[<kalel>] »♥»fear.bites.x

[»Rippy ♥]

And I keep looking for that blindfold faith
Lighting candles to a cynical saint
Who wants the last laugh at the fly trapped in the windowsill tape
You can go right out of your mind trying to escape
From the panicked paradox of day to day
_{If you can’t understand something then it’s best to be afraid}

<♥>

Kal walked through the forest, humming to himself, convincing his own mind that here there was nothing to be afraid of. He was the type who, alone could not bare to keep his boldness alive. With others it played no part in his consciousness-- his courage would erupt and expose itself in its rawest form of plain stupidity. Yet here, he was sure that a few scrapes and bruises would surely be better than the constant nagging of his thoughts, prodding with his fear and tugging at his legs to turn back. Still, they kept moving, ignoring his brain with a spiteful stubbornness that they always seemed to conjure.
Within his vision was trees, hundreds of them, layer upon layer. They stretched and continued for a length that seemed immeasurable, though he couldn't even see more than a few at a time. They towered over him, mocked him, commanded that he return to the humanly world that he so belonged within. And the clouds which hovered with dark foreshadowing above reinforced the sense of insecurity and fear.
Kal couldn't bring himself to turn around. The air felt so good, a breath of nature which one could only find in the comfort of the forest. Today was not so relaxing, though. But he wanted to find the river which he had heard was nearby, and he was certain that he would find it. What impact could rumors of wild dogs and bears and other immense dangers inflict upon an immature and idiotic teenager, after all?
Eventually, Kal's quiet steps came to a slow pace. He could nearly hear the sound of rushing water at a distance. He paused, eyes searching, his auditory nerves straining to catch the direction.
"Ah-hah!" Kal grinned, and began to jog, weaving through the mass of trees toward his goal. The lively roar of the stream's rapids greeted him, and he was overwhelmed with pleasure, momentarily forgetting his previous fears. He knelt by water, relieved as the cool liquid sprayed onto his face. Standing back up, he lifted his eyes to search farther in the distance for a slower pace of the waters.
Grinning, he followed the length of the stream, occasionally dipping a finger inside to test the temperature as he moved. He hummed to himself, relieving the stress that a constant silence brought him. Slowly, the stream began to even out. The jagged rocks that once protruded and created the rapids were now short and hardly visible, and the depth was much deeper.
Kal chuckled and took off his shirt and shoes, sliding into the calm pool with a smile. He let the water relieve him of his previous fears, closing his eyes to float peacefully atop the surface.

[[.A.n.y.u.]]

J A Y D E

atsukute tsurai jibun o kakunutse mijikai toki o ikiteru
^{With all your might, hide the struggles you’re going through, life is so short}

The forest today was caliginous, shrouded with danger and mystery that was uncomprehendable to even the most superior of minds. But that wasn't about tp keep everyone away, even if mystery was something that they did not like. She liked mystery, and often surrounded herself with its recesses. Darkness, mystery; what was it to her? Nothing but a game of cat and mouse. Wolves, wild dogs, bears, danger: none of it scared her, not one bit. She had been through worse in her old life, and she had come here to start anew, away from the fear of the world. She had no fear here. Indigenous pines and primordial oaks rose up around her, surrounded by the ancient elms and beeches and the weeping willows. This is the life, eh? she thought quietly to herself. Not a care in the world and not a creature to disturb me. Wish I had a dog. Then I could talk to it.

She was, in fact, not as alone as she thought she had been. At least, that was the first thought that sprang into her mind at the sight if the capacious paw print that easily identified as a wolf's. She shuddered when she saw that there were several sets of prints, not liking the idea that she might be on the menu, though fear was not in most of her feelings. She would just rather die some other way, instead of be eaten by the creatures of the forest that she loved so much. But the sets of prints were all old and she did not have to worry about much. Still, she headed onward, wanting to be sure that she was not in the same area that the wolves were in. Her steps took her to a broad stream flowing swiftly. Not at all interested in the water, she walked along side it, keeping her distance from the water that sprayed from the rapids. But as she moved along the rapids slowed and she could walk closer to it without getting wet.

