stone
Wayward Vagabond
Posts: 30
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Post by stone on Mar 19, 2014 16:14:17 GMT
There is a little park right outside of the city of Lullanight. Over a decade ago the park and that whole neighbourhood was part of Lullanight, but as tension grew between humans and mutants the city could no longer afford the luxury of protecting a small residential district with poor if not none existent tactical and strategically capabilities. At least that’s what the royal guards said when they asked everyone to leave.
Riko decided to take a walk down to the place down to the neighbourhood where he grew up, in a chapter of his life didn’t know what worry of stress was. He was walking down an empty street with his two best friends. Riko and his friends all grew up together although they weren’t all that close back then they were always around each other.
The air was motionless, damp, and cold; and the building have all seen better days worn down by time. On their walk Riko and his friends passed by the small school that they once went to. He could remember the days when he was still a young child, always the class clown, making jokes and never taking life seriously. He would make the students laugh and often got in trouble with the teachers. This one time he climbed to the top of the school to get a ball that his classmates accidently got stuck up there, and the teacher where telling him to get down before he feel and broke his skull, or something like that.
As they continued on they continued on their way they started walking down this small valley. There was a small forest in this valley, most of the trees where dead. The tree held on to no leaf where usually found in really dark shades. There was one place in the walking path that crossed with the high speed downhill bike trail that Riko and his friends used to always play on. Right on the corner of where the trails meet there was a dark tree that was eerie looking, that had a giant splatter spot with dried up blood splatter on it.
(Flash Back)
“Let’s do some downhill biking.” Mike suggested to everyone in earshot.
Riko couldn’t help but smile he was one of the fastest when it came to going down hills. When Riko tried the gang could hardly even keep up with him. “I’m in.” Everyone in the gang made in their own way excepted, the finish line was where the bike trail meet the walking trail. So there they were, all ten of them in line to go down the trail.
The path was narrow and could only fit one bike at a time; there was no way to pass anyone once on the trail. Usually the fastest people would go first because if you were faster than the guy in from of you might end up running in to them and that would make one hell of a mess. At the near the end of the trail there was a massive jump of a rocky hill side, it was a 5 meter jump that landed right in front of the walking path. If you managed to whip out, and your luck has run out you might just end up running into this old dead tree where the paths crossed.
Tony when fist. Riko waited 5 minutes then started down the hill himself, he figured those 5 minutes would be a long enough lead that he wouldn’t run into him. The wind zipped passed Riko as he weaved in and out of the brush along the trail, there were a few turns here and there and if you weren’t careful you might end up getting caught in one, and then out of nowhere the jump. Riko keep gaining speed every turn coming in faster than the last It was hard to control and soon enough Riko was scared that he might just miss the turn and go head on with a tree or something. He could feel his bike starting to wobble as he took the last turn right before the jump.
The moment before he took air from the jump his front tire spun out on him. Riko lost control and was tumbling through the air on his bike. He reached the landing. Hit the ground. The front tire and handle bar of his bike where spinning out of control and following right behind him. Then he felt the hot searing pain in his side as the handle bar of his bike cut it open, spraying the tree where the crossroads meet.
(Present day)
“It was a miracle that you survived that bike accident and somehow didn’t even need to get any clockwork parts. I think you were in the hospital for a little over a week.” His on friend commented as they passed the tree. One of the first things said since they entered this abandoned part of town.
“You know what they say, kids bounce.” Riko replied.
There was a small pause in the conversation.
“Wasn’t there a rumor for a short while when we were growing up that you where indestructible?”
“Yeah that’s right, between all of the accidents and how many times I cheated death I guess it must have seemed that way.” Riko chuckled
All three friends continued down the path their conversation slowly dying out with pauses between dialogues slowly grew. They reached the park just as the sun was setting during that magical time known as witch hour where everything seems grey and foggy. The park was on old wooden park with a few broken handrails and planks. It was a rather simple park; there was a boat on the one end and a small tower on the other with a bridge in between connecting them.
