[SRP] Missing the Mark (Zora Arachne)

[divena]

This self rp is for Zora Arachne

 

[divena]

Zora Arachne was bored. Normally, when she reached this point, she would find one of her brothers and drag him off for a game of sparks. As a proud papa’s girl, she had mastered her father’s favorite game. More specifically, she had mastered all the different ways to cheat at her father’s favorite game. Paelor, their father, had tried to teach all of his children the skills he felt they needed, but she had picked up the slight of hoof ones faster than her brothers. She was still trying to master her mother’s innate ability to seem weak and helpless, though. Zora just didn’t have it in her to pretend to be less capable than she really was. Oh, she knew that there were definite perks to tricking thick skulled males into thinking she needed to be protected and coddled. And she even saw how it could make life easier for her in the long run. She just couldn’t keep her face straight when she tried to simper, and the very idea of letting others do things for her rubbed her the wrong way no matter how she tried to rationalize it away. Maybe she was too much her father’s daughter in that respect. That didn’t stop her from trying, though. She was bound and determined to master every skill her con artist parents possessed. Even if it killed her. But that wasn’t the point right now. She was bored and her brothers were off on some kind of run or another. She hadn’t really been interested in the details at the time. She supposed she could go find her own mark, run her own game. She might even be able to practice those skills that she had so much trouble with, make her mother proud of her. Not that Zora thought her mother wasn’t proud of her. Who wouldn’t be? Zora did not lack in the area of self confidence. In fact, she was willing to admit that her ego was pretty healthy. That was probably why she had trouble with her mother’s tricks. Her pride wouldn’t allow her, most days, to even pretend that she couldn’t be as good or better at something than some no-name mark. It was a flaw, she knew, but she didn’t mind being less than perfect. After all, perfection was boring, and she was dealing with enough of that already. Yes, she decided. She would find a mark and test out her mother’s tricks. Well, try to at least. She didn’t have a bob cat companion to pretend to chase her, but she was pretty sure she could fake a sprained ankle and a tear stained face. She could claim a skinwalker attack… no, that was too dramatic. A kalona attack, then. Yes, that would be just perfect. With a stretch she eased herself off the rock she had been sunning on and prepared to mess up her mane and coat. If she had been running for her life, she would need to be dirty. The idea grated on her a bit, but the devil was in the details.  

[divena]

Zora had carefully messed up her mane and coat. The white of her coat caused the dirt to really stand out, so she didn’t have to muss it up too much to get the effect she wanted. That was fortunate. She didn’t think she’d be able to stand caking on too much mud. Her vanity simply wouldn’t allow it. An hour into her quest for a mark had come up empty. This was not helping her boredom at all, and really, by now her family should have come back together. She considered going back home, but that grated as much as getting her coat dirty for no reason. She sighed heavily and headed for a river to clean the dirt off. If she was going to go home after all, at least she didn’t have to do so dirty. She didn’t have to tell anyone about this failed practice attempt. Not that she thought her parents would be disappointed in her. They knew, better than anyone, that one didn’t always stumble upon a mark just because one went looking. Her father always said that the key to a good con was to be prepared when a mark fell into their path, not to expect to find one just around the corner. She had just reached the edge of the river when she heard the snap of a twig behind her. Putting on a scared expression, she twisted to face whatever it was. She was careful to keep her front right hoof off the ground slightly, as if it pained her. Just in case.

Imp crouched in the bushes and watched the dirty little mare, curious as to what she was about to do.  

[divena]

When she didn’t see anyone right away, she called out, “Who’s there?” She put a quiver into her voice for good measure.

Imp cocked her head slightly. That was a fake quiver if she ever heard one. Of course, she had been watching the mare for half an hour now.  

[divena]

Zora waited a moment as nothing happened. There was no movement beyond the leaves rustling in the wind. Had the sound been a figment of her imagination? Maybe she had just wanted to do something so badly that she made up the twig snapping. That would be annoying, and certainly nothing that she would be telling her brothers about. She wasn’t going to give them any sort of fodder to tease her with. Still, just in case she hadn’t imagined the sound, and there actually was someone watching her, she carefully limped to the water and took a couple small sips, jerking her head up at every rustle or tiny, pretend movement. She was playing up the act of being a scared little filly, perhaps too much, but she didn’t know if she was actually being watched by a potential mark… or if it was a potential threat. Either way, it couldn’t possibly hurt for her stalker to think she was weak and pathetic. Even if it still irritated her to pretend to be less than she was.

Ooooh, now the mare was pretending to limp... She was clearly playing lame. Imp crouched a bit, careful to keep her movements hidden. She wondered how long it would take the mare to relax again.  

[divena]

There, out of the corner of her eye, Zora saw something. Some kind of movement. Now, it could have just been the wind through the bushes. Or it could have been a mouse or some other small creature… or a familiar. It might even have been a poisonous snake of some sort. She was more convinced than ever, however, that she was indeed being watched. Moving deliberately and with care of her imaginary injuries, she waded into the water to start washing up a bit.

Imp settled on the ground, still doing her best to keep her movements as subtle as possible.