The World Beyond the Walls

[Leski Hanako]

{{If anyone has any ideas for a direction for this RP then feel free to join in; the more the merrier. Alternatively, you can drop me a PM or Skype me (LornaRAWR) any ideas you may have}}

The worn, ivy-covered stone walls towered tall over a rather dull looking, yet very large, estate with 3 floors, stained oak windows that were in pristine condition, and a slanted rooftop covered with ebony-coloured slate with glistening flecks inside that appeared when the sun shone directly at them. The lawn was perfectly trimmed and well nurtured, as shown by it's glossy green colouring with no imperfections, and the cobblestone pathways snaked through the lawns of the estate were weed free and polished to perfection. It was as if no one dared even step outside for fear of ruining the beautiful appearance of this place. It was a similar story inside the house: the mahogany floorboards polished, oiled and varnished to both bring out their natural grainy beauty and to encase this appearance in perfect condition were clean and free of any signs that life even existed inside this estate. The only thing that gave away the essence of uninhabited was the sweet smells of cakes and pastries being baked in the kitchen by hired chefs and maids, and the light giggle of a woman in the regal sitting room with a few of her friends, discussing their latest reads over teabreads, biscuits and a glass of wine. Other than these signs, the house seemed to stir with little life.

But there was another. One other person inside these walls. A young girl. She was in her room, where she spent almost all of her time.

This young girl had waist-length silver hair, framing her icy blue eyes that would probably be glistening with emotion and life in any other human being, but instead they were dull and tired. Her sticklike figure was hunched over a book resting on a dark wooden desk and she was scrawling furiously into a pad of paper, her handwriting all neat and bouncy as the ink flowed from her expensive-looking fountain pen. Her petite features seemed crumpled and strained in concentration and confusion as she read over the same sentence in her book again and again, clearly not making any sense to her. Suddenly, in one fast movement, the book was slammed shut and thrown onto the floor, the pen and paper following swiftly after. The young girl got up from her desk and dropped down backwards onto her four posted bed, the pearl satin sheets flowing against her skin as she rolled onto her side to gaze out of her window. From this window, framed with curtains of a similar colour and material to her bedsheets, you could just about see over the gray stone wall that encircled the estate, but then again it wasn't much of a view: the rooftops of other buildings, and the dusky sky, dotted with dark yet fluffy clouds. Clearly there was a spell of rain moving in towards the town.

Slowly, she rolled onto her back and her gaze ended up on the ceiling. The same ceiling that she had seen all her life. For all of those nineteen years of a boring existence spent studying medical or anatomy books and learning how to be a housewife. Her parents kept this girl from the world beyond the walls in hope of protecting her from any danger or corruption of her pure soul, mind and body, but by doing this they made this girl a prisoner to her own room. Well, a prisoner unless she wanted to go and practice her marksmanship , but this was the only time she was allowed outside the walls of the estate, and was always allotted a set period of time to go out and practice, which was usually in the middle of the day and only about twice a week. This was pretty rubbish, in her opinion, but not once had she ever spoken against her parents' wishes or rules. Her mother and father's wishes were the final word, and they were not to be spoken against, unless she wanted her privileges to leisure time taken from her, or a confinement to her bedroom. She knew this feeling far too well from when she was younger, and it was some of the worst times of her life, only released for meal times. She knew that they had good reasoning for this - they wanted two things of her; her to be a successful practicing doctor or surgeon earning a decent salary and finding herself a rich husband to take care of her, or to be a beautiful house wife who would be married off to a man with more wealth and status than her own family in an arranged marriage in an attempt to boost their own social status higher than they already are. This girl didn't like the sound of the latter option, so she opted for the more strenuous medical path.

Sometimes, she wished that she had taken the housewife path rather than this medical path because it would be much easier for her to just be able to relax every day of her life and let her husband earn the money to keep her in the life that she was accustomed to, but that would mean having to dress up and look presentable every single day to keep him keen, and that kind of thing just wasn't for her. Sometimes, she considered breaking her parents' rules about when she was allowed out into the streets, but she knew that she would pay the price when she returned home and always wondered if it would be worth it. The last time, she had gotten stuck in a dreadful thunderstorm and returned home shivering and ended up in bed with a head-cold for a week afterward, and then a two week punishment of confinement after this. It was never worth it... although the thought of trying this again today seemed rather appealing for some reason. The thought of the rainclouds rolling in over the dusky sky appeared to be luring her down into the streets, regardless of whatever punishment she may receive afterward. Closing her eyes for a moment, she decided to act on her instinct for once, rather than think about the pros and cons of every decision that she's ever made, She was 19, not 9: she should be allowed some freedom in what she does.

In a flurry of movement, the young girl rolled to the left and off her bed, sliding on a pair of plain shoes over the top of her jet black stockings. Picking up her canvas messenger bag from the corner of the room, she threw it over her shoulder and the sight of something glinting in the candlelight on her desk caught her attention. It was the hilt of her silver steel dagger in a leather sheath. It had been given to her as an 18th birthday present from her parents, as well as the mahogany bow that hung on a hanger on her wall. It was at this moment she remembered the words spoken to her when the received these gifts. "These are for your own protection. It's a harsh world out there beyond those walls. Whenever you venture outside to go shooting, please take the dagger with you." A slight smile crept onto her newly refreshed face from her sudden decision for rebellion, and she clipped the sheath with the dagger to the top of her thigh where it held and rested comfortably. She removed the bow from the wall, unstrung it at one end and slipped it inside the leather case that contained her matching arrows with icy blue feather ends to show that they were her arrows and hers alone when she was shooting. Slinging this case over her shoulder also, the quickly paced out of her room, down the polished stairs, running her fingers against the grain of the banister and ran across the hallway.
"Where are you goi-" was all the girl heard from her mother in a demanding and serious tone before the door creaked open and slammed shut behind the girl. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, making her feel more alive than she had ever felt in her life. The fresh breeze against her skin made her shudder, and the moisture in the air felt refreshing. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves and quell her excitement slightly, she made her way over the the wrought iron gates that separated her from the world outside the stone walls. Even though she had been outside to go shooting many times, the thought of going somewhere different made her body shake with nerves. Throwing the gates wide open, she closed her eyes and took her first step out into the world beyond the walls, to experience true freedom for the first time.

Or at least freedom until she had to return home and face the consequences of her rebellion. But she hoped that wouldn't be for a long time. She was sick of being restrained behind those constricting walls, so throwing her head up high, she strode off in a random direction to get as far away from those walls and that estate as she could, feeling free and refreshed to be away finally, the feeling of the unknown calling to her like a mother calling to her lost child.

[Jack Frost]

Freedom. Freedom was something Jack Frost knew a lot about. Right now he was keeping his freedom alive by running. "Damnit Jack!" he heard Jaliss, his adopted father roar as he kept running. Jack was supposed to be on camp duty for the elven settlement. Jack hated camp duty with a passion, so today he pulled a classic Jack Frost, and ran as soon as the son rose. Unfortunately that was the same time his father got up to head to town to lead the guard.

