T̷h̷e̸ ̵G̶a̴m̸e̵ - A VR Role-play

[Yowza Wowza]

Damir paused a few meters away from Evan, his jaw dropped slightly as he quietly observed the newcomer.

Even when the metallic doors slammed shut and the train whizzed away, he didn't announce himself, he just stood silently, watching as Evan backed away from the tracks.

His chest tightened and his heart threatened to pound through his chest. He could feel the anxiety crawling up through his throat as he waited.

He was hoping for some sign or behaviour that proved that Evan wasn't just another fake person, that he was actually real.

He couldn't bring himself to talk to him, to another NPC, just to get a repetitive conversation, or even nothing at all. He had to be sure that the guy standing in the station was actually really real.

Through all of the anxiety, Damir didn't even notice that Nina hadn't followed him down the glossy steps, into the station itself. She probably wasn't even outside of the station anymore. But, all of his focus had been drawn solely to Evan.

Damir took a deep breath, letting it trickle slowly out of his mouth, mustering up all courage he had. He took a single step forward, towards Evan.

He stopped almost immediately, clutching at his leg as a sudden sharp pain shot through it.

He'd been wearing his prosthetic for much longer than he usually did, and it was starting to get uncomfortable. But, he knew that he was going to have to put up with it for just a little longer.

With another deep breath and gritted teeth, he took a few more steps towards Evan, before stopping a few paces away; trying to see if he could see a tattoo or any indication that he was a player too.

(Please pardon my much bad writing haha)

As Evan took in his new, brightly lit pristine surroundings, his eyes eventually fell on an individual who was seemingly coming closer and closer to him. Besides him and the individual, they appeared to be the only ones on the platform.

Are they.. waiting for the train to come back.. or..

He watched them take another step in his direction, and Evan’s eyes jumped back and forth from the persons face and their increasing steps.

No, they’re totally coming towards me..

He took his dominant hand and rubbed the back of his head anxiously. Growing uncomfortable by the second, his mind started to race with possible scenarios of why this person was coming towards him of all people.

The little girl said I could get my answers here.. maybe.. she meant this person? Are they here to help me..?

When Damir stopped, Evan remained frozen and wide-eyed like a deer in head lights. With no baseball bat or wild bush child to defend himself with, Evan had to make a decision.

His fight or flight instincts kicked in, and it chose flight. He booked it from the platform and raced up the nearest flight of stairs to avoid his potential perpetrator.

 

[TamingMaster]

Leita's face contorted, scrunching up tightly. "Thanks for the offer, but no."

The table fell silent, not even a whisper could be heard, and all eyes were on the prince.

The guards that stood around the edges of the room had stiffened, their hands perched eagerly on the handles of their weapons, their eyes glancing between Onuris and Leita.

Onuris' cheerful expression dropped from his face and his eyes narrowed. He a step closer to Leita, looking down at her. "Are you refusing my offer?"

"Yeah," Leita said, carefully noting the sudden tension in the room. She slowly shifted her sitting position to one she could easily stand from, if needed. "Sorry..."

"There is no need to apologise," Onuris spoke, a sly smile growing as he spoke. "Perhaps a night in the dungeons will help you reconsider?"

He glaced over at the guards, giving a short nod. They, in turn, stepped towards Leita; the pair reached towards her, presumably to drag her off to somewhere far from the light of day.

But, she absolutely wasn't going to reconsider, and definitely she wasn't going to any dungeon.

She quickly got to her feet, flinging a large plate, and all its contents, at the pair of guards behind her.

The slimy plant leaves spilled across the fine, black fabric of their shirts, and hit the floor with the same grotesque motion.

Leita rushed towards the doorway, pushing a lone guard out of her way. She raced through the maze of rooms, trying to figure out which way the escape was. Come on, I know it was around here somewhere...

The guards tried to rush after her, but they were quickly divided. Some tripped over the spilled food, tripping others, a few had gone to alert more guards, and a small handful had stayed beside the prince as he made his way to Leita.
Only two had actually managed to keep up with her, and they were determined to catch her.

The first guard grabbed her arm, landing a hefty fist to the face from Leita. Their eyes welled with tears, the impact forcing them to weaken their grip on Leita and cup their nose, whimpering.

"Sorry," Leita said quietly, quickly pushing them off, before continuing to the exit. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but she didn't really have a choice this time.

The door that led to freedom was blocked by a large, muscular guard, who stood with her arms crossed, without a weapon. Easy enough, right?

Onuris and his two guards came through a doorway on the other side of the room, and behind her was the guard that had been chasing her previously. All had swords drawn, and had blocked every accessible door.

The only way out was a fight.

