Random night

[Doomsday]

(OOC: an open thread meant for simply having fun. Talk, tell stories, flirt, brawl it's all ok as long as we have fun^^)

Jineh Doomsday felt lost as she approached the village. It was her first time in the great forest of Concordia and cat girl had no clue where she was going but she could smell smoke and knew a road when she saw one and was smart enough to follow it. This one road led to large trade village, it was a little smaller than the Tower City of her homeland but still it was just as loud as the sacred city.

Everyone was ending business of trading and chopping down trees and even some some farmers were taking in some of the hardier crops. This was not an unknown sight to the woman as the Felin often did the same every day but the humans didn't have the automatons help, not a one save for her own.

Jineh perked her ears and smiled at Arachne who could only stare coldly back and dance a little with his metal legs. "Mistress, may I Inquire what the devilish smile is for?"

"It's because I'm happy. I can get a warm bed and some real food!" Jineh flicked her tail and followed her scent to a large building with a well painted sign of fruit and bread. "I think this place is a public house." She said as her smile faded and she inspected the door, making sure that it wasn't locked and then slowly opened it and praying not to hear someone cry to get out.

whew, Jineh thought as she waved her automaton in the door, no one minds us coming in. But she was only half right since her mechanical friend and her tail dragged curious stares her way.

"Jineh, inspect your face, they seem to see something on it."

"Wha, I guess I could have a little dirt." Jineh licked her wrist and stroked her cheek to wash off a faint smudge of dirt. "Now I need something to get the dirt taste off." Jineh trailed off as she went to her seat, blushing from the attention; it wasn't something on her face.

"Er, can I have some wine and something to eat?" the Kitty girl asked the large man as he looked her in the eyes and made her feel small.

"I don't care as long as you have money. But I don't want trouble from your monster."

"Oh, he's not a monster. I made him, he's an automaton." Jineh had a quick smile of pride before she felt small again and brought out some coin.

"Alright, whatever it is, if it starts anything I'll throw you out by your tail." The bar keep then looked at the coin for a bit. "It's not standard but it looks like gold. If it's fools gold you'll pay in other ways." The man glared and the felin was looking at the floor.

[Red Lightning]

As soon as the feline girl had entered the Promenade, another feline figure made his way from the darkness of the stairs, his black fur coat almost making him a blot in the dark before he stepped into the glare of the lights. His sleek form drew many an eye, but the nekojin was oblivious as he rubbed his eyes with one paw and yawned, exposing sharp, little teeth and a pink tongue.

Beniiro had just woken up from his "cat nap" one could say, and had not put on his armor, nor his trademark red scarf, exposing the bright tear drop shaped ruby hanging on a silver chain around his corded neck. At any time this may have attracted the eye of many a mugger or thief, as obviously the stone was worth a fortune in value just from the shape and smoothness of it, but the 4'5" akashiman blade the cat man held in his left paw, sheathed but loose in its scabbard, prevented any such man from cracking his thieving fingers in anticipation.

Beniiro passed by the girl sitting at the counter and her strange little toy without interest, his black furry tail wagging slightly as he strode on silent paws towards a table in the middle. It wasn't that he was ignoring them, he had just been too tired to really notice that she had a tail and catlike ears. As he sat down he heard the bartender grumble, "Great, another damn furry...", but payed no heed to the words as he went over his current assignment in his mind.

Beniiro had been hired to murder some high official here in the peaceful town of the Underwood, and had done so the night before. However, it had taken him the entire night to get away again and escape the police's trail on him, thus his exhaustion. The nekojin could only hope he could make it to his employer in Scara Brae before the guards caught on to the scent once again. Beniiro didn't want to have to taken more unneccesary lives.

[Doomsday]

The kitty girl smiled meekly as she took a glass of wine and sipped the bittersweet liquid. It wasn't a good wine but the warmth of alcohol was pretty much the only reason that Jineh cared for it, just one glass for the feeling and no more. A tipsy girl would not be a good thing when in a strange place, but there was also food to be had. A nice bit of fruit and cheese and some dried meat, cheap but good. Jineh nibbled a bit on the meat being part cat gave a preference to meats over vegetables and she found that the spices burned the tongue a little.

However Jineh forgot about her food with some harsh words from the barkeep that introduced a rather down looking nekojin that went quietly to a table and sat down. "Umm Arachne, he looks pretty down." Jineh said to her companion as she listened to the rather happy drunks enjoy their evening by drinking, falling over or tormenting the barmaids. "Maybe I should help him, it's my job as a priestess."

"Madam, you shouldn't involve yourself in the affairs of others." The light blinked but the priestess puffed up her tail and shook her head.

"But I shouldn't ignore if I can help."

"But he has a sword that's almost as big as you, he can help himself."

"Not in the matters of the heart, you need friends for that." Jineh smiled triumphantly and Arachne would have sighed if he was not made out of wires and gears.

Jineh went to the black cat and set down her food and wine next to him. "Hey, you look kind of down. May I be able to help, I'm a priestess and am good at listening..." Arachne would laugh if it was human. "Don't worry my god lost his life so I won't try to convert you, it's just my duty to help."

[Red Lightning]

Beniiro was slightly startled when the girl set down her food and drink and started chatting away animatedly, and underneath the table he had almost drawn his blade. Three things were interesting about her: 1, she had a cat tail and ears; 2, her companion was some sort of robotic spider; and 3, she had chosen to "help" him of all people. Regardless to say, he sheathed his murmuring blade, but still kept one paw on its hilt as he narrowed his yellow eyes.

"There is nothing wrong with me. I am simply tired." He spoke short and sweet as he absently fondled the tear drop shaped ruby hanging around his neck. "I appreciate that you would wish to help, but I assure you there is nothing you can do--"

Suddenly the Promenade door burst inward and three men came through. They were a rugged bunch, each wearing cloaks of different colors and sizes, and at their backs, legs, hips, etc, weapons of the same variety lay in waiting.

The one on the right was short and pudgy, but he carried a good amount of ranged weaponry to make up for his small size and weight. The one on the left was the complete opposite of his companion, tall and gangly, yet supposedly strong enough to wield the twin polearms that lay across his back. It was the one in the middle, however, that caught the Bladewraith's attention. Of both medium size and weight, he carried three huge blades, each easily the size of Beniiro himself.

At first the nekojin had thought them guards, but then he realized he had been wrong. They were mercenaries, even worse.

"A'ight, nobodies' movin' till we get our guy in 'ere." The short, pudgy one said, adjusting a crossbow at his belt. "Somebody in 'ere is eh 'anted criminal, an' 'as a huge bounty on 'is 'ead, so shut up o' sit down." Everyone did so, immediately taking seats, even the grumbling bartender.

The one on the left held up a long sheet of paper and cleared his throat. "Someone is charged with the murder of Count Gyroeken." At those words there was a collective gasp throughout the bar, and Beniiro cringed as the name of his victim rang out. "His bounty: 5 grand, dead or alive. The assassin is rumored to carry an Akashiman blade, from rumors and sightings."

Damn! Beniiro almost swore aloud. At this rate..."Zakega, its time to awaken..." He whispered to his blade, which in turn murmured groggily itself.

Awake. The word rang out through his head, as the one on the left continued to speak. "We will search everyone here who has an Akashiman blade and take him or her for investiga--" However, he was cut off when Beniiro unsheathed his long blade and sliced through the table, cutting a chunk of wood off of the table.

"I guess your looking for me." Beniiro said aloud, and he stood as his blade began glowing red and his eyes mirrored his blade. "You wanna do this here or outside?"

