Application: Firekeeper and Blind Seer (Jane Lindskold's Firekeeper saga)
The young woman who walked into the Sorting Room carried a bow and quiver of arrows on her back, but ignored those in favor of a knife with a large garnet set in the hilt. She looked to be about twenty, and very fit. Her curly brown hair was chopped close to her head where it wasn't pulled back into a tail, and her tanned skin was laced with pale scars where her clothing--well-worn leather--didn't cover it. She was barefoot. She crouched as she looked around warily with the knife in her hand, and her dark eyes missed nothing.
The wolf at her side was equally wary-looking. He came up to the woman's chest (no mean thing, for she was not a short woman) and had piercing blue eyes. He growled once, low in his throat. "I do not scent danger, but neither do I scent our destination."
The woman flicked her eyes in the wolf's direction and answered back. Her speech was more akin to an animal's, though, all growls and silence and body language. "Does it smell like Hawk Haven or Bright Bay? This stone room looks similar to their keeps."
"I cannot say. It smells alien, and though you might not wish to hear it, I can feel magic here, stronger than anything I've felt before." Blind Seer--the wolf's name--had been sensitive to such things following an illness months before.
Firekeeper--the woman--frowned. "Could we be in the Old World, then?"
"It is a possibility. I had thought the gateways to be more accurate than that, though."
Firekeeper grunted in displeasure and noticed the a sheet of parchment on a table nearby. She picked it up, wrinkled her nose, and returned it to the table. "I cannot read this. Is it a language you know?"
The wolf gave her a somewhat exasperated look, but placed his front paws on the table and looked down at the parchment, reading. "It appears similar to the writings of Hawk Haven, yes. I will tell you what I can. Perhaps we can learn more about where we have come."
State your full name.
When the woman spoke, her voice was husky and her use of English Pellish--for if the writing was used by these people, perhaps the language was as well--was broken, but not as much as it would have been had she not been living among humans for nearly a year continuously. She had been told her use of the language was much worsened the longer she went without using it, which made a certain amount of sense to her; any learned skill would atrophy when not practiced regularly. "I am Firekeeper, also called Lady Blysse Norwood. He is Blind Seer."
1. What is your favorite cheese? Why is it your favorite?
Firekeeper sniffed and frowned. "Are you sure that is what it says?"
"Positive. Perhaps they will be feeding us and wish to know our preferences?"
"I like cheese. Cheese is cheese. Blind Seer does not like cheese, though--wolves do not need it. Eat meat."
2. Who would you kill first, Barney or Carrottop?
"Are these men? Beasts? What kind of man or beast? I must know this before killing." Blind Seer mouthed gently at her arm and snuffled. "And Blind Seer say he kill in defense of me, or friends, or if either looks tasty." Her lips curled up wickedly. "Is a joke. I think."
3. What time is it where you are?
She cocked her head to the side. "What time is it now here? That is time where we are."
4. If you were Albus Dumbledore returned from the dead, which member of the Order of the Phoenix would you sexually harass? How would you harass them? If you are Albus Dumbledore, please answer as if you were Sirius Black.
Blind Seer's jaw lolled open and he panted laughter as he read her the question. "Why humans so obsessed with mating?" Firekeeper said, half-exasperated and half-amused. "Is this Albus Dumbledore a once-dead, then? I not see why that matter. When we recover from querinalo, more interested in being alive than mating. Besides, I love another."
Blind Seer chuffed low in his throat, and Firekeeper translated. "Blind Seer not think these people would want a wolf as a lover."
5. If you are pushing to be in:
A. Slytherin - please state the clever, witty name of the bar in which you bartend, in the dark.
"We not bartend. I hunt, and Blind Seer not have thumbs."
B. Gryffindor - Debate whether Harry should ultimately end up married to Fred or George. Use examples from a variety of world mythologies to bolster your argument.
Blind Seer and Firekeeper shared a look before she spoke their answer. "Perhaps this Harry should find out if Fred or George love him first before talk of marry, and leave alone if not. Love is not one sided."
C. Ravenclaw - You guys are supposed to be smart. Explain why my desk is inundated with paperwork at all times, even though I’m constantly disposing of it.
Again, she looked puzzled. "Is people putting paper on desk? Is you important? This could be why."
D. Hufflepuff - Prove you are not useless.
Firekeeper shrugged matter-of-factly and placed a hand on Blind Seer's shoulder. "Would you say hunting wolf in prime of life is useless?" She touched the hand to her Fang, and to the quiver of arrows. "Or wolf in human skin? Have done many things. Saved people, saved kingdoms." She waved the words off dismissively. "Most importantly, we are still alive. If useless, we die. Wolf who cannot hunt with the pack will not survive." She patted her legs, just the two, thin-skinned and naked compared to a real wolf's. "Even a strange one must keep up."
6. Offer a bribe to the members of this community so that they will not squib you. Items used in bribery do not necessarily have to belong to the person offering the bribe. Do not threaten us rather than offering a bribe. A threat indicates you either don't really want to be here, or don't have enough sense to answer the question properly. The hat will automatically squib you, regardless of other votes, if you do.
The two exchanged glances. "We do not have much," Firekeeper finally and reluctantly said, "that we can or will part with. However, if there is anything that we can do, we will try. I speak with Royal and Wise Beasts, and speak some to cousin-kind. Is not same as speaking with. Blind Seer has some small knowledge of spellcasting. We both hunt. This is all we can offer."
"I have read the hogwarts_hocus faq, and understand it is a crazy, cracktastic sorting community and RPG.
I have read the hogwarts_hocus rules and agree to abide by each and every one of them.
I agree to be a good sport and not get my knickers in a bunch.
One day, marmalade will rule the world.
