That Sound is Your Soul Stirring

[Skraal]

A sharp breeze blew through the area as Yumi’s body disappeared into the distance. Soren stood frozen as he watched her leave. The warmth of her touch was rapidly fading, and the sooner he moved, the sooner he would lose it. At least, it felt that way to him.

At least, she wasn't scared of him. Or maybe she was. He never was good at figuring out what other people were thinking, especially girls. At the very least, she was willing to touch him, which meant that…maybe she shared some of his feelings for her? He didn't know.

Soren sniffed quietly as he finally took his eyes off of the direction that Yumi left in. He wanted to run after her and return her hug, tell her that everything would be alright. The problem was that it just wasn't possible. Even if he could somehow find her in the darkness, there would be no way that he could protect her if she got into danger. She was doomed, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Perhaps she had the right idea after all.

He wiped his eyes on his hand before glancing back at Tessa, speaking in a tired voice.

“We should probably get going too.”

He turned and began to put one foot in front of the other, going in no direction in particular.

((Soren Rosendahl continued in Or Te!))

[Rattlesnake]

Tessa stood respectfully stock-still even as subterranean shivers rumbled up her arms, into her chest.

She'd wanted nothing more than to find someone vaguely nonthreatening, stick together, ride it out. Try not to get shot or freeze to death while the searchers did their work. There was no way it could end like last time. Not again, not ever. And that simple formula was ridden with its own drama, its twists and turns and tragic half-voiced sentiments. Even as one of the unlucky chosen, one of the very few who knew firsthand what it was all about, she stood totally aloof as one little slice of drama played out before her.

Well, not entirely aloof.

Someday, she thought, in a future that would never come, someone would look at her the way Soren looked at Yumi as she walked away.

She sighed deeply. Watched the girl go and kept her solid stillness as she went. As if she could reel her back in if only she committed to her display of an absolute void of sudden threatening motion for the benefit of a girl who couldn't see her any more. For herself. For Soren. For all of them. The night didn't have to be so cold. But it would be, because that was how thing were.

She nodded to Soren. A simple "Yeah," and they were off. One way or another, it was odds on that their little meeting would prove impossible to replicate the following nightfall.

((Tessa Blackridge continued elsewhere))