rave
/rav/
verb
1. talk wildly or incoherently, as if one were delirious or insane.
2. speak or write about someone or something with great enthusiasm or admiration.
Hippy
hip·pie
/ˈhipē/
noun
(especially in the 1960s) a person of unconventional appearance, typically having long hair, associated with a subculture involving a rejection of conventional values and the taking of hallucinogenic drugs.
life
/līf/
noun
1. the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
"the origins of life"
2. the existence of an individual human being or animal.
3. a particular type or aspect of people's existence
4. the period between the birth and death of a living thing, especially a human being.
5. vitality, vigor, or energy.
6. (in art) the depiction of a subject from a real model, rather than from an artist's imagination.
Magic
mag·ic
/ˈmajik/
noun
1. the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.
2. mysterious tricks, such as making things disappear and appear again, performed as entertainment.
3. a quality that makes something seem removed from everyday life, especially in a way that gives delight.
4. something that has a delightfully unusual quality.
mag·ic
adjective
1. used in magic or working by magic; having or apparently having supernatural powers.
~Plot Stuff~
Hundreds and hundreds of years ago, there existed an otherworldly arcane essence that existed by the name of Magic/Magick. This essence was a variety of things. Lush and in great abundance, full of life and a energy that science had become a pale reflection of in the years that followed. However, it was also an essence that harbored a wicked face as well, bound to attract misfortune and death to all who were able to understand and or obtain it if not tamed properly. The secrets of this essence falling into the wrong hands would bring nothing but catastrophe.
And catastrophe it brought, those hundreds a years ago. One that thrust magic into an era in which it had began to fade and a new form of energy created at the hands of man became the new. The world in which magic had come from became a myth, magic itself became a myth as time progressed and left it to fade and never be seen again.
Or perhaps....what isn't seen isn't truly gone. And perhaps...the world thought to be myth is much more than just so. But what is certain is that what has lurked in the veils of shadows within the darkness, behind illusions of people, places and things. Forces that had managed to slip into the ages of the new world. Those of good. Those of evil and malice. Those of...magic. And perhaps...hope. But...will the newest of generations derived from those hundreds of years be able to face what comes?
And so we fly ahead in time to the present, where villages have become cities of tall structures, and dreams of flight have become a reality.
"--oof!" Yoon fell flat on her face. She mumbled in Korean, rubbing at her head as she trembled to get up. But then she felt her body tense when arms wrapped around her. And as soon as she saw who it was, she shoved her previous customer away. "Not you again!" She said, finally getting to her feet. "What is this?! A cruel Halloween prank?!" Her arms flailed, adjusting her disheveled hair and hoodie. She was in complete shock at what had just happened and what was currently happening. "I'm sorry I didn't have your stupid charger! LEAVE ME ALONE!" She sniffled some, wiping at her nose and stomping her way away from them. "Stupid blondes... stupid cats... STUPID TALL GUYS!" Because she was in such shock, she spoke more than she usually would.
The woman's hand grasped Yoon's shoulder, turning her around. "This is no act of mischief nor a practical prank," she said sharply, the honey colored feline eyes that replaced the blue of the woman's still glowing faintly.
"You."
The blonde turned her head at the snarl that was directed towards her quickly to see that the man was already getting back to his feet now, his hood no longer covering his shaven head and the many thick lines of black that marked it and his face and neck. In the next instance, she grabbed Yoon by the wrist and started running. "I need to get you as far out of the vicinity as possible. There is no telling how wide his area of detection of mana is at this moment. Are there any alternative exits nearby?" Despite the situation, she spoke calmly but with urgency.
"You! Ugly cat!" Yoon's eyes recognized the ones that took over the blonde woman's. "This is your doing! You brought this upon me because I refused you tuna!" Her lips pursed with furrowed brows, being forced to run as she did so. "Mana? What is this? What is that!" She pointed at the man in horror. "This is some special effects makeup--too much effort for a prank!" Her pace quickened.
"For the last time, this is no PRA–" A few strands could be seen raising on the woman's head much like a cat's fur would on its body. She suddenly yanked Yoon in a different direction, the brief sight of an SUV flying through the parking lot in midair at them and smashing into the wall just as they had gotten out of the way. She looked behind them, seeing the entire front of the vehicle crushed in towards the seats. She could see the crimson dripping down from the driver's seat window. There had been someone within the vehicle.
