Topic: Lexandria's Current Cravings [F for ANY]

[Lexandria]

Current Cravings

Welcome to my search thread. I had my Interests page here for quite some time, but I have moved it to the Ons/Offs board, since it seemed to fit in better there, and I figured I'd try to be short (or as short as I can manage to be) and to the point here.

I am currently available to take on one or two new games. If you are interested, I suggest you check out my Interests page for a thorough rundown of my writing style, expectations, past games, how I prefer to be contacted, and general preferences. Please check out my Schedule for information regarding my posting habits.

Do not post in this thread. If you are interested by the content here, please visit my Interests  page. If you are still interested after reading through all the information there, please feel free to PM me to start a dialog.

For quick reference, so you know the basics:

•   I only play female characters, but I have no preferences to what gender my partner or my partner's character(s) are.

•   I only RP via the forums

•   I only RP in limited third-person perspective

•   I hope to attract articulate and well-written partners

•   I prefer story over smut

•   I post anywhere from 300 words to 3,000 words per post, depending on my partner and the pacing of the story

•   I have very few major offs, but here they are:
   - Incest of any sort
   - Characters younger than 17
   - Rimming (and Scat in general)
   - Vore
   - First- or Second-person perspective

Below I have copied my cravings section from my Interests page, to give an idea of what I am currently interested in. However, this is not all that interests me, not by a long shot. I am almost always happiest when creating a world/setting in cooperation with my writing partner. I would prefer to come up with something that works well for both of us and is tailored to both of our interests, rather than trying to make one of us fit the others' 'perfect idea'. I would greatly prefer that the story we come up with center around characterization, story, and plot rather than sex and smut. I get very bored of sex-centered, and kink-centered, games; plot and characterization are an absolute must if a story is to hold my attention.

Character Based Cravings:
^{I usually crave playing a specific sort of character}

   •   I am interested in playing a girl character who is, for some reason or another, disguised as a boy (similar to Power/Girl Got Game, Mulan, or Hanakimi)

   •   I would like to play someone with a power: healing, oracle/predictive abilities, seer abilities, perhaps elemental based magic of some sort (currently heat/fire related is very appealing), or a nature-based ability, or shape-shifting of some kind. Perhaps this character has an animal companion. They may be hiding their ability for some reason or another.

   •   I am interested in playing a tough character, rough around the edges, perhaps opposite a meeker character.

   •   I am interested in playing a mute character.

   •   I am interested in playing a character who is in a mental institution for one reason or another. This could be an actual institution, or something darker.

   •   I am interested in playing a character who has suffered grievous injury in the past, and has some terrible scars/lasting injury as a result.

   •   I am interested in playing a character that has to learn a new language to be able to communicate with others in the game. This is a recurring theme I find challenging and highly entertaining.

   •   I am intermittently interested in playing a dominant female character opposite a submissive female character. However, this would be an inordinately extreme game, and I would need to be in the right mood and mind-set to want to write for it. It would be an experiment that probably will not prove successful.

   •   I am always craving a game where my character ends up pregnant. This does not mean that the pregnancy has to be in any way sexualized, I'm happy for it to simply be a plot point.

Plot Based Cravings:
^{I rarely have a specific plot in mind, but sometimes this happens.
I will be very picky about any ideas listed here.}

Maid of Stone

_{This is just a rough concept, there are a lot of different ways this could go.}

The basic idea is that my character would start out in the game being a statue (probably made of stone, hence the title). I was inspired by this image, and would likely use it as my character image to start. My general thinking is that she would have been alive once, but turned to stone due to either being tricked by a magic-user of some sort, or trapped.

Either way, she has been moved (or was always there) to an area with many people, where buskers of all sorts display their abilities for cash. She is aware of what is going on around her, even if she cannot move. She does not have conscious thought (or else she would go insane after centuries of immobility), but on some level she absorbs some information on what is going on around her. Eventually, possibly due to how the power that turned her to stone works (I haven't yet worked that bit out, and could use some input from my partner for this), she begins to be able to move a little bit every so often. Perhaps gradually shifting position subtly; she would also become more aware and for longer periods of time.

My thought is that my partner's character may be a busker, perhaps one that often sets up either in front of my character or across from her, and might end up noticing the slight changes in pose. Another idea is that they might notice the movement and think she is an extremely talented busker (perhaps they use her to gain better tips? I'm a bit hazy on this bit). But there are many possibilities as to who my partner's character is and how they fit into this game.

I think the first part of the game could be trying to give her her life and movement back, and the second part is up for discussion, but could turn out possibly very interesting.

_{A vague, fuzzy idea, but one I hope to expand upon with the right partner. I do not have a preference for the gender of my partner's character.}

Avatar: the Last Airbender based game

_{This is more of a general idea than a fleshed out plot, but here's my thoughts:}

I basically want to play in this world. I don't really want to play with any of the cannon characters, and I would like to play in the past, way back before the Hundred Year War. I would like for it to be back before Avatar Aang, Avatar Roku, Avatar Kyoshi, or the other two Avatars before them (I forget their names, but the laid back water tribe Avatar, and the uptight Airbender Avatar), because I feel that would give myself and my partner more creative freedom as far as the characters go.

I do not want to play in the time of Avatar Korra, or any time further in the future than she is. The level of technology and the culture of her time do not appeal to me, and I have not seen the full second series yet. I do not want spoilers.

I would like either myself or my partner to play the Avatar of the time period of the game, and I would like to start with their sixteenth birthday and being told that they are the Avatar. I would like to brainstorm with my partner as to what the conflict in the game would be, because I feel that it does need a central conflict, though that might not develop or become a problem for some time.

