[the cult] racing the day away

[alehue]

{this is a cult-only thing, so yup, if you're not in the cult, please don't post. if you want to join, look at our plotting thread. :3 this race is a bit more than just 'oh yay i post first so my char is sooper epicz and winz!' basically, we (arya and apani) assign each racer a number (just for fun), and then on 'go', the racers have their characters start running. basically, i'll have a random number generator, and each character gets a number 1-10 to depict how far they went, and the player has to make up a reason why they did/didn't get very far. for example, if apani was roleplayed to be running, but i got the number '1' from the generator, myst could say she realized she was running the wrong way or something similar. got it? by the way, if you don't post after the first round (and i'll probably post after 3-4 runners), you won't be able to participate. sorry. ): }

arya had found that being one of the top dogs of a group was not easy - there was the matter of not choosing favorites (it was so hard when elena was cuddling at her feet!), as well as keeping every member busy and involved. it seemed to the co-found of the cult that there needed to be some competitiveness (hopefully a healthy competitiveness) among the members of the cult; and she had just the idea to jump-start that competitiveness (ah, what a fun word that was!) and get it kicked into gear. a race, a race between any member of the cult who happened to heed her call - arya was hoping that apani would be joining her in the stands, per say, so that the two could watch the spirits of the cult bloom, side by side. but first, the canine reminded herself, she needed to summon the members of the cult. so, a howl emerging from her pursed lips, the husky-patterned female called forth the members of the group she created - it was time to race the day away.

[nightrider]

Elena was chowing down on a snake she had just caught when she heard Arya's call. A purr already rumbling in her little chest, she bounded through the flowers surrounding her (managing to get a pink petal stuck to her head). When her bestest-bestest friend was within her sights, she mewed as loud as she could, her own version of a 'howl'.

After standard purrs and leg rubs, Elena began to speak eagerly. "What's going on, Arya? This is about the Cult, correct? Oh, this is just so thrilling! Are we going on a mission? Does it involve stealth? Because I daresay I'm quite good at stealth. I caught a big snake all by myself today!" She beamed up at Arya, still purring.

[Meesh]

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[atrb=background,http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm184/pikachu59013/silvatablemid.png] At the sound of the cultmaster's call, Silva came running. "Oh, is this another meeting? A mission?" the female black canine wagged her tail in anticipation. Spotting Elena, she trotted over, tail wagging "Hiya Elena~ Do you know what this meeting is about?" she looked around curiously

[Deleted]

Nerah had been near the edge of the forest when she heard the call, exploring places near her home that she had never actually seen before. At the howl, which she recognized as Arya's, she turned and headed for the river. Not her favorite place, but she needed to be there from time to time to check in on her secondary group.

Long legs swiftly carried her to her destination, and she slowed to a stop upon arriving where others in The Cult were gathered. She wagged her tail, happy to see her friends. "Hey, everyone! What's going on?"

[Meesh]

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[atrb=background,http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm184/pikachu59013/silvatablemid.png] Silva turned to give a grin to Nerah. "Hiyas Nerah~ I don't know whats happening, but Arya called us over, so I guess it's gonna be something pretty exciting~ Hm....you know what I think? Maybe its another meeting, or maybe a mission?" her tail twitched, almost catlike, as she thought "Or she could just have called us over to chat or something" Silva pondered this. It could be possible. Friends chatted with each other all the time, right?

[Deleted]

Her tail wagged harder as Silva greeted her. "Hi! I figured you'd beat me here! I was a little far off when I heard the summons, so I figured I'd be last." She giggled as Silva pondered out loud what they were being called for. "I wondered the same thing. Must be important, though. I mean, chatting with friends is one thing, but howling doesn't seem to be the way go about that. I dunno, though. It could be."

She yawned and stretched. "This body tires out too quickly. Maybe I'm not eating enough." She wasn't entirely tired, yet, but this time of day wouldn't have seen her yawning in her smaller form.

[mysteryfaith]

Apani found herself wandering towards the races; she had been invited by Arya, and felt obliged to come, as it had been a good friend's invitation. However, she felt she had better business to attend to elsewhere - it was an awful bother, having to walk all this way just to see the Cult members dance. It was pleasurable, of course, to see them doing our bidding and even enjoying it - but even so, it was a long way to walk when she had other, more important business to attend to.

