shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 27, 2009 12:53:09 GMT -5
Stormcrest watched the land move below her. The sheep being herded by their shepherds, the small town just now awaking to the new day. She took in every detail of it.
Slipping silently from her position on a large rock, she sauntered towards the small town. Her target was in view, and nothing would stop her.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 27, 2009 13:24:43 GMT -5
Gariel leant on the windowsill with his chin resting on the ledge. Mind still heavy with sleep, he flicked his eyes at the few people moving about below on the streets. From his vantage point on the first floor of the inn he could see almost everything, but that didnt mean alot when he was still too sleepy to take it all in.
Winter was here; not a particularly nice time. It meant more money spent on hotels, which in turn meant less money left over for other luxuries. Gariel sighed, and lifted his head up, instead leaning on folded arms. It couldnt be helped, and he normally didnt find it that difficult to get a job locally, so he'd be okay. Even so, he felt bad for everyone else who suffered in this harsh season.
Some girls down below spotted him staring, and he quickly averted his gaze, which led to an uproar of giggles. Trying to block the noise out, Gariel set about mentally planning his day.
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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 27, 2009 14:32:41 GMT -5
Storm entered the small town. As always, she was on her guard. Loping through the streets, she was immediatley alerted by a pack of giggling girls.
Storm backed into the shadows as she looked on from afar. Above, a boy pulled away from the window. She relaxed muscle by muscle.
Inching away from the wall, Stormcrest moved out into the open. She walked across the street and into the hotel. She would have to stay here tonight....
But tommorow, there was work to be done.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 27, 2009 16:11:25 GMT -5
Get a job, get money, get food. Sounded simple enough, but of course it was never quite that simple. Despite being a calm, controlled and generally easy-going person, Gariel really hated the idea of going outside with those girls still there. The thought created an odd pain in his gut; something like embarassment, concern for his well-being, and maybe some fear. Well...yeah, it was odd, and made him resolve to wait until a little later before venturing out into the open. Girls could be rather anoying like that. Gariel didnt have anything against them, but just wished they'd go on and leave him be.
Stretching, more awake now than before, he pulled off his pyjamas and quickly threw on some day-time clothes: a pale sleeveless with easy-to-move-in trousers. If he was going to be working, best not to choose his nicest outfit (not that Gariel had a hugh fancy wardrobe to choose from). Whilst changing he absently glanced in the mirror near his bed, and the bright green eyes stared back. Hmm....maybe he could cover his face in mud and chop all his firery hair off. Then maybe he'd get some peace...though he'd probably resemble a poor plucked chicken. Maybe that would attract girls even more....he had no idea. Females were hard to read.
Convinced that he was suitably presentable to whoever might see him, Gariel picked up his things and headed for the door.
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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 27, 2009 16:52:35 GMT -5
"Listen, I need to rent a room," Stomrcrest said to the old man at the desk.
The man looked at her quizically. "We out of rooms miss."
Storm rolled her eyes. "Does it look like I care? Get me a room, one night, I don't care how shabby." The old man opened his mouth to object. However, Storm's intense gaze made him shudder, giving in to her request.
"Alright," he muttered, turning away to get the key. "Room 8." Storm, without reply, took the key and dropped a silver coin in his palm. That settled, she sunk into one of the dusty, broken chairs in the lobby. Tugging at the uncomfortable chain around her ankle, she shifted herself to focus on the door.
"Stupid chain," she growled. With a shake of her foot, she ginglery set it back down on the floor.
She returned her attention to the door, waiting....
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 27, 2009 17:10:43 GMT -5
Gariel stiffled a yawn, and quietly pushed open the door to the lobby. If he recalled correctly, he didnt owe anyone anything; he'd paid for the room the previous night, and had gotten dinner somewhere else (this place was a tad on the expensive side when it came to food). Still, the room had been adequate. Perhaps if Gariel couldnt find anywhere he preferred, he'd come back here again tonight. Atleast he knew this could be an option if he was out of alternatives.
Passing the innkeeper a quick smile, and nodding his thanks, Gariel dropped his own key on the desk. The man nodded back, though not quite as warmly. Gariel wondered if this man would know of any local job vacancies on the go, and went to ask, when a peculiar jingling sound hit his ears.
Glancing over his shoulder, Gariel took in the girl rattling a chain around her ankle. A chain? He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to figure out what that meant. Then he realised he was staring at a girl again, and quickly turned away.
