One x One The Different

[Irish_Dragon_76]

In a world, probably in a completely different universe, something is about to happen... two people, destined to meet will spark the beginning of a pretty rad story.


@heartshapedsprinkles

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

Not too sure where to start, Ryan walked aimlessly through a busy, city street. It was midday and the sidewalk was packed with people, but the road was no better. 


"I could just fly..." Ryan thought, his patience with the slow moving crowd finally beginning to break down.


"We know nothing of this place, Ryan. It's best we just wait till we get some information on this world." Ice replied to Ryan's complaining.


"Gonna fly..."


"Do not fly!" Ice exclaimed, his voice rising with every word he spoke.


Ryan jumped into the air and caught himself with a guest of wind. Blowing a few people around him back a couple feet. "Flying..." He said out loud in a nonchalant tone. He looked down to see multiple people, possibly everyone in sight, stating over at him, a few people even began running away, pushing past others who staired in horror.


"Huh... guess they've never seen people fly." Ryan said, loud enough for himself to hear over the wind blowing around him.


"Or maybe that's why they are running in the first place..." Wind said absently.


"Well, as long as"- before Ryan could finish his sentence, the sound of sirens went off. Next, a voice over a megaphone blasted through the busy street.


"Please vacate the area in an orderly fashion. Again, please vacate the area in an orderly fashion!"


"Why do you always do this to yourself...?" Ice asked rhetorically.


"It's not my fault! The crowd was too slow and I needed to get to that damn bar!"  Ryan replied defensively.


"Yikes, these guys look a little troublesome..." Water interrupted.


Shaking away the daze of the conversation, Ryan realized the street was just about empty. The sound of slight panic still filled the area. The street was quickly taken over by black jeeps with police lights and men in equally dark armor. They all appeared to be wielding rifles of some sort, possibly automatic from how they were designed.


Ryan weighed his options as the people bellow began to quickly get I to formation, aiming their weapons towards him.


After a long pause and complete silence, minus the echo of people and the sound of commands coming from the people bellow, Ryan decided it was time to say something.


"What seems to be the problem officers?" Ryan yelled down to them all, looking for a reaction. No one even flinched.


"You're dead." Wind said, as if Ryan had just died in a simple game.


Ryan began to smile. On the inside though, he was quickly calculating every possible escape route. If he moved even an inch, they'd probably open fire.


"come on, come on..."


@heartshapedsprinkles

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

It had been an exhausting few days for Colette. She'd just wrapped up a long shift at the ER, and had lost more than one patient that had come in through the door. There had been a shooting downtown, and multiple people had be hit, from what she could tell. She'd hardly had five minutes to herself to look it up on the news, and what little time she did have she would use to sleep in the nurse's room, or grab a quick snack to eat in between helping patients. From what she'd heard some of the other nurses whispering, it seemed as though one of the victims was a suspected magic user, and the target of the shooting. And he was one of the ones that passed away, his wounds too severe for them to save his life. When she'd heard, she'd managed to take sneak away for a few minutes to cry. She knew that there would be no justice for him, even if the killer was caught. Murdering magic users was common, and law enforcement always seemed to look the other way. Why bother, after all? Their very existence was illegal, and all were to be reported and apprehended. Death might be better for some than what the government had in mind.


Pulling her hoodie tighter around her as a gust of wind blew past, she almost missed the noticeable increase in tension from the crowd, until someone running past her knocked her down to the ground. Gasping in surprise, she winced as she landed on her side, her bag flying from her grasp to land a few feet away. Gingerly, she picked herself back up, and managed to weave through the dispersing and panicked crowd to grab a hold of her bag once more before it became damaged or someone took it. By the time she had managed to dust herself off and check for abrasions, the crowd had almost entirely disappeared, and she was one of the few stragglers left. Confused, she jumped a bit when she heard someone speak from above her, and she looked up to search for the source. Her expression changed from confusion to horror when she saw someone flying in the air, using magic almost identical to her own.


What is he doing? He's going to get himself killed!! Looking around, she realized they were almost entirely surrounded by the police, and they were armed. Swallowing, she made a split second decision that she was hoping she wouldn't regret, and in the span of a few seconds, a protective whirlwind had kicked up around the man in the sky. Puling her hood up to hide her face and hair, she launched herself up and dropped down into her own whirlwind, grabbing the man's hand and shouting over the sound, "We need to get out of here!" Pointing upward, she tugged at his hand and added, "If we get high enough, they can't track us and we can find a safe place to land." Knowing that time was of the essence, she didn't wait for his response and instead tightened the grip on his hand and pushed them both straight up with her magic. Once they were high enough that no one could make them out, and even the air was thinning and making it hard to breathe, she turned to him and said breathlessly, "What are you doing? Do you have a death wish? Or do you want to spend your life being treated like a lab rat?"

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

Looking through the corner of his eyes for a chance of escape, still not even daring to dart his eyes around too fast, a guest of wind came up out of nowhere, surrounding him in a whirlwind of air. Hardly a second afterwards, the guys on the ground opened fire, stopping seconds later after someone gave a command to hold fire. The bullets fired were quickly stopped and harmlessly fell back to the ground, not even hitting Ryan. Simultaneously, someone flew up to him, taking him by surprise as she spoke and took him by the hand. Ryan quickly shook it off and nodded his head in agreement. The woman had already begun pulling him up before he began flying himself. By the time they were at a safe distance, the air had become thinner and the city below was void of any detail, save for the grey tops of the buildings.


"Death wish? Nah, just a drinking problem..." Ryan answered casually, staring down at the city. "And lab rat? People don't like guys who can fly, do they, huh?" Ryan added, look I over at the woman now. Ryan almost lost control of the wind once he took a glance at her, taken by surprise by her flowing, pink hair and innocent, yet serious stare. He noticed his eyelids raise for a second before going back to a normal, casual glance, minus the now purple color to them.


"Oh, and... thanks for helping me out there... you can fly too?" He added, a feeling of slight awkwardness creating up on him.


@heartshapedsprinkles

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

Colette's eyes widened slightly in disbelief at his response to her questions as she tilted her head to the side and looked over him, as if trying to figure out where it was he came from. Confusion was evident on her face, as if that was the last response she had expected from him. "Drinking problem...? Is that a joke? You'd risk your life for a drink?" She looked down towards the ground, trying to control her breathing now as the thinning air was starting to get to her a little bit, eyeing the distance between them and the police.  "And that's an understatement! Do you seriously not know anything about it? Anyone with powers is a threat, and will be taken in for study, or exterminated if they're considered too dangerous, or killed on sight if uncooperative. That's how it's been for years..."