Beyond that, this idea is open to quite a bit of flexibility between myself and my partner. I am looking for the right person for this game, with the right level of knowledge about the series.

_{I already have a good idea of my Avatar character, were I to be the one to play the Avatar, but I am open to discussion and negotiations about most things regarding this game. I do not have to play the Avatar, but I do already have a concept in mind.}

Inseparable

^{This is based off of the relationship of Idgie and Ruth in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg. However, this does not mean that you need to have read the book to play this game.}

Two girls have grown up together, best friends their whole life. One of the girls (a) eventually realizes she is in love with the other one (b), but keeps it to herself, showing her love with actions rather than expressing herself verbally. The other girl never really gets it. Subconsciously, she knows her friend loves her, but she never really realizes it consciously.

As they grow up, (a) never dates anyone, but, (b) has a few boyfriends, who never seem to quite work out, and who tend to get jealous of how close she is with (a).

After or during college, (b) ends up dating/marrying a guy, moving out of town, and dropping contact with (a). (a) gets worried, and eventually tracks her friend down, finding that her friend is being abused and controlled by the boyfriend/husband. (a) rescues (b) and takes her back home.

Come to find out, (b) is pregnant by the abusive boyfriend/husband.

<sub>I would like to play this game out, starting when the girls first meet as children, skipping ahead through their lives as they get older, until we get to the main plot of the story. Where it goes from there is really up in the air, though this is meant as a squishy love story. I have pictures that sum up pivotal portions of their lives.

I can play either character, but would prefer to play (b).

I have a file of inspirational images for this particular game, charting through their life growing up. I will be sharing them with anyone interested in this game.</sub>

The Last Cowboy - (reserved)

_{This, too, is just a rough concept, I would really need to collaborate with my partner to flesh this out into anything substantial}

The basic idea is inspired by The Last Cowboy by In This Moment. I don't nessisarily want to follow the exact story, but then again, the song isn't so much a story as a description of a character. I would, for the most part, be interested in playing the woman who is talking/describing the 'Last Cowboy' in the song. Now, who that character really is, both mine and my partner's, is up for discussion.

Is the cowboy just an idea in her head? Are they someone she knows from the past? Is it someone she saw in passing, that she's become obsessed with meeting? Is it just someone she heard about, and she needs their help? It could really be anything. The cowboy could be a 'good guy' or a 'bad guy', and it does not have to be set in the Old West by any means. It might be more fun if it isn't. Then again, it could be fun if it is, too. Again, just about everything is up for debate, I just really love the narrative quality and the general feeling of the song. I'd love it if my partner and I could keep the same gritty feel.

_{Again, another vague, fuzzy idea. I really would love my partner's help in fleshing it out.}

Naruto based game - (Currently in Play, would be willing to pick up another)

_{Plot for this is always up for discussion, I just adore Naruto, what can I say?}

I have a general craving for playing an original character in the Naruto universe. My partner is more than welcome to play a cannon character, or their own character. I would be lying if I said I didn't have a few favorite cannon characters I would love to have my partner play, but I never like to force them into a box or a bubble, so I'm up for discussion.

I would like the game to start when our characters are children, and to explore growing up from there. They can be short-ish scenes, to develop character and to give insight into the characters and how they interact with each other. This does not include any romantic interaction. It is for character development and plot/story development (thus the non-adult section, and also because exploring the history, as children, means that by site rules (as well as by my preference) nothing adult themed can happen until we have moved along to them being adults). This means, that the game would need to start in the non-adult section, until the characters are adults, then we can link over to a new thread in the appropriate board in the adult section of the site. While breaking up the game into two boards is not my preference, I prefer that much more than exploring the history in flash-backs for this particular scenario.

Timeline, setting, and all that jazz are up for discussion as well.

_{Please note: I have tried a game like this 3 times so far, and have had my partner bail on me early on all three times. I may be craving this game, but I will be picky, and I will expect any potential partner wanting to play this scenario with me to be serious about the game and about writing with me.}

Unseen - (Currently in Play)

_{This is a general concept, mostly centered around a character idea and a set-up idea. It is fairly flexible and open to interpretation. A small portion is based off of Psyche and Eros from Greek mythology, but only a very small portion of the set-up}

The bare-bones of this set-up idea, is that my character would be gifted to my partner's character, so generally my partner's character would probably be of high standing of some sort: a ruler or a person of some sort of high esteem. I imagine my character would be given/sent as either a bride, as some sort of treaty attempt, or as part of a penalty being paid to my partner's character.

For some reason or another, my partner's character does not wish to be seen, or has issue with my character seeing them, though it would have little to do with my character herself, and something that has been pre-established (this would be why my character was sent.) My character would, therefor, be visually impaired. I'm imagining that she would have either gradually lost her sight starting in childhood, or around the age of eight or ten she was intentionally blinded for the purpose of eventually (as an adult, please and thank you) being sent to your character.

Why does your character have issue with my character (and probably the people of wherever she comes from) seeing yours? Is it just a power-thing? Is there something your character is embarrassed about? Is your character a monster or ageless or somehow disfigured? Is it some bizarre tradition in this setting? Is it something else?

