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Post by T on Oct 26, 2018 11:58:37 GMT -5
A colossal sphere of blue, green, grey, and yellow floated ever so peacefully among the sea of stars above. While dusty lands resided below the boy’s feet, he watched over the planet from a bigger picture. It almost seemed like nothing else was happening on Earth from high above the clouds. Only the slow rotation of an ever changing world took effect- even then there were hours upon end of little which changed in his viewpoint.
Desire weighed down upon his shoulders. Russ knew not of what it concerned of how exactly it effected him, but he noticed that the feeling was present.
Two whole years past since he fell victim to a colossal energy blast. Two whole years were spent training himself in the Otherworld with ancient masters of old and yet the only result of it were increased physical capability. It was time spent in achieving greater levels of power that was unprecedented for his lack of skill when concerning the field of Ki. In spite of that, he knew that stronger foes lurked around every corner- waiting for their chance to reach out and seize power.
For that, he could not stop. For as long as there were innocent people that needed to be saved, he should not stop. Russ wondered if his friends on Earth still remembered him. Though the train of thought evaded him as a pink, whiskered Xeno with a rather bulbous head and a squint spoke up.
“Ki ki ki?” A Yardratian lifted one of its two three-fingered hands to its chin as it raised a query. In juxtaposition with the planet of the young Saiyan’s origin, it seemed as though its own was composed of lime green shades. Never before had it seen Earth with its own two eyes.
“Yup, that’s where I come from.” Russ responded in the affirmative with a gentle nod.
“Ki ki,” the strange, sagely alien commented.
“It is.” Without much rhyme or reason, he agreed with his acquaintance’s opinion. “It really is,” the boy reiterated. The reflection of his home-planet could almost be seen in his irises. “Anyway, I’ll see you later.”
Schwip-
Just like that, both parties vanished from sight.
Earth - Northern Woodlands
[ 9 : 30 a.m ]
Gentle sunlight scintillated down to illuminate the land below. Calm winds whistled through needle-like pine leaves. Soft murmuring could be heard in the distance. Presumably, it was the work of narrow river. Regardless, one universal opinion sang out as such: it was a good day to go outside.
Also, it was safe to say that Russ had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He lacked a reason to be on Earth at all- much less a forest in some part of the world that he never even visited before. Valuable time could be utilised for training or visiting other places to help people. Instead of doing either of the aforementioned activities, the teenager took a stroll through the thicket.
If anything, the past five or so attacks by wolves made it almost apparent that he was not wanted there. Then again, such was easily avoided with unnatural speed. He wished not for the animals to break their teeth on him, after all.
So he walked. So he dodged.
Or so he did, until the boy came across a lonely dirt road.
“Huh.” Scratching the back of his head, he mused upon who would enact the path in the middle of nowhere-forest. Regardless, it was followed all the same.
( Word Count : 0, 624 ) [ Total Word Count : 0, 624 ]
Lilith Nevermore |
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Oct 27, 2018 2:27:33 GMT -5
And there it was again... A small, dainty figure crouching beneath a tree turned a crimson glance towards the snarls that crept through the forest. The wolves had found prey. Again. However, the distinct lack to death screams for the fifth time in a row left her wondering... Were the hungry mutts really this incompetent? Or was something more going on? Well, their paths would cross eventually and then this problem would have to be dealt with anyway. Slowly the silhouette stood up and gently dusted her clothes. A tired sigh trailed in the air. If you wanted something done right...
Soon the wanderer would come across a slender woman blocking his path. Well, clearly trying to at least, despite her frail frame. Lavender hair framed her pale and delicate features. Her eyes seemed to shine red even in the faintest light. Long, violet robes swept the ground and a wide-brimmed hat rested on her head. Perhaps she looked too young to be called wicked, but a witch she was without a doubt. Traces of odd, unnatural energy lingered around her. In her hands she carried a basket brimming with mushrooms. Despite their exotic colors and shapes, they all had one thing in common. An experienced or knowledgeable traveler might notice every single one those mushrooms was poisonous. Horribly so.
After silently subjecting the stranger to the most judging glare, the young lady finally deigned to speak. "That’s far enough." ...Not that she had anything kind to say. "It’s rather rude to enter someone’s property uninvited." Her calm voice chimed like a tiny silver bell. Light, refined... And oh so very cold. As much as she would’ve loved to simply curse the intruder into something more manageable -like, say, a corpse- her hands were bit full at the moment. So persuasion would have to do.
Words: 309 [Total = 309] T |
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Post by T on Oct 27, 2018 3:06:11 GMT -5
Nothing quite like a short bout of exercise to alleviate mental strain. At least it used to until the boy developed a nigh-invincible state of physical being by most mortal standards. Now, he simply walked along the path while listening to the sounds of nature and- there was a person standing in the middle of the road.
It was a mildly spooky lady.
Had Russ continued to be unaware of supernatural ongoings in the galaxy, he might have thought that this particular witch was a cosplayer of sorts. A cosplayer in the middle of the woods. A cosplayer in the middle of the woods carrying a basketful of poisonous mushrooms and funny which looked relatively tasty. Not that he would know that they were poisonous in the first place or if she was an actual witch, but no assumptions were taken for the time being.
All he knew was that a mildly spooky lady was in the middle of the woods dressed like a witch. At times like these, Russ wished that he could sense energy.
