What the Hell [Dian]

[Haley]

The Seelie court had been quiet lately. It was almost as if the Queen were dormant, though Haley had seen her flitting around here and there, doing who knows what. Even though Haley quite hated the woman, she had to admit that she was curious as to what the red one was up to. Naturally impatient, Haley wasn’t the type to sit around and do nothing. In her opinion the Queen was taking too long to respond to the Shade attack. Was her network of information really that horrible? Was she unable to procure enough information to make a decision on who or what to strike? Were the people in the Seelie court really content to just sit there while their Queen practically ignored what was going on? It made Haley sick to her stomach – she felt helpless, restless….two feelings she abhorred.

It was these feelings that had her up and exercising. Though she had wanted to wake early, Haley had risen shortly before noon, consumed a quick breakfast, and then headed out for a workout. She had been really testing her body lately. With nothing to do aside from studying, memorizing every inch of Alanor, and playing with Akuji, Haley had turned to working out every day. She would take an occasional break to give her body some much needed rest, but aside from that she remained consistent, with Akuji cheering her on (in the form of nipping at her heels if she didn’t run fast enough). As a result, Haley had bulked up considerably. She would never be considered big – Haley simply didn’t have the body mass to become super bulky. However, she was no longer ‘just toned.’ Even when she didn’t flex her skinny arms, the muscle was apparent. She had refined her ab muscles into a faint six-pack, which she was now showing off since her upper body was currently only adorned with a black sports bra.

She was running now. The perimeter of the main Seelie court, just before the woods, was her new running track. It made for some good distance, and she rarely met other fae this close to the woods. Akuji was keeping pace with her, the eighty pound animal trotting at her left side in a perfect heel. Haley had yet to break a real sweat. She had just started her run after several minutes of warm-up stretches and was now only halfway around the perimeter. She was making good time, and as of this moment she had only run into one other faerie. Unfortunately it looked as if her luck was about to turn for the worst. Up ahead of her loomed one fucking tall woman; Haley would have been content to run around the Sidhe and continue on her way had she not been so HUGE. While it was normal for faerie to grow tall, Haley rarely encountered them. Subconsciously she tried to stay away from them – Haley didn’t like feeling inferior in any way to other faerie. It was likely this Sidhe would notice her approach, so Haley didn’t make any noise. She just slowed down to a walk, fingers brushing the top of Akuji’s head to quiet his silent snarl.


(ooc: gawd that turned out horrible.)

[Dian Bright]

Waking earlier than usual, Dian got up and started her day. She hadn't done much lately and she wanted to get active. Being a bit hungry, Dian made herself some brekfast. Dynami, her mantel the Lynx, nipped at her hand as if to say "Don't forget about me" "How could I possibly forget you?" Dian said as she patted Dynami's head, she got up and grabbed some food for Dynami. Normally Dynami got her own food, but Dian guessed she was too sluggish today.

Dian grabbed a few of her weapons, a sword and a knife, and headed towards the woods. Dian figured if she practiced a bit more she would be less sluggish in the mornings, mornings definitely weren't her favorite. After reaching the edge of the woods she set up a few practice dummies, it was odd for Fae to be practicing over here, but Dian wanted to be away from the distractions of the main city.

Dian practiced nonstop, slashing, cutting stabbing, and even throwing, her knife that is. Dynami was chasing a few field mice or something, she obviously thought training now would be a good idea too. Dian got tired of the training soon, it had become to repetitive. Making a decision, she sheathed her sword and knife, and decided to go for a walk. Dynami, noticing Dian had left, came running after her, staying by her side.

Dian began to think about how long she should continue this walk before she packed up the targets and went back, when Dian heard something. She thought it was the sound of footsteps, and in case it was she didn't falter. She didn't let her guard down but she also didn't want the, whatever it was, to know that it had been noticed. The sound slowed down, as it got closer, making her positive it was a Fae.

When the sound got very close she turned around. Dian had seen this Fae before, but she just couldn't remember her name. Dian's silver eyes slightly scanned the Fae in front of her (though it was almost unnoticeable that she was doing so), The Fae was a little less then a foot smaller than she was, most likely a Nimbus or even a human but she guessed the first choice, green/brown eyes, and dark hair. Dian also noticed the strong muscles the Fae had and knew this Fae wasn't a lazy slob like some she knew, this was a warrior, someone to fear or at least not make an enemy of. Dian didn't fear the Fae, but she definitely didn't want to be the Fae's enemy.

