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 Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:43 am
“I will make sure you watch when I stab you.”
Kai couldn’t contain his eyes from rolling. “Cute,” he muttered sarcastically - retracting his arm from hers. Taking his attention off Treal, he fixed his attention on the supplies that were once sorted and stocked neatly, but now lay scattered on the ground -- probably due to the crash landing. He would know, for he spent much of his time in this room cataloging -- an assignment by his gracious mentor. A chore he wouldn’t miss.
With a grunt, the lanky man bent down and grabbed two backpacks - tossing one at the redhead. The action caught her off-guard, but not completely due to her alert senses.
“Fill that up with whatever you can.”
Not waiting for her reply, Kai began to rummage through the piles of things that could possibly be useful to them. Well, useful to him. His hands wrapped around a circular object. A smile touched his face as he looked down at the compass. Score.
The two hadn’t been in the depository for more than 10 minutes, when they heard the sound of muffled shouting. Bag packed with the bare necessities, Kai rushed over to the stockpile of chemicals. He grabbed a couple of containers he was familiar with. As much as he disliked his mentor, he was damn sure grateful for some of the s**t the old man taught him.
Grabbing a bucket, he placed it beside the door. Before mixing the chemicals together, Kai grabbed two emergency oxygen masks and tanks that hung on the wall -- a precaution when dealing with strong synthetics.
After giving one of the tanks and masks to his companion -- not even realizing the confused look on her delicate face, he quickly placed his own over his features. Turning the release on the tank, he went to work on his chemical cocktail.
Yellow gas began to rise out of the container. Shouting was now outside of the door. The Azgeda soldiers now knew their location. Eyes watering from the toxic smog, Kai pressed towards the keypad began to re-enter the code. He was interrupted by the sound of frantic coughing.
Glancing over at the small woman, he noticed she had not put on her mask. Without a further thought, the Station boy rushed to her side and pressed the oxygen provider to mouth and turned the release. By now, Treal was hunched over as she wheezed air into her lungs. Kai wrapped his arm around her sides to keep her from collapsing.
“You okay, Freckles?”
His question was sincere. He internally slapped himself for not showing her how to work the damn thing. The redhead looked up at the man and gave a small nod. Her eyes were bloodshot from the intense coughing fit -- tears ran down her face. Kai could feel water running from his own.
Assessing that she was fine, he rushed back over to the digits on the wall. Clearing it, he re-entered the code again.
“Get ready to run.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2019 3:58 pm
The natblida wondered just what was so "cute" about her statement, but it wasn't long after releasing from their shake that the sky boy began focusing on the the mess of the room. She watched his look - almost disappointed by the disarray that the supply closet was left in, and was half tempted to comment on his disapproval of the state the room was in - though that thought was cut short as she caught the bag that was unceremoniously tossed into her arms. Treal felt her brow furrow at the material of the thing - not something she would usually carry with her as the wear on it would not be able to keep up with the pace with which the natblida lived her life. When he spoke, the command in his tone did not sit well with the young grounder, and her nose scrunched up in frustration - but she did begin packing anything that seemed to emit usefulness to her.
The problem with that - food and weapons were the only thing Treal had use for.
Knives, packets of what she had come to know was "food" to the sky people, and containers half-full of water took up about half the space in the young nightblood's bag. She would have grabbed more if it weren't for the commotion that soon filled the hallway and the shouts of vengeance and blood for blood had Treal closing the pack and throwing it over her shoulders as quickly as she could. The grounder fought the urge to ditch the sky person - after all, she could get through the vents quietly, she could hide until everything settled.. but she hesitated once again, unsure of why but accepting that in this moment, she did not want to leave this sky person to those icy wolves. When he moved about the room, Treal stopped herself from commenting on his lack of stealth - but she did shoot him a look as he placed a bucket near the door.
However - when he handed the natblida a mask and a tank, her head tilted to the side and her face betrayed her as it so often did.. it was apparent that Treal had no idea what to do with the objects that were bestowed to her. She knew he put his mask on, but the wires weren't connecting in her mind.. and before she knew it, her lungs felt like they were on fire, her eyes burned and watered, and the fiery grounder doubled over in coughs. The gas that filled the room resembled so much that of the acid fog that had taken so many of her fellow grounders - and panic welled up in Treal's small body. It wasn't long after she started to go to the ground that she felt something unfamiliar to her - the feeling of arms enveloping her tiny frame, of hands delicately but quickly covering her mouth, of the sweetness of the oxygen filling her lungs.. she was held up by the sky person, and the feeling wasn't so bad.
