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James pov...
the man immediately said no, the girl a bit more on the hesitant side, trying to convince the man to help, but also admitting that they had other things to do and it might be too far out of the way.
"I don't care, I've never gotten lost."(man)
"Syn, you're always lost, you have no idea where you even are right now."(girl)
"not fair, I mean who needs to know where they are at all times, I can survive on my own."(syn)
and as if to prove a point the man's stomach rumbled, he looked down as if it was something unexpected.
"I need food now?"(syn) the man asked outloud, not directed at anyone.
"you're hopeless."(girl)
these people looked comfortable around one another, maybe they don't need my help, but I would go just in case!
---
"alright fine, you can tag along, we'll drop you at the next town or place or whatever."(syn) I told the teenager.
"thank you so much, I really appreciate it!"(James)
I rolled my eyes as I turned, walking back towards the road, Raya right behind me and James behind her.
annoyed at how hard it was to keep my wings over me and move I just simply pulled Raya aside, telling her I'd come back in my real body and to tell the kid I was her pet.
she was horrified but would agree, and so I would walk into the treeline, vanishing, the teenager not questioning it, it was odd but it diidnt matter so I waited a minute and came back out in my tentacle body, flapping my wings to launch myself over to the two, who'd made it a few dozen feet away by now, landing next to Raya and walking alongside her.
James turned when he heard me land and immediately started freaking out, like full on freak, yelling, panicking, arms waving in the air as he ran in circles, that freak out.
what the fuck?
"it's fine this is my pet....feather."(Raya)
I'm gonna kill her.
I glared at her with my eye as I thought of more humiliating ways to mess with her later.
for small revenge I sat myself on her head, it looked utterly ridiculous, a 6 foot 5 tall ball creature with wings sitting on the head of a girl.
she started this.
the kid would calm down, breathing a sigh of relief before walking alongside Raya, he was getting a bit close....
his hand brushed against hers, my eye darting to him and I gave him a glare, my eye narrowing and my ball body shaking side to side for no.
he backed up a bit and made sure to keep distance, that's right kid she's too old for you!
Raya would eyeroll at my antics but would remain quiet about it, while the kid was red in the face and walking at a distance.
the walk down the road becoming as monotonous as it always was, this time quicker, it hadn't even been 10 minutes since we met the kid and started walking again and I'd already wanted to kill myself to relieve the boredom.
how fast I switched from messing with Raya to already being bored and wanting to do something else, do I have ADHD?
it's entirely possible.
refocusing back on the slowly passing landscape I noticed the kid was oddly serious, he had the body language of an experienced warrior, I didn't see a weapon but I knew not to underestimate or assume, well I knew that now.
I kept watching the kid as we walked, making sure that I'd act before him, some odd competitive urge within me had awakened when this kid got close to Raya, I couldn't stop it but I guessed I could channel it, couldn't hurt, right?
I hope it won't.
and luckily for me it didn't, absolutely nothing happened, we'd made it to the town in just under 50 minutes, Raya making a beeline for the tavern, leaving the kid at the entrance of the odd town, it had mixes of broken buildings and huts, made from whatever was in the area, I could swear I saw a few cabins.
but I couldn't look long, Raya was already at the tavern door, I was still on her head after all.
I climbed down, resuming human form, covering myself with my wings as we walked in, Raya telling me to go to a table before vanishing for a minute, coming back with basketball shorts.
happily amd gratefully grabbing them I put em on and stopped covering myself with my wings.
several women at the bar checking out my chiseled body, I sometimes hate how ripped this thing is, I wasn't large or bulky, but i was ripped.
there was nothing I could do about it, even though I wish I could, I couldn't.
sighing to myself I leaned forward in my seat, bracing my elbows on the table as I gave a serious look to Raya.
"you sensed it too, huh?"(syn)
Raya nodded, our eyes scanning the bar as they landed on the same man.
his skin was pale and his hair was nearly pitch black, his eyes an amber color.
the fangs in his mouth clear as day.
"something isn't right here."(Raya)
"I know, but what?"(syn)
everyone seemed to be acting naturally, a bit too naturally, everything seemed to be operating like any other day, that's what was so off, it almost amplified that sense of dread and foreboding, like the calm before a storm.