Mr. Moon and Me [Leyley]

[Shane Blackridge III]

Shane finally regained the strength to stand, his body still aching from the fight. Both the wound on his cheek and the gash on his chest were not bleeding nearly as much as he had expected them to. Hopefully it wouldn't hinder their progress. He had had much worse, but wounds like these would stay around for a while like a bad stench. He wiped away what blood remained from his wounds and applied pressure with his shirt on his wound underneath. "Guess it was a sign that we'd better get going. I don't sant to stick around to find out if they have more friends" he said, already heading into the tent to gather their belongings as fast as his body would allow him. He was in a big hurry to get out of there, and with good reason too. He would like some sort of salve or medicine to ease the pain he was experiencing. He wanted it immediately. But reason took over and assured him that he would get medical help soon. He would just have to suck it up and hold out until they reached town.

Shane packed the items in reverse order as he had unpacked them. First he retrieved the candle, rolled out the log, stored the lantern, and shoved the flint and steel into place in his bag. Next he rolled up the sleeping bag and tied it to his rucksack. Now was the tricky part, collapsing the tent. He had always had difficulty with it, but today it was a bit easier and without too much effort he was able to fold it into a neat bundle that he roped to his bag."Well, I think that's everything. Do you have anything you need to take care of before we leave?"

[Leyley August]

Leyley watched as he packed everything up, unsure what to do with anything, so leaving it to him. But when he was collapsing the tent, she helped him. Then, as Shane asked if she had anything to take care of, she nodded lightly, "can you stay here for a few minutes?" she asked, but before he could answer, she was already in her wolf form, slipping from the clothes and she bolted off. Surprisingly enough, despite her thick coat which weighed her down considerably, she was very fast.

Once she hit the path she had taken yesterday, she followed the fading scent of herself. Stopping quickly for a bathroom break. Finding her clothes and few belongings quite quickly, she picked them up in her jaws and raced back. Though stopping just shy of Shane seeing her, she changed back and dressed into her own clothing. Jogging back, she looked at Shane and gave a sheepish grin, "sorry I took so long.. I had to find my stuff and take care of some...things" she said, not wanting to specify what things.. Though he could get the wrong idea, she didn't care.

With her own clothing on, quickly putting in the hair ornements so she didn't have to carry them around and tying the the belt around her waist, dagger attached to one side and a clear, thin bottle full of something with a glass flower sitting atop of it on the other. The clothes suited her perfectly and made her look gorgeous. Though that wasn't her idea, it was just the normal clothing she wore every day. Quickly folding the clothes which she had worn beforehand, she said, "i'll wash these later," she met Shane's gaze for a moment, holding it, but she was the frst to look away. Not because she didn't trust him, but she felt some kind of heat between them and she didn't think t should be there after only such a short amount of time. She wasn't one for beleiving love at first sight, but she was beginning to question those thoughts now.

[Shane Blackridge III]

The boy smiled widely as he watched Leyley ash nimbly through the forest, admiring her grace and elegance. There was no doubt to him now that he had strong feelings for her, something that made Shane as giddy as a schoolboy when he though about it. It was immature, yes, but love work in mysterious ways. But at this point he question whether it was real love, or just infatuation that formed quickly because of his lonliness. In due time, he assured himself, in due time. As he waited for her return he continued to finish any jobs he had left undone, putting out the campfire, retrieving any items had overlooked, etc. As he went about his work he whistled a tune, one (if perhaps the only) thing that survived from his past life. It was unfortunate, however that he could not remember the words. Yet he could recall every note from beginning to end better than he knew how to walk. Each instrument clashed with the other, the result being a song full of chaos, yet somehow soothing in a bizarre way.

It did not take long for the girl to return, her body clothed in what he guessed (and hopes) were her own. Her hair was decorated in an assortment of ornaments, as if her hair were forming crytsals. The outfit she wore formed nicely to her, the curves of her body now visible, rather than being hidden underneath an oversized shirt. "You... Um... You look very nice" he complimented, his cheeks rosy with blush. Their eyes locked momentarily, and Shane found himself drowning in her eyes, unable to break away. But it was her who turned away, embarrassed. He chuckled softly and returned to the log and retrieved his pack. "Cmon, let's get going. It'll be too dangerous to travel by nightfall, so we've got to race the sun." he looked up into the sky and located the bright shining ball, using it as his compass. Once he had determined where he needed to go, he went, being careful not to go too far ahead of Leyley. He picked up the tune again, yet this time he hummed it, making sure that every note was hit perfectly. He did this for several minutes before turning his attention to his friend. "So, Leyley, tell me a little about yourself. Like... What do you like and dislike, favorite colors, that kind of thing"

[Leyley August]

Leyley smiled slightly at Shane's compliment. Shortly after the two were walking, though because she had no idea where she was going, she stayed behind Shane. She listened to the tune which he hummed and though it brought images of pure chaos to he mind, it also brought a calm over her which she could not decribe. She could tell that he knew all of the notes, because they all fit perfectly with eachother. After several minutes, Shane spoke, asking for a little about herself.

