Forest Practice (Mr.Man)

[Wisp Quill]

(OoC: Color code; black text means her ‘demon sister’ is speaking. Elea tends to change we into me and so on, every now and then. Just so you know.
My first Rp.)

BiC: So starts the second day of the child’s wandering. The pale fog lightly grazed the ground, and the morning sun reflected glints off of dewdrops that clung to the leaves and moss, which looked like stars. Elea had walked far from her home, which was off in some direction, she didn’t know. Her light gray jacket was slightly damp from the fog, but she did not care. She sat up underneath an ancient oak and looked around the area where she had stopped to sleep in.

The forest she was in looked like the ones in a storybook, tall trees huddled in certain spots, creating walls which a leaf-filled dirt path snaked through. Ferns poked out of the branches of some dark leaved bushes, the child’s white hair flipped back as she began o move away from the path into the forest, looking for some berries.

“I just hope I can remember what I read from that plant book…,” the Union’s voice came out a little soft and a little worried. Elea shuddered for a second, and a black head suddenly formed behind her own. Her sister had came out.

“It is important, since eating the wrong thing could kill us,” her sister’s voice was a little cautious, yet informative, “I’ll keep a lookout, in case something decides to sneak up on us, ok sister?”

The human side mentally agreed with the sister. “Maybe some birds could help me locate something?” The Union continued to walk along, staying away from the claws of thorn bushes and tugged away coiling vines that had snaked in between.

The child would have appeared strange to a passerby, two heads facing the opposite direction, same with the four feet sticking out of the two blue jean legs. Two black palms on the top of a pale skinned child’s hands. The other ’sister’ that was stuck to the child’s back was black as night in skin tone, next to the pure white eyes of the now visible ‘sister‘, despite the black snake-slits that made up her pupils.

The odd child came upon a clearing, which overlooked a glass flat lake, after the forested trek. She began to look around, which did not take too long, since they looked in the exact opposite direction that their head turned to. One could look to the left, the other faced the right. Up and down was a little difficult for this child to accomplish, due to their spine was unified.

A crunching of leaves sounded nearby, and her ebony sister fell backwards into the child. Elea turned her head around towards the source, before glancing to her left. She had spotted a good sized stick on the ground, about an inch in diameter. The fog danced in ribbons above the mirrored water of the lake, as the child took hold of the two foot long stick.

The child held it at an angle, one end pointed in the sounds direction. Let’s see if I can defend myself with this, the child thought.

[Mr.Man]

OoC: Ah, you're first RP! I vaguely remember my own.

BiC:

It had been weeks since my arrival in the world of Senthayl. That faithful day in Dublin airport was far behind me, already seeming like a feature of some distant past. Though, with that said, I had not forgotten myself, or the life I had left behind for that matter. I was still, and always would be, Stephen Nutley. I had, undoubtedly, changed significantly. My skin had grown harder and darker, almost to the stage where it was more leather than flesh. My clothes were worn and sodden; my beloved brown jacket had been mutilated so horribly that it was nearly beyond recognition. All shirts smelled of – to put it bluntly and honestly – shit. My favourite jeans were layered with muck, slime and all other assortments and types of the most horrid filths. I no longer wore my black slip-on shoes; after just two days of wondering I had been forced to buy myself a pair of heavy-duty walking boots. Seeing as Senthaylians don’t deal in the euro, I had to trade some of my few possessions for the boots, however, it had been well worth it. The thick soles and leather covering had saved my feet many pains and hardships. Now, though my appearance had changed my ideals, motives and all else akin to my personality had remained the same.

Senthayl was a land beyond even my wildest dreams – its purity, its rich nature and its magical essence fuelled my desire to explore the unexplainable. There was but one thing that dampened my mood; I missed my family.

My guilt ate at me like a snake – one with a foul, slow poison. For days on end I could stop my mind straying towards the sleeping beast but every once in a while its cruel poison crept through my defences, striking with unthinkable force, paralysing and crippling me. The first drop was my mother’s face and the next my father’s. Each and every milligram of guilt worsened my suffering. When the fourth drip had been spilt, I would away from myself. Hallucinations took over. I dreamt of them, all of them. My mother would be sitting in the middle of the sitting room, head her hands, tears rolling down the surface of her gentle palms. Beside her would be my sister, steadier in appearance, but broken at the heart. “He’s out there somewhere mum, I know he is.” That is what she would say. It killed me over and over. A thousand times it would kill me. I couldn’t get back, I couldn’t even write to them. I was dead, no longer a denizen of their world. It was both a curse and a blessing. There was an entire new world before me, but it was a world I would have to explore alone.

