Fantasy An Unlikely Hero

[ChibiMonkey]

Closed RP w/ xxFoxFaderxx

(No cat ears. Human.)
Lillian Harper
Age 18
Hair Color: Jet black
Eye Color: Green


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

​

Excitement was practically bubbling from very pore on her body as she stepped off the train, taking her first step back into her hometown. She supposed she actually hasn't spent a majority of her life here, therefore many wouldn't consider her to be able to call it her hometown, yet, despite having only lived less than half of her life here, this is where she'd always felt the most home.

It was almost ironic, in a way. This town was where her tragic start to life had begun. The town where she had been raised by struggling parents who couldn't earn enough to provide for the family. Where she was witness to her mother being beaten and abused day after day, by her own father no less. Where she too was exposed to the same treatment once she reached the age of three. This town she considered most home to her, was the same in which she and her mother were abused by her father, where she lay witness to the murder of her own mother by his very hands. It was also where she witnessed her fathers murder as well. By the most unsuspecting of heroes that Lillian had never forgotten until this day.

Logically, she was well aware of the strong and likely possibility that the man who was known as 'Slenderman' did not kill her father to save her. Her life was likely insignificant to him. Yet it didn't change the fact he had saved her life, and ended the one of the murderer who took her mother's life, whether it was intentional or not.

Unfortunately, she hadn't had the time to find and thank the man properly. She was only a young child at the age of 8 when it had all happened. Shortly after her father took her mothers life, his was ended as well, and a whole bunch of chaos and activity ensued regarding the police, child services, and such things of the like. She was shortly sent off to live with her grandparents who lived in another country, and had yet to be able to return until this very day. She was 18 now and able to easily travel on her own, and finally able to make the journey back to the place she most considered home. A lot of what happened was negative in her childhood, but that one event Slenderman had ended her fathers life had meant a lot to her. Perhaps it was because of that, as well as just a lot having happened in her childhood, that this place felt so natural, so home to her.

While she did have a place to stay in a small apartment by herself, she wasn't interested in 'settling in' like many people did after making a big move. After all, she'd come all this way in search of that man. To be able to properly meet him. Some would call her crazy - many did, too, when she first mentioned wanting to meet the Slenderman when she was a young child after all those events had happened. Not many worried too much about it then; she was just a young and naive child with an imagination. She'd grow out of such dangerous and wild fantasies. She never had though. She could be considered a fanatic with how much she tried to find out about Slenderman. Not too much was known about him - the basics, but nothing all too personal.

With the fall weather chilling her skin, she buried her face deeper into the warm scarf wrapped around her neck as she made her way to the rumored forest. It was clearly marked off with fencing lining the edge of it, as if to warn and keep people out despite it just being a forest. Though locals were more than aware it wasn't just an ordinary forest. It was said that this is where Slenderman resided and spend the majority of his time. No one really dared to enter it - even if you didn't, that didn't mean the monster wouldn't come after you. But actually going inside? That was a guaranteed death wish.

Yet, Lillian felt no fear as her hands grasped the metal fencing, hoisting herself over it as she began her search deeper into the forest. She tried to mind her way as to not get lost so she'd be able to find her way out, though, everything looked familiar, the trees looking the same as the next one. Even still, she paid the ominous forest no mind as she adventured further into the forest.

 

[Seahomie]

Jared Dyke
Age: Centuries (he's lost count of the years)
Species: Accursed Demon​

Silence was a tactic used by many pioneers of war as the strategist used the lack of sound to ambush then seize whatever goal they had in mind. They would press their bodies low to the ground, or against a branch of a tree, and trusted the dark or camouflage to keep their locations private from their attackers. The tactic, whilst aided with the natural symptom of nighttime, has remained effective throughout history, until the invention of light. But even now there are people who never focus on the surrounding areas they're traveling even if the shield of dusk isn't obscuring their vision, so the silent approach was still incredibly efficient. Almost needed to successfully counter a preemptive attack. There were variations of course. Sound trickery is used to fool the opposing members into one direction to either lure them into a precisely concocted trap or to avoid them altogether. Noise control is crucial when going over strict battle calculations.

Jared was no stranger to such concepts as he continuously maneuvered his way around an area soundlessly. But his assistance came to him through a curse, the ability to relocate himself anywhere he desired with nothing but a little cynosure. It truly was the element of surprise that he used in favor of capturing his victims. Appearing as a phantom in the dark, simulating noise in areas that didn't permit logical explanations, allowing vision to fall upon him when he deemed it necessary, and many more strategies were used in the hunt of his prey. All of them were equally unpleasant and it since the beginning hunting humans was burdensome and morose. If he could've sanctioned a glimpse into his impending and torturous future all those centuries ago, he wouldn't have called for an aid all those centuries ago when he'd found himself stranded in the forestry.

Unfortunately, time travel wasn't one of the burdens J carried upon his shoulders, and for many years he's had to slaughter weekly to appease his unnamed orchestrator. The last time he'd tried to avoid his duties, he'd traumatically grown four new arms from between his shoulder blades, making him more horrendous than before. The growth had been excruciatingly unbearable thus receiving the message broadcasted toward him: there's no escape. He'd already stolen thousands of lives from the neighbouring cities bordering his forest and all of them developed different legends as to who he was. The northerners believed he left hints around town in the form of horribly drawn images and phrases which was supposed to indicate whose life had been his next target. The Southern towns believed he was a demon who is developing an army so to overthrow Earth and lead Satan's army. The East's suspicions never mention him as evil or demented, but rather, mentally ill and an asylum escapist who feeds on the human flesh. All of these theories were so profound that he almost laughed hysterically whenever they developed the latest "information" on him. However, the West had it closer than what he'd like to admit, this being because that was a town he once referred to as "home."

J had been only a child when he mindlessly wandered off into that dreaded forest he'd soon know every possible angle of. He'd been stranded there for days, never once finding the way back out as he practically froze to death during the nights, and starved during the day. He'd been foolish enough to beg for mercy, to cry out to his mother, to an angel, to God, yet none of those figures appeared before him. Instead, he was the unlucky sap who'd been granted a demon with a vendetta, the one who seductively mentioned a way to survive this harrowing issue, yet elegantly neglected to mention the finer details that might've deterred him from signing the contract. To a kid, any outcome that resulted in his prosperity had been attractive and he eagerly accepted without hesitance. No matter the story, no matter how outlandish the tale, all the towns shared common ground: a nickname and a large, metal fence that bordered the park so to keep tourists and unintelligent people out of his land.

Most people never dared to enter the dense shrubbery that blocked the sight only ten feet in front of you on principle alone, but today was different. Jared could sense the movement of a newcomer near the edges of his homeland and he could feel himself grow weary from the crushing weight of knowing he'd have to stalk this person for days before finalizing his obligations. He allowed the trespasser to wander further into his woods before he straightened down his suit and teleported 20 feet behind them, beginning his perfected ritual. He took a physical step forward, crushing dead leaves underneath his shiny, formal shoe, before disappearing into a new area altogether. The fear phase of his plan was enacted, the crucial step in his intricately devised method. It would take a day or so before he could truly begin to work his "magic" but this was the preamble to the required course of actions. He allowed the silence to enrapture the intruder for a moment or so before creating a new sound from a different perspective, sighing as he grudgingly hoped he was eliciting a fear response from the invader.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Each step brought her even further into the dark forest, the only sound the soft crunching of dead leaves beneath her feet with every step she took. It was eerily silent - almost too much so, even for the dead of night. Hear ears couldn't even pick up the faint traces of animal movement in the trees, or the soft chirping of nocturnal crickets. There was nothing. Absolute nothingness in both sound and vision aside from the foot or two in front of her that she could see. It was almost like she'd been transported to another world upon entering the forest. No, rather, she'd entered an abyss. Normally once deprived of even one of the main five senses, a human started to grow anxious, lose their nerve and steel that otherwise could make them feel so confident. But once newly lacking one of their senses, let alone multiple, they grew restless, and uneasy. Paranoid, perhaps.

Yet the lone girl felt none of this. Even as her sight and sound practically seemed to be taken away from her, she was just as relaxed and curious as ever. Although, perhaps the use of relaxed wasn't quite so accurate. Rather, she was actually brimming with excitement coursing through her veins, each step increasing the anticipation in hopes of meeting the one person that most tried to avoid, and prayed never met. Despite it having been daylight when she entered the forest, she couldn't tell if that was the case anymore. Looking up at the towering trees surrounding her, everything was enveloped in a blanket of darkness, that she couldn't even see more than a few feet above her head into the trees. She couldn't tell if the sun had actually set, or if it was just because of how thick the forest was. Either way, she was hardly phased and continued her trek deeper into the maze of a forest.

She was sure she was likely lost. She tried to travel in a relatively straight line so that all she had to do to leave was turn around and walk straight again until she met the fence line, but she had a feeling that plan had gone awry shortly after entering several yards into the forest. There were far too many shrubs and trees for her to be able to stay and in single path for very long. Well, if she did find who she was looking for, maybe she could just ask him for directions, she considered happily at the prospect of actually getting to meet the 'Slenderman' that haunted these woods.

She was incredibly naive in thought like that, where no other human would be excited to meet what many considered a monster, let alone casually think of asking him for directions. As if he'd let them live about freely. Maybe it was due to her having a skewed life growing up and parenting. Or perhaps it was due to her unnatural optimism. Regardless the reason however, the obsidian haired girl was found to be quite naive and childish in her actions and thoughts more often of the time than not for her age.

About an hour had passed since she entered the forest, and she was beginning to wonder if he was 'home'. She wasn't wrong in her research that indicated he resided in these woods right? She started to question herself, only to further confirm and assure herself that she was right. She'd researched everything she could, from every fable and lore in books, to online articles, both fan-based and the more literate ones. Maybe she was obsessed. It wasn't like she would particularly deny that accusation, however. It was true that since she was a child, since he had killed her father she had been fascinated at the idea of Slenderman, her hero. No one would consider him such, but she didn't care. Coincidental or not that he happened to kill her father, an evil man in her eyes, she couldn't see him with anything less than fascination and adoration.

