Completed [Semele Park] The Fabric of Pranking

[Natsu Nendo]

Riverfall 48th Day of Spring It was the pinnacle of the day, and the weather could not have been better. The son shone brightly in the blue sky, with only a few white clouds scattered in the otherwise empty air. With such a warm feeling resonating through the ciry of Riverfall, there was seemingly nothing that could spoil this day for anyone. Yet it was for that exact reason which Natsu moved around Semele Park, swiftly and silently as the residents enjoyed the shining sun. Now perhaps 'spoil' is too strong a word. He was not looking to ruin anyone's fun, just to have a little of his own. Lately the days had seemed longer and he had less and less to do to keep him entertained. Standing among a few small bushes, the Pycon scanned the crowd looking for an opportunity and a target, not yet knowing what his prank would be, but his mind was already setting into a motion a torrent of ideas and their respective fallouts, calculating risk and damages. It was once he spotted the cloak that he decided on his course of action. Nobody should be wearing a long cloak in this weather he thought, quickly scurrying up and along the edge of a small wall. He hid in a clump of flowers, making sure nobody saw him before he made his move. As the billowing cloak passed by he grabbed the corner of it, using his Py-string to slice a tear in the edging. As the owner continued to walk, the gash ripped wide and the bottom half of the cloak drifted lazily to the ground. Unfortunately the aim with which Natsu had directed the sharp string was not as perfect as he had hoped, and the shirt underneath had also acquired an open tear, only barely missing the flesh beneath. Natsu froze for a split second as he assessed the damage, and in that moment the owner realized what had happened and turned. Netch! the Pycon thought to himself

[Adi Skyglow]

OOCHey, for the record-I'd appreciate if you didn't mention Adi's reaction to various things. It can be considered godmodding depending on the action. I don't mind the reaction you described her as having, since that's a logical response, but as her roleplayer it's my job to take care of Adi's actions. c:

It was a beautiful day to spend time in the park, and Adi Skyglow intended on taking full advantage of this. She needed to get out more often, especially since she'd spent a good portion of the last few days cooped up inside thinking of new stories to tell. Her creative inspiration hadn't cooperated as much as Adi would have liked, and it was only after that point that Adi realized she needed to take a break. Adi's first thought was to take a walk in the park, and from there she decided to go to Semele Park, full of statues and sculptures.

So she departed for the park, wearing her usual white outfit. Her long black hair flowed behind her as she walked, since Adi left it loose that day. When rays of sunlight struck her hair, purple highlights glimmered and became evident in it. Adi considered her hair one of her best features, and took a great deal of pride in caring for it every day.

Little did she know her mistake would be wearing the same cloak she always did.

As the young Vantha passed under a tree and past a patch of beautiful red flowers, she felt a slight sting on her back. Though she wasn't immediately concerned by this, she was definitely bothered when her right hand went to her back to find a tear in her shirt and half of her cloak gone. Adi spun around, eyes red with anger and irritation, looking for the culprit...but to her dismay, there was no one in her immediate vicinity. The nearest person was in front of her.

Irritated, the woman ripped off what was left of her cloak and threw it to the ground. "Who's there?" she called out behind her, coming to a complete stop just past a bench.

[Natsu Nendo]

Natsu froze as still as... well, a statue. He didn't move an inch apart from his eyes glancing up briefly to take in the angry look which the cloak's owner now wore. It caught him quite off guard that the stranger was a female, and he immediately cursed mentally, knowing the regard with which females of any species hold for their articles of clothing. It was foolish of him, truly, to forget about the gold-flecked Py-string which hung from his paw, glinting in the rays of the gentle. He remained unmoving at the corner of the wall, only a small distance from where the woman stood. His eyes flickered back and forth from the cloak to its owner, and then to the bush nearby. If he could time it right, he might be able to slip away before she spotted him, but any movement before that would give away his- a glint of golden light reflected perfectly onto the Vantha's face from the weapon in the Pycon's grasp, and he gave up the charade, sprinting into the bushes and moving swiftly through them. The problem with being small was that if you were in a place where there were not many places to hide, escape was remarkably unlikely. I should just go apologize sincerely thought the mouse-like creature as he ran, but the fear of an irrational anger from his 'victim' spurred his legs as he ducked and dodged the branches of the bush. His bag caught on a low twig, pulling him to a stop quite suddenly. It was for the best though, as he realized the wall edge was only inches from where he stood, and he had been too lost in thought to even consider stopping. Natsu glanced around fearfully as he turned and tugged at the bag strap, eyes wide and paws shaking. The red eyes were what had driven him to run, the pure anger and irritation in the glare sending chills through his very being.

