To Sleep with the Fishes

Hello hello! Cheval here, with a new RP! What could possibly be better?

The rules: This is a closed RP for EaterofNoobs and Cheval4 (meee!). Please don't ask to join, I'm trying to get into RPing itself, and to do that I'd like to start off RPing with one other person. c: Baby steps, baby steps. XD
Please refrain from killing and/or maiming. Fighting is okay. We don't want any dismembered limbs scattered around the nice clean forums. *coughhackcoughTaggerwhyusomeencoughhackcough* Cussing is always great. XD

Setting: This RP is set in a sizable inter species village called New Altin. It's rather wealthy, so the main roads are cobbled, and the sidestreets tend to be dirt paths overrun by grass and small plants. New Altin is on the western coast of Elaisha and set dangerously close to Darkblood territory and Sunset Peak itself. As a result, the village has a history of trouble with Darkbloods; at one point it was known simply as Altin. It was destroyed by a regiment of Darkbloods after the residents (human and Dailan Shinlai alike) refused to surrender their gold mines and their allegiances to the encroaching faction. After the incident, the village was rebuilt and named New Altin and everyone continued with their lives. XD However, the village is very turbulent. To the west are jagged cliffs that drop down to the sea. Woodlands are to the east, to the north are huge gold mines and to the south are a few human villages. Right now it's early springtime (let's say late February-mid March kind of weather) so it varies from being fairly warm to bitter cold.
LET'S DO THISSS


Varne glanced up at the looming mountain, a smoky and dark presence that forever guarded Altin like a parent watching a child. It was a crisp, afternoon, and the gusts of wind made it chilly. The big lounged in an alley with a few scruffy-looking humans, most of whom were probably poor, a small fire warming all of their numb extremities. Since he was close to the outskirts on the north side of the village, he could see Mount Cilla's top poking up from the one-story building to his left. He noticed the fire was shrinking, and snorted a puff of flame in its direction. Instantly, the flame blazed up. The humans jumped back, startled, one emitting a small shriek. Varne chuckled and shifted his large, furry body closer to the fire. The large male Lai yawned and put his head on his paws, staring into the flames. He was so bored and disappointed that he couldn't perform today. The wind worried him, as it might blow his fire on an unplanned course or snuff it out. He had no intention of setting a human's hair on fire by accident.

He grimaced as his stomach grumbled and gave a half-hearted glare to the human who giggled. Wearily, Varne grabbed his leather pouch in his mouth and raised himself up, bode his newfound alley friends farewell, and lumbered off to find some food. I hope they have pie here. It would be just amazing to find some nice pie or a rabbit or something. He wandered to the center of town where all the merchants sold their wares, and gazed disinterestedly at the fruit vendors until a delicious aroma caressed his nostrils. Aha! Up ahead were the meat vendors and the butcher's shop. Eagerly, he purchased a rabbit with coins donated from performances and a cherry pie from a baker a bit further down the street. He took his meal to one of the sidestreets and devoured the food ravenously.

Licking his lips in satisfaction, he looked around in all directions nervously. An odd stillness had fallen over the street he was on. The trees looked like skeletons, clawing at the air. He could see small unopened buds. All the houses were quiet. He saw no lights in their windows, curtains tightly drawn. There were no humans about, or Shinlai. A sudden gust of icy wind rattled the trees and made his nose burn from the cold. Something was off.

His jaws tightened, feeling the hot, red liquid pour from his jaws as his teeth savagely punctured the tiny body. Ravenously he wolfed down the rabbit whole, while the sound of bones crackling, shattering and snapping could be heard as he messily slurped down the meal.
It was hardly enough to fill his growling stomache, but it would have to do for now.

Giving one last glance to the entrance of the abandoned mine, Taggerung shuffled away in a slow trot to find food elsewhere.
Though he had been practicing his element in the network of caverns earlier, and still wanted to, his intense hunger had driven him out itself.
All he could manage to find at the old digsite was a mangy rabbit cowering in some scraggly-looking bushes.

His large paws beat against the ground as the earthen male eventually entered a more wooded, populated area; A few dirt roads where a distance off, that soon gave way to the roofs of wooden human and Shinlai houses.
He stopped dead in his tracks upon a particular warn path, weeds lining its sides.

A heavenly aroma enraptured his nostrils, it smelled hot and sweet, and instinctively he followed his nose.

But his twisted smile faded to a more unamused smirk as he came upon a another Shinlai, a male, who was licking a few remaining crumbs of pastry from his muzzle.
Disappointed, Taggerung huffed and trudged towards him a bit slower.