_{My partner's character may be any gender, the setting is up for negotiation, and though I mentioned the story of Psyche and Eros, I only am taking the 'one partner can not be seen by the other' portion of that story, nothing more. I would like for everything else about it to be worked out between my partner and I.}

Out of Water - (Currently in play)

^{I have a thing for mermaids, what can I say?}

All supernatural beings have a purpose and a reason for existing. Most were created by forces of nature to protect the sacred and secret places, and eventually that duty turned toward protecting what they could from the spreading plague that was man. Many of the creatures fell into legend and away from the world as man spread unhindered across the plains and the mountains, the valleys and the deserts, forests, and swamps. Legend became superstition and then nothing at all but fairy tales that only children believe.

The last hold out and realm of nature's children is the sea, which not even man has been able to fully conquer. Some legends still exist in their depths, doing the best they can to hold down the fort and turn the tide against man. These are the creatures that had been known as sirens, as mermaids, kraken, leviathan, and many more. Each, in their own way, trying to fulfill a task too great for them.

The mermaid is the guardian of a small cove and the sea surrounding it. It is a place rumored to be bad luck and dangerous to sail, though many attempt it anyway. Those that do come to misfortune: storms sneak up on them, rocks appear from nowhere,  they get lost until they are out of gas and stranded. In reality, the mermaid, who has powers similar to a siren, would sing the humans into a hypnotized state which would simply encourage them to overlook the storm, or the rocks, or the way home.

The mermaid lives a solitary life, doing her job, observing the humans, having very little contact with others of her species or the other, more powerful creatures in the sea. Until a boat comes along with a human on it that the mermaid finds she can't kill. That human doesn't seem so bad, perhaps they do something that shows they have respect for the sea, or seem to not want to be there in the first place. Whatever the case, the mermaid spares the one human, perhaps even helps them to shore.

Now, because she went against her purpose, the sea rejects her, and she is cast out, sent to land to either finish her task or remain human forever. Her voice and hypnotic ability are gone, as are anything that made her more than human. The mermaid would resent the human and blame them for her situation. The rest of the plot is up for discussion.

_{Obviously, I would prefer to play the mermaid. The gender of the other character is up for discussion as well.}

Familiar Taste of Poison - (Currently on Hold)

_{Based on the song and music video of the same name by Halestorm. I find many of their songs highly inspirational, and, let's face it, Lzzy Hale's voice is simply fantastic.}

A woman is poisoned by her spouse. She had loved him, been devoted to him, but at the same time knew that something was not quite right. While he did not beat her, or abuse her in any way, sometimes, the way he looked at her made her uneasy. But he doted on her, eased away her concerns with fancy words and fancy gifts. Right up to the point where he quietly, sneakily takes her out.

I have not decided, yet, if she dies or is simply in a coma, put there by some accident caused by her disorientation from the poison. However, the 'accident' is being investigated, and the lead investigator suspects the husband even when he can't prove anything. It is just this feeling he has, that nags and rubs at him irritatingly and refuses to go away. Right up until he begins having dreams of the victim. Vivid dreams, strange but memorable and she seems so real in them, trying to speak to him, to communicate through some difficulty. It takes time, and many encounters for her messages to begin to make sense...

_{This is, perhaps, a bit vague. It would be a slow-building story, I will likely play many side characters as well as the woman so that my partner is not having to write pages by themselves of the daily activities by the investigator. I did use a masculine pronoun for the investigator, but I would not be opposed to them being female.}

Setting Based Cravings:
^{Sometimes I just like the idea of a specific setting or theme for a game}

   •   I would like to play in a desolate desert or plains land.

   •   I am craving a horror game. I have no idea how one would go, but for some reason I want to play one.

   •   I am currently interested in an Avatar: the Last Airbender based game. I have some specific ideas regarding this game.

   •   I am almost always craving one Naruto game. I have rather specific requests regarding this, however.

Image Based Cravings:
^{These are cravings inspired by images, I don't get many of these, but sometimes... sometimes it happens. The plots will be vague at best.
I will be very picky about any ideas listed here as well.}

Resurrection

She was mortally wounded, or dead. Either way, her body is void of life, and she is unable to be woken up. Perhaps she is a stranger to this land, and the man who stumbles upon her takes pity on her, for whatever reason, and performs a ritual to bring her back. She wakes nude, in a ring of stones, next to a man she does not know. Where do they go from here?

_{I would, in this case, play the woman. I would love to find someone to brainstorm more details into this vague thought. I think there could be a lot of world building here, as well as some interesting prospects for characters.}

The Search

Every night, her dream is the same: she sits on the tall rock on the shore, sometimes the tide is up, sometimes it is out, but always she waits, staring out into the sea. She's had this dream since she moved into the old house near the ocean, and some times... sometimes she wakes to find her toes are cold and the hem of her nightgown is damp, as though she had truly been as she had dreamt.

What is she waiting for, in this dream? Or who? And why does she wake, feeling as though she had been up all night, out in the cold, with only the sea to keep her company...

_{This, too, is a vague notion. I would love to brainstorm more ideas for this thought.}

Shifted

Once she was free, flying with her brethren in the sky, enjoying life in the only way she had known it. That is, until suddenly she just... wasn't. She had become something else, something too large to fly, and she could not understand why. Something had changed her, given her more than she had known was possible, and yet.. all she wanted was to return to the sky...

_{So, in this, I see a crow turned into a human, probably via some magic. Perhaps my partner's character caused it by accident or on purpose, and now they must deal with one another. Of course, the story, reasoning, and characters depend on negotiations with my partner, I would love to hear ideas on the subject.}

The Heist

All she has known is being kept: her whole life. Though, recently, she has been moved into a vault. 'Recently' is rather a relative term, though, since she has long since lost track of time. Certainly, she is fed, and mostly taken care of, but it has always been as a kept object, not a person. Until the door opened out of schedule, and someone new entered to steal her owner's wealth. Unfortunately for them: it was permanently attached to her.

