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| Topic Started: May 1 2014, 06:38 PM (410 Views) | |
| Bast | May 1 2014, 06:38 PM Post #1 |
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'He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.../And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up, for ever and ever;'
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"Little bitch!" Already overbalanced the blow threw her to the ground as casually as a child discards a wooden doll, clattering on the packed earth, stones digging into her palms and drawing lines of fire in her skin. Her head rang with a dull roar only outmatched by the flames crackling skyward from the inn behind them, a startling backdrop to the scuffle. The woman spat a little blood, sizzling as it hit the ground, probing her teeth with her tongue to check that nothing was loose. Her cheek already felt half swollen when the feet swam into her view once more. And not just that of the innkeeper and his studded cudgel either, but the other guests, gathered around jeering and cursing. The fact it wasn't her was irrelevant. - The black goat with seven eyes is outside. He is watching. He is waiting. Haunted in darkness, the sobbing cries of carrion birds doggedly tailing her in and out of the black silhouettes of scraggly and singularly twisted trees, clawing at the naked empty sky for a relief that would never come. Squat houses and hard castles huddled beneath the trees, windows gaping like dead eye sockets while drowned whispers gurgled invitingly. The rook that watched from above, nothing moving, living, in his shadow. She'd started awake, drenched in her own warm sweat, stinging and sticking the coverlet to her bronze skin. It wasn't the terror welling in her chest but the itch in her fingers that had done it, pushing her to scrabble madly for the puzzle box. Instead she'd pulled her clothes on, pausing when the snap of wood, the kinship heat of fire had alerted her to the danger. "Fire!" She'd shrieked their feared word, her worshiped word, pounding up and down the single hall and hammering on the doors, rousing and forcing them from their beds. The innkeep didn't give a damn if one of them died of course, he was more worried for his own family, and the building. It always looked bad if someone died under your roof, their spirit trapped and possibly vengeful. That wouldn't matter if there was no building left to speak of though. They gathered outside to watch it burn, clutching what small possessions they had and blanching each time a wash of heat hit them, gathering in intensity until they had to turn their faces from it. It had only been on leaving that the roof had begun to collapse in on itself, the crackling flames devouring the supporting timbers and sending up a great rush of sparks like so many fireflies. The fire wouldn't hurt her, but the falling debris was another matter, as she'd found out first hand. The scream of distress came from the back room that was the kitchen, behind the bar, the doorway sagging alarmingly as the flames chewed at it, running in bright trails across the floor. "Imri!" Bast didn't know who this Imri was, and didn't much care past her conscience nagging. A woman made to dive back inside when a choking cloud of embers coughed from the door and she fell back sobbing, the scorching heat far too much for her frail human skin. The elemental hesitated, dropping her pack beside the water trough, eyes dragged away from the flames attempting to spread to the next building. Bells were ringing somewhere, the call going up for a bucket chain no doubt. She squeezed her dark eyes shut, the reflected firelight winking out, then back again when they opened, the plaintive shriek desperate, needy. Feckin eedjets. Snatching up her cloak, she doused it in the trough, gasping at the terrible cold eating at her flesh and making it smoke, stripping skin away and leaving the magma beneath exposed to the night air. It wouldn't last for long, and she knew she had to be quick. Holding the dripping garment at arms length to prevent it damaging her more than necessary, she ascended the wooden stairs, ducking into the building while cries of dismay followed her. The roof's collapse had blocked most of the door, the wall having given up as well made for a serviceable entrance and the fire elemental quickly scaled the burning wreckage, cloak flapping damply over her arm. "Kid?" She saw the problem immediately, the shelf that had been a floor-to-ceiling affair having tipped away from the crumbling wall and dumped its contents onto the unfortunate pot-boy dozing by the hearth. She stooped, digging through the heavy iron pots and pans to free the bottom, then braced her back against the unit and heaved as hard as she dared, feet slipping on the tiled floor. After a moment it eased upwards, her limbs trembling with the effort of holding the wood suspended, and the boy dragged his leg free of it. Bast released it with an explosive grunt and pitched forward onto her hands and knees, then tossed the cloak at him. "Put it aroond yeh." Her gaze followed his, looking to her ravaged arms and she scowled, unable to hide them at all. Her clothes were currently on fire and there wasn't much left of them at that. "Put it on, it'll protect yeh!" Well somewhat. Truly, the dampness would keep it from catching, and there wasn't time to dally. She scrambled back up the broken wall, holding out a hand for him as he followed suit, then grabbed the hood and yanked on it, half dragging him the rest of the way up. Better not touch him. It was easier getting down, and hustling him towards the door, keeping low to stay out of the smoke. He didn't need telling twice, and she shoved him none too gently as a beam dislodged itself, hurtling down towards them, only to stop halfway, cracking her shoulder and driving another fiery rent in her flesh. - Bast levered herself upright, feeling the split lip, the swelling cheek and the black eye she'd doubtlessly achieve for it. She couldn't blame them, it wasn't hard to draw an easy line from building-on-fire to -woman-made-of-fire. Despite the fact that she'd gone back in where she could have left the kid to roast. "What have you done to my dos damned inn?! You've ruined me! My family will starve!" "I didnae-" The kick sent a terrible spike of pain through her guts, driving the air from her with a whine like a whipped cur, and the strength went out of her arms, pitching her on her face again. "Creatures like you don't belong here!" She hissed, the only sound to escape her mouth, like a kettle left too long on the stove. She couldn't get enough air for anything else, her lungs painfully dragging again and again and tasting ash, wood and stale earth, blood and fear, soot and rage. Any second she told herself she could ignite, erase them all forever like their precious building, shells of bone and husks of charred flesh. But she wouldn't....she wouldn't... Another kick, and another, some from multiple feet, and a woman's voice shrieking for it to stop. A stone hit her shoulder, thrown from somewhere, and the elemental curled in on herself, tucking her head into her chest, as if a fetal position would make everything vanish. It didn't, and the blows continued to come, her blazing arms clutching protectively at her head, breath wheezing laboriously. "Little whore!" "Monster!" |
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| The Arc Runner | May 1 2014, 11:04 PM Post #2 |
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"How about hero? Or savior,or a generally good person." Said the muffled voice of a young man standing a bit out of the way from the updraft of the roaring fire. A vocal crunch could be heard as he removed his scarf from his mouth and took a bite from an apple he held as he scoped the situation. In all honesty he had only arrived a little while ago but he did see what the woman had done. Not many people would go so far as to pull someone out of a burning building, especially if they were the one that caused it. "I mean sure you could call her all those mean words, but that would just be suicide." Mind you not normal suicide, that involves one offing themselves, but there were other kind of suicide. Such example span from if you were to ask for a short in a dwarf bar or questioning if rock elementals had rocks in their brains. Not many people realized how common suicide actually was. He walked in between the elemental and her assailants, closed his eyes and smiled back at the man. "This girl saved a kids life, and all you care about is a building? I have to say that is awfully cold of you." It suddenly dawned on the people watching that the smile that Vul Shok emanated was not one of kindness but one of bottled rage. He didn't like violence but something that he could not stand from the bottom of his stomach, was when people judge other based on their appearance rather than their actions. Actions that were contrary to the statements this jackass was saying. As he opened his eyes a few people would notice that his once yellow eyes were not a pale grey making his smile all the more ominous. Edited by The Arc Runner, May 2 2014, 01:33 AM.
