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Just outside the quiet and remote town of Helvaband, are many misty fields and endless moors waiting for the brave of heart. When you first arrive at Helvaband, the citizens of the town warn you of the dangers of wandering too far into these fields at any time. Their reasons are different, every single story simply dripping with elaborate details and many of them passed down so many generations no one even knows for sure if they are true. Nonetheless, none of the Helvaband citizens dare to doubt them, for fear that the stories of evil beings with dark and terrible magyc and tremendous bloodthirsty beasts may be true… In this open misty area, near a large wall of rock, is a small shack that people say has been the temporary home of many different and terrible creatures of darkness through out the years. For those who dare, there are many interesting secrets about this shack… if you’re willing to take the chance of not returning alive…
My Dorky Diner BoyBIC:
Patrick Mahoney
Patrick had arrived at the Moors not a moment too soon. He could feel in his blood the very moment that the sun--invisible behind the thick blanket of darkening clouds--vanished beyond the horizon. He felt his heart race and that all-too familiar feeling in his bones--a feeling like being stretched and pulled one direction and then the other. His limbs ached. His blood roared in his ears.
Patrick ran.
He raced through the misty moors, feeling his body screaming with pain with every step. When he could bear it no longer, he collapsed in a heap onto the soaked grass.
He felt a spasm of pain go through his entire body. His heart was beating so fast he felt like it would fly out of his chest at any moment. His hands tingled, tiny needles of pain moving throughout them. Patrick slowly brought them up to his face. His fingernails began to lengthen before his eyes, and his fingers swelled as he watched with a horrid fascination.
It had been eight long years, but Patrick still had not grown used to it.
He lay there, panting and gasping for breath, waiting once again for his Transformation to be complete.
Lottie by MasciiHeather Fleming
The night was cool, the lone wolf sitting on her haunches, watching the moon rise on the horizon. Since the strange something in Vampyre blood that caused Heather’s werewolf form to turn into a more controlled metamorphsis, she hadn’t needed to change. Her hope had been that the wolf within her could be surpressed forever, but apparently that was not the case.
Her dark eyes scanned the horizon calmly. For sure, everything hurt much less, her transformation of a less rushed, animalistic kind as it once had been. She owed that Vampyre much, for several restful nights had been at her disposal, until tonight. Where before she was afraid of changing at any moment, any night of any moon, she now had to discover the minmum requirements her wolf needed for her to remain somewhat normal.
Tonight, though, she had felt it. The well-known crawling sensation beneath her skin, the inability to remain still or breath evenly, all sensations she was very familiar with. How long had it been? She couldn’t even remember.
A flash on the edge of the moors, and her body tensed. Before, Heather’s wolf would have taken over and taken action. Now she could remain still and nearly calm.
She sniffed the air, and shook with sudden emotion. Her surprise was revealed in the tightness of her muscles, and the way the fur at the back of her neck stood up, like a warning signal.
Whomever had just entered the moors… smelled just like her.
As if on instinct, she found herself wanting to change back, hoping to find someone she knew, someone she could confide in within such a forsaken evening…but on second thought, she feared whomever intruded on her spot to change, her safe place. The caves held too many memories. The woods carried too many dangers. The moors were all she had left.
Heather took great strides, racing across the distance to the unseen foreigner. Her pace slowed, and when she finally came upon the figure sprawled on the slightly damp earth., she was padding almost silently to his side. It was a young man – well, half a man. His hands were deformed, and his face was elongated to a frightful length. Heather could see his resistance to the transformation in the tenseness in his body, subconsciously fighting the unwelcome, rapid changes.
You’re making it harder on yourself…Stop resisting..
Heather the wolf sat at the man’s side for a long moment torn between pity and loathing, and the desire to push this man into accepting the torture she had endured for so long, even if it was just to relieve one of his pains. Letting loose a small, short whimper, she moved forward to nudge him with her muzzle, careful and prepared to pull away, should a claw shoot out at her unprotected shoulder.
Let go… she willed at the man, wishing to tell him so he could understand. Let it come. You need your strength to fight yur instincts later.
She whimpered again Stand, inexperienced boy. Be a wolf with me, for you seem as unwilling as I
My Dorky Diner BoyPatrick let out a moan of pain as the tingling sensation spread to his face. His nose and mouth began to swell as well, lengthening and becoming larger even has he watched. Why? Why? Why? The words echoed desperately inside his head.
Suddenly, an all-too familiar scent reached his nose. It was a smell that he knew well from these past eight years of torture...the smell of a Werewolf.
He heard a slight rustling behind him as the pain became almost unbearable. He turned quickly to see another Wolf sitting calmly next to him, watching his Transformation. What? I thought...I was...the only one...the pain numbed his mind and made it hard to think. Desperately, the half-Wolf, half-man creature that Patrick had become within minutes tried to conjure up the image of Kathleen in his mind. On some occasions, it had helped to dull the pain, and even to take his mind off of his murderous insticts.
But tonight, even that did not help. The pain cut through him like a knife, and Kathleen's face would not appear to him.
All the while, the other Wolf--for Patrick was now certain that it was like him, and not an ordinary wolf--stood silently by his side.
The Wolf was smaller than Patrick was in his Form, so he assumed that it was female. She sat watching him with...was it pity? Or scorn? Or...her eyes had an anxious, urgent look to them as well.
Another spasm of pain hit him. His limbs began to swell and Transform as well, and Patrick felt the fur begin to spring up along his body. As all this occured, the Wolf beside him cautiously approached him and released a tiny whimper. Gently, she touched her muzzle to his shoulder, like a gesture of comfort.
Shaking like a leaf, Patrick turned his head (now almost completely Transformed) to look at her.
What is it you're trying to tell me?
Lottie by MasciiHeather Fleming
He wasn’t listening, from what she could tell. He quivered and shook violently, his eyes wide with the pain. The male Wolf was almost completely changed, and he would likely be worn out when finished. Soon, she knew, he would begin to hear that animalistic growl deep in his expanded chest, that called to take over control. It would want to hunt, to howl and release the pain that the man had held so quietly inside. He had barely muttered a groan in all the while she sat at his side, silently urging him on. As could be only expected of a person bearing a terrible secret, he had remained silent, wanting to keep this creature hidden away from all eyes and ears. The Wolf side of him would not bear something like this as demurely.
Heather shifted her footing, wanting to transform to human, to tell him that she would willingly stay with him this night, to help if possible (she had meager ideas on what would constitute as ‘helping’, but she knew from experience the loneliness was the worst part) and to see if he, unlike her, wished for that aloneness. But she knew it was too late; he was too deep into his transformation, and she was unsure if he could even now still comprehend basic speech. She nuzzled him again on the shoulder, whimpering a bit louder. The mostly Wolf turned painstakingly to meet her gaze. His eyes were still blue – he still regained control. Heather backed up a small step and barked once, the sound echoing far across the expanse of the moor. The second time she lifted her head, she howled long, keeping one eye on the werewolf lying at her feet. She moved forward to prod his side, trying to roll him over and up. Get up, boy! While you still can tell yourself to. You need to hunt, but it has to be far away from here. Far from Helvaband…. She glanced behind herself, her mind wandering to the distance they would have to accomplish before she felt safe leaving him alone for a moment. Get up, boy! She nudged him again and whimpered, then raced several feet away, farther from civilization. Heather turned back to look at him, barking at him in a tone of disapproval. Come on! We’re none too lax on time!
My Dorky Diner BoyIt was almost over now, he could tell. He slowly turned his head to look at the Wolf beside him, who was still watching him with those anxious eyes. She seemed to be trying to tell him something, but what?
She backed a few steps away from him and released a small, short bark that echoed throughout the misty moors. Patrick remained looking at her, his Wolf mind fighting for control over his human one. That horrible feeling was coming, deep within him...he knew he must surpress it at all costs.
But, try as he might, he never could for very long.
The Wolf raised her head again and howled mournfully.
Patrick returned the howl with one of his own, but it was weak and strangled, for he was still in unbearable pain. The Wolf returned to his side and poked her muzzle into his side, like a dog would when they wanted to play. She looked over her shoulder, then nudged him again.
The Wolf ran several feet away, and looked back, barking like a mother would scold her children. The look she gave him said plainly, "Well? What are you waiting for?"
Patrick shuddered and howled as his Transformation became slower, sluggish, and the pain began to recede. Follow. Follow. Must follow.
He heaved himself to his huge paws, and walked over to where the other Wolf stood.
Follow. Follow her. Follow.
Lottie by MasciiHeather Fleming
Her eyes narrowed and her body tensed as she watched the male Wolf slowly, painstakingly get up. So intensely focused was she, that she felt as though she were the one trying to stand, instead of someone else entirely. Years of learning to control her Wolf form had taught her that there was only a little she could do, and only with great efforts. She hoped that, even if she could not aid in helping this man control his Wolven urges, she could at least stop him from doing anything rash.
He was nearly all changed now, his Wolf form massive compared to hers, his long, shaggy fur pulled at gently in all directions by the wind that was becoming increasingly strong every moment they remained on the moor. He came to stand quietly beside her, looking up into her face expectantly with blue eyes like shimmering waters. He didn’t understand, but he knew enough of her message to follow her where ever she should lead him.
Heather turned to race across the moor, trusting that the Wolf would trail behind. The ground raced beneath her padded feet, a slight rushing sound in her ears as the grasses and trees whisked past. Come with me…
She didn’t dare stop until she had reached the edge of a clearing, wherein she could see a young deer. Tiny antlers were beginning to form at the top of his proud head. Strange that he was alone….and perfectly suited. For the first time, she turned to see if the Wolf had followed her. Go get it…try out your strength, and learn to use this time to your advantage. At least survive it…
Wolves had to eat enough to sustain such a large form. Even if they didn’t transform often(it varied slightly from Wolf to Wolf) it was a lot of work to keep that large body going. If he didn’t eat while Wolf, he would have to make up for it tenfold as Man.
