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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 24, 2024 21:11:23 GMT -5
The suggestion made her pause. Elizabeth had taken time to build up this first version of a team, even if she didn't know of all she wanted to join until the last hour. Even so, she had made sure to take many things into account. Austin, while he was Trey's roommate, wasn't exactly the type she had envisioned as a good candidate, if only due to his personality and mannerisms. He hadn't made a good first impression. However, she was not the only one to get a say on who joined the team. Trey, who was the only one she knew with 100% certainty that she wanted to work with, thought his roommate was a good choice to ask, she would have to trust him on that.
"If that's who you want to ask, then we can," Elizabeth told him. "But, you have to promise me he can actually pull his own. You know my family, and you know how serious I take this. If he's going to treat everything like a joke, then I don't think I can work with that."
~~*~~
Austin wasn't surprised by the pounce. He was surprised when he felt a rush through the bond. He watched as his wyvern struggled for a second before getting his hind legs between him and Malaya. He pushed her off of him, did a small little pounce of his own, and rolled a little as he tried to pin her down in return. "I think he's playing," he told the girl, amused. Because while there were small growls and nips given, he wasn't getting any sort of anger or malice.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Feb 25, 2024 10:45:11 GMT -5
"He can," Trey promised, though he didn't know Austin well enough to know that with certainty. "He's just excited to be here and be chosen. He didn't grow up around this life, so it's all very new and exciting for him."
☆~☆~☆
Malaya, however, was not playing. Furious, she smacked him off of her with her tail, and when she lunged at him again, she locked her jaws around his throat. She didn't bite down with the intent to kill or even hurt, but rather it was a show of superiority. She was letting him know who was boss here.
Remi flinched, a little intimidated by her own wyvern. Malaya was just so... there. She was a take-no-prisoners type, and Remi wasn't sure how to handle it. "I don't think you want us on your team. We're not very good at teamwork. Or friendships."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 25, 2024 20:28:47 GMT -5
Elizabeth didn't think one had to grow up around wyverns to know how to properly conduct themselves, but she kept that to herself. People were different, and while Austin was certainly... different. "If you trust him, then I will take your word for it," she said. She just hoped Trey's roommate would live up to his praise.
~~*~~
"Oh, nonsense," Austin said, watching the wyverns. There was no sign of distress from his little guy. Even when pinned with teeth at his throat, he still wiggled and did his best to free himself. Yet not from fear or pain, but in challenge. Unfortunately, it seemed that Malaya had gotten him into a position where it was hard for him to loosen her hold. "They're just babies and haven't been in the world for more than an hour. They don't know how to make friends yet. She just has to be given the chance to do so. Besides, look, she's not hurting him, and he's not scared of her at all."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 26, 2024 16:54:34 GMT -5
"well, we know if nothing else, we'll find him at the end of class, but if we wait that long, he might have found another group. So do you want to look for him together, or split up?" Elizabeth asked. Splitting up would be a logical choice. They could cover more ground. But if they split up, it'd be difficult to meet up again afterwards unless they set a time limit on their search and a meet up position.
~~*~~
The grey wyvern still gave a struggle more, but his new position left even more room to wriggle free. So, eventually, he stopped and just laid down. Austin could feel some disappointment trickle through their bond, and he chuckled in amusement. "Looks like he lost this time," comment. Then grinned at the girl's reply.
"Great!" He said, holding out a hand to her. "my name's Austin. It's a pleasure to make an official meeting."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 26, 2024 18:22:08 GMT -5
She did, in fact. Elizabeth help up the arm with a slim watch on it. It was just big enough for her to read the time, yet slim in design that it wouldn't be gaudy or flashy in any way. "What do you think? Fifteen minutes of searching and we can meet up in the middle of the First Year's corner of the field?" She suggested.
~~*~~
"I would introduce my wyvern, but I haven't thought of a name yet," Austin said. " I looked through some options though, and I'm liking the ring of Notus or Zephyr. Haven't really decided on what yet.