“Eh?” He blinked twice, scratching the back of his head. “You own this land?” Of course she owned this land. Well, maybe. He referred back to article 5 of the guidelines of trying to look as little of a fool as possible: no assumptions should be taken for the time being.
“Oh- uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.” An excuse. He needed an excuse. He needed all the excuses in the world.
The first statement that came to mind was ‘I was out fishing for snakes’. Considering the aforementioned explanation possessed neither rhyme nor a semblance of actual reason, Russ decided to discard it into the mental trashcan. It would fit snugly in-between ‘how to outrun crocodiles’ and logarithmic equations. Surprisingly enough, Pythagorean theorem did not reside in that area of knowledge- yet.
“Yeah, I’ve got nothing.” The young man admitted outright his failure to lie or provide a motive. Despite the overwhelming level of power condensed entirely within his body, his wide-eyed deadpan expression denoted some level of queasiness. He was more intimidated by her demeanour than anything else, though his casual tone barely gave a hint of that. “I was just kinda walking through the woods.”
Following this, the chirping of crickets could be heard from nearby bushes.
“Didn’t really know anyone lived around here.” Truth be told, he did not know anyone who lived on this side of the planet. The raven-haired boy looked over at the witch in mild confusion. He lifted one of his lean, muscle-bound arms to his back to adjust his vest properly. While somewhat clean scars seemed to dot his visage, the worst thing that he could possibly deal with was a light itch.
( Word Count : 0, 478 ) [ Total Word Count : 1, 102 ]
Lilith Nevermore
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Oct 27, 2018 9:00:23 GMT -5
For the moment, Lilith could do nothing other than listen with varying degrees of disbelief. She blinked. Once. Twice. He... got nothing, he said? Rather, he just outright admitted he was a fool wandering aimlessly. Furthermore, he seemed blissfully ignorant of the tales that surrounded the forest. Surrounded her. Usually she would’ve suspected such a flimsy claim. Buuuut not this time. No, this sounded exactly dumb enough to be true. She swore she could feel the stupid radiating from him. Closing her eyes, she tried to gather the scraps of her patience and muttered something about "Bloody tourists..." beneath her breath. Where was she even supposed to start with this muscle-bound yokel...?
As the crimson gaze flickered open again, the chimed voice chided the traveler harshly. "Ignorance is no excuse for poor manners. Apologize." In stark contrast to his carefree and relaxed demeanor, she carried herself with an air of quiet and frigid grace. She may have been a good bit shorter than him, but her immense ego towered over him. "If you want something from someone, it's proper to introduce yourself first." An expectant silence followed, the sort that asked a soundless question, demanding to be filled with an answer. ...Except that if the man actually tried to say something in his own defense, the lady would pompously cut him off.
Perhaps on purpose.
The little witch puffed her chest. "I am Lady Lilith Nevermore, the heir of the illustrious Nevermore clan." Her glare narrowed accusingly. "And yes, I do own this land. My home is within these woods, thus the forest surrounding it belongs to me as well." One could argue there was no legal basis on her claim, but she had always believed in the laws of strength and blood. She was above common rabble by both power and birthright, thus she naturally made the rules. The logic was flawless if she did say so herself.
Words: 320 [Total = 629] T |
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Post by T on Oct 27, 2018 9:51:00 GMT -5
If there was anything that Russ picked up on despite his utter failure at energy sensing, it would be the gargantuan aura of sass heading his way. A bead of sweat threatened to fall comically from either side of his temples. Social norms learnt as a result of interacting with both normal people and crazy space-folk allowed him to develop a premonition of sorts. This lady was dangerous. Though not particularly in a literal sense, mind you. He found her dangerous to his anxiousness.
The boy was raised to act in accordance with proper mannerisms as with a considerable amount of the population on Earth. Pointing out that he violated some form of etiquette put as much pressure on his stomach than a stomp from a dinosaur would.
“Oop- Right.” Flustered, if not relatively embarrassed for a moment, he proceeded to clasp his hands together while delivering his own apology. “Sorry for-.” Now that he thought about it, Russ was unsure what he should have been sorry for. Better go with the most appropriate option, he figured. “My ignorance. Sorry for being a big ignoramus.”
Something that he had not noticed before then became immensely apparent in his perspective. The maybe-sorta-kind-of-witch spoke in a rather antiquated fashion. It was as if she had popped straight out of one of those roleplaying games that he used to have. That and the garb was generally associated with magics and witchy things from any fantasy setting at all.
Listening on to her introduction, the boy’s left eye twitched slightly. She had a title and everything too. He saved a planet from complete and total domination by an immortal overlord from a demon clan, and yet a title was something that he lacked.
Thus, he responded in kind. “Nice to meet you, Miss- erm. Lady Nevermore.” The young man could not tell whether she was older or younger than him. He was sixteen, but everyone that he met looked as if they were teenagers or young adults at most. “My name is Russ.” His right thumb was brought up to point at his chest. Now to list all of his most important achievements. “I am a high school graduate, and I used to deliver pizzas as a part-time job.”
And upon realising what he just said, the boy decided to change the topic.
“So.” Think of something Russ. You can do it. Talking to girls is easy.. “Nice hat.”
Russ- master diplomat.
