Cass X Sora RP

The soft, plush grass sank beneath thick, wide paws as a dark form tromped forward. The creature's ears stood erect for a split second before pinning backwards in a downward appearance. The scent of flowers wafted through her nostrils and parted mouth, flooding her scent glands with the intoxicating aroma of her closest friend. Oh, how that scent annoyed her! The cloying perfume of the muscly Felmark's partner caused her to freeze in her steps and recoil with a flinch as the nasally offender touched down to grip on of her long horns with his scarlet claws.

<b>"Spottie!! How lovely is this blossom, 'eh? I believe I shall add it to my nest!"</b> The sing-songy chatter of a particular black-crested and blue bird gleamed as he nimbly twisted the thin, spindly stem of a violet-hued flower into the tight crevice where the spotted she-mark's horn parted to sport a second, small point. His crimson claws clicked faintly as they brushed the bone-hard horn of the feline as he worked, and before long, he fluttered back to examine his work. A smug shine adorned his glossy, black beak and beady eyes as he opposed Cassis' glowering expression. <b>"What?"</b> he mused in a twinkling tone that rang with the essence of tease.

Cassis furrowed her dark sepia brow and her glare like hardened amber pierced the honeycreeper as he hovered close. Quickly, however, she swung her head around and resumed her well-paced plodding. <b>"Hellebore, you tart- what makes you think I'm your flower courier? And that nest of yours is actually <i>mine too!</i>"</b> The Felmark's swift snap did nothing to dampen her company's blithe demeanor, and she merely snorted in distaste as she continued. They were nearly there.

<b>"What's with that sour, sore tune you're talking?"</b> His once sarcastic tone softened to a more understanding one as he landed delicately onto her lower back. He cocked his small head to one side to gaze quizzically at the back of his Felmark's head. <b>"And why are we heading to the Heartlands? What's up with you?"</b>

<b>"Because I just felt like it. And because I can!"</b> Cassis' hard voice didn't seem to match the expression she wore at the current moment, making sure to only glance back to meet Hellebore's gaze from the corner of her eye. Her expression of solemn loneliness was directed towards the grassy outstretch touched by the warm heat of the spring sky above. Though a simple stroll, bickering with Hellebore would be pleasant enough on its own, Cassis felt a small pit form in the bottom of her belly that told her that such wouldn't necessarily be the end result of her venture today.<hr><small>OOC: Sorry for the stretch of text. I hope it was an alright start. When I make the first post in RPs, I kinda like to set the scene with the weather, time, mood, etc. Sorry if seemed to drag on a bit though...

(OOC: Its perfectly fine, it was a awesome start, and it didn't drag on!)

Sunlight flickered in between the branches of the forest, dappling the ground and its inhabitants in its golden glow. The soft, casual trekking of a creature slowed to a halt as the forest seemed to hold it's own breath. A pale, sandy-colored feline stepped dainty into the warm, golden rays, revealing curled horns mounted upon its head. The hum of wings announced the approach of its companion- a glittering, emerald-colored hummingbird, whose alighted talons outstretched to grasp the feline's curled horns.

Sora closed her eyes for one moment, to take in the warmth of the golden light, the scents of the forest. She cracked open her eyelids as her familiar's voice broke in her peace. <b>"So you never did tell me where we are going, mind if you do now?"</b>.  She let out a exasperated sigh as she shook her head to discard her friend. "If I didn't tell you back at camp, I'm not going to tell you now!!" She snapped, stomping off, her peace with the forest disturbed. The hum behind her signaled as always that her familiar, Beetle, was following and most likely prepared a counter statement. <b>"Hey I could always get someone else to get it out of you, like that fox over there!"</b>

The feline jumped, fur bushed out and eyes wildly searching the environment around her. When she came to her senses, she whirled around to face Beetle, who could barely hide the smirk plastered on his face. A silent snarl built up in her chest, but she pushed it back down, no need for needless fights right now.

"Your such a....... annoying friend," she stammered as she walked out of the forest, into the grassy fields of what was known as the Heartlands. <b> "Hey don't leave m- Oh, so we're in the Heartlands. It could of been so much simpler if you told me!"</b> She snorted as she replied, flicking him over the head with her tail, her eyes trained of the beautiful landscape,"Yeah right, because your next questions after that would be all about the reasons behind why we're here."

A breeze rustled the grass, whipping the feline's fur back and forth, but calmed its mind as its companion rested on their shoulder, taking in the soothing warmth and gentle wind, drawing them into a drowsy embrace.

(OOC: Hope you like! I'm not that awesome as you are!)

