Author: Hellebore, Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 8:18 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Rex was caught off guard by the shadow tendrils helping soak him, and once that was done, he was merely laughing, enjoying being the one held for once, instead of holding. “Hazel…I’ll accept everything about you. And if they throw rocks at me, I’ll just laugh it off. Besides…” He smirked. “I’m pretty sure Mom and Pops would take issue with that…I’m pretty sure they can take care of a few of those problems.” An angry Simone was not one to be trifled with. She would burn the whole city down if it meant protecting their children.

As Hazel pulled herself up, revealing her full body to him, Rex blushed. “You’re…” He smiled. “Really not plain, Hazel.” It was pretty obvious with the way his body was reacting. He wasn’t bothering even trying to hide it. “Yeah…there are other things we can do.” He kissed her.

“Here…let me show you. Just…”

Rex, being as experienced as he was, showed Hazel a few different things they could do without going too far. There were points, though, where Rex was close to giving in, but he bit his tongue, and backed off. Hazel, though inexperienced, learned quickly, and also learned that Rex was not all talk about knowing what to do. If anything, she had to tell him off for almost overloading her with information. So Rex, a little disappointed, stuck to some of the basics.

But, they enjoyed each other, but soon they pulled away from each other, realizing that they needed to actually get some sleep. It was going to be a long week of them traveling, and…they would have plenty of time to explore each other.

Author: Hazel, Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 8:08 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Hazel blushed a bit more and smiled. “If you say so I’ll believe you.” She didn’t think he was a liar at all. He was a good person deep down just a bit misguided.

She laughed and continued to splash until she knew what she wanted to ask him. It wasn’t hard to pin him and she seemed happy with his answer. There was a laugh from her as she heard his condition. She splashed him and suddenly her shadows seeped up and almost splashed him. It threw him and he managed to land under the water where it softly caught him laying him down. Her shadows wisped around him.

“As long as you’ll accept me for everything that I am… Curse and all… I’ll accept you. I’m a pariah, unwanted, unloved by most… More than just some fuck up because you can fix yourself. Once you are seen with me in Sularia people will talk and they might even throw rocks at you… Can you handle that?”

She pulled herself upon the ledge to let Rex have a full view of her as she sat by him. She patted by her and if he moved by her she began to kiss him softly not wanting to break it. “I’ll give you it when the time is right. That doesn’t mean we can’t have fun… There are other things right?” She was clueless but Rex knew things didn’t he?

Wrapping herself around him she pulled him down and nuzzled his face. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t trust you to stop.”

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 8:00 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Rex blew a raspberry at her when she called herself plain. “Please, Hazel…you’re anything but plain. The mysterious girl at the edge of the town…” He nuzzled the back of her head. “You’re wonderful…” He finished up her back, and when she turned back around, she started to splash him. He playful fought back, splashing water up at her.

It took him a moment, though, to realize that Hazel had backed him up against a boulder. “Yeah, Hazel? He replied as she called out his name. She pulled him into a longer, gentle kiss, and as they broke apart, Rex was panting. Her question was soft, but it seemed to hang in the air. Hazel seemed almost desperate when she asked.

“I…” Rex started as he glanced away. “If…you’ll have me as I am. I can’t promise I’m much of anything…” He glanced back at her with a half smile. “Just…an average fuck up. But…I’ll be your fuck up if you want…” He paused. “Can you…promise me though, that…we’ll eventually have sex?” It was a weird thing. “I mean…as long as I know the possibility is there…I can manage.” He grinned. “It doesn’t have to be anytime soon…I won’t…pressure you…well, not much. I might… ask…but if you say no, I’ll respect it. I promise…”

Author: Hazel, Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 7:39 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Hazel knew he would oogle her. He was only trying to since forever but it was alright right now and she just blushed a bit. It wasn’t so bad having him look at her like this. “Rex, I love you bothering me.” Then came the kiss and it felt like almost everything melted away. There weren’t other girls, they weren’t on some deranged trip, she totally hadn’t tried to ditch him on a potato cart… It was just her and Rex.

“I would never ever tell you to go away. Not then. Not now. Not even later if you make me mad…” Her voice was soft as she laid a kiss on his nose. She blinked a bit as he kissed her and she felt her face flush before he had her turn around.

“Careful lover boy you don’t want to burn all your good luck in one go,” she teased him as she leaned closer to him. “I don’t mind… I mean I do but… not really? It’s with you and so I like it… I mean I don’t know why you would like me… I’m sort of plain.”

Once he was done she turned back around and splashed water up at him with a laugh. Then a thought hit her and she made a face as she started to back him into a boulder in the center of the basin. “Rex?” She waited for him to answer her before she pulled him down and kissed him again. Just as gently but longer.

“Dump them Rex…” Hazel looked hurt a bit. “Be with me… Please? Only me.”

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 7:27 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Rex wasn’t sure what to do. She was being quiet for the moment, and he wondered if he had said too much. And then, she hugged him. He was intimately aware of her bare body pressed against his, and he blushed as she put her lips to his shoulder. It was meant as a comforting gesture, but all the same he felt a little heated in the moment. And then she spoke.