( Word Count : 0, 436 ) [ Total Word Count : 1, 538 ]
Lilith Nevermore
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Oct 27, 2018 13:06:00 GMT -5
The little lady could feel another annoyed sigh coming, no matter how she tried to contain it. Well, at least Sir Ignoramus Maximus had the decency to apologize for his shameful shortcomings. A small victory, but she would take what she could get. Likewise, tripping over her title earned no points in her eyes. She had not been born into nobility to be called Miss, thankyouverymuch. At least she didn’t need to correct him... How sad that it was actually noteworthy. The name got a mere scoff and his brief introduction earned a mutter. "Hmph, an uneducated delivery boy... Somehow that doesn’t surprise me..." He certainly looked the part. Too poor to even afford a proper shirt. How pathetic.
When the peasant resorted to cheap talk, the young witch seemed less than amused. "You can’t possibly believe such trivial flattery could salvage your situation..." After a moment’s pause, a small, smug smile slipped onto her lips. "...But you’re right. My hat is nice." She took her hands off of the basket -which somehow still stayed suspended in midair- and idly adjusted her headwear. "In fact, it’s handmade from genuine black widow silk by the finest..." Suddenly she stopped herself and shook her head. The brim of the hat was tugged down to cast a dark shadow over her features. "Erm, n-never mind that." Too late though. The chilling composure had already cracked. And from beneath it peeked a faint blush.
Honestly Lilith was furious with herself. She couldn’t believe she had gotten caught up in this moron’s pace. Clearly his idiocy was contagious. She had to shoo him away before things got any weirder. Such a shameful blunder should never be repeated... Her pride would not be able to handle it... Following a deep breath, her tone turned icy again. "More importantly, you are trying to avoid the real problem here... You are trespassing in my forest. I should have you hanged for such transgression." With her hands free from the apparently floating basket, she could now empower her haughty aura by folding her arms disapprovingly. Truly a frightening power.
Words: 358 [Total = 987] T |
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Post by T on Oct 28, 2018 7:37:11 GMT -5
Being called ‘uneducated’ hit him rather hard in the everything. He spent about half of his lifespan thus far busying himself in a school system just to get a nice piece of paper to hang on his bedroom wall. That and also an education in if itself. Regardless, he hardly used much of that since his day to day life now consisted of waking up, training, and fighting evil villains every so often. Before somehow managing to die in space, he did plan to attend a college of sorts. Not much of an idea concerning which area to study was had, but the thought certainly was in progress.
Regardless, Russ was caught unaware by her reaction to his statement. His left hand was brought to place upon the side of his waist. An eyebrow cocked while he listened on to her description of the hat’s make- intrigued by both the rarity of material and enthusiasm which she carried while speaking. Even after the lady stopped herself abruptly, he wondered exactly how renowned the hatter was.
Also the basket floated.
The basket floated and this confirmed that she was indeed magic. Either she was magical, or the basket was magical. They might have been both for all he knew.
Of all the people he expected to meet on that day, a witch in the middle of a spooky forest was the probably the third or fourth last on his list. The boy raised a finger itch at his jawline. He found the situation unthreatening physically, yet entirely volatile. “Could you please not do that?” Russ asked in response to the mention of hanging. Hanging around would have been annoying, albeit no damage might be incurred from the activity.
“I mean, that does not sound like a proportional punishment.” All things considered, it was probably the most unfair sentence he ever heard. Though his tune changed absurdly quickly after his jet-black rises met a stern, disapproving gaze. Abort. Abort. Folding her arms only made it worse. Swiftly, Russ directed his sight elsewhere. Off into the sea of trees it went. Rubbing the back of his head violently, he blurted out another sentence directly in prose. “But really, I guess that isn’t much from an uneducated, ignorant peon like me- yeahuh.” So much for analytical being one of his main aspects.
Or was it? Using all of the guile he could muster, a backup-plan to his already failed backup-plan came into play. Versatility made for a change of pace in this utter failure of a social interaction. What Russ did next may leave one quite stunned. Then again, his rush had the potential to fall flat as well.
A determined face turned to stare straight at the lady’s crimson eyes. Step one: establish eye contact. With brows furrowed and a small smile on his face, the boy then proceeded to table the turn tables and flip it right over. Step two: wing it. “Can I have your permission to keep being here?” In comparison with his previous tone, this query sounded collected, managed, and absolutely boisterous. “I am, once again, sorry to have trespassed on your land, but since I have little else to do here, I might be able to aid you with any chores that you so wish.”
If she was any closer, one might be able to see that he was sweating profusely. This was a gamble of unprecedented levels. The young man already foresaw getting blasted out of the woods.
( Word Count :0, 616 ) [ Total Word Count : 2, 154 ]
Lilith Nevermore
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Oct 29, 2018 6:00:50 GMT -5
There were so many ways people reacted to a death sentence. Denial, anger, terror... Asking politely to be spared was usually not one of them. Slooowly Lilith’s head tilted to the side. Another crack stretched across the composed facade and the sheer bafflement gleamed through. Either this man was so overwhelmingly, horrifyingly powerful that even a death threat was a mere inconvenience to him... Ooor he was simply too foolish to understand his current predicament. Hm. She wasn’t sure why she even bothered entertaining that first thought when the second one was so plainly obvious. Still, something about him felt... off.
Perhaps it was a strange twist of fate... Or Lady Luck enjoying the absurdity of the situation... But against all odds the young man did not get blasted on the spot. While already off-balance, the witch was outright stunned by the sudden shift in the atmosphere. Her expression wavered at the sudden eye contact. An imaginary brush decorated her cheeks with a touch of flustered pink. W-what was this sudden... confidence? She had gotten all kinds of treatment over the years from faux friendliness to cold contempt. Encountering someone so genuine... was a new one...