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| Bast | May 2 2014, 03:39 PM Post #3 |
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'He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.../And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up, for ever and ever;'
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The crowd was a beast all by itself, but a beast made of many beasts, the united awareness gradually shifting to the stranger who had been a part of it, and yet not. It would have growled, had it a throat, the unsettled mutters and disquiet rippling through it much as water ripples slowly, building to crushing waves after the submarine shockwave that sends the land beneath it bucking and heaving. Bast coughed, dragging their attention back for the tiniest second, until the disgruntled innkeeper hefted his stout club, turning to look at the lad. "Eh?" Faces turned, dark and light alike, malevolent in the dancing flames, brooding, eyes like gimlets glittering with the built up rage and hunting for an outlet. The volunteer seemed as good a target as any. The woman lifted her blazing forearms from her face, one eye threatening to swell shut as she glimpsed him coming between them. Fool...ye'll just get yerself killed an a'. Maybe she shouldn't have stopped to help them, but when nobody else had that single key advantage that she held in her possession, namely, the fire could not touch her, it seemed wrong to just walk away. And if she hadn't? If she was just like them, would she have stayed and watched, or walked away? She doubted very much her soul was pure enough to warrant throwing herself in there all over again even if she hadn't been fireproof. "Suicide is it? Looks to me like it's us against one monster. That pot-boy ain't worth the cost of an inn on the slave block!" There were mutters of agreement swelling about him at his words, and emboldened he leveled a finger at the hunched woman, hardly daring to breathe where she lay behind Vul Shok. "These people are out of a place to sleep for the night! My family are out of our livelihoods because o' her!" Heads shook, someone threw a stone, smacking off the packed earth by her head and making her flinch back as it skittered into the night. He had balls, she had to give him that, coming between the mob and the prey, and she was thankful too, not just for the bravery but the time he bought her. Bast rolled to her feet and hunched in a crouch, wild eyed with fear. She caught her tongue between her teeth to stop herself from shouting back at them, damping down her anger, the twinge, ache and pulsing rhythm of pain thrumming through her body from every impact. Combusting right now would be a very bad idea. They were already incited with the building going up in smoke...literally. Too bad bravery usually got you killed. She could just change her matrix, but couldn't say the same for the man defending her, and felt ore than a little guilty. Not that it was her choice, she hadn't made him step up, that was all him, but now he had she felt like she owed him...something. "You saw her run in there, not even burned!" "She's a witch!" "A demon! I saw her dancing in the fire myself!" "It's not natural! Nobody glows like that!" Well the last one had been right at least. She held her damaged arms out before her, marveling at the play of light they emanated, the skin around her elbows still clinging to it like seared leather. It was rather disgusting actually. She'd have to do something about it, when she got a moment. "Hey, you, laddie." She reached out, tugged on the fabric of his pants bunching behind the knee. "I'm real grateful an' all guy, but there's a lot o' them, and only two o' us." She licked her lips nervously, her eyes smoldering as banked coals did, darting this way and that. "If ye run now, ye might get oot alive, ye ken?" "Out of the way boy, you stand in the way of that thing and you're standing in the way of justice! Fire demons cause only destruction, everyone knows that!" Rather indignantly she rose to her feet, hands on her ample hips and sneered; "I'm nae demon ye gurt big twat! And I didnae burn doon yer hoose neither!" Another stone struck her knee and she hopped, biting off a shriek behind her lips and shoving the man in the small of his back. "Go on, get!" The swing of a barrel stave caught her across the buttocks, making her gasp with the blow, though the second overhand one met only air as her body shrank quite suddenly leaving behind a stream of golden motes that chased her up his back as she clawed her way to his shoulder. She'd just have to come back for her pack, no life was worth losing over material goods, not even the puzzle box, though she had a feeling that it would keep returning no matter how she tried to get rid of it. "Run, laddie!" She hissed by his ear, her feline tail swishing from side to side in agitation, bronze fur standing on end as she yowled as only a cat could. |
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| The Arc Runner | May 3 2014, 12:52 PM Post #4 |
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Demon? Witch? Man these guys really -were- out in the sticks. It seemed that no one here had ever even thought to ask where the horns were if she was a demon and as for the witch thing... well it is possible that she was a fire elemental whose profession was in fact being a witch. But the lack of evidence towards that statement meant it was highly unlikely. Vul Shok preferred to see the good in everyone rather than the bad, though it as hard to see when everyone you looked at was covered in a bright red aura. The change in his eyes was more than just a cosmetic change, it drained all other color from the world leaving everything a hue of grey except for the aura of intent around people. It seemed these people were out for blood and were content on blaming someone without any evidence. Vul Shok let out a small sigh. Too many people have seen and read the word justice but most misinterpreted it mean "Just us". They didn't care about what was right or wrong, they only used that word to validate their own prejudices and get what they want. And if some innocent person was accused due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, they better pray to whatever god they believed in that the worst the people had were some torches and a few farming tools. He looked at the girl before she changed, she had warned him that he was gonna get himself killed and to run though with the accent it took him a while to understand. He found it quite odd considering she too was being obstinate and agitating the fat man who owned the inn. Still he knew what kind of situation he was in. It was one he tended to get into quite a lot. He began to move