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 Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 6:22 pm
 Amrita usually shied away from crowds. Cities were always so full of life. Then again, the more people there were, the less likely it was that anyone would pay any special attention to her.
The female had taken on her most 'normal' form, hiding her wings and horns. Her legwarmers mostly concealed the claws on her hind paws.. but she simply couldn't figure out how to mask her dragon tail.
A trait which condemned her to solitude. Her kin had been mercilessly hunted down by a jealous Goddess and her followers, despite the fact that the dragons never wished for such a war in the first place. They were simple desert nomads. The Goddess - and through her the rest of the land - feared the dragons' powers, and She wanted them eradicated.
While all this happened long ago, the young dragon was still afraid of people being driven away by who -- what -- she was. She had never hurt anybody. She was afraid of rejection, of seeing fear or hatred in the eyes of those around her.
All she wanted was to make friends.
To help others.
Ruby eyes peered out warily from underneath her snow white hair. She'd considered wearing a cloak, but then decided not to, in case that would've roused more suspicion in the end. Blending in was easier if you tried to look and act as normal as possible. But people still made her uneasy, even somewhat scared. She often strayed away from the main streets, into smaller alleys. She knew instinctively to avoid the most secluded areas, as those were oft unsafe as well. As the noise around her died down a little, slowly her shoulders relaxed and the girl actually began to look at some of the passing display windows. Small cafés and antique shops, and all kinds of strange specialty stores were scattered about, most likely because the rent was more affordable in such spots for smaller businesses.
Maybe she could actually pop in a few of them sometime, if she found the courage.
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Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 6:31 pm
 Bullets. Guns. Bombs. It stained her memories no matter if she was awake or asleep. It haunted every dream, every breath, every step. The sound of screams, both her side and theirs. The side who murdered her parents. The side who destroyed her childhood village. The side who eventually won the battle. And now they were winning a new battle over her heart. It hurt still, as if it was just yesterday when she saw the corpses.
Stop.
She needed to stop. She needed to forget the day she witnessed death for the first time. To forget the day she failed everyone. She needed to stop before it tore her apart. She couldn't handle this much anymore...
And it showed. She couldn't stop herself from inserting herself in-between fights. The small, slender, slick purple-haired ex-soldier couldn't stop herself from leaping over buildings and aiming a slick kick against another's chest. She needed to stop, but it validated her existence. It reminded her that not always did she mess up. When she had chased those men off she had felt relief when the small woman had thanked her and scurried away. Even though she felt weak. They hadn't hit her, the parkour woman was impossible to hit by normal Noodles. No, it was strain. The consistent effort to stop any and all violence she saw. Her inability to just turn her head. The need to actually seek crime to take care off. She should just be a damn cop, but she kept telling herself one day she'd stop. One day she'd live a normal life. Open a daycare. Find a mate....
And yet here she was, tiredly leaning against the cement wall in an alley and sliding her frame down it. The petite soldier always wore her mothers armor, it was only natural. The ex-soldier slumped to the ground, head lolling against her chest as a tired sigh escaped her, and quickly she blacked out from pure exhaustion.
She just needed to stop tormenting herself, and take a damn break.
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Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 6:52 pm
Perhaps it was chance, perhaps fate, perhaps something else - Amrita found herself wandering further down the winding streets and alley. She probably couldn't even find her way back the way she came at that point. Something urged her to press on, though.
Soon, she was standing at the end of a back alley, wondering why on earth she was there. It was just an empty -
Wait.
Someone was there.
Nervously, the small female took a few steps forward, peering towards the shadow she spotted. Even though the sun hadn't set yet, some of the narrower alleys were rather dim. It took her a moment to adjust to the surrounding lighting, and she realized that there was a woman lying there, seemingly unconscious.
Amrita hurried over to the stranger, very gently grabbing the lady by the shoulders, shaking her a little in hopes of getting her to wake up. Upon closer inspection, she didn't seem injured.. The outfit she was wearing was rather strange, though. It didn't strike the dragon girl as particularly practical or fashionable.
When she got no response, she decided to look for the nearest motel or any kind of a place where the woman could rest. It seemed likely she was just extremely tired.
