Re: Intense Struggle Season 2! (Round 1: Training Facility ONX)
07-16-2010, 05:48 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by MalkyTop.
Lillian, although feeling a little panicky at meeting a very very strange stranger, couldn't help but feel the childish urge to pet her fur. Or down. It looked like fur, she was going to call it fur. It looked so fuzzy and irresistible. The Kindred Spirit, recognizing this strange stranger from the Monitor's introductions, said nothing.
Lillian almost didn't catch what this bird-woman was saying, so caught up in daydreams of fluffy kitties and little goslings that everything that had come out of her mouth seemed very echo-y and distant. But the woman had repeated her question several times, enough for the girl to get the idea that she was asking, 'Are you okay?'. Since this bird woman was polite enough not to eviscerate her or anything, Lillian decided to answer.
"Um, I'm okay," the little girl responded a tad shyly. The woman looked relieved and smiled, so she smiled as well. She seemed to be a very nice lady and also Lillian still really wanted to pet her fur so maybe she was nice enough to let her? But she still was a stranger and she should really be wary around those.
As if knowing what Lillian was thinking, the woman crouched down to eye-level and said, "You are a very brave girl. I don't think I know many children as brave as you are. My name is Sarika."
Lillian, easily flattered, warmed up to this very very nice Sarika immediately even though she hadn't felt brave a few minutes ago and Sarika was wearing goggles so she couldn't see her eyes. "I'm Lillian!" she chirruped cheerfully. With another exchange of kind smiles, Sarika stood up once more and started walking.
"Come, we should meet up with the others." Lillian rushed up beside her and craned her neck up to see at least part of her new friend's face.
"You have friends?" She asked, more dreams of soft fluffy birds rising up in the back of her mind.
Sarika seemed hesitant to answer but still said, "Maybe."
This didn't disturb Lillian much. She knew she was friends with lots of people but there were also mean boys who were mean and tough and tended to hit things and be dumb. Obviously, the same thing must apply to bird-people. In fact, an old story called 'The Ugly Duckling' came to mind...though Sarika wasn't ugly. She looked strange and dressed oddly, but she wasn't ugly.
"Are they people like you?"
"No," Sarika replied without hesitation. "Actually...there will be some monsters around. So be sure to be careful."
Lillian wasn't worried because she was a brave girl like Sarika said. Still, she slowed down a little so that the odd-looking definitely stronger bird-woman was in front.
They walked down the bleak and dirty hallway in quite a bit of silence. Sarika's comforting back in front and hopefully nothing much behind. Finally, Lillian shyly asked, "Can...can I pet your wing...?"
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Lillian was a good girl, Sarika decided, and it just made her all the more determined to protect her. N-not that it would be any different if she were a brat! It was just nice that she didn't try her patience or was rough with feeling her feathers. She was also incredibly cute and it was a little hard not to gush over her like an overbearing aunt. Still, she managed to keep her composure as she entered the room for the second time.
Lillian looked around the room with childlike curiosity but found not much to be curious in. The only thing of interest was the narrow ledge that led to a door.
"Do...do we have to go there?" she asked a tad nervously. Sarika hesitated as they both looked down into the pit. It looked quite bottomless.
Sarika judged the gap. It would be a bit easy for her to jump across it. She would at least go most of the way. But she couldn't leave Lillian behind. She couldn't exactly carry her too, as a long jump also meant weak bones. So it seemed there was no choice but to go the slow way.
"Just stay close to me and hold my hand," she replied, trying to continue to sound kind and sure. Lillian grabbed onto the metal hand as they stepped onto the ledge gingerly and promptly decided that she would rather grab the nice and soft wing instead. Sarika looked straight ahead, apparently confident that she would not waver. Lillian tried to be as brave as her, but couldn't help but risk looking down. She couldn't help but note the sheer bottomlessness of the pit and how this ledge looked as though several things had scrabbled on it and possibly fell and how sometimes the ledge had worn off a little and looked quite old and oh gosh there goes a piece. The girl reflexively tightened her grip but loosened it when she heard a hiss of pain in front of her and all this tightening and fear and loosening and heights was kind of making her dizzy and at least she had both Sarika and her Kindred Spirit to try to sooth her but she could see herself slipping and never coming back and
"There, we're across," Sarika said as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Yeah," Lillian said shakily and they entered the next hallway.
