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Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - Printable Version

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Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - Kat - 11-10-2014

Nothing the giant had done would indicate he was lying when he spoke. Based on the wreck and the following events, she could appreciate the sentiment, even if it came from a creature she was still unsure of. Whether he was a monster or a miracle in disguise, Kade couldn't tell. What she did know was she was tired, emotionally and physically drained, and their union gave her somewhere to recuperate for the time being. Judging by his shift in posture, the photojournalist gathered it was intended to keep her from feeling uncomfortable, which she nodded at as an act of acceptance. "I don't know how badly." Admittedly, she hadn't taken any time to look herself over, and though the two were at some sort of uneasy truce for the time being, she didn't want to start undressing. Between her knees and her bosom, she glanced over her midsection while carefully raising the several layers of thermal wear beneath the hem of her parka. What appeared beneath was a chain of newly forming bruises fashioned in the shape of her seat belt. A frown once more blossomed over her visage when the layers were lowered back to their previous position.

"I never said you were..." The woman chided softly, feeling like there was an accusation behind his words - but he was accurate. She had thought him a savage of sorts, all teeth and claw, living in the desolation of the tundra with bodies strewn about his mountain lair. Of course the assessment had been slightly off, but what determined how far it was from the truth had yet to be decided. "But what are you doing here? Isn't this a strange place to set up shop?" Motioning to their surroundings, her puzzled expression seemed to say it all. "This can't be safe." Palms rose to her features to run along the skin, and the tips of her fingers grazed lightly along the wound at her temple, where blood had matted her straw colored locks. At some point, she would need to see a doctor, and at some point even sooner than that, she would need to find a phone.

Camera was retrieved from her satchel to be polished off, and the photos taken she scrolled through via viewing tool, most of which for the purpose of detailing the site of her crash. How many people were dead because of the accident? A story she could cover personally, no doubt, but still less sensational as the one sitting before her. Passively, she threw out another question as bait, testing the waters to see what he was comfortable answering. "How long have you been here?" Gingerly picking at the meat she was given, Kade met his gaze with practiced patience. Even when exhausted, she could keep a straight face - at least until her companion tried to make a move on her. This time, she had to be ready.

Being caught off guard was what got her here in the first place.


Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - bear - 11-10-2014

Rau ate his meat, taking breaks between bites to cast a glance her way when she spoke. He could tell that his remark about not being a savage had rubbed her a little sorely, but that was not important. His feelings hadn't been hurt, regardless, and he was about as close to being a savage as he could get without being one. He hunted when he needed food, and he had no use for clothes, but that did not mean he was a violent creature. And he could hear the regret in her tone when she responded to the statement. He didn't respond to it. It was fruitless to continue that conversation, and there were much more interesting questions on her mind, apparently.

She went on to ask about what he was doing here, and he smiled a bit, amused by the thought of him having an origin elsewhere, though he swallowed his food and gave some thought to his answer before he spoke up. He'd been here for as long as he could remember, or cared to, and while his story wasn't the one he was particularly interested in telling, he didn't mind shedding some light on why he hadn't left this inhospitable realm.

"May be strange, but this is home. I am used to life here, and I am safe here. You are safe with me here, but you will be safer with your kind."

So there it was, the acknowledgment that he wasn't human. At least it was out in the open, though he had no doubts that she had already had her suspicions. He had no intention of answering any of the undoubtedly incoming questions on that subject. It wasn't that he was sore of the subject, or that he needed it to remain secret, but rather that it wasn't a terribly interesting thing to think about. He was, after all, just what he was, as she was, and in the same way that her culture and her people didn't particularly stand out to him as interesting, he assumed a similar case from the other side. Questions about his kind were cursory, it seemed to him.

"I have been here for a very long time."

With that, he swallowed the last of his meat and settled into an easy resting sit against the wall of the cave, back against the wall, to get some sleep. He had, after all, been awoken by the crash that had led him to her. If she chose to get some sleep, it would also ease her mind to see that he was resting as well. To see that he was willing to take that first step into vulnerability, if you could call it that.

