Roleplaying

Over the heat scorched forest on the horizon rises an orange sun. The parched earth all around you cries out for a single drop of rain to quench it's thirst and revive it once more. Heat waves swallow up the distance. You have learned to avoid the mirages call for you, a sight that once sent you on the chase, sparking a sense of hope within you for a satisfaction to your starving senses, only to leave you crashing into the dust as you fall victim to the cruel game of the sun.

The sand is like fire on your belly and your paws, the air is dry and thin, with not a cloud in sight. How on earth does anyone survive in such harsh conditions? The sweet aroma of Spring is but a distant memory now, and you can almost taste the coolness of the rain dancing on your tongue, but it is all in your mind. 

What keeps you going? Love, Family, Community. These are the constants you have known all your life, things you need and expect and rely on for comfort and encouragement, motivation. For those of you who are so blessed as to have something such as this, take solace in their company. Only a fool would trade something so sweet for immediate, yet temporary satisfaction.

For those of you out there on your own..prevail. Hold onto hope, for it will keep you sane.

A hopeless creature in these conditions is as good as dead..

Dust loped stiffly over the dry brittle grass that covered the valley. She had been running for hours and was tired of it. she ventured a nervous glance over her shoulder.. no, they had stopped following. the town that she had called home for weeks had suddenly burst into flame. the townsfolk all quickly blamed the old stranger for the blaze, and ran her out of town like a rat with the plague. most gave up after the first few miles, she had the unrelenting heat to thank for that, however there was a gang of foxes that had been more persistant than the rest. it appeared that she had lost the tail, (no one outruns a Jackrabbit in the summer) at least, until nightfall. She proped up against a recently dead tree and took stock of her belongings. "one leather bag, check. water skin, check. herbs, check. food.." uh oh. not a problem. how much farther could the next town be?

The shadows wer growing longer as dusk approched, and still the noonday temperature remained. Dust kept a steady pace towards the relative safety of the hills. She was disheartened at the distence she still had to go

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her pack was weighing heavier and heavier on her old shoulders, untill she had to make a grave decision. jettison her supplies, or risk complete exhaustion. Rummaging through her bag she pulled out several dried roots. nutritionally dead, but it does wonders for a headache. it had to go. 

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Buzzards passed every few hours hoping for a free meal. Dust had to keep moving

The heat of the sun was relentless, and it beat down on the heavy, sunken shoulders of the young male lion stalking through the field. The vultures circled just overhead, and if the heat kept up, with all the receding resources, they would have no problem finding a meal for themselves. Orpheus, on the other hand, was starving. He felt his stomach's muffled growl rattle within him as the vibrations of the sound reverberated off the empty space within him. His eyes narrowed, to block the sun, were blinking sporadically and quickly, and his vision was blurred. He felt light headed, and knew that if he didn't find food soon, it would be lights out.

His fur was hot, and his mouth hung open as he panted from heat exhaustion. His bones were achy from resltessness. Yet, his determination and self-assuredness kept him on the trail, as he traveled sure-footed towards a small town of animals. He knew that smaller animals lived there, and as he was much too tired to take down a larger prey, he figured a small lunch would be enough to satiate him for a while.

Dust was almost spent when the sun finally dipped below the horizon. She let out a breath she did not know she had been holding. she could relax some now. She had been balancing avoiding predators and the heat all day, and she was not sure how much longer she could keep it up.

Dust Is an Antelope Jackrabbit, most at home in the dark anyway. Although fading with age, she still had excellent night vision. Any predator would have a hard time sneaking up on her now, she thought. she hummed a tune her mother had taught her many years ago as the light from a small town came into view. 

