Icarian Dreams

Welp, I've been staring at a blank page for way too long now, and the words just refuse to appear. T-T I think I'm gonna head off for the night and try to tackle this after I get some rest. From what I've read, I don't think Daliah's presence is particularly needed for the announcement scene, so don't let me hold you from starting that up. Hopefully it won't be much of an issue if I finish the library thread after that's up and running :v

Thanks for the ping! What timezone is that 5/6PM in? I'll try to close down my scene tonight, shouldn't take more than one or two posts. Really sorry for the inactivity, life's not been kind on time with me these days

Um, not sure how quickly I can finish my current scene. Have not been having a lot of time recently, with my semester starting, and it does take me quite some time to get these multiple-paragraphs replies in

Yeah, I don't think Daliah will be able to make it in time for you and @BladeRunner. Sorry :v Still down to have those/other scenes once she's free again.

Having someone who stands a bit opposed to the hierarchy could be fun to be honest! It helps to have an x-factor character around sometimes. One of my favorite types of characters to play in RPGs, in fact! But take as much time as you need. Looking forward to what you can brew up ^^

Daliah’s eyes turned towards Lupita, and she went still for a moment, realizing the sudden change in demeanor of the woman in front of her, the silence that fell for way too long… Her brows furrowed, confused. Was there something she said that Lupita took offense in? Her eyes shot up attentively as the girl finally spoke up, as the words began to spill out of her mouth, the worries that she had seemingly held deep within her up until now. She sat quiet, not daring to interrupt, even though as she learned more and more, she found herself… struggling to understand this pain, this… sensitivity. Who’d cry over a fallen animal? Over prey that was meant to be hunted? For someone who was born a wolf, to whom shifting came as natural as breathing or walking, who truly was at least as much a beast as they were a man, this… this was nearly incomprehensible. The hunt was glorious. It was free, natural… true. It felt like becoming one with this earth again, connecting with what put them there in the first place. How could one willingly reject that side of self? And how could one feel… hurt by it? At first, Daliah couldn’t help but feel a sense of almost… contempt at even the suggestion of such a thing. A wolf dulling its teeth was little more than a lapdog after all. From Auvunux to Samara, wherever she saw this happen. This… disconnect from the beast, it only led to weakness. To pain. To frustration. But as she kept on listening, as she saw the pain so clearly in Lupita’s eyes, even as she remembered others that came before her – confused, estranged, struggling to find themselves in this new world that surrounded them... something moved in the Beta's heart. They didn’t have the comfort she had, the experience of growing up true to her lupine nature. To those like her, they were little more than just pups, really, thrown into this world roughly and with next to no help. And they- Lupita, needed someone to guide her through it, not judge. Console, not critique... And Daliah cursed herself for not realizing this earlier. She rose up a bit too rapidly at this frustration, but then quickly softened her moves, letting her robe flow softly from the couch in track of her form. Her hand raised slightly as she approached, wanting to help… to do what she needed to do, even if she wasn’t exactly sure what that was. Her instincts helped. Gently, careful not to startle her, her fingers rested on Lupita’s arm, then, after a hesitant second, pulled her closer, quietly taking the girl into the Beta’s embrace, into the warmth of Daliah’s own body... “Shh now… It’s alright…” the woman quietly assured, feeling her own breath – slow, controlled, and yet deep with worry… anxiety. She had held rituals, roused crowds into combat… and yet it was moments like these that were always the most difficult… “No one here will force you to hunt…” Her fingers gently stroked through Lupita’s hair, letting her rest on the Beta’s shoulder while she herself turned, pressing her lips into the girl’s head. She didn’t know what to say, so she just… spoke. Whispered softly, into the sea of pale locks whatever felt like the right thing at the time... “No one will force you to fight or kill… You won’t be anything you don’t want to be, darling… You’re safe…” And her lips pressed together just at these two words, remembering the conversation she had with the Alpha but moments ago… the three missing scouts… Auvunux’s very behavior… Could she really guarantee safety in a time like this? Her hand pressed a bit stronger in the back of Lupita’s hair. It was hard to say who, in that moment, took more comfort in that quiet gesture… Breathing out faintly, Daliah tried turning her thoughts away. There were things she could still do to help… things she remembered from her years as Gamma minor… and some from her own findings. She shifted back a few inches, looking the biologist in the glossy eyes with a certain determination of her own. With a caress of her fingers, she wiped a few tears from the girl’s cheek. “The transformations can be controlled,” she explained softly, remembering the pages of her books The hand-drawn pictures of the previous Gammas... “Wolfsbane weakens the call… helps control yourself under stress. And…” She breathed quietly, continuing only after a brief pause. “I could give you something to… help you forget too. Just for a moment, but… it helps when you need it to…” She fell silent for a moment, struck with… worry? Regret? But then took a step back, looking at Lupita with a sorrowful smile in her eyes. Keeping her hand gently rested on the woman’s arm. If she needed the support, she would be there. “You’re family now, darling. We take care of our own…” she assured tenderly.

@IsabellaRose Is it alright if I have Daliah give Lupita a hug while she's crying? I don't know how she'd react, so I wanted to ask. And she so desperately needs a hug T-T

Looking forward to it! Great design so far!

Heyo! As far as I know, you're free to do either - we've had people just drop in random places and wait for other people to join in, but of course nothing's stopping you from finding someone and suggesting a scene ^^

Oohh, pretty! Though I'm quite afraid the text won't be readable if you downscale it to match the rest of us.

