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1Where Man and Mystery meet [Open | NK] Empty Where Man and Mystery meet [Open | NK] Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:21 am

Laïs Crowly

Laïs Crowly


C-rank

The sensation of sleepwalking was a surreal experience. Laïs could not remember how she reached this place in the first place, her exhausted mind remembering only the storm that had chased her until she had dropped to the floor by its pressure in exhaustion. Forced into an uncomfortable slumber, her mind was barely refreshed enough to be aware of her current presence, but the thrum she felt in every of her cells as she stepped into the stone circle was agonisingly delicious. The feeling of being torn apart mixed with the aggressive invigoration of her body licking up the lingering nature chakra like a starving beast threw her into a fit of giggles. Laïs couldn't move a muscle anymore. Her body burning up from within, exhaustion having turned into physical pain. Yet she had forced herself to move on, away out of the open and into the fold of a bunch of stones. Every move now send a shock of agony throughout her whole body. Big black bags sat under her eyes, her lips chapped from draught, her breathing ragged and deep as it tried to find the rhythm of a much needed deep sleep. The world thrummed along the sanctuary song of the standing stones.

She had heard about this song, about the stories of how they stones had walked the lands to meet together in an eternal covenant. There had been stories about a man that would chant to the mountains, requesting to send their most patient emissaries so that Man and Nature could speak about what the world had to become. No one could say when this event had happened, but today the stones were still here, debating with the ghosts of the past in what image the world of the future had to be shaped. A questionable thought surfaced into her mind, wondering how she could hear them speak when so many others had never been able to do so, before it sank back in the depths of Sleep's encroaching embrace.

Gritting her teeth, the woman took another few steps before flopping down to sit against one of the stones. Fire and shock sung a symphony throughout her body until they were snuffed out when she rested her head against the standing stone behind her, closing her eyes briefly as she enjoyed a moment of respite. Opening them again, the shadow of a single bird high up in the sky briefly cloaked the stones in a darker shade. Laïs closed her eyes again. Rest was about all she could think about for now. Rest, then thirst and hunger. Each of them fighting within her body to claim its due share, tearing the nightmares that haunted her to pieces. There would be no room for anything else but primal needs now.


469

Ryo

Ryo


D-rank
Today was a lucky day for Ryo in the sense that it was a free day. Sure, he had plenty of free time, but never in the form of a full twenty four hour day. Most of his days consisted of silly missions or household errands that his parents can't handle themselves. Both of these didn't require much effort, acting more of an inconvenience than actual work. Ryo didn't necessarily enjoy putting effort into things either, but it made things more interesting than compared to the simple task that fills his schedule. While he didn't enjoy difficult tasks, he definitely didn't enjoy being borderline braindead either.

He woke up near midday, somehow sleeping through the noise those mornings in the foster home cause. This was probably due to the events of the day prior being rather tiring and long. He already had his plans for the day figured out. They were simple, he would go to the mystical Rockhenge and read his beloved books. He also planned to pack quite a bit of food, not only because he would probably be there the majority of the day, but he also fancied the idea of a picnic alone. As for his choice regarding the location, he had his own personal reasons. The Rockhenge was his escape from the village. He ended up there after a particularly rough day at the academy and fell in love with it. The only other visitors of the strange stones were the occasional tourist, with most of the village citizens having been here before. The stones were a mystery to most because of their foreboding presence, making them a popular attraction. This didn't seem to bother Ryo. He enjoyed the peculiar feeling of the place, with it only being enhanced by the fact that he was alone.

After a quick shower and getting dressed, Ryo set off. As he made his way to his destination, it was important to note the fact the Ryo wasn't dressed in his usual attire. Ditching his standard white button up and black trousers, Ryo donned a white v-neck shirt which was slightly covered by a dark, unbuttoned cardigan. He also had on black denim jeans that seemed to perfectly fit him, and, strangely enough, he seemed to be wearing flip flops, truly ready to enjoy his day off. Around his right shoulder was a cloth tote bag packed with goodies. Visibly it had a long loaf of bread sticking out but also had various fruits inside along with bottles of water and a canteen full of tea.

