I turned into my hawk form and circled the group, trying to see what was going on. Alissa was circling the ground on the ground. I saw a dead girl, being held by that cow-halfer. She must have been important to her. After a minute or to he left and walked toward the cave he came from to see her.
He must feel so awful, not being there when it happened. I looked at her blood all over the pretty snow. I feel really bad too. I don't like seeing people in pain and dying. It was really hard for people, and even if I didn't know that girl all to well, I'm still so sad...
I flew around for a little while, but when I noticed there was probably nothing more that was going to happen, I followed where the cow-halfer went. I flew by an open cave, and saw he wasn't there but the lion-halfer and, was that a bear-halfer? Anyways they were talking, and the bear was picking up the lion-halfer. The lion-halfer looked pretty beat up, his shoulder looked like it was about to come off. I tried to listen to what they said, but, I couldn't. I looked at the ground and saw footprints. Those must be the cow-halfer. I looked back at the group, and saw Alissa watching the group. I soared high into the air, trying to see where the cow-halfer was. I went to the ground and I flew by the ground, following his footprints. I stopped far enough so he couldn't see me, but I could see him, because I was still in my hawk form.
He was making a snow man, and a pretty good one at that. I could tell he was thinking, and thinking hard. I watched him make the beautiful snowman. After he finished, his hands were frozen to it. He started to shout. I turned into my human form and walked to him. He looked around and shouted, "Heeeyyyy~! You! Yeah, you with the face!." He was looking at me. I stopped walking.
"Uh-huh, you! I need help!! My hands, they're kinda stuck, and--HEY! Don't you even dare walk away, I might die, and today hasn't been great for me already, and--AUGHHH! YOU WALKED AWAY," he shouted at me, but I wasn't walking away. I cautiously walked toward the cow-halfer. I looked into his sad eyes, icy cold from the death and the snow. I kept looking into those eyes as I walked toward him. I stopped a foot away from him.
I pointed at the snowman, "That's really pretty."
"Thanks," he mumbled trying to get his hands warmed up. I'm not very...um...lack for a better word...warm in my human form, nor in my hawk form, so I took his hands in mine, and tried warming them up that way. I looked down at our hands, it didn't seem to be working. I wondered if I would get more progress if I was a hawk...
I looked back into his eyes, "Hi, if you don't know me, my name is Abby."
"Hi Abby," he muttered as he tried to warm is hands up. I noticed he was shivering, so I tried blocking the wind with my body. Still holding his hands, still trying to warm them up I said, "What are you doing all the way out here?"
________________________________
Still to short...
um...
Did I do this right? I didn't mess up? Cause if I did, tell me and I'll fix it.
Continue?
Pierce -
I had ran from the cave, but I wasn't heading back to...that corpse. Nuh-uh. Never again.
I hadn't wanted to tell Jake that I couldn't go back to her. She was dead. She'd never need anyone...let alone me ever again...She wasn't mine anymore, even if you assumed I had her to begin with...
Hah. I grinned harshly as anger coursed through me. Hey, I had stopped crying. I learned my lesson. Never cry in front of that group. Then all you ever sense is pity and scorn. Useless.
I growled, the only way I could communicate right now with all of my turning emotions, 'Don't blame yourself for what happened'...Feh. That was a bit of a letdown. You're all the same mindless soul, after all. No matter what happens, you'll always feel...what? Obligated, is the best word. You'll feel obligated to say the damned stupidest things, even if it's only because if you say nothing at all, you'll be put down as a 'bad person'.
I sneered. A mean gesture, but who it was pointed at, I really didn't know. Probably me, but hell the rest of the world was probably caught in the sheer contempt of it, too. I sat down in the snow, continuing my mental rant set out to torture any mind reader in the world. Hah...It's excusable if you mean it...but only if you mean it. I've only met one living person who thinks about what they say, and only says it if it's sincere and she means it and it would help...But, y'know what? Screw it, she's dead now, too. Just like my parents. Just like her brother. Just like anyone's who's ever really cared about some poor idiot like me.
Everyone else? Oh, for a while I did try to make friends. They ran. Said I was crazy. Had the most hilarious reactions as they fell for my ploys, but in the end, either hated me, or were scared of me. Those who I tried to greet had no time for some 'beggar punk', and it usually got me into fights when they couldn't accept that I wasn't afraid of harsh words, or didn't care enough to argue when they yelled that they had to be somewhere and I walked away. So, either way, they left me all alone. And, hey, I smiled and sent them on their way. They didn't matter to me.
My Gods, I hate people. I hate their narrow-minded thoughts. I hate their ignorant, paranoid reactions. I am the Puppeteer, and people are my unknowing puppets. I can predict any reaction in the group, as can I cause it.
I frowned and began playing with the snow, trying to distract myself from these hateful thoughts that wouldn't stop. I didn't like where this was going...They don't realize that I have them all figured out. I observe. I listen. I begin to know things that I not only don't ever want to know, but crave to know...They are the strings to my puppets.
