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    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura


    I could really use a wish right now, Ripley
    #1

    can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars,
    I could really use a wish right now;

    She felt like her world was spiraling.

    The plague had settled into her veins long ago, and even though her parents had tried to keep her safe, they had other things to distract them from her. Perhaps not her father, so much, but certainly her mother. Ryatah had been over-protective at first once she realized her daughter had fell ill, keeping her close and refusing to let her leave Tephra. But it didn’t last. As she was so prone to doing, her presence was sporadic at best, with new scents still clinging to her skin, and new eyes – and she would never forget the way her mother had looked at her for the first time with those almost-black eyes, the way they had brimmed with tears and she pulled her so tightly to her chest, and for a moment Evenstar almost thought she was going to stay, for good – that she wouldn’t explain how they had came to be. And then the twins; the twins that were not her father’s, with their impossibly black coats, and it confused her the way her mother cooed over them with virtually no guilt.

    She wanted to dislike them, but she didn’t have it in herself. Evenstar was too kind, too caring, and when their mother disappeared – again – she watched over them, filling them with the empty promise that Ryatah would be back soon. She’s probably with your father, is what she never says, even though the thought crosses her mind.

    When she comes to the forest, it is an attempt to clear her head from everything else. She felt a little guilty about leaving the twins behind in Tephra, but for now, she just wanted to forget everything. She was still nearly a child, not even three years old, and everything was slowly becoming too much. Perhaps the mindless hum of those around her would be enough to lull her into a false sense of serenity.

    The winter sun is high in the sky, and the cool rays strain through the thick trees to caress her jade-green shoulders as she walks. It is oddly quiet, and for a moment, she revels in it. It is not until she realizes that the birdsong has all but ceased, that the sunlight had become suffocated by the shadows, that she stops. She cannot explain the cool prickle of anxiety that suddenly races up her spine, but something tells her she should go back. Slowly, she turns, and when her eyes lock with another pair, a gasp of surprise spills from her tongue before she can stop it. “Hi,”The incredibly softly spoken word almost seems loud in the hush of the forest, as she tries to differentiate the face and body from the shroud of darkness it stands in. There was something oddly un-equine, but in the muted lighting, she struggles to see. “I...I think I might be lost.” She swallows nervously, glancing up at  whoever it was cautiously with her wide, brown eyes.

    Her mother had never warned her of what lurked in the dark, and she doesn’t know enough to be afraid.

    I'm praying that this stairway leads somewhere like Heaven's door,
    and when you get there don't look down

    evenstar
     


    Sarah I s2g if you don’t reply I’m PPing Ripley and doing it myself.
    Reply
    #2
    remarkable boy, I do admire your courage.
    I think I'll eat your heart


    The thing about monsters is that sometimes they hunt in packs.

    They had entered the forest a few nights ago, slinking back into this strange land that was once their home, and have been hunting during the nights ever since. Their master is somewhere near, otherwise they would not be around. For now they are left to their own devices to feed and it has been some time since they have had a chance to so they are eager to feel the blood and flesh within their dual prehensile jaws.

    Truthfully, they had been stalking larger game when they crossed the trail of the filly. But they cannot be overly picky and the chance at an easy kill is too tempting for the pair to pass up. Better a little food now to regain some of their strength and they can fuss about filling their bellies to bursting later on.

    The pair had separated and so the eyes that the child sees are those of Nostromo, the smaller of the two, while Ripley waits in the shadows far off to the side - still as a statue and silent.

    When the filly speaks, it’s an invitation. Nostromo doesn’t understand the words she speaks, not really. She doesn’t understand anything about the unarmoured creatures that populate this land except where to strike to spill their lifeblood. She cannot possibly know that this little green creature is her aunt and she would not feel any familial connection even if she did know. Anything equine in Ripley died when her curse took over but Nostromo was never truly just a horse. The life of a monster is all she has ever known - her first memory was bursting out of the ribcage of a deceased host that had been unlucky enough to come across one of Ripley’s eggs. Her bloodlust has not faded since that day.

