Right Between the Eyes
Possibility to break through borders of time and space has always fascinated mankind and even now when superpowers are a common thing and anyone without them is looked down upon, it has not changed. |
Name: Ryan Orth~[Hair: Silvery, even snowy white, usually shoulder length ~[Eyes: Pale icy blue-gray ~[Complexion: Pale, clear ~[Height: 6'2'' or ~ 188 cm ~[Weight: 153-155 pounds ~[Posture: Slouches slightly in shoulders ~[Scars: Multiple, scattered over his body in various sizes ~[Jewelry: Stud earring in left ear Personality~[Positive traits: At his best, can be caring, sweet, helpful, adventure and life loving, determined, devoted, protective, cunning, passionate, surprisingly philosophical at times More facts~[Negative traits: Can be any of these: harsh, blunt, disinterested, cold, distant, secluded, stubborn, with low self-esteem, but hides it behind 'I'm so cool that I don't care' attitude, annoying, sarcastic, defensive More facts~[Quirks: Usually doesn't drink, if he does, he will do so heavily, for one night only and quietly suffer consequences next morning More factsHistory Other |
Nicknames: Soph, Sophia, Bel Special abilities/skills: Dimensional travel, self defense (though not something professionally learned) and she can speak enough of the many different languages to get her by in most dimensions. Age: 22 Hair: Blonde, to the bottom of her shoulder blades. Usually straight for the most part, wavy when wet or dried without a brushing. Eyes: Hazel, looking a greenish grey or grey brown depending on the lighting, with golden flecks around her irises. Complexion: Naturally olive toned and warm, tanning easily - clear. Height: 5'7" Special markings: Sophie has a birthmark on her neck, a little below and behind her left ear. It's in no special shape, and is about the size of a dime. She has a burn scar on her back, around mid-back under her right shoulder blade, though it's a strange shape from almost having been branded during a brush with the Kesh Slomian Trading Company (pirates). The reason it wasn't a full brand was because the ship was attacked, which was how Sophilia escaped. She has various other minor scars from close calls, though she'd probably have to point them out to be noticeable. Piercings: Three in her right ear, one in the lobe and two in the helix. Two in her left, one in the lobe and one daith. She also has her nose pierced, as well as the webbing between her left thumb and first finger and one on her right hip. She picks up a lot of other worldly things. Tattoos: She got one, deep in the jungles of Arushba one year. They give the tattoos by using a sharpened bamboo stick, dipping it into an inky concoction of who knows what, and hammering it into the skin. It was of a flying Innedae (a bird similar to our dove), though more intricate. She hadn't asked for an Innedae, just to be surprised. The tribal leader had said he'd chosen an Innedae for her, because she too was beautiful, like the bird, and just as elusive and free. Other: She has a nervous habit of laughing. In a sticky situation, or when fear creeps in, Sophie can't help but laugh. It's certainly not because she thinks anything is funny, and she can't stop herself from doing it, often making situations worse. She's naturally curious and filled with wonder and a childish belief that magic and all things mythical are real. She'll believe almost anything, being that she's seen so much. Some might call her gullible, but that's not it. She knows anything is possible. When anything is possible, it's hard to pick and choose which information to believe or not. While she is a pain, and can be a bit of a wildflower, Sophia carries herself well. She's a little eccentric, but not overly so. And while she's very friendly, and knows many things about manners and etiquette, she can be deceitful and cunning. Backstory: Since Sophilia was a child, she's been traveling between dimensions collecting various artifacts and rare items. Some of which she doesn't exactly pay for. She uses her charm and intellect to con people out of things, and is very attracted to shiny things, like gold and jewels. Don't get her wrong, she's not all bad. She'll be the first to share her food with the hungry and give a homeless child something to pawn off for food or clothing. She's very worldly, or should we say, dimensionally... and while seeming like a ball of spitfire and attitude, she has a very deep, thoughtful and calm side. She loves to meet new people and see new places. Most everyone loves Sophie immediately, at least until she steals from them. So she has sticky fingers and a problem? She can't help it! She's mischievous and loves to have fun. She's a lively and carefree soul. Sophie doesn't have a place to call home. While her parents would disagree, she ran away from home at a very young age, hating all the rules and stipulations of living under a roof. Who needs a roof when they have the world, and not just one, but hundreds? |
It was early spring, but in Ryan's mind the only difference between winter, spring and autumn in this concrete and glass labyrinth was the amount of muck-up on the streets. In summer, sun chased some of the grayness away, but it didn't last long. Not on the lower levels, at least. |
Sitting by the small pond in the park, Sophilia sat at the edge of a tall statue base. The sky had given her a nice break, stopping the rain so that she could eat a pastry before being on her way. Ahh how kind the sky had been.
She leaned against the stone shins of the statue with one leg brought up, her foot resting at the edge of the base in strappy sandals unfamiliar to this dimension. Hazel eyes stared out over the water, watching the trees shift in the wind on the other side of the pond. A raindrop fell. So the sky maybe hated her after all. What a shame that this delicious pastry would get soggy. Oh well, she needed to be on her way anyway. Places to be, things to More raindrops were falling now. The once still surface of the pond looked hazy. Drops of water splashed in as others splashed up. She loved the sound. Sophilia pulled the hood of her half cloak, that covered her to about her hips, over her hair. Her small bag was hidden under the cloak, over one shoulder and across her chest to hang at her right hip. The bag carried things not of this dimension. Treasures. Her wrap pants were also something of a different type of style for this dimension. But she hadn't found anything worthy of collecting here, so she'd no reason to blend in and worry about being spotted. She hadn't wronged anyone here who might be after her. Sophilia adjusted the bag and headed towards the exit of the park. She was already reaching with her energy, searching this dimension for its weak spot where she could move into another, better world. This one was totally lame. |
He passed her by, not close enough for their shoulders brush, but not on the opposite side of pathway, too. Ryan slightly flicked his wrist and it reacted accordingly - he felt it slightly vibrate against his skin -, taking scan of the girl. It probably gathered some biological information and power-print, but he didn't really know or wanted to, as long as it did its job. |
She was readjusting her bag when she looked up to see that she was awfully close to running into someone. They passed each other by, her and the man wearing the hood with a backpack over his shoulder. She thought she saw tips of nearly white hair poking out of his hood, but didn't think twice about it. At least she hadn't run into him.
