Karma hates me. [open]

[Varden Shaw]

Steady as a drum beat, rain drops thrummed down on the streets of Lakyra. Like tiny shattering pieces of glass, the sky's tears splattered against the hard pavement forming tiny streams and swelling puddles. Sun blotted out by dark heavy clouds, most of the citizens had taken cover, retiring to the safety of there homes. Even the stray animals that roamed the street elected to find a dry space of there own. Yet down the narrow path of a particularly skinny ally squeezed between two dirty brick buildings, Varden lay still, almost as if overcome by death. He wasn't, however, dead. No, instead he was very much alive. But, body sapped of warmth, he refused to budge.
Blinking rain droplets from his eye lash's, the boy's back rose and fell with a heavy breath, his cheek pressed against the hard ground while water collected around his face. It disgusted him, all this water, it fell so freely and yet he couldn't get away from it. Sighing, the water in front of his mouth rippled with his shallow breathing. "I should get up." He thought bluntly, but made no attempt to do so. Instead he let himself drench, his brown trench coat laying over the top of him like a worn rag. Soaked to the roots, Varden's red hair was plastered tight to his face, his head band drooping slightly over his brow. Annoyed, he sighed and closed his eyes, body giving off a small shiver.
Beside him, close to his leg, one of the puddles grew ever so slowly, its waters died with the crimson blood from his new wound. It didn't hurt as bad as it looked, after all, the bullet had only grazed it, and though it had taken out a good sized chunk of flesh, he could still walk. Rather it was just his over whelming sense of exhaustion that allowed him to lay so still. Quietly he closed his hand around an object in his palm.
It was a gold watch, something he had stolen quite easily off a passing man, one who seemed decked with enough money he could have had ten of them. At first the guy hadn't noticed the pick-pocket, but by some stroke of luck he had reached into his jacket. Of course the second he realized that one of his prized possessions had gone missing, all hell broke lose. Varden, who had hardly gotten enough to time move away from him, had suddenly become the target of his accusations. Well, apparently he had been paying more attention than he had originally thought. Still calm, Varden had taken off at a run. He would get away, or at least, he would have. The man, screaming almost as loud as if he had gotten a child taken from him, quickly alerted the attention of a local police man. It wasn't hard to tell the guy wasn't experienced at all because the instant he spotted the fast retreating Varden, he was pulling out his gun. Apparently he actually did think that he had stolen a child and the man, heaven forbid, wasn't exactly jumping to tell him it was actually an object rather than a person. After screaming for him to halt about several times, the police in training finally gathered enough guts to actually shoot. On the bright side, he sucked. On the down side, he had a fairly good amount of ammo. Somehow the loser had managed to graze Varden's calf, the lucky bastard.
So after running a good few miles, twisting and turning through every block, leaping fences and pushing folk out of the way, Varden had lost them. So much easier would it have been if he could have transformed, but doing so in front of so many people was more than risky, it was a death wish. So it was with his last hurdle over a brick wall that he crumpled in a sorry heap on the cement. Still trying to regain energy, that's where he continued to lay, and to top it all off, it had started pouring.
"Damnit," He growled under his breath, "this sucks." Than, shivering for the hundredth time, he tried to block out the growing pain in his leg. He wished at the very least the rain would stop. All he wanted to do was rest, was that so hard to ask for?

[BEIGE'D]

What was it that his instructors had always told him? Something about only driving when you can move your leg? Or was that just your right leg? Either way, both were a problem. For he was driving, with his right leg being a useless log. And he knew it was dangerous, something he shouldn't do unless he had someone in the car to help him if something got wrong; but wait. He did have someone in the car. Noel was there. He brought her everywhere, mostly because he loved her and he completely trusted her. She would never run off. Not to mention in a way, he needed her. If he fell or couldn't get up, she could easily go and lead someone over. Who wouldn't follow a crazed black cat in to an alley? Okay, maybe lots of people. But he trusted her too much to worry himself over the possible questions, over the possible outcomes that would turn away from his favour.