[Doomsday]

Jineh was frozen for a second as she watched the drama unfold and she was the last place she ever wanted to be at this time, right next to the murderer. After the initial shock cleared away the kitty girl looked to her mechanical ally. "We need to get out of here." She whispered to Arachne and as the nekojin confronted the men.

The priestess thought why she deserved such luck just for wanting to help someone was down and she didn't even have time to give her name to the cat boy before she found out his crime and he didn't deny it but proudly confess and challenge the bounty hunters. He was mad.

Quietly and quickly the felin got up and went for the door, keeping a wide distance of the warrior cat and his large sword. He clearly didn't need her help, what could she do? Jineh took a few more steps, maybe Arachne could tilt the tables, the swords-cat was outnumbered. The priestess shook her head. He was a murderer.

She just wanted to get as far as possible.

But halfway to the door the cat girl hardly notice the tall man slowly moved into her way and grabbed the kitty girl before she could react to his presence.

"Where are you goin'?" He asked easily subduing the struggling girl with a knife a hair's breath from her throat.

"Please, I just want to go!" Jineh whined. "I didn't know he was a criminal."

"Miss Jineh didn't know. She just wanted to help, but now she knows." Arachne pleaded unsure how it could save it's master, it knew that the man could kill her like this if he did anything.

"Shut up you thing! And you..." he turned back to Jineh, "didn't listen, no one leaves until we're done. And I think you're just a coward, probably the guy's little lady friend looking for a fun night with a mysterious and fuzzy stranger since not many fuzzies around these parts." The man took the knife away to stroke her tail but had it back where it was before Jineh could free herself.

"I d... didn't know..."

[Red Lightning]

Beniiro had no concerns when the tall man subdued the neko girl. She was not his concern. Howeverm his opinion changed once he saw the man lecherously reach for the girl's bottom and stroke her tail, and a righteous rage that Beniiro had rarely felt before well up inside of him.

The black blade was a blur as it sang through the air, but to the nekojin it seemed to move in slow motion as he saw his paw draw his blade, swing it through the air, only to stop only half an inch from the tall man's throat. Immediately all movement ceased from the room as a silence fell, and a pair of burning red eyes glared up at the man. "Let go of her." He commanded the man.

However, it either seemed the man was either incredibly brave or stupid, or both for that matter. The point was, he did not move as much as an inch away from the captive girl. "An' why should? You gonna kill me or something, assassin?" The man laughed at the word, but no one else even as much cracked a smile.

"Its tempting." Beniiro spoke through gritted teeth, his tail twitching nervously as his paws shifted on the wooden floor. "Let go of her and I won't harm you."

"Like I said, why sh--"

"Gornham, that is enough." The man in the middle spoke, his voice full of quiet authority. He had blond, spiky hair combined with piercing blue eyes, and an aura of power filled the room as he took three steps towards the pair. Beniiro's eyes never left him as he tensed up.

"We do not take hostages." He said to the man now known as Gornham, but the taller man groaned aloud.

"But, but, this girl, she--she could the cat man's accomplice!" The man stuttered under the younger man's fierce, hawk like gaze, and suddenly Beniiro found himself wondering why this man was leading the troop instead of an older, more experienced veteran.

Beniiro soon got his answer when the blond haired man narrowed his eyes. "It does not matter. The bounty is for his head only, not his accomplices, nor his employer."

The taller man spat in the direction of the blue eyed swordsman but missed. Rather, he had spat at nothing, as the swordsman was already moving, spinning around before seperating the girl from the mercenary with one hand and pinning the mercenary against the wall with the other. As the neko girl fell, Beniiro reached out and caught her in one arm, holding her slightly close just in case something happened.

"Think about it next time you decide to spit at me." He said to the soldier before dropping him to the ground and turning around. "My apologies, Madam' and assasin." He said, bowing slightly. "Please, if you would, assasin." He spoke to Beniiro without rancor or sarcasm as he walked away, his lackeys following solemnly as he exited out the door.

[Squ]

((Hope I am not interrupting anything here ^^, just want to have some fun too ^^))


Gazing at a painted sign portraying fruit and bread, Teefa pondered for a moment whether she should stay in the small village or rather continue find a place to sleep in a more secluded spot. Whilst in the process of making a decision, she could hear sounds that resembled a scuffle coming from inside the building that the painted sign belonged to.

Blinking her eyes for a moment she moved further away from the door as the noises were joined by loud voices. She looked around if anyone else had noticed, but it was generally ignored so it seemed. "This place must be known for this sort of thing, it is probably nothing more than a local's squabble over a simple game of dice" Teefa thought as she composed herself. Just as she decided to go inside, three large -and thus frightening looking- men barged out of the door and nearly bumped her out of the way. One of them had a very angry look on his face and to make matters worse, directed an angry glare in Teefa's direction. She squeezed her wooden staff with both of her hands while her body stood motionless until the men had passed. Once the men were out of sight, Teefa quickly let out a sigh of relief as if she had held her breath. "Th-that was scary" she whispered to herself.

Reluctant to go enter the building again, Teefa reconsidered her options. The rapid beating of her heart and her slightly growling stomach seemed to play the final role in the outcome of her decision; Twas the latter that got the best of her -If it wasn't for that hungry feeling, she would have chosen to camp somewhere outside. By gathering all her courage and reassuring herself no more scary men would be inside, she opened the door and proceeded into the building.

Once inside, it was much to Teefa's relief that there weren't any scruffy looking, scary men -well, not as scary and intimidating as the ones she encountered outside. As she looked around, she noticed that there had been some commotion and everyone was murmuring. There were two figures, both with ears and a tale -resembling those of a cat- standing close to each other. The female seemed somewhat distraught whilst the male seemed rather agitated.

A chunck of wood what appeared to have come from a table laid at her feet.
Not really knowing what to do or say, Teefa's thoughts were at the door or rather: outside. She stood there, staring at the feline couple.

[Doomsday]

Jineh just couldn't fathom how one moment she was being held by a man with a knife that was ready to kill her or drag her away and then being held and protected by the feline warrior. She thought he was a murderer but now the cat girl just wasn't sure what to think. Not to mention that he strong but gentle hold was comforting to be in. No he wasn't a murderer or even an assassin. He couldn't be.

And even the hunters weren't that bad, well the leader anyways. If it wasn't for him then she would still be in the harsh hold of the tall spearman who was going to kill her or worse. He was also a hero but he wasn't holding her now.

Life is just too strange. The trio of hunters left but Jineh Doomsday knew that they were waiting for her protector to leave and then there would be a fight and by the odds that the cat warrior would lose, numbers were against him and the spiky haired swordsman that led the group seemed to be a tad quicker to boot.

No matter how hard she tried the girl couldn't hold back tears of relief to fall after the tears of fear but she at least kept from embarrassing herself with sobs and cries. Still, there was fight and the priestess didn't want to happen. Some one would die. "Don't, go..." Jineh whispered not sure what she was saying but she was afraid that someone that saved her life would die, in fact it was fate that one would die. If the cat warrior left he would die or kill the mercenary that saved her from his own man. Jineh clutched closer to neko.

"Madam!" Arachne said flatly but Jineh just knew that it was rather appalled with her holding on to a criminal like this. "It is not the time for this!"

Jineh didn't care about what Arachne thought but the door opening shocked her a bit with worry the mercs came back but instead it was a human girl. Relief once again took ahold of Jineh but then embarrassment colored her cheeks. This girl must think that Jineh was something romantic to the cat.

"Oh! Hi!" Jineh greeted with her voice filled with surprise. "I, I um... well..." The girl's tail lashed about nervously as she couldn't think of what to say. "I'm Jineh. It's nice to meet you." By the Tower she must seem like an idiot to everyone.

