Fantasy Protectors

[TyVibes]

Harlow stopped dead in his tracks as he heard Mina's scream, he whipped around so fast that he got a shooting pain in his neck. He started walking over with a pained expression and his head tilted to the left whilst rubbing his neck. It hurt quite a bit but it would be fine soon, then recoiled slightly when Nonie screamed. He saw they were looking at Mina's phone.


"What happened?" he asked, his tone sounded slightly concerned but was mainly filled with anticipation and excitement.

 

[SecretRock]

Mina shoved the phone into Nonie's face, showing her the text. It was from a contact labelled '♪♪♪', and it read: 'We really liked your style. Come back on Thursday, 22:00, and we'll see how you do with a crowd.' She bounced on her feet and grinned as she thought about her music finally being heard by people other than Harlow and Nonie. She jumped, almost dropping the phone as someone shouted next to them. She reaffirmed her grip on it and turned to face them, shocked to see Hazley.


"Hey, old dude, where were you these last few days?" She asked, clutching the text protectively to her chest.


@MaxFromIKEA @Camelot @TyTydaDog


Selene cried out as she felt Rene's fist connect with her side. The punch itself wasn't too bad, but of course he had to charge it up too. She felt a little proud. Her vision was clearing as he jumped away, but things were still a little blurry. She reached out after him, but her hand went too far to the left and she missed.


Azure grit his teeth as Rene shouted at him, giving him instructions to use a crowbar. He'd touched a crowbar before, so he knew that he could summon one. He focused his thought on it, and flt a weight in his hand. Half a crowbar. It must have broken since he last saw it. Either way, he moved it in his hand so he had a better grip on it and ran towards Selene, ducking her hand reaching out after Rene, and swung the crowbar into her arm, wincing as he heard something that might be a crack. He jumped back quickly in case he did hurt her a lot and she lashed out.


@Tohoak

 

[Tohoak]

@NathanPanache


Kydlin finally could focus again. She looked at Alec. He wasn't moving, but she was sure she hadn't hit him that hard. She frowned. "Alec? Are you ok?" She asked her voice sounding slightly worried. 


Tohoak leapt forward being careful to aviod the boys as she tryied to kick Selene's feet out from under her. If it worked then they might beat Selene! @SecretRock

 

[MaxFromIKEA]

Hazley looks over at Mina, trying to remember who she was. Still filled with rage his memory pulls through and he responds "Holiday, well deserved too!". Still angry, he decides to put the bridge situation on hold and asks "what are you lot doing?", hoping he could go on another adventure.

 

[Bishop]

(Well sorry i just kinda assumed)


Alex started blinking the whites from his eyes before he noticed hunters hand. He gripped it tightly and hoisted himself back up onto his feet.


"Thanks boss" he said rubbing his eyes with his hand.


@Tohoak

 

[Warhawk]

@TheOne


The alley was dark, and from a distance, she might look like just another street rat that would kill for just the small bit of food he held in his bag, or the small wad of bills he kept in his pants... and indeed she was digging about the garbage like any other of the poor of this district. Anna dug about the trash heap, her thin and half trembling fingers pulling aside tinfoil and trash to try and find something of a meal... there it was, half of a sandwich, thrown hap-haphazard into the trash. Her eyes brightened a little as she reached down and took it in both of her hands. She hadn't found a prize like this in days. And it was still part warm, protected by the pile above it. She held the tinfoil in her hands, peeling it back to smell the wondrous aroma, and then... she jerked upright at the sound of a voice at the opposite end of the alley. It had to be another street rat, trying to take her food... in her haste to get away, the wrap slipped from her shaking fingers to fall in the mud at her feet, ruining what was left as she glanced up in evident fear, crystalline blue/grey eyes wide as they stared out from the alley and up at the man who was standing there. She winced a little, edging back a bit before realizing that it wasn't another rat... it was a person, someone she might have expected to see from the upper levels of the city. One distrust turned into another, frowning a bit and recalling everything she had heard and seen the upper city folks do to those that couldn't protect themselves, and he might just be another... but that smell... she could smell the heaven coming from the bag, and almost feel the heat. She did her best to hide the fact that her mouth started watering, and unconsciously edged forwards a little. It was almost a little sad. She was terrified of the man and what he might do, but the simple concept of food not out of a trash disposal heap was warring, and winning against her common sense.

 

[NathanPanache]

Alec quickly turns around, lifting her into the air, pushing her against a tree, "Never underestimate your opponent!" He said dropping her

 

[Tohoak]

@NathanPanache


Kydlin gave a yelp of surprise, but then smiled. "Exactly!" she said approvingly. She did a suamersault over to Alec and kicked out at him as she landed.


@Blacknife


Hunter nodded. "No problem." He replied. "It was a smart move on the apprentices' behalf," he pointed out. He heard Kydlin yelp and instantly he looked over to where she was. He relaxed once he saw she was smiling. She was enjoying the practice.

 

[NathanPanache]

Alec grabbed her leg, and twisted it giving him control over where she went. He pushed on her leg, and slammed her into the tree again

 

[Tohoak]

Kydlin used her hands to push off the tree and twist her leg out of Alec's grip. She spun around and swung her leg low at his knees while aiming her fist at his gut. @NathanPanache

 

[NathanPanache]

Alec fell to the tround laughing and got back up, fists ready

 

[Tohoak]

Kydlin nodded approvingly. Alec showed spirit. She came at him again this time faking a blow to his face before trying to hit him in the chest. Out of the coner of her eye she could see Hunter and Alex watching. She smiled slightly and wonder how long Hunter would let them fight before inturrupting. @NathanPanache


(We should try to post more slowly or just post more actions at once than just a sentence. The others aren't on and we can't just spam the page @NathanPanache) 

 

[NathanPanache]

Seeing her distracted by Hunter and Alex, Alec lifted her up in the air again, a small stream of blood coming from his mouth

 

[NathanPanache]

He then slowly set her down, and started coughing. "Im fine....just... give me a minute"

 

[SecretRock]

Selene shouted as the crowbar came down on her arm. It didn't feel like anything was broken, but it sure did hurt. Then her ankles were knocked out from under her and she fell, landing hard on her side. Her shoulder started to throb as she quickly rolled to the side, away from when she'd seen the boys retreat to. She jumped back up to her feet, shaking the ache out of her arm and falling back into a fighting stance. She grinned at the three of them.


"You're doing well," Overpowering her with pure numbers was a good idea, but now she was prepared for them. They'd find it harder next time.


@Tohoak @Camelot


"We're going to meet Crowne at the arcade, he's-" She was cut off by a bright flash of light. She blinked a few times, then stared off in the direction it came from. She glanced between all the others. "You saw that too, right?"


@TyTydaDog @MaxFromIKEA

 

[TyVibes]

Harlow rubbed his neck a bit more. There had definitely been a big flash of light and, ah yes, his neck was all better now.


"Yeah. It was a bright light. Do you wanna check it out?" he asked Mina, Nonie and their new addition, although Harlow questioned if he could call him new because he seemed like a very old man. He really wanted to get to the arcade though, but, this flash in the forest seemed like a promising adventure. Heck, maybe it was the protectors. Probably not though, their luck for the past couple days hadn't been very good. Only the bridge the was the best thing they'd done so far.

 

[TheOne]

@TheOne


The alley was dark, and from a distance, she might look like just another street rat that would kill for just the small bit of food he held in his bag, or the small wad of bills he kept in his pants... and indeed she was digging about the garbage like any other of the poor of this district. Anna dug about the trash heap, her thin and half trembling fingers pulling aside tinfoil and trash to try and find something of a meal... there it was, half of a sandwich, thrown hap-haphazard into the trash. Her eyes brightened a little as she reached down and took it in both of her hands. She hadn't found a prize like this in days. And it was still part warm, protected by the pile above it. She held the tinfoil in her hands, peeling it back to smell the wondrous aroma, and then... she jerked upright at the sound of a voice at the opposite end of the alley. It had to be another street rat, trying to take her food... in her haste to get away, the wrap slipped from her shaking fingers to fall in the mud at her feet, ruining what was left as she glanced up in evident fear, crystalline blue/grey eyes wide as they stared out from the alley and up at the man who was standing there. She winced a little, edging back a bit before realizing that it wasn't another rat... it was a person, someone she might have expected to see from the upper levels of the city. One distrust turned into another, frowning a bit and recalling everything she had heard and seen the upper city folks do to those that couldn't protect themselves, and he might just be another... but that smell... she could smell the heaven coming from the bag, and almost feel the heat. She did her best to hide the fact that her mouth started watering, and unconsciously edged forwards a little. It was almost a little sad. She was terrified of the man and what he might do, but the simple concept of food not out of a trash disposal heap was warring, and winning against her common sense.