And that could cause some unnecessary questions.
My Dorky Diner BoyThe strange Wolf looked at him as he stood on all fours, and he met her eyes. They were still shining with that strange look--a look of urgency, pity, and...almost an air of hope about them.
The Wolf turned away and began to run across the Moors, not looking behind to see if Patrick was following. Without pausing for even a moment, Patrick took off after her, the misty air coating his fur with moisture and chilling him slightly. Together, they raced through the empty fields and trees, their huge paws pounding against the wet grass in a steady rhythm.
Follow. Must follow Wolf.
They came to a small clearing, and his companion slowed to a stop. Patrick stopped as well, and looked around. In the clearing stood a deer, unaware of their presence and entirely alone. The Wolf looked into Patrick's eyes again. Her expression seemed to say, "You know what to do. Get it. I know you can do it."
Hunt. Hunt, he thought. Hunt. Kill it. Hunt.
A low growl formed from deep within his throat, and he padded silently forward. When he was close enough, he dropped low to the ground, and sprung.
It was all over within a minute. He looked down at the deer's lifeless eyes, and then back at the Wolf, who sat calmly watching him. He raised his head and let out a bloodcurdling howl, then lowered it and began to eat his prey with a ravenous gleam in his eyes.
Lottie by MasciiHeather Fleming
He had followed her willingly, with no other protest than that which could be explained through misunderstanding her meaning. That was something quite easy to comprehend, since wolf form did not allow the ease of conversation and clarity therein that she normally would have had access to using. When they reached the clearing, she turned to ensure of his closeness to her, and found that he was staring solemnly at the deer, his blue eyes transfixed with chilling intensity. Heather knew that he understood her purpose in bringing him here; or in the very least, he had been directed correctly by his senses and instincts were kicking in. With a silent bound she found him on top of the creature, fiercely and furiously falling into his prey with merciless determination and hunger. Heather sat down on her haunches to wait patiently for him to finish his meal, her own business done for this evening. The male Wolf’s howl rang through the chilling night air, sending a shiver up her spine, and a shock of fur stood on end at the base of her neck. It was very strange, watching a fully transformed Wolf dig into his nightly meal, and it was then for the first time she realized how very beautiful wolves truly were. Despite the ravenous gleam in the creature’s eye, and the blood staining the fur around his mouth and front paws, he truly was an exquisite animal. With silent indifference in contemplation, Heather wondered if she had looked like that, and what a human might think to look on this sight.
With calm knowledge as her ally, she didn’t enter into the clearing, desiring to remain at a good distance from her companion’s catch. Heather had seen in his eyes the Wolf taking over his conscious. Soon – if it was not so already – every word he had ever learned as a human, save the very basics to understand, would be wiped away. The only things that had passed through her mind in those dreadful moments were pure instinct, pure Wolf. Attack, eat, defend, run, advance. All very simple commands that she had barely been able to attach clear words to. Everything else had been incomprehensibly simple; the scent of fur, the feel of the grass and flesh upon it, the sound of the night breeze gently exhaling its cool breath among the trees.
Heather quietly began to pace on the edge of the trees as the Wolf nearly finished with his meal. Her mind wondered vaguely what she was to do with an obviously less experienced Wolf for an entire night. How to keep him out of trouble? Heather wished there had been someone to watch over her, and was thus doubly determined to keep an eye on this one. After a time of possibilities winding through her conscious thought, Heather turned to ensure herself of the Wolf’s finishing his meal, then began to slowly and cautiously walk up to him on silent paws. Looking at him for a minute, she tilted her head to the side, wondering one thing most prominently in the present. Who are you? What is your name? I suppose you can’t really tell me, can you? Releasing a small half-bark sound that somewhat resembled a laugh, she continued to think, Well, what do you want to do? Go see a play? Check out the library, eh? What to do with a Werewolf on a night that is destined to be long and speechless?
My Dorky Diner BoyHe ate his meal quickly, hearing a slight rustling around him all the while. At one point, he looked up to find the female Wolf calmly pacing around the entrance to the small clearing. Patrick looked at her for a moment before digging into the deer again. She seemed anxious again, but less so than she had been when she had first encountered him. He wondered what she was so worried about.
He ate ravenously, oblivious to everything around him save for the deer and the fellow Wolf. When he had finished, he sat calmly and licked the blood from his mouth. He let out a quick bark of contentment. Good. Deer good.
In an instant, the other Wolf was by his side, appearing as quickly and silently as a ghost. She gave a quick, inquisitive bark as she tilted her head to one side.
This movement stirred something inside of Patrick, but he didn't know what it was. It seemed almost like...a memory. A face appeared in his mind and then another, both blurry and unfocused. He tried to grasp hold of it, this strange, foreign object in his mind--a memory with faces, triggered by this small, insignificant movement--but he found he could not. He let out a confused whimper, then looked up, back into the Wolf's wise face.
Forgetting about the whisper of a memory, he barked joyfully at her and nudged a small bit of the meat--the only part he had saved--in her direction. He gave a short nod of his head, as if to say, "Eat. It's good. Eat."
Lottie by MasciiHeather Fleming
When Heather released a bark of amusement, the male Wolf gave a slight start, a minuscule muscle spasm that indicated he was now paying due attention to something of note. A long moment transpired before he relinquished a whimper, giving up thinking so hard on whatever it was that had caught his mind’s eye. Heather whirled her Wolven body around in a tight spin to release the tension solemnity had caused in her, giving an optimistic bark in simplistic contentment.
The Wolf then replied with a bark of his own, thrusting his nose into the shattered remains of his feed, and pushing them towards her. Giving a satisfactory nod of approval, he stepped back to watch her reaction. I didn’t know werewolves could maintain the concept of sharing, she thought, surprised by this act. Having never been before in anything close to a pack, Heather did not conceive the theory that a family community would truly feel an even instinctive need to share. So despite the lack of hunger she felt, Heather dug gratefully into the remains of the deer. It was a good choice. Young and strong.
After finishing her task, Heather offered her companion a Wolven equivalent to a grin – mouth agape in a ‘smile’, tongue lolling out joyously – and bounded off into the trees, daring him to chase after her. She carefully picked her way under brush and over tree limbs, making sure to stay just within his line of sight. It’s vastly different, not being alone. It’s not exactly less stressful, but it’s…more natural, good to know that I’m not the only one. Not the only one who hates being this way, but is slowly accepting it.
My Dorky Diner BoyThe other Wolf seemed surprised that Patrick had offered to share his meal, and Patrick tilted his head to one side. The two blurred faces appeared again, this time a bit clearer. One was a man, and the other a woman...but that was all he could make out from this faded ghost of a memory. He also heard something as well, and pricked his ears up to hear it more clearly. But the sound seemed to be coming from inside his head...but he couldn't decipher anything in the sound. It was as if it was coming from the other side of the world, it was so inaudible. His eyes grew sad at this inability to reach the faraway thing he seemed to remember, but could not place. He sighed quietly. It was nothing more than another lost memory, too faint to explore.
Patrick shook his head to rid himself of this strange, nostalgic feeling of the lost, unexplored memory. Instead, he watched the Wolf finish her portion of the deer, her thick fur blowing this way and that in the late-night breeze. After taking the last few bites, she looked up at him and "smiled", her tongue hanging out contentedly. What? What Wolf Want?
Patrick did the same, his tail wagging eagerly, like a playful puppy would do. The female Wolf ran away from him then,happily, looking back once as if to say, "Catch me if you can!"
With a joyful bark, Patrick raced after her into the thick growth of trees surrounding the clearing. Run. Chase. Play.
Lottie by MasciiHeather Fleming
The slight breeze pulled at the long, shaggy black fur. Heather looked over her shoulder at the Wolf that blazed from the clearing with yet another bark, glowing blue eyes searching for her. You have to work harder than that, pup! Bounding off with nary a rustle in the leaves, Heather crossed from shadow to shadow, staying near enough to sense the Wolf pup. Yes, that was it. He was a pup. He didn’t really seem to know what he was doing, though he picked things up easily enough.
A tall object in the thickness of the trees ahead made Heather stop in perplexity for a long minute. Over her shoulder, she sensed the pup coming closer. His scent was being thrown to her on the swift breeze, and she knew the smell quite well by now. After looking at the silhouetted object for some time, she realized it was a crumbled tower, with the large stones breaking off and away to reveal the chamber within beneath the moonlight. She silently stepped in the midst of the broken rock, looking about herself at the collections of mud (probably from heavy storms or flooding. In Helvaband, this didn’t surprise her very much) and moss. Several shockingly large cobwebs connected odd corners and filled spaces between pillars. Heather tilted her head to the side, wondering who had built the tower. One edge of the wall had remained mostly intact, revealing the minimum height the building had stood at long ago.
So strange…I wonder…
Then suddenly she heard heavy breathing behind her, and whirled around with a startled expression, before a great mass of fur entered the area surrounding the great tower.
My Dorky Diner BoyTaking great care not to make the slightest noise, Patrick searched the copse of trees and brush for the female Wolf. He soon realized, however, that she was far too good at hiding for him to rely on his eyesight alone to locate her. He paused for a moment with one front paw still raised in mid-step and, standing as still as a statue, he let the soft gusts of wind carry her scent to him. Within moments, he had picked up her trail.
There. That way. Wolf that way.
Patrick turned to his left and followed the warm scent of the other Wolf, oblivious to everything but the game they were playing. The trail led him to a strange arrangement of rocks and mud, crumbling away even as he gazed at it. He tilted his head to the left and studied the odd formation of rock for a moment. Old, he decided finally.