And then it was raining, which was also a problem because he couldn't see... Shit. The downpour was just getting harder and pelting the windshield ceaselessly with angry silver droplets that ricocheted off the thin grass and onto the gritty pavement. By quite some coincidence, Beige decided to pull over and wait out of the storm next to the very same alley that come other creature was inhabiting. He had just happened to glance around, perhaps out of boredom, or perhaps because he had nothing else to do, and it was pure instinct, and noticed a mound of shadow on the ground in the alley that looked different from the dark building streets. For a moment he thought nothing of it, but because of his nagging curiosity, and adventurous spirit, nothing could keep him away.

He turned off the engine, listening to the coughing rattle as it died away to the still tinkering of the car's cooling system- or whatever that thing was lying beneath the lid. He got out awkwardly, leaving the door open so Noel could come if she wanted, and began to limp in to the alley. It wasn't like some limp a person with a twisted ankle, or an injured knee, perhaps, would walk with. It wasn't the kind of limp someone with prosthetics would make, almost like they aren't completely at ease with moving or bending the metals. It was a kind of walk someone who had little to know feeling in the leg, would use, the kind where it was practically dragging other than the short time that the muscle could react with the nerves to create a function; movement.

Beige gasped as his eyes became accustomed to the dark, because there, lying in a pool of water mixed with rust, lay a man. Perhaps not a man, but more of a teenager, who looked older than Beige. He was lying on the ground, and Beige could now see the wound on the man's leg. It sent him back in to his own memories, lying on the sidewalk, bleeding away. But his bullet had pierced the flesh, the muscle, and the bone. And his had never healed. He wasn't sure how bad the man's injury was, but he could sense immediately that the man was conscious, for his breathing and seldom stirring told him of someone who could feel the pain of exhaustion of being unable to move. Of being beaten, and left to die? He didn't know the story behind this man, so he had to be careful. Another thought crossed his mind. A shapeshifter? He may as well be, but Beige didn't mind. He needed help.

He wasn't going to just get down and grab the man, because that was the easiest way to get yourself killed. Lying on the ground in pain and panic, and then someone touching you, you'd immediately strike out. Instead, he walked forward, wary now of this injured man, and then he spoke, so the other kid would know he was there. "Hey!" He cried, then dropped his voice a little realizing if anyone was nearby, they would hear. He didn't know what thoughts would go through the minds of anyone who saw them, so he had to be careful. Do you need any help? I can get you to a hospital." Then he knelt down beside the guy, looking at the wound and wondering what he should do.

[Varden Shaw]

At first Varden took no notice of the approaching footsteps, the rain water filling his ear and spilling over the side of his face. Eye lids half closed, everything was a dark blur, for he had given up trying to wipe away the blinding liquid from his gaze. Now all he wanted to do was lie still until the sun came, to fall asleep, though he knew doing so in such an open place was dangerous. It wasn't until he felt a shadow looming over him did he notice the voice.
Shocked and taken off guard, Varden flinched, his eyes snapping open while his pupils traveled upward to get a better view. He couldn't see much of anything except the blotchy form of a blond head. Cursing himself mentally for being so relaxed, Varden slowly lifted his head off the ground, dirty water dripping from his hair. Everything in his head told him to run away, to get far away from the stranger before he caught him and turned him in, but at that moment he could hardly lift his head. Running was definitely out of the picture.
Grunting in effort, the boy managed to prop himself up with his elbows, arms shaking a little with such lack of energy. Than, testing his luck, he attempted to sit up. This didn't work out to well, so quickly Varden rested in a half lying position, arms keeping his forehead from hitting the ground. "I'm...fine, nothing a little sleep won't fix." He replied, shaking his head a little to clear it.
Than, noticing that the boy was looking at his leg, Varden snorted weakly and reached over to cover it with the back end of his coat, though it hardly did so. He liked the idea of being brought to a hospital full of people just as much as he did going to the police station, even though he was bleeding a little more than he thought. Dizzy from the sudden movement, Varden gave up trying to hold himself up and slumped back to the ground, the cold ground once again pressed against his skin. Maybe if he refused his help, the newcomer would just leave, it would make sleeping a lot easier.

