Such a long strange trip ~ Recovering the fragments.

[Anonymous]

The night was cool and the wind was high, whisking across the waters of the small lake, rippling it smoothly. The moonlight shined upon the surface of the crystal waters, the light bending with the wake. It was a wonderful sight and a great attraction for a certain someone. The darkness shrouded a tall creature that approached, stopping beside a tree and gazing down on the shore, a smile growing upon its full dark lips.

Dressed with nothing more than a loin and a frilly sleeved top, she stood with a natural curve in her spine, her bum pushed out, sporting a long and full tail, smooth and tapering to a flat and wide fin at the tip. It swayed happily at the sight of the water, along with fore snakelike tentacles that sprouted from her spine. She had been on a long trop and the sight of the water enticed her.

Black-lined eyes watched the waves as her short black hair swayed in the wind. One of her serpents brushed the hair from her face and she headed down toward the water, walking slowly on her long slender legs. She was mad for water, but managed grace on land as well as she approached.

She craved a swim and the cold called out to her, almost hypnotizing her. She had definitely been traveling away from water for too long. She was excited like a child at heart, but restrained her urges to run down there and dive in. She strived to be a proper lady.

[Anonymous]

The night wind caressed Lana's skin with chilly fingertips, leaving behind its mark in her goosebumps.  Her tears flowed hot and abundantly, as if her eyes were fountains of expressed pain.  Canis was no where near, according to her orders, and though he was hesitant to leave her in such a state with no true knowledge of her surroundings, he could not withhold from her the right to utter solitude.  She had ventured off, to no where really, allowing the world to absorb her soul and guide her to the most suitable place where she could relinquish some of her agony.  And this lake within a shroud of thick ancient trees during a storm full of electricity had been the destined place.  She had knelt for some time beside the lake, her long, slender legs curled tightly to her chest, her arms delicately laid across her knees and her head covered in a mass of golden curls, now turned grey in the darkness, pressed against the trunk of a nearby tree.  Her violet eyes were a dead giveaway to anyone looking.  They peered drenched with moisture into the open space of the lake, staring at nothing really.  In her mind, all she could see was an endless void of despair.  The tangible world around her was inconsequential.  The guilt of all the destruction....  the needless loss.... weighed upon her so heavily that her body, exhausted from the stress of mental and physical survival, almost forgot to send the signal to her lungs to inhale.  But her mind was still at work, and she was able to take on the task of some necessary body functions consciously.

[Anonymous]

On her way to the waters, iridescent crimson eyes caught a glimpse of the one sitting beside a nearby tree, her spirit had drawn the creature to gaze upon her frail form and she stopped in her tracks softly, her prehensile feet quiet enabling her to stalk silently if she wished. Her round face, dressed with long beautiful horns tilted at the sight and her expression dimmed from a curious one to a caring one when she saw the girl's despair.

A simple shift in her step and her voluptuous form made its way over to the girl and the tree, much more silent than she intended. The tall alien-like creature came upon the sitting girl as if hidden by the shadows naturally. Slowly and gently, she lowered her form on those long legs to squat beside the girl, arms resting on her thighs, squishing her large bosom together as she watched.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She paused and frowned concernedly, giving herself a moment before attempting once more. "...Child...are yu all right?" she purred soothingly with a deep sensual voice, trimmed with a thick accent. Her serpents hovered over her idly, tail curled and her ears tipped downward as she asked, not intending to frighten the girl. Thou she had that effect at times.

[Anonymous]

It seemed an eternity while she stared into a bleak abyss of nothingness.  If she had been launched into a pocket of space in the night sky she would not have felt so lifted from her body.  The exhaustion of her mind began overtake her, and she could no longer fight the need for sleep.  It was at the point when her bloodshot eyes began to roll back into her head that she heard a sound that was nearly indiscernible.  There were levels to this voice, almost like the levels of a three story house, all connected to each other yet remaining separate.  Whether it was her mind that had created the ethereal quality of it or not, she couldn't be sure, and this coupled with the sudden disruption caused her to leap backward and stumble over the thick brush of the forest floor.  She fell backward and caught herself, scrambling to her feet, the last of the spindly train of her dress tearing loose to finish it off as an extremely short version of its previous glory.  She knew the words spoken to her had been kind, motherly, but this hadn't registered.

