Fantasy 𝐔𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 by boo. x kol

[koala]

idk i’ll make this pretty later. don’t hurt me

 

[koala]

. ky .
Location: Lunaris, tavern name unknown
Interactions: N/A
Mentions: Peter​

There was a loud crack of thunder and lightning so strong the world shook from one end of the continent to another. A gust of icy wind ripped across the valley and woods, leaving torn leaves and feeble twigs in its wake. There was no light in the small town of Lunaris besides the few warm rays that bled from occupied homes and small businesses as everyone tried to shelter themselves from the raging storm outside.

Ky trudged slowly through the rain, boots sloshing in the mud. His soaked cloak was nothing but dead weight on his shoulders making each step harder than the next. However, he didn’t remove it. Even as he stepped into a tavern filled with most of the town’s population.

The shift in the air didn’t go unnoticed by him. He could feel everyone’s stares, their curiosity and the questions he knew he’d have to avoid answering.

Lunaris wasn’t the kind of place that got visitors often. It was secluded and surrounded by thousands of paces of mountains and woods. Entirely self-sustainable with the biggest inconvenience likely being the people’s lack of knowledge of the world around them. It was such a difficult, remote place to access that no countries, quite literally, wanted it.

Someone like Ky didn’t belong and that was incredibly obvious. He was taller than the local male, with a physique that stood out even underneath his thick, black cloak. His face was haunted and pale compared to their full, rosy ones. His lips were pressed in a tight line while everyone else seemed to laugh without hesitation. He looked like death while they were lambs of life.

It made him slightly uncomfortable, the way their attention was on him like he was some kind of bizarre spectacle to be ogled. He’d been stared for nearly his entire life, but for some reason this felt different.

Their whispering didn’t help either. If only they knew his hearing was far superior than the average human’s. Sometimes he wished that wasn’t the case, however. Maybe he wouldn’t feel so exposed even while his face and body were completely covered.

“What an odd-looking fellow…”

“Looks rich.”

“Nah. I thought rich folk love to show off.”

He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to tune out the voices, trying to find something else to focus on instead. A foot tapping, the crackling fire, the low hum of the singer on stage. Literally anything that wasn’t directed towards him was all he needed.

But there was nothing to steer his attention elsewhere, so he swallowed back a scowl and rising temper as he made his way to a small, vacant table in the corner. He tried his best to keep the certain thoughts from popping into his head as he passed a few people.

What if they recognized him? Would he have to kill them? No… It took forever to get through the mountains and trees, so killing them would bring more trouble than it was worth. Peter wouldn’t be happy about not getting a bath, either.

Ky bit back a snort as he sat, stretching out his long legs underneath the table. He couldn’t bend them properly because his knees bumped against the smooth surface. Not that he was complaining. There was nothing more he wanted to do besides sprawl out and loosen his limbs. He was more concerned about how both he and his friend would sit at such a small table together.

Ky knew he was a bigger male and his best friend and confidant wasn’t too far behind. They were about the same height and while Ky was a bit more brawn, Peter had a decent amount of muscle on him. There was no avoiding two large individuals bumping legs and Peter’s complaining. He knew it, too.

A window cover rattled against the wall and a soft breeze that smelled like earth and rain blew in. Peter’s voice echoed along the wind into Ky’s ear, a subtle whisper that only the latter could hear thanks to his race.

”Be there soon, Highness. Your dumbass horse is putting up a fight.”

Ky finally grinned from beneath his hood. Good. Peter deserved it. He probably said something rude to the beast and now he was facing karma.

 

[boo.]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Ru *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
​

"Ru? Hey? Uh, you're burning them again?"

Rumi Aukatsang jerked to life with a start, her heartbeat flying to the ceiling along with the spatula in her hand. It fell down onto the griddle with a loud CLANG and she cursed under her breath. "This is why you don't put me on hot duty while Mama's out. Ugh, that smells..." A puff of black smoke rose before her face as she flipped the little cakes, which were almost completely charred on one side. She winced.

Her sister Tempa, only two years younger, shrugged, her nose wrinkling at the smell. "If you're that tired, maybe you should have stayed upstairs with her." She took the spatula from Ru, who was only too glad to give it up as well as her place at the griddle. "You're not sick too, are you?"