"You okay, Freckles?"
The sincerity in his worry for her also caught her off-guard, but she looked up at him and gave a quick nod - her eyes spilling over from the coughing and the gas that filled her lungs and vision. Treal stood up straighter the more she was able to breathe, and when he was sure she was okay he moved back to the door.. she could hear the slavers just outside of it fighting to get inside. The grounder listened as he said to prepare for a run, and she tightened the straps of the backpack as she attempted to ready herself for the departure. One hand gripped a knife tightly, the other holding the tank she now knew she needed to be able to breathe.
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2019 1:46 am
The sound of his blood pounded through his ears as his chest heaved from exhaustion. Although his adrenaline was high, the fact that he was so malnourished made it difficult to not double-over and heave. Sunken-in amber eyes surveillanced their current surroundings -- they were in a small living quarter. There was nothing fancy about the accommodations. Furniture was tossed around, dining table - if you would call it that - was flipped over along with whatever was placed on it, and other miscellaneous items were thrown about. It was clear that the ravenous grounders had pilleged this area for anything deemed useful.
A slight feeling of melancholy took over the disheveled man as his gaze rested on familiar objects - the outdated newspaper his mother used to read when she wasn’t busy prepping meals, the boring wall clock that surprisingly still ticked away, the old lazyboy his father would sit in while he’d smoke his illegal cigars, the old bottle of brandy…
“I’ll float ya, ya dumb b***h! I’ll float the damn boy too if ya don’t shut the ******** up!”
Snapping out of the unpleasant memories that flooded his mind, Kai cleared his parched throat and turned toward the young woman who he had forgotten was also in the room. Any sort of bitter emotion now void from his face.
“Could ya watch the door for a sec?” he asked his fiery grounder companion. Not waiting for her reply - only because he assumed all he’d get out of her would be an annoyed grunt or an attempt at an intimidating glare. As irked as she was to be stuck with the ex-slave, he knew she wouldn’t bail on him -- otherwise, she would’ve left him for dead a long time ago.
Before turning the corner, Kai stole a glance at her petite frame. Not noticing his stare, Treal fumbled with a worn-out book whilst keeping her attention on the door. He wasn’t going to lie to himself and say she wasn’t appealing. Hell, gorgeous even. She had a very natural but elegant look to her that he hadn’t really noticed until now. It astonished him that such a small creature could leave a wake of death the way she did. The small woman was a mix between a rabid dog and a ballet dancer when she moved -- an image that caused him to let out a silent chuckle.
She’s a grounder.
Any feelings of amusement he held diminished as he reminded himself once more of her orientation. Once he was out of this prison he once called ‘home’, he’d have nothing to do with the woman. Her disposition gave it away that she too felt the same way. Kai had to admit that navigating would prove to be difficult, but his pride wouldn’t allow help from a brute. A bratty one, at that.
He made his way to a cramped bedroom. An escape that was protected by a narrow metal door. It didn’t surprise him to see the room a complete mess - just like the living space, it had been ransacked. The thought of those ugly bastards going through his personal belongs sparked a fire in his empty stomach.
“Is there nothing you a*****e don’t ruin?”
Kai mumbled to himself as he shuffled through the debris on his floor -- eyes fixated on the small dresser that positioned itself against the furthest wall from the door. It’s drawers all left open. He ran his hand under the space between the top two compartments - feeling a cold metallic object secured to the roof of the wood.
“Ya lay a ********’ finger on me and I’ll be the one that pulls that lever, boy!”
Chamber loaded, the slender man slipped the handgun into his waistband - concealing it with his shirt. After grabbing a jacket that hung in his small closet, Kai made his way back out into the larger room.
“Ready ta blow this joint?”
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Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 4:04 pm
This wasn't the exit.. but they - or rather, she - fought hard to get them here. The oxygen tank that she still held wore dents and deep red blood splattered the girl's petite frame, her breathing quick but controlled as she gave a quick look-over of the room, not oblivious to the shift in her accomplice's mood. Treal made sure not to pause on him long, her gaze finding what she assumed would be a sketchbook by the condition of it - but soon found herself staring at the symbols and flipping slowly through pages to find something she might understand, something that could give her some kind of insight to these sky weaklings. She stiffened as she heard her companion cleared his throat, but as she glanced over to him he presented her with a request - a valid one given their current situation.
