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Post by boo on Jan 30, 2011 15:21:11 GMT -5
I just read this not to long ago and then forgot to post a comment ><; But this story is epic NeNe! Triston's design sound awesome, I love the dragon/giants you guys are coming up with ^^ Ronan, coolest name ever, and you gotta love the hyper but gentle ones, they're so much fun. The fact that he's gay makes him even more fun XD
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Post by Neon on Feb 2, 2011 2:38:09 GMT -5
Amayasama: Weeeelllll Dad-Varan may not meet your expectations. I'm gonna surprise you for once! Hahaha Satal: They are not twins just cause they're ladylike! XD Ronan: Oh hello, Arrow. ;D Aren't you just lovely~ boo: Thanks! : ) I'm glad you approve! The dragon-person mix was tough to design.
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Post by Amayasama on Feb 2, 2011 13:39:15 GMT -5
XD Oh noes! ;3 I wonder then...is he going to be a meanie? A rough-housing dragon? o.o Or maybe he's a drunkard? *flails* I must know Tristen's family!
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Post by Neon on Feb 23, 2011 3:11:41 GMT -5
X. Introductions, Sorta
Qwerty sat unmoving in the corner of the “house” Ronan had established for him. It was a box, made of stiff cardboard paper. While he couldn’t be certain, Qwerty suspected it had once held shoes. A hole had been cut on one side of the box for Qwerty to exit should he so desire, but he’d already explored and mapped the high dresser his box rested on. There were no avenues to the floor except for the deadly fall. Beyond that, Ronan had fashioned some furniture for the Tinic, a bit oversized but generally proportioned properly. Separated from the rest of the box by a makeshift curtain was the toilet, which Qwerty was heartily embarrassed to have. It made him feel like an animal.
It was the third day there. He’d yet to speak a word to either Ronan or Tristen, though not because they didn’t try to coax it out of him. He did learn a lot, though. Tristen’s brother rarely came home. Tristen and his father often fought about this. In fact, the whole reason Tristen had stumbled upon Qwerty in the desert in the first place was because he’d flown off in a fury from one of these fights. Ronan was actually Tristen’s cousin, living with them since his parents’ deaths.
They never treated him badly. That often surprised Qwerty. Tristen would carry him outside every day for fresh air, which Qwerty grudgingly looked forward to every day. He never could get too far away from the massive Varan before being called back. Ever since he’d been caught in the rain, Qwerty didn’t much want to venture out on his own again. It agonized him, but he was afraid to try the journey home. Qwerty shook his head as he thought about it, knowing that he shouldn’t give up. But he felt like he had no choice.
He’d already had a few mishaps while in the Varani household. Tristen and Ronan had decided to keep him a secret from the father and brother. If Qwerty wanted to speak, he’d have agreed with that. He didn’t want to meet another Varan in his life. Despite this, misadventures plagued him, as if always reminding him of how little he was in their world.
Once, while they were outdoors, Tristen’s father had come out to speak to him, without noticing Qwerty. Tristen, in an effort to conceal him, had turned and stood quite quickly. Qwerty, recognizing the tense situation as their voices steadily rose, backed away until he was well hidden beneath one of the leafy flower bushes in the yard. And not a moment too soon, for Tristen’s father struck the Varani teen across the face with a force that would surely level Qwerty’s house ten times over. Qwerty watched with wide eyes as the elder Varan stormed away and Tristen fell backwards with a crash that knocked the Tinic over as well. Tristen had no difficulties convincing Qwerty to go back inside for the day; his whole body shook as he thought about what might have happened to him had he not backed out of the way before Tristen fell.
Ronan, while usually gentle, often let his energetic nature cause Qwerty trouble. Whenever he was home, he insisted that Qwerty accompany him in almost all he did. Qwerty had been knocked into the dishwater once already, and pulled out hacking and sputtering from the soapy water. He’d nearly fallen off of a counter avoiding Ronan’s movements when he cooked dinner—he often danced and sang along to music that wasn’t there. Qwerty thought it was a training exercise just avoiding the rather flamboyant Varan’s sweeping gestures.
His closest scare came the previous evening. Ronan had decided to watch moving pictures on the flat screen in the room where Qwerty had first met him. Qwerty, set on the arm of the couch, watched with fascination at the extent of the Varani technology. Ronan lounged quite comfortably across the couch, his wings draping over the edges.
The trouble started after Ronan drifted to sleep. Qwerty heard someone approaching down the stairs from above. He moved to a runner’s stance from his seated position on the arm of the couch, looking around for a quick hiding place. If it wasn’t Tristen approaching, he needed to be out of sight and out of danger. He quickly chose the closest hiding place, albeit one of the more risky ones: under the lapel of Ronan’s jacket.