He arrived at the Rockhenge in only about half an hour of walking, making his way to the round stone in the middle to take in his surroundings before settling down for his picnic. It was around then that something caught his eye, almost going unnoticed. He turned towards whatever he saw in a shocked manner, only to find a woman passed out against one of the surrounding stones. Ryo's response to this was... uncommon, to say the least. Instead of rushing to the unknown woman's aid, a deep frown grew on his face. It seemed ironic to him that this seemed to happen on one of his few free days. He definitely didn't want something like this to happen, which was clear by his sudden irritated presence. He let out a short sigh, setting down his bag before making his way over. As he approached, he noticed the clear signs of fatigue. His pace stayed the same though, having no interest in helping this woman. He was only going to do so because he felt like he was obligated to. He was also a shinobi, technically making it his 'duty' to help those in need of aid. Whenever he was right next to her, Ryo would squat down near the woman's face. With his hand on his knees, he let out another irritated sigh before asking a very short, straightforward question.

"Are you okay?"


Word count: 674 of 674

Laïs Crowly

Laïs Crowly


C-rank

Footsteps echoed through her mind. Like drips rippling the water at first, its sound light and bearable audible, but progressively they grew louder, urging her to wake from the depths of slumber. When they sounded like a gong, reverberating strong enough to dispel the hold Sleep had over her, she faintly opened one of her eyes. The blur that was her vision slowly sharpened, revealing the approach of a demon. He had stepped into the stone circle, eyes of hatred burned on her, his sharpened claws itching to pull out her throat. Laïs coughed a faint, dry cough and tried to move so as to have a fighting chance, but her body refused any and all cooperation. She would have tried speaking, but her throat was parched and felt like it had melted together to choke all sound. Even her lips felt numb as the vestiges of slumber were still leaving her. It would be too late to escape.

With a dispassionate glint in his eyes, he crouched, resting a hand on his knee and irritatingly asked her if she was alright. She would have raised an eyebrow at his uncaring, stupid question, but she couldn't. Of course she wasn't alright? But... Sloth? Was his greatest sin truly sloth? There were worse demons to suffer than the one who wouldn't even bother to save his own life because it felt like working. A faint, "Heh", was all that escaped her lips in reaction. Her left eye still closed, her right eye looked straight into his, and after a few moments of difficult breathing, she forced a rasping voice to give a proper answer.

"T-thirst."

It was a faint sound, a barely audible whisper and a echo of what her usual voice sounded like. Not sure he would have heard it the first time, she repeated her request, hopefully a little louder this time in hopes he had something to drink with him. Something of sustenance preferably too, as she couldn't remember when she had eaten or drunk the last time. The nightmares had chased her ever since she had left the Land of Demons, giving her little time to rest, and she was thoroughly feeling it now.

If the demon before her would offer her something to drink, she'd accept it greedily, trying to grasp the flask despite the pain of fatigue that dominated her body. Most likely it would give her a little bit of her strength back, maybe even allow her to breathe her more comfortably again, allowing her to speak a little more audibly.




434
Total: 903

Ryo

Ryo


D-rank
It was important to realize that Ryo wasn’t angry about the fact that he needed to help this woman. Sure, he was irritated, but who wouldn’t be? What sane person wouldn’t complain about something coming along to wipe away your free day like it was nothing? Especially for anyone with a proper occupation, free days were something they highly valued. If someone took something like that away, anyone would be annoyed. That’s a simple fact. And so, Ryo was crouched down next to the stranger with his previous plans practically thrown out the window, only holding on by the tips of its fingers. Hopefully, they’d somehow manage to climb back.

The woman’s response to his question was slightly shocking to him. She seemed surprised by it, even though Ryo believed it was all that really needed to be asked. When in difficult situations, some people prefer to be helped and others prefer to handle it themselves. Ryo’s question was just a way to figure out which one she was, however, she seemed to think it was stupid. If she was able to move, she’d probably raise a questioning eyebrow, and Ryo could’ve sworn she laughed. One of her eyes met his before giving her answer.

Thirst. Of course that's what she wanted. He let out a quick breath through his nose, before getting up and going back his discarded bag, only letting out one word as he turned away: "Right". After only a few steps to his bag, he bent down and grabbed by the handles. While digging through, he faced a sudden conundrum, a question that he couldn't seem to answer. What was he going to give this woman? He had multiple options, but he had to figure out what he was willing to give away. He looked at the bottles of water and the canteen full of tea, deciding that she can live with basic water. Since she seemed to be dying of thirst, it'd make sense for her to be hungry too. Annoyingly, Ryo broke off half of the loaf of bread that he had before setting the bag back down and making his way back over to his surprise rescue victim.

As he approached, the swishing water could be heard within its bottle, making it known that he managed to fulfill the woman's request. When he was near, he crouched down and offered his gift: A larger than average bottle filled with water in his right hand and half a loaf of bread in his left. As he handed them over, a frown was visible on his face and his eyes drooped down to truly show his annoyance towards the situation. "Hopefully this is alright." His words were different the one's before. Although his face said the obvious, his voice was slightly genuine, curious if the person near death from exhaustion was okay with his simple bread and water. He stood still, waiting for her response.


