SUMMER

Angkar: Wet season. Precipitation is common during the late afternoon and evening hours. Vegetation grows significantly during the summer, but flooding is a danger due to the monsoons that ravage the country. The rainforest sees evenly distributed rainfall throughout the season.

Ashoka: Desert: Extremely hot and dry. Violent, heavy downpours following long dryspells. Jungle: Hot and humid with frequent, violent rainstorms.

Morrim: Relatively hot and dry, but with a chance of thunderstorms from time to time. The heat may cause forest fires.

Soto: Hot and humid, tree cover is dense while ground growth is restricted. Thunderstorms see the most amount of rainfall during the season, and it can be very windy. On occasion, there are flash floods that can destroy homes and farms built on flood plains.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

March 30th, 2018 As you might have noticed, Elenlond has changed hands and is now under new management! If you have any questions, please direct them to DaringRaven! As for the rest of the announcements, including a season change, you can find them over here at the following link!

January 16, 2018 As you might have noticed, Elenlond has a new skin, all thanks to Mel! Don't forget to check out the new OTMs as well!

December 2, 2017 Winter has settled on Elenlond, bringing sleep for some and new life for others.

September 26, 2017 With the belated arrival of autumn come some interesting developments: new OTMs, a Town Crier and the release of the Elly Awards winners!

July 14, 2017 After a bit of forum clean-up, Elly Awards season has arrived! Head on over to make your nominations!

May 31, 2017 Summer has arrived and so has activity check! That's not all though – we also have some new OTMs for you and some staff changes!


WHAT IS ELENLOND?

Elenlond is an original free-form medieval fantasy RPG set on the continent of Soare and the Scattered Isles, which are located to the south in the Sea of Diverging Waters. The four chief nations of the western side of the world—Ashoka in northern Soare, Soto in western Soare, Morrim in eastern Soare, and Angkar, the largest of the Scattered Isles—continue to experience growth and prosperity since the fall of the Mianorite gods, although power struggles within the countries—or outside of them—continue to ensue.


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  • CURRENT EVENTS

    Angkar: To honour the reinvigoration of the ancient city of Mondrágon, the majestic Queen Eulalia has permitted the opening of a Coliseum where people from around the world and all walks of life can test their combat skills against one another. Many have already done battle in search of honour, glory, prizes and money.

    Ashoka: In an otherwise peaceful times, Ashokans are beset with the relatively minor inconveniences of wandering undead and occasionally-aggressive giant rock worms. There has also been some controversy over the recent re-legalisation of human sacrifice.

    Morrim: Rumour has it that Emperor Leofric de Hollemark is mustering forces for a war. Though the threat from Soto’s forests has passed, the forces previously employed in watching the forest now linger at the border. Rumours also circulate of a small group that has been dispatched to make contact with the tribes of the Do’suul Mountains.

    Soto: The Sotoans have defeated the fey and liberated themselves from Méadaigh’s oppression! Preliminary efforts have been made at rebuilding the city of Madrid, which had been captured at the beginning of the war. However, the Sotoans are hindered from recovery famine. Méadaigh’s magic caused summer to persist in the Erth’netora Forest through the winter. Her power has been withdrawn and the plants die as if preparing for winter – even though it is now summer. The Sotoans must sustain off what food they can get, what creatures they can kill and what can be imported into the city from Morrim and Angkar.

    For a fuller description of our most recent events, check out our most recent edition of The Town Crier!

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    Welcome to our home, a world in which anything can happen. From sprawling deserts and vast forests to massive volcanoes and luscious hot springs, Soare and the Scattered Isles are beautiful places just waiting to be explored. For the brave and the bold or the cautious and the wary, creatures of all kinds roam the earth, looking for adventure or for a place to call their own. Species of all kinds - the well-known and the unknown - thrive here, though not always in harmony.

    Elenlond is an original medieval fantasy RPG with a world that's as broad as it is unique. Calling on characters of all kinds, the sky's the limit in a world where boundaries are blurred and the imagination runs rampant. Restrictions are limited and members are encouraged to embrace their creativity, to see where they can go and what they can do. It's no longer just text on a page - it becomes real.

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    Resisting Change; For Illid!
    Topic Started: Nov 18 2011, 10:51 PM (1,122 Views)
    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    The fires in the forge had been lit much earlier, the sun hanging heavy and high in the sky marking some time around noon. The small village was bustling as usual. It had very few members but everyone was hard working. They were a close-knit bunch, always in one another’s business but never really interfering more than the usual gossip. Still, nothing could stop the old seamstress from pressing her eye to the key-hole of the black smith’s door, listening as, inside, the usually stoic owner roared. “How did you lose the horses?! Are you thick?! And all the orders? and the cart!”

    
Inside, Jack coward before her father, head lowered, eyes staring at his polished black boots while he took a stop towards her. Her heart was hammering in her chest, the wounds on her shoulder had been clumsily bandaged but he didn’t seem to care that she’d almost died. Rather, his biggest concern was that his daughter, his only child, had left him down again. One large glove, clothed in thick black leather reached out and shoved the injured arm, as if trying to get a rise. All she said, however, was “I’m sorry, father, I should’ve stopped, I just thought-”

    “You just WHAT Jack? You just felt the need to make an ass of yourself yet again!” He bellowed, spit flying from his lips, as he lifted his hand and she flinched, backing up. This only served to anger the huge man again. He was six foot five, easy, his green eyes wide and his lips pressed in a painfully thin line between shouts. He grabbed the front of her shirt, jerking her forward harshly and then bringing his hand down, hard. She cried out as the back of his hand collided with her face and she tried to withdraw, taking a step back and grabbing her face. “Don’t-”

    ”You keep your mouth shut you little-” [/b] He didn’t get to finish his sentence. His hand had refused to release the front of the coarse sack cloth tunic, but his glare had turned to a look of wide-eyed surprise when his daughters usually dull brown eyes flashed yellow and narrowed. All that came next was a scream- she was full of panic at first, but that was all she remembered, her mouth wide, teeth lengthening even as her father’s mind tried to comprehend what was going on. 


    
At that moment the seamstress had turned, wide eyed and run back to her home. A woman tried to stop her as she hurried past but the nosey hag could not be convinced, rather, she found her home and slammed the door behind her, locking it and pushinger her chair up against it.

    

Jack was coming back to consciousness in the house, blinking. The first thing she was aware of was the taste of blood, heavy in her mouth. It was like waking in the middle of a bad dream. heart still pounding, mouth open wide in a silent scream. She just sort of stared for a moment at her father’s corpse- rather, what pieces of it had not been devoured by something. Her mind seemed unable to comprehend the situation, even as she stepped backwards then stumbled out the door to their well. She pulled up a bucket with shaking arms, dumping it over her head and rubbing her eyes. “Wake up!” she yelled shakily, as if to rouse herself from the nightmare she’d woken up in. 





