|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:32 pm
 There was a rustle in the trees. The wind blew through the leaves gently, making them rub against one another in a pleasant, soothing sound.
And then a different rustle filled the air.
Riley had been stalking the trees just as she used to before the.. incident. Looking for prey, keeping her hunting senses sharp, and the thrill of stealth was always what made the act of stalking in the trees one of her favorite pasttimes. This was the first time she'd gone out to do it since she'd acquired her new appendages, however, and things were not going well. Her body had been used to it's normal proportions. Sliding across branches, never rustling a leaf as her body slunk through silently.
Now, she was breaking off tree bits in her wings, carving up scratches into the wood, and just altogether making a clatter. A deaf foxfire would be able to notice her, at this rate.
What's worse, they were throwing off her balance. And as suddenly as she'd realized it, Riley was tumbling to the ground, in a shower of leaves, crystals, and tentacles. She landed in a pile of leaves, disappearing within them as they puffed around her.
Good thing no one was around to witness such a catastrophic failure.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:22 pm
Ever diligent in his studies, always prepared for any sort of situation, or even just being an all around good hearted person.... Remi was doing one of his favorite things.
Napping.
Yes...clearly napping was the best way to studying. Even more so when he was in the forest clearing, a tree was the BEST place to sleep! It actually reminded him a lot of his home, minus the warring clans and insanely weird dark area's where you cant see s**t. The thought of his home should have made him feel homesick... that slight pull in his stomach that was normal to anyone whom missed home...right? Frankly, he did not feel that. But that was another story.
Right now, it was nap time.
Until he heard something CRASH not even ten feet behind him. Dual colored eyes flying open, he soon found himself clutching the tree with claws... and all three extended tails puffing out sort of like a cat would. Maybe he had been hanging around jack too long after all. Daring to release his death grip on the tree.... ok his claws still sank in he just moved them, he peeked ever so slightly around the tree... to see a heap of purple and crystal.
Not wanting to be the one whom poked the snake with a stick... with a flick of his finger he sent a small creature, a weasel looking thing, to investigate for him. Sight wise, it looked like a weasel... it smelt like one too. Heck he could even fool the senses into making you think it was rustling the leaves as it walked, but if the purple thing touched it, it would know it was fake. To be certain... remi tried a little more illusion, and brought a faint mist into the area. Cover tracks, Yes? Remi was such a pansy. Not wanting to poke the tiger nor wanting the tiger to SEE him... Oh yeah.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:19 pm
Riley let the leaves settle around her, clearly unaware that there was anyone nearby. When she opened her eyes, she could tell she felt dizzy from the fall. Her best bet was to simply lie there and wait out the feeling, until she could stand without trouble and move on.
She heard the sound of rustling nearby, and turned her head slowly to the side, finding herself face to face with a little creature.
Except, she wasn't really face to face with it.
Except, she was.
Her head snapped back suddenly as her mind warred with her senses. The creature was clearly there, sniffing up at her curiously, but her overdeveloped brain was sending her the information that her eyes, and ears, disagreed with - in front of her there was nothing but air, leaves, and ground.
It was a trick. Whatever that was, it was tricking her into seeing something - but it wasn't tricking her into thinking it. And with Riley, the latter was necessary for a proper deception. Thus, she reached her hand out, and slammed her fist into the creature - confirming that there was nothing there but air.
Riley sat up straight as a board, letting the leaves on her body fall away like a blanket. Something, or someone, was tricking her - and as the mist rolled in, traumatic memories resurfaced to trigger a violent paranoia.
It was them.
They had finally come. And they had found her here, alone, in the forest.
The perfect prey.
Her eyes squinted shut, as she desperately felt out for any mind in the area. This kind of searching was especially difficult for her, because she had no idea where to look, and whoever she was looking for would be a foreign mind to her. Nevertheless, Remi's proximity helped her pinpoint his location. But not his species.
I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE! She screamed into his mind, with all the force she could muster. She scrambled to her feet, and started backing away. All she could see was the mist, the fog, the same kind that Invictus had warned her about from the Island. It had to be them - it just had to!
Her voice sounded like pins jabbing into the mind. COME OUT AND FACE ME, YOU FILTHY HUMANS! In the fog, she was helpless - her only chance with them was a physical battle. OR ARE YOU TOO CHICKEN TO FIGHT ME YOURSELVES?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:50 pm
At first the danger he had set upon himself was unknown, so he settled in more curious than not to watch the actions of this one, figure them out. He had never seen someone like them before. He had to admit, by appearances alone he pegged them as from the monster class of their world. Purple skin, the... 'hair', which once lifted their face was more noticeable than when buried within the leaves. From this distance he could not get a food profile, but the fact alone that they were both so close to their campus he had them pegged as a student.
Oh, and a female. He realized as she sat up, not needing to explain further why this hunch was.