The bodily movements of this creature had an abnormal sound, as if it were not the usual kind of creature seen often around those parts.  But what disturbed her most was the effect of the piercing red eyes that penetrated through to her own violet pair.

[Anonymous]

Those orbs blinked when the girl leapt away in shock and she winced upon hearing the tearing of the beautiful dress. Her involuntary reaction caused her to intercept the girl, and those swift tendrils lashed out carefully, hands cupping the girl's forearms as they held her gently, pulling her from rolling away down the slope and into the water They were incredibly soft and smooth, and genuinely boneless, grappling onto the girl and pulling her to an easy seat onto the ground, the other two serpents still hovering over like guarding serpents as she had leaned forward from her squatting position to catch the girl.

The creature made sure not to do anything else too sudden, for fear of frightening her further. She was quiet and still, staring into her violet eyes for a small period before finally breaking the silence and cooing her closer. "...are yu all right, child?" she asked tenderly once more. "...pleas...I men yu no harm..." she continued warmly. "...I...could feel a terrebul sadness from yu...en I could not help but approach yu..." she finished, returning to the silence.

In the dim light, she looked white, pure white supple skin, painted with dark gray spots, clustered tight on her back and spreading out smaller and smaller as they decorated her front side, littered all about her curvy and nearly bare form. Those tendrils, also dressed in similar speckling, held onto her still, protecting her as well as ready to let her go gently if she decided to run off screaming.

"Ken...i comfort yu, child...in eny wey?" she purred. Her intentions were pure, but her appearance questionable. "Yu look awful..." she said with concern. "...pleas...es ther enytheng I ken du?" she asked wholeheartedly.

[Anonymous]

The softness of the tendrils that so delicately encompassed her slender arms was an unexpected comfort to Lana, and sent a wild chill through her aching body.  Resistance was nigh impossible for her, and while she was supported by the pillow soft appendages her body released much of its previous tension.  Gazing into the darkness, she remained petrified by the dream like quality of her surroundings and this creature.  In the utter darkness, the glow of Lana's faintly iridescent skin provided a framework for her radioactive eyes.  It was one of the few characteristics of her lineage that had remained, tragically.

Without resistance to the creature's embrace, she lifted a hand to wipe away the many drying tears.  It seemed, these days, that she could never be fully cleaned.  Her face was yet streaked with more dirt from harsh weather.  

She couldn't bring herself to respond, and only quivered more against the harsh breeze.  If she could have curled up into the warmth of oblivion she would have welcomed its sweet promise of nonexistence.

[Anonymous]

She just gazed upon the dainty girl, entranced by her soft glow as her tendrils held her gently. She was in aw almost as she watched, and yet, got no response. "...ehm...hello? Child?" tried a lirrle more to get some sort of reaction from the girl. Her tendrils pulled her closer while she did this, bringing the girl face to face as she looked down upon her with her crimson orbs.

Two more tendrils came and cupped her hips ever so tenderly as she set her down on the ground before her. She then reached out with one of her over-sleeved arms, ruffling it a bit to free her hidden hand, decorated with lovely black nails. This hand reached out and cupped the girl's cheek with extreme curiosity, caressing it to feel that skin of hers, and then sweeping away and taping the girl's nose with a fingertip gently, as she gave a warm smile to try and cheer her up.

"A lovely child sush es yourself shuld not be so sad..." she reassured her. "A pretty face endeed...do not let et go tu west!" she smiled a little more, hand gently grasping the girl's chin and holding it up to look at her more closely. She then blushed brightly and broke eye contact a moment, realizing how intimate she'd just gotten and feeling a bit awkward for it.

[Anonymous]

As Lana's swollen tearful eyes began to adjust to the darkness around them, a flicker of light from the water accenting the creature's skin, a silhouette took form before her.  Suddenly the restfully comfortable tentacles were attached to a far more exotic female beast, and an inquisitive expression was found in the crimson eyes that had momentarily paralyzed the little deity.  Lana's ears were soothed by the cooing sound of her new acquaintance.  Whoever this was, she was starting to seem like more of a motherly sort than a threat.

The lighthearted attempt at stirring Lana from her depression was not lost on her, however little could have been done to free her from its grasp.

