Posts by ulla jorda

/i'll miss tough!! i hope we get to rp together again!

Ulla didn't know Toughluck incredibly well. She knew Misha a bit better than the pink hyena. She could sometimes find him frustrating, but she had believed he was capable of good in the same way that everyone was. However, then he had showed up with three strange children that clearly belonged to him. While she didn't hold any of it against the kids, she had been rather frustrated with their father. He didn't appear to treat them very well and she certainly didn't think he'd be willing to change his lifestyle enough to properly take care of children. While she thought most people were capable of being at least okay parents, Ulla wasn't sure how many times she'd actually seen the hyena sober. She had worried a great deal about his well-being and now she was worried for his children. She had noticed recently that the camp seemed a bit quieter than usual. She knew that Misha had disappeared some time ago and she hadn't seen Toughluck around somewhere. For Misha's sake, she could only hope that they weren't together somewhere. As much as she wanted Toughluck to improve, she didn't want it to be at Misha's expense - or at the expense of his children.

Her walk had started out quite normal, but then she had noticed the bright pink notes stuck everywhere and she knew exactly who they must be from. The doe had simply let out a sigh and began to pick them from around the ruins, though she hadn't thrown any of them away yet. She wasn't sure why someone would want them, as none of them seemed particularly sentimental, but one could never be sure. She didn't think she was the closest one to Toughluck here, so she would let someone else decide what to do with the notes. She did know that it was going to take an incredibly long time to pick them all up around the ruins. She was hesitant to just leave them be, though. With the recent blizzard and all the wind, she didn't want them getting scattered around the territory. They'd be finding bright pink notes for months if they left them alone. Seeing the group that had gathered in camp, she moved beside them and let out a soft sigh. "I don't think he'll be returning anytime soon. I wonder if he took the children with him." It was impossible to hide the concern in her voice. Both the idea of him leaving them behind here and taking them along with him were equally terrifying. She just hoped that, wherever they were, they were doing well. She couldn't help but doubt that was the case, though.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

Ulla still stood some distance from the man, watching him quietly. With powers, one could never be too careful. She had seen the spurt of flame that left his maw and she had no desire to be caught by his flames. Hearing his words, the deer's face furrows a bit and she tilts her head to the side before a smile begins to form at her lips and a soft chuckle escapes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. That's quite unprofessional in this sort of situation, isn't it?" She had never been a captor, so she couldn't be sure, and the dragon that had taken her had been quite rude the whole time. "You must truly take me for a fool. I'm afraid that I've dealt with men who were far better actors than you. You trespassed on active enemy territory, then decided to follow me for some time, I assume, seeing as you were slinking some length behind me when I noticed you. It certainly was a far cry from a friendly hello. Then I ran and you pursued, I gave you a warning and you refused it. I have every reason to take you captive. If you haven't noticed, I'm quite a bit smaller than you. I apologize if I don't take the chance of being the victim of a first strike. I experienced such an event myself not long ago and it resulted in me being thrown from the Exiles' cliffs." Her words came in the same factual tone that she had used before. She knew that Calina and Riptide wouldn't question the situation and, if they did, there were plenty of spirits who would be happy to act as witnesses. Ulla wasn't one for violent wiles, though, and they had no reason to think she'd be lying. Besides, trespassing was enough of a reason to take him captive. It was frowned upon in almost any clan, especially in the case of a known enemy. If she were to go waltzing in the Exiles' desert, she wouldn't been disemboweled before she could get two steps past the border.

I'm not planning on doing anything with you. I have no desire to have any part in this. I will take you to Calina and Riptide and they will decide what must be done with you. If it were up to me, I would simply return you to the Exiles' border and be done with it. You are lucky I found you and not Adara or Kira. I'm sure neither of them would've hesitated to harm you on sight. With the recent raids and captures, there are few willing to take any chances. As she spoke, she attempted to wrap the vines tighter around his mouth, hopefully closing his mouth to be sure he couldn't spit any fire. "Unfortunately, I have visited the Exiles, and did not enjoy it. Besides, I have not harmed you at all. In fact, I have taken great care to not aggravate your existing wounds. If you truly feel harmed now, then clearly you are not fit to be an Exiler. They practically worship violence. Even you are not thick enough to believe your friends would have such mercy for an enemy trespasser. I will take your recommendation with great care, though." Her factual tone dissipated on her last line, giving way to sarcasm as she rolled her eyes. She then attempted to make the trees around him close even more, preventing him from seeing wherever she might take him. She didn't want to take him to the camp, but she would have to find a way to get a message to Calina and Riptide and have them meet elsewhere on the territory. Still, she wasn't interested in giving him a tour of any of their land.

/if she's successful, i can make the open thread now if you'd like!

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

cassius s.   RIPTIDE   Calina A.R.K.

/you don't have to wait for anyone to post!