Looking around, she was hoping to catch sight of a place they could hide for a while until everything settled down below. "And you're welcome. I just hope there weren't any cameras around that caught sight of us. If so, we're screwed..." Glancing up at him, she smiled at his last question and nodded her head, "Yes, I can fly. Clearly." The last word was said in a lighthearted way, showing she meant no offense in her teasing of him, and her attempt at covering the severe amount of anxiety she was feeling right now. She swallowed hard then, trying to quell the panic that was rising up in her chest, her breathing picking up as the potential consequences to her actions finally started to hit home. Shaking her head to try and rid herself of the lightheadedness she felt being so high up in the sky, she spotted a forest a few miles away and said softly, unable to quite catch her breath, "Th-there! We can hide there for a few hours before we head back to the city...." Her vision swam for a moment as she turned back to look at him, and she dropped a few feet from the sky before managing to catch herself. The combination of her shallow, panicked breathing, and the thin air was making her feel very faint, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay conscious. "L-let's go..."


@Ryan Ports

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

Hearing the tone in the woman's voice, Ryan began to feel a sinking feeling of dread swell up in his chest. Thanks to his carelessness, someone else was paying for his actions.


"I see... Sorry about dragging you into this... And honestly, I don't exactly know anything about this place. Is it like this all around the world?" Ryan asked, a more serious tone to his voice now.


Keeping his eyes on the pink haired woman, Ryan quickly realized something was wrong. The woman was having trouble staying up in the air. Before he could say anything about it, she had begun to fall before catching herself a few feet down.


"Hey, are you okay?" Ryan asked, slightly alarmed. Not waiting for an answer, Ryan flew over to her side and put his arm around her to keep her from falling. "come on, let's get out of the sky..." Ryan mumbled as he flew towards the forest she had pointed out.


"Guess we were a bit too high up, ey?" Ryan said lightheartedly, still holding on to the woman. "I almost forgot to ask. What's your name anyway?"


@heartshapedsprinkles

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

Through the fog of her panic, Colette had vaguely heard the man ask if she was alright, but was unable to catch her breath well enough to answer "Th-thank you..." she managed to mumble under her breath as he wrapped an arm around her waist, deciding against trying to go it on her own. Fighting down an embarrased flush on her cheeks that surfaced at her needing the care of a complete stranger, she tried to think practically. If I don't allow him to help, it'll just slow us down. And that's the last thing we need right now... She wrapped her own arms around the man's neck to help steady herself, holding onto him as they flew towards the forest near the edge of the city. Allowing her own magic to fade away so that he was in complete control so that she would have one less thing distracting her, she closed her eyes and focused on controlling her panic, slowly managing to calm her short, shallow breaths into longer, more controlled ones.


Turning to him, she smiled at his lighthearted tone of voice, responding softly, "Yeah, I guess we are up kinda high, aren't we? Better than being low enough for them to track us easily, though." She took a moment to study his face, taking in his dark hair as it was ruffled by the wind, and his purple eyes. Her heart was still beating rapidly in her chest, and her face was stilll flushed, her anxiety still not fully under control. "My name is Colette. And it's alright, you didn't drag me into anything. I could have left you there to deal with the police on your own, but I didn't. I chose to help you. And yes...." she strailed off, her smile faltering as sadness welled up inside of her, "It's like this all around the world. I'm sure there are a few remote villages here and there that are unaffected, but for the most part, this is normal." She looked puzzled again as she stared at him, her voice tinged with confusion when she asked, "How... How do you not know this? Especially being a magic user, you should know this. I mean, you life is at risk every time you use magic out in public, and you were using it quite publicly earlier. Is that normal for you? Have you never gotten into trouble for that?"


Her eyes widened as another thought popped into her head, and she immediately pushed herself away from him in a panic, falling slightly before her own magic propped her back up. She looked terrified, shaking, her breathing once again quick and shallow. "Y-you're one of them, aren't you? An exterminator... I mean, why else would you use your magic in public like that?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged herself tight, almost to the point of hyperventilating. "P-please don't k-kill me, I... I haven't done anything or hurt anyone, please..."


@Ryan Ports

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

Listening to her questions as she said them, one after the other, Ryan struggled to find a way to answer them all. Before he could even say anything, the woman, who had introduced herself as Colette, pushed herself away from him, fear and hurt in her eyes and face. It took him a second to process what she was saying, but Ryan quickly shook away the haze of confusion.


"I'm not gonna hurt you Colette. Just let me explain. I swear I'm not exterminator. I don't even know what that is honestly..." Ryan said softly, yet with a hint of caution as he carefully flew a bit closer towards Colette, inches at a time.


"Let's just get out of the air and I'll explain everything, okay?" Ryan added, keeping a good distance from Colette so not to spook her. As he spoke, his eyes slowly began to turn a bright blue. Not quite a pale blue, but light enough.


"Ryan, please don't do this..." Ice pleaded tiredly, as if he had become tired of saying it.


"Listen, I just need to calm her down. After I settle her down and get some directions, I'll be done with her, okay?" Ryan thought in reply, his expression on the outside not changing a bit.  


@heartshapedsprinkles

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop herself from shaking like a leaf, her fingers gripping onto the fabric of her hoodie as she slowly backed away from him the closer he got. Colette desperately wanted to believe him, to believe that it was possible that someone who was raised in their time could be ignorant to the dangers that gifted individuals had to deal with, but she was finding it very hard. Years of fear and hiding, of watching people like her killed simply for existing, of seeing people get close to others only to be betrayed to save their own skin, had left her in a constant state of fear and worry. And being a naturally trusting individual made it much more difficult for her; she had to second guess herself constantly, wondering if this new person in her life was someone who might try to harm her, or if she could finally be herself around them.


"S-stay away from me!" she managed to choke out, her lip trembling as her tears finally fell from her eyes. She rubbed at them, sniffling softly as her heart continued to pound hard in her chest. "I-I can't believe you! N-nothing else m-makes sense! Why else would you use your magic like that?" She shook her head at him, unable to talk coherently anymore as she began to hyperventilate, her breathing shallow and out of control as she clutched at her chest helplessly, her expression turning fearful. No! Not now, I can't panic now! The air is already too thin, I'll... I'll pass out... "P-please.... I don't want to die..." she whispered pleadingly, her words broken up as she gasped helplessly for air, unable to regulate her breathing. Her vision started to tunnel as she was deprived of oxygen, the lightheadedness hitting her hard and fast. Her tears fell faster as she realized she was about to pass out, which sent her further into a panic, and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it. No.... Not now.... 


And with that, her vision went dark and she dropped out of the sky, her magic vanishing in an instant.


@Ryan Ports

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

Ryan stopped where he was, not daring to move any closer in fear she might try and fly away.


"Ryan, we must go. The police will be on us soon if we stay here..."


"This is a waste of time, let's get out of here already..." Fire chimed in.


"Yeah, I agree with everyone else, we are in bad spot right now and"- Wind was quickly Interrupted as Ryan flew over towards Colette.


"Somethings wrong...!" Ryan mumbled, going straight into action seconds before Colette began to descend towards the ground. 


Ryan quickly caught up to her, wrapping his arms under her arms and carefully allowing the both of them to land softly on the grassy ground, just a few yards away from the forest.


