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Post by Ru'Thor on May 5, 2006 7:44:55 GMT -5
Don’t fall. Whatever you do, don’t fall.
Dylan didn’t need the little warning voice in the back of his head to tell him that. It was obvious enough- if he fell, he’d break his leg, or his arm, or...
And they would get him. He wasn’t sure what they’d do, but they’d get him. Surely nothing good would come of that.
It was a rather odd scene- a boy of fourteen, perched uneasily on a rock ledge in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. His blue eyes were glassy with concentration as he grasped the rock ledge and struggled to pull himself up, his fiery red hair blown in his eyes by the furious breeze that buffeted him unmercifully.
Fiery red. It was almost a mockery.
It had taken him three weeks to get to where he was from his home in Denver, Colorado. Of course, he wouldn’t have needed to be here it all if it wasn’t for them. If it wasn’t for pyrokenisis.
Dylan referred to the government agents that were looking for him as them simply because they seemed less threatening that way. Whatever they planned to do, it was harder to picture when he didn’t put a name to them.
As for pyrokenisis, it was his gift and his curse.
Sure, it had been enjoyable for a while. Who wouldn’t want to be able to light a fire whenever they wanted? Who wouldn’t want to turn the heat on an enemy? Dylan had found the gift, and he had used it. Perhaps it would have been better if he had kept it hidden.
Because he’d lost control.
Dylan carefully directed his thoughts away from his powers, reaching up once more to haul himself over the edge of the sheer cliff and collapse, panting and dirt-streaked, on solid ground. No one would look for him up here. No one would even consider that a kid would be able to climb to such a height unaided. And once he got up just a little higher- just a little- he would- he would-
In all honesty, Dylan didn’t know what he’d do. Find something to eat, he determined, and drink, and a way to keep himself warm at night while he planned his next move (using his powers would be dangerous and probably let them know where he was). Somewhere in the trees, where it wouldn’t be so windy. Somewhere below the place where the snow started.
He had thought he had a handle on it, but the flames burst forth from his hands one night, uncalled. Dylan hadn’t been harmed in the least, but it was another story for the apartment building he had lived in with his mother and father.
That was when they’d found out.
They had been pursuing him for three weeks.
They had forced him to flee to the mountains.
And they were the reason he was forcing himself to get to his feet, brushing the dirt and dust from his clothing, and move on, slowly working his way up the mountain by following a non-existent path in the hopes that he would find refuge somewhere in this seemingly abandoned place.
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Post by Lali on Jun 20, 2006 14:23:03 GMT -5
She sensed him from further up, by the snowline. At first she'd thought that perhaps he was just another deer, but then she'd realised that he wasn't moving right for that - and he was alone. That had made her curious.
She'd tried to focus on him more closely, wondering if perhaps he was a wolf, but the snow above her was like a crowd of people chattering as she tried to listen to a distant whisper. It was impossible to think, or feel, with the weight of all that water pressing on her mind whenever she opened it up.
There was a stream nearby, much easier to concentrate on - more like a shout in the crowd of chatter - and, letting her mind follow it down, over a short waterfall, she was pleased to find that it pooled briefly not far from the strange presence. Curiosity growing, she sought out the stream, and calmly stepped onto it.
Onto.
Her bare feet made no more impression on the surface of the water than a floating leaf, and she was carried with it at the same pace, down the side of the mountain, heading out with sudden sharpness over an abrupt drop, then falling with the water, down perhaps thirty feet or so. The splashing spray at the bottom rose up and caught her, settling her gently to the surface of the small pool, droplets caressing her arms as she extended one hand to touch the waterfall, superstitiously thanking the mindless water that had brought her here. It was like apologising to a lamppost after walking into it - pointless, and embarrassing if someone caught you at it, but a reflex action if one wasn't concentrating.