Desperate to regain control of the social battlefield, the young lady averted her gaze with a scoff. "Hmph, I’ll consider it." It may not have been an explicit yes, but it wasn’t really a no either. She flicked her finger dismissively and the mushroom basket drifted over to the man. "Make yourself useful and carry my basket." Right the command, the basket mysteriously lost its float-y properties. While she needed a moment or two to gather her thoughts, she wasn’t just going to let this yokel wander on her property unsupervised. And to be fair... She did enjoy delegating chores to someone else. Reminded her of better days when she had actual human servants at her beck and call.
Once Russ accepted his first chore -if he knew what was good for him- Lilith would turn her back to him. "You are to walk three steps behind me and not a single step closer. Are we clear?" Hopefully her tone made it clear she wasn’t going to tell him twice. With a calm stride she headed down the narrow path deeper into the woods.
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Post by T on Oct 29, 2018 7:24:22 GMT -5
Backup plans backfire sometimes. This was not one of those times, apparently. Immediately, the sweating came to an end and the answer left Russ frozen in place due to a form of surprise that he probably hardly ever encountered before. Could this be the legendary pleasant surprise? Possibly. Still, it was not entirely rainbows and sunshine when considering the general vibe of the environment around them. Then arrived the understanding that he just resigned himself to an entire day of menial work for no pay at all.
A hand delved into the depths of his right pocket before returning into sunlight with a handkerchief in tow. He used it to wipe the sweat off his face while catching the basket by its base with a free hand. “Basket, got it.” Having caught both his breath and the item, a single step forward marked a new discovery in his books. He had not been instantly vaporised from attempting to approach his ice-cold acquaintance.
That was a start. A small step, albeit a start regardless. Russ began to close the distance between him and the witch, taking into account the three steps she mentioned. “Understood, Lady Nevermore,” was all he could; and probably should; have responded with at that point in time. He debated the logistics of ‘three steps and not a single step closer’ to himself.
Did this mean that he had to stay at exactly three steps away?
Could he go further away without breaking any rules?
Was thinking about it useful at all?
Having settled on the answer ‘no’ three times in a row, the teenager-turned-chore-person decided to walk about a metre and a half behind her. It provided extra margin for error if she abruptly stopped, and this would be a good length to stay at without seeming scared of her. He had a tendency to overthink things like these. The chain of thought was disposed of promptly, however the message remained. One and a half metres.
While the distance was kept in check, walking slowly along a winding path might take a while. Time was as good as any to break the ice. Hopefully, a frozen lake did not reside beneath him. “Spooky forest,” commented the boy as he looked from left to right. Not much else was available to him. He was not about to unleash a torrent of questionnaires when they were still on a last name basis.
( Word Count : 0, 429 ) [ Total Word Count : 2, 583 ]
Lilith Nevermore
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Oct 30, 2018 4:22:07 GMT -5
As the mismatched pair made their way through the haunting scenery, the sounds and scents of a the forest shrouded them. Wind whispered in the dying leaves. Spiders skittered along their beautiful webs stretched between the twisted branches. Crickets played a quiet symphony somewhere behind the thorny bushes. It was... pleasant. There was just one problem with this lovely peace. It was the kind of silence that begged to be broken by a certain sound... Chit-chat. Lilith shuddered at the thought. She could just feel it coming, the inevitable torrent of pointless inquiries about her life. It always started with a simple icebreaker... And as luck would have it, she was right. Hmph, of course she was right. Unfortunately...
"Scenic."
The wanderer’s idle comment received a reluctant response. "I prefer the term scenic." Truthfully the lady wasn’t quite sure why she even bothered answering. A force of habit perhaps? A remnant from the finer days were taking part in discussion was simply expected? Well, she would continue to blame that habit when the words kept flowing. "I find the dim lighting and flow of fresh air rather soothing. Don't you?" Obviously this didn’t meant the ice was broken. Of course not! She was simply being polite. And... As far as foolish mortals went, perhaps this boy wasn’t all that bad. At least he seemed to understand his place quickly.
Hm... Bit too quickly...
Now that Lilith had time to gather her thoughts, dark little doubts were beginning to bubble in her mind. Right... For a supposed simpleton, he certainly had grasped the importance of her title without hesitation. He hadn’t even questioned the command... Why? Was he just that sincere? Or was he perhaps trying to slip past her guard? The latter would explain quite a lot of his odd behavior. It made far more sense to think he was yet another bounty hunter here to slay the wicked witch. Just like everyone else...
Along the way, the young witch spotted something intriguing from the corner of her eye. She suddenly stopped and carefully peered beyond the brambles. Something round and colorful sat on the mossy ground. With a wave of hand the thorny plants shifted aside, like servants giving way to their mistress. Between the motions, she chimed up almost pleasantly. "Tell me, Russ..." Stepping off of the beaten path, she shot a glance towards the musclebound peon and her tone grew several degrees colder. "...Do I look like a fool to you?" Now there was a loaded question.
Words: 425 [Total = 1798] T |
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Post by T on Oct 30, 2018 5:31:57 GMT -5
Scenic. The boy could certainly see that. Rarely ever did he get a chance to simply engage himself fully in the simpler activities of life. Bustling cities and flaming battlefields gave him no opportunity to unwind and absorb the environment into his mind. Even meditation in the Otherworld failed to do more than crash a bagful of irritation through a window before beating him over the head with it. Achieving peace of mind was easier than somehow manifesting the ability to shoot lasers due to yoga exercises. Perhaps that required a different approach.
