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Don't hold your breath (Open)

Started by Laraine, November 22, 2014, 05:27:57 PM

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Laraine

Staring at the wide open plains, with trees and meadows surrounding her, Laraine realized one thing above anything else.

She was hopelessly.....pathetically lost...

Groaning she sat in the spot she stood, collapsing onto her knees and then down onto her rear as she glanced around her helplessly. How long had she been walking through this vast landscape? She realized early on that she had been pursued by demons wanting her dead. But that wasn't a real problem considering that she was a expert at losing said demons. The less she had to fight, the better.

Still, sometimes she remembered when trying to lose her pursuers she would end up hopelessly lost, near the edge of a cliff or somehow end up tripping into someones front yard.

But now, it was getting darker and she realized she needed a place to stay...otherwise she'd be camping out AGAIN.

Sighing, she slumped foreword, looking rather pathetic as she dug her fingers into the earth below her. But it didn't matter since no one was around to begin with.

Still...despite her slight depression over the situation, the familiar words of her deceased boyfriend rang into her ears.

Never give up Raine...you'll be just fine. I know it.

That memory alone made her smile, a soft sad smile.

She glanced up, looking ahead of her at the forest and she quickly stood up, her black and tattered cloak fluttering in the wind. She pulled over the hood, making sure to hide her rose colored hair, deep amethyst shaded eyes fiercely staring straight ahead. Her goal was in sight. Even if she couldn't get a place to sleep....she'd find one eventually. All roads led somewhere after all!

So as she navigated the rather uneven terrain, getting closer to the forest ahead of her. She started to feel more alert. She often realized that dangerous things lied in forests. Glancing around herself, she kept a hand on her wand, tucked away in her belt.

Yet, she failed to realize the tree root sticking out ahead of her.

Yup, she face planted right into the forest floor, letting out a rather girlish scream as she hit the ground.

That was going to leave a mark....

Ahnnie

The Meeting Place at night was a good place for a night picnic or just an evening walk in general. Its magic protected those who had no weapons, so it was overall a peaceful place to be--a neutral zone, so to speak.  On nights like these Sacora held a ball of fire in her palms to light the way. Sometimes she would bring along that enchanted basket-lantern of hers, in which she could place her fireball and carry at the end of a stick attached to the lantern. Tonight was a little different from most. Sacora was actually going to try camping out in the Meeting Place. Why not? It was a warm night, and the magic would protect her from violence. Plus, she hadn't camped in a while. It was a feeling she had been missing, sleeping out in the stars.

Her camp was not too far away from where she was walking. Sacora was a pretty good tracker, courtesy of a few lessons imparted to her by some hunters she once traveled on a caravan with. While she wasn't a master, she knew enough to remember the location of her camp in forests such as this. Therefore, she was quite confident whenever she walked about like this. But then that casual demeanor fell apart when a scream--evidently from a girl or a woman, though more like a girl--ripped through the night like a crude knife through silk.

And, as it happened to be, it wasn't all that far away. Confused, Sacora took her fireball along with her in the direction of the noise. She came up to a rose-haired girl fallen face-down on the ground, apparently having tripped over a tree root. With a gasp of alarm, Sacora ran over to her. "Oh my goodness, are you all right?" She brought the hand cradling her fire a little closer, but not too close, to see her a little clearer.

Laraine

"Owwwww!" Raine whined, slowly starting to get back up, rubbing her face and beginning to sit up. However when she heard a female voice, she blinked, amethyst eyes meeting the others eyes for a brief moment before she quickly realized her hood had fallen. Quickly grabbing it, he pulled it back over her bright hair and slowly got to her feet, brushing herself off. "Ah I'm sorry Miss. I didn't mean to alarm you. But I'm fine..really." She smiled softly and nodded to the other. She thought for sure she was alone there.

But lo and behold, there was someone else here. She blinked at the stranger, taking a step back and feeling much like a frightened animal. Things didn't go over well once it was found out what she was. As if the odd color of her hair didn't make it obvious. Being a half demon really sucked sometimes.

"I'm quite durable after all." She laughed and a second later, her stomach groaned. It needed food soon and she sighed. "I suppose you wouldn't know where the closest town...is do you?"