In any case, Amrita couldn't just leave her like this. Luckily the woman was only a little taller than her, so she was able to support her against herself, one arm going behind her neck. It wasn't easy to try to walk with someone completely limp on you, but somehow she managed to find a not-too-shady-looking motel after only a relatively small amount of wandering.
Luckily the owner didn't ask questions. The girl handed over some money and was given a key in return, and soon she laid the purple-haired woman down on the bed of the small room, herself flopping down on the floor, wondering what to do now.
This had been the right thing to do, right?
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 6:56 am
Mia Lavinia Can we do a quote system? o 3 o
Memories. She couldn't stop them. She couldn't erase them, and a part of her didn't want to. Erasing them meant erasing her. Erasing the woman who learned her lesson, leaving her open to experience it again and again. The memories hurt. They stung and tore and ripped apart, but it was better than repeating it forever. Instead of the memories, she wished she could go back in time and prevent the events from ever happening.
Prevent the day she left her home to see her parents dead.
Prevent the day her parents even left to begin with.
Prevent the mistake of turning her back for one moment and seeing her village burn to the ground.
Prevent failing her people.
But she couldn't. One man cannot save a village, and one man cannot change time.
Her eyes fluttered as she felt something soft envelope her. Hm? She was coming to her senses, but green eyes stayed hidden under purple hair, and she didn't even hint at her wakening state. No. She knew better. The ex-soldier was somewhere foreign. Play dead. Wait. She needed to listen and wait for a threat. Wait for the other she could practically sense to move. The dirty, bruised woman stayed quietly, waiting.
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:29 am
The young dragon was growing more restless by the minute. She should stay here until the other woman came back to her senses, right?
Should she have tried to do something about all those bruises the other one had? She just couldn't decide for certain how to act in this situation. She couldn't have left the woman just lying there, that was sure.. who knows what would have happened to her otherwise. But what now?
..maybe a damp cloth? That's how Amrita recalled people usually tried to treat unconsciousness. She slowly stood up, crimson eyes surveyed the room a little and then the female began her search for towels or anything of the like that could be used for this. She was a little nervous, dealing with a complete stranger though. What if the woman would be startled when she came back to? At worst she could even attack her, maybe assuming Amrita had tried to harm her..
She shook her head slightly to get rid of such thoughts. No, I must do what's right, regardless of the consequences, she concluded.
She had been a mere child at the time of the war that took her people, herself, so she knew very little of soldiers and the like. But the purple-haired woman's outfit kept.. bugging her a little, somewhere in the back of her mind. There was something about it that raised a small alarm flag in the dragon girl's head, but for now she ignored it. Finally, in one of the cabinets, she found smaller towels meant for one's hands and face, and she turned on the faucet to get the cloth wet. I probably shouldn't use cold water.. but I suppose it should still be slightly cooler than room temperature so she wakes up? she pondered, unaware that her 'company' was actually already awake.
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:31 pm
Silence. The other wasn't moving. Odd. Was she being analyzed? Researched? She didn't like that feeling, not at all. What did that mean? And then movement. Her muscles stiffened ever so gently, her armor hiding the moving. Still, the other wasn't hurting her, and by what she could tell there was only one. Para could take them.
'Water? Do they know how to waterboard?' Ah. One of the torture techniques she was used to. The covering of ones face while running water over their covered mouth and nose, simulating drowning. Green eyes, hidden under purple locks. Focus. She needed to be alert, to slash out if needed. Or run, depending on the others stature. While she could tell by their movements they were light, it meant nothing when she thought about it. She was light, but dangerous up close. This figure could be, as well, or have powers, like the villagers she had met by the forests a few years ago. However, if the other had a power why would she still be alive?
Perhaps they were simply helping her.... why did she need to fret this much? Why did she allow herself to worry? Because, the wars over the years had changed her. Fear and caution settled where normal people would simply relax and assume the best. Who could blame her?
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:50 pm
Amrita glanced back at the other female, worrying a little over how still the other one stayed. Surely she was breathing, still? As soon as she was able to confirm the movement of their chest, she let out a silent sigh of relief. There was always a chance of some internal damage too, right? She really hoped there was no need for any special treatment. She didn't want to have to deal with more people.