Lana found the motivation to speak as soft pliable tendrils caressed her face, "You are very kind."

[Anonymous]

(Oh, all four of Scry's tendrils are on Lana's body, her hand is touching Lana's face btw. ^^)

She finally got a reaction! She snapped from her shy daze and met her eyes again when the girl spoke and smiled again, brushing her thumb across the girl's lips softly. "There we go...!" she praised the girl for coming out of her depressing trance. "Now how aboot a nem, child? I em Scrylett, whot ken i call yu?" she asked as her iridescent eyes looked the girl over slowly, taking all of her glowing form in. She bit her own bottom lip as she did so, a soft purr rising in her throat.

"Or es there no nem fur sush elegant beauty..." she found herself mumbling on, as her snaky limbs idly slid around the girl, two grasping her arms and two cupping her hips as her tail swayed pleasurably. Her hand continued to rest on her pale face, fingertips lightly running through the girl's hair now.

[Anonymous]

It was strange being called "child" when the entirety of her life had been spent heavy with responsibility for generations of celestial beings who lived peacefully under her watch.  It was, however, soothing to be considered something a little helpless.  This.... being... that had stumbled upon her seemed to be the very essence of all that meant contentment.  

Lana narrowed her eyes to see the creature more clearly, but could still only imagine that the face must be quite unusual.  She, reluctantly, began to press against the tendrils to relieve her acquaintance of her weight.  Finding her grounding was a little difficult with little sense of the visual spacial values of what surrounded her.  However, once she did, she also found that the eyes that had so closely locked with her own were now what seemed several stories above her, gazing downward as if she were only a tiny creature in the forest.

"What... are you...?" she hesitated without intentions to offend.  

A breeze danced by, lifting her yellow hair slightly.

[Anonymous]

Squatting down low bedside the girl, the creature smiled much more warmly with relief that the girl answered. "mmm...wull I guess thets a start...!" she praised with a bigger smile. The random clouds that littered the night sky blew gently in the whipping winds, and the large one that had passed, coating them in shadow had finally lifted, the gentle moonlight making the creature's soft skin look as white as ever against her spots of darker skin.

She had been able to see the girl remotely well, even in the dark, with her wondrous eyes, but now, in the light, this girl glistened so beautifully.  That smile dimmed to another expression of awe as she gazed upon the little lady, hand still outstretched to hold her cheek with comfort. "...wow..yu are relly sometheng, child..!" she gasped quietly and whispered this.

Feeling rude, she pulled her hand away finally, her four tendrils receding to their usual swaying position around her and she leaned her curvy form against the tree to sit beside the small girl. She was definitely a sight to see among normal people. "I em but a fish outov watur..." she explained simply as she relaxed, long legs tucked beneath her as she sat with that arch in her spine, like a proper woman.

"Yu seem tu hev been en a daze, child...yu du not look well...es there anythen I ken du tu help...?" She offered once more in her gentle tone, tilting her round head on that elongated and almost snaky neck. Her spine was incredibly limber and she could twist freely as if what bones she had could soften.

[Anonymous]

As the light glimmered against the creature's skin an intimidating awe overcame Lana.  She had seen much in her long lifetime, but nothing so sensual and... attractive... as her.  The creature transcended gender into a sexless sexual allure that was strange to Lana.  This did not occupy her more than the astonishment she had for the caring nature this creature seemed to bestow upon anything fragile and desolate.  And she was so very grateful that this was the case instead of the barbarous monster she had imagined before.

As even more light exposed the world around them, the eyes that had at first so frightened Lana now became two ruby red jewels set against a silken, shimmering face.  There were odd markings that almost resembled tribal paint, but soon it was apparent that these works of art were the work of the creature's own unique genes.  In a moment of fleeting wonder, Lana wished that she could be as beautifully exotic as this creature, and felt very insignificant in the presence of such a magnificent animal.

Or.... what was she?  

Lana didn't have time to pity her own more mediocre form, for this gentle giant seemed to be equally fascinated by her.  Though, the creature was far more outspoken about it than Lana could bring herself to be.  