She'd just recently reassured herself of his presence in this forest when she heard an unnatural sound coming from not far behind her - a sound matching the same of the crunching of leaves whenever she took a step. Her breath hitched in her throat slightly as her eyes widened while she quickly turned around. However, unlike many, the gasp was not out of fear, but rather excitement, and her wide eyes not fearful but rather filled with hope. That was definitely the sound of a footstep. It matched the same sound as the one she'd grown so familiar to being the only thing she'd heard over the past hour caused by her own feet repeatedly crunching leaves on the ground with each step. It was incredibly unlikely that another human was in these forests, and she hadn't heard any previous signs of animals around, despite knowing there likely had to be some. Maybe it was her own confirmation bias that told her it had to be him, but she couldn't help but hope. However, upon turning on her heel, she frowned a bit when she couldn't see a thing resembling the tall and lanky faceless hero of hers. She squinted her bright green eyes in the dark, as though it would help her to see further and more clearly, but only pouted when resulted with nothing more than the abyss she'd grown used to seeing.

Turning back around and continuing in the direction she was headed, she considered she perhaps was too hopeful and just hearing things. Yet part of her knew that couldn't be the case, and wasn't. Another step forward, and she stopped at the sound of another new noise echoing in her ears, turning her head in the direction of it. "Hey" she called out, her own voice finally breaking the silence for the first time since entering the forest. It was spoken with casual confidence though, not shaking or quivering in octaves in the way that one filled with fear or uncertainty might.

"Mr. Slenderman, is that you? You're here somewhere, aren't you?" she called out curiously. Well, if it wasn't him then she at least no one else was around to see her looking like a fool talking aloud to nothingness. Yet an inner part of her gut told her something, someone was out there - the same someone she was looking for. "I mean I know that's probably not your real name or anything, but I don't really have anything else to call you by" she continued on casually, as though she was trying to carry on a conversation with another perfectly normal being, not some feared, monstrous murderer. A few more moments of silence passed, and a smile spread across her lips as something seemed to register in her mind "Oh! Are you trying to play a game? I'm really not very good at hide and seek though..."

 

[Seahomie]

Consistently, Jared knew what reactions would ensue the moment suspicious cracking reverberated inside one’s head. The person would stutter to an uncomfortable stop, gaze upon the thick forestry to locate the producer of said sound, hope of viewing an animal or feeling wind graze upon their skin. Denial, no matter what the situation, always preceded a person’s natural reaction. If one could find a hidden squirrel scampering up an oak, a person would chose to believe that the diminutive creature could generate such a dense sound so to smother their “irrational” fears. The instincts deeply engrained in our system from evolutionary growth that made it quite foolish to choose to stifle them. Humanity would rather continue on their dangerous path believing in impossible circumstances then to change course to take a safer route.

The next and arguably most crucial step in response toward fear is paranoia. A few more rustles within the nearby bushes accompanied by breaking of solid branch that couldn’t be accounted for by a measly rodent, and a man would begin routinely checking over their shoulder. The pace, along with a once-steady heart rate, would quicken so to reach their destination quicker. Their attitudes shifted from discomfort to panic in a matter of seconds because of a few unidentifiable rustles in the surrounding area. The human mind begins to wander to possible morose situations that would make them easier to attack in the long run. Visions of killers, vicious animals, and, recently, of demons or ghosts haunting the trees. All were most likely illogically schemed, but seeing as there had been an instance on the news proclaiming a death of an innocent bystander, people’s fear would ascend into uncharted territory; believing the screen instead of trusting their wits.

Unfortunately, when referencing the forest Jared lived in, all horrors were realities. People were well-aware with the legends saturating the towns, so when they dared to enter beyond the towering wall intended to bring safety to the public, and they began to hallucinate different plights as they desperately search for the trail leading back home, their apparitions generally became truth. The skeptical humans hadn’t know, however, that they’d been sentenced to an execution the moment their foot touched the soil on the opposite side of the chain-linked fence. They had condemned themselves to an unruly death from the beginning.

That was the pattern of all of Jared’s hunts. All of them, besides his latest stalk. The one in which a young female attempted to directly communicate with him with confidence prominent in her tone. For the first time in years, he halted to a stop with confusion riddling his mind. If he hadn’t been a perceptive creature, he might’ve concluded this person was nothing more than a child who’d managed to hoist their way into his land, but the tonality suggested a more mature sound, bordering an assertive, adult-like sound. Someone more than capable of understanding their circumstances. If the creature was capable of making physical expressions, eyebrows would’ve been knit together and the corners of his lips would be quirked downward. But reactions such as those couldn’t appear on a man with a clean slate as a face.

Jared, his curiosity ebbing into most of his thought-out plans on how to handle this, proposed he attempt to answer her probing assumptions, but didn’t know of a way how to. He most definitely wasn’t playing a game, but how to broadcast that into her mind without inducing psychosis was seemingly impossible. However, he knew his mind-numbing “power” only wielded affects when paralyzing fright started to cripple their movements. He could manipulate their mind when their body began to deteriorate from the inside out. Perhaps without said panic, she could easily take his thoughts. It was at least worth an endeavor. A human showing bravery like this had never, in all the years encompassing his curse, appeared before him. If the situation didn’t go in his favor, he could at least move her far away from him and take another soul in her place.

Jared inhaled sharply before visualizing his destination and transporting himself there instantaneously. He could be found in the girl’s peripheral if she gazed long enough, but he hadn’t made himself obvious. Taking things slow was his decided option so not to overwhelm her senses. Then, by using a method similar to when he effectively sent a person over the edge, he tried to reach out to her, saying a simple, ”Jared.” It was a response to her assumption as well as test to witness her reaction to receiving a message. If stumbled backward with her hand to her head, he would know that his plan was flawed and that he was inflicting pain upon her. However, if she could accept his name with ease, then he could proceed with the rest of his scheme.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Speaking out into the darkness, a frown fell on her lips when she received no response, the only reply being the continued silence all around her. Sighing a bit softly to herself, she wondered if maybe it really hadn't been him. It certainly didn't sound like the noises had been caused by an animal though. And despite her own intrigue and fearless fascination with Slenderman, she was well aware of how just about most of the rest of the human population felt about him, so she highly doubted it was another human being. And if it was another human, she felt they would be clumsier in their noises and trudging through the fallen twigs and leaves of the forest. The noises she heard sounded more precise, purposeful, even. While logically, some part of her wiser mind knew the purposeful noises were meant to scare her, they are what caused her to come to the childish assumption that Slenderman was playing a game of hide and seek of the sorts.

Remaining where she had stopped to call out to the mysterious and dangerous figure, she tried to listen to see if she could hear any further sounds or disturbances in the silence of the forest that might indicate there really was another presence there with her. She was trying not to get her hopes up - this forest was huge, after all. It wouldn't be unlikely if it took her days to come across the person she was looking for. Though she was really hoping it wouldn't take that long. She was eager to meet him after all these years, especially now that she had finally come back to this town, for the sole purpose of locating and meeting him. She was counting on the fact that he would likely find her though, as he was said to easily find any of those who disturbed the silence of his home in these woods.

After another minute of silence had passed, she let out a disappointed sigh. She was starting to think that maybe he wouldn't show after all. However, just as she was considering that, she felt a gaze boring into her, and she straightened up a bit where she stood. Catching the faintest movement of darkness in the peripheral of her vision, her eyes widened with hope, her heart racing in her chest out of excitement, not fear, as she quickly turned to fully face the tall figure, eyes lighting up as they landed on him the same time an unfamiliar voice echoed through her head.

"...Jared?" she repeated the name softly, slightly confused at what just happened before realizing, excitement filling her even more "You're name is Jared" she smiled happily, to think she had actually learned his real name "How can you do that?" she asked curiously, referring to how she was able to hear him in her head, yet he very clearly had no mouth to speak with. And it was an odd sensation and feeling - hearing him, yet, at the same time able to hear it like it was a thought in her head, not hearing him with her ears. "Is that some sort of telepathy?" she asked as she took a step closer to him, though not moving too quickly in case he didn't want her too close to him.

She was hardly able to contain her excitement, the reality a bit overwhelming to think she was finally meeting him after all these years. Sure, she had briefly seen him that night he killed her father, but it wasn't really enough to call a meeting. Plus, she highly doubted he would remember her - he likely wasn't even aware of her presence there that night, possibly. But still, after all these years of researching about him, going over all the vague information there was about just who exactly the Slenderman was and where he came from, it was almost surreal to be standing before him now and seeing him again. Even if that had been her very intention, she was bubbling with excitement at the very reality of it now.

 

[Seahomie]

Whilst the curious girl turned on her heel to face Jared’s monstrous figure fully, the entirety of his mind was plagued in confusion. Since the beginning of his accursed malediction not one soul had encountered him without fear being the prominent emotion in the forefront of their psyche. Years prior, a few adolescent girls tortured another in honour of his name, but when approached, they too had been riddled with paralyzing apprehension; their demise being their impending fate upon appearing to the both of them. He didn’t appreciate the senseless slaughters in attempt to summon him so his goal had been to put a stop to those gruesome actions, a problem he witnessed multiple times a decade if not more. Psychopaths didn’t fully comprehend the condition he’d had forced upon him. He wasn’t a merciless killer. He didn’t derive any pleasure from the activities and would do anything possible to purge this hex from his body.

Jared craved human contact. The mandatory isolation was his definition of torture and would prefer to be amongst beings of intellect, not organisms who survived off instinct alone. There had been a time when he sought out a woman without fear, a calcium blockage within her brain preventing her from feeling discomfort or fright whatsoever, but that hadn’t ended well. She’d attempted to exploit him and his messages, doing something called “blogging” about her time with him which had become quite annoying. He didn’t desire fame nor did he want his secrets exploited amongst the public. He couldn’t blame her for her feats as she couldn’t understand her wrongdoings, but unfortunately, he had to cease his visitations with her; separating himself from people once again.

So in this instance, Jared’s emotions started to stir from their slumber as questions filtered through his thoughts. She seemed cherry and bright, as if she wasn’t standing in front of an alleged serial sociopath capable of ripping her life force from her being at any moment. She was aware of him, knew him by that damned nickname appointed to him by his lithe frame and lanky limbs, so why hadn’t she wet her pants the moment he started the mysterious rustling? A step forward and the appendages stemming from his back started to twitch with nerves and something resembling excitement. He was able to communicate with this girl. She could receive his messages without an indication of it harming her in any way. She hadn’t flinched, she hadn’t hissed in pain, and she looked as if she’d stumbled upon a concealed treasure that had been buried for millennia.

At the question, Jared shrugged, bending slightly to close the distance between the two of them, bettering his view of the girl. A youthful glow radiated off her proud attributes had for a moment, he presumed she was still a child, one barely capable of driving. ”I suppose. It’s inherent to my… process, so it’s a reflex at this point.” He paused, closing off his mind to obscure his thoughts as if it were as easy as capping off a beverage after consumption. What question would be suitable enough to inquire first? Dozens buzzed violently and he simply couldn’t focus on either of the options.