    A few slow steps are taken, bringing Nostromo a few feet closer to the filly before she stops again. She could be seen easier now in what little light there is in this forest. The smooth, elongated dome of her skull, the angular cuts of the armor coating her body. The slow flick of a knife-wielding tail behind her.

    The monster sniffs at the air quietly, her black eyes are swallowed up by the mask on her skull but they still catch the light, still glint enough that they would let the filly know she’s very much being watched.

    For now Nostromo does nothing more than that - her simple presence is a threat, perhaps, or maybe just a curiosity.

    Ripley continues to wait. Watching with hungry eyes to see what her daughter and her sister will do next.


    ripley & nostromo
    XXVIII eaten to date-----



    @[Evenstar] LOOK A REPLY FOR YOU
    Reply
    #3

    can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars,
    I could really use a wish right now;

    Evenstar knew nothing of her older siblings. For her, it was as though her mother was two completely different individuals. There was the Ryatah from before – the one before the reckoning, with the kingdoms of old, and with her other children (but the same lovers). But then there was this Ryatah. The one that had returned, that had been reunited with Evenstar’s father, and they had started what was suppose to be a new chapter. Neither of them – Skellig and Evenstar – had counted on the white mare completely going off script. The young girl had watched silently as her mother spiraled, as new siblings were born every spring (how she smelled like a different man every time, how sometimes those new eyes still couldn’t see, and with a peculiar mark scarred into her hip), but still she said nothing. It was none of her business; even if it broke her father’s heart, and even if it lifted whatever veiled illusions she had held of her mother, she said nothing.

    When her eyes pierce through the darkness and find the strange, alien face of something that isn’t quite equine, she feels her heart stop. But she thinks of Gilt – the beautiful boy with the dragon head – and how even though he did not look like the rest of them, he had never brought her any harm. It is that foolish, false hope that keeps her standing still; that almost urges her closer. When the creature emerges from the cloak of darkness, the dim light reflecting off the sheen of her eyes, Evenstar can feel her blood run cold. Her legs twitch with the need to run, but something keeps her rooted to the ground. Something tells her that running would just trigger an attack, but as she stands there trembling, she isn’t sure if it matters much.

    “I’m Evenstar,” She offers the creature in her incredibly quiet voice; a voice that she tries to keep from shaking, but she knows she has failed. Everything in her body radiated fear, from the rapid pulse of her heart, to the way her muscles were coiled and tense underneath her jewel-green coat. She does not even realize that there is another – the one that is actually her sister. She is only watching the one in front of her, and for some reason that she cannot explain, she takes a tentative step towards her.

    I'm praying that this stairway leads somewhere like Heaven's door,
    and when you get there don't look down

    evenstar


    @[Ripley and Nostromo]
    Reply
    #4
    remarkable boy, I do admire your courage.
    I think I'll eat your heart


    Nostromo’s job is simple - stand still. They’ve hunting like this before, learned to use their unique appearance as a distraction. There’s relatively few of them out there, they think (or, they would if they had any thoughts), because they’re still met with surprise every time they come across someone new. They are always stared at. It’s hard to break eye contact with something completely and utterly new, even if your instincts are telling you that new thing is also very Wrong and Dangerous.

    Ripley does not move, not yet. She still watches. She watches as the green creature speaks again, and then watches as that creatures steps towards Nostromo. A delighted hum almost, almost, escapes from the elder of the monsters but she silences herself quickly and continues to stare with black eyes.

    Nostromo still doesn’t understand anything the green creature is saying, but she doesn’t really need to. She has her part. Although it is technically to stand still, her instincts encourage her to mirror the creature’s movements.

    So Nostromo takes a single step forward.

    She raises her head a little and tilts it, almost looking curious. It might be hard to pull off the curious little creature head tilt as a monster built for consuming flesh but maybe the action is close enough to curiosity to pass for it.

    They could continue this dance for a while, probably. Maybe the green creature would get close enough to touch, maybe Nostromo would even let her.