    


    Edited by Jack Tvastar, Nov 18 2011, 11:43 PM.
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    Illid
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    So came another one of those days that put Illid in such high spirits. The brightness of the sun challenged the coldness of the air and created a much more agreeable temperature for someone with a reptile's preferences. The favorable weather in mind, Illid had set out on a minor journey. There was a certain itch crawling beneath his skin that the greater populace of the cities couldn't soothe at the moment, a desire that felt much deeper and complex. In attempt to satiate this curious little craving the demon had ventured into the mountains to sample the more rural life that people in the city seemed to find so rustic and quaint.

    As he had entered the village Illid first took note of the strange looks he received. It was quite clear that it was a small settlement and each citizen was comfortably familiar with the next. So someone new like him walking in, scales bright beneath his eyes from the incandescent orb above, drew a good amount of gossip hungry stares. The attention alone made for a handful of possible shenanigans but nothing really tickled his fancy enough to get him excited. There was a slight displeasure in the colder air at this altitude but he supposed there was no use complaining about it now. Chimer had already retreated to the pack he had slung over his shoulder to keep warm. His own clothes would suffice for preserving his body temperature. Despite his agreeable mood he had dressed simply for travelling; a deep green cloak held on with silver snake clasps, the hood draped back, a black long sleeved shirt tucked into elbow length brown fingerless gloves with a multitude of straps accompanying the length of them, and simple brown slacks beneath ankle height black boots. For his own little quirk he'd kept the ear cuff and chain piercing he'd purchased at the market square a few days back.

    It was half way through his perusal of the cozy little town that Illid's day became more interesting. It was the smoke that had drawn him to this direction in the first place, his instincts calling for him to seek out warmth in the chilled air, but it was the raised voices that narrowed his path. Jack's house was his ultimate destination and the old crone scoping the place out like a vulture confirmed his suspicions that something worthwhile was taking place within those shabby walls. Unlike the woman, however, Illid was about to crouch down in front of the door to peer through the keyhole, that just seemed too crude. That and there were perfectly good windows to make use of should one be discreet enough to keep out of site from those inside. The demon liked to thing he belonged to that category of individuals. Wordlessly he made his way around the back of the house and glanced around for a crate of some sort to make use of. By luck he was rewarded with such a foothold and swiftly scaled it, using the platform to make his way up onto the roof. His footsteps were soft and silent, the soles of his boots specifically padded for such a thing. Once his spot had been secured he hung his head down over the edge of the roof and peered into the aforementioned useful window.

    What he saw first was the man's hand collide with a boyish looking girl's face. She certainly was a tiny whelp, so he imagined this would be a swift beating before she crumpled into a mess of tears and other disgusting mucus-related fluids. To his delight this was not the taste. The little girl was suddenly quite big and quite formidable. The man didn't stand a chance. Illid's snake eyes widened and a deliciously depraved smile spread across his features as he witnessed the gory murder within the blacksmith's home. How awesome was his day today?

    The animalistic child fainted and Illid gave a sigh of contentment as he withdrew from his front row view to sit up on the roof. Certainly he'd found his entertainment for the day, for just what fate might befall this girl once she woke up was sure to be worth his time and effort. The demon took a moment to relax on the rooftop and enjoy such a lovely day, listening for signs of stirring from within the dwelling. Soon enough the sound of the door alerted him of the girl's presence and he watched with his head tilted as she fled to the well. Oh poor child, everyone knew there were some things that just couldn't be washed off. Illid had found that most people were never able to cleanse the stains that blood left behind. He shifted back behind the arch of the roof so Jack wouldn't see him should she chance a gaze upwards in such a direction.

    The intensity of his own gaze increased with glee as she screamed. It was the most beautiful thing he'd seen in quite some time. To add a little bit of traditional flare to the tragic event the demon focused his talents. If Jack were to look into the well water after her outcry she'd find not her reflection but that of the wolf she had earlier become, blood staining the fur of its muzzle.

    His own contribution made, Illid sat still and waited for what might happen next. It was his suspicion that he and his new playmate would be taking their first journey together quite soon, even if she didn't know it yet.
    Edited by Illid, Nov 19 2011, 12:28 AM.
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    The water soothed Jack’s nerves but only a fraction, she stood there, drenched, white knuckled hands clasping at the empty bucket, clutching it against her chest while water and blood dripped off her into the grass. She couldn’t really remember what had happened, only aware of the dull ache in her bones and the sick satisfaction she felt at the fullness of her uneasy stomach. Had she actually...had she actually devoured....

    She shook the mere thought of that vial possibility from her mind. Of course she hadn’t eaten her own father! But then why had he been in pieces? the question made her feel queasy the gory contents of her stomach churning. She leaned over the well to throw the bucket back in, wanting another healthy dousing and a mouthful or two to wash away the metallic taste of blood that lingered between her teeth.

    What she saw in those dark depths, however, chilled her body to the core. The hair on the back of her neck rose, eyes slowly widening as she gawked at her reflection in the still water. A brown furred wolf, immense in size and covered in blood and flecks of gore. It’s paws were pressed to the edge of the wall, body hunkered over to peer inside. She tilted her head a bit, in shock, and the bloody mutt in the water did the same.

She took a step backwards, her body shaking, “N-no!” She yelled at no one in particular, refusing to believe that the image in the water had been her mere moments before. She turned, eyes wild, and bolted from the scene. SHe wasn’t sure where she was going, she just knew she had to get away from the monster in the well. Her feet fell hard and fast, sprinting into safety of the trees.

    She stumbled a bit, tripping over tree roots, grabbing at a trunk to keep her balance and slumping against it. “It’s not real..it’s not real...it’s not..” It became her mantra, saying it under her breath as she squeezed her eyes shut, tears pricking the corners while she held her stomach, one thought plagued her mind, “What if it is real, though?”

    She still had blood all down the front of her, staining her chapped lips and making the front of her coarse brown tunic sticky and red. She touched it with a quaking hand, bringing the fingertips to her nose to smell it. Had blood always smelled so sickly sweet? She couldn’t recall. Had the forest always been such a noise place to just stand still? She doubted it, but she was not a werewolf! She was not some dangerous monster! She was harmless- she had always been harmless, never lifting a fist or a knife in her own defense. It was just too big to wrap her mind around- her father was dead... But had she really eaten him alive?
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    Illid
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    Ah delightful spirit of misery that hung over this young girl, Illid could only pray that it lingered longer. Her reaction to his little bit of trickery almost earned an applause from the voyeuristic demon but there wouldn't be much fun in revealing himself just yet. Further more he doubted the child would have stayed around to hear it as in the next moments she had taken flight towards the sanctuary of the forest. The demon could only smile, wondering just what kind of refuge she thought she might find in such a place.

    Musings aside, this was his cue to get moving as well. Illid stood up on the roof top and let Jack get a head start in her clumsy sprint before he slipped to the ground himself. His landing was made steadily with the slight bend of his knees before he took off after the new object of his attentions. Instead of just sprinting along behind her, however, he moved closer to the edges of the woods and swiftly jumped from the grassy floor. His boot found purchase in a divot of a tree trunk and he used this as a means to reach a higher branch. Once he was sure his footing was stable he took chase from his new vantage point, thanking his luck for trees growing so close together.