Lillian, although feeling a little panicky at meeting a very very strange stranger, couldn't help but feel the childish urge to pet her fur. Or down. It looked like fur, she was going to call it fur. It looked so fuzzy and irresistible. The Kindred Spirit, recognizing this strange stranger from the Monitor's introductions, said nothing.
Lillian almost didn't catch what this bird-woman was saying, so caught up in daydreams of fluffy kitties and little goslings that everything that had come out of her mouth seemed very echo-y and distant. But the woman had repeated her question several times, enough for the girl to get the idea that she was asking, 'Are you okay?'. Since this bird woman was polite enough not to eviscerate her or anything, Lillian decided to answer.
"Um, I'm okay," the little girl responded a tad shyly. The woman looked relieved and smiled, so she smiled as well. She seemed to be a very nice lady and also Lillian still really wanted to pet her fur so maybe she was nice enough to let her? But she still was a stranger and she should really be wary around those.
As if knowing what Lillian was thinking, the woman crouched down to eye-level and said, "You are a very brave girl. I don't think I know many children as brave as you are. My name is Sarika."
Lillian, easily flattered, warmed up to this very very nice Sarika immediately even though she hadn't felt brave a few minutes ago and Sarika was wearing goggles so she couldn't see her eyes. "I'm Lillian!" she chirruped cheerfully. With another exchange of kind smiles, Sarika stood up once more and started walking.
"Come, we should meet up with the others." Lillian rushed up beside her and craned her neck up to see at least part of her new friend's face.
"You have friends?" She asked, more dreams of soft fluffy birds rising up in the back of her mind.
Sarika seemed hesitant to answer but still said, "Maybe."
This didn't disturb Lillian much. She knew she was friends with lots of people but there were also mean boys who were mean and tough and tended to hit things and be dumb. Obviously, the same thing must apply to bird-people. In fact, an old story called 'The Ugly Duckling' came to mind...though Sarika wasn't ugly. She looked strange and dressed oddly, but she wasn't ugly.
"Are they people like you?"
"No," Sarika replied without hesitation. "Actually...there will be some monsters around. So be sure to be careful."
Lillian wasn't worried because she was a brave girl like Sarika said. Still, she slowed down a little so that the odd-looking definitely stronger bird-woman was in front.
They walked down the bleak and dirty hallway in quite a bit of silence. Sarika's comforting back in front and hopefully nothing much behind. Finally, Lillian shyly asked, "Can...can I pet your wing...?"
------------------------------------------
Lillian was a good girl, Sarika decided, and it just made her all the more determined to protect her. N-not that it would be any different if she were a brat! It was just nice that she didn't try her patience or was rough with feeling her feathers. She was also incredibly cute and it was a little hard not to gush over her like an overbearing aunt. Still, she managed to keep her composure as she entered the room for the second time.
Lillian looked around the room with childlike curiosity but found not much to be curious in. The only thing of interest was the narrow ledge that led to a door.
"Do...do we have to go there?" she asked a tad nervously. Sarika hesitated as they both looked down into the pit. It looked quite bottomless.
Sarika judged the gap. It would be a bit easy for her to jump across it. She would at least go most of the way. But she couldn't leave Lillian behind. She couldn't exactly carry her too, as a long jump also meant weak bones. So it seemed there was no choice but to go the slow way.
"Just stay close to me and hold my hand," she replied, trying to continue to sound kind and sure. Lillian grabbed onto the metal hand as they stepped onto the ledge gingerly and promptly decided that she would rather grab the nice and soft wing instead. Sarika looked straight ahead, apparently confident that she would not waver. Lillian tried to be as brave as her, but couldn't help but risk looking down. She couldn't help but note the sheer bottomlessness of the pit and how this ledge looked as though several things had scrabbled on it and possibly fell and how sometimes the ledge had worn off a little and looked quite old and oh gosh there goes a piece. The girl reflexively tightened her grip but loosened it when she heard a hiss of pain in front of her and all this tightening and fear and loosening and heights was kind of making her dizzy and at least she had both Sarika and her Kindred Spirit to try to sooth her but she could see herself slipping and never coming back and
"There, we're across," Sarika said as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Yeah," Lillian said shakily and they entered the next hallway.