Trying To Overcome Fear.

[lidarose]

I stood, shaking in front of the tower. Do I dare go in with my friends? They already charged ahead to their parents, but it's not like I have any to go to. I trembled more. Maybe I should go to the meadow or the castle. That would be less dangerous, for sure, and less scary. But I couldn't go there. Nobody I know was around there. Everyone was at our tower right now.

If there was anything I hated, it was being alone. At least, out here, I had the security of someone being nearby to protect me if a random creature popped out of the woods and attacked me for some reason. At least the scent around here was comforting. At least here, I could pretend to be loved, even though at the moment, I was isolated.

I could tell something was nearby, which made me inch closer to the tower.
"D-don't come any closer. P-please leave me alone..." I muttered, not that whatever it was could possibly hear me. I let my tail touch the tower, then stopped and just shook. Maybe it's a butterfly. Maybe it's another member of the pack. Maybe it's nothing at all. I'm worrying too much again, I thought. But that didn't stop me from being utterly afraid of whatever was here.

[Ladi Shad!]

(OOC: definately, not the wolf you wanna meet when trying to get over your fears. >=3)

Slipping silently among the rocks at the base of the Gurando's tower, Shadow observed the frightened fae from all angles, debating on whether or not to show herself. On one paw, it would be very fun to entertain herself by frightening the already-scared wolf, but on the other paw, she was Kuki, and not supposed to be here in the first place. If Velvet knew of Shadow's current wherabouts, not even the gods could help her. Not that Velvet would ever know. Shadow had travelled far for a taste of her preferred prey, and she planned on waiting no longer.

Hearing the other she-wolf speak, the beautiful black fae moved in, emerging from the shadows. "Awww, but why? Wouldn't it be much more fun if we came out to play?" Her sweet voice called, smiling in a perfectly casual manner. Behind her, though, came two other presences, much more menacing than their companion's sweet appearance. A Panvein with the markings of a snow leopard, and blue eyes with a glint of malicious mischeviousness. Not much of a threat. The other creature, however, was much, much more fear-inspiring than a egotistical cat. A red-eyed winlow, white as snow and with gleaming fangs to match, and as usual he had an expression of short-tempered annoyance.

[lidarose]

I stiffened, hearing the voice. True, it sounded all sweet and stuff, but I learned not to trust that. And when she emerged with two creatures, one of which would probably kill me in my sleep, and the other was roughly the size of a house cat, though that didn't mean it wouldn't kill me, either, I clenched my paws. I was trembling from head to toe.

"Y-you're not a m-member of this pack, s-so, you sh-shouldn't be here," I stammered. I was right, of course, but why would she heed me? I was scared to death of her, she had that panvein and winlow with her, and I was just a pup. This wouldn't end well at all if she really wanted to hurt me. "Y-you could get i-into a l-lot of trouble." I couldn't stop shaking, and why try to? She already knew I was afraid, so why try showing her otherwise? I backed further up against the tower. If she tries to attack me, I'll run in, I thought gravely. I know where the traps are and how to avoid them, but this fae doesn't, so I would have an advantage, slight though it is. I probably can't outrun her or her companions, but perhaps I can outmaneuver them.

[Ladi Shad!]

Shadow cocked her head to the side cutely, acting rather young for a wolf of her ranking. It was amusing for her to see teh erratic movement of the pup's sharp teal aura. he was terrified of her, and the dark fae drank up the fear. She'd wait, playing her game before she ended it. Who knew, if the pup humored her enough, she might even let him live. He certianly didn't look like more than a mouthful, anyhow. "Oh, don't you want to play with us, puppy? Surely we're not that scary," She said, bowing in a playful way and waggin her tail, which also caused her backside to move side-to-side.

Zmey, the Panvein, was happily watching his wolfen friend as she went through her usual routine. He licked his lips, deciding to play his own game. Meowing sweetly, he tried to rub against the pup's legs, purring in hidden menace. Not that the pup would know that. Akatsuki, on the other hand, just sat there in annoyance. He really didn't see the point in the other two's games. He just wanted to get it over with and move on to something more important. Like dinner.

[lidarose]

"I-I...I don't play with strangers," I answered. "Especially those that could hurt me!" And that's when the Panvein started trying to rub up against me, which made me jump up and hit my back against the tower. It hurt me a bit, but certainly not as much as these guys looked like they would. "S-stay away! I-I..." And then it hit me. They knew I was afraid...And it was fun for them. I felt my stomach churn as I felt this anger start welling up inside me. I growled at Zmey and Shadow. "You know you are that scary to me, but you're trying to play sweet and innocent just because you want some entertainment! How could you possibly think this is fun?!" My voice was strong and clear now, and my fur bristled, completely standing on end. I must have looked twice as tall as I did before. "What have I ever done to you to deserve your messing with me? Huh?!" I took a step toward her. "It's pathetic of you, really. You should just go back home, where you belong!"

I growled yet again. Where on earth did this anger even come from? The logical part of my brain was telling me I should run right through the tower now so I'd be safe, but I was no longer listening to it. She looked like the type that would have no qualms about injuring a pup such as myself, or making one of her creatures do it, and here I was, not fleeing for my life as I should be. I was a freaking genius.

