Fantasy Anything Goes

[The Snowiest Owl]

Zodiac saw Aileada and walked to her side, covering his face with his hood. He looked up and held his hand in front of his face, a few rays of Maroon-colored light peeking in between his fingers.


"Hey, just a quick question..."


He slowly lowered his hand and hesitantly made eye contact with Aileada.


"What do I look like?" He said, a faint glow emitting from his eyes and onto his scarred cheeks.

 

[Deadly Darkness]

"Shall we head home?" Aileada inquired, turning to Hunter. She hadn't realized how fast the day had gone by. It seemed like we was just getting a few moments ago, but with it being a quieter day she could understand its quick pace. Aileada turned to see Zodiac and smiled seeing he wasn't wearing his mask. It was quite obvious he was self conscious about his appearance so she wanted to make sure and say the right thing. "You look like a boy." She stated simply.

 

[The Snowiest Owl]

"I know that, but are these eyes human?"


He gestured at his red eyes, the same dark rings around them. He opened his mouth to show his teeth and pointed at them.


"Is any of me seem human? Besides my body and just the skin on my face?"

 

[Deadly Darkness]

"Well the coloring of your eyes may not be normal, but what they say is. Your eyes reflect your emotions, just like anyone else's. Besides," She stretched her arms out over her head. "What's so special about being human?"

 

[The Snowiest Owl]

"'Cause no one else is like me..." Zodiac peered at the ground.


"This is just a curtain hiding what I really look like."


He stared Aileada in the eyes with a grim look, he swallowed hard and crossed his wrists over his abdomen.


"It isn't pretty."

 

[Deadly Darkness]

"I haven't met another human in this town, even Mr. Reynolds has his secrets." She added, her gaze flicking over to the book store momentarily before returning to hold Zodiac's stare. "So why don't we be alone together?" Aileada held her hand out to Zodiac, staring deeply into his crimson eyes. Her gaze almost seemed to be staring through him.

 

[The Snowiest Owl]

Zodiac's troubled expression lighted up and a shark-like grin spread across his face. He shakily rose his bandaged palm and grabbed hers. A dark inky substance began to drip from his eyes and he hugged Alieada. He let go and mustered to speak.


"Thank you...I've never had friends or family besides the Six Circles."


He released her hand and smiled in an almost painful way.

 

[Deadly Darkness]

"Of course, everyone needs someone to be there for them. I went through a time where I didn't believe that, but it's true. Life's to beautiful to spend it alone." She returned the smile, though hers was much more natural, her lips turning up in the corners. "I'm glad you consider me a friend now."


(Night @Noivern )

 

[The Snowiest Owl]

(Night. .3.)

 

[OmegaFang232]

In the shadows of the night, the wolf crept through the darkness like a ghost. Dressed all in black, with his head wrapped in a black scarf, he slipped through the town without disturbance. The day had passed well enough, but the curiosity had nagged him none the less, and kept him awake far beyond the rising of the moon. And so he'd attatched a suppressor to his pistol, strapped a few knives and tools to his belt, and set off into the starry night to find his answers. There was more to this place than even his eyes percieved, and he intended to discover the secrets of Liondil, at any cost. Arriving at the back of the bookstore, he used a length of rope and a small hook to climb up the side of the building to a window on the second floor. Peeking through the glass, he breathed in relief. No one seemed to live here, and getting inside wouldn't be too difficult either. In a matter of moments, he'd pryed the window open and entered, nothing but the occasional exhale to signal his arrival. Closing the window behind him, he began to search the store from top to bottom, looking for anything he might find useful. But he was cautious in his ways. He left no fingerprints, and he'd wrapped his boots in heavy cloth to prevent distinct footprints, since his was the most common adult shoe size in the world. Thankfully, he had no need of a flashlight or candle either. But alas, he found nothing of use. He was on the verge of giving up when he noticed a peculiar scent in a place it did not belong. Perfume, and coffee, and a hint of something secret. And fear. He could smell that easily enough. Without a sound, he searched until he found the false wall, and upon accessing it he was greeted by a most peculiar sensation. Fear. Secrets. And power. A tremendous amount of power, be it magic or knowledge, he could not say. But it had been here until recently, he could tell from the dust that a book had been kept here for some time. A book that was somehow very similar to that hellspawned sibling of his. But where had the trinket wandered to? He let out a quiet snarl as he glanced out the window of the shop. Soon, it would be sunrise, leaving him precious hours to cover his tracks and escape. He left his mark and sealed the false wall, retreated back upstairs to the window, and retrieved his climbing rope. There was little time, and so he risked the jump to the ground, landing a bit more noisily than he would've liked. And with that, the lycan bolted, arriving at Victoria's home just as the sky turned from a deep ebony to a shade of gray that warned of sunshine. He redressed with haste, and sprawled out beside the wreckage of his motorcycle, returning to sleep with ease. And his mark, left in the bookstore? A simple flake of paper, etched in the nearly untranslatable language of the Old Wolves. The language of Fenrir, and Cerberus, and Amaterasu. "Speak with me".

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria wakes up in the morning, a little later than she would have liked. She felt a little under the weather and didn't want to bother with getting dressed. She gets herself out of bed and exits her room, looking around and not finding Jack anywhere. "Maybe he's already outside," she says. Going into the kitchen, she makes herself a mug of hot chocolate. She grabs a sketchbook from the kitchen table and goes outside to greet Jack. He was asleep... In the yard... Victoria sits on the top step of her porch and sips on her hot chocolate.