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stone
Wayward Vagabond
Posts: 30
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Post by stone on Apr 13, 2014 22:38:34 GMT
(Flash Back)
"Your it" a Riko's voice cried out as he tagged another kid on the playground. The game was simple. The child that was "it" was suppose to touch another child making the new kid "it". Only the child that was "it" could be off the playground and could be on the playground for no more than 5 seconds.
"I'm gonna tag you back, Riko!" "Only if you can touch me first!" Riko laughed. He was one of the best at this game. He was far more agile than most other kids his age.
The kid that it started to run up the slide that lead to the tower. It made a loud resounding echo with each step against the metal slide. The sound was like a blacksmith pounding out metal with a hammer to create a blade that could slice though air.
The kids started to countdown from 5. Riko turned around and started to run to the bridge. There were a bunch of kids standing there that congested his way across, trapping him and his enemy in the tower. The was no way out. What to do, he had to think fast. Riko ran to the edge of the tower and took a step onto the rail then jumped to try and make it to the boat.
Riko sailed threw the air like a bird in the sky, gravity had no say on what he could and could not do. He reached up to grab the rail on the boat and miss the rail by a just an inch or so. Coming in a t full force his head slammed into the deck, breaking one of the planks.
There was blood everywhere. Children where running off the playground trying to find help. By the time help arrived Riko was lying on his back in a pool of his own blood from the cut above his eyebrow.
The teacher that was on watch came running to him with a first aid kit and a bucket of water with a cloth in it. She started by whipping the blood off of Riko's face the went on to disinfect and stitch up the cut, Through out the whole thing Riko had a severe concussion so was more than a little hazy for it all.
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stone
Wayward Vagabond
Posts: 30
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Post by stone on Apr 26, 2014 0:16:48 GMT
(Present day)
Riko was now on the swing set. Thinking about how everyone he knew had slowly disappeared as he got older. Some moved away the Abbeyveil, some died in the jungle, or desert, some left to go relic hunting in the ancient ruins and never came back. And then there was those that died in war and attack over religion, territory, and equality. He couldn't help but chuckled as he though about how his childhood was riddled with blood and of all the friends he lost along the way. Near the end when the last of his friends died off he didn't cry anymore, it became so distant, almost like a horrible nightmare.
Riko felt his best friends hand gentle pat him on the back. It was a warm considerate gesture. Riko felt as thought he could tell his two friends anything that was on his mind and that they would be with him until the very end. He could also feel this sinking felling because he knew that when he looked up that they wouldn't be there. Riko knew factually that they both died a year ago today, and that what he felt was just his subconscious mind reminding him of what he wanted, something he could never really change.
The park was empty. With only Riko on the swing in this lonely world.
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Post by sullen on Apr 26, 2014 1:41:27 GMT
Katrina wondered, from her apartment to the run down part of a small section. Walking down the rubble streets, she looked around and wondered what it was like to live in this area. When there were families in the homes, and people in the stores. What it would have looked like before it was abandoned. She heard a voice, so she followed until she saw someone, his hair spiked and white. Looking at her own pink hair, both light colors. She smiled, loosing her smile though when she realized he had spoken to himself.
She did not think that he thought he was talking to himself, it seemed he was talking to someone. Someone she could not see or hear, she was curious about him. So she followed him, to a park, it looked like a lovely park. Or what used to be a lovely park, she decided that she should talk to him, he seemed lonely. She knew what it was like to be lonely, but the best thing about it was that you get a really warm feeling when you gain a friend.
Seeing that he walked over to a swing, she quietly walked over, hoping that he wasn't going to try and shoo her away. Getting to the swing set, she sat next to him, slipping her backpack to the ground. "Hi there" she looked at him, smiling, she realized how weird it would sound if she said that she had been following. So she needed to think up a reason why she was here, or even talking to him. "Lovely park isn't it?" tilting her head to the side.