Jack's jacket rustled, and a penguin poked his head out. "Jack the umbrella!" hissed the penguin. Jack smiled and pushed the penguin back into his jacket. "I know Jolly I know! I just need to get to the clearing. Jaliss knew what would happen if Jack got to the clearing. That wasn't going to happen today. Jack gasped for air as he kept putting one foot in front of the other. His breath flowed out of his mouth like a light fog, almost as it was winter. An old looking umbrella bounced against his back as he leaped over another log.

Two trees loomed ahead of him, forming a natural ark. Once Jack got past there he would be home free. He heard his father hiss in annoyance. "Not today Jack!" Roared Jaliss closing in on him. Today was Jacks day. He whipped out the umbrella as he took a few steps into the clearing. He popped it open and held it up. A sudden strong wind took a hold of it and yanked Jack off the ground. he pressed on a pin and it grew to the size of a beach umbrella. The persisted and lifted Jack 50 feet in the air. He grunted and pulled himself up, placing both feet in the hook like grip at the bottom. He smiled and looked over the rest of Concordia Forest. The sight was breath taking. The sunlight from the rising sun glinted off the morning dew on the trees.

It was like a lush sea of leaves was sparkling with diamonds. His jacket rustled again, and the penguin peeked his head out. "Whats the plan today Jack?" Jolly the talking penguin asked glancing downward. "The same as any day Jolly" Jack replied leaning forward to angle the umbrella down into a gentle descent. Below stood the town of Underwood. The umbrella touched down at the main plaza in front of town hall. Today was what Jack liked to call a hide and seek day. All day his father would be hunting him down, and all day Jack would elude him. After all his father was on duty, how bad would it look to be working on personal matters when on the Job.

Jack had about a thirty minute head start, he turned and dashed into the distance. Mother Holly would have a helper at the orphanage today.

...
After all the children had been sat down for dinner Mother Holly smiled at Jack. He had shown up like he always did on Wednesdays, no doubt Jaliss would be furious. The kids really loved Jack, he was so fun loving and nice, and now he had a penguin who told jokes to the children. Holly always payed Jack for his work, although it was a meager wage. She handed him ten coins and he left. His teal eyes glinted with triumph. Not only had he eluded his father, he had made some money to boot. As he left he felt a small feeling of warmth crawl over his heart. Then the permafrost that was the rest of his being crushed it.

He walked forward paying little attention to where he was going. Then he ran into a girl. For a moment he was caught speechless. Her locks of silver hair refracted every ray of light shining against it, framing her large striking icy blue eyes as light as the glaciers that glide tranquilly through the ocean. Her features were small and soft: nose straight and clear of any imperfections, high cheekbones showing the slight rose color in her cheeks, contrasting against her soft pearl-like skin. Her lips matched the color in her cheeks with a "perfect" shape. These features were supported by her long and slender neck, which then became an hourglass figure with a tiny waist.

He stood shocked. Then regained his manners. "I'm sorry that was my fault!" he muttered quickly stepping forward to make sure she was okay. "My names Jack, Jack Frost. What's yours?" he asked inquisitively. His heart began to beat furiously. Jolly who had waddled a few feet behind Jack clicked his tongue silently. It appeared Jack was....flustered. Something he rarely exhibited. This would be interesting.

[Leski Hanako]

The young girl was admiring the scenery along the dimly lit trail that she was following aimlessly as she allowed the sense of freedom to fill her entire mind and body. The trees above her rustled gently as a slight breeze blew by, allowing the last remnants of the sunlight to scatter through the gaps in the trees in dazzling beams, covering the entire trail in dots of dim sunlight, giving all the greenery and shrubs the illusion of having a deeper colour than they actually were. It was a beautiful sight, especially when the light refracted from her very own hair, causing a dazzling display of colour against it. She sighed lightly. "No one is never around to witness this..." she thought deeply. One thing that she did love about herself was her unique hair, like a sheet of metal. Once the sunlight hit it, it glistened with a variety of colours like when the sun hits the spray of water from a waterfall, causing the colours of the light to appear. This was the reason that she loved living on the outskirts of Underwood: the trees in the woods were a lot denser than in the center of the town.

Whilst in her deep thought she suddenly felt a sharp bump against her, which caught her off guard. She stumbled backwards and tripped over backwards, landing on her bum with a thud. It didn't hurt her, but it certainly was a something that took her by surprise, and it was the shock of the collision that hit her the hardest. She wasn't used to being crashed in to by anything or anyone because all the maids and servants always skirted around her carefully, leaving as much room as possible in the house. Looking up at what had caused her little trip to visit the ground, she noticed that it was a young man who stood over her at somewhere around six feet tall, with silver hair, but what struck her the hardest was the cold, piercing stare coming from his teal eyes. It sent a chill down her spine just looking at them. It was... weird... the air around on the trail was pleasant and warm on the skin before this guy appeared, but the temperature had dropped significantly from the moment that she had been bumped in to. There was definitely something different about this guy than any other guys, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

It took a few moments for her brain to register that she had been spoken to by the man. He had apologised in a very polite manner and had then introduced himself as Jack Frost... "An ironic name for someone who seems to drop the temperature so much" she couldn't help but think as the colour in her cheeks increased from her usual rosy self to a bright red as her shyness crept back in. She had no idea what to say. She had never been in a situation like this before, or been spoken to first by a complete stranger. Whatever to do? She was overwhelmed by the many possibilities of what to say that she just bit her tongue, steadied her breathing and nerves and managed to stutter out a reply, her eyes still transfixed to Jack's icy stare.
"Leski... Leski Hanako." and then quickly added "I'm fine- I mean it was an accide- I should of been looking where I was going as well so- I mean I'm fine." The plethora of ideas of what she could say to Jack just all came spilling out at once, which showed her obvious lack of social interaction skills. She broke the stare between herself and Jack, and picked herself off the floor, dusting herself off and adjusting her bag so that it sat comfortably on her shoulders again.

[Jack Frost]

Jack smiled at her, he typically had two smiles. The sly smirk he got from doing something mischievous, or the peaceful smile he wore when having fun. This one was a rare smile few had ever seen. It was possibly the most warming smile he could ever do. Had his aura not dropped the temperature Leski would have noticed a slight increase in temperature. "Leski..Hanako..." he said absentmindedly. In truth he was running through a mental list of all of Underwood's residents.

Something clicked inside his head. "Oh you mean the Hanakos who live just on the edge of town?" he asked. "I had no idea they had a daughter." he continued, still smiling. Perhaps another swift run through of her bodily characteristics would help him reveal more. Or perhaps he wanted to look her over again. He was fine either way.

It was obvious she had spent very little time in the sun due to her pearl like skin. The way she was dressed was odd for someone to go walking in the woods. She did switch into regular shoes, which meant she knew something about going into town. The fact he was unaware of mister and misses Hanako having a daughter also struck a weird chord with Jack. then he took into account of her obviously lacking social skills. Once thrown into the pot and left to simmer he came to realize one thing. Leski had been kept inside by her parents. She was a prisoner of her own house. Jack shuddered slightly as the thought occurred.

