Get Used to It [aaralyn]

[logan]

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[atrb=background,http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc109/toysoldierdonut/LKtablemid87.png] Logan slumped down onto the Switchstone's seat he had claimed as his bed, home from a tiring shift on border patrol. It wasn't comfortable, but he'd never had a soft place to sleep since he was nine. The train's padded seat was actually an improvement on the hay strewn wooden slats he used to sleep on while working "the wall" back in Russia, if only just a little bit too small. It was almost kind of funny now thinking about the wall back home, because now in the Menagerie, "the wall" had an entirely new meaning. Once upon a time "the wall" meant a hot meal every night, a place to sleep, friends so close they were practically family, and a sense of belonging. Now, "the wall" meant all of those plus one more: imprisonment. That and the hot meals weren't as predictable. He stared up at the concave ceiling of the train car, his feet hanging off the edge of his seat-bed, spilling into the aisle. His body was tired but his mind was awake, but there wasn't anything to think about. Sitting back up, he walked over to the train car door and leaned against the door frame. It was early morning, his border shift had lasted all night. For some of his fellow nocturnal brethren, it was time to pass out until the sun went down, but for most of the sane members of the Fallenring, the day was just starting. Logan's shoulders ached, and his legs were sore. Every part of his body screamed to get back in bed and sleep, but his eyes were wide open. He surveyed the station watching it slowly reawaken. Sleep will come soon, but not now.

[Deleted]

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[atrb=background,http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q243/cdvs/newaaramid.gif] For a Spring night, a cool breeze had picked up, and it sent goosebumps rippling across Aaralyn's pale skin. A shiver erupted down the length of her spine, causing her to raise her arms and fold them across her chest, letting her palms run along the lengths of her upper arms, hoping the friction would warm her some. Finding little comfort in the motion, she gave up promptly, letting her arms fall back to her sides and the goosebumps linger upon her delicate skin. A sigh fell past her lips, a few stray strands of dirty hair hanging lifelessly in her face. She was tired of this, tired of the filth and the stench. She just wanted a nice hot bath, she didn't want to have to bathe herself in dirty pools of water anymore. Frustrated, she shook her head, trying to decide on a location to retire to for the evening. She knew the Switchstone Station was close, and for the most part it was undisturbed and usually vacant. That was what she liked, Aaralyn wasn't the most social of people. She had little trust for the other creatures within the Menagerie, even those of her own Ring. Her long legs carried her quickly and quietly through the streets, the breeze carrying her hair in little waves behind her shoulders. She wanted to be out of the open and quickly, you never knew who could be at your back in this place. She quickened her pace into a jog, her breath coming heavier as she moved along. It wasn't long before the dirty silver railings which led to the station came into view, and she felt a small sense of relief wash over her. She ducked her head slightly and jogged down the stairs, anxious to be out of view and into a darker area. As she reached the bottom, she halted, ears straining to catch any noises around her. It was mostly silent, although she heard a faint stirring coming from a little ways down the platform. It could have been someone else, or simply a stray rodent of some sort. Either way, Aaralyn proceeded, not taking the noise as a threat. The old derailed mono sat stationary off to the side, and her hazel eyes wandered over it's structure questioningly. Was there someone within it? She hoped not. She just wanted to rest upon one of it's cushioned seats. She knew they weren't much, but some cushion was better than the pavement. She sighed again, approaching the old train with some cautiousness. It only took her a moment to notice another body leaned against it's door frame and she jumped a little, hazel eyes widening a fraction. She hesitated, stumbling over her tracks for a moment as her mind raced to come up with what she was supposed to do in this situation. Was she supposed to be friendly or continue on like she hadn't noticed the stranger? Obviously she'd noticed him or she wouldn't have reacted in the manner that she had. Crap. She was stuck now. She looked up at the man with an expression that showed sheepishness and some discomfort. He didn't appear to be much older than herself, and he didn't appear unfriendly, but you could never judge a book by it's cover. She approached the male slowly, glancing through the door behind him, hoping there was no one else with him. He was alone. That was a relief. "Excuse me," She murmured, afraid to raise her voice. She glanced at his face for a brief second before letting her gaze fall to the ground, and shuffling past him through the door. Aaralyn was a mess when it came to social situations, but everyone made her uneasy. So she decided she would just pass the male and retire to the back of the mono where she could maybe rest in peace, or perhaps her would try to strike up some sort of conversation, or maybe he would try to stir up some other kind of trouble. A frown crossed her face with the thought, and another tremble ran down her spine. She hoped to god that this man didn't mean trouble. ooc; sorry it's crappppppy.

