Park Serenade (Toxi and Moophles)

[Sweetintoxikation]

The Great Park of Khemet

This is the great park of Khemet, frequently known as the heartbeat of the city. Its an enormous green area with a great fountain in the centre. The fountain is both functional (sphinxes can always be seen coming and going with jugs of water for their homes and business) as well as beautiful (a great Sphinx statue of Isis, pouring water from a never-ending jug to splash into a cool clear pool) and is a favorite meeting place in the city. Spreading out from the pool are four strait main paths, and many meandering trails all surrounded by flowering shrubs, fragrant herbs and plants and trees of great symbolism, like tiny ponds with papyrus, or small clusters of palms. Though we will be starting in the early afternoon (just after most sphinxes have taken their afternoon catnaps), the gardens are open all day and night, free for everyone to enjoy. Its also commonly known that some of the Royal Gardeners are magically proficient, able to keep flowers and plants blooming or at the height of their beauty long out of season. There are many patches of cool grass and a few slabs of decorative rock left about for Sphinxes to sit, picnic or while away some hours basking in the glorious sun. There are even a few benches provided for the small population of non Sphinxes in the city and its not to uncommon to see and elf, dwarf or other exotic character enjoying the wonders of the park.

Though no vendors are allowed in the park itself, to keep it a quite, peaceful and serine place (though the laughter of playing Sphinx kittens can sometimes interrupt, its usually followed by smiles...) it is surrounded by a large square. All around the park is a massive open walkway lined with shops, open air restaurants, drinking establishments and a few street hawkers, selling homemade crafts and simple street foods. Its a favorite pastime of local peasants to purchase some of the very cheap food from the street vendors (various meats skewered on sticks and seared with onions and spices is the most popular at the moment) and take their lunches into the park. There are also usually a few street performers, dancers, singers and magicians that can almost always be found around the park and a few even skirt the rules of no vending inside the park by not charging for their show but instead asking for donations. Most of the time the guard simply turns the other way but occasionally they might be chased out of the park and back to the surrounding square.

-- Mr. Pooka's Post

((This was meant as a small introductory RP for Mered and Moophles' newest lady. If you'd like to hop into the fun, just send over a PM to either of us with a heads up! <3))

[Sweetintoxikation]

-- Mered, currently working with other city guards and warrior priestesses of Bastet to keep the worst of the threats from coming through the newest portal. An exhausting job, but someone's gotta do it.

-- Na-au, his faithful companion and the one he trusts most to guard his back in dangerous times. Oddly enough, some of these 'Lamorians' are having adverse reactions to the bi-eyed wolf. It's set him a bit on edge.

Please note -- I've not fully fleshed out Mered or Na-au's characters. There may be times they shift.. I hope it will be minimal or make sense. <3 I apologize for any trouble or confusion this may cause.

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Mered was exhausted! Since the start of this festival for the nefer netjer Bastet, he'd been working almost every day! It was arduous to say the least and left the crio with a rather short fuse. Today had been the breaking point it seemed. He'd snapped at a fellow soldier for a seriously minor infraction. The two of them having nearly come to blows with Na-au, faithful wolf that he is, fairly snapping at his heels. That was when his group's captain had interceded and sent the hot-blooded pair out for the rest of the day and evening.

At first he'd been angered further at being forced off duty for any amount of time. Seeing it more as punishment than reprieve. But the moment his aching paws had touched the lush green grasses of the Great Park in Khemet, he knew his captain had had the correct idea. He'd taken a few steps in and then shrugged off his bow and quiver, dropped to his belly and began rolling and rolling amid the grass. Heavy panting growls and groans emanated from the muscled male as he massaged his back against the soil. Na-au watched his display with curious bemusement splashed across his muzzle. Mered, he truly didn't care. The grass smelled sweet, the hot desert's sun warmed him and he could just RELAX.. finally.

[Moophles]

 -- is currently lost in the park and unable to find her way back to...anything really. Having fallen through the portal, she could not remember much...


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Helvetica knew only her name at the moment, her memories muddied and fuzzy at best. She wandered the soft grass of what was clearly a park of some kind though she did not know the name or where this park was. The sun was warm and she could feel it beating ceaselessly on her back. It was all she could do to just wander and hope maybe she ran into someone who could help her, or she could remember something. She finally sat down in the grass, feeling tired and hungry, she pushed some of her long hair from her face and flicked her ears at a strange sound in the distance. What is that? She got up and followed the sound.