Her words were tender, and scared. They were full of emotion as she spoke about how Rex had affected her, coming day by day. He had never thought of it that way…he thought of himself as being selfish, wanting to fulfill his own desires. He had never really thought of how Hazel felt in all of this.

Rex felt a tap on his shoulder as she released him, and hesitantly he turned around. He blushed, glancing to the side. He wasn’t expecting Hazel to suddenly be so casual, and it threw him off. “And what exactly do you like about me?” to his surprise, Hazel answered. She spoke of how he had a kind heart, and that his love of Izzy was such a big part of him. How, despite his stupidity, he was so brave when it came to rescuing Hazel, even if she didn’t need it.

“Yeah, I guess,” Rex replied with a sheepish grin, looking back at her. He only lingered at her chest for a moment, but then went back to her eyes. They were still glowing in the moonlight.

“So..you actually like me bothering you?” Rex asked with a half smile. “And here I thought I was just being selfish…” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Hazel…that I hurt you. I wasn’t even thinking about how it must have made you feel. Honestly..it didn’t make sense to me. I thought…if anything…maybe you’d finally get fed up with me and just tell me to leave entirely…”

And then the kiss happened. His eyes were wide with surprise. It wasn’t some passionate, desperate kiss in the throes of lust. It was a soft, affectionate thing, something that he had never really experienced before. “I…guess I can be okay with you teaching me things…” He sighed. “Thank you…Hazel.” He leaned over and kissed her softly. “Now…it’s your turn. I’ll…get your back.”

Hazel blushed at the unexpected return of affection, but turned around. Slowly, Rex started to lather her back. With a sly smile though, he let his hands slide to her front, where he grabbed her chest. He wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass him by. But it was only a quick one, and he was immediately back to soaping up her back in a heartbeat.

“Couldn’t resist,” he said, sticking out his tongue.

Author: Hazel, Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 6:56 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Hazel listened to him and continued to wash him and soon she was hesitant but her arms came around him and she put her lips to his shoulder as she thought. She had seen this plenty of times from people who were comforting. “I…” She tilted her head at him and mused it.

“I think you are dumb to think it’s the best you’ll ever do.”

Her silver eyes looked up at him as she hugged herself to him, “I’m scared of people a lot… but I’m not scared of you not anymore. These last few days have been great. Just me, you, and the world. I’ve never really had anyone before now. No one who would listen to me if I wanted to speak but you came every day and you sat with me even if I didn’t want you there.”

She was scared a bit as she let go and tapped his shoulder for him to turn around as she played with her hair. “I like that… You have a good heart. You are kind and go out of your way to help others. You love Izzy and I can see that a lot. You didn’t hesitant to try and save me even though I didn’t need you to. I thought it was brave. Stupid but brave but that’s attractive in a way. You jumped with no thought in the world on if you could you just say you had to.” She gave him and smile again. “You were just thinking of me.”

The witch looked thoughtful for a moment, “It’s lonely when you aren’t there anymore and when you are there I am happy. I’m happy to have the distraction from what is normally so lonely for me.” She hesitated. “And I’m scared that if I give you what you want… you’ll just leave me alone… so I shoved you far away hoping that was enough to keep you. Instead of talking to you and telling you what I wanted. I locked you out of the house because it broke my heart to know you chose someone else daily and then came to me. As if I was a nice second place trophy. It’s not that way and I know it’s not because how the hell would you have known? I didn’t tell you… part of me was scared that you would run away. I was happy just having you there.”

She leaned up a bit and kissed the edge of his lip. The very bottom of it before lowering herself back in the water, “I don’t think you are some fuck up. I know you get frustrated when you can’t do things but it’s okay to mess up. It’s okay to not be good at things. I can teach you if you let me… and you’ll be better for it. It’s okay not to be some prodigy. It’s okay just to be Rex because I like you the way you are but that doesn’t mean that I can’t like who you’ll become too.”

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 6:43 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

The cool water felt great against his skin, and he felt some of the last few days worth of grime come off. Hazel demanded that he turn around, and started to wash his back. It was weird…it seemed like out of nowhere she was comfortable with being closer to him. Rex wasn’t sure what changed, but he was pretty sure that it would go back to normal once they got back to Sularia.

“What?” he asked, surprised by her sudden question about what he liked in the girls. The question seemed to come out of the blue, and he wasn’t entirely sure how to answer it at first. He opened his mouth to make a response, and then stopped. He took a breath, and tried again, this time at least getting out a word. “I…” He thought about it. “Really just like the sex. The temporary high…it makes me feel good…” He hesitated. “It makes me feel…literally anything…”

It was starting to become apparent that Rex wasn’t as confident as he made himself out to be. From the moment that Lewis and Simone had adopted him, the reality of who he was in comparison to the rest of the other kids. Every day it became clearer that he was nothing, while they were everything. Lewis was a world class assassin…Simone, a writer and a perfect mother. Lucas was smart, and Ezili was a brilliant and beautiful dancer. Everett was a little terror, but even he was starting to show signs of talent whenever he cooked with Silva. Alshaya, the deviant she was, was amazing at twisting words and demanding attention… Then there was Mira…the power she held over water was frightening. Their sister, Fiori, was already leagues ahead of the best seamstresses in Benin…. Lastly, were the twins. Barely a year old at this point, and already they were showing themselves to be scary smart. Lila…Janus…the mana they held alone outclassed the rest of the family, save for Lewis and Simone. That left Rex…

Rex, the one who had survived. The one who was so desperate for attention that he seeked it out in all the wrong ways. Rex, the one who wanted to fight against the reality that was coming true before his very eyes. He didn’t want to end up like his father, Rhenakos. He didn’t want to destroy someone else’s life due to his own failures. That was why he tried so hard with Izzy…maybe if he could help Izzy, then…

“I think…” Rex whispered. “That it’s the best I’ll ever do.”