[BEIGE'D]

Oh, follow me, please!
Have hope, and hope gives you life;
we we must survive.

PERSISTENCE ---

He stared down at the man, wrapped in his own self pity and weakness; and for a slightest bit of a second, he felt the burn of irritation in his chest. For a moment he wanted to snap at the man, to tell him to stop being a child, and to start helping himself. Didn't the man realize; he would die if he fell asleep? Then Beige shook his head, to himself. For he remembered when he was lying upon the sidewalk that spring eve, watching, waiting, listening; unable to stand, and just wanting to rest. The person who had saved him could walk, though; something Beige had trouble doing on his own. He couldn't save this man alone, and he couldn't just leave him lying here. So it was up to Beige and this man; if the man could start helping himself.

"Sleep?" He echoed, and his voice was calm, low, yet in a way, scolding. "Why, if you sleep, sir, you will die. You're soaking wet and nearing hypothermia, if not reached it already- you're bleeding everywhere, don't try to hide it. There's nothing wrong in going to a hospital," he murmured calmly. Then it occurred to him that this man might not want to go to a hospital because he... Perhaps, as a shapeshifter? With that in mind it just made the situation more difficult. What could he do? He couldn't possibly bring him to any kind of public facility, for if he was a shapeshifter they would kill him. No, he had to do something on his own. Independence, right?

Another idea flashed through his mind, and he knew. He had to be persistent, or this man would die. "Well, please sir. Help me get you to my car, and I'll take you to my house where I can dress the wound. We don't need to bring in anyone else, after all. It's much safer without them," he wondered if the man would understand what he meant; the hidden meaning behind his words. If this man was after all, human, he probably wouldn't understand what Beige was saying. But if a shapeshifter, then it could make perfect sense if he tried to figure it out. So Beige shifted, letting the side with his good leg be closer to the stranger; in case the man tried to stand up and needed assistance.

[♥Alice]

Noel's fur prickled with satisfaction when Beige drove. It was so calm and peaceful. Most cats wouldn't like car drives, but Noel wasn't actually a cat. She was part human. The black cat leaped out of the car gracefully when he drove by the man, tail swishing in fear. Why had they stopped? Something must be wrong. She strode over to the man, bewildered by his crippling frame. She mewed, then remember she couldn't speak words. To show what she was thinking Noel bent down and rasped her tongue lightly over the man's cheek. She turned her head away, a chill going down her back at how cold his skin was. Her fur was now dripping wet from rain, but she ignored it. She needed to help this man and her fears didn't matter right now. She watched as Beige talked to the man so quietly, and a warm feeling came up inside her. Yes, it was true that Noel did like Beige. But how would she tell him? If she revealed to him that she was actually part human so many things could go wrong. It was too hard to take the risk. If it was meant to be that Beige should now, then she'll wait for it to happen. Whatever happens happens for a reason.

[Varden Shaw]