It had been Tristen’s brother, apparently home for once. He stormed through on the way to a different room, the door to which he slammed hard enough to shake the whole house. Qwerty discovered that Ronan was a jumpy sleeper, when the Varan bolted up and jumped to his feet in his disorientation. Qwerty tumbled down through the air, trying to get a hold on the fabric of Ronan’s shirt or jacket. The Varan made it hard by turning to search for him, but of course he was no longer in his seat. Qwerty made one last grab and managed to get a firm hold of the belt loop on Ronan’s pants. He clung to it for dear life, right until Ronan finally found him and pried him away, apologizing profusely in his energetic, effeminate voice.
Qwerty stood and paced around his box nervously. He couldn’t afford to have more near accidents like that. If they didn’t kill him, his nerves would shave the years off of his life. There was only so much stress a Tinic could take, and with his heart already beating at a much faster rate compared to the slow drudge of the Varani hearts, he imagined it could pop before long.
He didn’t know what to do. With a frustrated sigh, he fell into his little chair, thinking hard. He was near the breaking point of speaking to the Varani and abandoning the training he’d taken all of his life. His whole childhood was filled with the constant mantras about how to avoid getting caught and what to do if that didn’t work. Now his childhood was far behind him, separated by mountains and desert and who knew what else. Everyone he knew probably thought he was dead. Was it worth taking a chance in revealing their location to get home?
Qwerty’s ears perked when he heard giant footsteps on the stairs elsewhere in the house. Tristen had apparently arrived home, right on schedule. And, sure enough, he let himself into Ronan’s room and went straight to the dresser on which Qwerty’s box sat. Qwerty looked up as the huge face shadowed over him. He didn’t flinch anymore, but his heart always jumped when they got so close.
“Good afternoon, Mouse, how are you?” Tristen greeted softly with a slight smile. Qwerty shrugged but kept his face passive. “Great, I think,” Tristen answered hesitantly. “Well, hey, come on,” he continued, unfazed. He reached into the box to offer Qwerty a hand. The Tinic regarded it dully before clambering on from his chair. He had little choice in the matter, the way he saw it.
“I’m gonna show you the computer today, Mouse,” Tristen announced as he ferried Qwerty through the hall toward a different room. “It’s a great machine that helps us with all sorts of things.” He glanced down to ask a direct question. “Have you ever seen one?” He smiled encouragingly to Qwerty’s shake of the head. “Great! Now you will.”
They entered a bedroom; it must have been Tristen’s. He crossed to a desk in the corner, that had a flat, grey object settled in the middle of it. Tristen let Qwerty step onto the desk before reaching out and opening the top half of the thing and raising it so it stood like an L on the desktop. It had a screen like the moving picture device, as well as a panel of lettered buttons on the bottom. Qwerty approached it cautiously as Tristen simply pressed a button to bring the machine to life.
“We can do all sorts of things with these,” Tristen began his explanation. “Write letters to people around the world, check information, save stuff …” he trailed off as he watched Qwerty’s reaction to the thing.
The Tinic stepped hesitantly onto the panel of buttons, keeping his eyes on one corner of them. He couldn’t really believe the coincidence of it. He sidled around to stand just above them. He knelt to run his hand over the large Q button … and on to the next. Unbelievably, the keys in that upper corner were arranged to spell his name. Well, his nickname, at least.
“What’s up, Mouse?” Tristen asked. Qwerty looked up quickly and shook his head. Then, he pointed at the keys again.
Tristen narrowed his eyes. Once again, the sign language didn’t seem to help, but he had a ready solution. “Here, I’ll open something up so you can try to spell things out if you want. I know you don’t wanna talk … but maybe this won’t count? Just this once?” Qwerty, glad for a loophole and dead tired of being called Mouse, nodded eagerly.
Qwerty turned to watch the huge screen before him react to Tristen’s commands with buttons and movements of an arrow. Soon, a white screen came up. Qwerty looked to Tristen for an explanation. Tristen then used the letter keys and, with impressive speed, clicked out a message. When Qwerty turned back to the screen, he saw that black letters had scrawled across the white space, saying “Hello Mouse. Use the letter keys to say something!”
Qwerty waited for the Varan to move his hands before inching up to the keys. He searched around for the letters he’d need. He sighed, noting how much backtracking he’d have to do. He started going around, pushing down on the keys until they gave and created the same on the screen.
He’d gotten as far as “myy nna” when Tristen interrupted him. “Your name? Also, don’t worry about the double letters. It can be sensitive sometimes. Go ahead and spell your name. Qwerty nodded, glad for a shortcut. He went back to the top left corner. It was a simple matter of pressing one key after the other in order until he finished at the Y.
Tristen paused, reading the screen with a slight smirk. Then, looking down at the Tinic, he asked, “Your name is Qwerty?” Qwerty nodded and actually smiled. “Well, I guess we won’t call you Mouse anymore, Ronan will be so broken up about that.” Qwerty rolled his eyes about that and went to step off the computer. He was stopped by a hand approaching in his peripheral vision.
Tristen held his hand out to Qwerty good-naturedly and said, “Well, Qwerty, let’s redo the introductions. It’s nice to meet you, Qwerty. I’m glad to finally know your name.”