    But they aren’t here to make friends. And they’re too hungry to toy with dinner for long.

    Nostromo flicks her tail but keeps it behind her, keeps that sharp knife blade away from the girl and in the shadows. She’s hoping that the green creature will watch that movement and not look around her.

    Because Ripley moves then. She surges forward out of the shrubs to the right, no roar or growl accompanies her but her mouth opens wide as she lunges for the girl, silver sharp teeth glinting in the low light. She's bigger than Nostromo - the dome exoskeleton of her head fans out to create a crown - and there is nothing in the snapping of her teeth that even suggests she can be reasoned with.

    And if that girl were to look for Nostromo for help she would not see it there either - because the daughter moves in time with the mother, a deep clicking noise sounding from far within her as that tail thrashes menacingly behind her. Not-quite-lips peel back to reveal her own dangerous set of teeth and she tries to close the gap between her and the green one as fast as she can. Perhaps they’ll be quick enough to pin their prey between them, perhaps they’ll get a bit of a chase out of it if the girl is smarter than she has seemed so far.

    Right now, they only have thoughts of digging their teeth into her soft flesh and are willing to do anything to make that happen.



    ripley & nostromo
    XXVIII eaten to date-----



    @[Evenstar]
    Reply
    #5

    can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars,
    I could really use a wish right now;

    She watches the one in front of her, still wide-eyed and too inquisitive for her own good. Evenstar knew that not everything in the world was pleasant and fair, but by her naivety in this situation, you wouldn’t know it. She had been born when the plague struck. She had watched as both her parents fretted over how they would keep her safe, and remembers how devastated they had been when she made the mistake of getting lost outside the protective shield of Tephra and she contracted the illness they had been trying to protect her from. She had watched from a young age as the love between her parents splintered and frayed, unraveled further by her mother’s unfaithfulness and her father’s unwillingness to accept it.

    She knew, more than most her age, that the world was full of shadows and unjust moments, but it had never occurred to her that someone would want to physically hurt her.

    There is a flicker of movement behind the strange creature, and like a cat to a string, her attention shifts.

    She can’t even react fast enough when the other creature launches from behind her.

    Instinctively, she startles away from her, a reflexive cry trying to scream from her throat but her fear seems to paralyze all sound before it reaches her tongue. She nearly collides with the other creature in her flight response, which causes her to dart forward and to the side. It is only her quick, deer-like movements that causes her to narrowly miss both their jaws, but even then, she already knows it was useless. Even as she runs, even as she weaves in and out of the tightly packed trees, she can feel them running up her heels. Her speed would be nothing compared to theirs, and it is only on adrenaline alone that she manages to keep the minuscule gap between them.

    I'm praying that this stairway leads somewhere like Heaven's door,
    and when you get there don't look down

    evenstar


    @[Ripley and Nostromo]


    You have my permission to power play Evenstar if you want in the next post! You can decide how they get ahold of her/how they damage her, and then Casimira will come in her dragon form so she doesn't get completely eaten lmao
    Reply
    #6
    remarkable boy, I do admire your courage.
    I think I'll eat your heart


    It’s hard to tell whether the monsters are surprised when she manages to avoid both of their snapping jaws and gleaming, silvery sets of teeth.

    They don’t really feel surprise, or frustration. Or any emotion, really. But there’s a hint of excitement when the green creature takes off into the forest. A chase. They’re so hungry now that it’s almost blinding but they can still take this small, simple pleasure in a hunt.

    Neither of the pair hesitates in taking off after her. Their movements are thunderous through the forest - there’s no care for stealth now. They tear through shrubs and shred the soft earth with their hooves as their knife-wielding tails flick behind them. Although they move with something close to grace, their armoured bodies are heavy and they are nightmares on the move.