”What’s your name?” Jared decided finally, tilting backward to straighten out his figure once again. He moved his deft limbs to the front of his body, smoothing the wrinkles of his dapper suit before allowing them to become limp again. He studied her movements momentarily, contemplating his predicament carefully, trying to spot the trickery. Surely he’d finally gone mad and he was hallucinating a girl out of pure desperation. Perhaps his own psychosis-inducing maneuver had finally seeping deep into his own mind and his perceptions were influenced by the madness he inflicted upon others.

”Why are you here? Aren’t you afraid of me?”

 

[ChibiMonkey]

When he started replying to her questions and carrying on a conversation with her, Lillian grew eager to talk to him more, and ask him a whole many more questions of what she had stored away in her head. There were so many things she wanted to know. The internet had come up with it's own opinions and ideas about Slenderman, who he was, his origins, things of those sorts, but really, it was hard to decipher what was real facts and what wasn't - if any of it did have factual basis. Two of her questions were already answered. One, being his name, the second, being that he could speak. Well, in a manner of ways, anyways, he was able to communicate. Due to his faceless appearance, no one knew if he could or couldn't speak. And even though he killed many people and easily at that, no one really knew if he could see either. Just because he was able to kill didn't mean he could see. It was hard enough to keep the questions from pouring out of her mouth, and while she managed a good job of it for now, she wasn't sure how long she'd be able to refrain from asking all the things she had on her mind. After all, she finally could now. She could ask him anything she wanted now, all the dozens of questions she had thought up over the past decade.

"Inherent to your...process?" she repeated in slight confusion, not entirely understanding but getting the gist that it was just a normal thing to him, such as speaking was for her, or something along those lines. Noticing the reaction when she took a step closer to him, she paused in her step before she took another one. It wasn't out of fear - it was more out of consideration, as though she didn't want to be the one to scare him by approaching him, ironically. Only a few more slow steps towards him and she was then standing just a few feet in front of him. She didn't stand too directly in front of him, simply because of the fact that if she did so she would have to recline he head back rather far to be able to look up at his tall frame. He was already abnormally tall for a human, and she herself was less than average height for a female of her age, as though there already wouldn't be a large height difference between them.

"Lillian. Lillian Harper" she replied with a smile on his face at his interest in asking for her name "You can just call me Lilly though if you want" she added in with a friendly tone. Despite lacking facial features, she could almost see the perplexed emotions on his blank face. She was sure he was probably confused as to why she wasn't trembling in fear, or screaming and running or anything like that. She doubted he found many people like that, what with all the stories out there about him. Not just that he was a merciless killer, but ruthless too, where people would find remnants of children's bodies decorating the trees of the forest with their innards. Sure, there were some people who claimed fans of the myth-ed serial killer - some even worshiping him in such disgusting ways. Yet Lillian wasn't quite like any of those. Those claiming to be fans would still scream in terror if actually confronted with the real thing, away from the safety of talking hidden about him behind their computer screens. And while she admired him, she didn't per-say 'worship' him. She was incredibly grateful to him, and still considered him a hero in her mind, but she wasn't like some people bordering the psychotic line of admiration for him.

Hearing his next question confirmed the guessed feeling she was picking up coming from him, and she smiled a bit "I'm here because I was looking for you, actually. I've been wanting to meet you for a while now - and so no, I'm not afraid of you. After all, if I was don't you think I'd be running by now or something?" she responded with a slightly amused smile on her face before continuing on "Actually....well, maybe you probably don't hear this often, or at all....but I owe you my life" she admitted to him, knowing he likely had no idea what she was talking about, so she continued on anyways, explaining a bit more. After all, it was all the reason that had lead up to this moment, her entire life waiting to be able to find him, and thank him. Not only to thank him but officially meet him, the man that had done so much for her, as unintentional as it probably was.

"You see, I grew up in the town nearby, just south of here. Well...actually this forest looks the same everywhere I walk so I'm not sure if it's south anymore" she laughed a bit, having lost her direction easily in these woods "But that's besides the point. When I was younger I lived here with my parents. Although...it wasn't really the perfect family. My father was pretty abusive, and each year it got worse. One night he ended up killing my mother" she spoke, while recalling the tragic memories of her youth, her voice wasn't quite so cheery as it had been before, though, it also wasn't entirely gloomy. It wasn't a pleasant memory until Slenderman had shown up, of course, but nonetheless it was a memory and reality. There was no point in her crying about it every time she recalled it, so her emotions had become pretty numb to those memories, and had simply accepted them for the facts and fate they were.

"I was there too. I was already beaten up pretty badly. I'm sure he would have killed me, but then you showed up" she commented, looking back up at his tall figure "Maybe most people are terrified of you because you kill people. And maybe killing is bad most of the time, but that night you saved my life. Whether you care or not, I never got to properly thank you for that" she added with a small smile "Shortly after all that happened, because I was only eight at the time child services took me into custody, and I was sent to live with my grandparents in England until just recently, where I was finally able to come back here. And come see you. Thus, here I am."

 

[Seahomie]

Jared despised the lack of physical response his body, or form in actuality, couldn’t create. He dealt in complex emotions daily as if he were still in his human suit, yet expressing them was a struggle. Of course, he rarely had to interact with many beings unless he was purposefully attempting to befriend them before luring them into his slaughter, but that focused mainly on his voice transferring into their minds rather than his victims stumbling upon his featureless appearance. However, upon gazing longingly at himself in the mirror of his self-built cabin, a doleful sensation would arise in the center of his chest and disperse throughout his limbs when realization struck. He was sentenced to a life of solitude, condemned to the restriction of his thoughts or abstract concepts. Although he had never experienced intellectual conversation before his hex, it was a conviction of need now that he had experienced multiple eras and endured the changing of the centuries. He deemed himself well-educated on most topics, but alas, he’d been too sheltered to voice them.

But here, with this girl, Lily, Jared had an opportunity to convey every thought that’s ever sporadically wandered through his headspace. He could inquire about outdoor life beyond the flashes of articles he witnesses whenever he’s on the hunt. He could ask about other countries, wonder about the latest advancements in technological industries, and perhaps even encounter this generation’s sense of music. Unfortunately his non-existent features didn’t indicate it, the demon felt excitement course through his body as the girl began moving closer toward him. He remained still, not daring to break this comfortability between them both, but he viewed her with a newfound comprehension of hope.

Crossing his arms over his thin chest, Jared dared to retort to the little girl’s tease until he stood paralyzed in utter shock at the phrases of gratitude she so easily chirped. In this moment, he neglected to feel any interpretation of confusion but instead felt nothing. Not as though he was apathetic, but as if he had a mental blockage in his mind preventing the axons to fire correctly. He wasn’t sure how to process the appreciative tone laced between every syllable, so instead, he permitted her to recollect the memories of her past. As she described the murder of her parents, he too aspired to evoke that specific instance from the depths of the hundreds of assassinations performed subsequent. As futile as that attempt had been, he paid no attention to it as he reveled in the satisfying attention. Unlike the young women who’d sacrificed a friend to appease him, this girl hadn’t had evil intentions. She simply wanted to repay an invisible debt she believe she owed by admitting her gratitude.

”I did not kill because I was aware of who he was,” Jared began truthfully, deeming it necessary to preface his emotions with facts so not to raise her hopes. ”However, as insignificant as it may be, your gratitude for me slaughtering a relative, amongst the vast majority of others whose lives I’ve brutally stricken from their fleshed body, I’m relieved to know my work didn’t negatively impact you. What I value more, withal, is you risking your delicate being and tempting fate so to seek me out. Surely you’ve heard the legends, yet, here you are. That’s courage beyond anything I’ve ever encountered.” He bowed slightly to emphasize his point a tad before bending down completely; supporting himself on his knees alone in order to face her at a similar height.

”Did you say you stemmed from the South? My heritage voyaged in that direction in search for a new life in the 1800s during the Oregon Trail. Tell me, what year is it? I tend to fall behind. Jared couldn’t help the curiosity of the world around him from surfacing as his eagerness was apparent even through the veil of his expressionless body. With diplomatic movements, he outstretched his bone, pale-skinned hand in her direction for her to take if she so chose to. He wished to transport them somewhere secure but only would do so with her assent. He wasn’t well-known for hospitality nor respect, but he could understand those perspectives on him when the public world knew him as a vicious and rather callous killer.

”May I take you to my cabin, or would you prefer to be located elsewhere for the night? Ah, it was rather foolish of me to presume you’d wish to stay longer, and I apologize. If you’d rather me send you home, I shall comply with no grievances whatsoever. You are safe with me, I can assure you. I couldn’t wedge into your mind even if I desired.”

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Jared's admittance of not knowing the circumstances in which the life her father lead when he had killed him didn't surprise Lillian. She knew it was all likely more by coincidence that Slenderman had decided to kill her father, rather than doing it out of some knowledge he was a vile and cruel human being that should no longer exist. If anything, she would have been surprised if he did know, and more so if he remembered that particular killing. While she wasn't afraid of him, that didn't mean she didn't believe in all the countless murders his been said to commit. So she knew trying to remember a mere single one of them out of the hundreds, possibly thousands was just about impossible. Then again, he already had inhuman capabilities and features, she supposed she never really could know.

"I don't expect you to remember it. Nor to have done it knowing you would be saving my life. But that doesn't change the fact that you did, and so for that I am incredibly thankful to you. You not only saved my life, but brought justice for my mother, as well as ended that hell I was stuck in every day. I've been determined ever since then to find you. So of course I would come here, regardless of all the rumors, all the stories. What I experienced that first night I saw you was real, so I choose to believe in that memory than all the rumors and stories people say about you." Despite her fearlessness of the legend of Slenderman, she had come into this forest knowing that he was dangerous. Maybe he could have decided to kill her, instead of converse with her like they were now. But it wouldn't have changed how she felt about him.

When she saw him moving to kneel before her to achieve a more eye-level height with her, as well as getting closer to her, she grew excited and she couldn't help but smile at the simple action. The fact that he seemed this interested to speak with her made her incredibly happy. She had come here knowing the possibilities that maybe he'd kill her, or maybe he'd want nothing to do with her and talking to her. Yet neither of those seemed the case at all so she was thrilled to see he seemed interested in talking with her, and enough to where he actually let his guard down slightly as shown by moving to rest on his knees. Well, even if he was in a slightly more vulnerable position than standing where he could be ready to either attack or defend, she doubted she or anyone else would still be able to cause much damage even with him resting on his knees as such. He was still a veteran murderer, and also had those additional appendages protruding from his back - which she couldn't deny she was incredibly curious about them. Her curiosity was just begging her to touch them and look at them more closely.