This new companion then seated herself by Lana, and vaguely described herself.  What was it with this land?  Would people always withhold such enormous secrets such as their own identities?  It seemed she couldn't meet a person who genuinely bared themselves as anyone in a community would for the sake of friendship, or even simple connection.  Yet, at the same time she respected the need to hold privacy sacred, for she herself could not bare to have the world know of all of the darkness that filled her within.  

The creature was very kind, and instantly made her feel as if she had discovered a friend.  Though, welcoming anyone into her heart for any reason was difficult.  Lana listened to the surreal voice with as much interest as she would music.

"I am only experiencing what we all do." she said simply, and gazed at her acquaintance, then ventured quietly, "Do you.... have a name?"

[Anonymous]

"I DU hev a nem...!" she replied contenltly, feeling a little more comfortable around the girl now. "I em called Scrylett. What es yur nem child?" she asked in tetun, her large tail swooping around behind the girl and to her other side, pressing against her hip to pull the girl right beside her, as if it were a giant hand.

Both her tail and her body were equally soft and supple, and the girl would be squished up against her mostly bare skin as Scrylett welcomed her closer to cheer her up. "But child...we all experience so mush...it would be vague of yu tu tell me thet...!" she then realized sahe had been vague herself and her smile faded a little as she pondered timidly. "I em sorry...I must be envading yur privacy..." she concluded.

"I em not from arund here." She confessed. "I come from the deep sea...en I hev traveled enland...far from my home to find something precious to me. She began explaining in a small story to the girl. "We all hev our hardships...an sometimes...we crave a shoulder tu cry on...would yu...like thet from me...?" she asked curiously, cheeks darkening slightly.

As the creature spoke, the girl could see the inside of her mouth was equally as dark as the rest of her trim. Her tongue was a dark bluish purple, her lips, her throat, the lining around her eyes, all the skin that was tender was this shade, proving her blood to be dark in color to be able to be able to tint her as it did.

[Anonymous]

At least, Lana thought, Scrylett was searching for something precious to her, not mourning the loss of it.  Still, there was a marked sadness in Scrylett's exotic features that told a deeper story than words ever could.  And this was all Lana needed to be assured of Scrylett's inner turmoil.  And yet, Lana remained the focus of the creature's concern.  

"I would very much like it," Lana began carefully, afraid of sounding unappreciative, "If it were something I could share with someone else.  For me, it is necessary to bear it alone."

It was necessary to bear it alone, because at one time a whole universe had bore her pains, and was utterly demolished under the weight of them.  She had been selfish before, and was now responsible for the apocalypse of an innocent world... perhaps, the only one that had ever existed.

All of this, she held close to her heart and far from her lips.  It would never be shared...  As if somehow uttering the words was to give the tragedy form again.  

The closeness of the two of them was strange at first, but as Lana was pulled into an embrace by the giant tale, she felt one of her hands pressed up against Scrylett's soft, oceanic flesh.  The touch was unnoticeable and truly innocent, but she felt a bond with this gentle creature's spirit that she had not found in anyone since her exile had begun.

"Are you alone here?"

[Anonymous]

She cheered up when the girl said yes and she her tail pulled the girl tighter in embrace. She lifted an arm and draped it over the girl, holding her shoulder gently.  The realized the girl hadn't given her a name, but she accepted it. The child would give a name when she was comfortable, or at least Scrylett hoped. Until then, she would call her child, which is how she saw her.

Then the question came. Her expression saddened, but she felt compelled to answer for some reason. She could feel the abnormal pressure residing in the child and was concerned for her wellbeing. It was not healthy, the child was straining herself, she felt.

"Erm..." her ears tipped back as she pondered it. "I em very mush alone...not jus here...but everywhere..." she explained. She looked back at this child, gazing into those violet eyes and being entranced once more. "There es a hole en my heart en mind...en emptiness..." she went on. "My past was stolen from me...I em left with almost nothing. Es difficult tu trust...to share...to search...because I du not know what I em surcheng  fur..." A tear rolled down her cheek as she let herself spill her story to this strange child. She gave her a small smile when she finished, trying not to let herself bring the child back to a dismal state of mind.

