The Outcasts discussion

A dense and dark forest.

Noel was up in a tree watching the ground below. Her mouth curved upwards. Her body relaxed as she slowly dove into sleep.

Taya walked quickly through the forest, shadows wrapped around her, obscuring her form. She was careful, though. It wasn't likely anyone would see her, but if she didn't watch her step, she'd make just as much noise as anyone else would. She'd left the last town a few days ago, but hadn't really felt at ease until the day before, when the forest began to get thick enough that she could use them even in the daytime. She was beginning to get hungry, though, so she found a fallen log and sat down.
She rifled through her backpack, pulling out some almonds and dried fruit. She let her shadow camouflage drop a bit as she ate. She wondered how long she had before she'd need to find another town, to pick up supplies. She needed cash, too. Looks like she'd need a part-time job this time. She groaned at the thought. Jobs meant staying longer than she'd like. It meant getting noticed. "You do what you gotta, Tay" she said to herself. "Besides, I still have a few days before I have to deal with it" She pushed it to the back of her mind and concentrated on her food.

((Anyone wanna join me? Someone? Please? Her guard is down so she can be seen.))

Noel woke up, she felt someone come in. Her heart beat quickened, no one visits her. She slowly climbed down the tree and walked around. Noel saw someone. She took careful steps to her.

Taya heard a rustle of leaves. She pulled her black hoodie tighter around her, ready to reach for her shadows and run if she had to. "I-is someone there?" she asked nervously.

Noel went wide-eyed, she didn't know what to say. "Yes?" She crouched behind a tree seeing someone on a log.

Without thinking, Taya wrapped herself in shadow. Then she caught sight of a figure peeking their head out from behind a tree. No hunter would act so shy. She forced the shadows away. The girl seemed just as scared as she was. Maybe she was on the run too. Taya took a deep breath, and managed a weak smile. "You... you can come out." she said. "I'm not gonna hurt you. You startled me is all. I thought you might be a hunter"

Noel watched her for a second. Then came out partially. "You startled me too," she said softly. Then, she sat against the tree, facing her. "Hunter? There's hunters looking for me?"

Taya shrugged "No idea about you. I'm just scared they'll find me someday. It's why I never stay in one place for too long." She shifted a bit on the log. This was the first conversation she'd had with someone like her in a long time, and she wasn't used to it. "I guess you're an outcast too then?" she popped an almond in her mouth. "Oh, are you hungry? I have a little to share... Oh, and I'm Taya, by the way."

Noel hugged her knees. "I just always live her." She smiled. "I don't eat much. It's hard to eat..." She put a strand of her dirty hair behind her ear. "I'm Noel, nice to meet you Taye."

"You too, Noel" She looked around at the deep forest surrounding them. It was certainly a good place to hide. "You really live here? That's kinda clever. I bet no one bothers you here." She wondered what sort of powers Noel had, figuring they probably made life here easier, but she didn't ask. She didn't want to pry, it wasn't her business.

Noel nodded. "Yea, I feel happier here. I used to live in the city, it was too crowded there." She looked down. "You want to? I have a small house in the forest made out of dead trees."

Taya blinked in surprise. "Oh! That's very kind of you. I... I don't really know what to say. I need to go into town to get some supplies soon..." She looked down at her pack, it had seemed full when she left. She needed to work on her rationing. "But as long as you don't mind, it would be nice to rest for a night or two"

Noel looked at the pack. "You this place doesn't mind company... You just can't kill anything." Noel got up and started walking. "Follow, it's pretty big." She smiled and walked away.

Taya followed. "I'd never kill anything. My powers don't even work that way" She followed Noel's confident steps, "This forest is huge. You must have been here awhile to know your way around so well"

Noel smiled and nodded. "I have been here for ten years, lived here for about six or seven. What year is it?"

"2013" Taya said slowly. There was something a little puzzling about this girl, "um, not to be rude, but you ARE an outcast, aren't you?"

Noel looked down. "Oh... then I've wandered around here for six years and lived here for 2." Then put her head up and turned back. "I am, how do you think I can live out here?" She smiled softly and turned back around, leading.

Taya smiled a little. "I thought so. But I never met one as shy as me before. I've been on my own for three years."

Noel squinted to a house covered in vines with a greenhouse next to it. "Don't worry, the vines aren't inside. Just don't turn on the kitchen sink and you'll be fine." She pointed the greenhouse. "That's where I live, any questions just come over and ask." Then walked away into her house.

"All right..." Taya nodded... And then, since her curiosity was getting the better of her, "hey, what're your powers?"

Noel stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn around. "Why?" She asked softly. She got suspicious. "Why do you want to know?"