Arachne simply clicked and whirred in disappointment at its master's lack of manners.

"And that's Arachne and this is... this is... Oh! I don't know your name!" Jineh felt light headed at being seen in holding this man in such an intimate manner and not even knowing his name.

[Red Lightning]

Beniiro had watched the mercenaries exit the tavern without emotion. The blond haired man was good. Very good. And he hadn't even used his weapons in that single move. The nekojin figured he would be hard to take down.

At any other time Beniiro would have refused the duel, as it must be, for he knew that usually things like these were usually ambushes for the assassin. In fact, he had no doubt that there were probably over a dozen men out there waiting for him to step out so they could take his head for their own. But he trusted the blue eyed man for some reason, and that he would not let that happen.

A quiet sobbing filled the air and Beniiro glanced down to see the girl he had caught sobbing against his fur. Must have been her first time being held hostage. He thought to himself. Not only did she barely react when she got caught, but look at her now. Sighing, Beniiro was about to push her away from him when suddenly she spoke two words that surprised him. "Don't, go..." she sobbed, and moved closer to the nekojin.

If Beniiro could blush he would. He wasn't used to this kind of affection, and didn't know whether to push this girl away and run for the stairs or comfort her. In time, he chose the latter, sheathing his murmuring blade with his paw and wrapping it around the girl, ignoring the stares and murmurs he got from the watching crowd. The bartender was still muttering angrily, more at the public display of affection rather than his bar being broke into. The mechanical spider muttered something as well, but Beniiro paid no attention to it as the door opened once more, and he glanced to see who would come through.

It was a human girl, and she looked slightly frightened. The girl in his arms twitched her tail and nervously greeted the girl, and Beniiro almost slapped his head at her greeting. It was obvious that she was nervous and embaressed at being found like that. Then, suddenly, out of the blue, she, asked his name.

He considered giving her his real name for a second but decided against it. It was best that she didn't know. "I'm called Red." He said shortly before releasing her from his grasp and stepping away from her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must prepare." And with that he walked away from them and up the stairs.

[Squ]

Looking at the couple with the cat-like features, the female introduced herself -in a somewhat nervous manner- as Jinah. Judging from the look in her eyes, her uneasy smile and the pink color on her cheeks, it was obvious that she was embarrassed about something. Perhaps her unusual position, that being in the arms of the male figure, had something to do with it. After introducing herself, she continued by pointing at a metallic looking contraption and stated its name to be Arachne. Then, as she wanted to say the name of person in whose arms she was, she paused... It became then evident that she did not know his name and thus revealing that they actually didn't belong together.

Upon his name being asked, the furry figure seemed to consider what to say for a moment before telling Jinah that his name was Red. After telling his name, he let go of Jinah and took a few steps away from her before excusing himself and leaving up the stairs.

"Um... Nice to meet you, ah- Jinah, was it?" Teefa said. Despite being partially confused, she smiled and curtsied. Commotion had died down a bit and everyone in the room had resumed to what they were doing. Unsure what to say next, Teefa pointed at a small table, motioning Jinah to take a seat with her "I'm not really sure what is, or has been, going on, but you seem a little flustered and perhaps you would like to sit down with me for a moment and explain things a little" she said softly with a warm smile on her face. A slight growl escaped Teefa's stomach, "Please?" she added, hoping that they would get to a table as soon as possible so food could also be ordered.

[Doomsday]

It was a good thing that girl came along, if she wasn't there then Jineh would be alone amongst all the angry patrons and the spiteful bar keep. The cat girl nodded at the new woman's suggestion. "Um sure, sitting's a good idea." Jineh went back to the table that was now missing it's corer thanks to Red's blade and next to her plate of food even though she wasn't hungry. "I'm not very hungry, would you like to finish it?" Jineh offered while sliding her plate to her new friend but not making eye contact and just looked at the wood of the table, following each knot and seeing the clean edged where it was cut.

"There was three men here... I was talking to Red, wanting to help him. His eyes were droopy and he had a slouch like he was carrying the Grand Tower on his back. I just wanting to help him but they came and said he was a murderer." Jineh shook her head for being so stupid to find the only assassin in the whole town. "I didn't know." Her voice broke as her tail made a slight shiver. "I went to leave but one of the men took me, held me off the ground with a dagger to my neck." The kitty girl paused and turned in her seat from discomfort. "He pulled my tail, i thought he was going to kill me and take me away."

Jineh looked up into the other girl's eyes, hoping to find sympathy and afraid to find scorn. "Red brought his sword quickly to the guy's throat so quick he didn't get a chance to kill me. Then the guy's leader demanded he let me go and even attacked the man to free me. They both saved my life and now they're both going to try and kill each other. I owe them both so I don't know what to do." Jineh closed her eyes and squeezed out some tears before she began crying. "I thought if I left my home I could do something great, show them that I'm not a curse, that I'm not a bringer of dark fate. I just wanted to be useful."

Arachne moved next to her, the machine didn't know what to do, it could only look on and protect her from danger and it didn't do a good job here and now its master was crying. It wished it was a more capable machine.

[Squ]

Delighted to see that Jinah agreed to have a seat, Teefa quickly positioned herself at the wooden table. There was still a plate of food which coincidentally belonged to Jinah. "I'm not very hungry; would you like to finish it?" Jinah said as she slid the plate over to Teefa. Looking at the plate's contents, it looked like the food had hardly been touched and it was still warm too. Teefa nodded solemnly and took a small bite from the food with a wooden spoon; it was quite tasty -then again, Teefa was hungry and anything edible would taste good at this point.

Jinah seemed to avoid eye contact; perhaps she was still a bit nervous. Teefa gazed at her with great curiosity and interest. Although having seen races other than her own, it was very fascinating to see one with features of both human and cat. The ears especially were intriguing to Teefa; they were -in a sense- 'cute'.

While keeping her eyes fixed on the table and notably on an area where a piece was missing, Jinah began to explain in detail what had happened. It was almost as if she reliving the entire scene by the way she spoke and moved her body. Teefa listened attentively while occasionally taking a bite from the food. The story moved Teefa and a feeling of sympathy for the girl filled her heart. Just as the last of the food went down her throat, Jinah looked into her eyes as she continued her story -a slight vibration in her voice indicating that she was going to cry... and she did.

"I- I thought if I left my home I could something great, show them that I'm not a curse, that I'm not a bringer of dark fate. I just wanted to be useful" She sobbed.

Jinah's strange contraption or rather: 'companion' moved around as if it was trying to find a solution for its master's anxiety.

Feeling sorry for the cat-girl, Teefa pondered for a moment on how she could help. "I'm sorry you had to experience such an ordeal" She started in a comforting tone "From what you told me, I think that you did all that you could do, and you didn't do all that bad. Had you chosen to take any action, someone might have gotten wounded... or worse." Teefa continued "Maybe you even prevented the loss of life because you were here, think about it"

With a warm smile, Teefa looked at Jinah and added "Also, from what I can determine, there is still time to prevent bad things from happening if you or 'we' can come up with a plan, right?"

Teefa's optimistic view appeared to alleviate the tense atmosphere a little.

[Red Lightning]

The leather armor felt like a lover's embrace to the nekojin, and when he wrapped the blood red scarf around his neck and face, he sighed. It was time to return to the the life of the slayer, the life he had always known. It had been a nice reprieve, staying here at the Peaceful Promenade, but when one lived for the sheer feeling of the blade slicing through the flesh, violence was bound to follow you. Cut. Beniiro thought solemnly as he held his blade, sheathed and ready, out before him. Cut without mercy.