(ooc: loved the 'fucking tall' part lol, and tell me if i screwed something up, this is my first rp post here )

[Haley]

While Dian might have been about the way she sized Haley up, the Nimbus took the obvious approach, her green flecked eyes darting up and down the Sidhe’s frame for a few moments before she was satisfied. Haley was not a fan of the fairer race. Though she thirsted to become one herself (merely for the power of course), the majority of them made her skin crawl. Their perfection, beauty, and glow caused a volatile reaction in Haley – she had to practically fight down her disgust. There were few she had come to learn to handle. Murdoch had been one of them. Had he stuck around Alanor Haley would have liked to have become his friend. Now he was gone and the slender nymph was once again left with a sour taste in her mouth. Even Nimbus had begun to annoy her. She found sanctuary with the garlanger servants and their like. They were usually the most down-to-earth and friendliest of all faerie.

Haley came to a stop several paces from the Sidhe woman, her eyes calm but sharp. Akuji, who had been quick to notice the lynx, bared his teeth though no sound was born from his throat. The fur on his nape and down his back stood on end, his hackles rising as he took a more defensive stance. The feline creature would be easy to dispatch, but the mere fact that this woman before them had a carnivorous creature as a mantel put him on edge. He quieted just a tad as Haley continued to stroke the spot on his head between his ears. A ghost of a smile graced Haley’s lips – she always found it amusing when Akuji acted as her body guard.

”’Lo.” Haley spoke up, her voice somewhat monotonous, though inquisitive. She had no reason to despise this woman…yet. The weapons adorning her body were cause enough to raise alarm in Haley, though not for the obvious reasons. This woman was a warrior, much like herself, and that meant she was competition. Haley didn’t like competition. At the same time, the presence of this Sidhe raised the fighting spirit nestled within Haley’s breast. She felt inclined to immediately issue a challenge to the Sidhe, but she stayed her tongue. This woman had magic to her that Haley could not contend with. If a spar were to take place, Haley would have to first get on her good side.

”Ignore Akuji.” She gestured towards her silently snarling wild dog, ”He’s just a little grumpy.” Haley maintained eye contact while her hands shifted upwards to adjust the ponytail her long locks were constricted in. She then proceeded to smooth some fly-a-ways back from her face and offered the woman before her a bright, toothy smile, ”I’m Haley, Denwyr of the Seelie. I believe I’ve seen you before, but I never took the time to memorize your name.” This was one of the rare occasions that Haley offered her rank up front. Normally she liked to keep her position within the court a secret, but if she could pull rank on a Sidhe it would give her a potential ego boost – something Haley needed in the face of such a big woman.

[Dian Bright]

The Fae in front of her was obviously sizing her, be it for a battle or just to get to know Dian, she didn't know, though she guessed the first. After a couple more seconds Dian realized the Fae was a Nimbus, immediately hoping she wasn't one of the Fae that would go crazy when confronted with a Sidhe. Most of her friends were Sidhe, but she knew a few Nimbus too and so wasn't surprised to see this Nimbus out here.

Then Dian noticed the mantel of this Nimbus, an African Wild Dog if she wasn't mistaken. The dog rose to his hackles and his fur was on end, an obvious warning to Dynami and herself. Dian looked down to her mantel, she was sitting by her feet cleaning her paw, not even bothering with the dog. Dian smiled to her self, Dynami rarely showed fear and she was glad this was one of those times she didn't, though she knew her lynx was a bit afraid of the dog.

"Hello" Dian Replied, then when the Nimbus spoke of her mantel Dian waved it away, "Dynami will be fine, I can understand why, Akuji is it? I can understand why he would want to be protective." Admittedly Dian was unhappy when she heard the Nimbus had a rank and she herself didn't but she tried not to show it. "I am Dian, and you probably have seen me, I'm a hard figure to miss."

[Haley]

Haley ignored the presence of the woman’s mantel. She considered it insignificant in the long run; she could easily dispatch it without much thought. The fact that it was unnerved by Akuji was admirable, considering the difference in size was quite noticeable. If the mannerisms of the mantel were mirrored in the Sidhe it was bonded to, Haley was either dealing with an overly-confident fool or a woman content to be at ease despite her surroundings. It didn’t matter which persona she embodied, ultimately Haley was her superior in the court and this new tidbit of information brought a gleam to the Nimbus’s eyes.