During the days were I was free of my hindering thoughts, I had covered much ground. The place through which I had entered Senthayl was well behind me. The town of Hermth had been good to me in the week or so I had stayed, but it could not sate my desire for life. The towns’ people had been kind. It was clear that I was not one of them. Many of them had never before seen a human, let alone an Irish man, but they had asked no questions. Sure, our communication had been limited, the language they spoke was far from English, but all the same I could tell there had been neither curious whispers nor malicious plots circling myself. When I said, or rather, signalled, that I wanted to leave, they were decent enough to help me on my way. I think some of them were even sad to see the back of me. The last I had seen of any of them was at the shore of Lake Isnal, where Jalek had left me. I’ve been on my own since – just my thoughts and I.

I had seen little of civilization. From time to time I had seen glimpses, some in the form of farmland, others in travelling salesmen. I’m yet to encounter another human. I was told that far to the north, I would find them. After weeks of wandering, I was beginning to doubt it. It seemed to me that Senthayl was inhabited purely by feline persons and the occasional amphibian humanoid. I felt as though I’ve been pulled into Narnia. Finally, on my twenty-fourth day in the land of mystery, I stumbled upon the cards of fate. I dared enter the game.

Two days prior I had come to the border of a large and seemingly deep forest. The lush vegetation and splendorous flora and fauna had called me in. I had felt they would be a welcome change from the endless, rolling plains I had been confined to for so long. Oh how wrong I was. The forest was hell. Impish flies and other insect cretins plagued me day and night. My body was riveted with bug bites and rashes. Unfortunately, I had not packed insect repellent – then again, never in a thousand years of dreaming would I ever have thought I would walk through such a world.

The first day consisted primarily of beating my way through the thick foliage and undergrowth with a wide assortment of branches and other blunt items I could lay my fingers on. My arms ached and pained fiercely that night. Gyms were overpriced – I was getting better exercise than I ever had in Henry’s Muscle Man Centre. The following day was no better. It became a blur of itches and scratches all stemming from my superfluous insect infections. When my hands were not busy relieving me of discomforts, they were picking their way through the plant life. I had spent the night up against the trunk of a large oak like tree. I had little to eat; my food supplies were running dangerously low. Luckily, the morning would bring better things.

I woke early, amid the songbirds’ rousing tunes. For the first time since entering this wretched forest, I felt well. The high notes invigorated my spirit. I stretched beneath the morning sun, my limbs straining beneath the stiffness of travel. My spine felt as though it was splitting as I bent to gather up my travel pack. It rattled and rustled as I set it across my shoulders. Already I was sweating. The heat was thick and putrid. I had given up wearing a shirt of any form or another; the heat would kill me if I did. I did not worry about the bugs – there wasn’t an inch of my torso that they hadn’t already ravaged.

I began to walk north, just as I did every morning. I often found myself waking with my feet already pointing to the compass point. They had grown so accustom to the direction of travel they felt at how there. I worried what would happen if need be for me to start south. I felt they would get lost and try carrying me home to their northern path.

Overhead the canopy was thinning. The sunlight broke through in rays, a welcome change from the pitiful threads that had woven their way through before. There was a peace about the forest, one I had not felt before. When I had first entered, it had not shown such hospitality – it seemed even the flies were treating me with respect for once. Over the songbirds’ voices I heard a truly welcome sound; running water. It had been over a week since I had bathed; my stench could have knocked a stunk unconscious.

I wasted no time in finding the sources of that miraculous symphony of splashes and waves. It was a large lake, hidden amongst the trees. Were it not for it voice, I never would have found it for it was coated in fog. I stripped down completely – there is no point for pleasantries when one is alone in a gargantuan jungle. I deposited my things at the water’s edge, careful to remember where exactly it was I had left them; swimming in one’s flesh is fine, but wandering aimlessly around a forest with not but that for warmth is less than desirable. I smiled to myself, then ran full pace into the water.

I would have sworn I had a heart-attack. The water was ice, liquid ice. The air in my lungs was forced out as the water rushed up above my chest. I gasped and floundered like a fish out of water. Thank goodness there was no one to see this flailing, naked man in his moment of embarrassment. However, in the end, the water befriended me. After I got past its initial attempt to murder me, I found it very much a kind person. It cleaned and washed me with more care than a mother does a babe. The freshness I felt was unreal and unmatched. I stayed in my new friend’s embrace till my teeth began to chatter. Then, with sadness in our hearts, we parted ways.

I dragged my shivering body from its watery fingers. The cool air licked at my wet skin. I strolled back towards my clothing, taking my time to enjoy the freedom and freshness. I felt so clean, never before had I felt so clean. A sudden sound brought me from my cleanliness. It started sweat pouring from my pits. I had heard something move, I had seen something through the fog. There was someone there. It seemed removing my attire had not been quite so sensible afterall. I grabbed my underwear and forced my legs inside as quickly as my numbed hands could manage. Embarrassment is something we all prefer to avoid.

