R A P H A
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He had gravely overcalculated his position, his role, in the Plague, and the slave knew it. He waited, full of anxienty, outside of the tiny cave, hardly more than a shallow depression in the rock, that served as his home, close to Mistress Snö but out of way, out of sight, so those who were not racists, and simply preferring company of unicorns, knew not of him and his master. Unicorns. He was created to serve them, a gift to them, the dun very well knew and loved the idea.
The pony was obsessed, infatuated with the unicorns- Rapha longed to be one, loved to serve them, even if he was a fearful little thing. They were glorious, splendorific, fantastic, gorgeous, astonishing, marvelous, stunning, unimaginable, breathtaking, awesome- they were his little world, they were his gods, they were the ones he prayed to at night in his little cave away from the world. Even the most ugly ones were beautiful, graceful, and elegant. They were created, they were pure, and the horns upon their heads was proof of their breathtaking almighty powers. They were... they were... everything.
Rapha stood in front of his cave, trembling, after retreating here when Psyche had snapped at him. He had stepped out of place. How dare he? How could he? How could he be so irrevocably stupid? Unicorns were far, far above him in importance. And Lady Psyche was up there with the Moon Goddess. There was a chill in him, as he remembered her teeth upon his flank. There would be worse coming for him, he knew. How could Rapha step in front of Psyche, confront another unicorn? Valentine. He, he was the one who had pushed him to try and protect the Lady! Psyche was his master, at least for now, while princess Snö was gone. Speaking of which, where was she? Where was his pretty master?
Breathing heavily, nervously, the pony took to pacing in front of his small, shallow cave. It was near dusk, and surely Psyche would come looking for him soon to reprimand him. The sun was washing the sky in pale pinks and creams, a faint tinge of gold, all bleeding together over the mountains tall and vast and creamy and magnificent. The inside of the cave he had lined with pine needles, a bit stingy, but at least softer than hard rock. On the outside, pine trees began quite soon, except for maybe a small ten-foot clearing, all coarse grass, with a distinct path trampled in from where the slave paced constantly. This little home was all he deserved anyways. Rapha was only a small horse- not a unicorn.
""
.i'm lost without the unicorns.
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Psyche the DarkEmpress Posts: 380
| Deceased |
| Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3 hh :: 8 (ages in Orangemoon) Buff: ENDURE |
| RayoDeSoleil |
She did not often consider slaves. She had never taken one for herself, preferring the challenge of the kill, the screams of pain, the calls for mercy, the look in the eyes of her victims as they breathed their last. She took pleasure in their terror, in their demise. And so slavery had never been an option for her, until her daughter had showed up with the little dun equine dogging her every step, head lowered in utter submission. And now, the princess was nowhere to be found, and so her slave had elected, apparently, to allow the shadow-mare to serve as master in her stead.
Or perhaps the slave had made that decision on his own.
She was confused by the situation, to say the least. She had been irritated by him when he stepped in front of her, offering himself as a barrier between her and the stallion who would love her - she shied away from the memory - but no more than that. He was almost like an annoying fly, landing on her hide only to be whisked away by a flick of the tail. He was not worthy of her anger, not truly, and so perhaps she would not harm him as badly as she would have one of a higher rank who had dared to step before her. And Snö would not want him harmed - and somehow, Snö always got her way.
The Dark Empress strode haughtily into the little cavern, the sun streaming in behind her, no doubt creating a quite terrifying silhouette. For a moment, she stood in the mouth of the cave, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light as they swept over the sparse, tiny home of the slave. She supposed it was fitting enough for one of his rank. There was barely enough room for the two of them, and so she remained, still in the mouth of the cave. At least he couldn't escape, this way. Finally, she spoke. "Slave," she said, and it was an awkward phrase in her mouth. "Tell me what possessed you to come between me and my subject? She would not refer to him by name, nor as anything but what he was. As if she even knew anymore.
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Image Credit
![[Image: psycheicon.png]](http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy285/schwartze_asylum/psycheicon.png)
Please feel free to tag me in all replies!
Use of force and/or magic (with the exception of death) is allowed at all times.