Silently, he crept forward to where his friend stood a few feet away from the strange structure. As her scent became stronger, another one invaded his nose as well--a scent that he knew better than almost any other. For an instant, he stopped, confused, but he ignored the scent and kept going. Man. Man made this.
The other Wolf entered the strange area, looking around her with an air of undisguised curiousity. After waiting a moment, Patrick followed her, tiptoeing along, as quiet as a shadow.
The stone floor of the structure chilled his paws, and he let out an involunary shiver. Cold, he thought absently. Patrick glanced around the area quickly, noticing nothing of interest, save for a few massive cobwebs and an abundance of drying mud.
When he was sure that she was not aware of his presence, he dropped down into a low crouch once again. One step at a time, he made his way ever closer to the female Wolf. Wait...wait...now!
He sprung and landed neatly and silently on the ground next to her, smiling that Wolfish smile again. Found Wolf! Found her! He wagged his tail excitedly, waiting for his turn to run and hide.
But the other Wolf barely acknowledged his presence. Something had caught her attention, and she had a look in her eyes that suggested fear and confusion. She quickly turned to look over her shoulder in alarm, and Patrick did the same, a low growl forming from deep within his throat.
What? What out there?
Lottie by MasciiHeather Fleming
It turned out that the enormous male Wolf had found her, leaping through the underbrush to land neatly next to her, making her jump and turn around. Wow…nice job at scaring me half to death! But she couldn’t stay sore at him for scaring her for more than a few seconds, because when she turned to look at his face, he held such a puppy-like, innocent bliss that she had to let out a laugh-bark. The Wolf’s tongue hung out as he panted for breath lost during his ‘hunt’, and his blue eyes sparkled with mirth. Heather couldn’t remember the last time she had seen someone that happy. His tailed swung back and forth, an expressive pendulum of energy.
Heather then heard something else in the woods, and turned around to search for a figure among the trees. She sensed Him moving next to her, and a deep growl emitted from him. After several minutes of complete silence – wherein Heather remained as tense as a bowstring, prepared to launch into a defense – she decided that whatever it was had passed them by.
Turning back to her companion, Heather let out a quiet bark as if to say, Oh well. It’s nothing to worry about now. Then, she began trotting among the crumbled rock and debris that littered the small area that was void of trees. Stepping lightly over stones and chunks of walls, she found a slight amusement in picking her way across. Once she had achieved a small distance from the other Wolf, she turned around and howled, then raced towards him again, ready for a chase.
My Dorky Diner BoyThe Wolf seemed very startled as he landed silently next to her, eager for more fun and games. He looked at her curiously for a moment, until she turned back and let out a short little bark, almost like laughter. Patrick relaxed and wagged his tail eagerly. Play. Run. Chase. Play!
For a moment, the other Wolf seemed just as comfortable as he was, but then she whirled around abruptly, looking alert and almost worried. Her instense gaze was fixed on something off in the distance. Patrick let out a low growl after assessing the situation. Something, he was certain, was out there, very near to them, lurking in the shadows.
He took one single step forward, his ears swiveling to catch the slightest hint of a sound. His friend remained watchful as well, her muscles quivering visibly beneath her thick fur, ready to spring at a moment's notice. Patrick shot her a questioning glance, as if she could tell him what was out there, waiting for them.
The two of them stood there for what seemed like ages, waiting and watching. Finally, the female Wolf seemed to decide that the danger had passed them by, and she barked at Patrick playfully. Gone? It gone? Where it go? Patrick looked at her for a long moment, wondering whether she was right.
Yes. It gone. Gone.
His friend bounded away from him, out of the strange tower in which they found themselves in. Patrick got up and was about to race after her when she turned around and let out a joyful howl, which Patrick returned. She then began to run directly towards him.
Patrick barked happily, crouching low to the ground and waiting for just the right moment. When the time was right, he sprang at her lightly.
He had "attacked" at just the right time. He swiftly pinned her to the ground with his paws, smiling and panting excitedly. He gave her face a quick lick and released her, running a few steps ahead and looking back as if to say, "Your turn!"
Lottie by MasciiOOC: Hope ya don’t mind if we start wrapping things up here. I’m looking forward to him discovering who she really is to keep this going on too much longer. XD Let’s hope Ambrose reunites them quickly!
BIC:
Heather Fleming
When she had come within a certain, measured (on her companion’s part) distance when the large mass of fur and saliva bound forward and tackled her easily ro the ground. Heather found herself unceremoniously held down by large, furry paws that carried a rather hefty weight on them. With a goofy dog grin, he licked her face and pushed off, making Heather’s eyes widen in surprise. Does a lick on your furry face from a werewolf count as a kiss?
She decided not to think about that overtly. It was potentially dangerous, and anyways unnecessary. He didn’t seem to be doing too much thinking, and it was porbably nothing more than a friendly, Wolfish tendency. Another instinct she had never really encountered in her self-induced exhile and solitude.
Helvaband brings some truly odd experiences…
The Wolf had leapt ahead, looking expectantly back at her, waiting for her to make the first move in their new round. Such an odd, senseless game they were playing…
With a slow howl as her warning to him to be prepared for their next “battle”, Heather began racing towards him, fending off her wild, suspicious mind. It was becoming steadily easier to steel herself from overthinking things. Though not over_reacting_was proving to be a bit more difficult.
They had not been at play long (or so it felt) when Heather – who was taking a moment to catch her breath – chanced a look up into the sky. She was surprised to find it was turning a purplish pink hue, signaling the new day that was swiftly arriving. Heather looked at her fellow Wolf. She had the ability to catch up on the now-sorely missed sleep that had been impossible to receive on such a night. Did her companion have such a capability?
My Dorky Diner BoyBIC:
Patrick Mahoney
The other Wolf looked surprised that Patrick was able to pin her to the ground, and Patrick couldn't surpress a little yelp of glee. His tail wagged back and forth as fast as a hummingbird's wings as he ran a few feet ahead and looked back, encouraging his friend to continue the game. Play! Play!
She threw her head back and howled happily, then raced towards Patrick at full speed. Patrick dodged her "attack"--although not by much, and let out a playful, teasing growl as he danced away. Catch! Catch me! Play!
Their game went on, with many close calls had by both of them. As he chased, tackled, defended, and dodged, it dimly registered in Patrick's mind that it was slowly getting lighter, and that thinking was coming more easily now. Will change soon...
He launched himself at her again, but he misjudged the distance between them and landed unceremoniously on the ground. He gave her a wounded look as he bounded back up onto his paws, eager to try again.
The female Wolf stood there, panting for breath and looking at the sky. Already, streaks of magenta and indigo were filling it, the clouds becoming puffs of bright pink and pale orange. Daytime...
It began.
With a whine, he sat down on the grass again. A strange sensation went through him, as if he was being compressed, squeezed tighter and tighter. He yelped as little needles of pain shot through him...but to his surprise, the pain seemed dulled, less controlling than the Transformations usually were. Instead of agonizing, he found the Transformation only slightly painful, as if his entire body was covered with bruises that were being poked softly.
The fur began to disappear from his body and his paws slowly shrank and regained their natural size and color. He looked up, surprised, to see if the other Wolf was still there. Realizing with relief that she was, he relaxed and let the Transformation commence.
Lottie by MasciiOOC: ^ _ ^ Thanks, m’love! BIC:
Heather Fleming
It wasn’t long before her companion noticed the rising sun on the horizon, and with a whine, he sat down on the grass, looking expectant and helpless. Taking a slow step towards him, she tilted her head to the side, wishing to give him comfort. Relax, pup. Relax and it will relieve your pain much. She jumped as he gave out a loud yelp of pain. His body seemed to be closing into tighter sections, a pressing that she had experienced herself often. Calmly she watched, and he looked up at her and was more relaxed. She saw his body slowly shift and writhe into the human he had once been, this time with more swiftness than she had remembered witnessing at the start of that evening.
Walking up to him and softly licking his sweaty face, a wild, weakened look in his eyes, Heather offered him what reassurance as she was able. But she could only linger her departure for a few minutes. Zuco would be worried if he realized she was gone.
Vaguely, she wondered if she would see this wolf-pup again out on the moors. Heather felt she could not risk returning every night to check on him, or watch out for him, for Zuco might become suspicious of her wandering out at night. He was always so protective of her…sometimes she wished she didn’t have to take extra care with herself. She doubted he had any idea of her going out tonight…She would just have to trust that her presence with the pup tonight might have help him with his other nights of pain and strangeness.
Then she considered that the pup might believe she was just a very oddly friendly wolf. Would he know she was a young girl in Helvaband, who might be staying there indefinitely? Did he have any inclination to see her again? Ascending to the same rolling hill on which she had stood when first seeing the pup Werewolf, she released a howl to allow her built-up thoughts to evaporate easily on to the empty morning calm. Then, it was back to Helvaband…back to her other life…
Heather has left the moors
My Dorky Diner BoyThe other Wolf's kind eyes looked at Patrick reassuringly as he let the Transformation continue. The pain continued to be much less noticeable than before, and he vaguely wondered whether this was because he had company, whether it was on account of the way he had not allowed his Instincts to take control, or whether something else entirely was behind it.
The Transformation was quicker, too. It was over before he knew it, and he sighed with relief to find hands and feet instead of paws, skin instead of fur. The Wolf approached him and licked his face gently as he lay there, too exhausted to speak. In her warm brown eyes he could see concern, and he tried to reassure her that he was fine, but there wasn't much he could do. He and his friend remained there, watching the sun rise and the sky turn slowly from purple to pink to orange to a soft, whitish blue.
After a while, she turned to go, although she looked at Patrick for another long moment before doing so. He raised his head and caught his breath, trying to force his cracked lips to say something, anything, even though he had no idea whether she would be able to understand him.