Allowing himself to fall on his knees, Ryan held Colette against his chest, looking down at her with a concerned expression.


"Don't worry Colette... I've got you..." Ryan said softly, tenderly brushing some of her hair away from her face.


He didn't know why, but for some reason or another, he felt attached to Colette. No matter how much the urge to bolt came to him, he couldn't get himself to take his eyes off of the pink haired woman. Realizing the cold breeze blowing over them, he pulled Colette closer to him, tightening his grip slightly to keep her warm. Still gazing down at her, his eyes began to fill with purple, just as they did before.


The sound of a helicopter rotor pushed through the cold, grassy field, quickly snapping Ryan out of his daze.


"Damn it..." he whispered to himself.


Ryan quickly picked Colette up and threw her onto his shoulders, running towards the treeline in front of them. He made it with ease, sure the helicopter hadn't spotted them as it flew passed without any sign of stopping or slowing in general. 


Ryan carefully set Colette down, propping her in a sitting position on a nearby tree. The woods were thick and possibly full of life, so starting a campfire seemed safe enough.


after digging a small hole, Ryan gathered some dry leaves and branches and started a fire.


"It would have been quicker if you used my powers, you know..." Fire grumbled.


"I know, but it's nice to do things myself every once and a while, you know?" Ryan replied absently as he tended to the fire, adding larger sticks now.


The sun had begun to set now, making the forest much darker. Ryan listened closely for nearby animals, hoping to catch an easy meal. Minutes later, Ryan opened his eyes and swiftly turned around, eyeing a rabbit a few yards off. Ryan didn't hesitate and fired an arrow sized ice spike towards the creature, killing it almost instantly.


In no time, he had cleaned the meat of any hair or inedible parts and had it cooking over the fire.


"See, I'm still totally independent from you guys. Only thing I used was a single ice spike to kill it." Ryan said with pride, tending to the cooking meat.


Ice was about to say something, but but decided to let Ryan have this argument.


@heartshapedsprinkles

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

The first thing Colette noticed as she began to regain consciousness was a smoky quality to the air that had not been there when she had passed out. A loud popping and crackling was what filtered in next, the sound of burning wood, and she whimpered softly in pain as the pounding in her head worsened the more aware she became of her surroundings. Ever so slowly, she managed to crack open her eyes, and was met with overwhelming darkness. N-night time...? How long have I been out, that it's dark already...? She pushed herself away from the tree she had been leaning against, turning her head to look towards the fire. Squinting slightly at the bright light, she soon made out a male figure. As her eyes soon adjusted to the dim lighting, they widened in horror as she scrambled to her feet, using the tree to balance herself as she stared at the young man before her.


"Wh-what happened? Why are you here?!" In her blind, backwards stumbling panic to get away from the strange young man before her, her heel caught against an exposed root and sent her tumbling backwards. With a cry of surprise she found herself on her back, staring up at the stars in the night sky. This lasted only a moment though, as she was soon on her feet once more and backing further away, deeper into the dark of the forest andd away from the light of the fire. "How am I still alive? I don't understand..."


@Ryan Ports

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

As the sun finally sank behind the horizon, Ryan stared into the fire with an absent gaze, watching the flames flick around as he sank into his own thoughts.


"Don't worry, it'll be great! Plus, it's kinda important you go..."


"Why's that? More super powerful people to recruit or something?"


"Eh, more like for the sake of plot..."


"Plot? Like... Movie, story line plot?"


"Just go and it'll all make sense, okay? Maybe... I don't know, you are kinda hard to keep up with sometimes... I mean, one day, you're on the ball and all smart and cool, and the next, you're all oblivious and everywhere... Anyway! Here's the coordinates, have fun Ryan!"
 


That was the conversation Ryan had had with Yu before coming here. His only knowledge on the task at hand being, 'for the sake of plot'.


"I don't get that guy sometimes... I mean, for a guy who made everything, he doesn't seem to understand a lot... or explain anything either,,," Ryan mumbled to himself as he eyed the cooking rabbit, which was just about ready to be taken off the fire.


Ryan was quickly snapped out of his thoughts, which were occupied by ideas on how to season the meat at the time, as the rustling of leaves came to his attention. It was Colette. He looked over towards where he had left her, almost forgetting about her due to him being lost in his thoughts. Before he could say or do anything, Colette once again got the first reaction.


"It's alright, you fell out of consciousness so"- Ryan began before abruptly stopping.


rushing towards Colette once she fell to the ground, Ryan stopped a few feet away as she stood back up, a terrified look on her face. Colette began to stumble backwards, trying to put some distance between her and Ryan.


"I caught you before you hit the ground and decided to set up camp until you woke up... You've been asleep for about three hours or so." Ryan said in a calm voice, staying where he stood as he spoke.


"Listen... I think we should start over... I'm Ryan, I'm not from around here and could use some help getting around. What's your name?" Ryan said, taking in a deep breath before reintroducing himself.

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

Colette had managed to work her way around a tree without tripping again, staring out from behind it to watch him uneasily. "I... passed out? A-and... You caught me? Why?" She asked suspiciously, pressing herself against the tree as she leaned forward, trying to read his expression. Between the back lighting from the fire and the dark of the wood, it was nearly impossible to make out much more than his silhouette from where she stood. She squinted at him, shivering slightly as the cold air blew through the trees, the warmth of the fire too far for her to feel from where she stood. Not from around here...? Where could he possibly be from?!


Biting her lip nervously, she nodded the slightest bit as his suggestion to start over, though she was still thoroughly nervous and apprehensive.The fact that he hadn't bothered to kill her yet, though.... It seemed like a pretty convincing argument in his favor at the moment. "H-hi Ryan, I'm Colette," she mumbled softly from behind the safety of her tree. "Where.... are you from that you don't know any of this stuff?"

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

Colette had managed to work her way around a tree without tripping again, staring out from behind it to watch him uneasily. "I... passed out? A-and... You caught me? Why?" She asked suspiciously, pressing herself against the tree as she leaned forward, trying to read his expression. Between the back lighting from the fire and the dark of the wood, it was nearly impossible to make out much more than his silhouette from where she stood. She squinted at him, shivering slightly as the cold air blew through the trees, the warmth of the fire too far for her to feel from where she stood. Not from around here...? Where could he possibly be from?!


Biting her lip nervously, she nodded the slightest bit as his suggestion to start over, though she was still thoroughly nervous and apprehensive.The fact that he hadn't bothered to kill her yet, though.... It seemed like a pretty convincing argument in his favor at the moment. "H-hi Ryan, I'm Colette," she mumbled softly from behind the safety of her tree. "Where.... are you from that you don't know any of this stuff?"

It was hard to see her in the dim, flickering firelight, but Ryan could tell she still had a worried, and possibly confused, expression on her face. Ryan walked a little closer towards the tree she was now hiding behind, stepping cautiously so not to spook her.


"It's nice to meet you Colette, and to answer your question from earlier... believe it or not, I'm actually a nice guy and would hate to see someone like you fall to their death." Ryan said amusingly.


