Midnight Run

Date: 50
Month: Tessera
Year: 81378

Lavishly painted signs and garage posters alike decorated the store fronts. The dim lighting made it difficult to determine one store from another. She walked down this street never before. "She" being Woe, and "this street" being the streets of the black market. But something brought her here. Her travels led her to this place, and however brave she was before now has since diminished into cowardice. But she had searched so long that giving up now was out of the question...

The normally hot streets of the Black market now was a cool place, as the sun had set and even the most populated street where lit with naught but candles and black lights. Woe looked around, lost. She was just a pup, and it was obvious...her small frame ducked easily in and out of the crowds...although it was nightfall, the street seemed unusually busy. She could blend into the background with no problem; now that it was so dark, her midnight black fur, pure and unbroken by colour or scars, fell in thick and shaggy on her body. Her heavy, black feathered wings dragged lightly on the dust floor, a common appearance with Woe. She perked her big ears up, awkward and large, almost bat-like, and shifted her pale blue eyes around. The stark lightness of the colour of her eyes suggested she was in a neutral mood, likely contributed by the fact she was insanely tired, for her eye colour changed shade with mood, ranging from extremely light to extremely dark blue.

She continued walking on, the thick paws making silent thud noises that she amused herself with. Her claws clicked together as she wandered, her short pup legs took quick steps and the bushy fur swooshed back and forth. The pup was still small, and hadn't lost all of it's baby fat yet, keeping her warm in the cooler weather of the night, and keeping her an admirable, adorable little chubby creature...perhaps too cute...perhaps cute enough to be snatched up and sold for a pretty penny...

 

OOC: Mind if I reply?

IC:

He still hadn't let up... For the majority of the night, that creep had been following her, for no good reason. Of course, at the black market, good reasons seemed hard to come by. It was her first trip to the tainted streets, and she was in search of something seemingly common enough. Toothpicks. If she couldn't have her grass or cigarettes, well then, she would have to settle for something, anything to chew on and flick around betwixt multihued fingers. The most harmless item she could think of was a toothpick. And so, giving it a long shot, she had traveled from the academy to the Market, still unknowing if the shop owners had such a common piece in their stores. She didn't seem to have much to trade, however, desperation called on her at the moment, and she grit her teeth with a willingness to do anything for her prize.

Just buzz off already, bub... Flicking the tip of her scruffed sable tail in irritation, she continued to plod down the dusted streets. Even in the poor lighting she could spot him darting from behind objects and storefront displays. He didn't seem too awfully tall, or muscular really, just an average male pendragon sleeze, stalker her... or so it seemed. Hair shrouded ears lowered, the silver studs in each glinting with the black light emitted from parts of the "sidewalks". Her pale occulars shifted, trying desperately to pin the males location, but failing. A vulnurable sense coated her bod as it slowly eased to a hault before a cobwebbed store. No light was on, as far as the cracked pane showed, and the two toned 'dragon sighed. Not exactly sure of the reputation one gained from visiting the Market, she hoped to be mainly invisible to most. She just wanted her toothpicks, that was all, then she would hightail it out of there and be gone, hopefully for good. Turning slowly, she began to sidestep into a fragile walk, but was stopped short after bumping into something unseen, and stifling a surprised gasp.

Her heart now throbbed millions of miles an hour, so viciously that her reflex was to clutch the piece of striped T that covered it. Eyes now wide as saucers, and a horrified grimace on her face, she craned her neck to see what exactly it was that had startled her. Fortunately, her fears hadn't been real, and it wasn't the stalker that she had run into. On the contrary, there before her stood a tiny, pudgy little pendragon, black as night and twice as adorable. Furrowing her brows, she lifted a few digits and pressed them to her forehead, kneading them in a thoughtful manner. Oo..Sorry there, I didn't mean to plow over you. Just... trying to figure out where I'm going. She heaved a defeated sigh and was almost ready to continue the one-sided conversation, before her thoughts were interrupted by a flashing image of her peripheral vision. He was back, currently tiptoing behind a column of one of the nearby stores. He seemed to be circling the two in the streets, getting a wee bit closer everytime. A snarl caught her lip, and she suddenly feared what he intended to do. Turning to the youngster, the toxic topped Rochi stooped down on bent knees to her level, though left room for personal space, as she very much liked her own. In a hushed voice, she began. Hey listen... I think theres someone very bad coming this way, so... do you know any good places to hide around here? Her fingers were twitching at her side almost constantly, out of anxiety and pressure.