One of Onuris' guards made the first move, leaving the others protecting any possible escape route. He swung the sword towards her, missing her by just a hair.

Leita twisted, firing a kick towards his hand, hoping to somehow knock the sword from his hand. At least then she'd stand a chance.

Unfortunately, the guard was a lot quicker on his feet than Leita had imagined, and he ended up knocking her to the ground.

"Ugh," Leita groaned, momentum dragging her across the sandstone floor. The force had knocked some of the wind out of her, but luckily she only had a few scrapes across her knees and elbows.

After a couple of short breaths, she pushed herself up and got back on her feet. The dress she had been wearing had torn across the front, shorting it to around the length her knees.

Leita glared at the prince, before tearing the fabric from the bottom of the dress and holding it taut between her hands.

The guard stepped towards her, smiling smugly as he swung the sword in circles, before swinging the sword at her.

She missed the first two and, on his third swing, Leita used the fabric to catch the sword, wrapping it tightly and ripping it from his hands.
It was flung across the room, dragging the now split pieces of fabric with it.

His ego had been hit hard, and it took him a few seconds to recover. But, by then, Leita had already kicked him back, knocking him to the floor.

She raced over to the sword, scooping it up eagerly with both hands and pointing it at the flattened guard.

He wasn't a coward, but he knew he didn't stand a chance without a weapon, and decided to retreat back to the prince's side.

The other guard scoffed at the retreating man, walking over to Leita. They took their stance in front of her, lightly holding the sword up.

Unlike the other one, this guard was less aggressive, and much more cautious. The glint in their eyes showed excitement, but they kept themselves calm, despite it.

One of their hands lifted from the sword handle, beckoning her to take a swing at them, before returning to its previous position.

"If you insist," Leita muttered, taking the first swing. Their swords collided, crashing against one another with a loud clang.

The guard was skilled, carefully picking points of attack. At one point, Leita almost struggled to keep up, nearly losing her footing.

After a few more minutes of clashing swords and near misses from both sides, the pair stepped back from each other, taking a minute to catch their breath.

Even though things were quite serious, Leita could tell they were enjoying themselves. She would have been lying if she said she wasn't also, even just a tiny bit.

"This is ridiculous," Onuris remarked, making his way over to join the fight. He held his sword loosely in one hand, calmly and confidently.

The swordless guard, and the guard who had been blocking other doorway, rushed over to him, trying to prevent him from joining in and possibly getting injured by a feral Leita.

But, he refused to let them stop him, especially against such a challenge. He continued to march over, prompting the swordless guard to fetch some help.

Leita's current opponent lost their focus for a moment, to check on the prince. And that was all Leita needed.

She used her sword to knock their's from their hands, then followed through with a sharp punch to the jaw.

They stumbled back, teeth gritted tightly. They stepped forward to face her head on, but were simply brushed to the side by Onuris. "You've done well, but I will take it from here."

"Your Highness, I-"

Onuris glanced at them, causing them to step aside and watch hesitantly from the sidelines.

He turned his full attention to Leita, staring with a blank expression, before holding his sword up. "This will be your last chance to reconsider."

Leita's face scrunched up, angrier than she had been before. She wasn't going to reconsider, and she was going to make sure he got that message.

This time, she was the aggressive one, swinging quickly and violently. But, she didn't lose her head, she stayed focused and light on her feet.

Onuris, on the other hand, stayed consistently calm. Compared to him, she looked like an unoccupied child swinging a stick around.

But, his lack of wanting to harm his future wife had forced him to hold back, and that gave Leita the upper hand.

A long minute had passed, filled with vicious metallic clangs, before Leita decided she was bored of his games.

She swung close, arching it towards his head. As he ducked down, she used all her remaining energy to knock him flat on his back. His sword clattered against the ground, just out of arm's reach.

She now stood over him, her sword pointed down at his throat. "I will never want to be your wife."

He looked up at her, smirking slightly, as guards rushed in through every doorway, forming a ring around her and the prince.

Leita swallowed hard, her heart racing in her chest.as she muttered under her breath. Crap...

The thick tension was cut completely by Onuris bursting out with laughter, his hand held up as a signal to his guards to stand down. "That... That was even better than I had imagined."

"W-What?" Leita held the sword tightly, still pointed at Onuris. "What is this?"

"Do not worry," Onuris said, his laughter softening. He carefully brushed the sword out of his way, rising to his feet. "I do not want to marry you, for I have promised my heart to Yamina."

"Then, why all of this?" Leita asked, her expression scrunched tightly. She kept the sword pointed loosely in his direction, watching him pick up his sword and hand it to one of the newest guards.