R A P H A
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There was the sound of hooves outside his little den. Solid black hooves moved underneath him, collecting himself, stirring the green carpet of needles dead and soon to be dead underneath him. Small, furry ears flicked forward attentively, and for a moment his heart lifted- was Snö finally back? No. The footfalls were too heavy, and the shape that appeared, silhouetted in fiery gold of the sun, was not his princess' fine form.
For one very, very brief moment, Rapha allowed himself to let his eyes settle on the mare's rich form. In that split second, he took note of every one of her features. A coat of obsidian, adorned with four neat socks, a simple star-and-stripe combination upon that haughty face. She had every right to be haughty, of course- she was not just a unicorn, but a Lady, a Master, a Mistress, a Queen, favoured by the Time God to rule. His soft brown eyes took sharp note of the equine teeth and feathers of every color and length woven throughout a wild shadow mane. Eyes of cold, hard, amber gold, and a twisted horn engraved with a red rune at its base. Unicorn. Almost at once, even as he shifted his gaze downwards, did he feel that intense lust to be one of them, to be one of the glorious unicorns. Not your place. He reminded himself.
There was silence, for a moment, quiet he welcomed, as the stallion (really, he should be a gelding) curled his forelegs underneath him, slithered into a bow before her, clumsy with fear, mouth suddenly dry. All of Snö's warning jumped to the fore of his mind- grostesque stories of death and torture at the horns of unicorns hungry for blood, mad for horse-blood, and not as willing to take on a pitiful pony as a slave. Stories- so many stories. Was Psyche ready to kill him, tear out his teeth and string them into her wild mane? Snö wasn't here to protect him, after all. But somehow Rapha couldn't get himself together, couldn't get more paralyzing fear at the thought. No- if she had wanted him dead, she could've killed him right when he stepped in front of her to protect her.
She didn't need protection. That's where he had gone wrong. And then the silence was interrupted by the imperial Lady. What had possessed him, he wondered? But he must speak. Speak now, before she would yell at him for not being quick enough. Knees unfold and legs straighten, yet the pony keeps his head low and deferential, eyes down at her hooves.
"My Lady, I... h-he... uh..." Fear clenched at his heart. Calm down. "My Lady, please, it's just the way of things. I serve... I serve my master, and..." His gut twisted. "And he was bothering you. It's not his place to bother anyone- anyone higher in rank than him, and especially a u-unicorn as you, because... because... unicorns are so above me..." What possessed you? "I am not even a lowly servant, I am not close, and will never be close to in a thousand years, to being your equal, but he was abusing his equality, his position as unicorn, one of the gods' favoured, by being so. He c-can't just get away with it, and... it's my place to be killed or hurt or tortured for you should it ever be needed." And then Rapha cursed his rambling tongue silently and prayed the unicorn would forgive his on-going speech.
.i'm lost without the unicorns.
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Psyche the DarkEmpress Posts: 380
| Deceased |
| Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3 hh :: 8 (ages in Orangemoon) Buff: ENDURE |
| RayoDeSoleil |
"My Lady," he began, his vocals nervous, fearful. As he well should be, she thought grumpily, but with no real venom. "I... h-he... uh..." A pause, and then the slave seemed to get a grasp on himself. "My Lady, please, it's just the way of things. I serve... I serve my master, and, and he was bothering you." This much was truth. I am not your master, she would have said, but he continued. Why she listened, she did not know; it would have been all too easy to lash out, to strike him into silence. Perhaps such violence would even lift her mood. But she was compelled to stay her will to hurt him.
"It's not his place to bother anyone- anyone higher in rank than him, and especially a u-unicorn as you, because... because... unicorns are so above me..." This, too, rang with truth. Was Valentine really such a simpleton that even a slave had more sense? "I am not even a lowly servant, I am not close, and will never be close to in a thousand years, to being your equal, but he was abusing his equality, his position as unicorn, one of the gods' favoured, by being so. He c-can't just get away with it, and... it's my place to be killed or hurt or tortured for you should it ever be needed."
Very little of the slave's speech made coherent sense, but she felt that she had gained what she needed to know. She took pause, considered her words with care. Irritation formed briefly in her mind - how did Snö manage to deal with such a creature? The shadow-mare hadn't known her daughter had such patience. But then, she supposed that Snö had inherited traits from her father, as well. Mauja. With the recent events, she felt a stab. They could have ruled together, and Valentine would never have been in this position. Nor would she. But the FrostHeart had disappeared, and here she was again, alone.