As for your question," Austin continued, "nope! You're the first one I have asked. Though I do plan on asking my roommate, Trey. You two have met. Mayala tackled his wyvern during class."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 27, 2024 18:48:58 GMT -5
"Alright, we'll see you then," Elizabeth said. She took note of the direction Trey went before heading in the opposite direction.
~~*~~
"Naaaah," Austin started, complete with a dismissive wave of his hand, "Trey doesn't hold a grudge over that. I mean, you apologized for what happened, even though you can't control how Mayala behaves. They're babies! A lot of baby animals are feisty little things when they're born, or in this case, hatched. Chances are, Mayala wasn't trying to hurt his wyvern, but rather playing like she was doing with mine. I doubt she'd actually have hurt him. Just wanted to prove she's top dog, so to speak."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 27, 2024 19:09:07 GMT -5
Flip a coin? XD Honestly, I think it might be good if all four find each other. So we can probably have Remi and Austin find these two as they meet up in the middle of the field.)
~~*~~
"Then she's one of those that's wanting to make sure others know not to mess with her," Austin said, still unbothered. "Let me put it like this: If I, hypothetically speaking, spent my time picking fights and beating people up, that'd be a good reason for others to stay away, maybe even ignore me, yeah? Now, I don't really have the need to go around fighting people because I'm big and can hold my own. But in the animal world, and I'm assuming it might the same for wyverns, that the bigger you are, the less you get messed with. At least, it might be for wild ones. Anyway, Mayala here is small. She's easily a target for others if they wanted to come steal food or, again hypothetically, shelter. She's got to be tough. She's got to show the others she's a force to be reckoned with. I don't think she's doing it because she likes fighting. I think she's just making sure everyone knows not to take her lightly. I mean, you kind of gave me that same vibe when we talk yesterday too, so I think it's a fair assumption." To show he meant no ill intent by his words, he chuckled.
"Just trust me for like ten minutes, and come with me to find Trey. If you two don't seem like a good fit, then you don't have to be in a team with us. You can find someone else you might work better with. But I'm, like, 92% sure that Mayala isn't going to be as bad as you think she'll be," he assured her.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 28, 2024 10:56:18 GMT -5
Austin shrugged, but the smile remained. "That I don't. I don't know a lot about wyverns in general," he stated, yet he wasn't embarrassed or defensive about it. It was true, and he didn't see any shame in admitting he didn't know if something. That's why he was here: to learn about it all. So while his little speech might have seemed like BS to Remi, it at least helped to get her to agree to talk with Trey. Whether she believed any of it or not was not the point.
"Great!" He said, scooping up his protesting air wyvern. He was enjoying scampering around in the clearer part of the field around their feet, and was not happy to be put back in the confines of his rider's arms. Austin did his best to sooth it, sending an image of the climbing wall in his dorm room that was waiting on him if he just put up with being carried. The image grabbed the little guy's interest, settling him for the moment.
"I don't actually know where Trey is," Austin said, looking around towards the crowd, "but I'm sure we can find him. He's the headmaster's kid, so I'm sure there's plenty of people around him, asking for his partnership. So we can probably keep an eye out for a mini crowd and find him like that."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Feb 29, 2024 18:06:06 GMT -5
Trey hadn’t had any luck locating Austin either, though it was likely because more and more students kept approaching him to ask if he'd join their team. Only this time, it was always groups of three, all of them wanting him to fill their earth spot. Unlike Austin and Remi, it hadn’t occurred to Trey that his parents' prowess was the reason he was so popular; he just assumed he was the first earth mage they came across or something. He told them all thanks, but no thanks and moved on quickly.
Finally, he had to call it quits. He made it to the meeting spot, where he found Elizabeth already waiting. She was alone, so he didn't need to ask if she'd found him. He was more interested in the suddenly dissipating crowd.