"Does that look as if it is a prank to you?" Her feet slid across the ground a little as they made another turn. "There isn't time for me to explain in detail, nor is this the appropriate place to converse over it. What you need to know at this very moment is that your life and much more is in danger do you understand?! Now the exits, where are they located?"
"HOW DID YOU POSSESS A HUMAN BOD--" Yoon was cut off by a sudden shriek that emerged from her throat, witnessing the blood spill from the SUV. Her widened eyes stared at the ground now in horror, the confusion that overwhelmed her slowing her pace. "....e-e-exit?" She repeated. Yoon looked around in a trembled. "D-D-Downstairs... D-Downstairs!" The girl yelled, this time grabbing ahold of the possessed woman and yanking her a different direction. She headed around the corner, where luckily when she pressed the button, the elevator opened immediately. She shoved herself and the creature in with her, closing it right after. Pressing the last level, she panted roughly, having to hold onto her knees as she did so.
The woman on the other hand, didn't seem to have broken a sweat at all so far, her feline eyes staring at the lights of the elevator's floor numbers. She was silent for a long moment, her eyes then moving to the door. "This elevator is too slow," She muttered, her foot already beginning to tap as the situation was being assessed in her mind. She doubted that their pursuer had taken much damage a few seconds ago, not from something of that caliber. The aura that she had felt earlier before she had gotten to Yoon told that much. Not only that, but she was sure that there was a high possibility that the man would be awaiting them the moment the door opened. And that wasn't exactly an idea situation.
She turned to the panting Yoon. "Listen closely. He will be there once this elevator stops. Which means that at this moment, our chances of escaping could be very slim. Though that indeed is the case, I have a ploy that just may thicken the slim line of opportunity that we have." She paused briefly. "Will you trust me?"
Yoon blinked in perplexity at what she heard. And at the woman's question, her brows furrowed further. "You're a talking cat no one can see and you just possessed one of my clients!" She reminded the creature. "You're kidding me, r-right?" Her side bangs were disheveled, and her hoodie was now dirtied from everything she was forced to go through with. Her face was flushed with a bright red from the frustration and crying. "I need to pick my brother up from school and go home!" She notified the feline. "You're bad luck, I knew it! I'm never trusting a fat and black cat that can talk. I need to call the police, where's that stupid phone of yours?"
The woman let out a sigh. "You should be grateful that I possessed this body when I did. This woman was not a client, far from it. Understand that I freed her. Granted, I didn't take notice of this until I "possessed" this body. She is one of his." She explained vaguely. "You call me bad luck, yet I've been the most fortunate thing you've encountered, Keeper. Furthermore, that is nothing more than an ignorant myth that came about from superstition." She pulled out the one that belonged to the woman and turned it on. The memories that she was able to access made it easy for her to get passed the lock screen. After a two taps, she turned the phone around to Yoon. On the screen was the phone's gallery, the gallery itself being full of pictures of Yoon that were taken in the salon. "I told you earlier that I sensed that something was strange. That she would bring trouble. And my suspicions of her were correct. A spy of some sorts perhaps, I'm not entirely sure. And though you may not want to hear this, the forces here will do nothing. I've already called them here for what good it'll do, but not for your sake." Her eyes shifted back to the numbers on the elevator while she returned the phone to her pocket, and they narrowed when she saw the numbers flicker, the light for the second floor lighting up. The elevator gave a jerk, coming to a full stop before it began to take them back up.
However, before it could take them too far back up, she stepped over to the panel that held the floor options and suddenly pulled her arm back. Her knuckles smashed the panel inwards, causing the elevator to rattle again for a moment, and then continue down. "Right now, you should be focusing on surviving. If you go to your brother right now and he finds him, he will become a liability and be used as leverage. Or worse, if he too has what you do." As they got closer to the last floor, a wave of uneasiness came over the elevator. "Fie," She said, the word sounding like some sort of profanity. She turned back to face Yoon and held out her hand. "I'm afraid our time is coming to a closing. Give me your hand."