slightly back and forth, clenching his right hand and sparks began to shift within it. He then turned to the angry mob and decided how to put this delicately. "Well," he said stepping back and forth his eyes shifting back to their normal sunglow yellow "I can't say I know the price of that kids life, but you seem to have quite a good idea about it" he said blatantly. It was at this point he realized that delicate was not his way of talking. "The building can be rebuilt, can you say the same about a human. And as for where your patrons will sleep, well it seems like a nice warm night." Especially with the fire keeping you toasty, at least till you extinguish it, he wanted to add but that would be kicking a hornet nest a bit too much. Many people who had met Vul Shok believed him be simple, to which he admitted he was. However were people failed in understanding was that simple did not mean stupid. Vul Shok was not stupid, he knew exactly where he stood and if he didn't like where he was he had ways to get to a place he did. "The fact is, the real arson is sti- owowowowowowow" he felt the claws from the girl who had somehow changed into a cat and heard her implore him to run. It wasn't that he enjoyed running from angry people, he was just good at it by now. He nodded. "Might want to cover your eyes." he whisperer. The crackling emanating from his hand was now loud enough to be heard by the crowd. Unfortunately for them there was little time to react to is as it was released. As it was released a brilliant white light emerged in front of them dwarfing the fire that stood where the inn previously occupied. It was as if the sun had risen and set right in front of them and after it had disappeared, Vul Shok and Bast were nowhere to be seen. Though footsteps could be heard in the distance. "So, any particular place we should be running to?" Edited by The Arc Runner, May 4 2014, 01:42 PM.
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| Bast | May 14 2014, 03:56 PM Post #5 |
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'He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.../And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up, for ever and ever;'
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Bast's face fell as Vul stood trying to reason with them. The only problem here was that she was made of fire, and the inn was now clearly, on fire, so whether she was the culprit or not was pretty much irrelevant. Sadly enough, the common attitude was that when something like this happened, they looked to someone to blame instead. Most inn's wouldn't even take a sick person for the fear that if they died under their roof, it would bring ill fortune and rumors about the place. That and most folk were frightened of the spirit coming back to linger and terrify the occupants. Even then blame would be laid at someone's feet. There was a reason these people stayed commoners and didn't amount to much she supposed. Just as you had the noble, the brave, the mighty, there had to be the stupid, the weak and the lazy to counterbalance it somewhere. Life was not a story, though she often wished it was. Nobody mentioned in stories that the penniless baker who stumbled on a fortune, was penniless because he'd gambled away all his earnings on dice, drink and women. Nobody mentioned that the gold belonged to some offshore pirate who came back, tracked him and slaughtered him later after the reader's attention had shifted. but you were not supposed to know, not supposed to question. It was why she was here, all told, for asking too many questions. She changed herself to fit the situation, clinging to the boy's back as agilely as she could manage, considering. She didn't want to dig her claws through his clothing and into flesh any more than necessary if she didn't have to, but she was no lemur. She couldn't just hold onto the slenderest of branches with her toes. In hindsight maybe she should have gone for a monkey form after all. The cat was just closer to home and easier to achieve from long practice. Bast squeezed her eyes shut, ears flattening against her skull at the sound of the crackling. She knew what that was, certainly, had heard it many a time...before...but the memory was foggy, drifted away as she fought to clutch it and bury her cold soft nose against his neck and burrow into the scarf there. The world brightened even so against her eyelids, leaving a red hazy afterimage when she opened them to the jolting motion of his body running beneath her paws, and the wind rushing in her face, rippling through her fur. It actually felt pretty good, but they'd have to stop eventually, if only for his health. Shame she couldn't change into anything bigger....yet. Eventually she would. She'd eat and eat all the damned pastries in Ashoka and then turn into something majestic, the biggest cat ever, they'd see. Providing she didn't explode first. "Duck intae the next alley yeh see and lay low." She didn't really want the kid dropping dead on her. She had enough problems without having to find a way to cover up a dead body, that didn't involve just setting it on fire. That would bring more people with bucket chains and it might spread too. Sometimes she really did wish she was human, plain and simple. "Get a minute tae catch yer breath. I dinnae think they'll follow far." She leaped in one springy arc from his shoulder at the next alley mouth, and sat half in shadow, her golden eyes half lidded and reflective in the dark as she watched the street, ears twitching. Just another alley cat, for all anyone knew, ready to vanish in the blink of an eye at the first approach. |
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| The Arc Runner | May 18 2014, 02:31 AM Post #6 |
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There was nothing quite like the rush of taking a jog out on a warm night and the feeling of the wind caressing your face. Feeling the ground underneath your feet as you strive to push yourself even father than you ever though you could. It was time like these Vul Shok felt alive. Although part of that feeling could be contributed to the fact that the place he was running from was scene of a crime with the popularly believed criminal that did it clinging to his shoulder. If he were being truly honest with himself... nope, didn't expect this would be how his night would have gone. Still it was actually a pretty nice night given the circumstances, and the company was defiantly entertaining enough. His attention was quickly drawn towards the fact that one of his legs almost gave in as he ran. 