    From branch to branch he took chase after Jack, his gaze flicking from his parkour-esque route to her form stumbling around below. This lasted in neither distance nor time as soon she had tripped over some impolite roots and Illid came to rest on one of the branches within the tree she grasped. The repetition of her words was like a sweet sonata to him, for they were the lyrics of his favorite song. It was interesting that in this case the nightmare this young one was trying to escape actually was a reality and not something Illid had chosen to create. This just made a sturdier foundation for him to build upon. For some moments he took the time to observe Jack's expression and movements whilst he decided how his next moves should be played. Pale lips curved into a smile as an idea crossed his mind.

    As Jack gazed at her hands she find them start to look different. At first they just appeared to be slightly larger in proportion to the rest of her arms, but then the joints bent in awkward angles and the hair on her knuckles became to thick and course to be considered normal. Her nails thickened and grew to points, all still covered in her father's blood. This lasted momentarily before the illusion abruptly ended and she would be able to gaze down at her palms as they had always been.

    Jack would then hear a light 'thud' as Illid dropped to the forest floor behind her. He straightened up from the crouch he had landed in and regarded her with genuine concern.

    "You look like you're in trouble..." Was his comment, sweet and sympathetic with every syllable. "If you're running from something...don't worry, I won't tell." A charming smile lit his features, not too broad or over done, but easy and natural, the expression comfortable on his visage.
    Edited by Illid, Nov 19 2011, 02:13 AM.
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    Jack’s heart stopped when she saw her own hand, watching the sharp nails and the way more and ore coarse hair began to grow, curling from her knuckles. Here eyes wavered, staring in complete shock at her digits, only managing to whimper into the stony silence “N-no...Can’t be...it’s not..” When the illusion faded away the tears that pricked her eyes turned from terror to relief, a shaky breath filling her lungs with much needed air as she remembered to breath. How was this happening? And why? Why was she seeing these horrible things?!

    As if in answer, a man older than herself dropped from the canopy with a light ‘thump’. His eyes were bright, piercing, they made her feel extremely uncomfortable at first but it only took a moment before she had calmed down a little. “I-I am in trouble- I don’t know what’s... I got home today and my father was dead!”

    Tears slid down her pale face, lower lip quivering childishly as she lied through her teeth to the illusionist. Her eyes, over course, spied the scales under her eyes but she had bigger things to worry about than what exactly her new companion was. “C-can you help me? I have to get out of here- where’s the nearest town?! I don’t have any supplies or..or anything! I’ve never been away from home!”

    More tears slid down her dirty face. She didn’t know why running away had been the first thing to her mind; perhaps simply because she knew she had to run before someone noticed her father was dead and in pieces on the floor of their modest living room. Her hands scrubbed at her eyes like a child though, shoulders shaking hard as she cried. It was so hard to wrap her mind around, she managed to say, “M...My name is Jack...w-who are you?” her gaze lifted to his face, that light charming smile did wonders to soothe her nerves and she tried to take a deep breath, letting it out in shaky gasps.

    In town the old seamstress was holding her broom across herself, shuffling back up to the door she pressed her ear against it. There was no yelling now, no vicious snarls or cries for mercy. She grabbed the handle and turned it- but doubled over and vomited when she saw what lay just inside. His body had been eviscerated, insides strewn around in an almost festive manner. His throat had been torn out, as had one of his eyes, his lower jaw removed and most of the flesh on his torse arms and legs appeared to have been torn away by teeth. Her eyes rolled back and she fell over, broom thumping beside her in a terrified faint.
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    Illid
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    Such frazzled worry was to be expected and it only served as more fuel for Illid's fantastic mood. Not that Jack would be able to tell he was in such high spirits, he was too self-aware to let something like his own sadistic glee drive away a potential gold mine of anguish. His face was a mask of empathetic concern as he listened with rapt attention to each one of her stuttered concerns, from the initial proclamation of why she was covered in blood and in the forest to her request for aid in such a situation. Of course he would help, Illid liked to think himself a very helpful person.

    "That's quite an ordeal you've had to go through..." He walked closer as he spoke, brows furrowed while he studied Jack's blood covered form. "It seems as if you rolled around with your father's corpse if you found him dead, or did you witness his death?" His head tilted ever so slightly in inquiry as he continued, "But of course I would be more than happy to help you get somewhere safe...I'm well traveled myself."

    The last of the demon's words were accompanied by that soothing smile again, not overly happy but a sort of weak offer from anyone who might be offering assistance to someone in such a dire situation. For the moment he was admittedly not sure where he'd take the girl as he didn't exactly have a permanent place of residence but it wouldn't be too difficult to figure something out. His thoughts were drawn from such practical questions and back to the present then as Jack spoke again, this time requesting a name.

    "Jack, that's a nice name for a little boy." Illid replied innocently, playing ignorant to Jack's true gender in favor of what was undoubtedly a sore spot. It would be for any girl as short and boyish looking as this one. "You can call me Illid."

    It was the first time in a while that he'd made an agreeable introduction with someone. Her tears were not directed towards him, and while he hadn't exactly helped the situation he hadn't cause it either. Wordlessly he crouched down then as if to get a closer look at Jack and check for any wounds. Even a quick glance, however, could deduce that this amount of blood was probably not her own given that she was still conscious.

    "Was your father...a nice person?" The demon asked suddenly, serpentine eyes locked with the puffy reddened ones of the distraught girl, "Sometimes...it's okay for people to die."

    That said Illid held out his hand to Jack, fingers splayed and palm upward in a gesture of trust. "Either way, I'm not particularly concerned with what happened or how your father died. Let's run away from this place, hm? Certainly your day can only improve after the morning you have had."

    In his own way Illid was being kind, even if it was ultimately for his own gain. The snake demon didn't really have anything against niceness, it just seemed terribly frivolous when there was no greater reason behind it. And he always had a reason.
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    “I am NOT a little boy!” Despite tears and fear and the ocean of guilt she was drowning in, she found it in herself to correct his assumptions as to her gender. “I-I’m a girl! And I’m fifteen!” Her hands were idly searching for something to do, pulling at her bloody clothes and scratching a bit at her arms. Her eyes were still brimming with tears but she seemed reluctant to let any more spill down her filthy cheeks.

    Her face turned away, her legs were shaking. Hell, all of her was shaking, the blood in her hair making it stick up in spikes that jutted out every which way. His name was rather exotic, but she didn’t test it on her tongue or offer him any more of a ‘how do you do’ than she already had. Her mind was still far away, thoughts lingering in the front room with her father’s eviscerated corpse. The blood that drenched her form was no longer warm and sticky, the water from the well was making her clothes stick to her gaunt form.

    Her hand was small but rough from all the work she’d attempted in her brief lifetime, and she placed it in Illid’s while hauling herself up with only slight reluctance. “You...you really believe that? If someone is mean or bad they should die?” She had always been told death was unfortunate no matter who it befell, but this newcomers mindset made much more sense to the lycanthrope.

    She was scared, there was no denying it. She looked back towards town, able to make out the small establishments between the trunks of the trees. Maybe they would understand, right? What if someone there could help? She looked back at Illid and she knew she was fibbing to herself. She just nodded then, biting her lip so hard it bled a little, “B-but where will we go? Where w-will I live? I don’t have any money...”
    Edited by Jack Tvastar, Nov 19 2011, 11:51 PM.
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    Illid
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    Any sort of insistence of a different gender was pretty much ignored as Illid found it too amusing to keep assuming Jack was a boy. Boy's name, boy's body (for the most part), so why not? Such things aside, their meeting was going quite well. His fingers closed around her hand as it was placed in his own and he enjoyed the callouses that had hardened her skin. The pad of his thumb gently caressed the back of the girl's knuckles in a soothing gesture to help calm the still frayed nerves that no doubt only mend with time.

    "I believe that sometimes there are people this world is just better without. Why not?" His eyes searched her expression as she considered the concept, trying to decide just how she felt about. That was another possibility in this little venture. Such a young girl surely didn't have a very clear idea of right and wrong. By her reactions to what had happened it was clear she had been taught that death was 'bad' and blood was upsetting, but from what he had observed Illid was guessing these concepts were shallow. His reasoning, she was easily willing to consider his notion that murder was in some cases justified. In his experience such a concept was simply reprehensible to those with supposedly high moral values that had been well instilled throughout a consistent upbringing. Given that this girl had murdered her only parent he doubted her childhood was filled with hugs and little whispers of 'i love you'.

    "Ah, but we shouldn't waste any more time here..." His grasp on her hand tightened just a little to help Jack up with him when he stood. "Money isn't an issue for the moment. And unfortunately we can't just waltz into an inn at some other town with you covered in blood and expect everyone to be okay with that. So for now... we should get to a river or a pond where you can clean up. You can borrow some of my clothes for now."

    Illid was rather proud of himself. Here he had a kid clearly in trouble, crying and lost without a soul in the world who cared about her, and he'd swooped in and offered a solution to all her problems. He really didn't understand how anyone could think he was a bad guy when he went and did such nice things. Just because his ultimate goal was to skew her perception of the world and break down her concept of right and wrong didn't mean he was evil. Right? Right.

    "I'm sure you know of something like that near by. Lead the way?"
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    "I believe that sometimes there are people this world is just better without. Why not?"

    His words were bone chilling but oddly liberating all at the same time. According to his logic her actions were totally justified, whether she had been aware of them or not. Thus, her guilt was unwarranted. In some sick way a weight was lifted, the lump in her throat lessening in size at every breath. His eyes were scrutinizing her again, and she looked down at her blood-stained clothes. She wished she could go back and change, but instead, she nodded and started to trudge off into the forest.

    She dragged her feet, stumbling a bit as her toe caught on a rock. Jack was quite clumsy, after all, and since their pathway through the wilds no one would expect any different. “So..have you ever uhm...ever killed someone?” She asked, glancing back and bumping her shoulder into a tree.

    Illid would hear the sound of rushing water in a matter of moments and, a few minutes after that they approached a delicate little creek. The water was crystalline, shallow and clear, with large fish appearing every so often to swim lazy circles and feed on unfortunate bugs at the surface.

    She staggered into the water and dropped to her knees. Cupping her hands, she dipped them below the surface and then lifted them up to drench her face yet again, a bit more successful this time as she was more calm. She still scrubbed at her features, peering down at her reflection to see if she’d got all the blood off.

    Her drenched clothing clung to her narrow physique, but no amount of water would wash the bloody images from her mind. Despite Illid’s comforting words she could hardly imagine that what she had done had been warranted, though for some sick reason she wondered if he’d died before or after being emptied of insides.

    She seemed to be lost in thought, sitting on her knees in the peaceful surroundings, the current doing its best to cleanse her form of the bodily fluids. Finally though, she stood and moved over, shivering a bit in the cold she “C-can I have the clothes now, please?” regardless of his answer, she pressed up, “Where w-will we go?”
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    Illid
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    As they walked Illid idly looked around at the trees and kept an ear out for any sounds that were not natural to their surroundings. It seemed to him that there wasn't much chance of someone from Jack's village trying to hunt down whoever did such a thing to the blacksmith. From what he'd seen he wasn't a very likable man, and even if he was he doubted such a small dwelling had enough manpower or organization to launch a witch hunt. His new traveling companion seemed to believe they were on the run though so he wouldn't rule out the possibility no matter how unlikely he deemed it.

    The sound of running water jarred the demon from his thoughts and his gaze dropped to the narrow river. It would serve their purposes at the very least. However as Jack clumsily waded into the water with all her clothes on Illid couldn't help but chuckle. He'd assumed she would disrobe before bathing, that was usually how it worked right? But he supposed this was just as good. Humans tended to be finicky about who saw their unclothed bodies so this girl was probably of the same mindset. Illid also couldn't help but take note of the girl's physique when her clothes were soaked. Gaunt, undefined form. Really he wasn't sure how she could ever criticize him for calling her a boy. Aside from external parts and societal conceptions it wasn't like there was much difference, right?

    "Sure." Illid had taken to leaning back against a tree as he waited for Jack to finish but he straightened up when she approached to request clothes. The pack was slipped off his shoulder and he crouched down to paw through its contents. Chimer took this opportunity to slither up his master's arm and wrap around it, tired of being jostled around. As Illid searched for clothes the serpent rose its head and sized up Jack with the expected silence of a snake, little black tongue occasionally flitting out to gather her scent. "Here you are."

    In the hand of his extended arm was a simple long sleeved blue shirt and a pair of brown slacks. He'd of course chosen his more shabby clothes that he wore on 'gray days'. He wasn't about to give up his more expensive fabrics for a bloody lycanthropic girl.

    "Have you ever been to Soto? I was just there and didn't finish exploring. You might enjoy it." He suggested with a kind smile.
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    Jack accepted the clothes, looking at the dyed fabric with slight awe. Her father had been the cheapest man she’d ever met, hence the poor quality of her current drenched and stained garments. Still she looked at the items, then Illid, “You have to turn around.” she insisted. Rather than modest, she was just ashamed of how she looked- hell, if she’d had a lovely body she would probably run naked through the streets for all to see.

    She turned her back to him as well, peeling her shirt off and pulling on the new blue one. She pushed the sleeves up above her elbows, looking down at the blue fabric and the brown slacks, tucking the ends into her grubby boots and looking back at Illid while she changed, partially to make sure he wasn’t watching and partially to ask, “S-so what are you?...what am I?”

    It was just too life-changing to wrap her head around, everything was happening so fast... She used her old shirt to dry her hair a bit before she tossed it to the roots of a tree and looked over, “Ah, I’ve never been anywhere, Illid...” She answered his question, then looked around, uncertainty in her eyes. The clothing felt nice though, a far change from ugly garments she’d been wearing before.