"Ah," Onuris nodded. "It was a test. You see, I had to know how you would react, and how well you could fight, before I asked you to do something even more important."

Leita lowered the sword, letting it drop to her side. She didn't believe he was lying, and the guards clearing away from the doorways reinforced that belief.

She had a lot of things she wanted to say, like how crazy this all was and how she'd just hurt a bunch of people for no reason, but decided to keep it less confrontational. "Ask away, I guess."

"I would like you to find my father." Onuris glanced up, his expression appearing more serious. "Should you accept, you will be given a choice of weapons, clothing, creatures for riding, and anything else you may need to bring my father back. And you will be rewarded handsomely, upon completion."

He let out a soft sigh, "Should you refuse, you will be allowed to leave safely. One of our riders will take you to the edge of the desert and, from there, you will have to find your own way."

Leita paused, thinking it over. If she was in his position, she would have probably gone to the same lengths to get her father back. But, on the other hand, she had to find a way home, so that she could see her dad again.

"I'm really sorry," Leita sighed, a tinge of guilt tugging at her heart, "but I can't help you."

"I understand." Onuris smiled sadly. He took a deep breath, speaking again, before Leita could. "Please, come, let us return your previous attire."

Leita followed Onuris through the rooms, still carrying the sword she had swiped from a guard.

He led her to a smaller room, much like the dining hall, with a little table inside. On it were Leita's clothes, bag, and sword, laid out carefully. "Take as much time as you require, and our servants are available when you're ready to go."

Onuris smiled, before turning to leave, lifting the silk door. "Also, you are welcome to keep the sword. You won it fairly, and I am sure it will serve you well."

"Thank you," Leita replied sincerely, letting out a gentle sigh as she was left in the quiet room, alone. I know I can't help, I have to get home. But, still... I feel bad for him.

Once she had changed, leaving the dress folded on the table next to her old sword, she headed out of the room.
The first servant she spoke to quickly left to fetch Onuris and a rider, returning a few moments later with them both.

The rider fetched a large, spiny lizard with a saddle like a rollercoaster seat, to ride. But, before the rider could help her up into it, she was slowed by Onuris.

"If you should ever change your mind, seek the desert." He looked at her for a moment, watching her climb up the lizard's back, aided by the rider.

Leita nodded, letting moment pass. "I can't promise anything, but I'll look out for any information about your father."

"It is much appreciated," Onuris smiled, watching the lizard begin it's journey, taking Leita to the edge of the biome.

"Ah!" He called out, remembering an important piece of information. "Be warned, the Safe Zone is not as its name suggests. The people there are not to be trusted."

"Thank you!" Leita waved, letting him know she'd heard him and he got further and further away, until he faded beyond the horizon.

Well, that was weird...

As the sun slowly crept past the horizon, letting the moon take its place in the sky, Leita slumped into the saddle, atop the giant lizard.

The warm, adventurous day had become a cold, quiet night. Stars seemed to suddenly appear, filling the empty space around the moon; the clouds drifted apart, letting them light the desert.

The rider wasn't much of a conversationalist, so Leita had to occupy herself as they travelled through the dunes.
She took the time to look over her new sword, gently tracing the markings on the handle, which lead up to a ocean-blue jewel, carefully embedded in the very end.

The air around her had started to chill a little, and she found herself wishing for her hoodie, which she had lost at some point during her scuffle in the desert.

However, the rider seemed unfazed by the drop in temperature, continuing their focus on guiding the lizard.

Its large, swaying body stepped carefully around dipped patches in the peach sand, as if it was avoiding them. Similarly, it curved around towering cacti and the occasional, unmoving tumbleweed.

As she watched its mesmerising movements, Leita felt her eyelids grow heavier. It'd been a little while since she'd had any sleep, and she was starting to feel the affects of her exertion.

She let out a small yawn, stretching her arms, trying to fight the urge to fall asleep.
But, it was a pointless effort. Her body slumped forward, leaning into the saddle, as her eyes closed completely.

The dunes were completely quiet, except for Leita's hushed snoring and the cushioned footsteps of the spiked reptile.

She was woken a few hours later by the rider, who had given her a couple of soft taps on the shoulder. "We have arrived."

Leita blinked her eyes into focus, stretching out her previously cramped limbs, before climbing down, off the saddle.

The moonlight shone down, illuminating the edge of the desert, which had blended seamlessly with a more grassy biome.

It wasn't long before Leita was wide awake, taking in as much information as she could about the new area.

Although it was dark, she could see that the grass was a very saturated green, and tiny flowers were dotted all over. Some had even spread throughout the scattered bushes, which were as rich as the grass around them.