"Could ya watch the door for a sec?
Some part of her wanted to quip about him doing it instead - but Treal also knew that of the two of them, she was more equipped to handle this task. She opted to simply.. not reply, turning so that she could see out of the opening without necessarily being in view, keeping her ears close to the door. The natblida continued to search through the book, her brows furrowed at she attempted to make some sense of the thing, her lips pursed slightly as she realized she would not be able to do so on her own. It wasn't until the grounder decided to pocket the thing, stuffing it into her the backpack given to her, that she felt the uneasiness of being watched.. the black-blooded killer snapped her eyes back to the door in a sort of paranoid way, slowly setting the pack down as she gripped the tank once more.
It wasn't until the very moment he turned away from her that the natblida looked back to see his sour face, and her brow furrowed once more in confusion - after all, what had she done besides save this ungrateful slave's life? Perhaps this all was a mistake, taking the time and effort to help him at every turn and curve thrown at them. Treal scrunched her nose and turned back to watch out the door, solidifying to herself that once they were out she would be absolutely free of him and his frustrations. She started to wipe some of the blood from her hands and arms, her look returning to that of the hard, resting face she usually wore. He didn't want her around just as badly as she wanted to get away from him - and that was clear from his bitter stare. She crouched - both to make herself smaller to those looking for her and to easier reach the blood she wanted to remove from her legs.
"Ready ta blow this joint?"
When he spoke, she snapped straight and looked to the sky person. Without a second thought, she put the pack back on and, for good measure, put the mask back on her face - as if the sky person would have another ghastly trick up his sleeve. Treal, small and fierce, gave a nod even though she wasn't certain on the exact meaning of his question - though she recognized it as a departure. She noticed only the jacket, but his movements were different - somehow more nervous, though she wasn't sure how that was possible. The natblida looked him up and down quickly and followed his question with a slightly muffled, "We are clear for now, but we must hurry."
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Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:10 am
“We are clear for now, but we must hurry.”
Her gas mask drowned her stern tone. Slate eyes were directed away from the tall man as she began to make her way out the door -- oxygen tank still in her grasps. The fact that she continued to wear the mask entertained Kai because it was completely unnecessary. His amber eyes followed her out into the hall as he remained in place. Sensing his hesitation, the redhead whipped around and quirked her brow in irritation and impatience, “what?” she questioned.
Striding toward Treal, the burnette extended his hand towards the object on her face, “you don’t need that anymo-”
Kai froze in place when he noticed a now all-too-familiar metallic object directed at his throat. Honestly, it didn’t surprise him that she’d react so vigilantly. He noted the untrustworthy look in her eyes as she watched him -- making sure to keep the dagger in place.
Slowly, the lanky man retracted his appendage as he took a small step back - keeping eye contact with the fiery woman. Noticing that she remained on edge, Kai sighed and gestured toward the tank in her hand, “you don’t need that anymore, y’know.”
Seemingly not convinced, Treal’s gaze stayed fixed on Kai. No matter how hard the station boy tried, the small grounder continued to keep her guard up around him. Shrugging in defeat, he ran a hand through his messy locks, “look Freckles, I ain’t gonna pull anything funny so you don’t have to keep pointing that thing at me,” his eyes quickly flickered toward the sharp object pointed in his direction.
A tense minute went by before the small woman relented and lowered the dagger. The way her shoulders slightly relaxed almost went unnoticed by the ex-slave. Taking that as a hint, Kai gradually advanced and reached toward her face again. Taking a deep breath, his fingers grazed the plastic material strapped to her features. Before he had a chance to remove it, Treal doubled over and began convulsing.
Panic began to well up in Kai’s chest as he watched the petite woman cough uncontrollably -- hoping that no grounders were around to hear. The way Treal clutched her chest sent a wave of concern through the man. Guilt wasn’t an emotion Kai was too familiar with - but the sight of the small killer definitely made him feel something. Out of character - which, caught both him and the struggling woman off-guard - Kai reached up and removed the mask swiftly.
