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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 4, 2020 19:44:10 GMT -5
“The guardian of this forest,” the creature answered, kept its head down very low, which surprised Romi. Older beings didn’t tend to lower their heads to outsiders and newcomers—it was a sign of humbleness and respect that they expected from younger folk, not that they showed to them. “I have many names, Sam, but you may call me Inika.”
Inika. A strange, unfamiliar name. Romi was certain she had never heard of it nor read it in a textbook during any of her magical studies. A forest guardian, however, was not beyond her knowledge. “Where are we?”
Inika let out a soft huff. “The forest of in-between.”
“In between what?”
“Here and there. Between one world and the next. Mine and yours.”
Ugh, of course Inika was as vague as every other ancient creature. Couldn’t they be a little less riddle-y?
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 4, 2020 19:58:08 GMT -5
Although it had said its name, Sam had no idea how to pronounce the strange name. That, and he was still shaking a bit so it would have caused some stuttering. On top of that, he didn't know what it meant by the forest between worlds. For the most part, Sam didn't know much about the world or magic, only that Romi could use it. Winter still hadn't told him that Gil was the cat that Aries had with him from time to time. Only certain things that he might have already heard of in the form of fairy tales did the child have some knowledge of. Or, at least, had some understanding of. So he didn't pay attention to the conversation Romi was trying to have. Instead, he said, "I'm sorry I picked your flowers. I didn't know that you were there. They were just really pretty."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 4, 2020 20:17:49 GMT -5
Romi was worried. Beyond all doubt, they were somewhere they should never have stepped foot in. She had no clue what a forest in between worlds meant, only that they were in a dangerous, tricky situation. It explained why she couldn’t make a portal out of here—there was magic in the air, as this was an unnatural place. She wouldn’t be able to portal somewhere normal from a location that was anything but. Anything could call this forest home, too. Creatures less kind and more bloodthirsty than this one, who wished to cause them harm. She bit her lip as she held Sam close, tried to think about what to do.
“There is no need to apologize to me, Sam,” Inika practically purred, as the beast settled down, curled its legs beneath itself. It was lying back down, into the crevice that it had been occupying earlier. “The flowers are quite fond of you. You may pick as many as you wish.”
The flowers were—okay. Romi didn’t have time to focus on the fact that the flowers, evidently, had their own thoughts and feelings. She was fearfully aware that Inika seemed to be falling asleep, returning back to the slumber they had woken it from. “Wait, wait—how do we get back? We can’t stay here,” she asked, desperate for an answer.
“Down the cobble path ahead, past the river blue. There, the portal will reveal itself to you,” came the unfortunate riddle.
Riddles! Always with the riddles! Romi had to force herself not to groan or sigh. Instead, she pinched the area between her eyebrows. “Yeah, of course. Cobble path, river, portal. Got it.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 4, 2020 20:58:24 GMT -5
(( Lmao I can totally see him figuring out all the clues just by playing around and being himself. ))
The ground shook gently as Inka fitted themselves back into their place. Aside from the stray clump of dirt or torn bit of grass, it would be very difficult to tell that anything alive lurked beneath the somewhat flat surface. “May the spirits guide you safe and far, little one,” it cooed to Sam, as it returned once more to its sleep.
Alright, excellent. Now all Romi needed to do was find a cobble path and a river. Easy peasy, not a problem. Except, of course, that there wasn’t a single cobblestone in sight. Only grass, trees and more grass. She could feel a massive headache coming on and the only thing that stopped her from displaying her annoyance was Sam. He had just been scared half to death and, truthfully, she tried not to let him know about any problems whatsoever. The boy was simply too gentle and too sweet to handle most of the serious topics in Derek and Winter’s lives.
“Why don’t you pick some flowers, sugar?” She suggested gently, as she made her way further across the clearing, though she felt a little strange knowing she was walking across a living being. Even from her new position, she couldn’t see any hints of a proper path.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 4, 2020 21:20:09 GMT -5
(Everyone else is over thinking/taking things literally, and Sam's just like, dudes, use some imagination. XD)
Any signs of his early fear seemed to have vanished as soon as the creature had fully integrated into the ground once more. It had certainly shaken him, but the boy was slowly coming to terms that they hadn't been in any danger. Now that everything was back to normal, his curiosity was starting to kick back in. A part of him kind of wished the creature would still at least talk to them while they were in the clearing, or lift up its head. Maybe not move around and cause more earthquakes, but just be present. Whatever it was, it was animal-like in features, and that alone made him want to get to know it.