 

Pawing her way thru the streets, the pup looked around a bit, as if to decipher the minds of the people, and who she ought to aviod...she stopped a moment, only to be brought down with a heavy push...Woe yelped, rolling over quickly to her feet. She shook the dust off of her, and glanced up uneasily; but lo, there was a 'dragon whose face she had not seen before, and who did not appear to be the like others...She looked up at her with big blue eyes, not even hearing her apology..."Rochi...." she thought to herself, delving deep into her mind...for the pup was extremely telepathic, and had no other defense save her ability of wooing and hacking the psyche of her superiors...but there was something deeper about this pup. She was very strange...

Suddenly her pusher, knelt down and asked, "Hey listen...I think there is someone very bad coming this way so...do you know any good places to hide?" Woe perked her ears up and listened...she could not see the 'dragon but she knew he was there. He was breathing...such a rukus, for she could feel how he yearned to be cloaked. But his breathing she could hear...despite the noise of the marketplace her senses did not lie...and she whispered, "Rochi, he is up...high...and is watching...not your body, but you mind..." The very cryptic and eerily familiar words of the small child seemed as if they were creepy and she was frighteningly to knowledgable, but in all actually the words were warm, as if she sung them, and they cradled fear like a mother to a baby. And with the first words she spoke there was an obvious feeling about her, as if there is something one should know but does not. She then said, "there is no place to hide, we can only run..." for the pup was frightened for her. She did not know what his intentions were, and bid the femme to follow her...

 

She had no powers, except for that of her own strength. She hadn't any wings to fly herself out of the situation. Though... it seemed as if the little one had her own pair of gliders. Fantastic. The munchkin will be safe, now I just have to find a place for myself. Sure, she had been in cat and mouse games before, pens' of her old neighbor hood being abducted and .... well.... it had simply been unsafe, and even then she had had to watch out for herself. So chase, she was used to. however, now the grounds were different. She had never trasipsed the dusty roads before, never even seen the little shops of the Market. Aside from various signs hanging in windows or propped up on porches, she hadn't a clue which store held what inside. Quite a major set back when faced with fleeing desire. For all she knew, if she just took off running now, she could land herself inside a firearms or sword gallery, and be faced with a maniacle stalker who was obsessed with weaponry. A far stretch, but at the moment, she was willing to take anything into account.

Toothpicks. Thats all I wanted, was toothpicks. All I need. then I'll get out. For good. Be gone and never come back. Nausia took over from the fear, an effect of her still not having eaten for quite some time. Now, she was left without her smokables, -and- without food. Super. The paranoid teen tucked the thought of maybe picking up some food later into a sidepocket of her fizzled mind. Her mind. The little one. Being female pendragons, both herself and the small one had the ability of telepathy. This reminder produced a cunning, pleased smile to be stitched into her pale lips. She "listened" while the youngster probed and gathered the information she wanted, including her name. Shes so young... and she has the telepathic capability of a grown 'dragon. Good work. Impressive. She had quite enjoyed the feeling of another to converse with mentally, and found it at best a refreshing jog. However, that refreshment could only be lived for so long, as urgency flooded her senses. the stalker... she knew where he was at? Concentrating a bit, the technicoloured mop top found her little partner to be right, and again was astounded. For her age, the tot seemed very developed and mature, which oddly gave the usually skeptical Rochi a sense of relief. She felt as though little Woe knew what she was doing, and was comforted greatly by her knowledgable words. Run... they had to run to escape. Aerochiste Hellsong was -not- one to flee from a pressing situation, however... she trusted the small sable child, for some mindblowing reason, and felt obligated to follow her.

Follow she did. Her careless feet slapped the ground at a decent pace, eyes wildly searched the Market, trying to pin-point the stalker's location. A name... she wanted a name. and a reason... or a purpose. Why was he there, what did he want? did he have any toothpicks? Her agitation grew at the thought of her simply running away, and her antsy fists soon rose to a defensive posture. Out of seemingly nowhere, vivid lights sprung and surrounded them on the streets. Her eyes reflected their outrageous colour, and she watched their every move, intreagued... Up high, she had said. quickly, Rochi shifted her gaze to the highest of heights along the Market's skyline. She had to find him... she had to... ah, look no further. Finally catching sight of the stalker, she took in his appearance, a snarl snaring her lips. It was him alright, and now his handsome colouring showed, allowing the two to easily spot him again if he fled. Floppy, silver studded ears drew to the back of her neck, and she spun in her track to face him, giving a glance toward little Woe, making sure the all knowing little darling would be alright. Of course she would. Now, it was big bad Rochi's turn to have a go. Reversing claw retraction, she shouted 'cross the streets, casting her glances to avoid the burning spheres. Fun, eh? You want to play? Well... I'm game. She gave a shrug of the shoulders and clicked her talons together inticingly.

