Red riding hood 1x1

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"Then you get people like me who only what more knowledge of the world around them and attempt to capture every moment.... Alright, First thing, what type of creature are you? Secondly, when you mentioned "mother" several times around me... did you mean.... mother earth... or someone who created you from earth?..."

 

Ruby idly plucked strands of grass out and flicked them into the water.

[ValidEmotions]

"Fair point," Vilkas mused briefly.

 

At her questions, he paused and thought over his words before answering. "Well, I'm what's called a Form Walker. Except, people seem to not realize that there's a difference and consider me a werewolf or demon if they happen to discover I'm not human," he started, watching the canopy above. "I sort of have a physical mother. The Earth is my primary mother but, I do have a Form Walker mother who helped shape me into being," he explained shrugging his shoulders.

 

"Though, the family dynamic isn't quite the same as what you know. It's more... Free range."

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Ruby laughed at that. "I thought so at first. But your fingers aren't all the same length and eyebrows aren't bushy enough, in fact they aren't at all.... your form looked like a cross of a Egyptian greyhound and a wolf, not a human hybrid, and in the case of King lycon, well... you don't look like natural wolf. As for demon, nothing in the texts or myths describe demons as such, but I did think you where a hell hound at some point, but somewhere in a book I found they were described as "being formed of nightmares and shadows" and you were of sand and soil.... so I got that little book to help me find out what you were.

 

As for the mother thing, she basically formed you and let you do whatever..... Now.... those marks.... are they like zebra stripes or something.... they remind me of the Celtic patterns that ment something... like a shield or something....."

[ValidEmotions]

"Hey! My features are human enough!" Vilkas objected, sitting up abruptly with a mild scowl crossing his face. For emphasis, he held up his hands so she could see his fingers. "And eyebrows don't have to be bushy. Yours aren't, you know," he grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

 

"Well, I'm more sculpted out of ash and dust. Sand and soil are only temporary substitutes until I can regenerate using the ashes from a blacksmith's forge. That's why you saw me feeling the smithy some weeks ago," he stated slowly. "However, some of my kin were made from sand or the rich dirt of a thriving forest. Others were manifested from wood shavings or stone flakes."

 

He chuckled about the hell hound label and shook his head. "I've been called a hell hound before but it's not very often." Vilkas shrugged once more, raking fingers through his hair. "Zebra stripes? No. Primarily, my markings are just a fashion statement," he replied, laughing. "However, they do have a purpose. Though, thankfully, I haven't needed to utilize them. Mostly, though, they chronicle my experiences. Now, there's an uncertain belief among Form Walkers that our markings change or evolve with each life we live. So, a Form Walker without markings would be living its first life. Or, so the belief goes. We don't know much ourselves since barely any of us remember any past lives."

 

Leaning back so that his weight rested against his palms flat upon the ground, he shook his head. "To be honest, I don't know what my markings are for. And, truthfully? I don't want to find out."

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Ruby rubbed her nose in irritation. "The way to identify a werewolf is their eyebrows would be thick and bushy and three fingers would be close to the same length. I said you didn't have those so you're not a werewolf. " after a long pause she tilted her head. "Can I draw your wolf form sometime? I find it fascinating... really I do.... the form itself unusual and unique, and I could never get the marks right, you move to fast for me to see them clearly...." again she blushed and focused on tiring two grass strands together.

Edited May 21, 2015 by AroaraAngelwolf

[ValidEmotions]

Vilkas paused, blinking a few times before opening his mouth. "You know, I thought your mind would be buzzing with an overwhelming amount of questions about what I am, what I can do, where I'm from, and so forth. Instead, you're asking if I can hold still long enough for you to draw my markings," he remarked, laughing.

 

Shaking his head, he sat up again and nodded. "Alright, sure. Just name a time to meet at your place. So long as Tomas doesn't barge in, no one's going to see any weird wolf," he chuckled.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"Well, I asked you what you were, and where your from. And I know you turn from human to wolf, so I got all my answers. I'll post duke outside to warn us if Tomas comes." She scratched her head. "You're not the one killing the animals... what is? The other day farmer Mark's cow got ripped to shreds. First chickens and a pig or two.. Now a cow.... nothing is big enough to attack a cow like that, unless it's a bear.. but bears stay in the woods, they don't go near farms..... and the tracks where off...."

Edited May 21, 2015 by AroaraAngelwolf

[ValidEmotions]

Vilkas frowned, tilting his head faintly. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen anything around while hunting," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Obviously, it's a predator but, beyond that, I couldn't really begin to speculate." He shrugged again, clasping his hands together.

 

"What did the tracks look like?" he asked.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"It was hard to see them clearly, they overlapped each other and smudged the earth. Whatever it was, it's as big. " She said looking at the water. "Its getting closer to farms, and people are talking about hunting it down....."