_{I see her being the keeper of a person's wealth, quite literally. Whomever my partner is would be a thief who has no idea what they are getting themselves into. What will they do? Will she be taken by the thief?}

Into the Dark

The Dark Woods was forbidden, it always had been. Anyone who entered its depths disappeared without a trace, and so everyone knew that to enter was to die: the quickest way to an unknown death. But, she had nothing left to loose, didn't she? She, who was marked by death, and had been since birth? White hair and the markings of a skull on her face, the contours deepening as she grew older. Death and the Darkness had already claimed her, and now that she was alone, it seemed that it was time to meet her fate.

No, she did not wish to die, that wasn't it at all. But the woods had been calling to her as long as she could remember, and now there was no one left who cared to stop her entering...

_{Yet another half-formed thought. I noodled around with her being some sort of guide through the woods, but I think more of an exploration would be more interesting in this case. What, or who, does she find in the forest, and why has it been calling her?}

Lady of the Hunt

Lady of the Hunt. That was what they called her, a ceremonial title that meant very little any more. In days-gone-by, the Lady had been a ruler of her people, held the power of a monarch or a high-priestess, but that was long ago. They would have liked for her not to know of that, would have liked her to play puppet to their whim, but they did not know the true power of her position. The title was just a title, and somewhat inaccurate, as it were. They called her Lady of the Hunt due to the hunting ceremony held once per year, but her true position came from the bond with the sacred hunting dogs. Sometimes, it was like they were the same beast, and other times they spoke to her, but all the Court saw her as was a figure useful in ceremony and not much else...

_{I think that there is some major story potential here, especially for her to either end up leaving to have an adventure, or needing to suddenly step into a role she was never really educated about, or something else entirely. I see her as having a bond to the dogs: they chose her, and they speak to her and, perhaps, show her things. Perhaps her people are thrown into war, or invaded, or something else. Maybe a political uprising is beginning, and she is a target? There are so many, many possibilities.}

What am I?

Discarded. That's what she was. Useless. Broken.

Newly minted, newly made, and within the first few hours of operation she'd made a mistake. She wasn't supposed to make mistakes, she was a machine, wasn't she? Or... yes? Moments of her existence were somewhat confusing, but mistakes are the mark of an organic being, not a machine. But the damage to her arm showed that she was inorganic. Her operator, displeased at her failure in performance, had gotten rid of her, sent her to be disposed.

Some part of her rebelled over that, did not think that she should, or could, be disposed of. And that was perplexing as well: as a machine, she was damaged and useless and should be disposed of, but in the moments where she was not sure that she was a machine, she feared what was to come...

<sup>So, my thought here is a slightly different take on the 'machine-gains-sentience' cliche. My thought is that she is an illegal creation, using the body of a human woman to create a mechanized servant/being. Basically, a cyborg, though the goal of her creator was to pass her off as an exceptionally lifelike android. Unfortunately, that she is an experimental cyborg means that she sometimes remembers parts of who she is, and what she is, as the programming cannot replace all of her mind and memories. She would be found, and salvaged/rescued, by someone before being incinerated.

I would prefer to play the cyborg, though if I have a partner convincing enough, I would play the salvager/rescuer instead</sup>

Shhh...

Where was she? What was happening? All her memories were hazy and indistinct, though one thing was clear: her legs were cold and her upper-body was restrained in..something. Something that felt worryingly like a straight-jacket. And there were memories, too, distinctly vague and worrying, of a bright light and a sharp pain, and mumbling voices before the dark rushed in. Every instinct screamed at her that she had to find a way out, now. But how could she get out, when she did not even know where she was, let alone what was going on...

_{So, yes, horror game. I absolutely love this photo, and would love love love to write a game based on it, though I have too many ideas to focus on one. This would take a lot of discussion between a compatible partner and I to work out something truly awesome.}

Alone at the Party

“So… you’re stuck out here too, huh? At least I’m not alone”

<sub>Okay, so one line of dialog, two sentences, isn’t really an idea, though it’s a start, I think. I imagine that this gal, my character, was rejected from some sort of event. One that she was certain she’d be able to get into for whatever reason.  Perhaps my partner’s character is unable to enter as well, or perhaps she doesn’t realize that the other character is able to enter. She might not even realize that, perhaps, the other character is someone important to the event, or just in general. Her dress isn’t the fanciest, but it’s alright, and looks nice enough on her, it should have been enough to get her in, anyway.

I’m not quite sure why she’d want in, or what sort of event it is. But, I figure, my partner and I can sort it out.</sub>

A Trip to Remember

“My lady, don’t you dare do what I know you’re thinking!” Of course she would say that: her clockwork friend knew her quite well after-all. But how could she resist? How much fun would it be to climb up to the top of the ship? Surely no one else would dare, and she’d certainly have the view of a lifetime…

_{So, a vague notion again. I see the gal on the left as quite adventurous: she’s high-enough in society to have good rooms and a clockwork servant who seemed very nearly like a real person, but all she wants to do is experience adventure. She might have to dress proper, and act so at dinners, but damned if she wasn’t a tomboy at heart. Climbing up the rigging of the airship to the topmost point was just the beginning of the trouble she’d be getting herself into. My partner’s character, of course, could be anyone! I imagine I would also write for the clockwork servant, but that, too, is not set in stone. I love the possibilities of this image, and how many ways my gal could get herself into trouble, and possibly out of it, all in the name of having a good time.}

Autumn

This was her first time out of the palace walls, first time alone without an escort or a guard or anyone to watch her. It wasn’t as though she’d wandered all that far: there was a field out beyond the walls, and it was abloom with the colors of autumn. And it wasn’t as though she were trapped there, by any means; not really, anyway. Her mother just wanted to keep her safe, though from what she wasn’t quite sure. Nobody told her of the troubles their kingdom faced, because that shouldn’t be her problem until she was wed and came into power as Queen.