'Damn,' he though catching himself before continuing his sprint 'didn't think I used THAT much energy...' Vul Shok was not one to get winded easily. Normally he could go sprint for about five minutes before he began to feel winded. Perhaps he didn't have as much energy as he thought he did. Whatever the case took the talking cat's advice and with a quick heel-toe pivot, found himself in an alley. He leaned his back against the wall as he took off his guitar and began to slide down catching his breath. The chill of the stone on his back felt nice, so nice in fact, that he closed his eyes and began to think. Jeeze running away from a crime scene what was he thinking, and who would want to burn down an inn anyway? Why would someone try to kill people? "So," he said once his lungs stopped burning and his voice didn't sound so rough "what do you think of the situation?" He looked around trying to spot the elemental fire cat before finally continuing on with his out spoken thoughts. "I mean," he began "someone out there started that fire, you have any idea why they might have? " He paused for a moment and watched the cat girl elemental...person. So she could change form... man that must come in handy and it probably could get you a few free meals if you are clever enough. He chuckled at the idea somewhat oblivious to the gravity of the situation. He had always been more of a dog person but there was something quite heart warming about how a cat acted. He began to reach his hand out but stopped halfway through. 'Actually,' he thought 'probably not the best time to ask if I can pet her....' "Oh by the way," he smiled widely as he spoke "the names Vul Shok. Nice to meet ya!" |
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| Bast | May 21 2014, 04:37 PM Post #7 |
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'He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.../And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up, for ever and ever;'
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The cat stretched, reaching her paws before her daintily and spreading her toes, shining ivory coloured claws snicking the sandy stone under her pads as she drew them back to herself. Her eyes squinted to mere slits then shut, lips peeling back from sharp needle-teeth and a delightfully pink tongue curling as she yawned expansively, ruffling her fur over her arched back. "Beats me kid. Why does anyone start a fire? Boredom, distraction, vindictive behavior or maybe someone just had a grudge, ye ken? Coulda been an accident..." She flicked her tail where she stood, then hopped on all fours and span on the spot to face him, golden orbs shining in the dark. "Wasnae me though, on my honor." She might have laughed at that were his face not so serious. Her honor wasn't worth spit, really. Nobody trusted a thief, even though she remained adamant that she wasn't in fact, nicking anything, only borrowing without permission and absolutely no intention of returning. Bast padded closer to the stranger, and true to pure feline habits, brushed herself familiarly against his legs, rubbing her small furry body against his calf with some small amount of affection. She owed him that much at least. While she could have changed and left on her own, nobody said she still would get out entirely. For him to step between herself and a growing unruly mob, she was in fact quite thankful. Eyeing him critically, she wondered if he was some sort of wandering hero, ripe for the picking and ready to be dropped into a fairytale of his own. Maybe she'd write about him. He was fair to look at and seemed to have those qualities that fell so neatly onto the paper and were easily loved. "Vul Shok eh?" It was somehow a little less heroic than she'd anticipated, and didn't roll quite so easily off the tongue. Maybe she'd have to invent a new nick for him. Not to say that his name was unpleasant, it would stick int he mind if she did write him into an epic. Vul Shok the heroic...whatever he was, and his talking cat. "Bast." She began to wash herself, small pink tongue darting out to wet her forelegs and rub them across her visage, paying particular attention to her perky, angular ears. "So what are ye? Some kind o' bard?" |
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| The Arc Runner | May 23 2014, 02:55 PM Post #8 |
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"Well Bast, I believe you didn't do it, your actions prove that." He said without a hint of distrust. He looked at the ground a bit worried clenching his had on his knee. 'Still.' he thought to himself, 'I doubt that it was just because someone felt like doing it, this town might have some crazies but they would have to be known.' Vul Shok liked mysteries, they gave you something to look forward to once you found all the pieces and finally decided to connect them. However, most mysteries he solved were 'hey where did my bread go?' or 'who stole the money from my store?' The question of who would want to commit arson and attempted murder was a new one. His train of though from the topic was quickly put onto new tracks with his new companions comment. "A bard?" Vul Shok said a little caught off guard for a moment. He mulled over the idea while looking at his guitar. He remembered a story his mother had once told him about a bard who tricked a dragon out of his horde using only sheer guile and silver tongue, and in the end was burnt to a crisp. This was a tool that she had used to try and scare him and his sister into never lying but in truth it was one of his favorite stories. The man may have lived a short life after getting the gold but not many people could say that they were smart enough to fool a dragon. It was stories like these and those of his father that made him who he was, and through music he was able to express that. Finally he chuckled and began to gently pet the Bastcat. "In a sense I suppose I am. I mean I am a traveling musician, though I don't think myself clever enough to trick anyone." Before long he regained his breath and was ready to start investigating, though at the moment going anywhere through the streets was a death sentence. He looked at the walls and judged their height. Roof hopping was one of his favorite modes of transportation. If you are able to get up from ground level, you could easily get around to most places, there was little in the way of crowds and if a police officer caught you doing it, they would have a tough time actually catching you. Quickly he got up and with a fluid movement picked up his guitar and slung it on his back. "Well," he began looking at the cat with a reassuring smile "feel like solving a mystery tonight?" |
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| Bast | May 30 2014, 10:45 AM Post #9 |
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'He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.../And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up, for ever and ever;'