Tall birch trees were scattered around, reflecting the moonlight through the thinning woodland, whilst providing coverage from above.

A delicate breeze pushed the aroma of flowers around, occasionally letting the scents sit in the air, before pulling them along with it.

Leita turned briefly back to the rider, thanking them for their help and watching as they set off, back to Onuris' pyramid.

She let out a quick breath, knowing that she'd, once again, be walking alone with who-knows-what out there.

But, she was never one for being afraid of a challenge, and she wasn't going to start now.

She shook off any remaining urge to sleep, before taking her first step onto the grass. The solid ground was a welcome change to the sandy floor of the desert.

Immediately, after a couple of steps, Leita could tell that the flower field was much less muggy than the dunes had been. The air was fresh and, even though she still felt a chill, it was completely different to before.

She pushed her way through the shrubs, making her way deeper into the flower field, sticking close to the tree line.

Small irises were scattered amongst lilies, daisies, pansies, and hundreds of other types of flowers - including some Leita had never seen before.

Each seemed to have found their ideal spots under trees or in wide open spaces, soaking up some of the moon's light. Some were even tucked under huge clematis or honeysuckle bushes.

There were even a few mushrooms and toadstools dotted around, attached to the trunks of trees or hidden in taller patches of grass.
Thankfully, they were nothing like the fungi that Leita had previously been acquainted with, back in the caves.

Despite her energy at the beginning of the biome, Leita was once again faltering. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to fight the inevitable urge to sleep.

"I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to catch a little shut-eye, especially since this place seems safer than the last." Leita muttered to herself as she sat down at the base of a nearby tree, just opposite of a gigantic honeysuckle bush.

She unbuckled her bag, placing it beside herself, followed by the sword, which she kept a little closer. Just in case she needed it in the night.

Her eyes dipped as she leaned against the tree, before closing completely, leaving her vulnerable as she slept.

(@LittleBrownie for Zulema.)

 

[Yowza Wowza]

Rather than listen to the individuals pelting questions, Tem stood there holding in their laughter at the amount of silt drenched over Aros’ lower half. They couldn’t help but let out a snort and return their focus to the river. Still with their ears pinned against their head, they gazed down and up the stream with resentment, noticing the debris that floated by. None were reliable for crossing, but there were some strange green boulder-like objects in the water that went against the current, holding their own. “Yeah.. I hate water.. and I’ve already taken my monthly bath” they muttered.

‘Snap!’

Tem jumped a full 180° and stared down at a single squirrel that managed to beat the rest of its group downhill. The squirrel twitched, flicked its tail and eyeballed the two humanly figures.

Tem gazed deep into its pitch black, soulless saucers for eyes, sensing the deep maliciousness intent in the little creatures body. Why isn’t it doing anything... why... is it just sitting there... They casted Aros an awkward glance, then without warning the squirrel started to scream at the top of its lungs, alerting its fellow squirrels in earshot.

Quick to react, Tem withdrew their single sandal from under their foot and launched it straight at the shrilling squirrel. Once they landed a hit and knocked the animal unconscious, they gave a victorious hiss and scrambled onto the shoulders of the towering Aros. Ignoring how uncomfortable or upset they may have made Aros by clambering onto him, there was certainly no other way to go about it now that the squirrels were going to be descending onto them at any second by the sound of the ground rumbling underneath their feet. “We need to go. NOW!” they yelled urgently, pointing at the scattered some-what ‘alignment’ of green boulders that brought the two sides of the river together.

Things became fuzzy after they crossed the river with their lanky companion. They both managed the lose the squirrels after immediately running straight towards the thick of the forest after landing right on the riverbed.

What Tem didn’t know, was that they had totally outran Aros, too much in the moment to slow down or check if their companion was still nearby. Tem eventually slowed their pace and came to a stop once the trees around them started to morph and thin out into willow trees.

The environment had changed into a murky, foggy swamp, and before Tem knew it, their feet were inches deep in shallow water. They frantically looked around for some sort of stable land, but all they could do was trudge to the nearest cypress tree and rely on its protruding thick roots above the water for some sort of safety.

Grumbling out of annoyance as they clambered onto the tree, Tem dug their claws deep into trunk and vigorously shook the mud off their feet. “What’s up with this stupid place… and it’s stupid water.. and stupid mud” they hissed under their breath as they settled down on a root, keeping out of ways of the water below them.

The swamp was eerie and gray, with a low mist resting on the disturbingly green water. There was hardly a breeze, and all Tem could hear was just the sound of crickets, frogs, and buzzing flying insects echoing through the swamp.

They brought their knees to their chest and lowered their head, wrapping themselves in a hug with their tail curled around them.