Something softened in his icy heart. "Where are you going? Perhaps I can help." he said smiling his unusually warm smile. As he spoke every word it was almost as if you could see them floating towards Leski in a white fog.

[Leski Hanako]

"Yes, I'm the daughter of the Hanako family. I don't like to come out too often. I would rather just concentrate on my studies." She lied, though whether it was possible to see through or not was another story. She had never had to lie properly before because all she had ever done was study, so she hoped that there was nothing that could give it away. As much as she hated her parents keeping her locked up behind those walls for all those years, she didn't want to tarnish her father's high reputation in the area. Her family was very wealthy and she didn't want to risk them losing everything from bad words spreading around the town like a plague, losing her father business, and then their reputation. That would make him very mad at Leski indeed, and very much inclined to push more towards an arranged marriage to her, which she despised the thought of. She liked having a little bit of freedom, but if she caused a bad reputation to grow, she would lose any chance of freedom she would possibly have. And by any that also means her education that she had worked on for so long, her shooting practice, and the freedom to wander around the house. Everything.

She noted him look her up and down again, like he had done when she was on the floor. Maybe he was checking to see if she was alright? Maybe he just thought that she was dressed a little weird. She honestly had no idea. She admitted that she dressed rather odd for most young girls her age, but it's just the way she had been brought up and the style she preferred. She didn't like to attract attention... well, more attention than a really pale girl with silver hair could attract anyway. There was something odd about this guy. At first he seemed all cold-hearted and icy in the way he acted, but it as as if he had warmed up. His icy stare wasn't so much a stare anymore, but more of a soft gaze. For some reason, he seemed to want to help her, because there seemed to be no maliciousness in the way he acted. Leski was never one who was quick to trust, but there was something about him... like a trusting kind of aura seemed to seep from him. Whether that was actually just him in himself, or whether it was a cover for something more sinister, she had no idea. All she knew is that she wanted to experience freedom, and he was offering the chance to find out more about whatever she could actually do to gain that freedom.

She was silent for a moment, pondering the possibilities of every decision that she could make, but she didn't want to keep him waiting longer than he had to: He seemed to be going somewhere when he bumped into her.
"Not really," she admitted slowly, "I'm just kinda... wandering around. I don't have an aim. I just kinda felt like I needed to get out for a little bit, so I chose a direction and... walked."

{{To the guy above me, I was already typing before you posted. Since you were going to edit it anyway, I don't see how it should be a problem, but just letting you know. Sorry.}}

[Jack Frost]

Jack smiled, he could tell her lie was a bit rushed. Most other people would have just let it slide. Jack felt an urge to raise a might blizzard and snow her parents in, but knew he was not strong enough. it might also prof disastrous, Mr. Hanako was a surgeon. One of the few to live in Underwood, perhaps the only one.

He smiled at her statement "you picked a direction and walked?" he asked inquisitively. "For someone who is not out often I would not advise that. You could end up in a lot of trouble that way. Perhaps you need a guide?" he said smiling. Hell yeah the elders love it when I help other people! Maybe they won't punish me for skipping camp duty! he thought smiling.

He had to try and help her, whether or not she needed it. Then he scolded himself mentally. Damnit Jack we help people for good reasons, not for cover! Of course he let his face be a mask, hiding all of his inner emotions. Sometimes it felt like he was two different people, and they constantly fought. Nice happy Jack, and cold calculating Jack. Maybe Cold jack would come to see reasons to keep Leski around.

[Leski Hanako]

"Errrrm..." She considered for a moment about whether she really should trust this guy, but then she realised that she had just trusted her instincts at first to run out of her house earlier, no matter what the consequences. She was out to experience freedom, and if she turned down this offer of a guide she could possibly get herself completely lost and that would be too much freedom, especially for a first time out properly. "Sure, why not?" She answered, quickly, her mind suddenly coming to a quick answer. She kept on trying to reason to herself why she was accepting his help. She never usually trusted people... what was different?

"Well... where shall we go? Since you're the guide then I think you should choose, otherwise I would just get us both completely lost, and that would never be good because it looks like it's going to rain and getting soaked in our clothes is not a very good idea because we could end up with something really bad like pneumonia or we could slip and really hurt ourselves because I know that cobbles aren't the best for walking on in the rain, and then it will get really dark and anyone could come out and ambush us and..." She trailed off, realising that she was rambling on and on, and then rambling some more.

Leski really needed to sort out those social skills...

[Jack Frost]

Jolly waddled off, he would come check on Jack in a little bit. Jack laughed as he listened to her ramble. then unstrapped his umbrella from his back. "Doesn't matter if it rains because I have my trusty umbrella." He said smiling. He twirled the umbrella by the hook like grip on the bottom, making sure not to hit any passers by, or Leski.

"Well there's a bakery nearby that has great rolls, or perhaps we could grab a bite to eat at The Peaceful Promenade, a nearby bar. If we wait a bit some of the older kids from the orphanage might throw a little party in the main plaza if it doesn't rain." he continued to think. "Or perhaps you might want to go flying?" he asked expertly stopping his umbrella mid spin to where it was pointing straight up.

He grinned, he really like flying. Could it work with a passenger? The umbrella always grew big enough for what he needed, but could he safely fit Leski in it as well? The thought almost seemed to call the wind as the sun began to set. It was almost an assurance. He would take this girl flying if she wanted.

[Leski Hanako]

Leski blushed wildly when Jack laughed about her rambling. She had made a complete fool of herself in front of an almost complete stranger. She wasn't used to this. At all. Her gaze dropped to the floor as he spoke more about where they could possibly go, hiding her overly rosy cheeks. Her gaze snapped upwards when he mentioned flying, with her delicate features crumpled into a confused expression. Flying? What? This guy was a completely normal guy. Or at least she thought he was a human. You could never be too sure in this world.
"Fly? What?" She asked, confused. She didn't have a clue what he was on about. He surely didn't have wings. She had never been any good with heights, so she didn't know whether she should take him up on the offer.

[Jack Frost]

Jack smiled and took a few steps back swinging his umbrella. He stopped it pointing it straight up then opened it. He swiftly raised it up, catching the wind. It forced him upwards taking to the air. He pressed a pin in and the umbrella grew to a size big enough for him to stand comfortably. He floated a few feet in the air before returning to earth, smiling as his umbrella shrank again.

"that is how I fly." he said as he continued to swing the umbrella. "It's a nice and gentle ride." he said as he returned to the spot he was as he talked to her previously. "So then, what would you like to do?" he asked smiling. Why would he reveal to her, a total stranger, how he flew.

Perhaps she was special. Maybe she had some special enchanting power? He wasn't sure, but she was special.