Qwerty stared critically at the offered hand for a moment before hesitantly reaching out to place his hand on one of the rough fingertips. They held the gesture for a few seconds before Qwerty backed off and stepped off the computer, shaking his head. Tristen just smiled as he closed the machine again.
Qwerty sighed, glad to have cleared one obstacle. At least now the Varan would call him by his actual name. He looked to the hand that approached him once again, and then glanced up to the giant’s face.
“Well, Qwerty, would you like to go outside today? The sun is still shining.” Tristen offered good-naturedly. Qwerty paused, then climbed onto the great palm before him. ~~~~~~~~~ Chapter 10! I think there will be less than 20 chapters, so we're relatively close to the closing action. XP
Their relationship is getting a little more friendly.
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Post by Amayasama on Feb 23, 2011 17:57:18 GMT -5
D: Oh noes! Daddy-Varan is mean! D< I'll slap you one if ye hit Tristen again! *flails* ^^ Once again, wonderful chapter dear
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Post by kimgreenday on Feb 23, 2011 18:34:47 GMT -5
Love it!!!
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Post by Neon on Mar 2, 2011 23:19:45 GMT -5
XI. Meeting with Trouble
A week after his kidnapping, Qwerty had gotten accustomed to the general routine. The Varani all had work schedules, except for Tristen’s brother. He was simply constantly absent. Their father had a very long work day, and so it had been a small matter to keep the Tinic guest hidden. For several hours in the afternoons, both Ronan and Tristen would be gone for their own occupations, leaving Qwerty alone in the house for some time.
He sat on the end table in the main living room, idly taking in the sun that shone in through the window. It was the very table he’d first woken on in the large house. Qwerty sighed as he shifted where he sat. He’d become all too familiar with the Varan dwelling. He filled his mind with thoughts of home. They made him happy and sad at the same time.
Qwerty perked up, ever alert, at a faint sound that came from beyond the vast front door. He stood and watched the great portal, sidling over to the relatively squat lamp that rested on the table. He stood by it, ready to hide in case it wasn’t Tristen or Ronan outside.
He heard a sudden burst of a voice beyond the door, calling a goodbye to some more distant Varan. Qwerty ducked behind the lamp, recognizing the younger brother’s name. He’d never met him and didn’t want to now. He frowned worriedly; the boy was rarely home at all, let alone at such an hour.
The Varani teen looked very similar to Tristen, except he had darker eyes, sunken from a constant lack of sleep. He looked mean and troublesome. In his mind, Qwerty found himself calling the new Varan “Trouble.” He’d never learned his real name.
Qwerty peeked very carefully around the lamp to watch Trouble’s actions. He shed a jacket, which he left on the floor by the front door. He also shuffled lazily out of his shoes. Then, the youth let out a great yawn, and Qwerty shuddered at the sight. The youth slowly unfurled his blood red wings, and his tail switched back and forth as he stretched luxuriously.
Trouble’s right wing slowly stretched closer and closer, and Qwerty found himself watching it warily. He winced and backed up hastily when he saw that Trouble didn’t pay attention to his surroundings. His wing bumped the lamp and it teetered loudly on the tabletop. Trouble flinched back and his gaze shot to the table. Qwerty’s gaze whipped upwards at the Varan teen’s face, knowing he’d been inadvertently exposed.
Trouble’s eyes narrowed as he slowly folded his wings again. Qwerty stood frozen, watching for sudden movements. The Varan inched slowly forward, leaning his head down towards the cornered Tinic. Qwerty saw the realization dawn upon him early on. And he didn’t like the extra gleam in the Varan’s eyes. It certainly earned him the nickname Trouble.
“Huh, neat,” Trouble mumbled before his hand lazily reached out for Qwerty. Qwerty gasped and, thinking quickly, darted to the side. His sudden movement startled the Varan enough to flinch back, buying him time to leap from the table. He cleared the arm of the chair next to the table and rolled when he landed on the seat. Already Trouble was circling around, trying to catch him. Qwerty couldn’t afford to look at the hand that lashed towards him.
With a steeling breath, Qwerty dashed for the edge of the chair and bounded from the edge. The fall was nauseating, and he had one shot not to hurt himself … he winded himself slightly, but the somersault was perfect and nothing broke. He winced to hear the Varan growl with frustration as he bolted to his feet again.
As Qwerty made a mad dash to hide under the sofa, Trouble tried to trip him up with his scaly red tail. Timing things just right, Qwerty hurdled over the sweeping tail, glad it was narrow enough at that point. Trouble barked a swear when Qwerty darted under the safety of the furniture.
Trouble was persistent. He wasted no time dropping to his hands and knees and reaching under the couch quickly. Qwerty barely avoided his ambitious grab. He needed a better place to hide, but couldn’t think of one. He turned around to keep an eye on Trouble, just out of his reach. The teen scowled at him, mumbling various threats and curses. Of course, Qwerty had no incentive to come out at that point.
