Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Living Danger [1x1]

Rahime listened to her carefully. It really will destroy her when she finds out about her mother, so she was going to be sure that she didn't learn about it. "Because you are going to need a peaceful memory. Whenever you start feeling anger, or something like that, then you'll need the peaceful memory to calm yourself down." He looked at her for a few moments. "...you're going to need it. So hold onto that memory and settle it down firmly. Very firmly."

"Her face is my own," she explained, "doesn't get much more firm than that. What about you?" She looked down at the borrowed clothes to consider her new form, and felt alien. She felt like she could walk forever, even though she should have been exhausted. But the more she sat, the more she craved the travel - as if becoming part animal made her just as restless as any in the wild.

"How far do we go today?"

Rahime blinked and stared at her. "What about me? What do you mean?" When she asked the question, he looked up at the sky. "Not far enough. I want to get out of the woods before dusk. Ready for more walking?" He stood up, listening carefully. "...Fast walking." They might run into the hunters that were catching game. That could be dangerous. Rahime would only wait for a 'yes' or 'no' before starting off, taking and keeping a brisk pace. He made sure she was able to keep up though.

Sensing his urgency and some of the nearby scents and sounds, she nodded and walked quickly back on their way.

"I mean," she clarified, "do you have memories like that? Something that brings you peace?" Now that she thought about it further, Bryzain wondered why he had asked in the first place. "Does it help prevent...changing?"

Rahime was quick to answer. "It doesn't matter. I'm not the one who needs peace." He glanced at her when she posed her second question. "Maybe. If luck is with us, it might. Whenever you start to feel angry or irritated, just think of your happy thoughts and memories. If we can catch the anger early, it might halt the transformation. This is all theoretical, of course."

Yep, congratulations, Bryz. You're basically an experiment to find out what works and what doesn't!

She almost felt bad for asking until she realized she was an experiment. He would just kill her if she couldn't help herself, and didn't seem to know much about curbing those intense moments. This could end very, very badly for her. Then she considered what it would mean to know what werewolves were capable of...people could protect themselves.

"Will you be recording your findings then?"

"Of course." Rahime responded, tapping his head. "In here. When you're always on the move, parchment and quill pens are a luxury that can often get lost, torn, stained, or anything of the sort. You learn to remember everything right in your head. Everything I learn about you, I'll remember. And if we're lucky, you'll stay alive to remember it too. You might have a chance at a normal life, Bryzain. As normal a life as a werewolf may have, at least. But it's a chance." And chances were a good thing.

"Makes sense." Most of it did anyway, aside from her remembering anything. She didn't have any distinct memory of her first change, and she didn't really know how different her human body was compared to before. But she thought she might as well share what she already noticed, on the offchance she didn't kill him either.

"It's hot. I mean...I feel hot blooded compared to before I changed. It isn't painful or discomforting. Just...warmer."

Rahime nodded. "That's normal. You'll adjust to it over time. Werewolves tend to have a higher temperature, it's natural for them. Don't ask me why." He shrugged, then glanced at her. "Just let me know if it gets to be uncomfortable." If she got TOO hot, she might be sick or on the verge of changing. He had to keep a careful watch on her to find out.

She shook her head, wondering what else was considered normal for her now.

"I'm alright; everything is just brighter and sharper." Through the trees she saw sky, vast and endless like a distant sea, clear and crystaline. When she looked through the forest the textures surprised her, from barks and branches to leaves and flowers; all held new depth and clarity. Rahime's face too, was thrown into a higher definition; she saw the dirt in his pores, the lines in his lips, and the patterns of the iris in his eye. She was overwhelmed with detail, and blinked harder than she needed to as they continued walking swiftly.

"Heightened senses." Rahime nodded. "It's to be expected. Wolves are carnivores, after all. Hunters. They need to be able to see in the dark and such to be able to catch their prey." He continued to walk, keeping a brisk pace. "Perhaps that will come in handy. You might be able to hear and see things that I can't." Something also very vivid to her now when she looked at him was probably the scar on his face, jagged and terrible. And old. Certainly not a fresh scar, one that he's had for years.

The scar had almost surprised her, when she looked right at it. They walked a few beats before she found the courage to ask.

"What's that from?" She didn't want to be rude, but wanted time to pass more quickly. "And do werewolves ever...lead normal lives?" She didn't have high hopes for her own, no matter how glittery the sunshine seemed today.