Nearly anyone in the group. I could make lose control. I could soothe or console. My empathetic curse is too strong for my own liking, and it's often too easy to fill in the blanks left open. They are my dear puppets and I hate them all.
Honestly, I want them to hate me, too. I don't deserve trust. I don't deserve anything. I have no loyalties to them now. No loyalties to anyone. I don't care. Why wont they realize that? I'm not suicidal; but, if I died, I wouldn't regret it. I'm not a murderer; but if I killed someone, I'd feel no remorse. I've no limits. I should be that of a nightmare, because I have nothing to stop me, so no matter what, I'll always win.
Loser's always win. They have nothing they can lose.
I sat in the snow, mouth agape. I continued sculpting the snow, trying again to distract myself. Look, okay, I know I sound pretty crazy by now, but...that's not the magnitude of my thoughts. Nowhere near. Sure some of it's pretty damned spot-on--more than I'd like to admit, in fact. But...my mind isn't that one-sided, I mean come on! Gods...I shook the thoughts out of my head. That kind of self-righteous crap should be saved for the people who live by that kind of ignorance, or at least believe it, thanks.
Heh...I guess that's all what I want to believe. Hate, hate, hate--blah blah blah. Gods, I can't even listen to it coming from myself. I might go crazy if I hear it from someone else again.
Yeesh. I can sit and pretend all I want to. 'I hate everyone' 'No one matters to me' Bah, don't be such a baby! If I hated hearing it from others, I loathed hearing it from myself.
Alright...look, here's how it is: I may be the Puppeteer, but I am by no means anyone's master. If I was I would promptly kill myself. But, I'm not, so no worries. Anyway, I can torture people mentally, get inside their heads--the angry voice of ignorance wasn't wrong when it said that because I listened, I had some control over people. I really do have them figured out, but...I couldn't really use it against them.
They are my beloved, despised puppets, after all. And, though I may tug at their strings and cause reactions just so I can have something to grin about, I'd never be able to hurt them.
I smiled sadly, Gods, this sucked. I was fond of this group. Even if they hate me, I'm still attached to them. Wouldn't call it love. Nah. I don't love things. 'Cept maybe doors...and sand. They deserve love. Anyhow, I sort of like this group, so I'll stick around til I see Harmony.
Pfft. Yeah. That'll be the day.
...
...
I smiled dryly, looking at the snowman I had created. It was pretty impressive, and very intricate. I was an artist, after all.
A marionette...that my hands were frozen to.
"AUGH!!" I screamed, tugging at my hands, trying to free them from the icy puppet. It occurred to me then that all this cold couldn't be healthy for me...or my hands. I could die if I didn't find anyone.
No! Not when I had just found my will to live!!
I looked around, and saw a figure coming my way. I sighed. I can keep composure well enough now. So, everything will be fine...If they help me, and I don't freeze.
"Heeeyyyy~! You! Yeah, you with the face!" I called, hoping my fine charismatic expertise would draw them in. Yeah, right.
"Uh-huh, you! I need help!! My hands, they're kinda stuck, and--HEY! Don't you even dare walk away, I might die, and today hasn't been great for me already, and--AUGHHH! YOU WALKED AWAY!" I screamed, hitting my head against the icy ground (I was sitting down). I glared at the snow and pouted, then called to the retreating figure, "It's me! Pierce! You better be getting help, 'cause if you're leaving me to freeze I'll be so pissed that I'll melt the damn ice myself then come and hit you with a rock!" I threatened, then slumped down. Now we play the 'let's not catch hypothermia' game.
I shivered violently, this game was so hard.
~~~
Hey...someone should help him...he's stuck, and probably insane. :P
No, seriously, otherwise everyone will forget about the poor cow. XD
Continue??
~Jake
"You okay?" The bear asked me suddenly and that got me out of my trance.
I had heard him talking to the human, his name apparently Tamotsu, about the weather. I hadn't seen a storm like this since... well... never. I guess it was pretty bad... and did I seem that out of it? There was no one to piss me off so I guess I was fine... but looking suicidal, with the bandages and all... and I was staring at a wall. Damn, I'm in an idiot.
"Yeah, you sure about the weather?" I asked, wondering if any of it was even possible. Weather...? Like this? Was it even possible in this terrain? Eh, whatever.
"The air pressures are rising, and there’s a strong southern wind coming. Where we are anything coming from the north, baring maple syrup, is bad." And apparently, it was bad. The thought of the lioness and her cubs came to mind and I knew they would be okay... Good thing I smelled rabbit in their cave.
The bear then looked me over visually and looked at my shoulder. It did hurt... and it wasn't really healing... I guess I would have to put it back in its place, just like my leg... That would be very painful.
"Well, I hate to do this to you, but one way or another I have to get you moving." Excuse me? He was going to do what?
My eyes twisted towards him.
"Where?" The bear leaned over and picked me up carefully with his teeth and kept me in his teeth, my body length wise, my chest in his mouth, with some of my chest showing at the top of his teeth with my head, and my lower half just practically dangling. This was weird.