Then, Qwerty nearly fainted with fear as Trouble made his next move. He seemed to transform slightly, but noticeably. His pupils became slits, and his face took on a more feral appearance. And, Qwerty gulped to notice, the nails on his hands became claws, like Tristen had done before. Those claws could cut Qwerty in two with minimal effort.
As Qwerty watched from his cornered hiding place, Trouble reared back where he knelt, and then slammed forward into the couch. It shifted several feet by Qwerty’s scale, and he looked up at the dusty upholstery in surprise. He gasped when, as he looked back to Trouble, the Varan teen had enough space to grab him now. Before he could backpedal away, the clawed hand reached him and surrounded him. His dim surroundings became pitch black as Trouble caught him in a rough fist and pulled him out from his hiding place.
Qwerty felt that sickening, vertiginous ascent as the teen lifted him and stood to his full, terrifying height. Qwerty struggled uselessly against the rough skin prison that held him fast. But it proved pointless when, as the ascent stopped, the Varan opened his hand and Qwerty rolled to the middle of the now-flat palm. He pushed himself up to look at the mischievous Varan face nervously, at least glad that he returned to his less-frightening appearance. The teen opened his mouth in a silent “wow,” before he brought his other hand near. Qwerty couldn’t put up much resistance as the index finger roughly rolled him onto his back and pressed down on his chest, pinning him.
“A live Tinic … just wandering in our house ….” Trouble muttered. He experimented with a little more pressure on Qwerty’s chest. The Tinic opened his mouth in a silent, breathless cry of pain, struggling futilely against it. Trouble released the pressure, and shifted Qwerty so he held him in a fist again, but this time with his head and shoulders free.
Trouble opened his mouth again, but this time Qwerty saw a glow there beyond the fangs that cast a faint orange hue. Qwerty scratched at the giant’s hand, trying to escape, knowing what was to come. He struggled, certain that the Varan was about to breathe fire, aiming right at him …
A fireball formed and shot forward, just over Qwerty’s head. He ducked, trembling, his whole body tense. The fire had been aimed at the fireplace … but Qwerty still sweated from its passing. Trouble’s chuckle told him he’d only have to endure even more fear. ~~~~~ :T Erp. Trouble appears. He's not a very nice kid .... kind of a messed up childhood. He's not purposefully cruel, just so you know. Just kind of insensitive. Also: Totally gonna double post.
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Post by Neon on Mar 2, 2011 23:33:55 GMT -5
(Posted two chapters in a row, be sure to read chapter 11 first)
Warning: There is language in this one, as well as some mild violence--which doesn't get a lot of detail. Also, in case it bothers anyone ... there is some content involving Qwerty in the mouth of a Varan. However, it's not really vore and it comes about as a result of accidental circumstances .... He's perfectly okay after the incident, I promise. Please, please don't be offended by it. I don't really want the stigma against that to make people suddenly hate this story.
XII. Fury
Qwerty trembled in the Varani teen’s grip as the two regarded each other for a long moment. Trouble seemed genuinely surprised to find him. He also seemed unaware of Tristen or Ronan’s involvement in the Tinic’s presence … which could be bad. Qwerty wondered if knowing that his older brother was in charge of his find would deter Trouble from any mischief.
Trouble adopted an expression of scolding a small child. “Well, Tinic, don’t you know you’re trespassing? I don’t take kindly to those who sneak into my house!” he mocked as he flopped onto the couch. Qwerty felt his stomach jump from the sudden drop through the air, and shook his head at Trouble.
“Don’t give me excuses!” Trouble snapped, immersed in his game of power play. “All trespassers have to be punished, it’s only fair.” Upon finishing that sentence he grinned, his eyes gleaming devilishly. Qwerty suddenly realized that this was the kind of kid who’d pull an animal’s tail just to see how it would react. He hoped he wasn’t so cruel as to do any actual harm.
Trouble raised his fist and suddenly opened it, letting Qwerty fall. Qwerty twisted in the air, trying to catch something, but it proved useless when he landed quickly on the giant teen’s other palm. Trouble chuckled and repeated the process, letting Qwerty fall onto his other hand. He repeated the process several times, grinning as he did so. Qwerty grew more and more dizzy as he continued to rise and fall quickly. Luckily, he didn’t hurt himself from any of the short falls, though he often worried about his still-healing wrist. He developed a slight headache from the disorientation, as well.
After landing on his back on Trouble’s right palm, Qwerty looked up to see the left hand approaching at a frightening speed. Afraid it would flatten him, Qwerty flinched into a curled, protective position. He felt the jolt of the hands impacting together, but he wasn’t crushed. He looked up to see that Trouble simply held him in a dark pocket of air between his palms. Then, everything turned upside down.
Qwerty, now on his stomach on the Varan’s left hand, winced as light flooded onto him. He pushed himself up to turn and watch the receding right hand warily. He looked up at Trouble’s face, a cautious, fearful expression on his face. Trouble seemed encouraged by that.