So what could it hurt, anyway, just wandering in the back field? It might be her first time sneaking out, but she’d only be gone a few minutes, then would come right back! Just a little bit of time to herself was all she wanted, after all…

_{I feel as though the moment in the image is when she runs into someone she doesn’t know. There are so many ways this could go that I love how open it is! I have two lines of thinking, here: The first is that her little trip out of the castle becomes very much longer than she’d ever imagined. The second is that, perhaps, she meets someone she’d like to see again, and so begins a new habit of sneaking away to meet her new friend. I’d love a partner to brainstorm the world she lives in and a character to compliment such a curious princess.}

Craving One More Try:
^{I have had a few games that ended either with no response or with only one response from a partner; I have already made somewhat of a connection to my character, though.
Posted here are the opening posts for such characters, I look forward to discussion with interested parties as to where such an opening post could go.}

One - (Currently in Play)

She was always uncomfortable, entering into the larger cities, the ones furthest from the wilds and the wicked outskirts and colonies, the ones called 'civilization' by those who did not know anything other than gilded walls and perfect safety and gorging themselves fat and lazy. Kalyis felt uncomfortable in such places, under the scrutiny of eyes that accused, that judged her a heathen because of her birthright, her birth place, the parts of her that screamed 'different' louder than her voice would ever go. Because she was quiet, she was calm, and she held herself with a dignity that was never her right, that would never truly be hers to own. But she had it anyway, and in damned spades, too.

It was her clothing, mostly, that set her apart from the 'elite', and while such practical coverings were common in the outskirts, on the boarders where she worked the most, in the mixing pot of all those who were carefully and none-to-quietly acquired by the Kingdom, the one without any other name, because it was the only one that legitimately had the right to exist and rule over others. Those places, she was sometimes frowned upon, but not so much as here, with these people muttering things under their breath and wondering why she, the heathen with marks on her arms, scars smattered about like seeds in summer, was not being arrested and taken from their sight. Yes, why weren't they punishing her, making an example of her?

Why indeed.

Could it be she was actually sanctioned, actually allowed? Kalyis nearly laughed, though if she had, it would have been the dry, humorless sort. The kind that came in reaction to those looks she always got. Even by the younger generation back home, even by the villagers in small towns that she had rid of the demons that plagued them. They were never happy to see her, never happy to pay her, and always pleased to see her leave. The cycle merely continued.

Interesting that this Duke would want to actually meet in his home, and allow a being so below him to enter and defile the place. That was a bit less usual than the stares, the questions of children who thought their voices didn't carry to her ears, the mothers hushing them and pulling them away. No, no. Best not interact with something so different. Better to hide and be good, be safe, be normal.

Kalyis rolled her eyes, stating her business to the house guards. House, or palace? Something in between the two, maybe. Mansion? That had a nice ring to it. She'd go with that. Of course, she'd have to show documentation, be searched for weapons, before being allowed in. She wasn't dumb, bringing anything threatening in a place like this was asking to be sent away missing a few body parts at the very least. And then the wait set in, because  everyone knows the Duke is just far too busy getting fatter to come meet with her in a timely manner. But eventually, she was allowed out of the small room she'd been shown to and into the huge and fancy sitting room. It looked more like the Duke wished to fashion himself a king, though, from the set up of the whole thing. Huge and fancy seat for the Duke, a few advisers or some-such seated in less impressive seats, and her left standing with nowhere to sit.

Jackasses.

"State your business." The scrawny, white haired man seated next to the Duke spoke up in a high, put-upon voice.

"It is my understanding that Duke Penem is in need of assistance ridding one of his townships of demons. I am Kalyis of the Chroor, my record speaks for itself, so I trust I will not be required to verbally illustrate tails of my past accomplishments; they are quite well known. My understanding is that the bounty is per demon, and that I shall be provided with any lodgings, transportation, meals, and other expenses incurred on this job free of charge and without any deduction from my payment. Is this correct?" She would not beat around the bush. If there was one thing she was known for, other than her hunting skill, it was straightforwardness. Kalyis liked to know where she stood, and she made sure that others knew where they stood with her as well.

"Hmm, yes. I have heard of you." The Duke interrupted his minion, who had opened his lopsided mouth to speak but had failed to utter sound in time. "I agree to your terms, Miss Kalyis  of the Chroor, Rolef will provide you with directions and papers to guarantee you the hospitality in the township in question. Should you require transportation out there, Rolef will take care of you in that regard as well. But know that if others of comparable skill present themselves, they will be offered the same terms. This is an open job." His voice was deep, almost sticky and sickly sounding, as if it had to struggle out from his fat rolls and into his throat, then got lost yet again on the way out. Somehow, she greatly preferred the annoying Rolef's voice to the Duke's, and that was saying something.

"That is perfectly understandable, your Lordship." With a short, sharp half-bow, Kalyis made her way back out of the meeting room, with Rolef struggling to keep up, trying to give her all the details of this particular bounty. At least, this time, she would be well informed...

