Flashback Old Friends and New Ties (Altaira)

[Kenna Frostfawn]

32nd Day of Spring, 513 AV Location: Windward Boardwalk Large mounts of snow covered the boardwalk, her feet drowning into the winter wonderland she knew as Avanthal. Her black boots were already coated in snow, droplets of white snow scattered across her clothing as the snow continued to fall. As she walked down the path, her bright green eyes peered up to observe the laughing children throwing snowballs. Even a couple of men and women who were currently interlocked in the passion they called love. Kenna couldn't help but stare at most of the couples as they kissed or laughed, maybe even held hands. Somewhere in her heart she wanted to feel that way, seeing that the season of Summer wasn't her best year. Hoping to find a partner to relieve her of such a horrendous time, disappointment reigned itself across her entire body. Places to get away and think were places like the Windward Boardwalk, where everyone would seem to be in their own world. Soon she would find her own home in the arms of her brothers, when they came that is. Kenna always had the tendency to always be on time because she believed you could never waste a second of life. Every since her parents passing, she couldn't help but want to feel that way as life was so gracious to her. The harsh conditions of Avanthal took the life of her family, but never seemed to kill the spirit ignited with them. Suddenly, she felt a strong pair of lean arms wrap around her waist and lift her up in the air, spinning her around. Letting out a shriek of laughter, two low but masculine chuckles followed her own. Both of her brothers were Kelvic like her, each having the same animal as her - being a wolf. In a way they were like a pack of wolves: The eldest being the leader, the second eldest being his right hand man, and then the youngest always being the voice of youth and visions. Nathaniel and Kyle could have been considered to be the most emotionless people you could've ever met. They always got the job done without any conversation needed because they believed that talking wasted time. Only until they were with their little sister would that demeanor fall, they were family after all. "Nathaniel Frostfawn, if you don't let me go right now.. Oh Morwen help me!"As the two graciously set her down, Kenna couldn't help but stare in amazement at how much her brother's had grown. Nathaniel now had a good amount of stubble to say he was a man, and beautiful chocolate brown hair to complement his tanned complexion. With all the work he had been doing, created a large build to form on his chest down. It was clearly obvious that he was stronger than most, standing taller than both herself and her older brother Kyle. On the other hand, the second eldest brother was Kyle who she liked to think of as the baby of the pack. Despite his cold demeanor like his brother, he was truly the most sympathetic person she had ever known. Always looking out for others even if it meant being a little bit aggressive, though most didn't understand his ways.. His intentions were good. Like her he had blonde hair but it was much lighter and bright blue eyes that made him stick out like blood in the snow. He didn't really look like Kenna and Nathaniel, more or less taking after their mother, he was the diamond in the rough. "Aw, come on baby sister.. That would ruin all the fun! We never get to see you anymore when they have us prancing around the place." There was almost a whine in Kyle's voice, almost longing for the three to be reunited. Although knowing clearly that the possibilities of that happened weren't very clear at the moment. With all the constant busy natures of the holds and the new nuisances entering Avanthal.. It was chaotic. Drowning back out of her own thoughts, she felt a thump at the back of her head causing her to wince slightly. "What was that for? Did you want to knock me unconscious so you could paint my faint again?" Her brothers couldn't help but let out howls of laughter as they did enjoy teasing their little sister, Kenna's reactions were priceless. Though she was known for getting caught up in her own thoughts, but in her opinion it was all in the works of being a visionary. Nathaniel then spoke up, "We were trying to talk to you, but you zoned out.. Again! Listen, we have to go because we were going to head out to the lodge. We'll see you later tonight, alright?" The two ends of her lips turned down immediately as they spoke of their departure, saving no time to see her expression. Having to be away from their little sister all the time created more distance than needed. But in the back of her head she knew their intentions, if they were going to go away someday.. She'd need to be able to handle being on her own. Her parents death had tore her family apart, always so distant and engrossing themselves in work to push it all out. Over the years it had become increasingly worse, her heart sinking each time they seemed to blow her off. Shaking her head lightly she began again to lightly walk through the area, her head hung low.]

[Altaira Readva]

Bird Speak | Common | Vani | Others

Snow. Gods, she hated snow. Why couldn't she have been born somewhere tropical? Or desert? She reckoned she could handle the so called rolling sand dunes of the South she'd heard so many people talk about, and thrive in the jungles not so far downwards. Altaira sighed as she made her begrudged way across the board walk, mind drifting to thoughts of her younger brother before shutting down her mind altogether. No, no. No, she wasn't thinking about it. She had better things to think about. Like how she was of age, and more than just a little bit of age. Very of age. Had she been one 'wild raised,' as her father had liked to call those that left home before maturity was reached, she figured that she'd already be bonded and nested.

