[ P ] Dark Design

ooc – for my reference; backdated BEFORE the garden thread

Danya had set out by himself for a few hours, wanting to explore a little of the area that he had found himself in, on the way to the King’s castle, and thus the gardens that he had heard upon the wind’s whispers. The place, a place of rolling hills, and plains that stretched towards the horizon was a new one for him. He was accustomed to mountainous and tundras and places of severe cold and winds. He’d seen beaches, and forests that went for miles, but he had yet to see such a wide-open expanse that stretched seemingly from horizon to horizon. He felt exposed, vulnerable even which was not a sensation that the man was accustomed to. He felt small in the expanse, but even so, it was still dotted – like many of the other places – with ruins that he could see small, distant figures moving in. As he breached a hill and paused to look around, he could see many things.

Still more plains, but hills that rose and fell in the land, breaking up the monotonous flatness. In some places, he could see larger ruins that he assumed were populated, but he could see paths and areas that looked… well, not populated but at the very least visited. The paths snaked up and over the hills, following their edges to go around, and split the grasses that seemed to come almost to his shoulders in places. Danya licked his lips, relishing for a moment in feeling like a king atop the hill. Perhaps, perhaps one day he could be, but… today was not that day. He had a goal, aspirations here – to be a kingpin, unchallenged in the game of holding a brothel. But he had to find others to be part of it. A brothel was not a singular whore, but several, everyone knew that. A ghost of a smile touched one corner of his lips, twitching it for a moment before his features fell to a neutral expression.

He started down the other side of the hill, heading towards a path that slowly meandered through a sea of grass, noting as he went downhill that some of the grass swayed in a way, unlike the rest. There, he presumed, would be someone to question, or… whatever the First had in mind for him to do on this occasion. Danya started down the path, and as he grew closer to the swaying path that came towards him in turn, he called out.

”Hello, whoever that is.” His voice was neutral, not friendly, not malicious. Just… neutral, mostly alerting his presence in case whoever it was, was unaware.

table ; bunny

T

he Lowlands are a bit foreign to Ace. Usually he finds himself in the streets of the Mainlands or the outskirts of the Highlands, breathing in the chaos. He's feeling a little more adventurous today and figured why not check out somewhere different?

Already he's feeling way out of his element. Normally he spends time in the woods where the shadows of the trees can help him be more stealthy (although really it just makes him feel safer and more secure). Here, it's all open. Sure he could sort of hide in the grass, but he has to really crouch down and make sure his ears or tail don't stick up too far. He's already regretting his decision, but walks along anyway. Maybe he'll find something worth his time. Food or company, either one works for him.

It seems he isn't so lucky on the food side when he starts to hear some rustling noises and another voice coming from the top of the path. Exactly why he prefers the woods, he can't be properly stealthy here.

"Hellooo… whoever you are," he says back and can't help but laugh at how stupid they both sound. If this was a cave, he'd make a point to talk all spooky like while his voice echoes off the walls. Unfortunately he can't make that effect here and it's slightly disappointing.

Ace emerges from the grass to get a better look at who this stranger is. His coat and bright eyes remind him of winter. "What's a blue-eyed wonder like you doing out here?" he asks with a smile, coming to stand a little closer. He will probably always think fondly of Vic with his eyes of fire, but Ace is also a sucker for anyone with blue eyes.

"Speaking."

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck @Danya

It did not take long for a voice to echo back at him, in a tome that admittedly made Danya smirk. Whoever it was, clearly had some sense of humor. Although Danya himself could not attest to his own sense of humor, he could at least recognize when something was childishly funny. The tone that the stranger used was a childish one at best. It was comical, truly. Danya hoped that it would be funny, and informative. It would if the man played his cards right.

”Hellooo… whoever you are,” the stranger called into the grasses.

And then, as the grasses parted, they were face-to-face. Danya was quiet for a second as he took in the dark earthen hue of the stranger’s features. His head canted to the side, ears twitching as the stranger spoke once more.

”What’s a blue-eyed wonder like you doing out here?” Danya snorted slightly but did not deny the slight stroke to his ego. His tail twitched, stirring the grasses behind him.

”Exploring a land so new to me,” The Imperatorian man stated. His gaze still lingered on the other, trying to get a read on the man as best he could with nothing but a glance. ”What’s a stranger like you doing, swimming in the grass?” He asked, two-tone blue eyes squinting slightly, the corners of his lips twitching in something of a smile. The frozen man was not one oft to try to make casual, friendly conversation. But he was on a mission so to say. A mission to learn as much as he could about the land he found himself in, to learn the things that Aurelia couldn’t inform him of.



@Ace
279 words

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K

nowing that the man is new here too makes his ears perk up. It seems he only ever meets those who were born or well established here, so it feels like a strange relief. Although, Ace might have a few months extra on him. It's hard to say.

"Ah a newbie, eh?" he replies with a smile. "That was me not too long ago." Then he's called out for lurking in the grass and he can't fault the guy for being a little suspicious. Times were tough these days.

"My stomach was growling, so I was kind of hoping I'd find a rabbit or something out here. Slim pickings it seems," he answers nonchalantly and, as if on cue, his stomach growls audibly. His ears fall back as he pretends to feel a little embarrassed.

Before the man can possibly question his actions more, Ace tries to use what he thinks to be his infamous handsome smile. "Say, I could show you around sometime? If you need a tour anyway." Although he had been lying about the hunting, his offer is genuine. He wouldn't mind spending an evening with some good company.

"Speaking."

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck @Danya

It would seem that his admittance to being new to the kingdom perked the other’s interest. Danya tilted his head slightly to the side at this, curious as to why it piked the man’s interest so much.

”Ah a newbie, eh? That was me not too long ago.” The other stated, making Danya’s head fall to the other side. He wondered if the other had any interesting information to offer about the kingdom’s culture or anything of the sort.

”What do you know about this place? I’m seeking information, to learn about this place I’ve found myself roaming. Trying to understand the – well, the locals, but another outsider’s perspective works for me, either way.” Danya said, his accent thick upon each syllable he spoke.

”My stomach was growling so I was kind of hoping I’d find a rabbit or something out here. Slim pickings it seems.” The other said, his voice nonchalant, the moment turning almost comical when the stranger’s stomach growled in response to even the mere mention of food. Danya snorted, one corner of his lips twisting into a slight smirk.

”Slim pickings indeed. I’m sure they’re somewhere out here, however. I have to wonder if there’s anything a little more substantial in this grassy area. I’ve been wanting something more than small game, but it’s a little hard to bring down by yourself.” Danya stated bluntly. Even though he was typically not alone anymore, his usual companion was not much help in terms of hunting. She had other things to offer, of course, but hunting was not her strong spot. Danya was fine with this – for the most part, as long as she pulled her weight in other ways – and made things work.

”Say, I could show you around sometime? If you need a tour anyway.”

”That would work, I am always looking for information, anything I can gather to understand this place. It’s… I’ll admit it is different from the lands I was born in. More… civilized, so to say. Perhaps my natal pack would be considered primitive to this kingdom’s culture – the politics and way things work are… new to me, to say the least.” Danya was honest with the other man. He saw no reason not to be, after all.



@Ace
380 words

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