"Why do they keep calling me a keeper?! I don't clean houses, I DO NAILS!" Yoon's eyes widened some when she saw herself on her client's phone. A soft blush stung her face as she swiped through them. "D-Did she post these?! Please don't tell me she posted me freaking out about a talking ca--" She paused and yelped when she witnessed the punching of hard metal. "What the---" And upon hearing she couldn't pick up her brother, she frowned. She wasn't sure where to go or escape to. She wasn't even 100% sure what was happening. Her eyes stared at the woman's outstretched hand, awkwardly looking away. Yoon wasn't good with human contact at all. Especially not with the face of someone that embarrassed her online or publicly. "Ummm.... I think I'll just run from here, thanks. It was not as nice meeting you and all, but this has gone a little too far from just crazy a-and I really just want to eat pork chips and watch anime to forget about this awful day, sooooo...." Yoon awkwardly walked passed her.
"As I said, this is not the time nor the place to converse. He will kill you." The woman said. "And if he suspects that you're not the only one that has what he desires, then your mother, your brother. They will both be corpses by the end of this." She turned around to look at the door, feeling the elevator gradually slowing. "You won't be able to escape him. Not on your own. You may run as hard as you can. You may run far. But now that he's found you, he will tear apart everything around you if need be to get to you. That's why–"
"You are absolutely correct." The voice of their pursuer entered the elevator from behind them.
The blonde woman's eyes widened, but before she could react, she was hit with so much force that the possessed body dented the elevator door when she was sent flying forward into it.
The tall man's head was positioned to where he had to keep it leaned downwards do to him being tall enough to hit the ceiling. The numbers on the elevator started malfunctioning, different buttons flashing wildly. He grabbed the blonde woman by the throat. "Clever. And here I thought the brain dead bitch had someone managed to regain her own will. But now I see that they just sent you. However, it seems that you aren't quite up to par." He gave a wicked grin. His gaze went to Yoon as he hoisted the woman up and slammed her into the wall, pinning her there. And he didn't seem to happy at all. In fact, he was furious. "Did you think that I would allow you to slip through my fingers so easily? I think not." He hissed.
Meanwhile, the blonde woman fought against the grip that was threatening to crush her neck completely, letting out a choking cough.
"Hey! L-Let go of her--or it--o-or LET GO OF THE CAT!" She warned him, digging through her bag again. She couldn't find anything besides her wooden chopsticks and a few other notebooks, in which she held the sticks against him with trembling hands. She decided to look in the blonde woman's bag, finding a pair of keys besides a bunch of lipsticks. Yoon placed one key in between each of her fingers as some form of weapon. "H-Hey Mr.! I SAID LET GO AND GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Unexpectedly, the young woman sliced her weaponized hand with great force against the back of the man's neck. She didn't give any time in between before he kicked him between his legs again, this time with all her strength.
"N-no, don't–" The woman tried to choke out, only to find the grip around her neck tightening to the point that it felt like her throat had closed in.
Yoon's leg came to a short stop, from where it was supposed to strike again, and the man grabbed turned around all the way, dragging the woman within his clutches across the wall of the elevator. However, Yoon's leg remained frozen where it was. He grabbed her by the hair roughly, his larger body being used to force her into a corner. "Now now. Be patient. You're next. Now be an obedient child and stay put. Or better, how about I cripple you."
Ding!
The woman's eyes widened as she heard the elevator reach the first floor. She had to act now. She kicked her feet managing to position her heels against the wall, using all of her force to push herself towards the man, succeeding in causing him to stagger into the opposite wall of the elevator and lose his grip on Yoon. There was a quick swipe at the man's face from her hand, and blood flew onto the floor as the man grunted in pain.
The man flung the arm that he held her with upwards, smashing her head into the ceiling before reaching for Yoon again, this time to follow through with what he had said.
Though dazed from the having her head jammed into the ceiling with so much force, the feline possessed blonde was far from letting the man have his way. She grimaced, finally able to slip her hand under one of his fingers and force it back with a sharp push, breaking it and in turn being thrown to the floor.
The man let out a yell, an enraged glare taking over his expression.
The woman scurried across the small space, dodging through the man's legs and lunging at Yoon. She screamed something, and a ray of bending hues shot from her hands, bursting into short lived light.
However, when the light faded, it was no longer just the three of them in the elevator and was suddenly packed. Yoon would find herself staring at four of...herself. But not just her, but the blonde woman as well.
"GO!!" The command was given, and real one was already dragging Yoon from the elevator as they all fled out. She turned and smashed her fist into the button, two of the doppelgangers running inside and throwing themselves shoulder first into their attacker and knocking him back into the wall, using all they could to keep him there until the door closed. Meanwhile, the other three pairs followed behind them for a few seconds before splitting off in different directions one pair at a time.