Sophilia continued on out of the park and down the walk, following the pull of the energy as it built up around this dimension's closest weak spot, trying to heal it. It would heal once Sophilia passed through it, aiding the energy as she left some of hers behind. She was headed towards a busy area of the city. She hoped that the pull would bring her out of the city and to the other side, at least. She couldn't switch dimensions with loads of people around. If it was in the center of a busy place, she'd have to wait until nightfall, assuming that the place would be deserted then. The weak spot could heal by then though. No matter. There's be another one close by. Sophilia had been working lately, trying to use her energy to open her own hole in the dimension, without needing help from the weak spots. She could feel good progress, she was close to doing it. Perhaps she could give that another go if the place she was headed was to crowded. She crossed a street, turned down a new block and crossed another street. The people from this dimension were getting thicker. Great. She passed by a long alley, before stopping and backing up to look down it. The pull was pulling her in that direction, and a shortcut seemed right up her alley. Pun so intended. |
It didn't look like she knew exactly where she was going, more like searching something. He kept on following her, not too far behind, but not close enough to draw immediate attention, if the girl would glance over her shoulder. And then she stopped, as if intrigued by some side-alley and few moments later, walked in it. Maybe luck was on his side today after all. Less people, less hassle.OO C: I stopped now, to let you react. Thought it would be funny if she disappeared right from his grasp, hehe. |
There, the weak spot was there, only a few meters away. Sophie kept on her way casually, unsuspecting of any follower. Yes, it was here. The energy pulled her, grasping at her own as she stepped closer. Sophie was about to turn to make sure no one else had wandered down the alley to see what she was going to do, but she didn't have the chance.
A hand clasped over her mouth and her hands were pinned behind her own back before she had the chance to react or realize what was happening. She'd gasped, and yelled out in surprise, though her sounds were now muffled. She listened though, unwilling to be killed in the alley, or worse. Her wrists were hurting. This man was strong, his grip like a vice. What did he want? It didn't matter, Sophie wasn't going to hang around to chat. He'd removed his hand from her mouth and she took the opportunity to stomp on one of his feet, with all the strength she had. While it wouldn't break his foot, it would hurt, and more than likely leave a nice bruise. She didn't wait to see if that would work either, no, she ensured that he'd let her go by then throwing her head back abruptly, hoping to make contact with his mouth or nose. While she'd never taken legit self defense classes, this wasn't the first time she'd had to get out of a sticky situation. A girl learned a thing or two traveling between dimensions. Besides, she wasn't the type of girl to roll over and accept defeat. She was a fighter, a survivor. She always would be. When he released her, she lunged away quickly, putting space between them. At the same time, she tried to focus her energy on opening a portal between this dimension and the next. While she'd already used up some energy, and was also trying to focus on the man who, she stole something from perhaps, the portal opened still. It was a tad smaller than normal, since she was in a hurry with less energy and focus, but it was there. Thank the heavens. The hole seemed to disintegrate the very fabric of reality before their eyes as it opened wider and wider, revealing the dimension Sophie was headed into. The beings here were caped creatures, maybe human-like, but she couldn't tell for now. They appeared to be surrounded in desert, and wind. It looked awful. No time to search for another portal. Sophie moved towards the portal, turning her back to it to enter to try and get a look at her attacker. Hazel eyes watched him curiously. She'd never know what he'd wanted. She leaned backwards, allowing herself to fall into the next dimension, giving the man a middle fingered salute as she disappeared, the hole closing behind her and bringing the alley back into shadows. In the next dimension, Soph fell onto soft bags full of, something. Beans, or something of the like she assumed. But, she'd landed on them awkwardly and rolled off onto the sandy ground. Great start to a new dimension. She pushed herself off the ground and dusted herself off, looking around to see if anyone had taken notice. It didn't seem that these people had. Sand swirled around and stuck to Sophilia's clothes and hair. The buildings here were made out of some kind of rock or stone that matched the color of the sand. She could see that it was possible to travel between the homes and buildings, or whatever they were called here. Did she really want to take another alley? A bit of sand blew into her eyes. The alley it was. She hurried across the sandy road and into the alley ahead. Though sand blew into the alleyway, it didn't swirl about inside it. She needed to blend into this new place. Perhaps she could find a cape and check out its market, or castle or palace or museums or whatever it had. Walking down the alley, checking over her shoulder constantly, Sophia came to an open door. She stopped at it, looking curiously inside, when a small child ran out and into her, not seeing her there. She smiled down at the creature. It had long pointy ears and large doe eyes. Its hair was a deep mossy green to match its eye color. Other than that, he seemed more human-like than some of the other dimension's creatures she'd come upon. The child was immediately taken by Sophia and her unusual clothing, reaching out to feel the intricate fabrics of colors he hadn't seen before. He smiled and laughed and pulled at her, trying to get her inside. She'd laughed, too, but was reluctant to enter the place. The child's mother appeared suddenly from another room. Her eyes widened at the sight of this new creature with the strange clothes beside her son. Sophia offered a friendly smile, hoping this was a culture of people who used smiles as a friendly gesture. Not all cultures were like that, so Sophia had found the hard way. The woman crossed the room to stand beside her son with a hand on his shoulder. Sophia tugged at her clothes. "I need different clothes," she tried. She pointed to the long deep red hooded cape that her son wore, and then back to her own. The woman leaned past Sophie to peer outside into the alley as if to check that it was clear, then she ushered Soph inside and to the table that was there in what seemed to be a kitchen, though mostly made of the same rock that the buildings were. The furnitures were made out of some kind of wood, though seemed almost petrified. Sophie sat, taking off her own short colorful cape and laying it on the table, followed by her fabric satchel. The boy was rubbing his hands over the cape when his mother returned with a long deep red hooded cape to match those that the people here wore. Sophie stood, and took it, bowing gratefully. "Thank you," she said, before slipping it on over her other clothes. A belt, made of a piece of rope-like material, tied around the middle. Sophie pulled the hood on. The fabric was actually quite soft, while she'd have thought it to be somewhat rough. She picked up her old colorful short cape, and knelt down in front of the boy. She smiled and offered it to him. His eyes lit up and he smiled, taking it in his arms and hugging it tightly, before doing the same to Sophie. She laughed, and his mother laughed, too. Sophie would be on her way, but the woman put her hand out before placing some kind of food on the table and gesturing for Sophie to eat. Having traveled through many dimensions and cultures, Soph knew it only polite to accept the offer. Plus, she'd exerted more energy than she could afford to keep traveling, and food would help restore her. She had eaten many strange and sometimes gross things. She'd developed a liking for them. She'd try anything twice. She returned to the seat, pulling apart what seemed like some kind of meat, maybe? Before taking a bite. It tasted kind of like, brussel sprouts, and chocolate. It was strange, but not awful. The boy's mother placed another bit of food for him, and he sat beside Sophie to eat, not taking his happy eyes off of her. |
He had expected a struggle and the stomp on foot made him grimace, but not let her go. Ryan had more composure than that, but it was that unfortunate (for him) head-bump that did the trick. She didn't hit his nose, but in the movement, she hit his left shoulder and with a grunt, the grip on her wrists lessened. Although he had performed well in all tests, his new arm still caused him pain and problems on occasion and he didn't always let Zofies know about it. Staying inside those white rooms and corridors had been driving him insane slowly, he had had to get out. Besides, he still took painkillers and medicine that helped him adjust to the new material in his body. He had thought it would be all fine. |
Not many minutes had passed, and Soph had filled herself. She was standing in the middle of the room, drawing on the sandy floor with her finger. She drew a castle, and first time was a charm. It was clear she was questioning if there was one around.
The woman looked at her with a frightened curiosity at what Sophilia was wanting to know. But soon, she was there by Sophie, drawing in the sand. In just a few moments, the woman had drawn more of a palace, and a map to get there. Soph studied it. Easy, the palace wasn't far from here. She stood and smiled happily. The boy was already attacking her legs in a hug. She bid them farewell, bowed her thanks, and exited the home. Would all of the beings here be so kind? Sure why not? Sophia had lots of faith in people, or beings in general. There was good and kindness even in the deepest depths of the most wretched, she was sure of it. Sophia headed through the alley to the exit, pulling the hood low. She pulled a scarf from her bag that was hung across her body on the outside of her cape, and proceeded to wrap it around her mouth and nose under the hood. With that, she exited the alley, the colorful scarf the only thing out of place now, and her sandals, which were only visible with each step she took. She made her way towards the palace without incident. Not much later, she could see it there ahead, just on the other side of the market place. She loved markets. Sophie strolled, looking at the clothes, jewelry and foods of this dimension. Nothing looked too shiny or expensive, nothing seemed like rare artifact. Darn. She hoped to have better luck at the palace. Sophilia continued, strolling along unnoticed by the creatures of this land as she peered into tents and over carts of goods. |
Time passed and he still hadn't caught even a glimpse of her. His shoulder ached and he grew weary, old clothes and dark cloak being a bit too much. He regretted not getting some looser clothes to wear under the cloak at the marketplace. But it was a worthy note for next time he would travel across dimensions... Because after Sophie was caught, he was probably going to further test this bracelet-thing. Unless they figured he was unworthy - if it didn't kill, then they could it give it to some boasting rank 2. |
The sun was on the decline in this dimension. The sky had begun turning vivid colors; oranges and purples. Not too unlike the skies of Sophilia's own dimension. It would have been rather beautiful, if anyone could have endured the sand enough to look up long enough. The creatures of this place could in fact endure it, better than a human anyway.
Sophie had arrived at the edge of the buildings, after having spent quite some time in the market. She had a new necklace, and a fabric that appeared woven with a substance that looked like Earth gold. It was beautiful, and amazing. Cream and gold. They were free, of course. This dimension was unknown to Sophilia. She'd not been here before, so speaking the language and haggling, hadn't been options. That's how she justified it anyway. Now she stood at the wall that separated the marketplace street from the palace yards. If sand could be considered yard. The wall was made out of a lighter colored stone than that of the homes and buildings in the town. It had no doors, only archways, side by side by side. Sophie wondered why not the need for doors? No matter, it would be easier for her to gain entry then. Beyond the wall, was a great fountain. So large in fact, that it obstructed much of the view of the palace, once Sophie was standing before it. She looked around. No other creatures of this dimension seemed to occupy themselves here. She was alone within the 'gate' of the palace. It was strange to her, that the place was open, yet none dared enter. She decided that she should be sneaking, rather than walking right inside. She had an uneasy feeling that although the palace was made to look grand and open, that it wasn't a place for creatures here to wander freely. She ducked behind the low walls of the fountain to watch the palace for activity. There was another wall around the palace, though attached to it. More like a walkway around the large building, covered, with more archways. There were very large potted plants strategically placed in front of the joined spaces of each arch, and inside the walkway, there were guards, pacing. They wore similar cloaks, though shorter. Better for movement, she assumed. They also dawned some kind of armor, as well as sword like weapons, clipped at the hip rather than sheathed. She assumed that to be because of their severe jaggedness. The swords were horrifying to say the least. Certainly a deterrent to the creatures of this world. Sophilia waited, but it wouldn't seem that she could just enter through the front door. She glanced over her shoulder. Well she couldn't just sit here in full view of anyone outside of the palace either. There on the ground beside her, was some kind of shell, or nut. She picked it up. It was something like a coconut, only much smaller, more oval, and smooth. She could tell now that she looked, that the large plants that decorated the palace yard had the nuts growing. This one must have fallen from a basket during clean up, since she saw no others on the ground. Well, good luck for her. While the guards were both faced away from each other and far enough apart that she could do it, she stood, and threw the nut as hard as she could over the awnings and off to the side of the palace. The two guards rushed together and around the corner to investigate. Sophilia took the opportunity to hurry up to the palace and around the opposite corner. She figured that walking right into the front door was a poor idea. Still, she had to be careful, unsure of where the next guard would be. She stayed hidden by the large plants, moving from one, to the next, carefully as she rounded the building. Another guard made his way down the path towards her. She stayed low, and rounded the potted plant as he passed by. Sophie wasn't too worried about being caught, as long as she was taken to a dungeon or spared for a few minutes, she could work up a tear in dimensions, small though it would be, and hopefully escape. She continued on, coming to another wall that separated the front of the palace grounds from the back. This wall had no arches. Only a door, that, as luck would have it, was open. She watched for a moment. No one seemed to be using it. It must have been left open by accident, possibly by the last guard that passed. Sophilia hurried to it, stopping outside to listen before peeking carefully inside. No one stood inside the back yard wall, so Sophie entered, hurrying to hide behind another potted plant. From under that deep red hood, hazel eyes scanned the scene in awe. The back of the palace grounds was filled with pools and waterfalls and lush vegetation. It was like the palace had been built around this tiny paradise, and that's exactly what it was. It was a painful reminder at how thirsty Sophie had become in this desert. There appeared to be no guards back here, since the door was supposed to have been shut, keeping outsiders away. Sophie moved around the plant, around the corner, and into the open back of the palace. No need for doors, she assumed, with a gated paradise in your back yard. Sophilia continued inside, keeping her ears open for voices and footsteps around each corner as she searched the palace for its hidden treasures. Only once or twice did she have to skillfully duck behind something quickly at the approach of a guard, before finding a single room, open, but seemingly empty aside from a large orb floating above a sort of alter in the center of the room. She'd traveled up some stairs once or twice, down long halls, and up a set of spiral stone stairs to find this room, and she's struck gold. Or orb, or whatever. She'd take either. Hazel eyes widened in awe of the orb, and the sight drew her in. She was a bug to the lantern. Nothing could deter her. It was magnificent. It glowed a shade of deep green, and was about the size of an Earth grapefruit. What was it for? Could Sophilia have actually come across this dimension's power item? She wanted it badly. The orb called to her, and she reached out for it. In that moment, a large leathery hand clasped around her wrist, jerking her away from the orb. Shit, she'd done that thing again, where she was too sucked into the beauty of an item to remember where she was or that she needed to be careful. One of her downfalls, no doubt. Her hood was thrown back from her face and she looked up into the incredibly angry scowl of a creature. Sheesh, it wasn't like she was going to steal the orb. Oh wait... His expression went from anger, to shock at the sight of Sophilia who clearly wasn't exactly from around here, and then back to anger. His other hand was on that jaggedly terrifying sword, and then two more guards entered. Not good. They were speaking to each other in a language Sophilia didn't recognize, and then she was being dragged roughly from the room. "Ow, geeze," she grumbled, "relax already." Not that they'd understand her, or relax even if they did. She glanced back over her shoulder at the orb. She'd really wanted that. Sophie still wasn't overly worried. She knew she wasn't of this world, and that these creatures would want to take her to their higher up, rather than throw her into a fiery pit, or whatever they did here to off people here. So she used the opportunity to get a good look at the rest of the palace, just in case she found herself with the chance to make her way back up to that orb... |
Ryan stayed there for a while, until he noticed an figure approaching the wall. The cloak was different, but it wasn't hard to recognize her - when she glanced around he caught glimpse of blonde hair, unlike anyone's who lived here naturally. And, no one else had even attempted to come close to the palace. So, that was his cue. Quickly, he got off the roof and moved after her. The invisibility shield remained, still faint so if anyone would actually carefully observe the scenery, he could be noticed as a blur, but the man avoided such situation, by keeping behind corners and plants just like Sophie did.OO C: Argh, I'm bad at writing action scenes! [gonk] I don't really have practice with them. [cry] I hope I didn't take it too far and you can respond to it. If you feel that she would try to get away sooner, go ahead and ignore some ending part of my post and I will adjust, okay? |
As the guard yanked Sophie's arm there was a groan heard, mere moments before one of the guards fell to the ground. The guard who had Sophie, stopped immediately, and the two of them stared at the guard on the ground for a brief moment, before the second guard went down. It was obvious in the guard's face, who held Sophilia, that he knew whatever was taking out the guards would be coming for him next.
No sooner than the thought had registered on his face, Sophie was reaching back for that orb. The guard released her, but that wrist was only free for a moment, before something stronger clamped around it. Her hazel eyes shot to her own wrist immediately, before meeting a familiar face. "You!" she exclaimed, incredibly surprised that he'd somehow managed to follow her into another dimension. He seemed different now though. It was his color. "Wow," she said then, "You are really sunburnt..." He'd laid the last guard out and was already hissing at her to go. She would have protested, but once again she was already being yanked out of the room and around the corner. He tugged her behind a large potted plant, and Sophie was frowning. Who was this guy? Why was he following her? What did he want? Sophilia opened her mouth to ask those things, but he stopped her, that familiar hand over her mouth for the second time in such a short period of time. She glared and huffed, but then there was something surrounding them. Some kind of energy field that she could probably see better from the inside, than anyone would notice from the outside. What exactly was it? It was then that guards passed by them, and the man took the opportunity to stand, pulling her up and shoving her down the hall. They passed two more guards almost immediately. The guards were in such a rush, looking for solid people, that they rushed right by. So they were invisible then. It was obvious. So this pale fellow had the power to track her, and to become invisible. Huh. She decided then that she wouldn't try to get away from him just yet. No, she'd let him get them out of the palace first, of course. That was the smart thing to do. They sneaked down halls and staircases, Sophie coming along without hassle until they reached the main floor. The pale haired guy drug her over to an arch, and they jumped, not using the front door. This guy was clever. Too clever. She wanted to know who he was and what he wanted from her. Did he want her treasures? They ducked behind some trees, and Sophie tugged. It didn't seem the man was willing to let go of her quite yet. So, she bit him, hard. When he pulled his hand away, Sophie remained still, trying to show him that she wasn't going to run away. It wasn't like she wasn't planning to, of course she would run. But she wanted to know some things first. "Let me go," she demanded first. "I won't run away," she assured him, though he probably wouldn't believe her. "I want to know why you're following me." Her curiosity would be her downfall. It often got her into trouble. She couldn't help it though. Her curiosity and love for shiny things were almost a sickness; something she knew would get her killed, but she just couldn't stop traveling, snooping, taking shiny things... Ohhh how she loved shiny things. She recalled that beautiful orb inside the palace. The one that she'd managed to get her fingers around in the commotion. She'd dropped it into her bag before this white haired weirdo had resumed the whole captive bit. She eyed him, instinctively trying to turn in a way that moved the bag with the orb farther from him. He couldn't have her treasures. Humpf! ((I don't think I read that he'd removed his hand from her mouth, soooss I assumed it was still there. Let me know if I should change anything! Also, I assume our next few posts will be somewhat short-ish, if we have dialogue?)) |
Ryan clenched his jaw at the bite, but let her mouth free. Not the wrist, however, and although it wouldn't look so from his pose, he was ready to reach and grab her other hand. Problem was, the neck cuff was in his bag, he had been just about to take it out when the girl had triggered alarm. Maybe he could knock her out, shouldn't be too hard... Wheels were spinning fast in his head as he observed Sophie.OO C: All's fine, hehe! The hand clamp + biting/punching is like their signature for now. [lol] ... Which actually gave me an amusing idea. xD |
((I'm sorry if it takes me a post or two to get back into character and into the story!))
It seemed he wasn't stupid enough to actually let her go. That was annoying. Sophie would have to figure something else out. She listened closely to him though, about his employer and how they wanted her. Who was his "employer" and what the hell did they want her for? Her treasures! Well, she wasn't going to share them. Suddenly, the sunburned wonder was lunging at her. He'd almost caught her off guard. Almost. Sophie dodged him the best she could in the situation, falling to the ground. The orb rolled out of the bag and away from Sophie, but she scrambled to get it. It was her shiny thing! While she'd managed to get her hands on it, back on her feet, and just out of striking distance, she was too worried about the orb being cracked, to run off. Before Ryan could reach her again though, the deep green orb that she held in both hands, burst into a bright green light. She held it at arms length and turned her head away to shield her eyes. Why was it doing that!? After the light died down enough to look at, Sophie stared in awe at the treasure. It wasn't until the light died down enough, that she realized they were being surrounded by some of the palace guards. She hadn't forgotten how horrific their weapons had looked. Sophie shoved the orb at Ryan. "He took it," she said, putting her hands in her pockets quickly so that he couldn't give it back to her. She took a step away from him as they pointed sharp things at the white haired man's throat. While the guards were busy closing in on him, Sophie sneaked away silently. When she was out of the crowd, she gave Ryan a two fingered salute from her forehead. It wasn't her problem. And, if, he survived, there'd be no way he could find her when she hopped through a few more dimensions. ((I figured either Sophie would feel bad and help free him, he'd get away on his own terms and catch up, or he'd get away after Sophie was long gone and re-find her. What do you want to do? :))) |
She was quick (a bit too quick for his liking in given situation) and not afraid to get a bruise or two. If they were under different circumstances, he'd those good qualities that could only raise his opinion, but right now, he just wanted to curse at her. He nearly fell in his lunge forward when she suddenly wasn't there, but under his grasp. Moments later, he had his eyes on the girl, though, but she was moving so darn fast as she was scrambling after the orb she was always just a tiny bit ahead of him.
And when she got it... Well, it was too late. The orb burst into sparkles and glow like some f***ing fireworks and there was nothing he could do - he tried to, you see. But invisibility sphere couldn't contain all the bright lights, just sphere itself and so, Ryan gave up after short moment, still feeling slightly stunned from color display. It would take him only moments to realize that there were more spectators for this show and he felt like punching someone... Well, he'd get his chance soon enough. "This is why I hate shiny things," he thought staring at little thief and her 'treasure' in extremely irritated manner, but then, the orb suddenly came his way and he instinctively caught it. Now, that was something... That any street-rat would do in given situation. If he hadn't been the victim, he would give approving nod. He was, though, and was left in a crappy situation, considering that even invisibility couldn't let him pass through solid men that locked him in circle. And he was damn tired. But as guards approached and she looked at him one final time to salute (hah, improvement from giving finger), man smirked. "Looks like you don't want your pretty thing all that much, huh?" his pale, pale blue eyes narrowed as orb was hid in his hoodie and he threw first punch, avoiding one of the armed men slashing him open next moment. Seconds later, he was fading out of sight, although not completely. It was as if he kept blinking in and out or the sphere around him just wasn't thick enough and his form could be seen through. This wouldn't be easiest fight he had been involved in. But he'd pull through, as always. |
Her pretty thing? The guards hadn't seized it? No. Sophie saw him stick it into his hoodie. She frowned. That was her shiny thing. She'd assumed the guards would seize it, and she'd just steal it again. But now Sammy Sunburn had it, and what if he got away?
If he got away, he'd chase her. With her shiny thing. So he'd bring it to her. She rather liked that idea. Though, she wished the orb would come without the hassle Ryan would bring. She couldn't afford to stand here and think about it though. She needed to cut her losses with the orb, and get far away from these guards, far away from Ryan, and depart the dimension asap. She ducked behind a gazebo type structure and focused for a moment, searching the dimension for a weak spot. And what'd'ya know? Luck was on her side today. The weak spot was just across the palace yard, or dirt and some palm tree-like plants anyway. Sophie pushed herself off the ground and ran. Holding tight to her bag of other treasures that hadn't been lost, she opened the portal. She could see it from here. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the guards, fighting what seemed like, themselves. Where had Sammy Sunburn gone? No matter. With a last aching yearning for that orb, Sophie looked back to the portal, jumping onto a rock and then into the weak spot in one swift motion. On the other side, Sophie's feet hit grass, tall grass. She looked around to see that it was night time in this dimension. Though it didn't matter. She didn't plan on staying here. Now that she was safe, she'd search for a weak spot, before taking herself to the place she called home. Sophie reached out with her energy to find a weak spot. But found none. She sighed. That meant it was far away from where she was. She yawned. Maybe she'd just sleep here then. She looked around to see, well, not much. There were rolling hills of grass. Two moons in the sky. There, on the next hill was a barn. It was clearly a barn, with its red color and white trim. She didn't see a farm house though. Perhaps it was at the bottom of the other side of that hill. Either way, it looked like a great place to get some rest. Sophie headed that way. As she got closer to the nearest tree, Sophie realized it wasn't a tree at all. It was something like a flower. The stem was as big around as a tree, and it was as tall as a two story house. It didn't phase Sophie, she'd seen it all. Though it did make her think twice about that barn. The closer she got, she realized it too was quite large. She was too small to reach a handle on the double doors, and instead entered the barn through a crack in the wood walls. She was certain that this dimension held giants. So far, things seemed almost identical to the things back on Earth, except the size part. She climbed up to the second level of the barn via notches in a wooden pillar. There, she found her way to a comfy spot on what she assumed large pieces of hay beside the open top floor window. She removed her bag, and the shoes she'd been given and curled up in a way that allowed her to see the two moons, using her bag as a pillow. Sophie thought about the orb. The beautiful, had my hands on it, so close, green fabulous orb. She sighed. She wondered if the sunburned wonder made it out of there alive. Part of her felt bad. It was her fault after all, that he'd had the orb. Maybe she'd go back there in the morning, and make sure he wasn't imprisoned. Maybe not. She tried not to let it eat at her conscience as she drifted off into slumber. |
The guards, too, were surprised that he had the nerve to hide the orb, instead of giving it up now that he was surrounded. But Ryan knew what he was doing - or sincerely hoped he did. This wouldn't be the most daring thing he had ever done, though, and he had always pulled through, so why not now? One time had cost him his arm, however, and in a sense his freedom as well. Well, no time to reminisce now, these guys wouldn't let him free even if he had given the item to them.
He tripped one of the guards, so breaking the circle, but doing so, became visible for a moment and one of the spears pierced his left shoulder, or rather, attempted to. Although there was a cut and blood came out of it, tip of weapon simply broke in two against the harder structure of his shoulder. Next moment, he had half jumped, half rolled out of their reach and disappeared, hidden by his invisibility shield once more. Although now the archways leading out of palace yard were guarded, it was rather chaotic formation and with hearty push, he got two of the men out of his way. If there was anything that he could thank Zofies for, it was decent food in large amounts they gave to him, giving him both body mass and more stamina. He still had enough energy to find a hiding spot remaining hard to notice. Man picked a small street that, as far as he knew, was leading to city wall. There, he'd find some nice roof or spot behind boxes. Preferably second. Well, Ryan found neither but pile of old boxes, sacks, boards and even light furniture would have to do. Apparently, people of this city piled their thrash that could be used as firewood here. He didn't have time to think about why, he just pushed some boards aside and squeezed behind a frail shelf, placed board in back and crouched there. His shoulder stung slightly, but he couldn't take a look at it now. There was barely any breathing room here. Soon enough, guards ran by him, shouting and arguing. He waited for a while, to make sure that they really were gone, before getting out of his tiny hideout and moving further, using darkness as his aid. Finally, he found the small alley (or one identical to it) where had had taken nap earlier and as quietly as possible, moved the boxes to recreate the pile into another spot, making a small hideout and fortress. Besides, in a moment of dire need, he could clamber on them from there on the wall. They'd never find him in desert with his invisibility sphere fully active. Now it was time to focus on the real thief and his own shoulder. As expected, she had moved onto next dimension. He could track her, but currently was unable to follow her. The machine needed full 24 hour recharge this time and the 'signal' was unclear here, even with needed energy he wouldn't be able to open a portal here. More than annoyed, he went to bandage his shoulder lightly and settle for night's rest. He was careful to not bring out the orb, in case it did another firework trick. Time to rest... As much as it was possible. His stomach didn't quite agree to the idea, and the muesli bar he dug out of his backpack didn't help much either. But that's what he had been given for this mission and that he would have to do, until morning when he'd manage to steal something before moving onto next world to hunt Sophie. Was she hungry, too? Probably had thieved something someplace. Besides, why would he have to worry if she had eaten or not!? The girl was more trouble than she was worth, for sure. Finally, he slipped into uneasy sleep and woke with first sunlight. His left arm felt sore all over and he didn't feel much more rested than last night. Maybe if he was in more familiar surroundings, he would feel better, as sleeping while being on the run on its own was nothing new to him. But it wasn't like he missed anything about that damn city he called 'home', or even the whole world. His first stop was market where he stuffed pockets and backpack full with fruits (and hurriedly devoured some in back-alley), of course, without the owners of these goods noticing. He also filled his canteen with water - who knew how long he'd have to wander desert for good 'reception' of the signal? All this realm travelling business seemed to get more and more ridiculous with every detail that popped up. Next step was getting out of city, but much to Ryan's dismay, the gates were locked and well guarded now. That meant there was only way out - over the wall. He waited out for one guard patrol to leave guard house and sneaked in, quickly moving up the staircases that led on city's wall. There were many men stationed there, it'd be tricky to sneak by them and find a spot where sand dune was higher so he could more easily land there. Of course, he could 'fly down', but with risk of revealing himself which would make such a big hassle. Luck was not on his side that day, however, and one of the guards was far more attentive than others, noticing that slight breeze Ryan made passing him by and faintest blur. He tackled unsuspecting albino, shattering his concentration and the two began a struggle on the wall, with more guards approaching very quickly. What wouldn't Ryan give for a good distraction right now! |
Sophie awoke to the sound of rustling hay. Golden speckled eyes opened, focusing in on the barn wall. Rays of sun were beginning to filter through the cracks and open top floor window. The weather was warm, even this early.
She sat up and stretched, and yawned. Sophie grabbed her bag, slinging it over her head and across her body, before crawling to the edge of the ledge. Below, she could see what was making those rustling sounds, and from her spot in safety, she watched. Below, was a man. He looked almost human, only larger. Much, much larger. He even wore overalls. It seemed to Sophie that this place was pretty much Earth, only it forgot to stop growing a while ago. He was shoveling up hay into a large pile. Moments later, a small girl, though still giant to Soph, ran into the barn behind a furry little dog. She was laughing and barefoot, with what appeared to be her night clothes still on. She and the puppy ran circles around the pile of hay, and before she knew it, the three were tumbling around the pile laughing and cuddling, and speaking in a language unlike any Sophie had heard. It didn't matter, the words were clear. Love, family, happiness. This group was the picture of it. Moments later, a woman with a long brown braid appeared. She was smiling at the sight of her family happily playing. She said something, and the little girl jumped up and raced out of the barn with the puppy close behind. The man stood, brushing himself off, before heading out of the barn, too, grabbing the woman's hand in his own as they departed. Just then, wonderful smells drifted up to Sophie's nose. The woman had come to say breakfast was ready, and Sophie could smell it. While the smell made Sophie long for some food in her belly, she found herself, almost longing, for something else. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the roof of the barn. She'd had a family once, a mom and a dad, even a baby brother. They were happy, too. But Sophie always wanted something else, something more. It had been years since she'd seen her family. She wondered if they'd still be so happy to see her. Sophie found herself lonely, quite a lot, in her travels. While meeting new people, most who took to her and loved her immediately, she never stuck around. While she made 'friends', she never really made friends. She was very alone. But that was okay, Sophie had lots of treasures and things, and those made her happy. Didn't they? A certain treasure came to mind just then, a particular green orb. She wondered how the sunburned wonder had fared. She wanted to go back, for the orb. Or was her conscience getting the better of her? She wanted to make sure that the man hadn't been captured because of her, too. Sophie was sneaky, but she wasn't so low as to let someone die because of something she'd done. The honey blonde climbed back down to the floor level of the barn. She headed to the door, passing two cows, a room of goats, and a pig, and stopped just beyond where the dirt ended and the grass started again. Perhaps she would go and knock on the door, would they hear? And point to her belly. In her travels, she'd found that most of the beings she encountered, while amazed by her appearance and presence, were still quite nice and accommodating. Though, if these people happened not to be, she'd be made into Sophiesauce in an instant. She couldn't imagine that this loving group could be so cruel, but it mattered little. Just off to her left sat a wooden chair. At the top of it, an apple and a very large knife. Sophie climbed up the chair to inspect the apple. It appeared that the farmer hadn't touched it yet, probably sidetracked by his work. She couldn't use the knife, but that was okay, Sophie had a small pocket knife of her own. It wasn't much, something she'd been gifted at a young age, but it would cut. She cut a large chunk out of the side/bottom of the apple, and sat at the edge of the chair to eat it, observing this small/large farm. She could still see the two moons, though they were fading. The sun appeared just like the Earth sun. Sophie hadn't been here long enough to know how this planet worked though. For all she knew, the sun would last for many days, and the moons for many nights, like some other places she had been. Heck, some places she had been had no sun, or no night. As she finished the apple, a light breeze picked up, blowing her hair about. She quickly and easily braided it down the back, all the while, that orb and the white haired stalker on her mind. She wanted that orb. Maybe she wanted more information from Ryan. Maybe both. She also wanted to make sure her actions hadn't doomed him. Sophie sighed. Darn her good conscience, and darn her love for shiny things. She closed her eyes, and focused her energy, reaching out and searching for this dimension's nearest weak spot. She found it, just across the meadow behind the farm house. Well, while it wouldn't be a long walk for a giant, it seemed Soph had quite the hike ahead. With pebbles like giant boulders and twigs like fallen trees, Sophie made her way around the farm house and across the meadow of golden straw grass. It had only taken her somewhere around an hour, and now that the weather was starting to feel humid, she was glad to be here. All she had to do now, which was the hard part, was think about where exactly she wanted to go. Sophie rarely returned to many places. The only exceptions being Earth, though she had not returned there in a very long time, and a special place just for Sophie. The place she considered her home. A completely uninhabited, well almost anyway, planet. The place was small. Perhaps about the size of Pluto. Her only friend lives there. Ayashe. It was easy to tear a hole in the weak spot of the dimension and let it take you anywhere. It was another thing to open up a spot to a particular place. It took a lot of concentration, and a familiarity of the place. Sophie closed her eyes. She imagined the desert lands, the palace, the guards, and particularly she imagined the white haired man with his wacky sunburn. That's where she wanted to be. When Sophie was imagining the place in a way that she forgot her immediate surroundings, the portal opened. A hot wind blew from the tear, stinging her skin with sand. Yep, that was the place. She took a deep breath, and jumped. Sophie landed in sand. Uhg. Sand in places sand should never be. She shuddered and stood, wiping herself off. She was on the inside of the palace walls, in what seemed to be a corner. Where the sand gathered, of course. Sophie rolled her eyes. Just then, she heard the sounds of a scuffle. She looked around for the source, realizing it was coming from the top of the wall itself. And what did she know? The sunburned wonder was just there. In a scuffle no doubt. Well, he was alive. Sophie's job was done then. But what of the orb? There! A gleam in his pocket! Sophie wasn't going anywhere. Unfortunately though, Ryan was surrounded by guards. They were closing in from both sides of the wall. Well, that wasn't exactly the ideal thing. If he died, or was captured, Sophie wouldn't get her hands on the orb at all. Nearby was a long stick, a group of them actually, and Sophie had an idea. Moments later, the blonde haired girl came sailing over the wall's edge, pole vaulting her way up, kicking down the two guards advancing at Ryan's back. She wasted no time. "This way!" she said, running down the long edge of the wall. She was already reaching out with her energy, and boy was she using up a lot of it in a small time. ((Sorry it was so long, lol. It's up to you if Sophie opens a portal, when and where they go. Perhaps she can't because she's run out of energy, and he has to do it? I don't care! :) Also, I didn't proof read because I don't feel too hot. I hope it all makes sense. [sweat])) |
Faith in luck or fate had been beaten out of Ryan by life's simple and harsh reality. Good things didn't happen because they were meant to, only if you made sure they happened, and even then it didn't always work. In human's life, everything was result of his actions - or those of others. But in that moment figure with wave of golden hair appeared on wall, he felt like just a bit of fortune might have smiled on him, even though the man realized it was probably nothing else than human's greed that had led her back here.
He had managed to kick off the first guard to attack him - the man had landed in sand below and laid still - and get back on his feet, when another guard had tackled him. Fortunately, Ryan had kept his balance and the brawl was short - with one powerful shove with his left arm, offender was pushed back and into another guardsman. Collision was strong enough for them both to fall in a rather miserable pile. And at that point, blonde escape artist came into game, taking care of the two men approaching from behind. Without questioning the decision even for a moment, he followed Sophie. His backpack was half flung off his shoulder due to fighting, he pressed it to his chest and with other hand pulled zipper open and dug into it. Thankfully, there weren't too many items there and his fingers clutched around the desired item. Meanwhile, Sophie had managed to open a portal and man glanced behind them. His eyes widened and then he threw himself forward, right into smaller woman, pushing her down and through the portal as spear flew over them, narrowly missing him. Moments later, they crashed into ground, Ryan's body covering and probably crushing her, his hand still in backpack that was now between them. Shit! Hopefully that thing hadn't broken. He sat up and glanced behind - the portal had closed, so they were safe from that direction. But the danger was far from over. Sweat already trickled down his face from heat, crackling and breaking sounds surrounding them. They were in middle of forest fire that was closing in. He let the collar fall back into depths of backpack, there were bigger concerns than getting young woman's powers under control. In truth, she looked so exhausted albino man doubted she'd manage to open another portal right now. Hurriedly, he zipped his backpack up and flung it on his shoulder, yanking Sophie up harshly. "Come on, we gotta get out of here..." his pale eyes lingered on his bracelet. There, to the left! But as he looked in that direction, he saw only smoke. "Cover your mouth and nose," he ordered her if she hadn't done so, in a tone that didn't allow any back-talk. He followed his own instructions and began dragging them to left. Hopefully, the spot where he could open portal was not far. If Sophie was too tired to walk, after a short moment of irritated pulling he'd simply pick her up, carrying through the anguished forest that endangered them more with each moment. Cough ripped through him as he strained his watering eyes to see ahead. He step-sided in last moment before falling tree crushed him, falling with its dying wail. Heat was becoming worse with each moment. Ryan looked at his bracelet. It was near. He rushed ahead, not letting Sophie linger behind if she was still on her own two feet. As they stopped on edge of a narrow, but deep stream that rushed by, his gadget blinked and he knew - it was here that their 'doors' could be found. If he was carrying her, he struggled to press the buttons, but didn't put her down nevertheless and few moments later, when the fire was already licking grass just a feet or two behind them, bright circle appeared in air, spreading bigger and ripping the reality itself to allow passage. He half rushed, half tumbled through it, making sure Sophie followed, ducking his head and as flames reached - and through - portal, it closed itself. Wherever they were, it was no welcoming place. Dark, steep walls around them and unlit street leading straight. Either carrying her or pulling along, Ryan managed to find doors leading inside what seemed abandoned house. They were slightly open, nearly welcoming, and he had his doubts, but if it was a trap, he'd deal with it when it was sprung. Thankfully, nothing of the sort happened as he set his foot inside in the building. Some light seeped through boarded up windows that faced another street and from what could be seen, it was empty except for trash and broken furniture. This would have to be their refuge for now. He was far too tired to look for someplace else. |
Standing atop that sandy wall, Sophie finally got the portal open. A bead of sweat formed on her forehead. Perhaps from the intense heat of this land, perhaps from the strain of opening another portal so soon. She'd been about to turn to see if the white haired wonder was coming, when he plowed right into her.