Leyley glanced at Shane for a moment, wondering how much she should tell him. Well he hadn't asked for her past so she deemed the question fine. "Well, I like reading, running, being myself around everyone, cooked meat and...apples." she cast a light grin towards Shane as she said 'cooked meat' and then looked away after a few moments, "I dislike, fighting.. well, any type of violence - I always try to avoid it if I can. Shouting, wolves like the ones earlier and, the colour pink.. My favourite colour is purple, as you can probably see by my clothes. I'm scared of thunder and lightning and blood. Perfectly fine with snakes and spiders, though scorpians creep me out. I'm not allergic to anything though I like to pretend I'm allergic to brussel sprouts and oranges. That's about it, that pretty much sums me up. " she said. She looked at Shane and met his gaze for longer then last time, feeling an electric current and a pull towards him. Whether or not he felt it too was another amtter altogether. Though, again, Leyley was the first to look away, feeling the heat of a blush on her face.

[Shane Blackridge III]

Shane smiled at the girl as their glances met again, his body being pulled towards he like a magnet. He successfully fought against it, but could still feel the electricity passing between them."We've got a lot in common, you and I. I'd have to say I like eating. I love eating. But not to excess, still have to keep my figure" he teased, moving closer to her as the trees grew in population. He listened to the sound of the leaves crunching under their feet, their footsteps eventually synching together and growing distant in a reoccurring pattern. "Let's see... I don't like spinach, or death. I could never bring myself to kill someone. I'm no killer. Never have been, and never will. Although I'll admit thT I've taken down my fair share of animals. Even when I do I still cr-" he stopped short of his sentence, realizing that he was getting a little too personal with that ending statement. He collected himself and continued Mh fears would include... Graveyards, Axes, and strangely enough, the color red. As far back as I can remember I've always feared people wearing red. Well, feared is a strong word. Perhaps I was unsettled by it. Anyways, I don't think I'm allergic to anything but I do get a little queasy when I eat mushrooms."

They walked in silence for a while, humming the song once again. "You know, this songs been stuck in my head. I wish I could sing it, but for one I can't remember the words, and secondly: I'm not a good singer" he continued humming as they traveled onwards. The forest was so thick now that they constantly came into contact with each other, a spark traveling from one to the other."I think I've asked my fair share of questions. Is there anything you'd like to know about me?"

[Leyley August]

Leyley listened to Shane as he told her little things about him, she was happy just hearing the small things about what he liked and feared and stuff like that. As Shane stopped short of a sentence, she glanced at him and noticed his expression. With a light sigh, she said nothing and let him just go on when he was ready. As he picked up conversation again, Leyley gave a small smile. She was glad that she had met Shane instead of someone else.

When Shane started to hum again, she started to recognise the song. Though she said nothing. He then stopped and started to speak, saying that he couldn't remember the lyrics but could remember the tune. As he said he was a bad singer, Leyley stifled a light laugh. The humming continued and the trees grew denser, making Shane and her move closer together, often tapping eachother's arms lightly as they walked. Every time Leyley felt the same electricity as when their gazes met. Shane spoke again and Leyley glanced at him. "Not really, the only questions i'd like to ask are ones I wouldn't answer so it's fair that I don't ask," she said. She meant about their pasts. She wanted to know what he could remember, but then again, she wouldn't tell him her history. Could you do that song again?" she asked softly.

As Shane started to hum the song again, Leyley started the sing the lyrics, though only softly. Even though soft, it sounded sweet, gentle and smooth, yet it had a firm sense to it. Fitting to the song oddly enough. As they walked the forest became even denser, making them walked so close they had to touch the whole time and Leyley fell silent. Not because she didn't like touching Shane, but she forgot to mention that the was scared of forests as dense as this. Not for some silly reason, but because of a reason of her close past. She wrapped her arms around herself though appeared to be fine. She didn't want Shane thinking she was a little kid that always needed protection.

[Shane Blackridge III]

Shane hummed happily as his traveling companion sang wit her soft voice, a perfect harmony that seemed to make the forest friendlier, more inviting in a sense. But Shane began to take notice of the trees around them, the leafless statues of wood towering above them, a twisted jungle of bark. It felt so familiar, yet he knew he had never been here before. He indeed had not been here before, but it was triggering something in his mind. A memory? The song grew louder and louder and the world began to move around him, the trees reshaping themselves. "Am I hallucinating?". Leyley slowly melted into a fine mist, merging with the fog that began to creep across the forest. The song lost its instruments and only the vocals remained, the soft tone like that of a child's. He heard the shaking of chains, the rusty squeaking of of pieces of equipment. It sounded like an ancient swing. Who was on his playground? He flinched. Since when did he own a playground, and why would he care?