Her hood off so it is easy to see her ears, her tail winded it's way up one of the chains, keeping her hand warm. The tip twitched a bit.
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stone
Wayward Vagabond
Posts: 30
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Post by stone on Apr 28, 2014 2:40:31 GMT
Riko looked up to where he hear a girls voice, asking him a question. She probably heard him talking to...after a brief pause in contemplation, Riko finally decided he was talking to himself, at least in some ways. She was on the swing right next to him. She was a pretty little thing. The way she dressed told Riko a lot about her. What stuck Riko was how much accessories she was wearing, rings bracelets, extra belt, choker, it like she was a walking closet. She looked so happy and radiant. It was a strange contrast with the surrounding. She was fresh, young and so full of life, while the park and sky seemed to be coming to an end. The pink haired wounder seemed to have almost an angelic quality to her.
He remembered having heard about a girl that fit her description a while ago, when he was in the market working. His mind was stretching out it's arm to grasp at a name that was just out of reach, what was it again? Kathleen?... no, it was.. Katrina, that right! She worked as one of the local artists in town.
"You should have seen it when it was just built, back then most of the board that made the park where still standing and not in pieces." His voice trailed off near the end "Name's Riko. Katrina, isn't it?"
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Post by sullen on Apr 29, 2014 16:47:55 GMT
He stared at her for a little moment or two. She wondered why he did that, he had nice vibrant green eyes. As he described it a bit, she looked back at it, it would have been nice to see kids climbing over it. "So you were here while it was around?" looking back at him. When he introduced himself and asked if her name was Katrina. She smiled widely, eyes shining more, he knew of her. Her tail un-coiled itself, moving back and forth. "Yeah, it is, you have heard of me?" her ears twitched, she was happy to meet someone she had never met, but who still knew her.
It was always so exciting, she wondered where he heard of her, was it a market or something?. She started swinging back and forth a bit on the swing, "I wish I could have seen this place when there were people here, children running, laughing and playing. People walking down the streets, plants growing where they should" looking up at the sky. She did not like what happened to the planet, but at least people survived through it right?.
Looking back at him, his name seemed familiar, that's right he worked in the market. She forgot what he sold, but she heard some people talking about it. "So what were your friends like? they must have been great people" moving some hair from her eyes. "Oh, do you know what happened here? like why they closed this place?".
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stone
Wayward Vagabond
Posts: 30
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Post by stone on May 1, 2014 18:46:37 GMT
The moment Riko ask the young lady if her name was Katrina the girl went like a bullet train, talking and asking question at a thousand miles a minute. She seemed so happy and exited her tail was basically wagging. I guess there was a time where a tail could surprise Riko but the truth was that there where so many mutants out there that a tail just seemed like another common place thing. Riko could feel the side of his mouth slowly curve into a smile, the girl was simple infectious, she seemed so cheerful.
Then she asked a question that made Riko's heart miss a beat. She asked about his friends. The memories that he just couldn't shake, about the people he loved. The things that have happened, the decisions that he made that he wish he could take back, the ways that he wished he could have rewritten the past to have saved them from them self and of... himself. It felt like there was a giant squeezing down on his wind pipe preventing him from breathing. He felt like a tingly sensation at the back of his throat that told him he felt like throwing up.
He took a deep breath and tried to put on a mask as he has become a little too common place in his life. He smiled at Katrina threw the pain he felt. "A long time ago when I was still a kid there was a organized group of radical extremists that tried to change the world. They killed a lot of innocents people to try and prove there point and change the minds of others. In the end all it really created was a big mess. This was one of the locations that needed to be evacuated for safety. No one ended up able or willing to return to their old lives after the dust settled. I guess it was just too much to handle."