”And me… what do you like about me… ?”

He smirked. “All that? About wanting to feel? It happens around you…I don’t know why. I don’t have an answer… just being around you makes me feel happy. It’s not an intense high like sex…but, it’s not…temporary. It lingers. I think about what you’ve said throughout the day when I walk home. You’re smart…funny…cute. Your words…they just make me feel happy…”

Author: Hazel, Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 6:05 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

“Because Rex, I like you. They get your attention and I want it but I feel…” She frowned a bit and she shyly looked away. “Never mind.” How could she tell him that she just wanted him but she didn’t want to do that? She had been told it was special and she was scared that after Rex got it that he would leave. Then there was the matter of all of his other girls.

She couldn’t just give him what he wanted because… then she would be no better than the rest who used him.

“I like… you being around and helping me.”

As soon as she was in the water the wave from Rex running hit her and she was laughing. Her hair was flat to her head now compared to how much volume it normally had. “Nice,” Hazel clapped with the soap in her hand.

“Turn around… You have to wash your front though,” Hazel was gentle as she washed his back and she thought about it. “…Rex… What do you like about the other girl?” She was quiet and waited for his response. “And me… what do you like about me…?”

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:51 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

The fact that Hazel was fine with the both of them going to the waterfall at the same time was a bit of a shock to Rex, but he went with it. If things went well, maybe he could get a little more than just a peek. Sure, he had to turn around, but if it was dark enough, she might not notice if he turned a tad bit early.

As they traveled through the forest to the waterfall, though, Hazel suddenly stopped. Rex was not focused, more or less staring at her butt for the most part, and ended up bumping into her. He took a step back, apologizing as she looked at him. When their eyes met, though, something seemed to take his breath away.

Her eyes seemed to glow silver, as she told him how wrong he was, and that she liked him. “I…” He paused. “Why…would you get jealous over something like that…’ He laughed it off, unsure of how to really process the information he was given. Rex looked away, unable to hold her gaze for too long. “You needn’t be jealous of girls like that, Hazel…”

That’s all a fuckup like me really deserves anyway….

“Besides,” he said, looking back up. “You need me around to get stuff done. Izzy can’t always be the one doing all of your errands, right? It gives me something productive to do. You don’t mind the company, right?”

They continued on to the waterfall, and once they arrived, Hazel told him to turn around. He did as he was told, but the moment he heard her start to slip into the water, he took a quick peek.

YE-….aw fuck. It’s too dark… All he could see was her silhouette, and while that was sensual in its own way, it wasn’t quite the prize he had hoped for. He sighed as she called out that it was his turn, and he stripped down. Without a warning, he ran out, yelling as he leapt into the air, crashing into the water.

Rex, to no one’s surprise, had zero shame.

Author: Hazel, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 5:43 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

She blinked a bit in shock at what he said. It was the complete opposite actually. Hazel liked Rex. Like REALLY liked Rex. She didn’t get a chance to correct him and decided that waiting for the right moment she could tell him. Hazel wasn’t sure what she was going to do with this information or even if she should tell him but she felt like she couldn’t let him live with thinking that way.

Once she started to prep the deer she found him disgusted, “Rex, out here we have no one to depend on but ourselves. We have no one to steal from and not one drop of silver will save our lives. If you want to come with me more… You have to learn.” She blushed a bit and looked away.

Hazel had the deer strung up before she started to put the tent up. It was just big enough for two people… and that might be a problem if he didn’t want her in his space. She was getting used to him now and maybe letting him closer wasn’t a bad thing.

“A bath sounds good.” She had towels and soap ready by spell and looked at him. “If you turn your back I’ll get in first… Then you can get in. It’s dark enough you can’t see anything.” She began to walk with him towards the waterfall. She paused though and he hit her.

“Rex?” She looked up at him her silver eyes almost glowing. “You were wrong Rex. I do like you. I like you a lot. Why do you think I kept locking you out of the house whenever you smelled like those girls… I was jealous because… You shouldn’t be around me but you want to be and I don’t know how to process it.”

She continued forward and put the towels by the shore. “Okay turn around.” Once he was she didn’t check to make sure he wasn’t looking. Instead, she stripped and waded into the water. Once she was chest-deep she turned around. “Alright, Rex. Your turn.”

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 5:33 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Rex sighed, “No…I just…you’ve already stated you’re not interested in me, so I shouldn’t be so pushy.” It was never directly said, of course, but in Rex’s mind, the rejection was pretty loud and clear. “I’ll try to respect your boundaries more. And…you’re a virgin,” he said. “Probably don’t want to waste something special on me…”

He didn’t really give her a chance to respond to that, and instead focused on making sure she ate, even though she said she wasn’t hungry. What was surprising, though, was how much she was touching him. She helped him up, and more or less pushed him out the door.

“What…we’re going to learn to hunt?” He was surprised. “I don’t need to-” Rex paused. “Yeah…okay. Please…teach me…how to hunt…” It was as if he were straining himself to ask. About halfway through the day, she stopped, and more or less wrapped herself around him, guiding his hands on the bow.

It was hard to focus on what she was saying. She kept talking about breathing and aiming, but all he could focus on was the fact that her chest was against his back. His mind went back to the morning, at what he had seen.

Focus you moron. He shooed the thoughts away, and did as he was asked, taking aim and loosing the arrow. “Oh…OH I DID IT!” he said excitedly as they approached the felled deer. “What are yo-” he started to ask as she prepped the deer for later. “Oh…” His stomach churned a bit. “That’s….kind of gross…”

The two continued on, and as the sun started to set, they found a nice place to set up a tent. Rex went about starting the fire with the limited amount of magic he knew how to use, and sat back as the flame roared to life.

“Say…” he said as he took a sniff. “We…really reek… I think I remember a waterfall back there,” he pointed. “Maybe we should rinse off, at the very least? I know I’m covered in sweat…”

Author: Hazel, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 5:21 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

She was almost shocked when he didn’t look at her and thought she did something wrong. Then he questioned her and she clamped her lips almost shut. “Well… I…” She tilted her head. “I’m not hungry Rex.”

Still though he offered up some of his and soon she sat down right by him. The room wasn’t big enough to keep the distance between them. “About this morning…” It could have gone like he wanted but… It didn’t. “I shouldn’t have invaded your space and I shouldn’t have kicked you off the bed. I should have kicked myself off the bed for invading your space… and I’m sorry.”

Finally, she finished up the porridge. “and I’m not going to go the day without eating. I’m going to show you how to hunt your own food.” She pulled him up. “We got a week to go out here in the Rainforest. We’re going to die if you can’t learn how to shoot a bow and arrow.” She summoned them and put it over her shoulder.

“Come on Lover Boy. We’re walking to Mamlak.” Once they were halfway through the day Hazel stopped and got the bow ready she put it in his arms. “Don’t get used to me touching you okay?” She helped him hold the bow and draw back the arrow. “Just like this. Control your breathing.” Her chin was on his shoulder as she watched where he aimed.

“Breathing and aim is key… Patience is a virtue for the mighty hunter. Steady…” She let him go as soon as a deer came out. It was a direct hit. “Just like that. Your father showed me how to shoot and get my own food. You can also fish and trap.”

She led him over to the deer and took out a knife so she could prep it. “We can make a stew with this… and we need to find a good place to set up our tent. I only have one tent so we have to sleep together… Again.”

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 5:12 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Out of all of the outcomes that could have happened, getting kicked out of the bed was not one that he had thought of, and was shocked when his butt hit the ground hard. When she stormed out of the room, Rex merely rolled to the side, cursing that he was so close.

“SHE WAS RIGHT THERE!,” he said to himself, standing up. “Gods…why are you like this to me!?” He sighed, and went outside. It took almost the entire time she was gone to force himself to calm down. The excitement was something he should have been used to, but normally when he woke up, he could either take care of himself, or have someone else take care of it for him. This morning, neither one was an option, so he merely had to suffer and wait.

When she finally came back for good, she brought breakfast. He thanked her, not meeting her gaze, and took the food. “And where’s yours?” he asked as he took a taste of the porridge. It was lukewarm, and bland. Definitely nothing like Silva’s cooking. He gave her a look, almost expecting her answer.

“Here…eat some of mine. You can’t go the day without something to eat.”

Author: Hazel, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 5:07 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

She was borderline unsure of what to do. It was clear that Rex had followed the rules and it was her that violated it. He was still on his side and she got more red by the moment the longer he looked at her. “Rex…” Her voice was soft but the mistake was that she moved her leg and felt something. Then she looked down and back at Rex with the reddest face she could do.

Her legs were fast as she kicked him out of bed. “I… I NEED TO GET DRESSED!” She got up and ran out of the room grabbing her clothes from the other day and a bag of silver. She didn’t come back for many moments before throwing her pajamas on the ground and slamming the door again. It was a few minutes more when she brought up some breakfast.

“This um… porridge is all they had for breakfast.” She put it on the bed and scooted it towards him. “Here… An apology for my um,” she blushed a bit, “violating your space.”

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 5:01 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Rex slept peacefully, and when he woke up, it was because Hazel had moved. She saw up, and stretched, giving Rex a glimpse at almost everything Hazel had to offer, albeit still clothed. The morning was cool and crisp, and Hazel’s body reacted in kind. He could see her nipples harden beneath her shirt, and almost at once, Rex was excited. As she laid back down, he closed his eyes, noting how close she got to him.

Was this it? Was this an opportunity being gifted to him by the gods? He slowly opened his eyes, only to be surprised that Hazel was staring back at him. Her eyes were beautiful, and for a moment Rex was at a loss for words. Even through the sheet, it was obvious that Rex was getting an erection from just the closeness of Hazel, but her eyes were still locked with his.

