A Meeting of Paws and Claws

NEOS

I have but one thing
I wanna say to you

Fuck.

This.

Cold.

And Arceus-dammit, he hadn't been aware of a doll-making contest that had just recently passed, either, or he would have entered it! The lion, as a result, was pawing about in frustration through the city streets with a slight growl coming from him, large paws almost stomping on the ground in each step taken. There were some yelps in surprise as the lion moved through the streets before word of a lion began to spread through the citadel that was suspected to be an Attuned. The fact he had unusual eyecolors for an lion helped solidify this idea a bit, since lion don't normally have neon-green eyes.

Such word spreading helped reduce the panic he was causing, but instinctive fear caused people to still give a wide berth when they noticed him passing.

Which, to be fair, was understandable. He was in the form of a predator, after all...

RAWR

"If I can't move the heavens above, I will move Hell" As Sah stalked through the streets of Halo, he was instantly on guard. There was an aura of almost fear and the residents who normally showed little emotion seemed anxious. Sah strained his senses, trying to pick up on what was happening. A lion the whispers on the street told him. Likely an attuned, but a lion nonetheless was stalking the streets. What the fuck was a lion? Sah couldn't deny his curiosity. And if there was a threat in his new territory he had to investigate. Following the trail of ruffled citizens, Sah swiftly made his way through the city. He soon turned a corner and there stood a large golden cat with a mane. It was clearly a predator and clearly the 'lion' that the citizens whispered about. Sah stalked closer, watching intently. He felt a strong surge of jealousy. The cat didn't seem cold at all. But more importantly the citizens around here were particularly wary and some of the children were clearly afraid. And although Sah was still a stranger to these lands, his alpha instincts kicked in. His eyes narrowed and he approached the cat, pausing a few feet in front of Neos. "You do realize you're scaring the pu..kids around here quite a bit. Mind shifting back?" He asked, but his tone made it clear that it was not a request. sah There stood the wolf in the winter wind Full of fearsome might There stood the wolf in the winter wind King of the winter night. -Tim Vallie

Neos

Don't be mistaken
Your bloody time's up

The lion lifted his large head towards the one humanoid that approached him without much fear. Such would have caused him to raise an eyebrow, but felines had not evolved the muscles to allow for that. Instead, he turned his head at the approaching human, hearing his...uh, 'request' and noticing the slip, which caused the big creature to look around.

He had been so furious about the cold and the fact he missed an event that he forgot he was in a crowded area. Whoops.

The lion kicked up off his forepaws to get into a standing position as it began to change, becoming clothed in an entirely black outfit with a wide-brimmed hat of the same color over slightly-curly hair...but even after the transformation, the eyes were still the same as they were before transformation. Around his neck was a golden chain with an uncut six-pointed cyan gem that glowed slightly, though not enough to provide proper illumination.

The human in black gave a sideways, yet gentle smile before asking in a whisper as he leaned forward, taking advantage of the fact that there were none close enough to hear his question. "You're not human either, are you?"

This ain't no game
We're not here to entertain you

"If I can't move the heavens above, I will move Hell" Sah had to bite back a growl as the stranger invaded his personal space. He wasn't completely succeed and a small rumble echoed in his chest before he could suppress it. However as Sah listened to Neos talk, his tense muscles relaxed. Either? Maybe this stranger had gone through something similar? Had his world ended too? Maybe he had tips on how to be... human. Mune knew Sah needed help. Sah gave a sideways glance at Neos before responding. "Not at all." He replied just as quietly, his mouth tilting into a smirk. "Though lucky you retained an inhuman form." Sah added, jealousy clear in his voice. *Small note: Mune is the goddess his kind worshipped* sah There stood the wolf in the winter wind Full of fearsome might There stood the wolf in the winter wind King of the winter night. -Tim Vallie

Neos

Don't be mistaken
Your bloody time's up

"This 'lion' form isn't anywhere near my true form as a shapeshifter," Neos confessed before straightening back up, looking at the tips of one of his hands as he did. There were indents where it looked like something came out of them repeatedly previously, but all five slits were now sealed. "Also miss having my claws and fangs in this form. Hopefully, I can get that fixed sometime soon."

He then lowered his hand, sliding them into his pant pockets for the time being. "If you want, we can move to somewhere a little more private, likely an alleyway--" Neos stopped himself before looking around, remembering how he had to learn about the world at large on his own, how he had to learn many 'common' human terms to be able to follow most conversations. "...sorry, the spaces between these buildings...before we can speak and ask more freely."

He then nodded before saying, "I've also been pretending to be who I currently am for almost a quarter of a century, so let me know if I lose you while talking, alright?"

This ain't no game
We're not here to entertain you

"If I can't move the heavens above, I will move Hell" Sah nodded in both understanding towards missing his own claws, and towards the proposed change in location. "Lead the way." He  replied, gesturing for Neos to show him to whichever 'alleyway' he deemed best. Sah was still too unfamiliar with the area to know where to be to avoid eavesdroppers. "A quarter of a century? Impressive. I'm sure I'll be lost before long. None of this is familiar for me." He explained glancing around and also gesturing to himself with a sarcastic chuckle. Sah followed closely behind Neos as they walked, keeping an eye on those around them. Soon they reached the alleyway. "So, how did you end up here?"   sah There stood the wolf in the winter wind Full of fearsome might There stood the wolf in the winter wind King of the winter night. -Tim Vallie

Neos

Don't be mistaken
Your bloody time's up

As Neos listened to the figure following him, he also was glancing down each alleyway he passed, trying to find one that at least was relatively clean and didn't punch him in the nose with some form of foul odor. He didn't know if his current companion still had a sensitive sense of smell, after all, and preferred to play it safe than sorry.

He went before the other into the alley he chose, allowing the canine to backtrack and about-face if he didn't like what he heard or seen. After a little bit in, the former Ditto turned around before leaning against one of the walls, arms crossed in front of him.

"How did I get here? Would you believe me if I said I got launched into Caido from the world I was in before this?" He reached back behind his neck, scratching behind an ear before bringing it back in front of himself. "The last world I traveled through before coming here was a really-wild one by the name of Zendikar that puts the nature of any world either of us have been in to damned shame...and been to quite a few worlds." He then stopped leaning against the wall to stand on his own two feet.

"Imagine, if you will, the plantlife itself coming to life, pulling up their own roots and walking across the lands like you and I do now, yes even the trees...and that was just the tip of the iceberg." He shook his head before taking his hat off, running a hand through his hair. "But yeah, there was a magical storm known only as the Roil. Storms normally go their own course, but the Roil, often taking the form of a tornado that created electricity, hunted after those near it when it landed. I got pulled in and next thing I knew, I was tossed into the sands in a different area of Caido."

This ain't no game
We're not here to entertain you

"If I can't move the heavens above, I will move Hell" Sah listened intently as Neos spoke, his mind racing. "You've traveled to other worlds before this? That's normal for you? No wonder you've adapted so well." Sah smirked slightly at the mention of walking plants. "My world didn't have plants like that, but each tree and  other life forms were inhabited by Nymphs, nature spirits so to speak. They would come out and talk to you if you asked, or yell at you if you accidently broke one of their branches." He chuckled at his own memories. It was only fair that he shared his story too. Neos had opened up about his after all. Taking a breath, Sah braced himself, his expression becoming carefully blank. "I didn't come here of my own volition either. My home...my world...it..." He paused, his voice cracking mildly. "It ended." He declared softly. Sah hadn't told anyone the details yet but maybe, just maybe this stranger who had experience something similar would understand.  Just speaking about his home hurt more then he could articulate. But now that he'd started, Sah couldn't stop and more came rushing out. "The sky turned black as the sun vanished, the earth split itself down to the core.. and just as it all ended, the world for lack of a better way of putting this... folded in on itself. It was...horrifying. I don't know why I survived, or how. Or why the fuck I woke up here, completely fine but in a brand new body." Sah spoke quietly and although his voice was steady, it was clear how painful the memory was for him. sah There stood the wolf in the winter wind Full of fearsome might There stood the wolf in the winter wind King of the winter night. -Tim Vallie

Neos

Don't be mistaken
Your bloody time's up

"Used to being misplaced, though I still stumble on learning new customs after jumping from world to world," Neos corrected at first with a narrowed smile after hearing Sah try to compliment him on adapting so well.

Oh, he did not adjust well at first at all...by Distortion, that Sunjata character probably thinks him insane from when he first arrived...

He listened to how things had apparently ended with Sah, frowning more and more as he listened. He thought of the worlds that he had a hand in helping to save in one way or another...then found himself thinking of the world he came from first. He had no idea if it was even still around, or if he would ever have a way to find out.

"...I have no idea if my home world still stands after so long," he admitted, placing his hat back onto his head. "Been through quite a few of them, all but one willing but aided, all of them one way." He then looked up before saying, "While I have no idea why you survived, something to keep in mind is one thing." He held up a single finger pointed towards the sky before continuing. "If you survived, there's a chance that any number of the others might have survived. You may have to be patient, however, travel between worlds and realities is not a straight line. It might even be decades before you see any of them again, any of them might plop at our hindpaws where we stand right now---" He looked up towards the sky, eyes narrowed as he looked out for any signs of exactly that happening before looking down after a few seconds. "And a third possibility is that any of them may be in a completely different world, just like you and I are here. There's no telling by anyone, honestly."

He then, this time a bit more slowly, went to place a hand on Sah's shoulder before saying, "This also just dawned on me. It seems that the humans on this world seem to have some form of ability, example being me as an Attuned with that feline form you saw earlier. Have you tried seeing what you can do yet?"