____ ___ __ _

While the Duke's man, Rolef, had offered to get her a wagon and some drivers to take her out to they tiny, newly established township, Kalyis refused, informing him that all she needed was two horses, one to ride and one for packing her supplies on, and thus she was provided with a sleek young mare, fast-seeming but likely sturdy enough to handle the trip, and a large draft horse of exceedingly mellow temperament. Outside of town she packed up, then told her previous horse to a trainer that might be able to fix how incredibly headshy it had become after that last demon had nearly ruined one of its eyes. It was a good steed, ignoring the scar and the fear of anything moving anywhere near its face, and it was a shame to see it go, but the trainer seemed like an honest fellow, and she'd given him a deal on it.

The trip out hadn't taken over long, nearly a week or so, but the further that she drew from the Duke's main lands, the easier Kalyis felt. It was simply far too much to be around so many judgmental, ignorant people. Alone was better, with no one but her two horses and the coppery shadow that followed after them. Senka, the odd little coyote that had started following her around when she had been a child, now followed her as an adult, and had proven invaluable as a companion. The small dog-like animal was fantastic at knowing just when, and often where, demons were hiding, and she was not above letting Kalyis know in her own way. And, better than most pets, her little companion could, and often did, take care of herself when it suited her. Smart little thing, and probably the demon hunter's only true friend.

The horses didn't like Senka much, though, to be honest. But after the first two days, they got used to her enough that they stopped trying, and failing, to stomp her flat when she drew close. Smart and fast, that was her little copper shadow.

This little town, though.. oh, it was a little hell-hole, pun probably intended. Dirty little shacks and destitute, downtrodden looking villagers. The sight was only too familiar. Mining towns were always the worst, everyone was pretty much just waiting to die, and if they weren't there yet, they'd be there soon as the atmosphere sucked the life out of them. The only place she could think to go, that stood out enough that it just had to be the Magistrate's house, was the fancy place on the hill. Damn thing stuck out like a sore thumb...

Two

The ride had been long and particularly boring. In all honesty, it probably wouldn't have been so bad, if it weren't for the fact that she was in the back of the van, and there were no windows back here. It made her feel like a prisoner, actually, but then again, she sort of was, wasn't she? A prisoner, that is. There was even an metal cage-mesh-thing between the driver and the back compartment. Well, that mesh stuff was at the top, and the bottom of the 'wall' was metal, like the sides of the vehicle. Just like a prison vehicle, she assumed. Not that she'd ever been to prison, but it seemed like the right sort.

It was sort of as if they assumed she would try to attack the driver or something, like she was violent.

Their assumption, though, did not line up with the others they had made. Namely, that she would injure herself. That was why her shirt was something close to a straight-jacket: her hands were confined in sleeves with no opening. Apparently, it had been decided that she had been scratching herself to cause harm, rather than using a weapon, since they knew she did not have any access to them. She'd decided, quite some time ago, that trying to insist that she did not harm herself never did go over well, especially if she told the truth, and so she had stopped trying that quite some time ago.

But, she couldn't help but try to help when it was needed. When at the clinic, the last one she'd been admitted to, she had tried to keep to herself and to not poke her nose into anything that did not concern her. None of the other patients had been her business, so she had tried to ignore them. She'd even been close to being released, and then that man had managed to get a hold of a letter opener from one of the doctors' offices, and had attacked one of the nurses. She'd been about to die, and so.. well, she had to help, didn't she? Her instincts had kicked in and she had laid hands on the woman before she even knew what she'd done.

It did not take long to stabilize her, but in return, she'd had her skin split up her arms, and they did not look like defensive wounds. So, instead of being released, she was transfered.

Not that they told her where she was going.

Besides the shirt that kept her hands confined, her wrists were attached to a belt at her waist, so she couldn't really move her arms much at all. It was pretty extreme, actually, and not the sort of restraints usually used in the clinic. Wherever she was going, it was sure to be a much more intense program. And now, she'd have to start over playing normal and nice and unremarkable, and hope to be released for good behavior soon. She'd been struggling with that for the past five years, since she was sent to the clinic by her mother. That had been before she was an adult, and her mother legally had the right to force her into the clinic. And then, because she was deemed unable to care for herself, she became a ward of the clinic and the state once she turned eighteen a few years ago. It had taken a while for her to figure out what she'd have to do to get out. And now she had to start all over again.

Great. Wonderful.

Eventually, the van rolled to a stop, the driver spoke to someone outside, and then drove a bit more, again. So, probably some wall and electronic gate, maybe? Harder to get out of, more like a prison.

No one told her what was going on any more, anyway. She had to figure it out via clues.

They went through a second check point, then pulled up and stopped, the engine was cut, and the driver exited the vehicle. And she was set to wait, and wait, and wait. There could be voices heard outside, and a heavy door opening and closing a few times. Then, eventually, the back doors opened, and two orderlies in white grabbed her elbows and pulled her out. By now, she'd learned that speaking as little as possible got her the best chance to be left alone, so she said nothing at all as they directed her to a wheelchair, then clipped her in via loops on the belt. Wow, this place did not play around. There was a lot of paperwork being signed as she was wheeled in, and her driver seemed to be signing her over into their care.

She was right about the heavy doors: the entire building looked super old, was made out of stone. It looked pretty much impossible to escape out of: there were no windows for the first two floors, and then up higher, the windows were small, like slits in the wall. In the lobby, everything was white and bright and clean, and the orderlies seemed to work like well-oiled machines, directing the patients around. Everything seemed very professional and calm. She was rolled down a hallway, in through a door labeled 'processing'. There, two orderlies, one man and one woman, got her up, stripped her down, searched and washed her.