[ValidEmotions]

Arching an eyebrow, Vilkas watched Ruby for a moment. "Do you not want it hunted down?" he asked her, uncertain if she was against the idea or if she was just worried about what might happen. He stood up, idly dusting off his pants to busy his hands. "Come on. Let's go see what we can do in town today. How's your stand doing? Is your new business thriving?" he asked her, offering a hand to help her up.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"I detest any wild animal being killed, but if it needs to go, it needs to go..... and.... if it can be human like you, that would be murder...." She took his hand and got up. "It's fine, I'm working on one now, although they seem to doubt that I can paint it later and insist on staying for long hours of the day. I finally got rid of them and was gathering wood when I so you shift. Thanks for spreading the word about my stand and helping me set it up. It really help a lot."

[ValidEmotions]

"Well, if it can be a human, then it can hopefully be reasoned with. But, I can't promise much compromise if it attacks an unarmed human," Vilkas stated.

 

As she took his hand and stood, she responded about how bothersome a customer or two seemed to be. Then she thanked him. Rubbing his cheek, he smiled faintly and shook his head. "No big deal. Really," he replied, starting to head for the town. "Do you already have any regular customers?" he inquired, vaguely wondering if Tomas was pestering her while she worked. Vilkas had not been hovering around town so much recently, too busy trying to figure out how to replenish his body with the forge ash he needed. Until Ruby had made her offer, he didn't dare try the Blacksmith's again so soon.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

There was a loud grunt and Rudy stumbled after him, carrying her dog who was dead asleep and snoring loudly. "That's it... no more people food for you... heavy boy!" She adjusted the dog in her arms and walked a little bit before having to adjust him again. "Tomas and his hunting buddies, and various trophies... the baker wants me to do his wife and children. A few want me to do garden, others animals. I guess it expanded from just portraits now...."

[ValidEmotions]

Without saying anything, Vilkas took Duke from Ruby's arms, relieving her of his massive weight. "I'll carry him to your place. No need to break your back. He's practically twice your size!" he chuckled, shifting his hold so the dog's elbow wasn't jabbing him in the ribs. "Well, at least you've got some income. If you don't want to do anything but portraits, you should tell people that. Don't let them push you into offering a service you don't want to give," he stated.

 

The forest was thinning, Ruby's home soon coming into sight and breaking up the expanse of green. At the gate, he nudged the entryway open and set Duke down within the fenced yard. Once done, he leaned back to stretch his spine and rubbed his left arm. "Shall we descend upon the town then?" Vilkas asked, grinning.

 

Motioning for her to follow, he started away from her home and towards the market square.

 

[[i'm thinking some Tomas interaction/annoyance might be good to toss in. Would you want to control him or should I this time?]]

[AroaraAngelwolf]

((Yes indeed, oooh, you control him. I want to see how you play Tomas..))

 

"Thank you! Ah, definitely would break my back. He is a Mastiff." She followed him rubbing her back. "I don't mind not doing portraits. I don't like it when people look at me when I'm drawing, animals I'm fine with, people.. not really." She looked around the square seeing her little stall and Tomas standing by it. "Great..."She muttered darkly.

[ValidEmotions]

[[Aha. Let me know if I've portrayed him wrong or something.]]

 

Vilkas came to a stop as they both caught sight of Tomas at Ruby's stall. He wasn't alone, followed by a few flunkies who didn't really know what to do with their lives. So, instead, they acted like his living shadow. The group of four looked their way, Tomas beaming with a confident smile before his gaze fell upon Vilkas. At the sight of the Form Walker, the blacksmith's son's expression soured. "I thought I told you to stay away from my to-be wife?" he scowled.

 

"And I thought I told you that Ruby wanted nothing to do with you," Vilkas remarked, folding his arms across his chest.

 

Tomas scoffed, ribbing one of his buddies with an elbow. "Do you see this? Some street boy thinks he's ballsy enough to talk back. To me, no less!" Tomas snickered, earning a few faint chuckles from his trio of followers. "Look... Vilkas, was it? Ruby's going to be my wife so, do yourself a favor and scurry along. Okay? Okay, good." The man began stepping forward, waving his hand dismissively and stepping towards Ruby, shoving Vilkas aside in the process. "How's 'bout you and I go spend some... quality, time together down by the creek?" he asked, leaning forward and placing his hands on the wall behind her on either side of her head.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Narvix

[AroaraAngelwolf]

((Nope... you nailed it!))

 

Ruby pressed herself against the wall. "Oh... look who grew a pair and suddenly is a stallion! Congratulations!" She tilted her head. "I wonder if I made you a gelding if you'd be easier to handle. Just remember, all I have to do is whistle, and my dog bites your ass. Now back off now or I will humiliate you worse then Vilkas did. I'm not your wife, I'm not your woman. If you want to spend "quality time" with a woman take five shillings in to town and spend it there." She gave him a smile that seemed more like she was barring her teeth then anything.