The medium sized snake slithered out from under a rock, her only shelter from the blazing heat from the sun. Skye rattled her tail slightly in anger. She hadn't have anything to eat for two days, and counting. She slithered on top of a larger rock, hoping to find a stray mouse or squirrel. Skye scanned the dry dirt for signs of any prey, foot prints, bones, even a carcass of an unlucky creature that didn't survive the harsh conditions. Her tongue quickly slid in and out of her mouth, tasting the air. Something was coming her way, she did not know what, but it was coming. She quickly slithered under a boulder, not wanting to be prey herself.

From her vantage point, the old hare could see the town was still a ways off. She sighed and hopped off of the stump she had been using to rest. "looks like I won't make it there until tomorrow" might as well make the most of my time until then. She began looking for any plant that might still be alive that she could use in a potion, or at least a poultice. Half an hour of searching only yielded a pawful of sage, and a rib bone of some poor creature. Dust curled up against a rock large enough to take shelter under, and began chewing on the bone thoughtfully. Only minutes passed and although she didn't mean too, she fell into an exhausted sleep.

Coal looked over the land. It was summer time, the best time for a dip in the water. Thanks to Coal's fur color, Coal was in danger of catching a heat stroke. Luckily the pack's territory had plenty of watering holes and shade. He suddenly heard yips and yelps of pups. Coal turned to see Clarence and Keisha's pups bounding towards him. "Uncle Coal!" they exclaimed. "Johnny, Kell, Claudia!" exclaimed Coal. The pups tackled the large wolf, causing him to laugh. "You finally woke up!" exclaimed Johnny, the oldest and white one of the pups. "Yeah, you were dozing like a tick," said Kell, the brown one of the pups. "I was tired from last night's hunt," said Coal. "And from howling so much," said Claudia, the gray pup. Coal chuckled. "Pups," called a voice. They all turned to see Keisha, the alpha female of the Howlers pack. "There you are," said Keisha. She walked up to the pups and nuzzled them. Clarence, the large gray alpha male of the Howlers pack arrived as well. He walked over to Coal. "I see the pups have given you a lesson in sleeping late," he chuckled. "Yes," said Coal, chuckling as Kell chewed on his large ear. Keisha removed the pup from Coal's ear and said, "You love coming up here, don't you?" "Yes, it soothes me, just like your teaching methods on controlling my anger," said Coal. "Thank Lupus, I thought I was going to have to wrestle it out of you," said Clarence. Coal laughed. He then looked out into the sky. "I wonder what Tala is doing," he said. "Probably discussing about that vile wolf, Volkov," growled Clarence. Coal nodded. Coal's evil uncle was still breathing somewhere in the forest or mountain. He confronted him when Spring arrived, but never killed him. One day, Coal, Clarence, and even Clarence's brother, Curtis, the alpha male of the Hunters pack. Coal had gained his cousin's trust back. Coal stood and looked over at Clarence. "Ready to patrol?" he asked the gray wolf. "Yes," said Clarence. Clarence and Keisha nuzzled and the cousins ran off, both large wolves galloping with great speed.

Skye opened her mouth to taste the smell better. Not a usual smell, at least, not for the diamond back rattlesnake. Skye slid out from her hiding spot, her rattle kept still to avoid being detected. She knew the scent of food, this was not it. A predator? Or maybe a rival snake? The rattlesnake raised her head from the ground, maybe about a foot, just to see if she can spot anything. She hisses and rattles her tail in warning. Perhaps it would flee? Skye lowered her head back to the desert dry soil that covered the landscape. She looked up to look for vultures, they usually lead the way to an unfortunate animal that fell to the heat.

