South

The southern part of the city has a chic family-oriented sort of charm to it. Here, small locally owned shops run rampant, neighbors often know each other by name, and the monthly socials are an event not to be missed. In the South, children can often be seen safely playing in the park or on sidewalks and in the weekends, families often take to the beach to enjoy the warm waters surrounding the city.

What You'll Find Here

Ascension Center of Equitation
Hyde Park
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
The Outskirts
The University of Sacrosanct

bite me


Posted on October 11, 2018 by Erik Tolgan
South


She tried to reassure him, saying she'd pack a thicker coat next time. He smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Wouldn't want you to get a cold." He could see her body shivering even though she tried her best to hide it. He really would give her a jacket if he had one on. He sighed, wishing for a minute he had the power to give heat. As her gaze wandered, so too did he allow his own to do the same. The leaves really were turning beautiful colors and the cold front was still coming. Maybe there'd be snow, after all. Lannie seemed comfortable in the silence between them. Erik had never been someone who needed words to fill the silence. He enjoyed a comfortable silence with the best of them. She admitted that it would be nice if it snowed. He smiled, still staring off into the distance as he agreed. "Such beauty often makes others speechless. The same can be said of nature." He murmured the words almost as if he didn't know he was saying them.

He was surprised when she handed him her sketchbook, though he'd be lying if he didn't admit he was curious of what she could draw. He wasn't disappointed either. There was such detail in her drawings, such emotion. He could tell when she was feeling particularly peaceful by the long fluid strokes of one drawing and then when she was feeling more secluded and alone by the more rapid almost desperate lines of another. He felt artwork could be very telling of its maker. He could tell she was waiting expectantly for him to say something but at first all he could do was admire each page for its own individual creativity. Her body was so tense. Finally he gave her something, though it was more under his breath than anything, but even so, he was glad she heard it. She thanked him and he smiled up at her. "It's I who should be thanking you for letting me look." He watched as she gripped her skirt and her body relaxed.

Her words were almost as if she was reading his mind. His face softened as he nodded. "I've always enjoyed looking at artwork. It's better than having a conversation with someone, most times. You can find out so much more than you'd ever learn from an actual conversation about someone just by looking at something they've created." She seemed far off in thought and he took a moment to study her features. Suddenly she seemed to realize they were talking though cause she asked where he was from. He told her and she seemed surprised before saying that she'd always wanted to go to Canada. He nodded. "They are unlike anything I've seen anywhere else." He listened as she told him about herself then, how she came here two years ago for a change of scenery. She laughed as if it was a joke and said that everyone was friendly. He sighed softly and looked around the park again. "Scenery is all about perception. Change your perception and everything else changes."

When she asked about his hometown, he wondered how much he should reveal. She was human. He could smell it all over her. Finally he tugged his lips into a smirk. "A lot different from here, that's for sure. People didn't try to know their neighbors or invite them over for pie. They were a village of hermits, gossiping behind closed doors, afraid of anything they didn't know or understand." When she asked about snow, he shook his head. "Not often enough. I only remember one snowy morning. By the time the sun came up, it was already melting." She said that her house was nearby so she came often and his eyes brightened. "I bet it's nice to have such a peaceful place close to home." He would have said more but something changed. He sensed the sudden tension in the air and felt her body tense beside him. He glanced up in curiosity as she rubbed her eyes and when she muttered under her breath, he tilted his head.

He followed her gaze to the other side of the park but of course, he didn't see anything. Scowling thoughtfully, he looked back at her. Was someone using magic on her or was this some concoction of her own mind? Suddenly she said she had to go. He parted his lips, but wasn't sure what to say, his eyes searching her face, studying her. She said she'd see him around and he whispered as she turned to leave. "Yeah, you too." He watched her go, his brow furrowed. He was fascinated even more now. What ailments could she be facing? Was there some way he could help her? He sat there for a while longer, sighing as he looked around him at the park. Only after some time did he remember that he had her sketchbook in his lap, still open to the last drawing he'd looked at. He glanced back down at it with a scowl. He hadn't had a chance to really look at it cause she started speaking. At first he'd only thought it was a tree line under a sunset, but as he looked closer, he noticed something else.

There was a darkness in the tree line, something not natural. Was it an error? Had she messed op? But no, the longer he stared at it, the more he could make out a silhouette in the tree line, a shadow, of sorts. It was human shaped but then not, in a way. His brows furrowed up more and he glanced up toward where Lannie had disappeared, before looking back down at the figure. "Who are you....?" He murmured softly, his fingers trailing slowly over the figure.