Ahnnie

Sacora continued to look worried though the girl told her she was fine. After all, her cloak was tattered, her face was anything but tranquil, and her stomach was empty. "I suppose you wouldn't know where the closest town...is do you?"

"There is no town here," Sacora admitted, "but I have a camp nearby where there is some food. You will be fine here; it is a peaceful place, and those who enter without weapons are granted its magic's protection." She did not find the color of the girl's hair to be strange, for she came from a land where similar hair colors were almost quite the norm due to their part-human part-fae lineage. Sacora herself probably had a smidgeon more human in her blood, though, for her hair turned out to be all black, dark as an inkwell with no other blot of color through it.

That being said, that didn't mean there wouldn't be others who wouldn't take note of the other girl's hair color, though.

"If you still want to find a town, you can enter through either kingdom you wish through certain access points throughout the area. This place--to clarify, it is the Meeting Place--is connected to every kingdom in the world. But perhaps that would be best for the morrow. You seem like you need some rest and food first." Sacora smiled encouragingly to show that she was friendly.

Laraine

Raine sighed at the fact that there was no town. But as she listened to the other she nodded and thought about the others offer. She frowned however once she heard the place only gave protection without weapons. She didn't realize this. She still held her wand in her belt. So she wondered if she should even bother the other since it could be possible danger could befall them because of Raine's wand.

"Actually.... I do have a weapon with me.." She said uneasily. "So I wonder if this is a good idea.." She sighed and brushed a hand through her hair. "I didn't know about this places rule...."

Ahnnie

Sacora tilted her head when the girl told her she had a weapon on her. It didn't look as if there was any, not apparently anyway. Then Sacora spied the wand in her belt, which could technically be considered a weapon. She had an idea, though. "Not a problem. If anything happens, I could help with my fire magic. And when we reach the camp, you can put your wand in a bag and place it away from you? I don't know if that'll work, but it could be worth a try." Sacora gave her an encouraging look and half-turned back in the direction of her camp. "Come on, let's get you some rest and food first. I doubt anything'll come up against us in the meantime."


Laraine

Blinking at the girl still willing to let Raine join her, she shrugged a bit and nodded. "Alright." Following the other, she did as Sacora asked. Although being so far away from her wand made her nervous. She sat down, uneasily, glancing back at her wand over and over and wringing her hands together. Almost as if she was afraid to be away from her wand for too long. She even glanced around her, as if expecting a enemy to jump them at any point.

But after her worry left her a bit, she glanced back to Sacora. "Thank you for wanting to do this for me. After all, I am a perfect stranger here." She smiled. "Are you always this kind to random strangers you meet here? Or am I just lucky?" She chuckled a little, biting her lip a bit. She was trying to focus on Sacora instead of everything else. Having a bounty on your head would make you a little bit uneasy after all.

Ahnnie

The pink haired girl still seemed confused as to why Sacora was still wanting her company. "Alright," she said eventually, and followed Sacora back to the camp. It was a nice little spot with a campfire, a pot raised on a tripod over the fire, and a fragrant bubbling stew cooking in the pot. In her mind Sacora was already beginning to prepare the accommodations to make her guest feel comfortable. She could let the girl use her sleeping bag; she herself would make do with a comfortable woolen cloak she'd just bought a few days ago. There was enough stew in the pot for two, for Sacora had originally intended to make enough for her dinner the next evening--she'd been planning to stay for a bit--but there was no harm in sharing it with someone else.

As Sacora tended to the stew, stirring it and checking for its readiness (which would be quite soon), she noticed her guest sitting down with unease, casting occasional nervous glances at her wand, her hands, and the surroundings about her. Poor thing, something must have frightened her. It did occur to Sacora that maybe she was running away from something...but whoever said that those running away were automatically bad people? They could be running from something dangerous and bad.

"Thank you for wanting to do this for me. After all, I am a perfect stranger here."

Sacora looked up and smiled. "Not a problem."

The girl smiled too. "Are you always this kind to random strangers? Or am I just lucky?" She chuckled and bit on her lip.

"I try to be," Sacora answered. "After all, I'd like to believe that if I treat someone right, they'll treat me right in return. Of course, that's not always the case, but that doesn't give me an excuse to be perfectly heartless to everyone I meet, right?" After a while of stirring the stew, she got two bowls ready from her pack. "I am Sacora, by the way."

