Waiting In The Dark (Aeon Tralion & StormWolfsong)

[AeonTralion]

Qasher tumbled through the rift, grinning madly up at his peers as he fled their world, off to a place he prayed would be far better than the one he was born into. As he passed between the dimensions, time and space tugged away like the grey-green of morning gave way to the purple skies of day.

Soon, he would be in a new world, the world of pleasures and those-that-walked-on-two, lovely beings who could barely hide their feminine desires! He would have one, she would be his, and if she remained sane long enough, maybe he could be hers as well!

Qasher fell out of the rift, through black thunderclouds and towards a tall, square structure. He swiveled his tendrils beneath him, grasping at a radio tower and sliding down in to land on the roof. He stared, wide-eyed out at the metropolis, mouth watering and shivers going up his spine.

Qasher was tall for a human, but short-ish for a Ral Viir, at just under seven feet tall. His upper half looked very similar to that of a human, shoulder length hair of red and black, skin pale with a hint of reddish, like a human with a slight sunburn, his eyes were a deep blue-black. His torso was muscular and trim, strong from the hard labor of his world. Hell, even his reproductive system was roughly the same, except for the honey-sweet black sperm, which he'd been told was a bit different from the males they'd taken for testing in his world, well, and his was just at a foot long and a bit thicker than the human males', and it was hidden by his lower... appendages.

This was where the differences between their two races were more obvious. Instead of legs, Qasher had pitch-black tentacles that were red underneath, not wholly unlike an octopus or large squid, twelve of them, to be precise, all thick as a human leg at the base, slender as a finger at the tip. These could be used for fighting, working, or more nimble, dexterous tasks, nearly as well as his hands, sometimes they were even better.

He walked to the edge of the rooftop, a few of his 'feet' clinging to the glass sides of the dark office building, and Tether allowed himself to slowly slide down the glass surface, descending towards the alleyways below.

Across the alleyway was a large car park, but all Tether saw were the large, mobile land-crafts the two-leggers piloted. He eyed the drivers, the women that walked to and from the vehicles, and those in the street as well. So many options! How would he ever choose...?

 

[StormWolfsong]

Gabriella “Ella” Anderson loved the bustling city, she had grown up there with her single father who often didn’t stick around long so she was left to her own devices. It didn’t bother Ella, she walked to the school from where she lived, sometimes it meant taking short cuts through varied locations. She stopped often on the way home to go out by the river and climb up on one of the old warehouse roof’s to look out over the city and the river. Her days often consisted of getting up in the early morning and getting into sweat pants, going for a job in the small park. After that she would go home, shower and get ready for school, go through her classes and spend time with friends. Usually after school she would hang with her best friend Rina for a couple hours before heading home.

Today was no different, she left Rina’s, making her way down the street and stopping by Chan’s market to check on the old man running it. As usual he gave her a sweet and the two talked for about twenty minutes. Chan was the first person to give her a pair of roller skates and even had taken her out to learn how to use them. She had been six at the time and now after the last ten years he was having health problems and had no family around. Ella made it her mission to check on him every day, even on the weekends.

The fifteen year old knew that in three months she would be sixteen and her father had made a promise that he would take her with him when he went to Japan for a couple weeks in the upcoming summer. It would be the longest they had spent together alone since she was ten. Her babysitters back then had often been her neighbors and they were a kind couple, however when she turned fifteen her father had sat her down and had this speech about how she was grown now and didn’t feel she needed a sitter as long as she were responsible with her time and continued to focus on her school work. If he saw a drop in her grades, he warned her, he would have her return to being babysat like a child.

Since her grades had remained A’s and B’s she had been left to her own devices but it didn’t bother her, she had more freedom than any of her friends this way. After talking to Chan, she left his store and made her way down the street in her blue jeans and ‘boob’ shirt as Rina liked to call it. Rina always had terms for different outfits but she called the shirt that Ella had on a boob shirt because it might not dip down to show her cleavage but it was tight enough that it hugged her breasts revealing their fullness and had often caused several stares to land on her chest. Ella had been an early bloomer, by the time she was eleven she had been a B cup but now she was a C cup and hoped for her future’s sake they wouldn’t grow much larger.

From the way her shirt was, it also allowed her other curves to be accented going down over her toned abdomen to the slender hips which tapered in that back to a firm rounded ass before meeting long, lithe legs. She wasn’t wearing the jeans most called skinny jeans, she didn’t need to; her body was lean enough that the jeans she wore fit snuggly in all the right areas. Rina always teased that it wasn’t fair Ella had the body she had and Ella always teased back that if Rina joined her for her run in the mornings and actually took part in things during gym at school she would be fit too.