One last look, and she was gone, running up the nearby hills of the moors. Patrick shakily raised himself up so he was kneeling on the chilled, dewy grass and watched her go, her retreating figure radiating a sense of calm and...there was almost a majestic, graceful air to her. He smiled as the distance between them grew, greatful for what she had done for him on that bleak night, but all the while wishing that she didn't have to leave.
"Goodbye," he called hoarsely as she vanished beyond the horizon.
And thank you.
Patrick has left the Moors[/u]
EDIT: OOC: This is at a different time, with a different charrie, since I didn't want to double-post.
BIC:
Rebecca Appleton
A bitter wind cut through Rebecca and chilled her down to her very bones. Despite her sensible brown wool dress and warm shawl, she was unable to keep out the biting cold on the moors. She shook her head and hunched her shoulders to try and block some of the cold air as she walked on. She wasn't even sure why she was here, to be honest. Rebecca had heard stories of the mysterious moors and (perhaps prompted by the book she was currently reading, another re-reading of Miss Austen's Northanger Abbey), her curiousity had been piqued. She had decided to explore and see them for herself.
As the wind continued to bombard her with frigid air, she found herself very glad that she had come during the day. While Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey would have jumped at the chance to explore the terrain at night, where strange things were more likely to happen, she couldn't imagine how cold it would be had she come when the sun was down.
Besides, the moors seemed ominous even in broad daylight.
Rebecca walked on, observing her surroundings with a mixture of interest and fear. Did she remember how to get back into town? Would she be able to find her way back, or would she be lost her forever, just like the stories? She shivered. For that was probably the real reason that Helvaband had grown to fear the moors--it was far too easy to get lost in the labryinth.
She stopped walking, now more scared than ever.
Lottie by Masciiooc: first haine post ever! [whoosh] bic:
Haine Hughes
The moors had always been an exciting place for Haine to visit in his largest times of inspiration. The wide open land held many secrets, stories of murderous creatures would circle the town and Haine would drink them down as if a starved man. He did not believe most of their words but he found them rather satisfying for story telling and ideas.
Stroding his way in the moors, he made a short face of disgust at the damp floor beneath his feet. ‘No place is perfect, I suppose.” He frowned, looking at the bottom of his shoes. Carrying on, he noticed a shape in the thick fog. “Probably a tree.” He murmured to himself.
Yet Haine never remembered a tree anywhere close to his current spot in the moors. Suspicious of what the mysterious figure could be, he ran towards it in strides. A young woman met his eyes soon enough, her back faced him and her hair making him unable to see her face. She remained unmoving and Haine assumed she did not know her way at the large field. He did not blame her, he had well forgotten how many times he had gotten lost in the green space on his first few trips.
Clearing his throat he spoke. “Are you lost miss?”
CompetitionTo Rebecca's horror, she heard something behind her. She froze, intent on listening. A rustling noise, slowly growing louder, filled her ears. Was someone there, watching her? Were those footsteps she heard, or was it just the wind, or an animal of some sort? Who was lurking out of sight, in the shadows?
She shifted so that she could see out of the corner of her eye, but she was still blind to the intruder. Her palms began to sweat, and her heartbeat quickened as she stood there, unprotected, alone, and frightened. Did the mysterious stranger intend her harm? Or were they, like she, simply exploring? I never should have come here! Why am I even here? I don't know what's out there! I could get hurt, or lost, or...
Rebecca's heart pounded until she was sure that whoever was out there could surely hear it. The rustling grew ever closer, and she stood still as a statue, waiting.
The sound of a cleared throat made her jump, and she made a strangled sound, a shriek that she cut off halfway. She whirled around as a man's voice said, “Are you lost miss?”
A tall man, his brown hair waving about in the brisk breeze, stood before her, curiousity and concern evident in his eyes. Rebecca relaxed slightly, although her heart was still racing and her eyes were wide with fright. She struggled to find her voice.
"I...I'm..." she began hesitantly. "I'm not exactly sure, sir. I was just exploring...I thought I knew my way back into town, but...." she looked around uncertainly. "Now I just don't know."
Lottie by MasciiHaine Hughes
Haine grimaced at the abrupt shriek from the girl. Were all the people of Helvaband besides him frightened by everything they heard? At once it might have been entertaining to him, seeing the people shudder at a conersation about a ghost or maybe a vampyre wandering the streets, now it was just annoying.
“I…I’m…” The girl started her voice laced with fear. “I’m not exactly sure, sir.” Haine frowned. It’s either you were lost or you weren’t. “I was just exploring…I thought I knew my way back into town, but….Now I just don’t know.”
“It’s a good thing you did not explore too far.” He murmured. Her frightened expression told him she was a newcomer to Helvaband. As if any young girl from the village would wander in the misty fields by herself. Unless she knew the land as well as he did, maybe. Haine ran his hand through his hair, thinking of what do to with the lady. He could not simply leave her here in the moors, it wouldn’t be right. And If she is a foreigner she would most likely be filled with stories to tell, wouldn’t she? That was a good enough reason for him.
“Come along, I’ll help you out.” He said plainly, beginning to walk and assuming she would follow. “And before I forget, what is your name?”
CompetitionRebecca took deep, even breaths as she tried to calm her fluttering heart. “It’s a good thing you did not explore too far,” the man said softly, and Rebecca nodded and managed a weak smile. Her mind was still spinning. Would this strange man help her? Who is he, anyway? Why is he out exploring the moors?
Rebecca watched as the man absently ran his hand through his hair, clearly thinking about something. After a moment, he said, “Come along, I’ll help you out.” Rebecca smiled a bit brighter. "Thank you, sir," she said shyly.
The man turned and began to walk away. Rebecca quickly followed him, turning to look once more at the bleak setting. The wind made the grass wave to and fro, making a eerie, whispering sound as it did so. Mist surrounded them, making the air even more chilly. It was so empty, and yet...It's beautiful, too, she thought. It isn't easy to spot, but it's there. It's empty and alone, forboding and bleak, but there's a certain elegance to it, too. The beauty is part of the mystery.
The man's voice startled Rebecca, and she jumped a little. “And before I forget, he said to her, "What is your name?”
"Rebecca Appleton," she answered quietly. "I'm new to Helvaband. And...and you, sir?"
Lottie by MasciiHaine Hughes
Asking for the girl’s name was a first step. If he could start a proper conversation with her he might be able to learn one of two new things. Of course, he felt some sort of guilt using her for his on interest, but he was helping her as well wasn’t he? He liked to think he was simply taking a hold of the situation.
“Rebecca Appleton,” She said; her voice just over a whisper. “I’m new to Helvaband. And…and you, sir?”
He raised a brow as she introduced herself. Rebecca? Easy enough to remember. He slowed his pace letting her catch up to him and gave her a curt nod. “Haine Hughes.” He turned his head towards her putting up a face of mild interest. “A foreigner, are you? Helvaband seems to be getting many new people these days. And where are you from? I do not travel often so it’s nice to here about things around the world.”
His mood lightened as he spoke. The feel of getting thoughts out of his mind, refreshing, almost like a waft of air. Speaking of air, he began to consider bringing a scarf with him on his next trip around the fields. The cool wind brushing against his cheek started to cause a stinging sensation and he frowned slightly.
Competition“Haine Hughes,” the man said simply. Haine...that's a rather unusual name, isn't it? Haine turned to her for a moment, looking at her curiously. “A foreigner, are you? Helvaband seems to be getting many new people these days. And where are you from? I do not travel often so it’s nice to here about things around the world.”
Rebecca smiled slightly. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Everyone else I have met has mentioned something about the abundance of newcomers as well. Although, I can't say I'm surprised...I myself have already fallen in love with Helvaband." She laughed a bit, brushing her light brown hair out of her face. Looking around, she found that the moors did not seem quite so intimidating now that she was no longer alone. Is this a good thing? Before I left home, I wanted to be alone. Does this mean that my shyness might be leaving me? Is Helvaband really changing me that much?
"As for your question...I am from a town called Magemoor. It's about a two-hour train ride from here. I never really found it very interesting, but then again, I didn't get out much back home." She shrugged. "I like Helvaband much better."
Lottie by MasciiHaine Hughes
“Yes, I suppose you’re right. Everyone else I have met has mentioned something about the abundance of newcomers as well. Although, I can’t say I’m surprised…I myself have already fallen in love with Helvaband.” Rebecca laughed slightly. It was satisfying knowing she had become accustomed to his company. As for falling in with Helvaband, he supposed he could agree. The village was a suitable size and everything could be obtained a decent distance off. Most of the people were kind and well accepting of visitors as well. “As for your question…I am from a town called Magemoor. It’s about a two-hour train ride from here. I never really found it very interesting, but then again, I didn’t get out much back home.” She shrugged off the thought, appearing rather content with leaving her home. Magemoor? It did not sound very familiar to him, maybe because the farthest he had ever gone from Helvaband was the edge of the woods. He would head to the library later on and ask Mr. Crane if he had any books about her town. “I like Helvaband much better.” He furrowed his brow at her.
“I do not think it’s Helvaband you have fallen in love with, perhaps the people instead. “ Haine said. “Helvaband lives off its wide range of people, it’s what makes the village so interesting.”
He turned around momentarily, making sure he was heading the correct direction. He could see a blur of the shack not far off and nodded in confirmation. “Should you ever wander the moors again and lose your place, look for the shack. “ He explained. “If you head west from it you shall find your way back, do you understand?”
Competition“I do not think it’s Helvaband you have fallen in love with, perhaps the people instead." Mister Hughes mused. “Helvaband lives off its wide range of people, it’s what makes the village so interesting.” Rebecca nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I certainly have met my fair share of interesting and unusual people..." Very interesting indeed....Florence and Ambrose and Abelinda and Sybille...lovely people, yes, but mysterious as well.