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[logan]

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[atrb=background,http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc109/toysoldierdonut/LKtablemid87.png] Logan saw her running along the invisible rays of twilight as they began creeping over the distant mountain range, her unusually silky hair bobbing behind in her wake. She was too pretty for this place. She seemed distressed, but not in the way that one might be glancing over their shoulders, looking to see if the past is following them to their only safe haven. Rather, she was distressed about the present, unable to cope with her surroundings. It was pitiful, but not unrelatable. The Menagerie could turn the most level headed of all beings on this planet into an outright wreck. But she wasn't an outright wreck, just uneasy. She gave Logan a passing glance as she brushed past him, muttering a polite word breathlessly before finding her own little resting spot. But she wasn't sleeping either, Logan could tell from the tense vibes that still hung around her. If he were anyone else, Logan could simply have abandoned the train car and left the girl to her own devices, but seeing such discomfort on one of the prettiest faces of the Menagerie was too much to bear. Walking back into the train car, he leaned against the seat closest to the door, saying across the train car retro-fitted for living "You need some security?" It was a strange question, made only weirder by the thick Russian accent it was asked in. ooc;; sorry bout the wait!

[Deleted]

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[atrb=background,http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q243/cdvs/newaaramid.gif] Her breath hitched in her throat with some rough edges, her heart thumping at a good pace against her rib cage. She wasn't exhausted, but she was tired. She had ran most of her journey while out in the open, she hated being exposed in this place, there were far too many crazy people and creatures out there. She had yet to be exposed to a virus, and she certainly did not want today to be that day. A shudder ran down the length of her spine and she shrugged her shoulders to herself to brush the motion off. She brought her hands up to her face, running the back of one across her forehead before letting the two of them comb through her hair, brushing it behind her shoulders. It was a windblown mess, the rich chocolately tone falling in light waves down her shoulders. Aaralyn had found the time and security to have a quick bath in a pond today, it hadn't been much of anything, but it had been enough to remove some of the grit and dirt from her face and hair. The female released a small, shaky sigh, her attention returning to the presence behind her. There was still a man here, she couldn't let her thoughts wander too far. Once she hit the back car of the train, Aaralyn's hazel eyes brushed over the seats fabric and she finally settled for the one which appeared to be in the best shape. Taking her seat, Aaralyn pressed her back against one of the dirty glass windows, letting her head tilt back slightly and drawing her knees up to her chest. She sat completely still like this for a moment, her breathing coming to her ears in small, consistent breaths. Her eyes had fallen closed, but her attention never faltered from the male she knew was stationed not too far away, that was why she did not falter when she heard the man shuffling around on the train, and she could hear his breathing which told her that he had come closer to her current location. The sound of his voice caught her off guard, it was thick with some sort of accent, Russian maybe? It made her jump the slightest bit, and her eyes popped open, falling upon his form a few carts away. Security? The question almost made her laugh, but she kept herself in check, her gaze searching the man's face for any underlying emotions that might reside there. "Don't we all need security here?" She answered him easily this time, her voice monotonous. The stranger's face held no sign of ill will, but that could never be a certain thing, she would still have to be careful around him, but she assumed that he deserved a chance. "You're welcome to come sit, it's not like I own the place." Her voice was still mostly emotionless, but she offered the man a small smile, one that was not of true happiness or gentility, but it was a start nonetheless. She wondered vaguely if he would take up the offer, and then decided that he probably would. He was, after all, the one who had struck up the beginning conversation. She kept her gaze on him lightly, not as prying this time, but still wary. She wondered if all the people here would appear as skeptical as her, and then decided that they most likely were. This place was a wreck, it could turn the most civil of people into an animal. Luckily, Aaralyn wasn't a most civil of people, she had always been a quiet observer, one who wasn't much for conversation or popularity. Politics had always bored her, she would have always rather spent her life in the woods. She almost laughed with that thought. I guess she had really wound up in the woods, after all. ooc; it's fine, sorry about my wait ;p. work's got me super busy lately.