    There’s some contest that slows their gain on the girl - who should get the first bite? The daughter typically wounds first but eats second. She’s smaller and faster than her mother. But it’s been too long since they’ve been fed. They both want to be the first. A short scuffle as they run, a growl from the daughter and a well-aimed strike from the mother that leaves a gash on her daughter’s neck, the acidic blood sizzling as it drops into the cool earth below, burning the plants and leaves and whatever poor worms might be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Ripley wins this argument as she wins all others. Here, on the hunt, she is queen and she has not yet met any to contest her crown.

    So the mother surges forward. She’s bigger and slower, but there’s more power in her and it helps her keep up the pace.

    Stride after stride she gains on the girl. Ripley takes one side and Nostromo the other and once they are flanking the green child, Ripley strikes low with her jaws - trusting her armour to keep her safe from any hit from the girl’s hooves or legs as she closes her mouth on an emerald green thigh and then, once she thinks her teeth are nice and secure, Ripley skids to a stop - pulling her head down in an attempt to yank the girl with her and off her feet.

    Once the girl is down, they begin.

    They’re careful and quick, leaving the soft belly to avoid being struck unnecessarily by any flailing limbs. Ripley stayed near where she had first bit the green creature while Nostromo moved towards the neck. They only used their mouths for now, those rows of glinting teeth, but would slash with their tail at any movement from the girl to keep her as still as possible.

    While they enjoyed the hunt, they would enjoy the feast much more.



    ripley & nostromo
    XXVIII eaten to date-----



    @[Evenstar]

    And you have my permission to powerplay these kids in your next post(s)! They can be wherever and snacking on whatever part of Evenstar she won't miss
    Reply
    #7

    can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars,
    I could really use a wish right now;

    She can feel the way her lungs begin to sting, and the way the air burns her throat as she gasps for it. Her muscles her aching, and her legs are beginning to tremble as they scream at her to stop. But without even glancing back she knows the monsters are closing in, and already all she can dare to hope is that when they kill her, it is fast.

    Ripley’s jaw finds her back leg, and it’s enough to make her stumble, and when the teeth are sunk into her thigh, she is powerless to fight as she is ripped to the ground. The screams that are torn from her throat are swallowed by the trees and shadows, and she knows they are useless; there is no one around to hear her. Somewhere in the back of her mind she has already accepted that this was where she was going to die – completely alone, with nothing left of her to ever be found. Her parents will never know what became of her, and this, more so than the teeth being sunk into her muscles and the acid that drips and burns her skin, is what causes the tears to spill down her cheeks.

    She has no way of knowing that somewhere in the forest, something else is running towards her. She has no way of knowing that Casimira, curious of where her old sister was going, had followed her.

    The young white girl trips through the underbrush and bramble, having lost sight of her sister some time ago. As usual, she had snuck off without Cassian, which secretly, she always found to be a little bit hilarious. He always got so upset when she did something fun without him, but he was also never paying attention. In her opinion, it served him right.

    Casimira was still too young to fully understand why there seemed to be an invisible wedge between her and her older sister. She didn’t understand that she associated herself and her twin brother with being the reason their mother didn’t always get along with Evenstar’s father. And delving even further than that, Casimira could never begin to understand the illusion of a perfect family that her sister had been living with. She herself has never met her father; her mother rarely spoke of him, and she found it difficult to miss something she had never had. It confused her why Evenstar seemed to care so much, but she also desperately wanted her to like her. To actually like her, and not fake like her the way she usually did.

    When she hears a scream, she almost doesn’t recognize the voice. The sheer pain and fear that it carried with it sunk inside the marrow of her bones, and she knows for certain that her heart stopped.

    For a moment, she almost turns back. She was not meant to be heroic or brave, and she is so certain that it couldn’t possibly be her sister making that sound. But the sound comes again, and this time, there is a note of familiarity to it. It’s not something she can pinpoint, but it makes her blood run cold.

    When she rushes through the forest and follows the trail of broken branches and destroyed brush, she begins to shift without realizing it. It was typically an awkward and ungraceful process, but this time she does not notice when her sleek coat morphs into hardened scales, or when the dragon wings erupt from her behind her shoulders. In another two strides, her equine form is entirely replaced for that of a white dragon.

