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Post by Leedzie on Dec 1, 2008 16:45:45 GMT -5
 With a sharp hiss, Espio's hand recoiled from the weakened treebark he'd been arguing with. The tree itself wasn't exactly much of a challenge, but the palms of the chameleon's hands still burned deeply from the injuries sustained against Axe. In any other case, the ninja probably would've been hunting for small game upon having his supplies filched, but until the intensity of his wounds receeded, he'd have to stick to his roots. Bracing himself for another jolt of pain, he gave another sharp jerk at the bark, and exposed a colony of ants scrambling for new cover. Espio's lips curled with distain, but nonetheless, his long tongue quickly flickered in and out of his mouth to claim his meal. A shudder ran down the ninja's spine; insects may have been in his basic nature, but that didn't make them taste any better. |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 2, 2008 14:17:38 GMT -5
 As the chameleon struggled to eat, nearby, he would begin to hear some rather loud and obnoxious, albeit familiar sounding, singing. Slowly it began growing louder, indicating its source was getting closer... " I'm the quivering of your heart, a stabbing pain, a sudden start! And it's so easy when you're evil! This is the life, you see, the Devil tips his hat to meeeee!" |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 2, 2008 23:32:14 GMT -5
Familiar, indeed. While he couldn't immediately place her, Espio resisted camouflaging himself on the hunch that it was someone he did in fact know. Once the dark blue bat came into view, the ninja made a peculiar expression in between a smirk and a grimace. "Oh, it's just you. I thought someone was swinging a bag of cats around or something." |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 3, 2008 0:32:45 GMT -5
Said dark blue bat came to an abrupt halt, her ears twisting seconds before her head followed. She blinked for a moment or two in surprise. It seemed for a moment as though her brain might have shut down as she tried to comprehend the chameleon's unexpected appearance. "What are you--" a pause, her expression flickering before settling on a furrowed brow, "--Hell of a way to greet someone." |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 3, 2008 0:41:54 GMT -5
"Well, you're a hell of a person to greet," he replied matter-of-factly. |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 3, 2008 0:45:59 GMT -5
"And you're a hell of a person to run into," she replied, setting her hands on her hips and looking him over. "What are you doing way out here? I thought you lived over in Central City." |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 3, 2008 0:59:03 GMT -5
"I do," the chameleon replied, glancing aside without turning his head. "I came out here to borrow your waterfall." |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 3, 2008 1:08:37 GMT -5
The girl gave him a sideways glance. "Dude, if you need a shower that badly I'll let you borrow mine." |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 3, 2008 1:18:18 GMT -5
Espio groaned and smacked himself in the face. And then quickly winced over that very action. " Ow.." |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 3, 2008 1:21:53 GMT -5
"... Yeah, hit yourself in the face a few more times," the bat quipped, not realizing the injuries Espio had to his hands. |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 3, 2008 1:39:49 GMT -5
Despite the urge to explain himself, Espio instead sighed and turned his gaze skyward. It wasn't like him to readily divulge personal information, and given their interactions thus far, he couldn't help but doubt she'd take him very seriously anyway. If anything, she'd probably just mock his choices again. It'd likely be less of a headache for both of them if he just went on his way. "Well," the chameleon eventually said, turning and giving a brief wave, "it was nice seeing you again." |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 3, 2008 1:45:19 GMT -5
Reguardless of Espio's efforts, the lack of retort, coupled with the unusual way he was holding his hands, did catch her attention. Her brow arched as she looked between him and his face several times. "Uh, yeah," she answered, finally pointing to the objects of interest, "... What happened to your hands?" |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 3, 2008 1:50:22 GMT -5
The ninja's jaw clenched as he glanced quickly at his own palms. "They're a little sore," he eventually said without stopping. Technically speaking, it was still the truth; it just wasn't the full truth. |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 3, 2008 2:05:19 GMT -5
By now the bat had fallen in step with him, continuing to poke her nose where it didn't belong. "Riiiight. Well, uh, since you're in the area anyway, maybe we could stop where I'm staying and I could get ya some cream to put on it?" |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 3, 2008 2:18:55 GMT -5
Normally, he wouldn't hesitate to decline the offer, but... it sounded very appealing. With his palms so sensitive, the odds were against him actually accomplishing much more of his training, anyway. Then again, his natural reluctance to accept offers made him linger in silence for a moment. Espio scrunched his mouth uncertainly. "Would it be an imposition?" |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 3, 2008 2:28:26 GMT -5
"Nah, I'm sure Ray'll be cool with it. He's been letting me crash at his place while he gets his new house built." |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 3, 2008 12:06:45 GMT -5
That name sounded familiar. If memory served, Ray was that blonde squirrel he'd seen a couple of times at the G.U.N. base and around the hospital. Seemed like a rather giving individual, which made Midnight's supposition sound accurate. Espio mulled the situation over for a moment or two, then finally shrugged. There may have been other things he ought to have been focusing on, but... he found himself actually wanting the company. "Why not." |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 4, 2008 12:44:14 GMT -5
