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The Memories that Haunt You and Me

Started by Draconian, June 19, 2015, 10:51:12 PM

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Draconian

Ominous.

Raizel smiled again. Which instantly turned into a frown when she realized she was smiling because that was decidedly something unfamiliar. The few smirks and smiles had suddenly made her cheeks hurt and she would be doing no more of that.

Like she promised, Raizel made food, though the preparation was interrupted to shift close by Cadmus occasionally to check his breath, laying a gentle cool hand against his forehead to check his temperature.

A modest stew was made and - by her standards - it smelled decent. Being out in the forest as much as she was, Raizel always had at least one pouch of dried herbs to made dinner not taste like an old boot. At the very least it would taste like a herb-y old boot. There was, however, one bowl and one spoon, so, she ladled some up and went and sat beside Cadmus's head.

How to wake him up nicely?

Frowning for a moment she gently rubbed at his shoulder and down his arm with her free hand, probably one of the few places on his body that wasn't bruised and battered.

"Cadmus. Wake up. You need to eat."

Rhindeer

When Cadmus drifted off, he fell asleep hard. He didn't even remember it happening, and was for all intents and purposes dead to the world.

So when Raizel tried to wake him, at first he didn't respond save to snort loudly and nuzzle back into the bedroll. But then when it didn't stop, he abruptly gave a violent jolt that sent a shock of pain through his injured body and jerked awake with a start and a gasp. He caught Raizel's wrist and clutched it too-tightly, a startled look in his wide eyes--but then he registered her face and his expression softened, his grip loosened, and he let go of her quickly.

"Sorry," he said, and took a deep, calming breath. "I...guess I fell asleep."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Draconian

Of course, having your wrist grabbed and squeezed would startle anyone. Raizel included. Nothing was lost on her though. The wide eyes. The tight grip. She didn't pull her hand away. Instead she waited, quietly, for him to wake up fully. Sure enough, Cadmus calmed and she placed her hand back on his shoulder.

"No need to apologize, Cadmus," Her voice had gone soft, trying to make it as soothing as possible.

"You did fall asleep, as you should have, and now I've made food so..." She shuffled closer to him, holding out the bowl of hot 'found things stew'. She'd tried it before putting some in his bowl, it was no masterpiece but... "It doesn't taste like boots. You can rest again after you've eaten."

Rhindeer

Cadmus let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. Thank gods she wasn't reacting badly to that. Thank gods he hadn't done anything worse than grabbing her. His first instinct generally involved punching.

But more than that, it was also just plain embarrassing, having that kind of spooked reaction for no good reason!

With a groan, he sat up gingerly and glanced down at the stew, then took the offered bowl and gave it a sniff. His sense of smell was a bit better than a human's, and he couldn't help but wrinkle his nose. "I've probably eaten worse," he said, and then jerked his eyes back up to her face. "Ah. Not that I'm calling this gross."

And to try to cover up his flub, he brought the bowl to his lips and took a sip, and even managed to keep it down! "...Not quite like boots, no."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Draconian

Raizel grinned at his reaction and then gave a hushed chuckle, her hand going over her mouth to muffle it for his benefit. Sharp noises probably didn't feel very good to his head at the moment and his attempts at trying not to insult her cooking were far more entertaining than she had anticipated.

"It's spiced boots," She whispered, like it was a secret.

"I'll make you decent stew someday," Raizel said without thinking, like they were going to spend more than a few days together at the most. She'd already decided to take him to the nearest town and be done with him. It wasn't that he wasn't nice. It was that she didn't need anyone else around.

"It'll keep you full until tomorrow, that's all that matters." Without thinking she rose her hand to brush his hair from his wound to try and look at it in the dark, the sun having long since gone down and the fire the only real source of light. "Finish up and go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when it's time to head out, hmm?"

Rhindeer

Someday? Cadmus cocked his head at that, birdlike, but made no mention of it. She probably mentioned that without thinking, one of those phrases people used but didn't actually mean. So instead, he took another sip to fill in the silence--

And blinked when she brushed back his hair. An oddly mothering gesture.

Once again, he pretended not to notice.