Cassis had settled upon a mossy rock that jutted up from the sea of grass, barely keeping her from falling into its soft abyss. Her golden eyes flicked lazily to and fro as they moved to wherever motion was detect as her thick tail swept against the boulder beneath her. The she-mark gave a small yawn as her vision moved to the distance, having sworn she saw some movement in the thinning wood just beyond the plain. However, her interest was dissolved as Hellebore came hopping by, his drastic colors clashing with the pastels of the land. Clamped in his beak were more flowers of varying hues as his crimson feet propelled him through the grass and back up to his partner.

<b>"Would you decline these?"</b> he quizzed Cassis as Hellebore floated up on the gentle breeze to where his previous find was safely attached. Without awaiting a response from the Felmark, he began his careful weaving as an artisan would his motions slow, precise, and delicate.

Cassis sighed and lower her head, resting her chin on the warm rock. <b>"Why bother asking me anyways? You'd just push them on me whether I wanted them or no- Hey! Are you listening to me?!"</b> Her ears flattened tightly to her skull as she frowned deeply. Hellebore, despite how her worked, would always have his eyes glancing at Cass if she spoke. It was something he had always done to show the she-mark that he was listening so that she wouldn't feel alone with her thoughts. However, currently, his eyes were cast off in the direction she was once watching. Whipping her head around, she narrowed her eyes and scoured the land ahead as a foreign scent filled her senses. The fresh, clean smell of  mountain air did well to draw Cassis' attention as it so greatly contrasted the floral scent of her Court that so weighed on her nerves. <b><i>"He.....Hello...?"</i></b> Her tentative words were hardly more than a hoarse whisper.

(OOC: Thank you! And I am too!)

<b>"I'll leave you to your things as I investigate this wonderful landscape"</b>, chirped her companion, Beetle, as he fluttered off, humming a soft tune. A delicate tulip rested between the felmark's paws, dancing in the wind. Sora savored the calming scents of the Heartlands, basking in the sunlight before let out a soft giggle, like a kitten. She jumped up, her artifact bouncing against her chest as she hopped through the threads of grass, blending in mostly except for her horns.

Beetle flew up high, watching his friend scamper about. A small, rare smile appeared on his face as he relished soaring in the sky, alone and free. As he banked sharply to the left, a dark blotch below him moved, along with a smaller bluish blotch. He halted, hovering for a second as he observed the blotches before diving down. The springy scent reached him as he alighted on the smooth platform, clearing his throat before he spoke, addressing the felmark's familiar, not the feline itself. <b>" Haven't seen a Spring-court in a while."</b>

Her paw caught on a root, half buried in the ground, causing the felmark to collapse from her playful walk. She craned her head to look at her paw, checking it for any breaks, as she mentally searched herself, feeling no pain or differences other than her bubbling happiness and peace. Sora took this moment to catch her breath and observe, a small tug in her chest told her as she scanned the sky that her friend was not following her as always.

Worry formed in her gut, as she stood up and looked around, calling out worriedly. "Beetle? Where are you?" The feline glanced around, for everything around her looked the same. The feline sat down, hoping that nothing bad happened to her precious friend.

(OOC: Its just a bit shorter than the last one XD)

<small>No worries ^^</small><hr>The sight of a leafy iridescence caught not only Cassis' eyes, but those of the keen Hellebore as Beetle flitted into view, and on spry wings, the honeycreeper bolted up into the sky to meet the smaller bird. Hellebore's sleek form zipped around the emerald-clad humming bird in a twister-like motion as he studied Beetle. Then, he stopped and kept to a simple hovering motion in front of the green familiar. His eyes were sharp as needles, but his smooth voice was lilting and sweet as an angel's. <b>"Ah? It's most funny that you say that because it has been a while since a Winter-court has wandered into our company. Hellebore of the Spring Court, at your service. Might I be so bold as to ask you of your reason for being here?"</b> A sneer seemed evident in the honeycreeper's eyes, though his outward appearance remained as delightful as his voice. <b>"After all, there is the whole plain for you to play in, yet you wander so close here..."</b> His eyes followed down to where he saw Beetle's partner calling out and stumbling a bit on the tangles of grass. She seemed to be nearing Cassis' spot ever so swiftly. <i>This may be good for that little brat, actually.</i>

Cassis had grown nervous as soon as Hellebore left her back, and the she-mark leapt from her perch on the stone. Landing in the grass, she crouched low to the ground, and coupled with her already short body, she remained well hidden amongst the tall grass, though her horns threatened to form knots in the thin, green blades. Her eyes widened slightly and ears twitched at the sound of another Felmark's voice. It was not one she recognized, but nonetheless, she felt herself grow giddy. Carefully, she took a step closer before digging her claws into the ground, stabilizing herself as her nervous legs wished to become jelly. <b><i>"Bore....?"</i></b> She desperately summoned her familiar to her, as she wished not to be without him if she were to encounter the Winter-court she scented. But, her partner had the nasty habit of willfully disobeying her to make her uncomfortable, and this was one of the ordeals that she so dreaded.