That was humiliating, or would have been, had she not been through that upon leaving the clinic, and entering it the first time. Besides which, any time she was permitted to bathe, she had to have someone to make sure she did not injure herself. There was no such thing as privacy any more. Not for her.

"Ezra Brooks?" In the middle of being scrubbed down, the woman said her name, causing her to look up and study her for the first time: older, in her fifties, if Ezra had to guess, with curly blond hair and a no-nonsense expression on her face. Cautiously, she nodded once.

"Well, Miss Brooks, I am to understand you like to injure yourself. We will have none of that here, and you will be restrained until your treatment begins to take hold. We will start with some therapy, but if that does not work, we will progress to more...radical techniques, beginning with medication, and progressing as needed. Do you understand?"

Sighing, Ezra nodded, more than a little upset that the orderly washing her pulled her arm out, clearly displaying the thick, corded scar tissue that littered her arms, most prominently down by her hands, but it did travel up in sporadic line-shapes, toward her elbows, upper arms, and there were even a few on her shoulders. Some of the scars were light, sort of pearl-colored, and low, hardly visible, but the newer ones were thick and ugly, standing up from her skin and very noticeable.

"Now, Miss Brooks, we have been informed that in the absence of a sharp implement, you will use your fingernails to further your goal to injure yourself. This is unacceptable here, and so your hands will remain covered until we can trust you not to hurt yourself. Understood?"

Again, Ezra nodded. By now, the orderly was roughly toweling her dry. He had been very professional about the whole thing, which was a surprise. Then again, it was probably why he was not washing her alone, and there was another woman in the room with her. The man pulled a soft white shirt over her head, and directed her arms into the sleeves. A soft pair of pants were pulled up her legs as well, and secured using velcro. Her hands were forced into thick mittens, which were secured first with velcro, and then with tiny padlocks. Presumably so that she could not talk another patient into letting her out. The white shirt had 'E. Brooks' written on the left breast, right above an identification number.

They had apparently recorded all her injuries during the wash-down, and after a physical examination by a doctor, she was lead into the 'rec room' which.. well, was pretty much a white room with a soft carpet, and a bunch of other patents wandering around or mindlessly watching television. Quietly, Ezra found a seat in a corner, pulling her knees up to her chest, she quietly began to observe the others she was locked up with...

Three

Finally. The mad dash for the nearest contaminated zone had lasted far too long for her liking, but it was either that or no sleep for another night, and at this point, she might be non-functional after another night of constant vigilance.

Well, no, just somewhat less likely to make sound and logical decisions. Still, though, that was just about the same as non-functional. Especially when one poor decision could get her caught by raiders or worse. Like that time she thought fixing up a vehicle as a permanent shelter and faster means of travel: all that had done was make her a bigger target. Desperate desire for safe sleep had pushed her to make the mistake of believing she could keep such a vehicle without having to defend it.

Defense wasn't really her thing. As was properly proven by how she'd barely managed to escape as the small-but-functional car had been surrounded and overrun. It probably helped that she managed to rig it to explode, though. After the explosion and the resulting fire, the raiders had been far too preoccupied with being set ablaze and trying to survive and regroup to notice her retreat. If, somehow, the signs had been missed... well, she'd either be dead or trapped in New Haven or any number of other equally unappealing fates. Solitude was preferable to literally everything else: she could take care of herself, after all. No reason to want to trust someone else, or even to need someone else. All relying on others did was lead to complacence and then death. And, when it boiled down to it, all living was was attempting to cling to life for a bit longer.

So, she'd keep on clinging the best way she knew how.

And that was why she began picking her way through the largest contaminated zone in the area, after having donned her filtration mask a mile or so out, of course. The true dangerous areas were further in than the outskirts of the city, but never hurt to be cautious.

The building structures started out smaller, shorter and more squat than those in the depths of the zone, and they were mostly intact: some missed chunks of roof, or had a wall crumbling or something, but mostly looked like actual buildings. That meant that they were the first places raiders would look, and were the least safe. Besides, quite a few critters tended to accumulate inside the areas with the most shade and protection from the sun, and at the moment, she'd no desire to struggle against a desert scorpion or great lizard. Maybe later, when she needed something to eat. For now, she darted into the zone, figuring another hour and a half of travel would put her deep enough to feel safe.

Besides which, all the outer areas had been more than picked through by scavengers and scrappers and raiders. Further in, while primarily less likely to invite unwanted visitors, would also afford her the chance to scavenge for useful materials. Either to make weapons with, or other necessities to survive. Like the water-collecter she kept with her: there were more than enough plants in the wastes that building a modified solar still that she could carry and refill was a great option. Especially since it meant she did not have to approach settlements in an attempt to acquire water. Even if trade with some of them was generally somewhat safe, it was better avoided if she could. The still, plus some ingenuity when it came to acquiring food, meant that she'd been able to completely rely only on herself, and not on others, for quite a long time. Probably many several years... it had been a long while since she knew what year it was, or kept track of that sort of thing. Life was surviving, not worrying about any of that other shit.

The only main issue now was finding safe places to rest. But, the areas contaminated by Red Tears were generally safe, as few had masks to protect them, and so were her favorite areas to hole up for a while. Staying in one place very long, though, was a no-go. All that did was invite unnecessary attachment and lead to reluctance to leave when raiders eventually came. It lead to stupid decisions and was, over all, quite unsafe. But.. a few days wouldn't hurt. Week at the most, maybe, if she found some good stuff. Sure, she'd have to leave the ruins that used to be a city in order to eat or drink anything, but that was a small price to pay for the relative safety the zone provided.