"Well, I'm awake now," he said. "It might be a bit before I can sleep. Besides, you can't stay awake all night." He gulped down another bite of stew. It got more bearable the more he ate, perhaps because it killed his taste buds. "You'll need to rest, too."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Draconian

Indeed he was awake now and Raizel gave her eyes a roll. "Look, you're hurt. Your body needs rest," The voice she used was level and there was a steel to it that sounded like 'I make rules, you follow rules - done.' Giving her hands a flex she didn't move from beside the wounded man and instead leaned back against the tree and looked up at the sky. "You don't need to concern yourself with me, we have stuff to do tomorrow - like get you somewhere safe."

Pursing her lips, Raizel pushed a hand through her hair and sighed. "I can stay awake for days, you need to rest." Sure this was probably the last day of those 'being awake for days' stints but as long as she made it to some sort of resting place to pass out for whoever long she needed it would be fine. It would also be best if this fellow wasn't around.

Rhindeer

Cadmus lifted an eyebrow slowly. "Days?" he repeated, and frowned. "That's not exactly good for you."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Draconian

Raizel caught his look and gave her own back, "and being stabbed in the leg and beat over the head is healthy?" It was a rhetorical question but still her blue eyes narrowed at him, "finish your stew and go back to sleep."

Rhindeer

Damn.

He'd obviously hit a tender spot there.

Cadmus bit back his retort and swallowed it down with another bite of soup. "My apologies," he said when he'd finished. "I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Draconian

Raizel sighed and drew her knee up to act as an elbow rest so she could prop up her head with her hand. "You don't know what your boundaries are, you don't need to apologize," She finally said, watching him eat. "Hell, I don't know what my boundaries are." She admitted, offering him a small apologetic smile, "sorry for snapping. Seriously though, I can afford to stay awake. You can't."

Finally, Raizel sighed, "Please? The more rest you get on a full stomach the better you'll feel in a few hours, because we need to move in the morning." she looked up after a moment, "There's a town not too far from here, I can drop you off there tomorrow."

Rhindeer

Cadmus feigned a sigh, and quirked a small smile. "I can't argue with a 'please'," he said, and held his breath so he could gulp down the remainder of the soup with minimal tasting. He let his breath out in a rush as soon as he'd swallowed and tried not to make any unpleasant faces as he set the bowl aside.

"But you should catch a little rest if you can. You'll be more help to me functional," he added, and lightly pat the bedroll. "And there's plenty of room. I have good ears. I'd hear anything that came through."

He said it completely deadpan, as though seriously offering to share sleeping space rather than making a dirty offer--because that was exactly how he meant it.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Draconian

Raizel frowned at him gently and sighed.

The pack of herbs that kept her awake was still tucked between her cheek and her gums and she turned around briefly to pick it out and toss it over her shoulder into the darkness. Fine. She could play that game. More help to him functional, sure.  Maybe he'd be gone by the time she woke up and then she wouldn't have to deal with him.

"Alright," she said softly and began to pull of the metal bits of armor she wore, placing them beside her bag and she shot him a small smile, "I have good ears too." She started dead pan before she sat beside him on the bedroll, still clothed except for her boots and more uncomfortable armor bits.

After they got themselves situated, Raizel rested her head down on the crook of her arm and closed her eyes.  It wasn't that she trusted him. Far from it. Maybe it wasn't worth it. Maybe he'd slit her throat in her sleep and she'd just never wake up. Never have to worry about who she was. What she'd done. What if she was a bad person? The raven sleeping in the trees would be fine. It wasn't long before the lack drugs in her system caught up with her and she was out like a light despite all her thoughts.

Raizel wouldn't wake come morning.

If Cadmus were to go through her things he'd find her bag of sleep inhibitors and appetite suppressants. Looking like little more than herbs he wouldn't know what they were unless he'd dealt with drugs before. It was easy to pretend they were something else when someone caught her using them. It was easier to use those than it was to stop to eat and get rested.

Sleeping like the dead was the price she paid for using them.

Rhindeer

Come morning, Cadmus was gone.

Or rather, the human Raizel knew as Cadmus was gone.

In his place was a large black gryphon, twice as large as a male lion but curled up beside her like a kitten. Of course, he was no longer on the bedroll at all; he was too large for it now. He was sleeping on his belly, his body curled around hers but only barely touching, his eagle-like head on his massive front paws--which were actually less paws, and more like the wicked feet and talons of a bird of prey. His long, feathery ears rotated idly as he listened even in his sleep, and his back foot twitched now and then as though he were dreaming.