"And... I'll be completely honest with you, Colette..." Ryan paused for a moment, not sure how to word his next sentence. "I'm... I'm not even from this planet... I actually don't know where I'm from, but it isn't even in this universe most likely..." Ryan said hesitantly, stopping where he is for a moment as he looked down at the ground and into his shadow.


"I don't even know what I'm doing here honestly... I was sent here by some cryptic, child-like... My boss pretty much, who explains like, zero details on why I come to places like this." He said, adding, "And before you ask, no, I don't destroy planets or whatever, I'm a normal organism like everyone else around here..."


Ryan took in a deep breath walked to the side to lean against a tree, which he leaned his back against and slid down until he was sitting on the ground.


"So yeah... There you go, I'm an alien..." Ryan mumbled glumly, slightly surprised he had put it that way.


"You actually told her everything... What the hell man? I thought you said you'd keep a low profile no matter what..." Wind said, his voice still relatively mellow and calm.


"I can't believe you sometimes Ryan... You are... I have no words to express the frustration I am feeling right now!" Ice exclaimed.


"Yeah, what the hell were you thinking!?"


"Should've planned this out better... Now she knows more than most others..." Earth chimed in


"Guys, guys! Come on now. It's obvious that it's this girl getting to him. Cut him a little slack, he's just"-


Ryan leaned his head down and began hitting his fists against the sides of it, whispering repeatedly, "Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up...!"


The Elementals had begun talking in a confused tone, but Ryan ignored them as he continued hitting his head and whispering the same two words, over and over. He couldn't take it; all the voices, speaking at once, ridiculing him on a decision he didn't agree with either. He expected Colette to be running by now, running as far away from him as possible, thinking he was either a monster or just crazy...

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

It was hard to see her in the dim, flickering firelight, but Ryan could tell she still had a worried, and possibly confused, expression on her face. Ryan walked a little closer towards the tree she was now hiding behind, stepping cautiously so not to spook her.


"It's nice to meet you Colette, and to answer your question from earlier... believe it or not, I'm actually a nice guy and would hate to see someone like you fall to their death." Ryan said amusingly.


"And... I'll be completely honest with you, Colette..." Ryan paused for a moment, not sure how to word his next sentence. "I'm... I'm not even from this planet... I actually don't know where I'm from, but it isn't even in this universe most likely..." Ryan said hesitantly, stopping where he is for a moment as he looked down at the ground and into his shadow.


"I don't even know what I'm doing here honestly... I was sent here by some cryptic, child-like... My boss pretty much, who explains like, zero details on why I come to places like this." He said, adding, "And before you ask, no, I don't destroy planets or whatever, I'm a normal organism like everyone else around here..."


Ryan took in a deep breath walked to the side to lean against a tree, which he leaned his back against and slid down until he was sitting on the ground.


"So yeah... There you go, I'm an alien..." Ryan mumbled glumly, slightly surprised he had put it that way.


"You actually told her everything... What the hell man? I thought you said you'd keep a low profile no matter what..." Wind said, his voice still relatively mellow and calm.


"I can't believe you sometimes Ryan... You are... I have no words to express the frustration I am feeling right now!" Ice exclaimed.


"Yeah, what the hell were you thinking!?"


"Should've planned this out better... Now she knows more than most others..." Earth chimed in


"Guys, guys! Come on now. It's obvious that it's this girl getting to him. Cut him a little slack, he's just"-


Ryan leaned his head down and began hitting his fists against the sides of it, whispering repeatedly, "Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up...!"


The Elementals had begun talking in a confused tone, but Ryan ignored them as he continued hitting his head and whispering the same two words, over and over. He couldn't take it; all the voices, speaking at once, ridiculing him on a decision he didn't agree with either. He expected Colette to be running by now, running as far away from him as possible, thinking he was either a monster or just crazy...

Colette stayed put behind the tree as Ryan spoke, shrinking away from him ever so slightly the closer he got to her. She could tell from his slow, purposeful movements that he was trying hard not to scare her even more, and that, combined with him telling her that he couldn't let her fall to her death, confused her. He's... an exterminator, right? This doesn't make sense, he would have let me die otherwise... Unless, he's not? Her eyes widened at his explanation, and she audibly gasped, almost unable to believer her ears. "You're an alien?!" She asked incredulously, her jaw falling open in shock. "But, you look human..." There was a long line of questions she wanted to ask him, her curiosity almost getting the better of her. She was cut off though, when Ryan began hitting the side of his head repeatedly, and murmuring to himself. In an instant her fear was gone, replaced by worry and concern for him, and before she knew it, she was kneeing on the ground in front of him. Reaching out, she ever so gently took his hands in her, pulling them away from his head.


"Hey..." she whispered soothingly, squeezing his hands gently in hers. "Are you alright? Is something going on to make you do that?" A part of her felt as though she shouldn't pry, but her instincts were taking over, trying to get as much information from him as possible. She smiled at him hesitantly, still holding on to his hands. "It's okay... I think... I believe you. All sorts of strange things can happen here because of magic..." Biting her lip, she shook her head slightly, almost as if she was trying to shake the doubt from her mind, "I guess, somewhere out there, there must be those with the ability to travel to different planets, right? That makes sense, logically... I think."

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

Colette stayed put behind the tree as Ryan spoke, shrinking away from him ever so slightly the closer he got to her. She could tell from his slow, purposeful movements that he was trying hard not to scare her even more, and that, combined with him telling her that he couldn't let her fall to her death, confused her. He's... an exterminator, right? This doesn't make sense, he would have let me die otherwise... Unless, he's not? Her eyes widened at his explanation, and she audibly gasped, almost unable to believer her ears. "You're an alien?!" She asked incredulously, her jaw falling open in shock. "But, you look human..." There was a long line of questions she wanted to ask him, her curiosity almost getting the better of her. She was cut off though, when Ryan began hitting the side of his head repeatedly, and murmuring to himself. In an instant her fear was gone, replaced by worry and concern for him, and before she knew it, she was kneeing on the ground in front of him. Reaching out, she ever so gently took his hands in her, pulling them away from his head.


"Hey..." she whispered soothingly, squeezing his hands gently in hers. "Are you alright? Is something going on to make you do that?" A part of her felt as though she shouldn't pry, but her instincts were taking over, trying to get as much information from him as possible. She smiled at him hesitantly, still holding on to his hands. "It's okay... I think... I believe you. All sorts of strange things can happen here because of magic..." Biting her lip, she shook her head slightly, almost as if she was trying to shake the doubt from her mind, "I guess, somewhere out there, there must be those with the ability to travel to different planets, right? That makes sense, logically... I think."

All Ryan could hear was the muffled, inaudible voices of the Elementals and his own whispers as he continued to repeatedly slam his hands against the sides of his head. That is, until Colette, completely unnoticed to Ryan, moved up to him and grasped his hands, stopping him from hitting himself. Ryan whipped his head up, taken by surprise from the sudden interaction. He stared into Colette's eyes, a look of confusion and pain plastered on his face.