As he stepped down the stairs on soft, nearly silent paws, the motion caught the eye of several people and they stood quickly, their hands going to various weapons and snarls replacing their surprised expressions. Beniiro closed his eyes at the expressions and kept his long blade at his side. He opened them only when he came near the neko girl and her strange new companion, and gave them a slight tip of the head before he went and pushed out the door, his red scarf flowing out like blood behind him.

The man with the three blades was standing out there, looking up at the sky. His weapons were stuck in the ground, looking like as if they had fallen from the sky itself. What bothered Beniiro was that there was no one else there. No signs of movement, or activity, as if no one had ever even been living in the peaceful town of Underwood.

The man looked over at the nekojin and smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I had my men clear everybody away so that you and I could fight at our full abilites." He spoke as if talking to an old friends, and his blue eyes gleamed with a rascal's micheaveousness. "Its nothing personal, I hope you know." The man continued as Beniiro looked on silently, his paws gripping the hilt and scabbard of Zakega. "Its just a job."

"I know. I understand." Beniiro replied, and drew the blade with a ringing in the air that lingered, before twirling it around to hold it horizantally by his left ear.

The man sighed. "No small talk, eh? I guess its straight down to business." As he spoke he lifted each of the huge blades that were stuck in the ground before fitting them together like pieces of a puzzle, only to form one massive blade, that was at least seven feet long and as wide as Beniiro's leg.

The nekojin's slit eyes narrowed at the ease in which the man held the blade. It must have weight at least a hundred pounds, and yet he was holding it as if it were a stick. "Just who are you?" Beniiro asked quietly, and his eyes glowed a bright red as his blade began glowing in sync.

"I won't tell you my name until you tell me yours." the man replied in return, and both fighters, as if that had been the starting signal, leaped towards each other with the intent to kill.

[Doomsday]

"You, You think so?" Jineh sniffled as she looked at the ground and grabbed a napkin to wipe away a nasal bubble. "I did the right thing and it kept someone from getting hurt. That i did something right for once?" The priestess engineer smiled at the healer with an awkward smile of relief but tears still crawled down her cheeks. "Thanks, that was one of the nicest things that anyone has ever told me." Jineh said quietly as her voice was sure to break if it was any louder than a whisper. "Yeah... we can come up with something to save them both."

Jineh stayed quiet for awhile as the judging eyes from the rest of the patrons would occasionally pierce her will and make her blush, or would if she wasn't already blushing from the crying session but part of the quiet was seeing Red descend the steps and pass with only a nod. Jineh's tail interrupted its sad pendulum sway with a quick flick and puff of her fur. "No, we're too late." Jineh whined seeing the cat warrior leave looking daring with his red scarf and she followed not sure what to do but not wanting to leave him out of her sight.

"They're going to kill each other, we're too late." Jineh felt her tears renew but she thought she could do something, put all her chips in one pile. she was going to stop the fight. The kitty girl dashed through the empty street, kicking up dust and dead needles in a rush to reach the warriors and put her self in the way. She succeeded to get there in time but in her stop fell to her knees and bruising and skinning them. She looked up and hoped that they'd stop. "Please... I don't want anyone to die." She said looking up between the charging fighters.

[Squ]

Teefa's reassuring words seemed to have the desired effect at least a little as Jineh smiled after wiping her nose from all her previous sobbing. Coming up with a plan to prevent loss of life also appealed to Jineh. Seemingly lost in deep thought, the felin fell quiet while moving around uncomfortably in her seat; her tail swaying heavily.

Tapping her lips with her finger, Teefa was trying to come up with an idea but didn't seem to conjure up anything that could help in the matter. She did want to help Jineh, but she knew to little about situations like these and how to deal with them. "Ah..."

Red had come down from the stairs and tipped his head to both of the girls before hastily exiting through the door leading outside. The situation got Jinah all worked up "No, we're too late" she uttered while her eyes became glazy with tears once again. Before Teefa could say anything, Jiney got up from her seat "They're going to kill each other, we're too late." she added in an almost choppy voice while dashing out of the room, following after Red.

"W-wait!" Teefa shouted, but the cat-girl was already out of hearing range. "Oh dear..." she whispered to herself and decided to follow after them as well, and rushed to the door. "Don't come back here!" the barkeep growled as he was clearly at his limits due to all the commotion. Once outside she saw that Jineh was already down the street; she sure was fast.

"Jineh! W-wait please!" Teefa shouted again, trying to catch up. A little further ahead, Red and one of the scary men Teefa had encountered earlier were facing each other with weapons drawn. The situation seemed to get from bad to worse as Jineh got in between and fell on her knees, weeping and begging for the two warriors to end their quarrel. Gasping softly, Teefa got overwhelmed by feelings of great concern. "I- I may have no choice..." She thought while panting heavily from running. She was almost close enough to intervene... but what would she do? --What could she do?

[Red Lightning]

They say that when two warriors of great strength battle, they can read the thoughts of one another and move like mirror images of one another. Beniiro felt like that now as he and the blond haired warrior leapt at one another with the intent to kill, to feel the bite of the steel into flesh. His red eyes flashed as they met with the warrior's blue ones and each locked as drew back their blades, the very air seeming to howl as they left their selves behind and devoted their minds to the battle before them.

Zakega clashed with the opponent's giant blade and sparks were sent flying as Beniiro blocked his opponent's overheard strike by holding his blade horizantally above his head. True to his fears, the opponent's blade wasn't just massive, it was heavy as well, and Beniiro could only hold that postition for a couple moments before he leapt backwards with catlike agility, barely avoiding the sharp tip of the blade.

Beniiro skid to a halt as he drew his blade back into its original position by his ear, but he never had the chance as his opponent suddenly disappeared in a blur. Demon dash! Benniro nearly exclaimed, recognizing the fast movement from not only his training in Akashima but from his battle in the Citadel. As he expected, the blond haired man reappeared behind him with his blade raised high, and Beniiro again dodged this overhead strike by rolling to the side and to his feet in one move, quickly counterattacking with a thrust forward that his opponent also dodged.

"Your a quick one." The blue eyed swordsman suddenly spoke, as he lifted the blade onto his shoulder and gave a small smirk. "Usually most enemies are so surprised by my speed that they are frozen in place, but you..." he shook his head before finishing the sentance. "...y'know, I have the feeling that if we weren't trying to kill each other we could've been good friends." As he drew to his conclusion the man's expression suddenly turned grim as his eyes glowed a bright, electric blue.

Suddenly the man's blade glowed with a crackling blue energy that sped along the length of it like lightning. Blue lightning...? Beniiro wondered momentarily as he recognized the energy that crackled along the edge of the blade.

In fact, that very same experience happened to him a few years back, but back then it had been red lightning that had been traveling along the black blade of Zakega. Just who was this man?

But before he could ask, the man's eyes glowed a brighter blue than ever, and he swung his sword downwards at amazing speed. Wind Edge!! Beniiro's mind cried out at the recognizable technique and the appearence of the blade of wind that had began making its way towards the nekojin at an insane rate. The funny thing was, it was covered in that blue electricity, and was literally ripping the ground open as it went.

As the nekojin's eyes focused on the path of the attack, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Wait, no, it couldn't be...the catgirl from before and the newcomer had both come outside, and the cat girl was on her knees, babbling something with tears steaming down her face.

The blade of air was headed straight for them. He gasped at the same time his opponent did, and both realized the same thing: those two would die if that attack hit them.

A dull throbbing ached from Beniiro's left eye, and the scar from Ifrit's claws throbbed more than ever. To the nekojin, time seemed to slow down as he clutched his right eye, as his left seemed to be changing and moving, spinning, circling, until he was disorientated.

