{Open} :; RISE AND SHINE;:

[Natrii]

Twitching slightly as she felt something brush against her neck, Natrii opened her eyes to the dim morning light. Giving a light snort, the reptilian lifted her head up from her nesting ground, hissing as her eyes fell onto the beetle that crawled over her skin. Shaking her head to scare it off, but the dark insect hardly moved, its small legs clinging onto her rough, scaly skin. Stumbling slightly as she stood up, the dull colored reptilian twisted her head around as she tried to snap at the irritating bug, failing as she was unable to reach it. Pulling her lips back to flash her razor sharp teeth at the beetle, she was grateful when it finally released its grip and dropped to the ground. With a growl rumbling in the back of her throat, she lowered her head to the ground, sniffing at the black beetle that rocked on its back, struggling to roll itself over correctly. Snorting at the small creature, she quickly snatched it up in her teeth, feeling her teeth crush the hard exoskeleton of the bug. With that small snack now in her stomach, Natrii was ready to start the day of survival.

Lightly clicking her talons against the ground, the Velociraptor quietly looked around at her surroundings, feeling her small arms lower slightly as the feeling of isolation came over her. It had been so long since she last saw another creature of her own kind, and she didn't like it. Of course, she was partially to blame as well since she had yet to gather up the courage to actually look for anyone else. But, she wasn't sure if she really trusted herself to go out alone. She knew how cruel and dangerous the world could be, and with how weak and small her body was compared to others, she was sure that she would be seen as easy prey. Quietly growling as she took a few steps ahead, she sniffed around for a moment, hoping to find something laying around to eat.

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[the function factor]

It was morning, the sun was rising, a new day. The sun hadn't even risen completely yet, and already Graymalkin was up. This displeased her. Her jaws opened and shut quickly, flashing her sharp teeth for a short moment. She carefully weaved her way through the trees, eyes open for any sort of prey. It was her duty to bring food back to the Illuminati today, like it was her duty to everyday.
Oh how things would be so much better if she didn't have to travel, if she could just stay at the pack grounds back on Tethys with the hatchlings. Stopping in her tracks, Graymalkin scoffed at her own words. She was being stupid again.
Again, she picked up her pace and swiveled her head from one direction to the other. There were no scents that denoted the presence of another, no prey in the area. The guanlong proceeded forwards, and frozen in her tracks. Downwind of her was a small little thing stirring. She wondered for a moment if it had seen her, rather, had smelled her. She watched with careful eyes, narrowing them just a bit.
She decided that she would play a game of deception, or try to, and put on a friendly facade. "Hello there," she spoke as she walked closer to the thing. It appeared to be a velociraptor.
She grinned. This might actually be a bit of fun.

[Natrii]

Lightly running her tongue over her teeth, Natrii failed to notice the approaching threat before it was practically too late. She froze at the sound of the voice that sent shivers up her spine, snapping around to face the larger reptilian. Lowering her head in fear of the Guanlong that practically towered over her. "Wh-What do you want?", she hissed lightly, taking a step back. She knew what these creatures were bent on doing, killing those of their own kind and eating the flesh of other fellow carnivores, all for some kind of sickening belief system. What made them think they were better than any other creature on this land? And, what made them think that taking the life of their family and friends was pure? it was anything but that. Pulling her lips back into a snarl, she tried to bring her head up to the Guanong's, but her height was a few inches shorter than the female in front of her. She knew she had no chance fighting against her, but Natrii wasn't going to die without a fight.

With her tail swaying slightly from side to side, the Velociraptor nervously tapped her talons against the soft ground, making small groves in the dirt as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. Her bright golden eyes carefully watched the Guanlong's movements, watching for any kind of gesture of attack. She had seen how some of them fought, their attack on her family pack forever engraved into her mind. The deep scar on her chest also kept a fresh reminder of that horrid day in her mind whenever her eyes fell upon it, but it was something she had gradually learned to live with.

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[the function factor]

Graymalkin watched with her narrowed yellowed eyes, drank in the wariness she saw in the velociraptor at foot. She probably could take the thing down quickly, having a bit of a size advantage, but Graymalkin wasn't too eager to under estimate the creature in front of her, an amateur mistake easily made.
She relaxed her stance a bit, lowering her arms slightly, and dropping her tail to the ground. She tilted her head in a small, slight movement. "I'm not really looking for anything, hun. Who's really ever looking for something? No we're all just wandering... Unless, that is, my deary, we're looking for breakfast..." The guanlong let her words trail off, perhaps alluding to her hunger, perhaps foreshadowing the future. There was a slight pause before she continued, "What are you looking for? It seems you're motivated to get somewhere. Or perhaps just away from me." Graymalkin gave a chuckle.

