Post by Persephone on Sept 17, 2010 18:57:31 GMT -8
((This is NOT a plotline. It's my first attempt at writing a character background))
Artemis sat on the cushiony grass, her hands by her side, her back leaning against a tree. She closed her eyes. She was exhausted! Sweat ran across her cheek and forehead. She wiped it away with one hand. Fighting Orcs was tiring. She and her companion had become skilled at it, but they had been fighting all morning; it still took a lot out of her.
She felt her companion's head on her lap and she opened her eyes to look at him. He was handsome: big, with strong muscle showing under his heavy armor. His one blue eye that was not against her lap staring at her. His whole body was relaxed as if they were in the safety of their home. "You’ve done a good job today Kero" she said. The fenrir did not reply. Of course, he couldn't.
Artemis lifted her right hand and started patting his silver-grey fur just underneath his neck, one of the few spots that was not covered in armor. She wished he could understand that when he was wearing his armor it was not very comfortable for her, but he couldn't. He loved putting his head on her lap every opportunity he got. In a way, his armor wasn't such a problem.
Artemis looked at Kerovingian lying there. He had grown so much! To her it still seem like yesterday that his whole body fit entirely on her lap. But now, he was so much bigger than she was! Without realizing it, Artemis started daydreaming. She was remembering the past. She was remembering that day when she found Kero and adopted him, or maybe he adopted her; she was never sure which way it actually went.
It was about a year ago...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artemis was in the Death Note clan hall. She was sitting by the fire, alone. She was talking to herself "I'd go hunt but, it is getting harder and harder alone."
"You are too weak to hunt alone. You shouldn't go out by yourself or you'll end up dead" Perseph0nes had just entered the clan hall; her hand was still on the door handle.
Artemis turned to look at Perseph0nes and answered "Oh, thank you Perse, for your usual tact in stating the obvious".
Perseph0nes took her cloak off and came to sit by the fire to warm up. She stared at the fire while replying. "Just saying. You don't listen to my advice, so don't complain".
Other people would have taken Perseph0nes' word as harsh, but Artemis knew this was simply the way Perseph0nes is. It's not like she is going to change. She tried to think back and remember which advice Perseph0nes mentioned; there were so many, Perseph0nes had helped and advised her so much. How was Artemis supposed to remember them all?
It may not have seemed like it, but Perseph0nes was in a mood to talk, as little as she ever did. Artemis knew that. Perseph0nes would not have sat by the fire if she wasn't. So, Artemis pressed on.
"Would you enlighten me as to which advice you are referring too?"
Perseph0nes turned to look at Artemis and she talked for what was a long time, by her standards. "I told you to get a pet wolf to help you hunt. You LOVE anything that is dog-like. I really don't know why you haven't gotten your own yet. I would even have already put one in your hand except that I believe you have to choose it for this to work. And it has to choose you too".
Artemis was dumb-struck; Perseph0nes had thought about offering her a wolf pup! Impossible! She could not believe Perseph0nes would even consider such a nice gesture, yet Artemis knew - nobody else did, but Artemis knew - Perseph0nes wasn't as cold as she let it appear.
"IF I decided to get a wolf... where would I get a good one?"
Perseph0nes complained but still stood up. "I had not planned to go out again today. Anyway, the pet manager Martin told me he managed to get his best female bred with the best male he knows out there. He was expecting a lot from those pups. That was a few weeks ago. Surely they are born now".
Artemis still could not believe how chatty Perseph0nes was today. She got up to follow her. They left the clan hall, crossed the busy Giran's main square then teleported to Gludin village, via Dion and Gludio. Artemis was ecstatic. I’m getting a puppy wolf!!! What do I want it to be? Hmmm, female yes. That would be better. She was already trying to think about a nice name.
As they crossed the main square in Gludin village, Artemis was so happy at the idea of getting her own wolf that she was skipping like a kid. It seemed to her that Perseph0nes stepped away from her a bit, to make it appear like they were not together. Artemis ignored it; right now she was too happy to care.
Perseph0nes asked: "Do you know what you want?"
The answer came right away: "I want a puppy girl. I think a female would be nicer. I don't think I could deal with the attitude of a male. Also, a female would mean that she might have pups of her own some day. That would be awesome!" Perseph0nes did not reply. When they found Martin, Perseph0nes greeted him briefly and explain how she was hoping to get one of those awaited prized puppies for Artemis.