“Morning,” he said, almost breathlessly. He felt so close to her. He leaned his head forward, wondering…would she kiss him? His entire body wanted her, now more than every. His breathing was a little shallow, almost as if this was his first time again. He was nervous, but excited. “…we should…”

Author: Hazel, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 4:53 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Hazel watched as he climbed into the bed and fell asleep. It was weird she thought he was really going to try something. Soon she climbed into the opposite side of the bed and fell asleep. He didn’t really get a good glimpse of her anyways thanks to how tired he was.

She had a good dream and she even rolled in his direction. He was warm and she wasn’t used to sleeping with others so of course, she got closer to the thing that had heat coming off of it. She was one arm lodged under the pillow to prop her head up and the other at her side as she slept.

Once she was ready to ready to wake up she sat up and stretched. She shivered a bit and closed her eyes as she flung herself back down and got near the warm source again. Once she realized the warm source was breathing her eyes flickered back open and she just stared at Rex.

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 4:43 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Rex was surprised when they stopped for the night. He figured they would have been home by then, but as it turns out, life without portals was a lot harder than he could have imagined. Maybe he would need to talk to Lewis about learning how to make gates home.

Still, when he had offered to pay, he realized the problem. He actually wasn’t carrying much silver on him, only enough to get by in the cities where he frequented. Out in the real world, he barely had enough to cover half of his own expenses for a single meal, let alone the silver it would take to pay for travel or a room. So, when Hazel had the funds to cover, he thanked her and apologized.

“Only one room?” Rex almost yelled. He was more than a little frustrated. What kind of establishment didn’t have rooms? “Fine..I’ll just…” He wasn’t sure what to do. Hazel offered to share the room, though, and that brought a sly smile to his face. “Oh. That’s great then!” They made their way to the room, and Hazel left to go change.

Rex took this time to look around the room. It was a small room with only a full sized bed and side table. It was half the size of his room back at the castle, and lacked pretty much anything else.

“I guess that’s what I should expect from a small village,” Rex said. He turned as the door opened to see Hazel waddling in. He started to laugh, “What…what the hell are you doing?” he said between chuckles.

“I’m changed now. …why are you laughing?” Hazel pouted.

“What’s with that blanket?”

“I don’t want you seeing me in my pajamas,” she replied, as if it were the obvious answer.

Rex crossed his arms. “I bet you look fine. Cute, even…” There he was, unable to resist flirting.

“No,” Hazel replied flatly. “I don’t.” She looked away.

“C’mon…it can’t be that bad,” Rex replied as he sighed.

She really quickly flashed him, covering up instantly. Rex didn’t even get a real chance to see much of anything, let alone what she was wearing. “See. Not cute.” She had even covered her mouth with the blanket.

“Definitely cute,” Rex fibbed. “C’mon Hazel…if you keep going like that, you’re going to-”

Hazel started to waddle towards the bed, and stumbled over the blanket and started to fall. The blanket dropped, but she managed to catch herself. Realizing the futility of it, and that Rex was right, she let out a grumble.


“Fine!” she said, picking up the blanket and throwing it on the bed. “See…not cute,” Hazel said bashfully as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“Definitely cute, Hazel,” Rex replied. “I’d offer to show you mine, but…well, I sleep naked most of the time.” It was meant to be a joke, but Hazel started to turn red.

“Oh gods, please don’t sleep naked,” she said quickly.

“It was only a jo-” Rex started.

“You can even sleep in the bed! Just don’t sleep naked!”

Rex smirked. “Well…you did offer.”

Hazel started to turn an even brighter shade red, realizing what she had done. “B-but you’re sleeping on the other side. And if you even think about touching me, I’m kicking you off the bed.”

“Fine, fine…” Rex had plans, though. He would finally be able to catch a glimpse of Hazel, and maybe even put some moves on her. He climbed onto his side of the bed, and then before he could even think of anything, he passed out almost immediately. The day’s events had, evidently, worn him out completely.

Author: Hazel, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 4:28 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Hazel looked at him as he jumped up on the wagon with her. “You offered to pay?” She tilted her head at him. “You carry silver with you?” Though Hazel wouldn’t complain she could easily pay for what he didn’t have. “We’re going to Mamlak.”

Halfway through Laeto they had to stop for the night. They were at a small tavern and inn. The potato farmer had already gone in leaving Hazel and Rex to gather their belongings. “I can pay for our rooms.” She smiled at him and led him into the tavern.

“Can I have two rooms?”

“We only have two and one was just bought.”

Hazel looked up at the owner then over to Rex, “That’s fine.” She pulled out the coin and handed it. “Thank you.” She said as she got the key and sighed. “Rex… Come on you can sleep on the floor.” She was just going to make him sleep in the cart but she couldn’t do that.

Once they were in the room she put her bag down and got out a simple set of shorts and a tank top. “I need to change into my sleepwear… I’ll be back.” She grabbed the blanket off the bed and came back shorting throwing her blood-stained clothes into a chair. She had the blanket wrapped around her and was waddling into the room not wanting to show him.