As she walked now, she reached into her purse and drew out her ipod to connect her earpiece headphones and began listening to music as she walked home with her comfortable sneakers on her feet. As she passed people, she gave a smile or a wave, her natural innate kindness showing to those she saw. As was habit, she would drop a dollar or two into tins or cups on the way by the varied homeless. Or at least those that she had come to see weren’t drug addicts or alcoholics. In fact, she began to worry when she didn’t see one particular homeless man. He was a veteran she had talked to a few times, even treated to a meal while he told her of the different countries he had seen. For this reason, she cut through the car park intent on searching locations she knew he spent time in and glanced around with concern for the man.

She should have been heading home; it was that time of year when it began to get darker earlier in the day. There was always the chance Artie had just found somewhere new to sleep for a few nights. Or maybe his daughter finally decided to let him back in her life. She stopped walking in the middle of the dark car park while she considered what she was going to do. Her gaze swept out toward the street on the other side and she shivered, it felt like she was being watched… which was ridiculous but she always felt off coming through the car park. She jogged the rest of the way to the street though just to try to lose that feeling. “You watch too many movies, Ella.” She told herself and laughed, though for some reason she didn’t feel that feeling of being watched leave.

Another shiver went up her spine and she shuddered, just then a child walking with their hurried parent tripped in front of her and she quickly moved to help him up. “There now, let’s tie this shoe for you shall we?” She offered the child and smiled warmly as she looked down to fix the kids shoe. The kids mother looked annoyed at being held up but at least she waited instead of not realizing her son had fallen. Ella had seen that happen before.

Straightening she ruffled the kids hair, “Be careful now.” She gave the kid a smile before watching him walk off and running a hand through her own long hair with the red highlights in otherwise light brown hair. She had almost gone with dying her hair red but had settled for highlights.

Standing there, near the edge of the car park, her vibrant green eyes glanced left and right as she tried to debate. “Oh… Artie, where are you?” She asked the air quietly, it had only been a week since she had last seen him, she knew he had to be alright but considering how close she felt she couldn’t help but worry.

 

[AeonTralion]

Qasher continued to watch the city, enveloped by the sights and sounds of the human world. Square skyscrapers, clouded black skies with white stars, he'd heard their sky was even blue of all things! He could hardly wait to see it all, to experience everything and anything and anyone he could! But first, he would have to start small, he needed to see what two-leggers even acted like, how they behaved.

Qasher was lucky to have been a part of the team that researched the two-leggers they'd taken previously, and one thing they'd discovered was the amazing simplicity of their languages. There were no sub-vocal tones, no rhythm restrictions, hand or tendril motions required, not even an ounce of pheremonal communication or telepathic projection, it was all an easy combination of syllabic meanings and expressions, coupled with tone and body language. Child's play. Already Qasher could speak english, spanish, french and chinese, and was more than confident in his ability to pick up any other language that presented itself to him.

Those he'd studied had told him he moved like an 'Ok-to-puss,' a strange, unintelligent oceanic creature. This intrigued him, but it knew it would make him stick out. He leapt to a light pole, punched out the light to hide himself, and descended towards the alleyway below, but as he did so, his eyes landed on a lovely two-legger, miles above the others he'd seen. She was helping a small two-legger with his shoe in the parking garage, hair like fading fall leaves and brilliant bright eyes like his home's sky. Her body made him shiver with desire, and as he clung to the darkened pole with his tendrils, he reached out with his hands, admiring her from a distance. He smiled broadly, his sharp, shark-like teeth shining.

He slid down the pole gracefully, and much to his suprise, there was a sleeping two-legger! Right there next to a large, smelly metal box full of scaps and refuse, a hairy, thickly bearded two legger clutching a bottle and making loud noises in his sleep. Qasher made to aproach the man, but then, suddenly, he ehard voices, speaking a brazen english from a nearby alley.

Qasher dove for a nearby entryway, but found the doorway was sealed. No time, nothing to worry about, Qasher could easily bypass human doors. He slid one of his tendrils under the door, flattening it as much as he could, and grabbed the knob on the other side. He turned it with a click and slipped inside just as the voices drew near.

Two boys walked down the alleyway, both college punks walking the streets with bag-covered bottles in hand. One must've been in his mid twenties, long brown ratty hair and a face full of metal, the other with trimmed blonde hair with white tips wearing baggy clothing. Neither was very handsome sober, and drunk they were even less so.

"Shit, I'm out!" complained the first, drawing a hefty, mocking laugh from the second. For a moment, they tussled, slugging one another drunkenly and cursing so loud that it echoed off the brick walls. It was this that woke the homeless man, eying them both with sloshed anger.

"Shaddup, I'm sleepin' y'assholes." He said, throwing an empty beer can their way and hugging his whiskey close. The second punk scoffed, kicking the can back and pointed to the homeless man's prize. "I spot a refil Josh! Haha!"

