Escape Artist (Closed)

[carcinoGeneticist]

She had never really imagined how sweet freedom would taste.

Left home with her older sister, Asha had been beyond bored. She was growing fast, and her jingling ball had lost the appeal that it had when she was younger (besides, Dahlia had chewed one of the bells out... It wasn't nearly as good a noisemaker now). At almost 13 years of age, the little skunk wanted something more from her life. Born blind and an Ace, the mix had never really understood what was wrong with her, and why she was not allowed to leave the house alone.

It was this day that she'd decided to change this. A small amount of sniffing around the back exit of the building had revieled to her the door that had been placed for the Banders to enter and exit from. Crossing the yard had been easy enough, and after running her small and sensitive paws over the fence, she had opened the gate and ran, delighted, into the world.

The sounds and smells that surrounded her were so bizzare and wonderful that it was not surprising to see Asha walking slowly, head raised high and mouth opened in an expression of sheer amazement. She trotted along at a brisk pace, somehow managing to avoid all the things that stood in her path despite the strange and somewhat unnerving glaze over her eyes.

There was one strange thing, though. From the sounds of it, there were people following her, but keeping a wide distance from her. Slowing her pace, a small frown slowly appearing, she raised her head and turned to face what she felt to be the direction of the people. She could hear their footsteps at any rate. It was probably good that she was blind, because if she could see the leers that covered most of their faces... She would be terrified.

"Hello...?"

[danishweasel]

It was a beautiful day for one Corvie pup. After having a business luncheon with a particular bejeweled equine, there were two things that usually weren't so full and happy: her wallet and her stomach. Padding along the street, tail held high, she noticed that the crowd around her didn't seem to share the same bubbly happiness that she did. Something was stirring the waters...but what?

She followed their glances until her eyes locked onto a colorful young skunk who seemed a bit out of it from the look in her eyes. Though what soon caught her eye - as it probably did with everyone else - was on her chest. A black Ace mark. Ataxia froze. An Ace? Here? She looked around. There wasn't much time before someone...No. She couldn't let that happen. She ran up and parked herself in the girl's path, laying down in front of her.

"Ooy, kid. Hop on. We need to get you out of here. It's dangerous here." Ataxia kept her voice low. She didn't want to set off anyone nearby until it came time to bolt out of there.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Asha was beginning to feel the first inklings of fear tracing through her, and she attempted to shrug it off and plaster a happy smile onto her face. The excitement that the newness of outside had filled her only moments before was replaced by an anxiety caused by that same newness. She knew that her family went outside all the time, so she did her best to ignore the fear - she knew they lived in a nice neighborhood, very clean, so there was no reason to worry.

At the sound of feet approaching, the skunk turned and panned her head. It was obvious that she didn't see the canine that approached her, but honed in on her with those panning ears and a few small twitches of her nose. As the canine approached, the blindness would be more and more clear. It looked almost as if clouds were hazing the child's eyes over. She bumped into the other, confusion showing on her face as she nosed slightly at the canine. She was soft, and the skunk would have voiced this opinion, had the canine not given her such rushed instructions.

"Wha-? D-dangerous? Really?" Ataxia's words hit her like a train, and without another question she struggled to clamber onto the other Card. "Did I walk too far from my house?" she asked sincerely. She really didn't understand why it was dangerous for her to be outside, not one bit.

[danishweasel]

No wonder this kid wasn't running for the hills. Her eyes were clouded glass, she couldn't see a thing out of them. And that was a blessing or a curse, depending on how you looked at ignorance in the face of danger. Even still, it was for the best that she had let the girl know about her current situation. Otherwise, who knew what could happen to her, wandering around while wolves stalked ever closer?

"You walked way too far from your house, kiddo. We'll get you back, but first, we need to lose these jokers. Don't want them following us. Hang on tight to the fur now. Ready...here we go!"

Ataxia dashed down the street with the child on her back, dodging past incoming Cards, turning into alleyways, and doing her best to get rid of those who might try tailing them.

"By the by, name's Ataxia. Keep it Xia, though. What's yours?"

[carcinoGeneticist]

"Ok, I'm ready!" The skunk cried out, ears flicking back. She could hear confused voices coming from the crowd. The child clung tightly to Ataxia's back, letting the canine's words sink in slowly.

Oh, crap. She hadn't considered that part of going outside, did she? She would have no idea of how to get home again! Come to think of it, it wasn't that surprising that she had managed to travel so far from home. She was good at finding her way around, but... In such unfamilliar surroundings, it began to sink in that her being farther from home than she'd initially imagined should come as no surprise. She must have walked for a good 20 minutes before the canine had found her!

This Ataxia, though, she seemed nice, and Asha felt somewhat calmed by that fact. "It's nice to meet you, Xia! I'm Asha." she hunkered down again, listening closely to the world as it passed them by. "My name means "hope". Does yours mean anything?" that question seemed a kind of afterthought, letting the canine know that Asha still didn't fully comprehend the trouble she was probably in.