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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 27, 2009 18:05:23 GMT -5
Stormcrest, tired from the day, felt herself drifting. She blinked, shivering. If only she could transform into her anima, she would be more awake. For days on end, nothing but work. The key in her hand was tempting. A bed, though not the best, would still be welcoming enough. She rubbed her eyes, annoyed at her weakness. With a heavy sigh, Storm rose from her seat and walked over to the counter.
"Can I trust you to hold this key for me until I get back?" she asked, her voice less defensive then before. She brushed the key with her thumb, feeling the number eight sketched into the metal. The man gave a curt nod, giving her a wary look. She tossed him the key, and turned to see a boy standing behind her.
"Oh, right. Didn't see you there," she said apologetically. She brushed past him and out the door in a hurry.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 28, 2009 11:26:43 GMT -5
The girl with the chain left, just like that. Despite the cold stare she'd received from the innkeeper, she'd appeared pleasant, with good manors; enough to apologise for cutting through him like that. Not that Gariel had minded, he didnt hold grudges for silly things such as that.
Giving the old man one last thankyou, he turned and was out of the front door. It was cold, of course, and the temperature hit him like a veil of ice, making his teeth chatter. He hadnt before realised how warm it had been inside, and part of him felt like reversing back into the building before he froze on the spot. These clothes werent enough, he'd have to buy a coat or something, and fast.
Moving further out into the street, Gariel scanned the shops, picking out a place to start his search. Absently he wondered where the chained girl had dissapeared to, and also kept an eye open for any giggling girls.
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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 28, 2009 11:47:38 GMT -5
Stormcrest, once out in the open, turned sharply to the left. The cold bit her skin, yet she did not notice. There was too much on her mind...the past events seemed nothign but blurs and scars added to her grief.
Again, she passed the giggling girls. Who were in fact-still giggling. She made sure there was a great distance between her and them. Not that they posed a threat to her, but because they were human. They had a life that was normal. Stormcrest could have had that life...if it wasn't for the Sailand soldiers. Just as the thought passed her mind, she saw procession of soldiers coming her way on large balck horses.
Storm suppressed a snarl, and moved tot he side as quickly as possible. She watched with murderous eyes as they marched pass.
Probably looking for more soldiers...or slaves.
As soon as the soldiers moved on, Stormcrest hurried in the opposite direction. "Come on, focus. You only have a week to finish this," hissed Storm to herself.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 28, 2009 12:54:55 GMT -5
Gariel was in a small restaurant when the soldiers trampled past on their black horses. He looked up, and, curious, moved outside to watch them go. Hmmm...No captured slaves that he could see. If there were, he'd probably step in and see what he could do. As it was, so far they appeared harmless, and he let them go.
Turning round, Gariel froze. Across the street, just a few paces a way, was the babble of girls. They'd spotted him, and were whispering amongst themselves, still grinning. Gariel gulped and moved on.
'Hey! Come over here you, werent you the naughty boy we caught gawking just a little while ago?' one laughed, a tall girl with short hair. Gariel found that hardly fair; he'd only seen them for a split second at the window, it was just a coincidence that they'd looked up at him at the exact same second.
He went to speak, but choked. Funny, he could confront anyone else easily; thugs, guards, soldiers. It was always the anoying girls he couldnt deal with. Blushing heavily, he just turned and ran, hearing more shouts and hysterics behind him.
Once a good way away, Gariel looked over his sholder, still running. Good, he wasnt being followed. Unfortunately though, he wasnt looking where he was going either, and collided with someone. They both ended up on the ground, Gariel too shocked at his mistake to speak. Eventually he got up, about to apologise, when he recognised the chained girl from the inn. 'Uh..'
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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 28, 2009 14:04:59 GMT -5
Storm jumped to her feet, snarling. "Watch it!" She brushed her hands together to rub off the dirt as she put several feet between them. "Why don't you go and find someone else to run into?" She immediatley stopp her rant and pressed into the shadows when two soldirs charged past. Taking in a deep breath, and giving the boy another cross glare, Storm started to wipe the dust off her pants and back. When you have only one pair of clothes, even if they ar ratty, it's best to try to make them last as long as possible.
"You were lucky this time. Next time you run into me, I'll send a sword through your throat. I don't have the day to figure who are my enemies and who aren't." She bent down and adjusted the chain around her ankle, so that it didn't pinch her skin. Usually it wasn't so tight, but because she ran away....She gave one last tug before straightening. Her sandy colored hair was a mess, her sparkling eyes dimmer.