Li Zhao
​

He reached into his bag, fishing a couple of dumplings out of his bag and holding them out to her. He found it a little interesting that she was acting so feral, most of the other kids he'd seen on the street just ended up as criminals. Ugh, he'd used 'just' and 'criminals' in the same sentence. Was he really getting used to this? That was a scary thought. Usually for him, it was black and white, but when it came to things like this, he wasn't so sure...


"What's your name?" He asked the girl, inching forward to let her take the food.

@Warhawk
​

 

[Warhawk]

@TheOne


The girl in the alleyway in no way looked like an animal despite her feral appearances at first glance. She seemed cleaner than many other of the under cities inhabitants, granted, her clothes looked like they had been worn for months on end, the rest of her was kept in as good condition as possible with the limited supplies available. Other than the frizzy hair, the feral, frightened look, the dirt near permanently on her face, and of course, her unhealthy skinniness, she looked normal... almost. Her sharp eyes darted to the food as it appeared in his hand, the eyes widening at the sight. He stepped forwards, and instinctively, she moved away... but after his mostly friendly words, and seeming to be genuine... she inched forwards, wary of his intentions. It was not a rare occasion that gang members would go hunting, often portraying themselves as authorities, or someone just trying to help, and a moment later, bang, they were out cold, and when they woke up... they faced a life time of slavery doing things she never wanted to see, much less do. But something about the way he acted, or maybe it was his eyes, but... she trusted him. Moving forwards the rest of the way, she edged out her hands, going slowly and skittish as she almost yanked the dumplings away from him. She immediately popped it in her mouth, ignoring as it burned her mouth, only able to marvel at its taste as it disappeared, the whole thing in a moment. She took her time with the next one, looking up to meet his gaze as she slowly ate the second. He would see that she wasn't truly an animal, and she certainly wasn't hostile... in fact, now that he had proved at least semi trust worthy, she seemed kind. Her eyes were bright and intelligent, staring up at him curiously. She finished the second, and spoke out as she swallowed. 


"My... my name is Anna. Annabeth."


She paused for a moment, staring at her greasy hands and almost as if she had suddenly remembered the words, she blurted out,


"thank you."


She didn't say anything else, apparently along with everything, she was also shy. But she also wasn't an optimist... turning half way, she seemed to pause for just a moment before moving to walk slowly back into the alley. The upper city didn't care about people like her. They might take pity on her occasionally, toss her a metaphorical bone once in awhile, but he was more likely to turn her into the gangs or the cops than help her further. Better to just get out of there... the next rounds of death squads was due tonight, she didn't want herself... or her new 'friend' to get hurt because of her.  

 

[TheOne]

Li Zhao
​

Li shrugged the girls thanks away. He and Yang had almost been in a similar situation once and he would have liked someone to be that kind to them. He lifted the bag higher, the paper rustling as the packages inside moved about. He cleared his throat to draw her attention back to him as she started to walk away, shaking the bag slightly, trying not to spill any of its contents while drawing attention to it.


"I have more if you want it," He offered, then glanced down at his watch, a cheap digital thing on his other wrist. It was almost eleven am, too early for takeaway for most people, but it was more like dinner for Li, given his sleep schedule. Either way, he'd agreed to meet a sergeant for some case information at one. If he wanted to be on time, he had just under two hours to eat, change, shower, and get to the station. "I really should be getting back to my apartment though..."

@Warhawk
​

 

[Warhawk]

@TheOne


Anna stopped at the sound of the bag rattling, hearing the packages rattling, and smelling the delicious food that was in there... she winced, tensing a little. Was he about to taunt her? When she heard the offer however, that was the last thing she expected. In the slums known as the red light district, giving someone your own hard earned food was one of the greatest... and rarest gifts one could give, especially down here where food was so scarce for people like her. She turned around once more hesitantly, however, her eyes were gleaming, and there was a clear glimmer of hope and happiness in them. Evidently it did not take much to make her happy. She bit her lip this time, pondering it... it would be rude of her to take what he had earned, no matter how much she might want, or need it. She was about to make that fact clear, when Li mentioned he should be getting back. That glimmer of light faded a little, and she went silent for a moment, and when she did speak, it was a small, hesitant,


"oh".