"What, afraid you'll catch something? It's fine. I'm fine." Ru rubbed her hot hands against her apron, which was streaked with oil and dried batter, then made an effort to fix her hair, which had sprung out from the once-tight bun at the base of her neck. She could feel the hair stick sliding out, so she just pulled it out the whole way and started to redo it, making sure to grab the flyaways this time. "I have to get out of this kitchen. Where's Da?"

Tempa shrugged again because she knew it annoyed Ru. "Tonight? Come on, you're not stupid."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm gonna have to make a new batch, you know?"

"And you'll do a great job." Ru snapped more than she meant to but it was too late to try and make up for it; she really did feel sick, but just from the heat of the griddle, and as she paced toward the front of the kitchen, untying her apron and rubbing it against her face before hanging it up, she started to feel like she could breathe a little better. She untied her hair again; something was pulling tight at the base of her neck and it was uncomfortable.

It was a small kitchen, but then again, it was a small tavern, just the perfect size to make for a cozy night at the start of autumn. It wouldn't get cold for another few weeks but the constant days of recent rain had everyone wanting to stop by for something to drink, people to talk to, news to share. It was surprising how much gossip a tiny village like Lunaris could produce—it seemed like every night Ru heard the old women who always huddled by the fireplace talking about some new drama. Everyone knew everyone else and it made for some awkward encounters, but those things always seemed to resolve themselves. No one really worried around here; it just didn't make sense.

Once outside the swinging half-doors that separated the kitchen from the tavern, the smell of fine-craft beer stung Ru's nose, and she didn't have to look across the crowded tavern to know what was happening. It was Barrel Night, and that meant her da had rolled out one of the vintage casks to "sample" it with his friends, all gray-haired men with winking eyes and stubble on their chins. It would be easier to get annoyed by them if they didn't always sound like they were having the most amazing of times; Ru couldn't bar a grin from crossing her face as she found her father in the midst of all of them, standing before a huge iron-rimmed barrel with a little spicket on the side. It sounded like they'd already been going at it for a little while.

"D'you need anything?" She shouldered through and tapped him on the shoulder, and he swung toward her lazily.

"Huh?"

"I said DO YOU NEED ANYTHING."

"Oh—oh, no, Ru, s'all good. Thanks."

Edging back out, Ru smoothed her hands down the front of her tunic. She wore what most other women wore in this village—a tunic that stretched just past the crotch with wool leggings beneath, and a wide silken wrap over the shoulders. The back was left free to hang in a wide loop, while the ends were gathered at the front and cinched over top the tunic with a corded belt. Every step she took around the tavern, exchanging quick words and smiles, made the scarf around her shoulders flutter at the edges, light as butterfly wings, the color of periwinkle blossoms and nearly sheer. She was barefoot—in fact, almost everyone at the tavern was, unless they'd been coming straight back from work, usually at the baking kilns just outside the village, and her footsteps would have been silent if it wasn't for the creaking floorboards underfoot.

She passed by her brother Tsomo, Tempa's twin but taller than both of them by a few inches. He wore the same color scarf, only this one was pulled flush around his neck and tied off at an angle on his waist. As soon as he caught sight of her, he made a beeline for her, and Ru felt her stomach flop. Mo, coming over voluntarily?

"That one over there." His voice came out a rasped whisper, and he nodded his head to the corner of the tavern. It took a minute for Ru to realize who he was looking at, although when she did, she wondered why she hadn't seen him sooner. The stranger. He was dark and very obviously not from around here. Visitors were rare, and instantly Ru knew that if he stayed much longer, he'd be the hot topic of discussion among the old ladies. And possibly everyone else.

"What?" Ru looked back up at Tsomo, a little confused by the alarm in his voice.

"What d'you mean, what?" He turned away a little and forced Ru to do the same, as if the stranger would read their lips otherwise "He's trouble. You should get Da to kick him out?"

"He's literally—Mo, come on. He's just—" Ru looked over her shoulder, and this time noticed how tall he likely would be standing up. His boots poked out from the other end of the table. "—sitting. Um."

"You're volunteering to get his order? Great." Tsomo pushed his tray into Ru's hands, and she was forced to grab it before it fell. "It's a cloudy night, y'know."