Eyes boring a hole in the pavement, the wounded shapeshifter stayed silent as the other guy insisted he let him help himself to a hospital. Well apparently he hadn't taken the hint, or most likely, had ignored it, so it didn't look like he was going to be alone anytime soon. Perhaps had he been sitting up, Varden would have rolled his eyes, but laying cold as ice across the ground, he settled for glaring at the hard surface.
But apparently he hadn't given the blond man enough credit, for suddenly he had completely changed his mind. Now he wanted to take him home instead? Surprised, Varden turned his head just enough to blink slowly at the persistent other. The way he said it, it didn't take long for the thief to figure it out, somehow this man knew. Knowing this made Varden's skin prickle slightly, but at the same time, it allowed him to relax. Most of the time the second a human knew they where this close to a creature like him, they probably would have freaked out and left, or if they really thought to push there luck, beat him to death while he was still in such a weakened form. Still unwilling to say anything, he continued to study the man when suddenly he felt something move across his cheek.
Turning, he found himself face to face with a black cat. This bewildered him farther. The cat, who he figured out had licked him, must have belonged to the other man, but as far as he knew, no average cat would stand in the rain like that. Contemplating, he decided that it could be a possibility that he wasn't the only one with shifting abilities in this ally, but until he was proven correct, he decided to hold his tongue.
"Right than, I can't be that bad off, I'll show him I'll be perfectly fine on my own."
Taking a deep breath, Varden ever so slowly began to push himself off the ground again, his arms shaking as he held up his body weight. Brow creasing, he decided to try sitting again. This, as hard as it was, did seem to be possible, and chest heaving, he finally got into a kneeling position, hands still baring most of his support. See, it wasn't that hard? One arm stretching out, he grasped the edge of a dumpster, bracing himself as he used the object as leverage. For a moment, it appeared he would somehow manage to stand, perhaps even run. Smirking a bit, Varden sighed, "See, look, I don't need your-" His words where cut off by a muffled cry of pain escaping his lips, eyes growing wide as his leg gave way and he nearly fell back to the ground again. Somehow though, he managed to keep a hold of the dumpster, and now hanging by a one handed grasp, he slumped against the object. Shit, that actually hurt, how bad was this wound anyway? Unable to summon the will to look at his leg, Varden just grit his teeth, fingers tightening around the metal edge.
Okay, so maybe the cold had numbed the pain a bit fooling him into thinking he wasn't that bad off, and maybe he had strained it to much while running on it, but that didn't mean he was going to let this stranger help him out! Aw, what was he talking about, if he stayed here any longer, he really was going to die, and if he was dead, he couldn't get the payment for the watch. What a waste that would be.
Still breathing hard, Varden closed his eyes for a moment. "Fine..." He mumbled softly, as if he couldn't bare to say it any louder, "Fine, you can help."
Now more than ever he felt weak, it was almost more painful than his wound, it hurt that he couldn't just get up and move on. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Varden was depending on someone.

[BEIGE'D]

Have naught self pity!
For we are strong, have courage.
To get you away..


VIGOUR ---

Beige looked down as a shadow caught his eye. Noel had come out of the car and now she seemed to know exactly what was going on; he knew he could always trust her. He had a strange sense of pride as the man looked at her, almost with a surprise, confusion, and a sudden curiosity, as though he knew something that Beige did not; or could not. It didn't matter though, he shrugged it off. He had to get the man out of here. At first it looked as though the stranger would be able to stand up, but as he tried so, he fell back down. Beige flinched at the cry of pain, and tried to stand up himself, awkwardly, yet instinctively, setting his weight to his good leg, and keeping as little of the weight to his bad. By sheer natural instinct, his hand moved to the top of his own leg at the twinging pain that crossed it.

He looked closely at the man, slumped backwards, and was relieved when he seemed to suddenly accepted Beige's assistance, despite how reluctant he seemed. The man must be proud, for he didn't even seem to realize the danger of his own wound, to an extent to where he didn't even want to depend on someone. At some point in time, everyone had to depend on one another. That's they way the current world spun, and they had to spin and go along with it. "Don't worry about it. We all have to depend on someone at some point. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here, would we? We must do whatever we can to survive, even... Go against the crowd, so to say?"

There was a sudden glint in his eyes, a flash of recognition. Of course, this man had to be a shapeshifter. With that natural instinctive way of being independent and trying to always fight for themselves- so difficult to accept help when they needed it. An animal's instincts were far more sharpened to power and stamina than a regular human. An animal's body is its natural healer; out in the wild it can hide in the depths of a secret cave, if wounded, and stay there until they have healed. But there was no hiding here, and however wild this world was; there was hardly a soul to assist you. Prejudice and fear, cowardice and ignorance; the real plaque. The real sickness.

Beige stepped forward, his natural limp nothing to him but a steady pace as he offered his shoulder to the taller man to lean on, and to wrap one arm around the stranger's waist to make sure he didn't fall. As long as they made it to the car; they'd be fine. Beige looked over at Noel, who'd seemed to have helped him. And he blinked, his eyes sparking with gratitude towards an animal. Many would think it's stupid, because animal's couldn't understand people. But people couldn't understand animals, so did that make the human stupid as well?