Inhaling deeply through his nostrils, he took in the fresh, forest air. “Sometimes.” An apt answer came from him. One and a half metres away. “It’s nice, but I like it a bit better when there aren’t wolves around.” Russ had nothing against wolves. He still disliked being chased around by a carnivorous pack of wild animals that chased him around for a meal. One might consider him fast food in that sense- so much so that he tired the predators by how quick he ran.
He noticed the tiniest flicker of expression there. Positive expression, specifically. That much was a rarity in of itself when concerning all the peculiar figures he met while travelling around the galaxy. Normal folk were prone to moments like those- it was human to do so. A lot of super-powered space people had two modes: fight, and bland. Had he less empathy, he might have thought three-quarters of the universe’s population consisted of robots pretending to have emotions.
On that note, he considered her exceptional; if not mildly so.
Though, her next question caught him rather off guard. A rapid switch of displayed emotions confused the boy. He knew little of what to do besides answer her question as he found it. “Don’t know what would make you think that, but-” Both shoulders raised once in a shrug as he shook his head. “No, you kind of look like a cool sorceress.” Thereafter, Russ’ right hand raised to cup under his chin. Eyelids descended into a squint while he looked at the hat once again. “I guess that’s what you are since you can do the whole ‘magic’ thing.”
All he could do was hit things. Hit things so hard that entire worlds might shatter from the force of a punch, but the technique in of itself failed to compare in the aspect of amazement when put next to a laser beam or something of the sort. He wanted to shoot laser beams too.
His gaze then directed itself to the thorns moving aside. They curved aside like waves moving away from the shore or cogs rotating to perform a specific function. It seemed as if parting the sea of brambles without ripping them to shreds was an easier task with arcane power. “Yeah, that just confirms it,” He added nonchalantly, looking back to the lady ahead. “What did you do that for though?”
( Word Count : 0, 519 ) [ Total Word Count : 3, 102 ]
Lilith Nevermore
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Oct 31, 2018 3:17:24 GMT -5
The crimson glare glowed brighter. Lilith’s senses were at their sharpest, keenly anticipating the man’s next move. Heroes and bounty hunters were always the same. Once the barbarians realized she had seen through their act, they always resorted to violence. This buff buffoon would be no different, she was sure of that. ...Maybe bit too sure, because the unexpected answer bowled right through her defenses. And the crimson glare blinked first. The third crack appeared on the icy facade. Her cheeks were burning. Hastily she turned her attention somewhere, anywhere else. Shaky hand tried to distract the bewildered mind by brushing the lavender bangs into a new order. Perhaps tucked behind the ear? No, no, over one eye was the best. Or maybe...
While the outspoken boy kept prattling on, the reserved lady struggled to compose herself. Just... deep breaths... "Witch." Her sudden comment didn’t quite have the usual calmness behind it. "The word you are looking for is witch." The deep breaths... were doing nothing! Still her voice fell flat, almost turning into a shameful mumble. "But... sorceress is fine too, I suppose..." Tch, this was utterly ridiculous. How could such simple words sink so deep? She had been called many things over the years. Villain, monster, scourge, witch with a B... The last one aside, such titles weren’t necessarily inaccurate though. But to be called cool? That was a first.
The change of topic couldn’t have come with a better timing. Lilith finally got her hair, and thoughts, into some sensible order. "To open a path to those." She pointed ahead, between two dead trees. Growing from their decaying bases was a veritable trove of round, orange mushrooms. "Omphalotus olearius... Also called the jack-o’-lantern mushroom." True to the nickname, the gills of the mushrooms were glowing with a ghastly greenish light. She knelt down and beckoned Russ closer. "Bring the basket here." Once the servant complied, she began gingerly gathering the fungi. "Oh and don’t eat them, for they are rather poisonous." Yes, she did expect the peasant to be that stupid. And no, she was not going to take any chances.
Between the practiced and precise motions, the young witch tried to get a read on the strange man. Every now and then, when she thought he wasn’t looking, she shot a quick glance at him. His stance, physique, expression... If he held any ill intent towards her, he was hiding it flawlessly. It was almost like he wasn’t here to slay her. But he couldn’t fool her with hollow niceties... He was hiding something. Everyone was. She just had to pierce through the veil of deceit. But how exactly...? By simply asking, like he had been doing so far? Try to throw him off with his own tactic? Hmph, what a laughable idea. "...What brings you to these woods?" She might as well been asking the slightly awkward question from the mushroom she was staring at... Until she turned her expectant gaze towards Russ.
Words: 508 [Total = 2306] T |
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Post by T on Oct 31, 2018 4:45:00 GMT -5
A healthy dose of correction flipped a mental switch to bring about the rapid turning of cogs. He wondered if there was any difference between a witch and a sorceress in a magical context. An enchantress enchants things, an occultist does occult things, and necromancers commit heresy. Witches and sorceresses though? Russ just assumed they both did sorcery of some sort. Despite his knowledge concerning the lore of generic games, he lacked the actual know-how to identify one from another. It may have been a choice of apparel for all he knew.