Thinking about where Aros may have ended up, a strange but random canoe shaped boat slowly drifted into Tem’s range of sight. It wasn’t coming towards them, but rather just following the gentle current of the water a couple trees from where Tem was resting.

What the..

They perked up and immediately rose to their feet, nearly losing their balance on the root but instinctively dug their claws into the wood for stability.

Is that.. a boat?

They squinted their eyes at the floating object, observing that it was in fact unoccupied. Before even considering making the impulsive move to head straight towards the boat, Tem decided to climb further up the tree and maneuver from tree to tree, keenly tailing the boat to see where it would end up.

(Open for RP @FrankieDoodle @RoostersAreAwesome @Butterscotchbitesfinger)

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

“Oh sh-“ she broke off remembering that cursing wouldn’t help at this point in time, she jogged over to them and kneeled beside them, their body was spasming and she couldn’t do anything about it. She released the breath she hadn’t even realised she’d been holding as their body stopped moving, “hello? Human, please wake up” she begged poking them rather roughly in the arm “look I don’t know how to address you, you never mentioned your name so it’s just going to have to be human for the time being.” She informed them.
Lyra didn’t know what to do so she just sat on the ground next to them, “please don’t die, as much of a pain in the butt as you were at least you where another person” she muttered to herself

Lyra wrapped her arms tightly around herself and got tears began to trickle down her cheeks, she couldn’t do this anymore. It was so so hard, her parents weren’t here to help her through this. Nobody was. She got up to get some water, it wasn’t smart to leave someone unconscious in a cave where anything can kill them. But she needed to get them some water, whatever sort of seizure they’d had maybe water would be beneficial to help them recover. She trekked towards the river they had passed earlier when the other person had cut her out of the webbed cocoon. She felt a pang of worry run through her like ice, the other boy she had been with. She hoped he had made it out alive and that he would come back for her because at the moment she had no idea what she was doing and she needed someone to talk to.

 

[TamingMaster]

Lyra wrapped her arms tightly around herself and got tears began to trickle down her cheeks, she couldn’t do this anymore. It was so so hard, her parents weren’t here to help her through this. Nobody was. She got up to get some water, it wasn’t smart to leave someone unconscious in a cave where anything can kill them. But she needed to get them some water, whatever sort of seizure they’d had maybe water would be beneficial to help them recover. She trekked towards the river they had passed earlier when the other person had cut her out of the webbed cocoon. She felt a pang of worry run through her like ice, the other boy she had been with. She hoped he had made it out alive and that he would come back for her because at the moment she had no idea what she was doing and she needed someone to talk to.

Fabian layed unconscious in the damp cave, where Lyra had left them; their back flat against the cold, stone floor.

Inside their unconscious mind, they were revisiting a distant memory, one that they had almost completely forgotten about.

"So, do I have to call both of you mom?" Fabian asked, looking up at Sally and Emily as they showed him around his new home.

Emily crouched down slightly, until she was level with his eyes, and smiled softly. "You can, if you want. Or you can just call us Emily and Sally, for now. Whatever feels comfortable."

"Oh, okay." Fabian clutched his little bag filled with his possessions tightly, "Do I... Do I have my own room?"

"Of course you do!" Sally grinned excitedly, taking Fabian by the hand and leading him up to his room.

"Remember when we asked you what your favourite colour was?" Sally asked, buying a little time for Emily to catch up to them.

"Yeah?" Fabian replied, questioningly.

Sally slowly opened the door, revealing a purple room, with a clear white ceiling. Inside was complimentary wooden furniture, a bed with a black bedsheet, and more toys and books than Fabian had ever seen in his life.

Fabian's jaw dropped as he stared in through the door. "This is really my room?"

"Yep," Sally beamed, looking up at her equally excited wife. "This room, and everything inside, is yours now."

Fabian wasn't a fan of hugging, but he had an overwhelming urge to do something to show what he was feeling inside.

He quietly extended his pinky out, locking it with Sally's, and gave a little smile. He then held his other pinky out for Emily to wrap her's around.

"Thank you."

The memory quickly faded away, leaving nothing but silent darkness and a yearning for home.

Water started to trickle towards them, reversing its gradual trail back through the stones. It eventually made contact with their pinky, slowly coating their hand in a thin membrane, letting itself be absorbed.

Small droplets drifted down from the roof of the cave, off the speleothem above, joining the creeping mass of water already on their hand.

The absorption process was painfully slow, but even the smallest amount of water counted towards some form of recovery.

Their naturally purple-toned skin had darkened with the reduction of water in their body, but it gradually started fade as their water levels started to increase.