[Wisp Quill]

The crunching sound was followed by a rustle. Elea edged closer towards to sound cautiously, and kept her makeshift sword up, just in case. The fog only hindered her sight, yet it aided her worry. The child began to wonder if it was a predator, like a grizzly bear or wolf.

If it was a grizzly bear, I would easily lose. Those creatures have a lot of strength, as well as sharp fangs and claws. If it was a wolf, that could easily get around me and finish me off. I would be in more trouble if it managed to call other wolves to come here…

Sister, stop worrying so much, you are not alone. Besides you know how to fight.

We only know the basics. It wouldn’t matter, we would be killed. I’m easy prey for a predator, minus giving it a few bruises… Besides cautiousness helps us be safe, right?

You’re right about those things, but I can also fight, and we might be able to scare a predator for a while to escape by revealing me.

Elea heard a loud, and quickened breathing noise, and the child tensed up. Her whole body began to shudder out of panic. Her sibling was not out, but Elea knew she could always help her.

As the child continued forwards, the fog began to reveal a shape. The shape looked like it was hunched over, the breathing sound had also gotten louder. It appeared to have longer legs than a grizzly bear or a wolf, then the shape stood upright. It looked like a person.

Elea suddenly began to think of a new threat. This person might be a thief or something else that was unfriendly. The Union stepped back and began to head for the cover of the forest, seeing as the figure was taller than she was, the child would have an advantage in it.

Her gray jacket brushed up against a branch and snapped it. The figure in the fog was fading, but she saw it’s head turn towards her. The child ducked behind a wide tree trunk with her stick at the ready, in case the figure decided to investigate.

The fog that was in the forest was starting to fade away, which meant the figure and she could not use it to hide that well or for very long.

[Mr.Man]

Whatever it was, it was by no means a stealthy creature. A deaf man could have heard it rustling around in the foliage. However, it did at least manage to remain hidden, be that because of the fog or its own devices I could not decided, thus far it had not given me reason to worry that it would an intelligent enough creature to avoid detection by its lonesome. Though, that in itself was a worry thought, a creature that does not care if it leaves footprints would not likely care to leave a corpse.

Weeks ago, I would have turned tail and ran as soon as the faintest whisper of danger had reached my ears, but I had hardened, perhaps it wasn’t simply my exterior. Do not mistake me, I was terrified – my heart would have outstripped a race hound – but still, I did not shy away. I had learned that fear was not something to be let alone and thrive but rather a thing to be confronted.

The fog still lay heavy across my sight, draped like one of those thick table covers you would find in the home of your grandparents; when viewed from a distance it was a mask of white, but viewed from close by, you can see straight through the fabrics. My stalker had grown quiet. Its telltale, clumsy footsteps no longer gave away its position. Half dressed, I know felt I could face this faceless face. Perhaps it was the freshness of the water I had bathed in that emboldened me, or perhaps it was the weeks of travelling but either way, I called out to my assailant. Human or beast, I did not like to think they would dare ignore me.

“Who’s out there? I’d offer myself up as a meal if I could, but I don’t think I’d be all that tasty, nor does the prospect of becoming the dinner of another appeal to me all that very much.”

OoC: Sorry again for the delay. I know the post is a bit on the short side, but I'm actually quite happy with it.

[Wisp Quill]

(OoC: I'm sorry if I messed up Stephen's replies. Short...)

“Who’s out there? I’d offer myself up as a meal if I could, but I don’t think I’d be all that tasty, nor does the prospect of becoming the dinner of another appeal to me all that very much.”

Elea’s sister chuckled mentally. This person’s funny. She lowered her makeshift sword a bit, then slowly walked out. She still saw a shadow of a person, but the child still kept her guard up.

The Union called out, her voice carried a hint of fear, “Who are you?”

The shadow responded after a moment, “I am Stephen, who am I talking to?”

“Elea.”

The person in the fog began to walk towards her. The Union’s right foot twitched, readying herself to run if she had to. Stephen began to become visible through the fog, his hair was stuck to his head, which appeared black. His skin was tan but a bit red on the arms, besides a black area on his chest. He was apparently only wearing shorts. Elea noticed that he kind of looked startled for a minute, possibly noticing the stick she held.

“There’s no need to attack me, I’m sorry if I had startled you. You actually scared me too, I did not now there was anyone out here.” The man tilted his head to the left, “How old are you, Elea?”

The Union kept her eyes on him, “I’m ten.”

Why did he ask that? Our height?

Don’t know.