Even so, if she spoke to him again, asked him more questions or somesuch, he would answer her, eyes still closed.

Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - Kat - 11-10-2014

Home.

Kade could remember her own home, though it was far from what everyone assumed Africa to be. She didn't look the part of an Afrikaaner, with the stereotypes and the media distortion of the location, but it was what she brought with her. A warm, lively world full of excitement and adventure, coupled with social stigmas and uncomfortable classing of people. Africa was beautiful and miserable, and she had left when a scholarship came her way. Now she lived on the road mostly, with a camera and an interpreter and on occasion, a story to chase. Of course, she had been led astray on this current project, so the idea of home wasn't seeming half bad. As she was, accented and tanned by a life of summer travels, Kade felt like a sore thumb sticking out in his gargantuan hand hole in the hillside. Clear blues seemed to track his movements with hawkish accuracy, trained to pick up the details and the subtleties his mannerisms allotted her. It may have seemed nit picky, or even rude to stare, but there were other worries clinging to her fatigued consciousness, and they prioritized higher than the matter of his comfort in this regard. "Are you promising me safety?" She asked as another piece of bait, to keep him true to his word in case his hospitality ran out before her stay ended. "I will trust you, but you can't very well expect me to do so if you won't promise that is the case."

His meal was bland, lacking flavor outside the naturally game-y texture venison was known for, but she ate it bit by bit over the course of the conversation. At times, she found herself chewing at it messily, and stopped to adjust and try again in a more civilized way. Just because her company was the gruff sort didn't mean Kade was going to revert to a naturalist state without some sense of etiquette. It was expected she had assumed he wasn't human, and when the acknowledgement was made, another nod was given. One of understanding, though she understood none of it. She would be a fool if she claimed to know what the hell was happening - how any of this had come to pass. While the overall outline could be dotted and lined, one didn't find themselves in the company of a giant, and then try and trick themselves into believing it was normal.

"And you will get me back to my kind?" She scoffed and hugged her knees, finished with the meat. Her camera was again safely packed away, though the bag would be kept within fingers length at all times, just in case there was a reason in the creature's head to take it away. It had been elevated from tool of the trade to personal life line to the outside world in a matter of hours. "Do you have a name?"

Practically flopping sideways in her curled defensive position, Kade didn't let herself look away from the male as he made to settle in. If he meant to sleep in the position, she wouldn't argue, even if it looked terribly uncomfortable. "My name's Kade Samson. I'm a... Well, I take pictures and tell the stories behind them." The woman didn't know how much he would understand, so she kept her diction common for his sake. Resting in his bedding surrounded her in that same scent, but it also smelled heavily of the fire, and of the wilds outside the cavern. For a moment, she almost forgot where she was, her lids closed so she could picture her apartment and the view of the city...

"Thank you for, uh, saving me. I thought you were going to eat me."

Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - bear - 11-10-2014

Rau watched her as she questioned whether or not he was promising her safety. He raised a thick, white eyebrow before he nodded, and closed his eyes again. She asked him again whether he would get her back to her kind, which he nodded to again. Then she asked his name. It wasn't that he was reluctant to give his name, but the thought of a human knowing him by name was a rather unusual thought. He gave it a few moments to sink it. She added something about thinking he was going to eat her, then smirked brightly, gave a chuckle, and replied, convinced.

"It's Rau. And you're fine. I wouldn't have eaten you. I don't eat humans."

With that, he stretched massively, then settled against the cavern wall and let his eyes droop. He really was tired, and despite all the goings-on and the sneaking suspicion that he might end up regretting his decision to let her live, after all, but he had made his choice. He would live with it. He didn't address that she seemed to be unaware that he might know what a journalist is. He figured she simply didn't know, and didn't want to confuse him. But now, that was behind him, and he desired sleep.

Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - Kat - 11-11-2014

"...Alright."