Throwing the object to the ground, he placed his hands on Treal’s slim shoulders, “oi Freckles, you gonna be okay?” he didn’t even try to mask the worry in his voice. The only reply he received was another fit of painful coughing. Feeling helpless, Kai found himself cupping her pale face -- watery red eyes tried to focus on his amber orbs. Black liquid trickled down the pale girl’s chin as she panted for air.
What the hell?
Before he had a chance to voice his confusion, Treal’s coughing ceased as her breathing started to steady. Hands still pressed to her freckled features, Kai ripped his focus from the questionable liquid back up to her pained gaze. Another pang of guilt hit him. She looked miserable.
“Hey… You alright?” Kai tried to voice his concern again. To his surprise, he was met with a tender, almost helpless expression - as though the grounder depended on his presence to assist her through the burning in her lungs. The two stood like that for what felt like ages -- locked in each other’s gaze.
Acting without thought, Kai gently used his thumb to wipe away the trail of ebony that ran down Treal’s chin -- letting it linger as he observed the strange sight. Feeling heat beginning to radiate from the redhead’s features, the man quickly drew back his slender hands, “here, drink up” he reached back and pulled a water canister from the side pouch of his backpack. Gingerly, he placed the vessel in her clutches.
“We uh… We should hurry. They might’ve heard us.”
----timeskip----
Feet pounded against the cold, white earth. Heart beating so rampantly, it might give out at any moment. Exhaustion welled up in Kai as he ungracefully swerved through trees -- using every bit of effort to keep himself from collapsing in the snow.
It had been days since he escaped the crash site -- escaped his prison. At this point, it was safe to say he had made substantial distance from the brutal grounders. Even though Kai had not seen a soul in at least three days, he kept running.
Running turned into a mixture of stumbling and tripping on large roots and debris. His breath came out in ragged gasps -- sending clouds of white into the air. Kai’s fingers and toes were numb from the lack of protection from the cold -- but he still pressed on.
The malnourished man didn’t imagine his ‘freedom’ like this. Hell, he never thought he’d make it out of that metal box. Anxiety bubbled in his chest has he thought about what would happen if he were to be captured by one of their patrols.
I won’t let them take me back there.
Kai’s vision began to blur - making it extremely difficult to make out objects without feeling like his head was spinning. Snippets of the past began to run through his mind. His mother’s melancholy smile, silent conversations at the dinner table, savages rounding up familiar faces… A flash of red…
A flash of red.
Pain shot through Kai’s legs as he crashed into the cold, hard ground. Something managed to drive itself into the man’s lanky legs. Not given a moment to realize what had just occurred, Kai found himself on his back -- a familiar object being pressed against his jugular.
“...Heya Freckles.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 6:51 pm
After saying they needed to go, the redhead had started to do just that. The guards were patrolling far more now that the two of them were just freely killing those that got in their way.. and they would have to be more careful to avoid being captured by the icy slavers. If they were quick enough, they could get away without having to kill too many- Treal stopped when she felt that she was not being followed, a confused and stern, "What?" escaping her lips as she turned to face the sky idiot that didn't seem to understand even basic commands. Why did she even believe he was the best candidate for survival again? His drive for survival was beginning to be outweighed by his carelessness that he couldn't seem to get under control. He moved towards her and outstretched his hand, but she was already retaliating even as he spoke.
"You don't need that anymo-"
The natblida watched him with eyes full of the same distrust he seemed to grant her, holding the knife to his throat with a quickness that was to be expected of her at this point. Even as he stepped away and put his hand down, the grounder found herself tense and uncomfortable.. and when he spoke again she made sure not to break the eye contact she held with the sky person, unsure on how to trust this man that so obviously had little to no trust in her. Treal's brow furrowed as the man shrugged and told her that she didn't need to keep defending herself against him.. and she watched him in silence for a long while before she put the weapon away and allowed her body to appear more relaxed. When he moved closer to her and reached to touch the mask, she felt her senses of fight or flight welling up once more - but those were interrupted by the burning in her lungs that she could no longer tolerate. The grounder's small hand held her own chest as she heaved and coughed in a way she had not known before, and tears spilled over from the force of her aching.