As the waters calmed she walked more swiftly, planning on headed back home fairly soon. Her steps stopped, however, when she saw, within the stream, a human being, floating atop the surface of the water. She said nothing, simply watching him for a few moments before walking to the treeline and leaning against one of the broad oak trees, still watching. She wondered, deep within her mind, if he could even see her stading there or if he was too busy.

[»Rippy ♥]

Kalel lay still for a moment, content within the fresh waters. Raindrops gradually began to splatter against his skin, causing his eyes to flutter open. He gazed at the overcast heavens, unaware of the new human presence nearby. Leisurely he slipped beneath the surface, swimming in a dawdling loop. When his remaining air began to dwindle, he floated up, shaking his head hastily to rid it of the excess water. He turned around, beginning to swim toward the edge of the river. His eyes widened intensely as they caught the of the girl within their vision, and instantaneously Kal froze. How long has she been watching me?
A burst of lightning exploded in the sky, the illumination reflecting momentarily against the ripples in the water surrounding him.
Shakily he pulled himself out the water, blushing heavily because of the amount of astonishment she had caused him. The rain’s relentless pounding began to heighten, and Kal jogged for shelter beneath the tree the girl stood below. Thunder hammered against the heavens, making the Australian flinch.
Kal cleared his throat. “Hi, sorry, I didn’t see you there.” He smiled weakly, pushing his lengthy bangs from his eyes.

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[[.A.n.y.u.]]

J A Y D E

atsukute tsurai jibun o kakunutse mijikai toki o ikiteru
^{With all your might, hide the struggles you’re going through, life is so short}

As the tempest broke and unleashed it's fury upon the land she huddled closer to the trunk of the large leafy tree to escape the torrents of rain that crashed down from the heavens. The oak tree was providing cover, but she knew that it would not be long before rain water would begin to leak through the canopy as the leaves began to be weighed down by the water. The lightning began to flash overhead as the sky seemed to explode, both with light and noise as the lightning brought with it thunder to shake the earth. She shivvered for a moment, but as the lightning flashed her face shone with nothing but awe, respect, and longing. The light flashed in her eyes and you could see the defiance that sparked in them with it. She wanted to test nature, but intelligence kept her from doing something reckless and stupid, something that might end in the loss of her life. She was a lot of things, but she was not stupid.

Her eyes were riveted away from the sky and it's wonders when movement caught her attention. The boy that she had seen earlier was coming out of the water at long last, now that the storm had begun. Her eyes studied him through the rain, guarded, but still with the hint of defiance in them. He was headed this way. As he took shelter beneath her tree he spoke.“Hi, sorry, I didn’t see you there.” She nodded in awknowledgement of his presense, a slight smirk on her face as she answered. I figured that, she said matter of factly, as if she really cared whether or not he had seen her. It's not like I've been here long, she said, indication that she had only been standing there for a few minutes. She hadn't come here to watch him; she had followed the river to get away from the wolf prints in the forest and simply come across him. It seemed more logical to stop before walking past him rather than attempt to walk by as if she did not know he was there, which she had considered doing.

Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
Move along
Move along

[»Rippy ♥]

Kalel snickered briefly to himself. “Of course not." His eyes hovered over her for a moment before flickering upward to examine the sky's violent fury through the weaving of the above branches. Another burst of lightning toyed with his eyes, and he blinked swiftly to rid the discoloration from his vision. He examined the leaves from a distance, pondering the species of tree. ’Maple..’ he observed silently, watching as a brutal breeze ruptured a small branch and sent a flurry of leaves toward his feet. He picked a yellow-green one up, twirling it between his fingers, amused by the small droplets that flung themselves off the leaf’s surface. The color wasn’t quite brilliant yet, still only just touched by the indication of the coming autumn.