[Ladi Shad!]

Shadow and Zmey paused, both still as the pup's anger blossomed and grew. An unexpected reaction came from Shadow, though. She began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh. She pulled herself off the ground, standing nobly, trying to quell her laughter, now a fit of giggles. She knew the pup was in a fit of rage. The bright red aura told her that much. "Me? Pathetic? Really, dear, you should look in a puddle," She said as she stepped up to the pup, and lowered her head to make eye contact. "You're hardly half my size. Not to mention... Well, I guess I can trust you with this itinsy-weentsie little secret," She said, and moved her jaws neared to the pup's ear. Oh, her heart raced with excitement when she thought of the pup's terror once she told him. The only reason she would tell him her affiliation was because he wouldn't live long enough to tell anyone any way. "I'm a Ghost," She whispered, and she broke out into an evil grin.

[lidarose]

I trembled, trying to keep my anger at bay as she laughed. Of course I wouldn't intimidate her. I was just a pup, after all, but still! I didn't think she'd have the audacity to laugh at me. And I wish when she did, I could have lunged at her and shut her up. I wish I could have done something awesome like cast a spell at her or walked up to her and shown her that she could not laugh at me, for I was tough. What happened instead? I was instantly humiliated and my anger vanished on a dime. I was blushing with embarrassment. Just as I was going to ask her why she was laughing, when she started talking and walked toward me, making eye contact. What she said was down-right mean.

"T-that's a non sequitor," I sqeaked. "J-just because I'm pathetic doesn't make you any less so!" Yeah. That would totally show her who was boss. Me and my flimsy voice with my flimsy argument. Totally smooth. And then she moved her jaw near my ear, making me tremble again, but I didn't move. I had nowhere I could go besides into the tower. And she told me she was a ghost. My eyes widened, and I trembled even harder, but I didn't try to run away. Rather, I took a couple steps away from her so she was a bit more at a distance. Keep yourself guarded. Don't let her bite your neck. I wasn't keen on dying just yet. I thought of all the combat I had been taught at my age, not that it would help against her. Not if she was a ghost, as she claimed.

"Y-you c-can't b-be s-serious," I stuttered. But she was. She may have been completely, utterly twisted and wanted entertainment by saying such, but if she made a claim like that, it had to be true. No one with the Ghost element wanted to admit to it in this world. I backed another step away. "If you're a ghost, then you're transparent and can't hurt me, s-so, so...I sh-shouldn't b-be a-afraid of you." I knew that was a lie before I even opened my mouth to say it. And I knew she could kill me before I ever even entered the tower. And...if I died, no one would even come looking for me, or care. I felt myself tear up as I took one more step back, keeping my eyes trained on her. So much for living.

[Ladi Shad!]

Shadow stepped forward, getting extreme morbid joy from tormenting the pup. For her, there was just nothing that broughjt more satisfaction than these horrid games, except perhaps, torturing the poor thing. "Oh, can't I? I'm more than real, I assure you," She said, and debated using a spell. It wasn't nessisary, no, but it would bring even more enjoyment. But then she'd have less energy afterwards, in case the pup's packmates showed up. That was a pity. That spell would have been perfect, too... She smiled again at some hidden thought, taking her time in her game.

Though an unpredicted variable appeared. A small brown wolf, young, but battle-scarred. Her gold eyes flashed in anger at the sight she beheld. She had followed the scent of Ghost element in hope of finding another who fought the power of Minlo's insanity. But all she found was a pitiful pup-killer. The kind of twisted wolf that got joy out of hurting the very thing all wolves should protect. She bounded forward, moving to stand between Shadow and Warren, snarling her disapproval. This pup may not be of her pack, as she had no pack, but that didn't make this situation any less wrong. "What in the name of Martial is going on here?"

[lidarose]

My heart was pounding, and I was sure it was not only because I was scared that it was doing so. This fae was going to kill me whenever she saw it fit, and no one would even care. I could picture it clearly. I could picture her proving her realness by getting that critical vein in my neck and...I shrunk into myself in an attempt to cover my vitals. If she was going to kill me, I wasn't going to make it easier on her by leaving everything open. And that's when a brown wolf with gold eyes bounded toward us. Was I comforted by the fact there was an angry wolf here to possibly save me? No. My first thought was, Great. Another wolf to help her rip me apart.

"N-nothing's going on yet..." I stammered. Okay, so a lot was going on, but how the heck was I supposed to even articulate it? "Uh, hey, yeah. This wolf is trying to kill me even though we only just met. It would be mighty kind of you to save me?" No, thank you. I already seemed like a big enough sissy to this fae. I was sure I looked really pale, despite my black fur, and I could tell I was shaking even harder now. It was then a thought popped into my head and I looked at Shadow.

"Th-this fae was just leaving, weren't you?" I didn't smile or smirk when I asked this. In fact, my eyes were more pleading than anything. Please leave now. Please leave now. Please leave now. This was the thought I was trying to convey with my eyes.