speak up and the Gorilla looked up at the man with interest.


He had been wielding blades for as long as he could pick one up, no wonder the man had remarkable talent with one. Jimbo couldn't help but feel a bit of awe, and nervousness around someone who had spent their life with a sword between their hands.


At the mention of the match, Jimbo looked back to the spar and sighed.


"The big lug is useless when it comes to attacks from behind. He can punch his way through a brick wall, but come at him from behind and Ash is surely going to win this match."


@andujarprime

 

[Lioness075]

Leandra frowned slightly when Laohu just barely managed to avoid her attack, but she didn't let it get to her, as she followed through with the attack so as to not through herself off-balance.


Regaining her stance, Leandra then overheard Xiao shouting her advice and nodded in response, as the girl had a very good point. She'd probably made that way too obvious for Laohu to follow. Dang.


In the rafters above, Luness' eyes darted back and forth, as she watched the sparring matches unfold, but tried to keep a close eye on Leandra's. These were some intense matches unfolding in the gym.


Out of no where, Laohu suddenly roared, causing Leandra's eyes to widen, as she stumbled slightly to the side.


Seeing Laohu making his move, Leandra used her lack of balance to her advantage, as she stumbled to her left a bit and then braced before leaping to her right and rolling away from Laohu's swipe.


Quickly getting back to her feet, Leandra then spun while aiming a precise kick at Laohu's back, right leg. This was aimed at a pressure point in his leg that would give him the feeling of a 'dead leg', in that he'd lose the ability to use it for the time being and it'd go entirely limp.