    “What do you do for a living?” She hoped it was a trade she could learn, and not anything complicated like a spell-caster or a magician. Her whole life she’d wanted to be a bard- maybe she’d get the chance to try her hand at it now! The optimistic thoughts did wonders to brighten her spirits and she actually managed a weak smile. “How far away is Soto? Which direction?”

    She wanted to get away from this horrible place, not so much for the danger but for the unfortunate memories that clung to her mind still, plaguing her thoughts even when they chanced onto such happy subjects. Back in the village more people had stumbled upon the crime scene by now, though while the old hag was out cold the towns people could only assume Jack had been swallowed up by the same monster that had eaten only pieces of her father.
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    Illid
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    As expected the girl had the usual modesty associated with naked humans. Illid didn't really want to turn around as it involved far too much effort for such an unimportant task, so he raised his hand to cover his eyes instead. His fingers were lined up tight together to not allow a single beam of light between them, thus it should satisfy Jack as a suitable barrier between her nudity and Illid's gaze. Of course this lasted until she turned around after which the digits promptly spread and he gave the youth a curious once over. Honestly he didn't understand what was worth covering up, it was a body and a rather scrawny one at that. He wondered if she ate enough. Or maybe if her bust line was bigger he'd be less inclined to insist she was a boy. Despite the overall mediocrity of Jack's physique there was something that caught the demon's serpent eyes, a feature that had been overshadowed by the bloodstains before they were washed from the girl's body. He swiftly closed his fingers as she began to look back so his little inspection wouldn't be caught.

    Once Jack was fully clothed he lowered his hand and folded his arms across his chest. Chimer responded to the change in position by sliding further up to drape lazily around his shoulders. Her first question caused him to chuckle a bit and he couldn't help but ponder the array of philosophical responses he could give. Indeed what am I, what are you, what are we? Just tiny specks in a world that continuously spins and spins...but that was far too pretentious a reply even for him. Did people really talk like that? He shuddered to think.

    "Not quite sure what I am. A snake of some sorts, that's apparent. Sad to say I didn't really have parents around to explain that sort of thing to me and I haven't the interest enough to go looking for answers." Oh well that sounded quite sympathetic. Whether it was the truth or not was entirely up in the air but it certainly sounded honest, even a weak smile to accompany it. "As for you...well...tell me Jack, why would you ask that? Unless you're not telling me something..." He walked closer then, looking down at her. "Who did you say killed your father?"

    For a moment Illid let the silence of the moment hang in the air, before got around to answering her other questions.

    "I'm a street performer of sorts. Acrobatics and the like. That's why I jumped out of a tree when we first met." A slight chuckle accompanied these words, much lighter than his last ominous words. "Soto is the region to the west of here, it'll be a trek but nothing terrible..." As his words trailed off the young male reached out and gently slid back the sleeve of Jack's over-sized shirt, wanting a closer look at what earlier had drawn his gaze. His finger tips traced the myriad of scars over Jack's arm, no doubt from years of toiling at a trade that carried many bodily risks.

    "I like these." He informed her, probably the most honest thing he'd said all day.
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    “You didn’t have parents??” Jack’s expression was so sorrowful, eyes a bit widened, and she said as if to sympathize, “I killed my mom by accident being born so...all I had left was my father...” Her eyes travelled back down to the dirt at her feet. They lifted, though, when Chimer adjusted his position and she stared a little, head tilting as she eyed him. She wasn’t very good at identifying animals- was that a poisonous snake or one of those constricting ones? Her eyes narrowed, trying to decide, but they widened and Illid’s next question.

    “I-I don’t know.” She said honestly, eyes full of confusion as she looked into his own. Her hand rose up, grasping at the huge poorly bandaged wolf-bite wound that rested under the blue shirt. She rubbed it a little, making it twinge. She could make a few guessed, but she didn’t want to believe herself capable of such an act. He hadn’t just been murdered, after all, parts of him had been eaten.

    Her gaze lifted a second time, however as the sleeve of his shirt was pushed up and she felt hands hands on her thin arms. She watched him touch the long meaningless scars and her face reddened a little. She wasn’t used to people touching her, and she was even less familiar with people not being disgusted by the state of her skin. “R-really? You like them?” She looked down, as if seeing her arms differently for the very first time. Still she glanced over at his own arms. She made a mental note that the first spare coin she had (assuming she ever had any) would be spent on a pair of gloves like the ones he wore.


    Her mind ventured back to what he’d said about being an acrobat. It was sort of a let down- she could never do anything remotely resembling acrobatics with her poor coordination and general lack of grace. Still, there was a glimmer of hope when he mentioned street performing and she pressed a bit, “What could I do?” She waited for him to start walking, fidgeting anxiously with the hem off the big blue shirt. She still had trouble believing her own good fortune at having been found by such a nice, caring man and not some psychopathic rapist.
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    Illid
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    Jack's shameful admission of murdering her own mother was quite intriguing to the snake demon. Such a belief could only exist after years of reinforcement, and certainly the girl wouldn't come to such a conclusion had someone not insisted upon it. That person was no doubt the father she had disemboweled less than an hour ago. If his calculations on the life Jack was used to living were accurate at all he deduced that she was insecure with both her body image and her own identity. This, he had found in his own experiences, wasn't something terribly uncommon amongst humans of such an age group but Jack's ego seemed particularly depleted by comparison. The lycanthropic transformations probably didn't help with that whole identity crisis much either.

    Their eyes met when Jack shakily replied to his baiting query regarding her father. Illid's narrowed ever so slightly at this response but he didn't dwell on it for too long. This was a process, and very soon he would come to show Jack that sometimes immoral acts were necessary. A means to a favorable end. As for her own concerns about the vore related aspects of her kill, Illid was hardly concerned. Humans were just as much meat as any other animal and thus fair game for more formidable predators. Jack may not have realized it yet be she fell into that fortunate category. Eventually that would be something she might even come to appreciate. That would certainly be an interesting twist in all this mess with tears and stuttered replies.

    "Yes." Illid let go of her arm as he drifted back from his own thoughts, agreeing that he did indeed enjoy the various blemishes splayed over the taut skin of her scrawny little arms. Flesh to him had always been rather boring so enjoyed some variation from time to time. Scales, scars, or what have you. Such a small girl receiving so many from whatever work she'd been forced into was also slightly impressive. Only slightly though.

    What could I do?

    Ah a good question indeed. Illid mulled this over, turning and twisting the inquiry within the various folds and dips of his brain. A thought quickly surfaced after all his consideration, lasting an entire 15 seconds or so.

    "Well, you could be my...advertisement. I do lots of different kinds of shows and you can just spread the word or something. You'll be helpful in someway or another." He assured.

    All comments and concerns set aside Illid shouldered his back pack and began to walk again. As he passed Jack he idly took her hand to guide her away from the creek and get her on the right path through the forest with him. They had a good distance to travel after all and there was no point in delaying it for more introspection.