A frown formed. "I am not your master, slave. Rapha, isn't it?" The question was rhetorical, and somewhat odd coming from her; she would not usually concern herself with such trivial matters, but her mind was admittedly elsewhere. She shook her head, banner with its trinkets flying into disarray. "You know your place well, don't you?" Again, a rhetorical statement, distance audible in her tones. "And your words ring with truth. Tell me, slave, Rapha, whatever it is you're called. Where is your master?"
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Image Credit
Please feel free to tag me in all replies!
Use of force and/or magic (with the exception of death) is allowed at all times.
R A P H A
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What was he doing? Why did she have to be so tall... and intimidating... and a unicorn, and a lady? Snö, at least, was younger, and so much more... welcome in his eyes. She was a pale princess, and pretty, and beautiful, and everything the pony was obsessed with. I am not your master. Maybe the question was rhetorical, but Rapha really had missed that sort of training in life.
"B-but Lady-" The slave begins before looking down again, guilt weighing down his heart. How could he lose Snö? How could he not be able to find her? It wasn't like Snö had set him lose. She was gone. And as surprising as it may be to an onlooker, Rapha missed her, missed her like he was missing his heart- he loved her, after all, even if he would never dare tell her.
The faint tings of teeth shaking in Psyche's midnight mane is what makes him glance up, before hastily turning his eyes downward. This time, when she spoke, he didn't reply, instead letting a hoof scuff a small circle in the nettles dry below him. "And your words ring with truth. Tell me, slave, Rapha, whatever it is you're called. Where is your master?" He flinched, quite visibly, as the intense pain of longing returned to him, the intense need and want for his mistress, for his fair lady. It took effort for the little pony not to begin bawling right there and then.
"I don't know where Master Snö is! She's gone, Lady, and I can't find her! I haven't seen her since we first arrived!" Even the simplest of horses could hear the desperation in the stallion's voice. "And that's why I've been following you! I thought you knew where she was! And the family rule... you know, serving the master, and when not needed, you serve siblings or parents, provided you do not break the master's rules." He didn't really realize how the fear had left, how now he spoke more loudly and smoothly. For he was only concerned with his gone Snö- and he longed for her, lusted after her in a deep way, and he did forget the fear that had paralyzed his mouth.
.i'm lost without the unicorns.
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| Deceased atk: 4 | def: 8 | dam: 6.5 |
| Mare :: Unicorn :: 16.2 hh :: 4 HP: 62 | Buff: NOVICE |
| ali |
ooc://
mind if i pop in with sno?
Psyche the DarkEmpress Posts: 380
| Deceased |
| Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3 hh :: 8 (ages in Orangemoon) Buff: ENDURE |
| RayoDeSoleil |
It was very odd, that a master so devoted as her daughter should disappear without her slave in tow. The shadow-mare knew that should the slave come to any lingering harm, the ice princess would be most displeased. But why leave, then?
But he was so irritating, stammering and groveling that way. Of course, it was fitting for his position, for his species - but she hadn't the patience for it. No, she would have preferred to simply kill the hornless and the skyrats. Perhaps he was dedicated to the service of unicorns - he certainly acted the part, in any case - but regardless, she did not want him in her service, even for so temporary a time that Sno was gone. Would it be temporary, though? Or would she be happy to just up and leave again? It had happened before, so why not?
And so she found herself stuck with a slave.
At least he had stopped stuttering.
"I don't know where Master Snö is! She's gone, Lady, and I can't find her! I haven't seen her since we first arrived! And that's why I've been following you! I thought you knew where she was! And the family rule... you know, serving the master, and when not needed, you serve siblings or parents, provided you do not break the master's rules."
She sighed, eyeing him with something akin to exasperation. What had the world come to, that she was conversing with an equine? It was a rueful thought. Odder still was that she had not attacked the brute yet - perhaps the position of leadership had tamed her. Even now she felt no need to lash out. Instead, she merely said gruffly, "Well, at least you stayed. You will continue to serve me until my daughter deigns to return. Do not disobey me." Amber gaze sought his, briefly, and held it. And do not leap in front of an angry unicorn again, even if it is to sacrifice your own sorry skin. Are you injured, then?"
[OOC | Yes, go ahead and jump in, lovely!]