“God, you’re so tiny!” he exclaimed. He swiftly lifted Qwerty to his eye level, only a couple inches from his face. “How do you survive in the world?” he marveled to himself. Qwerty scooted away as much as he could, until he bumped his back into Trouble’s curled fingers.
The right hand returned as Trouble lowered his hand slightly. Qwerty flinched, but the thumb and index finger, both bigger than him, caught the back of his vest and shirt roughly. Qwerty wondered how such a large hand could be so dexterous, as the support below him disappeared. He hung suspended by his shirt, his vest seam digging uncomfortably under his arms.
Trouble swayed him back and forth experimentally, and Qwerty winced. He felt like his stomach would soon empty itself. Trouble chuckled. “What, scared you’ll drop? Scared I’ll let ya go?” He smirked as he lifted Qwerty high above his head, looking up at him with glee. “Don’t worry, I’ve got ya! I’ve never seen a Tinic before, actually. Not gonna let go so soon.” Qwerty squirmed with discomfort from how high and insecure he was.
“You gonna try to get away? What, after trespassing, you wanna just leave?!” Trouble laughed, and Qwerty shuddered at the sight of that wide open mouth directly beneath him. “I haven’t decided your sentence yet!”
Trouble slowly lowered his captive towards him as he thought. “I know! I know just the fitting punishment for a little thing like you … though you’re not even a mouthful, are ya?”
Qwerty’s eyes widened with realization. And the teen’s tone was just cryptic enough that it didn’t give anything away. Was he only joking? Qwerty couldn’t really afford to find out. He tried to twist and turn his way out of the mess, as Trouble opened his mouth wide, a smile playing at the corners of it. Qwerty shuddered, quite visibly, as he slowly felt himself lowered closer to those fangs. He tried to turn so he could get a hold of the Varan’s hand. If he could hold on, perhaps he’d not make it into that gaping mouth.
At that moment, the door burst open. Qwerty turned his head, but Trouble was startled into letting him go. Qwerty fell with a cry right into the surprised Varan’s mouth. Trouble turned his head to look sheepishly at whoever had entered. Qwerty couldn’t see, because the Varan had closed his mouth. The Tinic squirmed and tried to escape his new prison. He found himself stuck between the hard palate and the tongue, which seemed to hold him in place. Trouble didn't want whoever it was to discover his games, though Qwerty had a feeling based on the slight groan of discomfort from the Varan that he never intended to actually put him in his mouth. That was only slightly comforting.
Qwerty heard a muffled voice, and recognized that Tristen had returned. And he sounded angry. “Marius,” he began, finally teaching Qwerty the youth’s name. “What is in your mouth?” It sounded like the kind of question he knew the answer to, and the answer pissed him off.
Qwerty felt the Varan shake his head as he carefully stood. Qwerty squirmed more and finally lost his resolve. He yelled as loudly as he could from his prison. “Help! Please, let me out! Please, please, help!”
“Marius! That’s it!” he heard Tristen say, anger rising in his tone. There was motion. Then, abruptly, Marius’ head jerked forward. Qwerty heard a deafening shout of pain as he fell suddenly. He landed and rolled on a cushion of the couch, sputtering and taking deep breaths of fresh air.
“What the FUCK do you think you were DOING?!” Tristen roared, prompting Qwerty to turn where he sat to look up at the two Varani. They stood over him still, Marius doubled over with Tristen gripping his hair in one hand and the base of a wing in the other. It looked painful.
“I didn’t mean to, I swear, you just startled me—OUCH, fuck, let go!” Marius tried to answer, though Tristen interrupted him by yanking him back away from the couch. He let go, but just as swiftly he threw a punch that knocked the younger giant to the floor. Qwerty watched with horror as Marius got back up and his appearance reverted to his fearful, more draconic form. Tristen likewise changed, and the two set to fighting. Qwerty didn’t want to see the end of it. He ran to the edge of the couch.
The ground shook as the two dragon-giant brothers wrestled and fought each other, growling and yelling ferociously at each other. Qwerty took a deep breath and jumped from the couch, again taking a rolling landing to avoid injury. From there he ran towards one of the archways out of the room. He wanted to get as far away from those monsters as he could. He shook Marius' saliva from himself as he ran, disgusted.
He finally darted into the kitchen, leaving the violent argument behind. He went to the safest place he could find, and darted underneath the cabinet. It had just enough room for someone his size to roam beneath it, but a Varan wouldn’t reach him.
He retreated to the wall, sinking to the ground and panting heavily. Qwerty shook in every single limb of his body. The violent anger the Varan continued to display shook the house. He ran through the recent minutes in his mind. One second, Trouble—Marius—harmlessly teased him. The next, he almost killed him. And he’d never seen Tristen so livid. The anger, though it wasn't for him, scared Qwerty beyond his ability to really cope. He put his face in his hands as tears finally leaked from his eyes.