She raised one foot carefully from the pool, and walked slowly over to the edge, stepping onto the sharp grass there. Hurrying a bit more now she was off the water and didn't have to worry about sinking - something which still happened to her more often than it should - she reached up and untied her walking-boots from around her neck. She pulled the socks out of them, and sat quickly down to pull everything on. The hems of her heavy, durable trousers were now sodden from the spray, but she didn't have sufficient control to pull the water out and fling it back into the pool. Therefore the damp patches on both the brown trousers and her blue t-shirt had to remain.
Finally, she pulled her hunting knife from its sheath, securely fastened to her belt. Touching the hilt briefly to the belt buckle - loose even on the tightest notch - and then to her lips, she satisfied her belief that luck could be summoned by ritual and tradition, and headed towards the new presence, drawn by the specific balance of water that signalled life.
The flash of pale blue from her t-shirt, and the headband keeping her short black hair out of her eyes, was almost masked by the thick brown jacket she wore, sleeves rolled up to prevent them from impeding her hands in any way. And she'd learned that the animals up here were less likely to be scared by something the colour of the sky in spring than by the scent of a human.
So she was prepared for an animal, be it predator or prey. She was prepared for an overenthusiastic mountain-climber. She was even prepared for the queen of the fairies to have risen up out of the ground and be ready to grant her three wishes - stranger things had happened, like her walking on water for one thing.
She wasn't prepared to see a young boy (as young as her, perhaps a little older) walking wearily up the gentle incline of this part of the mountain, dusty and disheveled from his evidently unplanned climb. She wondered briefly if he was mad. How - and why - else could he have reached this height, without ropes, and without help. She sensed no-one else immediately nearby.
And a strange thought occured to her. He had been sent to look for her.
She sheathed the knife again, and stopped hiding crouched among the rocks of the mountainside. Staring at the boy, she straightened up, and stepped out.
OOC Oh... shame on me. *blush* I joined another RP. And shame on you for tempting me!! *runs away*
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Post by Ru'Thor on Jun 22, 2006 7:50:34 GMT -5
OOC: HAHAHAHA! Fear my making-Lali-join-RP powers!
IC A Christmas carol. A Christmas carol, of all things! Why in the world, why now, why here, was a Christmas carol running through his head?
Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la...
Dylan shook his head slowly. Without a doubt, he was going insane. Even if it had been the proper time of year, he was in no mood to be 'jolly'. "Get out," he muttered through gritted teeth, then laughed. He was talking to himself. Another sign of insanity. Ah, well, may as well let it come. Maybe if he was insane when he finally got caught, whatever they planned to do wouldn't seem so bad.
Look up. Not at your feet, up! The second verse of his Christmas carol ended abruptedly as that one thought ran through his head. Startled, Dylan looked up to see a girl about his age, staring back at him.
First relief, then fear ran through him. Was she on his side, or theirs? Did she even know about elementals? Well, best not to seem nervous. That was like holding a sign over his head saying, "I'm running away, shoot me on sight". His appearance wasn't going to help his ploy, nor was the fact that he was alone on a mountain, but to hell with it. It was worth a shot.
"Erm... hi."
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Post by Lali on Jul 1, 2006 11:16:50 GMT -5
OOC *whimpers* It's a miracle I've kept away from the Pirate RP thus far. Sorry, short post... IC She stared at him in silence for a few moments, an amazed, incredulous look on her face. Her hazel eyes were wide, and she couldn't think what to say. He didn't seem too surprised to find her up here. He had to have come looking for her! The pause dragged on for longer than was comfortable, and then, suddenly, voice rising in her excitement, she said, "You've been sent to find me, haven't you?" Hopefully, she darted down the slope and grabbed at Dylan's hands, saying hurriedly, "My father sent you, didn't he? It's safe now, right?" Without giving him a chance to answer, she squealed, "I'm so glad you came!" and hugged him suddenly.
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Post by Ru'Thor on Jul 3, 2006 8:04:08 GMT -5
OOC: I can relate with Dylan right now. My arms and stomach are soooooore. lol. And don't worry, mine's short too.