At Romi's suggestion, the boy smiled and stood to his feet. Carefully, not wanting to disturb the creature again, he walked over to the flowers. Once more he felt the pull of their magic, like a soothing song lulling him into rest. It was a nice feeling, the sense of safety it brought. He picked the flowers one by one, making sure to be gentle with each one. It didn't take long before he had a cluster of the glowing blossoms in his hand. Proud of himself, he stood and hurried over to where Romi was standing.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 4, 2020 21:51:25 GMT -5
(( Sam’s just confuses about why no one else is being creative and thinking out of the box. ))
Romi’s gaze searched every corner, every leaf and overturned rock, for some clue about where to go. It was so dark and, while the only sounds were those of nighttime critters, she felt like anything could be lurking just out of sight. They were probably safe here, with Inika beneath the surface of the ground, but she still felt on edge. Lost in thought, she was mildly startled when Sam approached her with his newly acquired bouquet of flowers. A soft smile spread across her face at the sight. “Aw, thanks, sugar. You’re the sweetest,” she said and ruffled his hair. No one could ever be quite as gentle-hearted as Sam and she appreciated it, even at a time like this. “Want to hold them for me while we walk? I’ll be sure to find a really nice vase for them once we get back home.”
Although, she was careful to take Sam’s free hand in her own. Just in case. If worst came to worst, she wanted to be able to lead him quickly to safety. “Stay close to me, okay? I don’t want you to get lost,” she added as she picked the easiest path to continue along, toward the right.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 5, 2020 19:06:39 GMT -5
(Then walks around all proud of himself because he's "smarter" than the grown ups. XD)
"Okay!" Sam said, beaming. Having Romi praise him seemed to be what the child lived for. Whenever he was out, he was always trying to do things that would make her give kind words, whether it be helping her clean or trying to impress her with his drawings or made up stories. Whenever it seemed like she wasn't happy with something he did, he would become withdrawn and gloomy. With the flowers in one hand, he gladly allowed Romi to take his other hand and lead him in whatever direction she chose.
"Where are heading?" the boy asked, walking, or nearly bouncing, along beside her. He was acting as if this were just a normal walk down the street, completely unphased and unconcerned by the darkness. The flowers he had picked still glowed, so it wasn't like they were in complete darkness. They still gave off that comforting feeling they had before, which also helped.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 5, 2020 20:27:50 GMT -5
(( Sam will be the riddle master lol ))
It was a rare day when Sam didn’t make Romi happy with his playful behavior and often sweet actions. Whether it was offering to help her fold laundry or scribbling pictures in colored pencil for her to hang up on the refrigerator, she appreciated that he had come so far. When they’d met, he’d been so shy and hesitant to let himself be happy. With the absence of his horrible father and her attempts to give him a better life, she was pleased to see that he now trusted her so much.
“Back home,” she answered, as she kept an eye out for the clues Inika had given them. So far, there was nothing. Part of her wanted to doubt that the creature had been telling the truth, but she knew that wasn’t the case. It would have killed them itself if it really wanted them dead. “We just have to find the portal and we’ll be good to go.”
Although she rarely told Sam the details of any problems she encountered, she probably should have in this case. The right path was to their left, hidden under long patches of grass, and yet she couldn’t seem to find it. To her, the stones were too well covered. As she stopped and huffed in slight frustration, she was mildly surprised by the small swarm of nocturnal moths that had gathered around Sam’s hand. In search of the glowing flowers, they found their place in the petals. The second they made contact with the flower, their wings changed in color, constantly shifting. A rainbow flock of moths, many of which perched themselves on the boy’s arm and hand.
“I think a lot of things like you here,” she hummed with a smile. Sam was soft and innocent, free of any ill intentions. That was the most likely reason that the creatures here seemed to like him so much.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 5, 2020 20:40:33 GMT -5
"Is it hidden?" Sam asked. Why would they need to be searching for the portal if it wasn't? Would't Romi know where it was? Romi knew a lot about magic, at least from what she showed him of it. As far as he knew, she knew everything when it came to the subject. However, his curiosity over the portal was soon distracted by the presence of the multicolored moths fluttering around him. As soon as they started flashing different colors when touching the flowers, the boy let out a happy squeal, stopping as he was momentarily overwhelmed with the small creatures. He wanted to jump and wave his arms out of pure reaction, but he didn't want to scare the moths away. So he forced himself to be still. The feeling of their tiny legs crawling over his hands tickled, making him giggle. "Miss Romi, look!" he cried. "There's so many of them!"
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 7, 2020 15:31:32 GMT -5
Romi let out a little laugh at the sight of Sam covered in so many moths. They crawled along his arms and hands, one went as far as to walk across his cheek to settle in his hair. Their wings twinkled and glowed like slowly flashing lights, a rainbow of color that cut through the darkness and illuminated their path. “Aw, they really like you,” she murmured with a smile, but when she reached out, the moths bounced away from her hand to retreat further across Sam’s body. They preferred him, then, and she had a feeling it had nothing to do with the flowers in his hand.
“Yup, the portal is hidden, sugar. We have to look for it first,” she added, but she was more or less content to wait a minute while Sam enjoyed the sight of the moths.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 7, 2020 18:52:40 GMT -5
The more they crawled around on him, the more the boy giggled. It was like a dream. An amazing dream that he kind of didn't want to wake from. This was the kind of magic that Sam could enjoy: the small, safe creatures that would bring little to no harm to him whatsoever. In fact, there was no magic being used save for whatever the moths were using to change colors. And even then, that could come down to some biological factor. After all, there were plenty of normal bugs that could flash lights when they wanted to. This Winter could allow the kid to enjoy without worrying too much. He was still there, keeping an eye on things and waiting for a chance to take over again. However, for a moment, things were okay.
"What does it look like?" Sam asked. "Maybe we can find it with all these little bugs to help light the way!"
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 12, 2020 21:18:26 GMT -5
Creatures like these moths could possess such strong, basic instincts. They only processed the information that mattered most in order for them to survive—what was edible, what was dangerous, where they should go or how they should fly. Whatever the reason, they seemed to like Sam very much. Flicked around him as though he were a fragrant flower himself, danced around his head and fluttered around his hair. One took up residence on top of his shoulder and didn’t seem keen on leaving. All the while, they shone their luminescent wings brightly for all to see, lit the path well enough that there was no need for another light source.
It was a curious occurrence. Romi wished she understood what it was that drew them here, as it clearly wasn’t just a result of the mysterious flowers. Truthfully, they seemed to heavily prefer Sam to the flowers.
“We’re looking for a cobblestone path,” she answered as she gave his hand a light squeeze, guided them further into the forest. She didn’t know where she was going, exactly, only that she really wanted to go home. Exhaustion made her muscles ache and her bones feel heavy. “And then we need to follow it to a river.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 19, 2020 13:55:17 GMT -5
Romi fought down a laugh and ruffled Sam’s hair with her free hand. “Cobblestones are little round rocks that people used to make roads out of,” she explained and, in reality, it should have been easy to spot them among all the grass and trees. Yet despite how it should have stood out, she couldn’t find a trace of it anywhere. “So keep your eyes open for it, okay?”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 20, 2020 21:18:05 GMT -5
Romi was, though she hated to admit it, getting a bit frustrated. She wanted to go home, as interesting as this strange forest between worlds was. It held more unknown dangers than it did interesting creatures to pique her curiosity and, with Sam fronting, she didn’t want to risk being attacked. He had enough trauma to deal with, she didn’t want to add more onto that pile, and she herself wasn’t fit to fight. Not with the wounds Urzilan gave her still in the process of healing. Sam’s comment about the rocks not being on the road was one that made her pause and hum with consideration. “It’s possible,” she agreed with a quiet sigh. “You can look, but don’t wander too far, okay? Stay where I can see you.”
The last thing she wanted was for him to get whisked away by a monster looking for a quick meal.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 20, 2020 21:34:43 GMT -5
Sam nodded and, with his glowing flowers and moths in tow, scampered over to the spot he had indicated. Normally not one to go exploring in the dark, the light of his new friends helped him go forward without hesitation. Besides, nothing dangerous had shown itself yet, so why was there any reason to be afraid? The first spot he searched held nothing, so he quickly moved on to the next. Then the next. Where Romi was starting to get fed up with the goose chase they seemed to have been sent on, the boy was having fun. They came to a portion of the forest where a log laid on its side. Sam was just tall enough to peek over the top, but he couldn't see the other side clearly. So, carefully so he wouldn't squish his flowers, he climbed up onto the log. He giggled. "Miss Romi, look at me!" he called, waving his arms in the air to make sure she knew where he was. "It's so high up here. I can almost reach this tree limb!" Actually, if he just moved down the log a bit, he was pretty sure he could pull himself up into the tree. Part of him was tempted to do it.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 20, 2020 21:57:50 GMT -5
Romi could have spotted Sam from a mile away, with or without the waving arms, but the sight of him brought a smile to her lips. Nothing could dispel the slight agitation in her blood quite the way he could when he looked at her like that, so bright-eyed and adorably excited. “Aw, well aren’t you just a tall flowerstalk?” She chuckled, glad to see that at least one of them was enjoying this little adventure. As much as she loved spending time with him, she was the only one who knew that being in a place like this wasn’t necessarily a good thing, and she couldn’t ruin his good mood by telling him that. When he announced that he could almost reach the limb of the tree above him, her heart clenched reflexively with worry. She had to remind herself that if he fell, she could catch him, but still. The thought of him falling and getting hurt was not a pleasant one. “Be very careful, okay, Sam? And don’t climb too high.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 20, 2020 22:11:37 GMT -5
"I won't," Sam promised. Placing the flowers down in a safe spot, the boy began to inch his way closer to the branch he had indicated. Now, a fall from this height would have been a problem if an actual six year old fell from it. However, due to the full grown body he had control over, it was likely that he wouldn't be hurt too much. Some bruises and scrapes, maybe a twisted ankle if he landed wrong, but nothing too life threatening.
When he was close enough to the branch, Sam studied it for a few seconds as he thought over how he needed to do this. But, in true child fashion, Plan A was as far as he got before springing action. The boy grabbed hold of the limb in both hands before jumping. His idea had been that when he jumped, he would swing his legs up and around the branch. That wasn't what happened. Instead, Sam swung himself off the log and, underestimating the full weight of his physical body, crashed to the ground on the other side, out of Romi's sight, with a yelp of surprise and pain.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 20, 2020 22:30:25 GMT -5
Now where on earth would a single cobblestone be? There has to be one around here somewhere, Romi pondered as she glanced around the area, at the base of every tree and around every shrub. She was crouched down by a particularly odd bush when she heard the rustle of the tree branch and looked up just in time to see the boy crash into the ground with a painful thud and yelp. Her first instinct was to ask if he was okay, but she remembered that this wasn’t Derek or Winter. An adult would answer, pick themselves up and probably be okay to carry on. However, someone of such a young mindset was more likely to burst into tears or at least have trouble getting up, which was often the case with children. Not all of them, but Sam in general was a sensitive person, and she didn’t know how he would react.
“Sam!” She called as she hurried over, gently placed her hands under his arms and hefted him up. He certainly wasn’t as lightweight as a child, but she managed. Scanned every inch of his face for cuts and scrapes, brushed the dirt from his shirt. “Are you okay, sugar?”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 21, 2020 11:15:54 GMT -5
Romi didn’t expect Sam to lift his head with such a wide grin nor ask for her permission to try again. I think I underestimate him too much. Sam was a sweetheart, but that didn’t make him over sensitive. He was a little tougher than she gave him credit for, whether he was young or not. She couldn’t help but smile back at him and used her thumb to wipe a bit of dirt from his cheek. He wasn’t hurt and, if anything, he seemed to be having a good time. She couldn’t tell him no when he was smiling at her so brightly. “Of course you can try again, sugar.”
The moths, to her surprise, were less interested in the flowers that Sam had put down and more focused on Sam himself. When he fell, they fluttered down to be near him, landed in his hair and across his shoulders. Actually, there were more of them than Romi remembered seeing. Twice as many, to the point where they truly did form a flock. Brightly colored and very bizarre. Where they kept coming from, she had no clue, but she was willing to let them do what they wanted. They didn’t seem harmful and that was all she cared about.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 21, 2020 11:55:46 GMT -5
With her permission, Sam grinned and scrambled to his feet. It wasn't pleasant, what with his left arm still sore, but it didn't seem to slow him down much. Once more, the boy worked his way onto of the log, being careful as he stood. He held his arms out to the sides as best he could to help him balance. There was a brief moment of pause as be made sure his footing was stable. In that time, something caught his eyes. The arrival of more months meant more light was being cast into the forest around them. The glow reflected dully off a large, flat rock seemingly buried in the ground. While it wasn't completely round, it was certainly close.
"Miss Romi, I think I see a cobblestone!" The hoy called to her. He pointed in the direction he was staring at. "It's huge!"