"Piss off." Ru pushed past him. She wouldn't admit to his face that she, in fact, did not want to get his order, but it was too late for that.

Seemed like she was late for a lot of things today—too late to flip the griddle cakes, too late to apologize to Tempa, too late to escape scary stranger duty—and of course it had to be a cloudy night. The stars were aligned—or rather, they weren't. Ru snuck another glance, trying to make out the stranger's features beneath his hood, but the light wasn't with her. There was a dark shadow cast over his face. Maybe that's for the best. Suppose he's got a hideous scar? A giant nose? Ru started cleaning off one of the empty tables, shoving crumpled napkins into her pocket and stacking mugs on her tray, and comforted herself with the thought that the stranger hid his face because he'd been cursed with an unnaturally ugly face by the fae.

She passed by another table, intending to head back to the kitchen, but felt her toe knock against an extended leg. She stopped short, a little startled. The mugs on her tray wobbled.

"Didn't know they were serving dishes like you during Barrel Night." The slur of an old pot-bellied man forced her to turn, and the polite smile on her face wavered. There was a greedy look in his eyes, and his companions, all men who looked about the same, appeared amused with the situation.

Not the time. Really not the time.

"What a charmer," Ru managed between her teeth, her stomach flopping again. That was the second time in a few minutes; maybe she really was sick? She forced her smile to grow a little, as if she found his comment funny and nothing more. She turned to leave but that's when his hand flew out, too fast to stop, landing hard on her ass. A yelp flew out of her mouth and the tray similarly went flying, then crashing, to the floor. The chatter in the tavern was so loud that no one seemed to notice.

Ru spun around, her face pulsing with heat. Okay, yes. She hated Barrel Night. "Don't—don't." It was a lame response but she was out of it, and she was uncomfortable, and it wasn't often that something like this happened. What else was she supposed to say? Fuck off? When all those men were sitting there laughing at her? Maybe if she'd had a bit to drink herself, she would have been able to counter. Stick her finger in his eye. Something.

Instead she took a step back, then another, ready to tuck her tail between her legs and just get out of here. Make Mo clean it up.

The drunk creep had other ideas, half-standing up to grab her wrist. "Don't you want to join us for dessert, angel?"

"No—" She jerked but his grip was firm.

"Don't be a bitch about it—"

 

[koala]

. ky .
Location: Lunaris, tavern name unknown
​

"Didn't know they were serving dishes like you during Barrel Night."

Ky was well aware that he didn’t have any business listening into a conversation he wasn’t part of. In fact, he knew it was ill-mannered of him. Every Dradian was taught at a young age to not abuse their enhanced senses, but he tended to be a rule breaker—sticking his nose into things when he shouldn’t; standing out when he knew he needed to keep to the shadows.

A loud crashing sound tore his attention away from the crackling fire beside him and towards the woman he’d unintentionally focused on ever since she appeared. He could hear her pounding heart and unsteady breathing even amongst the crowd of drunkards and horrible singing.

Don’t. Don’t do it, Ky.

“Don’t you want to join us for dessert, angel?”

The drunk man grabbed the woman by the wrist, and that’s when Ky smelled it. Her fear. It was like a scream for help that only he could sense. A cool rage slipped over the hooded male as he slowly stood up, no one even noticing the shadowy figure that was making his way over.

One step… two.. steps.. three…

“Don’t be a bitch about it-”

It took all but four steps before Ky was across the tavern, an inhuman speed and feline grace to his movements as his hand reached for the drunk and pulled the human back with one firm jerk. “I believe the lady gave you her answer.” His voice was low, and there was a lethality to it that would make most people wet themselves if they knew who was speaking to them. Thankfully, the drunk human did not.

“What the fuck?” The man slurred as Ky barely used his strength to swing himself between the man and the woman. “Who the ‘ell you think you are? This is between Ru here and I. Piss off!”

“Do you know what I hate?” Ky spoke, his gloved hand still firm on the male’s wrist, though it seemed to tighten with each word. “People who don’t know manners.” He wanted to break the male’s wrist right there and then, but he settled on bruising and maybe a little rattling. With unbelievable ease, Ky dragged the male out towards the door and launched him into the rainy night. “She said no, though she may accept a thorough apology when you’ve sobered up and learned of your foul mistake.”

