• Closed • Breakout! (Leeloo)

Having been waiting for her chance to escape, when an opportunity comes, Leeloo takes it!

8th of Ashan 718

Stronghold of education and learning, this fortress is in one of the coldest areas of Idalos and home to many knowledge seekers in a variety of disciplines. However, unknown to most, below the city are those who suffer for the sake of science. While all are welcome, not everyone will be treated as they expect.

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Breakout! (Leeloo)

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Night, 8th Ashan 718
The first trade had entered the city to-trial and thus, it was finally safe to leave Viden. Many of those who had overwintered in the northern fortress hastened to make preparations for their departure, many intending to leave early on the 9th. One such party was set to return to Rynmere, including one little blonde girl by the name of Lyssia.

"So when we get home, do I get a present, Mama?" she asked her mother excitedly, bouncing up and down on the spot, her nightdress fluttering. "Can I get something fun to play with?"

Her mother rested her hands on her shoulders, trying to still her giddiness. "Calm down, Lyssia! Yes, you'll get something nice when we get home but only if you're very good during the trip back. You'll have Leeloo to keep you company in the meantime and then maybe when we get home, we can get you a real pet," the woman explained, a slight frown causing her brows to crease. "Speaking of Leeloo, you haven't put her to bed yet. She has to go on the ship tonight so she has to be in her cage. Off you go, quickly now then you can say goodnight to Papa."

The "doll" in question was in the room with them, among the rest of the toys that lay scattered over the nursery floor. The child pulled a face at the mention of the Tunawa but she did as she was bid, grabbing Leeloo up roughly so that she could get her into her cage as fast as possible. As she carried out the task, she continued to chatter, already eager to talk about what would effectively be the little woman's replacement. Lyssia had grown tired of her doll slave seasons prior, even before her family had chosen to come to Viden. Still, her patience with Leeloo had only grown thinner since then so that she hardly wanted to spend any time with the plant woman. These trials, she'd play with her for a few bits and then toss her to one side, sick of the sight of her. Even now, she had no interest of looking at her, hardly paying attention to what she was doing.

"Can I get a puppy? Or a kitten? We can bring it on ships with us a-a-and I can play with it all the time and it'll be really fluffy and cute and I can squish it!" she thrilled, shutting the cage and absentmindedly fiddling with the lock. If she'd been interested then she would have been sure to check it but she'd grown lazy, not truly paying attention to what she was doing and thus, while she set the lock, she didn't secure it properly. If the Tunawa wiggled the metal...

The girl lifted up the cage, presenting it to her mother who passed it to a porter as she ushered the child out. She had to get Lyssia to bed before she grew so overexcited that she became overtired and wouldn't sleep properly at all. Her mind on her daughter, she didn't check the lock either but simply left Leeloo to the care of another. The porter carried her out and set her on a cart with a number of other bags. There were just a few more things that needed to be added to the stack but in the meantime, he covered them in a waterproof tarp. The snow had been falling quite thickly to-trial and it wouldn't do to have the cargo wet through en route to the Docks.

Trudging off through the snow, his footsteps soon receding, Leeloo would realise the opportunity that was before her. She might not be able to squeeze her whole body through the cage's bars but she could manage an arm. It'd be a tight squeeze and a bit of a stretch but if she could just reach the bolt that held the door closed, she could wiggle it free of its holdings. It would be slow and might take some bits - and goodness knew when the porter would be back - but it could be done. Then it would just be a matter of getting off the cart, a drop of more than a yard into snow that would likely come up to her waist. If she wanted the best chance, she'd have to pilfer from the belongings of her owners - former owners.

One of the nearby bags carried the scent of perfume, one was canvas with some crude painting done on the outside and the last was a sturdy leather one. The perfumed bag carried many layers of beautiful clothing of silk, satin and velvet, as well as some silken scarves and wraps, and some fur-lined leather gloves. Tucked within those layers was a jewellery box that contained an assortment of earrings, brooches, necklaces and rings. The child's bag held a few of Leeloo's gaudy dresses - quite different from the pretty lace-trimmed one that she currently wore - but gaudy or not, they might provide a little extra warmth in this cold weather. In addition, there were some art supplies: pencils, charcoal, some paint. There was also some wool from her mother's attempts to teach her how to knit, although the knitting needles would take more digging to find. The father's bag contained some clothing as well but upon digging, a carefully wrapped weapon would be found, a slim, fine blade. For a human, it would be small, slight and easily hidden but to a Tunawa, it was like a sword.

Leeloo would only have a few bits to take what she could before the porter would return and reduce her chances of escape. She would have time to investigate each bag, to gain a general sense of what was there but she wouldn't be able to investigate all of the deeper items: she would only be able to choose one. There simply wasn't enough time and even now, she'd be able to feel the chill air biting at her skin and tearing through the dress she wore as if it wasn't there at all.
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Lyssia. She was the young human girl who owned her. Leeloo strangely didn't hate her...that much. And that hate had only developed recently for the spoiled child. Lyssia had recently decided the she was too old to play with the 'doll' as none of her friends did anymore. Thus leaving Leeloo unattended sometimes for days, and while Leeloo didn't need to be fed everyday being stuck in a cage was depressing and cold. Plus it was made of metal. It hadn't always been like this, she had once been the center of Lyssia's little world. She always felt cared for and maybe even loved. The girl would put Leeloo in tiny pretty dresses and clap as Leeloo twirled and acted regal. Leeloo would even preform small impromptu plays singing and dancing for her young master. And although she had a large furnished dollhouse of her own, she would often end up in bed with Lyssia listening as the girl told her stories and secrets. Life wasn't all that bad being a toy.But that was many arcs ago and things had changed for the worse...

Leeloo sat among a mass of colorful and elaborate toys, eating the late night snack Lyssia had just BEGGED her mother for claiming she would die of hunger. But there it sat practically untouched. Seeing an opportunity for some food Leeloo had wasted no time in digging in. Fruit slices, some sort of sandwich, and a glass of water, it was a feast! Leeloo walked over to the massive (to her) fruit slice and took a huge bite. Mmm... Apple slices. The Tunawa sat beside her newfound feast crunching away. She suppose this was the good part of her master being so spoiled and wasteful. Somewhere behind her Leeloo could hear an excited Lyssia bouncing up and down over something stupid probably. Leeloo didn't care to listen and tuned Lyssia and her mother out, their banter always sounded the same to her not to mention she didn't really speak their language at all. It was utter nonsense to her. At one point Leeloo even joined it speaking gibberish all her own, "Oplopbopmoplopopplop."

All was well in the room gibberish and all until Leeloo heard her name spoken, she tensed. Something was going on and it involved her. Slowly turning towards the humans Leeloo became very aware of her surroundings and the gibberish that the humans spoke. The elder woman spoke her name the tone of her voice sounded commanding. While Lyssia's mother was often a saving grace reminding her daughter to feed and exercise the Tunawa woman, this time it was a command Leeloo wished that the human would absent mindedly forget. The cage was coming and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Leeloo gave a sigh, she never fought getting in the cage when Lyssia brought it over to her. What would resisting get her? But it was still a hassle. The girl's touch wasn't as gentle as it once had been. She was growing much more aggressive and cruel these trails. Leeloo couldn't help but wonder if Lyssia's mother saw this change in her daughter as well. If she did, she was ignoring it.

Lyssia stubbornly stomped over to where Leeloo was eating. The stomping was like a minor quake to the Tunawa. Leeloo let out a yelp of pain as the girl roughly tossed Leeloo into the cage, landing roughly against the metal bars of the cage. She groaned. Leeloo was back to her cage no, her prison. A cold metal prison. Lyssia hadn't even looked at her while caging her. Perhaps it was for the best. The only looks the girl gave her where ones of disgust and anger. Leeloo steadied herself grasping the metal bars to help her stand as her master yammered on and on. Leeloo was the last thing she was thinking of. Lately Leeloo had wondered if this new life was a punishment, it felt like it. She watched the human girl fumble with the lock of the cage, her attention elsewhere and yammering on to her mother. The cage lock clicked, but it sounded different than it normally did and it didn't look right. Had the human girl messed up the lock?! It was possible as she rarely paid any attention to locking it. Leeloo was now curious of the lock but would wait to investigate when there were no eyes on her. She would play dumb until then.

Lyssia passed the cage to her mother whom Leeloo greeted with a dove's coo. She knew the woman wouldn't respond or even notice. She was then passed to a strange man who carried her cage out to a cart with the other luggage Lyssia's family have taken with them on this trip. Leeloo shivered this place was cold... Just as that thought entered her mind something was placed over the luggage and and consequently on her as well. Watever it was it kept a bit of the cold away. Wait, now no one could see her! She grinned ear to ear and made her way to the lock waiting until the man walked away. It was action time!

Leeloo reached out to the lock, then brought her arm back to her. She thought for a bit and stretched her arm out again, fingers brushed against the lock. She strained against the metal bars up to her shoulder and jiggled the lock. She pulled her arm back sore from the stretching and the bars. Leeloo turned to the other side sticking her other arm out. She was so close! Just a little more! She streached her arm out as far as she could until she had a good grip on the lock and tugged with all her might. It opened. It opened! Leeloo tried her best to remain calm and pushed the door open. With her own small bag, the only thing she had from her time before Lyssia in hand she was ready.

Before she left, she'd look for something. Anything that could help. She rummaged through the bag she recognized as Lyssia's canvas bag pulling and tossing items left and right. She didn't care. Truth be told she was having the time of her life tossing the items she didn't need from her master's bag. Leeloo spied woolen yarn from a failed attempt of Lyssia's mother trying to teach her daughter to knit. Immediately Leeloo grabbed a few wool scraps which she wrapped around herself and another longer piece she tied to the cage so she could rappel down. Before she made the jump to freedom she gave a look back into the bag. Her clothes were here too. Some were fur lined she knew. Grabbing as many random clothes as she could Leeloo tied them into a bundle with some of the wool. She could land on the bundle after grappling down and then carry them to where ever she found shelter and hopefully find something warmer. With everything taken care of Leeloo readied herself to make her way down. It would work, it HAD to work. Besides she was fairly good at climbing up and down things.

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It took work to wiggle the bolt from the lock but after stretching and straining, the Tunawa managed it and wasted no time in working out her means of escaping the cart. She chose to rummage in the bag of her former little mistress, any loyalty that she had once had towards Lyssia gone as she instead focused on ensuring her own survival. Her rooting didn't go too deep, the plant girl finding the wool but not seeking further to find the needles that had accompanied them. However, it was just as well because she ensured that she had more time to gather items. She already had her little canvas bag shouldered to her back, its contents meagre but important, especially the full waterskin which would be essential in the near future. Thankfully, her pilfering of Lyssia's nighttime snack had ensured that she wouldn't need any nourishment for the foreseeable future though.

The wool strands that she wrapped around herself provided a pathetic layer of warmth that did little to cut down on the chill of the air. The bundle of clothing she made might offer some hope of warmth later but as she tossed them into the snow, the outer layers grew wet and cold and damp began to seep in towards the centre. Even if she retrieved them quickly, her clothing was likely to make her ill if she put them on, chilling her to the bone. What was more, even if she didn't put them on, the bundle was now heavier than it had been courtesy of the moisture that had seeped into the material.

When she made her jump, she'd quickly learn that it wasn't as easy a task as she might have anticipated. Between the floor of the cart and the ground, there was empty air at the back and thus, she had nothing to gain purchase on. It was less rappelling and more sliding and spinning, the force of gravity dragging her down to her inevitable collision with the snow. Holding on tight to her little rope of yarn wouldn't do much good and while a decent grip might slow her descent a little, either way, the friction of the yarn flying between her palms would burn her skin so that when she thumped into the snow, its coolness would be a blessed relief for her aching hands. Unfortunately, the rest of her body wouldn't find the white stuff particularly appealing, almost feeling the sap within her begin to grow sluggish at the drop in temperature.

She would be forced to abandon the yarn that she'd come down on - there was no way to pull it free and she had nothing to even partially cut it. Instead, she only had those scraps that she'd wrapped about her person and around the bundle of clothing; in other words, she didn't have a great deal at all. The skirt of her dress was buried in the powder, her legs encapsulated in it and she'd have to dig herself out, the force of her landing having sent her into the drift up to her waist.

"Yes, I'll check now, Mrs Armitage!" came a call from the porter who was in the vicinity of the door again, mere moments away from trudging back out to the cart. Whatever he carried evidently slowed him down, the big box he held obscuring his view as he made his way outside. She'd have a bit or two to get out of sight before he set it down and looked around him. Unbeknownst to her, he intended to check on her when he got there, ensure that she'd be warm enough even for the relatively short journey to the Docks. When he found the mess she made and the empty cage, he'd raise the alarm at once. She would have to hasten to dig herself out and then do her best to move towards the building where the snow grew thinner. If she could get there then she would have the choice of skirting around the edge of the building and heading for the enclosed tunnels of the fortress city which were protected from the snow and headed in many different directions, or she could choose to head inside, where it would be warm and carry more opportunities for theft. The latter was obviously a risky option indeed because it was well-lit and soon many eyes could be searching for her. However, regardless of her choice, her path would be obvious, marked in the snow for anyone observant to follow. If she remained outside, she'd leave tracks for longer and if she headed in, it'd be clear where she'd gone although it might be harder to find her if she could just hide herself.

Neither choice was a particularly good one.
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Making her jump was in fact much harder than she had planned it to be. The wind had not been taken into account, even if had just been a strong breeze her size was not on her side in this moment. She mentally kicked herself for not tying something of weight to the end, but that could of turned the wool in to a pendulum of sorts. She landed in the snow drift with an "Ooomph!" Leeloo picked herself and gave her bottom a rub. If she ever had to do something like this again she'd have to think of making a crude rope ladder. She'd have to keep this in mind.

She looked up at the cart that towered other her. The yarn blew in the wind, she knew she wouldn't be taking it with her it had served its purpose. As she was freeing herself from the snow faint voices could be heard approaching. She needed to get moving and fast! With a surge of adrenaline she grabbed her now frozen bundle of clothes and made haste toward the building. Hiding her frozen bundle she took to making herself as small as possible waiting for whoever it was to pass. Unfortunately it ended up being the same man who earlier had placed her on the cart. He had come to check on her, Leeloo felt a pang of guilt because of her this man would get in trouble. Under her breath she uttered I'm sorry. But she had to do this.

She sighed as the man lifted the tarp, momentarily froze, and began to look for her among the open bags and around the cart. The man dropped everything her was doing and ran back in the building. Now was her chance she'd have to be really quick. Leeloo got to her feet and bolted toward the cart, then to the house. She walked backwards leaving prints that looked like she was moving forward. She did this until little Tunawa tracks were headed every direction and covered the snow completely. A bit tired Leeloo looked at her masterpiece, even when she looked at them she couldn't tell where they led and she was the one who had made them. It honestly looked like a group of her people had trampled the area all taking a different direction.

Without hesitation Leeloo made her was down the tunnels. She had considered going back into the building... But with all the work it had taken to just get out of it... it seemed stupid. Sure the house was warm and she might of found some more items to help her. But if she did manage to get caught and caged again.. Hell would have no fury like Lyssia angry. Just that thought gave her shivers different from the ones the cold gave her.Besides maybe she'd find something of use in the tunnels, what humans saw as trash she could easily make use of. She trudged on into the tunnel hoping to find a pile of rubble she could hide under and get some well needed sleep, thaw out, and to let her clothes dry.

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The poor porter was quite bewildered when he found the Tunawa absent from the cart. He'd hoped to check on her when he dropped off the box, see if the little mite was warm enough - it was a plant, they needed warmth - but instead, he was left with the sight of the open cage and the pilfered belongings. The first thing he did was panic, frantically running indoors to raise the alarm, only realising when he explained the matter to the mistress that he should have looked around the cart; the little thing couldn't have taken to the air or evaporated after all!

By the time he dashed out again, bearing a lighted torch, the snow was a confused mess of little crisscrossing footprints. Frowning, he tried to skirt them, intending to get back to the cart and work from there. Unfortunately, it was frankly impossible to do that. The Tunawa had obviously sprinted wildly around the place, potentially endangering her life due to the exposure - he had no idea how they worked - and it was clear that she was more intelligent than anyone had given her credit for. Leeloo seemed to be far more than a dumb doll.

The porter eyed the tracks, considering the trouble he was already in and contemplating kicking snow over the mess to give the obviously bright creature a chance when Mr Armitage came out, bundled up in furs, looking ready to tear the porter a new one. The master took in the scene before him, his expression darkening. He stamped over to the porter and practically snatched the torch from his grip.

"Stay here, keep the door shut and see if it's still around. That's my daughter's doll and by the Seven, it was difficult to get ahold of it! My wife's looking in the house quietly so that my Lyssia doesn't find out. You'd better look around out here and look around well! Unless you want to make a little girl cry!" the man growled, stamping off in the direction of the tunnels to see if it had gotten that far. How could such a small thing travel that far? Bloody nuisance!

With a sigh, the porter went to fetch himself a new torch.
***
Although Leeloo didn't know it, her former owner's father was in fast pursuit. Luckily for her, the Videnese tunnels branched off in different directions, leading to a number of different places so it wouldn't be quite as easy to find her. There was also no snow here although the ground was damp from where feet had dragged it in. The surface was gritted though so that the wet hadn't grown icy. At this break, there weren't a great many people around and the place was lit reasonably well although someone not paying attention to where they were stepping could easily bring their foot down on her by mistake. What was more, those who saw her could be potential witnesses when her master came asking questions about her in his search. It would be up to her whether she tried to keep to the shadowy edges or get the attention of the Eídisi and humans she encountered.

The first divide she came to was a simple two-way split. She didn't encounter anyone before she reached that point but she would hear laughing voices down the right hand tunnel, a group of friends celebrating the end of an assignment. If she went that route, she'd encounter three young men walking away from her who talked far too loudly, playfully jostling one another so that they were stumbling all over the place. Judging by the exuberance of their speech, they'd been drinking, although not a huge amount; Viden had drinking restrictions. They might not notice her at all, although she might be able to cling perilously to their trousers, or skirt them altogether - if she could be so lucky.

The left hand tunnel was quieter although unbeknownst to her, there was a towering Ellune moving softly along it away from Leeloo on her way to the Viden Academy. Although the gigantic woman stood at around 8 foot, she was gentle as many of her race were. Her skin looked as if it was composed of icy flakes and grey patches, her black hair neatly plaited down to the middle of her back - too high for the Tunawa to catch on. Her feet were bare although she'd gathered some snow about them, the soles clear because of the salt that she walked on. She carried a bag that hung down at her hip, which was again too high for Leeloo to reach. It might be possible to get the Ellune's attention but she was high above her, a language barrier between them in any case.

There were a few small stones that had gathered at the edge of the tunnel, dragged in and kicked aside by the feet that tramped through here. Most were the size of the Tunawa's fist although some were the size of her head. If she couldn't get the woman's attention, she might be able to clamber up her body, the rough skin bare to the knee but it was slick with gathered snow and might scrape her painfully if she climbed up; her hands already ached as it was from the friction burns of the yarn.
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The tunnel was strangely warmer to the fleeing Tunawa than she had expected and a little extra warmth could go far to Leeloo. She was moving a bit faster than she had outside in the snow. She ran with all her might, darting behind any debris she found and taking a drink from her water skin. Her tiny throat burned from all the running. At least there weren't many people walking down the tunnels, that meant less feet to avoid. A lesser chance of being stepped on. She was making tracks at a good pace when she came to a split in the tunnel.

Leeloo looked down both sides, this could either make or break her escape. She stopped to listen, the sound of male voices rough housing could be heard down one tunnel. Men... Leeloo had never had good experiences with men and they sounded close. She would avoid that tunnel but prayed if anybody had followed her that they would get caught up by the rowdy men. Maybe one would start a fight. They were a good distraction. With that she darted down the silent tunnel.

The tunnel Leeloo took was very quiet and very empty for a long time as she ran, gradually growing weaker from the cold and exhaustion. She found herself stopping more and more to rest. Her breaking point was slowly surfacing. She sat in the silent tunnel wondering if she just doubled over here how likely it would be that someone would find her and take her back to an angry Lyssia. Leeloo had felt the ground trembling for a bit now, but was so tired she paid little attention to it. That was until the tremors grew violent. Shakily getting to her feet and looking ahead Leeloo saw the cause of the shakes. They were huge, like a giant! Leeloo gasped it was a giant woman! And she was grey! A giant grey woman! Maybe she could help?

She gathered stones strewn about the tunnel and began to lob rocks up at the blue woman desperately. Eventually she added crow calls loud enough to echo off the walls. No doubt the rowdy men were making much more noise that would cover her noise. A few crow calls in the Tunawa's voice was giving out. In a last attempt Leeloo simply cried out in pain, despair, and in fear. She was shivering from everything. A heart wrenching noise left her lips. She had accepted her fate. Another sad noise left her. She was done. It was over. In such despair she hadn't heard or felt the woman's footsteps.

She lay there until something touched her. Great, now she was hallucinating. Another touch. She grumbled. Something gently lifted her up. Opening her eyes she saw the grey woman looking her over in her hands. This was it. Leeloo looked at the woman and shivered and coughed, and mimicked a hand gesture that Lyssia had often made when begging her mother for things. She folded her hands and held them up to the woman and pointed at the woman's bag. She shivered again. Leeloo hoped the woman understood. She had tried her best and given all the effort she could and she quietly curled up and laid down on the women's hand.

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Out of the gusts of cool air and protected from the flurries of snow, the interior of the tunnels was understandably warmer than the external parts of the city. It wasn't quite as warm as the Tunawa might have liked but it allowed her life sap to grow more fluid again, enabling easier and quicker movement. To one of the more typically sized denizens of the city, the walk to the split in the tunnel would be a short one but to the little plant woman who was all of six inches high, it was a lengthy journey indeed.

When the girl was forced to make a decision, she chose the safest path by deciding to avoid the rowdy young men. However, they had been far closer to the tunnel mouth than the Ellune, the mad dash that she was forced to run taking its toll on her natural endurance so that she had to rest as she continued on her way, the journey far longer than it might otherwise have been. Meanwhile, her pursuer was gaining on her. While she'd had a head start, he had longer legs than her so that even though he wasn't rushing, it didn't take him as long to cover the same distance. He was able to walk with care, swinging the lantern back and forth so that not a single shadow went unchecked. When he reached the split in the tunnel, the young men were still hanging around and he was able to catch a glimpse of them when he glanced that way. Luckily for Leeloo, he went towards them, buying her a bit or two while he made his enquiries. While her former master was asking the young men if they'd seen her, the Tunawa was flinging stones at the Ellune's back.

Gara Vraskai qalar-Treid didn't know about Jaspar Armitage or about the Tunawa that he sought. The Ellune was heading to the Prime Atheneum to see about taking out some history books, not anticipating the odd pitter patter on her back. At first, she hardly registered the sensation. It could have been a light twitch of a muscle or an imagined contact, at least the first time but the second, it made her roll her shoulder, like an animal trying to flick away a fly with its tail. It was when she shifted that she felt something definite hit her back. It wasn't particularly powerful but together with the croaking of crows, it made the Ellune turn her head, bewildered when she found nothing behind her; she was looking too high. It wasn't until the desperate cry came that her gaze travelled down and she spotted the comparatively tiny creature for the first time. It had prostrated itself on the ground and the Ellune had to kneel down, basically folding herself up so that she could lift it up.

It was like a little tree, except it had humanoid limbs, not mere wild, disordered tree branches. What was more, it was a tree-like woman in a dress and she held her as she peered at it curiously. Her touch appeared to bring it to life again, the creature moving to make a pleading gesture, indicating through sign what she wanted. "You are Tunawa?" she murmured in halting, accented Common. She had no idea if it could understand her but it seemed cold and wet, a bundle that it had carried with it almost appearing frozen solid. It appeared to have brought clothes with it and it appeared quite desperate. Had it run away from somewhere? She didn't think that this was its typical clime and it couldn't have travelled far. Such a little thing would surely have perished if it had travelled into the city on its own. It couldn't be left to freeze here and it looked exhausted.

Thus, the grey woman opened her bag and placed the creature in carefully, trying to nestle it in there to be warm. She added the bundle of clothes in after Leeloo, keeping it as distant from her as possible so that its chill wouldn't infect it. She had just placed her in there and begun on her journey back the way she'd come, intending to carry the Tunawa to the Carnelian Prism, when Mr Armitage himself came along. He baulked a little at the sight of her height but he pulled himself up after a moment.

"You there! Have you seen a little doll creature? It's about this size and it'll be wearing a dress. It looks like a little tree," he asked Gara, watching the Ellune's face for a sign of recognition. Her expression was blank, the woman spreading her hands as a sign of emptiness.

"I did not see. No doll, I see," she responded in her accented Common. With that, she went to move past him, the man practically flattening himself against the wall to avoid her. She walked more swiftly than she had before although she held the bag carefully so that it wouldn't be jostled too much. When she was far enough away from the man, she began to murmur softly, shifting between Common and Leni. She continued to coo soft soothing things to the creature as she made her journey to the student accommodations. She let herself in, carrying her bag to the fireside in common room. Setting the carrier down, she opened it and scooped Leeloo out, setting her on the little mat before the heat. She lifted out the bundle of clothes to set them by her side, leaving them there to defrost.

The Ellune stood, retrieving a throw from one of the armchairs to bundle the Tunawa in. With that done, she sat back on her heels, laying her hand on her chest. "Gara. You?" she questioned, touching the little woman's chest in a parallel gesture. She smiled, moving to unhook the creature's bag, before going to pull apart the bundle, to smooth out the fabrics. There were two cloaks, one a simple black, good quality. The other was similar but came with fur and a hood, little bits of silvery embroidery traced along the hem. There were some gaudy dresses, covered in lace and beads and embroidery and feathers, even tassels. It seemed rather over the top to her and she wasn't keen on the near luminous hues. In the bundle, she found a pretty scarf, obviously hand-knit. It was quite wide, effectively making it usable as a shawl as well as a scarf.

Gara pointed at her mouth then placed a hand over her stomach, making a gurgling noise that was meant to mimic the rumbling of a stomach. "Hungry?"
word count: 1133
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Leeloo
Approved Character
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 2:00 am
Race: Tunawa
Renown: 5
Character Sheet
Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Milestones

Miscellaneous

Breakout! (Leeloo)

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Relief. Utter relief washed through the Tunawa. Leeloo weakly reached out her hand and placed it on the Ellune's thumb. "Tu... Tun...awa..." She knew what that word meant and hoped by repeating the word she would answer the woman's question. Her hand squeezed the woman's thumb. Moseke had no doubt sent her a saving grace disguised as a giant grey woman. No matter what would happen from now on, she would always remember this woman and her life changing and saving kindness and Leeloo let a small dove coo out as a thank you as the woman slipped a weak Leeloo into her bag. The Tunawa curled up nice and cozy in the bag. It was warm, well warmer than the tunnel.

Leeloo had finally stopped shivering and was slowly nodding off into a blissful well deserved sleep, until she heard a voice she recognized and froze in utter panic and terror. It was Lyssia's father and he sounded furious! Leeloo held her breath and tried to wiggle further into the Ellune's bag. He seemed surprised by the giant grey woman in front of him Leeloo could hear it in his voice as he questioned her trying to sound confident. The woman gave a monotone response to Lyssia's father and walked passed him. Just. Like. That. Once they were past Lyssia's father the woman began whispering comforting words to Leeloo. Even though she didn't understand the actual words she understood the feelings behind them in response to the kind words Leeloo would make the soft sound of a dove or finch, just to let her savior know she was okay hidden away in the bag.

Once the woman was somewhere safe she gently removed the Tunawa from her bag. The room was warm, so nice and warm. The warmth made Leeloo feel stronger and while fire was something to be feared... But right now was an exception. Presented with the throw Leeloo happily snuggled up in it. It smelled good. The Tunawa watched the woman closely as she spoke and tried to mimic the woman's name still a bit weak, "Ga.grrr. ga-ra? Gaaraa. Gah rah." The wheels in her head were turning and she felt her mouth with her hand as she spoke "Gaa raa..." She was getting closer.. "Gara?" Leeloo looked up at the woman who nodded back at her. She pointed at the woman "Gara!" She motioned to herself, "Leeloo! Lee Loo. La Lee Loo La" She repeated her name several times just in case Gara had trouble saying her name. " La Lee Loo La, La Lee Loo La," she sang to Gara, a small line from a child's song. Her master had sang this many times when she first received the Tunawa. She had quickly learned that little bit of song, the rest eluded her however.

When Gara offered food to Leeloo, she clapped happily and chattered. While she had eaten earlier all that running had used up all her energy. Now warm, with a bit of food in her system she could fall into a restful sleep free of bars and cages. She was free.

Tree Talk Xanthea Common
word count: 536
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Banshee
Posts: 239
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 7:53 pm
Race: Prophet
Renown: 0
Plot Notes
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Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Staff

Breakout! (Leeloo)

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Leeloo

Overview

XP: 15

Renown: 5 for escaping captivity

Consequences

Injuries/Overstepping:
  • Friction burns on the hands, the sap will form a light callous but they won't fully heal until Leeloo has been kept warm for a few trials. Given her new living conditions, it should be healed between the 13th and the 16th, depending on whether she aggravates the injuries or not.
  • Aching in the shoulder from where she reached through the bars. This will be something felt in the coming trials, first stiff before fading to a duller ache. The pain should be gone by the 20th.
Loot:
  • Freedom (obviously)
  • Small canvas bag with shoulder straps
  • Fur-lined and hooded black cloak, silver embroidery along the hem
  • Wide grey wool scarf, hand-knitted and broad enough to be used as an over-the-shoulders shawl
  • 3 x Gaudy dresses covered in lace, embroidery, beads, feathers and tassels - bright pink, bright green and bright yellow
Expenses: N/A

Knowledge

  • Skill:
    • Climbing: Rappelling down
    • Endurance: Straining to reach something
    • Endurance: Pushing your body to its limits
    • Endurance: Resting to extend your endurance
    • Field Craft: Not letting food go to waste
    • Field Craft: Choosing items for survival
    • Linguistics: Mimicking another's pronunciation
    • Logistics: Planning an escape
    • Running: Sprinting with all your might
    • Singing: Conveying your name through song
    • Stealth: Confusing your tracks
    • Stealth: Making yourself smaller to be less noticeable
    • Tactics: Throwing stones to get someone's attention
  • Non-Skill:
    • Lyssia: Former child owner
    • Lyssia: Her trash is your treasure
    • Self: Escaping captivity
    • Gara Vraskai qalar-Treid: Helped save you
    • Gara: Grey Woman
    • Master: Almost found you!
    • Tunawa: Leeloo's race

Comments

I had fun with this little thread! It was interesting to see the lengths that Leeloo was willing to go to in order to free herself and I was glad to present you with some challenges so that it wasn't perhaps as straightforward as if you'd done a solo. I hope that you enjoyed yourself and that I gave you what you hoped for.

I enjoyed Leeloo's characterisation and her thought processes and I liked her style. She did a very good job for a little thing and you wrote her well!
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