As she made her way through the rubble, which grew to be more and more prevalent as she drew deeper into the city, she wondered, idly, what it must have been like to live in such a place. No one alive now would have any idea, there was no one from the generation-before that were still alive. Even the possibility of their children or their children's children being alive was a bit of an impossibility; it had been quite a long time since the city-world ended and the wastes took over.

Stories from when she was younger called it a paradise: enough food and water for everyone whenever they wanted, everyone living together in huge communities, no raiders, no sickness, no Red Tears, amazing machines that could do anything a person could want... everyone was safe.

But, if that were true, where had the Red Tears come from? It all seemed like a load of shit, honestly: something to tell children to make them happy and shut them up at night. If everyone was safe, then why were the huge buildings in ruins? Something had happened.. happened the same time the Red Tears came, and whatever that city world had been.. it was gone forever.

It was probably as fucked up as the world was now, just in a different way.

Along her way, she poked into a few of the buildings, just to take a peek and see if there was anything useful. At first, as predicted, there wasn't that much: all looted out and smashed up, but eventually she began to find some useful things, here and there. A few old old old cans of food which might still be viable, some lenses that were unscratched, as well as some bits of electronic equipment. Oh, and what looked like it could be converted into an additional filter for her mask. Might be something to look into. Having a back-up, incase this one got damaged, would be a good idea. Might need to look around a bit, though, to find a way to seal a self-constructed mask to her skin. That would be the big challenge.

But, she had a whole huge city to search, and theoretically as much time as she wanted.

First things first: find a secure location to get some sleep...

____ ___ __ _

Once she'd made it far enough into the city to feel that it was unlikely anyone else would show up, the young woman began to make a safe area for herself. This involved setting alarms for visitors. Now, nothing too obvious. The idea was to make a racket that seemed accidental, rather than an obvious alarm. Otherwise it'd just let anyone know someone was trying to hide, and that wouldn't do at all. So, using the local environment, she rigged up some bits and pieces so that anyone walking the obvious way through the zone would likely disturb something: knock over some buckets and rocks or bang into some cans, crunch a bunch of broken glass.. pretty much anything that'd make noise. Since she was a light sleeper, it wouldn't take much to wake her.

After that, it took some work to climb up to a good vantage point that was still shaded from the sun, but would conceal her from anyone on the ground. There was a large building, used to be taller, of course, that was mostly made up of concrete, steel beams, and what probably used to be windows. Glass everywhere, which was great for early warning. Would make a soundless escape a bit difficult, but there were tons of places she'd seen where she could hide almost immediately after fleeing.

A good chunk of the building was missing: one whole wall and a half had crumbled to the north, which left her shaded most of the day, since the southern edge still had the ceiling intact about three floors up, and let her see out most areas. For being deep into the heart of the destruction of the city, this building, and two others, were mostly still standing. It was sort of weird, this tall spot in the middle of a fucking ton of rubble, but it worked.

Climbing up to the third floor took some work, though: the stairs were collapsed, so it was a combination of shimmying up one of the metal beams, and then using bits of fallen concrete wall to boost her up the last little way. Perhaps her pile of rocks might look strange, if someone really cared to pay attention, but at a glance it just looked like more rubble. The corner spot she'd found though was great, there was a room of some sort a ways away on the platform, but once she'd made sure it was clear there was no reason to enter it unless she'd need to hide. Vantage point was pretty clear, and shaded, so she could feel safe lying down. Which, after pacing around a bit to find the most central spot that would be impossible to see from the ground, she finally sat down and unslung her pack from her back. Using it as a pillow, the young woman lay with her back flat on the floor, her mask still completely obscuring her face, and proceeded to drop into the light, desperate sleep of one who was used to grabbing a nap only when it was safe. It was almost more like resting her eyes, at first, while she stayed vigilant for a long while, straining for any indication that she was not alone. But, slowly, she began to drift deeper and deeper, until a true sleep tugged her down to oblivion…

I have a large file of inspirational images I would love to share with an interested party to see if they spark an idea or two. If you are interested in playing with me but, like me, don't have a real specific idea in mind, pm me and I'll send a few links.

[Lexandria]

Update History

   •   Monday, February 23, 2015 - Added The Last Cowboy to Plot Based Cravings
   •   Wednesday, March 4, 2015 - Added an Image Based Cravings section
   •   Wednesday, March 4, 2015 - Added Resurrection and The Search to Image Based Cravings
   •   Monday, March 30, 2015 - Changed status of Naruto based game to Currently in Play
   •   Monday, March 30, 2015 - Added Shifted and The Heist to Image Based Cravings
   •   Tuesday, October 13, 2015 - Added to Character Based Cravings, updated the quick-reference basics information, and changed the status of some Plot Based Cravings
   •   Tuesday, October 13, 2015 - Added Into the Dark, Lady of the Hunt, and Shhh... to Image Based Cravings
   •   Wednesday, October 21, 2015 - Added Craving One More Try section
   •   Wednesday, October 21, 2015 - Added One and Two to Craving One More Try
   •   Tuesday, March 22, 2016 - Added What am I? to Image Based Cravings
   •   Monday, February 20, 2017 - Adjusted information in Character Based Cravings, noted willingness to start a second Naruto themed story, and removed 'Currently in Play' status from Inseparable in Plot Based Cravings
   •   Monday, February 20, 2017 - Added Alone at the Party, A Trip to Remember, and Autumn to Image Based Cravings
   •   Monday, February 20, 2017 - Added Three to Craving One More Try