Appearance of Something NEW

A Leader Born Canine Female Hybrid

Hellhound-Illaro

Mindspeech: Italics #75e5f0

If ever there was a natural-born leader, despite not exactly being of the highest ranks of her kind, this hybrid would be that leader. She is both warleader and diplomat, taking the traits from both her Illaro and Hellhound natures. When a more gentle touch is needed she has honey words and politeness. When fierceness is required, she is unwavering command and terrible vindication. Thankfully, she is not a conquering sort or she might have dominated quite a territory by now. No, such would be beneath a hybrid of her standing and refinement. She will be quite content in using her leadership potential for the benefit of her Bonded for after all when they advance in the world so to will she.

Given her parents were an Illaro and a Hellhound it is little surprise that she looks canine in body shape. Her fur is thick and lush, steel gray in color with a faintly darker undercoat that is visible when she permits herself to be stroked. Though a bit more scarce than her full-Illaro kin, she has a few faint frosty-blue runes running down her spine.


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The Tapestry of Life is Revealed in the Stories We Tell Canine Male Hybrid

Mistwatcher-Kitsune

Mindspeech: Color #610871

Across cultures, across planets, across all things that divide, there are some things that remain the same. Love from one person to another. The desire for safety for family. Striving for goals, no matter how small they may be.

And stories, which are the sole purpose for this hybrid's existence.

Upon meeting him you might think he's simply another member of the Spirit Clan, the way he hunts out stories for preservation in his incredible memory. He is not only a repository for them, but he studies them, uses them to learn more about the cultures, the people who speak them to him. He fully believes that by listening to the stories of others you can know about those behind them, whether they are myth or truth. And that utterly fascinates him!

But there is a trait that reveals his hybrid nature, one that tends to embarrass him and that he tries desperately to suppress, with mixed effects. Though he tries to be serene and calm, when in the heart of a story or in the hunt for such he can become very excitable, bounding about and tripping over his own paws and stumbling in his words with tongue lolling out. In short, he derps. Big time. Then when he either falls and is brought back to himself or even just realizes what happened he quickly scrambles to regain his fractured dignity with quite a bit of embarrassment, paw shuffling, and tail twisting.

Physically, he looks almost identical to any other Spirit Kitsune. His body is like a large fox with a silvery-gray color, lavender highlighting the tips of his tails and paws, and pure spiritual energy foxfire orbs. He does have the Kanji for 'spirit' on his brow, but it is encased in a diamond-like forehead diamond, a visible mark of his mixed bloodline, as is the ice-white of his eyes.

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The Most Dangerous of all is an Angry Mother Canine Female Hybrid

Hellhound-Kitsune

Mindvoice: Bold #122aa9

The saying goes that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Well, some might argue that the saying should be: 'hell hath no fury like a mother protecting her young!' When asked for proof of their claims, they only need to point to this hybrid, for she is wrath incarnate when those she percieves as 'her's are in any sort of peril, real or imagined or blown out of proportion. It is a strange harmony of her bloodlines, really. One half of her parentage was a Breeder Hellhound, and the other a Fire Kitsune, so she inherited the instinctive maternal nature of the former with the ingrained tendency to lash out at those that wrong not only her but those around her from the latter. While she is more than willing to take up the cause of the downtrodden and the slighted, nothing kicks off her rage when her 'kits' (namely, her Bonded, those creatures she shares a Bonded with, and any family her Bonded has) are in peril. Whether her kit is in fact a dragon, a unicorn, an athid, or a person, they are her kits in her eyes and deserving of her protection, and against her targets her retribution is brutal and never quite comes in the manner than they believe it will, or when. . Hell hath no fury indeed!

In body shape she is more sleek than a typical hellhound, more fox-like in terms of her delicate-looking legs and slender torso for all that her fur is pitch black. She has a single foxy tail, though it is a bit rougher-furred than a Kitsune's fluffy tail, and it is much thinner overall. The kanji for 'fire' burns upon her brow, inked there in crimson color, Her dark pelt makes her ruby red eyes stand out even more, and deep in their depths lurk flames.