She was torn between the two thoughts, a chill riveting her spine as ice brushed her cheek and nose, before some Vantha shouted his apology, his own face red and bitten with cold, grin wide and apologetic. She gave him a tight nod, giving him her own pressed smile as she strolled by, eliciting some strange response, though she couldn't quite pin what it was. Humans and their weird little oddities, it was beyond her what it meant. And yet her baby brother had gleefully bonded with one? The next sound she gave was even more so fed up, using the inner part of her rather ridiculously heavily padded mitten to brush the snow from her face before it fell into shirts.

Back to him, as always, it seemed, and she felt her chest cave. The only brother she had that was full blood, and the first to lose life. "He wasn't young," she said, reminding herself of the dear little fact that such fate was doomed from the beginning. Dyson was a small bird, tiny in comparison to Altaira, little lone one of their hulking relatives. Under normal conditions, he would have lasted another year or two, but he couldn't deal with the cold.

She was caught in her reverie, with tears almost fresh to her eyes, when she felt a thud to her back. She paused for a moment, dead in her tracks, before throwing an incredulous look behind her, yellow-amber eyes darting about the place for the culprit. After a moment more of confusion, and close to giving in, her gaze landed on the Vantha from a tick before - his expression... now that look she knew. That was a challenge - defiant and cheeky and cocky.

And who was she to decline? She dove immediately to the snow that was piled by her feet, tightly packing the snow in a firm ball before aiming for the boy's head, giving a chuckle and sigh as he ducked easily out of the way, expression as though to ask the kelvic if she was even trying, electric blue eyes alive with excitement. A younger girl ran out from somewhere behind him, probably the same as Altaira herself in terms of chronological age, launching a lolly pop thrown snowball at the her, with Altaira moving to dodge, before changing her mind and taking the hit in a dramatic fashion.

The little girl jumped and grinned, and the boy shook she his head as the little one almost fell herself in excitement. That was when Altaira got 'smart', turning as though she were leaving, picking up a last bundle of snow, and pressing it together as much force as she could muster, before turning back sharply and throwing it right in the direction of the older boy - hitting someone who walked in between, instead.

"Gods, are you alright?" She said, pressing her lips as she regretting such a forceful throw - the target aimed for being some four or fives times the distance away between Altaira and her unwitting victim.

[Kenna Frostfawn]

Kenna was walking calmly away from the small scene with her brothers, their laughters remaining in her mind. She continued to replay the situation over and over again, a small smile appearing on her face as she trudged through the boardwalk. Now that it was getting closer to early evening time, most of the children had disappeared and gone back to their holds. Some remained behind, mainly couples and possibly a few teenage Vantha around the area, clearly up to no good. In the midst of it all, Kenna couldn't help but feel like she didn't belong in Avanthal despite growing up in it. Most of her bad memories laid in Avanthal, and she couldn't help but doubt herself in terms of everything that had been going on. Before her parents died, things seemed fine.. Almost perfect for that matter. Though she held onto it, like a baby holds onto their mother in loving adoration with the intention of being protected. Being held out in the wide open made her feel vulnerable, her usually happy demeanor was slowly depleting and her state of mind disintegrating. Within her own thoughts, a large amount of snow slapped her face with such force causing her to cower in fear. In the moment, her predatory instincts were coming in as Kenna had assumed that they were under attack or something. Anything and everything could've been a threat, she always had to be on the look out. Her bright green eyes peeked from her barrier that were her arms, slowly brushing off the snow from her body. Raising her hand to brush her cheek, the cold temperature radiating towards her dainty. Leaning into her own hands touch, she finally set her eyes on the culprit who had thrown the snow ball. Raising one blonde eyebrow, she took in the girl's appearance; weighing out her opponent. Her body felt on edge, waiting for the girl to strike at her though it never came, all that came was a deafening silence. Tense, Kenna felt like she couldn't breathe as her heart hammered against her chest and tightened slightly. But she forced herself to walk forward, each step painful as she was approaching the supposed enemy. In the back of her mind, Kenna kept trying to remind herself that it was an act of play and unintentional. On the other hand, she was always observant and reactive towards anything and everything.. It was just how she was. To be out of it for once in her life was unlike her, normally she was so attentive to everything. Really she wasn't battling with the girl, it wasn't her fault in any way... Rather a battle to fight internally with her inner demons. Shaking her head, Kenna managed to force a simple smile - the two ends of her lips turning upwards. On the right side of her cheek where she was it, a distinct red mark was evident on her body. Not paying attention to it, she tucked a single golden strand beneath her ears. Lowering her gaze, her feet shuffled nervously as Kenna studied whether she should say anything or not. Looking to her left, she saw another boy who had a distraught look on her face or maybe it was a look of recollection? Unsure, she turned her head back to the girl before parting her lips and letting out a simple blow of air. The mist that followed her, almost a distraction,"It's alright.. I'm not dead or wounded, or anything at all actually. No harm, no foul. Just be careful next time, some may not be so.. Kind." Livid green eyes, swiling in pools of a darker green, an emotion was there.. But it couldn't be defined. From another perspective, she was trying to intimidate the girl by simple stating in the most polite way possible. Having a simple point that others may have taken the situation way more seriously than she had. If the girl happened to trip out because she found that her words were harsh, that was life. The bitterness of her attitude knawing at her with ease, Kenna taking it out on the girl. Obviously, she did not mean to appear that way or seem like she was trying to be rude. Kenna merely felt confused and conflicted, hence why it could've been that she was bipolar. Everything she was doing would go complete against her own values, but for once she was breaking them. Folding her arms across her chest, cocking her head to the side, Kenna gave the girl a small smile."I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but consider this a warning. Pleasure to meet you though, and you are?"

