Fantasy Anything Goes

[OmegaFang232]

As they stepped through the doorway, Shinu couldn't help but admire the cozy sentation the house gave off. So free and liberated, yet calm and tame. It reminded him of his time beneath Mount Fuji. He could've stayed there forever, and he would never have been uncomfortable. He gently patted her shoulder as he sat his bags down on the floor. Without a word or explanation, he broke out a box and headed for the kitchen. Humming the old familiar tune from earlier, he set about preparing a meal for the two of them. On the outside, the box appeared to be a rudimentary protable meal one would normally find amongst infantry men. But in less than twenty minutes, the wolf had managed to create a full course meal. Beef stew and vegetables, with garlic bread, a side of mashed potatoes, and two glasses of red moscato wine. With a satisfied smirk on his lips, he served the meal to her on a silver tray he'd found in a cabinet.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria looks at the meal and smiles. "Thank you." She takes the tray and sets it on the counter briefly. She begins to gather up the things that were cluttered on her kitchen table. Notebooks, newspapers, clay, and a few other things. She just puts everything off to the side. "It's been a long time since I've had company, so please forgive my messiness..."

 

[The Snowiest Owl]

Zodiac rose from a groggy sleep. A beam of sunshine peirced through the gap in the curtains. Zodiac had his mask lifted above his mouth again, and he was drooling. Trebuchet turned his head at Zodiac stirring and leaned forward.


"Mornin' princess." Trebuchet said, tapping Zodiac's bruised cheek from the rock hitting him in the face yesterday. His body was in pain, but it didn't hurt as much as yesterday.


Zodiac groaned and sat up, his hair a total mess.


Trebuchet laughed so hard the building shook on it's foundation.


"Dude, ya look like ya just got Laid..."


Trebuchet motioned to Zodiac's unbuttoned shirt and sagging pants.


"N-Not funny..." Zodiac growled as he buttoned his shirt and tightened his belt.

 

[OmegaFang232]

Shinu slowly opened his eyes, growling quietly as he sat up and rubbed his groggy eyes. Bundled on a sleeping bag, the shirtless wolf stretched and let out a quiet yawn of approval. A most enjoyable sleep cycle indeed. He quietly dressed and slipped on his boots, quietly holstering his pistol in its usual place and sniffing the air in curiosity. Where had Victoria gone? He couldn't even recall falling asleep, much less preparing to do so.

 

[The Snowiest Owl]

Zodiacand Trebuchet walked along the streets. Zodiac had once again had his large collection of bakery pastries and candies, eating a brownie. Trebuchet held small metal marbles in his hand, spinning them around with his Metal/Earth manipulation powers.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Before her guest has woken, Victoria had quietly gone to her front porch with an easel and a large canvas. She was working on a large, detailed painting of a Chinese dragon. She had an iPod in her back pocket and her headphones trailed up up her back and into her ears, so they would get in her way. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and she was dressed in paint covered jeans and a t-shirt.

 

[OmegaFang232]

After a few moments of deliberation, he dared to venture outside for a cigarette. Moving slowly, he eased the front door open and stepped out onto the porch. Finding Victoria there, painting away without a care in the world, he let out a quiet sigh of contentment. She seemed to be doing well, despite the previous day's incidents. Without a word, he seated himself in a nearby chair and casually dragged away on a miniature cigar as he watched her paint.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria continues on her painting. She takes a few tubes of paint and squeezes some onto the piece of clear plastic she was using as a pallet.

 

[OmegaFang232]

Watching the girl paint was something of a mystery to him. He'd never been very good at drawing, or any sort of truly artistic expression for that matter. But he'd always been fascinated by artists. Something about the way they worked, the way they moved, it was like an intricate dance. He tilted his head to the side in perplexed silence, transfixed on the sight before him. Taking a long puff from his cigar, he smirked for a moment as a thought crossed his mind.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria smells smoke and turns around. When she sees Jack, she pulls her earbuds out and let's them hang over her shoulders. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

 

[The Snowiest Owl]

Zodiac turned a corner with Trebuchet, and he spotted something on his right. He turned to see Victoria and began spastically waving, the sugar rush making him more hyper.


"HEY LADY!" Zodiac yelled.


"REMEMBER M- Ack!"


Trebuchet grabbed Zodiac's scarf and pulled him away, peeved at Zodiac's peppy mood.