Artemis smiled and asked inquisitively: "Would you let me have one of them?" Martin replied: "Maybe. Let’s see how you go in the pen. Follow me".
Martin took them to the back of his place and showed them to a huge pen that contained no less than five female wolves and more than twenty-five little pups running around.
"Wow!"
"Yes I have been lucky this month with all my females giving birth at almost the same time and most of the pups surviving birth".
"Are they ok all together like that?!?"
"Of course! They get to play with each other. Come in, leave the mothers alone, just pick one and we'll see if you have an eye for my prized puppies. If you do I might let you keep it"
"I want a female though. How would I know which one is which?"
"Don't worry I'll tell you".
Artemis entered the cage full of wolves. They were barely weeks-old, running all over the place, playing, chasing their own tails, chasing each other's tails, jumping, nursing, yapping, sometimes falling and crying for a second before starting to run around again. So many of them, all very similar too. How was she supposed to choose? Which one would be her companion? Artemis remembered what Perseph0nes had said: And it has to choose you too. Maybe that was the way to go! She went straight to the center of the pen and sat down; she wanted to see which puppy would come to her, which would choose her.
Five of them did, they came fearlessly to look at that strange creature sitting in the center of their pen. Of course other bipeds had come before this one. Sometimes accompanied by smaller version of them. But they had not stayed long. They had often picked a couple of pups before putting all down but one and left. This one was the first one to sit down and that intrigued the pups.
Artemis still wasn't sure. Which one out of those five? From the outside, Martin pointed out three of them explaining they were the female ones. Ok so I have a choice been those three. That should be easier. Yet Artemis still didn't know. Would one of those be the right one? What about the others?
As Artemis looked around, she noticed him for the first time. She noticed that one of the pups wasn't playing with the others. He just sat in a corner. But oh, he did sit proudly, with his head held high, as if he was looking down on all the others. Some of the other pups would come close in an attempt to play, but the one in the corner would just show his teeth and let out a low growl and the other pup was gone.
One of them tried to jump playfully on the pup in the corner; suddenly it was on its back on the ground. The pup in the corner had pounced on top of him and was biting him viciously, but not fatally. As soon as he was released, when the dominant pup had made his point, the other ran away as fast as it could.
Artemis asked Martin "What's with that one in the corner".
Martin looked: "That one? Oh ignore that one! Vicious little thing he is. He already bit three customers that got too close. I don't know what I'm gonna do with him. I thought of keeping him to bread him if he'd ever get to be as beautiful as his dad. But that's a bad idea. I don't want to breed pups with such a bad personality. And this one surely won't sell."
"If he'd ever get as beautiful as his daddy,” Perseph0nes whispered to Martin, “so he is one of your prized puppies". Martin simply nodded in answer.
Artemis tried to ignore the pup in the corner. A male, with a bad personality. Forget about him and just pick one amongst the ones that came to you. But which one? She didn't know. She couldn't make her mind up. While she was looking around at all of them she couldn't help but look back at the puppy in the corner. So proud! So arrogant. Artemis couldn't help but notice. Perse is just like him. Or rather this pup is just like Perse.
Artemis couldn't pick. She didn't know which one. As happy as she was to be getting her own wolf she wasn’t sure which one should be hers. She didn't want to pick at random. But none of them attracted her more than the others. Except one... Artemis stood up and turned to Martin "If I can get to him and he doesn't bit me....would you let me have that one in the corner?”
Martin frowned: "I don't like it. Please don't get hurt.... But something tells me you won't give up until you try."
Artemis smiled and turn to face the pup in the corner. She walked straight to him, stopping a meter short. Starring straight in the eye of the pup she sat down. Never taking her eye of him, she used her hands to push back all the other puppies that would come near her in hope of a pat.
The pup in the corner couldn't believe it. Yet another 2 legged that was bothering him. As the 2 legged creature was walking closer, the pup was getting ready to sink his teeth in its hand. That should teach the creature a lesson. Nobody was going to touch him! But the 2 legged didn't come. It stopped, 1 meter short. And now it was just sitting there, starting at him. Pushing back all the other puppies that came.