[Altaira Readva]

Bird Speak | Common | Vani | Others

A bearing of teeth is what Altaira was most immediately faced with, and she felt her jaw lock and eyes narrow. It was then that the kelvic's fight or flight instinct would usually kick in, and she could already feel the tension of her body stiffen, her posture straightening and form bracing as she took on one of her more mild, however threatened, stances. Even still, she was pushed to poke and prod and play, her very nature the kind to walk the fine line between brave and moronic.

Vani, that was the language she spoke in, and the sound of her tongue reminded her to shoot a look to shot her short lived play mates. Such an expression came with a sly grin and dramatic puffing of her cheeks, the flicking of her eyes off in another direction well enough to signify a childish, naughty little 'Run,' as though their little game had been encroached on by a stern parent or guardian, or they'd managed to find themselves on the bad side of the icewatch, and she was opting herself to take the fall while the others ran.

"Righ. Uh, yes." Vani was such a beautiful language, far prettier than her own birdspeak, though it lacked a certain play and shrill that she found herself fond of. "Altaira, my name," The look she threw was uncertain, trying to sort through the words in her mind until she was able to settle upon one of her liking. "is Altaira." There was a certain flatness to her words, the expression the kelvic through out of depth. 'I hope that was the answer she was lookinng for.'

She eased off, then, the Vantha boy and the younger girl slinking off into the distance, and the woman in front of her seeming to simmer down. "I'm not good at Vani. Uh, your name?"

[Kenna Frostfawn]

The woman seemed to respond to her own actions in a form similar to her own, both too stubborn to back down. In that moment Kenna took the chance to study the girl, her eyes raking up and down almost as if she was weighing her opponent. The girl's skin tone was sun-kissed, her hair long and loosely flowing in a mass of curls framing her face. But what caught her eye was the bright pair of gold-amber irises peering back at her. Time seemed to pass from the time she spoke and the girl remained silent as if she were trying to understand her. Laughing slightly, she raised a brow wondering if the pesky being were trying to play with her. It was only until the person spoke that she finally understood what was wrong, the woman didn't speak Vani. It wasn't hard to tell by the way she spoke, it seemed foreign on her tongue and didn't suit a being like her. Though Kenna commended her for the attempt, the language may have been beautiful but it was just as hard as learning a new language. "You're not from here, how strange such a sun-kissed individual be lurking in the depths of the snow. And, you can't speak Vani either.." In the midst of her own conversation, she couldn't help but enjoy the fact that the woman did not understand her. Sometimes that proved to be an advantage because then you didn't have to whisper or anything. Your words were free and the person didn't have to understand you, unless they chose too. "Kenna.. My name, is um, Kenna." Common was such a bland language, it tasted dry on her tongue and didn't flow eloquently. She had her fair share of others who had spoken Common but it was never her taste seeing that everyone in Avanthal spoke Vani. Though in the future she had planned to attempt to learn the language a little better. For now, she had other priorities to focus on and hopefully those issues would resolve themselves sooner or later. No matter how many times she had tried to keep a positive outlook of things, she struggled to keep that happy demeanor. Change was happening all around her and Kenna couldn't help but feel nauseous by all of it. When she had first been welcomed into the world of Avanthal, it was every she could have ever wanted. Her own personal little winter wonderland right at the tip of her fingers. As she grew older, something changed within her and so did Avanthal. She no longer saw it as a wonderland but a matter of survival, Kenna had to work for what she wanted and it was no longer provided. Age did that to you, despite the fact she was still a young kelvic somehow the life of play seemed to entice her more. Working was a task and she only felt to do it when she was inspired, but not inspiration was there for her. Nothing. The woman who stood before her was a change in scenery, this Altaira girl did not belong there and she couldn't help but feel the need to protect herself. It could have been her own instincts wanting to protect a territory but sometimes new things could prove to be useful. The sudden idea seemed to erupt fireworks within her mind as a sly grin seemed to flash across her face. Long masses of waves framing her face as her livid green eyes seemed to peak from underneath her coverage. There was an element of mischief but also one of curiosity, Altaira was her possible new inspiration. Possibly even a new friend maybe?