She shook those curious thoughts from her head however when she was provided with new information, tidbits about his origins and possible age. Her eyes widened with awe as she looked up into his faceless gaze "Say....do you know how old you are?" she asked since he said he lost track of the years "The year is 2018. So then, you're over 200 years old? I knew you were probably pretty old, since there have been legends and stories about you for quite some time now. But I was always curious about how old you are exactly." she admitted, her mind going over the information he'd given her more as she realized something else "You're heritage....I learned about the Oregon Trail in school. But that history is one of humans..." she trailed off, slightly confused. She'd never once come across anything about Slenderman being human. And if he had been...he certainly didn't appear as such now. "Are you human?" she asked, her brows furrowed in curiosity and confusion.

When he then outstretched a pale, bony hand towards her, she was further confused for a moment, not thinking he would be the one to offer contact first, though upon this realization, her eyes lit up with excitement as she reached out to take hold of his hand. It was warm....surprisingly. For some reason she expected it to have a cooler touch to the skin. Looking back up from his hand and to his blank face, she listened as he asked about going back to his cabin with him, before he then was humbly apologizing for making such assumptions she'd want to stay here longer with him, and she smiled a bit at yet another unexpected action out of him. It was interesting...even though she had no fear of him, and she was eager to meet him, she still hadn't expected him to act and seem so....human.

She smiled and shook her head when he felt the need to assure her he wouldn't harm her "I'm not afraid of that possibility. Even if you decided you wanted to, I'd be alright with that. If it weren't for you I wouldn't have lived nearly this long anyways" she commented as she then further agreed to go back to his cabin with him. Even with his promises of not harming her, any normal human would be incredibly naive to just go off with a stranger - a murderous one at that, and willingly let them take them along home to a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Though, then again they already were in the middle of nowhere. But Lilly found herself eager to go with him, and learn more about him. She had no idea what the hour was, but she was hardly exhausted, excitement running through every vein as she looked forward to talking more with him, and seeing his cabin, which she presumed was his 'home', and thus she figured she could learn even more about him there. "Of course I'll go with you. I did come here to find you after all. I'm not about to just leave" she smiled reassuringly at him.

 

[Seahomie]

Lowering himself upon his knees, Jared found himself gawking curiously at the newcomer as her confident voice rang throughout the forest poetically as if it were dawn, the bright like awakening the birdsong that gave an eerie location a somewhat, pleasant energy. Although accustomed to the sheltered life amongst the saturated shrubbery, little light shone through the overhead branches, creating a rather ominous and gloomy atmosphere. In a way, he secretly longed for the feeling of the warming rays to dapple his skin in its golden hue, feel the radiation bounce off his flesh whilst enjoying every last second he could receive. It was rather peculiar to him that this little girl could derive an intense desire from him such as that just by standing a foot or less from him, but that wasn’t the only questionable aspect about this encounter.

Jared couldn’t get past the idea that she, Lily, was able to block out his attempts to enter un-consensually into her mind to send her into hysterical paranoia. In the history of his torturous existence as this… demon amongst all, feared by any who come to hear of the legend of “The Slenderman,” never once had he been confronted by a person who didn’t have abnormal tendencies; such as the woman without fear. But this girl appeared to have a sense of consideration for personal space as well as little nuanced body language to suggest she was nervous. Not scared, apprehensive. She was courageous in her exploration, yet timid in her actions. She was disciplined in respect and courteousness, but her probing questions were brash and concise. Her nonchalant attitude about her horrendous past didn’t faze her in the slightest and simple actions, such as lowering himself to the ground, seem to bring upon her joy and perhaps a sense of pride. But none of what her personality was constructed of answered his silent inquiries as to why she hadn’t been running for her life at the first suggestion of his presence.

Yes, Lily had been awaiting her entire life to send her gratitude to a mysterious figure, dedicating travel expenses, precious moments of her existence, and her safety to beseech him, but why? She even admitted to being well-versed in the stigma from the surrounding areas, yet there was no sign of knees buckling, no pupil dilation, and no tremors: nothing. It was almost unbelievable, and he might’ve considered it to be a mirage conjured by the demon in charge of his contract as he’s started to, once again, fall behind in his kills, but when her soft, spongey hand resided on his lithe, boney-structured one, he knew he couldn’t have been further from the truth. She was real, standing before him with sincerity evident upon her cute features.

Jared tilted his head to the side a moment, his gaze shifting from Lily to the greenery around him as he mulled over each individual question as they shot off in rapid succession. ”I believe the year was 1823 when we were able to scrape away enough funds to transport a family of five across the settlements, and, if I remember correctly, I was eight then.” He paused then, allowing her to come up with the conclusion of his age on her own as he couldn’t necessarily answer the question. Not without embarrassing himself, that is. Basic arithmetic was his boundary when it came to advanced studies as he’d “died” before attending a proper school. He only retained the knowledge his father instructed him with while fencing, or while his mother cooked their meals for the week.

Chest expanding as Jared simulated a deep inhalation, he once again faced Lily as slight reproach built a blockade in his mind, desperately attempting to deflect the incoming questions. The last, and only, time he’d been interrogated with such an invasive ponder had meant exposure to the world on subjects he’d rather keep to himself. He straightened then, arising from his bent legs and returning to the previous position before he allowed his mind to wander the area. Once he located the desired venue he willed himself to transport both her and himself to the front of his home; one he’d built from the ground up.

”You should perceive death more cautiously, Lily. One never knows when the very essence will be scraped from your being,” Jared warned bitterly, the voice broadcasted one that held a bitterness and a slight bite to the phrases. He then dropped her hand as he didn’t need the physical contact anymore before walking in front of her, leading her to his doorway. His steps were slow, calculated movements as he kept his mind concealed from being read. He wasn’t sure if she could reach out to him now that they were on the same wavelength, but he didn’t want his privacy to be intruded upon. Especially not with the memories of being happy amongst his family as a boy began to play out like a sad movie, one where piano and violin set the mood of the scenes as everyone moved in slow motion.

”Besides thanking me for actions I didn’t intend to do, what’s your goal? Why not leave now that your debt has been paid?”

 

[ChibiMonkey]

As he seemed to pause in thought to consider how old he might be, she totally missed the possibility that he likely couldn't do math himself, even as simple math it was. She of course had no idea of his true origins, hence why she was a bit surprised and baffled at the possibility that he could be human. She didn't think he was, if looks alone were enough to display that, however the way he spoke fit that of a human family during the years he spoke about. She tried not to think of it too much at the moment, since there were so many other things to ask and process in turn when he gave responses. Such as the year he gave which could be used to deduce his age "1823....and you were already eight, so then....you're 203 years old....wow..." she breathed in awe as she concluded his age, that information alone a bit mind boggling. She of course knew he must be older, older than the average life of a human, but still....it was quite the information to take in.

After having taken in this new bit of information, and asking further questions such as if he was human, she noticed he seemed to close of a bit again, and she frowned a bit. Was she being too pushy? She didn't mean to be rude, yet, at the same time her curiosity was unending, and wouldn't let go of the edges of her mind as she just yearned to ask him so many more things. Maybe he was shy? Antisocial? It wouldn't be a surprise, since it seemed he lived and dwell all alone by himself, and now knowing he'd probably been like that for nearly two centuries...aside from the interaction he took in killing others, which, why he did that she still didn't know - yet another one of the many things she was curious to ask about. But due to these circumstances it made sense he wasn't very talkative. That didn't mean she was going to stop asking questions though, of course.

She held onto his lanky hand, eyes widening a bit as her vision distorted around her in an instant, causing her to turn her head around to each side, looking all around her in awe, and a moment later, her vision cleared to reveal a cabin just in front of them. Her eyes widened as she stared at the structure "Wow....so you really can just teleport just like that. That's neat....is that another thing that just seems inherent for you to do? Like how you're talking to me through our minds?" she asked curiously, yet more questions naturally flowing from her mouth before her brain could catch up to actually consider the questions in her mind. She of course had no idea that if given the effort and thought to try it, she might be able to reach into his mind the same way he did with hers to communicate with her. This was all still new to her and she just assumed it was a one-way link sort of thing, so the possibility didn't even occur to her to try searching his own psyche.

Hearing his comment about death, she blinked a bit, staring at his back as the warmth of his hand left hers as he started to step towards the cabin door. She stared in silence at his back curiously for a moment "That's interesting coming from someone who kills many people. Though if anything I suppose it's because you've killed many that you would think something like that?" she commented, finally getting her thoughts together again as she took a step forward and followed him towards the door "I don't see why I should, though" she finally answered regarding his advice to caution death more. "Death is a natural thing. I never understood why humans fear it so much. I suppose it's a reminder of our own mortality?" she commented absently in thought while shrugging her shoulders "I've already seen a lot of death for most my age. And it's a normal cycle of life. Sometimes it happens naturally, or perhaps sooner than one expects. Yet all the same it's inevitable. There's no point in fearing something that's going to happen regardless" she gave her opinion as she followed him into the cabin "By the way, speaking of humankind, you never answered my question. Are you human?" she repeated, before he was asking his own questions about why she was still interested in being here and talking to him. "Hmm? My goal? I didn't really have one..." she admitted honestly as she looked to him curiously "I'm just curious to know more about you. Regardless of the fact your this big legend all around...I could care less about that specifically. But I'm just more genuinely interested in you as a person, I suppose."

Now that he was leading her into his cabin, she was standing behind him, at a better angle to catch a clear glimpse of the extra limbs he had protruding from his back, as if just tempting her to touch them as they passively remained lax behind him. She was already feeling more confident with him the more they talked and she spent time with him. She had been more cautious at first, not out of fear, but out of respect since she hadn't knowing if he would positively welcome her presence, or if he'd ignore her - or kill her. She hadn't known if he'd be interested in speaking to her, let alone spending time with her more than he might seem necessary.

But now the longer they spoke, and the fact he'd taken her to his cabin, it seemed more of a welcoming than anything, and her confidence rose, her curiosity getting the better of her with that confidence as she reached out and gently touched one of the black lanky tendrils protruding from his back "Ohhh...it feels just like skin, that's so cool...for some reason I thought they might feel silkier....like a snake or something..." she muttered in thought, eyes transfixed on the inhuman limbs, looking at the black flesh of the one she currently touched "Where do they come from, are they attached to your spine? Do they feel just like your arms do, or like different sorts of limbs? Like how legs feel different than arms - is there a difference to them too? What exactly do you call them anyways? They don't have hands on them, so it's not like they're exactly arms..." she continuously rambled out loud in thought as more questions overflowed from her mouth in curiosity.

 

[Seahomie]

The initial excitement Jared had felt was starting to wane away with every jumbled phrase that left Lily’s mouth. He was grateful for the newfound company, but he knew he was socially inept, the lack of interaction limiting his knowledge on how to properly handle human emotion. Combine his ignorance with the regular apathy he experienced and what was produced was a mildly irritated demon whose patience already ran thin. He knew it was vital he keep his composure, not allow any of the negativities to filter through his link with the girl, in order to retain her trust and compliance. If he frightened her away, offended her, or anything that may cause her to feel discontentment toward him, surely she would depart and never venture out to find him again.

Lily continued her ramblings, not pausing to take a breath let alone to hear his input or allot him a proper time to respond, so Jared remained silent and to himself for the time being. He was beginning to feel restless, no longer warranting the many intrusive questions she shot in rapid succession. He felt disgruntled the moment she ignored his cue to forget the subject of his past and once again probed at the “human” subject. There were few things he was unwilling to speak about and both his past, as well as his killings, were topics he’d rather avert than bring to the center stage. Going through his stupidity, reiterating the fact that he’d been foolish to accept an offer given to him by a being with malicious attributes and a cruel smile, and sorting through the horrendous, torturous acts he’d been forced to commit ever since was overstepping his boundaries. Now, he might’ve been over 200 years old, as Lily had generously informed him amidst her chatter, but every week subsequent he’d been commanded to kill. Instructed to slaughter so that Hell could obtain more souls, so that blood would be on his hands, so that legends would condemn his ambitious, kind heart and label him as a dangerous monster, ready to murder at the first chance he received.

Jared believed that it had been a way to keep him from public so not to beseech information on his hex. If everyone felt apprehension toward him, no one would be willing to aid him in his desperate attempts at suicide. At the deeply-rooted desire to succumb to the agony and end his existence before more bled to death on account of his “responsibility.” But he quickly learned most humans had their own secretive intentions which would be held on a pedestal compared to his, and they’d used him to gain attention, or develop a gruesome “truth” on the tales circulating the area. The woman without fear had been affectionate to him until he omitted his backstory from her. Until she no longer had access to the “Slender Man Encyclopedia.”

Jared approached the minor wooden staircase that leads to his porch when he first recognized the sensation. He’d stopped short in paralyzing confusion and panic until he lifted an arm and glanced back where he saw a wide-eyed girl delicately fondling the tail-like nuisances welded into his back. Then her questions amped their pace and he found himself unable to focus on anything but the pooling frustration. Before he knew it, he swiveled on his heel until he was facing Lily, back appendages flared to their fullest, and most-threatening, position. Although he couldn’t affect the volume when communicating through a mind, he could definitely change his tonality, and soon he was violently growling, ”That is enough.”

When Jared’s trailing mind caught up to his impulsive action, he relaxed his stance instantaneously, hunching his shoulders together and neatly folding the extras against his back. He felt guilty for the snap, but not yet to the point of apologetic, and he turned back around to finish his journey to the front door. He tried sifting through all the inquiries she’d had so to at least ease her curiosity somewhat, perhaps hoping to cease her incessant babble, and he methodically answered the questions he was comfortable in sharing.

”When I teleport, it takes a greater amount of effort than when I communicate. However, as I’ve been doing it consistently, it’s now a simple action. I know it may not seem like it, but I appreciate you taking an interest in me, but, please, remember that I’ve been isolated for centuries. As for these,” he murmured nonchalantly, glancing backward and slowly moving one in Lily’s direction as a peace offering. ”They weren’t here originally. They’re more like tails. Balance, stealth, agility, have greatly improved as well as irritation and resentment. They can’t be removed and touching them feels different than when you laid your hand on mine. Now, shall we go in?”

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Lillian had assumed Jared's welcoming to bring her to his cabin was also a welcoming of comfortableness. Or at least she had felt that way, feeling more comfortable around him now and not as cautious as before. Which led to her acting on her curiosity of touching the tentacle like appendages protruding from his backside, touching one of them curiously in her hands, though gently as though in hopes not to startle him in some way or be too invasive. Though her clueless mind didn't realize that's exactly what she had done, and she'd stepped over the line a bit with how close and comfortable she was getting with him.

She was too lost in her own babbling of thoughts that come from her mouth as she admired the appendage, that she didn't notice the tension in his body as he froze where he had been walking. Not until he suddenly spun around to face her in a more threatening posture while snapping at her. She blinked a bit, eyes widening momentarily before realization sunk in of just how rude and invasive she was probably being to the creature - or human, whatever he may be, since he still had yet to answer that question. And despite her curiosity nagging at her wanting to know, she could tell the second time around without a reply that he clearly was displeased with the topic and wanted to avoid it, so she did, and let it drop

"I'm sorry" she then apologized after recollecting herself from the sudden tension between them from his spiked irritation in her, frowning a bit. Though she was more so frowning at herself, rather than Jared's reaction. "I suppose I let my curiosity get the better of me. That was quite inconsiderate of me, I apologize" she spoke softly. Despite how curious she was of him, and how many questions she had, she'd rather not grow to be a irritating nuisance to the male.

When he started speaking again about the appendages, and him teleporting, she smiled a bit as he did answer some of her many questions that had tumbled out of her mouth, taking that as a sign that he wasn't entirely fed up with her presence already. "I'm sorry for being so nosy. It's just I've been wanting to meet you for quite some time now, so now that I finally have, it's a little hard to contain myself or keep my thoughts organized" she smiled apologetically to him "You don't have to answer anything you don't want to. Or, honestly you don't have to answer anything I ask, really" she spoke as she watched him ascend his porch steps and open the door to his cabin.

As he invited her inside, she nodded her head lightly as she followed him inside, looking around curiously at the living space. So this is where he lived. While her eyes gazed around with curiosity in the space, her feet stayed put to where she had stopped once she entered the space. She already felt she'd intruded on him too much with all her questions, and with his previous snap of irritation at her she was now hyper-aware of herself and her many questions, being sure not to ask too much at too once, and not wanting to start explore his home like it was her own or anything. Looking back to him, she decided to direct her questions towards the ones that were more about his physicalities, rather than personal information since he seemed to be more responsive to those. Such as when he answered about his telepathy, his extra limbs and teleportation-like abilities, rather than to the ones such as if he was human.

"So you're faceless....but you're actions indicate that you can see just fine. Obviously you can hear, since you're responding to my voice. You don't have eyes, or a nose or a....mouth? Do you?" she asked as she tilted her head curiously, now realizing more questions as she pointed out his lack of mouth - or at least it appeared that way in any case. How did he eat if he didn't have one? Did he need to eat? Just like before, the more questions she asked, the more she had and wanted to ask, but she was mindful this time and refrained from bombarding him with too many at once.

 

[Seahomie]

Witnessing the hesitancy now encoded into Lily’s actions, Jared nodded at her profuse apology. He had forgiven her, although if he were honest, there truly wasn't anything to forgive. He wasn’t holding her accountable for her invasive questions as he wasn’t enraged by her, he’d just lost his temper, and that definitely didn’t translate to him feeling contrite. Perhaps if the girl would’ve reacted differently to the hostile maneuvers, he might’ve tried to console her worries, but beyond the timid behaviors and soft-spoken atonement, she’d displayed little to no reaction at all. The way she cautiously approached the steps, passed him, and then stopped not four feet from her initial infiltration made the lanky being run a ghastly thin hand over his face in a mixture of discomfort and mild irritation. He delicately followed behind her and gently placed his hand upon her shoulder to guide her inside more, as he himself decided to wander to the small table to reside in one of his chairs.

The dimly lit room was illuminated by burning wax, the only light source Jared could derive from the middle of nowhere, and soft yellows danced along his walls. The home didn’t contain the furniture most houses included, but rather, hard oaken seats covered in miscellaneous cushions he managed to obtain during a couple of his slaughters. A few tattered jackets lined the back of the uneven sofa in the middle of the room, bedding with stuffing protruding from the broken, ripped seems aligned the seats, all of which were stained with blood or other bodily fluids. Unlike civilization, he had been forced to rinse off the gore in the nearby stream that flowed eastward, and seeing that he held no company, it didn’t ever bother him. He'd done far worse after all.

But now Jared was, in fact, entertaining a guest. A guest whom he was desperate to impress in order to gain more knowledge about life outside his forest. He could feel himself stiffen as her wandering eyes analyzed every niche, mistake, or inconsistency in his poor craftsmanship. Never had any living soul crossed his threshold into the place he called home, and he was very aware of the parts needing to be fixed. Because he lacked human characteristics, not just physical but biological as well, the being never felt drives such as hunger, the need for sleep, hypothermic temperatures, or anything else for that matter. He had a fireplace, but when he did decide to dredge some wood up and spark a flame, it was for light rather than warmth. That, and, there was an intoxicating element to watching dense flames rapidly consume material, destroying everything it touched or neared; an action he could relate to.

”Would you like… anything?” Jared voiced as he leant forward in his chair so to face Lily with a closer proximity. It was then that she decided to hammer out more of her questions about his characteristics, and he relaxed his muscles slightly. She was still busy pondering him than thoroughly inspecting his establishment, which was a bit of a relief. Something resembling a chuckle echoed over their mind-link, and his hands grasped his emaciated legs as he shut off his “vision” momentarily.

It was rather difficult to put to words the abilities Jared retained after the hex heavily altered his genetics into the creature he is now. All of what he could see, hear, taste, and feel went through transduction differently than when he’d been a boy. It was as if he viewed the outside world through a fuzzy pair of bifocals, ones that had been smudged with spider-webbed cracks stemming from the center. Hearing and translating vibrations into sounds worked relatively the same, but there was a slight echoic effect upon every noise. And although he couldn’t exactly sense scents, he made up for it with other heightened aspects such as being able to communicate through telepathy or the ability to reach his mind’s eye further than a few miles radius of him if he so desired. It’s how he accomplished the majority of his hunts, it’s how he found Lily instantly. He could feel the disturbance from within this familiar forest and had acted upon it accordingly. He knew approximations on how many species resided in the woods, how many individual animals each species held, and more. But how to explain that to a girl with wide, glistening green eyes, he wasn’t sure.

Instinctively, Jared’s hands stroked the pliant, rubber-like skin that stretched over his cheeks, and tiny indents indicated he was capable of possessing human traits that usually reside on a face, but he was aware he was, indeed, a blank canvas. ”No, I don’t believe I have those qualities. The humanoid characteristics that I once… had. All my senses stem from my thoughts. I can see you, but I’d imagine the picture isn’t the same as how you view me. There are minor… bumps where they could be if I had the ability to accommodate them, but, physically, they’re not there.” He briefly reached his hand out before thinking better of it and allowing it to sit on his lap politely. He thought about permitting her to caress the side of his face so she could satiate her own curiosity, but following through on those actions seemed… invasive. For both her and him.

Instead, an extra appendage wrapped itself around the leg of the only other chair in the room, and Jared tugged it in his direction. ”Sit, sit,” he encouraged as he retracted that same limb and folded it neatly into his back in its previous position. Deft fingers picking at the cloth material cloaking his legs, he bent his head downward and continued. ”Can I ask you questions about… out there? It’s been so long since I’ve properly acquainted myself with the outside world. The last year had been sometime around the 1980s’.”

 

[ChibiMonkey]

After stepping a few feet into his home, she waited for him to follow along as well before she intruded any further. She didn't want to go looking around his house if he didn't really want her prying. Though, from a first glance it didn't really look like there was all that much for her to uncover here even if she tried. It was dimly lit by a single candle - though still far brighter than anywhere else in the forest, shrouded by all the trees. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the hand on her back, and she blinked a bit, taking a few steps forward as she glanced over her shoulder at the taller man, before pausing again in her step to watch as he moved to sit comfortable in one of the chairs.

She stepped a bit further into the room, glancing around more curiously now seeing as it seemed to be alright. She didn't go wandering, though her eyes picked out objects and materials throughout the dimly lit room. At his mention, she moved to sit down in one of the chairs, sitting near the candle. She was far from scared of the dark or anything, but rather, she was getting rather tired of trying to see through the dark. While her eyes had by now adjusted to the lack of light and she could see better, the light was still appreciate as it eased the strain on her eyes, and, it allowed for her to now more clearly see Jared.

When he asked if she wanted anything, she had to wonder if he did have anything, like food or water. She wasn't sure if he actually ate, since he appeared to have no mouth. And the same went for drinking as well. And it wasn't like she did particularly need anything, though she still couldn't help but wonder. Giving a small smile, she shook her head "No, I'm all set, thank you" she said, the hospitable act of his offering further confirming her guess that he was human, or, at least had once been. Which once again was route full of questions if he was, but, remembering the last reaction and lack of answers she received last time she asked about his existence, she decided to refrain from asking on that matter, at least for now anyways.

Instead she asked more about his features and abilities, which he'd already previously answered similar questions on that topic so she figured it was a safe route to go. And it seemed she was right in assuming that, as he was soon answering those questions as well, as best he could anyways. He watched as he touched his own face while he spoke about his features, the her hand itching to touch it herself with her terrible habit of such a strong curious. Remembering what happened when she last touched him however, she refrained and controlled herself, despite her curious urges.

Something he had said during his explanation however caught her interest, leading back to his humanity, which, she now couldn't help but press. Well, she told herself she was going to refrain from the topic for the time being, but, he was the one that brought it up this time - even if indirectly and possibly unintentionally - so it should be alright, right? Deciding to go ahead with her question, she asked again, but her words sounding more like a clarification of a statement, rather than a question. "So then....you once were human?" she asked, thinking about his words. The humanoid characteristics that I once… had. If he once had them, then that likely meant this physical form of his was the cause of some sort of transformation. But how and why did this happen to him? Was it just some unnatural genetic phenomena? Or was it something more supernatural? She had a feeling asking all those questions would be too personal for him right now, so she bit her bottom lip slightly to contain herself and refrain from asking. Though thankfully he was speaking again asking her something else, so that helped to distract her curious mind.

"Of course" she responded with a smile, since despite all the questions she had for him, she was simply just eager to continue to talk with him, and honestly was interested in answering anything he wanted to know. "I've asked you plenty of questions. You're welcome to ask me whatever you'd like as well. Though, I can't guarantee I'll be able to answer everything well. Especially if its about the surrounding areas around the forest, as, like I've mentioned I've only recently moved back to the area after over ten years. But I'll answer whatever I can to the best of my ability" she assured with a carefree smile.

 

[Seahomie]

Anxiety. That’s the emotion that had begun to swell internally as small interludes of silence passed between the both of them. Jared knew every word he said would be carefully analyzed and picked apart because he was an anomaly, a freak whose existence simultaneously disturbed and intrigued humans everywhere. He never desired this unbridled attention and found himself wishing he could return to his state of isolation with every glance Lily gave his way. He could feel her tearing him apart with his quizzical movements and those bright green eyes that complemented the golden light beautifully. Although he couldn’t biologically display symptoms of apprehension, he certainly felt uncomfortable in this atmosphere.

Without intention, Jared stood on his feet and wandered to the window a few steps away. He knew this impulsive decision made him rude, perhaps even hostile, but he couldn’t maintain the short distance between them. Her questions weren’t the only bothersome aspects about her, he’d come to realize. It was Lily’s presence that was sending nerves to erupt in inquietude. He wasn’t used to company, he wasn’t accustomed to their social techniques, his actions were maladaptive and he found himself rather helpless in how to respond to simple motions. Fingers interlaced together, he began running his thumb along his knuckle in order to keep his composure as she once again probed at his past.

”Yes,” was all Jared responded with and only to appease Lily’s inquiries. He didn’t elaborate, he didn’t go into gruesome detail, and he definitely didn’t turn back around to face her. Because he knew that if he did, she’d scrutinize him intensely to try and piece together his puzzle. He didn’t want to be exposed. He’d prefer if could keep his past away from the public knowledge. He didn’t know this girl, he didn’t know her agendas, he didn’t know hardly anything about her and that scared him relentlessly. She’d easily given up information about how she’d come to know him, but that could’ve been a ploy so he’d lower his defenses and confess his sins.

A hand brushed over Jared’s bicep as he hunched his shoulders together a moment before changing the subject completely to something different. ”Have I become… popular? That’s how you knew to find me, right? Everyone knows where I live, don’t they? Did you tell them beforehand?” He didn’t mean to keep his mind link open, allowing those plaguing questions to slip easily into her mind even if he didn’t particularly want them to. He flinched, not as a reaction to anything outside his own thoughts, and kept his head lowered. Even if his back was toward Lily, he could easily see her sitting there as his focus was on her movements and her movements alone. If she tried to sneak around, he’d catch it. He didn’t trust her. He couldn’t, she might take advantage of him in the worst way possible; exploitation.

”Sorry, no, don’t…” Jared tried to fix, fingers clenching into his palms as he attempted to stabilize his condition. ”I know what I need to about the land around me, I won’t have questions about that. And your accent gives away the English inhabitance, I haven’t forgotten. Is… London as pretty as it’s mentioned to be? I’ve seen, uh, stills? They’re… sort of… stationary visions, what… what are those called?” His inability to name the things he’s witnessed only made his nerves flare as he was acutely aware of his lack of intelligence. Even without being caught up with the current year, he didn’t know much beyond what he’s caught glimpses of whilst stalking his victims. Everything he’s ever done has been self-taught and often times his “accomplishments” had been major struggles he’d barely overcome.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

She knew she likely shouldn't have, but she did anyways. She had asked about his humanity again, and as expected he seemed distressed, or, at least bothered anyways to some extent of her prying. She gave herself the excuse that it was okay this time however since he had been the one to bring it up this time. Well, indirectly, anyways. Despite having annoyed him though, which she did feel regrettable about, she was pleased to finally have an answer. It was a simple, short response, clearly displaying his displeasure with the topic, yet it was a response nonetheless. That was enough to sate her curiosity regarding his humanity for the time being, and simply just watched as he suddenly stood up from his chair and distanced himself from her, over towards the window.

She pouted a bit at the action, as now the light barely hit him and with his back turned to her she couldn't really see his features all that well anymore. Though, at the same time with his back turned, she got a better look at the inhuman appendages resting calmly behind his back. Despite her displeasure with the distance created between them, she wasn't so clueless as to betray that distance and invade his space, so she remained where she sat, instead turning her gaze to look around herself a bit more, where the candlelight reached a bit better. She noticed the unnatural stains on the cushions of an old and tattered couch, the seams coming apart at every angle and frayed fabrics. While lost in her thought, she heard him speak up once again, though this time, his annoyance clearly showing through with his words, as well as it being the first time he really expressed himself and how he was feeling about her presence here.

She paused a bit in surprise as she looked up from the couch and back in his direction, staring at him a bit dumbfounded. She was far to innocent in that regards that she didn't even consider anyone might try to exploit the myth-ed Slenderman, so his accusatory questions caught her off guard and confused her for a moment, before she realized how he was feeling and his perspective on this whole situation, unaware he hadn't intended to let those later questions slip out with the initial one.

"What? No, I haven't told anyone, nor do I intend to. Especially since I moved here, I no longer know anyone in the area. And even back in England, I was rather the outcast. I mentioned before I've always had an interest in meeting you and learning more about you since I was young, since you killed my father that night. By now most people are aware of my interest in you, and consider me crazy" she joked lightly "I suppose in recent years you have become more popular, yes. With the normalcy of internet and electronics now, its easy for people to share opinions and ideas, and so you're rather an internet sensation now I suppose" she answered him, before offering a genuine smile "I have no interest in sharing anything you tell me with others. I came here out of my own curiosity" she explained honestly, though could practically feel his apprehension, so she didn't know if he really believed her or not.

She noticed him seem to struggle with himself momentarily, an attempt to calm himself down, before he then began asking about London, and she smiled a bit. "I think it is, yes. You're talking about pictures, right? I'm actually from the outskirts of London, so I visited there quite often. Quite the tourist destination, but still beautiful" she commented before she shifted where she sat, shuffling through her pocket and finding her phone, pulling it out "I have quite a few pictures form back home. Those stills you were talking about. Would you like to see?" she asked, already unlocking her phone and opening up her photo gallery to her pictures, standing up from her seat. She took a step towards him, to offer him her phone so he could look, though then paused in her step, recalling his previous annoyance so she set the phone down on a table that was between them "You just swipe the screen like this to scroll and see others" she explained, showing him when he looked her way how to swipe the screen of the phone to scroll through the pictures she had.