He looked around and quickly saw why: there were lines forming in front of each teacher, all of whom had clipboards out. The students in line were all in groups of four, suggesting they were done with the exercise. Sure enough, Trey saw one team leave the fenced area. The air wyvern that had been guarding that side was off to one side, letting the students and their wyverns leave but occasionally snapping at any baby that strayed too close.
Seeing it made Trey uneasy. Wete they running out of time?
Just as quickly, his worries disappeared as the thinning crowd suddenly parted and he finally spotted Austin. "Hey!" he called, raising one arm to wave.
Suddenly, his wyvern let out a growl. It startled Trey, but he immediately saw the cause: Austin wasn't alone.
☆~☆~☆
The whole time they searched, Remi stayed only close enough that she wouldn't lose her teammate, and her only contributions to his conversation attempts were one word answers or simple "mm-hm." Most of her attention was on her wyvern.
Malaya was walking with her, as she had been since she hatched. She refused to be carried, and refused to stray farther than a few feet — unless she was picking a fight. Thankfully, she hadn't done so since they set off with Austin. Remi wasn't sure why that was, but she was grateful for it.
She, too, noticed the thinning crowd around them, and then the lines forming by the teachers. She was about to mention this to Austin when a vaguely familiar voice called out.
Remi looked, and there was the boy from the classroom. Trey Akkin. His appearance didn't live up to his reputation. He was cute, for sure, but nothing impressive. And yet there was something about his bearing that quietly drew others in. Even as she watched, a group of three was approaching him. He hadn’t seen them, and their approach was soon halted anyway.
Malaya had spotted Trey's wyvern, and he had seen Malaya. They both froze and stared each other down across the distance. Remi stopped walking. "Please don't—"
Malaya charged.
Unlike last time, Trey's wyverndid not stand still and let her attack. Just as she reached him, he rose up on his back legs, flared his wings wide, and planted his tail firmly. Malaya crashed into him — and bounced off.
She landed on her back with an indignant squawk, and Trey's wyvern pounced on her. She immediately arched her neck and bit at him, but he dodged her jaws so instead of grabbing his jugular, she got his neck lower down. In response, he lifted one clawed foot and planted it on her exposed belly.
Malaya growled. Trey's wyvern remained stoic. She tightened her jaws and shook her head, for real trying to hurt him this time — Remi could sense her deadly intent — but he held strong, immovable and skin intact. This standoff lasted for several minutes before, finally, Malaya let go.
Trey's wyvern immediately got off of her. She struggled to her feet, shot him a death glare, and sat down to clean her chest as if the fight never happened.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 29, 2024 19:52:53 GMT -5
Unlike the others, the thinning crowd was actually a blessing in Austin's mind. It meant the less people they had to search through to find Trey. Yes, that also meant they were running short on time to find back up teammates if Trey was already in a team, but he wasn't really focusing on that. They would cross that bridge when they got there. After all, they were supposed to have taken their time to weigh the options of whom they worked with, right? He doubted the teachers would be mad if they hadn't found or made solid decisions yet. Besides, just because a handful of teams were already leaving didn't mean that the hunt was over. It just meant that they had fewer options.
Austin had just spotted Trey when he heard his roommate call out. He broke into a grin and was about to turn to speak to Remi when Mayala streaked across the ground, closing the distance between her and Trey's wyvern. He couldn't help but laugh. "She's going back for round 2!" he said, completely unbothered and not worried in the slightest. His own wyvern had been completely fine after their tussle, so he was sure Trey's would be fine. In a few minutes, he was proven right.
"Feisty little one, ain't she?" he commented as they all drew closer to each other. He spotted Elizabeth now, standing a bit behind Trey as if she had just gotten there herself.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Mar 1, 2024 10:11:54 GMT -5
As the wyverns settled, Trey finally tore his gaze away. The fight was so unexpected it hadn’t even occurred to him to fetch a teacher. It was lucky they had settled things these, and that neither got hurt. Looking across at the girl, Trey saw his own shock mirrored in her wide eyes.
