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 Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 9:52 am
Everyone knew.
Corsage had finally made it out of bed and around town, and it seemed like everyone knew that she had lost to Efreet. The quick glances and the averted gazes; they knew she had come back broken and beaten. She wondered how she had gotten down from his sanctum after everything went dark, and decided it would be just like Efreet to chuck her out into the street, where everyone would see and laugh. She lowered her head as her mouth twisted into a grimace. Later, she promised the God silently, knowing she would never feel complete until she held his charm in her own hands.
The market was mostly empty, for which Corsage was grateful. She had gone to start getting her strength back being bedridden for almost a week, but still wasn't looking forward to the hustle and bustle of Emberfall's main market. Half empty booths and shacks lined the wide road, all manner of creatures selling and buying the wares.
Sidestepping the shifting tail of a dragon haggling with the blacksmith, Corsage came to her destination. A small shanty held a very, very old centuar, ragged cloak over her shoulders as she shuffled through her racks of spices.
"Mankdrake root, please." Corsage laid the three coins on the table.
The woman turned slowly, fixing her with an eye. "I just got a new harvest in..." She wheezed slowly. "Two more gold and I'll double the size..."
Corsage considered a moment. She didn't know what in Efreet's name her mother wanted the smelly root for. "I don't want to stink up the house. Just the regular size, please." A slow nod and the woman dropped the small canvas bag on the table and scooped up the coins in the same motion.
"Say girl..." Corsage stopped turning to leave as the woman slowly beckoned. "Why did you try to defeat Efreet?" Her words were slow, but they cut deeply.
She stumbled for an answer, and after a moment of silence, decided she didn't have one. Not one that she could verbalize. She instead turned sharply away and began to walk home. How could she explain her need to that woman, how could she explain that deep seated want she felt when she thought about the pride of victory, the warmth of Efreet's charm in her pack. She had to have it. She just did.
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 2:04 am
Sand. He was tired of sand. There was sand in his pockets. There was sand on his horns. There was sand everywhere. He wiggled, trying to shove the sand off of himself. Ironic that a spirit such as himself complained about the sand, but allowed it to contact him at all. Ironic that such a person was even out and about on a day so bright such as this one. He did not care about the sun. It was as simple as that. He was Ridley, he did not have to care.
His claws sank slightly into the stone they were pressed up against. His back arched along with his tail as he pushed himself up the small stone crevice. There was shade there. There was also less people to look for him there. He sniffed the stone, taking in every scent he could pick up from it. Tilting his head he glanced around the area. Market. He hated the marketplace with a passion. Perhaps this was why he was merely watching it in disgust from the outskirts of town. The only good thing about the market was the people who fail to think. "Leave your coins loose in your pockets please. Let them clank together as you walk by. By all means, let me loosen the weight your pockets are carrying" he would often think as he slinked past everyone. Today was not a day for that though. He was bored. He always figured that doing his job when he was bored is disrespectful in a way. Today, he would melt into the stone crevice he made his nest and die of bordem. No one would walk to this side of town. Why? The Market was there for everyones entertainment.
He was blinded for a few seconds. Something? No, someone had walked in front of his eyes. He squinted to make out what in the hell it was. "A female?" he muttered. Her scales were bright enough to blind him in the sunlight. It enticed him, reminding him of bright emeralds. Gems.. it made him want to "acquire" some as soon as he could.
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:13 am
Corsage was grateful when she finally escaped the marketplace, out into the empty mountainside where she didn't have to twist around the people bustling to and from the slowly filling stalls. The sun was bright today and she bent her head to keep it out of her eyes. The volcano itself was naturally warm and the added sunlight made it just above a comfortable warmth.
A small breeze picked up dirt and pebbles to send them further down the path. Her home was a fair distance down the road so she tucked the mandrake bag next to her jewel pouch and stretched her hands. She flexed her legs as she walked, the stilting stance nearly throwing her off balance as a stronger breeze came across the rocks. She was still sore, and the doctor had told her to stretch often to get rid of the stiffness. Sighing heavily, Corsage was suddenly very tired of the whole damned aching process of trying to heal.