Snapping our of his own mind for a moment... he noticed the female as she slammed her fist through the illusion. Opening his mouth like an 0, a feeling almost like a needle pressing through his lungs came over his body. What males call it and never admit it... was hurt pride.
How did she figure it out so SOON? Sure... he used one of the simpler illusions on her, something that even a pup of his kind could do. Still, it should not have been that obvious. Dual color eyes flicked down to his hand, and he glared at it. Well... We will see what she c-
I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE!
All cards on the table, all thoughts gone, he found himself buckling over from the force of that call. If she had good ears, she could hear the scraping of his claws against the wood. Unfortunately, that sound could be related to a LOT of things. Like the grabbing of a mortal weapon, for example.
As the sounds continued, and only raised in pitch, a whimper escaped... and he did the first thing that he thinks of when put in this sort of situation.
He got the HELL out of there.
Turning tail, he darted off in the direct opposite direction, Ironically enough, it was the direction that lead TOWARDS the school. Though they were both still a ways off, Remi was no fool. Using a little more more complicated illusions, the kitsune thickened the mist that covered the pair and extended it out. Being a second year had its advantages... slightly stronger natural abilities he was finding. Drawing his fingers together, and twisting his palms he turned the mist into sort of a conduct. it was the same illusion as the mist, but it would make those within it see things out of the corners of their eyes. Maybe even a tree here or there move by itself.
He wondered how far her tolerance would go, maybe he could frighten her enough to get her to.. leave him alone. He would rather not find out. If it was a choice of Fight or flight, when he was scared shitless? Flight it was!
There was one thing he did notice though, his head was hurting a LOT from the screaming. So much so.... that he did a rather ungraceful trip over a root.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 9:10 pm
If Remi knew anything about Riley, he would have known that the last thing one should try to do is run from her. The sheer hours she spent running for fun and sport could have told him that.
But Remi did not know Riley. At all. And it was this unfortunate lack of knowledge that had him sprinting away, making enough noise to catch her attention. She hadn't heard the whimper, but she knew where he was, and she knew he was on the move.
Scared little human. She spat out, directly into his mind. It sounded like she was still right next to him, simply because the thought was in his mind, and distance didn't change its strength. I thought it was your job to hunt us. Not the other way around. But so be it. She bent slightly, before powering into a sprint, in the direction his mind was headed.
Towards the school.
Unacceptable.
The fog thickened around her, and it made her jittery with paranoia and anxiety. Any minute she expected saws to come flying through her body, cutting her in half again. She held her arms up in front of her, as reflex. But instead, the trees seemed intent on trying to stop her - reaching out with grasping limbs as it to try and pull her in. She vaulted up and to the side, using the limbs that reached out for her as leverage as she kicked off one tree and onto the next. Soon, she was up in those same trees, tentacles flying as she swung through them. They were meant to trick her - she could tell they were reaching out to try and stop her from going any further. Even if they weren't illusions, they were simply obstacles in her way.
She was good at getting through obstacles.
The sound of splintering wood and cracking branches behind Remi might have indicated her battle through the trees, but the sounds were keeping up with him easily, and never faded. He wasn't losing her, not by a longshot.
Then, as suddenly as it had all began, Riley realized that in mid-jump she had flung right over whoever it was that she was chasing. She still couldn't see a thing, but she closed her eyes to ignore them, and focused on what she could feel.
Her head snapped back behind her, and she ran back to Remi had fallen, dropping down on top of him. She sat directly on his chest, eyes closed, and her hand reached out, groping for his neck.
What do you want from us? Huh?! Shall I send you back in pieces, as a warning to the rest of your kind to leave us alone? Or should I keep you here and torment you as you have done to my kind? WHICH OF THESE FATES WOULD YOU PREFER?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 9:41 pm
Remi could hear her coming. Gliding through the trees and yet.... almost scraping through. It was as if she was a machine and on a mission, a mission against HIM for some reason. What he did to her... he had no idea. Did she not like the trick? Not like the illusions? He was too frightened to even catch the word 'humans' as it was probed into his head.
It was all happening so fast now.
One moment he was on back... and the next there was a crunch of leaves not even 10 feet away from him. Fear rising, the mist became SO thick it would have been clear to anyone that something here was hiding. He held his breath, she was close... too close. His only hope right now would be she not find him and go the wrong direction. Unfortunately for him, his current illusion was a double edged sword. It made him too unable to see, while he did not see the little flicks out of the corners of his eyes... the mist to him seemed almost real, even though he knew his own powers was its epicenter.
Still holding his breath, he soon found his hopes washed away. She crushed him with her own weight and had successfully grabbed his neck. She was going to choke him... oh god she was going to choke him! Feeling his wind pipe slowly being crushed, he dared not struggle... not wanting her to tighten the grip even more. She seemed to want answers...