He smiled dimly, then widened his lips with masked deliberation and extended a soaked hand. “I’m Kal.” He briefly stated, glimpsing back at her, though his eyes were far off and hardly focused. He was thinking of other things, recalling his mother, musing over if she was safely indoors or not. He knew she would be calling his apartment line, leaving a series of troubled messages for him to come home to. He chuckled quietly, and wondered how long the phones would even be working…

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[[.A.n.y.u.]]

J A Y D E

atsukute tsurai jibun o kakunutse mijikai toki o ikiteru
^{With all your might, hide the struggles you’re going through, life is so short}

Her eyes drifted, hardly caring that he was there. She had no reason to get home in a hurry and would be staying here throughout the rest of the storm, despite the danger that might lead to if a falling limb were to come her way. It was his snicker and comment that brought her back to the present time as she though about sticking around to watch the lightning flash. She wanted to make some snide remark to him, but instead she held her tonge and said nothing. Her hearing was good and she would know if he decided to say anything else. Her eyes caught movement; leave falling from the trees as the wind tore a branch from overhead, sending it flying elsewhere. Enough of her hair had begun to escape from the pony tail she had tied it in that morning and had begun to whip around her face, sticking here and there where her skin was wet with rain that had found it's way through the canopy of leaves overhead. She folded her arms and contined to lean against the tree that she had earlier come under for shade.

His proffered hand caught her attention and her eyes flicked downward to glance at his outstretched arm and soaked hand, Briefly she considered what she would like to do, giving herself two options; shake it or simply give her name and ignore it. She liked the second option best, but she knew that the first one was better. Even so, she did not smile and she did not uncross her arms as she simply said her name. "Jayde." She looked down to the rain-soaked ground and closed her eyes as if to ignore him, something that meant she was being rude simply because she wanted to be, not because she was in some sort of bad mood. She did things like this to test people and see if they were worth her attention. If she had been in a dark mood she would have glared at him and begun to whisper threats that she might or might not have carried out.

It's easy to feel like you're all alone
To feel like nobody knows
The great that you are
The good that's inside you
Is trying so hard to break through

[»Rippy ♥]

Kal was a bit startled within by her blatant discourtesy. It pleased him slightly, though. He was the type of person who enjoyed the reclusive type, much like he preferred horses over canines. Dogs you fed an occasional bowl to, gave a pat on the head, and they would be content to love you for all existence. Horses, though… well, you had to earn their respect. Kal continued to smile, a bit more easily now. He dropped his hand and slid it into his soaked jeans pocket casually.
“Lived here long?” He asked idly, opening his palm so that the large leaf lifted weightlessly into the wind. His grin broadened briefly as the plant spasmed in the strong breeze, headed toward Jayde’s face.
“Because, I’m wondering if this river will flood much, I hear the storm is going to last a while. Wouldn’t want my shoes to get ruined—oh shyt--” His eyes widened as he realized his shoes and shirt were still along the stream’s side, drenched in the rainwater. Cursing lightly, he walked away for a moment to grab them, then sprint for cover back beneath the branches.
“Guess it doesn’t matter now.” He laughed and tossed his shoes to the base of the trunk, twisting his soaked shirt within his hands while the cold liquid flowed from it steadily.

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[[.A.n.y.u.]]

J A Y D E

atsukute tsurai jibun o kakunutse mijikai toki o ikiteru
^{With all your might, hide the struggles you’re going through, life is so short}

Her eyes flicked back to him as he moved, placing his hand in his jeans pocket. But that wasn't what had caught her eye. His hand had allowed the leaf to slip back into the wind and she easily saw where it was headed. It took a second for her to move her head slightly to the left and the leaf hit the tree, sticking there as she moved her head over it and blocked the wind so it could not escape. Easily irritated, her glare spoke for her. She would have gladly pushed him into the already mush faster river if it had hit her face. She was contemplating the idea now as she listened to him talk, really hearing nothing but an annoying buzzing sound. She was cold toward him now, refusing to look at him except for the occasional glance that would tell her what he was doing and if it would annoy her or not. Then he was gone. Realizing where he must have gone, she turned her head to watch, a smirk on her face.