 

[OmegaFang232]

He nodded sheepishly, remembering the tiny fib he'd told the girl about his name yesterday. He'd done it to protect her, but it still irked him somewhat. People always got close to him. And getting close meant saying goodbye, eventually. There were days he hated his wandering soul, for being so carefree. "I did indeed. How are you?" He inquired, hoping to avert his thoughts in a happier direction.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria smiles. "Much better than I was yesterday." She wipes her hands off on her jeans and steps back from her painting. "I wanted to finger paint again. I think it is turning out pretty good so far."

 

[OmegaFang232]

He sat and admired her handiwork, examining the level of detail she'd put into the painting. He nodded in agreement and took a quick puff of his cigar, leaning back a bit to stare at the sky with a look on his face that spoke volumes. Should he stay in this place? Would he be more of a risk than a reward to the people of this town? And if he didn't stay, where would he go? His ears twitched casually as he contemplated these things, his deep green eyes searchin the sky as if it might give him an answer of some kind.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

"Would you like some coffee or anything?" Victoria asks. She's takes a wet rag and rubs it against her fingers, trying to get rid of the dried paint on them. She frowns at the multiple colors stuck under her fingernails.

 

[OmegaFang232]

At the mention of coffee, his gaze returned to hers, but he smiled a little and shook his head. Caffine gave him the jitters, on the rare occassion it didn't lead to a full blown shift from man to animal. Had he known the previous day would have been so eventful, he wouldn't have purchased coffee in the first place. Truth be told, he wasn't usually awake this early in the day. But then again, what had been normal since his arrival?

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria sits in the chair next to him. "I'm sorry you had to sleep on the floor. Like I said, I haven't had company in a very long time."

 

[OmegaFang232]

He shook his head again, smirking a bit. "I like sleeping on the floor. That way if something happens, I wake up easily." He explained. He'd learned that lesson several times before. Sleep on the floor. Keep your pistol loaded. Knife goes under the pillow. This wasn't to say his travels had been all bad experiences, but there were rules to a nomadic lifestyle, and they demanded to be abided by. Even so, her words struck his curiosity. Was she a loner too? How did someone with such artistic skill manage to go long periods without company? He mentally shrugged off his pondering and snuffed out the cigar, stuffing the remains into his pocket for later. With a slow, almost lethargic manner, he stood and stretched again; letting out a quiet yawn. It was time to fetch the bike and at least attempt to fix the bike. If he couldn't save the machine, then he would donate it to someone in town and continue on foot.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria looks up at him and sighs. "You're not leaving already, are you?" She rubs her hands together nervously, hoping he would stay.

 

[OmegaFang232]

For a split second, he almost raised an eyebrow. Was she asking him to stay? He shrugged and spoke with honesty, but a shred of hesitation in his voice. "It just depends on if I can get the bike running again. The engine looked bad, but it's hard to tell just yet." He said as he slowly stepped off the porch. At the last second, he turned to her and offered his hand, implying that she should join him. It was a beautiful day, and strangely enough, he wanted company while he went about his task.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria smiles. "Just give me a minute." She quickly takes her art and supplies back into her house and locks the front door, then goes to his side.

 

[OmegaFang232]

He nodded and led the way, proceeding to the center of town, where his poor motorcyle lay against the tree from last night. He nearly cursed at the sight of it, but instead, he clenched his jaw and let out and unhappy growl from deep within his throat. Even from forty feet away, he could already see the devastation. The left side of the engine block was cracked in half, in a jagged vertical split. The gas tank had been dented and badly ruptured on impact, and the handlebar and suspension were mangled. It would take at least a year to fix, and the thought of it gave him a migraine. He paused as they drew closer, and turned to Victoria for a moment. "If you don't mind, I need to borrow a few things, including your front yard. I can pay you." He said with a twinge of regret. Usually, he was the one helping other people. The thought nearly made him burst into a fit of ironic giggle. Usually. He kept thinking that word. He no longer thought it meant what he thought it meant.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria shakes her head. "There's no need to pay me. I enjoy the company," she says and smiles. "I'm sorry about your bike though..."

 

[OmegaFang232]

He waved his hand with a casual gesture. "No big deal. It's just a machine." He said as he pulled the bike free. Staring down at the ruined hunk of metal, he tried to think of what to do. With the forks bent at such an angle, there was no way that moving the bike would be an easy task, and he really wasnt in the mood for alchemy today. But what choice did he have? He couldn't just leave the thing where it was.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

"Do you want help carrying it back?" Victoria asks. "I'm not the strongest person in the world, but I could get one end off the ground so we can move it."