The temperature was already climbing again when Dust awoke suddenly to the sound of shallow breathing. She poked her nose out of the shallow den she had dug during the night to combat the sudden summer chill. The first scent that hit her nose was the unmistakeable scent of predator. "Run! Hide!" her brain commanded. Run where? A mass of dirty matted fur was blocking the warren entrance. The mass was still and cold to the touch, only the occasional rasp gave away any sign of life. After the initial fear wore off, Dust decided to investigate with a curiosity that betrayed her species "let the younger ones panic" she thought "I'm too old for this kind of thing to scare me anymore". "excuse me sir or madam, you seem to have parked yourself on top of my den" The furry body began to breath more quickly "sir or madam" she began again "I heard..you the first time" the mass spoke. It was strained and grainy, but unmistakably male

Orpheus felt the heat of the earth sting it's ways through his thick and heavy paws. His pads were blistered and bleeding from his traveling all day. Being on his own, he had no one to take care of, no one to visit, nowhere to go. It was unnatural for a lion his age to be all alone, and Orpheus usually wandered in search of something..anything. Just what, he wasn't sure.

Letting out a sigh, he stopped his running, for his aching feet would no longer lend their use to him. He fell to the ground with a thud, his large head hitting the ground harder than he expected, and he let out a moan. He had a most unpleasent sandy taste in his mouth, that was grainy and left him parched and longing for the taste of the fresh Spring air. He longed to eat something, fuel himself somehow so that his head would stop spinning.

A menacing sound was set off somewhere not too far from where he landed. His weary ears picked up on the sound, recognizing it as a warning. Orpheus was tired, hungry, and the last thing he wanted was to end up in trouble. He looked around him, and about a couple of yards away he could make out the head of a snake, it's tongue flicking in and out.

Skye rattled her tail again, more in shock this time. She wasn't used to seing such large mammals. She stared at the warm blooded creature curiously, but didn't come closer. She knew the lion was probably hungry, as with any living thing in the area. Skye knew the lion would probably eat her if he could. If the lion died, it would mean food for the snake, and the vultures she just noticed circling above. Skye couldn't hold herself, the slithered slightly closer, out of reach of the lion, but close enough to get a good view. The beast didn't seem in the best shape possible, it should be expected however, due to the scorching heat and lack of much food and water on the area.

Dust let out sigh and sat back in her ditch she called a den. It was obvious that the animal had no inclination of moving. She realised she had a few options. Sit here and die of asphyxiation, nope, let's just push that one off the table. Bite the animal and risk the ire of what could be a dying and therefore all the more dangerous predator, nu-uh, "I am not putting my face near that thing" she though. She sat up against the wall the warren which was now quickly becoming an oven. Something in her pouch jutted out against her back and made her position increasingly uncomfortable. She reached back and yanked the offending object out from behind her. It was the rib bone she had found yesterday. "why did I bring this" she said to herself. It's big, cumbersome, and.. Sharp... That gave her an idea. She set to work gnawing the end of the long bone to a point. When she was satisfied with the product, she took a deep breath.. And jammed it into the clumps of fur above.

Orpheus wacthed as the creature slithered just out of reach, and listened with flattening ears as it continued with it's rattling. The sound was unsettling, as it was associated with bad feelings and signs. Orpheus knew that there would be little use in hunting it, as it was hardly enough to fill him. More realistically, he really didn't want to tangle with a rattle snake.

Extending his muscular arm, him layed his paw down cautiously, as if motioning for it to stop. "Hey.." he called out in a hoarse and raspy sort of voice. His throat was sore from the dry air, but he strained to speak. "I'm not going to harm you." he spoke with his remaining energy. "I just want.." he hesitated. He was hungry, slightly delusional, and pathetically alone. His mind was wandering, searching for words, and he stammered a bit. He must have sounded clynically insane. Taking a pause, he looked into the snake's eyes with desperation. "Don't go." he said. "Don't--Do you have any food?" He asked, sounding almost like a child.

Skye paused, then forced her tail to stop rattling loudly. She felt sorry for the lion. Once she was sure the lion was no danger to her, she slithered a bit closer. "There's been no animalsss other than myssself around here for... Ssss ... Three daysss" Skye took a deep breath to try to avoid snake talk. "I am sorry, i would help you, but i have barely enough food to feed myself, and anything that i can hunt is too small to fill a lion" She paused again, her emotion lacking eyes scanned the big cat. "You would need a gazelle or at least an couple of chickens to even begin filling yourself" Said the reptile.