"I..i w-want noth- nothing!" He managed to wheeze out, through what little air supply she was permitting him to have. "I have no-nothing against the mu-muhnsters! I di-ddid Nuthhing!" Good lord this woman was INSANE. She took rivalry between the clans WAY too literal for his liking! Would she really send him back to his clan in peices!? His clan would take the notion as a declaration of war, on...whatever purple pixie tentacled mind raping thing she was!
In a last act of desperation, Remi released his Fear. Something not permitted on campus, if you were not caught, but HELL if this was not a desperate time! In his hand, a large blue flame started to form at his palm... casting a cyan tinted glow over the two. While the flame in his hand was cold as ice, to anyone else it would feel as hot as a regular flame would be. Only, this one he could control. "Le-let me go."
...A warning, but if she squeezed even a SMIDGE tighter on his neck... the flame would be going right for the purple crazy woman.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 11:53 pm
Nothing against the monsters. Remi's words were only confirming her worst fear. Her eyes snapped open at the phrase, but she still couldn't see what she was grasping at. She leaned in closer, trying to get a better look at the human who dared attempt to-
The blue flame glowed in the fog, lighting up her view of Remi's face.
And ears.
And, oh.
Riley released him in a heartbeat, tumbling back awkwardly off of him and scrambling backwards a few steps. Instantly he disappeared into the fog, and she was blind once more. The faint ebb of blue flame still lingered in her sight, but it lit none of him from this distance.
.. Were his features an illusion, as well?
What- She scrambled back up to her feet, her arms raised upward in defense in case of an attack. Get rid of this blasted fog already! If you have nothing against us, then let me see your face. Your REAL face.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:10 am
Well that certainly was not the reaction he had been expecting.
Either the purple lady had a major fear of fire... or he would have thought she saw a ghost. When the hands released his throat, and the pressure was off his chest, Remi felt his lungs inflate once more in a instant. Something that was painful, in reaction he found himself coughing deeply, the one hand that did not contain his fear reached up for his throat. Tugging at the scarf, he gently wrapped his own hand there. He had heard her... but he also needed a moment to catch his breath.
Oh, and to think.
Should he remove the fog? Should he reveal himself to this crazy ghoul? Was there even a minuet chance that somehow in the scheme of things, this was some huge misunderstanding? Remis kitsune ears and tail flicked nervously, his own fight or flight reflex still kicking in. Deep down though, something told him that if he did not lower the mist now... the woman would take it as a act of war, and finish what she had started.
Slowly the mist started to fade around them. The tree's became visible once more, their arms no longer stretching out towards them both. There were no longer things peeking out of the corner of their eyes. The field of white vanished, remi dictating that the last piece of the puzzle that was revealed was his own. Dual colored eyes stared up at Riley, looking hesitant and a bit afraid. His trio of tails stayed curled around him, still, his ears turned backwards. Remi waited, sitting on the sitting, still clutching at the ball of fox fire in his palm.
Hey, who could blame him for not feeling trusting at the moment?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:06 pm
The amount of time she waited for the fog to disperse was almost too much. Riley's hands clenched into the dirt underneath her, ready to pounce, but then, as gentle as an exhale, the air began to clear.
The trees backed off.
And there, in front of her, was a kitsune.
Her response sounded like a slow, tragic wail. Nnnooooooooooooo.
Riley's hands flung up to her face, covering the blush that was creeping up from her neck. This was HORRIBLE. She had just ATTACKED a student. Congratulations, Riley, you've just won the Student Council presidency! What are you going to do next? I'm going to go to Disn-ATTACK MY FELLOW STUDENTS?
I am so sorry. Her voice sounded as clear as ever, despite her face being covered - since that didn't affect the thoughts entering Remi's mind. You don't understand. It's just, the fog, and the illusions, and you were running, and, ohhh.
She was mortified.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:02 pm
Good thing for Riley was, Remi had apparently paid NO attention what so ever to the student council happenings. He didn't go to any rallies, any of those booths... no wait he did go to those booths. A few times, really. Only to see them become eaten by rampaging sushi.
Thankfully that was over, though he didn't get anything out of the deal.... sad really. All and all what this summed up to was, he had no idea who the flying ******** Riley was. Probably a blessing in disguise.
"What the s**t was that about? " Did his fog really have that effect on her? She seemed to go into a all out rage hunting more. He huffed... sitting up and scooting back. Only reason he was on the offense now was... she seemed sorry. He on the other hand, was still scared, so his mouth fired off a bit. Crossing his arms, he looked to his right.... with a frustrated pout face. "You could clearly see through my illusions, why not the fog as well?" Looking back at her.... he was trying to mend his own broken ego, and failing miserably. Lifting a arm out of the cross, he did a familiar flick of his wrist until his palm was face up. Sitting on the palm, squeaking and chittering at Riley, was the familiar weasel from earlier. It looked real, sounded real, even smelt horrible. How and the world was she so...