But for the time being, he was blissfully unaware of his accidental shifting, and tired enough to keep on sleeping.

They both probably could have gone on snoozing if, sometime later, Cadmus hadn't shifted positions and rolled onto his side--and draped one of his heavy front legs over Raizel's body.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Draconian

There would be sound sleeping from Raizel and the strange movement from whatever that was had her eyes snap open. Instantly she was awake. And stared. And froze.

"Cadmus?" She called quietly hoping he was still around. This was a big sleeping beasty and Raizel didn't want to wake it up. Not when it's arm with those vicious claws were so close to her.

Rhindeer

The gryphon that was Cadmus stirred at the sound of his name, his large, golden eyes cracking open and ears flicking forward. He let out a yawn, tongue curling like a cat's inside a powerful, wickedly hooked beak that was not cute and catlike. It was a beak used to crush skulls and spines and strip chunks of flesh from bone.

He glanced at her sleepily, not yet awake enough to notice his condition, and let out a rumbling sound that was meant to be a groggy, "Hmm?" but came out more of a low growl.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Draconian

Raizel felt real fear for the first time in who knows how long.

Blue eyes widened in fear and she just stared. Moments ticked by what felt like years and she swallowed carefully before she welt still and took a careful breath. Maybe...

Nope.

It was going to eat her.

Had it eaten Cadmus? All that effort just for him to get eaten by a beast.

Raizel closed her eyes for a moment and tried to calm herself. Maybe if she let it sleep?  Nope. Low growl. A careful breath. Perhaps he was someones pet. "Niiiice, Kitty-eagle." Raize said softly, reaching her hand forward to pet along an ear. If she was going to probably die anyway, losing a hand first wouldn't be a big deal. "You like pets?" She asked softly trying to make her voice as soothing as she could, "Let's give you lots of pets so you can go back to sleep and let me go, hmm?"

Rhindeer

...Kitty-Eagle?

Cadmus blinked.

Wha...?

And then she was petting his ear and he felt his eyes narrow in confusion since he couldn't really scrunch his brow. What the...what was she...pets? Why was she pettinOH!

It had taken him a moment, for his head still ached from the blow and sleepiness, but it hit him then and his eyes snapped open wide and his head jerked back in alarm. OH GODS. Had he just--?! A quick glance down and he saw that yes, yes he had shifted in the night, his gryphon form coming to him far more naturally and easily than his human one, and his giant lion's body was all wrapped around her much smaller human body with one of his heavy paws draped over her middle. Oh dear fuck. She thought he was going to eat her! And he couldn't blame her! And maybe she thought he'd eaten human him, too, considering he was laying in a pile of torn clothing.

Gods. This was...

This was so incredibly awkward.

"Oh, shit," he said, and lifted his paw off of her and held it up so she could wiggle free. "I...uh. Wow. This is...interesting to explain." His voice was the same, if deeper and more thickly accented--the trill of his R's and hiss of his S's more pronounced than it was in human form. "Ah. Raizel, it's...it's me. Cadmus. Please don't panic."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Draconian

Oh shit.

Raizel jerked back and stared.

Did this creature just swear?

It just swore.

Did animals swear?

Raizel took a careful breath, not daring to move. Then it began to talk and she could only stare, wide eyed. No way. "Cadmus?" The relief that he hadn't been eaten was greater than she could have anticipated and though his hand... Paw? Was up so she could move Raizel didn't move away. Instead she stared at him, curiously.

Instead, she sat up and ran her hands from his head down his neck to rest at his wings. The expression on her face fell while she looked at them, taking a careful deep breath. "Your wings are beautiful."

Rhindeer

That was not the reaction he'd been expecting! Honestly, he had been expecting more panicking!

Not that he was complaining!

He tilted his head curiously as she ran her hands down from his head to his wings, his feather and fur fluffing up a little as that sent a pleasant shiver down his spine. And when her hands stroked his wings, he stretched one of them out so she could better get at it, the feathers fanning out.

"Ah...thank you," Cadmus said, blinking in surprise. She'd just learned he could change into a gryphon and she was complementing his wings? "So, er...you're not afraid?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

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