IC Dylan's jaw dropped. This was... unexpected, at best. Why was she hugging him? "I don't know what you're talking about!" he insisted, squirming. Her touch made his sore limbs cry out in agony. "Let go, please!"
Yes. Unexpected. Here he was, running away from people who worked on the "right" side of the law, hungrier than he'd ever been, completely exhausted, and a complete stranger was hugging him. Ah, well. It was better than a number of other reactions he could have predicted.
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Post by Lali on Jul 18, 2006 15:11:07 GMT -5
OOC Goshdarnit, I need to give this kid a name.
IC Backing off, startled, she stared for a moment at the boy, then stammered, "You... me... my father didn't send you?"
The tenuous hope she'd dared to feel shattered into about a thousand pieces, and, veering away from the thoughts which would lead to tears, she wondered what she'd done wrong. She'd touched the knife-hilt right, but then she hadn't been hunting. Had that been it? Or had she not been quick enough to thank the waterfall? Should she have stopped to explain her absence to the snow? But she'd only meant for it to be a short trip, and surely it didn't count if she was only going to be away for a few minutes...
While she frantically tried to work out which of her superstitions she'd broken, she stood and chewed her lower lip slightly, head bowed and frowning at the ground. She'd almost forgotten Dylan's presence.
After a moment, remembering him, she looked back up, and said flatly, "Why are you here?"
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Post by Ru'Thor on Jul 19, 2006 7:58:24 GMT -5
OOC: Yes! It's driving me bonkers! *smacks head off the wall* lol By the by, I love your icon. That isn't a chocobo, is it? *stares at it*
IC Dylan flinched at her sudden change in tone. One moment she'd been hugging him, the next she was speaking to him with a tone that was as cold as ice. "No," he said, shaking his head. "I- er- I'm sorry?" Yes, that seemed like the best thing to say. Her next question, however, put him on edge.
"Um- well, I- you see-" He could feel his face growing hot as he groped about for an excuse. When none came to mind, he used the second-best tactic from lying his mouth off- change of subject. Pretending he hadn't heard her question (which would have worked better if he hadn't already stammered nonsence for a few seconds), he asked, "Why- why did you think your father sent me?"
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Post by Lali on Jul 19, 2006 14:42:21 GMT -5
OOC Eheh. Sozzles. *blush* And no, I thinketh it's just a rubber ducky. ;D
IC For a second or two after Dylan's question, confronted with the topic that caused her most pain, her eyes began to fill with tears. She looked away from him and blinked rapidly, then rubbed hard at her right eye, and said as she did so, "Because he said he'd fetch me back, and it's been ages."
She sniffed once, looked up sharply at the mountain peak above them, and moved away from that area of conversation. It would be bad luck to mention her father's name, she knew. Even talking about him at all was walking the fine line between being safe and being cursed.
"Why are you here?" she asked again, with a touch of impatience, and added as her trump card, "I'll tell you why I'm here, if you tell me first."
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Post by Ru'Thor on Jul 19, 2006 15:01:29 GMT -5
OOC: I love this song! In the Land of Twilight, Under the Moon. *sings*
IC Dylan moaned. Darn his curiosity. "I'm- um- hiding from someone." More than one someone, but the less she knew, the better. Besides, if her own reason was harmless enough, she might find herself with the whole story. Dylan relaxed slightly as the heat left his face. Good. He didn't need an explosion to let the whole state know where he was.
"My name's Dylan, by the way," he added, hoping that his shady answer would be passable. "Dylan Marsh."
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Post by Lali on Jul 20, 2006 14:05:27 GMT -5
OOC WHOOT!
IC "Melissa Dreyden," she told him easily, adding, with the tone of habit, "people usually call me Liss."
Fidgeting a little, she touched the knife hilt and looked up at the snowline again. She'd been away long enough now. Any longer and she'd have to go back and explain, then return. Otherwise, who knew what would happen? Something terrible, obviously. That was why you explained yourself to the snow before you went anywhere!