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Post by sullen on May 2, 2014 4:25:31 GMT
Katrina looked at him when he had answered her, something seemed off. Swinging really high, that she thought the chain would break, she jumped when it was at it's highest. Almost loosing her balance, this was why she was glad to have a tail. Balance, when she landed she grinned, acting as if a huge crowd applauded . Blowing kisses out into the air, spinning on her heels though. When she got if front of him, she fell to her knees. Putting her elbows on his knees, looking up at him so intently she felt like she might burrow a hole into his face.
She could see he wasn't happy "sorry for asking, but I wanted to know, I was curious" poking his cheek. "They sound like great people, if the memories are to much you don't have to tell me about it" looking into his green eyes. She jumped up, clasping her hands together, "do you want to be my friend? I don't really have any friends, only the nice lady who I am renting a room from".
She wanted to try and make him happy, she didn't know how. She would find a way though, grabbing the chains of the swing she was on. Spinning round and round with the help of the chain, squealing a bit laughing a lot. It was fun, wondering if he wanted to try. Her feet slipping, she twirled until her butt hit the rocks. Letting go of the swing, laughing hard, holding her sides. "That was fun!" laughing more, she tried standing up but she just fell back down, which caused her to laugh even more.
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stone
Wayward Vagabond
Posts: 30
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Post by stone on May 6, 2014 2:59:58 GMT
At first Riko stared at Katrina and couldn't help but to start laughing as well. This was fun, more fun than he has had in a long time. When their laughter died down Riko tried something that was he didn't expect to have the mindset to do today. Riko grabbed the chains on on the swing set that he was slouched on ant about the kid stated to twirl in circles. Round and around he went and sure enough he lost his balance and slipped landing on his butt right next to Katrina. After that he burst into laughter.
After a few moments Riko decided to lie on his back. He thought back about what his friends where like, back when his friends where still around they were with him even after he hurt them, even when he was a total mess. They stood by his side through thick and thin. “Yeah, they were great people.”
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Post by sullen on May 6, 2014 20:32:57 GMT
Katrina stopped laughing, smiling, she watched him spin, enough times to make her dizzy just looking at him. Laughing when he fell next to her, looking at him. When he fell back she turned and looked down at him. She smiled more "my family was my friends, they did something for me, on which I could never be more thankful for. I miss them though, I wonder how they are doing today" she laid back herself.
Remembering she had swung like that from a rope in her family's little hole of an apartment, her and her brother did, taking turns, laughing and screaming in enjoyment. Her parents had been sad to make them stop but people had complained about the noise. The landlord, a normy, had cut the rope down yelling at her and her brother, and her parents. He had made their rent higher, which had lead them to have to look for a new place. She had cried for days, because it was all her fault, she was the one who showed it to her brother. He had kept reassuring her it wasn't her fault, but she had kept crying even after he said it.
Smiling at the memory, she did have ups and downs, but now she couldn't let herself have anything but ups. For their sake. Sitting up, turning her head, looking at him "do you have any family?" kicking her leg up she hooked it on the swing, swinging her leg back and forth, looking at it she laughed a bit.
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stone
Wayward Vagabond
Posts: 30
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Post by stone on May 10, 2014 3:23:24 GMT
Riko thought about the the question that was just asked to him. Growing up he never really knew his father and in ways Riko wish he would have the good fortune of meeting the man some day. He didn't really know what he would tell his father if he ever meet him, he just wanted to let his father know the he existed; it somehow felt like the right thing to do. Riko's mother died a few years ago and some days when he thinks back about growing up he misses her. His sisters where off living there lives, Alice was married. In all and all it was a pretty common family. It wasn't perfect and there was a lot of things that could have been better but in the end Riko was at ease with his family.
Riko told Katrina about his family and recounted the story about how o his mother would take him and his sisters out to get ice cream on the Monday of every month. Ice Cream was a luxury because of how hard it is to get all the ingredient in this mutated toxic world. It was nice though, it was a tradition.