 

The pup stopped as she stopped...she thought to herself, "she is so brave...for all I've ever known to do is run..."
But the pup herself was not unarmed, she was evaulating the situation. The lights had blinded her eyes, and she stood behind the older 'dragon, confused. She watched her snarl at the strange dragon, and she hid behind her, feeling disarmed...Suddenly, the glowing lights were shot at them..the pup, startled, fell back...rolling several feet away...flashing visions of her wise "motherly-keeper", her adopted mother, went through her head, of all that she said to her, and taught her. For this pup was not of the academy, she was of old wisedom.
When the pup finally stopped several feet away on her rump, she glared at the attacker through the heavy black bat ears that hung over her face, covered in dust. The eyes seemed to shift, and the rage and hate grew so strong that everyone that continued to walk by (fo none had seen the lights at all) gave her a wincing glace and avoided to be anywhere near her...
The message she sent to the foe was not one of words, as was common amongst telepaths, but one of vision and hate, of feeling and colour, and was so strong that it could knock the senses out of the unsuspecting...but this stranger, he was strong...and he was suspecting...and she could feel him in her mind, pawing as he pleased...and it only made the anger worse and the hate intensify...

 

OOC: I'll reply, honest, just need time to whip something up. e.e You guys are insanely fast! ^_x *le sigh* I'm burnt out at the moment. In sooo many threads (even outside RaL). I'll try to type something when I can think clearly. Don't let me stop the thread from going. ><

 

The pup stopped, and looked about her, feeling incredably uncomfortable...the messages he sent her had a lulling effect, softly delving deeper into her mind...
She fought hard to keep him away, and could have succeeded, but the story he longed to know had powers of its own, and it wanted to be told....and this is what it said:

The pup was a half-breed, a mutt, mixed of two bloods. One was of the ancient Anubial Pendragons, of the desert, fathered by the high preist of the race before he and his colony died out. The mother, though, was a mystery, and one that longed to be solved. For this is what drove her, a mother's voice, echoed and lost in the folds of time, and called to her babies.
She was raised by a pitying grandmotherly like type who taught them ancient ways, of nature and art and aesthetic beauty, rather than the convential knowledge. The pup had never been to the Jarnardan Academy and with the wisedom she accumulated never will. For it is not her place...
There is another, though, and she is the yin to the yang, the white to the black, the zero to infinity...she was Suffer, her twin, and what she lacked in mental power she more than made up for in beauty. For Woe was mentally capable of infinite possibilities, and was gifted with powers beyond the mind and of space and music. BUt she was an awkward pup, her parts didn't match, her ears were to big, her eyes contrasted with her colour, her wings were heavy and too big for her, and she was just strange. The other, however, was beautiful. So angelic, like she had been kissed by one herself, and was often envied by those around her. The connection, these two opposites, connected, and when they did, no one knew what could happen...

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye the pup saw the stranger throw two bright light at Rochi, and the feeling of no escape crept through Woe, and feeling not unfamiliar, and winces for she cannot help at all...

 

OOC: Yay, I'm finally done. Extremely sorry for the wait. Wanted to enjoy the sunshine yesterday, heh ^^; But, instead of editing my old post, since you guys have thankfully replied already, I'mm start my reply here and be a bad girl because *gasp* I can. :P I don't feel like making paragraph today.. bleh.

IC:

It was all so confusing. All she wanted, when first setting foot into the market, was to find some dangblasted toothpicks. She would have been flabberghasted if she could've landed her paws on some grass, even ciggys would do. But, unfortunately, she had run into someone, quite literally, and the stalker became more involved in what they were doing. And now, here she was, standing bleary eyed in the middle of some forsaken, ancient street, with coloured lights (not even the pretty strobe or flourescent type) surrounding her and the little one, intending to do only Fronima knew what, and all she could think about was food and her little trips. Listening to the shadow lurker speak, she brought a small hand up to lazily rub at a blurry eye. She desperately needed glasses, visual aides of some sort, cantacts or something, anything, but she refused to wear them. She had been made that way for a purpose, and she didn't want to mess it up. That and she knew that she would break or loose anything given to her. On the thought of poor eyesight, Rochi became surprised as something hurtled her way blindingly. Quickly jumping back, she saw Woe on the ground, giving a deadly glare to the assailant, and figured she would be alright. As long as shes down there, I suppose she won't be in harms way. Faster now the objects flew, and further back she ran, before finally tripping over something. Catching herself momentarilly, she flicked her gaze towards the thing on the ground, which turned out to be a trashcan lid. In fluid like motions, she let herself fall the rest of the way. Picking up the lid, she curled onto her back, holding the giat piece of metal over herself as she watched the lights attack, like homing missiles. At the instant they hit, she pucshed up on the lid, and deflected them to who-knows-where. The blow had left her body aching, and she lay in a slight ditch, created from the pressure and speed at which they hit. Panting a bit, she flung the discuc like lid to the side, sent it spiraling in the street, and rose to her feet. The monochrome warrior dusted off her already soiled clothing with an eir of success, then cast a glance towards her midnight partner. She seemed fine so far. She wasn't sure, anymore, what to think of the stalker. Was he trying to kill them, test them, tell them something, what? Her lips no longer holding a snarl, she continued to breathe and began at a lazy pace towards the male, listening again while he spoke. Chaos Blaze... at least he had given a name. ShadowLight? Th'hell? Strung between Fronima and here.... Fronima, Fronima.... he had been there? A tweak of light pierced her dim demeanor, and intreague wrapped tightly around her mind. The acid topped 'dragoness had been extremely interested in Fronima for as long as her memory stretched. The idea of fake worlds, hallucinations of things that weren't there, but they seemed so real. It was part of the reason she did drugs, to get the Fronimic effect, or what she believed to be something similar, as she had never visited the wonderous land. Ears perked as he mentioned parents. She hadn't known hers. Brought up by her aunt, the toughest, most sour and matriarchal pendragon she knew, she had never even questioned her parent's fate. didn't know why when or how they died, or even if they were dead. sinister black ears lowered to their full extent, the spikelike hair atop her crown rose, as did the hackles of her back and the extent of her tail. How dare he... how dare this comeplete and total stranger adress her using her full name. That name was sacred, she hardly ever told anyone, unless of course it was a need to know basis. Only her aunt had ever been allowed to use that name. How dare... Her canniving, malicious thoughts were interrupted by another light appearing in Chaos' hand. It turned out to be.... You.... are.... My saviour, thank heavens! You're the best, incredible! Now lets see you pull some weed out your Mmm, thanks... Without hesitation, she approached him and plucked the box from his large palm. Immediately she delicately pawed at the opening and retrieved a single 'pick, placing it first betwixt her slender fingers, then in a predestined place along her lips, lodged between grinding teeth. A nasally sigh, and she followed, more relaxed. Ears swiveled backwards in attempt to catch any sound of movements from little Woe. She wondered how the telepathic youngster would deal with all of this, and gave thought to the notion that she may have become emotional about hearing of her parents, if they were deceased. Strolling along, arms swaying and lifting happily at her sides, she gave into a gleeful sort of skip, the toothpick at her mouth lolling about, and a happy humming following its rise and fall. Once inside the tent, she avoided sitting in any seats and plopped herself onto the floor, still humming in hushed tones, bobbing her pick gleefully, and imagining smoke swirling up from its end. Good enough.

 

Woe, the pup, was weeping....she hated how he knew it all. But as he began to carry on, she decided to follow..."I don't have to follow, I want to," she said to herself, childlike justification. But she followed because he enticed her to follow...she followed because she had to, and she knew it, but wouldn't believe it.

The pup entered the tent as the curtains shifted, for Rochi had just entered before her. The pup entered and sat in a dark corner, invisible save for her eyes which reflected the soft lighting. As this pin was handed to her, she felt a deep sense of finish, as if this was what she needed. So it was all true. The great 'dragon she met in the the temple was not lying...and at last she had come to know her father's story.

"But what of my mother?" she asked the soul, but she knew he would have no answer for her. She didn't even have to ask. She knew she had been taken to this place to meet her father, his will. And now she had. She grasped the trinket from the shadow, and held it in her paw, looking at it sadly. And again she wept.

She didn't want to be brave anymore, like her Motherly Figure said. As she was raised by the Motherly Figure, the pitying 'dragon who took her in, she was taught that she must be brave at all times, must be wise, and not let her guard down or let anything get to her. But she didn't want it anymore...she wanted to curl up in her Motherly Figure's lap, eating Tsuj Faap flower nectar and hearing stories of ancient times...laughing and singing with...Suffer. But that was gone now, and she was gone now, and Woe could do nothing but suck it up.

"...daddy...?" she whispered to the trinket, a voice lacking the strong, wise edge that she had used before, "...I finally found you..."

 

Woe said nothing, for there were no words to be spoken...she simply kept the trinket attached to a feather on her beautiful wings... She gave a sweet glance at the soul, filled with deep sorrow and morose.

"Thank you...I know what I must do..."
She turned and exited the tent...