shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 5, 2009 21:26:01 GMT -5
Fire burned through Ryker's veins. He could feel his instincts take over, craving for blood. I can't let my instincts take over me!
Ryker relaxed his body, limp under the stranger's grip. The boy, however, was not fooled by this act of submission but only tightened his grip.
This isn't what you were taught to do.
Ryker, unable to hold it anymore, let out a fierce snarl. Twisting his lower body, he loosened the grip around his arms.
I have to do this. No choice.
In one quick motion, Ryker slashed at the boy, his claws barely pulled out from his skin. As soon as his claws had cut into the boy's skin, he withdrew them, leaving only claw marks. Caught off guard, the boy flung to the side, giving Ryker enough time to free himself.
"I said, I have NO BUSINESS with you," said Ryker as he stood.
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Post by Ruko on Nov 5, 2009 21:32:05 GMT -5
Shark flung himself to the side, only getting scratched by the boy. Not too deep, no blood. He'd survive, easy. Retracting his jaw, he calmly stood up, pulling back on his gloves. A +Anima, huh. There was no fight to pick with him.
Mouse, thinking along the same lines, darted forward and grabbed her two swords, quickly sheathing them. Folding her wings, she grinned at the boy, cheerful and childish once more. "Shark! Shark! He's a +Anima! Recruiting mission paid off!"
Approaching the boy, she grinned, faces inches apart. "You don't fight half bad, for not being gang trained." Pulling her face back, she stuck out her hand. "The name's Mouse. That guy over there is my Onii-Chan, Shark." She nodded in his direction as he walked over.
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 5, 2009 21:43:46 GMT -5
Ryker wanted to laugh out loud. Not being "gang trained". He'd had plenty of training in his lifetime, too much of it. Ryker managed to realx his body, inch by inch. He had done it. He had controlled his instincts.
"Like I said, I'm not one of any significance," said Ryker. He gave a departing nod and turned swiftly away. They knew that he was a plus anima. They saw him fight, if you could call it that. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that the two were advancing on him as he walked down the street.
"All this time, I thought it would be good to find other plus anima," he whispered. "But instead it only brings back terrible memories...." Shaking his head, he broke off into a run.
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Post by Ruko on Nov 5, 2009 21:53:32 GMT -5
Why was he running away? Spreading her wings once more, Mouse flitted quickly through the ai, landing square in front of the boy, stopping him in his tracks. "You. Are. Coming. With. Us!" she told him, frowning slightly. "You'd be a perfect addition!" Grabbing his arm, she dragged him back to Shark. "He's some sort of wildcat! Shark, help me!"
Her older brother hit her on the head, at which she whimpered and immediately covered the spot. "Yes, he's a wildcat. Just like Ruko. Don't even try to tell me you're not, because I know you are. It's not a kidnapping, Mouse. It's called recruiting. New members are no good if they're against their will."
He looked up at the boy. "Kid, I don't think you understand our offer." His voice, normally harsh, had softened slightly. "If you join our gang, you join our family. Everyone knows everybody by name, and we work together. Everyone gets fed, everyone gets money. If you get captured, we'll hunt you down, destroy those who hold you, and get you back."
Mouse smiled, nodding and completely recovered. "Yeah! Yeah! It's so much fun! There's little kids in there, and older kids like us! Well..." She broke off, before remembering what she was going to say. "Our leader, Snake, is the oldest, and then Shark, and then me!" She grinned happily. "So, does it sound like fun?" For looking like she was sixteen, Mouse was extremely childish.
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 5, 2009 22:04:40 GMT -5
Ryker hesitated. "I forgot-what family feels like." He turned his head away, ashamed. All he remembered were words and faces, sometimes memories.
He sighed inwardly. "You wouldn't want me in your gang."
Mouse opened her mouth to object, but Shark bopped her on the head.
"Why not?" asked Shark, not softly or threatening.
Ryker shrugged. "Truth is, I'm being hunted." He lowered his head. "My old master is rich and powerful in Sailand. He spent a lot of time and money on...me. To him, I'm an investment. Another jewel to his collection. He doesn't merely stop at borders."
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Post by Ruko on Nov 5, 2009 22:10:54 GMT -5
Mouse giggled. "Is that all? Puh-lease. Do ya know how many people want me and Shark dead? A lot. And every authority in the two countries would be pleased if Snake were behind bars." A grin crossed her face. "Honestly, honestly, honestly..."
Shark ruffled Mouse's hair, as she actually said something that wasn't completely off the line, and studyed the boy, with an intense gaze. "Like we said, if you're captured, we'd hunt you until we had rescued you. A master hunting you doesn't matter. In fact, it's the case with most people in our gang. We're a refuge."
Mouse nodded. "Uh-huh! Why, my sis Tiger, her and her brother are bein' hunted by their own parents! Can ya imagine! We don't care about your pasts. Anyone's welcome." Shark hit her on the head again, but she continued, despite that. "So, watcha think?"
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 5, 2009 22:25:47 GMT -5
"I don't want to join your gang because I need a refuge or a hiding place," Ryker said sharply. He stopped himself. "Sorry. I don't mean to be so critical. The thing is, i'm not even sure if I'm safe enough to be around."
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Post by Ruko on Nov 5, 2009 22:30:42 GMT -5
Mouse dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "Tcch. We're all dangerous. I mean, we're part animal, ain't we? 'Sides, you don't seem that dangerous to me!" She paused a moment. "Then again, me and Shark are the best fighters in the gang, so nothing really seems dangerous to us..."
