bend me, break me
#1
[html]

Word Count → 365

For Sunny and the wonderful Skye. Set in Luminescent Lagoon, at dusk.


With a small grunt and a hop, Micah latched onto a thin but lengthy limb still attached to a tree bordering the lagoon, and with little effort snapped it free of the trunk. Setting his satchel aside, the salt-and-pepper coyote reached and pulled his wild mess of tangles and curls into a tighter ponytail, though still the white-streaked locks dare break free and drift before his eyes. In a matter of minutes, they hung with the heaviness of sweat, whipping back and forth in the air as he swung the stick this way and that in a feeble attempt at dancing the way of the swordsman.


Micah, of course, was no swordsman in the least. He lacked any and all training — and if given a knife was more likely to drop it due to shaking hands and have it sink into his own foot than into any sort of opponent — but the boy so dearly wished himself to be capable and strong that perhaps it was only that self-motivation that made him try. He was no killer, that he knew, but the Immaginazione also knew he would one day have to be one. The day he found his father would be the day his father found his end.


That was, of course, if Micah could get that far, and so he swung a stick around like a child and pretended to be something he was not. Heaven forbid the idiot carry around an actual weapon; for all he knew, he'd end up rolling on top of it in his sleep and carving his initials in his own heart entirely by mistake. The glowing lagoon cast blue along his side as he danced about its shoreline in a clumsy and noisy display, and over the trees lay paintings of brilliant violets thanks to the setting sun outside the trees.


Storm Lily said nothing and wore nothing on her face; at times she swatted curious fireflies away, but as always her ghostly paws only sifted through their bodies. Could they see her? No, of course not. Maybe that's how we're alike, the coyote thought as he paused a moment to catch his breath. Only I'm still alive.


<style>
.micah1 {margin:0px auto;width:450px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/k ... cah4-1.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:bottom;border:none;padding:15px;padding-bottom:30px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;line-height:16px;text-align:justify;}
.micah1 .ooc {font-style:italic;font-size:11px;line-height:15px;text-align:left;margin:2px;text-indent:0px;}
.micah1 .ooc b {font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;}
.micah1 .divider {border-bottom:1px solid;}
.micah1 p {text-indent:20px;margin:0px;padding:5px 10px;}
.micah1 b {font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:1px;}
.micah1 i {font-style:italic;letter-spacing:1px;}
.micah1 u {font-style:italic;text-decoration:none;font-variantConfusedmall-caps;border-bottom:1px dotted;letter-spacing:1px;}
</style>[/html]
#2
[html]
Big Grin slight pp, tell me if you want changed!

The female lolloped along the territory in an optime form, her form adorned with clothes and her dagger held close within her belt. She found her feet carrying her to a place she hadn't been in a long time, not since before Bangle was her mate and she was the only leader of Cercatori d'Arte - the Luminescent Lagoon.

She remembered the glowing waters just as they were now, gleaming in the dim light that dusk provided, reflecting the pale stars that would only strengthen as night gave them light. She remembered when Bangle asked to be her mate there, how she felt at that moment - everything about this place was perfect in her eyes, everything was right.

So enamored she was with the lake, she hadn't noticed sounds coming from not too far away. It seemed like something was falling through the air - the air was being cut by something, at least. Curious, Skye moved towards the sound and, breaking through the trees, the smell and sight of the man Micah told her what was happening.

He was practicing - or at least, she felt that he was. He had a stick rather than a weapon, and was twirling it around in a slightly clumsy, albeit endearing way. As she studied his moves for but a few seconds, she saw that sometimes he'd make a good move, thrusting forward at the right moment, and through his amateur swordsmanship - or stickmanship - she could see the makings of a fine warrior, although she wasn't sure his demeanor was right for it.

"Nice moves," she said appraisingly.

<style type="text/css">
.knife01 b {font-weight:bold; color:#fff;}
.knife01 p {text-indent:0px; padding:5px 15px; margin:0px;}
.knife01 {margin:0 auto; width:500px; background-color:#D0C8CB; background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/RMMPX.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #fff; padding: 215px 0px 7px 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size:12px; color:#888083; line-height:13px; text-align:justify;}
.knife01-border1 {width:502px; border:1px solid #000; margin:0 auto;}
</style>
000+
[/html]
#3
[html]

Out of character text here.


All the while Storm Lily remained silent, watching him with an indistinguishable expression. What was she thinking? Was she judging his skills, determining if he was truly a creature able to slaughter his own flesh and blood? Did she think him suitable to act in vengeance on her behalf, or was she finally realizing he was the only one willing and able to do it — but hardly one capable? Did she realize she had no choice but to force herself to believe in him?


The swings of the stick slowed considerably as these doubts flooded his mind, and between swipes his eyes flashed back to her unchanging expression. The slicing air and shallow grunts filled the lagoon with soft sound, interrupted only by Storm Lily's sudden scream for him to pay attention, a noise made with furious eyes — at the very same time Skye spoke as well, appearing from God-knows-where. Horribly startled by both noises at once, though Skye had surely not heard the ghost of his sister, Micah dropped the stick and lost his balance, falling ass-first into the lagoon shallows in an unceremonious splash.


"Sk-Sk-Skye," he gaped up at her, now drenched and glowing bright blue from the lagoon's eerie innards. He jumped to his feet and bowed stiffly at the waist, sopping wet curls slapping into his eyes. "I-I-I didn't see you, I-I'm sorry... I-I-I hope I didn't splash you, I mean, i-if I did, I'm so sorry, i-it was an accident...!"


