Post by Morrowlife on Aug 15, 2018 20:40:26 GMT
Free Roam; Eli Thomas; Los Angeles streets
The dark, narrow alleyways that congested the streets of Los Angeles had a way of bringing midnight during midday, despite the sunlight beaming in through the reflections of glass and steel. It was a strange phenomenon that was completely foreign to Eli; no where in the vast fields of Thomas Farm was there a place that would shelter the heat of the sun except for the cover of a reliable hat. The shade was pleasant protection from the elements, but a heavy hindrance considering his only source of guidance was a handful of printed paper maps. "Okay, so if I take a left here..." Tracing his finger across the page mid step, Eli determined a path for himself, in the face of the assured feeling of doubt and misdirection. His feet carried him out of the heavily shaded haven and into the bright light once more, where even more challenges were certainly fated.
It was becoming a habit that Eli would appear from the shadows into a contrasting light. 'Maybe some sunglasses would have been a good investment,' he made a mental note to scour local vendors for an affordable pair of eye wear. Scanning the area nearby it became abundantly clear that this street was particularly different than the landing for the bus. Rather than mountainous structures, every building around seemed to stretch horizontally, displaying spacious windows and ornate columns supporting antique facades. Historical landmarks littered the sidewalks, explaining what each place signified and detailed it's relevance to tourists and passersby. Textbook images flooded Eli's mind as he recalled sights similar to this: the Lincoln Memorial, Parthenon, the U.S. Capitol Building. Those iconic constructions were impressive on the page, but the architecture in person was exceedingly flattering. "It's not so bad being lost when everything around you is so... interesting," Eli mumbled, once again starstruck by the city's sights.
While admiring the view, an array of brightly colored explosions filled the sky ahead of view. "Fireworks in the middle of the day? Wonder what's going on..." In the hills of his hometown of Shellbyville, pyrotechnic displays were rarely used outside of holidays and special events, and almost never during the day. Perhaps this was one of those times that warranted celebration? He couldn't determine the direction of the flashes so Eli made up his mind to simply keep moving forward.
Mere moments after daydreaming in the downtown square, Eli found himself in a familiar predicament as before: absolutely and wholly lost. "Uh... which way was I going again...? Maybe down this road?" He had abandoned his map, for what good it did him, and aimlessly wandered the courts and avenues. Snaking left and right, forgetting to notate the signs and markers, and generally keeping and his thoughts empty, Eli committed all of the mistakes one should never make while exploring a big city. Straggling about, Eli recognized a familiar voice up ahead. "Haha, yeah, that'll teach you ya mutt!" the shriek declared, pioneering several cackles and unusual popping sounds. "Is that... no, can't be..." Eli, naturally curious, ran ahead to see what the ruckus was about.
The end of the block revealed an expansive greenery and park, beautiful discover in such a labyrinth of concrete and steel. Great oak trees lines the slightly overgrown walkways providing plenty of natural shadow for guests and visitors to enjoy on their strolls. Vibrant flora dotted the landscape, an eye-full of new colors with each new look, offering a deep disparity to the urban surroundings. In the center of the garden stood a gazebo of immaculate construction, built almost entirely of marble with golden trim adorning the structure.
It was there the trouble lay in waiting: the same group of rascals that harassed Eli hours before were now circling what looked to be a dog, a retriever most likely. The boys had a handful of bottle rockets- no doubt more to come thanks to the duplication Quirk one supplied- and were firing off the small explosives near the dog's head, frightening the poor creature. Earlier, when Eli was the target of childish game and teasing, he let it go; there was no real reason to retaliate against children when he could avoid confrontation by escaping the situation. This was another matter entirely. The morals instilled within Eli by his mother and father rang true: animals are precious companions, a gift to man kind, and are to be treasured and respected. Torturing this living thing would not stand!
"Hey punks!" Eli shouted, emphasizing his insult and dropping the duffel bag he had carried all this way. "Leave that dog alone, get out of here!" Though a normally cool and collected person, Eli mustered as menacing a glare possible to intimidate the gang. Of course, having fled the scene earlier harmed his reputation more than a mean look could ever repair, as expressed by the children laughing garishly at his expense. "What are you gonna do, loser?!" the leader chuckled at Eli, unafraid of his wrath. "Last chance kids, scram or I'll make ya leave!" Unwilling to budge, Eli steeled himself for "combat", giving his "opponents" one final moment to withdraw.
Predictably, as young and prideful children are, the kiddish crew charged at Eli, their arms swinging wildly in what Eli could only assume were meant to be punches. Eli hastily unzipped his luggage and thrust his hand into the bag for ammunition. "Aha!" he cheered, revealing two pairs of stark white socks, bundled tightly together to save space in his limited luggage capacity. Eli knew he wasn't a hero yet and really wasn't supposed to use his Quirk outside of training, but he figured this circumstance warranted action. He could apologize later if necessary. Steeling his heart, Eli grasped his socks in each hand and pushed, aiming for the heads of the young assailants.
Eli's improvised weaponry soared through the air quickly, propelled by his Quirk at high speed. "What are tho- ow!" the squalls of the first hit were heard. The instant the projectiles had met their mark, Eli swiftly pulled them back to his palm, promptly selecting a new focus and pushing once more. Every time someone would inch closer, Eli would bop them mid forehead to repel their advance. A small smirk appeared upon Eli's face as he pelted the opposition with woolen garments. He took no delight in picking on children, but if he were to be honest, he found a tiny bit of satisfaction in this small victory. "What, aren't ya gunna 'sock it to me'?" he quipped, giggling a little at his own terrible pun. Several barrages later, the tiny tyrants ceased their attacks, fleeing the gazebo and scampering back to the alleyways. Eli thought he heard one retort "We'll get you next time, you better watch out!" while choking back tears.
Once Eli was certain the "threat" was gone, he stooped back down to his bag and deposited his socks. 'Gunna have to wash these I guess,' he thought, before remembering the victim of assault. Still shivering, shaking from fear, and utterly afraid the dog wearily backed itself into a corner of the gazebo. A memory was brought to mind of Eli's mother and a stray dog the two of them had come upon in the fields. "When you approach, do so only if the creature does not appear to be threatened. If the behavior changes, stop and allow him to adjust to you." He mimicked her words while recalling her actions. She had carefully demonstrated with a smile, and within minutes of patience and kindness, the stray willingly approached his mother openly. Remembering this, Eli adopted a similar stance, carefully observing the animal while giving a safe distance. "Here girl, I'm not gunna harm ya..." he said in varying tones, another technique his mother taught him. Eli spotted a collar with a tag around it's neck, and sighed in relief. He was lucky to have stumbled across a lost animal, and that identification meant he could find an owner. "Lost, girl? Are you scared?" he asked of the pet, deciding to keep a distance and let the animal come to him.
Several minutes later after many attempts at one-sided conversation, the retriever crept up to Eli, inspecting him via an acute sense of smell. This action yielded solid results as Eli was soon drowning in licks and happy yips. "Haha, good girl. Let's go find your owner, yeah?"
-----
Evening had slithered it's way upon the young man and his companion as they traversed the streets of Los Angeles. They had been waiting by a local fire department for about an hour now, entertaining each other with a game of "fetch the socks" and checking each corner for the return of the rambunctious ruffians. "The lady said she would be here by now..." Eli felt somewhat defeated, about to believe the master of this creature was going to abandon it.
"Penelope!!" A voice came crying from the distance, with heavy footsteps following afterward. The dog, Penelope if the voice were to be trusted, perked up at the sound of it's name and darted towards it's origin. "Oh, wait up!" Eli pursued shortly after.
A short, stout woman haphazardly ran across the concrete pathway to embrace Penelope. "Oh Penelope there you are! I was so worried about you!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes. She folded her arms tightly around Penelope, squeezing with a newfound vigor, and began to slightly sob. After an awkward moment of silence between the reunited party, Eli spoke up. "Uhm, ma'am, is this yer dog?" Eli cluelessly asked the question, despite knowing the answer. "Oh, haha, yes! Yes she is!" the woman responded in a sing-song tone. Cleaning up her face, she rose to meet Eli's questioning gaze. "Are you to thank for finding her? What is your name young man?"
"My name is Eli Thomas, and I'm a student at Horizon College. At least, I will be soon," Eli admitted, scratching his head in embarrassment. He continued, "I found her in a park a few blocks away, she was..." Eli thought momentarily about mentioning the children, but didn't think it would do much good in the end. They had been humiliated enough for now. "...she was frightened by some loud noises." A half truth, not a total lie.
"That makes sense. She ran off two whole days ago when the Sports Festival began their firework show! Poor girl..." the woman stroked Penelope's fur with care and passion, showing obvious love towards the skittish animal. "Ah! The Sports Festival! Shoot, I missed it!" Eli scowled and cursed himself. Why else would there be fireworks in the middle of the day? "Ma'am, I'm sorry to run off so soon, but I'm already way behind. I don't know how to get to Horizon College, can you tell me where I need to go?" Eli began to high pump his knees to prepare for a sprint. For the first time since arriving, he had finally found someone who might be able to give him proper help, and that excited him. "Oh sure dear, you're actually not that far away. If you follow this street for three more blocks you'll come across the main campus on the right, you can't miss it darling." She smiled sweetly at Eli after giving clear direction. "Thank you ma'am! Goodbye! Goodbye Penelope!" Eli whooped his farewells and sprinted full speed down the road.
It would be hours later, long after Penelope dropped them into the expecting hands of her master, that Eli would realize he was missing a pair of socks.
Word Count: 1,931
Objective: Locate the Missing House Pet
The dark, narrow alleyways that congested the streets of Los Angeles had a way of bringing midnight during midday, despite the sunlight beaming in through the reflections of glass and steel. It was a strange phenomenon that was completely foreign to Eli; no where in the vast fields of Thomas Farm was there a place that would shelter the heat of the sun except for the cover of a reliable hat. The shade was pleasant protection from the elements, but a heavy hindrance considering his only source of guidance was a handful of printed paper maps. "Okay, so if I take a left here..." Tracing his finger across the page mid step, Eli determined a path for himself, in the face of the assured feeling of doubt and misdirection. His feet carried him out of the heavily shaded haven and into the bright light once more, where even more challenges were certainly fated.
It was becoming a habit that Eli would appear from the shadows into a contrasting light. 'Maybe some sunglasses would have been a good investment,' he made a mental note to scour local vendors for an affordable pair of eye wear. Scanning the area nearby it became abundantly clear that this street was particularly different than the landing for the bus. Rather than mountainous structures, every building around seemed to stretch horizontally, displaying spacious windows and ornate columns supporting antique facades. Historical landmarks littered the sidewalks, explaining what each place signified and detailed it's relevance to tourists and passersby. Textbook images flooded Eli's mind as he recalled sights similar to this: the Lincoln Memorial, Parthenon, the U.S. Capitol Building. Those iconic constructions were impressive on the page, but the architecture in person was exceedingly flattering. "It's not so bad being lost when everything around you is so... interesting," Eli mumbled, once again starstruck by the city's sights.
While admiring the view, an array of brightly colored explosions filled the sky ahead of view. "Fireworks in the middle of the day? Wonder what's going on..." In the hills of his hometown of Shellbyville, pyrotechnic displays were rarely used outside of holidays and special events, and almost never during the day. Perhaps this was one of those times that warranted celebration? He couldn't determine the direction of the flashes so Eli made up his mind to simply keep moving forward.
Mere moments after daydreaming in the downtown square, Eli found himself in a familiar predicament as before: absolutely and wholly lost. "Uh... which way was I going again...? Maybe down this road?" He had abandoned his map, for what good it did him, and aimlessly wandered the courts and avenues. Snaking left and right, forgetting to notate the signs and markers, and generally keeping and his thoughts empty, Eli committed all of the mistakes one should never make while exploring a big city. Straggling about, Eli recognized a familiar voice up ahead. "Haha, yeah, that'll teach you ya mutt!" the shriek declared, pioneering several cackles and unusual popping sounds. "Is that... no, can't be..." Eli, naturally curious, ran ahead to see what the ruckus was about.
The end of the block revealed an expansive greenery and park, beautiful discover in such a labyrinth of concrete and steel. Great oak trees lines the slightly overgrown walkways providing plenty of natural shadow for guests and visitors to enjoy on their strolls. Vibrant flora dotted the landscape, an eye-full of new colors with each new look, offering a deep disparity to the urban surroundings. In the center of the garden stood a gazebo of immaculate construction, built almost entirely of marble with golden trim adorning the structure.
It was there the trouble lay in waiting: the same group of rascals that harassed Eli hours before were now circling what looked to be a dog, a retriever most likely. The boys had a handful of bottle rockets- no doubt more to come thanks to the duplication Quirk one supplied- and were firing off the small explosives near the dog's head, frightening the poor creature. Earlier, when Eli was the target of childish game and teasing, he let it go; there was no real reason to retaliate against children when he could avoid confrontation by escaping the situation. This was another matter entirely. The morals instilled within Eli by his mother and father rang true: animals are precious companions, a gift to man kind, and are to be treasured and respected. Torturing this living thing would not stand!
"Hey punks!" Eli shouted, emphasizing his insult and dropping the duffel bag he had carried all this way. "Leave that dog alone, get out of here!" Though a normally cool and collected person, Eli mustered as menacing a glare possible to intimidate the gang. Of course, having fled the scene earlier harmed his reputation more than a mean look could ever repair, as expressed by the children laughing garishly at his expense. "What are you gonna do, loser?!" the leader chuckled at Eli, unafraid of his wrath. "Last chance kids, scram or I'll make ya leave!" Unwilling to budge, Eli steeled himself for "combat", giving his "opponents" one final moment to withdraw.
Predictably, as young and prideful children are, the kiddish crew charged at Eli, their arms swinging wildly in what Eli could only assume were meant to be punches. Eli hastily unzipped his luggage and thrust his hand into the bag for ammunition. "Aha!" he cheered, revealing two pairs of stark white socks, bundled tightly together to save space in his limited luggage capacity. Eli knew he wasn't a hero yet and really wasn't supposed to use his Quirk outside of training, but he figured this circumstance warranted action. He could apologize later if necessary. Steeling his heart, Eli grasped his socks in each hand and pushed, aiming for the heads of the young assailants.
Eli's improvised weaponry soared through the air quickly, propelled by his Quirk at high speed. "What are tho- ow!" the squalls of the first hit were heard. The instant the projectiles had met their mark, Eli swiftly pulled them back to his palm, promptly selecting a new focus and pushing once more. Every time someone would inch closer, Eli would bop them mid forehead to repel their advance. A small smirk appeared upon Eli's face as he pelted the opposition with woolen garments. He took no delight in picking on children, but if he were to be honest, he found a tiny bit of satisfaction in this small victory. "What, aren't ya gunna 'sock it to me'?" he quipped, giggling a little at his own terrible pun. Several barrages later, the tiny tyrants ceased their attacks, fleeing the gazebo and scampering back to the alleyways. Eli thought he heard one retort "We'll get you next time, you better watch out!" while choking back tears.
Once Eli was certain the "threat" was gone, he stooped back down to his bag and deposited his socks. 'Gunna have to wash these I guess,' he thought, before remembering the victim of assault. Still shivering, shaking from fear, and utterly afraid the dog wearily backed itself into a corner of the gazebo. A memory was brought to mind of Eli's mother and a stray dog the two of them had come upon in the fields. "When you approach, do so only if the creature does not appear to be threatened. If the behavior changes, stop and allow him to adjust to you." He mimicked her words while recalling her actions. She had carefully demonstrated with a smile, and within minutes of patience and kindness, the stray willingly approached his mother openly. Remembering this, Eli adopted a similar stance, carefully observing the animal while giving a safe distance. "Here girl, I'm not gunna harm ya..." he said in varying tones, another technique his mother taught him. Eli spotted a collar with a tag around it's neck, and sighed in relief. He was lucky to have stumbled across a lost animal, and that identification meant he could find an owner. "Lost, girl? Are you scared?" he asked of the pet, deciding to keep a distance and let the animal come to him.
Several minutes later after many attempts at one-sided conversation, the retriever crept up to Eli, inspecting him via an acute sense of smell. This action yielded solid results as Eli was soon drowning in licks and happy yips. "Haha, good girl. Let's go find your owner, yeah?"
-----
Evening had slithered it's way upon the young man and his companion as they traversed the streets of Los Angeles. They had been waiting by a local fire department for about an hour now, entertaining each other with a game of "fetch the socks" and checking each corner for the return of the rambunctious ruffians. "The lady said she would be here by now..." Eli felt somewhat defeated, about to believe the master of this creature was going to abandon it.
"Penelope!!" A voice came crying from the distance, with heavy footsteps following afterward. The dog, Penelope if the voice were to be trusted, perked up at the sound of it's name and darted towards it's origin. "Oh, wait up!" Eli pursued shortly after.
A short, stout woman haphazardly ran across the concrete pathway to embrace Penelope. "Oh Penelope there you are! I was so worried about you!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes. She folded her arms tightly around Penelope, squeezing with a newfound vigor, and began to slightly sob. After an awkward moment of silence between the reunited party, Eli spoke up. "Uhm, ma'am, is this yer dog?" Eli cluelessly asked the question, despite knowing the answer. "Oh, haha, yes! Yes she is!" the woman responded in a sing-song tone. Cleaning up her face, she rose to meet Eli's questioning gaze. "Are you to thank for finding her? What is your name young man?"
"My name is Eli Thomas, and I'm a student at Horizon College. At least, I will be soon," Eli admitted, scratching his head in embarrassment. He continued, "I found her in a park a few blocks away, she was..." Eli thought momentarily about mentioning the children, but didn't think it would do much good in the end. They had been humiliated enough for now. "...she was frightened by some loud noises." A half truth, not a total lie.
"That makes sense. She ran off two whole days ago when the Sports Festival began their firework show! Poor girl..." the woman stroked Penelope's fur with care and passion, showing obvious love towards the skittish animal. "Ah! The Sports Festival! Shoot, I missed it!" Eli scowled and cursed himself. Why else would there be fireworks in the middle of the day? "Ma'am, I'm sorry to run off so soon, but I'm already way behind. I don't know how to get to Horizon College, can you tell me where I need to go?" Eli began to high pump his knees to prepare for a sprint. For the first time since arriving, he had finally found someone who might be able to give him proper help, and that excited him. "Oh sure dear, you're actually not that far away. If you follow this street for three more blocks you'll come across the main campus on the right, you can't miss it darling." She smiled sweetly at Eli after giving clear direction. "Thank you ma'am! Goodbye! Goodbye Penelope!" Eli whooped his farewells and sprinted full speed down the road.
It would be hours later, long after Penelope dropped them into the expecting hands of her master, that Eli would realize he was missing a pair of socks.
Word Count: 1,931
Objective: Locate the Missing House Pet