"You should be more careful where you leave your things," she said upon his return with the shoes and shirt that he had left out in the rain. "They could get ruined if you aren't." Then she decided that she might as well answer his first question. I came here a short time ago to get away from my aunt and uncle, she said, giving him a bit more information than he had asked her for. She did that sometimes, and other time she would give less than or equal to what was asked for, even if it didn't answer the question very well. Her cold demeanor was beginning to take over, something that told her the next bit that irritated her might send her into one of her moods, something that she would want to avoid at all costs since she was stuck here until the storm was over. Besides, she had just moved here and did not want to be responsible for murder if she did decide to push him into the now-dangerous river.

[»Rippy ♥]

Oblivious to her mood change, Kalel nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, I moved here to get away from my father.” He smiled, no longer looking at her, but instead he gazed toward the violent river. “Guess we have something in common.” He then pulled the damp shirt over his bare chest, shivering slightly. He didn’t particularly enjoy the sticky feeling that developed as the already-tight shirt molded around the creases of his muscles. He was silent for a moment, shifting his weight to stay warm in the persistent wind.
Kal sighed and turned back toward Jayde, ignoring her glaring expression to collapse on the muddy ground next to her. Purposely, he landed on his shoes, protecting the back of his jeans and leaning against the rough bark of the tree. Respectively, he kept his distance from her, and his position left him turned to the right rather than toward her. Kal figured it didn’t matter, seeing as she wasn’t looking at him most of the time anyway. He tilted his chin a bit upward, resting the back of his soaked black hair against the hard surface. His ‘lids closed slowly, and Kal toyed with the idea of falling asleep to the pleasurable sound of the roaring rain. Another clap of sudden thunder startled him into full consciousness again.
“So, Jayde,” He said her name just to store it into his memory- he knew that otherwise he’d forget it in a few minutes. “Where’d you move from?” He didn’t quite care for the answer, yet he was persistent in acquiring his first friend within the new town. And when better than now? Fate had presented him with a perfect opportunity, and he wasn’t going to let it just slide by.

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[[.A.n.y.u.]]

J A Y D E

atsukute tsurai jibun o kakunutse mijikai toki o ikiteru
^{With all your might, hide the struggles you’re going through, life is so short}

"I s'pose so," she said absent mindedly, not making any attmept to be friendly toward him. Cold was the way she usually was toward people that she meant, unless she got along with them amazingly well. Of course, sometimes when she was cold toward people it meant that she was getting along with them better than normal, though she wasn't sure if this was the case. She looked down at her left arm without realizing it, moving it slightly to see the long scar that extended from the inside of her elbow to the top of her wrist. That was the danger with glass; it was sharp, and it could do a lot of damge, especially when someone threw it at you - someone much stronger than you are when you are only twelve years old. She had been in the hospital for three months after that incident, but no one bothered to tell the hospital how the cut had come to be. Well, besides that she had fallen on glass in the street, but that was a lie. No, Uncle Carlos had done that, but no one would believe her. They thought he was a nice man. That alone would draw a laugh from her, if she were in the mood to laught, which she wasn't right now.

Ouch. She didn't remember exactly where she had moved from. She had tried her best to forget it. She hadn't lived in a town with her aunt and Uncle anyways, so it was easy to forget. As she stared at the long scar she answered his question as best as she could, which was where she had moved from to her aunt and uncles; the place where her second family had lived. "Um...somewhere 'round Lafayette, Colorado," was the answer she had, though she had moved from there at one point. He never specified which move he was talking about, sincce she had moved three times in her life. From Japan, from Lafayette, and from wherever her aunt and uncle lived. She was still gazing at her scar when she took the other hand and began to trace it, as she often did when she was lost within thoughts about her aunt, uncle, and cousins and what king of life she would have had if she had never been sent to live with them, if her mom and dad had never died.

When the pain came back again
Like a bitter friend
It was all that I could do
To keep myself from blaming you