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Post by sleepwalker on Nov 28, 2008 14:15:12 GMT -5
The sky was inky black, and feathery clouds of deep blue circled steadily above. The midnight air was cool, causing Tessi’s hair to stand on end. Her lungs struggled to take in air; her chest felt under pressure, as if something heavy was over top of her. She lifted a hand to meet her cheek, and found it steamy to the touch. In a daze, she walked forwards, her vision blurring against the murky buildings that surrounded her.
She opened her mouth, then closed it reluctantly as she realised no words would emit. Normally not being able to talk would worry her greatly, but for a peculiar reason she felt strangely at peace. Everything around her was a dull gray, the trees, the streetlights, the buildings, and the road that she stumbled along... Only Tessi and the blue clouds overhead were coloured. Watching her feet as she trucked along, she saw that she was wearing a pair of new white sneakers, something that she did not remember owning. It felt unnatural, something deep within her chimed for them to be removed, but Tessi decided against it.
White flashed in front of her, looking up, she met the gaze of a cat. It’s eerie crimson eyes clashed against its placid coat, as well as the gray that surrounded them. There they stood, staring at each other, barely meters apart; Tessi’s stance crooked, and the cat’s expression blank. With a motion from it to follow, Tessi trailed it obediently, her brain seemingly ceasing to function. The sway of its tail was mesmerizing, the white fur appeared lush in the darkness, Tessi wanted to reach out and pet the creature.
The cat led her into an alley, completely cut out by the streetlights, and then it turned to face her. The violent, glowing red orbs pierced her soul, causing her to falter backwards. It’s fur now appeared like a dusty gray, because of the lack of light. The cat began to grow, the fur surrounding it growing as black as the sky. The creature grew to be well over twice the size of Tessi, as it inched towards her, her breath caught, but she remained still and her face was emotionless. As it opened it’s mouth a terrifying roar cut the silence of the night in half.
Tessi’s eyes snapped open. Her heart was racing as she tried to catch her breath, and she quickly pulled herself up into a sitting position. Wiping the sweet from her brow and tossing her hair from her eyes, she began breathing steadily. Recalling her dream, she took in her surroundings. It was practically pitch black, the exception being the dim streetlight that she easily spotted across the road. She was sitting in an unfamiliar alley, had she walked here in her sleep? Recalling where she had set up camp for the night, she remembered lying down on a park bench.
An uncomfortable feeling drifted up Tessi’s spine as she recalled the darkened alley from her dream, but she remained where she was. Her hand ran loosely through her hair, which was damp with sweat. With a sigh, she felt for her dirty sweatpants, and pulled them up slightly so she could glimpse her feet. She sighed again, but this time with awkward relief, her usually dirt toes stared back at her, uncovered by bright sneakers.
Standing to stretch her legs, Tessi braced herself with a solid hand on the brick beside her, the legs beneath her still unsteady. Her jaw clenched, growling mentally at herself, she would kill for a goodnight’s rest. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again tonight, already giving up on the idea. Placing her hand over her face, she sighed again. What am I supposed to do now?
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Post by Terenzio DeVito on Nov 28, 2008 16:19:38 GMT -5
Corbeau frowned as he paused, the steady thumping of his boots on the sidewalk stopping, and looked into the alley beside him, having heard what sounded like someone moving around. He knew he wasn't heearing things, having been blessed with good ears, and turned his body towards the alley somewhat, his chin raised as he stared down his nose into the darkness, his ears straining for another sound.
There was a faint rustle of cloth, and Corbeau smirked. 'Glad to know I'm not losing my mind,' He thought wryly, annoyance in his eyes. It had not bee na good night thus far, him having gotten into an argument with his foster-father who wanted to force him to show him what was on his calf. The man believed it to be a gang-related tattoo and in a way, it was. It was the Shifter's Mark and there were Guilds within the Shifters, the Thieves and the Assassins. But Corbeau was a part of neither and he refused to join. He liked the company of other Shifters, but he didn't want to get dragged into the politics of the Guilds.
There was another rustle, and then the sound of bare feet on the cold, hard ground. Corbeau narrowed his icy eyes, slipping as quietly as he could backwards into a shadow. Surprisingly, his boots made no noise.
Watching the shadows, he was surprised when he was able to make out the form of a girl, one hand against the wall, the other rubbing her temple. Brows coming together in confusion, Corbeau continued to watch, this time stepping out of the shadows and letting himself be known. It would be bad if he scared her and she started screaming. She could file a report with the police, and he and the police were getting pretty close these days. They would know exactly who she was talking about and it would not be good. Not to mention she might get his foster father and that would be even worse.
Corbeau shuddered, knowing what would happen in that case. He felt his darker side rising quickly, leaping at the chance to escape, and swiftly forced it back down.
