I'm Alive [Sera/Kari]

[carcinoGeneticist]

Summer was finally coming to an end, Asha realized with no small amount of sadness.

She'd finally grown used to the sunny days, the flowers, the fruit that they could get with ease. It had been all there was to distract her from the fact of her Papa's death. She still had her mother, if nothing else, and her mama, though as of late, the woman had seemed almost... Distracted. Was that the word for it? It would have to do, because Asha couldn't think of anything else. It was all because of Papa, she was sure. She missed the man, so, so terribly much.

But she couldn't fixate on that, not now. She was too focused on getting to Eilwyn's house, a basket of freshly-baked muffins clutched on one hand. She had to take the backalleys to get there, to avoid being seen by dangerous people, but she didn't have a choice. She knew the way well enough, she just had to walk slowly to make sure she didn't accidentally lose track of where she was. It would be nice when she arrived, because then someone could walk her home, but...

She hadn't wanted to wait to get an escort to go there. What was the point in surprising her brother and his wife with a basket of treats when everyone knew about it?

Asha began to hum a soft song to keep her spirits high. Did she hear something? The thought made her heart beat a little harder and she turned around, her little ears perked for any sound to indicate that she was being followed. She was just being paranoid, she was sure, but... It never hurt to be safe, especially when she really didn't know what her surroundings were like. "Hello?"

[seraaches]

He was starving. He hadn't been able to get a decent meal in nearly two months; he'd forgotten that he hated the Capital so much. It was hard to hunt here with so many would-be do-gooders floating around and far too many guards of all sorts. People would be murdered regardless; at least he wasn't wasting the meat, like so many others. Maybe he should start trying to save the skins to give to Vespera. That should help make it harder to track him, since there'd only be offal and bones left after the kill. His tail swished thoughtfully at this idea. The only problem was that he tended to be a bit. . . messy with his meals.

It was hard to get the skin off in one piece, after all, when your prey was still fighting on the way down. The stallion gave a happy little shudder. He needed a good kill, a fighter, something to help fill the empty void in his belly.

He didn't immediately notice the Card he was tracking-- or even that he was tracking-- until she stopped and turned around. A feral grin stretched his mouth and he glanced around quickly to be sure they were alone. No sign of anyone near them. Excellent. The Yarrow began to slink forward towards the weak prey.

[carcinoGeneticist]

The round little ears of the woman twitched, seeking out any sound. Subconsciously, she curled her tail around herself, arms gripping it for the comfort it provided. There would be no way for the man to notice, as long as he was looking at her, that her eyes were clouded and white. Her steps were unsure, as well, another clear indication of exactly what she was lacking.

Asha was afraid. She was sure that she'd been imagining things when she'd heard the footstep, but what if she hadn't been? No one had answered when she'd called out, but that didn't mean anything at all. It could just signify that whoever was out there - assuming, of course, that there was anything or anyone - didn't want her to know they were there. "It's not funny,[/b]" the girl whimpered, biting her lower lip. No response to that, either.

But she could swear she was still hearing the telltale signs of someone following her. She turned, resuming her journey to Eilwyn's house. She'd never do this again. She'd wait for someone to go with her next time. This was terrifying. Her slow shuffle picked up in speed until she was almost running.

That was a bad idea. Her foot caught on an uneven section of pavement, sending girl and muffins tumbling to the ground with a pained cry.

[seraaches]

Eir continued after the woman, ears twisted backwards in dark amusement as she whimpered in fear. It was such a beautiful feeling to know that terror was rising from his presence. The stallion gave a low chuckle, a sound that almost certainly carried through the alley.

He moved faster when she broke into a run, though not yet fast enough to actually catch her. His heart beat faster at the sight, the thrill of the hunt and his grin turned feral. His legs moved swift in an easy, long-strided trot that could easily keep up with the woman's stumbling run. And stumble she did, tumbling to the ground and dropping her basket of baked goods.

"It's not wise to run where you cannot see," he growled deep in his chest, slowing as he came closer to the woman. He had not yet seen her chest, which might be better for her, though it would not change the outcome of this little encounter.

[carcinoGeneticist]

There was the sound again. Hooves on the pavement, coming ever closer to her. Asha didn't really have time to consider it before she was flat on the pavement. Her knees hit the ground rather firmly, and she was pretty sure she'd managed to scrape both them and her hands from the way they stung. She was trying to pull herself back to her feet when she heard the low growl of a voice. "W-who's there?[/b]" she called out, glancing unseeingly around herself, her ears panning for any clue.

The voice wasn't familiar, which made her breath catch in her throat. If it had been one of her family members playing a trick on her, it wouldn't have been such a big deal. But this was a stranger who had cornered her in an alley, knocked her down. This was someone who might have seen a bipedal Ace and hated it.