Beetle puffed out his feathers, replying sharply,<b>"I was quite interested as I flew above, who was below me, and since you have introduced yourself, I am Beetle of the Winter Court."</b> The emerald-colored hummingbird distanced himself from the other bird, eyeing them cautiously. His head swiveled as he heard Sora's calls, and turned to the other way. <b>"Pardon me, but my friend here calls, and I must go. Good day to you, Hellebore,"</b> he politely chirped before flitting off, eager to be away from the mysterious bird.

He zipped in between the strands of grass before reaching his felmark's side, eyes searching worriedly as he landed on the ground, tail feathers twitching anxiously. <b>"Are you hurt?"</b>.

Sora's eyes lit up at the sight of Beetle, replying with relief,"No, I was just worried because you weren't following me like always." She ducked her head, embarrassed at even saying that. Her ears twitched, faintly hearing a voice, but dismissed it as her mind playing tricks.

As Beetle landed on her shoulder, she stalked in the direction of the other felmark, unaware of their presence as she continued onward, brushing away the strands of grass. Sora tugged herself from a thick curled strand of grass and stumbled forward, falling flat on the ground and blinked, face to face with another felmark.

The blue and black face of the bird snickered slightly as he bid the smaller creature farewell, watching as Beetle tore off to find Sora. Hellebore himself eyed the ground below for Cassis and gave himself a small nod of approval as he watched her blindly creep closer to the Winter-court like a blind kit searching for its mother. The honeycreeper fluttered down to where his partner once sat on the boulder, claiming the mossy perch as his own as he took the prime seat for the show about to unfold. <i>If things get too bad...</i> His thought brought a dark grin to his black beak. <i>Only then will I jump in to help. Good luck, little Spottie!~</i> Silvery eyes glittered deviously as the frightened yelp of his Felmark filled his head like music, and he roosted downward to rest his belly feathers on the warm surface.

Cassis' sense of smell told her that Hellebore was nearby, and with him were the scents of what she could only guess was a Winter-court and their familiar. Her body braced, but too late- it seemed- as before she could react, a body came tumbling down in front of her. A yowl of surprise rose up and erupted from the younger Felmark's throat, into the air. Her spotted pelt felt hot and burned with nervous prickling as she sprang backwards onto her rump, her longer hind legs having tripped her and now stuck out towards Sora as if she were sitting upward. This position lasted only for a moment or so before her head and upper body flopped backwards, causing her to fall onto her back completely. This elicited a hearty howl of laughter from her feathered companion a few tail-lengths behind her.

<b>"Yipe!! Wh-who are you?! Wha-what are you doing?"</b> Cassis growled with a flushed, frightened expression on her face as the she-mark scrambled to her paws. Her grass-laden back arched up slightly with a few bristles spiking along her spine, and her toothy maw was tightly closed, curled in a deep frown. Her leering eyes seared like molten gold into the dusty tawny she-mark with curled horns and the Spring-court's thick tail swept against the grassy ground with a threatening pace.

Sora huffed,"Just being happy. What about you?" She drew herself up to a sitting position, glancing at her dirty fur, and smiled, a soft giggle escaping her. She let out a barking laugh, unable to stop the onslaught of laughter. She then coughed and stopped, smiling a little and looked away, embarrassed.

Beetle poked his head around his felmark's shoulder, observing the dark amber-colored she-mark in front of them, and spoke softly,<b>"I know it's quite rude to speak to another's Felmark, but I do apologize for my friend's behavior here."</b> He gave Sora a stern look.

Sora gave him a pointed look back and settled down, tucking her paws under her chest, and meowed softly,"So what are you doing here? Come to enjoy the sun? Its quite nice and warm round here." To prove her point, she swept her tail around, pointing out the beams of sunlight that looked so warm.

(Im sorry for not replying sooner, School is so stressful right now, and its my last day of school today!)

Cassis gave the older Felmark a look with her typical scowl, her appearance of surprise quickly dying down as Sora spoke. The spotted tabby arched a dark brow at the carefree way the Winter-court spoke to her, and Cassis twitched her nose in faint confusion. The she-mark opened her mouth to make known her uncertainty as Beetle added to the conversation, but before the she-mark could make an ass of herself, the Spring-court's own familiar flitted over with a sigh on his breath.