But she had sort of promised an explanation to the boy, too. And the snow wouldn't get angry with her. It was just the awful, watching, fate that waited for her to make a single mistake, not the waters themselves. They were on her side, surely.
"My father sent me up here," she said to Dylan. "He drove me to the base of the mountains and told me he'd come back in a week or two. Then the snow called me up here, and I've been waiting since then. I thought he might have sent you to take me home."
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Post by Ru'Thor on Jul 21, 2006 9:55:16 GMT -5
Dylan blinked. "The snow- what, sorry? It called you?" He paused. "Um- so- I'm sorry. For getting your hopes up... or something."
Okay. Maybe Dylan wasn't the only one going insane around here. But why was he apologizing? It was like when someone died, and everyone told you they were sorry. Why, though? It wasn't as though they had done anything. Besides, that was my fault, he said to himself, feeling a familiar pang of guilt. And here he was, apologizing to this... this Melissa person... for no reason at all. Not to mention prooving his own insanity.
OOC: Wow... re-reading that post confused me. My mind is dead.
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Post by Lali on Jul 21, 2006 10:02:56 GMT -5
OOC Mweeh. I seem to keep writing mildly insane characters who drive your characters to the point of insanity themselves. *high fives* What a team!!
IC "That's alright," Melissa said absently, half-distracted by the growing weight in the back of her mind. The snow wanted her back again. But snow wasn't good for conversation, and something told her it would be bad luck to abandon Dylan before finding out more about him - as well as the fact that it was foolish to let some unknown person wander around nearby. He might be dangerous. Perhaps she'd have to drown him in the waterfall. But she'd never know if she gave in and went running back to the snow the first time it called.
"You never said who you were hiding from," she pointed out, eyes still fixed on the whiteness above them. "Are you playing a game? Or should I be worried about the person who's looking for you, too?"
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Post by Ru'Thor on Jul 21, 2006 10:22:05 GMT -5
OOC: Cha! Go us! And... *looks back* We can't seem to make a post without adding OOC comments. xD
IC "Uh..." Dylan faltered, again groping around for an excuse. "It's- um- it's not a game... see..." Telling would be a bad idea. He'd only told the whole truth once before, and that had not ended well- it had nearly gotten him shot. "It's not a game," he said again. "But I... I don't think you have to worry about the people that're looking for me. Probably not. Unless..."
He hesitated, then asked quietly, "You can't do any... any weird... things... can you?" Things. Real specific. But on the off chance that she was an elemental, too, it was only fair to warn her. Besides, that might explain the snow-calling thing...
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Post by Lali on Jul 21, 2006 10:48:33 GMT -5
OOC *slaps self for continuing the trend, even if just to say:* apart from your opening post... You're right!
IC Melissa's gaze snapped down from the snow to Dylan's eyes, her own now narrowed and suddenly cold. He knew. Why else would he ask? And if he knew, he had to have been sent by her father. And if he'd been sent, he'd lied.
"What do you mean, weird?" she asked frostily, aware that if she spoke of her abilities in any detail, she would have to go back up the waterfall, cartwheel on the river surface above, and touch the cave wall three times before she'd finished counting to thirty.
Pausing to consider, she wondered if he'd seen her approaching across the pool - although she was pretty sure he'd been out of the line of sight all the while. But there might be other ways he knew about her. Innocent ways. Ways that didn't involve her family.
Expression - and voice - softening a little, almost returning to the casual state she'd previously been in, she added, "I might. Be able to do things, I mean. But you..." she trailed off. "What do you mean?" she said again, and fell silent while she waited for an answer.
OOC Two line paragraph bonanza!
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Post by Ru'Thor on Jul 21, 2006 13:25:04 GMT -5
Dylan shifted uncomfortably, glancing back over his shoulder. He knew what he wanted to do, all right, he just didn't know if it was the smart thing to do.