Anna gave a small nod of her head before lowering it.


"Don't let me hold you up, you were kind enough as is..."


Reaching up, the teenager touched two fingers to her forehead and smiled slightly at him, speaking kindly,


"good fortune friend,"


If he were to walk away, she would watch him pass by the alley, and if he finally went out of eyesight, she would let out a small sigh, and retreat back into the alley... maybe there would be something salvageable of the sandwich she had dropped.

 

[TheOne]

Li Zhao
​

Frowning, Li looked over the girl again with a critical eye,btrying to spot anything off about her, but he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary about her. He lowered his watch slowly, an eyebrow raised at the girl as she rejected his food. Well, she didn't, but he could tell that she was about to. Not really a good idea for someone who'd just been ranging through trash like a racoon.


"Are you really going to let yourself starve because of pride? Everyone else tells me that that's the first thing to go on the streets..." Li tilted his head to the side and shrugged as if he didn't care. "Anyway, that last part was more of a 'do you need somewhere to stay tonight?'" he clarified. Most people refused on the grounds that they already had somewhere to stay, usually a shop doorway or something, but if this girl was stupid enough to live in this part of town when there were plenty of good alleys in safer parts of it...

@Warhawk
​

 

[Warhawk]

@TheOne


Li wasn't very far off... although instead of denying the food, she had assumed his last words were more of a dismissal than an offering. Never in a hundred years would she have guessed those words were meant to offer a place to stay the night, rather than a 'I wish I could help you, but I simply don't have the time', statement. So when he clarified his words... she froze. Immediately, she tried to think of what it would be like to sleep somewhere not on the dirty streets with an empty stomach, what a bed... hell, even a clean floor might be. She couldn't. She could hardly explain why, but she hesitated... and it showed. Facing him initially, her face had brightened like a light switch, but then she frowned a little, some amount on confusion passing over her face. She wondered why he would want to help her, just another city rat that ate from the middle classes left overs and slept by their trash... but more than that, she hesitated because she didn't want to be a burden upon him. It didn't take long however for the thought of a clean place to sleep, and food, overrided any concerns she had, and she slowly nodded her head.


"Would you... really do that? I... I don't want to burden you. But if you'd be able..." She was a mixture of hopeful, and fearful. Fearful that just as something good might have come along, something would come and take it away. But unlike some people he might know, she truly did not have another place to go. Other places in the district were taken by gangs and criminals, and if she tried to leave... the gangs and devastators often left the upper city folks alone when they came down here, not wanting to kill someone important and initiate a police crack down, as rare as they were, and then the guards... there were usually several officers at the entrances of the district at all times. They would let someone in fine clothes who had business down here through, but a rail thin girl in rags that clearly belonged? They would never let her past and into the 'nicer' parts of town. She was stuck... and he was offering a way out.

 

[TheOne]

( @Warhawk I read through some of the pages on this thread before I posted, and I'm pretty sure that this isn't how this thread works,  :/ . Like, at one point the Decimators blew up a bridge, and I'm pretty sure the city isn't divided into districts...  :$ )

 

[Warhawk]

((I actually looked back at some of what I posted after and cringed at some of those parts I wrote... the districts I meant more as in just a different part of the city, like the 'slums', but the rest... ignore that part, half of it's flavor text anyways >_<))


@TheOne

 

[TheOne]

Li Zhao
​

Li shrugged, and jerked a thumb behind him in the general direction of his apartment. He didn't live too far away, liking to support more local and unknown shop around him, though not many of the 'private businesses' in the red-light district appreciated his presence, or his police ties, but that came with the job whether or not he wanted it to. It wasn't his fault if the apartments were cheaper around here.


"I only live a block or two away," He told her, lowering his hand and sticking it into his coat pocket. It was a force of habit more than a conscious choice, but he felt more comfortable doing it than not. "We can eat once we get there, and sort you a bed, so come on." He turned to walk away, waving for her to follow him over his shoulder while his other hand with the takeaway hung by his side. It would only take a few minutes to get home, twenty at most but Li never usually walked that slow and he wasn't about to start now.

@Warhawk
​