From what he could gather of this particular witch, it seemed to him that she was cool, calm, and as collected as a cemented wall. However many her jabs she threw, the boy shrugged them off with little care on his part. He was not one to start a fight simply because someone threatened him personally or insulted him. A feeling settled itself complacently in his gut. The more they spoke, the more his initial fear was shaken off.
Russ felt as though he could act naturally around the witch. There was no need for comically artificial bravado or manufactured appeasement. To him, the lady was just a normal, albeit relatively spooky, person who knew how to perform magic. Strange how talking for a few minutes could resolve any negative first impressions. Still, they had only just been acquainted. It was best to not crack any bad puns just yet.
As he ambled past the trail of thorns, the young man focused upon the bio-luminescent fungi. “Whoah.” He took a step forward- one metre left between them. There was about three feet left in terms of distance. His steps probably encompassed more than a foot each, so Russ he brought his right arm out to place the basket next to her before pedalling backwards by two steps. “I’ve only seen those not glow before.” Any admiration of the mushrooms took place from a distance.
Her warning was acknowledged with a small nod. Though he doubted that any natural poison would hurt him anymore, he decided not to test his body’s resistance to them. It was only logical not to eat any random plants in the forest- berries included. A lot of things in the wild held the potential to kill humans in painful ways. Hence, the boy turned away from Lillith to keep a watch on their surroundings. There was no telling when wolves decided to show up.
“Not much else besides what I said earlier.” He replied while taking off one of his two gloves. It was waved lightly as he tried to remove any dirt from its crevasses. Thinking about his reason to be on Earth caused him to frown if not for a split second. There were a few things he wanted to do- a few things that he lacked the courage to do. “Walking through, found a path.” Reiteration in a simpler fashion. “I’m not really busy these days.”
Other than more training and learning about the galaxy, his normal teenage life appeared so far out of reach now. Nevertheless, no time was given to brood on that matter. The adolescent decided to leave brooding for the weirdos in tights and space-warriors who took themselves too seriously.
“But hey, I found a neat way to spend time.” That much, he could say with complete certainty. He enjoyed helping others when and where he is able. Aiding the witch in menial tasks such as carrying around a basket was no exception to his standard.
( Word Count : 0, 612 ) [ Total Word Count : 3, 714 ]
Lilith Nevermore
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Nov 1, 2018 5:03:35 GMT -5
Much to Lilith’s flat disbelief, Russ offered no elaborate explanations or sly lies. Just... Something stupidly simple. Seemed to be a running theme here. She could only barely suppress the annoyed groan, though it briefly spread all over her features. If she hadn’t known any better, she might have thought the boy had completely dropped his guard. Turning his back to her like that... It had to be a trap. He wanted her to make the first strike, so anything he did afterwards could be masked as mere self-defense. Hmph, she wouldn’t fall for such obvious provocation!
The lady was snapped out of her pondering by the odd comment. "You consider this... neat?" She couldn’t help but echo the strange word choice. Why was she getting so hung up on that? What was with this man? He knew what she was, yet... She shifted her stare at the glowing mushroom in her grasp. Tch, no, it didn’t matter. Her research was the only thing that mattered. And he was just an errand boy allowed to carry her belongings as long as he remained useful. Nothing more, nothing less. "Hmph. Never mind." With another cold scoff she continued picking the best specimens. The basket was almost full anyway.
Meanwhile, something rustled in the nearby bushes. A body built like a tank and covered in ragged, brown fur pushed through the thorns. Beady black eyes stared at the humans. Slowly the the massive creature rose onto its hind legs, revealing a mean frame of over 7 feet and 600 pounds. Sharp claws reached several inches from each enormous paw. Even sharper teeth filled a slobbering maw. A deep growl shook the twisted trees. Yes, the martial artist had the fortune of seeing a real grizzly bear this close. Wild. Powerful. Majestic. The bear, on the other hand, saw two servings of fresh meat with a side of mushrooms. Yummy!
Words: 322 [Total = 2628] T |
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Post by T on Nov 1, 2018 6:07:25 GMT -5
“Yeah, it’s pretty neat.” He decided on elaborating a bit more despite the abrupt deflection. At that point, Russ was unsure if he was narrating to the lady or himself, but he did so with little regard. Someone had to recount the morning after all. Stretching his arms overhead, the boy inhaled through his nostrils before letting both arms and breath flow naturally. “Got to meet a new person, haven’t been attacked by the person, and got to see a few glowing mushrooms.” He went on, keeping eyes peeled and body prepared for any danger that may bare its fangs “I’d say it’s been a nice morning so far.”
And then a bear strut onto the scene.
“WHOAHJEEZ- uh.” He almost forgot he had superpowers for a second there. It was not often that he got to see bears of any sort. In an age of space-travel and numerous Xeno species, the young man saw his fair share of dinosaurs than actual bears. Still, the shock of seeing the rare mammal probably did not warrant the scared reaction. “I mean, uhhhhh. Something something cool one-liner.” Standing upright, he struck a fighting stance with both of his fists raised in front of him. His right index finger pointed dramatically over at the huge animal. “Eh, I’m just gonna-”
Woosh.
Blink and one might miss it. Where he once stood, now the slow drifting of uplifted leaves descended. Neither a loud sound nor the crunch of leaves stirred from this disappearance. Russ was nowhere to be found. Or so that would seem unless anyone were to look behind the bear. Arms reached out to wrap around the large, furry quadruped’s back. Thereafter, they heaved upwards in an attempt to lift the creature overhead.