A voice echoed through the darkness of their empty dream, like a hand reaching out, to pull them back into conscious thought.

"Fabian, it's time to wake up."

 

[Yowza Wowza]

As the sun slowly crept past the horizon, letting the moon take its place in the sky, Leita slumped into the saddle, atop the giant lizard.

The warm, adventurous day had become a cold, quiet night. Stars seemed to suddenly appear, filling the empty space around the moon; the clouds drifted apart, letting them light the desert.

The rider wasn't much of a conversationalist, so Leita had to occupy herself as they travelled through the dunes.
She took the time to look over her new sword, gently tracing the markings on the handle, which lead up to a ocean-blue jewel, carefully embedded in the very end.

The air around her had started to chill a little, and she found herself wishing for her hoodie, which she had lost at some point during her scuffle in the desert.

However, the rider seemed unfazed by the drop in temperature, continuing their focus on guiding the lizard.

Its large, swaying body stepped carefully around dipped patches in the peach sand, as if it was avoiding them. Similarly, it curved around towering cacti and the occasional, unmoving tumbleweed.

As she watched its mesmerising movements, Leita felt her eyelids grow heavier. It'd been a little while since she'd had any sleep, and she was starting to feel the affects of her exertion.

She let out a small yawn, stretching her arms, trying to fight the urge to fall asleep.
But, it was a pointless effort. Her body slumped forward, leaning into the saddle, as her eyes closed completely.

The dunes were completely quiet, except for Leita's hushed snoring and the cushioned footsteps of the spiked reptile.

She was woken a few hours later by the rider, who had given her a couple of soft taps on the shoulder. "We have arrived."

Leita blinked her eyes into focus, stretching out her previously cramped limbs, before climbing down, off the saddle.

The moonlight shone down, illuminating the edge of the desert, which had blended seamlessly with a more grassy biome.

It wasn't long before Leita was wide awake, taking in as much information as she could about the new area.

Although it was dark, she could see that the grass was a very saturated green, and tiny flowers were dotted all over. Some had even spread throughout the scattered bushes, which were as rich as the grass around them.

Tall birch trees were scattered around, reflecting the moonlight through the thinning woodland, whilst providing coverage from above.

A delicate breeze pushed the aroma of flowers around, occasionally letting the scents sit in the air, before pulling them along with it.

Leita turned briefly back to the rider, thanking them for their help and watching as they set off, back to Onuris' pyramid.

She let out a quick breath, knowing that she'd, once again, be walking alone with who-knows-what out there.

But, she was never one for being afraid of a challenge, and she wasn't going to start now.

She shook off any remaining urge to sleep, before taking her first step onto the grass. The solid ground was a welcome change to the sandy floor of the desert.

Immediately, after a couple of steps, Leita could tell that the flower field was much less muggy than the dunes had been. The air was fresh and, even though she still felt a chill, it was completely different to before.

She pushed her way through the shrubs, making her way deeper into the flower field, sticking close to the tree line.

Small irises were scattered amongst lilies, daisies, pansies, and hundreds of other types of flowers - including some Leita had never seen before.

Each seemed to have found their ideal spots under trees or in wide open spaces, soaking up some of the moon's light. Some were even tucked under huge clematis or honeysuckle bushes.

There were even a few mushrooms and toadstools dotted around, attached to the trunks of trees or hidden in taller patches of grass.
Thankfully, they were nothing like the fungi that Leita had previously been acquainted with, back in the caves.

Despite her energy at the beginning of the biome, Leita was once again faltering. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to fight the inevitable urge to sleep.

"I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to catch a little shut-eye, especially since this place seems safer than the last." Leita muttered to herself as she sat down at the base of a nearby tree, just opposite of a gigantic honeysuckle bush.

She unbuckled her bag, placing it beside herself, followed by the sword, which she kept a little closer. Just in case she needed it in the night.

Her eyes dipped as she leaned against the tree, before closing completely, leaving her vulnerable as she slept.

(@LittleBrownie for Zulema.)

With a gentle rustle of the honeysuckle bush across from Leita, a imperceptible figure made its way over to the sleeping girl. It made no contact with the ground beneath them as it hovered near her, using its invisibility ability to remain undetected if the person awoke.

Zulema lowered her feet to the ground and curiously observed the sleeping persons features with the little amount of moonlight that managed to grace their face. She noticed the interesting white triangle shaped marks on their cheeks, and how peaceful the person looked as they slept.

Even if she was at least a couple feet away from Leita, it definitely felt like she was being more of a creep than anything. She had to confront this persons questionable decision to sleep out in the open, especially at night.