The pup in the corner did not understand. He was not used to such a behavior. This 2 legged was respecting his personal space. How? Why? He was surprised. And suddenly, without understanding why the pup in the corner longed to get closer to that strange 2 legged creature, to feel the warmth of her hand. Why? How? He wasn't sure. But he needed to come closer. He knew it in the very core of his bone, even though he could not explain why.
And so the pup in the corner took a step. Then a second step. There was no hesitation in his stride. He just stood and walk straight to Artemis. He jumped on her crossed legs and stood on them. He put his front pawn on her chest and lifted his head to stare at her.
Artemis laughed, thrilled "I think he likes me!" She lifted a hand and patted the pup on his head, then his back. He had a really nice and soft silver-grey fur, and handsome blue eyes. The pup just let himself fall on her laps and just laid there. He seems to be enjoying himself.
Artemis turned to Martin, she could not hide the huge smile that was crossing her face, from ear to ear: "So will you let me keep him?" Martin smiled back: "I think he is the one that made the decision already. I just need to ask you a few questions to make sure you know how to take care of him".
The questions were easy and Artemis had no problem answering them. Within 15 minutes she was done and leaving the pen with her new pup in her hand; a male! That did not go exactly as planned, but deep down she knew she had made the right choice.
"How will you call it?"
The answer came straight away: "Kerovingian!...If...If you don't mind". Perseph0nes smiled...well she never truly smiled, rather she had this expression on her face that anybody else would take as neutral but Artemis had come to think of it as being Perseph0nes' way of smiling.
"Not at all." Perseph0nes had this strange way of naming all the pets she ever found. And before Artemis had even realized it she had adopted a similar convention to name her puppy wolf.
And so it was Artemis and Kerovingian went home together.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artemis opened her eyes, coming back to reality. She looked at Kerovingian. They had come a long way together and she hoped they still had a long way ahead of them.
"Come on boy, time to go back to town for lunch." Of course he could not understand, yet the fenrir got up at the word 'lunch'. Artemis got up too. She pulled up next to him but did not mount the saddle. Instead she put her hand on Kero’s neck and started walking. "We still have time, let's walk back. We'll rest this afternoon, we have hunted enough for a day."
Artemis sat on the cushiony grass, her hands by her side, her back leaning against a tree. She closed her eyes. She was exhausted! Sweat ran across her cheek and forehead. She wiped it away with one hand. Fighting Orcs was tiring. She and her companion had become skilled at it, but they had been fighting all morning; it still took a lot out of her.
She felt her companion's head on her lap and she opened her eyes to look at him. He was handsome: big, with strong muscle showing under his heavy armor. His one blue eye that was not against her lap staring at her. His whole body was relaxed as if they were in the safety of their home. "You’ve done a good job today Kero" she said. The fenrir did not reply. Of course, he couldn't.
Artemis lifted her right hand and started patting his silver-grey fur just underneath his neck, one of the few spots that was not covered in armor. She wished he could understand that when he was wearing his armor it was not very comfortable for her, but he couldn't. He loved putting his head on her lap every opportunity he got. In a way, his armor wasn't such a problem.
Artemis looked at Kerovingian lying there. He had grown so much! To her it still seem like yesterday that his whole body fit entirely on her lap. But now, he was so much bigger than she was! Without realizing it, Artemis started daydreaming. She was remembering the past. She was remembering that day when she found Kero and adopted him, or maybe he adopted her; she was never sure which way it actually went.
It was about a year ago...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artemis was in the Death Note clan hall. She was sitting by the fire, alone. She was talking to herself "I'd go hunt but, it is getting harder and harder alone."
"You are too weak to hunt alone. You shouldn't go out by yourself or you'll end up dead" Perseph0nes had just entered the clan hall; her hand was still on the door handle.
Artemis turned to look at Perseph0nes and answered "Oh, thank you Perse, for your usual tact in stating the obvious".
Perseph0nes took her cloak off and came to sit by the fire to warm up. She stared at the fire while replying. "Just saying. You don't listen to my advice, so don't complain".
Other people would have taken Perseph0nes' word as harsh, but Artemis knew this was simply the way Perseph0nes is. It's not like she is going to change. She tried to think back and remember which advice Perseph0nes mentioned; there were so many, Perseph0nes had helped and advised her so much. How was Artemis supposed to remember them all?