Closing his fingers a moment later, the little creature disappeared into a smoke before all traces vanished. "How... how did you see through it so easily? " That was a more pressing question for him... she did not seem to feel the need to kill him anymore.
Standing up, the kitsune brushed the leaves off his outfit, making a note to keep distance between himself and the mild flayer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:33 pm
Did this guy seriously not even have a clue about the fog? He didn't look like a new student, despite the fact that she'd never seen him before. How, then..
And yet, he was more focused on how his powers had failed with her, than anything else. He truly had no idea what kind of danger he was putting himself, and others in, by using illusions that included fog. Riley's eyes tilted down in lieu of a frowning expression.
Because I'm a mindflayer. I don't see with just my eyes, I see with my mind. It's the same reason I found you while blind. She explained this with an air of disinterest, rushing through it as if trying to get to a more important subject. Which she was. Seriously, you can't fog up around here. I don't know how you're clueless about this, but we just had a field trip, and we all died. Because of some hallucinatory fog. I knew your fog was fake, but that didn't matter. She leaned closer and her finger poked him in the chest. I wasn't going to go down without a fight this time.
What Riley didn't realize was that despite her charged, angry words, she was shaking. Her entire body was shaking, coming down from the adrenaline rush of fear that had spiked through her when she thought she was fighting a human. She sounded tough, and her expression looked angry, but physically, Riley was shaking like a leaf.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 6:04 pm
While she was willing to blow it off, he was not. Still pressing on the issue... he would eventually figure out it was the lesser of two evils. A mindflayer huh? He had yet to meet anyone, besides another kitsune, whom could brush off his illusions so easily. He had to admit... it facinated him. It had been a while since someone had given him such a task... such a challenge. Oh, he was still scared of this ghoul... but hell if he was not going to focus some of his pranks and schemes on her.
Project confuse the mindflayer would be in effect soon.
Though back to reality land, remi pushed himself with as much dignity as he could, to his feet once more. Right after her words, which he was now replaying in his mind, the poke is what brought his own speech back.
Reaching out a hand, he lightly grabbed the wrist which just poked. "... How could you have died when you are clearly alive." The touch was more of a confirmation on his part that he was not seeing some sort of ghost. Her eyes got to him, causing him to give back a neutral expression. He would try and not let her know he was scared... predator 101- dont let the bigger one know your afraid.
Letting go of her wrist, he shook his head. "Look, Lady, i have not been around these parts for months and from the way i see it, you are still in your own flesh and so is the rest of the school. I believe you when you say you were not going down without a fight, i will have the bruises to prove it." He rubbed his neck a little where she had pressed her fingers into it.
Fox fire still in hand, he twiddled his thumbs until 5 of so smaller balls of flames came out of the larger one... and floated around them in a circle. "No tricks, but do not tell anyone on campus i did that ok." It was originally just to defend himself after all, right? He did not know he was talking to the president of the SC still. Settling in against a tree, his face turned somewhat smug." Why don't you enlighten me then, sweetheart. It seems we have some time and i would rather not have another misunderstanding like this, i like my head where it is thanks. Oh... and your shaking by the way." He thought she was cold, thus the fox fire he had surrounding them now which was warning the area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:38 pm
There was no instant reaction to the feel of Remi's hand clutching her wrist. Her gaze slowly turned down to look at the offending grab, with nothing but a curious glance. She was listening to him, but her eyes were on his hand. When he let go, stood and she flickered her white eyes up to him again, only to drop to the neck. Her hand, which hadn't moved from the position it had been held in, lifted up to press her fingers against the back of his neck. She was looking for the injuries in question.
Did I really hurt you? She murmured quietly, attempting to sound contrite. It was a foreign sound, difficult for her to pull off. It was self-defense. Not malicious.
And suddenly, Riley realized he was using Fear, and his words confirmed it. Her expression of guilt melted away in place of something much, much more familiar. Satisfaction.
Ah. Of course. Your secret is safe with me. She murmured, her voice sounding liquid and soothing. But you are wrong. We did die, out on that island we were sent to during our field trip. I, personally, had a giant blade slice me - Her finger lifted to her forehead and traced a line all the way down her face, and chest, until it stopped at her stomach. All. The way. Through. I fell in two pieces. Was she being brutally honest on purpose? A little bit. And I was separated from my body for a while. Then we were returned to our corporeal selves, though we're unsure exactly how. All that matters is that we were given a second chance, and you can imagine I will not be wasting it.
She leaned one hand against the tree he rested on. He was right to think her predatorial earlier. Now it's my turn to ask the questions. What is your name, and how have I never had the pleasure of making your acquaintance?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