<b>"Don't bother, Cass,"</b> Hellebore chirped as he landed on top of one of his partner's wide forepaws, his claws curling around her thick, sepia toes. His eyes turned to Sora and Beetle and though he appeared quaint, he bore an air of seriousness. <b>"Pardon her, if you two would. She's very poor with words and how to approach others. Rude as others may think it, I am her go-between with others."</b> Only then did Hellebore smile and his features seemed genuinely kind. After ruffling his brightly-colored plumage in order to bring himself comfort, he settled into his furry perch and chimed happily,<b>"But yes, the plains here are ever so nice during the warmer moons. With flowers blooming everywhere, I can understand why a Winter-court such as yourself would come down to see. Do flowers grow up in the mountains where you live? I myself haven't ventured there as of yet, but I-"</b>

<b>"Bore- would you shut your beak for a second? How can you just sit there and talk about flowers with someone we don't know?"</b> Cassis' voice was hard and taut, as if to keep it from breaking. The she-mark couldn't understand how her familiar found it so easy to chat with others. It almost made her feel as if he could've partnered up with any Felmark he wanted and that she was nothing special at all. However, that was a conversation for another time with her feathered friend.

Once his curiously surprised gaze moved to Cassis, the she-mark continued with her eyes on Sora. Her expression was more comfortable, but still a bit wary. Opening her mouth again, she started,<b>"I'm sorry, but why is it that you're talking to me? Don't tell me it's because I look like the talking type. Nothing about my appearance shouts social butterfly..."</b>

Beetle huffed,<b>"Yes, we have such lovely flowers in the mountains. Very pretty ones indeed, Hellebore."</b> He tried to be kind to the other bird, but he anxiously wanted to get as far away as possible from him.

Sora blinked and meowed softly after a moment or two, as if she was pondering her mind,"It's so hard to speak to my other Court-members...they expect so much of one cat that if you put one paw wrong, it's like the whole world just ended." For that one brief moment, she was completely open, her eyes holding a glimmer of some sad emotion, grief, and pain of something else. Her broken soul was shown, held up by strings of cobwebs.

Then the moment passed, and she was closed up again, looking off into the distance, silent as the wind, her happiness seen moments earlier, dissipated into the background, leaving the sad she-mark alone again, caught up in her memories.

The hummingbird glimpsed at this fraction of the transformation of his Felmark, and looked towards the other, pleading with his eyes to not take advantage of her. His eyes then moved back to his Felmark, fluttering his wings as if to soothe the saddened Felmark.

Cassis studied the she-mark for a moment, transfixed by the sudden change in demeanor of the Winter-court as Sora's defenses seemed to have harshly dropped. The rosette-marked Felmark's face softened a bit, as if Cassis herself had been cut by Sora's words. The same rang true for the Spring-court as she tried to recount any conversation held between she and one of her own courtmates in an air of peace and welcomed tranquility.

Golden eyes flashed over to beady eyes of storm grey as Cassis sought out Hellebore's thoughts. However, the bird's gaze was a steel trap as he let known none of this thoughts. It was obvious to Cassis that he meant for her to act on her own accord now. After an encouraging nod from the blue and black avian, Cassis took a few slow steps to where Sora sat, Beetle fluttered about her like a fox in a fit, and Cassis sat down. Her own face held a look not of sympathy, but of empathy, as she drew up one foreleg to lightly prod the older she-mark. <b>"Hey,"</b> she mewed softly with her flaxen eyes dressed in an even softer scowl. She waited for a moment to collect her frantic thoughts before continuing shakily with a crooked, nervous smile,<b>"So.....flowers, huh?"</b>

Sora jolted out her thoughts when the younger felmark nudged her, silently listening as she spoke before replying. "For your familiar....I could bring down some flowers from the mountains some time." she half whispered, her voice cracking. She wiped away her tears with her tail, taking a deep, long breath. Suddenly, she hunched over, her eyesight darkened as memories flashed across her eyes. Closing her eyes as if to banish them, she instead, was dragged deeper in them, the yowls of felmarks battling against foes and her father saying something to her, before disappearing in battle. A black, non felmark had grabbed her, under the cover of dark and stolen her away in the midst of the battle.

Beetle prodded his felmark, a sudden urgent and bad feeling surfacing as he whirled around to the other felmark. "Help her! Help her please! This normally doesn't happen I swear, please just help her please!" He fluttered his wings so fast you would think he was about to have a heart attack.