Shark hit Mouse on the head, silencing her, before returning his steady gaze to the boy. "What do you mean, not safe enough to be around? How could you not be safe?" His eyes narrowed slightly.
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 5, 2009 22:45:36 GMT -5
Ryker bit his lower lip, suddenly embarrased. "I-" He took in a deep breath. "Whenever I see other plus anima...I react. My master trained me to kill. I was supposed to do all his dirty work. He...he...." Ryker took another breath. "I'll start over."
"I was enslaved at a young age, six. At that time, I was a stupid brat who was scared and confused. My master bought me for an extremely high price before I even got to the market. He began to train me. My master kept me in a cage and every day I would undergo new challenges. He starved me. He whipped me. He tried to choke me, tried to drown me."
Ryker raised his head, more clear now. "He would pick up anima from the market like groceries and pit them against me. He had his own arena where people would bet on who would win. I was his number one money maker. He trained me to let my animal instincts out, to kill without second thought. That's how I got my food, I had to kill other animas."
He paused. "Just after I escaped, I ran into a free anima. my instincts overwhelmed me, and I badly wounded him before he escaped. But...I continued tracked him, in a frenzy. Tracked and killed him."
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Post by Ruko on Nov 5, 2009 22:55:33 GMT -5
Mouse blinked, a look of shock coming over her face. "K-Killed? A-Another +Anima?" she stammered, taking a step back. "No... No... You shouldn't have! You should've-" She was cute off as Shark slammed his hand over her mouth, and she let out a whimper, shutting up.
Removing his hand, Shark returned his impassive gaze to the boy. "You killed a +Anima. You've lived with this fact, tried to keep it hidden. I'll bet it burns inside you, everytime you see another +Anima. Instinct. Filthy word for it. Misguided training. That sounds better."
Blinking slowly, Shark reached out and ruffled the younger boy's hair. "You're still coming with us. Dangerous or not, with that kind of past, you need us. We might not take you back to the gang just yet, but at the very least, you're joining our group. Don't care if you don't want to, I'll knock you out and haul you along."
He glanced at his younger sister. "Mouse, what do you think? Can he come?" Her face, though white, was calmer now, and she nodded.
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 5, 2009 23:16:19 GMT -5
"You still want me in your gang?" Ryker asked in a hoarse voice. He trembled. "After everything that I've done?" He fell silent, pondering.
"I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" he said with a small smile. "But even thieves, murderers and assassins have names. My name's Ryker."
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Post by Ruko on Nov 6, 2009 18:00:53 GMT -5
"Ry-ker." Mouse rolled the name around, back to her normal self. "Not a bad name, but gang material... Hmm... I gotta think you up one." She began muttering under her breath to herself.
Shark, flicking his eyes in Mouse's direction, introduced them. "I'm Shark, and this is my adopted sister, Mouse." Saying they were adopted prevented lots of explanations that he got sick of doing. "I'm a Great White Shark, and she's a Mockingbird. As for what she's muttering about, it's a custom to get another name when you join the gang. You can go by your old one, but the gang will refer to you by that name."
Mouse sighed, exhasperated. "Ryker! What +Anima are you?" She sighed slightly. "It'd make it SO much easier..."
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 6, 2009 20:18:43 GMT -5
Ryker stiffened at her words. Oh, wait. These are your friends.
"Snow leopard," he said, trying to act normal. He took in several deep breaths and closed his eyes.
The scent coming off Shark and Mouse were mixed, not like a humans. It made him feel sick. He strongly resisted the urge to attack his new friends, but controlling his desire wasn't easy.
"Can...you please go back into your human form?" he gasped. His body was visibly trembling.
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Post by Ruko on Nov 7, 2009 9:26:34 GMT -5
Mouse blinked, surprised. "Oh, sure." Her wings, which had been folded up at her back, vanished. Shark's mouth had been hinged, but with his sharp teeth still in it, so his teeth returned to their normal flat selves. "Is that better?" she asked, noticing his body trembling.
Once they were both back to their human forms, Mouse turned to Shark. "We don't have a leopard, do we?" Shark shook his head, and Mouse grinned. "Well, there ya go, Ryker! Your new gang name is Leopard!" She frowned slightly. "No... That doesn't sound right! Why is your new name so hard?! Shark's had been easy, and mine were a bit harder, but it wasn't that bad..." She tipped her head to the side. "It's probably you wildcats. Ruko's was hard, too."
Shark flicked his eyes in both of their directions. "Moon. It suits you. We don't have one, right Mouse?" His younger sister shook her head, brightening up. "Moon, then." The corners of his mouth slightly turned up. "Now we have a Moon and a Sun..."
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 7, 2009 10:37:47 GMT -5
Moon. Ryker liked it. "Yeah, it works fine." With Mouse and Shark back in their human form, Ryker began to calm down. He took a step forward, but he lost his balance and crashed to the ground. He groaned, now even more embarrased that Mouse and Shark had to see him like this.
"I get dizzy after I have my Attacks," Ryker explained. He took in another deep breath before standing again, wavering as he did. Usually, by taking deep breaths, it could help calm him. But it only worked half the time.
Then, Ryker caught on to a strange scent, stronger this time. It was the same scent that had made him believe he was being ambushed minutes ago, when Mouse and Shark had first met him.
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