[Adi Skyglow]

A bright, but brief, flash of light temporarily blinded the Vantha, prompting her to blink rapidly and rub her red eyes. When she opened her eyes, a flash of movement caught her attention, and she looked closely at the blur.

Is that...a statue? A walking statue? What the petch? Statues don't move, unless there's something seriously wrong. Am I asleep or is this magic?

Sure enough, there was a statue running across the path in front of her, and it looked to be completely real. Adi blinked, then blinked again. It dashed into a bush when it stopped suddenly and looked startled. Curious, the Vantha took a few steps towards the bush and the strange little creature trapped in it. Her eyes began fading to a yellowish green, though her pupils remained ringed with red. The cloak had accompanied her through many adventures and she'd grown fond of it. Well, it was an excuse to go shopping later, so she supposed it wasn't all bad.

The young woman continued her approach, crouching down on her knees when she got close enough. Adi tilted her head slightly to the right and chewed her bottom lip absently as she watched the little statue. It seemed to be made from clay, and it was very much...well, maybe not alive, but definitely aware that she was there. All the remaining traces of red drained from her eyes as she continued looking. It was...kind of cute.

"Can you understand me?" Adi asked, curiosity apparent in her voice.

[Natsu Nendo]

Natsu Nendo's eyes met with the female's, and his struggling immediately ceased, though the shaking of his frame was apparent. He felt suprisingly calmed however by the yellowish-green color which filled the previously red pupils of the human which stared at him, but the shaking of his body did not cease as he pondered his fate. The clay ears on his head perked at the sound of the woman's voice and he nodded slowly, too frightened to even speak. His pranks had made people mad before, but there were two things which made this situation different. Firstly, he was not aure if he had actually cut her back, and was worried that the possible pain might make her more irrational. Secondly, she was being very calm despite the fact she had been wronged by the Pycon, and he always had a certain fear of beings who switched back and forth from peace to anger without warning. The clay figure willed his body to be still, and the shaking lessened, though his terror was still written all over his face. Natsu finally managed to open his mouth to speak, but at that moment the strap of the bag snapped and the force gave the Pycon just enough of a push to tip off the edge of the wall. He let out a yelp of terror as he began to fall, his fear of the woman instantly overcome by his phobia of falling and shattering Harameus help me! Natsu mentally screamed as the cobblestones rushed to meet him

[Adi Skyglow]

Shocked by the little statue's sudden plummet downwards, Adi extended her hands and caught the small figure in her cupped palms. It was clear to her now that the creature understood her, as it made eye contact with her and even screamed.

Deftly, Adi freed it of the torn remnants of its tiny bag and stood up, the statue still cupped in her hands.

"I've got a lot of questions for you, little...guy? Or are you a girl? Either way, what were you thinking attacking me like that? You could've seriously hurt me."

She took a closer look at the small thing, studying it carefully. On a second, closer glance, it definitely appeared to be made of clay. She still couldn't tell if it was male or female by its outside appearance...and she still had several questions to ask the clay statue, though she would wait until it responded to her first comment to begin bombarding it.