Haine turned around for a moment, his eyes scanning the empty moors. Apparently spotting what he was searching for, he nodded. “Should you ever wander the moors again and lose your place, look for the shack." he told her. “If you head west from it you shall find your way back, do you understand?”
Rebecca nodded and murmured a yes before looking for herself. She spotted it, a distance away, and shivered a bit. The shack looked...foreboding. As if visitors were not welcome. "Interesting...do you know what the shack was used for, originally?"
Lottie by MasciiHaine Hughes
Haine hid his look of satisfaction as Rebecca nodded in confirmation. A minor shudder erupted from her as she turned to glance at the shack and he frowned.
“Interesting…do you know what the shack was used for, originally?” She said. He shrugged looking back at the small hut with her. He wasn’t completely sure the use of the shack but he didn’t find it any harm to throw in a guess.
“Cleaning the fields, maybe.” He murmured, examining its size. It looked as if it could well hold an array tools and even prove a decent shelter for a few animals wondering the moors now. “Seems rather useless now, though.” He turned to Rebecca, noticing her expression of unease with the shack. He could pass the chance of scaring her a bit. “You know, there are many stories circling the moors with the people of Helvaband. They say it’s filled with monsters of dark magic that come out on clouded days and nights, sometimes misty days like today.”
Competition“Cleaning the fields, maybe,” Mister Hughes said with a shrug. Rebecca nodded absentmindedly, her gaze still transfixed on the shack. It looked so chilling, yet...she almost felt a connection with it. It was as if she was being drawn towards it, against her will.
Oh, stop it. You're being silly, she scolded herself. There is no reason why I should feel compelled to visit that little shack. It's just...this place, that's all. The atmosphere, the mood of the place, must be getting to me. My mind is just playing tricks on me...
“Seems rather useless now, though.” She nodded again. "Yes, it does..." She was silent for a moment, finally tearing her eyes away from the shack and focusing them instead on Haine. He turned to her as well, a peculiar look in his eye. “You know, there are many stories circling the moors with the people of Helvaband. They say it’s filled with monsters of dark magic that come out on clouded days and nights, sometimes misty days like today.”
Rebecca's eyes widened, and she stole a quick glance back at the shack. "You're trying to scare me, Mister Hughes," she managed to say, with a shadow of a smile crossing her face. "And I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore." She looked around at the bleak surroundings. "Then again...those stories are the reason I came out here, so...perhaps I am simply unsure of what to believe. After all, just look at this place...it certainly looks like it holds all kinds of secrets."
Lottie by MasciiHaine Hughes
Haine observed the rather timid girl at his side, wondering what could be so frightening about the old shack. She returned her gaze at him though still appearing absorbed in thought. He attempted to frighten her, speaking of dark magyc and such but founding himself disappointed as a thin smile appeared on her face. Maybe next time then…
“You’re trying to scare me, Mister Hughes,” He shrugged it off. She turned her head in both directions and he was almost convinced he might have gotten to her. “And I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore.”
“I, myself as well but that does not make them any less interesting to hear.” Haine bit at the inner part of his cheek, mildly drifting onto thoughts as he spoke.
“Then again…those stories are the reason I came out here, so…perhaps I am simply unsure of what to believe. After all, just look at this place…it certainly looks like it holds all kinds of secrets.”
His pace slowed somewhat as she explained. He was beginning to think she was actually sane like him until she mentioned her reason for wandering the moors. Am I the only one in Helvaband that doesn’t believe in mythical creatures? How strange people are nowadays.
“And grass and bugs and what else there could be in a field. I don’t mean to insult you Miss Appleton but I’m sure there are no odd creatures hiding here in the moors.” He dragged on. “Or maybe it can be my closed mindedness blinding me of such obvious truth.”
For a moment, Haine wondered what could be the source of his ignorant nature. Perhaps it was his neglect to going outside, making him so trapped in his own little world. Rebecca had also lived a dull live life in Magemoor didn’t she? Why would she be any more open to ideas and opinions? Whatever the matter, he didn’t find any need to change himself. He supposed it was just a personal reason.
Competition“I, myself as well but that does not make them any less interesting to hear," Haine replied after Rebecca told him that she did not believe in ghost stories any longer. Rebecca giggled a bit in spite of herself. "Yes, you're quite right. There's a certain thrill in being scared, I think. Some people delight in it." She then said that perhaps, since those strange stories that she had heard had been what compelled her to explore the moors in the first place, she just didn't know what to believe anymore. "After all, just look at this place…it certainly looks like it holds all kinds of secrets,” she added.
Haine slowed his walking beside her, looking at her skeptically. “And grass and bugs and what else there could be in a field," he said somewhat curtly. "I don’t mean to insult you Miss Appleton but I’m sure there are no odd creatures hiding here in the moors.” Rebecca shook her head. "No offense taken, Mister Hughes. None at all..." She did feel a bit confused, however. Why would he tell me of the stories if he doesn't believe them, and doesn't think very highly of people who do? It's all very strange...are all people in Helvaband this difficult to figure out?
She almost laughed aloud. Oh, wait...of course they are.
“Or maybe it can be my closed mindedness blinding me of such obvious truth,”[/b] Hughes said, almost thoughtfully. Rebecca thought for a moment. "I wouldn't exactly call you close-minded, Mister Hughes. Just...logical. Besides, whether you believe in the tales or not...it certainly is an interesting thing to consider." She smiled faintly.
Lottie by MasciiHaine Hughes
Miss Appleton’s interesting observation had led Haine to questioning himself. His comment on creatures wandering the moors did not seem to faze her at all, though a look of confusion was apparent on her face.
“No offense taken, Mister Hughes. None at all…” She shook her head and attempted to withhold a laugh seconds later. He stared at her suspiciously wondering what was so amusing. He pondered in his flaws, trying to think of a reasonable one to blame his past remark. “I wouldn’t exactly call you close-minded, Mister Hughes. Just…logical. Besides, whether you believe in the tales or not…it certainly is an interesting thing to consider.” A thin smile appeared on Rebecca’s face.
He shrugged; a habit he had taken in doing in Miss Appleton’s presence. “I suppose you could say that.” Turning his head, Haine looked idly off in the distance, finally spotting the plain dirt road through the large field. “Will you be fine on your own from here, Miss Appleton?”
CompetitionOOC: Planned interaction with Moony-chan! BIC:
Daniel Middleton
He hadn’t been out on the moors very long when he came across a tumble-down old shack that intrigued him. He had been able to see it clearly from the Hawkins’, actually. The moors were easy to spot things on, after all. It made him feel a little exposed, to be honest. All that open land and so many strange things happening to him. Like falling into another century. Or little things, like random objects falling when he hadn’t even touched them. It was beginning to annoy him. Sure, he was clumsy as a person could get. That’s why he hadn’t noticed it before. Nothing new. Just Daniel breaking the fourth teacup this week. Then little things like a spoon falling off the table when he was busy talking to Cody, and he could have sworn he hadn’t had his hand near it. Odd…maybe it’s the Hawkins that do it. I think someone mentioned to me about how odd but friendly they are. The friendly part has been proven true. They’ve been really patient so far with strangers in their house. Especially Isis and me…we’re not exactly norm in this time.
He kicked at some gravel with one of the shoes that had once been well-polished. They now had borne the brunt of his klutzy habits. Bumping into things, pulling things over, knocking things down..he’d done that as long as he could remember. Especially once he’d started high school. Man, those had been tough times. His mom had insisted it was a growing thing. That most kids when they started to shoot skyward found it awkward to work in their new size and height. That he would grow out of it. Then later in life she had laughingly said that some people just don’t grow out of it. Once a girl had told him it made him adorable. Daniel couldn’t quite agree with that one. It made things a lot harder on a guy, worrying if he was going to buy her dinner or throw it on her.
Daniel knew he had come here to think, but he wasn’t even sure what he wanted to think about. Was it just the weird things like dropping spoons? Was it that girl he had met at that party-thing he’d gone to? Was it concern for Isis? Was it just fretting about somehow getting back home, to his old life? Lately he’d convinced himself there was no big hurry to getting back. If it was a controlled time-travel thing, they’d probably just go back to the same moment they left, and no one would be the wiser. Nothing more than something to snicker about, an inside-joke or secret he and Isis could have. Maybe that would help her trust him more.
Walking back and forth with no real purpose made the time fly faster than Daniel could have expected. Already the sun was setting, a brilliant fireball of red disappearing on the open expanse of the moor. Staring out at it, mouth slightly agape at the fascinating beauty, Daniel merely breathed one word. “Wow…”
My Dorky Diner BoyAmara Fae
Amara walked with the grey hood of her cloak up, covering her seemingly-white hair in an attempt to block out some of the sun's harsh rays. Her white dress stood out in the light of the day, making her appear alomst like a ghost in the moors. It was almost unnatural, the way she seemed to glide across the ground, each step looking practiced. Her face was one of pure concentration and thought as she looked around for some form of a shelter, for she had truly been walking the whole day, and the sun's blinding light was beginning to to make her eyes ache. Normaly, her kind didn't travel in the day, but nothing about her really was normal... even for a banshee.
The sun was just about to set as she finaly saw the faint outline of a shack in the distance. Immediately after seeing this, her pace quickened and a broad smile upturned her pale lips. She practically ran towards the secluded building, thrilled at the mere thought of finding a refuge from the overwhelming light. It wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but it definately would keep her out of the sun, and there she could wait for the night's dark embrace.