Then, suddenly, the feeling was gone, and Beniiro felt as if a glorious energy had suddenly filled his body, and suddenly and image popped into his head of his opponent dissepearing and reappearing behind him, and he knew what he must do.

Stepping forth, once again, he felt time slow down, but this time it was different, as if time really had become slower. To any observers, however, it appeared as if both Beniiro and the stricken blond haired swordsman dissapeared from sight, and suddenly they both reappeared in front of both the cat girl and the other one, and at the last second before the electrical blade of wind struck the four of them Beniiro and the swordsman leapt in perfect unison, grabbed one girl each around the waist, Beniiro's around the cat girl's, and the man's around the other's, and barely made it in time as the blade hit the side of the building, rocking the building slightly.

Catching a glimpse of himself in a mirror by the doorway, he saw that he had his right eye closed, but his left eye had almost changed completely. It glowed with an electrical red and the pupil was now sorrounded with three spikes of black that appeared to be variations of the slits that normally appeared. What the hell...he had time to think before his very own eyes his eye returned back to its bright yellow and became normal slits again. But now, he also noticed, that his scar was glowing red, as if it had just been bleeding.

[Doomsday]

Jineh shouldn't have been there but it was too late to do anything and the men that fought were too powerful. These were warriors of great skill and prowess that not many could match and both even had magic that they used in their fighting. Jineh knew magic fairly well since she knew how to use the power of the world to source the energy for creations but it was subtle compared to the increased speed that she could hardly keep track. How she could save these two seemed impossible.

Maybe the healer girl was wrong and Jineh was just in the way of a conflict that would end badly no matter what. And now it was even worse as her recently spared life was going to end and worse the healer girl was now exposed in following Jineh and open to the collateral damage of the powerful fighters.

And it was going to end badly for the two girls as a blitz of energy was tearing up the earth on a destructive trail towards the two girls and there was no way Jineh would make it, her legs weak and heart numb from failure; she was likely going to die today and because of her the young healer as well. Jineh could only hate herself now.

But that last moment didn't end with the girls getting pounded by the blast of power but instead Jineh found herself getting gently placed on a soft mound of grass and her tear blurred eyes seeing Red with his eyes glowing red. "I don't want anyone to die." Jineh whimpered feeling helpless, worthless.

"Mistress!" Arachne crawled up to Jineh, the gears screaming from being worked at maximum capacity to reach his maker in time. "Please don't do something so illogical again. I don't think anyone could repair you if the energy blast hit."

"I, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get in the way but that's all I'm good for. I'm sorry." Jineh whined a bit, her heart beating fast from almost dying but feeling more ashamed than anything. She hardly heard the bar keep yell out a scream of surprise at seeing his tavern wall looking like a catapult hit it.

"Boss, we should have just kept the girl as hostage. She wouldn't have gotten in the way and we could sell her to Salvar for even more gold. Lets take her and the other girl too, we could almost retire!" The pike man said after coming out of the shadows with his friend following. "What do you say we have more than just a bounty. And consorting with criminals is enough of a crime to give us reason to take them."

[Squ]

Upon watching the dramatic scene unfold and escalate, Teefa's mind became flooded; her otherwise rational thinking was jumbled. It was the first time in her life that panic dominated her and this was perhaps because the situation was less in control than she had hoped -after all, she never expected her new friend to act so recklessly. Regardless of Jineh's actions, the situation 'right now' needed immediate action 'less someone was going to get hurt.

Alas, Teefa watched in terror as the blond-haired figure swung his sword and unleashed a tremendous force that vibrated through the air. The last she could grasp in her mind was seeing Red dodge and then everything became a blur.

"Umph..."

Something yanked Teefa from her place, a sudden force driving her from the position she was standing. The sudden pull happened so fast that all she could see was flashes of blurry images. Rumbling noises, much like the ones that would reverberate after a lightning strike echoed through Teefa's mind. Things were happening fast, but that she was submitted to couldn't be comprehended. Eventually, as her thoughts slowly started to gather, Teefa realized that she was lying on the ground, a strong arm tightly wrapped around waist. Blinking her eyes a few moments, she was able to regain some awareness of her surroundings.

Disoriented and confused, Teefa desperately tried to focus her mind. Instinctively, she took a deep breath and gently brushed her face, her chest and eventually her waist where she stopped and felt a man's arm. The strong grip around her waist somehow felt comforting and safe. Teefa closed her eyes for a moment, controlling her breathing. The grip around her loosened and Teefa opened her eyes again. Suddenly everything in her head fell into place and as quickly as she could she got back on her feet. Looking around frantically, Teefa was relieved to see Red and Jineh -also lying on the ground- safely and unharmed. Turning around, she looked right into her own 'savior's' eyes while still trying to grasp half of what just happened.

Jineh resumed her whimpering and was rubbing tears from her eyes with her sleeve while her automated companion scurried around her. Red remained quiet and looked different than before. It was clearly obvious that, although the girls had indirectly managed to obtain a moment's reprieve, things were far from over. But at least now since everyone was together, some reasoning could be involved. This faint hope however was short-lived when the scary men appeared again and made suggestions about capturing everyone, including Teefa.

The blond man who saved Teefa corrected his stance, his eyes meeting those of Red in a fixed stare.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a stern voice, not averting his eyes. Not quite expecting the question, Teefa just nodded and hummed briefly. "Very well, you had better get yourself and your friend to safety then." the man added.

"But-"

"Realize that this is not the time nor the place for simple discussions. Also, if you stay to intervene I may not be able to prevent you from getting hurt once again, you understand?"

"But you-"

"Do you understand?" The man repeated, biting off each word.

"Y-yes." Teefa meekly replied, understanding fully well that the man wasn't asking her but giving an order to stay out of the way. As she briefly glanced at the other, scary men, the blond man finally turned his eyes towards her. "Don't worry about my men, I'll handle them" he said in a more relenting tone. Nodding once more, Teefa hurried herself to Jineh and crouched down next to her while putting a hand on her shoulder. Urging Jineh to move to a safer spot, the cat-girl seemed unwilling to comply right away. Red didn't say a word, but had his eyes -just like the blond man had on him- fixed on his opponent.

Teefa moved her lips close to Jineh's ear "I think I may have an idea, but we should get out of the way first" She whispered.

"Oy, I say we jus' tie 'em up an' collect a nice bounty, maybe we can even 'ave some fun with 'em eh?" One of the mercenary men hollered laughingly. The words annoyed both Red and the blond man enough that they stopped staring at each other and turned their gaze at the man who made the poorly placed remark.

[Red Lightning]

All bunnies approved.

Beniiro was not usually one to be surprised, but the blond haired man's actions and words did. He was not like other men. He had honor, moral, and his sense of protection for the innocent was very akin to the nekojin's own, he felt.

As he gazed into his opponent's blue eyes he saw indeed that the two of them were kindred spirits. Two warriors, fighting for nothing but soley themselves. Outcasts from only they knew, each locked in a world where prejudice and hate overruled people's own thoughts.

The blond haired man had been right. If they had not been fighting to the death, Beniiro would have asked this man to be his comrade. However, as the situation was, it seemed that either one of them was stepping away either dead or in chains.

However, a rowdy remark from one of the man's subordinate's broke the moment, and both of the warriors turned to glare at the chubby man. However, it was the barkeep who eventually broke things up, as he came charging out from behind his secure place from behind the counter wielding a firearm of some sorts and a butcher knife in the other hand.

"That's it!" the man yelled, and he pointed the gun around at the small group that had disrupted his bar. "I told ya, there would be no fightin' in here, and look what I get for trustin' ya sneaky bastards." He cocked the gun, and the group as a whole took a step backwards, trying to avoid the dangerous muzzle. Finally, the blond haired man spoke, giving a quick glare at his men before reaching out and carefully pushing the barrel of the firearm down.