After a few moments of being stuck in his own sorrowful gaze, Ryan blinked away the daze, but continued looking into Colette's eyes.


"Yeah... Yeah I'm alright..." Ryan replied, squeezing her hands weakly. "And yeah, that's one way of putting it..." Ryan added, ignoring her question about what sent him into a nervous breakdown and hoping she hadn't noticed.


Ryan lessened his already-weak grasp on Colette's hands and slowly slid his hands away from Colette's, still looking her in the eyes. His eyes were purple once again.


"Thanks for... Not freaking out  as much as I expected you to by the way... Most people I've told this to have either called me crazy or were scared of me... Save for a couple people who either understood or just didn't care..." Ryan said, beginning to stand up now.


"Come on, let's talk about it over dinner." Ryan added, brushing off his black pants and walking towards the campfire, which was still crackling and glowing brightly.


Ryan sat down near the fire, the cooked rabbit wrapped in a cloth next to him.


"So before I go any further with my own life story... how about you, Colette? What's your story?" Ryan asked, picking up the fair-sized cooked rabbit and unwrapping it from the cloth.


Ryan looked back over at Colette once again, waiting for her to take a seat near the fire and answer his question. He had just realized the Elements had been completely silent this entire time, but decided to savor the peace and quiet for now.

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

All Ryan could hear was the muffled, inaudible voices of the Elementals and his own whispers as he continued to repeatedly slam his hands against the sides of his head. That is, until Colette, completely unnoticed to Ryan, moved up to him and grasped his hands, stopping him from hitting himself. Ryan whipped his head up, taken by surprise from the sudden interaction. He stared into Colette's eyes, a look of confusion and pain plastered on his face.


After a few moments of being stuck in his own sorrowful gaze, Ryan blinked away the daze, but continued looking into Colette's eyes.


"Yeah... Yeah I'm alright..." Ryan replied, squeezing her hands weakly. "And yeah, that's one way of putting it..." Ryan added, ignoring her question about what sent him into a nervous breakdown and hoping she hadn't noticed.


Ryan lessened his already-weak grasp on Colette's hands and slowly slid his hands away from Colette's, still looking her in the eyes. His eyes were purple once again.


"Thanks for... Not freaking out  as much as I expected you to by the way... Most people I've told this to have either called me crazy or were scared of me... Save for a couple people who either understood or just didn't care..." Ryan said, beginning to stand up now.


"Come on, let's talk about it over dinner." Ryan added, brushing off his black pants and walking towards the campfire, which was still crackling and glowing brightly.


Ryan sat down near the fire, the cooked rabbit wrapped in a cloth next to him.


"So before I go any further with my own life story... how about you, Colette? What's your story?" Ryan asked, picking up the fair-sized cooked rabbit and unwrapping it from the cloth.


Ryan looked back over at Colette once again, waiting for her to take a seat near the fire and answer his question. He had just realized the Elements had been completely silent this entire time, but decided to savor the peace and quiet for now.

The look on Ryan's face as she held his hands puzzled her greatly. He looked to be in pain, and just as confused as she was at the moment, which was a departure from the confidence and laid back attitude he'd had before. It wasn't long before he blinked it away though, his expression now much more neutral than it had been before. She smiled reassuringly as he squeezed her hands, responding gently, "Well, my freaking out hasn't seemed to be helping much so far, has it? Figured I'd try something different for a bit. And besides, if I don't listen when you talk, how am I going to expect the same from you?"


She allowed his hands to slide from hers as he stood up, watching as he brushed himself off and walked back towards the fire,inviting her to join him. She didn't move for a moment, still a bit anxious about the whole situation, but her stomach growled at the smell of food and she blushed, pushing herself to her feet and patting off her knees. Walking over, she sat down cautiously next to him, positioning herself quite close to the fire, as she was feeling cold. Holding her hands up to warm herself, she mulled over his question for a moment, wondering how much detail he was looking for, before she spoke softly, "Well, I work as an ER nurse at the city hospital. I'm a mage, but only my best friend knows... I hope. I've no family, and I tend to keep to myself, considering what might happen if my secret gets out. Uhm... There's nothing special to it, I guess. I expect my story is pretty similar to many of those with powers." She was smiling sadly at this point, rubbing her hands together as they warmed up, though she was still feeling cold overall.


She glanced at the rabbit he'd cooked, and her stomach growled once more, causing her to blush. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a water bottle and a couple of granola bars, handing him one. "It's not much, but I always like to have snacks on me. Never know when I'll get a chance to eat when I'm on a long shift, you know?"

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

The look on Ryan's face as she held his hands puzzled her greatly. He looked to be in pain, and just as confused as she was at the moment, which was a departure from the confidence and laid back attitude he'd had before. It wasn't long before he blinked it away though, his expression now much more neutral than it had been before. She smiled reassuringly as he squeezed her hands, responding gently, "Well, my freaking out hasn't seemed to be helping much so far, has it? Figured I'd try something different for a bit. And besides, if I don't listen when you talk, how am I going to expect the same from you?"


She allowed his hands to slide from hers as he stood up, watching as he brushed himself off and walked back towards the fire,inviting her to join him. She didn't move for a moment, still a bit anxious about the whole situation, but her stomach growled at the smell of food and she blushed, pushing herself to her feet and patting off her knees. Walking over, she sat down cautiously next to him, positioning herself quite close to the fire, as she was feeling cold. Holding her hands up to warm herself, she mulled over his question for a moment, wondering how much detail he was looking for, before she spoke softly, "Well, I work as an ER nurse at the city hospital. I'm a mage, but only my best friend knows... I hope. I've no family, and I tend to keep to myself, considering what might happen if my secret gets out. Uhm... There's nothing special to it, I guess. I expect my story is pretty similar to many of those with powers." She was smiling sadly at this point, rubbing her hands together as they warmed up, though she was still feeling cold overall.


She glanced at the rabbit he'd cooked, and her stomach growled once more, causing her to blush. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a water bottle and a couple of granola bars, handing him one. "It's not much, but I always like to have snacks on me. Never know when I'll get a chance to eat when I'm on a long shift, you know?"

Ryan listened intently to Colette as she spoke, unwrapping the cooked rabbit while still looking over at her. The light from the flames softly lit up her face, allowing Ryan to take in every detail of her face, the right-half of it anyway...


After a slight moment of silence, Ryan noticed a faint noise coming from Colette. It was her stomach. Ryan looked over at her and noticed a slight, red tint to her face. Moments afterwards, she pulled out a water bottle and two granola bars and handed him one.


"Thanks, and yeah, I know what you mean. I've gone three days without food because I forgot to pack supplies and ended up hiding in the mud, hungry as hell while waiting for a guy I needed to apprehend..." Ryan said, carefully opening the plastic package the granola bar was in.