In that moment, she believed him. For what that was worth. Suspicion was a fickle thing, coming and going with every new detail. Still, it helped her rest easier on the makeshift bed, with her body still wrapped in her heavy layers of winter wear. No more questions would be asked of the creature, of Rau, but she did peek in his direction from time to time to monitor whether or not he was actually sleeping. When the wall of tiredness hit Kade head on, she quietly removed her parka and folded it into a neat bundle to serve as a makeshift pillow, her head nestled in it's warmth while the fire died to a weak smolder of ash. Between waking up abruptly to the cave itself, she pondered whether anyone would know she was here? Not in the cavern specifically, but in the wilderness, stranded? Was the train reported missing?

There had to be some sort of search effort. Even this far north, there were parties to be sent to map out disasters, and whether there was a large population on the train or not didn't entirely matter. It was still a major means of transportation between the smaller towns and villages of Siberia.

Eventually Kade slept face down, features buried in the fabric of the coat, rather than left to inhale the scent of the wilds. She didn't want to become accustomed to it, just as she would swear off venison when she was home safe, as Rau had promised. There was something familiar about this place, but in the back of her mind, buried beneath the modern woman she represented. It wasn't an easy feeling to suppress, but she managed and remained thankful he didn't eat humans.

Besides, after years of boozing, smoking, and living on whatever food was around, she doubted her quality as a meal would be worth the effort.

Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - bear - 11-11-2014

Rau slept soundly, but not for, perhaps, as long as she would have preferred. He woke long before she would, and got up, stretching quietly, casting a brief glance over her sleeping form, and then moving to leave the cave. He wouldn't be gone long, He was just taking the time to quickly wash himself in the snow, and perhaps see if he couldn't locate the village again. Maybe even survey the wreckage now that it had had some time to cool off. He trudged off, making his way down to the wreckage first, using handfuls of snow on the way to wash himself as he traveled.

The journey wasn't long, and before long, he was picking at the scraps, scavenging what would be useful, and ignoring the rest. He gathered sharp bits of metal that would make adequate weapons for hunting, he gathered remnants of electronics that could function, various scraps of cloth, and, his prizes, an intact spare engine near the rear part of the wreckage and a somehow reasonably undamaged first aid kit. Perhaps he could do something interesting with the engine as well. So, he lugged these things back toward his little cave and set them carefully near the back of the cave, making sure that Kade was still asleep as he did so. Pleased enough with her getting rest, he set about moving back outside to see if he couldn't see the signs of the town that he knew was nearby, and would still be at the top of the hill when she woke, standing with one hand resting on his brow to shade his vision as he peered into the distance, looking for smoke and steam.

Of course, he wouldn't be able to get her too close to the village without risk to himself, so he would let her leave once she was a reasonable hour's walk away or so. Maybe less. He wouldn't let her get injured any worse than she already was, if he was able. Especially given the fortune of finding a medical kit in the wreckage, he was sure he could patch her up enough to get her to a safer place.

But the thought of the source of the crash returned to his mind, and when she finally did find him, he would be stroking his chin in thought as he stared along the tracks toward the village.

Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - Kat - 11-11-2014

Kade scared herself when she awoke when her gaze found the display of meat on the wall, and this brought a weak whimper from the journalist. Bolting upright in a half scamper, the pain of her injuries immediately halted that maneuver, replacing it with a feeble puff and whine, which buckled her figure in something of a stinging fold. Tears dotted her lashes as she steadied her breathing and flattened onto her back, pulling up her many layers of shirts in the process. What had been simple bruising now looked like someone had taken a club to her midsection, and the ache in her muscles seemed to signal she had pulled something during her escape from the train. of course she wanted to sob about it, as there was very little available to deal with her predicament, but she sucked down her anguish and stuffed it away for a later date.

Currently, Rau was not present. Kade only seemed to notice when she realized her stomach was out and presented, which brought about a new bout of urgency to covering it again. Where had he gone? He wouldn't abandon his home with her in it unless he felt comfortable with his guest being able to rifle through his belongings, so when she slipped off the makeshift bed, Kade immediately went about snooping. She wasn't surprised that she didn't find anything of use. No history visible, or belongings that seemed to have personal value to the creature. All she noted were the materials he had gathered earlier that seemed to have come from the train wreck. Smart that he decided to pick through the wreckage, but she questioned just what a mountain man would need with something like an engine.