Maybe she could keep their ire away if she pretended she was something else? "Please, sir, I'm just on my way back from the baker's,[/b]" she whimpered. She'd played the role of household servant before, and it had always worked well. It explained, if nothing else, why she'd have a biped form. "I don't want any trouble, I just need... To get back to my master.[/b]"

[seraaches]

"Who's there? Who's there?" His vioce echoed her words mockingly, continuing closer and closer. A golden hoof smashed one of the muffins, grinding it into the stone of the alleyway. "Pathetic," he sneered the word as he moved close enough to tower over her.

Her word choice caught his attention, and pink ears twisted backwards, giving his expression an even crueler twist, though she could not see it, a fact that still escaped him, actually. Master. . .

He used his whole head and neck as a club, an act that he'd often executed in the past, and sought to knock the little Card around and on her back so he could get a good look at her Rank and Suit. His pale lavender eyes were narrowed, and he was well-prepared to break limbs in order to see what he wanted to.

[carcinoGeneticist]

The harsh tone in the man's words made something in Asha panic. Why was he doing this? She hadn't done anything wrong, she'd just been minding her own business and now.. Now she just needed help. She cringed away from the sound of his footsteps, raising her hands in an attempt to shield her face from a blow she was sure would come.

She didn't know what to do. She had to get away, somehow, but how could she? She was blind, and there was no way she could outrun what sounded to be some kind of hoofed mammal, judging by the sound of his footsteps. Besides, by fighting back, it seemed she had a much better chance of making him even more angry, which she knew would do nothing to improve her situation. She curled around herself a little bit tighter, her entire body shaking hard with the terror that gripped her.

She didn't want to die, not here, not because of some stupid mistake! She'd finally been given another chance at being alive... Had she wasted it?

A yelp escaped her as something heavy slammed into her, knocking the air from her lungs as it also knocked her onto her back, into a much more prone position. She raised her hands again, cowering from the person and gasping to catch her breath once more. It hurt, it hurt...! "Please, PLEASE! Stop![/b]" Her voice sounded shrill, tight with fear. "I'll give you money! Just... Please, leave me alone![/b]" She just wanted to go home, to hide and cry and pretend none of this had happened. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest she felt like it would explode.

[seraaches]

Pale eyes ignored her attempt to save herself, zeroing in on her chest without fail. And the sight of that large, black A sent a shot of absolute rage through him. "An Ace? A bloody, f*&#ing Ace?" Despite his anger and the profanity, his voice sounded calm and collected.

The level of his voice didn't change as he purposefully extended a golden yellow hoof and slammed it down on one of the bipedal legs, his blow certainly strong enough to break the bone. "All this time I've been stalking some jumped up, bloody Ace?"

As the calm words continued, he struck again, the actions a better reflection of the wild anger in his eyes. He didn't know what he was saying, simply reaction with blow after blow on the accursed form before him. "Not even worth eating, little low-ranked whore creature, not worth s*&%!"

[carcinoGeneticist]

The words that the man spoke sent a cold shiver through the woman. Normally, that would be the statement that came before any sort of beating or other harshness. This time... Her assailant hadn't even known that she was an Ace, and had still chased her down, knocked her to the ground, and beat her with hard hooves? Asha felt tears welling up in her eyes, hot and almost painful. This person... This person had attacked what they'd thought to be just another Card, without care of Rank or Suit or anything.

She was really going to die this time, wasn't she?

Her mouth opened in an attempt to get out another plea before the blows could begin again, but her words were choked off by a long and pained scream, punctuated with the sharp crack of a bone being broken. Asha tried to curl her legs in to protect them from further harm, shrieking at the pain such a simple movement caused her. "Stop, stop, I have a family, they'll.. they'll give you money, they'll give you anything you ask for...! M-my father, my father's a King, she'll...![/b]"

Whatever was going to follow was cut off by another pained cry as Eir's acts of violence began anew. All the Skunk could do was curl her arms around her head, trying to protect herself from the blows raining down on her. She screamed and shouted, for help, for mercy, some of the cries wordless. "Please...![/i][/b]"

[seraaches]

At least the stupid piece of pus had the decency to beg, though it wouldn't stop the blows from their continual strikes. Not that a King father was all that impressive to the offspring of a now Queen and King, one of which had been The Queen. Over and over the golden hooves pounded into the flesh of the his words dropping lower and lower until all he did was growl and mutter continued curses under his breath.

He would simply pound the body into a pulp, unheeding of even his usual practice of keeping a souvenir for Vespera. Perhaps if he had realized initially that he was stalking an Ace he could have controlled himself better, but without that sort of mental buffer and with the surprise of a bipedal Ace, an uppity little #*($ that dared pretend it was better than it was, Eir simply gave himself over to the sheer enjoyment of destruction.