Ulla hadn't wanted to do any of this. But she also wasn't willing to risk an Exiler across the border. He had tried to argue he might have peaceful intentions, but she knew better than that. He was across an enemy border and he'd been stalking a creature that appeared much smaller than him. He had his own injuries, so of course he wouldn't have sought a fight with anyone he thought could actually beat him. Ulla had no idea who this man was and she didn't particularly care. She just wanted to be done with all of this. She would be lying if she didn't admit she was a bit proud that she'd been able to stop him before anything happened, but there was yet another part of her that was disgusted by her pride. She didn't want this to become a habit of her's, tying up Exiler's with vines and running off with them. She didn't like all the panic that it caused and she especially hadn't appreciated it when she'd been thrown from a cliff. At least this one had been quite a bit easier. He was injured and he hadn't seen her coming. She did notice that was the only way she seemed capable of winning a fight, though, using her light as a distraction and then restraining her enemy with vines and tree trunks.

In addition to not being interested in using her powers for such violent ends, it had all been a lot of work to move the man from their place in the woods to the dancing forest. She had decided she didn't want to take him to the camp, for fear of him returning with the Exiles and raiding it directly. She had tried to make the trunks themselves obscure enough of his vision that he wouldn't know where they were, but that hadn't been enough for her. If he somehow did figure out how to return to this location, it would be unfortunate, but it was unimportant enough that no major supplies would be taken and no one would be injured. Unsure of how to send for the others, she had been lucky enough to run into a Veiler in the woods and then sent them off to send for Calina and Riptide, as well as whoever else they thought was necessary to help decide what should be done with the creature in her grasp. She had given as brief a description as she could about what happened and now she stood with a gryphon in a cocoon amid trees that appeared to move in the shadows. Even in Orneborg, things had not usually been this strange.

She had avoided talking to the man for nearly the entire journey, but she supposed there was no real reason to keep him under such tight restraints now. The tree trunks she had used to hold him in his cage opened up slightly so he'd be able to see the area around them. She even allowed the vines that held his mouth in place to slacken, though they were still tight enough that it may be difficult to completely open his mouth. She had been careful about his injuries and she wanted to continue to show such restraint, but she also didn't want to risk him breaking out before anyone else arrived. Really, she didn't want to harm the man at all. As she had mentioned to him before, though, she knew it would be best to have someone else make that decision. With how tense everything with the Exiles was recently, it wouldn't be a good idea to make any sort of decision on her own. She looked towards the man hesitantly, the only clear part of her expression being her complete uncertainty. She still wasn't sure if she should even say anything to him. What was there to talk about? Thankfully, a rustle in the trees would distract her and she let out a soft relief, glad to see another Veiler. "He's an Exiler, I found him past the border, trespassing. I wasn't sure what should be done with him." The explanation was simple enough. Perhaps some would see it as a lack of agency or weakness to seek permission for how to act, but she mostly didn't want to be responsible for any injury that might come to him. Besides, she had never cared much for the thoughts of other's anyway.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

Ulla offered a kind smile to Bruno, about to speak to describe her plight further, until Calina suddenly arrived. Clear relief came over her features. Soon this would all be over and she could forget about it. She could get this Exiler as far from her as was possible and that could be the end of it. Hearing the Shadowkeeper's words, the doe quietly nodded. That all made sense to her. She had been a bit hesitant when she had started off saying it might be best to rough him up a bit, but relaxed a bit when she began to talk of a peace treaty. Ulla still had her reservations about the idea, but if they had leverage, the Exiles might just agree to it, even for a brief while. It would be temporary, though. But no solution seemed permanent. She knew that they would hold on their promise quickly, if they even made one to begin with. It was what Andreas did and she was convinced it was what everyone would choose to do, when given the opportunity. "Turning him over unharmed as a peace offering might be a good idea," she commented lightly before adding, "Are we sure he'll be enough leverage, though? I don't remember seeing him at any of the raids and I don't recognize his scent from any of the captures. He must be a relatively new member."[/b][/color] Logically, she knew there was no such thing as complete certainty in this situation. She knew that there would never be any guarantee of peace, but she'd like to be more certain than not.

Her eyes then drifted to the gargoyle as he began to speak for himself. Hearing his initial statement, she let out a huff and shook her head. "I was able to capture you, even when we're caught in the middle of a blizzard. You also decided to come onto enemy territory, even with your injuries. Under what circumstances is this a show of the Exiles' strength?" Even when they had showed up on Shadow Veil's border weeks ago, they had been successfully pushed away. In that time, they had even been in the center of the blizzard. Ulla didn't fear the Exiles, but she did want peace, as they all did. They desperately needed a break. She couldn't help but think of Kiyoshi. It wasn't right for a child to live through so many terrible things at once. Rather than answering his question regarding her decision directly, she instead turned her head to hear what Crownedroyalty spoke of. "And what purpose would there be in killing or seriously harming him? That is only going to make matters worse. The Exiles' aren't going to respect anything we do and they certainly aren't going to be shocked by any display of violence. I don't expect any sort of kindness to change them and I certainly don't expect them to reciprocate any mercy we choose to show. But at least by making a display of peace we won't directly prompt more attacks." She spoke simply before she turned to Calina once again. "Essentially, I don't think we should be taking any violent action against this man. But it's up to you and Riptide, of course." And she meant that. Though if Calina asked her to kill this man or seriously harm him, she might not want much to do with it. She would be willing to use some light poisons, but she didn't want to cause any serious harm.