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Image Credit
Please feel free to tag me in all replies!
Use of force and/or magic (with the exception of death) is allowed at all times.
| Deceased atk: 4 | def: 8 | dam: 6.5 |
| Mare :: Unicorn :: 16.2 hh :: 4 HP: 62 | Buff: NOVICE |
| ali |
 SNÖ</style>
& i know why everything wrong feels so right</style>
"Why, mother, you sound quite dismayed that I would stray." Snö said as she approached her mother from behind. "Quite hypocritical of you, don't you think? I am your daughter after all. Leaving was what you taught me since birth." She angled her body away from her mother's should she decide to kick out in retaliation of her disappearance and outspoken words.
Tarak, the metal wolf, positioned himself between his young master and her dam, growling mechanically in warning to anyone who would listen. Snö's eyes left her mother and flickered over to Rapha. Foolish slave wouldn't have been so distraught if he had gone with her instead of running around on his own and being left behind.
"Calm yourself." She finally snapped at the slave. "Your blubbering has grown old already." The young mare scowled at her slave before shifting her body so she stood facing her mother. "Well, then." She said. "I overheard you say Rapha jumped in front of an angry unicorn. Who was it?"
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Credits
R A P H A
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It is her scent that invades the tiny cave first. Snö. Snö Snö Snö Snö! The dog lifts his head eagerly, finally believing his nose as he sees her, Snö! He wants to cry for joy and leap forward to run to her side, wants to be at her feet behind the familiar protection of Tarak, the wolf that grumbles and growls mechanically in annoyance. Of course, Rapha doesn't really understand what Snö is speaking about to the black maress blocking the entry (neither does he really care, because he is so obsessed with her pretty figure).
The eager stallion lowers his head suddenly, remembering his place a few seconds later, and of course he quiets immediately at the frosted mare's reprimand. The slightest of shivers ran down his spine as the burnt flesh on his neck crinkled in protest, sending twinges of pain flying through his body. He has never been burnt before- never. Former masters had, on one occasion or the next, considered tagging his ear with their name stapled to it, but they had refrained in the end, because he wasn't worth enough, as compared to the slaves taught to fight or the carriage-pullers.
Rapha cannot stop the feeling of warmth that creeps silently through his body when Snö (Snö!) queries after who attacked him. Like so often, he pretends she really does care for him as family (which, he knows, is not true). For a moment he wonders if he should dare to speak- but then he keeps his mouth shut, thinking better of it.
""
.i'm lost without the unicorns.
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Psyche the DarkEmpress Posts: 380
| Deceased |
| Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3 hh :: 8 (ages in Orangemoon) Buff: ENDURE |
| RayoDeSoleil |
She, too, smelled the Ice Princess before she appeared; next to arrive were her words, rather cold. It was quite a squeeze for Sno to enter the cave, as small as it was, but the shadow-mare slid sideways to allow her through. Their bodies did not touch. They were not affectionate that way. Still, watching her daughter address her slave brusquely, take him under control so easily, the Lady felt something akin to affection and certainly a burst of pride. Perhaps she did not know how to address her daughter, but she did care for her, in her own way.
The flicka's words, though harsh, did little to offend the mother. "You are, of course, completely free to do as you desire, as you have proven so well," she responded dryly. She had left only once, though she supposed it would have been the only time that mattered to Sno; but the youngling had left many times, always flitting here and there, never content to linger for long in one place. Perhaps it was her fault, but she refused to take the blame. Some just became wanderers. Such was the way of the world. If nothing else, Sno had a well-developed sense of superiority, and so long as she would not fall when the unicorns took power, the Dark Empress would not complain of her comings and goings.
"I overheard you say Rapha jumped in front of an angry unicorn. Who was it?" The Lady smiled, too sweet, though her eyes did not show the emotion. A surge of irritation rose for but a moment, silent and swift, before settling. It was not the question that angered her, but rather the memories it provoked. "The fool Valentine thought to challenge my rule," she told her daughter, careful to keep her tone lazy, uncaring. "Your slave thought to sacrifice his own skin for mine, the stupid cur. Regardless, the idiot stallion won't be troubling the Basin anymore. He was rather unceremoniously removed."
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Image Credit
Please feel free to tag me in all replies!
Use of force and/or magic (with the exception of death) is allowed at all times.
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