Almost as if she just faded into existence, Zulema made herself apparent, no longer disguised under invisibility. She still retained her tight black leather outfit, fishnets, and boots—her hooded cloak being unnecessary to wear at night. Her blood red eyes gave off a faint glow as she glanced around, making sure they were the only two around.

“Hey” she said in a hush voice, giving a step towards Leita with a followed but louder “Wake up”

She kept her eyes strictly on the sword that was in the persons possession, wishing she could have disarmed them while they slept, but it was too late as she already started to talk to them.

“Hey you” she spoke again, giving them a firm nudge on one of their feet with her boot, “What are you doing out here?”

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Fabian layed unconscious in the damp cave, where Lyra had left them; their back flat against the cold, stone floor.

Inside their unconscious mind, they were revisiting a distant memory, one that they had almost completely forgotten about.

"So, do I have to call both of you mom?" Fabian asked, looking up at Sally and Emily as they showed him around his new home.

Emily crouched down slightly, until she was level with his eyes, and smiled softly. "You can, if you want. Or you can just call us Emily and Sally, for now. Whatever feels comfortable."

"Oh, okay." Fabian clutched his little bag filled with his possessions tightly, "Do I... Do I have my own room?"

"Of course you do!" Sally grinned excitedly, taking Fabian by the hand and leading him up to his room.

"Remember when we asked you what your favourite colour was?" Sally asked, buying a little time for Emily to catch up to them.

"Yeah?" Fabian replied, questioningly.

Sally slowly opened the door, revealing a purple room, with a clear white ceiling. Inside was complimentary wooden furniture, a bed with a black bedsheet, and more toys and books than Fabian had ever seen in his life.

Fabian's jaw dropped as he stared in through the door. "This is really my room?"

"Yep," Sally beamed, looking up at her equally excited wife. "This room, and everything inside, is yours now."

Fabian wasn't a fan of hugging, but he had an overwhelming urge to do something to show what he was feeling inside.

He quietly extended his pinky out, locking it with Sally's, and gave a little smile. He then held his other pinky out for Emily to wrap her's around.

"Thank you."

The memory quickly faded away, leaving nothing but silent darkness and a yearning for home.

Water started to trickle towards them, reversing its gradual trail back through the stones. It eventually made contact with their pinky, slowly coating their hand in a thin membrane, letting itself be absorbed.

Small droplets drifted down from the roof of the cave, off the speleothem above, joining the creeping mass of water already on their hand.

The absorption process was painfully slow, but even the smallest amount of water counted towards some form of recovery.

Their naturally purple-toned skin had darkened with the reduction of water in their body, but it gradually started fade as their water levels started to increase.

A voice echoed through the darkness of their empty dream, like a hand reaching out, to pull them back into conscious thought.

"Fabian, it's time to wake up."

Lyra arrived back at the cave her eyes flickered to the form on the floor, she felt immense relief that they hadn’t been eaten while she had gone to get some water. She kneeled beside them in the hopes that they might wake up soon.

 

[TamingMaster]

(Please pardon my much bad writing haha)

As Evan took in his new, brightly lit pristine surroundings, his eyes eventually fell on an individual who was seemingly coming closer and closer to him. Besides him and the individual, they appeared to be the only ones on the platform.

Are they.. waiting for the train to come back.. or..

He watched them take another step in his direction, and Evan’s eyes jumped back and forth from the persons face and their increasing steps.

No, they’re totally coming towards me..

He took his dominant hand and rubbed the back of his head anxiously. Growing uncomfortable by the second, his mind started to race with possible scenarios of why this person was coming towards him of all people.

The little girl said I could get my answers here.. maybe.. she meant this person? Are they here to help me..?

When Damir stopped, Evan remained frozen and wide-eyed like a deer in head lights. With no baseball bat or wild bush child to defend himself with, Evan had to make a decision.

His fight or flight instincts kicked in, and it chose flight. He booked it from the platform and raced up the nearest flight of stairs to avoid his potential perpetrator.

"He's... He's human..." Damir let out a nervous laugh of relief, running his hands over his hair. "... And he ran away."

"I can't believe he ran." He stood in disbelief for a second, before letting out another little laugh, ignorant to the irony of the situation. Maybe he'll bump into Nina.

"Wait," Damir's expression dropped as he spun around, doing a full 360, looking for Nina. But, she was nowhere inside the train station; he couldn't recall her even entering it. "N-Nina?"

He rushed up the stairs, after the other person, but with the motivation of finding the girl he'd originally been exploring with.

But, when he reached the top, she wasn't there. There was just the occasional emotionless passerby, going about their programmed path, and the same dim buildings.

"NINA?" He yelled out, desperate for some reply. However, all he got was the same old city ambiance - the quiet steps, the leaky pipes, and inaudible chatter in the distance.