Then she saw Witch, a face that made her entirely relax. She offered the man a wide smile, but held back from walking beside him as she usually would. She still had to focus her attention on the gargoyle, after all. "Oh-" She wasn't entirely sure how to respond to his praise initially. She wasn't sure that her actions were something that should be positively acknowledged. But it did feel nice to be acknowledged, especially by The Witch Doctor. "Thank you, Witch." It was all she could muster for now, but maybe they'd have to talk about all of this later. She'd certainly feel better speaking with someone who wouldn't be entirely surprised by all of this. He knew more about her history with Andreas than anyone - he had seen what she'd done before. But she still didn't feel comfortable with the violence that seemed to find her so often. She was sure, as with most things, he might be more understanding of her worries than the other Veilers.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

The Dancing Forest had been an area Ulla hadn't gotten the opportunity to explore for quite some time, not until she'd gone on her first date with Witch. Now, she found she enjoyed frequenting the location. Even though it was one of the darkest portions of the territory, the glow worms were beautiful and the plants seemed even brighter than they were elsewhere. It made for a nice canvas with her light manipulation. While Ulla had incredibly complicated and contradictory feelings about her powers, she couldn't deny that it was quite fun to twist the light to her will, creating different images in the sky. When she wasn't baking, she had always enjoyed a variety of visual art forms, though she had never considered herself to be particularly talented in any of them. The spirits also seemed quieter here. Maybe it was because she was farther away from the church or maybe it was because her mind was distracted. When she had been stressed in Orneborg, she had also found that throwing herself into a meaningless hobby had made Andreas and Nicholas' voices quieter even then. She liked to think there was a bit of magic in her creations, keeping them all at bay. The truth was, though, the spirits never cared for her when she was moving light. It frightened some of the ones that had been long dead, having lost their minds to whatever abyss waited after her present life, and the ones that were still aware enough of light were smart enough to avoid it, especially when it could be turned against them.

She didn't often see any other Veilers in the forest either and she assumed it was too far out for more normal patrols and walks. That was why she was so surprised when she heard a few voices through the trees. The doe turned abruptly, dimming her lights and listening. Ever since her run-in with yet another Exiler, she had been even more cautious about strange noises near the border. But this noise wasn't strange. A smile spread across her face as she recognized Kiyoshi's voice, as well as one that seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place. Not wanting to startle either of them, she spoke up, "Hello you two. I agree that I'm more than a little tired of the snow. It should've stayed in winter. But the glow worms seem to be making the best of it. Look, how their light reflects against it-" she explained, gesturing to the areas around them where the worms seemed to glow even more than they usually did. "So why'd you decide to walk so far from camp?" she asked, more genuinely curious than upset with either of them. Kiyoshi was young, but it was important that he knew how to navigate the territory. Echopaw looked a bit older than him, but she had only heard of the girl in passing. She was glad to see her boy making some friends, though. That was important, especially when he had been so closed off in the beginning.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

In Ornebog, there had been no naming conventions to reflect one's age or rank. It was something Ulla still didn't completely understand, given it wasn't something that most Shadow Veil members partook in, but she had a better understanding now than she once had. To her, it seemed only to indicate age. She had met several members, like Junebug, who seemed to have two complete words brought together. Then she knew many that were around Candypaw and Greypaw's age that took the suffix 'paw', supposedly because they weren't quite adults yet. She wasn't sure what came before any of that, but she thought it was an interesting mechanic. She didn't understand why it existed, as she didn't see what the importance of indicating age was, but she supposed it was nice enough. It certainly made for some good names. Who wouldn't want to name their child after warm emotions or their favorite sweet? When she had been younger, she had named a doll after her favorite bread. Everyone wanted something to remind them of the kind things in life. That is, when they were pleasant names. She had heard some that seemed quite sad and other's, like Crownedroyalty's, that seemed to symbolize even more than the actual name. When she had been growing up, there had been no special ceremony or event. Part of that was because Orneborg hadn't been allowed to celebrate many of their traditional festivals by the time the Lord's family arrived and part of that had been due to her family's dynamic. Ulla hadn't had much of a childhood, not after her mother had gotten sick and she'd been required to look after her brother. There was no time for frivolous parties and pleasantries outside of those the Lord's family required them to attend. It was part of why she always gave Kiyoshi candy and didn't mind that he might be getting too many sweets or presents. Every child should have a little too much sugar from time to time.

Hearing Candypaw's words, the doe made her way over with a small frown. She hadn't seen Greypaw around much, which seemed unusual for the boy. While he was quiet, he could usually be found all over Shadow Veil. It was a bit concerning, but she had just assumed he might be a little under the weather or might be feeling a bit strange being out and about after losing his mask. She still wasn't sure why he had ever worn it to be begin with, but it was important enough that he'd been noticeably upset when it broke. She had wondered if maybe he was using it to hide something, as she knew being self-conscious about one's appearance wasn't entirely unusual, but his face hadn't seemed strange to her. Now, hearing Candypaw's question, her own concern only grew. "I'm afraid I haven't seen him either. Have you tried checking for his scent anywhere?" she suggested. She didn't want to suggest any idea of a capture, as she could already tell Candypaw was more frazzled than usual, but it wouldn't hurt to start trying to look for him.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

/so this can be just a lil oneshot if y'all want or you can reply to it! either way is totally fine with me bc i know this might be a bit hard to reply to because it's mostly just ulla's thoughts with not a ton of external stuff going on. also decided to put a warning on this bc it isn't particularly gory but there's a lot of discussion of children who've died before getting to live full lives.

It was strange, how Ulla missed parts of her old life. She didn't always. Most days, she viscerally hated all that Orneborg was and what it had stood for. What had happened to it. It was all awful and she did her best not to think about it, even if that never worked. She found her thoughts returning to it daily, both to the happiest moments and the saddest, and to every second in between. She missed being with her brother and her family. She had never had a large family, but it had only grown smaller and smaller. Now, she was alone. She knew that Kiyoshi and The Witch Doctor were her family, but that didn't stop her from missing Nicholas or her parents. It didn't stop her from wishing there was someone else around. Sometimes, she even found herself missing the extravagant parties that Andreas used to require her attendance for. That was one of the things she felt the most shame about. She didn't care for power or a large amount of wealth, but she had always secretly enjoyed such needlessly beautiful events. There was no point to them, only bolstering the Lord's ego. If he had not been there, though, and if she hadn't been so preoccupied with her brother's senselessness, then there was a part of her that she thought would enjoy such loveliness. To be with one's friends, at the center of wealth, with every single comfort anyone could ever want... there was a part of her that found all of that quite attractive. She had dreamed of planning such an event herself for months, watching as they slipped her by. Had she asked Andreas, she knew he would've let her, if only because he believed he might gain her favor through such simple kindnesses, as though his entire existence didn't undermine her own. She hated to think of anything related to the Lord with any level of affection, but her one regret was never even asking if she could host those parties. A regret she felt a great deal of guilt about.

Today, though she didn't want to think of any of that. She didn't want to think about her guilt or regret or what she missed. Ever since seeing The Church Grim near the graveyard, she had been reminded that her visits to the cemetery were more infrequent than she'd prefer. The blizzard had been keeping her away for some time and the journey was still difficult, but it was getting easier. Today, she had brought along some flowers and quietly laid them down on each grave. Most of them were too old to be read and she wasn't even sure if she was helping animals or humans. It didn't matter much to her, though. Each spirit was important, regardless of where they originated from. As she placed the flowers out, she looked around as spirits of varying ages came to admire the flowers. She wasn't sure what drew them in or why they seemed to like the flowers she grew herself more than those she could find in the forest, but she had never thought much about it. Spirits had always been drawn to her in some way. Still, with her frequent visits, she had noticed some of the fainter, smaller ones. Likely a spirit that had no ties to this world or the next one. Spirits who had never gotten a chance to live. Children, usually.

There was a part of her that felt angry. Angry that Andreas felt so entitled to life when there were so many who never even got the chance to live with it. Perhaps she could draw them closer. She approached one of the smaller spirits, settling down so that she wouldn't be standing over it. She couldn't be sure what it was hearing or seeing, but she didn't want to startle it. Quietly, she began to sing a song that had often been sung to her. She began by quietly humming, with long pauses between each line, as her mother had once done, "Vargen ylar i nattens skog. Han vill men kan inte sova, hungern river i hans varga buk och det är kallt i hans stova." She hummed along, watching as the spirit seemed to draw closer and become just a bit brighter. A few of the other smaller spirits came and laid around her, growing tangible enough that her light was able to highlight their forms. When she was finished, they all looked at her expectantly, but she couldn't be sure of what they were waiting for. Perhaps just another song, or maybe something more. Some of them had begun to take true forms, looking up at her with wide, lost eyes. Eyes that didn't understand anything they saw or heard because there was no one to take care of them where they were now, and there had been no one to take care of them before they passed on. They were present enough that she knew she could easily find them a new form, one where they might be able to live and grow. But such things felt like giving herself too much power. She didn't doubt that she'd be able to guide them, but was it truly the right thing to do? Death was a natural part of life. There were hundreds of children who didn't get to live full lives. She couldn't possibly bring them all back.

"You were born for acts like this, Ulla. Far greater acts than I ever dared to show you." Her mother's voice resonated in her mind and she looked up to see a doe of golden light before her, as she had in the past. She looked from the children to her mother, shaking her head. "I couldn't possibly give them all life, let alone a proper home. It's not possible." Her own light danced over the forms of the chidlren, outlining what they must've once been. They were all animals, but spirits often had a way of taking whatever form they felt most comfortable in, not necessarily in the ones that had been their true forms. "You'll never be able to save everyone, Ulla. Not all spirits are meant for life. You know that better than anyone. But even if these spirits lost their chance the first time, that doesn't mean they aren't meant to have a second one." Ulla remained silent, still looking at the small creatures around her. She had been told over and over again by the Lord and those like him that life and death were not meant to be tampered with, that doing so went beyond the realm of mortals. She wasn't even sure if this was something she could do with any level of success. Who was she to assume she could create life on her own? "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Everyone who can should experience a home at least once. Shouldn't they? Besides, I could look after them myself-" By the time Ulla looked up, though, her mother had faded with the wind. Apparently she had said all she wanted to. If only she gave some more direct advice. She still thought of what she'd mentioned to her about a month ago now. Ulla knew that her origins weren't as they seemed. She knew that her brother been right, all the months he had claimed she was closer to being a spirit than she was to being a mortal. She had taken great offense to it, then. She so desperately wanted to be normal. To live a simple life. She wanted to escape all of the pressure that fate and prophecy placed on one's head. But maybe there were ways to use power for good, even as the world fell to pieces.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

Ulla had only ever had two homes, Shadow Veil and Orneborg. She knew it was possible she'd had more than that, but those were the only two she currently remembered. Whether or not there was some strange land in between them was of no matter to her. At least not currently. Her memories of Orneborg was often less than pleasant, but there had been some good things. She could remember the brief period before the Lord's arrival. She could remember the stories that her mother had told her and all the recipes she had taught Ulla. She could remember how her father had told the best jokes and before Nicholas had succumbed to his own vices, he had been the best person to explore the woods with, even if she preferred no one to be there at all. She could remember all the spirits she had talked to and how she had spent long nights trying to prevent any travelers from entering the woods. She could remember visiting the dock's each morning, the smell of the sea heavy as she bargained with the sailors who wanted to take up more permanent residence. She could remember her beautiful garden and everyone she had looked after. All of that was gone, though, and there was no sense in wishing that things had gone differently. If she was honest, none of those gentle memories erased the ones that stuck more prominently to her. As much as she remembered the warm bread and their celebrations, she could also remember the moment Andreas had decided a more effective way of dealing with her would be to burn her at a stake. She could remember when he'd banged on her door, eventually knocking it down as she escaped out the window. She remembered the months of torment as she tried to hide everything she was so that her family might live, only for them each to slip away from her.

Ulla took special care to keep an eye on Kiyoshi. While she woudn't consider herself overprotective, she certainly took an interest in knowing where the boy was. She had happened to notice she couldn't find him anywhere and she was about to bring it to someone else's attention before she noticed the kitten walking with a stranger. The only thing that comforted her was the fact the other boy didn't look to be much older than the Nightwatcher. Maybe he was a friend? She approached just as the boy confirmed her own thoughts. She offered a kind smile to the duo and spoke, "Well, it's very good to meet you, Alaksiej. I'm Ulla. Would either of you like any snacks or maybe something to drink? It must've been quite a long walk." It was important to stay hydrated, after all, and she doubted that Kiyoshi had taken any snacks with him. Maybe she would have to find some candy, too. That seemed like a nice welcoming present. Her eyes drifted down briefly and she noticed the cut on Alaksiej's paw. "Oh, it looks like you've got a cut. I can bandage it, if you'd like. It wouldn't take long." It didn't look to be too bad, but she couldn't help but wonder how he'd gotten it. Had it been from some sharp terrain on the way here? Why had he walked on it for so long? There was a part of her that wondered what exactly had happened to this new boy before his arrival, but she wouldn't dare ask such invasive questions, especially not for a child. She hadn't even directly asked Kiyoshi about his true family. She certainly wasn't going to try to ask a perfect stranger similar questions. That would all come in time, if he wanted it to. And if not, she could still wrap up his paw just as well.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

Ulla still didn't know as much about the history of the clans as she would like. There were some creatures in the Veil that seemed to know the entire history of their little society, but Ulla didn't know much about it at all. She knew that the world had changed, but she was too preoccupied with Orneborg at the time to worry about what that meant for everywhere else. Every once in awhile, other creatures from the old times would show up on their borders or would shares tories of what Earth had been like. While Ulla didn't know much about it, she found it hard to think about what it meant to disappear from the world one knew and wake up in a completely new place. Though she supposed it wasn't an idea she was entirely unfamiliar with. While it hadn't been an entirely separate world, Shadow Veil was different enough from Orneborg that she may as well be on another planet. None of the customs or ranks were the same, almost every social standard was different, and no one here knew how to speak her own native language. The only thing they truly shared was they did have the same primary language and there was a hierarchy in place, with everyone in a community having a role that was clearly outlined. However, everything from their naming conventions to what exactly the clan ranks meant were different. Everyone in Orneborg was either inaccessible or dead. There was no option to return home and she wasn't even sure anything would be there if she tried.

In her new life, though, she still had people she cared about. One of those individuals was Kiyoshi. She happened to notice the boy heading out. She didn't want to follow him everywhere he went, but she did want to make sure he was safe. With the blizzard that had been blowing through lately, she didn't want the kitten to get lost in a white out, all alone. So she followed at a leisurely pace, quietly picking up herbs and flowers as she went, trying to take note of everything that might of value. Then she heard a stranger's voice, along with Kiyoshi and Alakseij. The doe made her way over, coming to stand beside Kiyoshi as she looked towards the stranger. She felt a bit of relief that he wasn't an Exiler or seeking anything too complicated. Just a joiner. That was a welcome change from her recent run-ins near the border. "As Kiyoshi said, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like. My name is Ulla, it's a pleasure to meet you, McCree. We should probably all get out of this cold weather. I could show you back to camp, if you'd like," she offered. The wind seemed to be biting at her skin even more than usual. She just hoped that didn't mean a new wave of snow was on the way. Spring should've started months ago. She could only hope that summer would stick around a little too long for retribution later this year.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

/an ooc prompt would be great!

Ulla wasn't entirely sure of what to make of Alastor. There was something about the man that didn't sit well with her. Perhaps it was because of his form, which was so similar to those she had once lived with. Perhaps it was his teeth. She couldn't help but wonder why a deer of all creatures would develop such sharp teeth, but she never pondered on it for too long because the only ideas that sprang to her mind made her deeply uncomfortable. She had to admit, he wasn't unkind, and he was polite enough. Sometimes a bit too polite, in her opinion. He seemed to enjoy calling nearly everyone pet names and each time she did her thoughts only went to Andreas, which wasn't particularly helpful. She wouldn't mind if Witch decided to call her some sweet name because of his affections, but it felt strange from a near complete stranger. Her thoughts aside, though, she couldn't deny that Alastor had, overall, contributed positively to the clan. He always seemed to be around and he was kind to nearly everyone. She wondered when her own anxieties would fade. They had with Kira, but that was only after she'd gotten to know the man quite well. While she had thought that perhaps that meant she wouldn't feel so nervous around unknown men, that didn't seem to be the case. Kira was an exception. That was all.

Her thoughts aside, though, weekly tasks were always good fun. If nothing else, it gave her something to do that made her feel productive and they were often fun or something that might be outside of her daily routine. The doe approached with a light smile, looking towards the other deer. "I'd appreciate a task, if it wouldn't be too much trouble," she stated simply. She found that her tasks were often quite different from one another, although for some time many of them had centered around baking or providing food of some sort, but that hadn't bothered her at all. The more excuses she had to bake an excessive amount of pastries and bread, the better.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

She was getting around to this a bit late, but she supposed it didn't really matter. Things were still in the same, slightly awful state and it would be good for everyone to get together and take a bit of time to relax. She tried to spend some time thinking about what might be useful. At first, she thought another spa might be nice, but she knew that Calina had done something like that not too long ago for her own weekly task. Just a week ago, Ulla herself had gathered up a great number of art supplies and indoor activities and let everyone calm down while creating something of their own. It had been good fun, but she wasn't sure it was a good idea to do something so similar so soon. Then her mind ladned on an idea, but she wasn't certain how accepting anyone would be of it or how well it would go. She knew that many Veilers had trouble emotionally expressing themselves to others, especially in public settings, but such things could be good. It was important to recognize one's own true emotions to share those emotions with others, when it was important. She knew that she had some problems with repressing her own thoughts and feelings, although sometimes she felt like such things were for the best. It wouldn't do for her to go around and proclaim exactly which Veilers she thought were the most suspicious. Still, she knew why such practices of honesty and allowing a space for emotional outbursts was necessary. Maybe even more important for the Veil given their complete lack of having any desire to share their true emotions ever.

That was how the doe found herself in the spire, once again trying to call attention to her clanmates. "Everyone! I'd like you to all gather around." Her voice echoed off the walls in a way that made her a bit uncomfortable. It was too loud, too commanding. Briefly, her mind considered whether or not this was the right thing to do. Was she just using her position to pry information from others? Was this somehow an abuse of her own power? No, that couldn't be the case. This was objectively good for her clanmates. It wasn't as though she was trying to stir up any unnecessary trouble. She wasn't demanding information. She was just offering a space for it to be shared. "I know that the last few weeks have been difficult for many of us, so I thought it might be good if we all got together and shared how we're feeling. I know it sounds a bit contrived, but I think it'll help us all a bit if we can share in some of the difficulties - or some of the joys - that we've been experiencing." She hoped that would be a good enough explanation. She knew that such an activity could potentially stress everyone out significantly more, but sometimes short term worries were good for long term health. "I'll go ahead and start, just as an example. I've been incredibly happy in the last week or so because I've gotten to spend more time with Witch and I'm also incredibly proud of Kiyoshi, as he's been learning quite a lot about his powers and has used them to make wonderful things. However, I have also been incredibly stressed because a ghost has been giving me headaches for the last week due to our particularly difficult relationship with one another. Also, I had to use my powers again, which I don't really mind, I suppose, seeing as it helped everyone in the end, but all of that just makes me a bit... uncomfortable." She took a deep breath after speaking. She didn't think she'd described any of it well at all, but that was the sum of her emotions without diving into her personal opinions about every Veil member and which ones specifically gave her the most stress.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

Ulla had never been one for sparring as a sport. When she was young, such things were only done because it was necessary that she knew how to protect herself, as well as their land. Her father had done his best to teach her how to physically fight when she was young, but it had been difficult. Nicholas wasn't known for his discipline and any training took far longer than necessary because of her brother's antics. It had been her mother who taught her how to truly defend herself. She had taught her how to listen to the spirits around her and how to ask the forest to do her bidding. As complicated as her feelings were about her own abilities, there was no denying that they had saved her life on a number of occasions, both in those days and recently. She had never been much of a physical fighter, partially because of a lack of natural skill and partially because she seemed to be so much smaller than nearly every creature around her. She didn't have any claws to scratch with or teeth to bite down on anyone else with - at least not in a way that could cause them any pain. She had her hooves, which she could use to kick other creatures away, but depending on how much larger they were than her, that was something that would only do a relative amount of damage. No, it was the spirits and the forest that protected her the most. She could cast illusions and she could run quickly. Those were the only things she liked to be good at. She had once learned how to create defenses with her vines, but she hated to admit that more recently they had become more offensive tools than ever.

Ulla had taken a particular interest in Alaksiej. He seemed to be a friend to Kiyoshi, though she had never seen him before. Like Kiyoshi, the boy seemed kind enough and certainly had a habit of helping the clan in a variety of ways. She saw him around quite often and thought he was quiet, but that didn't mean much. Kiyoshi was a quiet child, after all, even more so than Alaksiej, and he was still incredibly kind. Hearing the call for some sparring, the doe made her way over and settled down beside the kitten. "I'll watch as well, though if someone needs an opponent, I would be more than happy to step in." And by that she meant the forest would step in. Ulla had no intention of physically fighting anyone, but if someone needed something a bit better than just a static dummy, she knew she could weave the vines in such a way to make a worthy enough opponent.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

Ulla really had been meaning to go out and discover some of their allies' lands. She had meant to visit long ago, back when she first joined, but somehow she'd never really gotten around to it. She wasn't an ambassador, but she had always thought it'd be fun to go and meet everyone in their allied clans. Besides that, she realized she knew very little about the surrounding areas compared to those that had been born here. She had always been aware of Orneborg's political standings and knew what each of the surrounding territories were known for, but that wasn't the case here. She was vaguely aware of most of their allies and she certainly knew quite a bit about their enemies, given their current turmoil. She knew absolutely nothing about any of the neutral territories. Out of all of them, she guessed that she knew the most about Volary Flights than any of them, mostly because of the clan's frequent visits, as well as that being Kira and Enjolras' former home. In fact, she was fairly certain both of them had led the group at different times. She had also met quite a few Ruiners and they all seemed rather kind, if not a bit strange. She knew there were plenty of members from the Ruins that had either moved to Shadow Veil or had dual alliances with the desert dwelling clan. Based on what she knew from her conversation with Hebe, they worshipped some sort of god, but she didn't understand the specifics of it all. Ulla herself didn't believe in such things, only greater or lesser spirits, but that wasn't a conversation she ever actively tried to have with the other woman. Then there was Alaksiej, a boy she only knew through his relation to Kiyoshi, who she looked after.

While the blizzard had been raging for the last several weeks, today was a kinder one than most. She had been out looking for some supplies and she had found even more than usual. She could only hope that such a sign meant that soon a true spring would come, though she hated to think of what such an extended winter had done to the forest's environment. Hopefully it would all grow back soon enough, though, and prey would populate the woods for those that needed it. Maybe spring would even bring more ingredients for her to try. She just had to make sure she knew which plants here were edible and which could make them all horribly sick first. As she happened to be passing by the border, she heard a strange voice and caught the scent of the Ruins. The doe quietly made her way through the trees and offered a gentle smile to the man that stood there. "Hello! Thank you very much for the gifts, that's incredible kind of you. I don't think we've met, I'm Ulla." Perhaps they had and she couldn't remember it, but she didn't think so. She knew she had met a few members of the Ruins, but she didn't remember a lion with a mane. "How are the Ruins lately? I hope you're all well." There had been a bit of drama with the Ruins some times ago, but she couldn't say what it was or exactly when it had even happened. She wasn't even sure what had resulted from all of it. She was sure if there was any issue with the alliance though, someone with more knowledge on the topic would come along soon enough. She hadn't heard anything for quite some time, though, so she had assumed all must be well between them.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

Mystletainn

Calina had asked recently that border patrols be increased due to the amount of captures and the amount of Exiles trying to slip past the border. Ulla herself had run into one not long ago and had managed to capture him before anything bad happened, but she knew there was far more than a single Exiler trying to find their way to Shadow Vwil's camp. However, she coudn't deny that it wasn't entirely safe to be patrolling alone. While she didn't mind using her powers, she still preferred not to. What had happened when she'd been forced to run from Orneborg had brought up more old fears than she liked to admit. She was finally willing to use them at the very least to defend herself and Shadow Veil, but that was all. Every time she indulged in them aside from when was necessary, she could hear her brother's jeers or the shouts that had been hurled at her by Andreas and the others. Logically, she knew she wasn't a danger unless she wished to be. Her powers hadn't gone out of control since she was very young, with the exception of her final confrontation with Andreas, but even she was willing to admit those were outlying circumstances. She had tried techniques she'd never used before on a whim and they had gotten out of control, but she had accomplished what she set out to do. Even her illusions had become sharper with the time she spent in the Veil. There was a strange pride that came with her achievements, but also a deep fear. She had heard stories of those that became so overwhelmed with power that they went mad. Not only that, but there was no longer any denying that the voice's of the spirits grew with her own mastery. She had no idea what they were attempting to say or where they would lead her, but she wasn't so sure she was ready to follow them quite yet. Part of the reason she had felt suffocated by Orneborg was because of how prominently fate had been forced upon her. She had hoped things would be different here.

Regardless of her own feelings though, it was no longer possible to logically deny the fact that her powers were useful. That was precisely why she had asked Mystletainn to accompany her on this patrol. As they walked through the woods, her mind reeled as she tried to think of how she might bring up the impossible. He might react negatively to it all. They didn't know each other very well, after all, and he might not appreciate how she was snooping into his life. She had made some small talk as they made their way through the woods, but she knew eventually she would have to confront the entire reason she'd asked him to accompany her. "Mystletainn, I want to thank you for joining me on this patrol. I appreciate your willingness very much," she began before taking a breath and continuing, "I need to be entirely honest about why I asked you to join me, though. Now, I know I was not present, but I heard about-" Her words were cut off by the sound of heavy steps and her breath caught in her throat. "A bear." She'd recognize the pattern anywhere. In Orneborg, there had been many feral bears in the woods, only one of many dangers that discouraged most locals from entering them. "We're too close, it knows we're here. If we go to camp for help, it will only follow us and do more damage." She kept her voice soft, staring into the trees, her entire body tensed as she waited for it to arrive. The trees themselves seemed to unnaturally sway before her as she reached out to them, getting ready for whatever may come through the brush.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

The blizzard had dragged on for weeks now. Ulla wasn't one to mind the cold, given Orneborg, where she had lived nearly her entire life before arriving in Shadow Veil, often found itself in the middle of such weather that lasted for months. The only difference was that weather generally fell in the dead of winter and spring for Shadow Veil should've arrived several weeks ago at this point. There had been some days that were less terrible than others, but overall the blizzard was completely out of their control. She knew that the medics were running low on supplies and she had personally been running low on both regular food and the ingredients she liked to use in order to bake all of her favorite sweets. It was true that she could grow many plants on her own, aiding both her own problems and the medic's, but she couldn't grow every possible plant. For one thing, it was difficult for her to grow anything she hadn't been in direct contact with before. Books could only go so far and when she tried to grow anything based on pictures, it always came out a bit wrong. She was far too worried that she'd accidentally mess up a medicinal plant and harm someone unintentionally. She also hadn't yet been brave enough to try eating one of her own fruits if she was only basing it's growth off of descriptions she'd heard. She had learned about this deficiency in her abilities when she was young and tried to recreate some of the flowers in her favorite storybook. It had resulting in a terrible smell that didn't leave the forest for days. Thankfully, she hadn't accidentally created any sort of poison, but one could never be too careful.

She hoped that this sunny day meant there were more to come but, as her mother had often said, spirits were fickle creatures. They might cause a late spring one year to make the farmers believe they need to wait to plant their best crops and other years might cut it short, making them believe that in the future they'd need to plant earlier. There was no sense to them, as far as she was concerned, but that didn't stop her from enjoying a warm day with her clanmates. Even in Shadow Veil's perpetually dark forest, she could feel the sun starting to warm the ground. The doe made her way out into camp and offered a smile to those she passed before seeing a group of Veilers gathered near Calina. She gave a quick nod in absolute agreement. Finally, a nice day was shining upon them. "It's certainly a relief to think the blizzard may finally come to an end." Hearing Charlotte's words, the deer's smile grew a bit as she spoke again, "I certainly hope you'll only be seeking deer outside of camp. But you are correct. I've been able to forage for the last month, but this would be a good day to find some food for the rest of you." Truthfully, Ulla had no idea how they'd all been surviving with the reduced amount of prey. At least, she assumed that it must be reduced. It had been difficult to forage on her own so she couldn't imagine how difficult it must be for feral creatures who might not have the same tracking skills or a clan to help them. She then heard Kyoto and looked towards the child, "Hopefully! Though my mother used to tell me that weather spirits are the most temperamental of all. I certainly hope it fades. I enjoy winter, but this has gone on for far too long." Not to mention the worries she had for the general environment. She wasn't sure how long it'd take the forest to complete repopulate, but it was likely it'd still be another few weeks before all the necessary herbs grew to a point that they could be harvested and utilized.

heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover — tags

For her weekly task, Alastor had requested that Ulla give some children a few rides on her back. She had accepted the task itself, but she was against it for multiple reasons. For one, she wasn't large enough for everyone and she didn't want anyone to feel left out. She knew from experience how quickly siblings could devolve into arguments and with all of Kira and Enjolras' children around, she certainly didn't want to be the cause of any budding rivalries. For another - and admittedly more selfish reason - she didn't want to take off her cloak and she didn't want anyone to sit on it. She wasn't usually one to care much for material items, much less one that had once symbolized her status in Orneborg. However, she had never worn the cloak because of her role as bailiff. She wore it because it had once been her father's and, especially now, was one of the few remaining possessions she had from her family. She had recreated some of the books her mother had showed her as a child and she had made little trinkets in her family's honor on occasion, but it was the only original item from her little mountain village. All of her memories there weren't happy, but she wasn't willing to let them go quite yet. With all of that on her mind, she had found her own way to go about the task.

She had made her way outside because, thankfully, the snow had been lighter than usual and what she had in mind would be more fun the more space they had. She began to sprout large baskets woven with vines, making sure to give them deep roots. She didn't want anyone falling, after all. Once she had a few of them prepared, she called out, "If anyone would like a ride, come on over!" After her initial statement, she waited for a few of her clanmates to gather before speaking again, "The way this'll work is you'll head into the basket and then I'm going to lift you up using the plants. I promise you this is perfectly safe. I've supported my own full weight on structures similar to this. For safety, though, I'm going to request that anyone who wants to ride must be my size or smaller. I'm afraid I'm not confident enough to lift dragons quite yet," she joked. She was only capable of restraining them, it seemed. Them and gargoyles. There was a part of her that wanted to try lifting someone a bit larger, just to see if she could, but she knew that would be highly irresponsible, which was the sort of behavior she specifically tried to avoid.

do you think history wants you to have lived? — tags