Laraine

Raine smiled softly at the others words, remembering similar words being said by her long lost love.

You should never judge people just by their appearances! It's wrong! Even if someone wrongs you. There has to be a reason.....

Remember her loves words she glanced at the other again and nods as she says her name. "It's a pleasure to meet you Sacora. My name is Raine.....Raine Lockner..." No use to give her full name. Laraine Lockner Risk..The Risk demons....the Lockner witches. She wasn't sure how far their feud had spread. But the Risk demons were known to cause problems. Even more so by their oddly colored rose hair. Even if the girl already saw it, Raine didn't want anyone to know who she really was. most would turn from her once they found out. A half demon.....a half witch half demon..

She should have never been born.

"Anyway, thanks again for letting me stay here." she said again, her smile slightly returning. She just, wasn't used to people being kind of her. Danny was the only one who showed her kindness...

Ahnnie

The girl seemed happy to hear Sacora say that. After a moment of what looked like slight contemplation, she said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Sacora. My name is Raine...Raine Lockner..." Her voice was slightly hesitant, as if she was choosing what to say. But Sacora thought little of it. This girl was just a little overwhelmed by the show of hospitality, that was all.

"Raine? What a pretty name. It certainly fits that pretty face." Sacora began to ladle the stew into a bowl, handing the first bowl she filled to Raine along with a small wooden spoon, her only spoon actually--but Sacora was fine with sipping from the bowl. It made no difference. Food was still food, no matter how you took it in.

"Anyway, thanks again for letting me stay here," she had said a little while before, but Sacora answered after settling herself and her own bowl on another log opposite Raine.

"It's not a problem. I'm only too happy to help."

Laraine

Raine blinked as the other called her pretty and couldn't help a slight blush form on her face from embarrassment. It had been a long time since anyone had complimented her like that and she nodded, not meeting the others gaze as she took the bowl and spoon and began to eat her stew.

She happily ate every bite. She was obviously very hungry and this helped ease that hunger quite a lot. She couldn't help but be curious though at why the girl was here all alone anyway. She glanced over to her once more and blinked. " I can't help but be curious though at why you are here alone?" Surely the girl had friends and family, maybe even a boyfriend? "Ah sorry I didn't mean to pry or anything. Even if this place is safe....I'm sure bad people come through here anyway...and there are other ways to hurt people besides just using weapons..." She averted her eyes at this.

Ahnnie

Sacora could tell by the blush on Raine's cheeks that the compliment was, even if bashfully, appreciated. The girl nodded without looking at her as she accepted her stew and started to eat. It also grew evident that the stew was helping her hunger; she ate it up heartily, as if she hadn't had food in a while. Sacora drank in her stew in the meantime, tipping the bowl lightly to her lips and chewing on whatever needed to be chewed.

Soon Raine had more questions for her. "I can't help but be curious though at why you are here alone? Ah sorry, I didn't mean to pry or anything. Even if this place is safe...I'm sure bad people come through here anyway...and there are other ways to hurt people besides using weapons..."

The girl had a point. "Well, I'm used to living alone," Sacora began. "Ever since my foster parents died, that's how I've lived. It's not a problem, you're not prying; this is a valid question that I get asked from time to time. It shows that you care. Or at least, that you care to know." She smiled, and then continued, "True. There are other methods of harming people that don't need weapons. But I've never really had it happen to me here. It seems like, what with its reputation, no one's ever tried...you know? But that doesn't mean it hasn't happened, or will not happen." Her face grew thoughtful, as she considered the ways in which this scenario might play out.

Laraine

Listening attentively, the half demon girl nodded as she spoke of her life and then about what may lie within this safe haven supposedly. She sighed and set the bowl down. Closing her eyes, she paused a bit and glanced once more, something within her purple eyes battling to the surface. As if she wanted to tell the girl something desperately but not having the strength to.

She broke off the eye contact and turned away, glancing at the ground. "I understand..what it's like to be alone." she smiled softly. My parents are both dead too." she chuckled and hummed. She paused a little. "Do you think its a curse to be born different? People...will always have their prejudices. It can't be helped." She hummed and flicked off a random leaf off her cloak.