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Do they feck, I could be the world's greatest actor and ye'd never ken... She kept the rather cynical thought to herself though, and continued diligently washing her feline face, smoothing the fur just so, before turning her attention to her stomach. "Ye don't really associate yerself much with the lowlife type do yeh?" If she could have smiled then, she would have, but as it was she couldn't so he'd just have to take her as she was. If she shifted back now she'd need something to eat at the very least, and some clothes for modesty's sake. She didn't think that it was anything other than someone had probably dropped a lantern in the stable, or overturned a candle in their room. Though the latter seemed unlikely judging by the fact that she'd been the one running up and down the hall rousing the other patrons, and it had started outside. Maybe he had a point...but a horse could have easily kicked something over, they were good at that, and she didn't want to believe that someone wanted to kill someone else by wiping out an entire inn full of people. Were people really like that? Was she just being naive? She supposed it was possible...someone could just as well have deliberately started the fire at whatever location it had originated. Perhaps she was just deliberately denying the possibility to console her own discomfort with the thought of killing needlessly. Bast arched her back in sheer delight as he petted her, rubbing herself harder against his palm and emitting a low throaty purr. By the gods, why didn't she assume this form more often? It felt just as good, better even, as someone running their fingers through her fiery tresses when she was in her normal form. Only of course that was less likely to happen, you didn't just reach out and start petting random strangers. Or friends. Whichever you happened to be at the present moment. Her little paws kneaded the dirt floor of the alley readily, and she twisted and turned under his hand, eyes squeezing shut in ecstasy. There was disappointment when he stopped petting her of course, and she stretched, yawning widely and affecting the casual lazy air of a street cat. It wasn't like she had anything better to do now, was it? The streets though, might have been considered dangerous as of yet, at least if they headed back there. Doubtless guards would be crawling all over it soon enough if they weren't already. "Aight, I'm with yeh. D'yeh think someone deliberately tried to top one o' the people sleepin' there?" She wound once more about his ankles, then trotted to the alley mouth, sticking her furry face out. A pair wandering towards the end of the street, didn't look up to much. The cat wandered back to Vul Shok, twitched her ears, then vaulted neatly up onto his shoulder again, this time without the excessive need for claws or fright. "Yer crazy goin' back there, yeh ken?" |
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| The Arc Runner | Jun 13 2014, 05:31 PM Post #10 |
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"Well, I suppose I can't say I have now Bast." he said calmly as he stepped back from the wall. "After all there isn't such a thing as a low life." It must have been strange the way the man sounded to others, either he was completely oblivious to man basic ideas or he genuinely believed that all people were, in the deepest part of them, good. As soon as Bast had landed on his shoulder he began to sprint at the wall and just before he reached it he leaped and spun around so that his knees would buckle when they hit the wall. With a great amount of force Vul Shok vaulted himself higher and grabbed the shingles of the adjacent building before pulling himself and his new friend up to the roof. Now that he was on the top of the building, he felt a lot more comfortable knowing which way to go. The large pillar of smoke definitely helped make the path clear enough and he was able to see some of the guards rushing around in pursuit of where they though the two were hiding. He kept low to the ceiling and began to move only making himself more visible when he had to jump to another roof, after all while you were able to move more or less freely on the roof tops, if anyone decided to become bored with what they were doing and looked up you'd probably be the first thing they saw. Funny how the mind works like that. For the most part he had done a good job keeping quiet until he heard Bast last comment, to which he couldn't help but laugh a bit. He knew that if things went south, his previous trick might not work a second time. Fool me once, they said but it's odd how even after the first time some people always end up being fooled again. No if they got caught this time it could be a lot more of a fight and that was something he would rather avoid, not because he couldn't handle himself. It's just that when things tended to get violent, Vul Shok had a certain... condition. The condition tended to cause busing, bleeding and some broken bones for the people around him and that kind of wouldn't be looked on as favorable in the current situation. Still he laughed jovial laugh as quietly as he could but still somehow audible. "What's the fun of life if everyone doesn't have a few quirks? Besides, it's only crazy if we get caught." A few minutes more of roof running and Vul Shok stopped a few houses before getting to the burning remains of the inn. The first problem was figuring out how to search for some form of clue without alerting everyone of their presence. "Hmm..." he pondered for a moment looking at the crowd still standing near the in, it was no doubt that most of them saw some his face though that was fairly hidden thanks to his scarf. "We might be able to sneak through the crowd if we didn't look like ourselves." He looked around to see if there was any for of clothes shop near by. If he could change clothing he would look like just another person in a crowd. One of the perks of wearing such odd clothing, after all people tend to focus on such things. Though it still could be a hassle mainly due to everyone definitely seeing her in both human and cat form. "Is it possible for you to change into any animal you want?" Vul Shok asked. |
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| Bast | Jun 14 2014, 06:50 PM Post #11 |
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'He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.../And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up, for ever and ever;'
