Re: Intense Struggle Season 2! (Round 3: Castle Suterrea)
05-19-2011, 06:07 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by MalkyTop.
Sarika thought about calling out Lillian’s name but ultimately decided against it as shouting would probably draw unwanted attention. That, and she had just seen herself draw unwanted attention by shouting. Another layer of headache laid itself atop the pile of migraines that had already made themselves at home, but really, what was another headache or two? It was almost a normal state for her to be in now. She could probably get used to it. She should. How else could she be sure to survive? For Lillian’s sake, of course.
Whispering didn’t attract unwanted attention. Sarika whispered “Lillian!” and then immediately realized how stupid she looked before deciding that if looking stupid helped her find Lillian, then it was probably better to look stupid. She tried going up another staircase, whispering ‘Lillian’ all the way.
And then, on the next floor, a tiny voice from the future replied, “Hello?”
Sarika blinked and paused before cautiously whispering, “Lillian?”
“Hello?”
Behind that door!
Sarika probably had never shoved a door open so hard before. She caught a glimpse of too-white hair and too-large eyes and too-pale skin before the image solidified into Lillian and she scooped up the girl in a fluffy embrace, weight be damned.
The smell….the smell wasn’t right…
Sarika let her go to allow her to gasp with delightful surprise, “Bird lady!” and she hugged her back the smell, the smell… and she stepped back again, her smile reaching her grey eyes. Had they always been grey?
“I’m so glad you’re alright,” Sarika said despite her increasing sense of anxiety. “You didn’t…nothing happened to you, right? You haven’t…you’re not hurt, or…”
“I’m fine.” Lillian continued to beam brightly. “Where’s the big bad man?”
“Marcus? You mean Marcus?” Why would she—wait, was it because…? “He’s not here.” How should she say this? “He’s...not a bad man. He wants to help.” Oh dear Hora, did that sound too condescending?
“But where is he?” Sarika wished that the growing sense of unease would just stop already.
“I don’t know,” she replied. Lillian’s expression changed slightly, causing her unease to skyrocket. Maybe she should—
Before she could blink, she found out first-hand how horribly painful having her implants being ripped out was. Not-Lillian dug into her arm like a wild animal, gripped her teeth around the thin wire, and tore it out. As soon as her blood smeared on the monster’s face, the illusion was broken and Sarika didn’t feel bad at all in kicking her away. Shit. It took out the staff arm. It took her staff.
Unarmed, Sarika turned to run away, but the girl-beast tripped her with her staff and grabbed onto her leg. The bird-woman took off her headdress and whacked it with it ineffectually until it simply got annoyed and started pulling on it to wrench it from her grasp. Sarika let go, making it tumble over backwards, and resumed running away with her mangled arm.
The creature washed its face for the second time today and put the headdress on. Twirling the staff around, it hoped that the bird-lady wouldn’t come across the big bad man first. It would be so troublesome.
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Stepping back a few moments ago, Lillian found herself in a room full of treasure chests. She had pretended to ignore them and sat down, afraid of what might happen next, unsure of what to do now, longing for things she lost. After a long while, she stood up and curiously explored the chests to get her mind off things. They seemed to be unlocked, which was a little careless, really. The first one she opened was full of gold. Now that was really careless. She closed the lid. After everything that had happened, she didn’t want to turn into a thief as well.
One chest was shaking and she studied that next. Was there something in it? Was there a poor animal trapped inside? Or a person? It looked too small to be a person…but it could still be a poor animal and if a poor animal was trapped inside, she should let it out.
She quickly learned that it was not a poor animal but a monster that looked like a treasure chest. As the Spirit pushed back its attack, she ran screaming out the door.
Now, she was in a smaller room. It reminded her of a closet. It was completely void of mean monster treasure chests. It was also completely void of friends, which she realized she dearly needed right now.
The door opened and Lillian jumped to her feet. The figure that stood in the doorway was unmistakably Sarika’s it’s not her it’s not her it’s not her. Sarika paused for a moment before running in and scooping up the girl in a cold fluffy embrace get away get away get away.
It was hard to concentrate with the Spirit raising every alarm it could raise. She was happy to see a familiar face. She was scared of…of…
Sarika let her go. “I’m so glad you’re alright,” she said, apparently not noticing Lillian’s increasing sense of anxiety. “You didn’t…nothing happened to you, ri—“
The Spirit finally gave her a sharp shove and the bird woman stumbled. She looked furious hurt. Lillian stared at her before running out of the room. Despite the Spirit lying to her, with fake monster treasure chests and not-Sarikas, maybe it was the only one she could trust here.