"Mmkay. This way," the bat said, turning and wandering back off in the direction she'd come from. When they reached the tree house Midnight opened her wings, and with one quick spring thrust herself into the air and landed gracefully onto the porch. |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 5, 2008 1:00:45 GMT -5
Espio grimaced a second time as he realized that the abode was treeborne. While he was capable of climbing without the use of his hands, it required peak abdominal strength to do so -- and while his midsection wound had fully closed, it still wasn't back to 100% efficiency. Well, pain is supposed to build character, the chameleon reminded himself with resignation. Drawing a preparatory breath, he carefully reached out and attempted to grip the tree trunk with just his fingertips. I can get a SLIGHT hold, he realized, but not much... Espio took a light hold with the other hand, and after a brief prediction that he would not enjoy doing so, stepped up with both feet. The ninja wasn't sure which was a greater challenge: bearing the bulk of his weight with only his feet, or attempting to share the load with his hands at all. Regardless, he gritted his teeth and slowly began his ascent after Midi. |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 5, 2008 1:06:30 GMT -5
Realizing how slow her companion was to reach the house, Midnight glanced down and noticed the struggling chameleon. Drawing her wings slightly closer in a sheepish gesture she hopped onto a nearby branch and swung upside down, looking down at Espio. "Need some help?" she asked. |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 5, 2008 1:08:51 GMT -5
Tip his hand to his weaknesses? Even when they're extremely obvious and he really DOES need the assistance? Of course not. "I'll be fine," he muttered. |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 5, 2008 1:16:03 GMT -5
Almost as if she'd read the chameleon's mind Midnight's head canted to one side. "You know, there's no shame in accepting help." |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 5, 2008 1:44:13 GMT -5
A lot of people seemed to be telling him that lately. Odd. "I know," he admitted at length, though he didn't cease his climb. Espio opened his mouth to speak again, yet no words ended up coming out. Midi perplexed him in a peculiar way; on the one hand, she got under his skin, and left him wanting to snip at her in the same way he did pretty much everyone else. Yet, at the same time, he frequently found himself with urges to confide in her -- especially strange given that they didn't really even know each other, let alone the circumstances under which they met. Espio paused and peered up at her. He owed her a real reply, but nothing really came to mind. So he said nothing, and begrudgingly urged himself to continue the ascent. |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 5, 2008 1:58:48 GMT -5
"Soooooooooooo," she replied, dragging the word out obnoxiously as she dropped away from her branch. Catching the sudden rush of wind in her wings the bat hovered beside Espio, extending a hand out to him in offering. "Need some help?" she asked again, then paused. "I'm gonna just grab ya otherwise." |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 5, 2008 2:04:18 GMT -5
The chameleon's expression flattened. "Really? I have all those different options?" Rather than allowing himself to be plucked unwillingly from the trunk, Espio carefully laboured himself onto the nearest outcropping branch. His jaw clenched as he gave a fleeting glance at his palms; several of the blisters had begun to drain fluid. "What do you propose?" he finally asked, apparently looking to negotiate. Assistance may not have been indicative of weakness, but that didn't make him any less reluctant to accept it. |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 5, 2008 2:10:42 GMT -5
She shrugged, holding both hands out. "I have a perfectly good set of arms and wings." |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 5, 2008 2:21:15 GMT -5
Espio's expression scrunched. He'd never particularly cared for being toted around, but he found more reservation over the fact that this woman was basically still a stranger. Yes, she was the one suggesting the idea, but it didn't make things any less awkward. Regardless, even he had to admit that it would take him all day to scale the tree without her help. Espio reached forward to take her outstretched hands, then paused just before contact, and drew back. His brow furrowed. " This... is going to be troublesome." |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 5, 2008 2:36:58 GMT -5
"Nah," she said, "Turn around." As the chameleon did so the bat positioned herself, looping her arms under his, and, with a little effort, managed to lift him away from his perch. Beating her wings furiously she brought him up onto the porch and allowed him to hop loose. Setting herself down as well, she began heading for the door. "Well, make yourself comfy. I haven't heard Ray anywhere, so I'm guessing he's either out or asleep." |
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Post by Leedzie on Dec 5, 2008 2:52:41 GMT -5
" Thanks," the ninja quietly acknowledged as he followed her inside. As it turned out, the treehouse was not what he was expecting. While it obviously couldn't have been spacious, the fact that it was utterly cluttered with a dense combination of papers, plastic wrappers, clothing, comic books, old food, figure dolls, video game cases, and Chaos knew what else, made the abode seem hardly bigger than a phone booth. Which was exactly why Espio froze at the threshold. |
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Post by Jamie Lee on Dec 5, 2008 2:59:20 GMT -5
Whiiiich Midi didn't really notice at first, for at that moment she was busy occupying herself with retrieving Ray's first aid kit. When she returned and noticed him standing there she looked between him and the vacant couch she'd expected him to sit on several times. "Yeah, I know the place is a wreck. Blame Ray," she commented, taking a seat on the couch and beginning to fish around inside the box. |
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THE ONLY ROUGE COSPLAYER WITH A MATCHING BALLOON.