In the real world he had stopped humming and was standing still, as if he were frozen in time. His eyes were blank, empty, abandoned as he was experiencing his... whatever it was. Not even the chilling wind moved him. He just stood there like a zombie, staring deeply into the forest.

In his daydream he was walking through the forest, the singing growing louder as he approached a small clearing where the light penetrated the treetops and illuminated the playground. He watched from the safety of his forest. His forest. It was his, all his. Nobody could have it. He hid amongst the shadows and watched the child swing back and forth on the creaky swing-set, blissfully unaware of him and the dangers of his forest. However, the girl had no color, just a black and white figure that seemed out of place, even in the dark and hazy forest. Then he felt a strong force pulling him back into the trees, the world whizzing by him as he was slammed back into reality.

He stumbled backwards onto the snow, staring up at Leyley, confusion and fear filled his eyes. He was shaking, not because of the weather, but his body felt weak and frail like a child. Clutching to a nearby tree he pulled himself up and used the trunk as support, attempting to recover from the horrible apparition. "I remember... I remember a forest. That girl... I've seen her somewhere..." He breathed deeply and exhaled sharply. He stood there for several moments before finding the strength he needed to continue. He brushed the snow off his pants and tried to explain what happened. "I think we may have triggered a past memory, or something along those lines. It wasn't much. All I could make out of it was that I lived in some sort of forest far different from this one. That's it." He was afraid to tell her of the little girl. Who was she? He shook his head and continued walking. "I think whatever is blocking my past is slowly coming undone. I heard that song in my dream... so maybe it only happens when I hear or do something that I've done before! He grew excited by the fact that he could recover his memories. They continued onwards for several more miles until the sun was directly overhead, an indication that they were halfway there.

[Leyley August]

Leyley looked at Shane as he stopped and saw the blank, lifeless look in his eyes. It looked exactly like a human she had attacked when she was younger. On her first change. She had attacked him, shredding open his throat and clawing his stomach open. When she had left him to die, the only thing she could see was his open throat and stomach, seeing the intestines, the bones from the back of his neck and the blank, lifeless look in his eyes. Like he couldn't comprehend anything. Then there was the blood. It surrounded him like a pool. As if it could rid anythig that came near his corpse.

Leyley pulled out of the memory and she stared at Shane. She lightly gripped his shoulders voice soft but frantic, "Shane? Shane? Shane what's wrong?!" she couldn't do anything. She didn't know what to do. What happened to him? Then, as she saw the life come back to him Leyley sighed in relief, foreheadesting on his chest for a moment, murmuring, "thank god," then, as she realised what she was doing, she stepped back, looking away, embarrassed.

As Shane started to talk, Leyley listened without saying a word. She nodded lightly as he finished and as he walked, she followed him closely. Though she stayed silent the whole way, still feeling embarrassed by what she had done earlier before.

[Shane Blackridge III]

They traveled in silence for most of the way, not a word passing between them. He wondered if was because of what had happened to him. He would let his mind wander as he walked, remembering the feel of her head against his chest. Every time he had allowed it to enter his mind his cheeks would brighten with blush. He imagined again and again the warmth that generated from their touch. If this kind of thing kept up Shane would have to think about ordering a one bed room rather than two. However he wasn't sexually attracted to her, that didn't mean that she wasn't attractive it just meant he didn't think that either of them were ready for that kind of commitment. Hell, they weren't even a legitimate couple yet.

Shane decided to break the silence that had plagued them since his incident. "So what would you like to do once we reach the city and settle in? I'm pretty sure we could find someone who could teach you cooking or swordsmanship. We could also go job hunting" Shane had very little money or at least that's what he believed. He wasn't too familiar with the value of coin. He needed to find a steady job if he wanted to live a comfortable life. He knew he'd have to start off with low paying, high labor jobs and work his way up the ladder.

[Leyley August]

Leyley walked in silence and once it was broken by Shane, she glanced over at him for a moment before looking away. What did she want to do there? She didn't know anything about the place. She didn't want to learn swordsmanship and she didn't cook much anyway. As he suggested hunting for jobs Leyley nodded slightly. She didn't have any money, so it'd be easier if she made some, for her and Shane, if she stayed with him. "I think looking for a job would be for the best. I don't know much about the city so I can't really say what i'd like to do there." she said, giving a light shrug. She tried to appear like she wasn't thinking about earlier, but it wasn't working too well.

Suddenly, Leyley smelt the smoke of fire and then the light from the flames hit her. She knew this wasn't naturual, it had been done either by accident or people were idiots and were trying to light the forest. She tensed at the sight of it and glanced at Shane. He woudn't be able to outrun it if it spread. Not with his wound. They couldn't get over there to stop it either because the trees were too thick.. What were they going to do?