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Wow. Did he actually believe that? She thought he might, he seemed pretty sincere about it. Wow. Okay. Bast wasn't sure how to digest the thought. Could it be that she'd stumbled upon someone so genuinely nice that he thought everyone was worth something? She ran around with local thugs all the time, and could attest to having some affection for a couple of them. They were good people too, if, like her, a little sticky fingered or black faced somewhere. It was mostly for good causes. Not always of course, there was never really a good excuse for stabbing the guy who lived in the alley across the street from you because he looked at you funny and you wanted his boots. Most of them were alright though. She wished she could say the same for politicians and the like. Not that she knew any. Well...one...and technically he wasn't really a politician. He was a king, and his method of politics involved cutting people into tiny bite sized pieces and throwing them to the general public. Naturally, it didn't usually go down well. Neither did applying taxes though so when they amounted to the same effect... The night air felt good on her fur as Vul Shok picked his way across the rooftops like some dashing debutante. Maybe she'd pen down that story after all, when it was over. Someone was bound to get a kick out of it. "I like yer thinkin'. Never figured ye tae be a sneaky type though." There were warriors of peace and justice and all that hoohah though who were just as mysterious as any thief. Actually maybe that made them more mysterious. One moment they were there fighting for a righteous act, the next they were gone and all you had was a wilting rose on your pillow. The type that always got the women, tall strong and silent and- She was letting her mind wander into a storybook again. He had spoken and she'd only been half listening. "Animal, object or item. Mostly." She had half a mind to become a great wyvern and land on the opposite roof, roar and terrify the lot of them. And then potentially get stuck full of arrows and die, but it'd make a fun distraction. Maybe less of the dying part, it was never comfortable. "Got something in mind? Dinnae go expecting me to turn into pants or somethin' though." A snerk left her feline mouth, and she hopped from his shoulders to sit beside him, watching the street. "Better tae be on the floor before I change unless I get wings. Else I might break a leg." |
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| The Arc Runner | Jun 17 2014, 03:03 AM Post #12 |
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Yet another quiet chuckle could be heard from the man as he heard Basts comment. He could think of times when turning into clothes might be useful, but most of those were for comedic value. No his eyes were on something a bit more practical. His eyes shifted around to scan the areas around till his eye caught the door of a clothes store. However due to the the absence of light it seemed that there were only two options available if he wanted to change clothes. Option one involved sneaking in and buying the clothes without the clerks knowledge that a transaction had occurred. The other option was to borrow a passer-bys clothing. This seemed both unhygienic to him and a bit humiliating to all parties included. "Well we want people to not recognize us, but I leave the choice of what you chose to change into up to you. As for what next," he said as he stood back up to prepare for the imminent fall "we should do a bit shopping." and with that he slid off the roof into another ally way. As he hit the ground there was an odd sound. Not the sound one would think to hear when seeing a person about to hit the ground from a high up spot. Rather than the expected 'Thud!' the sound produced began as a 'Thud' but halfway through decided against it only producing a light 'click'. Only pausing for a moment to see a few people pass by, he quickly moved for the door to the clothes shop. It was only by pure luck that he had found the door open, and even more lucky that there were no alarms sounded for opening it. That's one of the good things about towns like theses. If someone stole something, chances are they knew who it was, what they stole and where to find the bastard so they could deliver a swift kneecapping to. The darkness of the room was difficult to get use to and didn't help when it came to looking at the things he was picking up. Some of the clothing looked like it had been here for ages... he thought? Soon enough his eyes grew accustom to the darkness and once confounding unknown objects began to have shape. It was only a matter of time till he found things that fit him. A shirt that seemed to button all the way down and some pants that were held up by a combination of a belt around the waist and another belt that seemed to go over his shoulder. 'What kind of person would wear something so strange for casual wear' he pondered for a moment before shrugging and beginning to quickly change clothing. In a flash, Vul Shok had taken his pants off, set them aside and put on the new pair almost as if there was nothing wrong with doing so, after all it was a clothing store and it was only natural that changing clothes would occur here. Which is why the next part would have caught most people off guard. With how easy it was for him to take his pants off the thing that took him time was discarding the scarf around his neck. His smile faded and his eyes showed fear, leaving a completely different person than the one that had stood there only a few seconds ago. Hopping that his new friend didn't see he then began to take off the scarf. He let out a deep sigh and then proceeded to remove his shirt. To say that Vul Shok had been in many fights would be an understatement, a few areas on his chest and back had scars, his scars even had scars in some places. Though out of all of those scars, it looked like he was only trying to cover up one. He tried to clasp a hand over it but it was a futile effort. Along his collar bone on the right side, a large jagged scar lied. It wasn't a clean cut, no matter how you looked at it, whatever weapon that was used to make a scar like that was meant to cause the victim agony before death. A deafening silence filled the room until Vul Shok put on the new shirt and slowly buttoned each part. As soon as he finished, his smile returned and he looked around as if nothing had happened. Any trace of the fear was washed away by his calm smiling demeanor. Reaching into his previously occupied pants he picked up a few coins set them aside on the counter, surely that was the right amount to pay for the use of the clothing, he though at he folded his clothing and put them in his bag before walking back out of the store as discretely as possible and started to make his way to the burning remains Edited by The Arc Runner, Jun 25 2014, 03:45 PM.