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Two Sides of One Mix-Matched Coin Equine Female/Male Hybrid

Two Sides of One Mix-Matched Coin Equine Female/Male Hybrid

Unicorn-Firemane

Mindspeeches:

(Male) Italics #128704 (Female) Bold #f0c213

Hybrids are the blending of two different creatures, usually of similar natures, to create a new offspring with traits of both.

Someone just forgot to tell this one that the blending wasn't supposed to be quite so... blatantly literal, in all aspects. In truth perhaps it wasn't too surprising, given one of their parents was a Chimera Firemane. Yes, their. This hybrid quite literally is of two minds about all things, as there are two distinctly different personalities in that head of theirs. They each speak in their own Mindvoice and sometimes quite literally argue with themselves. When vexed or giving a physical display of emotion one half of their body (front or side) might jump, paw the ground, or stamp while the other half remains perfectly calm and still, or even give completely separate movements of its own (thankfully they never seem to move in ways to throw themselves off-balance or they'd be on the ground more often than not).

One voice is female, clearly the Firemane side, and favors aggression over diplomacy and plainly speaks her mind with any required insults or cutting comments without care for the feelings she may hurt or the respect due the listener. She also tends to get bored very easily, and when bored will often wander to destruction to appease herself. The other, male, takes his personality from their unicorn parentage. Polite, dignified, and chivalrous, he almost seems to promote every quality he has that is exactly opposite his 'mind-sister' as if to further distance himself from her callous and brutal demeanor with his valor.

Thankfully (or perhaps terrifyingly) there are some moments where their personalities align. Tactically they show prowess far beyond their years, and in battle their personalities truly harmonize in a devastating manner, hooves and horn striking in dizzying maneuvers that are hard to grasp. And they have inherited their Nobility sire's Command ability, so that when their dual voices ring out their intended target will find it difficult to not do as they say.

If one was looking as this duo from side profile, they might mistakenly believe they were looking at either a Firemane or a Unicorn, until they turn their head that is. Left and right they are perfectly split down the middle. The left side is a light blue-white color with a darker blue blanket that sprays across the flank and back, giving a faint impression of the night sky. The left hooves, front and back, are platinum to match the whole horn on their brow, and the left eye is midnight blue; horn alone says that if he'd been not a hybrid he likely would've followed after their sire as a Nobility. The right side, sharply delineated from the left, is deep black making the crimson right eye even more striking and revealing that if she had been a separate entity she likely would've been born a Djinn. The right hooves are sharp and metallic, several shades darker than the left, and perhaps as a concession to the horn that spans both halves their teeth are the fangs of a full Firemane; they are carnivorous, though the male personality will insist any food be humanely slain. Their mane is an odd mix of silky locks tossed about by crimson fires, and the tuft of their slender leonine tail is a lick of flame.


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The Swift Duelist Equine Male Hybrid

Pegasus-Caradras

Mindspeech: Italics #6f019a

Caradras are known for their militaristic natures both in individuals and in groups. Even the least of them is a warrior... which is something one might not think when this seeming Pegasus steps into view. With the typical build of the flight-capable equines he appears muscular in a graceful way. Then he tosses his noble head, and the broken, crystalline horn springing from his forehead gleams in the light, and you see he is much, much more than he seems.

He is a warrior born, both from his Gust and Velve bloodlines. But he is not a warrior who stands toe to toe with his enemies, not in the sense of his parents. He is fairly strong and moderately tough (you don't have the blood of a Caradras running through your veins and be weak!) but his greatest prowess lies in a dancing, fending style of combat. He will dart in, wings and legs a burst of speed, slide to stop on a dime, strike with his horn or a kick of sharp hooves and then dance away again gracefully before his opponent can strike back. It is a style that tends to take others off-guard, and he is quite proud of his skill. In personality he is flamboyant and charismatic, the Velve arrogance coming out as a suave confidence that either inspires others to trust in him completely... or causes them to loathe his very presence and think he's the biggest braggart they've ever met. Warrented or not, braggart or simply highly confident, he is talented and to underestimate him is to be sorely surprised, to your detriment!

He physically carries more of his Pegasus heritage than his Caradras heritage, standing proud as a sleek racehorse-bodied equine. In playing to his ego he keeps himself immaculately well-groomed; you will not find him hacking his mane in the manner of his sire though sometimes he will twine red feathers into the hairs. His coat from a distance looks like a coal black, but when one gets close to him (something he'll permit, especially for an admirer) it is revealed that he is actually a dusty midnight blue, white spattering his hindquarters in a blanket. His eyes are gray like the thunderheads he sometimes challenges to a race, running along their tops as lightning crackles at his heels.


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Healer of the Spirit Equine Female Hybrid

Hippogryph-Hippocampi

Mindspeech: Color#a7e4e9

Sometimes the wounds an individual suffers can't be seen with the eye, or even with the most powerful microscope in existence. These wounds often dig themselves far deeper, and cause more pain and damage, than even the most vicious of gashes or virulent of disease.

And this creature is the one to call when a healer is needed, for in this field she is a specialist. Possessing a keen sense about those around her, this hybrid is a sweetly social creature who is quite comfortable in crowds no matter how large. She rarely ever stands still, either, a constant flurry of movement and with due reason aside from her heritage: this lets her listen for those whose hearts are breaking, whose spirits are beaten down. To listen for those that need her. She is both a listening ear, a confidant who safely locks away even the darkest confession, and also an advisor. She offers a shoulder to cry on and words to reassure.

Equally adapted and comfortable both on land and in the water, she successfully combines physical qualities of all sides of her heritage. The bulk of her looks like a Hippogryph until you get to her tail, which is much closer to a spinner dolphin's in form. Her mane is feathered and her legs end in hooves to enable land-walking, but instead of fetlocks like some equine have fins adorn her heels. Her coat is a sleek blue-gray with some thin bands of green and yellow along her hips and yellow tips to her mane-feathers and the feathers of her waterproof wings which, when viewed from above, almost have the sharp curves like a manta ray's fins.


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The Subtle Flashfire Avian Male Hybrid

Phoenix-Roc

Mindspeech: Bold #0035ff

As far as avian hybrids go, this fellow is definitely one who might trick some into thinking he was a normal Roc. He certainly behaves much as a Dust does. He's a logical one, calm and thoughtful and not much rattles him. He has a generous heart and a fondness for shiny pieces of metal and gemstones, as do full-blooded Dusts. He's also a very loyal sort when it comes to his 'family,' and therein lies his 'flaw,' the mark of his Phoenix heritage: when he senses even the tiniest potential of a slight against his Bonded or anyone/anything they treasure, he will detonate without much warning. His temper snaps on their behalf and out will come the talons and the flames along with scathing comments to punish the transgressor until they repent of their actions no matter how much larger or higher of rank they may be. But sadly he often blows things far out of proportion, requiring apologies on his part which are hard to wrest forth. He has his pride after all.

He is undeniably a massively tall creature, taking after his Roc parentage once more though his Phoenix side does keep his size to a small-for-the-large-birds twenty feet at the joints of his wings, with an impressive wingspan to match. For those that know birds his body type might also add to his overall intimidation ability: he has the body of a flightless bird known as a Cassowary, an avian known for having a powerful, even deadly kick. This in and of itself is impressive, but when you add to it the dust and small bits of stone that continually trail from his wings. Hints of embers dance among these motes and under his plumes, and when he's enraged he can Ignite as a Phoenix, the flames erupting all over his body, capable of burning his foes to ashes.