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:35 am
Ridley slinked further in his nest. It was an issue trying to get his head in, but in the end it slipped through. With all four sets of limbs pressed up against the wall and his tail against the other side he had a nice little snug, yet uncomfortable, area to ponder in. The girl was indeed a gem, but.. was she worth the trouble of taking? Watching her move across the path, he could only wonder what it was that had dared hurt something so .. precious.
His head popped up suddenly. Ears alert, horn shimmering in the sunlight. It resembled the scene of a meerkat frantically scanning his hole for danger. He pushed up with his arms, slowly climbing out of his little hiding place finally. When he finally reached his exit he stopped only to wiggle the sand off of himself once more. The wind was bringing more in.. how lovely. Sniffing around the air, he slowly slinked over to the bright "gem" he was still debating on whether or not to work for.
Halfway to his mark he stopped himself and tilted his head to the left. He remembered hearing rabble about the "god" being confronted for the first time in a long while. Normally, Ridley could not care less about the gossip that made it's way through the town unless it had a useful meaning to him. Normally. The god had something he wanted, something shiny. Of course he would listen to any gossip about it, considering the god never moved from his sanctum. He frowned, wondering if this girl was the one that had challenged him. It's not that he wished to torment her for it, he had quite an odd code placed inside of his skull though. You would think people would be understanding or something eh? It's a god, of course people will lose against it. Those who win are praised. Those who lose never forget it. Such a loving town.
His feet buried themselves into the earth as he pondered still. Finally raising his head he noticed her still leaving. Was he that hard to notice after even coming out of hiding? Perhaps he did resemble the earthy soil this town was equipped with. Frowning, he walked over to the girl ever curious. His ears were still perked up. His horn still slightly shimmered in the blazing sun. He came up behind her, tail even wagging. It was an odd habit to have your tail wag .. being a dragon and all. It still happened whenever he became absent-minded, something that happened quite often when he had nothing really to do. It happened the most whenever he scaled up the towns old buildings, peering down at the townsfolk from his hidden places.
He sniffed again. He smelled the sweet, sweet smell of jewels. Was it her... or something hidden in a pocket perhaps? He wanted to find out, but restrained himself for once. Instead he poked his head alongside of her, like a curious little puppy would as he looked for something to play with. Before he could realize that he actually had to say something or otherwise look like a complete idiot the worst happened. He tripped. Yes, he tripped. Over his own, wagging tail. It became the fall of him finally. As he wobbled a bit and clutched his head, he peered at at her, twitching.
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:23 pm
Maybe it was Mother who went and gossiped about me. Irritation set in and Corsage realized that she wouldn't put it past her mother, as terrible a gossip as she was. So what if I...lost. Doesn't mean you have to go speading it arou- There was a sudden tumble of rock to her right and she started violently as a head and pair of shoulders dropped to the dirt next to her.
Her cry caught in her throat and she found herself coughing against the choked spit. Eyes squinted shut, she held her arm up defensively against the stranger. The fit passed as soon as it came and she opened her tearing eyes. A boy lay on the ground in front of her, a dragon boy no less, a thick black scarf flipped up over his head. A stray thought in the back of her mind wondered how he could wear a scarf in such heat. But something seemed...off about him. Heart calming from the sudden scare, Corsage leaned towards him. It suddenly occured to her that she could see the pebbles of the road through his hand. Through his hand.
She took and involuntary step back. She had never met a spirit before.
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 8:06 pm
Coming to his senses, Ridley made an effort to untangle his scarf from his horns. It was a strategic battle.. in which the scarf claimed victory for a while. Once he was triumphant in his battle, Ridley flopped it back across his neck and stared blankly at the world around him for a few seconds. Eventually his tail wagged again as he realized he was positioned in a very awkward place.
He looked up at her, tilting his head at the tear strolling down her face. He then pushed his hands against the ground for support as he slowly made it back onto his feet. He brushed himself of once more. Sand. More sand.