The more people around, the higher the risk became. It was best if she could handle this on her own. She was no specialist. She had some minor healing ability, thanks to her lineage, but she had never really practiced so it was best for smaller cuts and scuffs. Broken bones and the like she was not at all confident about.
What would she do when the woman woke up, assuming they didn't immediately lash out at her? It was obvious some kind of an explanation would be needed, and that right there was the hard part...
With some hesitation, the albino dragon returned to the armored woman, stopping for a moment, biting her lip. I hope she doesn't freak out, she thought as she finally reached over to gently wipe the woman's face with the cool, damp towel. Now to see if she would wake up...
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 1:27 pm
And then she sensed the other coming close. Stay still, relax.... Nope. She couldn't stop herself as the cloth touched her face, hand lashing out and gripping the small wrist tightly. Hair fell from her face, revealing intense, pale green eyes, locked right on the albino dragons own crimson ones. Her hand stayed around that one wrist, and she was close to flipping the dragon over and dashing. However, her eyes flicked to view the cloth, eyes widening with alarm.
Had the woman been trying to help her?
"What is that?" She questioned, hand releasing the others wrist and slowly sitting up, armor clicking and clanking and mouth releasing a gasp as her ached body shuddered. s**t, that hurt. Gritting her teeth, her hair fell back into her face as she lowered her head to examine her bruises.
"Did you take me here to help me?" She questioned, suddenly realizing that it was a possible solution. Help, not hurt. The dragon's body language was tense, yes, but not hostile. She wasn't going to hurt her. Not yet, at least. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" She groggily questioned, rubbing sleepy eyes and raising her hands to gently examine the wrist, if the other would allow her.
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 1:47 pm
It happened so suddenly, Amrita hardly had time to react. Suddenly her wrist was being twisted away from the other woman, and the grip was much tighter than one would have expected from someone of their stature. Had she been able to, she certainly would have cried out in pain. Instead, jolting back slightly, her mouth simply opened, her eyes were wide from the surprise and the rush of adrenaline that this turn of events brought on.
Calm down, no reason to transform, she tried to tell herself. Or the dragon blood pumping in her veins, rather. Her senses were beating wildly, even though it was rather clear the other woman was also acting defensively. This had been somewhat expected, but it still managed to catch her by surprise. Clearly the other had much keener reflexes than she did, and without a doubt there was no way Amrita could have overcome them in a possible case of hand-to-hand combat. No, most of her powers only came out when she was fully transformed.. but when that happened she also lost all sense of self, all control. She'd be acting purely upon instinct. That was not an option. Not here.
She couldn't answer the woman's first question. She simply offered the towel to the other, gesturing that they could at least use it to wipe the dirt off themselves. The second question, she at least could respond to with a nod. It was rather slight, and more than a little tense, but still should have been clear enough. Her wrist ached a little, and she was rubbing it gently to ease the pressure on it.. still, when asked if the other had hurt her she simply shook her head. It was nothing to worry about, at least.
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Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 1:05 pm
Paradox stared at the other, eyebrow raising under her hair as not a word was spoken. She accepted the cloth, though, and gently rubbed it against bruised skin, wincing ever so slightly. She focused on that for the time, noting the other seemed to rub the hurt wrist. Sighing, the sore ex-soldier reached up, touching the wrist with the wet rag.
"I'm used to bruises and dirt. I'm sorry I hurt you...?" Her tone indicated the want for a name from the other, for she hadn't quite gotten the fact that the dragon was mute. She focused on the other, taking in the woman's features. Small. She also looked rather unexperienced with combat, for her muscles weren't exactly as toned as a soldiers. So, was this girl simply a bystander?
No. Not a bystander. She had helped Para, though she didn't really need help. Then again, sleeping on the streets probably wasn't a good idea in the first place... 'I should repay her somehow.' But how? She didn't have much money. Okay, that was a damn lie. She just didn't have money on her at the moment, and she wasn't about to ask the woman to hold on three hours while she tried to rummage up that suitcase of cash, was she? No.
"How can I repay you?"
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Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 2:04 pm
Amrita smiled meekly, shaking her head slightly to signal that her wrist wasn't so badly hurt, It was more just a little sore from how tightly Para had grabbed it. She kind of wanted to try and help with the other's bruises, but wasn't sure how to offer so they'd understand.. Simply starting to touch the bruises Paradox had all over would have obviously triggered a defensive reaction again.