The fight either moved elsewhere, or it subsided. Either way, Qwerty was alone in the kitchen for a long time. He dozed off into half-awake nightmares, dreaming that he once again dropped into the mouth of a demon that laughed at his plight.
Voices roused him. Ronan and Tristen entered the kitchen. Qwerty could only see their shoes moving about. “I don’t know where else he could be,” Tristen lamented.
“Hush, cousin. We’ll find him.” Ronan answered evenly. “We have looked everywhere else. And Marius wouldn’t lie to you at this point, not after that beating you gave him … he doesn’t have poor Qwerty anymore.”
“Right. Let’s … let’s start looking in here. Everywhere, even check the cupboards …”
Eventually, one of them got on his knees to search. Qwerty saw that it must be Ronan, for his long hair hung low and swept across the smooth floor. Soon enough, Ronan moved over to the cabinet. He peered underneath, right at Qwerty. Qwerty stood, knowing that they had eye contact, but nonetheless he stayed with his back against the wall.
“Tristen, he’s here,” Ronan announced calmly. Qwerty saw the concern on the delicate features of Ronan’s face. Qwerty heard and felt the other Varan hurry to look. He dropped to the floor hastily, shaking it quite a bit as he peered sideways underneath the cabinet.
“Come out, Qwerty … it’s okay,” Ronan encouraged softly.
“Yes, I’ve taken care of my brother, Qwerty.” Tristen explained. “He won’t hurt you anymore. He’ll never touch you again.”
Qwerty closed his eyes and shuddered. He couldn’t shake the images of the titanic battle between the Varani. That had been Tristen only a short while ago.
There was a silence between the three as Qwerty remained rooted to his safe spot. After a long, despairing pause, Tristen spoke in a quiet, remorseful voice. “I’m so sorry this happened to you, Qwerty.” Qwerty looked out at him, his face still sad and somewhat scared. “I know that it was partially my fault, for not protecting you better. And I know you’re scared … but please come out. It will never happen to you again.”
Qwerty took a deep breath and sighed. He pushed the images of animalistic fury out of his mind, and took some hesitant steps forward. ~~~~~~ Yeah. This. >.< I hope it doesn't offend anyone or whatever. But yeah, just to be perfectly clear, Marius had no actual intent of nomming on any little people. And Qwerty's safe, so it's all well in the end.
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Post by Amayasama on Mar 3, 2011 17:53:35 GMT -5
o///o *clutches heart* Such action! You had me all hot and worried during that fight! I thought for sure that Qwerty was gunna find a way out of the house after that x.x But amazing chapter nonetheless and thanks for the warnings :3
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Post by kimgreenday on Mar 3, 2011 22:20:40 GMT -5
Aaaaiiiii!!! Qwerty, I loves you!! <333
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Post by Neon on Mar 4, 2011 0:51:50 GMT -5
Thanks for the support, guys. I only included it because this is the sort of story where everything that can go wrong does go wrong. xD Poor Qwerty!
If he wasn't so little and timid, he'd probably appreciate the love, Kim xD
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shanalogic
New Member
I'm too lazy to turn this stupid thing the right way around.
Posts: 32
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Post by shanalogic on Mar 4, 2011 18:46:42 GMT -5
Loving this! I've been hoping for an update on this one, and you did not disappoint! I think action scenes must be one of the hardest things to write, but it read very smoothly and was super-exciting, so great job! Hee. Everytime I see Qwerty's name I have to look down at my keyboard.
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Post by masquerade on Mar 7, 2011 2:55:11 GMT -5
I'm jelous of your writing skills lol I love it
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Post by Neon on May 9, 2011 15:34:06 GMT -5
XIII. I’m Not Okay When he stepped out into the open, Qwerty watched the Varanis' faces as they sat up on their knees, looking down at him. Tristen looked every bit as sorry as he’d promised he was. Qwerty found himself feeling a genuine trust for him, despite his fear. He knew he needn’t fear Tristen’s draconic form, because he’d only used it to defend his little charge. His friend. Ronan slowly, cautiously reached down and took Qwerty in his two cupped hands. “Qwerty,” he said kindly as he slowly lifted him. “I need you to show me if you have any injuries. I can’t help you if you won’t tell me—“ “I’m not hurt,” Qwerty interrupted, catching both of the Varani entirely off guard. He wouldn’t meet their eyes, but he had spoken loudly and clearly enough for them to hear him. “You … you spoke?” Tristen muttered in awe. Qwerty rolled his eyes and sighed, collapsing to sit in Ronan’s hands. The day was getting far too tiring and stressful. He didn’t need to be reminded that his resolve had finally been broken by these giants. Tristen started to stand, and Ronan steadily followed. Ronan glanced at Tristen for a moment. “I think maybe you should take him on your daily visit outside,” the long-haired man advised. Tristen nodded. He looked at Qwerty. “Ready?” he offered a palm next to Ronan’s hands. Qwerty nodded heavily and climbed onto the offered hand. Suddenly he felt very aware of his dependence on these