His eyes fixated on those of her. Green, shimmering about as much as she did herself. He wondered why she was so.. different than anyone else around there. Instead of fretting about that small detail so much, he decided to finally speak for the day. His body lowered as he took a bow for her, tail motionless finally as it fixated itself on the ground. A thief chivalrous? Perhaps he was better at acting.
"You seem sad? Now.. who would dare to make you sad?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 9:32 am
Corsage stared in wonder as the strange boy wrestled with his scarf. The transparency was gone now and he didn't seem any different than a regular dragon. With a triumphant flourish, the boy finally threw the scarf back from his head. Honey yellow eyes stared up at her. His tail began to wag slowly. It...wagged. Completely dumbfounded, Corsage couldn't break her stare.
Pushing himself off the ground, he finally came to eye level and Corsage wondered whether or not she really saw through his hand. Time seemed to slow in that moment. He does seem solid enough now.... But he interrupted the thought with a sudden bow, his tail stilling.
"You seem sad? Now.. who would dare to make you sad?"
Corsage's shock deepened. I'm sad now? Realization hit her and she reached up to touch her cheek. Her tears from nearly choking to death on her own spit lay suspended in the layer of dust on her cheek. With and intense feeling of surreality, she managed to shake her head at the...unusual stranger. "No, I'm not sad. I just choked for a minute there. You surprised me." Her voice was considerably more jerky than she would have liked, but it was to be fairly understood, having been nearly scared to death by a dragon boy she thought was a spirit but doesn't really seem to be and now is really formal all of a sudden. A turquoise eyebrow rose slowly. There was something really weird going on. "If you don't mind me asking..." Are you a spirit? The words sounded moronic even in her own mind. "Who are you?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 11:20 pm
He stared up at her with his weepy, puppy like gaze. Her actions confused him for a bit. She was watching him closely, very closely. He assumed it was because of what he was. He failed to see why that interested anyone that payed enough attention to him. It was either that or tail that was wagging again. He could care less what was considered "proper" for a dragon. He figured that he had the right to do whatever the hell he wanted to the day he realized he could see through his own butt if needbe~
He shivered curiously at her sudden change of voice. He placed both hands behind his back and peered his head in closely to her, gazing at her about as hard as she was staring at him.
There was on thing that got him to stop snooping, her sudden question of him.
"Dearie, what do you think?" Do you really think I would harm something.. so precious as you? Why do I intrigue you so?"
Instead of being a nosy-butt any further, he closed his eyes and hummed to himself. As he hummed he reached out a claw to her, gently stroking at her arm. His color faded as he blended in with the area. It was not subtle, but it was an answer to a question he felt like answering and getting out of the way as fast as possible.
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:46 pm
He was definitely a spirit. Her mind kicked into gear belatedly as he ran a claw along her arm and the color faded out like a mirage. She realized she was gaping and snapped into full consciousness and stepped back. Precious? The stranger was bold, to say the least, and his sudden humming only confused her more. The fact that he had just asked her a question registered even later.
"Oh, um, well...." She wasn't quite sure how to phrase her thoughts. "I've just, mmm, never actually met a spirit before. I thought you'd only haunt graveyards or something." The words spilled and immediately she wished them back. Way too presumtive to be spilling out her idiocy like that. She was never good at first impressions and this one was falling apart like the rest.
Her hand shot out on impulse. "I'm Corsage." A nervous bead of sweat trickled between her shoulderblades. If the strange spirit boy was going to be touching her arm and calling her precious and whatnot, she may as well know his name.
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Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:07 pm
Ridley chuckled at her response. Haunting? He was not offended by this.. but it amused him. Imagining the possibilities of actually trying to do that to the marketplace one day put happiness in his heart. He lowered his head, slowly changing back to a more "suitable" form for public viewing.
"Spirits can do many things dearie, haunting is only something we d when bordem calls to us" he said with a weak smile formed upon his face. He stared at her given hand for a moment before actually taking it, shaking it a little. "Corsage? What a lovely name you have there. Beings call me Ridley" He paused after saying that, trying to think of why he was even pausing. Beings.. he did not know many people to tell the truth. He was about as stable in an area as the wind was.