This ain't no game
We're not here to entertain you

"If I can't move the heavens above, I will move Hell" Sah gave a small chuckle when Neos corrected him. Seems like he wasn't the only one who had a steep learning curve. He then hummed as Neos continued to speak, a bit of hope stirring in his chest. Maybe Sah's pack was alive after all? "You may be right. Regardless, I think for now I'll try and convince myself that they all just ended up in different worlds. I don't think I'm ready yet to accept he alternative." Sah said grimly but shrugged slightly, shaking off his melancholy. Sah let Neos put a hand on his shoulder, though he was incredibly confused at the gesture. Was this supposed to be some kind of reassuring thing amongst humans? Was he supposed to do something in return? Sah decided to just it be and focus on the conversation.  Ah, his magic. Sah held out his hands and concentrated. Small sparks began to travel over his hands and wrap around his fingers before dissipating. "It's almost incomprehensibly weaker then what I had, but I seem to have retained my lightning magic to some extent. I believe I was called an Abandoned? Ironic name really." Sah said with grin, letting his hands drop back to his sides. sah There stood the wolf in the winter wind Full of fearsome might There stood the wolf in the winter wind King of the winter night. -Tim Vallie

Neos

Don't be mistaken
Your bloody time's up

Neos gave a slight frown at the mention of magic, though it was more of jealousy than anything else, as he allowed his hand to slide off of Sah's shoulder then stepped back one to give the former canine space again. "I haven't been around in this world long enough to know what in Distortion's the deal regarding the people here and those that can use magic, but it seems like something happened a long time ago to get such magic users, the 'Abandoned', to be put in a bad light outside of here in Halo."

He looked down, glancing down at a hand he rose to his side for a moment before lowering it and looking back up toward Sah. "Though, it seems like when someone's pulled into this reality, they are changed and usually restricted in some way. Example, I had learned how to use multiple kinds of magic, but here...?" He stretched out his arms in front of him to spread to the sides after backing up enough to not end up striking Sah by mistake. "If you don't have the innate ability to use magic after coming here, you never be able to use a single spell or bit of power like that outside of certain items that are usually crafted for certain people..." He then narrows his eyes before looking towards the end of the alleyway they came in through. "Same thing with shapeshifting, though that doesn't seem to have a negative light to it. Makes me really wonder what in Distortion happened way back with the magic of this world."

This ain't no game
We're not here to entertain you

"If I can't move the heavens above, I will move Hell" Sah frowned. "Something drastic must have happened for their to be such a drastic and widespread prejudice against the Abandoned even now. But the distortion of magic of Outlanders is rather intriguing. I was a magic wielder before I came here and although I was a canine, I could not shapeshift. You had magic as well but from what you're hinting at, you could shapeshift. Maybe we were slotted based on that?" Sah proposed, trying to come up with some kind of logical explanation. "Granted it could also just the be the Gods here or elsewhere just fucking with us." He added with a shrug and smirking slightly. "It certainly wouldn't be the first time, at least not on my end." The Goddess Mune was deeply invested in Sah's kind, which often led to them being pulled into other divine driven endeavors. And Sah may have cussed a God out once. Maybe. sah There stood the wolf in the winter wind Full of fearsome might There stood the wolf in the winter wind King of the winter night. -Tim Vallie

Neos

Don't be mistaken
Your bloody time's up

Neos had looked up towards the sky that appeared through the crack of blue above them, thinking back to the few times he had interacted with a figure that could be considered any form of divinity. A thin frown appeared on his face as he thought back to one particular reality, one he was very-much glad to be out of there.

"I have never seen a case of any god or goddess following after with their reach and influence, so I severely doubt it for that," he admitted before looking back down towards Sah. "And I don't know enough about the divinity here to make any such judgement calls on that front---"

Jealous gods fight fang and claw against the evolution of this world, Neos suddenly heard echo in the back of his head from the last time he saw another, clearly gritting his teeth and gripping his hands tight. It is the nature of children to grow and eventually no longer require their parents' care, but they force humanity to continue suckling from their breasts.

"...or maybe I do know," Neos suddenly said with a minor growl after going silent for a few odd seconds. "But it's not something I'd put any real weight on, at least yet." Shaking his head heard, Neos looked back up towards Sah before asking, "But yeah, what were you before you came here, if I may ask?"

This ain't no game
We're not here to entertain you

"If I can't move the heavens above, I will move Hell" Sah hummed as Neos explained his thoughts but when Neos's body language suddenly shifted, Sah was instantly on guard. He took a quick glance around to see the cause but seeing nothing, assumed it was internal. "Neos, are you ok? What's happening?" Sah asked, wanting to help but not knowing how. He was relieved but still concerned when his companion returned to normal. Sah's eyes narrowed. "Or you do know? What just happened that changed your answer?" He asked warily and with some suspicion. Had a God reached out to him? Why? Sah's brow was still furrowed with concern but he still answered Neos' inquiry. "In the most simple terms I can put it, I was a giant winged wolf with lightning magic. Alpha of my pack too." He explained, grief and pride battling in his tone. "What were you?" {FIN} sah There stood the wolf in the winter wind Full of fearsome might There stood the wolf in the winter wind King of the winter night. -Tim Vallie