The mask was gone quicker than she might have expected, Treal winced at the unwanted touch from the man and - for a moment - was able to hold back the coughing.. long enough to hear the genuine concern that was held in the farm boy's tone before she began coughing once more. She would never admit it, to herself or him or anyone she would meet, but when he held her face as she struggled it.. wasn't so bad. She attempted to focus on him but her eyes were too full, her breathing too heavy, her heart pounding in her ears as she gasped for air. The grounder's breathing began to steady, her look never leaving his as she began to calm and the burning in her lungs lessened.. and when he looked back into her eyes she could feel his guilt and worry for her in a way that she had not known from another person in a long time. Treal's body ached, she was sore and she was tiring and now every breath felt like a punishment in her small frame. When he spoke, she felt almost at his mercy - and in a way, she was, as though without him she might not be able to calm her breathing or get through the chemical that poisoned her body. It wasn't until he wiped just under her mouth that the spell his eyes could cast was broken, and as the grounder looked to his hand, a completely different feeling swirled in her.
I cannot trust him to stay silent with this knowledge.. I will have to be rid of him permanently, or find a way to keep him quiet forever.
When he pulled away from her and offered her water, she downed the entirety of the container without thinking.
When he spoke, she agreed and continued their escape without a word.
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I'll kill him.
Unbothered by the cold, the grounder made much better time than she ever had in the unfamiliar territory of the crashed sky vessel. Not only that, but she tracked with the ease of someone that had spent a lifetime avoiding the signs of people traveling in her vicinity. Treal's body ached in a way she had not known in a long time - the clothing on her left shoulder ripped and leaving a black wound visible to anyone that might come across her. But the bandaging and healing could wait.. she had a score to settle. Three days. Three days since the worm had left her to die. Three days since she earned eight more marks.. but only two days since she had gotten free from the metal cage - only this time, she had items the sky bow had yet to see her use. Covered in furs and thicker clothing than he had seen the stealthy killer in, she might have appeared almost as a different silhouette against the snow than he was expecting.. if he even expected that she might have survived.
I'll kill him.
The careless sky person made no attempt to cover his tracks. He moved like a baby - without thought or reason, only knowing that he must press on for the sake of it. She started to move towards him but ducked away as she saw his head turn toward her, and with good timing.. as she moved out of sight, she muffled her coughs and saw he simply tried to carry on. Without hesitation, Treal smashed into the traitor, her eyes fiery and full of rage and vengeance as she let out what could only be described as an animalistic snarl, forcing her knife to his throat. It almost felt too easy, as though someone that had put her in such a situation might have put up a greater fight.
"Heya Freckles."
Pulling back the knife, the tossed it away from her and landed a blow against his smug.. handsome, traitor face. "You! Another punch, this time from the side that hurt.. less powerful but nonetheless painful, "Left!" Another blow, "Me!" His blood decorated both her knuckles and the snow, but she continued. "To!" Red trickled out from the man's nose, but she punched once more, harder than the rest, "Die!" Her chest heaved, her breathing ragged as she went into another coughing fit atop the sky person. Her lungs ached and burned with each wheeze, her body unused to the conditions she put it through to find him in the time that she did.
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 5:21 pm
Pain. Everything burned. Everything ached. With each punch Kai received, his vision briefly turned to white, only to go back to snippets of the furious redhead -- who straddled his weak body. The farm boy had witnessed similar rage before in the past, and to think he caused the woman to feel such animosity… Hell, he didn’t blame her. He left her to the grounders. She was willing to help him escape, and the best Kai could do was leave her. Despite the beating he had just endured, the lanky man felt remorseful.
The forest went quiet for a moment. All that could be heard was the ringing in Kai’s ears, and the ragged breathing from them both. Anticipating another hit, he positioned his head to slightly lessen the blow -- keeping his eyes averted from her hellish glare.
To Kai’s surprise, he was met with an abrupt weight fall onto his chest. Red locks cascaded around the two bodies, which greatly contrasted against the white ground. The grip the fiery woman had on him began to diminish. A minute went by before Kai slowly glanced down to see the small nightblood now passed out -- probably due to exhaustion. Black liquid trickled down from a large wound on her shoulder.
Is that… Blood?
Temple pounding unbearably and limbs too weak to move, Kai found it impossible to push the woman off. His mind screamed at him to shove her off and continue to run. Where would he run to? How far? What would happen to her? Not a single plan formulated in his brain. Against his will, visions of the past bombarded his thoughts. Unlike earlier, it was of more recent moments -- pertaining to a certain redhead. The way she looked into his eyes - completely helpless. A pang of guilt hit him like the woman’s fist. The way she moved gracefully, but yet, so animalistically. She was like a caged animal -- so desperate to get out.... So much rage toward her captors. In a way, Kai could relate to the freckled grounder. Everyday, he mentally slapped himself for being so weak. She made it look so easy. It was almost humorous how much admiration he held towards the girl, even though she had just beat him to a pulp.