@crucialstar


~~~~~


Manjano resisted the urge to take one of Beth's hands to comfort her, as he instead remained where he was and moved his head off of his hand so he was now looking at Beth instead of avoiding her gaze.


Listening to everything Beth said, Manjano patiently waited until she was done speaking before he said anything in response.


"The relationship between my sister and I is going to take time. I can...try, I guess."


Even after saying it out loud, Manjano had to resist the urge to cringe. His sister had always been so loud and obnoxious, practically butting into everyone's lives. They used to get along really well, but some dire events had unfolded between the two and Manjano didn't even know how to say 'hello' to her without it feeling awkward. Not that he'd spoken to her in a while.


Pausing, Manjano then tilted his head to the side while looking at Beth before saying, "As for the anxiety attack, I get those whether or not I'm around you. Personally, I'd prefer to be around someone who could help me overcome them. Just about everyone in my life has given me an anxiety attack one way or another. It's unavoidable. Just like you said, my issues aren't going away either, Beth. I have to learn to live with them, but I'd rather not deal with them on my own."


Upon hearing Beth's bitter tone and seeing the pain in her eyes, Manjano looked into her deep green eyes, as he said, "What if all I want is for you to be happy?"


Manjano's heart thumped loudly in his chest, as he anxiously awaited Beth's response to his last question. It'd been one of those moments where you speak before even considering your words and now Manjano was unsure of how Beth would react to such a thing. Especially considering how cheesy it sounded...which wasn't really his intention with it.


@Flutterby

 

[DawnAntalios]

Zoe felt a red blush on her cheeks as she found herself sitting on the ground. She was embarrassed how she lost her balance during this simple training and smiled at Barry when he offered her his help to stand up. Taking his hand gently she watched as the boy tried to laugh - but his muteness prevented it from happening. A hint of sorrow appeared on her expression but she quickly got over it and smiled once more briefly.


" Thank you Barry... I am a mess, sorry for that. " she turned towards the two birds and saw how fast they were. It seemed that Totus, despite his earlier training was able to catch up with the ball and win the race. She clapped with her hands in excitement as she raised her thumb for him just as Barry did for her. She, however, saw that BB wasn't exactly happy - though she did not think it was due to the race. When she flew back to them she congratulated her.


" It was an amazing flight. " she said with a cheeky smile " You gave a mighty effort and I am certain that Barry is proud of you right now! "


She looked at Totus again and then turned to the hummingbird.


" You know I think Totus and you would make a great couple. " she said " Friends, that is of course. You two are both avian creatures of different personalities - I am certain that you could learn a lot from one another. That is what allies are for, don't be shy. "


It was strange for her to hear such advice from her own mouth. Yet somehow the others around her had a strange influence on her, one which slowly but steadily started to melt the ice around her, allowing them to peer into her very soul sometimes. As she waited for Totus to arrive back to congratulate him she turned to Barry with a faint smile.


" You are good, very good even. " she said with honest joy " I am really looking forward working with you in the future. "


As she looked around she noticed that the black rose petal she had carried with her fell to the ground.


" Oh... " she said silently as she knelt down to retrieve it. Somehow the faded petal looked more vibrant and alive than before. She discussed her worries with Eos in the past three weeks but the stag could neither confirm nor doubt her suspicions. The coincidence was too specific this time... she knew not what awaited them.


@Bolts @Flutterby


Eos was impressed how tenacious Alec was - despite him not being a fighter he knew how to get out of harm's way in a really effective way. This challenge was more interesting by the moment. He delivered some blows to him, carefully avoid not to hurt him if possible. He saw that Alec started to concentrate as he gathered all his strength but Eos did not know what was he planning.


When he dove in for an another strike he got very surprised - he certainly did not expect to have a rider, nor did he think that Alec would dare to jump on his back in the middle of the fight. He grinned in satisfaction as he now tried to jump back and forth to rock down Alec from his back but his rider seemed to have a firm grip on his fur and he would not let go any time sooner. He realized that Alec wanted to bring them down to the ground to probably end he match once and for all - and the old stag did not try to resist him this time. While struggling to stay afoot he played a little longer then allowed the weight of Alec to overburden him, making them to land on the ground with a soft poof. The old warrior smiled and nodded.


" Well done, Alec. It was a battle well fought. " he said " You have learnt much and I am pleased to see you being this strong already. "


@SilverFlight

 

[Lioness075]

Just as Falarion had nodded off, he groggily woke up once more in time to hear something about two people making a great couple.


Blinking and quickly waking up, as he felt a typical burst of energy coming from hearing such an odd thing, Falarion slowly pushed himself up until he was standing and then stuck his rump in the air, as he did the cliché dog yawn whenever most dogs would wake up.


Sitting down on his rump so as to avoid being on his leg too much, Falarion then curiously titled his head at Zoe, who had mentioned the couples bit, before asking, "Um, what is all this about couples? Who'd be good together?"


Looking between the small group still in the gardens, Falarion tried to figure out who the pairing was.


Looking back at Zoe, Falarion then tilted his head to the side with one of his ears flopping against his head before asking, "Do you mean yourself and Barry being together? Or BB and Totus?"


Being purely curious and not trying to imply anything, Falarion was oblivious to any discomfort that he may cause amongst the group upon asking these questions.


@DawnAntalios @Bolts @Flutterby

 

[Flutterby]

As the ball slowed and fell, Totus did a slow loop and swooped back to ward it, snatching it off the ground with his talons. He carried it back with him, dropping it at Zoe's feet with a happy churr. He landed lightly on the rock, and looked between the two. "Well thrown Zoe. And, well flown BB, although I have a feeling you were holding out on me," Totus kept his tone light and warm, even though he could tell that the little bird was afraid of him. Her little heart, which already beat very fast, sped exponentially each time she was near him.


He chuckled when Zoe spoke, and nodded. "Between BB, Luness, and I, our team shall be unstoppable in the skies," was his form of agreement. He decided that he truly liked Zoe. Even though most humans seemed odd and confusing to him, Zoe was one he could understand. Her thoughts ran linearly, unlike the way others seemed to loop, stop, and start.


He noticed the object, something black, that Zoe picked up. It seemed to put an almost immediate damper on her mood, and he would have asked about it, if Falarion had not woken and asked about the couples, first assuming it was Barry and Zoe. The owl let out a hearty laugh, and nodded. "Oh, yes, Falarion, Zoe and Barry indeed. I do think they balance each other quite well." He did not mean to tease the maned wolf, but the idea of outspoken, zealous Zoe, and the mute, goofy Barry was highly amusing.


@DawnAntalios @Bolts @Lioness075

 

[Flutterby]

Beth returned Manjano's gaze for a moment, then dropped her eyes and studied the texture of the table top, pretending to be trying to scratch it with her fingernail. She was silent. On the surface of her mind, there was no thought. Beneath, in her subconscious, there was a mess of thoughts and emotions, swirling into mad confusion. But it was as if she had no access to them. Briefly, she wondered if this was what it was like for Manjano to have things to say but be unable to say them.


Finally, she was able to form a pertinent response. "I will be happy if you are healthy and connected to the world. Having me in your life will keep that from happening." She whispered, reaching up and tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Its not about me, Manjano. I dont have a chance. You do, and Im not going to stand in your way." Her green eyes finally looked up to him. They showed some sadness, but mostly calm acceptance. Totus's voice reached out to her from a memory. Youre a person too, Elizabeth. The corner of her mouth twitched at the thought of it, but otherwise her face remained remarkably nuetral. Underneath, she was a mess, but at least it didnt show so much.


@Lioness075