The Dradian let his eyes glow a deep amber then—a sight only that drunk man could see from beneath Ky’s hood. The human seemed to almost cower, his clouded eyes clearing as the rain pelted onto his back.

Ky didn’t bother to watch the man scurry off, his invisible tail between his legs, as he made his way back to the woman. Kneeling, he began picking up the contents of the fallen tray and slowly handed it to her, but not before removing his hood and revealing the hint of concern that was etched in his handsome face. “Are you alright?”

 

[boo.]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* rumi *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧​

Maybe she should aim for the balls—yes, that was a good plan, if only she could get herself to stop shaking. The drunkard's grip was like iron, dirt-crusted fingernails digging into the thin skin of her wrist, almost enough to draw blood, and he was so ugly, and his breath stank, and everything was just too overwhelming, and she wanted to check on Mama and get some fresh air, stand in the rain, let her claustrophobia sink into the dirt. She liked working with her family but sometimes everything was just too—much. And this handsy patron wasn't making it any easier.

She jerked again—

Then froze.

When had that stranger walked up behind her assailant?

It happened too quickly. The grubby hand slipped from her wrist, and one unwelcome presence was switched out for an unknown one, a tall body forcing itself into her space, a dark wall she had to peek sideways around to see what was happening. Dark eyes went as wide as dinnerplates, her slight form trembling a little as though the deep voice in front of her was physically rattling her bones. In all honesty, she'd expected someone to show up eventually. Lunaris was a small village and everyone knew everyone, and even though everyone seemed drunk off their asses right now, someone would eventually realize what was going on and get rid of this asshat. She'd been prepared to wait, even to scream. Mo would have heard her.

This stranger?

What was his deal?

"Wait—" Ru called after the both of them lamely but felt utterly invisible as the drunkard was thrown out the door like yesterday's trash. She felt herself stiffen at the sight of the stranger in the doorway, his frame nearly covering the entire space, broad-shouldered and hidden beneath that thick cloak, a type of garb rarely seen in these parts. It was like this man was trying to set himself apart.

The men at the table beside her, where the drunkard had been dragged from, had fallen awkwardly silent, faces turning down to their plates as the stranger came back. Ru found herself taking a step back, unsure if she ought to be afraid or thankful, unsure why she found herself intimidated by a man whose face she couldn't see—

Oh. Well, now she could.

His features were cut from marble, a smooth bronzed complexion that captured her attention the moment his hood slipped away, unusual in these parts but no less enthralling, like he was a sculpture of gold. From where he knelt before her, he looked up and embers of light sparked in his eyes, reflections of the fireplace behind her, flecks of brown and amber. She had never seen eyes that color before, and it captivated her so entirely, losing herself in her reflection that stared back, that she almost didn't hear him speak.

"I..."

She felt like she was drowning, clawing desperately toward the faint glimmer of the surface. A shiver raced down her spine, so quickly and violently that it hurt.

"What..."

He was holding the tray out.

"What—the fuck is your problem!" She jerked the tray from his hands and took a jittering step backward. The chatter in the tavern was just as incessant, offering just the same amount of anonymity as before. It drove her crazy. "That was a—paying customer! And—look!" She waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the table, toward the handful of empty steins sitting at the drunkard's empty place. "Now who's going to pay for all that?"

Where was this coming from? And why couldn't she have had it earlier to deal with that man on her own?

With the tray balanced against her hip, Ru struck out an accusatory finger and poked the stranger square in the chest. There was no give in his muscle. She blanched.

"You are. Sit your twiggy ass back down and—and I'll bring you the bill. Don't even think about going cheap on me, you son of a bitch."

Oh. This is rather cathartic.

"It's a small village. Everyone knows where everyone is." There was a rather expressive snarl on her face, one that didn't quite fit with her otherwise soft, rounded features. Brown hair, struck through with stubborn auburn highlights, had slipped from where it had been pinned up again, frizzy clumps sticking to the slight sheen of sweat on her neck. "So wipe that self-righteous look off your grubby little face, and learn to take your lumps, asswipe."

She turned on her heel, trembling with adrenaline. The mugs clattered together on her tray, betraying the daring nature of her own bravado.

"Motherfuckin' dickhead. I've had it up to here today."