He peered at her, finally deciding to ask what was on his mind. "Tell me, what does someone like you need with a Mandrake Root hm? Don't tell me that I have to go after someone for hurting you"
He shifted the weight on his hips and watched the people bustle further on in the street. He felt.. uncomfortable here all of a sudden.
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Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:26 pm
The mention of the mandrake root brought Corsage fully back to reality and she realized that her mother was waiting for her. "I'm just getting it for my mom, I don't really know why she wants it..." Did it have something to do with her healing? If it was, she'd no doubt find out later.
The boy, Ridley, shifted and was looking back up at the market. The air stifled for a moment as silence fell, the dull roar of the busy street slowly rising with the sun. "Well, my mom's sortof expecting me, so...." It suddenly seemed extraordinarily rude to leave him out in the dust. "Do you want to walk with me?"
In the back of her mind, she wondered if he could float.
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Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 1:27 am
Ridley chuckled, realizing she probably had no clue why a mandrake root was even special. He bent down, sniffing at it. It smelled foul to him, but even he remembered buying one long ago. Right now it wasn't that effective it would seem. Despite the fact that he was crafty, careful in his work, Ridley was not the best of his kind.
"Mmm... I have a strange feeling that your mother is a lively one, I think it's swell to have someone to care about. ..."
With that he paused, shivering a bit. What was he saying that for? ... Ridley had no one, not even parents to question him still somewhat existing in this realm. He was forever a kid to the few people he let cross his path. He would not let that bother him today ...
He perked an ear up, hearing her offer.
"Walk with you? Are you sure you wouldn't mind dear? I'd be happy to share my afternoon with someone"
He wondered how he would react if he would be seen by her mother. Perhaps wagging his tail might have to be ... limited for the rest of the day.
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Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:45 am
Corsage didn't really consider her her mother 'lively', more busy than anything, but her own emotions rose when he wistfully mentioned having someone to care about. A moment passed when Cosage thought she should say something, but his expression didn't last long as he perked up an ear and accepted her offer.
She smiled, and took a step towards her home, down the slope a short way. "Of course I wouldn't mind. My house is around that bend down there, so let's go." She smiled again at her new friend, her soreness forgotten. She suddenly wondered if her mother had ever met a spirit. She hoped so; it would be a shame to have to say goodbye to Ridley so soon after meeting him.
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 1:10 am
(You have the right to smack me if you would like. Been a long while .. been busy as all heck. Decided a few rp replies would be a lovely thing to do at this time in the morning o___O;;; )
Somewhat skipping, Kaine proceeded to take after Corsage's lead. His past thoughts were easily forgotten as his mind filled with other thoughts. He would have to restrain himself for once. Resisting shiny objects was a number one priority, as sad as it might seem. It was his crack, his obsession you might say. It was preemptive, not knowing what to expect from her house. The other thought in his mind created mainly from his new friends smile. Was she happy again? He would hate to see her eyes water again, choking or not.
His tail lay limp as he stared further down the bend. Houses.. normally he avoided this part of town. Too snug. Too .. social really. Sniffing around he caught wind of even food being cooked. Closing his eyes he wondered when exactly was the last time he was blessed with the ability to enjoy such things as spiced meat.
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 8:00 am
After a few moments of walking in silence, Corsage wondered whether she had done the right thing in inviting this stranger home. She barely knew him and his sudden silence as they came closer to her home made her uneasy.
But it didn't matter now; another bend in the road and her house came in sight. It was a modest dwelling carved into the mountain face, with a rough wooden doorway her father had put in a few years back. Her grandmother was a Sky Dragon and had insisted on plenty of space inside the refurbished cave when her mother married her father. It was set between a series of other caves; most of her neighbors were Land Dragons and had homes far deeper into the mountain than hers. She hoped Ridley wouldn't mind being in the smallest cave on the block.
"Well, here we are." She stopped before the door. What now? She hadn't really asked if he would want to spend the day with her. "Do you want to come in for a bit? Get out of the sun for a bit?"
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