Status
Not open for further replies.

Reina

The Dark Queen
Original poster
STAFF MEMBER
DONATING MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. One post per day
  2. Multiple posts per week
  3. 1-3 posts per week
  4. One post per week
  5. Slow As Molasses
Online Availability
In the mornings usually but only during the week. Weekends are devoted to the family.
Writing Levels
  1. Adept
  2. Advanced
  3. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
Genres
Modern, Magical, Romance, Medieval, Fantasy, Slice of Life
  • A human community and a half-breed community. The war between them and the love that will ultimately unite them.


  • Name: Malia
    Gender: Female
    Race: Human
    Age: 21

    Malia is the outspoken and adventurous daughter of the Mayor of the human community. She is very social, often found with her select group of friends but there are times when Malia just needs to get away from the expectations placed on her by her father and the community. She escapes secretly into the woods, climbing trees and enjoying the forbidden aspect of it all.

    Her views are quite different than the other humans. Although humans and half breeds despise one another, Malia believes there has to be more to the story and that half-breeds were probably not as bad as they were portrayed. A belief she never discussed openly.


    Name: Jexel

    Gender: Male

    Race: Lynx Half-Breed

    Age: 21

    General Appearance: Jexel has a tough and well toned body. He is thick in muscle, but average-sized all around. His cat-like eyes are a golden-amber hue, and his skin is smooth; a snowy pale in color. He has prominent ears on top of his head, and he has paws instead of hands and feet. His slender feline legs and forearms are covered in fur colored with whites, dark browns, and blacks in different streaks. His claws are polished to a beautiful and natural ivory, and he keeps his fangs sharp at all times. Jexel's short and scruffy hair is a natural chestnut brown, but it still holds streaks of white and black like his fur. Despite his shy personality, Jexel has a "killer" smile and a pleasant visage. As for clothes, he wears a hoodie most of the time to hide his ears, and he wears jeans to hide his legs. Unfortunately, he can't wear shoes or gloves effectively, so his paws remain unhidden.

    Current Goal/Purpose: To avoid strong relations with others and to conceal his magical prowess.

    General Personality: Jexel is a simple soul with a very shy exterior. Though a very pleasant individual, he has a rebellious streak every once and a while. He can get very worked up, but he is easily cooled back down again given the right circumstances. Jexel has a few cat-like tendencies, but he manages to suppress them most of the time. These include stalking and pouncing on random moving objects, being easily distracted, hissing at people who annoy him, and licking his paws. He enjoys winter, sweet foods, and staying away from civilization.


As the mayor of this great and wonderful community, I continue to urge my citizens to avoid all contact with half-breeds. They are vile and savage creatures seeking to harm any human they come in contact with. Although part human, they are controlled by their animal side. If you spot a half-breed near the human border, you are obligated to report it to the appropriate authorities immediately. They are very dangerous and unable to be reasoned with. It is our responsibility....

*Click* Malia shut off the television before she could finish listening to yet another public announcement from the mayor. It was a constant occurrence, those announcements. It was meant to instill fear into the human citizens to continue to maintain the barrier between the two communities. Malia wasn't convinced. How could a creature that was part human not have any human qualities? How could they not come to some agreement? Something just wasn't right but the mayor would never listen to her. She was just his daughter and her opinion held no weight.

Malia rose from the white leather couch she was lounging in and proceeded out of the living room area and up the elaborate white marble steps to her room. The Mayor's mansion was by far the largest home in the entire human community and her father had pulled all the stops when it came to their home. They had all the latest state of the art technology, the most expensive furniture and even staff. She passed the house keeper on the way up to her room, nodding quickly to her before pushing her double doors open and entering inside.

Malia had a large walk in closet with clothes, shoes and hand bags to clothe at least ten women. Her father always insisted she looked her best and with all the social events Malia attended, she could never wear the same outfit twice. Today however, Malia intended to be discreet. It was time to escape before her father returned from his office. At the back of the closet, hidden behind some designer suitcases was a worn out, faded pair of blue jeans, a regular black t shirt, hoodie and tennis shoes. It was her go to outfit when she wanted to escape and blend in.

No one expected the Mayor's daughter to look like a regular citizen and Malia always made sure that when she was seen in public, she always looked her best. Today she wished to not be seen. Putting on her outfit, she pulled the black hoodie over her black hair and headed into her private bathroom. The room had a small window in it that, conveniently enough, was very close to the trellis. Climbing out carefully, she descended the trellis and weaved her way around the community, careful not to make eye contact. Looking left and right to ensure she was not followed or seen, she quickly darted into the thick forest.

She knew the forest well, at least the human half anyway. She often went there to escape from her life for a while. There was just so much she didn't agree with in her community and it was best to just come out and distract the mind. After about a half hour of walking, she found her favorite tree. A tall hemlock with enough branches to climb and enough leaves to hide. She felt safe there. Safe from humans, safe from half-breeds (just in case her father's warnings proved to be true). It was perfect to spend a few hours.

The rock she always used to help her climb was still by the base of the tree. Carefully, she stepped onto the rock and propelled herself upwards branch by branch. Somewhere in the middle she stopped, finding a perfect spot that had enough leaves to conceal her and the branches were thick enough to bare her weight. Malia leaned against the tree trunk, crossing her legs in front of her over the branch and pulling her iPod out of her pocket. Placing the buds in each ear, she turned to her favorite playlist for when she was out in the forest and closed her eyes. She was glad to just have some alone time and be free of the responsibilities of her position.
 
Last edited:
Within the woods outside the half-breed community was a large natural lake, it's source coming from a river leading out to the unknown. On the shore of this lake sat Jexel, a lynx half-breed who happily ignored the world he was meant to be in. Humans despised his existence, and he had no resources to make a living in his own community, so he spent his days in the woods, surviving on what he could without getting caught. The eyes of the border guard were ever watchful, at least on the half-breed side, so he was forced to keep a long distance away. The few times he chanced a trip near the human borders, he stayed high in the trees the whole time, unwilling to take a chance with the people who hated him most.

Unfortunately, today was another one of those days. Food was becoming scarce near his makeshift lakeside home with the winter coming so close. Fish were starting to hide at the bottom of the pool, and the water would be freezing over soon. Bigger game was over with the humans, and Jexel needed to prep for the cold snap before it came. Drinking in the fresh breeze, the lynxling packed a rucksack for the trip. "Rope, flint, whetstone, stakes..." Jexel listed off quietly, pulling himself up from the drying sand. "Yeah, that's all of it. Time to move."

The lynxling scaled the first tree he came upon, using its branches to propel himself higher and higher. It wasn't long before he could see over the canopy of trees coating the forest. The colors of fall were wearing thin, but the leaves had yet to fall, much to Jexel's favor as he leaped from tree to tree towards the human's side. It wasn't long before he found a perfect scouting spot, a tall hemlock with plentiful branches and leaves to use for cover. As he slowly descended to lower branches, Jexel saw something he didn't expect. A human girl, huddled on a branch with her legs crossed and eyes closed. The sight made his tail twitch, which caused loose leaves to fall down towards the girl, which made Jexel gasp in terror. If she saw him there, he could be captured...even executed! If she saw him...he might have to kill her. Wiping the last though from his mind, Jexel wildly grasped at the falling leaves, hoping that he could retrieve them before they disturbed the girl. His hopes were dashed as the group of leaves quickly floated away from his reach and down to the girl. The half-breed only held his breath as he waited for what would happen next.
 
"Baby I'm preying on you tonight, Hunt you down eat you alive, Just like animals, Animals, Like animals-mals" blared the lyrics of the song blasting in Malia's ears. She thought it was fitting with everything happening between the two communities, plus it had a very catchy beat. The afternoon breeze was refreshing, the last winds of fall. Malia's foot moved in tune with the rhythm of the song, clearly enjoying the peace and tranquility of the forest. A small leaf brushed against her nose, making her twitch slightly but she ignored it. Leaves continued to fall on her causing the girl to open her eyes. She looked up in the direction of the falling leaves and her heart stopped for a second.

Directly above her was a half-breed and it seemed to be trying to reach for her or swing at her in some way. Malia only saw fur and claws causing her to scream suddenly, an ear piercing, blood curdling yell from the fear. It was trying to kill her! Attempting to back away, Malia lost her balance on the tree branch. She tried desperately to hold on but to no avail, she slipped. She began to tumble downwards at an alarming speed. The only thing Malia saw as she began to descend was the golden hue of eyes staring at her.

The branches gave way as Malia fell off the tree. The air filled with sounds of cracking branches but the adrenaline and fear kept Malia from feeling the pain as the wood cut through her clothing and sliced her skin open. She was moving too quickly and no matter how hard she tried to stop from falling, she continued to descend. This was it...she would lose her life at the hands of a half-breed. She was going to hit the ground. She would never survive that. Perhaps her father was right all along.
 
Malia's screech triggered an instinct in Jexel that he forgot he had. As the girl began her rapid descent, the half-breed immediately propelled himself towards her without a plan. After coiling his paw safely around the girl, Jexel attempted to grab at the branches around him, hoping to halt their descent. His attempts only slowed the two as they plummeted to the ground, but that would have to do. Jexel maneuvered himself under Malia to shield her impact with the ground, aiming his shoulder to the ground to minimize the impact if at all possible. When they hit the ground, something became clear to Jexel. It was more than certainly NOT possible to minimize that kind of impact.

He lay on the ground until he was sure that the human was safe and off of him before groaning in pain. Jexel forced himself up with his good arm, though his ascent was slow, to look at the person he did his best to save. He found no words capable of expressing his mixture of pain, frustration, and curiosity, so he looked intently into the girl's grey eyes hoping for a few answers before he was imprisoned or killed. They were far enough away from the human community that he could make a break for it, but then humans would simply harass the half-breeds more. Jexel, his eyes unbroken from Malia's, knew that he couldn't let his race suffer that way, so he stayed.
 
Malia braced herself for the impact, shutting her eyes tightly and attempting to at least shield her head in some way. Suddenly she felt something around her and the falling slowed some although it didn't stop. Opening her eyes quickly, she realized the half breed had grabbed her and was trying to...stop her from falling? She didn't have much time to think through what was actually happening when the two finally hit the ground with a loud thump and groan coming from the two of them. The half-breed had maneuvered himself underneath her, essentially breaking her fall. For a second Malia was stunned, unable to move from the shooting pain coursing through her body but also from the shock of being saved by a half breed.

Some how she managed to move off of him and gradually rose to her feet using the same tree to sustain herself. There were various cuts across her arms and legs, some deep from the cracking branches as she fell from her beautiful hemlock. Most of the pain however was concentrated on her back at the moment. Although the half breed saved her life, the impact was still too much for the both of them.

Malia did her best to lean against the tree to ease some of the pain that radiated through her. It just seemed to be getting worse as time passed. Her eyes however remained locked on the half-breed directly in front of her. The two simply stared at one another without a word. Malia had never been this close to a half-breed in her entire life and now that she was directly before one, she couldn't help her eyes scanning over him, taking in every feature. He looked human except for the paws he had for arms and legs. His ears were on top of his head but otherwise he would pass for a human.

It was Malia who broke the silence first. "Why?" she began to say, attempting to speak through the pain though it was proving to be very difficult. "Why did you save me? I'm human. You could've just left me to die. Why...why hurt yourself for someone you don't know and for species you hate?"
 
While waiting for the human to make a sound, Jexel let his gaze wander with curiosity. Malia's skin looked soft, much softer than most half-breeds. He forced himself to keep his nails and fangs concealed in regard for this while wondering if that was a general human trait, or if it belonged to females, or Malia alone. Next he spotted the ears, oddly shaped and out of place on the sides of her head. They didn't seem as effective as Jexel's, but the lynxling understood the purpose in all animal's designs, no matter how odd they seemed. Keeping this rule in mind, his gaze wandered to her hands. There were no paws upon her palm, instead replaced by five elongated digits each with dulled nails tipping all ten. Jexel eyed his own paws, becoming envious of the human's grasping capabilities compared to his own. Without letting himself be overwhelmed by this feeling, he looked to Malia's feet, covered and hidden away by shoes. The lynxling could only speculate that a human's hands and feet were one in the same, such as his paws. Jexel was left to his own imagination to decide whether the human had a tail or not. He could have filled hours of time trying to think of what it might look like, but Malia began to speak.

Jexel's ears twitched at the first sound between the two of them. Malia's voice was pleasant, not at all what he expected of the usual human standard. After getting used to her voice, familiarizing himself with it's tone and letting the words echo in his mind, Jexel brought himself back to the question. "Why..." He repeated after the girl, letting the word roll over his tongue slowly. "I think it might have been the right thing to do...but I don't know." Jexel finally answered, wondering how the girl was able to take the whole event so well. He couldn't risk letting her leave without knowing her intentions though, so he pressed on. "What about you? Aren't you afraid of me, or angry at me? I'm filth to you humans, and it's my fault we're in this position. Are you going to kill me for that, like all the others?" The last part had come unexpectedly even to Jexel. Perhaps he had some subconscious hope that a human would be more than their legacy described, or maybe it was just a slip of the tongue. Regardless, he sat and waited for Malia's answer with anticipation.
 
The half breed repeated her words and Malia swore that if she closed her eyes, she would have simply heard the voice of a man. All her life she had heard so many different things about half-breeds and now she stood before one that had actually saved her life on some moral premise. She watched him however, keeping a safe distance. Although, if he really wanted to attack her, there wasn't anything she could really do to defend herself. She didn't carry any weapons, no one even knew she was in the forest. Her father was busy in his office, the servants assumed she was in her bedroom. He could kill her and no one would know for at least a couple days.

Malia's eyes stared at the half-breed as he sat down on the ground. When he didn't waver from his position, Malia too descended to the ground, using the tree trunk as leverage. Standing was hurting her, her back was throbbing and the cuts on her arms and legs were really beginning to sting. "I'm...I'm afraid. I'm terrified actually," Malia began to say. She figured it would be best to tell the truth and perhaps the half-breed would not harm her in any way. "I'm not angry. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be but...I'm...I'm not going to kill you. I'm not a killer."

It wasn't as if she had anything to kill him with anyway, not that she wanted to but she was a sitting duck and honestly he had more power over her than she had over him. Malia's grey eyes locked to the amber of the half-breeds. If only she could tell what he was thinking. What was he waiting for? Was he going to hurt her?

"Why save me if you were trying to attack me in the tree? You were trying to..I don't know...claw me? I did nothing to you. I was just sitting there."
 
"Wh-what? I wasn't doing anything to you!" Jexel's voice raised in irritation and his tail lashed about, but he cooled down quickly enough before continuing. "I was trying not to disturb you. Some leaves were falling, so I tried to catch them before they hit you. Of course, my paws aren't quite made for catching stuff out of the air... Honestly though, don't be so tense. It's making my fur stand on end. I'm not going to hurt you after putting so much effort into saving your hide. Besides, you probably scared off any game 'round here. I don't have a reason to stick around." The half-breed was about to make way back to his abode before halting to take a whiff of the air. It seemed like he already forgot about Malia as his head spun around to catch sight of a rabbit rushing to it's burrow. Following his instinct, he sprang off in an instant to catch the critter. Jexel brought his full weight on the creature with precision accuracy, crushing it's neck without an issue. He stuffed his prey into his sack before walking back to Malia and offering her a hand.

"Come on, you either need to leave, or come with me. I can do something about those scratches, but I don't have time to wait around for a human." Jexel knew he had all the time in the world, but getting out of any chance of trouble was his foremost priority. Taking the time to help someone he just met was a hassle already, and the fact that this someone was a human made everything more difficult. "It looks like I left most of my stuff back at my place. It'll be a trek, especially with you being all cut up, but I don't charge for injuries that I cause...and no waiting room, heh. Then again, I'm sure your human doctors are closer or whatever..." Jexel was pretty normal on the outside, but internally he was doing his best to bite his tongue. Shooting the breeze with a human? Really? Another fine idea in a string of fine ideas Jexel thought to himself, brushing his hair back nervously with his paw.
 
Malia eyed the half breed cautiously. His story seemed plausible. It made sense that he wasn't trying to hurt her at all and that it was all a big misunderstanding between the two. But when he sprang off, Malia gasped loudly. She watched as the half-breed killed the little rabbit and tucked it away in his sack for later. She thought the action cruel and barbaric, only an animal would be capable of killing in such a way. Her father's words rang in her head once again, Malia. They are animals. They are not human.

Then he offered her a hand. Malia looked to him then to his extended paw. He was offering to help her but take her deeper into the woods? Alone? Did he lie about wanting to hurt her? Was he going to do to her what he did to the rabbit? Malia was tense. Truly frightened but how was she going to explain to her father about her cuts and bruises? He would never trust her alone again but could she trust this half-breed? He did save her life and if he meant to hurt her, wouldn't he have done it already? Malia was confused but knew if she wanted to continue to come to the forest, she had better chances with the half-breed. She only hoped her trust was not ill placed.

She didn't take the paw extended to her but did her best to stand up on her own. When she back on her feet, wincing from the stings and the pain radiating in her back, she spoke. "Lead the way."
 
Jexel sighed as Malia got up without his help, but lead on without a parting remark. The trek was longer than he was used to since he was going at a human pace, but he didn't mind too much. It was oddly pleasant to have company in the forest for once, even if it was a human. Eventually the pair arrived at Jexel's home, an average-sized hut-in-progress without much else to it. "Well, here we are. I'll be back in a second...oh, don't touch anything, please. Everything's still a bit fragile." The lynxling said as he walked into the hut. After shuffling around the organized chaos of dried branches sorted into all sorts of piles, he pulled out a large roll of bandages, a leather pouch, and a bowl of water hewn out of stone. Jexel walked back to Malia and sat her on a nearby stump. "Now sit still, and stop being so tense! Jeez, try and help a gal..." The half-breed huffed irritably before washing the girl's arm with the pleasantly warm water, taking care to be gentle to avoid disturbing her cuts and bruises further.

"This is going to sting a lot worse than it should if you don't keep calm. I need you to sit very still, so bite your lip or something." Using the watery residue still inside the bowl, Jexel poured in and mixed the contents of the leather pouch; what seemed to be a small mixture of herbs. Once the mix was moist, he gathered some on the tip of his claw and began to carefully apply it to each of Malia's cuts. Jexel finished off the process by tightly bandaging the human's wounds and stepping back to admire his handiwork. "Alright, that should do it. Let me know when the stinging stops and I'll lead you back.
 
During the long trek to the half-breed's home Malia was very apprehensive. Her guard was up, not knowing what to expect from the half-breed when they arrived at his home. He led her deep into the woods and the sinking feeling in Malia's stomach grew worse and worse. Add in the radiating back pain and the painful cuts and bruises and she was really beginning to regret her decision. What had she gotten herself into? She should have never followed him. She should have taken her chances back in the human community. When they finally arrived, Malia's grey eyes scanned over the small and simple hut the half-breed lived in. For a second she thought, how could anyone live like this? She watched him enter the hut and was careful not to touch anything. She didn't want to give him a reason to actually attack her.

After a short while he emerged with bandages, water and a small pouch. He walked over to her and suddenly grabbed her, sitting her on a stump. Malia immediately tensed at his touch, bracing herself for the worst but it never came. "Sorry," she muttered at his admonishment and removed her hoodie so he could better treat her cuts. The warm water helped to rinse out the cuts and she was thankful that she was getting treated before she ended up with some sort of infection. It was hard to shake the tension with a half-breed so close to her. Her fathers words just kept replaying over and over again in her mind. Warning after warning. It was hard not to think of them.

Malia balled her hands in fists and closed her eyes as the half-breed began to put some sort of herbal remedy on her cuts. The stinging brought tears to her eyes but she didn't let them fall. She only sucked air in through her teeth and grunted as he treated each cut. When she was all bandaged up, she put her hoodie back on, "Thank..thank you." Her sweater was cut up from where she fell and her jeans were no better but she had a large enough closet not to mourn the loss of one outfit. "I appreciate what you have done for me. Do you...do you need any help with your shoulder? You've helped me. It's only fair I return the favor."

Malia wanted to help. She figured if she evened out the score then neither would owe the other anything and when he returned her to the border they could go about their lives like normal and neither had to speak of what happened on that day. "Umm...nice...uh hut you have there. Did you build it yourself?" she asked, attempting to be cordial.
 
"It's just dislocated." Jexel said, shoving his shoulder back into place with a grunt. Of course that wasn't all that hurt him, but his solitary pride refused to accept help from anyone, humans especially. "You don't owe me anything anyways. Accident or not, I caused your little stumble, so I'm only making up for that." At Malia's comment about his hut, he looked back to observe his disheveled home further. The roof had hardly been started on, and the walls had too many gaps to count. From what one could see through the holes, the inside seemed even worse. The only benefit so far to the hut was it's lakeside appeal. "Uh, thanks." He responded finally, a bit of sarcasm making its way into his voice. "I'm still working on it, but yeah I built it myself. Though I'm certainly not making much progress right now. Usable material isn't easy to find here. I'm hoping the winter will change that..." Jexel caught himself before he droned on further, irritated with himself that he fell into conversation with a human again.

"Well, we should get you back. I'd hate to think of what would happen to us if others saw us out here together..." Jexel turned quickly to hide the slight hue of pink that rose to his face. The connotations of what he said hit him harder than he expected. "...W-well come on then. I still have some hunting to do, and you still have...uh, whatever it is you humans do." With that, Jexel began the walk back with the hopes that Malia was smart enough to follow along. He wasn't willing to show any awkwardness to a human if he could help it.
 
Malia could tell she had overstayed her welcome with the half-breed. He wanted nothing more to do with her and frankly, neither did she. "Yeah, yeah. It's best if we get back right away." With a hushed grunt, she rose from the tree stump and follow the half breed back out towards the woods. Her eyes fixated on the back of him as he led the way and if she didn't know better, she could swear he was just a man. As they walked Malia replayed the events of the past hour. The past hour had overthrown everything she had been told about half breeds. Despite having a low tolerance for her presence, the half-breed helped her. He saved her life and even helped heal her wounds. He didn't attack her, he did nothing but be kind to her. What her father wrong about them all this time like she thought?

They arrived just a few feet away from the human border. It was far enough away so he would not be seen but close enough so Malia wouldn't lose her way. She turned to face the half-breed. "Um...thanks. Thanks a lot for helping me and guiding me back to my home. I know you didn't have to. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate what you've done for me today." She gave him a half smile and started towards the human community. Before she got too far she turned around again and called out to the half-breed. "Hey! Um...Do you have a name or something? I'm Malia by the way and I think I should know the name of the one who saved my life."
 
Silence was golden during the trek back to the human border, so Jexel believed as he led Malia through the forest once more. As they walked, he pondered on the human behind him. Should he have killed her? It wasn't too late, and she was too slow to run away. She wasn't a half-breed, so eating her wouldn't technically be cannibalism, and her bones could make for some useful materials. On the other hand, she didn't try to run from him. She didn't interrupt him to spout some human propaganda, or to scream or yell for help, or to hate him needlessly. She was obedient when receiving aid, and she wasn't a sissy. Jexel glanced back at her, pretending to see if she was keeping up. Perhaps it was something he inhaled back at the hut, but Jexel sort-of admired the girl. She was visibly strong for a human, and though it took her a while, she was pretty calm in his presence. Looking forward again, the lynxling had to shake his head vigorously to avoid seeing the human as attractive. Neither of them could afford that kind of thought.

"N-no problem." Said Jexel uneasily, still a bit lost in his thoughts. When he came completely to, he saw Malia's half-smile and had to turn his head away. "Well w-whatever! Listen, you need to keep those bandages on for as long as you can. When you absolutely have to take them off, wash your skin immediately. Got it?" With that, he watched the human walk off. He probably wouldn't see her again...probably for the best, but Jexel couldn't help but feel a sort of tug towards the girl. She was the first person he'd talked to in a long time. Regardless, he strongly resisted this mysterious tug until the girl turned back towards him. After hearing her name, his resistance faltered just enough. "...Malia." He repeated her once again, letting the name roll off his tongue with reluctance. After a moment of pondering, the lynxling spoke once more. "M-my name is Jexel" he called back, biting his lip to avoid saying anything else. With that, Jexel turned slowly to return to his business, his eyes still locked to Malia as he walked away.
 
"Jexel," Malia repeated with a nod, registering the name of the half-breed who had saved her life. "Thank you again." With that said, Malia turned and reentered the human community. Every step was painful. Every step stung as she maneuvered her way around the town, keeping to the shadows and dodging quickly into alleys when she saw someone that may recognize her. It took her longer than usual to return to the mansion. The pain in her limps and back was becoming worse the more she forced herself. She reached the trellis but couldn't bring herself to climb back into her room. With what she was feeling, she would fall if she tried. She opted to brave it and walk in through the front door.

She stepped quietly inside, careful to close the door behind her without so much as a creak. She removed her muddy shoes and tiptoed towards the steps that led to her room. She made it to the steps when she heard her father's voice calling from the kitchen. "Malia?" Malia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Her father couldn't see her this way but the only option would be to run up the steps and she wasn't sure she could do that right now. "Yes father?" she called back, hoping her father would not come out from the kitchen at the moment. "Why don't you come and join your old man for dinner tonight?"

What a relief Malia thought. "Of course father. Let me just change into something more comfortable. I'll be right there." Without giving her father much of a chance to protest, Malia climbed the steps as quickly as she could and entered her room. Once inside she leaned against the double doors and took in a deep breath. Safe. She dropped her shoes by the door and walked straight towards her bathroom. She needed a shower, she needed to properly clean her wounds and she needed antibiotic cream. Jexel's small care might have helped her arrive home but there was nothing like modern medicine.

Malia showered the best she could, washing away the dirt and grass from her body and hair. She cleaned her wounds, careful not to scream. She dressed herself and dressed her wounds, taking a few pain killers so she could get through the night with her father. The cuts and bruises were pretty bad but not hospital worthy at least. She wouldn't be able to explain to her father why she needed to go to hospital plus the doctors and nurses would immediately call the mayor if they found something suspicious with his daughter. When Malia was finally ready to face her father she left her room, tossing her muddy tennis shoes in the trash, and proceeded to the kitchen to have a wonderful sit down dinner.

Her father brought her up to speed on the happenings of the day as they ate their steak, potatoes and biscuits. Malia's father insisted she learn about the politics of the community. As his daughter she needed to represent him and he had high plans for her. He wanted her to be the next mayor after him. Something Malia didn't wish at all but there was no arguing with her father. As Malia listened to her father, or pretended to, her mind wandered back to Jexel. She wondered what he was doing. That hut didn't look all too safe. She stared at her food and wondered if he was hungry. She should do something for him she thought to herself. He was kind to her. She needed to return the favor.
 
When Malia was out of sight, Jexel sat down to be alone with his thoughts. Questions began to blur his perception of humans and half-breeds. What had just happened between the girl and him opened an unfathomable rift between Jexel's morality and the way humans were portrayed to him. He had dared to help a human; something so taboo in his culture that he could be killed for it. Sure, Jexel never agreed with the rest of the half-breeds on that account, but he still saw humans as weak. "...and any half-breed acting friendly with a human is simply a weak link in our society." Jexel quoted himself silently. He recalled making that remark at a particularly venomous rally in the half-breed community, fighting against decisions to attempt integration with the humans. Of course the rally was a success, but that was a long time ago. The knowledge of what he was saying back then only went as far as his knowledge of humans. Thinking back to Malia, Jexel wondered what he would have said now in that same situation.

It was late in the day when he ceased his wondering, and he still had to collect supplies for the week. Reluctantly, Jexel picked himself up to resume the hunt, though his entire body protested. The sun was setting when he arrived back at his hut with a couple of squirrels, another rabbit, and a small snake. Jexel made a small fire-pit and tossed a few branches in before laying some of his catch on the pile. Looking at his paws with a sigh, the half-breed focused until flames began to rise from his fur. This was the reason humans and half-breeds could never mix; the line in the sand that humans dared not cross, and half-breeds dared not abuse. Magic. Jexel tossed the fire in his palms over to the pit and began cooking his meal with this in mind, wondering if that line would ever be erased, and whether it'd result in something amazing...or something terrifying.
 
It took a few days before Malia was able enough to move about like normal. She loaded up on antibiotics and continuously treated her cuts and bruises until they stopped stinging. They were a constant reminder of her encounter with the half-breed. She hadn't stopped thinking about Jexel since she left him in the forest that day. She had been thinking on what was the best way to help him or somehow return the favor he had done for her. When Malia thought for sure she could brave the forest again, she dressed and grabbed a backpack. Malia went into the kitchen and grabbed some left overs the housekeeper left in the fridge then she went to the basement. In the basement she grabbed some rope and tape and tossed them into her bag as well.