It may not have seemed like it, but Perseph0nes was in a mood to talk, as little as she ever did. Artemis knew that. Perseph0nes would not have sat by the fire if she wasn't. So, Artemis pressed on.
"Would you enlighten me as to which advice you are referring too?"
Perseph0nes turned to look at Artemis and she talked for what was a long time, by her standards. "I told you to get a pet wolf to help you hunt. You LOVE anything that is dog-like. I really don't know why you haven't gotten your own yet. I would even have already put one in your hand except that I believe you have to choose it for this to work. And it has to choose you too".
Artemis was dumb-struck; Perseph0nes had thought about offering her a wolf pup! Impossible! She could not believe Perseph0nes would even consider such a nice gesture, yet Artemis knew - nobody else did, but Artemis knew - Perseph0nes wasn't as cold as she let it appear.
"IF I decided to get a wolf... where would I get a good one?"
Perseph0nes complained but still stood up. "I had not planned to go out again today. Anyway, the pet manager Martin told me he managed to get his best female bred with the best male he knows out there. He was expecting a lot from those pups. That was a few weeks ago. Surely they are born now".
Artemis still could not believe how chatty Perseph0nes was today. She got up to follow her. They left the clan hall, crossed the busy Giran's main square then teleported to Gludin village, via Dion and Gludio. Artemis was ecstatic. I’m getting a puppy wolf!!! What do I want it to be? Hmmm, female yes. That would be better. She was already trying to think about a nice name.
As they crossed the main square in Gludin village, Artemis was so happy at the idea of getting her own wolf that she was skipping like a kid. It seemed to her that Perseph0nes stepped away from her a bit, to make it appear like they were not together. Artemis ignored it; right now she was too happy to care.
Perseph0nes asked: "Do you know what you want?"
The answer came right away: "I want a puppy girl. I think a female would be nicer. I don't think I could deal with the attitude of a male. Also, a female would mean that she might have pups of her own some day. That would be awesome!" Perseph0nes did not reply. When they found Martin, Perseph0nes greeted him briefly and explain how she was hoping to get one of those awaited prized puppies for Artemis.
Artemis smiled and asked inquisitively: "Would you let me have one of them?" Martin replied: "Maybe. Let’s see how you go in the pen. Follow me".
Martin took them to the back of his place and showed them to a huge pen that contained no less than five female wolves and more than twenty-five little pups running around.
"Wow!"
"Yes I have been lucky this month with all my females giving birth at almost the same time and most of the pups surviving birth".
"Are they ok all together like that?!?"
"Of course! They get to play with each other. Come in, leave the mothers alone, just pick one and we'll see if you have an eye for my prized puppies. If you do I might let you keep it"
"I want a female though. How would I know which one is which?"
"Don't worry I'll tell you".
Artemis entered the cage full of wolves. They were barely weeks-old, running all over the place, playing, chasing their own tails, chasing each other's tails, jumping, nursing, yapping, sometimes falling and crying for a second before starting to run around again. So many of them, all very similar too. How was she supposed to choose? Which one would be her companion? Artemis remembered what Perseph0nes had said: And it has to choose you too. Maybe that was the way to go! She went straight to the center of the pen and sat down; she wanted to see which puppy would come to her, which would choose her.
Five of them did, they came fearlessly to look at that strange creature sitting in the center of their pen. Of course other bipeds had come before this one. Sometimes accompanied by smaller version of them. But they had not stayed long. They had often picked a couple of pups before putting all down but one and left. This one was the first one to sit down and that intrigued the pups.
Artemis still wasn't sure. Which one out of those five? From the outside, Martin pointed out three of them explaining they were the female ones. Ok so I have a choice been those three. That should be easier. Yet Artemis still didn't know. Would one of those be the right one? What about the others?
As Artemis looked around, she noticed him for the first time. She noticed that one of the pups wasn't playing with the others. He just sat in a corner. But oh, he did sit proudly, with his head held high, as if he was looking down on all the others. Some of the other pups would come close in an attempt to play, but the one in the corner would just show his teeth and let out a low growl and the other pup was gone.