Taggerung sensed a more sophisticated aura coming from the male, who was adorned in thick ruby fur and speckles along his spine, which was quite the opposite of this untamed, unpredictable male's lifestyle, who lived more animalistic than normal Shinlai.

Nevertheless, the dark green Tagger strode onward boldly, flashing his yellowed incisors in a daring smile at his fire-gifted counterpart, piping up as he drew nearer, "Such a cold day, is it not? Even the human-beasts are huddled inside their homes at this hour." A pale cloud of fog idley pooled out of his mouth and dissapaded into the air as he spoke.

((Aww, poor disappointed Tag. ...If Varne was a pretty lady Lai then maybe he wouldn't be so mad. XDDD )

One very satisfied Varne was licking his lips when he smelled another Shinlai. He stiffened immediately upon seeing the huge male lumber down the road. He was, Varne had to admit, very manly with thick white chest fluff, brawn and army green fur. His white underbelly and mane stood out in the dim evening light.

The red Shinlai of Fire stood as the other male seemed to stomp towards him. Definitely an Earth Shinlai. Varne muttered under his breath. He could just barely feel the ground itself trembling with each massive step the Earth Lai took. Ahh, he has chest fluff too! Varne almost felt gratified that there was something he could relate to with this foreign Lai. ...Though, maybe he shouldn't be trying to relate with this male at all. Varne felt that the dark green and maroon Lai seemed very menacing, very animalistic. He looked like a bear that had been woken up in the middle of its hibernation- cranky and growly and tough.

Varne relaxed a bit when his approacher grinned, revealing a dull yellow smile. Not exactly the friendliest looking chap I've met... "Such a cold day, is it not? Even the human-beasts are huddled inside their homes at this hour." The red male straightened himself up, trying to appear as tall as possible. Varne could feel his instinct to chat arising. "Yes, I must agree, my good Lai. On other nights I've seen humans running around the shops, doing Daila knows whatever it is humans do." At the mention of Daila, the other Shinlai froze. Varne, however, did not appear to notice this. "However," he purred, his lips curling into a broad grin, "you and I won't have to worry about the cold." A small fire began to lick at Varne's feet, curling and snaking its way up his legs and neck. Gradually, it shaped itself into a flaming reptilian beast. "Follow me and we'll find something to eat, shall we?" He started off towards the main streets, still on fire.

(fghf;ljkhgjfgh sorry for the late reply Chevy
VERY MANY TAGG IS VERY MANLY LOL)

"Yes, I must agree, my good Lai. On other nights I've seen humans running around the shops, doing Daila knows whatever it is humans do."

Taggerung watched Varne's eyes examine his greenish-white coat, but instinctively flinched at the mention of her name. He couldnt help it, by now, it was merely a bad habit. It was such a controversial topic after all. He did his best to ignore it, for now, and continued to hold Varne's gaze.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Varne continued with a sly smile,

"However, you and I won't have to worry about the cold."

"Oh?" Taggerung smirked as well. A wispy flame was produced near the red Lai's claws, and it weaved its way towards the sky, towards Varne. Slowly it coated him like a flaming blanket until his whole body sizzled and flashed, though the flame was never actually touching or burning him. And just like that, he had bound himself into a living armor suit, that he was able to manipulate at will.
Needless to say Taggerung was impressed.
'A fire Shinlai, eh? This one's got a few tricks up his sleeve I see.'

Silently the brutish green male calculated and studied the other Lai's movements, his feet slapping loudly against the cold, dew-jeweled earth as Taggerung quickly caught up to him.
Falling into place beside him, he barked, "I dont think I caught your name; I'm Taggerung."

(Manly may-uhn.)

Varne turned his sparking head towards the green male as he caught up.

"I don't think I caught your name; I'm Taggerung." Varne nodded slightly and continued walking, now side-by-side with Tagger. The flames died down to a few sizzling embers scattered throughout his mane and coat, he didn't want any of the residents to scare.

"Well," he replied as he turned towards the area with all the meat shops, "I'm Varne. You were probably able to guess that I am of Fire," he chuckled. "It's nice to meetcha." He stopped and gazed at Taggerung distractedly, then returned to reality, frowning, as a strong gust snuffed out most of his embers. "Hrmph," he growled. "Figures... Ah! We needed something to eat. Fortunately, I have my flame and some coin left from myyy... uh, show. You see, I go from town to town, performing tricks with fire for the townspeople. I like mixed towns like New Altin the most, since humans are especially thrilled by fire and they give me money. And I buy food with it. Like pie! Holy flying squirrels, I love pie. Best thing ever. You know, Taggerung, I've always envied how humans can make things, especially baked goods..." Varne continued rambling as he led Tag through the winding streets, growing ever closer to the tantalizing smell of food.