[Varden Shaw]

Varden's brown eyes flickered sideways. Everybody had to depend on someone? Mentally he scoffed, year right, depending on someone only let you down, especially the ones that didn't understand you. Watching as the man walked closer, he sighed, remembering the day when he tried to return to his parents.
At first they had been overjoyed that there long lost son had returned home, but once they saw what had happened to him, the new shape he could take, they shunned him like a monster. It was like he was like they didn't even know him, and in a time when he was depending on them to help him out, they pushed him back.
Free hand clenching into a fist, his forehead wrinkled momentarily as he looked away from the approaching boy. The memory angered him, but as much as it did so, he couldn't bring himself to believe that this human would do the same thing. After all, he seemed to understand Vardens current predicament, and yet he stilled persisted to help. It was strange, in all his life as a shapeshifter, he had never come across someone willing to lend a hand to some one so different. It confused him, so instead of saying anything, he just let it go and lifted his head slightly when he realized the boy was at his side.
Bracing himself, Varden took a deep breath and shakily rose, most of his weight still dependent on the dumpster. Even though he was still crouched over, he could still see he was taller than the human, but that was the least of there problems. Having watched the man approach, he noticed there was something wrong with his leg, though he carried himself fairly strong, it wasn't hard to tell this was only going to make things difficult.
Hesitantly, he leaned against the blond boy, which wasn't a problem until he let go of his hold on the metal box. Now putting some weight on his injury, he bit his lip to silence another yelp that built up in his throat and naturally let himself fall on the human's shoulder more. Though he would never admit it, the hand around his waist keeping him up was a lot of help, for without it, he probably would have slithered back to the ground like a wet pile of cloths. Keeping his good leg stiff, he gripped the mans other shoulder, trying to keep himself steady. When he was finally confident that he wouldn't fall the first step they took, Varden relaxed slightly and looked at the man, who's face was no much closer. "Alright," He said, voice strained, "let's go."
Unable to see straight, he could only guess that the dark shape at the end of the ally was the man's car. He really hoped it wasn't as far away as it looked.

[♥Alice]

Noel jumped back a little when they stood up, Beige having trouble with his criplled leg. Noel slid her way between them, and she could also tell that the stranger was a shape shifter. Shape shifters can usually tell shape-shifters from humans, it was just a way of nature. She brushed her pelt against her fellow shape shifter trying to warm him, while supporting Beige's crippled leg. She let out a soft mew as if saying "Don't worry, we're almost there." She knew Varden must understand what she was saying, it was indeed a shape-shifter instinct. But on the other hand, he might not. Noel might talk differently due to her half chimera DNA. Maybe she'd just have to wait and see the way he reacts, then she would know for sure. Her slim shadow like appearance made her blend in, and her tail seemed to get lost in the wind. She almost feared that mother nature would take her tail right off of her behind. The rain poured down harder, and she cried quietly. She couldn't feel any part of her body, and she felt as if she were going to topple over and die.

[BEIGE'D]

So now lets guide you!
Through a maze of raged darkness;
to find protection.


RELIEF ---

Beige was slightly relieved with Noel walked- well, padded- over to help him. His leg felt wobbly, and although she was small and hardly tall enough to pass his calf, it was almost like a pressure relief as he tried to keep his weight from depending too much on the injured muscles. He was also glad that the man complied and didn't strike out at him; he was no match for anyone, even an injured man. Besides, Beige wasn't a fighter any ways. He preferred to settle things in a much more peaceful way, mostly be words and guidance and kindness. In short, violence just wasn't his thing. He felt an exceptional burst of pride also in the way that Noel was helping. It was as though she understood everything that was going on in a way a human mind would discover. Or, perhaps she could just understand because this man was a shapeshifter, half animal, and animals had a way to sense the other's instincts. But wasn't man an animal too?