(And this one is even shorter XD)

<small>(Oof- I had the hardest time trying to figure out how to respond to that ^^')<hr>Cassis had given a little sincere smile at Sora's words, however, her ears flattened tightly to her skull in shock as the Winter-Court doubled over. The Spring-Court's eyes flashed a vivid golden color as her gaze moved swiftly from Sora to Beetle. The Felmark's familiar didn't seem to be making sense.

<b>"H-help her? What on earth can I do? What's wrong with her?"</b> Cassis yowled in astonishment at the scene, her hackles raised and legs shakily standing as if getting ready to run whenever the green bird directed her to. The only thing Cassis could think to do was run to the Winter-Courts camp and retrieve their Noble or Timekeeper, but that would mean passing through The Sticks and crossing the river that lines the mountainous court's territory if she were to take the quickest path. The young combatant didn't fear the desolate woodlands which carried many stories of hauntings and mystery, but the thought of tresspassing- even for a good reason- didn't sit well in her mind. To go as far as speak to a whole other set of Felmarks for a complete stranger even when Cassis couldn't talk to her own courtmates made her even more uneasy. Would she actually go through with whatever this little hummingbird had to say?

Beetle fluttered around, panic coursing through the hummingbird. He approached the other Felmark, pure fear in his words. <b>"Soothe her or something! I don't know! Usually someone else knows what to do!"</b> His wings seemed to be flapping faster than he was able to, as he seemed to be on the brink of a panic attack.<b>"She's caught in a memory- a bad one- or else this wouldn't have happened! But this is too early! She was due to have a flashback in two months!!"</b>

Sora blinked into focus, her fur fluffed up as she realized that the other she-mark had probably seen her in such a weak state; they would probably use that against her. Lifting up her head, a smile plastered on her face, she said in a sweet tone,"Silly me, I was just playing. Sorry if I scared you."

She glanced at her familiar, a look which sharpened into a iron hard glare for a few moments before turning back to the other Felmark, as the temperature around them began to drop. Tiny, almost microscopic, patches of frost began forming on the blades of the grass. She pushed all her emotions away except joy, lifting her head up, her eyes closed, to the sun, murmuring softly,"The sun is so warm here, where, in the mountains, you have to climb up high to warm your fur."

Beetle alighted on her tail, suddenly quiet, but it came as no surprise to his Felmark.

<b>"But aren't you her familia-"</b> Cassis had begun to shout, but hurriedly hushed her voice in an attempt to calm her own panic as soon as Sora seemed to have regained control of herself. The leering bronze eyes of the Spring-Court were trained carefully on the Winter-Court queen as Cassis watched with worry. She heard Sora's soft giggle and frowned slightly, feeling as if she were merely putting on a mask to hide away her true emotions. However, Cassis was not about to try and pry- she herself wasn't the kind of Felmark to just let be known what she was feeling and she could respect Sora's reservation.

Unable to find any words to respond to the older creature, Cassis was saved once Hellebore opened his beak.

<b>"Oh, but of course. Silly little pleasantries are the best ways of carrying on a conversation, and what is a thrilling chat without a surprise or two? Good show, oh, good show!"</b> The honeycreeper gave a hearty cry of kindness as he flitted over to stand on the ground beside Sora, his thin, crimson legs clashing with the soft hue of the yellow-green grass. Beady eyes twinkling, he added more calmly,<b>"I cant image the struggle one must have living up in the mountains. Please, if it would so please you, do come back down here again any time you like. We would appreciate the company as greatly as you skin does the sun."</b> The bird's smooth voice gave away a hint of longing, as if he alluded to the fact that he was grateful of Sora's speaking to Cassis and himself as well as his understanding of the hardships the older Felmark must've faced for many moons before the spring pairs' own time. He was showing this tabby outsider respect and genuinely so.

<b>"Now,"</b> he chirped pleasantly. <b>"Shall we continue with a nice topic? Any news with the Winter Court. Any new kits or combatants? I do love hearing about the progress of the others."</b>

As for Cassis, she settled down in the grass as comfortably as she could as to enjoy what remained of their encounter with the winter pair. Though she didn't known how to add to the conversation, she was pleased to listen and take mental notes on how her familiar spoke and on whatever it was that Sora said. The older cat intrigued her and the Spring-Court was not about to miss out on anything she could possibly learn about interacting with others from the queen. <i>So others like spontaneous outbursts? I think I'll need some more practice, but it shouldn't be too hard to get down. Although, I wonder if she's alright...."</i>