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 4:06 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Rhenakos sighed when Hazel ran off for the first time. Was surprised him though was that she came back, if only to tell him to collect the money for her, and off she went again, leaving him alone. “As usual…I just get left behind…” He sighed again, and started to head towards the village to take care of the payment.


Rex was surprised when he felt Hazel behind him. He froze up, not sure what to do. This was the closest she had ever gotten to him, and he felt that if he turned around, she might never touch him again, so he waited for her to say what she had to say. In the end, it was always the same thing that he had heard from Simone.

Coming from Hazel, though, it felt a bit different. “I don’t think I can ever forgive him, but…” He let out a long breath. “I can…try to ask for help.” It came out less as a confident statement, and more of a barely audible mumble. But he had said it. It was more than he had ever said about the subject, so it was some kind of progress there. She was gone, though, before he could say more.

Rex thought a lot as he wandered the grasslands. The sun was already starting to come up, and when the first light hit, he noticed a cart off in the distance. On the back, was a familiar face. “Oh?”

—

Rex waved the cart driver down, panting. “C-can…can I ride…ride with? I know the…” He held up one hand. “One second…” He took a good, deep breath, and seemed to be doing better. “Can I ride with her? I know her. I won’t bother you, and can even pay for both of us if need be.”

He smiled and waved to Hazel as he hopped onto the opposite side of the cart. There wasn’t enough room for her to maintain her normal distance, but somehow Rex figured she would find a way to deal with that.

“So…where are we headed?” Rex asked.

Author: Hazel, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 3:51 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Hazel knew from the fight that she had unleashed something bad. Though it sounded like it needed to be said. She looked up at Rhenakos and suddenly she was bolting for Rex. She hugged him from behind and pressed herself to him. “Rex…” Her voice was soft as she held him in place. “You have to forgive Rhenakos okay? He wasn’t insulting you. That was him showing worry. I’m worried too…” Her eyes were closed so she couldn’t see if he was mad.

“If you had gotten hurt I would have felt awful. I’ve been training for a long time. For what it’s worth… I think it’s good if you ask for help. Please? For me? You can’t just survive off yourself… if I had… I would be dead now. Please… Think about it.” She put her forehead into his back before she ran off.

“I’ll collect payment later. I have to get back to Sularia.” By collect payment later… She meant Rhenakos could do it. She was blushing as she ran up to a potato cart that was on its way, “Can I catch a ride?”

The man nodded and she jumped onto the back of the wagon letting her legs hang. The long trip would help clear her head. “I can get back to Sularia!” She waved to Rhenakos. Obviously, she needed some time… At least she thought it was obvious. She never willingly touched people and she was shaking.

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 3:43 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Rex stared at her in disbelief as she tried to make sure he was okay. “What do you mean I shouldn’t have done that!? You were fighting that thing alone!” He glared at Rhenakos. “And you! Some fucking guard you are!”

The demon hunter crossed his arms, “You’re a fucking idiot, you know that?” He was raising his voice. “Everything was going according to plan until you came in and fucked it all to hell. And where the hell have you been? I figured you would at least be smart enough to know how to find your way back here!”

“According…to plan?” he looked at Rhenakos and then to Hazel, who nodded in agreement. “What the fuck?”

Hazel stood up, dusting herself off. “I had it handled until you showed up. And even if I didn’t-”

“I would have stepped in if she needed the help,” Rhenakos replied. “But, she’s much stronger than she appeared. Her magic was more than enough to deal with it. And then you had to go and make her cut herself.”

“I really did have it, Rex. I even used herbs to mask the virgin smell but…I guess with the blood, that didn’t work out.” Hazel sighed. She seemed almost disappointed that things didn’t go to plan.

“Rex…this is a normal part of our job. I’m not just a guard dog. I’m also here to help her grow. She needs to be able to take care of herself if she’s going to be keeping to herself.”

“Wait, what did you say?” Rex asked Hazel.

“That…I had it?” she repeated, looking at him curiously.

“No, the other thing,” Rex asked.

Rhenakos rolled his eyes, “Oh my fucking god.”

“Virgin?” she said. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“It….it all makes sense now,” Rex said, his eyes widening. “That…makes complete sense actually. I’m…an idiot for not noticing sooner.”

“You are, indeed, an idiot,” Rhenakos snapped. “This is why I didn’t want you here. You’re too impulsive and don’t think.”

“Like you have room to talk!” Rex shot back.

“Unlike you,” the demon hunter said with a glare, “I have the power to back it up. What the hell is Lewis teaching you, anyway? What made you think you could go hunting with a fucking sword?”

“Lewis ain’t teaching me shit. I got by on my own before him, and I intend to keep it that way. I don’t need his help, or anyone else's!”

“And here you are, cocking everything up because you refuse to learn or ask questions.” Rhenakos crossed his arms.

“You mean like you fucked up Izzy’s life?” Rex yelled. “You have ZERO room to talk about fucking up. It’s one thing to abandon a kid you know nothing about, but what you did to Izzy is unforgivable, and I fucking hate you, and always fucking will!” At that, Rex stormed off, not waiting for any response.

“I’m…sorry about that, Hazel…”

Author: Hazel, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 3:30 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Hazel was fierce against it. There was a sort of confidence in her movements as she fought. But that all disappeared as Rex came into view and got in the way. It was replaced with fear as she worried about his safety.