Business smile, Apani, the sandy-coloured feline told herself, glancing in a nearby puddle to inspect how she looked. Her sea-blue eyes were sparkling, in tip-top condition as they should be; her pelt was clean, although it had been spattered with mud as she trotted here. She let out a small grunt of anger; she would have to wash again later, and that took up so much of her valuable time! Yet another reason to regret coming to these silly races.

Once again, the female reminded herself to put on her best business face, and approached the crowd who were gathering to spectate or take part. "Hello, everybody," she meowed in her calmest of tones, although inside she could already feel the boredom bubbling. "Greetings, Arya," she added to her friend, shooting the canine a friendly smile. Apani recognised a few Cult members here - Silva, Nerah, Elena - and expected the rest to come later. After all, could they resist the chance of being promoted to a higher rank in the Cult?

"I wonder how these races shall turn out," she pondered - half to herself, and half to the creatures around her. Her blue eyes twinkled as she sat down next to Arya, planning the spiteful comments she might make if some of the Cult members lost, or ran in the wrong direction. They would be witty, but mainly, they would be sharp as claws, out there simply to remind the Cult members that she was not their friend, but their co-leader; they should listen to her, and not admire her. "I can't wait to 'congratulate' everyone." She wondered if anyone picked up on her sarcasm; she wouldn't be congratulating anybody, whether they won or lost.

Raising one paw to her lips lazily, she began to lick it, thinking about the day ahead. She'd spend a little time here, watching the race and discussing things with Arya; after that, she'd head back to the Cult home, where she would rest for a bit before heading off to speak to business partners. These frequent meetings were ones she'd rather avoid, but if she didn't attend them, her life would fall to pieces; her business partners would pull out of their contracts, and leave her many organisations and plots hanging. She couldn't risk such a disaster.

[Meesh]

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[atrb=background,http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm184/pikachu59013/silvatablemid.png] Silva blinked at the words "Oh, a race? Hm, my leg hurts a little today. Maybe I'll race another time. Seeyall though~" before she trotted off into the night, and left, dissapearing into the shadows. (Exit rp, sorry, gotta clear up some posts :3)

[Deleted]

The other Cult leader arrived, and Nerah smiled at her before bowing her head to both leaders. Whatever was going to happen, it couldn't be too long now, right? They would finally figure out what was required of them, and then they could go about performing their task, whatever it was.

"Hello!" She returned the spoken greeting, her tail wagging hard at this point. Excitement was a hard thing to contain. Her eyes lit up when the race was mentioned. "Oh, we're racing? Ooh, that'll be so much fun! When do we start?" The leader went on to say that she couldn't wait to congratulate everyone, and her tail wagged even harder as she clearly missed the sarcasm.

Then Silva said her leg hurt, and the wagging stopped. "Aww...all right, I hope you get better. If I have energy later, I'll hunt you something."

[mysteryfaith]

Apani inspected Nerah, the canine who appeared to be far too chirpy. This can be sorted, she thought to herself with a smirk; no Cult member should be too happy. Happiness was an affliction, as far as she was concerned, and it was one she tried not to bother with. A good Cult member was smart, sly, but most of all, hard - hard enough to ignore all happiness and outside responsibilities and focus on the task ahead.

"I see you are excited for the race, Nerah," the Cult co-leader muttered, her sandy pelt ruffled a little in the harsh wind. Her deep blue eyes bore into Nerah's - she wished for the memory of those blue eyes to be seared into the canine's memory, so that she never forget Apani's powerful stare. "So tell me, friend . . ." The word 'friend' was forced quite painfully out of the feline's mouth; it wasn't a word she threw around lightly, and only a few, precious creatures were called it by her, when she genuinely meant it. Arya was one of those friends, although she liked to keep a business relationship on a strict business level; Arya got up to her business, and Apani got up to hers, whilst they both tried to make the Cult run smoothly. "Do you hope to win this race?"

[/b]

[Deleted]

Nerah smiled at Apani, tail wagging once more. "I sure am!" She responded. Maybe it was starting now, and this conversation was a formality of sorts. Either way, she was enjoying herself. Race, make new friends, both were good in her opinion.

The co-leader stared into her eyes, and her wagging slowed. Her head tilted slightly to the side. Was something wrong? Or maybe she just liked to stare.

Her tail resumed its normal speed when she was referred to as "friend". Yay! New friends were always awesome! Apani then asked if she hoped to win the race, and Nerah nodded. "I sure am! I imagine everyone is."

[mysteryfaith]

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[atrb=background,http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm184/pikachu59013/apanitablemid.png] Apani felt a small smile spread across her maw as she heard the canine talking; it appeared she was naive, but not completely worthless to the Cult. She showed a fair amount of potential - her wishing to win the race proved that she had a nice competitive spirit within her. Of course, all competition in the Cult was not to be encouraged - they had to work as a team, or they would divide and fall apart - but it was good to see a little ambition. "You have potential," the sand-coloured feline informed the creature, leaning in close so that no one else could hear them. It was better if she kept these things secret, or she may be accused of favouritism . . . preposterous, she would exclaim if anyone tried to pin the accusation to her, but still, it was better to be safe than sorry. "Not just a little potential . . . a lot of potential." This was only half true; she had thought that the canine was good, but not too good. The extra bit of encouragement was to try and make her warm to the feline, to make her feel accepted; with the canine's trust, she could persuade her to do just about anything. She seemed smart enough to be able to understand instructions, but simple enough not to question them; if it ever came to it, she could rely on this creature to do her bidding. For the time being, however, she had to make her feel loved; that was simple enough, Apani reckoned, as she believed she was a fairly good actress. The canine had seemed a little intimidated by her stare - she couldn't say that she hadn't used it just to scare her a little, for the kicks - and so she toned it down a little, hoping to appear nice . . . friendly, even. "I can see you going places, Nerah," she whispered, keeping a close eye on Arya and the others whilst she spoke; it was best to keep this private. If any of the other Cult members found out, they would surely be jealous. "You could be a great member of this Cult . . . yes, there is a future for you here. Wouldn't it be great to just fit in somewhere for the whole of your life, and never be questioned?" Obviously, she couldn't see into the canine's mind, but she imagined that if she could, she would see the creature slowly being reeled into her plan. Lured in, following Apani's every command without a single complaint . . . if everything went off like a hitch, then nobody would be harmed; she would stay pristine and keep her cool, I-don't-favour-anybody attitude, and Nerah could be a blissfully ignorant fool believing that Apani favoured her, and all the more loyal to the Cult for it. "You know what you have to do to fit in here forever?" Apani murmured; despite the difference in size between the feline and the canine, she felt that she was holding her own ground faultlessly. "You simply have to stay loyal to the Cult. Don't stray. Be with us, Nerah, and you could go to higher places."

[Deleted]

Apani was smiling. She was happy to be here just like Nerah. At least, that's what the canine assumed, and she had no reason to feel different. The cult leader seemed to glow with power sometimes, but surely they weren't so different...apart from her being the superior and Nerah the subordinate for this group.

Apani said she had potential, and Nerah could have sworn her tail was about to fall off for all its wagging. She was about to thank her new friend, but said friend continued so she kept silent. That became harder when she added to the compliment, and even said that he canine could go places with it and be a great member. Did she really feel that strongly about her? Nerah was touched. She would work extra hard for the cult. She couldn't let them down now, could she? Not if they thought she had potential.

Apani asked - perhaps rhetorically - if it would be great to fit in and never be questioned. Well...she had felt that way about since birth, but the answer was still obvious. Nerah continued to listen. Oh yes, Apani's plan seemed to be working very well. Very well, indeed.

Then she said that all Nerah had to do to fit in was stay loyal to the Cult, and that she could go to higher places if she did. She didn't know what these "higher places" were, exactly, but she knew it was a good thing.

The other female finished speaking, and Nerah bowed. "Yes, of course. Thank you!" She smiled widely at her companion, tail still wagging. "I'll do everything I can for the Cult!"

[Meesh]

[[Good news. I cleared up some posts, so I have a slot open for this thread again. Is it alright if I return in my rp- though this time I'll be evolved XD]]

[Deleted]

(We haven't started yet, so I don't see why not. Up to our glorious leaders, though. XD)