But something stopped her in her tracks. It was a human, standing alone and completely exposed in the moors. And for a second, she questioned its sanity, 'Why would it be alone out here? Surely if must have comrades looking for it.' Arching an eyebrow, she looked everywhere around her, but there was no one there. 'It truly is alone!' she thought with amazement and curiosity. Amara wished that she could get a closer look at the human, but it seemed like it was standing directly in the light of the sun, and she wasn't sure her eyes could take any more abuse than what she had already put them through. Taking a few careful steps forward, being sure to move as soundlessly as possible, she noticed that 'it' was a 'he' and he was looking in the direction of the setting sun with a face that showed pure amazement. 'It is just the sun,' she thought as her curiousity grew, 'Why would anyone be that excited about a sun?' Suddenly, she had an uncontrollable urge to look in the direction that this man was looking in, but she could not ignore the fact that if she were to look into the sun, she would go blind. Amara quickly focused all of her curiosity on the human before her and took a few more carefull steps toward him. Her face seemed calm and confident, a complete opposite to the war that was racing in her mind. 'Should I attempt to talk to him? He seems harmless, but what if he isn't?' she thought to herself. Shaking her head slightly, as if that would clear her troubled mind, she walked walked towards him and stopped when she was about two feet away.
"Why are you out here by yourself?" Amara asked simply in an almost sing-song voice, "Are you not aware that coming here alone would be dangerous? I'm afraid many cratures come to the moors, mainly to feed." Her voice was child-like, yet it was also riddled with experience that one might hear from an elderly person, giving a friendly warning to a loved one. Smiling softly at him, she pulled the hood of her cloak down so that he could see her whole face. 'Death is far away from him,' she thought to herself, now ignoring the fading light of the sun. "My name is Amara," she said after a moment's pause, as her smile grew slightly, "And what is your name? If you do not mind me asking." Suddenly, a slight breeze blew past them, playing with her long hair and telling her that the day was fading into the majestic night that she loved so much. She could almost feel the night in the very air that she breathed, and that gave her strength, confidence, and somehow an inner peace that calmed her mind and relaxed her body.
Daniel Middleton
“Why are you out here by yourself? Are you not aware that coming here alone would be dangerous? I’m afraid many cratures come to the moors, mainly to feed.” He practically jumped out of his skin when a voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see a woman standing there, a very odd-looking woman. Is she one of those albino people? No…her eyes are kind of blue-silver-ish….she looks really pale, though. She smiled softly at him, and in her eyes was something of a warning to him. Daniel’s muscles tensed involuntarily, and he found himself preparing for anything and not openly trusting her.
“Just went out for a walk. I don’t live very far from here.” he replied cautiously, turning to face her.
“And what is your name? If you do not mind me asking.”
A breeze picked up, tugging on the edge of the woman’s silvery cloak, and a soothing look came on the woman’s face. Daniel studied her for a long moment, silence and pretty much a dumbfounded expression on his face. “Daniel…”
“My name is Amara,” Daniel’s eyes widened. That is such a cool name!
“It’s pretty…” he said quietly. Then Daniel remembered her words aobut ‘creatures feeding’ and all that. So he added in a tone of solemnity, “But why are you out here?” he paused. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
My Dorky Diner BoyAmara Fae
Amara let out a small laugh as the man jumped from the sound of her voice, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to frighten you," she said with amusement before he began to speak. “Just went out for a walk. I don’t live very far from here.” he said, and she couldn't help but to notice that his voice sounded cautious. But she really didn't mind, in fact, she expected it from him. She would truly think that he had taken a leave from sanity if he had spoken to her as he would a normal human. A look of curiosity came upon her pale face as he stood there, not saying anything for a time. 'What? Have you never seen a banshee before?' she thought with amusement, 'Have you no words to say to a messanger of death?'
A few second afterwards, she asked him what his name was. And as she waited for a reply, she felt the first breeze of night air, peaceful and calming against her skin. She looked away from him for a minute, completely lost in the feeling of the night. But the feeling didn't last long and she quickly remembered that she was in the company of a human. Looking back at him, she saw that he was studying her with a look of pure confusion. “Daniel…” he finaly replied with the same caution in his voice as before. Smiling, she told him her name and watched as his eyes widened.
“It’s pretty…” he said and her smile widened with his comment, she had always taken pride in her name. “But why are you out here?” he asked, his voice sounding solemn and after a pause, he said, “If you don’t mind me asking.”
Shrugging her shoulders, she sighed lightly and looked away for a quick second, unsure about what to say. Looking up at him again, she said, "I have actually been traveling for quite a while. I heard that this town was.... different from the others that I had been to. And naturally, I am a very curious person... so, here I am." She gestured to their surroundings with her hands as her smile widened. She didn't actually tell the whole truth, but she found that she never really could lie... even if she was talking to a human.
Mister Hughes merely shrugged, giving a vague, “I suppose you could say that,” to Rebecca's comment. What a strange man, Rebecca thought. Is he always this reserved, this...indifferent? Or is he just shy? Hmmm...rather like Mister Darcy in that respect, isn't he? He seems to keep to himself, but perhaps, like Darcy, there is a whole other side of him that he rarely lets people see.
They walked on in silence until Rebecca could see the path back into town. “Will you be fine on your own from here, Miss Appleton?” Haine asked politely. Rebecca nodded and smiled. "Yes, I think so. Thank you very much for helping me, Mister Hughes. It was very kind of you. And it was nice meeting you as well. I hope to see you again soon!" She smiled again and waved, turning to go.
Another bitter wind roared through the moors as she made her way towards the path, blowing her hair and dress back and making her shiver. She turned around to take one last look at her surroundings. What a strange man...and what a strange place. In the distance, a clap of thunder rumbled, signalling that yet another rainstorm was on the way. Rebecca continued towards the town of Helvaband, beginning to run as the first drops of rain hit.
Rebecca has left the moors.
Lottie by MasciiDaniel Middleton
“But why are you out here? If you don’t mind me asking.”
She shrugged her shoulders and looked away with a sigh. Unconsciously he moved a bit closer to her, leaning in and interested to what this strange woman was doing in the middle of a freaking patch of…field…like…ness…
“I have actually been traveling for quite a while. I heard that this town was…. different from the others that I had been to. And naturally, I am a very curious person… so, here I am.” Amara gestured with her extremely pale hand across the huge empty moor, with a smile. Daniel smiled back, and nodded.
“Yeah, it is pretty different from other places I’ve been. Lots of people say it’s like a real home to them, despite them traveling to tons of places. So, it’s pretty cool…” he caught his slip in language a second too late, and then he could only let out his signature nervous laugh and play with the back of his hair, trying to find real amusement in the fact that he kept saying things like ‘cool’. And the other day he had said ‘bomb diggity’ to Kip. That one was pretty obvious. He’d had to say it was a slip of the tongue, then he had to try and figure out what he had really meant, and his slippery mind hadn’t made that easy. Now there was ‘cool’ to break. It was definitely the hardest so far.
“Uh…I…um…haven’t traveled a whole lot, but a friend and I ended up taking a trip here…” against our own free will… “And everyone’s been very…um…congenial so far.” He felt very proud of himself for picking a good word for what he was trying to say. Especially since it was more than four syllables. Go me! He did a mental pat on the back.
My Dorky Diner BoyOOC: Sorry it's so short :BIC
Amara Fae
Amara noticed how Daniel leaned in as she hesitated before speaking and she couldn't help but to smile wider, humans were just so naturaly curious at times. When she got done explaining, he spoke again, “Yeah, it is pretty different from other places I’ve been. Lots of people say it’s like a real home to them, despite them traveling to tons of places. So, it’s pretty cool…” She arched an eyebrow at him and his rather peculiar choice of words before deciding that it wouldn't really be good for her to look so deeply into the actions and sayings of a human. Even if she had been one in her past life.
“Uh…I…um…haven’t traveled a whole lot, but a friend and I ended up taking a trip here…And everyone’s been very…um…congenial so far.” he stated with a look of pride in his eyes. She let out another laugh as she said, "I am glad that your trip has gone well." And she paused a moment, remembering that humans had an extraordinarily strong bond with family members. "...But do you not miss your family? Or are they here with you?" she asked, beginning to become rather curious as to what this man had to say, while telling herself that she wasn't.
Suddenly, a thought struck her, 'What had my family been like? Did I have a mother? A father? A husband? Was it possible that I had children?' Glancing down at the diamond ring, she thought about who could have given it to her. But as soon as she did so, she looked away from it and decided that it was better if she really didn't know. The memories she lost during the change would weaken her as a banshee if she were to somehow remember them. And she needed to be strong, or else there was no way she would survive. Looking back up at Daniel, she listened to what he said instead of dwelling on a non-existent past.
OOC: Mine is shoooorter! And HA for hidden in-jokes! Do you see it, Moony-chan? BIC:
Daniel Middleton
She let out another laugh at his slightly-pompous expression, and he felt a blush coming to his cheeks. “I am glad that your trip has gone well.” _Man, everyone here has this super-cool way of putting things.
“...But do you not miss your family? Or are they here with you?” Daniel arched an eyebrow at the tone she used to ask this question. Almost as if she was remembering something that was particularly secret or important. Everyone has a past…I wonder what hers is? Maybe something happened with her family long ago? Deciding it was best not to pry – especially for almost-albino chicks in the wilderness where no one could hear you scream – he gave a shrug and a sigh.
“Yeah, I miss them. But it can’t be helped at the moment. The funny thing is..” he chuckled, and played with the little curls of dark hair on the back of his head, trying to hide his growing blush behind his elbow, “Even if I go home, now there’s people I’ll miss that are here. So maybe that’s the bittersweet joy of traveling. You find people you get close to all over. But you know then there’s someone who might think of you sometime.” He coughed, and lowered his arm. Man, Daniel. You’re getting deep now, aren’t you? “I dunno…that’s just how I see it.”