[Natsu Nendo]

Natsu felt his descent halted by a gentle hand, and he curled up tightly into a ball. His fear of falling was embarrassing to him, and it often took quite a bit out of his pride. After a few moments he peeked his head up and his ears twitched as he looked once more into the calming eyes of the female. He uncurled and stood upon his hind legs, his sculpted wings fluttering slightly as he hung his head in shame "I... I am Natsu, and guy is correct... I... it was only supposed to be a harmless prank, I... Forgive me..." his voice had a hint of fear, despite his now much more relaxed demeanor. He sensed that the human had more questions, and by now he was used to it from those who first caught a glimpse of him. He nodded shyly, giving her permission to ask as his thin tail drifted back and forth just above the surface of her hand behind him as his front paws tightly clasped the remnants of his bag. He had flinched as she freed him from the tangled strap, but now he knew that she meant him no harm, if she had then she would have let him fall, wouldn't she?

[Adi Skyglow]

The Vantha quirked an eyebrow as she looked at the small statue, who had confirmed himself to be male. The clay that composed him was soft in her warm hands, tempting Adi to poke him in what appeared to be his belly. When he introduced himself as Natsu, Adi knew from the tone of his voice he was scared-it was clear the fall had frightened him. She gave the small creature a grin in hopes of cheering him up.

"Natsu? I'm Adi. It's a pleasure to meet you. Though I can't say you'll be immediately forgiven for ruining my cloak and my shirt..." Here, the young woman rolled her eyes, but returned her gaze to the clay man when she'd finished. "First things first-what exactly are you? I've never seen a creature made of clay before."

While she waited for Natsu's response, Adi took a brief moment to catalogue the damage done. Natsu's backpack was torn, though it looked like the belongings inside were still fine. Her cloak was completely ruined, cut in half cleanly and cast aside to the ground once Adi had realized the extent of the damages. Adi's plain white shirt took the least damage, a tear through the fabric that made up the back all it had sustained. The strange little man's weapon, whatever it was, had barely scratched her-though it stung at first, the majority of the blow was absorbed by the fabric.

[Natsu Nendo]

The grin which Natsu recieved from Adi was kind and gentle, and the Pycon gave a shy smile of his own, the colorful eyes which met his having a surprisingly calming effect. "I am so sorry about that... and I will be more than happy to pay for new clothes or a cloak if you will allow me" The small clay form gave a polite bow, mumbling "it is very nice to meet you Adi, and I apologize for my thoughtless actions. And to answer your question I am a Pycon, a creature of clay brought to life by the god Harameus... well, depending on who you ask" It was as if his fear had vanished, and Natsu grinned widely "my family is- or rather.. w-was nearby living on the coastline, and I traveled from there a few seasons ago" a flash of sadness ran across the intricately sculpted face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and he let out a sigh before taking a small step up Adi's arm, pausing as if to ask her permission. As he stood and waited for her to reply, he let his eyes wander over Adi, taking in the long black hair, which in the light seemed to appear a faint violet. Her nose was slightly hooked and he tilted his head with a faint smile. A soft shiver ran through him as he felt a faint magic presence emanating from the female, but he decided it better not to ask. Some species or people in general believed magic was a very touchy topic.

[Adi Skyglow]

When the small clay form proposed he buy her a new cloak, Adi grinned at the idea. It sounded like a fabulous plan to her-the cloak itself hadn't meant a lot to her, but it had served her well through many odd occasions and was the only cloak she owned that she'd brought with her from Avanthal.

Holy shyke, though. Natsu was adorable for a little prankster.

Adi caught a slight hesitation in his voice when he spoke of his family, and she raised her eyebrow at it, but she didn't press the matter. Some things, she'd found, were best left alone.

Instead, she went for the next question that popped into her head. "Harameus? I'm not familiar with the name," she remarked. "Who is he?"

The topic of the divines worshipped in Mizahar was a bit of a touchy one for Adi. She believed that Morwen, patron goddess of the Vantha, had abandoned her during her greatest time of need. That belief was one that stung more than breaking her arm. Since then, Adi had set her mind to finding out all that she could about the rest of the gods and goddesses known to the world. One of them had to be a better fit for her to worship than the goddess of ice and winter was.