<div class="floatright">(http://40.media.tumblr.com/cb53d8644e7870ad8a7092e2fa6f07d6/tumblr_nd6zb1ubBk1qzx74yo1_1280.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Corrin Arwi (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=283758.msg13964542#msg13964542)<br/><strong>Date/Time:</strong>1st January, 2018<br/><strong>Status:</strong>----<br/><strong>Notes/Triggers:</strong><br/><strong>Tagging: </strong>All~<br/><hr/><hr/><br/>It was a little too cold for relaxing outdoors, but Corrin was not going to let a little midwinter frost put him off enjoying the day. It was Monday, yes, but he had made a point of claiming it as a day off, enjoying the sense of discord it gave. He worked the weekend for the privilege, which sucked, but oh it was worth it for this freedom on a day many others dreaded.<br/><br/>He had gone shopping, picked up a few snacks and had ventured into the park to explore and find a nice spot to enjoy what he had bought. The first was jerky - not really a treat, exactly, but he had heard certain sorts were<em>good for the jaw</em>. Perhaps he would benefit more from the tough meat if he had been in his alternate form, but he would not allow such trivial matters dictate how he experienced the words, so he struggled his way through the packet, his jaw aching before he was even halfway done. The second snack was<em>chocolate</em>, and not just any chocolate. This had a caramel center, gooey and sweet, and his absolute favourite - a treasure in itself.<br/><br/>He let the anticipation for it build and simmer as he chewed the tough meat strips slowly, looking out over the trees, daydreaming when he heard... a rustle. He turned his head -<em>squirrel!</em>- and froze. Yes, squirrel, but this squirrel had a candy bar, still wrapped and glinting in the weak winter sun. The colours of it were familiar.<br/><br/>Corrin glanced down at where he had put his chocolate.<br/><br/>It was gone.<br/><br/><em>The little fucker</em>.<br/><br/>In an instant, Corrin was on his feet and running full tilt after the thief - the squirrel twitched its tail twice then scampered away, bounding through leaffall and keeping ahead. “Give it back!” Corrin yelled, commanded but to no avail. The squirrel had his prize and would not surrender it so easily.<br/><br/>Through the trees, over a stream, down a slope of gravel and into a clearing in which a single tree stood alone, its limbs twisted and heavy, bare in the winter months. Its bark was thick and rough, but parts had cracked and the pale inner wood gleamed, and a sap that was a bloody red in colour oozed. Into these gaps, coins had been wedged, mostly cents but Corrin saw some from other countries, sterling pennies, Euros, some he didn’t know the name of, some with square holes cut in the middle... wishes? There was a strange tang in his mouth just looking at the tree, and he was glad he had come upon it while it slept.<br/><br/>The squirrel scrambled up its trunk, glanced back down at Corrin with a swish of its tail and vanished into a hole. “<em>Vile fiend</em>,” Corrin growled. A mortal would turn then, give up, but Corrin knew his treasure would taste all the better after this, if he could only get it.<br/><br/>So he climbed the tree, careful not to harm the old wood and just as careful not to touch the sap, but determined. Up, and up, and up. Until he came level with the squirrel’s hole. He peered into it, but saw nothing. “Don’t bite me,” he murmured, to the squirrel or to the tree, whichever would listen, and reached a hand in...<br/><br/>And felt parchment. He pulled it out with a frown, and knew before reading it that this too was<em>his</em>. He braced himself better and opened it, reading the contents with raising brows. “A champion. Cool. That’s still not worth my<em>chocolate</em>!” he yelled into the hole, then reached inside again, hearing a chittering from inside of offense before his fingers found the cool foil of his candy.<br/><br/>He pulled it out with a victorious cry and ripped that open too, jamming half into his mouth in one. His eyes shut in pleasure and delight - oh yes, this was so much<em>better</em>now. “Here, tree rat, for the letter.” He dropped the other half into the hole, and the offended squirrel went quiet, Corrin assuming it was eating the chocolate.<br/><br/>He swallowed and stuffed the letter into a pocket, and started to climb down the old wish tree.<br/><br/><hr/><hr/><br/>Corrin made his way to the dam, and broke from the treeline at the sight of a gathering that had formed. The others had arrived already - or most of them had. They made for quite the sight, beautiful and unearthly. He wiped the edges of his mouth to be sure the last of the chocolate was gone before he came upon them, and dipped his head low in greeting to the man the rest were facing.<br/><br/>Corrin wore mundane clothes fit for the weather, boots and jeans, a padded coat, gloves and hat - but his Voile was much more sparse, his chest bare but for a heavy jeweled collar that fanned over his chest, a white linen kilt that ended at his lower thigh, arm bands that matched the collar and a blue and gold striped mantle over his hair. His<em>mien</em>was much as he was from the neck down, but his head was of a beast, black furred and amber eyed. Which it was changed for no reason though for the moment it cycled back to a jackal more frequently than the others.<br/><br/>“I am Corrin, one of the champions chosen - I am saddened by the loss, and will strive to find who is responsible.” As his spoke, a forked tongue flickered in his mouth.<br/>