giants. The helplessness of it all made his shoulders droop. He barely watched their path as Tristen carried him to the back door of the house and lingered on the porch. He walked out onto the lawn, choosing a well-shaded spot of the soft grass. He didn’t ferry Qwerty to the ground right away, which surprised the Tinic. Qwerty turned to look up at the Varan’s troubled face curiously. “I feel like I should explain a few things to you …” Tristen began lamely. Qwerty paused, then shrugged and sat cross-legged on the giant palm. Encouraged, Tristen continued. “Marius is kind of … confused.” Qwerty gave him a flat look, but didn’t make any indication to interrupt. “He’s been acting out more and more since our mom left … he was at a sensitive age I guess. But he’s fallen in with a rough crowd and that’s why he’s never around. “It started the year after mom took off. He met some older kids that basically took advantage of him. Got him to do all sorts of stuff for them. Steal stuff, break stuff, whatever. And he did it, because he was emotionally disturbed and wanted approval from someone. Whatever. I don’t know how it all happened exactly, because he won’t tell us. “Dad and I fight all of the time because I think Marius needs professional help. Dad thinks he’s reacting normally. They’re both a little shaken after … you know.” Tristen paused and shrugged slightly. Qwerty nodded in understanding. Tristen lowered his hand to the grass for Qwerty to step off as he continued. “So today, Marius acted himself. He’s not … he’s not intentionally cruel, please know this. He’s just a really confused kid and he took it out on you. After … well, after our fight, I had a little talk with him. He was just messing around, he said. I’m not saying that’s an excuse or anything! But he didn’t mean to hurt you … he told me that he’s sorry. He got a little carried away. I know it might not mean much to you … but it won’t happen again.” Qwerty tilted his head as he looked up at Tristen. The Varan’s face was full of sincerity, of a clear hope for some sort of reconciliation. Qwerty saw the conflict raging behind the giant, orange eyes. He wanted forgiveness. He cared about his brother, but he clearly also felt responsible for Qwerty. “It’s … it’s not your fault.” Qwerty had gone so long without speaking, that he almost couldn’t make any sound this time. “He didn’t hurt me. Just scared me.” And almost ate me, he thought to himself. But it seemed better not to mention that. Tristen sighed. “I’m really glad. I’ll do a better job keeping you safe next time, I promise.” When Qwerty didn’t say anything to that, Tristen went on hesitantly. “It’s almost like …. almost like I have another little brother or something.” Qwerty raised his eyebrows in full surprise at that. To think that the Varan actually cared about his welfare that much … it astounded him. He’d learned so much about them in less than a week. He definitely couldn’t agree with his training about them any longer. They weren’t all so vicious and nasty. Tristen offered a smile, and Qwerty returned a shy, half-smile before looking away. He took a few steps away in the thick grass, thinking. He didn’t doubt that Tristen would stay true to his word. He’d protect him well. Qwerty looked up at the mountain range to the west as he thought. Somewhere beyond that mountain range lay his home. Where his family went on living. He realized that, if he allowed himself to be adopted into a new, decidedly-bigger family, he’d have to leave behind all hope of seeing his real family. And the thought brought him to his knees. Several tears welled up in Qwerty’s eyes as he contemplated his situation. The whole reason he’d been put in such danger that day was because he simply didn’t belong. No matter how kind Ronan and Tristen had been. He didn’t belong there. Tristen nudged his shoulder with a finger. “Hey … Qwerty … you okay?” He scooped the Tinic onto his hand gently and lifted him to his face. Qwerty turned his gaze back to the gigantic eyes. He could no longer stand to keep the secret. He had to reveal his home … it was his only chance of returning. “I’m not okay, actually,” he answered strongly, suddenly very confident. He stood on the surprised Varan’s palm. “I miss my family, my home. I’m tired of being at such a disadvantage here. I’m tired of being able to stand on the palm of anyone else around.” “Qwerty, you …” Tristen tried and failed to come up with something to say. “It may not seem like much, out in the desert. But it’s home.” “…Why didn’t you just tell me before I brought you here?” Tristen finally asked. “Would you have left them alone if I’d told you?” Qwerty asked pointedly. Tristen thought long and hard about it. “I … guess I wouldn’t have. But now that I know you, I understand a little better.” The two exchanged faint smiles. “So what next?” Qwerty sighed and turned to face the mountains again. “I … I want to go home.” ~~~~~~~~~ Enjoy.
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Post by Amayasama on May 10, 2011 19:57:54 GMT -5
^0^ SQUEE an update! How wonderful! x3 And I love these two, they're so sweet with each other! >> Although I can't help but wonder what Tristen would do if he does know where the city is...would he visit again? XD Pretttyyy sure everyone would freak out
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Post by natalie on May 10, 2011 22:55:09 GMT -5
Awesome update!!