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The Flame of Inspiration Burns Bright Avian Hybrid Male

Phoenix-Roc

Mindspeech: Italics #f41111

Sometimes hybriding creates a fine harmony in the offspring as the parents qualities and tendencies blend together in a silken union. And sometimes, when it's a case of opposites attract for the parents, it creates pure, glorious chaos.

This hybrid might prove to be a little bit trying for his Bonded at times; he might just be the most focused scatterbrain you ever met! At any given time he'll have a dozen or so projects going, all in various stages of completion. When he is working on one It's with a laser-guided intensity, then boom - am impulse strikes and he's off to the next, never forgetting where he left off on anything for a moment. He can also turn this attentiveness to his Bonded's benefit should they have a project that requires multitasking: he will remember their progress right along with his own. If asked about any of his hobbies he's more than willing to go into great detail about them, sharing his enthusiasm and proving that he inherited his Roc mother's creative trait in spades: hardly anything he sets out to do seems like it will work out, but somehow it always does and more often than not for someone else's benefit. But tamper with his projects at your own peril, lest he prove he also inherited her temper: nothing will unleash it faster than the ruination of his hard work.

Thankfully for his Bonded in body size he takes more after his Phoenix parentage, standing just under five feet tall. And he is an elegant one, looking like a Glossy Ibis[/i] with reddish-brown plumage on his body to compliment the bottle green on his wings. The shininess of his feathers is only enhanced by the tongues of yellow flame that dance along his feathers, crackling merrily. However he cannot Ignite.

Another picture of during flight for better feather display.


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The Playful, Unexpected Guardian Nature Female Hybrid

Kitsune-Roc

Mindspeech: Italics #05600b

There are dangerous things out there in the world. Dark, even deadly things that should not see the light of day lest they destroy it. This is something that a select few acknowledge, and actively fight against, trying to protect the innocent from it.

And to look at this hybrid you might think she was one of those carefree innocents, romping around and frolicking in the sunshine, playing tricks on others to make them laugh and to brighten their day. She's a merry one, that's for certain!

But all that is only half the story. A public image that, though truth in one sense, is just as much a mask as anything. She heard many tales from her Night Roc parent and the duty that he carried upon his broad shoulders was successfully passed on to her. She uses both her outward appearance as a proper Wind Kitsune and her trickiness to both safeguard and acquire things that are better kept out of unwary or, even worse, ill-intentioned hands. After all who would suspect the practically childish Kitsune of knowing the hiding place of the Crown of Destruction or Ring of Infernal Power? And many times she has used wordplay and tricks, harmless in one aspect and useful in this, to retrieve what even a more powerful Roc in their full might and magnitude might not be able to.

Yes, in this case the unexpected guardian is quite an effective guardian.

In body shape this hybrid appears fully as a Kitsune in all ways except one: a pair of coal black wings that spring from her shoulders like the wings of a crow. She can glide for quite a distance and even truly fly for short durations, though her endurance for this is a bit lacking. Small black feathers dust her shoulders, melding into the pale green fur typical of a Wind Kitsune. The tips of her three tails are Kiwi green, as are her paws and her throat and belly. The Kanji for 'wind' on her brow matches, suiting her glittering jade eyes that are framed by odd black lines, likely a manifestation of her hybrid nature, almost like eyeliner and making them even more dramatic. One of her favorite 'tricks' is to play with her foxfire wind orbs, acting like a kit to make others laugh.

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A Simple Life is a Life of Joy Nature Male Hybrid

Unicorn-Nadur

Mindspeech: Color #e95c7f

Some people need a lot of material things to be happy, or at least it seems that way. The more they have the more they believe they will find contentment, and the larger their hordes grow.