[Sweetintoxikation]

Mered continued his very vocal display in the grass. After a few moments of watching him Na-au had, in a sense, joined him by laying flat in the grass and huffing and snuffling at the blades nearest his own muzzle. The crio chuckled and reached over with a massive paw to lightly pat the wolf's head then he rolled to his belly and sat up. Or at least, as much up as he could while keeping his belly in full contact with the contrasting cool of the ground.

His eyes scanned the park grounds for something to do, perhaps a vendor in the surrounding square had a special on for vegetable only skewers, or something lush, cool, but still inexpensive to drink. That was until his eyes landed upon a fiery beauty wandering about. He started a little and like his wolf, canted his head slightly to the side in curiosity. He'd seen many sphinxes of all kinds of make amid the throngs of the city, but this one. She stood out. He wondered for a moment why, even quietly voicing this thought to Na-au. "What a lady do I see.. I wonder..." but his voice trailed off and he lifted himself to all four-paws once more. Heading in a direction that he might intercept her. On the way he'd motion with his head for Na-au to guard his equipment, the wolf didn't hesitate, taking up a position over the bow and quiver yet watchful of his companion.

[Moophles]

The noises stopped and so did she, tilting her head curiously. She didn't notice the male sphinx approaching her though and sat in the grass, her eyes panning up to look up at the bright blue skies above.

[Sweetintoxikation]

Mered hadn't even noticed that she'd stopped in her tracks or that her attention was diverted. Instead he'd puffed out his chest, squared his shoulders and began to sort of, huffily strut in her direction. He believed in his own visual charms enough that he had no doubt this lovely lady would welcome his attention and help with no trouble! As he neared her he'd call out, "Oh.. hello. I've not seen you in the park before.." Sidling closer the whole time, and apparently oblivious to the various odd looks and snickering sphinxes that watched this display from a distance.

[Moophles]

The lovely lady sphinx didn't notice at first but she turned towards the sound and blinked curiously. He was a handsome sphinx and she flushed along her fiery cheeks. "I...Oh my...I am quite lost, hello there..." She smiled shyly.

[Sweetintoxikation]

Mered's puffed chest display didn't faulter even as he, finally, noted that she'd missed most of it before. However, he figured it must have been working to some degree because she was offering a smile. Ahh a smile. A very lovely one at that and it seemed to lighten her troubled features just enough to exude more beauty. An answering smile of sorts split his face and his head dipped at her welcome, "I am sorry if I've startled you.. miss..?" A short pause taken to see if she would offer up a name or something for him to go on. And hadn't she just mentioned she was lost? Well, a soldier such as himself could easily help with that! He supposed.. maybe.

[Moophles]

The female sphinx tilted her head and swished her long fluffy tail, blinking. "Helvetica. My name is Helvetica." She replied easily, though there was a margin of confusion there. "I wish I could tell you more but...i simply don't recall much more than my name...I'm sorry." She smiled apologetically and pushed some hair from her face with one elegant paw.

[Sweetintoxikation]

Mered smiled and nodded as she gave him her name! "My, that is a lovely name." He paused head tilting to the right a bit before trying it out with his own tongue. "Helve-tic-a. Yes. A fitting name for a lady such as yourself." This was said just after she'd given her name, nearly causing him to miss the last portion of what she said. But keen soldier that he was, he managed to catch himself and listen even as he interrupted. "Ah. So you've mentioned you are lost and you have lost some memories? This is a serious issue." He grinned, implying it wasn't that terrible in his eyes. His chest puffed up a bit more and he casually informed her, "Well, it is a lucky day today. I happen to be one of the soldiers for this fair city. If ever there was someone who could help you.. it would be I." He winked playfully and offered a paw, "The name's Mered, by the way. Please, allow me to offer my personal assistance in your search for lost memories and acquaint you with this city."

Na-au shifted a little restlessly. Circling the left bow and quiver but swiveling his head around to keep eyes trained upon his companion and that female. His head lifted, nose twitching as he scented the air for more information about the other.

[Moophles]

Helvetica smiled in return to this kind sphinx as he offered to help her, though her smile turned a bit shy when he offered his paw to her. "Truly? You would be willing to help me?" It was fortunate she had attracted his attention, someone who was part of the city guard could surely help her. She took his paw in her own and ducked her head a bit in a shy motion and looked up at him through her dark lashes. "I thank you...Mered." she tested out his name and found that she liked the feel of it on her tongue. She smiled again and her tail swayed behind her. "You are kind to want to help me."

The wind picked up and blew past both Mered and Helvetica, over the cool grass towards Na-au....perhaps he could ascertain a bit more about this other sphinx now that the wind was favorable.