[Leski Hanako]

Leski stood there in awe, watching as Jack rose from the ground slightly, holding nothing but his umbrella. She'd never seen anything like it, and was very much amazed. The way it had risen from the ground so effortlessly on the slightest breeze without wobbling or blowing Jack along with the wind currents was mystifying. He didn't even seem to struggle with holding on or controlling the movements, either. It seemed as if he was very well versed in this method of transportation. It certainly appeared to be very useful indeed. Leski was pretty sure that if she had this power she wouldn't do much walking. Well, if she was ever allowed out of course. She was pretty sure her parents wouldn't even let her out of the house at all if she could fly, or if she knew someone else who would be willing to whisk her away somewhere. Then again, her parents would probably take any opportunity to remove that little bit of freedom from her just so that they could have her on her own.

"Maybe I could completely leave this place... never return home..." Her mind began plotting so much that she could reach from never returning home. Jack was almost a complete stranger, but she had no qualms about letting him take her somewhere far away from home, and her never being able to return. "What if I were to leave and to never return and then just find a little place from my funds on the other side of the town..." She expanded on her thoughts, "...and then I could continue my studies on my own from my textbook, get a little part time job to earn a living whilst I do this, start my own business as a medical practitioner, gain my own reputation and status in the world, rather than just it carrying on through my mother and father..." and then a revelation hit her. "Then I could finally have my freedom. I would be able to experience the life beyond the walls of that dreary old estate. I'd never have to be confined to a house ever again. I could be free."

This thought seemed to be the icing on the cake for her. A very large cake, might I add. It was a chance to get away from her home - no, her prison - and gain her freedom. A large grin suddenly lit up her entire face and she decided instantly what she was going to do.
"If we go flying... could you promise to never bring me back to this place? So that I never have to come back to this estate again?" Her words were full of hope for her possible future of leaving this place forever, and her gaze was pleading. Not one of someone who chose to stay indoors her whole life studying. Hopefully, Jack would oblige without any questions... then again, since her parents practically imprisoned her she wouldn't have any qualms about tarnishing her father's good name. It would mean more business for her after she had finished teaching herself her medical skills, and would teach her parents a lesson for keeping her behind those walls for all those years. The lesson: it is wrong to keep your own daughter locked up for your own personal gain, whether it be more wealth, reputation, or just to see that she is kept safe.

[Jack Frost]

The words struck Jack like a hammer. She never wanted to return? Why was she willing to trust a complete stranger? Then again he was willing tot take her. "Okay, I want one thing before we go. Tell me the whole story. Why are you so willing to leap from the lap of luxury?" he asked letting his smile turn to a frown.

Then Jolly the happy penguin slid over to Jack rapid speed. "Holy crap Jack you're in trouble. The elders are furious that you skipped camp duty they're going to-" Jack silenced him. "Perfect we were just leaving" he said opening his coat. the penguin looked confused. "Leaving?" he asked cocking his head to the side inquisitively.

Jack opened the umbrella, and waited for Jolly to hop into his jacket. Which he promptly removed and handed to Leski, "It's gonna get cold up there" he waited for her to put the Jacket. This was going to get tricky. He was a master at flying solo. But could he take Leski as far as she wanted.

[Leski Hanako]

Leski, also eager to leave, slid herself into the jacket that Jack handed her. It was very baggy on her slender arms and was too long on her, but it sure was warm. She appreciated his kind gesture, and somehow she knew that she could trust him. He wanted to know the whole story about why she wanted to never return, and she was willing to tell him, but only if he explained what exactly his talking penguin was on about. The elders? Camp duty? Who was Jack? Why was he so eager to help a young posh girl run away from the luxuries of her life? She was very confused, but also strangely excited by everything that was unknown that had suddenly burst into her life from one snap decision to escape from behind those walls.

"Tell you what: I'll explain why I never want to return if you explain who you are. But, like you said, we are leaving, so can it wait?" She asked politely, saddened by the fact that the frown remained on Jack's face, and the icy stare seemed to have returned. She knew that her request would bring up questions, but right now, she just wanted to leave. Act first, then ask questions later usually didn't appeal to Leski, but she was planning on starting a new life, so why not make a few little changes to how she thought about things?

"So," she continued eagerly, yet with a slight tone of nervousness seeping through her facade of confidence, which could probably be seen through as well as a polished glass pane. "I'm ready to go whenever. How is this going to work?"

[Jack Frost]

Jack smiled and puled her close. "You might want to hold on tight." he said opening his umbrella. A sudden gust of wind caught the umbrella and yanked them into the air. With a quick pop of the pin the whole thing grew to where they could both stand on the curved grip at the bottom. Another gust of wind and sent them up higher until they were high above Underwood. The view was dazzling, but Jack had no time to focus on that. Instead he leaned forward slightly, letting the wind catch and pull them forward.

"So then, perhaps we have time to tell our stories. Would you like to go first or me." He said smiling. His hair fluttered slightly in the wind. His cold teal eyes lightened as he smiled. He loved flying, and had never gave up a chance to hit the sky. He turned and looked at her and smiled radiantly. His eyes shined happily.

[Leski Hanako]

As soon as Leski and Jack were yanked into the air, Leski let out a little whimper at the speed that they were gaining altitude and gripped tightly to Jack with her arms and scrunched her eyes closed tightly. She had never been very good with heights and she felt like she could possibly slip at any minute. She could feel the wind becoming stronger and stronger the higher they got and a sense of regret at agreeing to this idea washed over her. When they finally stopped rising into the air any higher, Leski risked a sneaky peek at the world below, and all the regret about her decision that had washed over her slowly ebbed away at the sight. It was beautiful. All she could see was an see of green from the trees, with the town in the distance as a break from all the greenery, and below them was her "prison" of nineteen years, slowly becoming smaller and smaller as they moved further and further away. Her new life dream was slowly becoming a reality.

Relaxing a little, Leski's eyes unfocused on the dazzling scenery below as she began to explain her story to Jack.
"Well, my mother and father have always been very protective of me. It's not a case of that I didn't care much for the outdoors, but more that I've hardly ever been outdoors. The only times I have ever been outside are to practice my marksmanship, and even then that was only for a small period of time once a week; twice if I was lucky." She sighed, and rubbed away a few glistening tears from the corner of her eyes on her shoulder. She didn't know why she was crying. Maybe it was because she had never confided about her life to someone before, or more like she has never had the chance to discuss her life with anyone before. She wasn't sure. After a steadying breath, she continued:
"My father only wanted one of two things from me: to either be a successful medical practitioner and work with him for the rest of his life, and then continue the family business when he was gone, or to become a perfect housewife to someone rich and with a high status in the world, all through an arranged marriage. Of course, I didn't like the thought of that so I chose to study medicine instead, and my life has been dedicated to that ever since. That must of been many years ago now... too many years to remember. I was practically a prisoner behind the walls of my house..." Her voice trailed off into almost a whisper as she finished this sentence, quickly finding something to focus her eyes on to distract her from diving deep into her own thoughts again in an attempt to prevent any more tears from glistening in her eyes.

[Jack Frost]

Jack frowned as she told her story. Such lack of freedom. It crushed his heart. He gave her a comforting squeeze and one of his radiant smiles. "Well that life is over now, your free. I'm free as well..." he muttered his voice trailing off. He frowned. "I guess it's my turn...." he said and grabbed the pole. With a quick jerk the umbrella began to spin.

"About two years ago my 'father' Jaliss Evenkeel found me in a blizzard. I was unconscious and deathly cold. When he brought me back to the elven settlement the elders thought I would die. They respected my fathers wishes and tried to revive me. The next day I awoke with no memories at all. Jaliss took me in as his son, and I became an honorary elf. I spent the next year trapped in my own skin so to speak. Then, when I thought I couldn't take it I met Jolly. Apparently He had been sent to find me. He came with this magic umbrella and the offer of companionship. He taught me what it meant to be free."

He shut up, and looked down. Below the nightlights of Radasanth shone brightly. He smiled and brought the two down to the ground gently in Radasanth park. He stepped off and let Leski down. He then took the umbrella and twirled it as if to shake rain off of it. It quickly shrank to it's original size. "Alright what now?" he asked turning to her.

[Leski Hanako]

Leski was usually not bothered by discussions that concerned death: she dealt with it on a regular basis in her studies, but when Jack mentioned that he had been faced with death it seemed to hit her hard. "He must appreciate every second in his life after an experience like that." Leski pondered.
"So you've been 'free' for almost a year now? Is it really better than being trapped?" She asked curiously as he let Leski down onto the ground of an unfamiliar environment. Everything was so different from her home that even the air that she breathed in deeply seemed unusual, yet refreshing, compared to the air back home. Her senses were telling her that she was far, far away from home, and it was slightly unnerving, but terribly exciting. As Jack was shrinking his umbrella to it's original size, Leski paced around in small yet quick steps exactly like a little child placed in the middle of a playground, not knowing what to do, but being so happy and excited about the prospect of fun.

When Jack asked her where she wanted to go first, she stopped her pacing around and looked at him, a grin shining all across her face, clearly enthralled about the chance of exploration and to experience freedom.
"Where are we?" She asked, before quickly adding "Actually, forget that. I can find that out later. I wanna go explore! I wanna go have fun!" This excitable side of Leski was a very rare sight indeed, and had only been seen a few times when she was younger by some of her maids back at her home. It was as if she hadn't experienced her childhood and just wanted to have a good time. She was overwhelmed with everything that had been given to her in such a short space of time.

[Jack Frost]

Jack yawned and bit the middle finger of his glove, yanking it off. "I enjoy being free, but even as I fly so far from home I'm still chained down." he said grabbing her hand. It was ice cold, almost devoid of life. "When I awoke I was still cold as ice." he said as he took a few steps towards his new home. He listened to her, and then pointed up at the dark sky. "We can explore tomorrow, tonight we need to find a place of residence. Temporary or permanent I don't care." he said and yawned.

Then he put his glove back on and sighed. This woman made something inside him change, almost feel warm he typically just let himself be free of any anchors. Trying to be free as he could. But he was tired of just flying away from his personal problems. This girl was his chance to possibly be free.

[Aušra Žiburis]

Aušra Žiburis rubbed her eyes as if to ensure there was nothing in them to distort her vision, she had been accused of being a little eccentric before now but never had she been considered insane, but what she saw must have been crazy. She must have some form of mental problem. She had been stood by the small, slightly fogged window near the till in her shop, as perfumed oils bubbled away in the background slowly forming scented soaps and shampoos, and that’s when she had seen them drop into the park which she had a view of from her window. They appeared to have flown in via umbrella but that was impossible and just plain bizarre.

However, as ran her fingers through the blonde hair that had come loose from her scruffy bun she considered what was really that odd in the world anyway, she was hardly perfectly normal herself. Her small but rather useful talent at glamour magic had helped her sales incredibly, who knew how much just making your hair appear a little more lustrous could improve shampoo sales? Sales had become much more important to Aušra since she had decided that she wanted no more of her father’s money, she did not trust him to not hold this against her, she did not trust him very much at all.

Her mother had died when she was young and Aušra spent much of her time searching for her, convinced that she was not dead but that her family had hidden her away, she then convinced herself later in life that they must have poisoned her as she simply couldn’t accept that her mother had died of a mere fever. When she finally did accept this fact the damage had already been done and Aušra no longer fitted in at home, so at sixteen she decided to move out on her own. Her father had been supporting her for the past two years, paying for both her shop and home as she lived on the top floor of the small cosmetics store. It had turned out to be the best decision they had made and since leaving the family home Aušra’s relationship with her father had improved dramatically. He still loved the girl dearly, of course, but she was not so sure of that.

Aušra’s siblings on the other hand hated the poor girl, they thought it unfair that she still be supported after she “abandoned” her family. These children were not like Aušra and they were the product of her father’s second marriage to another nouveau riche. The children had not developed the down to earth sensibilities of Aušra and had become snotty little brats who took great pleasure in tormenting her. It was this marriage that had convinced Aušra that there was foul-play involved in her mother’s death. All this paranoia could lead one to be convinced that she was completely mad, this was not true though, the paranoia only extended to her family and had rather good cause.

Tying her wandering mind back down to the problem at hand Aušra eventually decided that this couple were obviously quite really, and what a pale pair they looked. The perfect look of purity similar to that of snow was reflected both in the silver hair and ivory skin of the girl and the cool teal eyes of the young man accompanying her. She came to the conclusion that the only thing to do was to confront them about their rather extraordinary form of transportation, if she made a friend along the way then she would be all the better for it.

She stepped out of the door of her shop and locked her steely grey eyes on the pair and walked towards them quickly not wanting to leave her shop empty for too long. “Well hi there, I’ve got to admit your entrance was a little out of the ordinary.” She tested, wanting to make sure her eyes had not betrayed her. As she spoke she noticed how the temperature had dropped as she approached the pair and her pale skin developed slight goosebumps, the gentle blush in her cheeks grew a couple of shades deeper. The couple was certainly rather odd.

[Leski Hanako]

The sharp cold feeling that surged through her body from Jack's hand was a shock to the system. She had known that everything got a little colder when around him, but hadn't expected his skin to still be as icy as the blizzard that he had almost died in. "What a sad life, to not feel the warmth like everyone else in their body..." In a way, Leski felt sorry for Jack: at least she always felt the warmth and could warm herself up if she needed to. It was rather unusual though. She wondered if there was anything in her medical textbook about anything unusual like that so that she could help, so she made a mental note to ensure that she would scour it from cover to cover at some point to try and help him if it were at all possible. After all, he had basically just granted her wish for freedom.

Aušra's sudden appearance behind them startled her. The woman just seemed to stand there after her stating what she had seen, as if waiting for a reply. Of course she would be waiting for a reply; it's not everyday that you see two complete strangers land in the middle of a park holding onto a large umbrella, is it?
"Indeed it was a weird entry." Not knowing what exactly to say, considering she was a complete stranger. She was rather up front with her question, so Leski didn't know whether this was showing confrontation or whether Aušra was just trying to seek a conversation.

