Word Count :: 500
A series of events unfolded within a matter of seconds: the girl’s initial reaction, her brusque and rather gawky fall from grace and the appearance of reinforcements. It all happened so fast, Lilin wasn’t quite sure which situation needed addressing first. Ichika No Ho-en’s distinct fragrance ensnared her senses, inducing a grimace out of her. Her encounter with their pregnant leader had been one of arrogance and haughtiness; an acquaintance she could have lived without. Sour or not though, the two-toned juvenile saw no need to explicitly take it out on the female before her. Poor thing was doing a good enough job harming herself anyway. Her critical gaze traveled from the girl’s horrified expression to the arm she was clutching, noting the bandage shielding what appeared to be a fresh wound.
An array of excuses rang clear, none of which really made enough sense for her to grant pardon so easily. Movement to the west was irrefutable and when she brought her head up to examine things further, Axle and Grit’s familiar silhouettes materialized over the dead tree line. Her landlord’s two employees had detected the intrusion too. From their hesitance, Lilin could only assume they were merely wondering whether they should interfere or not. With a quick glance back to the trespasser, she released an overstated sigh before giving both dogs a self-explanatory nod. She could handle this one by herself. Uncertainty hung heavy in the air, long enough to instil doubt in her mind. Their loyalty to Barrett was absolute, this she knew. Sharing their scouting duties with the new girl must’ve been a challenge, especially since they virtually had a flawless track record. Grit finally turned and left but Axle lingered a little longer, watching from afar.
“You’re lucky they didn’t find you first. You really need to pay better attention,” she warned, turning her focus back to the injured Ichikan. She didn’t offer a helping hand, knowing full well that her every movement was being watched by the eldest of the two dogs. The way her face was being scrutinized by the other femme was no surprise and Lilin took it with a grain of salt, quite accustomed to it by now. It was the unforeseen introduction that guaranteed a reaction out of her. Her frown stretched into a look of sheer astonishment. “Get up. I’ll escort you off the premises.” This was said with a little more authority, with a pressing tone that left room for no misinterpretations. Her head reeled. How they could have identical family names, especially when she knew that Soulstorm was an uncommon combination of the Soul and Stormbringer bloodlines, she couldn’t understand. Clearly they didn’t have same parents. Had their lineage been combined more than once?
“I’m Lilin,” she said quietly, waiting for the stranger to straighten up. Normally she would have skipped introductions, not caring much for formalities. But the cult heir now had ulterior motives behind her civility. “Soulstorm.” This was a small world indeed.
Image courtesy of jeremy vandel; table by the Mentors!
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