 

[Seahomie]

Jared was powerful beyond compare. He could snap bones by simply grasping them with extreme force between his fingertips, he caused intense paranoia and eventual psychosis in order to appease his leaders, and he could decorate the forest with entrails of beings as if the trees were that of pine during the Christmas season; organs replacing ornaments, and intestines garland. But this interaction between the two of them took a skill level he didn’t possess. It would be much simpler to break her neck with the swift, easy movements of appendages racing toward her throat and coiling tightly around it as if they were pythons instead of extra limbs. But he didn’t want to do that. Not only because that meant discarding his opportunity of earning knowledge of the outside world, but also because the girl had shown him benevolence. The monster of the forest with a reputation for slaughtering on sight and Lily had been amicable, expressing nothing but irrefutable curiosity and courage.

However, her phrases didn’t calm Jared in the slightest. He knew about the Internet, of a complex version of it anyway, and he was highly aware of how widespread information could be if it caught on. He suspected the reason for his national divulge was because of the woman he’d chatted with disclosing sensitive material he’d not consented to. He believed he would’ve remained a local legend, or merely the towns’ history, not a viral sensation. Being well-known scared him more than the first time he’d been instructed to kill as a boy. Fame would mean more sacrifices in his name, more violence, more prodding intruders, and those were aspects he couldn’t live with. He was barely managing one little girl, so imagining dozens of folks surrounding his home made him experience partial dizziness.

But something about Lily struck Jared as mysterious. She’d given up her home, her life, to visit and send her gratitude for an action completed indirectly. She’d sought him out, not the other way around. She’d stumbled wildly into an unrelenting forest, risked her life to beseech a creature whose reputation was continuously described as “highly dangerous, avoid if all possible.” Slowly, he turned to face the girl with an innocent smile on her features and he allowed himself to relax. She was timid, not threatening, he could easily endure this, couldn’t he?

As Lily set her glowing mini-computer upon Jared’s rickety table, he hesitantly took a step forward even if the movements were unnecessary. From this distance, his mind could easily see the photo up and his appendages could reach the device to sift through them. He wanted to bridge the gap between the both of them, wanted to redeem himself for the sudden movements, and wanted to apologize for his childlike tendencies. Being hostile had been impolite and completely uncalled for, so he once again took a seat at the table, and focused his gaze on the different colors radiating from the box. The sky was setting, pink hues spread across complementary grey clouds as lights reflected rooms implemented into enormous buildings. It truly was a sight to see and he could feel himself being drawn into the scenery. He drew his hand up, touched his finger to the cool glass, and delicately drug it to the left, a new image replacing the old with an entirely new scene.

The sky was bright in this one and the photo captured a large… circle with smaller spherical rooms attached to it. It ran over a large body of water and if he analyzed the image further, he could make out the shapes of small humans residing in those bubbles. ”Thank you,” he began after a moment of filtering through the different scenarios, ”Not just for this, but for making the journey in the first place. I appreciate this very much. I apologize for my erratic behaviours as well. It’s not you, my dear. Please allow me some time to adjust to your company.”

Jared then pushed the device closer to Lily and sat back straight, shoulder blades precisely horizontal and posture proper with his hands resting in his lap. He wondered more about his guest but wasn’t sure where to begin with his questions. He had many, some pointless jabber, some meaningful inquiries, none of which were coming to mind in this instant. All but one. ”What is music like now? I had a listen during my visitations, but it had greatly evolved since when I was young. You had basic beats from drums created from doctored animal hide, and string-instruments derived from thick horse hair, but that’s as far as it went. I’ve never had the talent to perform such beautiful tasks. Can you make magic by plucking a few strings, or tapping a few beats?”

 

[ChibiMonkey]

It took a moment and some clear hesitation in Jared's step, however she was relieved to see him take up the offer to look through the photos on her phone. As he moved to sit at the table to look through them, she adjusted herself to sit back down as well, though she was more considerate this time and kept a fair amount of space between them as to not make him any more uncomfortable or startle him by her movements. She wanted to show she truly meant no harm, or had any ulterior agendas other than simply conversing with him and meeting him. Not as though she could cause him much physical damage if she were to try, anyways. Which she most certainly did not want to, of course.

She remained silent as he sifted through some pictures of London, as well as the outskirts of London where she lived, letting him take as much time as she wanted to. When he finally spoke up again, she lifted her gaze from her phone to his empty face when he began thanking her and apologizing for his skittish behavior around her. She smiled a bit and shook her head "Oh it's quite alright, honestly. I'm sure it's not every day someone comes wandering here in hopes to meet you without ill-intent or fear" she spoke, watching him push the phone gently back in her direction. She then moved from her seat, which had been her previous one and first one as well when entering the cabin home, moving to join him at the table, though still keeping a friendly distance as to not crowd him, and sitting on the other side of the table across from him, taking her phone back when he was done with it. "Next time I come to visit - that is, if it's alright with you to visit again - I can bring some better pictures from the internet if you'd like. Normally I can search them on my phone but...well, forests don't do well for internet connection. It doesn't have to be of London either - any other places that might interest you I can gather images of if you'd like" she offered.

After that, he was then asking her about music, which as he suggested, she was sure was incredibly different than the music he knew as a child. "There is all sorts of types of music now, as well as instruments. We still have string instruments, as well as drums, though I imagine they look and sound a lot different than what you might be familiar with. There are also wind, and electric instruments as well. Music today have a lot more sounds mixed together than they did centuries ago" she agreed to his perception of music having evolved a lot from what he remembered. Hearing his later question if she herself could play however, she nodded a bit with a smile "I can play the violin, a string instrument. I imagine it should be a familiar instrument for you. Though also perhaps more modern than your remembrance of it" she added in as she opened her phone back up and began scrolling through it again, going to her downloaded music "Do you like music?" she asked curiously, setting the phone back down within his reach once she opened up her music "You can click on any if you want to listen" she offered, though even if he liked music, she wasn't sure if he'd enjoy modern-day music.

As she let him play around with her phone if he wished, she watched him curiously, a small smile on her face. Despite his lack of facial features, she could still see the curiosity written in his blank face, and his movements. While he lived in the woods, she wondered how cut off he was from normal live outside of them. Surely he left occassionally for his kills, and must have some sense of how things were in the real world. Though she was curious of just how much he knew about, or didn't. He mentioned having heard music before on one of his kills, though she didn't know to what extent that was. She was curious to know more about him, the more they spoke and conversed, the more curious she became of him and what he knew. Not just him personally, but also what he knew in general. He seemed very innocent and childlike in his actions - despite the irony of lack of innocence in his frequent murders - that's how she saw him now after meeting him. But even still, having lived so long he surely must know a lot. Either way though, despite her growing questions and curiosities, she was much better now at keeping herself in check and not bombarding him with everything on her mind, and refrained from asking him anything more too much. Hopefully he'd be alright if she were to visit again and would allow it, that way she'd have plenty more time to ask her questions when she wanted to, and when he became more comfortable with her presence.

 

[Seahomie]

As Lily retrieved her device from off his coarse-grained tabletop, Jared elegantly placed his hands back onto his lap so to obscure his nervous movements. The scenario was no longer intensely hostile, partly because he’d spent the duration of flipping through aesthetically pleasing images counting the pulse throbbing in his neck, but out of habit he tended to feel insignificant in the presence of someone else. A vacuous mind combined with social ignorance made his impression of himself low. He was unqualified for every occupation known to humankind; besides the one he currently possessed. And even those “skills” were self-taught through weekly, perhaps bi-weekly, seasoned to perfection based on his record.

Jared was once informed his vocabulary was archaic. Something only historians could accurately translate because of the primitive tonality and function of said words. He ceased that the moment it was mentioned. He didn’t want to be ostracized as much as he could help, so if changing his speech aided in that process, then so be it. With so many other aspects, such as being lanky, faceless, and a genocidal maniac, a trait as silly as that could be altered without severe consequences. It wasn’t as if he interacted with many, as Lily simplistically pointed out, causing him to bend his head at an angle as he turned his vision off. The subject, amongst many, was tender, still sore even after all this time had passed him by. He didn’t condemn her for broaching the topic offhandedly for she didn’t know his secrets and probably wouldn’t be able to grasp their intensity even if he explained it.

However, Jared’s dull thoughts were removed in an instance as Lily indicated she’d like to meet again. His posture straightened, more so out of surprise than from sophistication, fingers tightened into his palm, and it was now that he deeply desired the ability to convey messages through physical attributes. It would’ve made the sit-down much easier to handle. ”You… wish to revisit me,” he allowed the thought to slip through their link, not as a question, but the words surrounded by a flabbergasted voice. The girl was being incredibly friendly and he’d been nothing but a tyrant her entire visit. Guilt started to gnaw away at his insides as he briefly nodded his head. ”Of course I don’t raise an issue with it. It’s as you said: I’m not allowed many visitors. Thus the chained fence before entry.”

Jared kindly listened as Lily rambled on about the genres and adaptations, but in reality, he couldn’t completely follow her words. He understood some, but not all, driving his diffidence further, but not granting those emotions to flow easily toward her. With his head tilted to the side, a subtle radiance directed his thoughts as she spoke of her talent at the violin. Assuming the instrument resembled nothing like what it used to, he was still rather impressed by this expertise. ”May I propose a concept to you?” He ventured, firstly pushing aside her questions and offers to create one of his own. Unwinding one of his black limbs from his back, he cautiously brought it her way, the movements resembling a snake’s as it slithered across the unfurnished table.

”Will you play for me instead? I don’t… I’ve never directed a machine such as this before, and I’d rather not become irritated again. If… if you decide you’d enjoy doing that for me… I will do whatever it is you wish of me. I believe it’ll be more questions, yes? Do… we have an agreeance?” The creature lifted the limb off the wood and propped it mid-air as if it were a hand, a sign of a business transaction if shook by another’s. He wasn’t sure if he was prepared for any inquisitions she may have, but he desperately wanted to hear her graceful fingers make the horse-haired instrument sing. There was a relaxation aspect to the sound he could recall by memory that sent chills down his spine whenever played correctly. ”I very much enjoy music, yes.”

Jared was aware his guest was ill-prepared when it came to performing for him, but he also knew Lily may not want to stay for very much longer. To her human nervous system, she may be cold, tired, hungry, things he couldn’t provide for her if she wanted to maintain health. She’d have to depart and return whenever she deemed fit. If she truly wanted to visit again. ”When would you appreciate going back home? Or… wherever it is you’ll be residing whilst you’re here on your vacation. I can always transport you back to London as well if you’d prefer, but I don’t believe I’d have a way to contact you again.”