"No. None have yet. But that's what this is all about. Trying to find a way so they can." Sort of. He may or may not have ulterior motives, he wasn't going to tell her. "They're from a beast. It attacked, I wasn't strong enough to defend by that point." He looked at her. "Are you quite finished, or shall we keep going?" Yeah, he wasn't fond of questions like that.

Bryzain hadn't realized she'd come to a stop until he said something, and then she felt incredibly awkward. Nodding, she caught up once again, her dark wavy hair coming loose of its tie. She kept her eyes low for the most part, glancing now and then at chirping birds or rustling underbrush. These things did well to distract her from wondering what Rahime's attack had been like; hers was mild in comparison. She did let her mind consider whether that wolf would remember her, or her it; if she might remember her mother's face when she changed. Memory had thus far been questionable, but for all she knew the sense of smell could prove imprintable in an animalistic form.

Thinking of memories and scents brought remembrances of fresh bread and lumpy biscuits; breakfast was always her favorite.

Rahime wanted to reach the town before they stopped, so even as the day went on and night started to fall, he kept walking. He glanced at her often, looking her over carefully. She could turn at any second and try to rip his head off. He wasn't about to let that happen, though. However, it was promising that it hadn't yet. Finally, the town came into view. "Alright. We'll camp here on the outskirts tonight and go into town tomorrow." He set up their things and sat down. "Get some sleep."

Bryzain could tell he was stealing glances, he said he would be at any rate, but was glad to feel little anxiety once they made camp. She was so exhausted, she barely stayed awake long enough to eat before bed. The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was Rahime's scarred face, and the last coherent thoughts she had were of oceanic skies and stars in the trees.

Waking up, she felt like an abused potato sack. The blood in her veins seemed to ooze its course through an acidic internal flame, a cold sweat dampening her skin. Her breath came short into tense muscles and cramping organs, and her stomach made a sound like squaaarrrrllll.

The dreams had been of the night before, the night she changed, and had been much bloodier than any memory. There was a deer, and she didn't go back for it once she had killed it. Once she had run to her home and ran inside, she found her mother at the kitchen table, in her best red dress. When she turned around, Bryzain saw a deer's head and neck where her mother's should have been; that's when she had begun to awaken, in a blur of arms and gore. Once she found her water pouch she poured it over her mouth and face, trying to steady her racing heart and raucous breath.

Calming down, she held her pounding head in her hands and tried to sit up to lean her elbows on her knees. Rahime would probably freak, and she couldn't have felt any worse just then, but words would ring her ears if she spoke as they did with every groan.

Rahime woke when she started to move, sitting up quickly and drawing his knife. But then he saw what it was. He looked over her carefully, then just spoke two words. "Peaceful memories." he said, carefully, quietly. If she was about to change, then her senses were probably spiking. He didn't move, he just stayed very still and watched her. He had told her earlier, what were her best memories, the peaceful ones? The ones that made her happy. She had to remember those. He hoped his sparse words would spark some. If not...things could get messy.

The woman's chest tightened, squeezing a whimper from her curled form, as he whispered thoughts of peace. Her deer-mother morphed once more into the softly strong and endearing woman she missed, and her breathing gradually eased. One more rattled exhale left her calm again, wrapped in her own arms somewhat near Rahime. When their eyes locked she nodded, though shivering.

"I'm uh-kay...bad dreams." Her head nodded a couple more times, her spine straightened, her elbows and knees lowered. She blinked around, but her eyes stopped to stare at the stars as her breathing slowed and steadied.

"Thanks," she mumbled, droppig her gaze.

Rahime settled once she relaxed, and he watched her for a few more moments. "Just remember your peaceful thoughts, Bryzain. If you remember those, then you can overcome any bad dream." He leaned back and looked up at the sky. "Go back to sleep. Unless you can't sleep, which in that case, we'll just keep going on." He looked at her and waited for a response.

"Uhm...if you're up for it we could keep moving. Might need to hunt soon anyway, if we can. I'm craving meat, though I feel almost nauseas." One corner of her mouth dipped in pained confusion, and she knew it would be better to catch the hunger sooner rather than later. Her body was tired, but her mind was alert and would refuse sleep. In her head she hoped there would be few nights like this, though she doubted.