Exiting the cavern with a grumble, Kade stumbled along in his foot steps, hoping to catch sight of her companion before she collapsed from pain. in time, she had made something of a circle, and it lead straight to the train tracks, where Rau hovered precariously close. Investigating by the look on his features, though she didn't assume anything with the giant. Instead she closed the gap between their bodies and flopped next to him with a rough grunt of pain.

"D-did you find anything?" Asking through gritted teeth, she didn't let on to having peeked around his cave. It didn't seem like something either need to breech in the moment. "Were there signs of other survivors?" Still not used to his nudity, Kade diverted her eyes towards the distance and pursed her lips to silence any comments she may have wanted to make.

Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - bear - 11-11-2014

Rau's attention was drawn from his survey of the land ahead by the sudden sound of her flopping to the ground beside him. His green eyes turned to lock onto her form, sprawled somewhat in the snow, and watched her as she asked him whether he had found anything, and whether there were signs of survivors. With a frown, he let out a soft grunt and glanced back ahead toward the town up ahead.

"Found some things, but no survivors. Town ahead. You'll be safe there."

With that, he offered her a hand up, watching her with some curiosity. He was still wondering about what had caused the crash in the first place. Whether it was something worthy of his concern or not. Whether his continued existence was compromised by a leak about the truth of his being. It was a thought that bit at him fiercely, and he had to shake his square head vigorously to clear the thought from his mind.

Once she had taken his hand, he pulled her easily to her feet, then offered his hand as a support, figuring she was probably still weak from her injuries, and from being sore after such a trek the day before. Whether or not she took it, he would then start to walk toward the town in silence, buried in his thoughts both about her, and her situation, and in thoughts of what he might be dealing with in regard to the train crash, and why it had happened. His expression darkened when the thought returned to him. It was not a pleasant thing to consider, having to move. It was an even less pleasant thing to consider how much damage could be caused in the move itself. It was a risky play, at best, and he wondered just how easily he could manage it, even now, with all his skill.

Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - Kat - 11-11-2014

"How far?"

Just barely making out his claim in her sights, Kade was concerned with whether this trek would do her more harm than good. A town ahead could mean within miles, or days, and while he would make such a journey without a worry, would she be able to do so? Rau was still a stranger, and in such, the blonde had no means to gauge his idea of distance and time. Though his capabilities seemed greater than her own, assumed better than that of any human she had come in contact with yet, he was subdued. It was the lesson she had learned the night before when it came to asking questions, and noted was how vague the creature had been with his answers. Now she simply kept the ones she still pondered on to herself. Only briefly hesitant to take the squared hand in front of her, Kade rose with his assistance and straightened her form, which even beneath layers, could be determined as shapely. Had he planned to come with her on the way? He couldn't very well come the entire way, but if he intended to tag along part of it, he would be more help than she cared to admit.

Following in his footfalls like a wobbly shadow, the tanned femme lowered her blue hues towards the snow and shifted uncomfortably, taking out the stress of walking on the strap of her bag, which was squeezed and plucked at constantly. Before long, Kade stopped dead in her tracks and waved for him to do the same, grimacing as the waves of discomfort kicked up a notch. "J-just give me a minute." Practically panting, the woman dropped to her knees and heaved violently towards the reflective white, coughing up dark clots of blood and bile without any care for how her company may have taken it. People often spoke of pain as something tangible, and if that were the case, Kade's stomach harbored an atomic bomb that seemed to detonate in quick, horrible intervals. Just when she seemed to feel she was done, the act continued, painting the snow in a muddy maroon.

Dizzy, disoriented, Kade panted a series of shallow breaths at the display for a long moment, and then toppled sideways into the snow, unconscious.

Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - bear - 11-11-2014

The idea of answering her query made Raun want to pause briefly, though he chose not to. It was a long walk, to be sure. Not one he intended to make her do on her own feet. However, he wasn't expecting her to pass out. He bit his lip gently at the sight of her laying unconscious in the snow before gingerly picking her up and arranging her in his arms. She was so small in his arms that it made him nearly uncomfortable to carry her in this way, but he did as he traveled slowly in the direction of the city, near the train tracks. It was a long walk, and it would be almost midday when she regained consciousness, still having several hours left in the journey to the town.