You’re a strange one, Freckles.
Eyes growing heavy - Kai allowed his subconscious to take over. Snowflakes fell around the two unconscious forms. Minutes of silence turned into hours. Neither of them moved.
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 7:24 pm
Pain. Everything ached. Everything burned. With each strike Treal landed, her breathing turned slower, her vision blacking for brief snippets of time. There was a fiery rage that was being burnt out far too quickly, her barbaric swings weakening noticeably with each blow. Her body couldn't keep up with her feelings, with her need to satisfy the boiling anger within its small frame. The grounder wouldn't stop.. couldn't stop. Steam rose from her freckled cheeks as hot tears streamed down and landed in the snow, and the hurt natblida couldn't help but try to push the boundaries her body would allow, her blows far weaker than when she first started in on the traitor.
She couldn't hold her eyes open anymore.
She couldn't keep going anymore.
I will kill him.
Thump!
Just not today.
Slumped over, the forest heard only what the farm boy would give it. Treal's breath was calmed in sleep, her rage overrun by her exhaustion. It wasn't long before the man beneath her succumbed to the bliss that sleep could grant as well. In her dreams.. well, in her dreams visions of safety and ease were all she could conjure. The need for survival always outweighing the need for what she missed - connection, someone else to rely on. It has been a long time since the young natblida dreamt of her father, but she did nonetheless. Her body reacted almost in kind - both as a result of the subconscious tricks her mind played, and as an instinctual need to be near something warm in the cold environment they both faced.
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Warmth.
Pain. The pressure that gently pressed itself into her wound wasn't unbearable. The warmth was welcome. Even the way fingertips nestled themselves so far into her hair that she felt them, ever gentle, trace a line up and down her back, though she couldn't tell if that was idly something the man would do. She wanted to be sure he was asleep or unsuspecting before she moved to action.. but the ache in her lungs was beginning to get hard to ignore. The way her head pounded from the abuse she put her entire body through to get here. Her ears felt so.. cloudy, her senses not at their best as she struggled to stay awake. Treal became slowly aware of her own body, the way her hurt arm wrapped under his shoulder, almost as though even in sleep she recognized when he was doing her a favor by covering her wound.
......
And, of course, the hand that held his cheek and jaw as she soon realized her nose was pressed into his throat, his face touching hers with the help of her gentle subconscious guidance. She missed the feelings his scruff stirred in her - protection, familial ties, a sense of genuine safety from the others. Even as close as she was, she could not tell if he was awake or not - and a part of her somehow didn't mind the connection, though she would never admit to that. His heart beat in a rhythm that was comfortable to lay there to, his breathing calm and slow and soothing in a way the girl had not known for a very long time. However.. Treal tensed the moment she could tell he was awake, though, startled by the alert tone he possessed, despite his odd way of getting her attention.
"Psst, Freckles."
Lifting her head a bit and opening her mouth to protest, the young girl was very quickly met with a hand covering it and her head being guided back down to the place it was prior to his words, but now her focus quickly became the crunching of footsteps in the snow - following by her cursing herself for not hearing them before the farm boy. The natblida let out a low groan as she tried to bury her wounded arm deeper, as though his coverage of her body wouldn't be enough. The small girl wished to shrink even further, to hide herself in her unfit condition from the ever-near scouts that patrolled the lands. It wasn't until the footsteps faded that either of them seemed to relax their bodies, and even then it was quite a few moments after before the sky boy slowly pulled his hand away from her mouth. It felt like an eternity before either of them let out the breath they both seemed to be holding.
He stirred feelings in her she wasn't sure how to process.
Feelings she hadn't known since her father was still with her.
"Thanks-" The natblida groaned once more as she slowly retracted her arm from beneath him. Her brow furrowed from the pain and she pressed her teeth together in an attempt to quiet herself. Once the arm was freed, she used her other to sit up - gradually, so not to make her head spin more. "But this is not a debt repaid. I saved your life, traitor," She coughed, instinctively brought up her aching arm, and winced from the pain it caused before she continued, raspier than before, "And you are lucky I have not killed you," She coughed again, though this time her uninjured arm went up to her mouth, "Tell me why you left me. If you lie, I will know." The girl was bluffing. But how was the boy to know that? Her gaze never left his, her eyes fierce and angry, but also pained and almost hopeful that the excuse would be acceptable, as though she could understand a circumstance where she could not have made it without being left.