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Post by howlingwolf on May 11, 2011 15:49:33 GMT -5
Yay! I'm so happy this story is still going on. I can't wait to find out what Qwerty will do
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Post by Neon on May 24, 2011 1:24:15 GMT -5
XIV. Explanations “To think our little Qwerty had a whole village back home all this time,” Ronan mused, leaning on the counter in the kitchen. Qwerty stood on the table near where Tristen sat. After explaining the situation, he remained silent as he let it sink in. Tristen sighed heavily, his face full of a mix of emotions. Qwerty couldn’t pinpoint what that expression and that sigh conveyed. But it almost seemed like guilt. “Well, we shall have to get you home as soon as possible, won’t we?” Ronan chirped, approaching the table to peer more closely at Qwerty. In reply, Qwerty rolled his eyes. Tristen softly tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I’ll have to take you back as soon as possible. I just don’t know how to keep dad from knowing where I went … if he somehow followed …” Ronan frowned slightly as he nodded faintly at Tristen. Their silence unnerved Qwerty. Would Tristen’s father be able to find the village? “Maybe I should do it …” Ronan began. But with a quick realization he sighed. “But I don’t know the way.” Tristen shook his head. He then turned his head to address Qwerty directly. “I know it’s frustrating, but we may have to wait a little while before I can sneak out there unnoticed.” Qwerty sighed. “If it’ll keep the village safe from being found out, I can wait a little while.” After all, he’d waited for days already, right? He really couldn’t hide a faint smile. He’d be going home soon! Ronan stood up straight again and clapped his hands with a smile. “Excellent! We’ll keep you safe until then, you cute little Tinic, you!” That brought a question to Qwerty’s mind suddenly. He tilted his head as he asked, “So how do you guys know about the Tinic? We keep ourselves so well-hidden. How did you know right away what to call me?” Tristen smiled. “Well, you may be hard to find, but not always.” Ronan interrupted before Tristen could continue. “There’s actually a village in one of the wildlife reserves near here. No one can actually find it, but the little dears show themselves often to communicate. They’re not nearly as stubborn as you are … but I imagine with a home out in the desert you don’t see Varan as often, do you?” Ronan’s very quick, simple explanation threw Qwerty for a loop. He couldn’t fathom a group of Tinic living so close to the Varan, and showing themselves so freely! He wondered if his was the last village to truly believe that the Varan were never to be trusted. He shook his head to clear his mind. “We … you’ve seen others? I was always taught …” he trailed off, still baffled. Ronan giggled. “Not everyone’s allowed to go see them. Only those trained properly to venture onto the reserve. But kids like Tristen have plenty available to learn from the books.” “I’m no kid! I graduated three years ago, Ronan.” Tristen interjected with a chuckle. Qwerty remained silent to let it sink in. He slowly sat down cross-legged on the table as he considered this new thought. The Varan had books about the Tinic. In fact, they seemed very accepting of the fact that the small people wanted to keep their distance for the most part and respected their secrecy. And yet, his own people back home had only stories passed down from many generations. He guessed that the stories had been inaccurate for a long time. The murkiness of the subject would take a long time to understand fully. “In my village, we have so many rules set up to avoid being caught … and then rules for what to do to escape … all my life I’ve been taught that the Varan are vicious, nasty giants …” Qwerty admitted. He felt very confused, considering what he knew after living among them. Tristen sighed and nodded. “Ronan and I recognized that pretty quickly … you were always looking around to map your surroundings, stuff like that.” Before Qwerty could say his surprised remark, Ronan interrupted. “The seven rules of hiding, right? They kept your kind alive for a long time. Before the Varan came to their senses about how to treat you.” Qwerty regarded him with dumbstruck awe. “It’s a dark history, I know,” the Varan lamented as he flicked a lock of long hair over his shoulder. Qwerty narrowed his eyes as he realized something. “You work at the reserve, don’t you?” Tristen smirked at Ronan’s reaction, which was an absolutely beaming grin. “Yes! I do. That’s how I was able to treat your injury.” Qwerty nodded. It had been Ronan’s guidance that kept him alive this whole time. He now knew that Tristen had definitely gotten advice from the flamboyant Varan multiple times. Their kindness and care for him was nearly overwhelming. Qwerty looked up at each giant face in turn and said softly, “I’m glad to have met you guys.” A smile lit up Tristen’s face. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, they all flinched at the sound of the front door opening. Ronan swiftly made his way to the archway leading to the front room, while Tristen watched with surprise. His father was home. ~~~~~~~~ After this chapter, there are only two more left. Isn't it crazy? I never intended this story to be that long, though, so it's okay. I'm going to put the chapters on deviantart so they'll be a little easier to find.
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Post by Amayasama on May 24, 2011 15:47:12 GMT -5
...SQUEEE x3 I can't believe it's almost done! I'm excited and sad at the same time ;^; I don't want it to be over, this is such a nice relationship with your characters now...x3 Proud of ya for completing this dear~
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Post by howlingwolf on May 24, 2011 16:24:01 GMT -5
Only two left?! Wow! I'm real excited to see how you finish this story >3
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