One of them tried to jump playfully on the pup in the corner; suddenly it was on its back on the ground. The pup in the corner had pounced on top of him and was biting him viciously, but not fatally. As soon as he was released, when the dominant pup had made his point, the other ran away as fast as it could.
Artemis asked Martin "What's with that one in the corner".
Martin looked: "That one? Oh ignore that one! Vicious little thing he is. He already bit three customers that got too close. I don't know what I'm gonna do with him. I thought of keeping him to bread him if he'd ever get to be as beautiful as his dad. But that's a bad idea. I don't want to breed pups with such a bad personality. And this one surely won't sell."
"If he'd ever get as beautiful as his daddy,” Perseph0nes whispered to Martin, “so he is one of your prized puppies". Martin simply nodded in answer.
Artemis tried to ignore the pup in the corner. A male, with a bad personality. Forget about him and just pick one amongst the ones that came to you. But which one? She didn't know. She couldn't make her mind up. While she was looking around at all of them she couldn't help but look back at the puppy in the corner. So proud! So arrogant. Artemis couldn't help but notice. Perse is just like him. Or rather this pup is just like Perse.
Artemis couldn't pick. She didn't know which one. As happy as she was to be getting her own wolf she wasn’t sure which one should be hers. She didn't want to pick at random. But none of them attracted her more than the others. Except one... Artemis stood up and turned to Martin "If I can get to him and he doesn't bit me....would you let me have that one in the corner?”
Martin frowned: "I don't like it. Please don't get hurt.... But something tells me you won't give up until you try."
Artemis smiled and turn to face the pup in the corner. She walked straight to him, stopping a meter short. Starring straight in the eye of the pup she sat down. Never taking her eye of him, she used her hands to push back all the other puppies that would come near her in hope of a pat.
The pup in the corner couldn't believe it. Yet another 2 legged that was bothering him. As the 2 legged creature was walking closer, the pup was getting ready to sink his teeth in its hand. That should teach the creature a lesson. Nobody was going to touch him! But the 2 legged didn't come. It stopped, 1 meter short. And now it was just sitting there, starting at him. Pushing back all the other puppies that came.
The pup in the corner did not understand. He was not used to such a behavior. This 2 legged was respecting his personal space. How? Why? He was surprised. And suddenly, without understanding why the pup in the corner longed to get closer to that strange 2 legged creature, to feel the warmth of her hand. Why? How? He wasn't sure. But he needed to come closer. He knew it in the very core of his bone, even though he could not explain why.
And so the pup in the corner took a step. Then a second step. There was no hesitation in his stride. He just stood and walk straight to Artemis. He jumped on her crossed legs and stood on them. He put his front pawn on her chest and lifted his head to stare at her.
Artemis laughed, thrilled "I think he likes me!" She lifted a hand and patted the pup on his head, then his back. He had a really nice and soft silver-grey fur, and handsome blue eyes. The pup just let himself fall on her laps and just laid there. He seems to be enjoying himself.
Artemis turned to Martin, she could not hide the huge smile that was crossing her face, from ear to ear: "So will you let me keep him?" Martin smiled back: "I think he is the one that made the decision already. I just need to ask you a few questions to make sure you know how to take care of him".
The questions were easy and Artemis had no problem answering them. Within 15 minutes she was done and leaving the pen with her new pup in her hand; a male! That did not go exactly as planned, but deep down she knew she had made the right choice.
"How will you call it?"
The answer came straight away: "Kerovingian!...If...If you don't mind". Perseph0nes smiled...well she never truly smiled, rather she had this expression on her face that anybody else would take as neutral but Artemis had come to think of it as being Perseph0nes' way of smiling.
"Not at all." Perseph0nes had this strange way of naming all the pets she ever found. And before Artemis had even realized it she had adopted a similar convention to name her puppy wolf.
And so it was Artemis and Kerovingian went home together.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artemis opened her eyes, coming back to reality. She looked at Kerovingian. They had come a long way together and she hoped they still had a long way ahead of them.
"Come on boy, time to go back to town for lunch." Of course he could not understand, yet the fenrir got up at the word 'lunch'. Artemis got up too. She pulled up next to him but did not mount the saddle. Instead she put her hand on Kero’s neck and started walking. "We still have time, let's walk back. We'll rest this afternoon, we have hunted enough for a day."