[danishweasel]

Ataxia continued to listen to Asha as she sprinted from alleyway to alleyway in attempts to reach the less populated parts of town. They had to make themselves scarce and fast. Word would spread quickly as it always does and she got the itching feeling that they'd have to deal with more than townsfolk if they didn't keep moving.

It was nice to hear Asha making some small talk. It meant that she wasn't too scared yet which also meant that she had no idea what she had gotten herself into. That was fine. She could find out all the details later when they were safe.

"Hope. Your parents named you well, Asha. Mine means 'lack of control.' It's also a kind of disease. It's nothing against me, though. Parents are both Corvies, found the name in a book of theirs, liked the sound of it."

Ataxia looked around her. The townsfolk had either lost interest, tired out, or had left the chase to the proper authorities. Either way, there was no one after them at the moment. She paused to catch her breath and possibly think of what the heck they were going to do next.

"Okay, break for a bit. Now, we're no way out of the woods yet, but I've gotta make this clear. Whatever happens, just follow along. No arguments. And should it look rough and I can't protect you, you take off, right?"

[carcinoGeneticist]

Asha listened intently, pressing her head against the canine's neck to better listen to her. That was certainly an interesting thing to be named for! "Well, I like it." she proclaimed happily. It was a fun name to say! "My dad knows a Corvie!" she proclaimed, sounding especially proud of herself for remembering. Without her sight, it became difficult for her to remember what realms people came from. "He's really funny and nice. Sometimes he check on my eyes, but mostly he helps my sister's wings. They're weak, you know." This was said very matter-of-factly.

The excitement of the run had her heart beating fast - she didn't think that she could remember a time when she had moved so fast! She giggled quietly, revelling in the rush of wind on her face. The giggle quieted as Xia slowed her pace, and let the words sink in. Wait, was the situation really so bad? "Xia?" her voice had grown quiet, and she found herself nuzzling the canine's neck for comfort. "Did I do something bad?"

[danishweasel]

Ataxia didn't answer, but merely listened as the child spoke of the Corvie and her sister. It warmed her heart, hearing the cheer in her voice as she spoke of subjects so off-topic. Her parents must really love her. Even being born into this world with what society would call disabilities, she was immensely blessed. And hearing her laugh...it cemented her resolve. This girl, Asha, would escape to be back with her family. She would shed blood and bleed for it, if necessary, though she would do her best to avoid such a scenario.

After her orders, however, she could hear a sense of worry in her voice. Ataxia's words had not been her usual, cheery banter, that was for sure. But it was necessary. Ataxia smiled as Asha gave her a nuzzle, turned her head and tilted it back, doing her best to get a view of Asha in her peripheral.

"No, you haven't done anything bad at all. It's just...other people put too much importance in things that really don't matter...I'll try and explain it to you later. Right now, we've got some escaping to do. Make sure to get a good grip again."

Ataxia gave her legs one last stretch and with one last check to make sure Asha was secure, raced further into the not-so-pretty parts of the city.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Asha found, as she nuzzled the canine, that she had a most delightful sort of a mane. She grinned to herself as she sniffed at it, giggling as a few strands trailed over her nose. Her father had a mane, too. They were delightful things. She could sense the tension building, though she honestly didn't understand why. When Ataxia turned to look at the little skunk, Asha turned as well, meeting her gaze with her own eerily hollow eyes. A little ribbon of mane trailed across her muzzle and she nodded slowly.

What on earth had she managed to get herself into this time?

"I understand." she murmured quietly, voice oddly strangled. She had always been taught to live simply and not cause trouble, but it seemed that trouble had latched onto her the second she went against the wishes of her parents. She clung on tightly to the canine's sides, burying her face in her mane again. The smells around them were changing, and Asha wished that she had a better picture of where they were going. It wouldn't be so bad if everything weren't so new. If she had gone to the park, it would have all been just fine.

She had to shout over the noise of Ataxia's feet thudding dully against the ground, so she pulled herself forward. "We're gonna be okay, right Xia?"

[danishweasel]

Asha was playing in her mane. The slight tickling feeling it made as she nuzzled the black and green strands relieved some of Xia's tension, but not all. Her armbands were starting to sag off her legs, bunching at her ankles, but she didn't bother pulling them up. Didn't have the time. There was still running to do...

If only she knew where she was running to. That was a particular problem. Ataxia mainly stayed in Corvistowne unless she needed something. Hence why she wasn't too familiar with any particular place other than the bazaar. At least the surroundings were a little more like home. A bit shadier, not so prissed up. Still, it wasn't the shadiness of Corvistowne, it was an unknown shady, which made it...shadier. Hmm...if I keep going straight, maybe I'll run into the city walls. Then, from there, I can look for an exit. Best and only idea she had at that point.

"Don't you worry, Asha. We'll get out of this, no problem."