    "Some snakes are big enough to eat humans." The comment came up out of nowhere but it was voiced in an idol tone, as if stating a fun fact. "They just swallow them whole."
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    Jack was torn between disbelief and flattered as he assured her that he did enjoy the long white and sometimes pinkish scars all up and down her thin arms, on the backs of her hands, across her fingers- everywhere. The forge had maimed her slowly over the years, bit by burning bit; the same way everyones constant disappointment had whittled her ego into the pathetic small thing it was now.

    When he withdrew she picked at the sleeves a bit but left them rolled above her elbow, showing all the little marks. It was odd, how it took only one comment from one person to make her realize she did hold a certain fondness for the marks. The way Illid had examined them had made the flaws seem special.

    She looked down a bit at her feet and the brown slacks. Everything was changing so fast, it was just hard to comprehend. Was this some sort of a macabre dream? Her eyes turned back to Illid as he described the task she would most likely be in charge of completing. She nodded her head a bit- it seemed simple enough, and as an added bonus it involved neither fire nor traveling alone in the woods. “Okay, I’ll do my best.” After all, her failure was more bad luck than lack of trying.

    Her eyes widened when he grasped her hand and lead her away through the wilds, looking back one last time at the silhouette of her home town between the trees. She turned her back on it then, watching Illid as they walked. Her head tilted at his statement though and she gasped, “Really? Could they swallow a grown man?”

    Her inquiry was oddly ironic given the murder scene they’d just left and she went on with her questions, “Is your snake going to get that bi-whaa!” True to form Jack had fallen over something, be it roots or her own two feet, and used Illid hand to keep from going ass over tea kettle down the path. “I’m so sorry!”

    She was flustered, but kept talking as if to cover up her unfortunate late of balance, “S-so uhm... you really meant what you said before right, about bad people dying? What if someone was really really mean, it wouldn’t be bad if someone killed them?” She was sort of fidgeting. “Is there like, a right way to kill someone like that, and a wrong way? Or is anything okay because they were bad?”
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    Illid
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    Her diligence wasn't particularly reassuring to him but Illid supposed it was better than complaining or reluctance. After all he hadn't planned on giving her some sort of job to do but his brief whim in manipulating this child had somehow transformed into a much more involved endeavor. If nothing else Jack would come out one of two ways after this little project; insane or sadistic. Illid opposed neither of these possibilities and was curious to see just where his journey with this girl would take him.

    "Certain ones, yes. Though maybe not an exceptionally tall man..." His words trailed off as he felt himself jerked downward when Jack tripped while still holding his hand. A few inelegant stumbles later he found his footing and looked around indignantly. Well they were in the forest it wasn't like a squirrel was going to start laughing at them. His gaze shifted down to the clumsy girl and he gave a light chuckle as he helped her up with the grip on her hand he had maintained. "It's fine, be more aware of your surroundings."

    So she had the coordination of a mole (an animal which he imagined would have terrible coordination were it blessed with opposable thumbs) but he supposed their were worse traits she could exhibit so he wouldn't complain about it. Instead he brushed off her flustered apologies and took more interest in the diversion in topic to cover up the embarrassing event. This line of questioning was welcome as it entailed certain values that he was working to ingrain into Jack's mind. She was young enough where this was still possible and the demon though having an opportunity to mold some of his own morals into a susceptible victim would be foolish to pass up.

    "Death is death. Those who talk about humane methods or mercy killings are just trying to rationalize their own actions because they feel guilty. If you're going to kill someone, do it the way you want to. The fact is that you're killing that person and you either believe it is wrong or it is right." Illid paused, thoughtful. "Especially if you're defending yourself...no one would ever question you for that."

    His response made Illid began to walk once more, wanting to continue their journey and hopefully make it to the next town before night fall. He really didn't want to sleep out in the cold.

    "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. There are some people that should just die."

    With that last chilling note Jack would suddenly seem to see the mutilated corpse of her father laying along the side of their path, but as soon as she blinked it was gone without a trace.
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    When Jack stumbled she sort of flailed her arms like an unfortunate bird, thankful for her grip on his hand though as it kept her up. Once up right and walking again she fiddled with the sleeves of the blue shirt, just enjoying how the smooth material felt, enamored with the color. It was childish but she couldn’t help it, even the man’s clothing seemed luxurious by comparison to what she had had before.

    Her eyes were fixed on the ground before her feet now, having nodded at his light scolding and determined not to make an ass of herself again in the first night she knew this mysterious snake like man. She squeezed his hand a little in her own, so work-worn. She glanced hesitantly over at him, feeling overwhelmed. “Giant animals like that are amazing. The wolf that got my shoulder was so big I though we was going to swallow me up, like in the stories.” She laughed weakly.

    When he went on she was silent, just listening intently while she breathed a bit hard. The sheer amount of emotionally taxing events had her feeling a bit exhausted, but she wouldn’t complain, rather, she kept walking at the same pace he did. His words made sense, at least somewhat, looking over a little at him again and being reward with a little trip. She didn’t go flailing though, or even come close, just lost the fluidity of her motion.

    “There are some... yea, I mean, like, people who hurt other people, right? But doesn’t that make you just as bad?” She looked confused, guilt bubbling up in her chest. Her eyes were those of someone who had just been liberated from bondage, staring around at a brand new world and trying to comprehend their own freedom. “How far is it to the next town?” She asked, neither hungry or thirsty, but aching. She assumed from the wolf attack, still, but in reality it was more likely due to the abrupt transformation she’d undergone.

    She let out a sigh, more like a growl, and she combed her short black hair back with her fingers. “Will you teach me how to be a performer too, maybe? At some point?” She looked hopeful, “I know I’m clumsy but I’d try hard...” There was something moving in the woods, out of their sight, but she didn’t even seem to notice, so busy walking along, eyes either on the ground or on her reptilian companion.

    When they moved back to the ground though, in her peripheral vision she caught sight of the mangle corpse. His throat torn open, one eye still dangling wantonly from a tendon and resting on his cheek. She jumped and stepped backwards, staring and blinking as, just as quickly, the image was gone, “D-did you just see...?”
    Edited by Jack Tvastar, Nov 21 2011, 06:02 PM.
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    Illid
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    For a while Jack's voice seemed distant as they walked. Illid's head had tilted back ever so slightly to look upwards. A tumultuous wind had suddenly manifested and leaves scattered across the darkening sky line, looking as if they were dancing with each other in an unending ballet. His black tongue flickered out from between his lips. The taste of rain was in the air, making it heavier. Given the time of year and the region he supposed he shouldn't be surprised at the potential weather that nature was clearly warning them of.

    "Wolf's would never swallow their prey whole though. They prefer tearing...then swallowing the bits they rip off." Illid commented idly on Jack's worries and her weak laughter. Though he had taken note of the comment given that it probably explained just how Jack had contracted lycanthropy he was clearly distracted by the ominous state of the skies above. "Don't worry about the kind of person you are. As long as you are okay with what you do it shouldn't matter what other people think. All that aside...we should pick up the pace."

    Now Illid wouldn't say he disliked the rain...but really he did. It was cold, wet, made his clothes soggy and sticky, and just generally unpleasant. Accompanied with high winds as what was no doubt the beginnings of a hurricane picked up it would be rather impeding to their journey.