The girl wasn’t scared as the demon came down on her. If she got scared she wouldn’t be able to think right, that was something Rhenakos taught her. She could hear Rhenakos coming and as soon as he yelled to run she got up and she ran towards Rex to make sure he was okay.

She was uniquely aware of the demon that still was trying to come after her. It got her foot and she fell. Using her other foot she kicked it hard giving enough recoil for Rhenakos to smash its head. “I’m fine,” she breathed easily as she got up letting her wrist continue to bleed as she pulled Rex up and dusted him off.

“Are you okay? You shouldn’t have done that.” The wound on her wrist was releasing something akin to steam as it healed up mostly thanks to the eldritch inside of her.

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 3:12 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Rex was pissed off. For some reason, he couldn’t get anywhere near any of the animals of the plains. They were too fast to catch, and too wary of him. It was infuriating, and as the sun started to set, he realized that he would just have to accept that he wasn’t going to catch anything. Of course, this lead to a completely different problem, where he couldn’t figure out his way back to the temporary camp they had made.

“Well…shit,” Rex said to himself. As the moon started to rise, he realized that he was almost going to be too late to be of any use when the demon came, but that was when he heard noises. Curious, he started to follow them, and finally found the camp.

What he saw pissed him off more than anything else. Rhenakos was keeping back, merely watching as Hazel was fighting against the demon. It was an ugly creature, larger than Rex and Hazel, but just a hair smaller than Rhenakos. It was surprisingly skinny, but deceptively strong, with a pale, purple like skin. It’s face was human-like, but with a razor maw instead of teeth, and it’s eyes…were like nothing Rex had ever seen.

It was obvious what kind of demon it was, and the evidence of what it had done to the girl earlier was easy to see, between the blood and other fluids strewn across its body. And the smell…

“You fucking bastard!” Rex yelled, raising the sword as if it were a bat, rushing in. The demon wanted nothing to do with this boy, but if it was going to stand between him and his prey, he would have to be taken care of. It slashed the sword out of his hand with a claw, and then picked Rex up as if he were a toy, holding the boy by his throat.

Rex squirmed against the grip as it tightened around his throat, but before Rhenakos could act, Hazel made her move.

At once, the demon smelled the blood, and it’s eyes started to glow hungrily. It tossed Rex to the side like a rag, and turned its attention to Hazel, staring hungrily at her blood. It pounced, pinning her to the ground, it’s eyes wide. It wanted all of her.

Rhenakos yelled a few choice curses, slamming his foot into the demon and launching it off of Hazel. “Hazel. Leave. Now.” He picked up the sword that had been discarded by Rex, and pointed it at the demon. His left eye began to glow, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.

It was over in a heartbeat. The demon launched itself at Hazel, but Rhenakos cleaved through it with a single strike. Still, the top half clambered towards the girl, seeming not to care that it was dying.

“Die, you piece of filth…” Rhenakos said as he slammed the blade into the creature’s skull. He looked over to Hazel, and then to Rex. “Are you okay Hazel? Rex, get the fuck up.”

Author: Hazel, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 2:55 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Hazel had remembered a time when seeing bodies made her sick too but no more. She had long gotten used to the stink of it all. “Lots of bodies to bury if we don’t kill it tonight,” she looked up at Rhenakos. “Other villages kill the girls if they find out they aren’t virgins. They are useless to them. Like Rhenakos says though. It’s not for us to judge. It’s their way of life.”

She got a good bit of his blood into a container before patching up his arm. “Thank you.” She had been careful not to touch Rhenakos too much doing the whole thing. Her whole life was one of the boundaries she had set to keep her away from others.

Hazel was annoying at the very least by all of Rex’s questions but still, she answered them. Rex didn’t realize he was hindering her and she had no right to be mad at him. “He didn’t take your bow,” she looked up at him. “He isn’t getting us food is he?” It didn’t take long for Hazel to catch on as she very quickly and accurately finished what she was doing.

Nighttime came almost too fast as Rex came back empty-handed. What he found was Hazel in the middle of a fight. The field had activated and she was flinging magic. Rhenakos was waiting for her to tell him she needed help. After all, she needed to learn how to hold her own.

Only Rex didn’t know that.

He charged at the demon not understanding why Rhenakos would just let Hazel handle it. She was just a girl. “REX NO!” Hazel was instantly distracted as she got flung away.

There was panic in her eyes. He didn’t know how to fight. He didn’t know how to handle himself. She took up and took out her dagger. She could only think of a single thing to save his life. “HEY,” She cut her wrist and blood spilled out. Immediately the demon lost interest in him. In the moonlight, it looked like flowing silver, and soon he was charging her.

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 2:40 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Rex stayed quiet as the two worked, but when he saw what was done to the body, he couldn’t help but gag a little. What he assumed was once a beautiful young girl was nothing more than a drained husk. What was worse, was that according to Hazel, the demon violated her afterwards. That alone made Rex sick to his stomach, and he excused himself for a moment while Hazel started to work on the body.