"Calm down, good sir. We did not mean to disrupt anyone. We simply came to apprehend a dangerous criminal." The man's voice was soft and soothing, but the bartender's lost none of it's red fury.

"I don't care!" The man shouted again, and he brought the barrel back up to the chest of the man. However, the swordsman seemed unfazed by this course of action and calmly began walking away. "I just want you and your kind out of here!"

"And so we shall." Beniiro spoke up now, as he sheathed his blade, signaling that he was not going to draw it and cut anyone down. "Ladies, I apologize for this." He tipped his head towards the frightened two, and began walking after his opponent on black paws.

"I want them outta here too! As well as any freak that dare show his face in here again!" the man shouted, and now swung the gun towards the two girls. However, he was stopped by the hand of of the blond haired man, who had moved once again with amazing speed. His visage, however, was far from it had been before. It was filled with a rage that had not been there before, and the man's next words revealed the source of his rage. "Have you no chivalry, man?" the blond haired swordsman growled, before grabbing the gun out of the man's hand with a quick movement and throwing it to the ground. "What have these women done to you!?"

"Done to me? Why, they are freaks, freaks like you and him!" the bartender was hysterical with rage as he pointed one grubby finger towards Beniiro, who simply stood with narrowed eyes and one hand on the hilt of his blade. The other two mercenaries had weapons trained on him, just in case he made any violent movements.

After a couple more moments, the older man sighed and rubbed his head. "Alright, the girls can stay here, but I want the rest of you out this instant." He gave a glare at the swordsman but he was already walking away, his hand on the hilt of his giant sword.

"I have no problems with that. Men, lets go." He gave a small frown at them before leaning down to the chubby one and whispering, "and we're bringing no one else. You got that?"

"Yessir..." the man trembled a bit before backing up to let his captain through. Giving the two girls one last look, Beniiro closed his eyes, his left one aching dully, and followed suit.

As the door shut, the bartender continued grumbling before glaring at the two girls and going back behind the counter to resume his monotnous work.

[Squ]

((ooc: Bunnies? ^^; ))

Staring at the closing door for a moment, Teefa sighed, partially from relief and partially from disappointment. Turning around, she noticed Jineh just standing still with her companion Arachne moving around her. The whole ordeal must've been a shock to the poor felin. Suddenly, Teefa took her hand and pulled her in the direction of the stairs. It happened rather sudden, so it was rather inevitable to follow -Arachne stayed as close to its master as it could.

The company moved up the stairs, the eyes of the barkeep on their backs until they were out of sight. Once upstairs, Teefa stepped behind Jineh and pushed her gently inside a vacant room.

"Right" Teefa said as she pushed Jineh in a small yet comfortable chair.

"Today sure is strange" She continued, saying the words more to herself than to Jineh "One moment I'm trying to find a nice place to spend the night, and the next I'm involved in a conflict of sorts."

"Although we've just met, I felt great concern for you when you ran after that Red fellow. You shouldn't be so reckless" Teefa said soft, caring manner. She knew that she was a little -if not; very- reckless herself, but because she knew what carelessness could cause, she wanted to express concern that much more.

"I know you wanted your friends from getting hurt. Even I want to prevent people from getting hurt, but putting your own life on the line doesn't help in the matter."

Teefa crouched down in front of Jiney so that their eyes met. "I saw what they can do. So lets take a well thought-through approach in solving the matter" she whispered.

With a sincere look, Teefa awaited Jineh's reaction.

[Doomsday]

(Bunnies is a cute slang term for RPing characters owned by another player. Not a bi deal unless in battle or offends the other player. Bunnying of my characters approved^^)

Jineh felt shame as she was guided up the stairs into a payed room. It didn't help matters much that the barkeep and patrons shot venomous glares as she ascended the stairs being led the healer girl, who seemed not in the least bit pleased with the cat girl's actions.

The felin wasn't sure what was going to happen during the lecture that the healer gave her. It wasn't the first time that Jineh had been disciplined as she had done her fair share of mischief even if unwittingly and every broken pot or gear often gave the cat girl a sore butt and aching tail as it was held up harshly during spankings from her mother or a higher priestess. For that reason the kitty girl folded her tail around her legs as a meager protection.

But the healer was too gentle and not a word word would give a nervous rabbit a wince and she seemed to be understanding and that made Jineh a bit more guilty. "I just wanted to help, they were going to kill each other and I didn't know what to do and he was heading out the door. I didn't think there was time. I... I'm sorry. I'm such a bother. I'm sorry." Jineh said weakly but at least managed not to cry despite the guilt. Likely as her tear ducts wanted a break.

"Madam, don't take it so hard, just learn from the mistake. Vices can be tempered to virtues." Arachne said trying to sound like an old sage despite the metallic tang in his voice.

"Thank you both... I don't deserve it, I'm a fool." Jineh started but Arachne prodded her leg.

"Don't dwell, lets change the subject. I know! How about the oil quality of Aleran against Fallien oils."

Jineh giggled seeing Arachne try to take a conversation in something that he was greatly interested in but she only cared to know the basic for mechanics but this girl would be put to sleep by it. Still it at least raised some of the cloud over Jineh. "Um, Miss... It seems kinda funny but I forgot your name. I guess it's been such a rough day that I'm forgetting a lot." The kitty priest smiled even though guilt still ached the back of her mind.

[Squ]

Upon stating that she merely wanted to help, Jineh apologized for her actions a couple of times. The automated companion tried to encourage optimism by speaking a couple of wise words. Teefa couldn't help but giggle for a moment as she watched this little interaction. Eventually, the expression on Jineh's face changed a little, it was less gloomy. Teefa felt empathy towards her new friend and figured that the cat-girl could use someone to help her boost her confidence in own potential.

After a moment's thought, Jineh suddenly inquired for Teefa's name.

"Oh" Teefa gasped softly "I guess I haven't told you yet. Where are my manners?" She said with an awkward smile, one hand placed against her cheek "My name is Teefa Kalestiya, but you can just call me Teefa, pleased to meet you."

Teefa curtsied and chuckled politely after having properly introduced herself.

The atmosphere in the room had now become uplifting, and there was no more tension. Despite the gravity of the current situation and all that had already happened, things didn't seem to matter for a moment; A pleasant feeling.

"Well, now that we know each other a little better, we could try to work on a plan together to help your friend" Teefa began, a warm smile on her face. "When we tried to convince those warrior types not to fight, it didn't seem like they had ear for it. So, we may need to try something that will make it impossible for them to fight."

Although it seemed that Teefa had a good idea brewing in her head, she was still trying to work out the details of her elaborate plan.

[Doomsday]

Jineh's exterior was better but her heart was turning like a ship in a storm as she thought about the two warriors, they seemed to have had a slight truce when they had to save the girls but how long it would last was unknown. Red and the merc were on different sides of the law and the bounty hunter was one of those that would always get his man and Red would fight to the death for his freedom. Convincing the cat man to surrender wouldn't help, his crimes meant the gallows and Jineh wanted both to be okay.

Jineh looked at Teefa and though she was feeling better they were both at a quandary. The pretty healer would likely not let the cat girl to leave the room without a plan and Jin probably wouldn't move out of the shame from what she did before. Flicking her tail out of the helpless situation that they were in she thought about what they could do.

"Well, They both seem to have a sense of honor. The hunter wants to play fair as the assassin. Maybe if they promise us that they won't cause any harm then they'll keep their word." Jineh said and she thought how they could do that. "We could tie them up and tickle them until they swear to leave the other alone." Jineh found herself giggling with the thought and that even with some so serious her first idea was absolutely silly but even so it did lift a burden from her heart.