"Hueman's and Fauna’s Ski Resort and Hotel," He told me and just looked at his teeth and then at him.
"What?" I asked slightly cold, and he looked at me.
"We need to get out of this storm. It's getting worse by the minute, and we need to move. It's cheap and it's not the best place, but it's out of the storm. I don't like the idea either," He sighed as we walked into his den and I grabbed the bags laying near the wall and then he set me up right, and I leaned back to the wall, since it was mainly the only thing I could do.
"Well, I can understand that, at least, but why do I have to be in your teeth, besides my leg and shoulder being injured?" I asked but he didn't answer. I just rolled my eyes.
"I never found out your name," I said simply, realizing this was true and I had nothing else to ask.
"Zarzucha."
"I'll just call you Zar."
Zar's pov----
After I finished chore list of hunting and scouting I headed back to my beautifully damp and dark cave. I had gotten my things together and had them in two large leather saddle bags on my sides. I ran through my territory unchallenged and easily, I knew the place like the back of my paw.
I pawed up to the cave and noticed that once again the population had changed. Cow-boy had left again but not before cleaning my floor with his tears. I pawed up to the cavern.
The human looked up at me, "Are you better?"
"Much, Listen, I want you to go to that group of your and bring them here. This storm is going to get a bunch worse in a few hours, and I'm probably the only one here that would live through it."
The human nodded and ran off.
I went to the back of the cave were I saw a little sight. The lion was sitting there, staring at the wall. Don't tell me there's another suicidal dummy in the group?
"You ok?", I asked.
"Yeah, you sure about the weather?"
"The air pressures are rising, and there’s a strong southern wind coming. Where we are anything coming from the north, baring maple syrup, is bad."
I went over to him and visually checked the bandages. My eyes fell on the worse part of the shoulder. God, I need to learn to hold back. The bleeding had stopped but he still needed care.
"Well, I hate to do this to you, but one way or another I have to get you moving."
His eye twisted to me.
"Where?"
I leaned over and picked him up gently.
"Hueman's and Fauna’s Ski Resort and Hotel"
~Jake
I could smell the blood even when I was unconscious. I cared that I wasn't dead, but the image forging in my head was a memory long forgotten that I didn't want to remember.
The image of my mother dying in my hands, her blood on my hands. It had been my fault, but she didn't blame me. I had already blamed myself. She repeatedly said it wasn't my fault, and that I was right to kill my father, and her, by accident. I didn't understand what she had meant, and probably now I do, but loads had been put on me at age ten.
Blood was splattered all over me, the image of my family dead around me still lingering. My sister had escaped, but my father dead and my mother dying in my arms. She told me never to blame myself, and to never take anger, like most lions, and make it live inside you.
After mom had died, I had stayed there the whole night, and then went on my way the next day.
The image of mom that stayed in my head made me wake up and be in my human form.
My head hurt like hell, as did my shoulder and leg and I groaned. Pierce looked up, I noticing him barely, along with the human I had seen with the group, and almost practically keeled over with the pain coming from my head and leg. Shit. How bad had I been hurt?
Pierce didn't say anything, but the human came over and started to look over the bandages. I didn't mind really, but I could smell a lot of blood around me, and it wasn't just mine. I could smell the wolf unconscious back with the group, deer blood, Pierce barely, and another wolf's. Maki, I believe it was, and I was getting a feeling with the smell of blood that she wasn't alive. That was why Pierce was so glum.
I flinched with the images and words in my head as I held my head, and feeling a bandage on it, and looked at my leg. Wonder how long it would take for me to redo all the bones and joints in it. My shoulder shot pain into me and that was when I noticed the shoulder was practically just falling apart. And that I was in the nook of the bear that he was sleeping in and that the bear was gone.
"You okay?" the human asked and I barely glanced at him as I kept my eyes on how much I was bleeding.
"Yeah," I groaned as I stood and hopped over to the wall and leaned against it and looked at Pierce. I could see he was debating about staying here or going back to the wolf.
I limped over to Pierce and put a hand on his head and he jumped and looked up at me, only a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"Don't blame yourself for what happened. It's something you don't want lying on your soul. Trust me. I have it lying on mine," I whispered, I not believing that I was even saying this. I blamed myself a little though, for what had happened with him not being there for his girl.
"Go. She needs you more than I do," I told him with a look of sternness and he looked quickly back at the entrance and then back at me and then immediately rushed out of the cave and back to Maki. I looked back at the human.
"I'm fine. The bandages will hold for now," I told him and he didn't say anything, so I just limped out of the little den and went to the back of cave and sat down carefully and stared at the wall in front of me.
I was thinking about mother.
------
Yeah, some of Jake's past revealed! DX It's sad.... And he kind of blames himself for Maki's death, since Pierce had stayed with him and instead of with Maki... Jake's in a good mood, right now, so he doesn't bite lol XDD
Continue?
