THE WHITE DOVEShe thinks of him during these times. For the way that the wind wafts throughout the trees in the deathly whistle of the hunger of ravenous vultures. It seems to remind her of nothing more than him. Where did he go? Why had they taken him? Treason. It was something that they had declared against his head in their final days, and yet, she cannot help but recall how corrupt the government truly had been against their citizens. How corrupt they had been against her. It is the laughter of child-like wonder that seems to echo in the prism that is the white doves' mind. Wrapping throughout the wavering thicket in a heavy mantra. A trailing seal from a broken music box that drowns the sound of palette peace from the new world. It seems to drive her to insanity. No..not quite an insanity but reconciliation. Determination, as her movements become uneven. Defining and confusing amongst the thickened forest as her leather frame weaves within the intertwining lovers with a renowned speed as she chases the wares of an old memory. No matter how hard she chases, how fast she runs within the circles of a prism, there is nothing.

+5 Leave a trail of confusing tracks (1/2)
+5 Explore a new territory and find something useful (1/2)
+5 Practice speed or strength (1/2)

_{ART BY TESS — CODE}

Cold frittered down from the north. Parvati wondered if they should chance to explore the north edge of the island before winter fully hit, or whether it was too dangerous already. They did not wish to be ruled by fear; the sense that they might be had them agitated almost too much to study. Parvati plopped their haunches firmly in one spot, absolutely convinced that they would Stay Here and Study and Not Move... but another few minutes and they were pacing again, claws out with untoward violence toward chilled and nonviolent soil. What did it matter? Most of the flora here was white flowers that were difficult to differentiate. One patch of white flowers would be the same to stare at as the next.

They crossed a trail with floral colors that were not white. Ashanti Pepper (though Parvati didn't know the name), prickling with gold. The silver lion drew up, ears flat, suddenly far more annoyed though they didn't know why. A trail had been crossed. Another agitated scent. Nervousness, fear rose in their gut. First Parvati aimed it at the flowers with a silent hiss, bearing back the desire to swat at the peppers. Instead. Carefully. Watching their claws glitter, wondering at the rage in them, they carefully picked off one pepper. Setting it before them, they stared downcast. And noticed tracks within the thicket. Recent, and scented of an adult female. No pride to be detected. Rogues. Rogues were... not good. Rogues sometimes attacked. Though females were less dangerous. Fur rose along the back of their neck. They heard crashing nearby but couldn't track it. "H-hello? Why are you running?" They were just running, right? Not careening around like a mad beast that was going to set their rage on Parvati's innocent flesh, right?

@Fawne

+5 Study the flora of a neutral territory
+5 Collect herbs

The thicket is rough and daunting against her release from a fickle confide of darkness, foraged and deathly haunting in the confides of how the brush thrashes before her very feet. How long had she been running? Chasing and seeking out the infallible imagination, she doesn't know but does it even matter? Stained glass shatters within pieces amongst the floor- the fallen apothecary slowing unto a halt to the seams of an echoed matriarch. Had the insanity become too much? Had she been chasing ghosts for too long to the point that it had become something more than death? No...This was a person. Someone far more materialized than the apparition of her memories.

I am following. Searching even - but not for them. Not for anything remotely close to what finds her before she finds what is beyond their world. Do you see him? She floats gingerly within the thicket, rounding upon the corners of the young adventurer (@Parvati) with seldom intrigue. As if it is some dole ritual - a flurry of black squabbles from the trees. Spreading its wings in a soaring trapeze act as Fawne points unto his figure. He takes me where I need to go. So - I follow. Was she crazy? Maybe she was crazy....

---

+5 Leave a trail of confusing tracks (2/2)
+5 Explore a new territory and find something useful (2/2)
+5 Practice speed or strength (2/2)

image by moogle/code by saph

The beast, when it appeared, was beast only in frenzy and confusion. This was a female lion @Fawne even smaller than Parvati. The absolute washed out coloring had a section of Parvati's mind springing "Family?" because that was the Khans, Sarthak's side - gold, silver, bronze, trophy colors, but with eyes that were bright like grass or sky. These eyes were bright with distraction, loss, unease, confusion, barely lucid. So yes, this lioness did remind Parvati of their father.

This was painful. Unwelcome. Uncomfortable. "Sorry I mean nevermind." Paler fur rose further, unseen and unrealized along the back of Parvati's scruff, though the small silver did feel their scruff tensing and their tail lashing out as though bidden like a weather vane in a gale. Father had never hurt them, of course; Parvati did not fear that from this confused creature, but they did feel suddenly helpless and childish and afraid. "I don't understand. Sorry. I mean. I don't understand the... the particulars... but... I can help?" Helping with experience! "You look hungry. I bet... you could follow him better! If! We find some food!" Food or water. Some little quest to distract this lioness, bring her back to a calm state. Not contradicting her claim that she was following someone, of course. Can't contradict delusions. A calm state was ideal for life, Parvati had found. Food seemed more likely in the thicket than water.

+10 Help a character with a non-physical illness

Family? Yes. Yes family! They knew they knew where he was. The crow, her sweet crow. They could take her to him, bring them back together for once and for all. Where the grasps of the Astavian could never touch them more, for once and for all the crow and his dove would rest with ease in the budding rays of the sun. Husband. Home. He is here, he has to be - they...they said, family. But they don't understand? How could they not understand? Then again...how could she not understand. The crow was gone, dead, and long from the grappling gait of this damned world. Deep down Fawne knew this - but dehydration and malnourishment was a bitch. It toyed with her other worldly mind, twisting reality unto a sinking daydream and causing the pale concrete to chase after nothing more than a mere apparition.

Yes...Food. Food would be...nice. She feels guilty within the parts of her sanity that remain, how she could not ferment a further explanation to the woman especially when they looked as if they had been punched straight in the gut. It was a bit unfair. Crow will wait for me. We find food first. He would always wait, in this life and the next. For of this, she would always be sure, delusional or not. It was a promise that had been made upon their vowing burn - a promise that would withstand time and death, Millenials and blackholes. He would always wait.

@Parvati

image by moogle/code by saph

Family Parvati had asked, wondering if they were kin. The answer was an affirmative. Parvati thought the lioness meant that Parvati was their husband. But how was that possible? Parvati was not a male. In several ways they were unlike either of their parents, each of whom were husbands to each other. Parvati did not want to be anything, husband or wife, and to be thrust (mistakenly) into this role had their stomach dropping further. Both metaphorically, and literally - Parvati crouched, whiskers back, and made eye contact eye-to-eye instead of eye-to-forehead as usual. "I'm not anyone's husband!" protested them. Somehow they felt guilty for this but could see no immediate reason why. This was frustrating. Parvati should not be feeling or showing emotions, particular when there was someone who needed help with theirs.

Parvati stiffened their limbs to thrust themselves abruptly upright. "Food! Food first, then Crow." Forget the herbs they had been collecting. Someone in need of aid was here. Parvati assumed this lady was afflicted with delusions. Parvati was sure there had been such a lion as Crow once but whatever relationship this lady had to him might be suspect. Just as Drakon existed, but not as the image of Drakon in father Sarthak's head. Delusions had some basis in reality. Parvati looked around quickly, trying to appear confident but rather frantically wanting something food-like to reveal itself. "Let's walk this way to find something to eat." Parvati arbitrarily picked a direction and padded off, looking over their shoulder to ensure the lioness was coming. The only tracks they saw were lion-shaped, either theirs or the circlings of the stranger.

+10 Help a character with a non-physical illness

@Fawne