No.
He would not allow himself to switch personalities, not in the presence of a lady. It went against everything he knew and believed.
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Post by sleepwalker on Nov 28, 2008 16:58:10 GMT -5
Tessi closed her eyes, not that it made much difference in the dark. Her eyelids were heavy, almost too heavy to open again. While he body screamed to sleep, her mind fought it, wanting to stay alert. Stretching her body from the wall, she took half a step towards the exit of the alley, readying herself to wander the streets for another night.
She stiffened as the figure of a boy was revealed, standing between her and the exit to the street. What does he want? She ran many possibilities through her head, what would another person be doing stalking through the city at night? Trying to get a better look at him without moving or growing closer, she squinted, but failed to collect anything besides his oddly light hair and the fact that he was a great deal bigger than her, however most people would look large next to her frail physique. Would she be able to make a dash for the street before he could react?
When the figure shuddered Tessi took a step back towards the brick wall. Maybe he just has trouble sleeping too? She laughed silently, thinking of a way to word her question as to why he was here without sounding too accusing. “Lovely night for a stroll.” Her words flowed naturally, her uneasiness masked.
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Post by Terenzio DeVito on Nov 28, 2008 17:38:16 GMT -5
Corbeau didn't move as the girl froze, taking a step back after a moment, and stared him, her eyes, as far as he could tell, wide.
"Lovely night for a stroll," She said calmly, her voice contradicting her body. Corbeau offered her a friendly smile. Naturally, she was wary of him. She had every right to be so, as well. After all, Corbeau was not exactly short nor was he weak.
"Sure is," He said, stepping back away from the mouth of the alley. "I'm Corbeau. Don't worry, I'm not one of them perverts that'd try and take advantage of you. I just can't leave a lady by herself in an area like this at this time of night." He added, offering another friendly smile.
For the most part, he liked people. 'Well, more like their company,' He thought. Most people nowadays were cold-hearted jerks that would walk past a dying man and ignore him as he pleaded for help, for someone to save him. He didn't understand it, couldn't comprhend it. If a man needed help that badly, how could you just callously ignore him and walk away? What kind of person could do that and not feel regret for it? 'Someone who's not me,' He thought fiercely. He could never leave a man dying on the side of the road without trying to help him at the very least.
Shoving the thoughts from his head, he focused on the girl. He didn't want her to think he was a pervert, he really didn't. He just wanted to get her somewhere safe, somewhere she wouldn't have to worry about protecting herself. And it wouldn't hurt for him to be near her. At least that way any child molesters that were on the street would be less likely to go after her.
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Post by sleepwalker on Nov 28, 2008 18:07:07 GMT -5
His somewhat faint southern accent sounded in her ears, delivering a warm quality. She relaxed her stiff shoulders as he stepped away from the entrance to the alley, making her feel less trapped. “You had me worried for a moment,” Tessi shrugged loosely, as he tried to comfort her, stating that he wasn’t going to advance on her. She noted that he told her his name, but made no effort to reply her own. She would leave him hanging for the moment.
“I just can't leave a lady by herself in an area like this at this time of night.” She didn’t meet his smile, her face residing to its neutral cover. Her eyebrow twitch with mild irritation, I don’t need his help, I’m fine on my own. But then again, maybe she could use him. Barely eating in the past few days made Tessi feel fairly weak, it would just depend on how many questions he would ask and whether he could keep his nose out of her business.
Taking a step towards Corbeau, Tessi looked at him. She believed that he wouldn’t harm her, and maybe she would play along for the time being. “So... You wouldn’t have any food, would you?” Her question might have been blunt, but it got the idea across well enough. Looking into his eyes, she scanned her brain for an excuse she could use, a story to explain what a starving girl was doing in an alley in the middle of the night, without sounding like a lost pup. “What are you doing out at a time like this, anyways? You should be sleeping.”
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Post by Terenzio DeVito on Nov 29, 2008 12:30:52 GMT -5
Corbeau nodded slightly as the girl took a step towards him, seemingly believing him. He was glad, it would make helping her easier.
"So... You wouldn’t have any food, would you?” Corbeau chuckled, smirking. He had expected that one. Patting his back pocket, he said, "No food, but money for food."
"What are you doing out at a time like this anyways? You should be sleeping." She asked. Corbeau shook his head with a smirk and said, "The same could go for you." But then he sighed, motioning for her to come with him as he started down the street.
"Anyways, let's go. I'll buy you something to eat." He said, sticking his hands in his back pockets, thumbs out. "Anything in particular you'd like? I've got plenty enough money," He added, glancing over his shoulder at her.
