Another Wasted Night (Whinaut)

[Remi]

((Have some random adventuring music to start kick things off with. X3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvMKKxli3eE))

The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon; the dust-grey pre-dawn sky heavy with clouds that carried the promise of a storm yet to arrive. The rather chill breeze whistling hollowly through the ruins; those of a more poetic mindset might have believed that wind carried the voices of the long-departed. The truth of the matter though, was that it was the perfect sort of morning for adventure and exploration; the looming storm lending the air a vaguely electric quality, the scents of age and petrichor thick and inviting; a welcome reprieve from any civilization. Of course, many were willing to explain how dangerous the ruins were to anyone who used magic; it was only natural for those ominous words to have been spoken.

The thief had cockily shrugged off the warnings as she'd purchased the supplies she needed for the excursion -a damn shame that she hadn't found anyone with anything worth pilfering- and had set off for the ruins without another thought; simply because she'd heard tales of the incredible wealth that had yet to be discovered, the artifacts rife for the taking. After her treasure-hunting excursion, she'd only need to find a fence and she'd be doing well, at least for a little while.

"It's gorgeous!" Lycoris murmured, near-silent footsteps carrying her past crumbling colonnades and intricately-carved pillars, orange-pink eyes wide in wonder and awe as she simply strode around for a few minutes, reaching out every now and again to touch the ancient, broken architecture that she'd been taken by; there was far too much for the plant-woman to take in at once; even the entranceway was simply breathtaking.

The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon; the dust-grey pre-dawn sky heavy with clouds that carried the promise of a storm yet to arrive. The rather chill breeze whistling hollowly through the ruins; those of a more poetic mindset might have believed that wind carried the voices of the long-departed. The truth of the matter though, was that it was the perfect sort of morning for adventure and exploration; the looming storm lending the air a vaguely electric quality, the scents of age and petrichor thick and inviting; a welcome reprieve from any civilization. Of course, many were willing to explain how dangerous the ruins were to anyone who used magic; it was only natural for those ominous words to have been spoken.

The thief had cockily shrugged off the warnings as she'd purchased the supplies she needed for the excursion -a damn shame that she hadn't found anyone with anything worth pilfering- and had set off for the ruins without another thought; simply because she'd heard tales of the incredible wealth that had yet to be discovered, the artifacts rife for the taking. After her treasure-hunting excursion, she'd only need to find a fence and she'd be doing well, at least for a little while.

"It's gorgeous!" Lycoris murmurred, near-silent footsteps carrying her past crumbling columnades and intricately-carved pillars, orange-pink eyes wide in wonder and awe as she simply strode around for a few minutes, reaching out every now and again to touch the ancient, broken architecture that she'd been taken by; there was far too much for the plant-woman to take in at once; even the entranceway was simply breathtaking.

With fairly cautious steps, she continued onward, past the yawning entrance and main hall, deeper into the remnants of the structure, wandering from one meandering corridor to the next, darting into rooms and chambers that simply begged to be explored; pausing every now and again to touch the intricate carvings that adorned the remnants of the walls, or to retrieve a coin or other little bauble that had been carelessly dropped by other explorers- their losses were the thief's gain, more wealth that she'd be extremely grateful for at the end of the excursion. You've been somewhere similar to this place, That was a rather peculiar thought to rise unbidden to the forefront of her mind. She had probably visited other ruins; in fact, she was certain of it- but it didn't make any sense, nor did it exactly matter. This particular ruin was far more peaceful-seeming than any other she remembered venturing into; near-silent and serene.

Ducking to the left and slipping into a winding passageway, her thoughts were interrupted momentarily by the distant, brief rumble of thunder: today was going to be remarkably pleasant and she was glad that she'd decided to venture here, rather than trying to find someone to rob. Lycoris was still quite staed from her most recent hunt and couldn't have come up with a better way to while away some time; kneeling to pry a ruby ring from behind a stubborn chunk of stonework, finally sliding that little find into her pouch; whether it was a real ruby or just glass, she was sure that she'd be able to find someone interested in buying it.

Something isn't right about this place. She ignored that thought; of course something was strange and that had to simply be because no one had been here in a good while. It couldn't have been anything else, she was completely incapable of using magic.