When she stirred, Rau glanced down at her, then back up at the path he had chosen. His gait was easy and rolling, careful not to jostle her too much as he supported her weight in his arms. This close, she could feel the almost stony tension in his flesh, and his scent must have been nigh-overwhelming. Yet, Rau could not stop to let her get a fresh breath. Such an act could be dangerous as they got closer and closer to the town. Hunters and hikers roamed the wilderness near the small town, and being near the tracks made it easier, since they didn't usually come close to the trains, but not impossible. Rau did not like the idea of getting caught.

"I will get you to the town."

It was a promise, but not one he was incredibly confident about. Since he was probably going to be leaving this area anyway, he felt he might as well get her to the safety of the town gates, rather than leave her an hour outside. More risk for him, but less risk for her. He could handle himself, anyway, and he doubted she could show the same strength. It was, thus, on him to keep her safe for now.

Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - Kat - 11-11-2014

Time passed slowly when one was unconscious, caught between making out sensory details, and being utterly and completely oblivious to everything but what the mind provided for answers. Kade lulled in her sleeping state for as long as it took to regain some sense of consciousness, but it was a loopy, weak excuse for awake. Lids fluttered and her throat croaked out a groan, her body finding itself turned into his so she was bathed in foreign warmth. Having been around him for the past day, his smell wasn't so intolerable that it would be impossible to cope with, but she knew it to be his, even in her half lucid state. Her cheek pressed into his bicep, her injured eye lid left shut against the bulk of his physique. She mumbled something into his chest as they continued forward, though the sort was hardly audible over his movements.

Even in her state of mind, Kade grasped for her bag to ensure it was also along for the ride. As the pain crept back into the attention of her fore thoughts, the woman hissed weakly, and shuddered like a leaf in a strong breeze. Once upon a time, Kade had been blasted by shrapnel while on assignment, and the wounds had been infected. This was a similar sort of excruciating pain, though it seemed to spread from her lower abdomen upwards, sending it's undeserved wrenching of her guts towards her throat. Trying to roll her head, she gagged again, but managed to stiffle the reaction so not to cover her companion in the clotted mess of internal bleeding. if he was headed towards the town, did he plan to just drop her off nearby and hope someone came to help? What if he was seen? There was no way his plan was a good one, but Kade was having trouble not passing back out from the pain, so an argument wasn't a viable option.

"But..." But what if they see you? She wanted to ask and to plead, and to try and reason with the giant, but all she could muster was a pitiable squeak of remorse.

Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - bear - 11-11-2014

As he carried her, he considered his options upon arriving at the town. There was certainly a risk of being seen, but he wondered if he could lessen that by waiting nearby, and completing the journey at nightfall, when it was dark enough for him to go unnoticed. It was a very tempting idea, if it weren't for the state she was in. Rau didn't know how much time she had left. He glanced at her, a bit concerned, and that was the moment when she spoke up, managing only the single word before losing her breath. With a tightening of his lips, he looked ahead again, spotting the tops of the buildings over the next hill. The town was a sleepy one. That was part of the reason he had chosen to live near it. There was, of course, the inherent danger of being discovered, living so close, but the value of having a town nearby meant that the wilds were more full as animals fled to the hills following the human's hunting habits. His was a prime spot.

One he was going to have to lose after this.

He gritted his teeth, settling Kade into his lap as he sat down behind the hill. There were a few hours left in the day, and he intended to wait until nightfall to see her to the town. Though she might be injured, at the moment, she didn't seem to need the medical attention badly enough to rush. Of course, the thought reminded him of their distance from the town, and with a moment of grinding his teeth, he closed his eyes and picked her back up, carrying onward in the sleepier hours of the day toward the little town. It would only take him another hour or so to make it there, and despite the fact that the town wouldn't be in bed yet, it was all he could do. If he waited too long, she could die. Her cough wasn't much better, and the way it sounded didn't strike Rau as a very good sound. In fact, it made him worry quite a great deal. So he kept walking, cradling her body in his arms. If he was honest with himself, he appreciated the contact she was giving him, and the way she felt in his arms, but it wasn't something he was going to get to keep. She was not his, after all, and he would return her to her people.