Word count: 504 of 1178

Laïs Crowly

Laïs Crowly


C-rank
After her request, he went to a discarded backpack she hadn't seen before, her one open eye following his movement. The further he moved, the more he blurred as her eyes were too tired to even follow a big target as him decently. The sound of rummaging followed, and a brief moment he returned holding something in his both hands. As he approached again, one object looked like a bottle and the other was... something brown. She couldn't say what it was, strangely enough, but the smell of bread answered instead. Food. The closer salvation approached, the bigger her eyes became in anticipation.
With renewed morale, she attempted to hold at least the first of things she had requested, her hands trembling heavily as she put in every bit of effort to hold onto it. The anticipation was almost too much to bear, but as she tasted the first splash of cool water, utter bliss washed over her. She couldn't help but close her eyes against the sensation it brought, her dried out body suddenly feeling revitalised. Greedily, she drank most of the offered bottle before she finally gasped for much needed air.

She opened her eyes, resting her head against the stone again as her body could barely deal with the influx of much needed nourishment. She blinked a few times as she caught her breath, laying both of her amethyst eyes on the young man in front of her as if she was seeing him just now for the first time. She looked oddly surprised at him, then smiled warmly despite her fatigue.

"Thanks", she said with a hoarse voice. Even if she flinched at the pain, at least she'd be more audible this time. A few brief moments later, her head throbbed heavily and the emptiness of her stomach hit her like a truck. She then took over the piece of bread, leaving behind the greed that came with a much needed sense of survival and slowly chewed on it. Barely waiting until her mouth was empty, she asked him, "Wha's yo' name?", her hoarse voice still hurting her, but seemingly regaining its vocal power little by little. Even her foreign accent from the Land of Demons started to shimmer through again. She wanted to know the name of the person that had bothered to help her out though. Sloth demon or not, she would live to run another day, with all the good sides her Jugo blood would bring.

"Laïs.", she said eventually, pointing at herself to make herself known, whether he had asked or not, taking another bite from the bread loaf after a soft cough. Her eyes looking around once again to take in the environment, and seeing nothing more but the standing stones in the middle of nowhere, she wondered where exactly he had come from. Where had she ran to anyway? Was there a village nearby? She could use a place to rest, preferably one where she could stay for a while as she was fairly certain it would take a while before she had regained her full strength.

Gritting her teeth, Laïs moved her figure somewhat, hoping to position herself a little more comfortable now that she had drunk and eaten something. She was still not in a state to move around properly, or even mold the chakra to take on her bird form, but any improvement was better than none.

"D'you... live far?"




581
Total: 1484

6Where Man and Mystery meet [Open | NK] Empty Re: Where Man and Mystery meet [Open | NK] Thu Feb 01, 2018 11:31 pm

Ryo

Ryo


D-rank
Only moments after Ryo crouched down and offered his piece of bread and bottle of water to the strange annoying women, the water was immediately snatched from his hand. He analyzed the woman further, noticing that she did indeed need assistance. Hew movements were slow, almost as if it pained her to move the smallest amount. Along with this, while not an expert, Ryo noticed signs on her clothes and body that she had to have been running quite a bit for her to be in the condition. What exactly was it? Why did she pop up here? He decided that these questions could wait a bit until the girl was actually able to answer. After she grabbed the bottle, Ryo watched as she opened it and began downing the whole bottle. Really? She did realize that it was his water, right? Just because he offered it to you doesn't mean you could have all of it for yourself. This really drove Ryo to the brink of annoyance. Did he really have to help this woman? Could he just leave? These thoughts were quickly dismissed, though. It'd be extremely rude to leave after all.

After almost drowning herself, the woman stopped consuming one of the few beverages Ryo had to say thank you. At least Ryo got one thing he deserved, what would this woman do without him as a savior? Her voice, Ryo noticed, was barely there. He didn't really care, but at least she managed to say thanks. Eventually, after holding it out for what seemed like ages, the bread was snatched from his hand as well. With it gone, Ryo adjusted his position so he sat with his legs crossed, facing the dying woman to observe her eating. It was a strange sight to watch someone eat a piece of bread like a rabid animal, but Ryo was pretty intrigued. Maybe it was worth his time to help her after all. Not waiting long after swallowing a particular bite, she asked for his name. Her voice was still weak but seemed to be coming back bit by bit, revealing a bit of an accent underneath. Weird.