Ryan sat there for a while, eating the the granola bar, bit-by-bit, thinking about saying something that kept gnawing at him.


"I hate to ask... but... where's your family?" He finally asked, hesitantly.


He knew the answer wasn't going to be a good one, but the need to know for sure was killing him...

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

Ryan listened intently to Colette as she spoke, unwrapping the cooked rabbit while still looking over at her. The light from the flames softly lit up her face, allowing Ryan to take in every detail of her face, the right-half of it anyway...


After a slight moment of silence, Ryan noticed a faint noise coming from Colette. It was her stomach. Ryan looked over at her and noticed a slight, red tint to her face. Moments afterwards, she pulled out a water bottle and two granola bars and handed him one.


"Thanks, and yeah, I know what you mean. I've gone three days without food because I forgot to pack supplies and ended up hiding in the mud, hungry as hell while waiting for a guy I needed to apprehend..." Ryan said, carefully opening the plastic package the granola bar was in.


Ryan sat there for a while, eating the the granola bar, bit-by-bit, thinking about saying something that kept gnawing at him.


"I hate to ask... but... where's your family?" He finally asked, hesitantly.


He knew the answer wasn't going to be a good one, but the need to know for sure was killing him...

Colette had been mid-sip when Ryan asked her the question about her family, and she started coughing, slightly surprised that he had been so forward in his questioning. Normally people avoided the topic entirely, or danced around it awkwardly until she brought it up to ease the tension. It took her a minute to finish coughing and catch her breath, but when she did, she looked at him, almost amused. "Most people are most subtle than that. Asking where someone's family is... It's a very touchy subject on this planet, just so you know." Sighing, she closed the lid to the water bottle and handed it to him, indicating that he should drink if he was thirsty. "As for my family... Well, they're dead. As far as I know, both my grandparents had passed away before I was born. And both of my parents are dead. My father was killed when I was younger, and my mother committed suicide." She stopped then, staring at the fire intently, trying hard to stop the tears that had formed in her eyes from falling. It took her a few minutes, but she eventually continued, her voice much softer, with a vulnerable edge to it, "I've been on my own since. I managed to get myself emancipated, so they wouldn't ship me off to foster homes. Finished school as fast as humanly possible, and now I work. I might have some far off extended family that I don't know about, but it wouldn't matter." Her smile was gone now, as she fiddled with one of the strings on her hoodie, still staring at the fire. "On the off chance they do exist, I couldn't let any of them get close anyway. It's too dangerous to be close to someone with magical abilities." Her tears started to fall now, and she sniffled softly, rubbing at her eyes. "S-sorry... Ugh, this is so embarrassing..."

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

Colette had been mid-sip when Ryan asked her the question about her family, and she started coughing, slightly surprised that he had been so forward in his questioning. Normally people avoided the topic entirely, or danced around it awkwardly until she brought it up to ease the tension. It took her a minute to finish coughing and catch her breath, but when she did, she looked at him, almost amused. "Most people are most subtle than that. Asking where someone's family is... It's a very touchy subject on this planet, just so you know." Sighing, she closed the lid to the water bottle and handed it to him, indicating that he should drink if he was thirsty. "As for my family... Well, they're dead. As far as I know, both my grandparents had passed away before I was born. And both of my parents are dead. My father was killed when I was younger, and my mother committed suicide." She stopped then, staring at the fire intently, trying hard to stop the tears that had formed in her eyes from falling. It took her a few minutes, but she eventually continued, her voice much softer, with a vulnerable edge to it, "I've been on my own since. I managed to get myself emancipated, so they wouldn't ship me off to foster homes. Finished school as fast as humanly possible, and now I work. I might have some far off extended family that I don't know about, but it wouldn't matter." Her smile was gone now, as she fiddled with one of the strings on her hoodie, still staring at the fire. "On the off chance they do exist, I couldn't let any of them get close anyway. It's too dangerous to be close to someone with magical abilities." Her tears started to fall now, and she sniffled softly, rubbing at her eyes. "S-sorry... Ugh, this is so embarrassing..."

Ryan jumped slightly at Colette's coughing, but quickly settled down. A feeling of regret had begun to creep into his chest as Colette recovered from the coughing fit. After taking the water Colette had offered and drinking a few sips, Ryan set it down next to the Rabbit and listened intently to Colette, who had begun to speak. Every time she started a new sentence, the emotions in her words seemed to become sadder. Hearing about her mother and father, Ryan couldn't help but to think about his own family. Even after gaining his memories back, the one thing he needed that he didn't know, was where they were... Despite the stressful thought of his family, Ryan continued to listen.


Once Colette finished, there was a moment of silence. It took Ryan a few seconds to realize the tears falling down Colette's face, but when he did, he couldn't help but feel he had to do something about it. Ryan scooted over to Colette and gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a comforting hug.


"I'm sorry Colette... I know how it feels to lose family..." Ryan murmured softly, slightly tightening his grip around Colette. "I know we just met and all... But if you ever need a friend, I'm here for you. You don't have to be alone..."


Ryan held on to Colette for a few more moments before finally loosening his grip and slowly retracting his arms back to his sides. He gazed into Colette's eyes intently, almost unable to look away as his now-purple eyes locked onto hers. Ryan couldn't help but smile as a tickling feeling began to grow in his chest. It was funny to him for some reason; despite all the universes he had been to, all the people he had met, and despite all the time he had spent with them, it was the woman in front of him right now that made him feel something he had lost a long time ago. Something he had almost forgotten about... Something he couldn't quite explain, even now.

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

Ryan jumped slightly at Colette's coughing, but quickly settled down. A feeling of regret had begun to creep into his chest as Colette recovered from the coughing fit. After taking the water Colette had offered and drinking a few sips, Ryan set it down next to the Rabbit and listened intently to Colette, who had begun to speak. Every time she started a new sentence, the emotions in her words seemed to become sadder. Hearing about her mother and father, Ryan couldn't help but to think about his own family. Even after gaining his memories back, the one thing he needed that he didn't know, was where they were... Despite the stressful thought of his family, Ryan continued to listen.


Once Colette finished, there was a moment of silence. It took Ryan a few seconds to realize the tears falling down Colette's face, but when he did, he couldn't help but feel he had to do something about it. Ryan scooted over to Colette and gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a comforting hug.


"I'm sorry Colette... I know how it feels to lose family..." Ryan murmured softly, slightly tightening his grip around Colette. "I know we just met and all... But if you ever need a friend, I'm here for you. You don't have to be alone..."


Ryan held on to Colette for a few more moments before finally loosening his grip and slowly retracting his arms back to his sides. He gazed into Colette's eyes intently, almost unable to look away as his now-purple eyes locked onto hers. Ryan couldn't help but smile as a tickling feeling began to grow in his chest. It was funny to him for some reason; despite all the universes he had been to, all the people he had met, and despite all the time he had spent with them, it was the woman in front of him right now that made him feel something he had lost a long time ago. Something he had almost forgotten about... Something he couldn't quite explain, even now.