My Dorky Diner BoyOOC: um... mebeh...? BIC:
Amara Fae
Amara watched Daniel carefully as he arched an eyebrow at her question, and she began to fear that he would ask questions about her past. 'What would I tell him?' she asked herself, 'I couldn't tell him the whole truth, for I doubt he would even believe me. And if he did -by some miracle- believe that my words were true, chances are he'll run away screaming... like the others.' She mentaly prepared herself for the questions that she believed were sure to come as he gave a shrug and a sigh. But to her surprise, he didn't ask her anything. She mentaly let out a long, relieved sigh as she relaxed slightly, listening to what he was saying.
“Yeah, I miss them. But it can’t be helped at the moment. The funny thing is..” Daniel began as he chuckled and played with the hair on the back of his head, “Even if I go home, now there’s people I’ll miss that are here. So maybe that’s the bittersweet joy of traveling. You find people you get close to all over. But you know then there’s someone who might think of you sometime.” She remained silent as he coughed and finaly lowered his arm, “I dunno…that’s just how I see it.”
"Your words are truly inspiring..." she began, choosing her words carefully, "But I am afraid they are not true for everyone." Her smile faded slightly as memories of being run out of towns, persecuted, almost being burnt alive, and nearly shot to death entered her mind. For this was her past, the only past she remembered, and the past that haunted her endlessly. 'Humans fear what they don't understand,' she reminded herself, 'The majority of them don't try to understand us. They see what they choose to see, and make false judgement just because we are different. We only warn them to prepare them for a death in their family, we do not kill. I have heard of a few banshees using their voice as a weapon against humans, but not all of us even have that ability. And even though I am one of the select few who have acquired that skill, I doubt that I shall ever use it. I only can only pray that they believe us one day... before it is too late.
Daniel Middleton
“Your words are truly inspiring…” Amara said gently, “But I am afraid they are not true for everyone.”
Again his eyebrows lifted curiously, wondering what she could mean with her words. He discovered it was very hard not to ask, especially when people kept hinting at things like that. All secretive-like. But if she wanted him to ask, she’d better be blunt about it, because Daniel didn’t think he could see through layers of…of..stuff. From as far back as he could remember, he’d always had trouble seeing past the surface of things. His mother had called it ‘naivety’. Whatever. It certainly was a popular thing to use in the 19th century…those freaking layers. If he had though people were odd in his own century, it was nothing to the psycological issues people had back then…er…now?
“Maybe not…but then again, well….yeah….” trying to toss away the confusion he was suddenly overwhelmed with, he shook his head. “Man, I’m being eloquent, aren’t I?” he said with intense sarcasm.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that, if you don’t find people to be close to, if there’s no one to remember you, then…there’s really not much worth living for, right? Lots of people here tend to be secretive. They hold back things they could be saying, but don’t say. But nonetheless, once they take a chance and open up, they find how alike we all are. That we all have problems. Since Helvaband is so small and out of the way, it catches a lot of people who have always believed themselves weird and distanced from everybody. Like a little net for social outcasts, you see?” he shrugged, not quite following his own words. Just keep jabbering, Daniel. Eventually she’ll cut you off and call you stupid. “So Helvband is good for people who don’t like being the center of attention, but still want someone to remember them. There’s so few people, that they remember you. And everyone has some sort of weird secret they’re shushing up, so you know you’ll find people like yourself, and be able to find it if you try. I dunno…I’m not trying to call you weird or anything, but..that’s how I felt before. And now, I guess….” He shoved his hands into his pockets awkwardly, hoping he hadn’t somehow slipped in an accidental insult to her amidst his rambling.
My Dorky Diner BoyOOC: *siiighs* this post is so short, I just died a little inside. BIC:
Amara Fae
“Maybe not…but then again, well….yeah….” Daniel said as he shook his head. Amara laughed quietly, finding his choice of words amusing. “Man, I’m being eloquent, aren’t I?” he said with a large amount of sarcasm in his voice. "Don't worry," she began with a broad smile, "I have been in the company of hu..." she paused for a moment and cleared her throat, deciding to pretend that she wasn't about to say the word 'humans' in front of him, "...people that were not eloquent at all."
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that, if you don’t find people to be close to, if there’s no one to remember you, then…there’s really not much worth living for, right? Lots of people here tend to be secretive. They hold back things they could be saying, but don’t say. But nonetheless, once they take a chance and open up, they find how alike we all are. That we all have problems. Since Helvaband is so small and out of the way, it catches a lot of people who have always believed themselves weird and distanced from everybody. Like a little net for social outcasts, you see?” he said as he shrugged, “So Helvband is good for people who don’t like being the center of attention, but still want someone to remember them. There’s so few people, that they remember you. And everyone has some sort of weird secret they’re shushing up, so you know you’ll find people like yourself, and be able to find it if you try. I dunno…I’m not trying to call you weird or anything, but..that’s how I felt before. And now, I guess….” Amara's eyes widened as he finished speaking and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"I don't think I can find anyone quite like me... though what you are saying definately makes sense," she said with another smile. "So, if everyone has a secret..." Amara began, her words sounding almost like a dare, "Then what could possibly be yours?"
Haine Hughes
Asking if she were well capable of taking care of herself now in the moors, she nodded calmly and smiled at him. Haine sighed, not out of relief but of disappointment, Rebecca Appleton was definitely a peculiar young woman.
“Yes, I think so. Thank you very much for helping me, Mister Hughes. It was very kind of you. And it was nice meeting you as well. I hope to see you again soon!” She gave him a short wave and began to leave.
“Another time then.” He gave a poor wave in return as he watched her depart. A sudden rumbling of clouds cut him of his thoughts and he stared blankly at the sky. It had long lost its clarity and was now occupied by pale clouds. Haine returned his gaze to Miss Appleton, who was now a far off away from him. A drop of rain found it’s way against his face and he frowned at the sign of rain coming to Helvaband. He would not be occupying the outskirts for the next few days. Picking up speed on his walk back home, he idly thought back on his encounter with Rebecca. Maybe he would let her help him with a story next time, she was an open minded young woman after all.
Haine has left the moors.
CompetitionDaniel Middleton
“Maybe not…but then again, well….yeah….” Daniel muttered, and Amara let out a laugh. “Man, I’m being eloquent, aren’t I?”
“Don’t worry,” she began with a broad smile, “I have been in the company of hu…” she stopped herself, and Daniel tilted his head, curious as to what she may have wanted to say. A part of him wanted to joke, ‘Who is Hue? Heh heh..’ but he didn’t think it would be amusing enough to pull him out of his nonsensical babbling mess of a conversation with this chick. “...people that were not eloquent at all.”
Woah…way to raise my confidence. But at least she’s being honest. That’s a start to me understanding her at all. Heh..some people fake so much, I’m sure they don’t even know themselves who they are anymore… His muddled thoughts ended up being verbalized as muddled speech, and he went on a small rant about why Helvaband attracted so many oddballs. Daniel thrust his hands in his pockets once finished and looked up at her cautiously, wondering what her reaction would be. Her eyes were wide with interest…or shock that he could rattle off so much that didn’t make any sense.
“I don’t think I can find anyone quite like me… though what you are saying definately makes sense,” she said with another smile. “So, if everyone has a secret…” Wait…is that a teasing tone in her voice? “Then what could possibly be yours?”
Daniel’s mouth fell slightly agape in wonderment. She was quite a blunt one, wasn’t she? What is the purpose of a secret if you tell everyone? “Um…” he began slowly, shuffling his feet and shifting his weight from foot to foot. “It’s a little..yeah…I dunno…”
Man, you can’t say a full sentence in this century, can you? Daniel Middleton officially wins the nineteenth century ‘Dorkmaster’ prize. Congraaaatulations! There was suddenly this mental image of himself on a brightly painted throne, a really ugly hat on his head and a stupid grin plastered on his face. The thought of it almost made him shudder visibly. He looked up at Amara, eyes wide as he considered what to say next. She would want some sort of answer, naturally. But should he tell her the truth? Or work his way around it?
If she likes to be blunt, then fine. I’ll be blunt, too.
“Um…it’s a little hard to believe, but…when I tell people I’m not from around here, that might not be true..it’s a little more complicated than that…” he let out a forced chuckle and tried to smile a little. Then, he cleared his throat. “The truth is…I don’t know if I am. Because I’m from the future, but I don’t know if it’s from here in the future, or from somewhere else and the future, you know?” Daniel stared blankly at Amara, not sure what to say next…It would all depend on her reaction. Every word had tumbled out of him somehow, like lyrics to a song he hadn’t known he had memorized, easy as pie.
My Dorky Diner BoyAmara Fae
“So, if everyone has a secret…” Amara said in a teasing tone, “Then what could possibly be yours?”
She watched him as his mouth fell open slightly. Perhaps she was being a little too blunt with him... but at the time, she didn't really care. As odd as it was, she was interested in what he had to say. “Um…” Daniel began as he started to shuffle his feet and shift his weight from foot to foot, “It’s a little..yeah…I dunno…”
Surely it can't be that interesting, Amara thought, confused about why it would be so difficult for him to tell her his 'secret', he is just a human, after all.
Amara waited silently as he looked up at her with wide eyes, he seemed to be considering something. “Um…it’s a little hard to believe, but…when I tell people I’m not from around here, that might not be true..it’s a little more complicated than that…” Daniel began as he chuckled and smiled weakly. She arched an eyebrow at his words and listened carefully as he spoke again. “The truth is…I don’t know if I am. Because I’m from the future, but I don’t know if it’s from here in the future, or from somewhere else and the future, you know?” Amara was stunned, she was definately not expecting him to say what he did. And for a moment, she thought that he could have been lying, to make himself sound more interesting. She had seen it happen before, but something in his eyes told her that he was telling no lie.
"Oh, wow..." she said in amazement, "But... how?"
Taking a moment to compose herself, she chuckled and shook her head slightly. "And I thought I had a big secret." she thought out loud, as her laugh grew in volume. "Forgive me," she said after a long moment, "I was not laughing at you... it's just that I thought people were dull. I am so very glad to be mistaken." Amara had stopped laughing now, but she still had a look of pure amusement on her face.