[Whinaut]

The Fell was a nearly empty place, the regular inhabitants being unholy abominations, the corpses of adventurers that came for some selfish reason or another, and the overgrown ruins that were their goal. For those that stumble into the Fell, it seemed like any other regular place, but if only they knew the sinister energies that loomed just beneath the surface. However, not everyone knew about the legends of the corrupted land, and with a fast approaching storm, it seemed like it would be best to take a rest in one of these many ruins.

These were the thoughts that went through Sonny's head as he trekked through the chaotic landscape of the Fell. Sonny took a tentative glance over his shoulder back at the looming storm and inhaled deeply. The scent that met him was a a mixture of the familiar smell of rain that only served to hasten his pace, and an unknown, musty smell, unlike anything Sonny had experienced before. There was a large boom of thunder, snapping Sonny out of his thoughts and almost making him jump out of his skin. He glared up at the sky, contemplating whether to try and change the weather, but saw that the ground around him looked try, and the grass was malnourished. Something suddenly struck him, Sonny hadn't heard any sounds of wildlife since he had entered this place. It had been just the sound of the wind to keep him company.

Still caught up in these thoughts he hurried into the nearest ruins he could find to get out of the ensuing deluge. Once inside, Sonny listened closely to see if he had just been imagining things, and heard footsteps inside. Taken aback, Sonny's eyes opened wide in fear. What could be in here with him? What if it wanted to hurt him? Taking a deep breath, Sonny pressed on, turned a corner out of a hallway and stopped.

He had come upon what seemed to be an odd looking adventurer looting the ruins. It didn't look like they had noticed him yet. What if the adventurer thought he was here to steal their things? Sonny couldn't fight! The adventurer looked around, and Sonny ducked behind the wall and put his hands over his mouth to stop any noise he might have made. After a few seconds, he looked back around the corner and saw the adventurer had lost any suspicion and was fiddling with something shiny in their hands. Curious to just what the person had, Sonny took a step out from behind the wall, and CRUNCH Stepped on a twig that just happened to be right there. Sonny froze in place with a terrified look on his face. Well, shoot.

[Remi]

The tales surrounding the Fell weren't something the thief knew much about; though she would have certainly been curious to have listened to them for a time, rather than the simple warnings. The corpses, both wizened and relatively fresh, weren't something that bothered her too much; in fact, more often than not, she'd stop and check them for valuables worth pilfering; an air of casual uncaring hanging about her as she did so. The strange geometry and unknowable, portentous energies, simultaneously repugnant and compelling, were what drove her to delve deeper, seeking out wealth and the incomprehensible; a dreamer entering the unfathomable witch-house.

As a being of uncertain origins and even stranger blood, perhaps it was only natural for the thief-plant to be drawn to such a location; perhaps an anomalous similarity of sorts to be found between the quasi-living and that which had fallen into disrepair. The petrichor became even richer as thunder rolled like the war-drums of a long-forgotten god overhead; the voice of the wind giving voice to a low and mournful wail, accompanied by a brilliant flash of lightning that split the night.

As the first raindrops began to fall through the roofless chamber she occupied, Lycoris's hair-vines began to shift and move of their own accord, tightly-closed blossoms beginning to unfurl so that they could greedily accept the rain; her steps becoming more weightless under the resulting shower that would without doubt become an outright downpour before too long.

Shit!

Hearing the loud pop of a twig snapping under something's foot, Lycoris slid the glimmering ring into her pouch of pilfered goods, pivoting and dropping herself into a low crouch, clawed toes flexing and trying to grasp at the ground underfoot; a snarl curling the thief's lips to reveal double sets of canines. She'd thought she had been alone here- and now, startled, prepared to defend both herself and what she'd found thus far, she didn't pounce just yet, she was on the defensive; confusion joining the rage that contorted her countenance as she stared at her would-be... robber? Assailant? She couldn't say for certain just yet.

[Whinaut]

As the adventurer seemed to gain awareness of his location, Sonny began to finally fully take in what could go on here. Here he was, in an unknown place, surrounded by malevolent energies, face to face with something that for all he knew could turn around and tear his head clean off. He saw what had happened in his life up to this moment, and suddenly felt a twinge of regret. He was too young for this. What was he even doing, traipsing around ruins, far from any signs of civilization, alone in this world, and for all he knew, he could be in a really inimical situation here.