But this hybrid doesn't subscribe to that philosophy. He fully believes that there's abundant joy to be found in the simple things: good company, a beautiful day, and of course dancing and music. The more of these small treasures he has the happier he is, and the more he wants to share this joy with others. Like his unicorn lineage he is a charitable sort and giving to others, whether it is of his time, company, or what meager material possessions he has or acquires (often on behalf of others even if it is a long process), and this is yet another source of the joy he cherishes. He has his Nadur side's curiosity and innocent nature, but thankfully his Unicorn side helps with his gullibility and keeps him out of the trouble that normally comes standard with Fawns, and his heart is as forgiving as both his parentage can offer. He is more likely to not understand cruelty or insults than become offended by them.

Among the hybrids the Unicorn-Nadur combination is one of the rare few that was actually bestowed with a specific name, given by an off-world scholar: the Kirin. A Nadur in body, with delicate legs and dainty cloven hooves. Instead of the graceful antlers his fellow male Nadur have, a single opal antler-horn rises from the center of his brow, slightly sweeping forward and sporting two small side branches half-way and a third of the way to the top. His tail is leonine with a silky tuft, and his coat is a soft cocoa brown with mint green socks, on his throat, and tipping his often twitching ears. As almost all 'Kirin' have, golden scales line down his neck, over his shoulders, and across his hips and flanks.

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Heart of the Forest, Child of the Sky

Nadur-Roc

Mindspeech: Italics #ee4a6f

In the quiet, mist-laden places, deep in the forests where the wild creatures best know the way, that is where you will often find this hybrid when she cannot be found elsewhere. Such terrain is her favored locations as she feels she is both a creature of mist and shadow, and of the beasts of the wild. Quiet as a general rule, she is a watchful creature both of the natural world and of the civilized world, aligned with its balance and laws as to opposed to what many might consider 'good' or 'evil.' She uses the talents imparted by her Roc heritage to whisper to those who can best influence things for her means, usually for the betterment of animal treatment and the natural world, and though not typically one to resort to physical violence she is will if she absolutely must. The thing about her is that when she is challenged, she isn't the only one that enemies will have to face. With a sharp whistle to the air she can summon a veritable army of mundane animal allies to stand at her side.

She is another one of the rare hybrids that was given another name by scholars, that of a 'peryton.' She looks in body shape like a Nadur, though wings spring from her shoulders, white with black tips like a gannet and trailing mist wherever she goes. She is actually cream white all over, her head dusted by a light golden brown like the same bird, though the black stripes that dance from her knees down remind more of a zebra. Quite curious, this quirk of her hybrid self: typically the Animal Communication and marks of a Knook Nadur belong solely to the males, but in blending with a Mist Roc she has defied the odds.

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The Subtle Wit Often Slices the Deepest Female Female Hybrid

Sphinx-Zaithand

Mindspeech: Color #99c7e7

What do you get when you combine a mind that thrills in word play with one who rarely speaks?

You get a dangerous verbal weapon, one quite handily wielded by this hybrid when she finds need to do so.

Both of a Delta Zaithand with a Riddle Sphinx for her father, she inherited his silver tongue and her tendency towards silence...until someone crosses the line. Then you'll find out that she also has her mother's fierce protectiveness for those she loves. While she's quite willing to throwdown with teeth and talons, her real forte comes from bullying herself right up in her opponent's face and badgering them, breaking down their arguments, twisting things around to defeat their logic, and even making them admit they are wrong against their own desires. By the time she is done with them only the most dedicated to their course of aggression (or most plainly stubborn who don't care otherwise) will want to continue harassing her beloveds.

But when things are calm she's quite affectionate and kindly-natured, and when someone gets her laughing (a bit of a feat, but doable!) it's quite hard for her to stop! Seems there's a bit of the Sphinx blood in her after all!

Standing about six feet or so at the shoulder, she has the physical proportions of her Sphinx line but the frame of the jaguar-like Zaithand. Her tail is shark-finned, and her wingspan is a fine five and a half feet. Her single horn is a bit shorter than other pure-blooded female Zaithand and her deep brown mane is also a bit thinner than the typical Sphinx. Her coloration is quite appealing and displays her hybrid nature: her fur's base color of tawny is marked by ripples of teal almost like an undercoat, so when she moves she somewhat shimmers. Her wings are ocean blue with black ripples, the feathers of which are laid tight together and are actually waterproof, useful for propelling her through the water or the air.

one more to be safe

The drum cadences had been difficult to parse at first, but Jenna was a quick study. Alone, she made her way to the gathering, and found herself confronted with an amazing array of half-and-half creatures.