Taking her normal secret route, Malia made her way to the border of the human community and snuck into the forest. She wasn't as fast as she usually was but she made her way slowly towards her hemlock. She looked around but didn't see Jexel anywhere. She did remember however how to get to his hut. The trail was still fairly recent so it wasn't hard to find the prints of paws followed by shoes. She followed the trail until she reached the lake and Jexel's hut. Unsure of proper half breed etiquette, Malia opted not to just enter his camp. She called to him instead of the border of it. "Jexel? Hey Jexel are you here? It's...it's uh Malia. The human you helped the other day...um..I've brought some stuff for you. I hope you don't mind."
 
A shirtless Jexel, caught by surprise in the middle of re-treating some of his wounds, hid in a tree as soon as he heard the foot steps. Had the girl tattled? After all he had done for her? The half-breed couldn't help but feel a strong sense of betrayal from the thought. So he waited in the tree so he could at least have the element of surprise going for him. He had to force down a sigh of relief when Malia showed her face...but then she started to call for him. Jexel hopped down behind her as quick as possible, covering her mouth with one of his paws. "Are you stupid?" He hissed. "You're this close to the half-breed border and you're raising your voice?" After making sure she was quiet, he released his paw and walked in front of her. "If you can see my hut, then I already know where you are and what you're doing. You'll be in more danger trying to get my attention than just waiting for me, alright?" With a sigh, Jexel walked over to the lake shore to gather water in his paws, pouring it gently over his shoulder and onto his back. "So, why did you come back here? You look fine to me. Did your parents find out about that incident with the tree? Did they leave you out here for dead?" Jexel's curiosity was slowly taking over his apprehension of the human as he continued asking questions.
 
Last edited:
Before Malia knew what was happening her mouth was being covered. A wave of panic passed over her body until she realized it was Jexel. She heeded his warning and remained silent. She should have known better. Jexel was nice to her but the other half-breeds may not be so inclined. As he stood in front of her Malia nodded in agreement, "Alright." She needed to tread lightly when around the half-breed border, for her own safety and Jexel's. Her eyes followed behind him as he proceeded towards the lake side.

Taking a seat on the tree stump she had sat in a few days before, Malia removed her back pack and set it in front of her. "I-uh. I came to check on you actually. I'm doing better. Took a bunch of antibiotics and the soreness has been alleviated for the most part. My father is still very much unaware thankfully so no he didn't leave me out here for dead." It made her smile a little. Humans didn't just abandon their children in the woods when they were weak and frail. They cared for them until they were better. She wanted to do the same for the half-breed that helped her.

Unzipping the bag Malia pulled out the leftovers, tape and rope. "I brought you some stuff I thought could be useful. I have some left over food from home I thought you might enjoy. Doesn't look as though you have a big....menu out here. And I brought some tape and rope to help you with your little hut." She smiled as she laid everything out for him. "I just wanted to show you how appreciative I am for what you did and as a gesture of...trust."
 
Jexel kept his distance from the human at first, but he inched closer as she set her gifts in the open. His eyes narrowed at the tape, which he picked up immediately for inspection. "I haven't seen stuff like this in a while..." The half-breed said more to himself, reminiscing on the last time he was in the community. Before his mind could wander any further, he shook his head and set the tape back down. "Listen...M-Maya? Mala? ...Malia! Malia. Listen, you really didn't need to do this." He kept his voice low, but the genuine surprise of the gesture was not lost. "I mean, if you appreciate being scared out of trees I can always accommodate, but something tells me that's not what you meant. I-I appreciate your trust though, all things considered. And hey, you're calm now! ...It took you long enough." Jexel crossed his arms mockingly, a small grin making its way to his lips.

Eventually he took a seat on the ground in front of Malia, crossing his legs to make himself comfy. "So, uh...now what? If you brought enough food, we could have something to eat. I haven't gone hunting yet, so if you're fine with sticking around for a bit..." Jexel just couldn't stop himself! Talking with this human seemed to come easier than talking with his own species, and that was frustrating for the lynxling. Since he could no longer retract his statement without making it into an awkward situation, Jexel simply scratched his neck nervously as he waited for her answer.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.