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Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2020 3:20 am
Hot air fanned his neck. Cold hands pressed to his swollen cheek -- fingers lightly traced his jawline. Kai had been with plenty of women in the past. Closeness with the opposite sex at one point became a common thing. But the way Treal moved her hand back and forth across his features, almost like she was playing the most fragile instrument… Her touch was tender and innocent. It caused tingles to run throughout his sore body.
The coldness her skin emanated was refreshing and soothing against the raw bruise that had formed on his jaw. Kai almost impulsively reached up to grab onto her small hand -- to stop the teasing. Almost. The sensation outweighed his natural instinct to recluse away from the grounder. The same hands that slaughtered so many of her own kind… To aid his escape.
Fighting the urge to glance down at the sleeping girl -- in an attempt to keep their already close proximity from getting any closer. Avoiding a predicament he knew he most certainly would not live through.
Treal's lips lightly brushed against his stubbled neck as she stirred in her slumber. The motion sent a warm wave to Kai's cheeks. Keeping his breathing in-check, the station boy found himself tracing his hand up and down her back -- careful as not to disturb the black-coated wound on her shoulder. How much blood had she lost? Had she lost consciousness due to fatigue or blood-loss?
Not understanding why, the thought of the girl losing her life left an empty feeling in his insides. Was it the guilt? Or was it that he admired his savior and her fiery spirit somehow already wedged it's way into his subconsciousness? The feeling was foreign to Kai and it irritated him.
Twigs snapping broke the man out of his thoughts. Instinctively, Kai tightened his hold on Treal's small frame. As the footsteps drew near, he could hear his heartbeat grow louder -- to the point the sound was almost deafening. What could he do against a grounder in his state? Or multiple grounders?
Would they kill him on the spot? Bring him back to that metal prison where he'd spend the rest of his life chained in a line? Or would they torture him?
Under his tightened grip, the redhead shifted but did not wake. Kai swallowed the lump that formed in his throat.
What would they do to her?
Oddly, that's when the panic ensued in the gaunt man.
They would surely kill her. Knowing their barbaric ways, it would not be a merciful death. It would be slow and painful. All because she helped him escape. She killed all those grounders because of him. Well, that's what he believed.
Taking a deep breath, Kai urged his body to relax. It wouldn't do them both any good if he lost his wits.
His hand froze when he heard chatter. Not Trig words -- it was ********, Freckles."
At first she didn't move, but before he could open his mouth again, Treal slowly lifted her head and was about to reprimand him.
Kai quickly shot his hand to her mouth -- he could feel her cheeks heat up with irritation. Not minding her unpleasant reaction, he brought her head back to it's previous resting place.
The tan man could feel the fiery girl tense up after she too, heard the ensemble of footsteps coming closer. Her heartbeat falling into beat with his.
The snow underneath them churned slightly. Treal tried to tuck her wounded shoulder further underneath Kai -- who in return, gradually lifted his side and moved his arm up higher on her figure. He did what he could to help conceal the mysterious black blood from potential eyes.
The chatter began to fade as they pressed on past the two. A wave of relief crashed into the closely-knit figures.
After pulling herself away from Kai - who internally groaned from the lack of warmth she provided - Treal propped herself up and glared down at the man.
"Thanks-"
She groaned and coughed.
"But this is not a debt repaid. I saved your life, traitor"
Her voice cracked,
"And you are lucky I have not killed you -- Tell me why you left me. If you lie, I will know."
Kai called her bluff. Treal's eyes held many emotions -- some, he already recognized. Her eyes were pleading. For what? The former slave did not know. His tired eyes leveled with hers.
"Isn't it obvious?" Kai croaked, "survival."
A half-lie.
His gaze never wavered from her misty orbs. The unconscious Treal and the Treal that sat in front of him were two different beings. Delicate verses savage.
One timidly clung to Kai while she slept, whereas the other beat him to a pulp. One caused emotions he never thought he could experience -- the other brought pain. Lots of pain.
Strangely, Kai found himself preferring the savage side.
Oh god.
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