"I'm a hybrid myself, you know, I just don't look the part," Jenna rambled a little nervously at first, because what was socializing and how do you do it? But then it all boiled down to a very simple question.

"Should the unknown be embraced or feared?" she repeated, musing. "A little of both, I think. I mean, I come from a post-apocalyptic world where what you didn't know could kick your ass, but the unknown could also be totally amazing. It's all a matter of keeping an open mind to what you find and being prepared for anything."




Not an invalid point, though should not even danger be embraced?

"I think Kelila means to say that challenges shape who we are," Arieh translated as he and his Hellhound companion strode upon the meeting. "And I agree, I believe. The unknown, even the dangerous unknown, should be embraced."




And, dressed in her old snowy white robes of the Veiled Sisterhood, arrived the one person nobody wanted to see show up, a golden firelizard on her shoulder.

Melonwei considered the question offered, but she was not going to be constrained in her answer.

"Neither," the fallen priestess replied. "The unknown should be discovered. No question should ever be left unanswered, unexplored, unascertained."

Cain had found himself in the middle of the gathering. He had come when the drums had called. How could he not? Companion were looking for homes and who was he to not at least offer them one? With Brains on his shoulder, he made sure to keep at least one eye on her as he moved to lean against a nearby tree. If Susan was there, she would have seen an eyebrow being raised at the question. "Didn't know we would be playin' twenty questions. But if that is how ya want to decide...Who am I to deny?" Shrugging, he clacked his teeth. "And what else but to embrace it? Do no good to fear the unknown. It will just bite yaur a** anyway. At least by embracin' it, ya can maybe save that hunk of flesh for sittin'."

Fredericke

The drums message actually made sense this time! Okay. As much sense as she could make out of it anyway. She was still a bit new at decoding the beats into letters and words. In fact, just the other day, she heard it mention something about a potluck and a dead walk? Pretty sure that was a really bad mistranslation on her part. But this one. This made sense enough that she had shown up with the rest of the group. How could she not when it mentioned the word unique in the delivery?

The question didn't even through her for a loop, but she had to be polite and wait her turn. "Embraced of course! The unknown is scary no matter what, but until you embrace it, you can't know how scary. If it dangerous, then you can take the proper precautions to make sure you aren't hurt. If it is helpful, your life will be better. If it is somewhere between, well, know you know? Right?"

Gertude

Gertude moved next to Necthan, head tilted at the everyone even as she let out a sigh. She hadn't realized this would be a question and answering session with speaking. Otherwise she would have brought along Amlu or Elizabeta or...Well. Someone. Not everyone here was a rider so talking with Rissi was out of the question. Unless she wanted to cause confusion and chaos.

Melonwei seemed to bring enough of that apparently.

Instead, she just decided to talk to the companions and if they were the only ones to hear her, so be it. 'Both actually when you get right down to it. No good to fear the unknown. It might come anyway and then you are unprepared. No good to just embrace it because sometimes fearing it can keep you alive. You wouldn't dive into a pool you don't the depth of would you? A balance has to be achieved where you embrace it and if while embracing it, it scares you, find out why. But if I really have to chose one of those options, it would have to be embraced. Cause not doing so does more damage in the end.'

Jeremi

He was just a bit late to the party, but that was nothing new. Smiling at the faces he knew well, he realized that while others were familiar, he didn't actually know anyone beyond seeing them here and there. Making a mental note to fix that, he squeezed himself into the group, coming up near Melonwei. The question had him pondering it even as the others answered. The healer had to admit, he liked Melonwei's answer. Discovering the unknown was pretty important and happened no matter which option you picked. Cause the unknown didn't stay unknown for very long, no matter the feeling.

But he did have to answer.

"Embrace it of course." A hand went up to run through his hair as he spoke. "I work in medicine and not embracing the unknown usually doesn't end too well. Discovering what the unknown is and taking what we now know and applying it to what we do, well, that only helps in the end. Fearing and shunning it hurts more people and that is something I will not do."

Noah woke up a little later than he intended that he motioned Dominic to go to the event, last thing he wanted is making his friend miss an opportunity. Soma and him as soon they were done dash their way over to the gathering, Aaru the poor athid had to grip tight on shoulder as their bonded ran. A little out of breath he saw the array of creatures and politely glances over to Soma. His own hybrid let out a soft growl and rubs herself against the taller male before trotting her way over to Dominic. He soon follow after stood beside his friend. In slight confusion, he really couldn’t tell what was going on but The creatures wanted the answer. He pulled out his notepad and started to write into it. He really hope it was right as he looks at his Soma once more, before relaxing a little bit. He flipped over his notepad and it said as follows.

“It is only natural to fear the unknown, but in circumstances, embracing it...is quite rewarding. Like my companion, Soma...”
During writing this, his skin sprouted more feathers that his arms were covered in them and his nails started turning black and and sharpened slightly. He was getting nervous but besides the mild transformation, he didn’t show anything on his stoic face.

Privately, Dominic had to agree with the Firemane about the Pegasus hybrid's question, but nonetheless the question had been asked even if it had been somewhat long-winded and so he would answer. Since coming to that boarding school he had immediately been considered stupid, simply because he was a zombie so of course all zombies had to be stupid and therefore beneath the notice of many. The answer would come far more easily than the first.

"If I acted like everyone wanted me to where I come from, that would vindicate their treatment of me. I wanted to contradict what they believed, and I worked harder at everything I do. Unfortunately, it didn't make a difference in what they thought, but I feel better about what I put in even if their opinion won't change."

Perhaps he had gone a little overboard with his answer, but that was how he genuinely felt after everything he had been through before coming here. The zombie had initially wanted to prove them wrong but people could be stubborn about what they thought about 'lesser creatures.' At least he had done himself and hopefully his parents (even if they thought him long dead) and Zinnia proud.

Arieh tilted his head slightly, politely smiling as the rambling question went on. And then he laughed. A real laugh, not a derisive one. "Oh, but you place so much value on what other people think! I personally believe it is best to be true to yourself, who and whatever that self is, and let 'them', whoever 'they' are, think whatever they will."

I sometimes think you're an idiot.

"You are entitled to that opinion and it in no way impacts how I am going to comport myself or conduct my life."




Melonwei looked at Arieh in a new light. "I can almost respect that," she relented after a moment of pursed lips. "As annoyed as I am by that question and the fact that we are dignifying it with an answer. However, you vastly underestimate the value of underestimation. That being said, I prefer to be seen as a powerful, impervious force at all times. I am not always, I admit, but to appear such at all times prevents being preyed upon in times of vulnerability. It also prevents well-intentioned but unwelcome acts of sympathy."

She tried to keep her voice even and hard and smooth, as cold as ever, but that was, again, Melonwei putting on her war face to make a heavy admission sound like less of a heavy admission. It took a lot for her to open up. It was almost a gift bestowed upon the congregation, though not the kind they would likely appreciate, a rare moment of raw honesty and real humanity from Melonwei.




Jenna gave the question actual thought while the question made Arieh laugh and Melonwei give a rare peek at how her insides worked.

She even sat down on the ground to think about it.

"I...think..." she trailed off, then gathered her thoughts and plowed onward. "I think I would rather be what people see me as, provided people see me as an honest and hard-working. I mean, I hope people see me for who I am, but there's a degree of that hope that also shapes how I act. I can't just say I work hard. I have to show it, too."