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| Bast | Jun 26 2014, 12:48 PM Post #13 |
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'He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.../And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up, for ever and ever;'
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"They'll never ken it were me at all." Bast peered over the edge of the roof as the guy jumped down and landed surprisingly lightly, thinking it might have been better if she'd just used him as a free ride after all. The thought 'free ride' drew a catty snerk to her lips, something else entirely in her mind, then stepped back, and launched herself boldly off the roof. Which might have been a mistake, seeing as she wasn't in fact, entirely sure she could make it. Halfway down the elemental thought, you know, it might have been a good idea to actually have something that she wanted to turn into by the time she hit the ground. Preferably before then because the impact if it didn't kill her, was liable to mangle her body at least. And nobody really liked stumbling on a yowling disabled cat, or human. Both got the same treatment in the dark of night, which is give it a mercy and roll it in the gutter, then walk away before anybody actually notices. So Bast changed as fast as she felt able, a trail of burning motes sparking into the sky in her rapid descent. The piece of toast hit the street with a dry 'pap', miraculously butter side up. It was bright red, and had a smiley face cooked into it. Possibly not one of her finest moments when it came to shapeshifting. It didn't move, stir, nothing. The face kept on smiling obliviously at the black velvet sky, inconspicuous on the edge of the street. A stray dog padded out, nosed at it and dragged a slobbery tongue across it, then decided it was good enough and scooped it up in its jaws, only to drop it a second later with a yelp that sounded like 'SHIT!' 'PUT ME DOON YEH SCABBY WEE SHITE.' The toast dropped back into the road, and the mutt was a distant dust trail yelping along a filthy alley. Perfect. Now if she could just figure how to get from toast to something more...acceptable, that would be great. Most of the time she just thought of things and it happened in the instant, like functioning on instinct. Her favourite forms were easy enough because she used them so often, but turning into something else always left her with a moment to figure out how she'd done it. Especially with objects, it was somewhat simpler to become an object, but then to change into a living functioning thing...not so. After a moment she took inspiration and changed slowly, cautiously feeling her way until she was sure it was right. Embers coalesced, and then a glossy red setter was sitting in the road instead of the toast, her dark eyes glittering, tongue lolling from her mouth in silent laughter. Bingo! Bast padded jauntily across the street and sat in the doorway of the store, snuffling at the air. Dust and neglect, and fear, though that was coming from the guy as he undressed. Was he cared she might see his junk or something? It wasn't as though she didn't know what it looked like, she thought indignantly, then nosed further into the shop, exploring while he took his time playing dress up. She disagreed with him leaving the coin on the counter too. It was a miracle that this place hadn't been vandalized already if it had been sitting here that long. Unless the merchandise was so tacky that nobody wanted it, couldn't sell it, couldn't even use it for assrags. The elemental padded outside and sat, scratching furiously at one floppy ear until he reappeared, then fell in beside him with her easy loping gait, tail waving with excitement, the drooping with nervousness only to spring up enthusiastically again. They passed people heading to and from the dying blaze of the inn, only once she recognized one of the patrons, glancing at the bard guy with a furrowed brow, then at her. "Woof." He looked thoroughly confused, as if to say 'did that dog just say woof?' then seemed to think better of it. Of course dogs said woof. Okay well they barked, they didn't actually say...nevermind. She'd get there. "Whine whine, arf. How are ye gonna get em to listen to ye?" |
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| The Arc Runner | Jul 7 2014, 12:44 AM Post #14 |
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The man looked around the street as nonchalantly as possible as Bastdog came to his side.It was actually was quite a pleasant experience walking around the city, you know with out all the people chasing them and wanting their heads on pikes. Still though he felt that the clothes he had on were... off as if he were walking around town naked, a venture he normally saved for when he was blackout drunk and even then he'd never do it for free. People were bustling all over the area no doubt many couldn't sleep with all the commotion and panic that was going on. Yet in some weird way even in that moment, things seemed peaceful. An odd feeling to have given the circumstances, but for some reason beyond his comprehension, when everything hectic and chaotic surrounded Vul Shok, he always seemed most relaxed. A few minutes passed after Bast brought up the question of getting people to listen to him, it looked as if the boy had not even noticed the question until he finally answered back in a small voice. "Truth is, I have no idea, this is all sort of being played by ear. Still, I have always heard that people like to listen when there is something big happening." The reality of this statement was based on personal experience, when he was just a kid. He had learned this lesson the hard way that what people really wanted in life was to be entertained. This lesson was delivered by a man who went across the land calling himself a traveling merchant. It may or may not be true by every time the man told it, said merchant always looked like a rather portly pumpkin shaped man with a hair piece that seemed to have a mind of its own. The man came to his town one day and with him brought miracle potions that could cure any illness and began to demonstrate. Sure enough the blind began to see again and the crippled could walk. In the end, his town ended up giving the man almost half of the towns wealth before he made off like... well a bandit. While it was a harsh lesson to learn, Vul Shok had to admit that he was, quite entertained, especially when he and some townsfolk tacked the man down and persuaded him to give back the money. It wasn't long after the comment that the two arrived at the inn or what remained of it anyway. Well the good news about the fire was that it didn't look to be spreading any farther. Not to mention that now if the place were to reopen at least everyone would know the feeling of having the sun peak through your window or in this case roof, and wake you just as dawn broke. "We're not going to be able to get any info on the cause of fire till these people are done putting it out." he whispered as he knelt down and pet Bast. He couldn't help but pet her now that she was a dog rather than a cat. Dogs were much more friendly and fun to be around not to mention smart [for the most part] and loyal. He always wished his mother would have agreed to let him keep at least one of the stray dogs he had brought home when he was younger. Now was no time for regrets from the past and he continued to speak."For now lets wait, and look around to see if anyone suspicious passes by." An odd thing so say considering what I am doing, he added to himself as he moved around and sat watching the fire brigade finish their work. Conversations were being held all around him and he did his best to eavesdrop discretely. You never know what someone might say in hushed passings and even less on who might overhear it. |
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| Bast | Aug 8 2014, 03:53 PM Post #15 |
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'He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.../And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up, for ever and ever;'