Once she was finished, Rex returned, looking a bit paler than before, but ready to go. Rhenakos merely ignored the boy, and sighed at the new information he had been given. “There’s a village in that direction. If I recall, they have a coming of age celebration coming up in the next month or so. It’s that time of year…very likely to be full of virgins just waiting for the event.”

“Wait, people actually wait for events like that?” Rex asked. “That sounds like a waste…”

“Other cultures have different forms of celebration. For this village…their celebration is that of sacrificing purity to become an adult.” Rhenakos shrugged, “Their traditions aren’t for us to judge.”

As Hazel handed Rex a charm, he looked at it curiously. “T-thanks?’ He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with it, so he kept it in hand.

Rhenakos nodded in agreement about how this demon would be bad, and he took a step forward and held out his hand to Hazel when she mentioned using demon blood. “Go for it. It’s not pure, but it should do the trick. As long as we can get it before it hits the village, we should be fine.”

And so, with a plan made, the trio made their way to the specified location. While Hazel worked on her trap, Rhenakos stood by, guarding her in case anything came up.

Rex, on the other hand, felt that he didn’t have much to do. So, he kept Hazel company, asking her what each and every part of this trap was, and how it worked. It didn’t even occur to him that he might be hindering her.

“Rex, back off and let the lady work,” Rhenakos said finally. “We’re running out of time, and she needs to focus.” He crossed his arms. “If you want to make yourself useful, you can take one of my weapons and go hunting for food. We should have time to at least get something quick made before the demon arrives.”

“Fine, fine…” Rex growled, taking his father’s sword and huffing. “I’ll get us something. Just watch…” He left, disappearing into the grasses.

“Good…now that he’s out of your hair, you can finish up.” Rhenakos knew very well that his son had no idea how to hunt. He didn’t even take a viable weapon to hunt with. He’d be back soon, empty handed.

Author: Hazel, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 2:25 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

Rex got a giggle out of Hazel who quickly stifled it. Hazel shifted her bag and nodded as she ran to catch up to Rhenakos. She had seen places like this all over and she had been all over Revaliir as a result of her job. She took jobs that no one else but people like Rhenakos took.

Hazel was covered from head to toe in a long dress, she had a cloak on and it kept her hidden. For this job it was… Important. Her bag was packed with loads of things and she drew something in the ground muttering something. “We might not to need to look far but… Tonight is a full moon it will probably go towards another village. They say virgin blood shines the brightest tonight.”

Her tendril reached out and over to some grass where it parted, “There…” She got up and found the body of a girl no more than her age. “It’s really hungry. I don’t think she’s got a drop left in her. Must be the girl who went missing I was told about…” A blanket materialized and Hazel spent some time preparing the body. She tied it together and broke the limbs where rigamortis had set in. Lacing it with herbs she finally stood back up. “There we go.”

Looking at Rhenakos, “We can inform them of the body’s location by bird. The herbs will keep the wild dogs away. Judging from the energy… He’s headed in that direction.” She pointed. “It’s a he because she was violated afterward.”

It made her nervous but still, she proceeded forward. She stood along the way and opened her bag. “Here,” she handed a talisman to Rex. “For your safety. Good luck. It keeps demons away. I can’t give one to Rhenakos.” It was a chicken bone with runes.

“This is going to be a nasty one. I can feel the pressure from here,” she looked up at Rhenakos. “He isn’t anywhere near us… He’s probably going to lie low and go into town at night. We should position ourselves in between us and the Laeto line. Set up a capture barrier using runes, salt, and blood of another demon.” She took out her dagger and smirked as she hit it on her palm. “Which you can give me right?” She said up to Rhenakos. “Should be strong enough to keep him in. It will take me a few hours to set up the trap.”

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 2:12 PM, Post Subject: Among the Plains [P/R]

The portal opened across the wild fields of the Bohar Plains, dropping Rhenakos, Hazel, and Rex at the edge of a small town. The grasslands in front of them spread far and wide, and Rex let out a surprised gasp. He had never seen anything like it, having a surprisingly limited amount of experience outside of street life in the cities.

There were a few caravans winding through the small town, with one taking a break as the driver pet his work horse. Rex stared at them for a moment before breaking his gaze away, and looking to Hazel. “This is kind of cool. I didn’t think places like this were so quiet….and the breeze feels amazing! And look at all of that grass! I wonder what it’s like running through it.” He thought for a moment. “Wonder what it’s like rolling arou-”

“Let’s get moving,” Rhenakos interrupted, hefting up his sack. “We have a lot of ground to cover. The last known sighting was that way. We’ll need to pick up the trail from there and start tracking. The caravans wanted this taken care of as quickly as possible.” The demon hunter had come prepared, wearing his usual full hunting gear, covered by his large overcoat. Strapped to his waist was his sword, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice.

Rex, in contrast, barely came with anything at all. He didn’t even have a weapon on him. All he had was the plain, white sleeveless shirt and dark red pants that he had visited Hazel with.

“Rude,” Rex sneered at his father. “But fine.”

It took them about an hour to find the first set of tracks, and Rhenakos knelt down. “Here. Hazel…do your thing.” He could have tracked it himself, but this was Hazel’s job, not his, and she needed to pull her own weight. All he was here for was to keep her safe. Of course, if she asked for help, he would abide.