    "Let's see I passed a village about two hours earlier, we've been walking a bit..." There was silence as the demon calculated the time into distance but didn't voice whatever he'd determined. Chimer had slid off his shoulders at this point and retreated to the shelter of Illid's pack. He was no idiot, he didn't want to get drenched if he could help it. Due to the serpentine male's own urgency he didn't choose to answer her question about tutelage in the art of performing and instead flashed a grin.

    "How do you feel about running for a bit? Hmm?" Came the sudden question. Before Jack had a chance to respond Illid let go of her hand and took off, boots questionably noiseless as he sprinted across the forest floor. He glanced back over his shoulder shortly though and called back to her.

    "Keep up and maybe you'll get a few lessons!" He challenged the girl, hoping that would be enough incentive to get those scrawny little legs moving.
    Edited by Illid, Nov 22 2011, 10:54 PM.
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    He made it seem so simple- wasn’t it all black and white? Good and Bad? Jack felt an intense confusion lingering after what the reptilian said. So what? She was just supposed to do whatever felt right to her? It was too abstract a concept for the androgynous lycanthrope to comprehend. At least, at the moment.

    She sniffed at the air a bit, smelling the certain heaviness it had gained. It was a refreshing scent- rain before it fell, a smell she had never before inhaled. Her eyes closed a bit, heaving a heavy sigh as he explained about a nearby town. She was exhausted, her transformation from before causing quite a bit of fatigue to her lacking body. She wasn’t exactly toned, after all, too emaciated. Her eyes wandered skyward again as they walked, waiting for a reply about her requested lessons.

    Instead she felt his hand slip from hers, speaking words that fell on the startled girl like gibberish. She stopped walking, head tilting before she took off at a run after him, tripping a bit on her own feet as they started out but doing her best to keep up even as she started to get a sharp pain in her side. Her breath was ragged in no time and she had to slow to a jog, “W-wait!” she called, holding her side as she struggled to regain the momentum she had started with, but it was no use.

    Still she struck on, however weak her little body was she was definitely determined. Half double over, she could see the little establishment up ahead and pushed a bit father. If she could just make it there- She slumped against the fence that surrounded the small establishment, gasping and wheezing for breath as she looked up at her Snake-ish companion, a weak smile on her face as she panted. “D-did I earn those lessons?” She had her doubts but she was definitely hopeful.

    “Oi! Traveler! You lookin for a place to wait the rain?” A man hollered over to them just as the first drops began to fall, cooling Jack’s hot skin. He was leaning out of what appeared to be a small tavern, small at least, in comparison to those in larger cities. ‘The Huntersman’ was just as pint size as the village it was located in, just a cluster of mis matched stools around a bar. Jack looked over at Illid and asked uncertainly, “Should we go in?” It was painfully obvious she wasn’t a very independent soul.
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    Illid
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    Unlike Jack, Illid was fully rested from the night before and particularly agile due to his build and cardiovascular health. As a result it wasn't long before he mercifully slowed his sprint to a jog so should at least keep him in sight as she stumbled along breathlessly. The sight was more than a little hilarious to the demon who'd easily taken a lead but it became much less so when those first drops of rain began to fall atop his head. Fortunately by that point they'd reached the edges of a woefully small settlement and an eager tavern owner was waving them over. Reptilian eyes were cast down to the doubled over, panting girl that had just barely made it to stand beside him. He'd already caught his breath by the time she closed the gap of distance that had formed between them.

    "Well the effort is at least worth a few helpful pointers." Illid chuckled a bit and took Jack's hand. This action wasn't because he was particularly fond of her just yet or overly friendly. Instead it was prompted by how utterly dependent she had so far seemed on his guidance and questionable advice. He supposed since he was the first to find her and show her what she might perceive as kindness she'd be more inclined to rely on him, but the complete lack of initiative in anything was a bit curious. It was raining, she certainly didn't need to ask if it was a good idea to get inside and escape said rain.

    "Yes, I personally think it would be a good idea to not get drenched. Hopefully you agree." Illid teased as he lead her inside, moving past the tavern owner with an all too sincere smile of gratitude plastered on his features. Once within the warm confines of the establishment he sighed and reached up to tousle the strands of his hair, shaking the water out of it.

    "I don't suppose there's an inn in this town, or that you have rooms for rent here?" He asked the man, but had little expectations in a favorable response.

    Outside the rain had picked up, droplets large and heavy as they mercilessly beat down on the shingles of the tavern's roof, soon clinking against the window glass as the wind picked up and the trajectory of the droplets shifted to diagonal. Much to Illid's displeasure a hurricane had decided to settle in for the night, and unless he suddenly developed a fondness for stumbling around cold and wet in the dark of night they wouldn't be leaving any time soon.
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    Jack smiled weakly as she did her best to stand up straight only to flinch and double over again, holding her side again. It took her a bit to catch her breathe, looking up at him and squeezing his hand a bit when it slid back into hers. She was practically helpless, the first cold raindrops making clean lines on her dirty face while she followed him in from the growing downpour, sitting on a stool and looking around at the cramped establishment, deer antlers hung above the bar, beside a shelf full of bottles. She wanted to try some of the contents in those bottles but couldn’t bare to speak up.

    Her face was still a bit red from being teased, but she smiled sheepishly. It wasn’t a matter of not having the sense to get out of the rain, rather, an uncertainty on if it was right to wander into a bar to avoid a growing storm. “I do agree I just... wasn’t sure what you wanted...” She murmured, looking down at her black boots, heavy. They had done her no favors in their little race.

    The tavern owner chortled a bit as thunder rolled over head, lightening splitting the sky an lighting up the windows while the wind began to pick up even more. He moved behind the bar and leaned on the counter, scratched at her red beard. He was a large man with broad shoulders and freckles spattered across his sun-tanned face. “I have a room for rent upstairs, but just the one, and only one bed but it’s big’un. Will it do?” He turned and picked up two tankards, back to Illid he asked, “Could you use something to wet your whistle also? What are two strapping young boys doing out in weather like-”

    “I am NOT a boy!” It was probably the most spirit Illid had seen in the girl since their brief meeting, mind no longer crippled from trauma, a bit numb to all emotions with the exception of that one insult that always boiled her blood. “Ah sorry miss I...bad eye sight...” The man tried to explain but Jack was looking down at the floor with the muscles of her face still tense, grinding her teeth.
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    Illid
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    The news of a room for rent was a pleasant surprise and Illid was all too willing to fork over the coin for it. Despite being a traveler he was admittedly spoiled and enjoyed having a bed beneath him and a roof over his head at night when he slept. He wasn't about turn down the offer of the drink either as a glass of some good alcohol would warm him up even faster, and he just loved that tingling glow of heat that spread from one's chest after a long swig of brandy. Before he could respond to any of this it seemed the man had made a technical error in his speech and mistaken Jack for a boy. Not something that particularly surprised Illid but instead brought a smirk to his features as he listened to the adamant response from the young girl that she was, in fact, not of the male persuasion.