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If dogs could hold a look of skeptical incredulity, Bast would have been directing it at the young man trotting along beside her right then. He'd suggested they try to find out how the fire started, or who, if that had been the case, and didn't actually have any idea what he was looking for? She wondered if he thought she was going to be forthcoming with information. That was going to be a no-go of course, because she'd been asleep. Well, writhing in the blankets with terrifying nightmares anyway. The memory left her feeling oddly chilled, odd only because, you know, she was technically made of fire. The box was not on her. It would come back, eventually, but she'd left it with her things when she went to stop that kid from getting turned into crackling. But what if someone found it before then? A terrible itch started between her shoulderblades, like unseen eyes regarding her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She arched her back inconspicuously as they walked, but it did nothing to relieve the sensation, instead only serving to make it worse, her hackles rising up. "Well uh...hm." Her tongue lolled out, panting as she sampled the cool air, and flattening her ears against the sides of her skull. It didn't diminish the sensation, but her irrepressible spirits perked back up again as they walked. "Well dinnae worry aboot et. I'm sure we'll find somethin', distinctive footprints painted on the ground or a scrap o' hair carefully caught on a nail or a scared witness that'll say nought until we punch 'em in the craw." She didn't really believe there would be some sort of scooby-doo re-enactment but you never knew. A ridiculous canine grin split her face as Vul Shok's hand ruffled her ears, a surge of ridiculous joy confusing the ugly knot of anxiety in her stomach. It felt completely different from her time as a cat, though while she enjoyed taking a multitude of forms, she knew she couldn't stay in one for too long or she'd take on the likenesses of her chosen aspect. It already showed in her bearing when she took a human shape, that she spent a fair chunk of time running around clad in a fur coat and preening her whiskers. Bast wasn't entirely certain she liked the feeling of devotion that her dog self told her that she needed to do something, anything to please this new mast- No! There will be no more masters! Never again! Revulsion gripped her, and the elemental found herself physically resisting the need to change back, to get out, away from the disgust, the wish to bounce and leap and bark around the guys legs and eat trash and roll in whatever the hell that smell was on his boots. She lifted a hind foot, scratched desperately at her ear to distract herself, and hoped it wasn't fleas. Where would she have picked up fleas so fast? Could they even live on her? Wouldn't they just burn to a fine crispy ash? "That guy smells like peanuts. Think that's suspicious? Deadly peanut addiction! better stop him before he eats the world's supply of peanuts!" The red dog stood, sat, then stood again and started barking, her tail a poofy blur wagging a mile a minute as she barked at the peanut-guy with something that amounted to 'HEY. HEY YOU. PEANUT GUY. YEH SMELL LIKE PEANUTS. WHERE ARE YEH KEEPIN EM?' Several heads turned, eyed the pair, then returned to the problem of putting the building out. Bast sat, dusted the floor with her tail and scratched at her ear again, one eye fixed on the bundle of things she'd left under the trough. "Be right back." She scampered away towards the building, slinking low around the back of the water container, snatched the basket in her jaws to a 'hey!' and bolted back towards Vul, tail tucked and legs windmilling, a ginger blur that shot behind his legs, ears perked forwards. Her growl said quite clearly, mine. |
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| The Arc Runner | Sep 3 2014, 08:18 PM Post #16 |
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(Sorry I have been taking so long, hopefully I will be able to post more frequently now) "I would really hope it not come to violence." he said in a hushed manner as someone passed by the two of them. "I mean after all we are trying to clear your name not add things to the rap sheet." Again his sense of irony kicked in, in all but name he was, technically a criminal back in Soto, but for the most part it was for assault of corrupt cops that really deserved it, theft from people who gained from others misfortune and resisting arrest because he really didn't feel like going to jail for the previous two charges. Of course even if he went to jail back in Soto at least they had some system of government that would give him a fair, or rather fairer form of trial that what seemed to be going on here. A jolt of fear rose and his heart sank as Bast called out to the 'peanut guy' and for a moment everything seemed to slow down. If they were caught out again by the mob, it was not likely that the same trick he used last time would work again. Fortunately for them the group seemed to have the basic common knowledge to realize that dogs couldn't, in fact, talk and went back to their job. A sigh of relief was let out as the world seemed to speed back up to the normal. Shortly after however it seemed that his partner not in crime bolted away leaving him puzzled as to when she came back with a basket in her mouth and someone yelling at her. He stood up quickly and looked around to where he heard the noise. (PS also sorry for how short this post was) Edited by The Arc Runner, Sep 3 2014, 08:19 PM.
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| Bast | Oct 14 2014, 05:30 PM Post #17 |
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'He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.../And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up, for ever and ever;'
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Bast wrinkled her puppy nose. It wasn't that she didn't see the point of trying to clear her name, but that this kid had a rather lofty view of a person's honor. Honor of which she maintained that she possessed a grand total of zilch. "Dinnae get me wrong, pal, but these people prolleh willnae remember me if I walked on by in the mornen. Mobs are like that. No' that I hae any great experience with 'em." If dogs could clear their throats accurately she would have done just then. It wasn't mobs but people in general. As soon as they saw that you had fire underneath your skin they tended to point fingers at you, whether you were actually an arsonist or not. She'd had worse, honestly. Had to say though that she much preferred the kissing and cuddling to the fists and feet. "No' tae undermine yer good ideals an' such. They jus' dinnae care. I'm no' holden' it against 'em. A mob is like...it has a life o' it's own. It's an animal, made o' lots o' smaller animals. Like a spell cast on em...they dinnae realize what they're doin' until tis broken." She dropped the basket after her brief jaunt, snatched the only thing she considered to have any worthwhile value from it, then plopped onto her haunches with the metal box clamped between her jaws, tongue sticking out one side and waggling slightly with each panting breath. Clothes she could replace, but this...not this, certainly. It would come back to her eventually, it always did for some reason, but that was no excuse in the present situation. If someone else found it and started messing with it, it might change its mind and she'd lose it for good. A plump woman came charging out of the throng of milling people, soot smeared across her cheeks, and pointed one chubby finger at the red dog loitering behind Vul's legs. She was quickly followed by a uniformed guard, peering curiously at the pair. "That mutt just nicked evidence!" Bast's dark eyes rolled up to look at the wanderer, then back to the guard. She could dash off at a moment's notice and change shape if need be, while he could claim not to know anything about it. Just one more stray mutt in the street...but she would happily see what happened first, because she was curious, and probably too trusting. He was a better person than she counted herself to be though, so she'd continue to trust his judgement. |
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