Colette stiffened slightly as she heard him scoot closer to her, not quite sure what to expect from him. Her heart pounded hard in her chest as she felt his arms loop around her and pull her close to him, his body heat warming her up almost instantly. He's.... hugging me...? She thought, almost dumbfounded. It had been so long since her last proper hug, she wasn't quite sure how to react or what to do. Sure, she had hugged plenty of patients and their loved ones, but she had always been the one offering someone else comfort. Rarely had she had someone hug her to offer her any sort of comfort, and most certainly not in the form of a hug. She had put up enough of a wall for so long, that she wasn't sure what to do now.


Hesitantly, she leaned into the hug, wrapping both of her arms around his arm, and rested her head against him. She didn't know why, but the gesture was making her cry harder, her tears falling faster as he held onto her. She didn't believe him when he said she didn't have to be alone, though she certainly wished that were the case. Not having to hide who she was was wishful thinking though, and she doubted that she would ever be allowed to be open and honest with the world about who she really was. Still... It's a nice thought, not having to be alone...


After he released her, Colette was surprised that she missed the hug almost instantly. The warmth, the comfort, the security... A part of her wanted to ask him to hold her again, but she knew she couldn't; they'd only just met after all. She stared back at him, tears still dripping slowly from her eyes as he gazed into them, surprised to see him smiling at her. She half-expected him to be weirded out at her crying to him; she barely knew him, after all! Her eyes searched his as he held her stare, and before she knew it, she was returning his smile with a small one of her own, raising the sleeve of her hoodie to dab at her eyes once more as she sniffled. "Thank you.... Ryan. I haven't been held like that in a long time..." She sighed softly, taking a moment to unwrap her granola bar and nibble at it. "Uhm... How about you? What's your story?"

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

Colette stiffened slightly as she heard him scoot closer to her, not quite sure what to expect from him. Her heart pounded hard in her chest as she felt his arms loop around her and pull her close to him, his body heat warming her up almost instantly. He's.... hugging me...? She thought, almost dumbfounded. It had been so long since her last proper hug, she wasn't quite sure how to react or what to do. Sure, she had hugged plenty of patients and their loved ones, but she had always been the one offering someone else comfort. Rarely had she had someone hug her to offer her any sort of comfort, and most certainly not in the form of a hug. She had put up enough of a wall for so long, that she wasn't sure what to do now.


Hesitantly, she leaned into the hug, wrapping both of her arms around his arm, and rested her head against him. She didn't know why, but the gesture was making her cry harder, her tears falling faster as he held onto her. She didn't believe him when he said she didn't have to be alone, though she certainly wished that were the case. Not having to hide who she was was wishful thinking though, and she doubted that she would ever be allowed to be open and honest with the world about who she really was. Still... It's a nice thought, not having to be alone...


After he released her, Colette was surprised that she missed the hug almost instantly. The warmth, the comfort, the security... A part of her wanted to ask him to hold her again, but she knew she couldn't; they'd only just met after all. She stared back at him, tears still dripping slowly from her eyes as he gazed into them, surprised to see him smiling at her. She half-expected him to be weirded out at her crying to him; she barely knew him, after all! Her eyes searched his as he held her stare, and before she knew it, she was returning his smile with a small one of her own, raising the sleeve of her hoodie to dab at her eyes once more as she sniffled. "Thank you.... Ryan. I haven't been held like that in a long time..." She sighed softly, taking a moment to unwrap her granola bar and nibble at it. "Uhm... How about you? What's your story?"

Slightly surprised by the sudden turn on his own question, Ryan stood there for a second, not sure where to start. His eyes slowly began to go back to there normal green again.


"Well..." Ryan began, moving back where he was before and leaning forward, still facing Colette. "To make a long story short, I used to be a mercenary in another universe. Took years to get out of that life. Lost a lot of friends in the progress... I was able to settle down for a while, go on adventures or just hang around..." Ryan trailed off for a moment, staring down at the ground with a blank stare.


His mind wondered on the last few words he was about to speak before he had stopped. For some reason or another, the thought of those old memories left a pain in Ryan's heart.


"After some time, I realized some things about myself, gained these cool powers, travelled around different universes for some guy I work for, which I'm still doing, and... yeah, that's about it..." Ryan quickly says, turning his body so he faces the fire.


"you never told us about your past life..." Water mumbles.


Ryan didn't bother replying and just started into the campfire, just then realizing his right grip on the granola bar he was still holding. He had crushed it under its wrapper and decided to pocket it for now as he continued to silently look into the fire with an empty stare, as if in deep thought.


@heartshapedsprinkles

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

Slightly surprised by the sudden turn on his own question, Ryan stood there for a second, not sure where to start. His eyes slowly began to go back to there normal green again.


"Well..." Ryan began, moving back where he was before and leaning forward, still facing Colette. "To make a long story short, I used to be a mercenary in another universe. Took years to get out of that life. Lost a lot of friends in the progress... I was able to settle down for a while, go on adventures or just hang around..." Ryan trailed off for a moment, staring down at the ground with a blank stare.


His mind wondered on the last few words he was about to speak before he had stopped. For some reason or another, the thought of those old memories left a pain in Ryan's heart.


"After some time, I realized some things about myself, gained these cool powers, travelled around different universes for some guy I work for, which I'm still doing, and... yeah, that's about it..." Ryan quickly says, turning his body so he faces the fire.


"you never told us about your past life..." Water mumbles.


Ryan didn't bother replying and just started into the campfire, just then realizing his right grip on the granola bar he was still holding. He had crushed it under its wrapper and decided to pocket it for now as he continued to silently look into the fire with an empty stare, as if in deep thought.

Colette was silent as Ryan spoke, taking small bites from the rest of the granola bar she had and washing it down with some water. She watched his face intently while he shared his past, noting the almost unreadable, blank expressions when he mentioned things that seemed to upset him. She couldn’t help but feel a pang in her own chest as he wrapped up rather quickly, and turned away from her to focus on the fire instead. The crinkling of the wrapper in his hand caused her to glance down, and it was then she noticed the tight fist he had made around it, crumbling its contents.


Instinctively, the need to comfort him arose within her and she reached out, placing her hand on his and squeezing it reassuringly, her face full of sympathy and concern. “Thank you, Ryan, for sharing that with me. I can’t imagine that it was easy. I’m…. I’m so sorry about your friends…” Unconsciously, her thumb ran along the top of his hand, and when she finally noticed it, she pulled away quickly, focusing on the fire as well as she suddenly found herself feeling very shy.


Several moments had passed when a thought popped into her head, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Wait, you were a mercenary for years? How old are you?” Almost immediately, she realized how rude the question sounded, and she slapped her hand over her mouth, blushing furiously as she stared at him. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry…

 

[Irish_Dragon_76]

Colette was silent as Ryan spoke, taking small bites from the rest of the granola bar she had and washing it down with some water. She watched his face intently while he shared his past, noting the almost unreadable, blank expressions when he mentioned things that seemed to upset him. She couldn’t help but feel a pang in her own chest as he wrapped up rather quickly, and turned away from her to focus on the fire instead. The crinkling of the wrapper in his hand caused her to glance down, and it was then she noticed the tight fist he had made around it, crumbling its contents.