[Jack Frost]

The hairs on Jacks neck rose and he puffed a cloud of breath on his hands, pulling out several icy needles. he twirled and threw them, narrowly missing the newcomer. When he realized the newcomer was a girl he froze. "Ummm my bad." he said wincing. Well there goes one a good first impression. he thought. Then with a sharp cry Jolly hopped out, placing his top hat on his head and twirling his cane. "Jack that was rude!" he squawked.

Jack smiled at the new girl and chuckled. "Sorry I'm a little on edge." he said putting his hands behind his head. "I'm Jack frost and this is Leski Hanako, and yes we did drop in on an umbrella." he said twirling the magical gift he had received from his penguin friend. The penguin turned to Jack and squawked "you forgot to introduce me!" Jack rolled his eyes and added. "And this delightful bird is Jolly, the" he sighed and added. "-happy penguin of the north."

Jolly turned and squawked again before Jack planted his foot on the birds face. "Shut up already your gonna give me a headache!" he roared coldly. Then he was back to normal. He smiled and then again turned to the newcomer, "Do you know a place we can stay?" he asked nicely. his purse jingled slightly, practically empty.

[Aušra Žiburis]

Aušra looked at Jack’s rough treatment of the penguin with horror, she glanced from one person to the other, taking in the scene before her. Jolly and Leski had seemed friendly enough and Jolly even came across as being rather polite, Jack however had scared the living daylights out of her and she found herself forming quite rapid opinions about him and his carelessness. One of the icy needles had narrowly missed her cheek and had left a slight burn from the intense cold, she touched the mark left and hissed gently as pain shot through her skin.

However annoyed she felt at Jack was no excuse to leave the others out at night though and she evaluated the option of sending them to the nearest public house, but by the sound of Jack’s purse that was hardly a financial option for them. She took a deep breath steadying her usually explosive emotions. “Well... I suppose you could stay in my home at least for tonight. There’s a spare bedroom and plenty of floor space. You can decide between you who gets the floor I’m sure.” She offered, she was aware that she had only known them a few mere moments and added “I can assure you that you won’t come to any harm. You’ll have to work a little to pay your way though.”

[Leski Hanako]

Leski was surprised at Aušra's kind disposition. Not many people would be nice enough to offer them a room for the night. It was a shock to say the least, especially since she had just had ice hurled at her from Jack, which was another thing which made her ponder more things about Jack, such as where did he learn his magic? She had heard of people being able to use magic and could even use some healing spells herself but she had never seen anything like that before.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she looked up to see Aušra touching the burn from the ice on her face, wincing slightly. Her instinctive medical side of her took over.
"Are you okay? I can heal that burn if you want. I'm a medical student." She added quickly, "It's the least I can do for your kind offering. I'm sure both Jack and Jolly would agree with me, and I'm pretty sure we'd be happy to earn our keep." Leski glanced to her side to look at Jack. He didn't seem to be as cold as the person who bumped into her. Something about him had changed in the small amount of time that she had known him.

[Jack Frost]

Mentally Jack was not as calm and composed as he appeared. Two afflicted forces squared off. Jack Frost, and father Winter. Two lives trying to occupy one body. The battle surged through and for a moment Jack gritted his teeth. As if he was in horrible pain. With one last surge he beat back winter and had full control.

A calm, almost serene smile spread across his face. He lifted his foot off of Jolly and hefted the bird to face level. "How long?" he asked. The bird seemed to understand the cryptic question and replied. "A few moments, three minutes at the most." Jack appeared distressed. "They're getting longer" he muttered, a plume of fog bellowing from his lips.

"You need an anchor!" Squawked Jolly flapping his ins erratically. "I mean I loved Winter but his era is over." Jack turned away from his problems for a moment and turned to the other two and smiled a radiant smile. Perhaps he had found an anchor, maybe even two. "Ah I can explain, but perhaps we should go indoors. I'd rather not be branded crazy by the general public." Again another plume of fog plumed out from his mouth, perhaps they were his words personified.

How would they take it, he didn't really know either one of them. But if they were going to help he would need to let them know. How would they react? He was about to tell him the truth. He had been born in the blizzard that was accused of claiming his memories. How could that be justified. He hardly believed it, but he knew it was true. "Which way?" he asked quietly.

[Aušra Žiburis]

As they talked in the street Aušra became more assured in her decision to let Leski stay in her home, the girl seemed sweet and willing to work. It was always helpful to have work at the shop, it was only her running the place unless you counted her big floppy dog which was only useful for guarding the place, it’s lack of thumbs make it rather less adept at soap-making. She still had her doubts about Jack, these doubts were reinforced when he started talking rather darkly to his penguin. Though as she listened though it became more apparent that the boy needed help and she was not one to turn down a challenge.

She led the pair back to her home and opened the door for them, a great lumbering dog with short brown fur bounded up to greet her, as she had left the door to her living area open and he had obviously come downstairs and sat outside the front door eager for her to return. She ruffled his rough coat as he jumped on her, placing his front paws on her shoulders. “Hey Sam, you great idiot.” She said affectionately, laughing as he pressed his cold nose to her face. “Don’t worry about him, he’s not in the least bit vicious unless he knows something is wrong.” As if to reassure them Sam dropped off her shoulders and lay down in front of Jolly rolling his big, doleful, brown eyes up to look at him.

[Leski Hanako]

Leski followed Aušra in silence to her home, and shop, deeply concerned about Jack: the pain he was in, the hushed conversation with Jolly, and then saying that he'd prefer to not be branded crazy to the public. It was all rather unusual, and Leski knew that there was more to him than she had originally thought. Every second near him brought about even more questions, and this just added an extra one to the list. She hated being one of a curious nature sometimes. Can be seen as being too nosy, but all she wanted to do was help, as that was in her nature also. It was just natural for her.

As she watched the dog, Sam, being stroked by Aušra and then heading off to observe Jolly, she could feel the warmth from the shop calling to her. Even though she was still wearing Jack's leather jacket, the coldness of the night was beginning to seep through slowly and was now shivering slightly. As much as she wanted to know more, she just wanted to be warm, no matter where she was. She didn't even care much about a roof at the moment; a warm fire or a blanket would do.

A drop of cold fell onto the tip of her nose, followed by one on her cheek, and then more all around her, becoming more and more frequent. Looks like the rain that the sky had been promising for hours had finally arrived. Not much of a fan of the rain, Leski hunched her shoulder up whilst shivering, taking back her previous thought.
"Thank you for your hospitality, and I don't particularly want to rush you as it is your place, but could be by any chance go inside before we get drenched?"

[Jack Frost]

Jolly squawked and petted the dog named Sam. Something caught his attention, and he turned to Jack. Who was now staring at the sky holding his arms out, a rather ominous gesture for someone of Jacks type. "How long do I have left?" he muttered to himself, more fog trickling from his lips. then the moment was gone. He forced a smile and entered the building with the others. The dog stopped and sniffed at Jack. Then whatever had made it pause was gone.

Jolly looked concerned, and would no doubt try to talk with him later in the night when the others were asleep. I'm crying on the inside so I wear the mask of a clown. he thought to himself. as the water ran down his face a few tears leaked, but they were masked by the rain. Then he touched Leski's shoulder. "I'll take the floor" he said forcing another smile. Before they had been so easy and natural. Now they hurt and felt awkward. He assumed they were losing their effect as well.