This was unfortunate

As the raindrops began to soak into Sonny's clothing, chilling him to the bone, the adventurer turned towards him, Sonny got a good look at them. And what he saw terrified him more than anything else that he had seen before. Poised in a menacing stance, there stood an aberrant humanoid figure, far past the outliers of the natural race. This was some kind of new being that Sonny had never before seen. Complete with claws, sharp teeth, green skin, and hair made of vines, the being in front of him made Sonny's heart nearly burst out of his chest.

The eyes were the worst part in Sonny's opinion. It is said that the eyes are a window into the soul, but if eyes are windows, then these were spiked, and the windows looked into a raging inferno. But there was a slight hesitancy in their face, but Sonny thought it was over for him. He tried to ask who (or what) this thing was, but all that emerged from his mouth was a high pitched squeak, "Please don't hurt me!"

[Remi]

The thief hadn't been certain of what to expect when she'd whirled, prepared to try and eviscerate whatever manner of unhallowed beast she'd potentially caused to stir. Traipsing into the unknown, surrounded by energies both thrilling and malicious, with the intention of lining her pouches with as many relics that she could carry; it would not have been surprising if her presence had awoken some infathomable, ancient creature that protected the ruins.

This turn of events was quite interesting. She did not come face-to-face with a demon or eldritch abomination; not even a bandit, as far as she could tell. No, the newcomer was just a little shorter than her, drenched and apparently rather terrified; yet unarmed and considerably younger than most other humans she'd encountered. Unless there were others nearby, this one was decidedly not a threat.

Shaking her head and blinking, Lycoris's posture relaxed slowly, tilting her head, rage replaced by nothing more than perplexity. Though she couldn't keep from laughing at the child's high-pitched, panicked little squeak. "I won't, I don't have a reason to hurt you. I thought you might have been something else." She supposed it was as good an explanation as any, though there were countless questions that needed to be asked, such as: what was a child doing alone in the ruins, anyway?

[Whinaut]

With the adventurer's proclamation, the frost that had been in Sonny's viens since he began his trip into these ruins began to thaw, just a little. Despite the adventurer's words, Sonny didn't allow himself to relax much, he didn't know if he wanted to trust this person yet. There was something off about them that seemed... Bestial? Hungry? Unsavory? Sonny hoped that it was just unsavory. He relaxed his stance so that it looked like he wasn't thinking about fleeing, this seemed like everything could be talked out.

What she said sounded a little ominous to Sonny, what else could he have been? He hadn't seen any creatures on his way here, maybe she'd thought he was another ruin explorer, looking to take her loot? Or maybe she had believed him to have been the source of that nefarious miasma that seemed to be everywhere around here.

Whatever the case was, she didn't appear to be hostile, a good sign. Sonny swallowed and took a hesitant step towards this mysterious person. He regarded her inquisitively, and soon gave her a look of confusion and thoughtfully said, "But I'm not someone else, I'm me!" He mentally slapped himself after that statement, was he trying to get himself killed? He hurriedly tried to correct himself, "AndbyI'mmeImeanmynameisSonnyWhat'syours?" Dear god he could not shut up when he was scared.

[Remi]

Lycoris still wasn't completely at ease; she had no way of knowing if the would-be explorer planned on stealing her loot (even young animals could be deceitful) and wasn't going to let her guard down so he'd have the chance. If he tried anything of the sort, she wasn't above killing and eating the newcomer where he stood. Fresh meat was far better when prey was fearful or enraged, after all. Perhaps the one thing that had kept her from already launcing an attack was the simple fact that she wasn't ravenous enough to ignore all reason. Yet.

If he wasn't going to steal her finds, there was always the possibility that, no matter how young he seemed to be, the traveler might have been the source of the noxious energies that flowed through the ruins.  She would bide her time for a while, discern whether he was a threat or not- and if he was, well, the plant woman would figure that out soon enough.

Her hair-vines shifted and writhed as he drew a bit closer, though at least for the moment, she didn't move to attack; instead, seemingly puzzled by his approach. "But I'm not someone else" caused her to bend her knees, as though preparing to pounce, If you're not someone else, you've come to take what's mine. She cocked her head and once again stood upright at the tangled syllables that just seemed to pour from the poor kid. Going as far as to laugh at his apparent fear; no. This kid couldn't possibly be a danger. The silence that came in the wake of his quickly-fired statement and question might have been a bit worrisome, but that laughter pealed for a moment longer before she shook her head, "I don't know what half of that was supposed to be, but I think I understood some of it; mine is Lycoris. What are you doing here?"