Latoya
Stars shimmered gently in the night sky, illuminating the expansive void overhead with the light of a thousand glowing orbs-though none of these compared to the glamor of the full moon, which hung low over Elsir Vale, keeping the mountainous city locked under its watchful gaze. It was an instance of the beauty that accompanies the mysterious, the unknowable nature of the luminous bodies above making them that much more alluring to the standard onlooker. In such a sight, many who strove for little more than survival from day to day found comfort, bathed in the soothing rays of moonlight as they gazed with awe, drawing solace from the belief that their fates could be left to a higher, unreachable power. When Yazuki's eye fell upon it, however, he saw himself, his self-perceived image of uncertainty reflected by the lunar orb that almost seemed to serve as a reminder of the destiny whose leering eye he strove ceaselessly to escape.

The spell was broken by the unpleasant sound of wood splintering on cobbled stones, the kitsune's eyes drawn to the sound as he flinched. Yazuki often found himself moving out and about during dark hours, drinking in the relative silence of the streets compared to the unsightly, seemingly-endless clamor that ruled them during light so as to relax before heading to bed, rising with the sun, and heading back out into the city to meet the next day with steadied nerves. However, he was constantly encountering reminders of the knowledge he sought to disprove, it seemed-but those feelings would have to wait: identifying the source of the sound as a wagon whose wheel had been caught in a dip in the rocks and shattered after careening off to the side, Yazuki spied a boy whose age couldn't have been greater than four-and-ten years wedged underneath its remains. His eyes spied the sheen of red liquid catching the light from nearby lanterns, and the kitsune wasted no time in hurrying towards the besieged youth.

"Hey! Hey-calm yourself," Yazuki started in as soothing a tone as he could muster in response to the boy's frightened gasps, hooking his hands underneath the wagon and lifting it upwards. He grunted with exertion as the wood shuddered and heaved before giving in and toppling over. "Are you well?" He asked the child, who nodded as he sat up against the side of the nearby building at the side of the street and pulled his legs into his stomach for Yazuki to examine. He could see that the injury was not serious, likely just a small splinter, which relieved him. "Thank you, but..." The boy began before trailing off, his eyes focused on something behind his rescuer. The kitsune turned to see a cluster of fruit whose vibrant colors had been muted by the combination of dust and dirt that they'd accumulated upon falling from the wagon and tumbling across the ground. The head of the wagon itself had been separated from its frame, which meant that it had likely fallen on its side with the impact and scattered its contents across the ground.

"Food for my family..." The youth explained as Yazuki directed his attention back to him. Spying the grime on the boy's clothes, the kitsune understood the situation: this child wouldn't be able to eat that night if he did not obtain more fruit. "Don't worry," Yazuki reassured him, twin tails waving in the air behind him as he rose to his full height. Reaching in to his pocket, the kitsune produced a cluster of coins that rang with a jingle as he deposited them into unsteady hands. "Take that and find something that you can eat-but make haste. It's already dark, and soon the shops will close until morning." He felt a warm sensation in his chest at the warm smile and words of gratitude he received as the boy hurried off, disappearing around a corner. That was the last of his own money for the day, he realized with a silent sigh as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and found them empty, but it had been the right thing to do.
John
_Away._





_A sanguine orb of light seemed to hover inside of the ethereal obsidian shade_ that loomed endlessly over the space inside of the mind of the dreamer. Licking, vicious wildfire flames bit and gnawed at the edges of porcelain flesh that retracted and attempted to pull away from the nightmarish heat that radiated from the fire. She couldn't _hear_ anything at all besides her own blistering screaming that came flooding from her mouth, nearly cracking at dry lips that were aching for water - threatening to have blood usher down in a matter of seconds. The pungent smell of crisping heat was enough to send the young woman up from the dream that she had been having - eyes of violet feverishly dashing across the semi-empty room where she had been given a place to stay. From the dresser to the doorway, nothing was out of place or charred - no signs of any fire had occurred here and it was evident that it was indeed just a nightmare. There wasn't a single night that went by without one - some were more convincing than others. Dreams and visions of a life that felt entirely unknown to herself - though, it was merely a year ago when she had initially left the Elven City to find herself after being shoved into the fire by a vindictive person. Beads of sweat began to form on the sides of a pale forehead - moving along the deep scarring that lined the right half of her face. A hand would come up to brush away some strands of pearl hair as moonlight poured in from the window that was housed behind a pair of white, sheer curtains that bellowed lightly in the nighttime breeze that soothed over the space pleasantly. And for a moment, the woman would feel over her own pulse - soon using the back of her hand to wipe away any sweat that still remained on those features of hers - _her heart raced within the confines of its caged home._ 
.

A soft voice would come from herself, slipping past dry lips as it began to fill the voided room that felt too empty now, the words were something sang in High Elf - a lullaby of sorts, ".._Tul- garav, beri- nin, an im on- bountiful wheat. Tul- garav, soothe nin, an im provide i elms.._" (Come Wolf, protect me, for I give bountiful wheat. Come Wolf, soothe me, for I provide the elms.) It was a song that her mother used to sing to her when she was a child - one that, no matter how much she had a distaste for her - couldn't be taken. Moonlight would continue to paint the young woman in delicious hues of cool alabaster as she found herself standing up from the bed where she had been laying - the desire to run to the woods was more than enough to get her up and on the move. Within minutes, Arwen would be exiting from the home, still humming under her trembling breath, shutting the wooden door behind herself before wandering down the street that was lit by candlelight and torchlight from nearby taverns, inns, and businesses that were still open at this time of night. She didn't know what time it was - she just knew that she needed to get away from the town for a little while to bring herself back down from the nightmares. Dark circles held on under exhausted eyes that glanced from each passing person, though, it was only briefly - noting the way her heart ached to meet with the woods once again. When she was a child, she used to run away to the forests when she had been scorned or scolded - often using it as a place to escape for a little while before having to return. It was a place where she didn't have to speak - she could just _be._
Latoya
Yazuki found himself seated at a bench illuminated by the glow of a lantern, a small island of light in the midst of a sea whose blackness thickened as a cluster of clouds passed over the moon, hiding the streets from its illuminant gaze. The kistune remembered vividly the last time he'd heard the calming sound of his mother's voice, calling for his younger brother and sister to return to their home after a day of play in the green expanse of their yard: it had been less than a year ago, but to him it felt as though it'd been many. What he would have given to return to that scene, the comfort of knowing that he would rest well later that night and rise to confront the following day alongside his family-but that was simply wishful thinking.

Rising to his feet after sucking in a breath, Yazuki prepared to start heading back to the room he'd rented for the duration of his stay in Elsir Vale, but the thoughts that had begun to spring up within his absent mind were cut short as, without warning, a large hand took a fistful of his shirt and yanked him into the alleyway which he'd been in the process of passing. He gasped as the breath exited his lungs in a rush of air, and he stared up at the one who'd so violently assaulted him-or ones, he quickly realized: there was a group of four men that looked to be human, all brutish and starting back at him with greedy eyes. "You shouldn't be out and about by yourself around here, kid," One of them sneered. | Kid?! | Yazuki thought incredulously, annoyed by the group's mockery before he realized that a level head was the best way to get out of the situation. "Easy, guys," He started, slowly climbing to his feet as he spoke in a placating tone. "I'm not looking for any trouble."
"Too bad for you, then: it just found you." One of the bunch began to advance very threateningly, and Kitoshi backed away accordingly. He didn't want to get boxed in. "Unless, of course, you hand over everything you have on you."

Yazuki could see that the thugs he'd had the misfortune of encountering-of course-wouldn't be dissuaded-but he wouldn't be fighting. Surely there was a method of escaping the situation peacefully, the kitsune reasoned-and, as if beckoned by his thoughts, this opportunity presented itself: an old window had been left ajar, one of its panels swinging wildly by loose hinges; it looked as though a light breeze could tear it loose, and so Yazuki focused in on it even as he felt his back press against the cold stone wall. "Last chance-what'll it be?" He faintly heard one say as a scarred, meaty hand reached for him again.

A loud crash rang out, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass and cries of alarm, echoing out through the alleyway to anyone who might've been nearby. As the group turned reflexively to see what had happened, Yazuki took the opportunity to run. His feet flew, deftly tapping the cobbled ground as he burst out of the claustrophobic passageway-and very nearly collided with a pale elven woman who happened to be walking in that direction. His mind briefly registered the glint of a decorative mask that covered half of her face, but there wasn't time to dwell on it: he stumbled, twirling wildly as he attempted to regain his balance after having darted out of the way so abruptly. He could hear angry shouts in the alley behind him-it wouldn't be long before they emerged.

"Hey-" Yazuki gasped, looking up at the woman with apologetic eyes. "Any chance you could give me a hand? I need a way to lose those guys, but I don't know these streets well."