    "Don't mind him, he gets cranky from rain. We'll take the room and the drink." Illid replied, teasing Jack in the same breath he had requested the services the tavern had to offer.

    His pack was shifted to his front and out of it retrieved the little pouch filled with coins he could use to pay for their shelter. The situation with the bed was really of little concern to him as he felt little threat sleeping next to the whelp of a girl he'd dragged all the way here. As he did this Chimer slithered out of the bag and made his way up Illid's arm and onto his shoulders, scanning the tavern. His orange eyes landed on Jack finally and he suddenly used the close proximity of Illid's body to the girl's to make his way from one body to the next, comfortable situating himself about the bony shoulders. Meanwhile the reptilian demon had inquired as to the price and paid the man before shouldering his pack and taking a seat at the bar, not seeming to mind that Chimer had jumped ship, so to speak.

    "Take a seat, I'll but you a drink before we turn in." He offered ever so graciously, or so he liked to fancy. Whether or not the girl had received alcohol before, he didn't know, but he had no plans to get obnoxiously drunk anyway so it wasn't much of a concern. Regardless of whether she sat or not Illid looked to the bartender and placed their order for two glasses of brandy, with ice.
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    “Tch...” Jack made fists and bit his lip as Illid mocked her, looking away face reddening. She was used to a lot of insults by mistaking her gender had always been a sore spot. Perhaps, now that she was away from her tyrant of a father she could grow out her hair and buy clothes more suiting a fifteen year old female. Not that it would matter much- she could dress however she wanted but her body would aways be sickly thin and scarred.

    The owner seemed all too eager to accept the coin and pass over the key yo Illid before he leaned back with a huff, hitting the wall and making all the bottles shake and clink, dropping down a bit to take two clean glasses form under the bar and set them down with a thunk in front of the unusual patrons. Jack was distracted however by Chimer, the serpent’s body on her shoulders making her tense at first and then relax. “Hello wittle snake.” She told the reptile under his breath.

    She blinked though when Illid called her and she sat down, excitement filling her face at the prospect of the previously forbidden drink. “Is brandy good?” She asked Illid, a hand reaching up, carefully touching Chimers body in a light pet. The bartender eyed the serpent as he tossed cubes of ice into the cups and filled them half-way with Brandy, asking, “Things not poisonous, right?” He meant the snake on Jack’s shoulders.

    Jack took the first sip of the drink and shuddered a bit before she took another deep gulp and another, draining the glass and setting it down, shuddering a bit as the wramth spread from her chest, that pleasant burn lingering in her throat and she asked hopefully, “Can I have more, please?”

    “Sure sir-ma’m-miss!” The tavern owner stumbled over the proper title but merely tilted the bottle again to fill her glass up half way once more. Outside, the rain pounded the windows and thunder cracked again just as Jack shuddered and set down her glass again, empty once more and looked up at the stairs. She wanted to go take her boots off but she didn’t want to say so, waiting for Illid to direct her as her hand lifted again to pet Chimer again.

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    Illid
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    the eagerness in which Jack too her seat lead Illid to believe she had not before had alcohol. Children tended to be excited when they got to have something they previously couldn't for the first time, so it wasn't a stretch to assume as such. He sipped his own drink contently, not taking as fast as his new companion who was all too willing to down her glass in one go. Fortunately for her this was not straight up Brandy, which was rather strong and tasted like similar to whiskey, instead it was a blackberry flavored kind. Illid had been initially surprised the little tavern even carried it but upon further inspection of the alcohol stock behind the bar it seemed the man had quite the collection. The bartender was either a connoisseur of different liquors or just a drunk with high standards. As he heard the question about Chimer Illid just shrugged.

    "Technically, I suppose. But he's never really bitten anyone. I wouldn't worry for the moment." The demon trailed off before he turned his gaze to the girl next to him. "Do you know much about drinking, or alcohol at all?" Illid asked Jack in amusement as he drank a bit more of his own brandy, enjoying the sweetness that came with the warmth within his chest. Technically this alcohol would make him colder in the long run, since it restricted the blood vessels, but he didn't much care about that. The taste was good and it felt nice going down. Immediate gratification and the like.

    Chimer had leaned into Jack's touch when he was pet, lowering his head a little to flick his tongue out against her cheek. His body slowly swerved, moving side to side as he sized up the girl whose shoulder's he had chosen to rest upon for the next hour or so.

    "By the way..." Illid spoke idly, turning the glass in his hand and watching its contents slowly spiral round the edges. "What was the last thing you said to your father, before he died? That sort of thing is important, you know."

    For any progress to be done in Jack's case she had to first come terms with what she was and the act which she had committed. Embracing it was the ultimate goal but simple recognition would be a good first step. Considering they were trapped indoors for the evening and duration of the night it seemed as good a time as any to pry open the girl's brain and pick out the good parts. Mm, mental dissection was such a fun way to spend a rainy night.
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    Jack Tvastar
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    If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

    “No, I wasn’t allowed to drink before.” Jack informed Illid, licking the last drops of the beverage from her lips and staring forlornly at the lonely ice cube inside the glass. She didn’t feel any different, which surprised her, but of course she didn’t know that it took a short while for the brandy to take effect, hindering her already lacking motor skills and loosening her tongue. “Does it always taste so good- can I have some more?”

    The owner of the small establishment looked amused but waited for Illid to give consent this time. He didn’t want to fill her cup, after all, if her companion told her she could no longer partake in the consumption. His eyebrow was raised as he looked between the two, trying to figure out why two such polar opposites would be traveling companions. Were they half siblings? Lovers? Some dynamic crime fighting duo? He couldn’t fathom any of those to be true, so he just got himself a bottle of wine, uncorking it and drinking straight from the bottle.

    Jack had been temporarily distracted both by the snake investigating her and the sudden fuzziness that had followed the initial warmth. As Chime swayed she just smiled, gently using her pointer finger to pet the top of his head she told the little reptile, “You’re a good wittle snakey, huh? You wouldn’t bite me.”

    His question froze the blood in her veins and she looked down a bit, scratching at the top of the bar. She felt a little sick now but she couldn’t tell if it was the subject matter or how fast she had drank the brandy that made her stomach do flip flops and her palms sweat a bit.

    “I don’t remember.” She lied at first, looking over at Illid with a pained expression, eyebrows furrowed and then her gray eyes trailed down at her previously blood-covered boots. The bruise on her face ached, and her hand lifted to touch it as she finally came clean, “I told him...well... to stop hitting me.” Thunder rolled outside and it caused Jack to shiver and sway on her stool, “I dun wanna say more with people around...”

    A sudden look of sad emptiness had crossed her face, a hand reaching up, ruffling her own hair a bit and she brought the hand down drumming her fingers in a clumsy rhythm on the bar while the tavernkeeper finally said, “Did you father die?” He looked so sad, empathizing with her plight but Jack seemed oddly opposed to such pity, “I don’t want to talk about him.” her face had gotten a little more pale.
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