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 21, 2020 12:32:38 GMT -5
Sam’s excitement over what he thought was a cobblestone was more than enough to pique her interest. She turned her head in the direction he was pointing, thankful for the illumination that the moths brought along with them, and was clearly able to see what the boy meant. It was a cobblestone. An old one, mostly buried beneath soft soil, as if it hadn’t been walked on in ages. It wouldn’t have been used recently, would it? Romi realized that the path was probably seldom used and easily forgotten, hidden by dirt and time. There couldn’t have been very many people who found their way to this forest and even fewer creatures who wished to use the portal at all. “Sam, sugar, you are a genius. You’re my little riddle-solver.”
She stepped over to the somewhat round stone and found that there were, in fact, more of them. Placed in a straight line that was absolutely not a natural occurrence. Most were barely sticking out of the ground, but there was enough for her to follow. “Great job, sugar, I’m proud of you,” she said, her voice overflowing with happy pride. Sam was brilliant and wonderful in every way. She didn’t know where she would be without him.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 28, 2020 21:23:22 GMT -5
All of the different alters, in Romi’s mind, were their own separate people. Each of them had the same face—the same brown hair and grey-ish eyes, the same jaw and nose—but their personalities were what set them apart. Derek was soft spoken and kindhearted, Winter was cold and a bit harsh, and Sam was as energetic as he was cuddly. Despite that, not one of them was ever useless in her eyes. Not even Sam, though he may have been the most vulnerable out of the three. She was always proud when he found something new and was glad to see him happy, rather than timid and afraid. In the past month, she had made three very important friends, and she wouldn’t have traded them or changed them for anything in the world.
“Watch your step, sugar,” she warned as she lightly grasped his hand in hers. Gave him a soft smile. “The ground is a bit slippery. I think we’re getting close to the river.” The ground was squishy and soft with mud, which she thought must have meant they were getting closer to the riverbed, and to the portal. There, she saw it—a wide, fast-flowing body of water. Dark and a bit foreboding, reflecting the glow of the moths, and moving at a rapid pace. She couldn’t see any sort of bridge, which meant she would have to make one. “Stay away from the water, Sam. I don’t want you to fall in.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Mar 28, 2020 21:35:44 GMT -5
Sam didn't protest when Romi took his hand in hers. He was used to it by now. Whenever he fronted and they were out and about doing stuff, it had become the normal routine of walking around holding her hands. Much like how a parent would always hold hands of a small child, thus was the same for them. While the body might be a young adult, lending him the abilities and appearance of an adult, that didn't mean he was able to focus like one. If Romi was leading him by the hand, than that meant he could look around at everything and not have to worry about paying attention to where they were going! He wouldn't get lost because she had a hold of him constantly. This time was no different.
Before long, the pair reached the river. Sam watched the water rush by them with wide eyes. Romi didn't have to tell him twice not to get close. The boy didn't know how to swim, so he had no intentions of getting close to the edge of the banks if he could help it. "So where's the portal?" he asked, moving his gaze from the water to the surrounding darkness. It was hard to see much. Even with the moths around, their light wasn't strong enough to illuminate everything.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Mar 28, 2020 22:35:23 GMT -5
Romi didn’t see the portal right away—until she looked a little closer at the water. There, beneath the dark and roiling waves, was the faintest hint of light seeping up to the surface. Where there was light in this strange place, she assumed there was magic. In this case, it had to be related to the portal they were searching for. “I think the portal is in the water,” she answered as she leaned forward just a little to get a better look. “Stay right here on the shore with your moth friends for me, sugar. I’ll take a look first and see if it’s safe.” She disliked separating her hand from his, didn’t like knowing that he wasn’t right by her side. He was the one she worried the most about leaving alone, if only because she was afraid he would get hurt somehow.
There was no avoiding getting drenched, so all Romi could do was slightly bunch up her dress as she stepped into the water. It was cold and unpleasant on her skin, the ground muddy on her bare feet. She’d lost her shoes somewhere a while back, abandoned them in favor of being able to walk without breaking her ankles. Shivering a bit, she pushed further into the river, and found that the current wasn’t quite as strong as she’d first anticipated. It looked wild, but the waves felt gentle and small against her legs. The light was easier to see from here, half hidden beneath layers of aquatic plants, and she could clearly see the edges of a portal marking peeking through.
“Here, Sam. Grab my hand, okay? Don’t slip,” she said as she reached out for him and tried to guide him as safely as she could through the slippery mud.
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