"I guess we could beg them to swear." Jineh said as her heart lost a bit of the humor at the idea seemed to not be very bright.

"Misses, may I suggest disarming them. Maybe if they were without their blades they could make up."

"I dunno, might work." Jineh said not sure what plan would work.

[Squ]

((Oh yes! It's going exactly as I had hoped! ^^))


With a quick gasp, Teefa snapped her fingers as she heard Jineh's words "That's it!" she exclaimed. Jineh blinked, probably wondering if Teefa actually took the idea of tickling into consideration.

"Jineh! I know exactly what to do in solving this matter. As you said, they have a sense of justice, and if this goes as far as having them keep their word, it will be an easy win! But I do need you help!"

Teefa's pacing through the room increased as a sign that she was getting really excited; it was kinda exhausting just to look at. Suddenly Teefa stopped in front of Jineh and pointed at her "As a matter of fact, I cannot do this without you" she said with a smirk in an attempt to convince that she Jineh would be very useful in the matter.

The cat-girl pointed at herself, with a questioning look in her eyes that said "Me?"

"I will try to explain as good as I can" Teefa started "I am an student of the light, meaning that I am studying 'white arts'. I don't know if you have ever heard of 'The White League Institute' but it is where I studied." Teefa rambled with a somewhat proud look on her face. "Anyway, I have recently been focussing on a new technique or spell called 'Momentum Pacifica'.

Upon revealing the information, Teefa closed her eyes and pointed her finger up, before she continued "This spell causes a specific person or living thing to become- well: pacified. This means that there will be absolutely no intention to hurt, kill or feel any form of hate or aggression."

Jineh perked her ears. If what Teefa said is true, then all problems could really easily be solved. However, it sounded to good to be true as Teefa continued to reveal the catch.

"Unfortunately, it only lasts a couple of seconds. Also, it causes great fatigue for the person casting the spell. Worse even, if the spell backfires, it will probably put me out for days."

The whole idea suddenly seemed less compelling.

"But, that's where you come into play" Teefa said enthusiastically "by combining our energy by a channeling technique, the spell will be double as effective as well as potent." Jineh's hand was grabbed "That's one step. If it is successful and once the spell takes effect, we only have a short window of opportunity convince both men to promise -either to us or to each other- not to kill each other."

Teefa beamed, and seemed to be waiting for Jineh's or her metallic companion's reaction on the whole idea that did seem a bit of a long shot, but at least it was a 'shot'.



(had to do a little bunnying ^^ hope its okay.)
(wrote things a bit quickly, so it's a little poorly written... I think).

[Doomsday]

(I'm fine with the bunnies.)

Jineh listened intently to Teefa's plan for it was much better thought out than any of the kitten's. This made the cat girl wish she was a little bit more clever in that regard but in her defense it was a rough day and there was no way she would be 100% before a couple of catnaps and maybe a day or two but a failure in this plan would be a blow to the heart that would last longer. Jineh wanted it to work.

But the healer's plan made Jineh's eyes go wide and her tail puff up before squirming in her chair. The white mage knew magic that could effect the mind and to the Felin the mind is the most sacred thing in the world. The mind made one good or evil, the mind made one truly love, the mind made one grieve and the mind made one one's self. Magic that effected the mind was forbidden to a priestess, sure she could use herbs to heal the tainted mind but not use drugs to taint a healthy mind.

"I, I don't know." Jineh started as she wondered about the spell. "I'm forbidden from using magic to alter someone's mind." Sweat started to build on Jineh's skin, a proof that there was a link with her kind and humans as well as cats. "But it's temporary, sorta like cheering them up?" Jineh was trying to bend the rules since she knew she could not break them and she wanted to help. "If it's something like that then we wouldn't taint the mind. I couldn't live with my self if we did that." Jineh made a weak smile as she shifted and hoped that she was right and they were just changing the mood of the pair.

"Yeah, I think i can help. It's just calming them down, it's not taboo." The felin smoothed out the fur on her tail as she started to get up. Before Jineh finished she shivered and thought: I hope.

[Squ]

After hearing Jineh's reaction, Teefa placed a finger against her cheek and looked up while pondering over Jineh's words. "Um... I don't know if it actually tampers with one's mind. I only know it will only invoke a moment of peace."

Teefa realized the importance of knowing the spell's properties to prevent doing something against the priestess' beliefs. There wasn't much time to think of another plan, so she strained her mind in order to remember the exact details of the spell she was studying.

"Well, I doubt that it will affect anything in a negative way, we're not forcing thoughts into their heads or anything, something that is forbidden to me as well. But from what I remember, it's merely for protection, and it doesn't cause harm. Also, it can't be used to take advantage of a person as they are still in control of most of their actions."

By explaining more details about the spell, Teefa hoped that it would take away Jineh's concerns. It was important that the cat-girl was confident as this would be an important feature in performing the channeling technique; something that was also told to Jineh.

"Jineh; it is important that you are comfortable with the idea" Teefa spoke in a soft and kind voice "If you feel the slightest doubt in your heart, then you don't have to do this. Please take your time to carefully consider and don't be afraid to give me an honest answer."

A moment of silence filled the room. The only noise was muffled voices coming from the patrons downstairs.

"Remember, I will be using the spell, you will merely link your spiritual energy with mine" Teefa added, breaking the silence. She wanted to make sure that Jineh understood that her sanctity would not be compromised-- theoretically.

"If you say yes, I'll work you through the details. If you say no, we'll go after them anyway and figure out another plan along the way."

[Doomsday]

Jineh's heart rose when she heard Teefa explain her plan more. The spell wasn't manipulation or at least Jineh was so ready to believe her friend for the answer that it gave her hope for an ethical end. "Yes." Jineh said with a smile, her cheeks shiny from the dry tears that she had cried earlier.

There was of coarse a part of the heart that was doubtful. Would the spell work, would it fail, would they be angry with the girls for trying it. Who knew what would happen if the warriors got upset over magic. Sure the fighters wanted to protect the girls but they might change their minds and even wish harm if they thought the two women wanted to do harm.

"Yes I'll help you. We have to be careful, even if we're not doing harm, strange magic can make people upset and I don't want either of them upset at us. We have to figure out a way to make it so they don't know what happens until the spell is cast." Jineh said, swishing her tail with a smile.

There was one problem, the two men were no longer at the tavern but went their own way. The thought made Jineh gasp, which woke Arachne from his stasis. "Mistress, what is the alarm for?"

"We have to find the two. I hope they didn't finish the fight!" Jineh rose but she didn't rush no matter how much she wanted to. "I... Ummm better follow you. I'm so sorry for rushing like that. I almost got us killed."

(feel free to bunny my characters and sorry for the wait and short post.)

[Squ]

"Right" Teefa said, nodding her head "Let's just go in the direction they were heading, we should be able to find them along the way"

Now that their plan was ready, all that remained was finding the two warriors they wanted to 'save'. Although quite some time had passed, Teefa was confident that they would find the men. Taking Jineh by the hand, the company left the room to downstairs and out of the building. Outside, they headed into the direction they last remembered the warriors were headed; following a dusty path leading out of town.

"Jineh" Teefa said between quick breaths

"Y-yes?"

"You mentioned earlier to make sure they don't figure out what we are trying to do."

"Yes."

"We will try to stay out of sight but we need to get as close as possible."

Jineh nodded. Although worried about the outcome she wanted to follow Teefa's instructions as precisely as she could. Success was by no means certain but no matter what the outcome of the endeavor would be, things did seem a little bit exciting.