Instinctively, the need to comfort him arose within her and she reached out, placing her hand on his and squeezing it reassuringly, her face full of sympathy and concern. “Thank you, Ryan, for sharing that with me. I can’t imagine that it was easy. I’m…. I’m so sorry about your friends…” Unconsciously, her thumb ran along the top of his hand, and when she finally noticed it, she pulled away quickly, focusing on the fire as well as she suddenly found herself feeling very shy.


Several moments had passed when a thought popped into her head, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Wait, you were a mercenary for years? How old are you?” Almost immediately, she realized how rude the question sounded, and she slapped her hand over her mouth, blushing furiously as she stared at him. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry…

Ryan slowly loosened his grip on the granola bar, which had been utterly destroyed by his tight grip, as Colette's hand touched his own. Slowly turning his head to look over at her, Ryan locked his eyes, which were slowly filling up with purple as the white was drowned out, onto her own as she spoke. He couldn't help but notice her thumb brushing against the top of his hand. 


It wasn't long before Colette quickly pulled away her hand and swiftly turn herself to look towards the fire as well.


"Lol, she's all nervous now! I like this lady now. So unsure about herself..." Water said, her usual, half-serious tone in her words. 


"Did... did you just say, 'lol'...?" Ice asked hesitantly, as if scared of the possible answers.


While this inner conversation went on, Ryan ignored them and continued to look over at Colette through the corner of his eyes. Several moments later, Colette suddenly asked about his age, verifying he had been a mercenary for years. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands once she finished her sentence, apologizing just as fast.


"Its alright, but yeah, I was kinda in that life for like..." Ryan paused for a moment, looking up as he thought on the years he spent being a mercenary. "About three or four years?" He finally said, sounding as though he wasn't too sure about it himself.


"And I'm 20 now I think. Kinda gets hard to know your birth date when you travel through different universes... time zones get a little messy and stuff, you know?" Ryan added, laughing half-heartedly afterwords. By this point, he had broken eye contact with Colette, his eyes still purple, but looked to be slowly seeping away, the next color not yet visible.


Ryan looked down at the rabbit be had cooked and decided to save it for later, despite still feeling slightly hungry. He knew he'd need it more later on. Taking it in his hand,he slipped it in his pocket and turned back to look at Colette for a moment.


"Well... unless you feel safe going back into the city, I think we best get some sleep. We can talk about what to do from there in the morning I guess." Ryan said, getting up from where he sat and crouching down towards the ground, bundling up leaves into a relatively large pile and lying down in it.


After a moment of snuggling into the leaves, Ryan sat up and looked over at Colette, the the light from the fire, which he laid several feet from, flickered around on his face.


"You want help making a shelter or something? I can make a decent hut if you'd like..." Ryan said, smiling slightly as he spoke. His eyes slowly became blue as he spoke.

 

[heartshapedsprinkles]

Ryan slowly loosened his grip on the granola bar, which had been utterly destroyed by his tight grip, as Colette's hand touched his own. Slowly turning his head to look over at her, Ryan locked his eyes, which were slowly filling up with purple as the white was drowned out, onto her own as she spoke. He couldn't help but notice her thumb brushing against the top of his hand. 


It wasn't long before Colette quickly pulled away her hand and swiftly turn herself to look towards the fire as well.


"Lol, she's all nervous now! I like this lady now. So unsure about herself..." Water said, her usual, half-serious tone in her words. 


"Did... did you just say, 'lol'...?" Ice asked hesitantly, as if scared of the possible answers.


While this inner conversation went on, Ryan ignored them and continued to look over at Colette through the corner of his eyes. Several moments later, Colette suddenly asked about his age, verifying he had been a mercenary for years. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands once she finished her sentence, apologizing just as fast.


"Its alright, but yeah, I was kinda in that life for like..." Ryan paused for a moment, looking up as he thought on the years he spent being a mercenary. "About three or four years?" He finally said, sounding as though he wasn't too sure about it himself.


"And I'm 20 now I think. Kinda gets hard to know your birth date when you travel through different universes... time zones get a little messy and stuff, you know?" Ryan added, laughing half-heartedly afterwords. By this point, he had broken eye contact with Colette, his eyes still purple, but looked to be slowly seeping away, the next color not yet visible.


Ryan looked down at the rabbit be had cooked and decided to save it for later, despite still feeling slightly hungry. He knew he'd need it more later on. Taking it in his hand,he slipped it in his pocket and turned back to look at Colette for a moment.


"Well... unless you feel safe going back into the city, I think we best get some sleep. We can talk about what to do from there in the morning I guess." Ryan said, getting up from where he sat and crouching down towards the ground, bundling up leaves into a relatively large pile and lying down in it.


After a moment of snuggling into the leaves, Ryan sat up and looked over at Colette, the the light from the fire, which he laid several feet from, flickered around on his face.


"You want help making a shelter or something? I can make a decent hut if you'd like..." Ryan said, smiling slightly as he spoke. His eyes slowly became blue as he spoke.

“Twenty?” she murmured, shocked at his response. Based on what he had just told her about his life, she had expected him to be older. That means he was a mercenary as a teenager… She could feel her heart tighten in her chest at the thought, and almost reached out for his hand once more, but held back. She didn’t know him at all, and she was also not used to being physical with people, even when it came to simple touches. She’d spent her whole life shutting people out, even though it went against her very nature.




Watching his as he spoke, she noticed for a moment that his eye color seemed like it was changing, though she wasn’t quite sure. And she thought that staring might be a little rude as well. It must be a trick of the light. Though.... I supposed he is technically an alien. Maybe that's a normal thing for him? ....Is it rude to ask people about that?







His mentioning sleep shook her from her thoughts, and she bit her lip, staring off into the dark of the forest for a moment before responding. “No… I don’t think it’s safe yet… Luckily, I don’t work for a few days, so I won’t be missed…” she mumbled softly, watching as he got up to gather up some leaves in a makeshift bed.




Sleeping on the ground didn’t exactly appeal to her, and she glanced around, looking for a tree to lean against while she slept. She spotted one a little bit further away, and shook her head at his offer, not wanting to put him out any more than she already had. “No, I’ll be fine. I can sleep sitting up if I need to. When you’re on a four day shift at the hospital, you start sleeping in the weirdest of places...” Getting up, she brushed off her pants before picking up her bag and walking over to the tree. Sitting back down, she pulled up the hood of her sweater and pulled out her large scarf from her bag, placing it over her lap. She turned to look over at Ryan, a little further away from the fire than he was, and smiled. “Goodnight, I guess? Hopefully it doesn’t get too cold… I don’t fancy dealing with frostbite right now.”