“Hup.” Balancing the presumably struggling animal up on his two palms, Russ looked back over to the witch and her basket. “I knew keeping watch would do good!” After all, this forest proved to be densely packed with fauna that he had yet to even fully discover. Though now he had no idea what to do with the bear he held. “Is this one of yours?” A question raised as he tried to raise his voice slightly louder than whatever the creature roared out. “What should I do with this?”
( Word Count : 0, 401 ) [ Total Word Count : 4, 115 ]
Lilith Nevermore
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Nov 2, 2018 1:40:29 GMT -5
When the uninvited guest appeared, Lilith didn’t even notice. She was too lost in thought. However, her concentration was shattered, shoulders twitching upwards in an irritated wince, when the helper started spouting nonsense. Loudly. After placing the last mushroom into the basket, she rose up and turned to face the noisy troublemaker. Somehow she resisted the burning urge to raise her voice as well. "And what, pray tell, do you think you are... oh." She trailed off and quirked a brow when she saw the man effortlessly holding a grown grizzly. It appeared he was a touch stronger than the average mortal. How quaint.
The bear, meanwhile, was even more bewildered. For the first several seconds, it was too confused to even struggle. The martial artist’s question was met with a denying grunt. Nuh. "No." The witch just happened to agree in an equally blunt fashion. She stepped closer, seeming eerily calm in the presence of an apex predator. Perhaps he trusted the man to keep her safe. Wouldn’t that be a nice thought? "Then again... Anything that dwells within my forest naturally belongs to me." And that’s when the squirming started. The huge paws flailed and the crushing weight shifted back and forth. Too bad it was a wasted effort. An average planet-busting fighter tended to be stronger and smarter than an average bear.
For the first time today, the peasant presented an excellent question. Lilith carefully cupped a hand beneath her chin. As usual, her pondering was brief and her command cold. "Skin it." Nuuuhhh. The bear furiously shook its head. "I can think of an use for that fur." The flailing intensified, yet the frigid woman was not swayed. "Take its claws, teeth and eyes as well. Those can be brewed into a rare potion." Nuuuuuhhh! One could almost imagine the bear understood speech based on how desperately it protested each command. Or maybe it was the icy intent that got is skin crawling. Beasts did tend to have sharp senses. Unfortunately it didn’t get any say in the matter. Its fate was in the traveler’s powerful hands.
Words: 357 [Total = 2985] T |
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Post by T on Nov 2, 2018 12:49:11 GMT -5
Russ had quite the predicament on his hands. He did not foresee needing to make a moral decision between killing a bear and appeasing an intimidating witch lady in the woods. One could liken his situation to the infamous trolley question. An incoming nuclear-trolley headed down a space-path splitting into two. On the path it headed, a single lonely magical person accidentally left a sandwich they intended to eat for lunch. The other path however, lead directly to a city where the trolley would hit and detonate upon impact. It lead to the killing of millions in the ensuing blast.
Should you choose to spill hot coffee on your phone, the payload would switch paths- rendering the city to a field of glass, but saving the sandwich. Also your phone dies forever. If you don’t spill hot coffee on your phone, the payload drives right over the sandwich and the magic-person blows up the city anyway. Thinking about the scenario left him with far more questions that he bargained for.
Did he remember the question correctly?
What should he do?
The thing he normally did, perhaps. Lift the payload off its path and throw it into space. “Hmm.” The boy tilted his head to the left as he peered over at his pointy-hatted acquaintance. He entirely expected a sarcastic question incoming regarding whether he actually formulated thought. “I’ve got a better idea.” An idea. What a novel notion. No, wait. Now he was imagining the scrutiny in advance as well. Better kick it into high gear.
“Why don’t you use some magic to let the bear here speak in english, and then we can ask it what it thinks?”
-Russ, circa Age 1354; carrying a bear, colourised
It was a level of stupid that surprised Russ. He did not actually think at all while he made that proposal. All he wanted to do was save the bear while not invoking the wrath of a thousand glares from the same person. None the matter now, he supposed. All he could do was stand there and stare at Lilith with a blank expression on his face. The young Saiyan established maximum eye contact while doing so. He gazed deep into her crimson irises as the entire ordeal took place.
( Word Count : 0, 415 ) [ Total Word Count : 4, 530 ]
Lilith Nevermore
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Nov 3, 2018 8:02:35 GMT -5
Expecting the peon to follow the command, the witch took a step back. She didn’t want the fool to accidentally get blood on her fine robes after all. However, what she got instead was a strange moment of insubordination. The crimson glare immediately narrowed. For a mere helper to dare say they had an idea was impudent enough, but a better idea? Utterly ridiculous. It was only confused curiosity that led her to listen, rather than, say, turn the man into an ice statue where he stood. In his defense though, it was quite an idea, one that had never crossed the woman’s mind. There was really only one things she could say to the suggestion. "What." The bear was equally baffled.
Silent seconds crawled by, until suddenly a small giggle slipped past Lilith’s lips. A small smile visited her features. She covered her mouth and allowed herself another tiny titter. How... delightfully absurd. Moments later, the realization came creeping. "...Oh dear Devil in Hell, you’re actually serious." The man’s unwavering stare only confirmed it. Her cheeks were beginning to burn again as the confusion was getting to her. However, she refused to yield under the weight of the intense gaze, for looking away first was a sign of weakness. Thus she stared right back. The air became charged with mystical tension. Wind hissed in angry denial. The bear had nothing intelligent to add.