Riko wasn't sure what took him over, but laying there on his back with Katrina he reached out to grab her hand like it was the most natural thing to do. It somehow felt like the right thing to do. At the moment when their hands meet a shock ran up Riko's arm. His heart started to race and his mind started to fog up, like his whole world got flipped upside down. None of this made sense to Riko's. He didn't understand what was taking him over.
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Post by sullen on May 10, 2014 18:25:38 GMT
Katrina listened to him tell her about his family, hearing it made her sad. "Awe, well cherish what memories you have of them. Cherish them more then the ice cream you all had". When he touched her arm it was like electricity through her arm, she didn't move her hand away or anything, her eyes widened and her tail twitched a lot. Looking down at her hand, she wondered what caused that, looking at him. "I don't remember much about my own family, when I was really young" laughing slightly "younger then I am now, I lived in Abbeyville. My family was really poor but we made the best of what we had, me and my brother and I would play, so much until someone complained and I would cry for getting us in trouble. My mom and dad one day realized they could try and get our family out of there, and come here. We only had enough money for one person to cross the dessert with this group and we did not have long to decide".
Looking up at the sky, she was still curious about the electricity that he sent up her arm. "I voted for my brother to go, he was older then me and had a better chance at life then I did. They all voted for me, my mom told me I had to go, I had to live. So I had to be happy for them, never forget to smile is what she had told me". Laying back beside him, looked at him "so bada bing bada boom I am here right next to you". Smiling "did you feel that to? that electricity?" her tail was still twitching from it.
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stone
Wayward Vagabond
Posts: 30
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Post by stone on May 16, 2014 22:33:27 GMT
Riko thought that the shock was the kind that young lovers would fell in love stories. Riko though it was that. So when Katrina asked him if he felt it he didn't know why but a sense of relief sweep over him. It was like a scurrying creature was growing inside of Riko's stomach. Every artery going to his heart was tied in a knot, but the worse sensation Riko felt was the absolute doubt of his every action. So it took him the longest time to even react. "I think so" Riko smiled and reached out to hold on to her hand.
And then one of the longest moments in Riko's life happened, while he speculated in his mind about everything that might happen now that he had reached out to hold Katrina's hand.
... ... ... ... ...
Was she going to pull it away? Was she going to laugh at him?
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Post by sullen on May 17, 2014 3:57:34 GMT
Katrina felt really relieved when he had said that, so she was less crazy than she thought she was. Smiling, she was glad "what do you think it means?" looking at him. She noticed that his hand was reaching out towards hers, before he could get to her hand, she reached for his, grabbing it. His skin was warm, her fingers between his she held his hand. She skooched over closer to him.
Pulling his whole arm under her head, so she was resting on it, he was really warm. Her fingers twined with his a bit "your warm" she giggled, and looked at him, smiling. She felt something flying in her stomach, she thoughts the analogy for that was butterflies. She had never seen one, so she did not know if this was what it would actually feel like.
Her heart felt like it was in a knot though, her tail swooshed around.
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stone
Wayward Vagabond
Posts: 30
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Post by stone on May 26, 2014 15:54:54 GMT
An unbelievable sense of relief fell over Riko. That it almost threw Riko off. Not only dis Katrina reach for his hand she moved in close and to him. It was comforting to know that Katrina wanted to be with him, odd but comforting. It seemed like the world suddenly went a shade lighter; it wasn't so much that his past and all of his problems disappeared, more like they didn't matter as much as they use to. He didn't want this feeling to ever leave.
Riko took a new look at Katrina and saw something that he didn't really take note of until now. She was truly beautiful, although he noticed before it was more of a side note something that was in the back of his mind. Now it seemed to be right at to be right at the top of his thoughts.
Riko remembered about the yearly aniversery festival that was coming up to celebrate Lullanight coming into existence. "The yearly Lullanight festival is coming up, I think this years theme is 'the way we are'. Did you go to the festival last year?" Riko have rather have asked Katrina straight up whether she would like to go with him to the festival but that's not the way conversation usually works.You almost always need the little small talk that leads into the what's gonna be asked.
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