Takes place in a desolate land where natural resources are slim. The ground is dry and cracked, the water seems to have dried up quite a bit as well. The sun is blazing and mre intense than ever. Occasional rain showers are a blessing to all who live under the sun in this desert waste land.

The bonds that were once so strong in the community have been threatened by the recent famine that has swept over the land. Resources are becoming harder and harder to come by as of late, and as a new split in the ties of the community is rearing it's ugly head, many are swindling their neighbors out of the only resourses needed to survive.

This new season has only just begun, and yet, it has already proven to take it's toll on the animals living in this harsh environment. As the heat drives many to put aside their principles and rely on pure survival instinct alone, many countless others have chosen to stick to what they believe is right, and have decided to put others before themselves. The elements prove to test them, but can anyone truly stand the test? Who will come out on top?

When you are battling the very elements in the hardest season of your life, who will you become? Will you stick to who you are, remaining true to your own convictions? Or will you throw it all away in an attempts to save yourself?

In the midst of the chaos, love, family, honor, and community remain, but a change has no doubt taken place. Neighbors, friends you once knew may make a turn you never expected, and exposing their true colors, show you who they really are and where their true allegience lies. The difference between you and them is courage. Do you have what it takes to make it through the season?

Take this chance to tell us your story. Who will you be in the face of desperation? who do you love, what is it you truly care about when the odds are against you, and nature itself is threatening to grind you down and bury you in the dust..what will you choose? The choice is yours.

Since my last RP, Four Seasons: Spring, seemed to do pretty well for a while, I decided to try again with a somewhat different plot, but the same heart that the last story had. I am hoping this one does as well if not better.

Animals of all shapes, sizes, and species have long lived in harmony, sharing the land without much complication. But when the seasons throw all they have at you, can you hold onto the bonds you once knew?

You are to choose a character. An animal of any species. Tell their story, where they are from, who their friends are, who they love, and expose their true character in the face of hardship and trial.

It's a test of the heart, of the spirit. Who will you choose to be, and will you break, or stand with honor and conviction until the end? 

 

Okay, since there seemed to be a lot of confusion over the rules in the last RP, I will be a little more clear this time.

-NO MARY SUES, NO CONTROLLING OTHER'S CHARACTERS

-ROMANCE?: IS ALLOWED, BUT KEEP IT G RATED ( i.e. nuzzling each other or cuddling, a lick on the cheek, or anything like that is probably as far as it should go. We don't need details on anything like mating. I don't want to see it, and it would already be implied if a pair of mates was pregnant with offspring, so once again, we don't need those details. Think Lion King people. That's the example I like to use.)

-VIOLENCE?: It is most likely inevitable that some of the animals are going to fight or have to hunt. But as I have noticed that many RPers like to take things to a level where they are introducing gory details, I will state here, before we run into any trouble, that this is not acceptable in this RP. Once again, I will use Lion King as an example: if you're planning on writing anything more violent or dark than what has been depicted in a Lion King movie, I will kindly suggest that you don't. No, I don't want you having to feel like you have to declaw your character and put them in a bubble, but I have been overwhelmed and even nausiated by some things I have seen people write in the past that are far too descriptive or graphic. Hoping not to have the same problem with this RP. Thank you. 

-ODD COLORING?: Honestly, I don't care all that much. I sometimes even use odd coloring or patterns on my own characters, so if you really must, feel free.

-POWERS?: No.

-OTHER?: I am not going to yell at someone for being illiterate, since I really am not that rigid. I make mistakes myself. As long as I can understand what you are writing and the other players can too, then..it's all good :-) Just do your best, that's all I will ask.

-HAVE FUNNN!!! this is purely for enjoyment and entertainment. Let's all try to get along and have a good time :3 and in all truth, I am typically pretty agreeable and easy going, so if you have any questions, please either message me or leave a comment in the OOC Chat :3