His wyvern stood up. The little fire wyvern stopped cleaning herself to watch him, growling softly. Trey's wyvern was undaunted. He stood right in front of her and held her blazing gaze steadily. Her growling slowly subsided, and then she huffed smoke at him and looked away. Trey's wyvern chirped happily and moved away.
The girl’s eyes were wider than ever. "How did he do that?"
"I... don't know," Trey confessed. "He just... asked nicely. That's what it felt like, anyway."
The girl shook her head, not in disagreement, just in pure disbelief.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 1, 2024 13:43:13 GMT -5
Austin couldn't help but chuckle. "And you were worried," he said, elbowing Remi's shoulder - for the girl was noticeably shorter than he was, and so her shoulder was what was within reach. He looked over to Trey. "This is Remi, and she's agreed to be my teammate. I'm guessing since Elizabeth is with you, you two have teamed up, yeah?"
Elizabeth nodded her head. She had remained a silent by-stander during the wyvern "fight," just watching and seeing how it would play out. She was impressed by the simple yet effective manner in which Trey's wyvern was able to handle himself. "We are," she confirmed. "We were actually looking for you."
"For me? I'm flattered," Austin teased.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 1, 2024 16:22:07 GMT -5
"Well that makes all of our jobs easier then! We were coming to ask you the same question," Austin replied. He glanced around at the three others. From looks alone, they were a mix-matched team. The only two that seemed to make sense was Trey and Elizabeth. Remi and himself were the oddballs, and that was meant in a positive way. A good team needed a balance of professional and chaos, and if that wasn't them, then he'd owe the universe a metaphorical twenty dollars.
"I know the three of us know each other, or at least have talked for a decent amount of time," Austin went, nodding his head in Elizabeth's direction, "but I hope you guys don't mind that I went ahead and recruited Remi. I think both she and Mayala will be a good fit. I know the fighting might be a bit of a concern, but Mayala isn't out for blood. Well, she wasn't when she went after my little guy. He was actually having fun. So I think once we all get to know each other, we're going to have a great team! Are you two okay with that?"
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 1, 2024 17:20:44 GMT -5
Nerida had been keeping a close watch on the fire wyvern, not taking her eyes off her since she had stopped fighting. Now, as all attention had returned to Mayala, and it appeared that she was drawing closer to where she sat, Elizabeth noted that her wyvern took on a defensive posture. She didn't move, but rather she noticed the change in her stance. It became rigid, ready to move. She waited, and when Mayala was almost in pouncing distance, Nerida growled. A warning, complete with the flash of sharp teeth, was displayed. While there were no words given, Elizabeth was pretty sure she could understand what message her wyvern was sending. "Pick a fight, and you'll get one." While Nerida had yet shown any signs of aggression towards anyone, Elizabeth was sure that she knew how to defend herself just as well as the others.
"We'll get nowhere if she insists on fighting every wyvern she sees," Elizabeth pointed out, not to be malicious, but rather just stating the fact. "While I know they are the type most prone to bouts of aggression, it won't do her good to assume she can pick fights with whomever she pleases. You'll have to figure out how to get her to listen to you, or it may be a problem."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 2, 2024 21:25:56 GMT -5
Nerida was ready. While she wasn't large enough to stop her assault like Trey's wyvern, she didn't just wait to be tackled either. Meeting her attacker head on, she rolled with the impact, using the momentum to help flip them so she was on top of the fire dragon. She might not have been big, but she was a bit bigger than her opponent. Her own teeth found their mark, locking onto Mayala's throat as well. There was no murderous intent, but it was very clear that she was not finding this amusing or fun, but rather an annoyance she did not appreciate. She let it be known by the pressure in which her teeth dug into the other wyvern's hide. There was no shaking, no needless movement to suggest she wished to tear her apart. Just the solid, crushing bite and low growls of warning.
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