Against all odds, the young lady blinked first. It was too much. With an angry scoff she averted her gaze. "Hmph! I don’t even know where to start with you..." She should’ve just turned his blood into ice and be done with this nonsense. However, her concentration was in shambles and the arcane words needed escaped her memory. That was the only reason why he was still breathing. And definitely nothing else. "Why would I care what a walking rug thinks?" Nuhhh. "Quiet, you." She shot the bear a glare that could’ve killed a lesser creature. Startled, the animal recoiled, trying again to desperately escape the martial artist’s iron grip.
Words: 353 [Total = 3338] T |
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Post by T on Nov 3, 2018 12:10:12 GMT -5
Laughter lifted a tinge of tension off the young man’s shoulders. Surprising how such a simple moment of human expression could put him at ease. If this brought mild entertainment to his new acquaintance, then that was an added positive effect of his actions. Russ could not bring himself to cackle at the absurdity of his own statement. As the sudden change of air currents took place, he felt like something was off.
A wicked wind blew into this peaceful forest while they stared at one another dramatically. Luck favoured his side in this duel of fate. She blinked. Then he blinked. A deep, albeit silent, breathing through his nostrils thereafter marked his exhaustion of the situation. His own cheeks almost turned a shade darker from the entirety of this quiet exchange. He held his breath throughout it.
Still, the boy noted that the witch avoided looked him directly in the eyes when close by. His guess as to that reason was as good as any other. He was clueless.
“Alright, now please hear me out.” Words to put on his headstone perhaps. Between holding up the bear, his eye contact with Lilith, and the stoic expression on his face, he had little room to juggle anything else. Multitasking came easy to him what with the direness of his situation. All the better that he had an idea that might benefit all of their situations.
“If the bear can talk, you can ask it more about this forest.” Slowly lowering the bear from overhead to place behind him, Russ held it in place to sit the creature down. He relied on the fact that, despite managing to find him and other things wandering the vicinity, she did not manage to detect the bear immediately and likely lacked the time to scry the area in full. “There might be other places or things that it has seen that you haven’t.” One hand kept hold of the struggling animal while the other patted down his own left pants leg.
Following this motion, a single index finger was brought to raise and waggle lightly. “Kind of like an intruder that’s hiding their presence, but isn't invisible to the eye.” An unassuming scout. The boy knew of the ability to suppress their energy signatures although he himself failed to. Even without an actual enemy to face, there might have been traps littering the forest floor. A bear that lived this long might be able to provide a multitude of valuable information to her. The key term was ‘might’.
In the situation where it knew nothing of worth to her, the young man could do little else to prevent its death. He was already stepping out of his own boundaries in attempting to help them both.
( Word Count : 0, 483 ) [ Total Word Count : 5, 013 ]
Majin Zam
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Nov 4, 2018 6:47:42 GMT -5
Truth to be told, Lilith wasn’t sure what she had expected when she pressed the question. Something sensible? An unexpected spark of genius perhaps? Well, she expected too much then. To call the peasant’s suggestion a leap in logic would’ve implied there was any logic. It was mostly just morbid curiosity that stopped her from hexing him on the spot. Much like watching a train wreck in slow motion, there was mysterious magnetism to the fool’s words. She couldn’t pry her attention away. If nothing else though... She had to commend his courage to spew complete nonsense with such unwavering conviction. He spoke as if this wasn’t all just a tasteless joke.
After a strained silence, the young witch composed herself enough to speak. "Are you implying a mere animal could know something I don’t?" She should have been angry, nay, absolutely livid at such claim. Fortunately for Russ, she was far too befuddled to properly raise hell. Her eye twitched and head slooowly tilted to the side with a sound resembling a rusted hinge. Well, maybe the jarring sound was just nervous imagination running wild. The hollow stare was all too real though. "How do you function...?" She was going to guess the answer was along the lines of ‘barely and poorly’.
"Ugh... Fine then..."
The little lady sighed. Something told her trying to argue against this would leave her with a headache. Like banging her head against a brick wall really. "Since you so insist, I shall grant this animal the gift of speech..." Her eerily polite tone heralded a darker condition. "But if it doesn’t tell me anything useful, I will kill you both for wasting my valuable time." She snatched the wand from her belt and took a deep breath. While making animals talk and other such druidic magic wasn’t exactly her expertise, she had her methods. "Through knowledge may all boundaries be broken..." With each word of the incantation, mystical runes appeared in circle around her. There were symbols for elements, celestial bodies and other mysterious forces. "Spell Mimic: Vocalization." She aimed the wand at the bear and zapped it with a white bolt.
Meanwhile, the bear was still struggling to regain its bearings. Back on solid ground again. It gawked at the lights swirling around it. Once the runes faded and the magic settled, the beast looked around. There was a distinct glint of wisdom in those black eyes. And it spoke... "Me hungry. Want eat." More slobber dripped from its maw. The hungry stare focused on the small human. "Eat little meat first. Then big meat." Lilith was entirely unconcerned by the threat of being eaten. In fact, she was smiling again. But this wasn’t a warm or kind smile in any measure. "Seems the ability to speak doesn’t make it intelligent, something you two have in common." She had been right, as usual. Tendrils of sinister power began coiling around her frame.
The sand in the imaginary hourglass was running out...
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