"
((Since it's heavily hinted that there's at least something of a telepathic component to Beast-speak, if your character is a telepath, feel free to be able to understand them when they're talking in italics. Also if your character is an animal with human-level intellect. Otherwise, it's translated mostly-nonverbal communication.))
The wolf at her side was equally wary-looking. He came up to the woman's chest (no mean thing, for she was not a short woman) and had piercing blue eyes. He growled once, low in his throat. "I do not scent danger, but neither do I scent our destination."
The woman flicked her eyes in the wolf's direction and answered back. Her speech was more akin to an animal's, though, all growls and silence and body language. "Does it smell like Hawk Haven or Bright Bay? This stone room looks similar to their keeps."
"I cannot say. It smells alien, and though you might not wish to hear it, I can feel magic here, stronger than anything I've felt before." Blind Seer--the wolf's name--had been sensitive to such things following an illness months before.
Firekeeper--the woman--frowned. "Could we be in the Old World, then?"
"It is a possibility. I had thought the gateways to be more accurate than that, though."
Firekeeper grunted in displeasure and noticed the a sheet of parchment on a table nearby. She picked it up, wrinkled her nose, and returned it to the table. "I cannot read this. Is it a language you know?"
The wolf gave her a somewhat exasperated look, but placed his front paws on the table and looked down at the parchment, reading. "It appears similar to the writings of Hawk Haven, yes. I will tell you what I can. Perhaps we can learn more about where we have come."
State your full name.
When the woman spoke, her voice was husky and her use of English Pellish--for if the writing was used by these people, perhaps the language was as well--was broken, but not as much as it would have been had she not been living among humans for nearly a year continuously. She had been told her use of the language was much worsened the longer she went without using it, which made a certain amount of sense to her; any learned skill would atrophy when not practiced regularly. "I am Firekeeper, also called Lady Blysse Norwood. He is Blind Seer."
1. What is your favorite cheese? Why is it your favorite?
Firekeeper sniffed and frowned. "Are you sure that is what it says?"
"Positive. Perhaps they will be feeding us and wish to know our preferences?"
"I like cheese. Cheese is cheese. Blind Seer does not like cheese, though--wolves do not need it. Eat meat."
2. Who would you kill first, Barney or Carrottop?
"Are these men? Beasts? What kind of man or beast? I must know this before killing." Blind Seer mouthed gently at her arm and snuffled. "And Blind Seer say he kill in defense of me, or friends, or if either looks tasty." Her lips curled up wickedly. "Is a joke. I think."
3. What time is it where you are?
She cocked her head to the side. "What time is it now here? That is time where we are."
4. If you were Albus Dumbledore returned from the dead, which member of the Order of the Phoenix would you sexually harass? How would you harass them? If you are Albus Dumbledore, please answer as if you were Sirius Black.
Blind Seer's jaw lolled open and he panted laughter as he read her the question. "Why humans so obsessed with mating?" Firekeeper said, half-exasperated and half-amused. "Is this Albus Dumbledore a once-dead, then? I not see why that matter. When we recover from querinalo, more interested in being alive than mating. Besides, I love another."
Blind Seer chuffed low in his throat, and Firekeeper translated. "Blind Seer not think these people would want a wolf as a lover."
5. If you are pushing to be in:
A. Slytherin - please state the clever, witty name of the bar in which you bartend, in the dark.
"We not bartend. I hunt, and Blind Seer not have thumbs."
B. Gryffindor - Debate whether Harry should ultimately end up married to Fred or George. Use examples from a variety of world mythologies to bolster your argument.
Blind Seer and Firekeeper shared a look before she spoke their answer. "Perhaps this Harry should find out if Fred or George love him first before talk of marry, and leave alone if not. Love is not one sided."
C. Ravenclaw - You guys are supposed to be smart. Explain why my desk is inundated with paperwork at all times, even though I’m constantly disposing of it.
Again, she looked puzzled. "Is people putting paper on desk? Is you important? This could be why."
D. Hufflepuff - Prove you are not useless.
Firekeeper shrugged matter-of-factly and placed a hand on Blind Seer's shoulder. "Would you say hunting wolf in prime of life is useless?" She touched the hand to her Fang, and to the quiver of arrows. "Or wolf in human skin? Have done many things. Saved people, saved kingdoms." She waved the words off dismissively. "Most importantly, we are still alive. If useless, we die. Wolf who cannot hunt with the pack will not survive." She patted her legs, just the two, thin-skinned and naked compared to a real wolf's. "Even a strange one must keep up."
6. Offer a bribe to the members of this community so that they will not squib you. Items used in bribery do not necessarily have to belong to the person offering the bribe. Do not threaten us rather than offering a bribe. A threat indicates you either don't really want to be here, or don't have enough sense to answer the question properly. The hat will automatically squib you, regardless of other votes, if you do.
The two exchanged glances. "We do not have much," Firekeeper finally and reluctantly said, "that we can or will part with. However, if there is anything that we can do, we will try. I speak with Royal and Wise Beasts, and speak some to cousin-kind. Is not same as speaking with. Blind Seer has some small knowledge of spellcasting. We both hunt. This is all we can offer."
"I have read the hogwarts_hocus faq, and understand it is a crazy, cracktastic sorting community and RPG.
I have read the hogwarts_hocus rules and agree to abide by each and every one of them.
I agree to be a good sport and not get my knickers in a bunch.
One day, marmalade will rule the world.
"
((Since it's heavily hinted that there's at least something of a telepathic component to Beast-speak, if your character is a telepath, feel free to be able to understand them when they're talking in italics. Also if your character is an animal with human-level intellect. Otherwise, it's translated mostly-nonverbal communication.))