If it wasn't for the help of the blonde woman, Yoon would've remained put in fear, backed up in the corner of the elevator. Her legs trembled as she was dragged out, not being able to grip a pace enough to match the dopplegangers that made her head spin. She didn't know where she was going, but the fear that boiled within her eventually exploded, finally making her sprint like she never had before. And although Yoon still had no idea who their attacker was, she knew that her mom and her brother couldn't defend themselves from him. She needed to call her mom as soon as possible to warn her and to ensure she was okay. Yoon could feel tears begin to form again, but she refused to let them fall. She found herself exiting the mall completely, running into traffic without a care to cross the road to reach as far as she could.
The horns that began to blare caught the blonde woman's attention while she kept her pace just a step behind Yoon in case she needed to turn tail to hold off their attacker. But upon seeing one of the cars refusing to slow down, she growled. Her legs began to move quicker, and quicker until she ended up passing Yoon and taking her hand in the same instance to give her the pull ahead that she needed. One of the doppelganger pairs caught up to them as well. Once they got across the road and to the other side of the street, the woman didn't let up. "We'll scatter at the approaching block! Run until you're too far out of range to remain in physical form!"
"But our mana, it's deple–" Yoon's doppelganger had began.
"I know, I know," The blonde woman said grimly, but dismissively. After all, the doppelganger was only relaying a thought to her that she had already had. She kept a secure grip on Yoon's hand, her legs throwing themselves forward one after the other. The moment they reached the end of the block, the doppelgangers went one way while she and Yoon went the other.
The woman herself was beginning to move unnaturally fast to the point where Yoon would just barely be able to keep up. It soon came to the point where every corner they turned seemed like a blur as the woman pushed passed and through the people who were in there way.
"H-H-Hey Sir Cat--" Yoon panted heavily, her legs beginning to fail her to the point where she was basically being dragged. "C-C-Can't... k-keep up... th-think I might... barf... or f-faint.... o-or barf t-then faint..." The enormous hoodie she wore wasn't helping her run any faster under the heat of the boiling sun. "...r-rest.... please..." Her human legs weren't capable of such speed or endurance, and the shortness of them wasn't helping either.
The woman glanced behind her for a quick half-second, cursing to herself again with the unusual word that she had used before.. Her eyes searched around them quickly, and she ran another half a block before finding somewhere between two apartment buildings–and alleyway in which trash was littering the ground and the dumpster that was there was nearly overflowing. She continued forward a few steps until finally, they came to a stop. By the time they did, she was panting as well. "Then take a moment...rest." She spoke in heavy pants, surveying the area for a moment with a careful eye. "We cannot...remain here for long." She leaned against the alleyway wall. "And by the by...my name..is not 'Cat'."
The human immediately fell to her knees as soon as she got the chance. She could feel blisters starting to form along her ankles, along with the building pain she was just starting to feel from when she jumped out of a moving car. And then she began to cough, almost as if she was going to throw up until it settled into mild heaving. Her entire pale skin was flushed with red, sweat dripping from her forehead. She laid there on the floor, not caring where or how dirty it was. Her body twitched every now and then as her muscles attempted to relax with little avail. “....w-what’s... y-your na—“ She was interrupted by her own sudden silence, her eyes rolling some out of conscious, but she was clearly asking for a name.
The woman was silent when she was asked her name, though it was more so because she too was still catching her breath. The last trick she pulled out of the hat with the doppelgangers had taken much out of her– much more than she was used to. "My name...is Yasha (Yah-Shah)," she said finally. She walked over to her and knelt down onto her knee, once again holding out her hand. "I have been tasked to assist you as your protector, escort, and partial adviser of sorts."
Yesha’s hand was a blur in Yoon’s peripherals. “-h-huh?” She tried getting up herself, only to fail miserably. “I-I don’t need... c-cat to protect me...” Her head spun, and because of the almost heat stroke, she was becoming slightly delirious. “You’re no cat.” She giggled. “You’re a mean blonde with tuna breath.” She bopped her nose.
"Yes, yes, you're correct. I am indeed, not a feline." Yasha spoke as if the obvious had been stated one too many times as it was, a hint of agitation in her voice. "But I am most certainly not this woman. Though..I'm afraid that this body will have to do as my vessel for the time being." And though not known to her just yet, trickles of blood slid from her nostrils slowly. A lightheaded feeling almost overwhelmed her for a second or so. Her hand went to her head, fingers rubbing at her temple.