 

The guys looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Most women swooned at Tomas being tough, but Ruby apparently was a exception.

[ValidEmotions]

"Oh, come now, sweetheart! That's no way a lady such as yourself should be talking," Tomas tsked, reaching to grab a hold of her chin and tilt her head up slightly. "You sure there isn't any way I can get you to behave as you sh-" He cut short, turning his head to see a hand on his shoulder. Looking down the arm to see who it belonged to, he frowned at Vilkas' stoic expression. "Can I help you?"

 

"Yeah. You can leave her alone. She's clearly not interested nor does she want to deal with your harassment," Vilkas replied firmly, his grip tightening.

 

Tomas frowned before giving a nonchalant wave of his hand. "She'll come 'round! I know, inside of her, there is a lovely woman just begging for my attention," he cooed, laughing as he shrugged off Vilkas' hand. A smirk curled his lips and he held Ruby's chin again, a bit more firmly, before leaning in.

 

Before his thick lips touched hers, he gave a shout of shock as his head was yanked back by the hair. Vilkas shoved the man around to face him, right fist clenching as he drew his arm back and caught the blacksmith's son in the face. Down went Tomas, blood streaming from a broken nose.

 

Multiple hands roughly grabbed Vilkas' arms and shoulders as Tomas' little gang forced him to his knees with angry shouts and leers. However, despite himself, Vilkas started laughing. "You're pathetic Tomas. You gang up on a woman who wants none of your attention and then your little band of idiot flunkies have to help you with your own fights!"

 

One of them kicked him in the back between his shoulder blades, shoving him face down in the dirt. Beyond a grunt of pain, Vilkas didn't give any other reaction, pushing himself up. Tomas was on his feet by now, rubbing the back of his hand across his face to wipe away blood. "I'll show you, street boy! I'll have you begging!"

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Ruby glared at him, trying to push his hand away when he was yanked back and socked. The girl seemed to be unnoticed as she dropped down picked up some rocks while pretending to gag. She sprang up an whipped a rock at one of Tomas' goons, hitting his thigh. "Missed." She muttered as she threw the other rock at Tomas before whipping out a knife. "I warned you. Daddy thought me to never wander around unarmed... and besides... your cronies wouldn't hit big Tommy's future wife now would they?" She said in a false sweet tone.

 

 

Although her dad taught her to fight, actually taking on the men scared her to bits. The knife point shook slightly as she kept up her bravery act and made the other two guys back by slashing at them, her back to Vilkas.

[ValidEmotions]

"Waving a knife like that doesn't suit you, cupcake," Tomas tsked, a frown turning the corners of his lips downward. "This is a dispute between us men. Little Vilkas is defending you. The least you could do is humor his charmed heart and let him try to win you over. I don't blame him for becoming attracted to a lady like you but, I must knock some sense into his head it seems. So, why don't you sit all pretty like at your stall?"

 

As Tomas spoke, he edged closer towards Ruby and Vilkas, quickly snatching at her wrist to arrest her hand that held the knife. Grabbing for her other wrist, he nodded his head towards Vilkas, directing his companions to move and pick him up. Vilkas twisted away, swinging a leg up as he did so and catching one of them in the side of the head. The shortest one bore down on his shoulders while the other with blond hair kicked his legs out from underneath, causing him to collapse on his side.

 

The boy Vilkas had kicked, black hair unkempt, got back to his feet and roughly brought him up on his knees. "Really, Tomas? You're going to let your goons have the pleasure of fighting me instead of you? Or is it because you don't know how to fight?" Vilkas taunted, smirking.

 

Tomas stared at Vilkas and scowled. "I know how to fight! Every real man knows how!"

 

"Then show me," the Form Walker coaxed. The blacksmith's son seemed to hesitate at his smile, pausing to weigh what could possibly be on his mind.

 

Finally, "Nah. I think I'll let the boys have some fun while I gave my wife-to-be some needed attention."

 

[[Did you want to control two of the goons?]]

[AroaraAngelwolf]

((Sure, i'll take the blond and the short one. If you want me to.))

 

"Ha! He already has more times than you ever would." She spoke without thinking, fear gripping her when he grabbed her wrists. She fought, kicking her legs, but her blasted 5'7" height didn't get her enough reach to make contact with anything higher then his knee that she could barely get with her toes. She froze and the blood drained from her face at his statement, eyes so wide, the sites showed. In a brief flash of bravery, she spit at his face. "You wouldn't dare." Where the hell was everyone? Did another animal turn up dead?