 

[ChibiMonkey]

After her slight rambling about music and genres, and the offer of bringing more pictures at an offer to visit again if he wanted her to, she didn't realize how odd of a offer it may have been for the other. As if her initial search for him in meeting him now wasn't unusual enough, she didn't even consider how wanting to continue seeing him would be even more unexpected. So when his thoughts of slight bewilderment with her offer of seeing him again registered in her head, she paused with her current thought process which she'd just been talking about the different types of music, looking over to him with a smile "Yeah, of course" she easily answered, clearly not lying or feigning interest in seeing him against out of some form of pity or kindness. She genuinely did want to see him again, if he would want that, and remembering how he was still very much unused to any sort of friendly, casual company at all, she offered a small smile "If you would want me to, that is" she added in. If he was genuinely interested in seeing and speaking to her again, that would be wonderful. However she also didn't want to make him feel as though she was being pushy with wanting his company more, recalling how uncomfortable he became when she became to invasive with her questions bombarding him, so, she wished to avoid making him feel as such again.

When he agreed to the offer however and that he had no problem with her visiting him again, her face lit up a bit in excitement "Wonderful" she smiled happily, glad that he had no issue with it. By his unfamiliarity with so much interaction, she wasn't quite sure how he would feel about meeting her again. Especially since she seemed to irritate or bother her several times throughout their current meeting. So when he had agreed to it and seemed interested in seeing her again, she was relieved. She didn't have to worry about this being her only chance, which also took off the inner pressure on her curiosity of him that she had felt. It made it feel as though she had plenty of time with him now, and not one meeting, therefore, causing her to feel less pressured to focus on all her curiosities and questions she had for him. If he agreed to see her another time, it likely meant hopefully more times than just once more, and so she'd have plenty of time to ask her questions, without pressuring or bombarding him with them.

When he brought up a proposition of his own however, she grew further interested, as this was the first he seemed to come up with his own request or suggestion for her. Aside from his own few questions he'd been asking her, it was the first he seemed to really involve in the conversation, making it feel more two-sided than one-sided, as it had very much felt upon the first few minutes of their meeting. She nodded her head lightly at first, curious and interested to hear him out and what suggestion of sorts he had on his mind he wanted to propose to her.

When he asked her to play the violin for him though, her eyes widened a bit as it was now her time to be flabbergasted by his request. "You...want me to play for you?" she repeated curiously, looking at him a bit stunned, though not bothered by the request, simply surprised. After the surprise of the request quickly vanished though, a small smile fell upon her lips and she nodded her head lightly "Sure..." she agreed, her green eyes landing on the outstretched limb that seemed offered up to her to shake, as if promising on the deal. A bit hesitantly at first, she reached her own hand out to gently grasp and shake the limb. The hesitance wasn't out of fear, but more so rather remembering how he reacted last time she had touched one of his extra appendages. Granted, that time had been by surprise and without permission, so it had been rather rude on her part, she knew. "I don't mind at all. However, I'm not some expert at it" she warned him, not wanting him to start expecting too much out of her. In reality, she was rather talented with the violin, though she was still rather modest and bashful about it, since she always saw the flaws in herself and particularly her music.

Lillian didn't even realize how long she must have been in the forest, until Jared was bringing up when she would want to go home, or wherever she was staying. She considered she probably should go soon....she hadn't even realized how long it had been and how tired she was getting until he brought it up. But now with the mention of it, she realized she was rather tired...and hungry. When she heard he could transport her to London even though, her eyes widened a bit "Could you really move me that far?" she asked in bewilerment, finding that amazing "Well, as amazing as that is, I have a place I'm staying at nearby, in the town on the south end of this forest. So just helping me get out of the forest is all I need. And I am rather tired, so I probably should be on my way, whenever you're ready. But I'll be back soon" she assured him with a promising smile.

 

[Seahomie]

”I would love for you to play for me, Lily,” Jared encouraged passively, retaining his hope so pressure wouldn’t be placed on her shoulders. If she truly didn’t feel comfort in standing before him, instrument nestled between her distinct jaw and lax shoulders as fingers wielded a raw and powerful wand with the capability to accomplish a task so magnificent, than he wouldn’t want her to feel guilt for her trepidation. Perhaps upon her return he could request her expose him to an artist from the present so to experience the newfound art he’d missed. Being isolated inside a forest where the only form of song came from the chirping birds and the constant flow of a stream not 300 meters to the left, resulted in a deep yearning for human song.

When small fingers hesitantly wrapped around the offered obtrusion, contentment surged through Jared as if he’d been connected to source of energy. He’d convinced the young girl to accomplish a personal act, or so he thought based off her immediate down play of her abilities, and he couldn’t help the swell of happiness that impeded the other, more negative emotions. ”Thank you,” he simply communicated, albeit a warm rush of satisfaction deluged their psychological bond which spoke to greater lengths than he could ever properly communicate. That no being could manage.

As Jared retracted his limb, he allowed himself to stand, an angle bent into his frame so not to intimidate Lily, and he reached a hand out instead. ”I can move us all across the globe,” he began, answering her previous question with ease. ”It’s safer for me here, however. If I were to openly travel to France to visit the Eifel Tower, I would cause a great commotion, Lily. So I stay in the colonies.” He stiffened instantly when she mentioned where her residence would lay, and he turned his head abruptly in the opposite direction. Whenever possible, he attempted to distance himself from the southern part of his forest in hopes he wouldn’t be viewed lurking in the foliage. Ancestry, humans who shared the same genetic coding as him, would mindlessly wander around the town, aware of their background, or perhaps, completely aware and living in solitude out of complete fear of being abducted. Of course he’d never intentionally harm them but he was clueless as to just who they were. What if his family had already become victim to his ruthless hunts?

”I can’t take you to the fence. I’ll bring you as far as I’m comfortable with then direct you in the correct direction, understand?” Jared didn’t mean to be harsh in his request, but his filter had been damaged when he realized where she’d come from. ”Why… why the south? I thought the west attracted more tourists? They’re the ones who use “The Legend of the Slenderman” as a marketing tactic. I’ve seen the papers. The articles on exploiting the distorted information on me.” He tried to cover up his slight anxiety of interacting near the south with a genuinely confused tonality, but he doubted that it didn’t falter. Especially after his sudden reactions towards her referencing that area. What if she was his lineage? He recalled the mentioning of her living in that area whilst the murder took place and that caused his mind to soar through the different possibilities. Secretly, she could be an informant to those who knew about their heritage, but that seemed unlikely.

Jared took a step toward the girl and looked her up and down quizzically. Even now, he hadn’t decided whether or not she could be fully trusted as his decisions seemed to flow back and forth. In addition to her friendly attitude, she had prodded him intensely before he forced her to stop. How far would she have gotten? Did she feel entitled to these answers because she was a part of his family? His mother had been gifted with three sons and a daughter so it was likely they had spawn of their own, who then kept reproducing well into this day and age. It would only be six or seven generations, which seemed possible considering the multitude of siblings he’d had. Not to mention if his mother birthed more kids after his disappearance to replace him. He’d been young, not beneficial to his family in any possible way, and it was fairly common for parents to reproduce more members for free labour. With one less child, they lost out on work, so he wouldn’t find surprise in that fact if he were to do some investigation. Not that he necessarily wanted to. He couldn’t remember his home life well, not with the centuries of murder, torture, skinning, gruesome violence, and slaughter replacing his past memories.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Hearing his encouragement of his hopes for her to play the violin for him, she smiled a bit at the slight boost to her confidence. She didn't consider herself all that amazing - granted, she didn't think poorly of her skills either, though she did always think there was room for improvement in her talent. She felt a slight swell of pride that Jared would be interested enough to her her music personally, and while she didn't mind playing for him at all, she only hoped that she could hold up to his expectations of enjoying her playing. "Alright" she fully agreed this time once confirming that she would play for him on her next visit "I'll bring my violin next time then" she agreed, still finding it interesting that he would want to hear her play music. She wondered what exactly his interest in it was. Was it simply to hear her play since she mentioned she could? Or was it in hopes of hearing music more similar to that of the time he originated from? Perhaps to compare it to that music which was more familiar to him?

She was brought out of her own thoughts when she asked about his ability of being able to travel so far with his powers, which surprised her. Well, she supposed a lot if not most everything about him was still unknown to her, so it's not like anything shouldn't be of surprise, but still, it seemed quite amazing, and she smiled a bit "You could be quite the traveler, though I do understand the need for remaining here" she agreed. How interesting...granted for him it came at the cost of his safety to travel and risk exposing himself, but it was amazing to think how easily he could travel most anywhere he wanted, regardless of airfare, money, passports...none of that mattered for him to travel. "That makes sense" she further agreed to his comment of example regarding being unable to travel to France for sightseeing and all. "What about on Hallows Eve? Or here it's called Halloween in the states I believe. Have you ever traveled then? I bet you could go anywhere you wanted on those nights if there was somewhere you wanted to visit or see, so long as the culture of the destination celebrates such a holiday" she explained in thought. It wouldn't matter if he looked like Slenderman in public or not on that day - anyone would think him just another human enjoying the holiday by dressing up. Speaking of which, the holiday in question wasn't all too far away, just over a month and a half.

They were then talking about her heading home soon, and where she needed to go. After informing him she was currently residing in the town to the south end of the forest, she was confused when she had noticed the way he stiffened and became uncomfortable. She frowned a bit in confusion as she looked to him curiously, wondering what seemed to bother him all of a sudden. Was it something she had said? Recently during their encounter she'd been trying hard to remain pretty distanced from him, at least trying not to ask too many nosy questions or things of that sort. While trying to think back on what it might have been they were talking about that triggered this response out of him, she realized it occurred after they began talking about where she needed to go and resided for the time being. Something about the south, then? Despite her mind wondering this, she didn't pry about his reaction or the topic of where she was staying - which, in turn was also where she was from as a child.

Hearing his decided response that he couldn't take her all the way to the fence, she didn't mind, and she smiled a bit with a nod reassuringly to show that she didn't mind he didn't feel comfortable taking her the whole way "That's fine. I don't know why the south bothers you so much, but I appreciate you helping me along the way however far you're comfortable in doing so" she assured him, before he began further asking her why she was in the southern area below the forest, and she tilted her head a bit in confusion, before smiling a bit "I'm not hear for tourism. Even if the west exploits your existence as a marketing scheme, I'm here for my own interest in meeting you. You're not some tourism landmark to me" she spoke, before further adding "As for the south, Well, I suppose I just picked it because it's the same town I grew up with. Aside from meeting you, I was curious to see if my hometown has changed any since my childhood."

After trying to assure whatever worries occuring in his mind that she didn't know what they could be of, she just held out her hand to him, before clarifying "I need to be in contact with you for you to move me, right?" she offered him a friendly smile "I'm ready whenever you are. Take me however far you're comfortable, and if you just point me in the right direction that's all I need."