"h-hey.... There's like.... red stuff coming f-from your nose..." Yoon mumbled incoherently. Her eyes blinked differently, fighting for air to enter her lungs. "Is it just me or is the sky spinning?" She giggled tiredly.
Yasha blinked in confusion when told that there was something coming from her nose, and she dabbed at it with her fingers softly before observing the the crimson that was there. "No...no, it's definitely not just yours–" While she was speaking, it was like she didn't know that she was falling sideways until she fell against the dumpster to their right.
Yoon rubbed at her forehead, her eyes eventually shooting open at realization that Yasha had fallen. She tried standing up, but swayed side to side until she collapsed besides the possessed woman instead. She crawled closer, poking at her body. "w-w-wait--don't leave so sooooonn--" Her voice was still hazy.
"L..leave?" Yasha spoke, sounding more and more exhausted as she did so and tried to shake it away. "Don't be foolish. I..have no intentions of leaving you as defenseless and helpless against as you currently are," she assured. "But right now..right now it seems that this vessel is taking a tole. It doesn't harbor nearly enough mana to be channeled correctly just yet." She tried to keep herself up straight and from wavering too much. "We should depart to a different location...it's to dangerous to remain out in the open. If he finds us again, I'm afraid we will not be as lucky a second time. Come on, I..I shall carry you if you cannot manage walking on your own just yet."
“No, n-no... I’m okay...” She lied. “Y-you... should turn into the fat cat again... a-and I can carry your plushiness and smother y-you with cuddles and c-catnip...” Yoon yawned, her consciousness taking some extra time to regain its normality.
Yasha's eyes knitted together at the suggestion that she should return to the feline form that she had taken–a form that she had been in for quite some time. "I...can't." There was a brief silence while she thought to herself, and then she started to elucidate. "I've already attempted to do so when I felt the wicked presence of that man. And in my current condition, I have not the amount of mana necessary to leave this vessel at will." Which in turn meant that she was bound to the body–a body that could barely handle handle something as novice as self-duplication. "And if I could, I assure you that catnip wouldn't come close to being appetizing."
"M-Mana? What's that? A type of tuna?" Yoon blinked tiredly, but she now felt less worse than she did mere moments ago. She was finally coming to her senses, realizing they were in an alley. Her instincts for survival kicked in again, and she rushed to her feet–her eyes spinning at the blotches of black that distorted her vision momentarily. "I don't want you to be stuck in a preppy blonde's body. I much p-prefer your furry rolls and surprisingly dainty paws." Yoon gripped her head and winced some. "I-I appreciate your help-- uh... Ms. Yasha?" She questioned. "B-But I'm just d-dandy--I'll be fiiiineee...I just need to... you know... wake up to end this horrid nightmare. M-Maybe get some ice cream afterwards... I-I'm really tired, Ms. Yasha."
"No. Mana is the foundation of casting." Yasha answered the question dismissively for now as she pulled herself together. "Believe me, I would prefer not to be contained within this body either," Yasha agreed with the statement. It was an understatement. And the fact was that being stuck within the vessel was an inconvenience. She used the shirt she wore to wipe away the rest of the blood that had started dripping from her nose. "You're much more awake now than you've ever been up until now, Yoon. I understand that you must be exhausted. Afraid. But denial will forever be the enemy of progression." She glanced at where they had entered the alley, and then to the other end. "For now at least, I'm afraid rest will have to be postponed. It would be best that we keep moving from here and keep a low profile for the sake of safety."
"Casting?" She blinked in confusion, but dismissed the topic as well to bring up what mattered the most."B-But what about my mom and brother? When can I check on t-them to see if they're okay?" Yoon asked with concerned, dizzy eyes. "Where do I go... I don't have any friends to stay with..." She frowned in realization. "And if I ask for help no one would believe me..."
"Whether anyone will believe you or not is the least of your concerns." Yasha responded flatly, though a small frown came to the face of the woman as she thought about it. "I don't believe that he knows of your brother or mother yet. At leas not by appearance, considering that you had to be found by means of someone else. Which gives me a reason to conclude that perhaps you weren't the only one being targeted." And the person that came to mind with this conclusion was the man that had been with the body that was currently being possessed. "As for where it is that we'll go, I may have a place in mind some ways from here. We'll just have make it a priority to stay out of sight while traveling there. Are you sure that you are able to walk on your own?"