One little flame won't hurt... Creating fire was almost an addiction. He'd used it so much that it was as normal to light a fire at his fingertips as it was to breathe. But ever since the accident, he'd avoided it. Really, though... what harm could one little flame do?
Dylan swallowed. His mouth had suddenly gone dry. "Weird like..." He trailed off, and took a slow breath. "Weird like this." His hand went forward, his fingers brushed together, and there, flickering in the palm of his hand, was a little flame a tad bigger than that of a cigarette lighter.
OOC: lol. Nice!
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Post by Lali on Jul 21, 2006 14:45:02 GMT -5
"Oh," Melissa said, all of the hostility draining out of her in a moment. "Right. I can sort of do that, but with water. I... um... I can't tell you any more unless we go back to the waterfall."
And she hesitated, then said, "But that isn't weird. I've been doing that for years. I thought you meant... I don't know. Super strength or speed or turning invisible or something. The whole water thing is just... unusual. Except for walking on it. That was weird the first time."
A sudden clarity entered her expression. "Oh. Are you hiding because you can do that with fire?"
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Post by Ru'Thor on Jul 21, 2006 15:00:24 GMT -5
Dylan blinked. Well, wasn't that obvious? "Well... yeah," he said, staring at her without quite meaning to. "If you can... do that kinda of thing... isn't that why your dad sent you up here? To hide you?"
He closed his palm and squelched the flame. A pang of saddness entered his head as it died. Sorry, he said to it, pressing his thumb against his palm for a moment. Damn it all, he was still apologizing to fire. How was he supposed to stay sane when he talked to inanimate objects?
"It... it is weird." Dylan's voice was low. "They told me it was. They told me it was weird and that I had to come with them, but I didn't want to." He glanced up at her again. "Didn't... didn't they tell you that?"
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Post by Lali on Jul 22, 2006 5:09:18 GMT -5
Evidently confused, Melissa stammered, "No, I... they?... what?"
Frowning at him, she quickly went through what he'd asked her, and started answering his questions as best she could.
"My dad didn't send me up here because I can do stuff with water," she told him. "I used to help on the farm. We had the best harvests... I got us through two years of drought by pulling water out of the nearest river and putting it through our fields. It was just... Last month..."
She stopped. She couldn't tell him that. So she changed tack completely, and said, "Who are they? Why did they want you to go with them?"
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Post by Ru'Thor on Jul 24, 2006 16:56:30 GMT -5
Dylan was thrown off for a moment as she switched questions, and it took a minute for him to answer. "You don't know?" he asked, eyes wide. "You honestly don't know?" He glanced over his shoulder, almost with paranoia. "Them. The people the government sent." His voice was barely above a whisper. "They don't want people with- people like us running around. They want to kill us. They want to take us and- and-" He faltered for a second, frowning. "I don't know what they want to do," he admitted, "but they had guns and weapons and all sorts of other things. I saw it. Just to come after one person!" He shivered, remembering the night he'd first found out about them. "It can't be anything good. Not with equipment like that."
Dylan swallowed. He'd managed to get himself worked up again, on top of his bone-weary exhaustion and hunger.
OOC: The ending of that post really sucked, but my braces are giving me a headache. T_T Gotta go lie down.
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Post by Lali on Jul 29, 2006 15:17:57 GMT -5
Melissa's eyes widened slowly, and she was silent for a second or two before replying.
"Experiments," she whispered, and a shiver ran through her. "That must be what they want. They want to find out how you... how we can do what we do. If my father ever heard that they wanted me, he'd hand me over. For money. I can't... I can't even go home now..."
Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them back a little, and said, "You have to tell me about them. We can work together, can't we? I'll show you where I've been living, if you'll help me. I'll help you survive up here for as long as you need, if we can hide together."
She stopped herself before she let out a terrified whisper of, "I'm scared," and bit her lip instead of saying it.
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