 

The blond hit Vilkas knocking his glasses askew as the short one kept him up and his hands behind his back. Blond waved for his buddy, black hair to take a whack the the red head.

 

((A couple sheep turned up dead, that's why nobody is at the town. Their all looking at the sheep..))

Edited May 22, 2015 by AroaraAngelwolf

[ValidEmotions]

[[That works. ^^]] [[EDIT: Oops. I had two people return |D Is that okay?]]

 

Tomas frowned deeply at the slip of Ruby's tongue, shooting a glare towards Vilkas. Though the Form Walker inwardly paused, he gave an outward smirk as if he felt triumphant. "You know, deep down, that you never had Ruby to begin with Tomas!" he stated firmly.

 

The man scowled. Before he could respond to Vilkas, Ruby spat in his face, causing him to snarl. "Little wench, I'll do as I please! I have every ounce of power here and over you," he growled, twisting her around to pin her against his chest. "You will be my wife. There is nothing you can do to stop that from happening. It's only a matter of time," he whispered in her ear.

 

"I'll let you watch your admirer get turned into pulp! How's that sound?"

 

As if on cue, the blond hit Vilkas in the temple, almost knocking his glasses off his face. Vilkas grunted from the pain, feeling a throb where the boy's fist had connected. Then the blond waved to their friend with black hair and the young man cracked his knuckles. "This is going to be fun. Been wanting to smash a few heads around. Guess one head will just have to do for now."

 

While the black-haired boy approached, Vilkas struggled to break the short man's grip to little avail. So, instead of trying to break free, he threw his weight backwards, making the black-haired boy's punch miss and continue through vacated air.

 

Vilkas swung his unpinned legs catching the blond behind his knee. A shout came from behind Tomas, heralding the approach of some older townsfolk. Immediately, Tomas released Ruby and folded his hands behind his back, looking innocent. "What in the world is going on here?"

 

"I was keeping Ruby out of harms way while Vilkas instigated a fight with my friends!" Tomas lied, turning to face his father and one of the town's hunters.

 

Almost as if it were rehearsed, the black-haired boy nodded agreement. "Yeah! Mark tried restraining him even to avoid a fight as much as possible!"

Edited May 22, 2015 by Narvix

[AroaraAngelwolf]

((Yeah that's fine! I can tell you're having fun with this...))

 

Ruby once again froze as pulled her to his chest. First to far away, now too close to hurt him, curses! When he murmured in her ear she tried to throw her head back to hit him. Then the blond hit Vilkas. "Stop it you filthy cowards! You're a...." and preceded to use colorful language worthy of a sailor. That would possibly get her smacked, and her mother probably turned in her grave.

 

The blond's knee buckled and he went down, glaring up at Vilkas. He was getting up and ready to take another swing and stopped quickly at the shout, nodding. "Yeah, and he kicked John in the head! The kid had to be stopped..." The man called Mike also nodded keeping a tight grip on the red head's arms.

 

 

Ruby fell on her knees and shutters when Tomas dropped her quick. She heard him lie between his teeth, and that snapped her out of her fear struck daze. "Protect?" She growled darkly and roll over shifting her weight to her upper back, giving him two kicks between the legs before rolling back over and snatching up her knife before fixing her cloak and dusting herself off. "Pig." She said low enough so Tomas could hear her.

[ValidEmotions]

Tomas grunted and doubled over as Ruby kicked him where the sun didn't shine, muttering a few choice words as his father and the hunter got closer. "Miss Ruby! Put that knife down!" the man ordered, turning red when he watched the (presumably) unprovoked attack on his son. [colors=orange]"Boys, let the lad go. I don't know what's happened here, but you're all at fault. Now. Get scattered before I alert each of your parents!"[/color] the blacksmith demanded.

 

Vilkas felt hands leave his arms and brought them forward, rubbing at his wrists to try and alleviate the stiffness in them. The trio surrounding him leered at him as they quickly left. He fixed his glasses upon his nose before getting to his feet. "Apologies. There'll be no more trouble from me," he said carefully.

 

The blacksmith nodded before looking at Tomas. "Oh, man up and quit your sniveling. You're coming with me now. There's be another strange attack. This time, ol' Jensen's lost a couple of sheep." Tomas was ushered away by his father and the hunter, the three heading back the way the older men had approached.

 

Once they were gone, Vilkas looked over at Ruby. "You okay?"

Edited May 22, 2015 by Narvix

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Ruby pocketed the knife and shook shivering. She shook her head and collapses. "God knows what he would've done if they haven't shown up... " She whimpers trying to catch her breath, the shock of the situation hitting her hard. She looked up at Vilkas and pulled out a handkerchief for him. "H-here this will help stop any bleeding..." her hands trembled as she watched the men disappear around a house.