He set to playing anxiously with his fingers, body immediately wracked with nervous and embarrassed tremors. Eyes dipped to the water, staring sadly at his own expression. "I-I look like an idiot again, don't I..."


<style>
.micahtearitdownooc {font-style:italic; color:#000000;}
.micahtearitdown p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;}
.micahtearitdown b {color:#B5DCEF; text-shadow: 0.0em 0.0em 0.1em #332138; letter-spacing:-.2px;}
.micahtearitdown {font-family: georgia; font-size:12px; color:#223D56; letter-spacing:.2px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:450px;}
.micahtearitdowninner{background-color:#59A6D0; background-image:url(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/ ... table3.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:150px 0px 10px 0px; border:1px solid #223D56; width:450px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-bordervu-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;}
</style>[/html]
#4
[html]
aw poor wet, glowing micah xD

Skye started in slight dismay as Micah, apparently surprised by her sudden appearance and sound, stumbled and fell into the lake with a splash. A large part of the splash fell on her, but she didn't mind; water was just water, after all. As Micah hastily stood and bowed, drenched from head to toe and apparently glowing now that the Luminescent Lagoon's odd water was all over him, Skye had to suppress a strong urge to laugh - she knew that Micah was sensitive, and she didn't want to make the situation any worse than it had to be. Instead, she allowed her face to easily transform into a friendly smile, but she could see that it did no good as Micah stared dejectedly into the water and asked if he looked like an idiot.

Skye walked next to the boy so that her ankles were in the water and stared down at his reflection as well. "Of course not, Micah," she said. "I saw you back there - you have the makings of a very good swordsman. You just need to control your jumpiness, be aware of your surroundings - otherwise, it'll be very easy for an opponent to surprise you and overtake you." She looked at Micah - his hoodie and kakhi pants were sopping wet. She was wet as well, she noted as she looked down at her own reflection, smiling. She then looked back towards Micah - the real one, not the one in the reflection - and spoke again;

"Want me to help you some? I work with a knife, not a sword, but I can help you with awareness and the element of surprise. Later, if you want to work more with swordwork, I'd suggest asking Shawchert," she said, remembering the man's sharp sword and their training session the other day in the woods.

<style type="text/css">
.knife01 b {font-weight:bold; color:#fff;}
.knife01 p {text-indent:0px; padding:5px 15px; margin:0px;}
.knife01 {margin:0 auto; width:500px; background-color:#D0C8CB; background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/RMMPX.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #fff; padding: 215px 0px 7px 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size:12px; color:#888083; line-height:13px; text-align:justify;}
.knife01-border1 {width:502px; border:1px solid #000; margin:0 auto;}
</style>
300+
[/html]
#5
[html]

He himself isn't glowing; from my understanding, it's something in the lagoon walls/floor itself that glows, not the water? :o But the lagoon is still casting the color on him.


He frowned and stepped back as she approached, terrified by the proximity. Why did she choose to stay there with him and point nice words his way? Surely she did not actually believe such things of him, that he could actually be capable of any sort of strength whatsoever, whether in swordsmanship or otherwise. Had he revealed to her his mission, that being the death of his father by the Immaginazione's hands, Skye would certainly never look at him again the same — though, perhaps it would be better off. He did not deserve her kindness or false words. He didn't deserve a second of her time, or her willingness to train him. He amounted to nothing. Why did she bother? Why couldn't she just see that and let him wallow in his uselessness like everyone else did?


You need to control your jumpiness, she said. He suppressed a need to scoff at such an argument. Did she really think, above all else, someone like Micah Lykoi could stop being so goddamn jumpy? In substitution for his silence, Storm Lily openly laughed a bitter sound, and the salt-and-pepper boy cast a quick, sad look over her shoulder at her before glancing back, forgetting that Skye could not see nor hear the ghost as he could.


No, you shouldn't help me. "I-I-I guess so, if you really want to..." It's not like I'm actually going to get any better. I suck at this. I didn't want anyone to know, least of all you... "I-I'll do my best... um... hold on a second..." What if I hurt you? Oh God, I could get kicked out, and we'd be out of a leader, and no one would be able to run it... oh God, everyone would hate me... Bangle might try to kill me... oh God...


By the time he had retrieved the long stick and returned to the shallows, the stick in his hands shook so horribly from his tremors that he could not at all maintain a combatant pose. Micah manipulated his face into looking brave and determined, but it only came out looking as if he might vomit. "O-O-Okay, I-I-I'm read-d-dy," he stammered.


Storm Lily cackled wickedly. He bit at his lip.

<style>
.rainsoundmooc {font-family: arial; font-style:italic; color:#000000;}
.rainsoundmcred {font-family: arial; font-style:italic; color:#000000; text-align:right; font-size:8px;}
.rainsoundm p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;}
.rainsoundm b {color:#FAF85B; text-shadow: 0.1em 0.1em 0.0em #FE0100; letter-spacing:.1px;}
.rainsoundm {font-family: 'Cousine', arial, serif; font-size:11px; color:#707070; letter-spacing:.1px; word-spacing:.1px; line-height:13px; text-align: justify; margin:0px auto; margin:5px auto; width:500px;}
.rainsoundminner{background-color:#000; background-image:url(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/ ... dmicah.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:20px 0px 90px 0px; border:1px solid #000000; width:500px; border-radius:10px; -moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px; margin:0 auto;}
</style>[/html]


Forum Jump: