CLEMENTINE
![](https://i.imgur.com/aghpQSs.png)
Clem
Rising from the bottom.
HP: 200/200
MP: 200/200
Job: Free Form
Tagged: @
Mood: 1500 words is a lot
Muse Music: Wings
Word Count: 1,590/1,500
MP: 200/200
Job: Free Form
Tagged: @
Mood: 1500 words is a lot
Muse Music: Wings
Word Count: 1,590/1,500
The streets of Hargeon were quiet besides the few drunks who stumbled their way home after a night of drinking. Whenever Clementine saw one in the street, she ducked into a pitch black alleyway until they passed. The young woman didn’t want to interact with anyone, especially not drunk men. To them, she was just fresh prey. Clem knew this from her many years in Neutral Grounds. Too many awful experiences had led her to be extremely cautious in the night.
The lonely girl made her way through the alleyways down to the port. The town was unfamiliar to her, but she used the sound of waves lapping against the harbor to guide her. At last she stumbled into view of the ships. The hulking masses creaked and groaned as the water pushed them to and fro. Otherwise, silence fell on the docks. Not a single soul was out at this hour except Clem. The homeless teen was used to being out at unseemly hours. A sleep schedule was something only those more fortunate than her were privileged to have.
Clem had a decision to make. Stay awake and wait for a shipment to come in so she could steal some food, or sleep and use the little money she had to buy food during the day. She flopped down on a nearby bench. Sleep was oh so tempting. Her stomach growled in protest. “Fine, fine,” she grumbled back, and lounged out on the bench.
Hours passed and no ships came. Clem played with her hair, boredom overcoming her. What else was she to do? The thought of breaking into a deli or bakery played at the edge of her mind. The hunger pulling at her stomach was growing harder to resist. To distract the feeling, she decided to tag one of the ships. The hull was such a magnificently large canvas. Surely she could make something beautiful to annoy the captain with. A snicker left her mouth. Serves them right for not guarding their ships!
She rose from the bench and grabbed her spray paint cans from the ragged backpack on the ground next to her. Blue eyes skimmed over the boats, trying to decide which one to use. The intense gaze came to rest on a giant white boat. It seemed incredibly detailed and fancy. Likely a cruise boat for some stupid rich people. Clem scoffed and made her way towards it.
Tough hands clutched the cans and narrow shoulders squared in preparation. Clem closed her eyes for a moment. In her mind she conjured a visual of what she wanted to paint. Once she had the idea, her eyes opened and she launched into action. Red and burgundy found their way into the boat’s side, accompanied by gray and white. Clem stepped back for a second and observed her work. Starkly against the white of the ship was a freshly painted elephant surrounded by a red sunset. Drops of paint rolled down the side to drip into the water below, staining it crimson. A satisfied feeling wound through the teen. She felt proud of her art. “I’m getting better!” she hummed to herself happily.
As she stepped forward to add some finishing touches she heard an angry voice cry out. “Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Clem jumped in shock and turned to see a man dressed in a lightly colored tunic with a large rune printed on the front. His cloak flowed behind him as he paced swiftly towards her. “Shit,” Clem snapped. It was a Rune Knight, probably the one who was supposed to patrol the docks!
A jolt of adrenaline shot through her body. She had to talk or act or she would be in serious trouble. Her mind fought with the instincts of fight or flight. Her fear got the best of her and she snatched up the paint cans by her feet. She took off, shoes thumping against the planks of the dock. “Hey! Come back here!” the Knight cried, giving chase. Clem swiped her backpack from the bench and sprinted for the streets.
The teen felt like her heart was in her throat. Her feet pounding against the cobblestone matched the beat. She wound through the streets and alleys, trying to trick the Knight off her tail while staying ahead of him. It worked for a while, but he was slowly gaining ground. Suddenly a blast of light hit the corner of a building as she passed. Clem yelped. Rune Knights used magic! How could she forget? She ran harder.
Fear gave Clem’s legs energy, so she gained distance once more. A few corners were turned and she ducked behind a giant planter. The teen squeezed herself as small as she could and tried her best to still her breath. Loud footsteps passed by as the Knight gave chase to a nonexistent target. As soon as he was out of earshot the escapee let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Blue eyes peeked between the leaves of the plants, scanning for her enemy. When they didn’t find anything, Clem scrambled from her hiding place and ran in the other direction. After a minute she had to stop and catch her breath, bending over her knees.
From the shadows of a nearby alley came a “Psst!”. Clem’s head jerked up and she gripped her backpack in preparation to flee again. From the darkness emerged a young woman who appeared a little older than Clem. She was holding her hands up to show she wasn’t a threat. The teen eyed her over cautiously. The woman wore a bright gold bodice and extremely tight black leather pants. Her bright purple hair shone in the moonlight. Behind her seemed to float a pair of wings made of gold and gemstone. She was magnificent and beautiful. At the same time, she seemed out of place in such a drab town. A stage seemed like a more fitting location. Clem looked down at her own old, ratted clothes and felt self-conscious. She’d never been able to wear nice clothing. Whatever she could find in dumpsters or steal from others was her wardrobe. The sudden longing to be fashionable surged through her body, an ache that had no certain relief.
“Hey, no need to freak out, babe. I’m not here to hurt ya. That was a pretty impressive escape you made back there,” the woman began. She halted her approach a few feet away, standing with one hand on her hip.
“You were watching?” Clem asked, brow furrowing. How could she have not noticed such a brightly colored individual? Then again, she was more focused on her escape than her surroundings. The girl cursed herself for being so careless.
The woman laughed as she caught onto the teen’s trail of thought. “Yeah, we know these streets. We’re masters of hiding in our home,” she proudly stated.
“We?” Clem interjected. There were more crazy dressed people? She pictured a group of people with blinding clothing, a mix of vibrant colors. The amusing image made her relax a tiny bit.
“I’m part of a group who lives in the shadows of Hargeon. We’re called Chromas. Come with me and I’ll show you the ropes, hon. We could use someone like you!” A sympathetic smile crossed her face as Clem’s stomach let off a monsterous growl. The teen’s face flushed red in embarrassment. Why did her body have to betray her?
“Let’s get you some food and rest then. I’m Maithea, by the way. But you can call me Maya,” she extended her delicate hand out to Clem. The younger woman hesitated. She didn’t know this person or her intentions. She didn’t know if she could trust her. The two woman turned their heads as they heard footsteps and shouting. By the sound of it, the Rune Knight realized Clem had escaped his pursuit and returned with backup. The thunder of footsteps roamed through various streets nearby. The teen’s heart began to thud again. A shout came from two alleys over. “This way!” Clem panicked, looking around. From the direction she had come was a trail of paint splatters. There was a hole in her backpack where paint from her spray cans had leaked out. “Damnit!” she cried as the Rune Knights could be heard approaching. Maya snapped her fingers to get Clem’s attention. She leaned in close, her violet eyes staring intensely into the teen’s blue ones. “You have to decide now, kid. I’m not about to get caught by Rune Knights cause you couldn’t make a choice,” she snarled, a stark emotion to how she acted before. Clem’s eyes widened in fear. This was not the same face Maya had displayed earlier. Familiar fear and guilt swirled inside her, the same feelings she had when her mother harked on her for doing something wrong. She couldn’t be the reason someone else was captured by the authorities. Clem’s stomach let off another sound, and her mind was made up. At the very least, she could get some rest and food from these people before moving on. What harm could that do? Besides, she’d be an ass to turn down hospitality from someone like Maya.
Clem reached out and took the woman’s elegant hand. “I’m Clementine, but most call me Clem,” she replied softly. Maya smiled widely, then turned and led her swiftly into the shadows of the alleyway. The sound of confused Rune Knights echoed behind them, but the teen did not turn back.
The lonely girl made her way through the alleyways down to the port. The town was unfamiliar to her, but she used the sound of waves lapping against the harbor to guide her. At last she stumbled into view of the ships. The hulking masses creaked and groaned as the water pushed them to and fro. Otherwise, silence fell on the docks. Not a single soul was out at this hour except Clem. The homeless teen was used to being out at unseemly hours. A sleep schedule was something only those more fortunate than her were privileged to have.
Clem had a decision to make. Stay awake and wait for a shipment to come in so she could steal some food, or sleep and use the little money she had to buy food during the day. She flopped down on a nearby bench. Sleep was oh so tempting. Her stomach growled in protest. “Fine, fine,” she grumbled back, and lounged out on the bench.
Hours passed and no ships came. Clem played with her hair, boredom overcoming her. What else was she to do? The thought of breaking into a deli or bakery played at the edge of her mind. The hunger pulling at her stomach was growing harder to resist. To distract the feeling, she decided to tag one of the ships. The hull was such a magnificently large canvas. Surely she could make something beautiful to annoy the captain with. A snicker left her mouth. Serves them right for not guarding their ships!
She rose from the bench and grabbed her spray paint cans from the ragged backpack on the ground next to her. Blue eyes skimmed over the boats, trying to decide which one to use. The intense gaze came to rest on a giant white boat. It seemed incredibly detailed and fancy. Likely a cruise boat for some stupid rich people. Clem scoffed and made her way towards it.
Tough hands clutched the cans and narrow shoulders squared in preparation. Clem closed her eyes for a moment. In her mind she conjured a visual of what she wanted to paint. Once she had the idea, her eyes opened and she launched into action. Red and burgundy found their way into the boat’s side, accompanied by gray and white. Clem stepped back for a second and observed her work. Starkly against the white of the ship was a freshly painted elephant surrounded by a red sunset. Drops of paint rolled down the side to drip into the water below, staining it crimson. A satisfied feeling wound through the teen. She felt proud of her art. “I’m getting better!” she hummed to herself happily.
As she stepped forward to add some finishing touches she heard an angry voice cry out. “Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Clem jumped in shock and turned to see a man dressed in a lightly colored tunic with a large rune printed on the front. His cloak flowed behind him as he paced swiftly towards her. “Shit,” Clem snapped. It was a Rune Knight, probably the one who was supposed to patrol the docks!
A jolt of adrenaline shot through her body. She had to talk or act or she would be in serious trouble. Her mind fought with the instincts of fight or flight. Her fear got the best of her and she snatched up the paint cans by her feet. She took off, shoes thumping against the planks of the dock. “Hey! Come back here!” the Knight cried, giving chase. Clem swiped her backpack from the bench and sprinted for the streets.
The teen felt like her heart was in her throat. Her feet pounding against the cobblestone matched the beat. She wound through the streets and alleys, trying to trick the Knight off her tail while staying ahead of him. It worked for a while, but he was slowly gaining ground. Suddenly a blast of light hit the corner of a building as she passed. Clem yelped. Rune Knights used magic! How could she forget? She ran harder.
Fear gave Clem’s legs energy, so she gained distance once more. A few corners were turned and she ducked behind a giant planter. The teen squeezed herself as small as she could and tried her best to still her breath. Loud footsteps passed by as the Knight gave chase to a nonexistent target. As soon as he was out of earshot the escapee let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Blue eyes peeked between the leaves of the plants, scanning for her enemy. When they didn’t find anything, Clem scrambled from her hiding place and ran in the other direction. After a minute she had to stop and catch her breath, bending over her knees.
From the shadows of a nearby alley came a “Psst!”. Clem’s head jerked up and she gripped her backpack in preparation to flee again. From the darkness emerged a young woman who appeared a little older than Clem. She was holding her hands up to show she wasn’t a threat. The teen eyed her over cautiously. The woman wore a bright gold bodice and extremely tight black leather pants. Her bright purple hair shone in the moonlight. Behind her seemed to float a pair of wings made of gold and gemstone. She was magnificent and beautiful. At the same time, she seemed out of place in such a drab town. A stage seemed like a more fitting location. Clem looked down at her own old, ratted clothes and felt self-conscious. She’d never been able to wear nice clothing. Whatever she could find in dumpsters or steal from others was her wardrobe. The sudden longing to be fashionable surged through her body, an ache that had no certain relief.
“Hey, no need to freak out, babe. I’m not here to hurt ya. That was a pretty impressive escape you made back there,” the woman began. She halted her approach a few feet away, standing with one hand on her hip.
“You were watching?” Clem asked, brow furrowing. How could she have not noticed such a brightly colored individual? Then again, she was more focused on her escape than her surroundings. The girl cursed herself for being so careless.
The woman laughed as she caught onto the teen’s trail of thought. “Yeah, we know these streets. We’re masters of hiding in our home,” she proudly stated.
“We?” Clem interjected. There were more crazy dressed people? She pictured a group of people with blinding clothing, a mix of vibrant colors. The amusing image made her relax a tiny bit.
“I’m part of a group who lives in the shadows of Hargeon. We’re called Chromas. Come with me and I’ll show you the ropes, hon. We could use someone like you!” A sympathetic smile crossed her face as Clem’s stomach let off a monsterous growl. The teen’s face flushed red in embarrassment. Why did her body have to betray her?
“Let’s get you some food and rest then. I’m Maithea, by the way. But you can call me Maya,” she extended her delicate hand out to Clem. The younger woman hesitated. She didn’t know this person or her intentions. She didn’t know if she could trust her. The two woman turned their heads as they heard footsteps and shouting. By the sound of it, the Rune Knight realized Clem had escaped his pursuit and returned with backup. The thunder of footsteps roamed through various streets nearby. The teen’s heart began to thud again. A shout came from two alleys over. “This way!” Clem panicked, looking around. From the direction she had come was a trail of paint splatters. There was a hole in her backpack where paint from her spray cans had leaked out. “Damnit!” she cried as the Rune Knights could be heard approaching. Maya snapped her fingers to get Clem’s attention. She leaned in close, her violet eyes staring intensely into the teen’s blue ones. “You have to decide now, kid. I’m not about to get caught by Rune Knights cause you couldn’t make a choice,” she snarled, a stark emotion to how she acted before. Clem’s eyes widened in fear. This was not the same face Maya had displayed earlier. Familiar fear and guilt swirled inside her, the same feelings she had when her mother harked on her for doing something wrong. She couldn’t be the reason someone else was captured by the authorities. Clem’s stomach let off another sound, and her mind was made up. At the very least, she could get some rest and food from these people before moving on. What harm could that do? Besides, she’d be an ass to turn down hospitality from someone like Maya.
Clem reached out and took the woman’s elegant hand. “I’m Clementine, but most call me Clem,” she replied softly. Maya smiled widely, then turned and led her swiftly into the shadows of the alleyway. The sound of confused Rune Knights echoed behind them, but the teen did not turn back.
Space for Notes!
IVYLEAF33
Last edited by Clementine on 11th June 2019, 2:06 pm; edited 1 time in total