"But is it really...such a bad thing to be....different? Even if...that type...of race...being..is evil?" She asked, shrugging and sighing. "Nevermind. You don't have to answer... just trying to make conversation..." 

Ahnnie

Sacora smiled sadly when she heard that Raine's parents were both dead. She wondered if the girl had known her parents, though, or if they died before she could even say her first word, register her first memory? Sacora knew for certain that her biological ones were gone long before she could do just that. But she felt more attached to the parents that had taken care of her in her childhood years.

"Do you think its a curse to be born different?" Raine suddenly asked. "People...will always have their prejudices. It can't be helped. But is it really...such a bad thing to be...different? Even if...that type...of race...being...is evil?" She shrugged. "Nevermind. You don't have to answer...just trying to make conversation..."

Sacora tilted her head thoughtfully, wondering why Raine would talk about something like this. "Well, if you're trying to make conversation, I'd have to answer, wouldn't I? Let's see...I've heard of 'evil' races before. Orcs, goblins, trolls, demons...But I think what people mean by 'evil' is just what they cannot understand. When something appears 'different', as you've said, and people cannot decipher it for themselves, they find it repulsive and give it a label." She shrugged. "Sure, if I met an orc or goblin or troll or demon right now, I might not expect to receive mercy from them. But that's because they live differently. They have a different set of norms, goals, values...it happens to clash with a majority of other races, and so they are called evil. To them we seem quite different, too. Perhaps they think of us as evil! Difference is just...a standard of measurement for an individual. It's not the universal measuring stick of how things should be classified in the world. So is being different bad? No. Because who's to say what's different? What's right, what's wrong?"

Laraine

Raine listened to the others words, tilting her head a bit and then glancing down. "Sometimes...the power of words themselves can make things good or evil though. Someone brought up all their life....being told they are evil...would they become that evil they have been forced to hear all their life? Right and wrong....good or evil.." She sighed. "And it feels like theres no gray areas." She shook her head.

" I don't understand..." She smiled slightly at the other, it was a pain filled smile.  "Thanks for answering me.." Still, she wished she could be sure. She might tell Sacora her story if she felt she could truly trust her. But as it was, Raine herself didn't trust many people. Besides, she wasn't looking for sympathy or anything...

Just someone who could..maybe understand her....

Ahnnie

She didn't blame Raine for not being able to understand. She kind of didn't get her own little monologue, either. But that was just the mystery of the world. The girl made a point, she supposed, with the power of words making things good or evil.  However, was it the power of words, or was it the power of sentient belief? I.e., the power of belief that sentient beings (humanoid in this case) attributed to a single word? For, without sentient beings, words would technically have no meaning. Or power. Then, for that matter, was the fact that things were often hardly able to be split between good vs. evil conflicts as clearly cut as the definitions made them seem. Because sometimes both sides had a little bit of both...

Oh, this was quite the philosophical discussion!

"You're welcome," Sacora said. "I'm sorry if it wasn't very clear. It was a little unclear to me as well. But I hope it has brought you some comfort." Because that's what the girl seemed like she needed now. Comfort. Why else was she asking these questions with such a pained look on her face?

"Would you like seconds? Or if you're tired, you can use my sleeping bag to rest in." She gestured to the sleeping bag tucked nearby. Having sipped the last of her stew, she set the bowl down on the ground and dug through her pack. "I can also give you this to put your wand in. I figured you might want to keep it near you just in case, so it would probably make you feel better if you had a pouch of your own to keep it in." She held out a cloth bag/pouch big enough to handle the wand if the drawstrings were stretched out long enough.

Rankun

Testing it's ingrained faith, a lone owl hooted of warm, well cycled air from behind the proliferous feathers in the wings of a nearby Tree... shallowly up amidst the edge of the nearby wood the wingless creatures were alerted to.

predictability

Sanator wandered into The Meeting Place looking for a master once again. He felt as if he didn't have someone to serve, his life as a healing spirit would have no meaning. He was also glad he didn't have any weapons because from his earlier visits to The Meeting Place he knew he would get magical protection. Not like he could wield weapons though, him being a spirit he would probably accidentally possess any weapon given to him. He saw some smoke in the sky and thought there were probably people there. He floated to the smoke expecting to find some type of person.

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