"Well, since you told me your secret... I'll tell you mine." she began as she played with a strand of her white hair, "You see, I'm not from around here because I have been run out of all the other towns I have tried to stay in. I don't really mind if you choose to believe in what I am saying or not... but I am not human. In fact, I don't even think that I am alive..." Amara paused for a moment, looking up to see if Daniel was running away from her yet. "But please do not worry, I am not dangerous. I have never harmed a human." Sighing, she let the hand that was playing with her hair drop to her side as she spoke again, "Truthfully, I am just a banshee."
Daniel Middleton
There was a very awkward moment of silence. Obviously, the chick was stunned into a loss of words. Daniel couldn’t resist letting a bit of a nervous smile shine through. Loss of words…heh…that’s is how I feel 24/7… She began to study his face, as if to make sure he wasn’t outright fibbing, and he found it difficult to suppress his smile and look back at her seriously. Because he was serious. He’d never been more serious about anything in his life. Well…practically.
“Oh, wow…” she said in amazement, “But… how?” Daniel ignored the urge to mutter, ‘hey, that rhymes..wow..now..’ and shrugged. He had no freaking clue how he ended up flying on his motorcycle from the 21st to the 19th, but it was weird.
Amara let out an odd-sounding chuckle – as though it was a sound she didn’t make often – and shook her head. “And I thought I had a big secret.” She laughed harder, and Daniel smiled sheepishly, shuffling his weight around and playing with his stiff jacket sleeve for a moment. “Forgive me, I was not laughing at you… it’s just that I thought people were dull. I am so very glad to be mistaken.”“
Daniel stopped to think about this for a moment. ‘I thought people were dull.’ Well, chick. You’re pretty wrong there. I am dull, but that’s beyond the point. After a second of furrowing his brow, he decided it wasn’t worth trying to figure out the hidden meaning behind that. He was in luck, because at that moment Amara decided to tell him exactly why.
“Well, since you told me your secret… I’ll tell you mine.” she played with a bit of her eerily-white hair, and Daniel watched the strand wind round and round her pale fingertip as she continued, transfixed. “You see, I’m not from around here because I have been run out of all the other towns I have tried to stay in. I don’t really mind if you choose to believe in what I am saying or not… but I am not human. In fact, I don’t even think that I am alive…”
Daniel’s eyes widened, and she turned to gauge his reaction. Dude…that’s hardcore..
“But please do not worry, I am not dangerous. I have never harmed a human.” She let out a sigh of pure depression and dropped her hand. Daniel blinked. “Truthfully, I am just a banshee.”
Daniel’s mouth fell agape. “Just a banshee?” he stopped, shaking his head, feeling dumber by the second. “Dude…that…”
Just as he started to mentally reprimand himself for speaking aloud – even in astonishment – in ‘modern terms’, he realized that he didn’t have to pretend to be just a very queer 19th century guy who had no clue what he was doing. He could let her see – like Isis – that he was just an extremely queer 21st century guy who had no clue what he was doing or why he was in the past. That makes things easier. At least I know Isis and I aren’t really the only odd ones…dude…a banshee. He wished he had looked up more about ‘mythical beings’. Perhaps the Helvaband library had a little, but it would likely be really old books from authors that had no clue what they were talking about. Daniel smiled. Who am I kidding? What town would know more about freaky creatures like Amara and I than Helvaband?
He looked up to smile at her. “That’s really, really cool. Would you…would you tell me about it?” he shrugged, “I guess I could tell you what it’s like being displaced in time, in return. Though I bet you have better stories.” His mind spiraled back to the diner. Dull, dull, dull…to most people. But…- and this thought made his smile grow – but maybe banshees would find diners absolutely cool. Just maybe.
A freakin’ banshee...
My Dorky Diner BoyAmara Fae
“Just a banshee?” Amara heard Daniel reply, his eyes wide,“Dude…that…” Is that what people would call me in the future? A 'dude'? she thought with a slight laugh at the idea. "Yes, I am merely a banshee... nothing too extraordinary." she said with a smile.
“That’s really, really cool. Would you…would you tell me about it?” he said and she felt a bit of shock run through her once more as he shrugged, “I guess I could tell you what it’s like being displaced in time, in return. Though I bet you have better stories.”
"Oh, well... I am not exactly sure where to begin." she stated, still not fully understanding why he would want to know about her past, "Well, seeing as it is impossible to start with stories before the change... I will tell you about after." Her hand flew up to begin playing with her white hair once more as she sighed and thought back to when she first woke up from the change.
"I am not really sure when, or how it happened, but I first woke up in a graveyard. I remember feeling really odd... almost like I was floating, even though I was clearly on the ground, if that makes any sense to you." she stated, completely lost in her memories. "And I was cold, it was almost as if I had been sleeping in snow for a few days. I recall seeing a man run towards me, he called me Amara. I didn't really recognize my own name, and I certainly didn't remember ever knowing him. Yet he embraced me like we had known each other our whole lives. Then he jerked away from me and started crying, muttering about how I had changed and how it was his fault." As she said this, a look of confusion came on her face, as if she was still trying to figure out why the stranger had thought that she was different. She paused for a moment and shrugged, "Well, I began feeling rather depressed and I started crying as well, then I remember screaming. And as you probably already know, a banshee's scream is definately not like a human's. Tears stopped falling down his face as he looked up at me, he looked heart-broken, like a child that had his favorite toy destroyed right in front of him. I couldn't handle the dark feeling that was there, so I ran."
Pausing for another moment to remember what had happened next, she realized that she had really been to a lot of different towns and she couldn't possibly tell him about them all. So, she decided that she would just shorten up her stories a little and if he wanted to know more, he would ask. "I entered a strange town and the first thing I noticed was that there was a crowd of people gathered around. Two people were going to be killed for some sort of crime, I wasn't really listening. But the moment the guns were fired, it felt like I had no control over my actions, I started screaming, like the time in the graveyard. And the humans looked at me, some yelling 'demon' and 'witch'. Before I knew what was happening, they were shooting at me. I ran out of the town and went into a completely different one, and a similar thing happened, people heard me and tried to kill me. Although that time they went to the extent of burning down their own inn, just to get rid of me. A few towns later, and I am here." she finished with a smile.
Amara let her hand drop to her side again and laughed, "I used to think that humans fear what they don't understand... but you haven't ran away or tried to kill me yet, so I suppose that I am proven wrong on that theory."
Daniel Middleton
“Oh, well… I am not exactly sure where to begin.” she said cautiously, “Well, seeing as it is impossible to start with stories before the change… I will tell you about after.” She began playing with her hair again as she sighed. Daniel moved a step closer to her, intrigued by the pale banshee. She’s pretty. he suddenly thought to himself. When she plays with her hair like that, she looks so serious and epic.
“I am not really sure when, or how it happened, but I first woke up in a graveyard. I remember feeling really odd… almost like I was floating, even though I was clearly on the ground, if that makes any sense to you. And I was cold, it was almost as if I had been sleeping in snow for a few days. I recall seeing a man run towards me, he called me Amara. I didn’t really recognize my own name, and I certainly didn’t remember ever knowing him. Yet he embraced me like we had known each other our whole lives. Then he jerked away from me and started crying, muttering about how I had changed and how it was his fault.” Amara’s face twisted, and Daniel wondered if she was still weirded out by the guy’s strange actions. “Well, I began feeling rather depressed and I started crying as well, then I remember screaming. And as you probably already know, a banshee’s scream is definately not like a human’s. Tears stopped falling down his face as he looked up at me, he looked heart-broken, like a child that had his favorite toy destroyed right in front of him. I couldn’t handle the dark feeling that was there, so I ran.”
She stopped talking suddenly, and Daniel looked up from the patch of grass he had been distractedly staring at while she was speaking and met her eyes. Why was it so easy to picture her story in his mind? It was frightening how clearly he could see the man watching Amara, his eyes wide and disbelieving, pleading with her silently to deny the screams she had been emitting. Not daring to accept the changes in her. It must be hard seeing that and not knowing who the man was…not knowing who she was…
“I entered a strange town and the first thing I noticed was that there was a crowd of people gathered around. Two people were going to be killed for some sort of crime, I wasn’t really listening. But the moment the guns were fired, it felt like I had no control over my actions, I started screaming, like the time in the graveyard. And the humans looked at me, some yelling ‘demon’ and ‘witch’. Before I knew what was happening, they were shooting at me. I ran out of the town and went into a completely different one, and a similar thing happened, people heard me and tried to kill me. Although that time they went to the extent of burning down their own inn, just to get rid of me. A few towns later, and I am here.” she smiled at him, and Daniel stared blankly back at her, surprised that she could so easily accept her life this way. Always in danger of being attacked by people that feared what they didn’t understand? Jeez..
She stopped playing with that same white lock of hair and laughed. “I used to think that humans fear what they don’t understand… but you haven’t ran away or tried to kill me yet, so I suppose that I am proven wrong on that theory.”
I wouldn’t say that….you’re so calm that it scares me a little… But Daniel just shrugged and offered a small smile to her. “I guess it’s more accurate to just say that humans are weird like that. Sometimes it’s good….” he frowned, and looked back at the ground, “Sometimes it’s very bad…”
They were silent for a long time after that, with Daniel’s brow furrowed as he thought over what Amara had said. Finally, he blurted out, “You say that you felt a ‘dark feeling’ when the guy looked at you like that…did you feel anything else when he was with you?” he turned his eyes upwards to look at her, and realized that he could be coming across as rude and nosy. Holding his hands up suddenly in an apologetic gesture, he muttered, “Um..not that I have to know..I was…uh…I was just wondering…”
My Dorky Diner Boy