Taya looked around her, pointed to the house, the greenhouse everything. "Because this is amazing. I can do some cool things with my shadows, but I can't even guess what you must have to have done all of this." She waited, looking away from Noel. It wasnt like her to bother other people or pry. "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's not really my business anyway. I was just.... Wondering" she finished lamely.

Noel blushed. "I just do, most of the stuff in the houses are made of plants and rocks. And the greenhouse has just been here, so I used it." She sat down and turned to Taya. "You really want to see what I can do?"

"If you don't mind. I'm curious..." Taya said.

Noel smiled and nodded. Then the soil and rocks around her rose up and spun around her. She held out the palm of her hand and the rocks cut her palm. She winced a little.

"Earth powers" Taya said nodding,then saw the rocks cut her. "Ouch! Does that... Does that usually happen?"

Noel shook her head. "It's fine, part of my powers." She placed two fingers at each end of the cut and it healed immediately. She smiled up at Taya. "Pick an animal and a plant..."

Aria burst upon the wondrous scene. Her hands covered her mouth, her mask already askew. She saw the two fairies and her eyes widened in fear. She dared not speak, for fear that her power would affect them.

Noel looked away. She felt someone else. "Hello?" She dropped her focus from Taya to the forest around her. She looked around.

Aria heard a tentative female voice, and became afraid. She desperately needed to get rid of her power, but she was intrigued by the fairies.

Noel walked away. She made rocks follow her, just in case. "Hello? Anyone here? I feel you..." She looked behind a couple trees.

Aria darted away deeper behind the trees. The pressure was almost too much now...

((cover your ears with something!!! her power is about to explode!!!))

Noel stopped looking. She would look around later. She hid behind a tree. "Hello?" She asked one last time.

Aria screamed. A long, painful scream. Blood flowed openly down her hands as she tried to stifle the sound and lessen its effects on the others in the woods with her.

Noel's eyes opened wider. She got up and ran to the source of the scream. It sounded real, not like the screams that were whispers and not human sounding. Noel still ran to the source and crouched next to the source, not looking at it.

Aria felt someone approach her, but she couldn't focus on her. The power kept flowing. The scream continued.

Noel frowned and made soothing noises. Making kittens rubbing against the creature, all of them purring and mewing. "Shh.." She whispered in the ear of the creature.

Taya stood in shock, her shadows wrapped around her. Fleeing was the first thing on her mind, this girl needed Noel's help much more than she did, but the girl was dripping blood, she had to make sure she'd be okay. Reluctantly, she walked over, pulling up her hood and obscuring her face. The shadows around her feet also deepened, as she drew on them for comfort. She spoke to Noel, not sure this new girl could talk, "is she gonna be okay, you think?" She frowned, "I've never seen a power like that before..."

Noel shrugged. "The blood isn't from any cuts..." She looked at the creature. She sighed and got up. "Sometimes you just have to leave them alone," she whispered to herself. Then walked back to the steps of her greenhouse.

Taya was intensely disturbed. She could take care of herself just fine, but other people? She was totally lost. She wrapped her shadows thicker around her. "So... We just... Leave her there?" Her ears were still ringing from the scream.

Noel nodded. "Some of them do this, just give them space and time. They'll come back or become better."

"I've never seen this before, but... If you say so." All her instincts told her to get far away, but there was still some light shining through the leaves. She'd need to drop her shadow-guard to travel, and she really didn't want to do that just now. "Thanks again for letting me stay, Noel." She said, walking toward the house.

Noel nodded and went inside the greenhouse without another word, she refused to talk anymore and laid down on her bed.

Aria's strength and power went out. She relaxed and lowered her aching arms, remembering to adjust her mask. She was so tired. She collapsed.

Noel felt the energy in the forest lighten a bit. She went out and carried the girl inside the vine house. She placed her on the couch and left.

Taya lightened the shadows around her just a fraction of a second too late to catch Noel as she left. She crawled off the bed in the corner, and hesitantly walked toward the couch. Her face darkened and feet covered in shadow as usual when she was nervous. The screaming girl was fairly pretty, and not nearly as frightening as before. She wondered how long she'd be out for. Sighing she went back to the bed, sitting down, too restless to try to sleep again. She took her big black platform boots off and settled cross-legged on the bed, her back against the wall. She took a breath and began making shadow patterns in the air, something that always calmed and distracted her.

Aria's eyes slowly fluttered open. Her head and throat ached. She checked to make sure her mask was still on tightly.

Noel came back and started to make some food. Cringing a lot though. She made some spaghetti and sauce. She got two bowls and waited.