By now Akuji had quieted just a tad, though his teeth were still bared and his ears lay flattened against his head. The spikiness to his fur slowly ebbed away until it lay flat once more and his stance loosened. For now this woman and her mantel were not considered threats, though that wasn’t to say Akuji trusted them. Haley shifted her weight slightly as she listened to the woman speak. What she said was true. She wasn’t hard to miss. Haley didn’t know if she would consider that to be a good or bad thing, though she knew their narcissistic Queen would probably adore this woman. The thought made Haley’s stomach churn and she fought back the bile that flooded her esophagus.

”Pleasure.” She said, her voice once again soft and devoid of any recognizable emotion, save for her natural sardonic flare. ”Since you have no rank it’s obvious that you haven’t met the Queen yet.” Haley was making assumptions here. Just because the woman had not mentioned a rank didn’t mean she didn’t own one, though that was the likely case. The Sidhe she knew loved to boast of their popularity in the court, often unjustly obtained since the Queen seemed to favor those of like blood rather than of talent. Haley was pretty sure that had Dian come to meet personally with the Queen she would have quickly found favor with her powerful build and blood. So, it was probably safe to assume that Dian had yet to make the Queen’s acquaintance.

Haley paused briefly in thought before she decided some small talk was in order. After all, it would do her good to get to know the people of the court. The better she knew them the better she could use that knowledge (and them) to her advantage. ”Sooooo…what brings you out here? Practicing?” She gestured towards the weapons Dian carried, ”Unless you like walking around so heavily armed just for fun.” Haley really wouldn’t blame her if she were. After all, the little Nimbus had her fore-arm bracers on at the moment, equipped with their housed blades. She never went anywhere without them now.

[Dian Bright]

Dian didn't like being outranked, of course she didn't have a rank but she was working to get one. Her frustration was very high at the moment but she knew eventually all her frustration would go out and make her angry a lot. When Haley had assumed she didn't have a rank, and therefore hadn't met the queen, Dian's silver eyes flared with a little anger. Haley had made a bid assumption, and Dian didn't like that. The anger faded almost as soon as it had come, Haley had been completely right, and it was hard for Dian to be angry at someone who was right.

Dynami stopped acting calm and started to pace about. Dian too was starting to get antsy near the Nimbus. Dian had almost forgotten to answer the Nimbus but replied, "No, never met the Queen." She said it bluntly, with no emotion behind it, just a simple statement. Haley asked about her presence in the forest edge and Dian said, "Yeah, practicing. I don't like to practice where everyone is watching. I decided to go for a walk only a few minutes ago. I guess you're here for a reason too?" She didn't ask exactly what Haley was doing, but assumed that Haley knew what she ment.

[Haley]

Haley’s keen eyes picked up on just how unsettled Dian was becoming in her presence. Inwardly she smirked. The very fact that she had gotten under this woman’s skin was enough to incite a round of mental praise. Haley had a tendency to be aggravating; she was well aware of this fact and used it to her advantage. Dian may be a warrior, but she didn’t appear to be a necessarily level-headed one. Getting upset over a few words and a difference in rank? Haley would have clicked her tongue aloud were she not seeking to remain on the Sidhe’s good side – for the time being. She still knew nothing of the power at Dian’s fingertips and did not want to do something to incite something that could lead to a trance. Haley didn’t fancy being in such a vulnerable position.

”Jogging.” Haley’s toothy smile grew just a tad. It would go against her nature not to somehow egg this woman on, though she did so in a very subtle manner. Her eyes flicked from Dynami back to Dian, her hands situating themselves on her hips as she shifted her weight once more, ”Practicing huh? What weapon are you best at?” She would have assumed a sword, as Dian was carrying one, but since she had mentioned the word practicing it could very well mean that she was building up her sword skills as a secondary weapon. The tone of her voice was light and curious, though she was sure she already knew the answer; too many faerie now-a-days relied on long distance weapons. Haley was an anomaly in that respect, chosing to adorn herself with weapons that enhanced her short-range combat skills. This put her at a distinct disadvantage against the majority of faerie in Alanor, but she just considered it to be an extra challenge.