Yoon nodded softly at Yasha's question, her eyelids low with weariness and sadness. Her heart-shaped lips frowned as she curled a few strands of her straight hair behind her ears, fanning herself for some air. When she heard that Yasha knew of a place, she wasn't excited at all to sleep on a tree or someone's cat house. She dug through what she had left in her bag, retrieving her glasses and putting them on. She then tied her hair into a ponytail, cuffing her sleeves some to somewhat have a different appearance. "r-ready..." The young woman mumbled. "c-c-can we get water on the way..." She mumbled like a child would. "....i didn't get to finish my quesadilla..." She kicked a piece of trash to entertain herself. "stupid pale leech..." Yoon said under her breath.
"Yes, of course." A nod accompanied Yasha's answer to Yoon asking if they could possibly get water while they were on their way to the destination. "But we'll have to be hasty and above all else, wary of both people and surroundings." She stared at her, observing the weariness within her expression in another moment of silence. She knew that making stops were risky enough as is. They couldn't afford for their pace to be any less than quick, and from her perspective, whether or not Yoon would be able to keep that consistent was questionable. So with that in mind, she stepped closer to the short young woman and placed her hands onto her shoulders and said, "Be still."
At first, there was nothing in particular that happened aside from the awkwardness that greeted them. Yasha drew in a deep breath before her fingers pressed into Yoon's shoulders lightly in an almost massaging motion. She whispered something very faint, and in a few seconds time, some of Yoon's exhaustion faded sporadically. But then that's when it hit her, a sudden rush of energy that could have been comparable to a combination of mild adrenaline and a sugar rush–like a large amount of caffeine had been pumped into her body.
Yasha stepped away from her, a trembling breath leaving her lips which cut short when she turned away quickly and started to cough.
“W-W-Woah...” Yoon felt herself jitter. Her pupil seemed to expand slightly, remaining silent for longer than she needed to. She wasn’t used to coffee or any other energy drink, nor this much caffeine in her blood flow. “W-What did you doooo? I feel... kind of drugged...”
Yasha coughed a few more times, the last one being the hardest that brought up a dark crimson liquid into her hands.Her hand trembled as she gazed wearily at the liquid. "I..temporarily suppressed your exhaustion by replacing it with some of my energy to boost your overall endurance." Or what little she had to call energy. She wiped the blood from her hand–though there was still some that stained the corner of her mouth–before she turned around, staggering some as she walked passed Yoon, motioning her to follow. "Mobility for you should be much easier. Come."
Yoon was able to get up with ease now, skipping past Yasha and dragging her instead by her hand. “That’s very nice yet creepy of you.” She said in reference to her powers. “I suddenly feel like sprinting a marathon. It would be much easier if you were a furball again, but I suppose this will do.” Yoon shrugged before abruptly picking Yasha up with supernatural strength. “WOOAH! Look, I’m strong!” Her mind was clearly not in the right place, but it didn’t matter. She bolted off without warning while carrying the possessed woman on one shoulder.
"I'd wager that 'creepy' is much more of a preference than 'death'," Yasha chuckled dryly. She could already feel a heaviness sinking into the body she was stuck in now. But as long as she could keep herself moving, then she was just going to have to work through it to the best of her abilities. She stopped herself from stumbling along behind Yoon while they were on their way and was preparing to give her a warning about what she had just done when she suddenly found herself being picked up. She let out a sigh, shaking her head at Yoon's surprise at her new found strength. "Yes...indeed you are." However..you are much, much more. She tensed slightly when Yoon suddenly took off, having to remind her of her current condition.
"Be wary of what it is that you do," she said. "Keep in mind that what you are feeling is temporary. Your exhaustion hasn't been wiped away completely, just postponed. Everything from this point onwards will be a part of what you felt prior to now–" A cough interrupted her briefly. "Are you familiar with a place here referred to as Bay Hill?"
Yoon ignored Yasha’s warning, for she was too busy gliding across the streets with the woman on her shoulders. Every second there was a new scene to admire at the speed she was in. Her pupils were at a terrifying dilated size, and her voice consisted of jitters and mild twitching. “Bay Hill? Bay hill? That sounds like a type of hay.” She spoke abnormally fast. “What’s in Bay Hill? Horses? Bays? OOH, I CAN GET A MAP! How far, how far?!” She jumped statically.