After travelling some distance at a good pace, Teefa and Jineh reached some hills. Many trees were all around. The sky had an eerie glow and the sound of crows could be heard echoing through the hills. Jineh moved closer to Teefa with Arachne staying close to its master.

"If they stayed on the path, this is probably where they went through. Let's go!" Teefa guessed and proceeded to follow the path that now sloped down. Jineh followed reluctantly with Arachne staying close to its master. As the density of the trees increased, an uneasy feeling started to creep in and the fact that it was also getting slightly darker didn't improve the enthusiasm for their quest.

"Are- Are you sure you think we can find them in this place?" Jineh asked nervously.

"Of course"

"How are you so sure?"

"It's my intuition"

"Oh..."

Teefa's confident smile was in contrast with the nervous smile on Jineh's face. Getting lost now would be bad -VERY bad. Luckily there was this path that they could follow back--

"Did you hear that?" Teefa asked, suddenly halting her steps, causing Jineh to bump into her softly. Focusing their ears, they listened carefully. A rustling sound came from some bushes a few steps away.


(Tried to up the pace a bit ^^ Also, you can bunny as much as you like too).

[Squ]

(Doomsday and I decided to continue the story under a new title someday. This post is for closure).

Not knowing what was moving through the dense foliage, Teefa, Jineh and even Arachne were on guard. Teefa held on tightly to her staff, gripping it firmly and keeping it in front of her with both hands "who's there?" she called calmly. Jineh's eyes moved frantically, looking in all directions while Arachne remained motionless as if it was trying to focus.

"Teefa, let's just go back okay?" Jineh said quietly but realized that they had come this far and that going back would be the same as giving up, after all, time was precious and the more of it passed, the bigger the chances that one of her 'saviours' be killed. Unfortunately, the darkening forest didn't contribute to morale.

"M-maybe-" Teefa stammered. Her confidence appeared to be slipping away. Judging from the shaking of her staff, it was soon obvious that she was shivering "Maybe it's just a small animal- a rabbit or-"

A sudden growl stifled the girls. Teefa bit her lip cutting of her sentence while Jineh's eyes widened. Another growl came from another direction, seemingly from behind. Jineh slowly turned her head, her heart beating fast. Teefa pointed her staff in the direction where the first growl was heard.

"Jineh?"
"Y-yes?"
"When I say run-"

Rustling noises now seemed to come from all directions and both of the girls stood motionless. Whatever it was in the bushes, it didn't seem friendly. Jineh could almost feel her heart in her throat and was breathing fast, her tail was wrapped around her and she was waiting for something to happen -which seemed like an eternity. If only they hadn't wandered into this scary place, it wasn't even certain that Red and the mercenary headed this way. Not knowing if she'd ever see her saviors alive again, everything just turned into a nightmare.

"Mistress, I have determined that we are being surrounded" Arachne said, expecting the information to be useful.

The rustling noises stopped and an eerie silence filled the area. The only movement was from Teefa and Jineh's eyes. Suddenly and from all directions, shadowy figures leaped from the bushes right at the girls. Jineh gasped and squeaked. Rattled by the sudden assault, Teefa tripped and fell backward against Jineh who -as a result- fell onto the ground as well. Something vicious was going to attack; Arachne was spinning around, trying to get a fix on one of the creatures. Teefa grit her teeth and closed her eyes...

Just as the unknown creatures were about to pounce the healer girl and the priestess, a surge of radiant light was emitted from where the girls were lying on the ground. Jineh felt a warm sensation flowing through her body. The light became so bright; she had to squint her eyes, until it forced her to close them entirely. From all around she heard loud shrieks, possibly coming from the creatures that tried to attack her.

Just as sudden as the light had appeared, it disappeared. There was no more light and no sounds except for the whirring of Arachne and a gust of wind rustled the leaves of the trees. Slowly opening her eyes, Jineh felt something on top of her and realized quickly it was Teefa and slowly crawled from underneath her.

"Teefa?"

No response. Jineh gently shook Teefa's body. Fear gripped Jineh as she thought that Teefa had died but was quickly relieved to hear a slight moan after shaking her a couple more times. "Thank goodness" Jineh let out in her breath of relief.

"It appears the lady is still functional" Arachne said.

Jineh nodded, still slightly confused about what happened.

Although having survived an assault by strange 'things', the Jineh, Teefa and Arachne seemed to be at the beginning of an ordeal that could possibly become a long perilous task. As it became darker, things didn't seem to go as hoped. Looking up at the sky, Jineh could see the first stars and was thinking back at the moment everything started...

It was just a random night and all I wanted was a warm bed and some real food.

((to be continued someday ^^))

[Call me J]

Well this thread seemed like it ended at a strange point, but the end seemed like it came because of reasons that had nothing to do with the thread, so I won’t belabor this point too much. Doomsday, I know you’re a forum vet, so there are a number of comments here that are things you already know, but I put them in for the sake of the newer people in this thread. Squ, I want to mention that I was very happy to see how much you improved over the course of this thread. You have a lot to be proud of for that, and if Doomsday or Red Lightning helped you, they also have a lot to be proud of.

Total Score- 55

• STORY ~ 13/30

Continuity (5) ~ Doomsday was the best in this category, but I really don’t feel like I got much of a sense of where these characters came from and what they were doing that got them here in the first place. You all described your characters fairly to very well, but you also need to give the context behind the story you’re telling right now. The more past details, either from other threads or from your profiles, helps tell this story.

Setting (5) ~ The setting here mostly acted as a backdrop for the thread. You brought in NPCs where appropriate, but for the rest of it, the setting was more of a canvas upon which the characters acted.

Pacing (3) ~ I really felt this quest did a great job getting off the ground, especially for an open thread, but you guys fumbled a little bit in determining what your story was supposed to be and the thread really didn’t go anywhere in the end.

• CHARACTER ~ 17/30

Dialogue (6) ~ I really liked Doomsday’s dialogue. It was simultaneously cutesy in a good way and showed a lot about her character. In general, the dialogue here was solid, but Doomsday’s work really shone, especially her explanation that Arachne wasn’t a “monster” but an “automaton.”

Action (6) ~ I liked that the characters here looked to find in character solutions to their problems.

Persona (5) ~ I thought that Squ was just starting to show me who her character was about when this thread ended. I thought it was unfortunate it ended when it did, because I was beginning to see some improvement in this category by her.

• WRITING STYLE ~ 15/30

Mechanics (6) ~ There were a lot of little errors that really just detracted from the thread. The thing is, you don’t want a reader to be thinking about mechanics, you want a reader to be thinking about your story. I have small notes for each of the two that completed the thread below.
Doomsday- You need to make sure your sentence structures are alright. I noticed this problem from you and it really disrupted the flow of your writing.
Squ- I noticed a lot of problems with capitalization and also in getting proper names right. For a good portion of the thread, you were calling Jineh “Jinah.” While relatively minor, it is very distracting and can be somewhat confusing.

Technique (3) ~ The technique portion of the rubric incorporates the use of literary devices in order to enhance the experience of the reader. Here, I wouldn’t say there were any that were used badly, but there was a bit of a lack of them.

Clarity (6) ~ There were a few points where this got a bit hard to follow, and it times it seemed very repetitive.

• Wild Card (10) ~ Seeing open threads has become unfortunately far too rare. In an effort to encourage more of them, the ones that I see will get high Wild Card scores.

Spoils

Doomsday receives 560 EXP and 242 EXP
Squ receives 560 EXP and 242 EXP
Red Lightning receives 435 EXP and 154 EXP

[Witchblade]

EXP and GP added!