"I'm Ryo"

His answer was short and sweet with his voice being calm with a hint of irritation. He didn't wish to say anything more, as it would take away his time to observe this odd beast of a person and make it slightly more difficult. He didn't wish to help her that much, but why not use this as an opportunity to watch something new to him? She identified herself as Lais, pointing to herself as if Ryo didn't know where she was. Funnily enough, her introduction reminded him a bit of a caveman. That was a funny thought, Ryo helping out a caveman. He questioned if he should reveal that he had more food within the bag that was only a short distance away. Was throwing his planned lunch away for this person worth the short time that Ryo had to observe her? Maybe, maybe not, he couldn't figure it out. Eventually, the woman asked a new question about where he lived. Did she really not know where she was? Annoyed by her lack of knowledge, he let out another sigh before answering.

"Not really... I live in a village that's only about, maybe fifteen minutes away? I'm not sure, but it's definitely not far. I can walk you back... if, uh... you can walk, heh... They'll probably help you more than I can, after all."

His words were the same as his previous ones, slow and irritated. The difference was that they were slightly more sincere, but could also be seen as mocking since he did basically make fun of her situation, but that wasn't really the intention. His words were also true, the village was her best bet for help she needed. Even though it'd require Ryo to throw away his plans to walk her back, it was better than having to deal with her all day.


Word count: 684 of 1862

7Where Man and Mystery meet [Open | NK] Empty Re: Where Man and Mystery meet [Open | NK] Fri Feb 02, 2018 12:35 pm

Laïs Crowly

Laïs Crowly


C-rank
Attributing the consistent irritaiton in Ryo's answers to him being a manifestation of Sloth, Laïs paid little attention to it. When he mentioned it was about a fifteen minute walk, she looked into the distance from where he had come from and seemingly calculated the possibility she could endure a fifteen minute walk. She could not. Her body would still need some to recover after the brief meal, fatigue and strain still holding her body in its cramped grasp.

"Not yet.", she replied slowly to his suggestion to walk her back despite her desire to move on again. She wanted to sleep the day away in a comfortable bed for a change. That said, she still had no clue of where she was. The rocky area certainly wasn't alike to the Land of Demons and its grey environment, or the Land of Swamps with its dangers. "Where are we?"

She felt like she was supposed to know this place. She knew the formation of rocks, she vaguely remembered her father talking about it, telling her that it was of the many mysteries in the world. A popular place of meditation for people such as him. The stories were partially true, considering she could feel a dormant energy resonating within it. Or was that Ryo's energy she felt? It was hard distinguishing.

Growing bored of sitting here despite her fatigue, she tried moving once more to a more comfortable position. Some of her strength had returned, but the power to stand up and walking was not there just yet.




262
Total: 1746

Laïs Crowly

Laïs Crowly


C-rank
The young man in front felt no need to reply, nor seemed to make any movement towards helping her up. A long silence settled between the two, as one was too weak to bring up the strength to keep up lengthy conversations and the other seemed to be rather reserved in nature. After who knows how much time had passed, the crow sage mustered all her strength and urged her body to stand up despite the pain. Her muscles protested heavily, but the odd sensation of satisfaction that she was finally moving again was enough for her to continue on. It was clear her body wanted her to move and as such she slowly made her way in the direction Ryo had come from. It was a fifteen minute walk for him, so it would probably be double that time for herself if she walked. Naturally, she could take on her black bird form, but she expected the pain of the extreme physical transformation to be too much for her to deal with in her current state, which would only result in her returning to her human form anyway. So as it was, step by step and feet shuffling for most of the road, Laïs moved her lissom body, fuelling her determination with the rage of the Jugo to ignore, if not alleviate, most of the pain she felt thrumming inside her body. A village was nearby, and she would reach it one way or another, feeling the satisfaction of a good meal and hearing the call of a comfortable bed already.




[EXIT], due to inactivity. It's been over a month.

263
Total: 2009

Training:

Ryo

Ryo


D-rank
Something inside Ryo went a bit wonky as the girl in front of him responded to his question. He expected a short and simple alright from the girl, and he would then guide her back to the village. Instead, he got a simple "not yet". It seemed strange to Ryo, enough to make his mind go blank. He seemed oblivious to the fact that the girl was definitely in pain, and ended up not responding at all. When he finally realized what was happening, the girl was gone. Maybe he imagined him like she imagined the sloth? Who knows...


Word count: 99 of 1961

Exit thread.

1961 words.
Reaction Time D-0 > D-3: 1961/1175
Strength E-0 > D-0: 786/750

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