OOC||: I'm sorry it's so short, Sleep!! Dx I had to write fast cuz I'm going over to my friends house soon and I still need to get all my stuff ready DD'x
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Post by sleepwalker on Nov 30, 2008 10:54:10 GMT -5
(( OOC: S’all good =D ))
Relief met Tessi as Corbeau pat his pocket, she would be tremendously more comfortable in public. She felt an unsatisfying edge of embarrassment, had she just asked a complete stranger for food? Her hand wandered to her stomach, clutching it calmly, trying to sooth its growl. She knew that if she didn’t eat soon she might have to resort to more drastic measures to survive. A crooked smiled met the rim of her lips as she pictured herself robbing a bank, the idea striking her as amusing.
“Whatever’s convenient, or whatever’s open at this time of night.” She shrugged. Food was food, Tessi would settle for almost anything.
Remaining silent, Tessi trailed after Corbeau, the sound of her dirt covered feet meeting the pavement. Looking down at herself, Tessi inspected her toes once again. Growling silently, she kept near Corbeau, walking at a slightly slower pace so that he stayed faintly ahead. The darkened toes stared back at her, How can they be so dirty? I just washed them this afternoon... Great, now I look like a grimy rat.
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Post by Terenzio DeVito on Nov 30, 2008 20:44:07 GMT -5
Lights began to appear after a while longer of walking, as did more people, and Corbeau slowed down ever so slightly so that he wouldn't lose the girl. That would be bad.
Blinking, Cobeau realized that he didn't know her name. Then he shrugged slightly, it looking like he was rolling his shoulders, loosening them. 'Oh well, I guess. She's smart for doing that with a stranger. Especially if that stranger just happens to be a guy.' He thought, looking above the crowd for a restaurant of some sort. It took him a few minutes, but he finally spotted a little street corner cafe.
Turning slightly, he looked at his charge. "Found a place," He said, jerking his head towards it. "We'll have to cross the street to get to it, but I'm sure you don't mind that." He added, smirking lightly. Turning back around, he pushed his way through the crowd, returning dark glares tenfold. No body on the streets intimidated him. A few in certain outfits earned his respect, but they didn't intimidate him.
Pushing through the last people, he reached the edge of the road. Quickly, he glanced from side to side then over his shoulder to make sure the girl was still behind him. "Ready to go?" He asked, turning his attention back to the road. They were about to get a red light, and they could make it across if they were fast enough. Corbeau was, but he wasn't sure if the girl was. 'Probably is,' He thought, mentally chuckling.
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Post by sleepwalker on Dec 1, 2008 21:17:02 GMT -5
Silently, Tessi watched Corbeau loosen his shoulders, still following him. She was surprised to see so many people about at this time of night, Maybe they just do things differently around here. She was growing to like the idea of staying in Shelpey Alley. Around every corner she found something intriguing that compelled her to investigate, Corbeau being a star example.
Tessi nodded as Corbeau motioned to somewhere over the crowd, to her disappointment she was too short to see passed everyone. As he moved through the people Tessi hung close, not wanting the upcoming meal to slip between her fingers. She decided not to reply to his comment about crossing the street, I’m not a child.Her mouth dared to turn into a frown, but she began chewing her bottom lip to prevent it, reminding herself of the promise of hot food.
When the cozy cafe came into view a satisfied smirk rolled onto Tessi’s face, but she was careful not to let Corbeau see. She sighed internally, why was she so reluctant to let him see her happy? Didn’t she at least owe him a smile? “Ready when you are.” She breathed, standing in his shadow.
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Post by Terenzio DeVito on Dec 13, 2008 2:05:27 GMT -5
"Ready when you are." That was all Corbeau needed to hear.
Glancing quickly down both sides of the street, he smirked as the lights turned red, stopping traffic, and said, "Now!" before bolting across the road. He made it to the other side in seconds and, assuming his charge was still following him, he headed into the diner and calmly took a seat at one of the booth's. He sat facing the doors so that he could watch whoever came in or left.
He had never really understood it, his fear of having strangers to his back, but he had always felt that way, ever since he was little. He desipsed having his back to any door and, if he could help it, he would always make sure he faced it. It felt... wrong. It didn't feel right for him to have his back turned, to be unaware of what was behind him, of who was behind him. It made him feel vulnerable and he did not like feeling vulnerable. At all.
Shaking his head, he smiled slightly and glanced around the cozy little diner calmly, taking in the area. It had a sense of welcoming, of warmth, in and all around it that made him feel at home, despite it being his first time there. His smile grew.
Looking around the diner a little more, he noticed quickly that almost everyone there was smiling and or laughing softly, with a kind of relaxed contentness that was hard to find in the everyday chaos of life. 'I like this place,' He thought quietly, relaxing back into his seat. He straightened up, however, as one of the waitresses made her way to them, a pleasant smile on her lips. He nodded his greeting to her.
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