'Josh' rolled his eyes, but then his drunken gaze lit up with an idea. "Hey, not a bad plan! Give it, you old bitch," 'Josh' said, making his way to the drunk lounging by the dumpster. For a minute, they fought, the second degenerate laughing loudly, but then, suddenly, Josh grabbed his bagged-bottle and brought it down over the old man's head. The old lush fell to the ground with a thud and Josh raised his prize high, yelling out in 'victory.'

He looked around, and it was then that Josh spotted a pretty girl, her clothes tight and perfectly snug, and walking all alone? Well, a 'gentleman' couldn't have that, could he? While Qasher rumaged in the nearby store, Josh whistled to his companion, and the two chuckled, walking towards Ella. "Hey baby, you look lonely. Why don't you let Mike and me walk you home?" The two approached her, one circling around to keep her from bolting, getting closer with each step.

 

[StormWolfsong]

Ella sighed preparing to begin walking once again, knowing that she needed to get home before it got much later. Her father was going to be home eventually and she needed to make certain he didn’t come home to her not being there. She turned and started for the main sidewalk just as she heard the voice and saw the boys moving toward her. Her hands lifted to hug herself as she looked at them and shook her head, “No… thank you but I can make it on my own.” She spoke, her voice soft though it trembled as she felt fear fill her.

Her gaze searched and she noted that she was being hedged in, causing her to swallow nervously. She looked around for a way out, tensing because if they touched her she wasn’t going to go without a fight even if she didn’t know anything about fighting. Her heart began racing and she spoke, “I’m fine, you can both go your own way.” She began to wish that she hadn’t scoffed when her father had given her the keychain with a rape whistle on it and a can of mace. The problem was, they were in her purse which she clutched closer to her body and tried to reach into for the can, her hands shaking.

Despite this, she also tried to hedge away, hoping to get away from them as she started toward the street thinking that if she could find an opening she could run. The thought of hurting someone even in self-defense made her stomach queasy. “Please just leave me alone,” she said her voice trembling as badly as her hands now as she tried to keep herself from getting backed against anything.

Please let them leave me alone, she prayed silently as she felt her breath come in pants, panic beginning to set in. Her eyes darted around looking to see if there was anyone around that would be able to help her, anyone that might come to her rescue. She had never run into trouble before, hadn’t believed the stories she had heard and now she was afraid she might never make it home.

 

[AeonTralion]

Josh and Mike, the terrible scum that they were, edged closer to the pretty young thing, circling her like hungry sharks closing in on their next meal. Josh's eyes took in every inch of her without a hint of decency while Mike edged closer, going so far as brushing her hair with the tips of his fingers, each of them eagerly blocking her path as they got closer. This routine was anything but new to these two, and it showed.

Josh caught her gaze and smiled a sick grin. "Hey hey hey... we're not bat guys, are we Mike?" Mike shook his head and smirked, "Nah, we just wanna little fun, baby... just go on, kneel, open your mouth and shut your eyes, we'll make this real quick on you..." Josh grabbed her wrist, and Mike's hands ran over her sides and onto her stomach, his rancid vodka breath hot on her ear. "Mmmm, you smell nice..."

But then a whistle cut through the air, causing both the punks to freeze. Mike stepped away, afraid, but Josh hugged Ella close, twisting her wrist and hissing quietly to her, "play along or ELSE."

Mike looked down the alley where a shadowy figure was walking towards their little group. He emerged from the shadows, dressed in a thick yellow hoodie and baggy black cargo pants, a large backpack hanging from his shoulders. His gait was a bit odd, a loose, casual stride, smooth, like a dance of some kind. He grinned, his teeth looking a bit sharper than any they'd be used to. Mike pulled a switchblade, flicking it open. "Hey man, get lost, okay?"

Qasher shook his head 'no,' balling his hands into fists and preparing to attack. He'd stuffed four tentacles into each of the legs of these pants, easily hiding them from view, their tips slid into high top converse sneakers, red like his hair, and laced tightly. The final four of his twelve lower appendages were hidden a bit differently. Qasher had torn out the back of the backpack he was wearing, done the same for the butt of the pants, and the remaining four tentacles were balled up inside the pack, also hidden from view. He may have looked like a stoner, or a punk, or a delinquent, but one thing was sure: other than his odd gait, not a soul alive would pin him as any less human than anyone else.

Mike's knife was fast for a human, but terribly sloppy by Ral Viir standards. Qasher cross-countered, hitting Mike in the jaw before planting his 'foot' in the middle of his chest, shoving him back out of the alley and slamming him harshly into a brick wall. Josh, lost for words, was left completely open, having (moronically) completely forgotten about Ella after the display he'd just witnessed.

Qasher shot the girl a look that said 'your move,' and waited for her to subdue HER opponent.