[Anonymous]

It was amazing to Lana that only a single tear was shed when there was a world of sorrow within the almond shaped crimson orbs.  The nighttime was cool and wrapped them in a moist, chilly air.  The lake made tiny trickling sounds now and again as it flowed in its natural direction, much like their tears.  It was unfortunate, the situation Scrylett was in, but so similar to Lana's own.  To be the only one of your kind, at least, that you know of.  But perhaps it was even worse to not even have a memory of whether or not there was another of your kind in existence.  

The last portion of Scrylett's brief story was puzzling to Lana, "Don't you think... that not knowing what to search for will make the answer all the more obvious?  Perhaps, it would fall into place piece by piece, and eventually you will see a picture in your clues."

She wanted to gravitate away from her own history, and it felt good to be an ear to someone again.

[Anonymous]

She listened to the child's words, ear flickering lightly. "mm, I hope thet they are finding me...and I write them down..." she gestured to her satchel where a magic diary was kept. "I write what es emprtent tu me...so I du not forget..." she hinted that there my have been times where her memory had vanished after having collected some important information.

Why was she so openly telling this child so much? She couldn't help but wonder why she was such an open book to her. But to be able to tell the child this much meant that she must be important to her in some way. Possibly a clue, even a memory fragment? Immediately, she slipped her beautifully bound book from her side pouch and cracked it open gently.

The pulled out a vibrant colored feather from the book's spine then, taking the tip to her mouth where she placed it between her full lips and pressed it to her tongue gently. She returned it to the paper and began writing, in an inky substance that had been placed onto the feather pen. Her script was bold and beautiful, her strokes smooth and delicate as she filled in the blank page, writing in a foreign language and some unfamiliar symbols.

The child would feel intangible sensation from this book as Scrylett wrote upon its paper. Almost as if Scrylett were writing about her. A nameless girl she had met. She gently leaned into the girl and a soft purr rose in her throat as she idly cooed her. "...I will not let myself forget yu...child." she whispered to herself as she finished writing, placing the feather back between the pages and taking a deep breath, relaxing and looking back at her with a comforting expression.

[Anonymous]

Lana wondered at what it must be like to have no recollection of one's past.  On one hand, that could be a very relieving thing.  Her own memories plagued her like an illness, draining her spirit of energy.  But perhaps it was worse to never know how the years had honed you into the ever changing being you had become.  

It was touching that this desolate creature was baring her heart as if it were an innocent gift to the world.  Lana almost felt guilty for not sharing her own life's story, but couldn't bring herself to even breath properly at the thought of it.

She ran her fingertips along her arm and bit her lower lip, watching Scry write quietly in her journal.  The little unfinished book was living proof of this lovely creature's struggles, and Lana felt herself dying to know more.

"What brought you here.... to this lake?  I had chosen this place because there was little likelihood of encountering anyone... I assume this is why you came here too?"

[Anonymous]

She enjoyed what little affection the gild gave her in return and listened to her next oh so curious question, feeling she had at least cheered the girl up some by telling her these stories about herself. I hed been near by from a long en slow travel...and I could smell the watur. Et was soo enticing, I could not resist et..." she confessed with a bashful smile.

"I du tend tu like my alone time,  but...being alone es hard for me the wey I em now..." she went on. "People act strenge at my sight...so I hev tu put on a strong en confident face tu endure et..."  she described. "but I saw yu here,child...en I could not resist yu...i was drawn tu yu, incrededly so..." She purred slightly as her tone grew more intimate.

"There es sometheng speshul aboot yu, child...en I ken not help but crave to know what about yu thet meks me so...fuzzy..." she gave her that warm smile again, and looked back to her book, bringing the feather to her mouth again to supply the ink for the next bit of information she began to write down as she sat contently beside this curious girl, who warmed her spirit.

[Anonymous]

Lana thought of her journal...  Much different from the one Scry possessed, more ragged...  But it held some of the greatest outpourings of her heart.  Where it was, she couldn't know now....  Probably lost in the galaxy between realms... Perhaps her thoughts would drift from the pages to the spirit of her lost One.....

"There is nothing special about me." she smiled, "I am only a traveler.  I seek only to be weightless and free."

She tried not to stare at the strange hand writing, but it caught her eye with its abstract shapes.  Clearly there was meaning in the figures Scry scrawled, but it held none of the characteristics of any language Lana had encountered.

"I once had a journal." she blurted, suddenly disappointed in her own inability to stay silent and serene.