    She hardly has time to register what she sees when she comes upon the trio. All she sees is a flash of green buried between two large, strange looking creatures, and all she hears is her sister’s desperate cries. For a moment, she almost opens her mouth to unleash the flames that form in her throat, but somehow she manages to think it through. There are too many trees, and she knows she lacks control in her dragon form to not accidentally burn Evenstar. But she is larger than them – not by much, since she is not full grown, but it is enough.

    She goes for the bigger one first, colliding her larger form directly into her in hopes of knocking her away. With a snake of her reptilian head she snakes around, trying to be mindful of her sister’s delicate equine form as she reaches over her to snap at the smaller beast. Back and forth she goes, snapping and lunging, letting her powerful tail swing as she turns from one to the other. Her hope is that they will decide this prey is not worth it; that trying to take on a dragon that was hellbent on protecting what was hers was a waste of energy. She has been so good at controlling the monster that clawed inside of her whenever she shifted into her dragon form, but already she knows without question that she will lose herself without hesitation if it meant saving her sister.

    I'm praying that this stairway leads somewhere like Heaven's door,
    and when you get there don't look down

    evenstar


    Okay well enjoy that scattered and rambly post, featuring dragon Casimira. Who in this timeline has not yet been blown up by Starsin.

    @[Ripley and Nostromo]
    Reply
    #8
    remarkable boy, I do admire your courage.
    I think I'll eat your heart


    They are so close, so close to finishing this meal. The younger one has her gleaming jaws on the green one’s neck when they are interrupted – she’s trying to tear out the girl’s throat to stop the screams, stop the crying. Her mother was meanwhile making a mess of the girl’s flank, tearing through muscle and shedding blood.

    Until.

    A roar of frustration rips through the mother as she is knocked aside, teeth grazing along the mare’s side in almost a caress as she loses her grip and is pushed aside.

    The daughter snarls in anger and her attention falls away from what was rightfully their meal – this creature has no right to contest them for it now. Although a little larger than them, the two xenomorphs are too furious with the interruption to really be intimidated. Surely, they could gang up and take on this thing in addition to the already-beaten one on the ground.

    The larger one snaps back, her tail whipping dangerously behind her. They’re not used to someone attempting to bully them around – few have stood up to them and even fewer have made a successful display. It’s usually only their master that eventually calls them off.

    But Anaxarete isn’t here. There’s no one to tighten the leashes of these dogs.

    The smaller of the hunters surges forward to meet one of the lunges the dragon is making – snapping with her own teeth and trying to get a purchase on the scaly flesh. Although these hunters are formidable, their figure is still that of a horse. There’s only so much flexibility allowed to them, especially as decorated with armoured plates as they are.

    It’s a shock when the teeth of the dragon latch onto the thinner plates around the daughter’s neck, and she sees nothing but fuming anger when she feels the tear in her skin. Acidic blood sprays outward, sizzling with anger on anything it touches, be it ground or flesh. It’s enough to make that hunter retreat a beat.

    As she does, it’s her mother’s turn to lunge, an effort to shove the dragon away in the same manner that it had her. She’s knocked by that powerful tail and, though she wields her own in an attempt to at least carve up the dragon a little, the force is enough to knock the breath out of her.

    Although they would drive themselves into a frenzy for a meal, destroying themselves in the process, they have to accept that sometimes they are not enough.

    A low clicking noise comes from the larger of the pair and the smaller snaps her head in that direction, as though in disbelief, but with an angry snarl she shifts her weight and retreats. It leaves a sour taste in both of their mouths.

    The soft flesh of horses has always been a favourite meal, but they're consumed by the idea of tearing into that scaled flesh.

    The next time they meet a dragon, they’ll kill it. And the one after that. And on and on until there are no more dragons.



    ripley & nostromo
    XXVIII eaten to date-----



    @[Evenstar]
    Aliens be like 'WELL ALRIGHT I GUESS WE'LL LEAVE but we'll be back'
    Reply




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