Once they were inside he sat down in a spot where he wouldn't damage anything and sighed. "Where to start?" he asked himself several times. The look on his face went from serene to troubled. He was almost a different man than the One Leski had met in Underwood. He would probably never be the same.

[Aušra Žiburis]

Aušra laughed at Leski’s comment “No you may not come in, you must stay out here and drown. Don’t be silly get inside. As for you Jack you’re going to make the neighbours suspicious if you carry on.” She allowed them to enter the warmth of her shop and the fragrances hit them like a floral brick wall. She had a few chairs dotted around the shop for her more elderly customers to sit in while she showed them demonstrations of new products. She dragged a couple over to the empty space in the middle of the shop floor for her and Leski as Jack had already settled for the floor. As she sat Sam sat beside her, nudging her hand so it rested on his large head, she scratched his floppy ears absentmindedly.

The shop was quite dark now but she had a few candles lit throughout the day to illuminate the darker areas of the room. The light from these candles was just enough to keep the shop dimly lit, there was just enough light present for them to comfortably be able to see each other. The polished dark wooden floors creaked slightly as they moved them and she was aware that her usually light and fresh looking shop looked rather sinister in the current light, especially with the obvious weight that Jack was now bearing on his shoulders.

Aušra had her limits with patience and she was quickly reaching the end of her leash. “Right, I’m not entirely sure what you’re used to with secrets, but you obviously have some form of an issue Jack. It would appear to be quite serious. It is up to you whether or not you completely enclose the details of this problem but I need to know whether or not this poses any threat to myself.” She stated matter-of-factly. Charity was one thing, naivety was quite another.

[Leski Hanako]

Leski enjoyed the fragrance of the interior of the shop very much. She was so used to the smell of antisceptics and aseptic conditions that it was very rare that she encountered anything that smelled remotely floral. She took in the sights of all the brightly coloured soaps and various other handmade items, whilst making her way over to the chair that Ausra had pulled over, before taking both her bow's case and her bag from over her shoulder and taking a much needed seat on the chair, relaxing backwards in the slight warmth the shop had to offer compared to the outside, allowing it to wash over her. The fragrance was making her very sleepy, but she was forcing herself to stay awake as she really wanted to know about what was wrong with Jack, and whether he was going to be alright. She was very worried indeed about him, the guy who had given her the freedom that she craved, and felt inclined towards helping him in any way she could.

She leant forwards in her chair, her elbows resting on her knees and her hands supporting her chin, looking at Jack's icy teal eyes. There was definitely something different, and Leski just wanted the warmer-gazed Jack to return.

[Jack Frost]

Jack leaned back and sighed. "Two years ago my father Jaliss Everdeen found me in a blizzard. I was deathly cold, and when they nursed me back to life I was still cold. My father adopted me as his only son, and I became an honorary elf. For a year i felt some unknown force tugging at my mind. It was resisting everything I did, and tormented me in my sleep. It was if my body wasn't my own. Like I was a puppet."

He paused and thought for a moment. This next portion would be tricky. If they didn't believe him he would surely seem crazy. He hesitated. His face scrunched up as he was thinking. "Then Jolly found me. He told me I was royalty where he came from. A desolate land far to the north called Winter island. At first he called me Winter, and half of my mind wanted to respond. I had no idea who he or Winter were. Then he realized that something was wrong. He asked about me a little, and I told him a vague description of my story. He said I wasn't lost in that storm. I had created that storm. now it seems like the other me, Winter, is trying to take control. That's about it." He said concluding his story.

It seemed as if Jack just cut half a million pounds off of his shoulder. For a moment he seemed slightly worried, ten Jolly hopped up and whispered something inaudible to the others. "Tonight we put the first stage of cutting Winter loose into action." he smiled, a genuine smile. Perhaps telling the story would bring in two allies.

[Aušra Žiburis]

Aušra frowned and her face took on an expression that revealed she was in deep thought. On the one hand these two people had showed up on her doorstep out of the blue (Quite literally), with them they were bringing what was quite obviously a dangerous force, she owed nothing to them and could get out of this problem right now. On the other hand, it seemed exciting, it was an opportunity to develop herself and her skills, she could even make new friends. The philanthropist inside her told her to let them stay. The selfish side of her told her kick them out of her home that second. They fought for a moment... The philanthropist won.

She calmed her mind for a moment, focussing on what was at hand rather than the screaming part of her mind that was desperate to rip Jack’s throat out for bringing such danger to her doorstep. “Right.” She said fixing Jack with a look of authority that came only with the clarity of her calmed mind “How can I help? I can’t get into your head and rip him out so you’re going to have to be a little clearer with me.”

The light of the candles flickered almost in agreement with her and her eyes did not leave Jack for a second and instead the stare burnt into his eyes demanding an answer. Should he lie and she find out she would hit the roof, as was her nature. Should he tell the truth, then at least she could be prepared for what was to come. She leant forward in her chair, folding her arms and resting them on her knees. “I want some truth from the penguin too.” She added.

[Leski Hanako]

Leski was shocked by this reality of Jack having two confronting minds, but even though it was quite weird and worrying, it never put her off being around him or even being friends with him. Leski's nature was to help people, and help Jack she would. In any way possible. She wanted to be there for him, no matter what he had to do to make sure that he remained as Jack, and not as whoever this "Winter" character was.

Taking a deep breath to make sure that she wouldn't stumble over her words, which could add uncertainty to her confidence about wanting to help, she replied to what Jack had said.
"I agree with Ausra: I want to hear what Jolly has to say about it all, but I am willing to help you through this, no matter what circumstances and consequences are thrown at us. You've helped me, and now it's time for me to return the favour. Just... tell me what I need to do to help, and I will." She gave him a reassuring smile to show that she meant every word that she had said.

[Jack Frost]

Jolly cringed as the spotlight was turned to him. "I am Jolly, head penguin of Winter island. Long ago we had a king named Father Winter. He had named five immortal lords. One for each of the main races that could control ice. I am the lord of the penguins. After a long rule he disappeared, and several terrible things happened. A tribe of barbaric humans came to winter island and took over. Our Ice magic was taken from us, and soon Winter island fell to ruins."

The penguin looked concerned. "The five lords left and vowed to find Father Winter, instead I found Jack here. His dilemma is that of any reincarnate being. His past life is trying to control his life. I plan to try a ceremony helping Jack seal Winter away. It will only be temporary, he needs another thing to get rid of Winter permanently, an anchor. This anchor can be made of anything that Jack has a strong attachment to." The penguin stopped and yawned.

"Unfortunately we still have yet to find something he cares for enough." Jack smiled sheepishly. "I may be odd, but I won't intentionally bring you any trouble." Jack said smiling. "Feel free to put me to work." he said yawning. "For now lets get some shut-eye" he said hopping up.