"Almost there."

She felt frail in his arms. Moreso even than game. And Rau took great care not to jostle her much as he moved, trekking through the snow and ice. A storm was brewing, he now noticed, as he came over the last hill between them and the town. In the distance, the clouds were growing thick and tight, and bulging ominously with the promise of snow and wind and rain and ice. This day was getting worse by the moment.

Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - Kat - 11-12-2014


[/img]"http://i.imgur.com/z5Egvs9.png" style="avatar" style="max-width:25%;float:right;margin:0 0 18px 18px;]Kade practically clung to the giant, afraid he would do something regrettable for her sake. If it was any consolation to his predicament, she hadn't planned to be in a train wreck. All that cursing was coming back, all those regrets she had that felt heavier every time they were rehashed, they seeped into her thoughts like a cancerous miasma. They grew in size and amount, a conglomeration of blame resting solely on her shoulders. Even then, Kade was little more than useless baggage, writhing pitiably in his arms as they covered more ground. He made a brief stop only to take time and think, and she could tell because they were moving so quickly after the pause, she barely had time to shake her head into his chest.

"J-just put me down." Her teeth ground roughly as she tried to sit up in his grasp, the knots of her stomach muscles strangling her diaphragm with every sharp breath. Still, Kade wasn't going to let him ruin his life because she was in pain - not when she had already done so much to destroy lives. People would say her work in photojournalism was groundbreaking, and at times, there were stories she was proud of working on. But, for every good story, she had covered countless atrocities. She had seen things no human should ever be faced with, and she took pictures. People died in front of that camera lens, begging her to help, and she ignored their cries in favor of capturing the 'perfect shot'. Journalists were meant to be entirely impartial to the facts, and their involvement was as limited as a warm breeze on a summer day.

Now, there was no reason for Rau to lose his home. There was no story, no photos, and with any luck, no sightings other than her own. As frail as she may have been, she could still thrash about wildly, and ended up doing just that to get him to cease and desist.

"PUT ME DOWN! STOP!" Fuck. Everything about this course of action was making her head swim. Her vision blurred from the shock of the actions, twisting already mangled inner workings until her voice was a winded squeak. "Please-"


Wrecked [The Monstrous & Kat] - bear - 11-12-2014

Rau felt bad for ignoring her. Really, he did, but his grip on her body tightened a little bit, and he continued forward, her pleas striking him like weak hammer blows: only effective in intent. Still, he carried her forward, the edge of the town drawing closer with each footfall. It was the quiet 'please' that made him stop for a moment, pausing to look down at her form and meet her gaze for a long moment before he stopped.

"There are many homes. I made a promise."

With that, he looked away, back toward the gates of town, and carried on, now moving a bit faster, as his tighter grip meant she was less likely to get jostled by his motions as he covered the ground between them and the town. It wasn't until he reached the little fence around the town that he slowed his approach, stopping just outside and thinking. The gate wasn't exactly a new thing, but it did pose a strangely effective obstacle for him. His best bet would simply be to go over it, but it looked flimsy, and might be damaged in that process. Certainly going around would force him to interact with guards of some type, right? So what else was he to do?

With a small grunt of dissatisfaction, the giant moved forward and gingerly placed a heavily calloused hand atop the top of the fence, then began to tug downward. The fence was electric, as these were wont to be, but the callouses dismissed that as the fence warped. Once it was low enough for him to do what he needed to do, he placed her on the ground on the other side of the fence, offering her a small smile before he turned and started to head back along his footprints, mussing them up as he went so that there was no trace he'd been there. He stopped a good distance away to watch things unfold as a group of men approached the disruption in the fence to find her. It seemed she'd just executed some kind of security breach, but she was so wounded, they were forced to treat her first.