[Dian Bright]

This Fae seemed very annoying in ways. She wasn't outright, but she seemed to know which words would get under your skin. She had already made Dian angry, but Dian cooled her temper. Mostly she was calm, only using her temper and rage in battle, but withing seconds this Fae had made her angry. Being as closed mouthed as Dian was it was normally hard to get angry with words, but again Haley had done it. As seemingly annoying as Haley was to her, Dian still had a small amount of curiosity for this Nimbus, not many had the courage to talk to a Sidhe without going... odd.

Dian considered Haley's question of weapons. Dian had been practicing for a LONG time and so had picked up many weapons. She was good with swords, knives, bows and arrows, and quarter staffs, and a few more less known weapons. While she was thinking Dynami paced around Dian's legs, also giving the illusion of thinking. "I would say double knives," Dian concluded. They were the weapons she had first picked up, and were her best. "What about you, what are your best?" Dian asked, wanting to know as much about this Fae as she was learning about Dian.

[Haley]

Haley wasn’t the type to fawn over Sidhe – the very fact that they made her ill kept her from entertaining any sexual thoughts in regards to them. While the majority of the faerie were entranced by the pure perfection that most Sidhe were, Haley was repulsed by it. She had a tendency to enjoy the uglier, flawed things in life. After all, Haley had grown up believing she was human. To be human was to be flawed, and thus flaws were what she found attractive.

The little Nimbus found Dian’s response to be quite interesting. She was no unfamiliar with double knives. The very first duel she had won in Alanor had been against a pixie wielding double knives. Still, normally Haley would not have thought of these weapons as a popular choice. She had expected Dian to mention a broad sword, as the large woman looked well equipped enough to handle one with ease. Still, the thought of dual knives had her smile growing – Haley much preferred opponents with short-ranged weapons.

”Myself.” Haley stated bluntly and held up her hands as if to emphasis her point to a Sidhe she considered to be below average intelligence. She tilted her head slightly, ”There is no greater weapon than the human body.” Though people could train and train with weapons until the items essentially became an extension of the body, they would never truly be apart of the person. They had the potential to be knocked away, thus disarming the person who wielded it. Haley could not be disarmed if she herself was the weapon. She peered at Dian curiously, ”Do you have an experience in fighting close-ranged opponents?”

[Dian Bright]

The Nimbus' answer of herself surprised her, but she knew there was reason behind it. Dian too was good with hand to hand combat, seeing as she can over power most Fae. Plus if Dian wasn't good at it, her power would be nearly impossible to use unless her opponent was very dumb, and she doubted the Nimbus in front of her was anything near that.

When Haley asked another question Dian didn't hesitate, "Yeah, I normally fight close-ranged, and the best way to train my skills is to fight another close ranged fighter. Though I have fought archers with close-ranged weapons." She was referring to training battles that she had done throughout her life, which where about as hard as regular ones but with less at stake. Officially she hadn't fought anyone, but that was because people where scared of her challenge, or were to scared to challenge her. Curiosity soon swept over Dian, "How did you come to be the Denwyr? If you don't mind me asking." Dian had never had a rank, and to be honest, wanted one.

((ooc: Sorry so short I'm running low on muse. Also I figured I'd post cuz i have 5 seconds before i go bak to vacation mode))

[Haley]

Haley fought to maintain her blank visage when the Sidhe woman before her mentioned fighting archers with short-ranged weapons like it was hard. The only trick behind something like that was to keep yourself from being such a blatant target and then get in close. Dodging arrows was easier than many people suspected, especially at long ranges (though Haley suspected a woman of Dian’s bulk would have a hard time), and once you got in close enough to an archer they became sitting ducks (unless they happened to have another weapon of course).

The Nimbus knew nothing of Dian’s fighting history, but her words alone had proven to Haley that despite her size, Dian was more bark than bite and that (combined with the fact that she had yet to make audience with the Queen) was why she still held no rank of importance. Haley crossed her arms and shifted her weight slightly, lifting an eyebrow at Dian’s question. She knew where this was heading. ”I proved myself in battle, both at the Altar of Fate and during the Festival of Imbolc. The Queen recognized this.”

Since it was obvious what direction this conversation was taking, Haley decided to be the one to initiate it, ”If you’d like, I can show you.” She was, of course, suggesting a battle at the Altar of Fate, ”Provided you keep your little hand of power to yourself and fight via skill, not magic.” Haley wanted a fair fight, and despite how thick-headed Dian was, she appeared to be a woman of honor when it came to battle. Haley liked that.