"I'm not entirely...sur–" Yasha hissed as a sharp pain prodded at her head, feeling as if it had come from the inside. The name "Bay Hill" was something that had come to mind while they were figuring out a place they could retreat to. She hadn't really known why, nor was she familiar with what it was exactly. But now, as thoughts–no–memories that weren't her own pushed themselves in, she began to understand. "A map won't be necessary," she said with a hint of uncertainty. She continued slowly, trying to focus enough to pick passed the blurriness of what was being given to her mind, speaking as it came. "It's a housing community of sorts...suburban area...near a resort?" She mumbled to herself momentarily with her eyebrows knitted together. "It would be safe to assume that it shouldn't be much further."
“Yeah yeah yeah—SOUNDS COOL!” Yoon blurted out, hopping now over fences with ease. “Whoa ahh—DID YOU SEE THAT! Imlikethatpersonfromthatmangaseries—“ She was going in such a fast speed that her image was just a blur to the public. “IM KIND OF HUNGRY, DOYOUTHINKTHEYHAVERESTAURANTSTHEREBECAUSETHATFUCKERRUINEDMYTACOBELL!”
"You can eat when we get there," Yasha replied. "That is, if you're still conscious enough to do so once we arrive." Through the blur, she could see their surroundings quite clearly. From her point of view, they weren't exactly going fast. It was more of everything around them was going slow. They were like a fast sports car, while everyone else around them were Model Ts. Her gaze went back ahead of them, and she pointed a finger in a direction, making sure that Yoon would be able to see where she was pointing. "Direct yourself there."
With the abnormal speed that Yoon had been gifted with for the time being along with the boost of stamina, it took them a little over half the time it would take for any normal person to get to where they needed to be.
"Here!" Yasha exclaimed sharp enough to catch Yoon's attention as they came across the stone sign that sat off on the right-hand side of the entrance, shrubs and scattered out pink flowers surrounding the ground around the lowest half of the sign. She eased herself from the short woman's shoulder and rested her feet onto the ground, staring at the welcoming sign.
She had been correct when she said that where they were going was a suburban area. Compared to the scenery of the city that they had passed along the way, just the outside of Bay Hill itself seemed to be much more vibrant and well tended to. Greener grass that was void of soda cans and bottles and fast food wrappers, unscathed and crackless sidewalks. The whole nine yards for a neighborhood for the wealthy.
Although they came to a pause, Yoon didn’t stop jogging in place. “WOAHLOOKATTHISPLACEITSLIKEFROMAMOVIEORSOMETHING!!!” She exclaimed quickly while hopping. “DOESTHATMEANABURRITOHERECOSTSABAJILLIONDOLLARSBECAUSEIDONTHAVETHATMONEY!” While talking, it could be seen the blood slowly seeping through her socks and shoes from the amount of running she had done. Her legs were also forming knots, but she was too numb to feel it. And her face was flushed with red, a high probability that she had already endured a heat stroke from their way there.
Yasha placed her hands onto Yoon's shoulders firmly to stop her from moving around so much, her brows furrowed when she took notice of the blood. Perhaps that may have been a bit too potent for her first encounter... "Yoon, listen to me. The effects of the energy I gave you will be wearing off in a matter of minutes. You may fall into a state of exhaustion deep enough to render you unconscious. Which means that you need to be still. And for the love of Yhamiinioni, please lower your voice! Need I remind our purpose is to avoid attention." She turned around and knelt down to where she could grab a hold of one of Yoon's arms and legs to hoist her up onto her back. She gave the sign to the community one last look, her gaze lingering before she continued inside.
“What’saYhamiinioni?!” Yoon interrupted almost immediately when she heard the strange word. “Is that like, the word for Llama in your language? Did you know that llamas spit? Or was that Alpacas? EITHER WAY THEY HAVE REALLY NICE FUR!” The power given to her seemed to overpower any logic or character from her, since clearly she would never dare to make a scene or speak at all for that matter. She also forgot the whole reason why they were there until she remembered the dude who ruined her lunch. “Hey!” She yelped with dilated eyes when she was picked up. But then she laughed, easily flipping forward and landing on both her bloody and bruised feet. “You’re the hurt one here! Where are we even going? Is there a taco place there? I really need water.” She said, not blinking any time she did so.