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[logan]

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[atrb=background,http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc109/toysoldierdonut/LKtablemid87.png] Logan shifted his stance. Oddly--and nothing like this had ever happened to Logan before--he felt awkward and out of place, and suddenly regretted saying anything. He looked at her for a moment, considering her offer, and eventually heeded it, walking to the back of the train car and sitting in a seat opposite her. "Not me." He said, though maybe that wasn't the best thing to say. "Well, I find security in securing others." As he looked upon the glowing face of the girl, he couldn't shake the feeling that everything he was saying made little sense and made him seem crazy. But he wasn't crazy. After his parents died, he found his security by keeping his town safe from bandits and wild animals and the like. In the process he made friends with other people in his position and had a surrogate family. So in a sense he was right in the way he thought. However, he couldn't help but see himself through someone else's eyes. Her eyes. Her attitude was welcoming, but her eyes were distrusting. Logan could tell she was wary about everyone she met. He realized his mysteriousness wasn't helping. He extended a calloused hand, "Logan Koehler." he said in his thickest Russian accent yet. The handshake was offered with a comment, "You looked unsettled when you came in, no one was following you were they?" Hoping he wasn't prying to far he also asked, "Why were you away from the station so late? There are many dangers a girl of your beauty should not encounter out there."

[Deleted]

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[atrb=background,http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q243/cdvs/newaaramid.gif] Her gaze held fast to the male's facial features, reading every expression which flickered across his mostly composed face. Aaralyn had always been an observer, and because of that, she had picked up a knack for reading people's body language. What she got from this man was that he was normally very comfortable, even under these hard circumstances, but somehow she had thrown him off his game, made him feel... awkward? Her brows creased at that thought, forming a small line between her eyebrows. So, most of the others didn't act like her in this place? She found that hard to believe, but then again, most people weren't social outcasts like she had been in her 'previous life', as she called it. She waited, not saying anything more, so the man could make his own decision. There was a small hesitation in his movements, but he did eventually accept her offer, and came to sit in the seat opposite her. She let her gaze trail him easily, some of the wariness leaving her tired hazel eyes. If he had really intended to harm her, he could have done so already, why play around? As the man extended one rough hand, Aaralyn mimicked the gesture, letting her own slender, feminine fingers grasp his palm and she shook it easily. "Aaralyn Tracz." The name rolled off her tongue easily, but it sounded almost foreign to her now. How long had it been since she'd even thought her own name? She shook her head slightly, brushing off the invading thoughts. Withdrawing her hand, she let run through her chocolate waves again, pulling at a few knots which had formed. She remained silent Logan voiced a question for her, and she thought about it for a second before offering her answer. Had she been followed? She could have been, but she hadn't been aware of anything or anyone following her. "I don't believe so, but you never know in this place, I guess. I just didn't want anyone to start following me." She offered him a dry laugh, it was most likely completely obvious to this man that her nerves were shot and she was a paranoid wreck, but she felt like she had the right to be. After all, she hadn't been in this place long, everything here was new to her. As he spoke again, Aaralyn could feel her face forming another foreign expression. Her mouth slacked open the slightest bit, and she could feel the corners of her lips tugging upward into an almost flabbergasted grin. A compliment? Had this man really just commented on her beauty? Without warning, Aaralyn burst into a round of genuinely shocked laughter. That was the last thing she had ever expected to hear. "Are you being serious right now? I haven't had a good bath in weeks now and I must smell fowl." The amusement was clear upon her face, and it seemed that her unease had been washed away by the sudden flood of emotion. She shook her head at him gently, getting her facial expression back in check. "I'm sorry, you must think I'm crazy. It's been a while since I've talked with anyone, I guess you could say I forgot what to expect." Her voice was still laced with underlying laughter, but she kept the foolish grin from her face, and instead offered Logan a small, yet genuine smile, hoping he didn't think she was completely mad. ooc; she's gettin' some crazy moodswings

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