Things That Go Bump In The Night (Open)

[OneofaKindd]

A shadow floated throughout the forest, lacking any form. It came upon a camp.

The meeting place, it thought. Such a wonderful place to find those who think they're safe from any harm. The rules of this place are so easy to breakthrough, especially when you happen to be a Demon. As the shadow was thinking, it leaned up against a tree, just outside of the camp, and there, it took form of a young girl, around twenty years old, with hair as dark as the night. She stretched, and grabbed a twig of the ground. She held it, examining it's length, and wrote her name in the air with fire, just to see if the twig would work for her purposes. 'Wixi' was very clear in the air, so it the twig would work.

Alright, let's see what fun a Demon of Chaos can have tonight.

She imbued the stick with glamour, to cause fear and distrust, and through it between the people sitting around the fire. It landed perfectly in the fire. The twig would be destroyed in under a minute, and when it was, then distrust and fear would infect all of those sitting around the campfire.

I love my powers, Wixi thought.

[lemon-hop]

A young woman sat by the heat of the campfire, half-asleep and making soft conversation with one other traveler who had found their way there. She was unremarkable, really. Just one of the many who surrounded the warmth and felt secure in their safety.

The sound of the fire crackling yanked her from the edge of sleep, nudging her to retreat to her tent. Her new friend had already faded out, it seemed, and the others weren't people she'd concerned herself yet.
As she rose to retreat to her tent, the others around the fire made what seemed to be a transformation. Once friendly faces were menacing, the forest darker behind them.
But no, that couldn't be--only moments before they were all partners in solitude.
Surely it's my mind again. I should sleep--I'll leave early, tomorrow morning. Before the rest of them wake.

Again, she glanced back, her chest tightening as the person she'd been speaking with glared back at her. This was a place of hostility, surely. No place for her among the savages.
Everleigh, uncharacteristically so, staggered just behind her tent. Fear had shaken her want of sleep from her, leaving her nervous and shaky as she stared into the deep forest, tree branches just brushing the tip of her shelter. It seemed more welcoming than the warmth of the fire now, despite her terror at what monsters could lurk in the dark--or at the fire.
But no. Someone from the fire could've done what she had, had escaped, was waiting out there to strike. Surely someone was, at that very moment, just waiting.

[OneofaKindd]

Wixi sat down in a branch on a tree near the camp, just far enough so she couldn't be seen easily, but still close enough that she could watch the events unfold.

She saw a figure get up and walk away from the fire, and head behind a tent. Wixi frowned, the person would be just far enough away that the magic could just barley hit the person. It wouldn't be as effective, just enough to put the person on edge, and that was the last thing that she wanted right now.

Wixi jumped from the branch, and landed on the ground, barely making a sound.


She sent her magic into the person's mind, apparently the person was female, and chose a form from the girl's past. She felt herself shift into the form, and instantly knew that she hated it. She hated being men. Even though this was the girls father, and it would confuse her, it would still be annoying for the few seconds that it would take to kill the girl.

She started walking to the tents, laughing as the people around the campfire started throwing fists at each other.

Let's do this, She thought.

[lemon-hop]

Everleigh tipped her head back, eyes closed as she worked to soothe her anxious mind. Stories, meant to scare her child self, drifted through her mind, of ghosts that haunted the forests. Behind her, she heard the menacing firefolk fighting, her breathing hitching at the shouting. This was no good place to be.

Her chin dropped to her chest, eyes peering open at the dark. Her mother once told her if she ever wandered off, the ghost of the person who was most angry with her would find her. Surely it was just a children's tale.

Surely.

Her eyes caught an approaching figure, head lifting as her gaze widened.
"..Hello?"
It was her mind again. Just.. Playing a trick. A cruel trick. It had to be someone from the campfire, some man that just.. looked that way.

[OneofaKindd]

As Wixi walked towards the unsettled girl, she felt a thrill of excitement. It had been ages since she had talked to someone, much more be seen by someone. She wondered how the girl would react to seeing this person from her past. His face would surprise her.

She will probably just freak out. Wixi sighed. She hated it when mortals just accepted her mind games. They were just too easy to trick, because they usually only relied on, well, reality.

As she stepped out towards the girl, she spoke just one sentence, then waited to see how she would react.

"Hello, my daughter."

[lemon-hop]

Everleigh merely stared for a full moment, her lips slightly apart with shock before finally she sputtered to life, hands fisting in the grass. He can't be.

Doubt radiated off her in waves, soaked in terror and confusion. The woman could hardly even process what had been happening in her state of exhaustion. A stranger--no, her father--appearing in the forest was overwhelming, never mind the load already on her shoulders. All she wanted was to return to her tent and rest, not deal with ghosts in the night.

"You're dead."
She was no great wordsmith, that much was true, but her point (and her fear) was conveyed easily enough.

[OneofaKindd]

Wixi smiled. This was going to be WAY to easy.

"Yes, my child. But why should that stop me from being here?
In fact, I came to warn you."

Wixi used her powers to make the area around her and the girl, seem darker, more terrifying.

"Beware, for when the thrush knocks upon the door four times, your end shall be near."

Huh? That's odd. I didn't mean to say that.

Wixi startled, forgot to focus on her shapeshifting, and fizzled out of her form, into a girl around 22, with hair as black as the night, and purple/red eyes.

"Crap."

[lemon-hop]

The girl froze, her hands clutched in the hem of her shirt. For a moment, it was all too real, the shadows approaching her. It was terrifying and chilling and all sorts of awful words.

And then it really.. Wasn't.

Seriously? Some.. Witch girl, trying to scare her? This was some cruel prank, surely. A joke! A joke.

Her fear filtered into anger, color rising to her cheeks as shaking hands turned to fists. Ugh. People these days.

"What on--Who do you think you are?!"

[Arclightning]

Raven almost burst out laughing at the look on the girls face when the demon switched forms in front of her. He had been watching this creature for a while and had decided on one thing. He really wanted its memories. Who wouldn't pay their weight in gold for the memories of a demon? But when the girl stammered out her confused response Raven had to laugh. He was far enough away to not be affected by the demons magic, but he was still within earshot. After his laugh attack passed he realized what had happened. Damn. That was unprofessional. He pressed harder aginst the tree he was hiding behind. Lets see if they heard me, he thought.

[OneofaKindd]

Wixi, startled as she was by the random words coming out of her mouth, did in fact notice the laughter coming from her right. A smile grew on her, and she forgot about the weird prophesy. She had finally caught him. She had known, for quite some time now, that something was following her. At first, she had thought that it was some animal, for they usually followed her around for some reason.

Then, when she had felt his presence, she knew that this was no animal.

So, she had decided to play a game. It was probably a bad idea, she knew that, but it was part of her very nature to mess with people. So she couldn't stop herself from seeing how far the man would follow her.

He had been careful. It had been, as much as she hated to admit it, hard to know where this man was. But he had finally slipped, and now the game was in the final stages. Wixi stretched.

Well then, how shall we end this? There's still the girl here, she might prove useful. That's it, I'll lure him in.

Wixi stared at the girl.

"Hello. Sorry to bother you like this, but I really couldn't help myself. Physically impossible for me not to do that. I'll explain at some other point. Now listen, and listen carefully."

Wixi leaned in, and dropped her voice so that the man in the woods couldn't hear. Her voice, barely above a whisper.

"I need your help. There is a man in the forest to my right, and he has been hunting me, no easy task I assure you,for upwards of twelve days now. I don't know who he is, and I don't know what he wants. I can only tell that he wants to hurt me, and as many other people as possible."

"If that isn't enough incentive for you, I'll throw in some gold, and maybe something else, if you manage to drive him off. Deal?"

[Arclightning]

Oh bloody hell. Well time to negotiate. This better friggin work.

He stepped out from behind the tree wit his hands up.

"Well now. Lets not be hasty." He said in his version of a calming voice. He looked at two girls in front of him. One had long brown hair and copper skin. She was the confused one. And the other one, oh the demon. She was in one of her forms, one she wore a lot, maybe her favorite form?

"I mean no harm. Its all ok." He took a step forward. And another. And another. Until suddenly he lunged at the demon with his ring hand extended, aiming at her forehead.

[lemon-hop]

Everleigh's first reaction was to nod in begrudging agreement, not letting herself speak for the lingering fear of making things any worse for herself. Despite her anger, she considered herself far from stupid (angering this girl was surely very dumb), and silence was of the essence.

Of course, this was all for naught as soon as (in her opinion) the ridiculous excuse for a man emerged.

"Are you shitting me?"
No, not a brilliant, stunning reaction that would end this hell. Not that it would have mattered. He was already lunging, and.. Huh.

Her hometown suddenly seemed like an excellent place to be.
In fact, anywhere but here was an excellent place to be. Even stuck behind a bar would be better than here. Fighting around the campfire? Better than here. Name a place, and goodness, would she be glad to go.

Her feet, however, remained frozen in place, her expression more infuriated than shocked at this turn of events. She couldn't do anything for the shape-shifting whatever now, if she even had wanted to in the first place.
She didn't.

[OneofaKindd]

Wixi smiled. She had got him.

"Check."

Wixi flipped backwards, her heels kicking him in the chin, her feet on the ground.
Because of the way he had lunged, and mostly because of her strength, he got knocked upwards about three feet in the air.

Flipping back on to her feet, she punched him right in the gut on his way down, extending her arm to send him flying backwards.

"Checkmate. Well, It's been fun. Actually, now that I think about it, this is the most fun I've had in a while. For that, I thank you."

As she looked down at the man, he let out a little gasp.

"Wow, you're still alive are you? That's surprising, not many people can take a punch from me."

She turned away from the man for a second.

"Now then miss, I know your tired, but bare with me for a moment. Unfortunately for you, now that you've seen this, I can't let you live. Well, I had no intention of having you live anyways. Now hold still..."

As Wixi reached towards the girl, she didn't notice the fist coming at her head.

All that she noticed as she was falling down into unconsciousness, was that the person that had just hit her, looked like the one sitting next to the first girl at the fire.

*     *     *     *     *

"And stay down. Are you alright Everleigh? I saw you walk away looking half asleep. For some reason, I had a really strong urge to hit you. Lucky that you walked away when you did."

The girl from the fire reached down and brushed aside the shapeshifter's hair.

"Huh, would you look at that. She has purple eyes. Anyways, soon after you walked away, I felt better again. While the others were punching each other, I went to search for you, and you're lucky I did."

She glanced over to the spot where the man lay. Or laid. It seemed like he had run.

She looked at Everleigh.

"So what should we do with this one?"

[OOC: I hope you don't mind if I take over the character from the fire. :D  ]

[lemon-hop]

Everleigh endured the brief fight, more than a little surprised by the interference from the other woman. She hadn't expected anybody to bother investigating the scene.

However, she held no fondness for either of the bastards that had decided to pull their tricks. Her heartstrings weren't exactly pulled by either's lack of conciousness.

"Well, I'm certainly not tired anymore, hmm? The fire certainly was curious. Some game by the purple-eyed--ah, lady, undoubtedly." There were more accurate words, but she was in pleasant company of sorts.

She cast a glance at the man, shrugging.

"As for that sorry soul, I'd say let him lie and explore him a bit when he wakes up. He hasn't actually done anyone any harm, of course!"

She paused for a moment, giving him a grimace. "Just.. Attempted. Nasty thing."

One booted foot gave the each of them a nudge, only checking for general signs of healthy life.
It'd be a real shame if either was actually injured. A hassle to deal with.

And, of course, Wixi's comment on punch-survival lingered in the back of her mind. What a nightmare if someone actually died. She certainly didn't want to deal with it.

Her gaze slid back to the girl.

"And I would think things settled down by the fire? Nobody too badly hurt or anything? You seem just chipper!"

[OOC[It's fine by me!]]

[OneofaKindd]

"Well, I'm doing fine. The others though, one of them apparently had brought a knife. Three are dead, and one injured. The last one ran away after he realized what he had done."

She glanced down at the shapeshifter.

"Well, I suggest we tie them up. The man will be easy. Not sure what we should do about the shapeshifter though. She could just shapeshift into an ant and walk away."

She paused, thoughtful.

"You should search through some of the bags around the campfire. We might find some magical items. Anything is better than what I have."

[Arclightning]

Ow. Goddammit. Raven lay stunned on the ground and silently listened to the conversation going on around him with half an ear. Most of his consciousness was busy mentally kicking himself.

STUPID. STUPID. STUPID!! Why had he rushed her at all? He could have talked to her and attack her when her guard was down. And why didn't he rush her with his saber? He's not a barehanded fighter, he's a fencer. And he doubted a chaos demon could be killed by a sword thrust.

His attention suddenly snapped to the present when they started talking about tying him up. HE sat up with a start, winced at the pain in his stomach and his fractured jaw, then said

"Now, now, there's no need for that. I'm on your side." He glanced at the human girl. "And maybe her." he pointed absentmindedly at the demon with one hand while rubbing his jaw with the other.  "I just need her memories." Time for the kicker. He stood up slowly, but drew himself up to his full, considerable height and puffed his chest out before saying with a voice full of booming authority and confidence
"I am Raven Thorne, the Memory Thief." He gave the girl and her companion a wide smile. "You may have heard of me."

[lemon-hop]

"Bags! Yeah, I can do that, if you can tie."

She had managed to take a whole half-step before he rose, startling her yet again. Bastard just didn't stop.


"Raven.. Thorne?" She tilted her head, giving him a dubious look. "No. Never heard a thing. What a silly title, though. 'Memory Thief.'" For all his confidence, which was fairly impressive, he was a bit amusing.

"You do realize, Mister Thorne," she announced, doing her best to seem professional, "last time you meant no harm, you ended up trying to punch someone, yes? Not to mention you have thief in your job title, so I wouldn't really be inclined to give you a moment of trust anyway."

Leigh folded her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow.
"For someone who claims to be heard of, you're a bit ridiculous."

[OneofaKindd]

Wixi was drifting. There was a void, but not a black one. No, she was surrounded by nothingness, a white nothingness. She drifted throughout space and time, and throughout all of that, something was repeating. Not one something, multiple somethings. Images, tastes, senses, feelings, and thoughts.

Bitterness of a root.

Gemstones, glowing without any light.

Hate, pure hatred, stronger than any feeling she had ever felt before. It overshadowed everything else.

And the thought that would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life.

This is where I shall die.

Tooth, claw, blood, pain, red, anger, and... hope? Hope that she would make it out alive? No, that wasn't it. Hope for something else, but for what?

And then she woke up.

*     *     *     *     *

"Well, I don't think we should trust him. The look in his eyes, there is something not right there."

Ruby stretched. Alright, lets see about this guy.

"So, what do you think we should do? I think we should tie him up anyways, until we get some information from him. Maybe take some stuff from him. That ring looks nice."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Ruby startled, jumped back a foot from the now screaming shapeshifter.

"Well, crap. Hurry up and find those ropes!"


[OOC: Imma use purple for Wixi, and Red for Ruby now. Btw, interesting fact, Wixi means 'any' in Samoli. Wixi, the shapeshifter.]

[Arclightning]

Goddammit. Why is my reputation always gone when I need it? Raven thought. Okay time to impress them.

Raven said in a smooth voice

"Ridiculous? Do you not believe me? I should be offended. Here let me show you." Raven leaped forward and pressed his ring into the center of the lady from the fires head.

Aaaand into the mind we go. Raven seemed to land in a library. As usual, no time to steal. He pulled a burlap sack off his shoulder. The bag was simply a mental representation of the link from the woman's mind to his. He walked along the shelf reading the spines, until he came across one that read 'fathers second wedding'. Yes this would do nicely. He took the book and threw it into the sack. Then he walked back to the door but stopped before he walked through. There was a second book in his sack.

It's spine read 'the first time you got caught'. No. Not this again.

Sometimes his ring would shove memories into his sack that it thought were important and relevant to the situation. But Raven had no idea what this had to do with his situation right now. He just shrugged and walked out the door.

When the connection was severed he jerked back and stood with his arms folded.

"So now lady, I have some questions for you."  He stated in a purposefully ominous way.

[OOC: I hope you guy don't mind if I godmod the npc a little. I won't do it a lot I promise!]

[OneofaKindd]

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"GODS, SHUT THIS GIRL UP!"

Ruby kicked the shapeshifter in the chest, causing the shapeshifter to roll side over side, right into a tree. She was still screaming.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"SHUT UP! Geez. Alright then, mister Thorne. Let's see what you did."

[OOC: I don't mind it too much, I don't know about lemon_hop though.]