He left his pondering thoughts behind, and instead focused on getting through the alley. The car wasn't too far; at least, he didn't think so. But it was far enough and still took time to actually walk to. They didn't have much time, in Beige's opinion, because of how much blood appeared to be seeping from this man's wound. Suddenly wishing he knew a bit more about this man, so he didn't seem so much of a stranger, and just to pass the time more quickly; for it seemed as though everyone's spirits were down by not just the rain and soggy, rather gross weather, but other dark thoughts as well. Hidden thoughts, things the mind told us to keep from others only to protect itself, as though releasing these thoughts and memories would harm you. Some might, especially if this man said them to the wrong kind of people, but for others, it could just be a simple embarrassment of the past.

Beige wasn't much to dwell on other people's secrets though. He had his own. He had never told anyone what had really happened the day he had been shot. He had never said that he had tried to protect a shapeshifter, and his brother had shot him. He had only said that he had spotted a criminal and the criminal panicked, thinking he would call him in, and had shot him. He didn't want his brother to be hunted down mercilessly by the police, who believed in 'justice' apparently, yet they hunted shapeshifters and chimaeras just because of something they had never chosen? He shook the thoughts away, though. It was best not to dwell on thoughts that could cause guilt and shame in your body; for that could lead to many problems. A human being's will and knowledge was far more powerful than that of an animal, who knows how to heal, and knows how to recover after the loss of a loved one, because of its natural instinct to survive.

"My name's Beige, by the way. Strange, huh? I never understood why my parents looked down on me and named me that," he decided to make a joke, and it came out just as light and indifferent as he had hoped. He didn't want to show his worry or anxiety or fear, for that could make this man get stressed as well.

[Varden Shaw]

As they moved, Varden felt something brush ever so lightly against his pants, and glanced down momentarily to see the black cat moving beside the blond boy like a helpful guide. It puzzled him to see a feline act so human like, well, until the cat mewed softly. One brow raised, he found that he could understand the creature, which seemed to be trying to sooth his restless thoughts. Strange, though his animal form was a panther, he never found he could understand cat's directly, they, like most other animals, appeared to speak a completely different language unknown even to Shapeshifter's, yet this cat knew the tongue of humans. Now there was no doubt in his mind that he had a fellow Shifter at his heals, it was only a question of whether the human knew or not. "Does or doesn't, I'm keeping out of it," Varden decided bluntly, instead focusing on moving his good foot and keeping his balance.
This turned out to be difficult, and with every step he took, tiny jolts of pain crept up his injured leg. He didn't know how much blood he'd lost already, for he had completely lost track of time while laying down, but he was positive that he couldn't really afford to lose much more. Eye lids flickering, he shook his head. No, he had to stay awake, he couldn't drowse off, not now. Sucking in air, Varden licked the water from his lips, which had gone numb and slightly blue in color. The car was a little closer now, and as he mentally judged the distance, he guessed they were about over halfway there. Drawing more strength, he ignored the pain and exhaustion and kept his pace.
He was almost happy to hear the man beside him talk, for listening kept him occupied and kept his mind off of sleeping. Beige? Varden grunted softly. Well he was right, the name was rather strange, wasn't that a color? Than again, he didn't exactly hear parents calling there kids 'Varden' every day. Nodding in acknowledgment, he looked away. Beige was probably expecting an answer, most likely his own name. Watching the ground pass by, Varden thought for a moment, hesitant to reveal his title. After a few moments of thought, he figured it wouldn't do any harm, after all it wasn't like the guy was going to track him down or anything, he'd already found him. Sighing, he replied, "Never heard of anyone called Beige..." He retorted quietly, "Myn's Varden." Blinking, Varden almost laughed, it had been awhile since he had felt the need to tell anyone his name.
Looking up, his grip on Beige's shoulder loosened when he saw that they where almost in reaching length of the vehicle. This was certainly a good thing for he didn't know how much longer he could hold up, his hand was already beginning to tremble slightly. Hopefully that wasn't to bad a sign.