 

[OmegaFang232]

With slow movements, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, yawning softly. It had been a decent nap, and the night had passed better than expected. Getting to his feet, he turned to see Victoria with her sketchbook in hand. With a small smile, he waved to her and made his way onto the porch, cracking his neck and knuckles in an attempt to shake himself awake. "Good morning." He said with a gentle tone.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria looks up at him and smiles kindly. "Good morning, Jack. Is the grass really more comfortable than my floor?" She sets her sketchbook next to her and takes another sip of her hot chocolate. "Because if it is, I might go but an air mattress for you to sleep on."

 

[OmegaFang232]

He couldn't resist a chuckle at her comment. "That won't be necessary. I was up most of the night, working on the bike. I used a few home remedies after you went to bed, so I didn't wake you." He said, thinking back to his little adventure. He didn't like sneaking around in the dark, under people's noses especially, but he had to be careful. He was new in town, and he'd learned long ago that if one were to survive, you had to bend the rules sometimes. Better to have done what he'd done than to have been out all night drinking and womanizing. Truth be told, aside from their style of dress, that was the easiest way to tell him and his brother apart. Shinu prefered his thoughts and his sobriety, while his sibling took more liking to the bottle and warm bodies all around. He shook his head with a smirk at the mere thought. Tsatsu had always been the wild child, even when they were young. Always making trouble, always flaunting his powers like some kind of emperor. Of the two of them, Liondil was unknowingly lucky that his twin sibling had departed so quickly. Tsatsu would've burned this place to the ground by now.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

"Well next time you decide to stay up all night, at least tell me so I can have breakfast and a blanket ready for you in the morning so you don't freeze." Victoria looks out across her yard, thinking about what she had to do today. "Would you like to come with me today?" She asks and looks back at him.

 

[OmegaFang232]

He stick his tongue out at her playfully, playfully declining her offer. The thought was nice, but he had never been one to accept aid from people. At her request for company, his ears perked up a bit. What was this? A sign of adventure? He nodded and got to his feet. "Sure. Just give me a moment to grab a few things." He said as he paced over to the spot where he'd slept. With nimble hands, he slipped his boots on and grab a small rucksack, holstering his pistol and fetching a small pocket knife from his tool kit. In the rucksack, he kept a first aid kit and a few emergency supplies, should they be needed. As his father had taught him, always prepared, always alive. With a hint of eagerness and aventure in his eyes, he stood and shouldered the bag, rendering a lighthearted salute in Victoria's direction. "Ready when you are."

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria laughs. "We're just going to the post office. I sold some art and I have to get it in the mail today." She stands up and puts her hand on his shoulder. "We're taking my car," she says and walks inside, leaving the door open for him. "Sorry for the buzzkill."

 

[OmegaFang232]

He shrugged casually and took his bag from his shoulder. Either way, he wasn't bothered. He followed behind her, entering the house with a curious look on his face. Maybe she needed help loading the artwork into the car. "If it's alright, is there a place in town that sells acetalyne? I need a few tanks for my cutting torch." He inquired as he waited by the door.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria goes into her room to get changed. "If you find somewhere, I can take you there," she calls from her room. She changes into a pair of dark jeans and a plain blue t-shirt. She goes into the bathroom and pulls her hair into a ponytail. "You can use my laptop to find one."

 

[OmegaFang232]

He shook his head politely. "I'd rather not trouble you more than I already am. But thank you all the same". He was more than a little fidgety when it came to technology. As the motorcycle had proven on numerous occassions, he and machinery didn't get along so well. And he didn't want to leave footprints. With a smirk, he decided to take the hard-headed road instead. "Besides, even with my smoking habit, the nose knows." He said, nearly blushing at the arrogance in his words. But it was safer this way. He didn't want to leave traces of his existence, should the need arise for him to leave this place. But still, her offer tempted him. Perhaps when they returned, he would request to use the device for researching a few things.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria shrugs and spritzes a small amount of perfume on her wrists and neck. "If you would like to smoke, could you do it now? I don't like my car getting foggy."

 

[OmegaFang232]

As the perfume gradually wafted from the bathroom, he breathed in and smiled a bit, twitching his ears in curiosity. "I'll be ok for awhile, I think." He said, keeping his thoughts to himself. It was a simple, but elegant scent, and he couldn't resist a quick grin. Once again, the young lady seemed to have good taste in selection. Which only made him all the more curious as to his current arrangements. Why was someone as gentle as her keeping company with a street-wandering lycan like him? The more he pondered this, the more his mother's irony struck him. Something about opposites attracting. Will a simple and quiet "hmph" he hushed his mind and dismissed the thought.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria walks back out into the living room and grabs a few long, flat boxes. Most were already shut and ready to be shipped, going to places like the United States, France, and even Japan. One of the boxes was empty, however. Victoria walks over to a stack of canvases leaning against the wall. She flips through them until she find the correct one: a medium sized black canvas with a blue baby dragon on it. She smiles and runs her hand over the painting. "I'm going to miss you, little guy." The tail of the dragon seems to twitch slightly and she carefully slides it into an empty box. <p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/image.jpg.432cc85a0df73dcf63a9f70833bea3d0.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="109798" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/image.jpg.432cc85a0df73dcf63a9f70833bea3d0.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

 

[OmegaFang232]

He froze for a moment, blinking a few times at the painting. Had it truly moved, or were his eyes decieving him? He mentally calculated how much money he had to his name as an idea began to take shape. "Wait." He said as he pointed to the painting. "Why is that one special?" He asked plainly. It clearly meant something to her, and if he could, he'd try to help her somehow. He had more than enough cash, and where that gailed, gold was the universal answer to all. A single coin had paid his way into the country, guns and all. Surely he could make himself the highest bidder here as well, for her sake.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria shrugs. "He was one of the very first dragons I painted and I was always really proud of him." She sighs and a bit of sadness flashes across her eyes. "But since I don't have a job, I have to put all of my art up for sale. I can't afford to keep everything I make."