Oh. My name, she figured from the way the sentence was ended. Her ears pressed back in shame, her tail curling around her slightly. She then simply pointed at her throat, and then shook her head once more with her eyes cast downward. She wasn't really even used to trying to mouth words, as she couldn't remember if she'd ever been capable of speech.
She didn't really want anything in return. She was simply relieved that the stranger seemed to be okay, and that she had been able to assure no harm came to her while she had been unconscious. Simply helping others was enough of a reward on its own, she figured.
She waved dismissively, giving the woman another sheepish smile.
I don't need anything, she tried her best to signal.
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Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 6:50 pm
The woman waited patiently as the other seemed to ponder how to respond. The ears pressed back and the other seemed... ashamed? Of what? And then, the other pointed towards her throat, and then it made complete sense. And then the other seemed to dismiss the notion of payment. No, that wouldn't do, Para didn't come from a place that simply let go favors. Staring at the woman, Paradox sighed lowly. She really wanted her saviors name.
"Can you write your name down? I should at least know my saviors name, right?" Her voice was soft, despite the scars and bruises and toned body. Small hands began to comb through purple hair, nails splitting knots. Ah, s**t. She needed to shower, sleeping outside had not done wonders for her hair and body.
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Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 12:46 pm
The girl started to fidget. The situation was growing more and more awkward. She had no idea how to write! She'd lived most of her recent life in caves, away from any social interaction. Before her long sleep, she'd been so young she barely had even learned to read.
But.. how had she communicated with others, then? Try as she might, Amrita couldn't recall. Surely she'd had to be able to interact with her parents, her tribesmen, her elders? But how? How was she going to be able to give this woman the answer she was waiting for?
She tried her best to silently form the syllables of her name with her mouth, not at all sure if it made any sense to her companion however. 'Am-ri-ta'. Without a voice, the consonants were especially hard to form, and would likely go unnoticed.. or get mixed up.
Garnet eyes looked up at the slightly older woman in front of her, and Amrita began to nervously play with her hair, making the messy, uneven 'do even more so.
She took notice that the other's hair was a little tangled, not to mention she was covered in dust and dirt here and there. Good thing there was a bathroom, right?
Amrita jumped up, nervously ran back to the cabinet where she'd fetched the earlier towel from, since there had been bigger ones folded in there as well. She brought it with her, holding it out to the woman with a meek smile.
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Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:10 pm
..... Please tell her that the girl knew how to write. Seriously? How did this nameless woman survive? No way to communicate? None? Not even sign language? Paradox just eyed her savior in disbelief as the dragon seemed to just fidget in silence. Surely... surely there was some way?
And then the woman tried to move her mouth and hint at the name. Paradox stared, eyes hidden under hair, but if the other could see they'd just notice her completely confused and slightly irritated frown. Ah! It was too much, she couldn't understand anything except there obviously was a 'ta' at the end.
"All I got was 'ta'." Paradox sheepishly admitted, watching "Ta" run off and return with a towel. The smile was friendly enough, if meek, and Paradox found herself returning it as she quietly took the towel. What was she supposed to do with it?
"Ta, since I don't really know what else your name is, would you like to learn how to write, at least? Can you read?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 3:38 pm
Amrita's ears drooped for a moment. Well, one syllable was still better than nothing, right? Maybe, if the two of them got to know each other, the woman would learn to read lips better? That was wishful thinking on her part though. But having a friend would be nice..
Paradox's apparent confusion regarding her bringing the woman another towel made her gesture towards the bathroom, making scrubbing motions over her arms with a small smile. Get yourself cleaned, since we're already here? she figured. The room had been paid for until the next morning since it had been the easiest - and fastest - solution. Now that she thought about it, Amrita herself could have used a bath as well. She had no house, so obviously she took advantage of any situation where she had access to a shower or bath.
Returning her attention to her company, she then nodded. Yes, learning to write would make her life easier. Luckily she did know how to read! Somewhat, at least. She grabbed a newspaper now and then to maintain that skill, but some words were difficult for her to understand in written form.
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