[Aušra Žiburis]

Aušra nodded, for now she was satisfied with this explanation, she could ask questions tomorrow, the pair were obviously tired, as was she. She lead them up to the top floor with Sam padding along at her side. She showed Leski to her rather bare bones room, the spare room had never been the recipient of much attention and the paint on the walls had greyed and peeled with age. There was a rickety cast-iron bed with a rather hard mattress and a thin, beige, moth-eaten blanket. She smiled apologetically “I know it’s not much” She said “But it’s a place for the night, I’ll get you a better blanket in the morning if you want to stay longer.”

She looked to Jack and walked him to the door of the living room “Sorry it’s just the floor in here, I’m used to it just being me.” She said and opened the door revealing a small, dark room in which there wear a couple of soft but worn chairs and a table which she shifted out of the middle of the floor for him giving him enough room to lie down. She left for her room and grabbed a spare cover for him. As she handed it to him she felt the cold from him creeping further up her arm as it came closer to him. “Sleep well.” She muttered and headed into her own room.

Her room was fairly basic, but was in much better condition than the other two rather more neglected rooms. The cast-iron bed was covered with cream linen sheets which Sam proceeded to jump on, he looked at her and panted happily as if calling her to play. She was tired though, so she just stroked his head and quickly changed into a simple white cotton shirt to sleep. She wrapped herself in the cool folds of her covers and Sam rested his head on her stomach, she stared at the ceiling which was starting to show signs of damp and ran the evenings events through her head, their arrival, her social problems, his story. What an odd pair. She hoped she could help, so long as it didn’t interfere with her own life too much... She was starting to get the feeling that it would be interfering quite a bit indeed.

[Leski Hanako]

The room that Leski had been shown to was nothing in comparison to the luxurious bedroom that she had been used to for the past nineteen years, but it was something that she was going to get have to get used to if she was going to start up her own life. She had known that she wouldn't of been living in the lap of luxury for many, many years until she get her studies finished and could stand completely on her own two feet financially, and very strangely she was fine with that. it was as if she was sick of living as a posh little girl from the outskirts of a town, where everyone appeared to adore her family just because of their wealth and status.

As Ausra walked away, tiredness seemed to hit Leski like a lead balloon, collapsing over her suddenly. All the excitement and adrenaline of escaping her life behind those cold, stone walls had began to wear off, and her body was shutting down, ready to drift into a peaceful slumber. She stumbled over to her bed, dropped her bag on the floor and fell forwards onto the bed, the deep sleep enveloping her before her body even reached anywhere near the mattress.

Her sleep was filled with many dreams: excitement for her new future life of freedom, her first friend - Jack - , the possibility of a new friend - Ausra - , the possibility of a job in the store that Ausra owned, and the chance to help Jack with his problems. She relished the thought of everything new and exciting in all these dreams.

Her new life was going to be better as a life beyond the walls of a cold and lonely existence, no matter what life threw in her way.

[Jack Frost]

Jack shot a smile at Ausra and lied down on the floor. He wasn't cold, nor hot. Jolly waddled after Jack and yawned. He slid and used Jack's hair as a blanket, and Jack used him as a pillow. A new age of Jacks life was beginning. Jolly sighed and slid from under Jacks head. "you ready?" he muttered quietly.

Jack nodded, a slight glimmer of fear showing in his bright teal eyes. "You need to relax." Jolly told Jack. "Relax and go to sleep." he asked. Jack sighed and began to let his eyelids droop. Soon he was asleep, and Jolly was muttering over the sleeping form.


...Dream scape...
Father winter huffed and puffed after a long fight. His long silver hair hung drenched in sweat. "Damn...you...Jack!" he roared firing several large spikes of ice. Jack knocked the icicles aside and impaled Winter. Then let the ice expand and trap the man in ice. It expanded into a block. Then several other layers stacked on. Until a giant vault had been formed over Winter. He heard Jolly's voice "Good job! we need to find your anchor now." Jack nodded, and then drifted into the normal blissful dreams he normally had at night.

[Revenant]

Full rubric, full commentary requested.

STORY

Continuity (6) – I understood what all three of you were doing in this thread and I had no question on why. You did a good job tying back story elements but unfortunately there isn’t enough establishments with your characters yet to really tie them into place. Still, you did an overall good job with what you had.

Setting (3) – There was decent enough imagery for me to understand where your characters were located and what was around them, but only in the most general sense. Jack, you had the littlest inclusion in this area of the thread. Remember that setting is more than just a description of “where we are” it includes sounds, smells, tastes, textures, and even time.

Pacing (6) – Despite the short nature of the individual posts and the fact that this was mostly a dialogue thread, all three of you did a good job of maintaining a good flow for your writing. Just enough time was devoted in each post to reactions and then actions that I felt a good sense of where the characters stood without feeling like each post was backtracking. Watch the time pacing in threads though. I got the feeling that this thread started off in the morning or early afternoon and then suddenly it felt like it was late in the evening. Underwood is quite a distance from Radasanth, which would account for the difference, but no mention was made of an extended time spent travelling. Remembering details like this is what helps you to get higher scores.

CHARACTER

Dialogue (6) – This thread was mostly dialogue, though it didn’t suffer as such. Unfortunately, one of the things with too much exposition is that conversations tend to drag on as every detail is explained. You three do a good job of minimizing this though. Good job keeping sentences short and to the point when your characters weren’t explicitly explaining something.

Action (3) – Another side effect of dialogue heavy threads is that there is generally a lack of solid action in them. Action is more than swinging swords and exploding magic, and while your characters did act, what actions they took in the thread were fairly bland and listless. Roar with laughter, slap your knees, dance, skip, and generally make your character come to life.

Persona (6) – Overall I got a good general feel of your characters’ feelings and emotions and what they thought, said, and did felt in character. What would have helped this area more would to have been to delve deeper into the character’s emotions and rationale. I said that I got a good general feel for the character’ feeling and emotions, but I also felt like you were just scratching the surface.

WRITING STYLE

Technique (3) – There was little use of technique here, aside from Jack’s actions which foreshadowed his ‘big reveal’. Don’t beat yourself up over a lower score in this area however, as this naturally comes with more practice and a firmer ground in the basics.

Mechanics (3) – Spelling and grammar are always going to be your biggest areas of concern here. My advice is to reread what you’ve written and then reread it again to make sure that your grammar, punctuation, and spelling at correct.

Clarity (5) – This was a fairly good, clear read, though there were several areas that I had to reread to understand what was going on. My biggest headache in this area was the rapid transition from Underwood to Radasanth (look at a map of Corone to see that they are pretty distant from one another) and the confusion in timing.

WILD CARD

Wild Card (7) – While this thread wasn’t perfect (what thread is?), I found myself enjoying the read. Plus, it’s always good to see one of these introductory threads actually completed and to have some new blood on the site. I look forward to reading everyone’s continuing adventures.

TOTAL: 48

Leski Hanako receives 560 exp and 290 gp.
Jack Frost receives 560 exp and 290 gp.
Ausra Ziburis receives 340 exp and 115 gp.

As always, feel free to PM me with any questions that you might have.

[Taskmienster]

Exp and GP added.