After her small speech, she launched into a slow prowl. She brought foot after foot and tail on the ground, made her way around the velociraptor in a circle. She opened her mouth, and began talking again. "You're afraid, aren't you. You know who I am, don't you. Or, shall I say, what I am. You've learned to fear us. As you should, as you all should." She moved her shoulders a bit, shifting her small arms. The theropod walked in circle, ending with her own head close by the head of velociraptor. She craned her neck to reach the same level.
"You. You have a right to fear. A reason to fear." She pulled her head back up to it's normal stance. Perhaps she wasn't all that she said, maybe it wasn't all that great, but it didn't matter if she was lying, because it was all just kind of fun.

[Natrii]

Natrii felt herself flinch slightly as the Guanlong moved, but stopped as she realized the movements had meant to be any kind of threat. She still felt greatly uneasy at the female's presence and she wasn't about to let her guard down. She had seen the result of what happened to someone who allowed to relax around an enemy. They never saw the light of another day from that mistake, and she certainly wasn't about to do the same. With her head still held up high and every muscle in her body tense, ready for the sudden sprint that may just save her life if the creature before her attacked. Her arms pressed against her chest as she listened to the Guanlong's words, the hiss in her voice sending chills throughout her body. Natrii's eyes nervous twitched around, watching every part of the Illuminati's body. She was almost tempted to just run at the moment, sure that her small size would help her escape and hide from this sickening reptilian. But, as she listened to her words, she felt something stir in her. Maybe it was a bravery that came through instinct or something that had been buried for years as a result of her scarring memories of her past. Whatever it was, it allowed her to stand up to the female that was part of something that struck terror to every and all creatures on this earth.

"You're right. I do have a reason to fear, and so do you.", she hissed, narrowing her eyes slightly as she held her head up high. "We all have something to fear in this world, but it isn't always what we see. You're just as afraid of your own kind as anyone of us out here. Not only that, but you're scared of yourself." She turned her head to the side slightly so her eyes met with the Guanlong's. "I can see it in your eyes. Something that stirs in you that you can't explain. Maybe it isn't quite the fear I feel, ut it's there." Holding her gaze, the velociraptor pawed at the ground, digging her talons in the soft earth, finding comfort in the moist warmth of the earth she knew so well.

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[the function factor]

Watching the smaller creatures, Graymalkin snarled slightly as she saw some of the fear evaporate. As she watched the velociraptor make her retort, she felt a bit of rage boil up within her. Her shoulders tensed and her eyes narrowed at the raptor. How dare she tell me what I'm afraid of, she thought to herself. Why in Cretassia would I be afraid of myself, her thoughts hissed in her head again. The slow boil of rage grew until the female was finished with her words.
Graymalkin threw her head back and let out a laugh. "Don't be so foolish. Don't do this to yourself. You don't know me. Perhaps you barely know yourself," she spoke as if she was speaking to a small hatchling, someone who was inferior, smaller, less capable. Then, her tone changed. She took a step forwards, closing the gap between herself and the raptor. Putting her face close to that of the enemy's she looked the rival female in the eyes. "Do you know what you see in my eyes?," she hissed her words through slightly grit teeth, controlling her temper as best she could. "Do you want to know? That, my deary, that would be power. That would be rage. All these inferiors running around," she spat coldly, "all the inferiors are making me sick." She reeled back and made a gagging noise. Her body turned and she faced away from the smaller theropod.
She closed her eyes in feigned despair, crooned her lament, "Lo! Around us, this world, it's plagued. She's sick. Our Cretassia! And you. You're making her sick. You're making me sick. All of you. All. Of. You." Graymalkin shot a piercing glare to the other's direction. "The only thing I'm afraid of, that would be notion of this world falling. Falling into the power of the impure."
She relaxed her body a bit, and stood a casual stance. Her eyes turned to the claws on her toes and she wiggled them one by one and gave a chuckle. What the raptor would reply, she had no idea. But this, this was fun.

[Natrii]

As the guanlong snarled at her, Natrii felt her previous courage simmer down, lowering her head. Taking a shaky step back, she felt her arms press against her chest, pulling her lips over her teeth once more in defense. What had she been thinking?She had probably just signed her death wish with talking like that to an Illuminati. Flinching as the female in front of her pushed her face closer to hers, the velociraptor stood there shaking, just waiting for the reptilian's teeth to come crushing down onto her. But, they never did. With her body still trembling from the closeness between her and the guanlong, she lowered her head slightly as she spoke, the cold, cruel tone in the female's tone filling her with fear. By now, Natrii was just waiting for the creature to attack her and take her life. It was only a matter of time before the Illuminati in front of he would strike her down, she knew that.

Wincing as the guanlong insulted her and those of her kind, she felt her anger boil up in her. If this was going to be her last moments to live, then she might as well make them worth it. "Is that really what you think? Or, is it just things you've been forced to believe? What makes you any different from me? Besides appearances, what makes you so much better? We're all hunters. The only difference between you and me is the fact that you've been driven to insanity.", she growled, though her tone was still lined with fear and uneasiness. "You call this 'pure'? What does eating and killing those who are just like you prove?"

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