She let out an "oof", and then down they were falling. There was orange everywhere here, she could see as they fell, and then they were on the ground, and she was a Sophie sandwich. "Get off me," she grunted and grumbled as she wriggled and pushed out from under him. She frowned deeply at him, but the frown disappeared quickly as she realized what the orange of this land was. They were in the midst of a great fire. Smoke covered the sky, and fire leaped up over tree tops. Crackling and popping sounds and roar of the fire were loud. She'd been so mesmerized by it, that she hadn't bothered to cover her mouth or nose. She coughed and nodded at the man's words, before covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve. Sophie followed him easily enough, like she really had a choice with all that dragging he was doing. She was tired and a little weak from too much exertion in a short period of time, but she could still walk and run fine. Opening another portal though, she probably couldn't do. Any other time she'd have jerked away from this jerk and been on her way, but she was weak, and hoped he had a plan, because she didn't. When they stopped, she glanced over at the thing he was staring at. Some kind of bracelet. He pressed some buttons on it, and a portal opened. She dropped her arm from her mouth and gawked at it. She'd never known anyone else who could open portals. She'd assumed he must have been able to travel somehow, perhaps teleportation by focusing on a person or place... but this was her thing. She made a mental note that she would need to take or crush that bracelet, soon, and then she was being dragged through the portal only moments before the fire reached them. Sophie allowed herself to be tugged along, as she took in the sights of this new place, trying to get a feel for it. Had she been here before? When they entered the abandoned house, Sophie jerked her arm away. "Quit dragging me around," she said with a golden speckled glare. She looked around the room while adding, "You're welcome." In reference to her saving him in the desert. When her eyes found him again, she put her hand out. "My orb," she demanded. If he told her no, she'd kick his ass and take it. Or she'd try anyway. And if he tried to put anything else on her as far as a leash or whatever the hell it had been, she'd try and stop him. She wasn't going to let her guard down around him again. And as soon as she had the energy, and had destroyed his bracelet, she'd open a portal and strand him here. Maybe she'd learn a little bit more about why he was after her in between those things. |
She was tough, but predictable. As Ryan had figured, it seemed there was no other real motive behind her adventures than greed. Even if it wasn't quite that in the heaviest aspect of the word, there was definite need to possess things that urged her on. Perhaps she had never had anything else than items and therefor, she proceeded to surround herself with them even now? However, he wasn't here to ponder Sophie's life choices, although he couldn't help that resigned pain of 'something' now that it was clear she had come back for orb only.
But that's just how street crowds go. And people in general. Self-centered, materialistic. It was time to get back in the game and provide a 'trinket' for group that fit previous label perfectly. Smirk spread on his lips, although probably unnoticeable in the dim light. "Your orb?" he asked, sounding amused. "Sophie, you lost rights to call it so the moment you tossed it to me. That is, if you ever had them in the first place." Albino man was taunting her, clearly. Although he seemed relaxed in front of her, having backed off a little at her demand, his muscles were tense under clothes. Ryan was tired, but not enough to be caught unprepared by attack from this little vixen. And it surely would come. He could speed the process, attack first, but with plan he had in mind, she wouldn't get upper hand anyways. Besides, he could amuse himself a little by finding out what and how much ticked her first. Man didn't think there'd be a lot of banter when she will be wearing the collar. Not that he was talkative type. In all honesty, all he wanted was to eat and sleep. But work came first. 'When did you become such a hardworking person?' Ryan questioned himself ironically in thoughts. If Sophie was to attack him, he would avoid it (hopefully smoothly) and simply disappear from her vision, letting her chose to find him or flee. Most likely she'd do foremost, need to have the orb greater than wish to get in safe distance from him. Besides, she didn't find him a real threat. Overconfidence would be her downfall, because each street kid got caught and locked up once for good. Now it was her turn. |
She still had her hand out, frowning as he spoke now. Yes, her orb. He taunted her, but something else he'd said distracted her. She put her hand down, and for a moment, a look something like confusion or shock crossed her features. She pushed it away though and frowned.
"How do you know my name?" she asked. It was clear he was following her, and for a reason. Of course he knew her name, but, "Why?" she added. "Why are you following me?" Hazel eyes searched his features for answers before words came. "Who are you?" He didn't honestly seem like any big threat. But, he could traverse dimensions just like she could. He had fancy gadgets, some of which she hated, and he knew things about her, clearly, that were none of his business. Plus, he was strong. Like really strong. She still had bruises on her arms from their first meeting. As she asked questions, seeming neutral and distanced, there was a child-like curiosity in her eyes. It was only natural for Sophie to be incredibly curious about the whole situation, his technology, his entire purpose and even motives. It was just how she was. She was also very curious about this new world they were in, and wanted to check it out; see what kind of treasures it held. |
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