"Hey–HEY!" Yasha snapped at her, reaching for her again. "The more you move the more you will regret it tomorrow." She warned her for the last time. "We're going to get your water. Just use your inside voice and let me fulfill my duty." She picked her up again, this time putting her on her shoulder. She let out a sigh, walking further into the neighborhood.
Within the confines of what was surely a safe neighborhood were houses–large houses, most of them having no less than two vehicles parked within their driveways. Shiny SUVs and a few current year models of Subarus and Hondas. And as they would pass by many of the houses, there was one that had a pair of muscle cars, one of them being a cliche solid black 90s Mustang. Yasha was intent on avoiding those who were even doing something as simple as taking an evening stroll or walking their dogs. Children were in the area as well, obvious by the bus that came around the corner to head to its next location.
Yoon fidgeted uncomfortably within Yasha’s grasp. “Inside voice? There’s voices inside you? That’s a little crazy, don’t ya think—HEY LOOK!” She jolted some while pointing at a car. “We can use that to run over that dude... WITH STYLE!” She looked around some more, her eye mildly twitching. “HEYDOYOUTHINKTHEYHAVEINSTANTNOODLESHEREANDMAYBEACOMPUTERTOCATCHUPTOTHATONEANIME—“
"No!" Yasha growled irritably despite not having any knowledge of what an "anime" was, though she was mildly familiar with what a computer was. "And if you've learned anything from your encounter today then you'll remind yourself that a car much larger than so was thrown at us. While it was [i]occupied[/i," she said, eventually worked up enough to go into a nimble jog.
While they continued down the street, they would come to find that not all of the houses were as big as the ones that they had seen beforehand, and eventually they even came across and apartment complex–one that looked as if it was very well much worth whatever price they were going for. Not to much further down, Yasha made a right down another street that lead them to a cul de sac. She ended up coming to a stop, her gaze wandering over the houses that were there, one of them being a the biggest which was a well-built brick house.
“But Yaaaasshaaaaaaa—“ She whined while being carried, her legs dangling off behind. “Come ooonn, I cant live here! I’m too poor, we should go seek a dumpster instead!” She suggested. “What is this place? Cats can’t live here!” Her speech slowly began to slur. “Is this where you get caviar on top of your tuna?! If so they should have the decency of providing ramen! And we can snuggle in the sheets and watch that anime and... and...” She yawned.
Yasha let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Yoon's voice began to trail of mid-speech. And while her eyes were taking in the environment and drawing out the memories of what she was looking for, she spoke. "Believe me, you won't have to worry about affording anything. Rest your nerves now. The day has been far too long for you." Her head finally turned towards the milky tan colored house that was a hazy image now in her mind, the driveway empty aside from the bulky black moped that stood leaning to the left a little on its kickstand. And without another second to waste, she made her way hastily across to the other sidewalk and to what she hoped would be enough to call a safe-haven for now.
“....m-m-Ms. Yasha...” Yoon’s innocent but trembling voice emerged again as she fought against closing her eyes. She could finally feel the pain from her feet and calves from the amount of pressure she was forced to go through. In addition, her body began to sweat vehemently as it finally recognized the heat stroke she experienced early. “I-I don’t feel so well...” She cried. “t-t-tired.... h-hot... thirsty....” Yoon mumbled without reasoning. The numbness quickly went away, and before she knew it, she slowly fell unconscious over Yasha’s shoulder. “I’m sorry...” Yoon spoke weakly now, realizing how annoying and loud she was mere moments ago which only added another hue of red on her sunburnt cheeks. Her human body couldn’t withhold anything she had just gone through. In fact, it was a surprise to see she was still alive. Barely.
"Do not apologize. Save your strength." Yasha hurried to the door, immediately going to open it only to find that it was locked. She scoffed, rolling her eyes before kneeling down as carefully as she could and peeling back the brown welcome mat that was honestly a rather unfitting and tacky color. It took her a second to locate the key in the small pocket that had been cut in the rug to hide it and soon the door was being unlocked and pushed open. She took initiative and retrieved the key before going inside and closing the door behind them. Though she didn't take the time to look around the place, she couldn't help but to immediately take notice that the house's interior was praiseworthy, though it was just a little too...fancy feeling for her taste.
Finding her way through the living room, she took a moment to stop by the wide link that sat in the middle of the spacious room in front of a broad Curve flat screen.
Her course of action was finding the link–another large space within the house that was sleek and sumptuous–to grab whatever she could to use as an ice pack to help cool off the young woman in the other room along with a glass of water.