Then, giggling. Storm raised an eyebrow, glancing over the boy's shoulder. "I think you're being stalked." Sure enough, the giggling gang of girls was making their way down the street. "I think I'm gonna be sick," groaned Storm. She moved in front of the boy, confronting the girls, who were now about ten feet away from the two.
"How dare you interfere with the King's own son?" The girls, their eyes wide in awe, had become uncharacteristically quiet. "That's right, he's one of the many princes of Sailand. Don't you se the soldiers? If I see you even looking at him, I'll have you all arrested."
"Who are you?" squeled one of the girls.
Storm laughed. "His bodyguard." SHe placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. One girl screamed, running the other direction. Some stammered apologies, looking hopefull at the boy as they walked past slowly.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 28, 2009 15:02:07 GMT -5
(XD omg awesome post)
Gariel didnt know what to say. A simple sorry just didnt seem enough in this situation, and by the looks of things this girl wouldnt take an apology easily. He started stammering, but then came the death threats. Almost immediately he was himself again, and frowned. Getting up and dusting himself down, he spoke. 'My apologies for this whole mess, my fault, of course, but thats no reason to says such things' Gariel didnt think he really deserved that. Everyone made mistakes. He couldnt stand people who were overly vicious for silly reasons. Well...he considered them silly.
He was about to say something more, when she cut through and reminded Gariel of his little situation. Swallowing, he backed away from the approaching girls. Rather strangely, though, the chained girl came to his rescue, spouting an interesting lie. He couldnt help smiling, and wondered if in his current state he could really pass for a prince. Probably not, but it seemed to work. They left, actually looking quite afraid.
Only after they were alone again did Gariel speak up. 'Um..Well thankyou...' He guessed he could forgive her for the threats now that she'd done him a favour. This chained girl definately had courage; perfect, he thought, for a 'bodyguard'. Still, he hoped that was part of the lie; Gariel didnt need protection, and didnt want to be the cause of fighting. Besides, having a bodyguard was in some respects no different to having a slave, something he was strongly against.
'You have a name, i take it?' he smiled, though somewhat wary of the sword.
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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 28, 2009 16:08:07 GMT -5
Stormcrest moved her hand away from her weapon, waiting as the last girl scurried away. No one had ever asked what her name was before, this was something new. She motioned for the boy to follow her, then went into a nearby alley. When she was sure they weren't being followed, she told him. "My name is...Chiera." She shuddered. It was her human name.
"Forget about running into me," she went on. "It turned out to be something amusing." She paused, finding this hard to say. "Listen, I put you in enough danger as is. You have to pretend you never saw me."
She brushed her hair back with a sigh. "Just try to not stand out or anything so I have to pretend to be your bodyguard. I'm running low on time." She glanced anxiously up at the sky. "And I'm not your babysitter."
Storm nodded to him, her face not as serious as before. "You can go run into someone else now. As for me, I'm heading back on the battlefield." She jumped on top of a crate, thingying her head. Five days from now, at this same time, she should have completed her mission and be checking in with the Cages.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 28, 2009 16:52:51 GMT -5
The girl, Chiera, almost sounded freaked out by the sound of her own name. Gariel absently pondered why, but it didnt matter. Atleast she'd trusted him enough to tell him in the first place, unless of course, it was a fake name. He shrugged inwardly. False or not, it was something to call her. Anything was better than 'chained girl'.
'Very well Chiera, but whatever danger you speak of, i know how to take care of myself.' That sounded pretty empty, considering how he'd just shown weakness to a bunch of girls. 'And i'm not asking you to be my babysitter, nor do i make a habit of running into people' he added with a chuckle.
She mentioned 'battlefield' and Gariel almost took it literally. Maybe Chiera had meant it that way, and in that case, Gariel felt a pang of worry. For what possible reason would this girl have to put herself in any danger? And what did she mean running low on time? So much curiosity welled up inside him that Gariel almost forgot about having to find a job. Almost.
'Pray tell, whats this battlefield? And why would you go there?' He doubted she'd tell him, a complete stranger, all of the details. Still. it was worth a shot. 'Oh...my name is Gariel, by the way' That was only fair.
((XD Gariel speaks so strangely, like really proper))
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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 28, 2009 17:10:38 GMT -5
(XD I like it)
Storm jumped from her perch. "We all have our own battles, don't we? You have your own battles yourself, whether it be hunger or giggling girls. mine just happen to be more extreme."
She furrowed her brow. "Why do you want to know, anyway?" It took all her will to not clench her fists or act defensive.
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