Sarika thought about calling out Lillian’s name but ultimately decided against it as shouting would probably draw unwanted attention. That, and she had just seen herself draw unwanted attention by shouting. Another layer of headache laid itself atop the pile of migraines that had already made themselves at home, but really, what was another headache or two? It was almost a normal state for her to be in now. She could probably get used to it. She should. How else could she be sure to survive? For Lillian’s sake, of course.
Whispering didn’t attract unwanted attention. Sarika whispered “Lillian!” and then immediately realized how stupid she looked before deciding that if looking stupid helped her find Lillian, then it was probably better to look stupid. She tried going up another staircase, whispering ‘Lillian’ all the way.
And then, on the next floor, a tiny voice from the future replied, “Hello?”
Sarika blinked and paused before cautiously whispering, “Lillian?”
“Hello?”
Behind that door!
Sarika probably had never shoved a door open so hard before. She caught a glimpse of too-white hair and too-large eyes and too-pale skin before the image solidified into Lillian and she scooped up the girl in a fluffy embrace, weight be damned.
The smell….the smell wasn’t right…
Sarika let her go to allow her to gasp with delightful surprise, “Bird lady!” and she hugged her back the smell, the smell… and she stepped back again, her smile reaching her grey eyes. Had they always been grey?
“I’m so glad you’re alright,” Sarika said despite her increasing sense of anxiety. “You didn’t…nothing happened to you, right? You haven’t…you’re not hurt, or…”
“I’m fine.” Lillian continued to beam brightly. “Where’s the big bad man?”
“Marcus? You mean Marcus?” Why would she—wait, was it because…? “He’s not here.” How should she say this? “He’s...not a bad man. He wants to help.” Oh dear Hora, did that sound too condescending?
“But where is he?” Sarika wished that the growing sense of unease would just stop already.
“I don’t know,” she replied. Lillian’s expression changed slightly, causing her unease to skyrocket. Maybe she should—
Before she could blink, she found out first-hand how horribly painful having her implants being ripped out was. Not-Lillian dug into her arm like a wild animal, gripped her teeth around the thin wire, and tore it out. As soon as her blood smeared on the monster’s face, the illusion was broken and Sarika didn’t feel bad at all in kicking her away. Shit. It took out the staff arm. It took her staff.
Unarmed, Sarika turned to run away, but the girl-beast tripped her with her staff and grabbed onto her leg. The bird-woman took off her headdress and whacked it with it ineffectually until it simply got annoyed and started pulling on it to wrench it from her grasp. Sarika let go, making it tumble over backwards, and resumed running away with her mangled arm.
The creature washed its face for the second time today and put the headdress on. Twirling the staff around, it hoped that the bird-lady wouldn’t come across the big bad man first. It would be so troublesome.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stepping back a few moments ago, Lillian found herself in a room full of treasure chests. She had pretended to ignore them and sat down, afraid of what might happen next, unsure of what to do now, longing for things she lost. After a long while, she stood up and curiously explored the chests to get her mind off things. They seemed to be unlocked, which was a little careless, really. The first one she opened was full of gold. Now that was really careless. She closed the lid. After everything that had happened, she didn’t want to turn into a thief as well.
One chest was shaking and she studied that next. Was there something in it? Was there a poor animal trapped inside? Or a person? It looked too small to be a person…but it could still be a poor animal and if a poor animal was trapped inside, she should let it out.
She quickly learned that it was not a poor animal but a monster that looked like a treasure chest. As the Spirit pushed back its attack, she ran screaming out the door.
Now, she was in a smaller room. It reminded her of a closet. It was completely void of mean monster treasure chests. It was also completely void of friends, which she realized she dearly needed right now.
The door opened and Lillian jumped to her feet. The figure that stood in the doorway was unmistakably Sarika’s it’s not her it’s not her it’s not her. Sarika paused for a moment before running in and scooping up the girl in a cold fluffy embrace get away get away get away.
It was hard to concentrate with the Spirit raising every alarm it could raise. She was happy to see a familiar face. She was scared of…of…
Sarika let her go. “I’m so glad you’re alright,” she said, apparently not noticing Lillian’s increasing sense of anxiety. “You didn’t…nothing happened to you, ri—“
The Spirit finally gave her a sharp shove and the bird woman stumbled. She looked furious hurt. Lillian stared at her before running out of the room. Despite the Spirit lying to her, with fake monster treasure chests and not-Sarikas, maybe it was the only one she could trust here.