Damir felt a sharp tinge of guilt deep in his chest. He'd promised to protect her. He promised that they'd stick together. But, he rushed off ahead, and now she had disappeared.

He leaned against a nearby wall, taking the weight off his homemade prosthetic, as he tried to figure out what to do.

He could wait here for Nina, even though he had a feeling that she wouldn't be coming back, or he could chase after the guy and risk damaging his leg further.

Damir placed his hand on his leg, where the prosthetic connected to the skin. The tiniest thing seemed to remind him of that night, and this moment wasn't an exception.

Flames engulfed the building, spreading rapidly through the wooden support beams, before they clattered down on top of him, crushing his leg.

Spitting flames grabbed at his clothes, burning the skin underneath, as he tried to wiggle free of the debris.

He tried to get out, to get to her, to save her. But, whether it was due to a lack of oxygen due to smoke inhalation or because of the pain, he passed out before he could.

"Damir, help me..."

Her scared voice replayed over, and over, in his head, until he snapped himself back into reality. Or, rather, what had become their reality.

Damir looked towards the direction Evan had gone, before deciding to go after him, despite the pain. After all, if he couldn't help Nina, he was going to try to at least help someone.

Deep down, the reason was probably more selfish than that. It was more likely that he didn't want to be alone in this world. But, he wouldn't admit that to anyone, not even himself.

 

[TamingMaster]

With a gentle rustle of the honeysuckle bush across from Leita, a imperceptible figure made its way over to the sleeping girl. It made no contact with the ground beneath them as it hovered near her, using its invisibility ability to remain undetected if the person awoke.

Zulema lowered her feet to the ground and curiously observed the sleeping persons features with the little amount of moonlight that managed to grace their face. She noticed the interesting white triangle shaped marks on their cheeks, and how peaceful the person looked as they slept.

Even if she was at least a couple feet away from Leita, it definitely felt like she was being more of a creep than anything. She had to confront this persons questionable decision to sleep out in the open, especially at night.

Almost as if she just faded into existence, Zulema made herself apparent, no longer disguised under invisibility. She still retained her tight black leather outfit, fishnets, and boots—her hooded cloak being unnecessary to wear at night. Her blood red eyes gave off a faint glow as she glanced around, making sure they were the only two around.

“Hey” she said in a hush voice, giving a step towards Leita with a followed but louder “Wake up”

She kept her eyes strictly on the sword that was in the persons possession, wishing she could have disarmed them while they slept, but it was too late as she already started to talk to them.

“Hey you” she spoke again, giving them a firm nudge on one of their feet with her boot, “What are you doing out here?”

Leita grumbled angrily at the kick, turning away from the source of it. She had only just fallen asleep and didn't feel like waking up any time soon.

It took a few moments for her to realise that she was still in the flower field, and that something had just nudged her.

Leita opened a single eye, peering towards her foot. She opened her other eye, and both widened as she noticed Zulema's boots standing in front of her.

She shuffled backwards, pressing herself against the tree behind her and tucking her legs in. As she reached for her sword, her eyes followed the boots up to her fishnets, and continued up until they reached Zulema's glowing red eyes.

Leita quickly got to her feet, kicking her bag behind her and out of the way, catching a short glimpse at the stranger's fuchsia hair.

She clutched her sword in one hand, keeping it slightly raised off the ground, as she gazed curiously into Zulema's eyes.

After her encounter with Onuris, she wasn't exactly sure what to expect from anyone. For all she knew, this could be the Safe Zone that he had warned her about.

"Who are you?" She asked loud and clear, a stern expression causing her eyebrows to furrow slightly.
She took a short step closer, raising her sword a little, trying to look more intimidating than she actually was, but it wasn't really working.

 

[TamingMaster]

Lyra arrived back at the cave her eyes flickered to the form on the floor, she felt immense relief that they hadn’t been eaten while she had gone to get some water. She kneeled beside them in the hopes that they might wake up soon.

Fabian's hands started to twitch in their sleep, causing the clear membrane to ripple. Like a bubble bursting, it split apart, sending the water spilling out in all directions.

The sudden cold shock was enough to wake them up, as they launched themselves into a sitting position.

A few deep breaths later, and they had finally caught sight of Lyra. They were surprised that she was still there, but relieved in some kind of way.

Fabian tried to speak, but their throat was so dry that it felt like they had swallowed a barrel of salt.

A wave of light-headedness hit them, followed by a gentle pounding, forcing them to grasp at their head.

They glanced wearily back at Lyra, giving her a thankful nod, before they tried to process what had and was currently happening.