Welp, I liked them so much that you inspired me to do my own Good idea, honestly. Until we finally get character profiles (Tema please), it's good to have some way to have visual aid at hand. May save some people having to have the character sheet thread constantly open :^

Daliah paused for a moment as she heard the sudden hesitance turn up in her visitor’s voice. Her eyes narrowed, slightly confused, then turned slightly wider in understanding, as she slowly came to realize why the girl struggled with her words for a moment there, perhaps even mistaking some of the indecision that followed as stemming from grief and not confusion, as it really was. “I see…” she acknowledged, giving a gentle, yet slightly sorrowful smile towards the woman. “I’m sorry you had to join us that way,” she expressed, even though… she couldn’t quite bring herself to find complete sympathy. To Daliah, lycanthropy was a gift – not a small one at that. What price would be too big to pay for a blessing like this? To become the hunter amongst the hunted? The predator instead of prey? She sighed. “But I’m sure you’ll find yourself here eventually. You’re clever. You have a fine, strong body.” She raised a hand to gesture at the woman’s faintly athletic build in a way that only seemed to lack a glass of wine nested between her slender fingers. “You’d make for a good warrior.” And a good mate... she decided not to add, knowing how prudish some of the outsiders could have been, though her eyes did linger on the woman’s shapely hips. Recent times new queens were just as sought-after as warriors, after all... It wasn’t intentional, but the Beta found herself smirking as well at the slightly awkward smile that the girl gave her. It was endearing, really. She leaned back in slightly, getting closer to Lupita, her tone calm, trying to comfort the biologist. “I can tell Caleb to test you. You'd enjoy the hunt. Everyone does." Her smile turned a little bit sour, perhaps reminded of her own... inadequacy. She quickly concealed it. Wouldn't want the new girl to see her weak. "One of the many perks of our form I'm sure you'll learn to cherish."

Question: Are werewolves forced to transform at certain times (at nights/full moons/rage/etc.), or is the transformation fully controllable?

“No, no- I didn’t mean it like that-“ Naomi almost panically protested, wanting least to disappoint her mistress, but as the playful vampiress’s tongue flicked on her breast, she realized she wasn’t really in any danger. “Oh~ Heh…” She smiled a little, looking down at the cute girl at her chest. Well, getting to spend more time with that little devil would have been pleasant... She frowned contemplatively, flinching slightly backwards as the overgrown fringe flopped down onto her eyes again, released by the vampire. For all the complaining and exhaustion from driving all-day, Naomi was, in all honesty, rather fond of the traveling lifestyle. There was freedom in being able to go wherever their wheels would take them, a certain sense of adventure in sleeping in abandoned buildings and picking up odd jobs... It was all Naomi had known, and while it perhaps wasn't as comfortable as, say, living in a enormous castle with widespread gardens and even a separate bathhouse, comfort was never something that the girl craved. The prospect of settling down and not being able to get up again was in fact something that she feared a little - something that kept her hitchhiking from town to town, never quite staying in one place - well, until she met Leila at least. The gaze of the girl's pair of sapphire eyes fell upon her vampiric mistress's visage. Leila had a particular talent of making whatever she fancied seem so important at a time that Naomi could never quite find herself denying her... well, pretty much anything that the girl wished. So even now, as her thoughts finally run their course in a moment of silent deliberation, she shifted slightly in her posture and answered: "Maybe... Maybe just for a while? I mean... I like the van..." She paused, considering Leila's words for a second longer. "And, well... I'm not good... on stage, you know."

...damn, I'm getting envious of you three

Here's a higher resolution/cleaner version if you want! (Also made the clothes a bit darker, though I'm not sure if I should have)

@DreamsnThings Something like this perhaps?

Maybe not quite no-one, Daliah realized, as something… someone alarmed her acute senses. Her eyes snapped towards the female figure, now frozen a few feet from the entrance to the room, visibly as perplexed by the situation as the Beta herself was. A wrinkle formed between Daliah’s brows. How long has the girl been standing there, listening? And more importantly – what should she even do with her? For better or for worse, the girl decided to break the tension before Daliah managed to find a solution, and… actually managed to get the Beta to smile, amusing her with the joke and causing her to look back at the recent conduit of her frustration. “Yes… you could say that,” she admitted, and relaxed her posture slightly, signaling that girl was at no immediate danger, and letting herself rest down on the couch – keeping a calm but steady eye on the unexpected interloper. The tight and unscathed clothing on the girl signified to her that she must have been relatively new to the pack, new enough not to be a warrior in active duty at least… or she was going by her Alpha’s example and apparently frequented the Spruce Moore clothing stores. Whichever was the case, Daliah couldn’t help but notice how well the material highlighted the delightful curves of the woman’s body, making her almost forgive this otherwise rather impractical outfit. “No, stay.” Ancestors know I could use the company. Her eyes still had a certain sternness to them, even though she returned the reassuring smile, and she crossed one leg over the other, examining the woman more thoroughly, now that she could see her illuminated by the fireplace’s glow. “You’ll have to forgive me the lack of a proper introduction then, Lupita. I’m Daliah. I hope the pack has been welcoming?” She leaned back in her seat. "You're an academic, you said? I'm afraid our library may not be of much value to you, though our Gamma could have some texts you'd be interested in."

I know how it feels

That's the other library he's talking about Not the person you asked, but afaik there isn't a hard rule saying you can't use it before Kirsu checks it, it's just good practice if you're not sure about something to ask her.

Still there! Be my guest ^^