Ah, the legendary Disclaimer *bows to it* Just so ya know, I don't own Slayers or much else for that matter. The idea's my own though and so is Tabby Inverse *grin*
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Sunlight trickled down from the bright morning sky, tickling the back of her neck. She'd been traveling for days without bothering to stop in any towns. The towns were always so crowded and noisy. However, traveling without a companion was often too quiet. And right now Tabby Inverse was beginning to think things were too quiet. She took a deep breath and stopped alongside the river she'd been following. For the last two days it'd been her source of food and drink, minus a couple of trips into the woods for something other than fish. Her long, dark cape hung limply on her shoulders and her feet were throbbing from hours of walking. "Time to rest, Tabby, dear," she told herself and then plopped down right on the edge of the path.
From the pack she'd been carrying on her shoulder, she pulled a small, wooden cup and a piece of wire with a hook on the end. It was the closest thing she owned to a fishing pole, which she hadn't managed to invest in on her many travels. Yawning she once again dragged herself to her feet and headed to the river. It roared softly between its banks, lapping every so often at the edges. Here Tabby leaned down, dipping her cup into the water. Then she pulled her pack closer to her and dropped the hooked end of the fishing line into the water. Almost immediately there was a tug on her line.
A little while later, five large fish lay beside Tabby on the riverbank. She smiled proudly at them. Fishing was never a problem for her. Using the hook like a needle she pulled all the fish together on the line and headed for a place closer to the woods. There she would build a small fire to cook with and possibly nap beside. It had been nearly twenty hours since she'd last slept.
Tabby ate quickly, but instead of napping she leaned against a tree and tried to rest without going to sleep. Even though the path here was well beaten, it seemed as if no one used it. After an hour's time, not a single person had passed her and Tabby was accustomed to seeing at least a few people on the routes she took. At this point, she was seriously considering heading backwards towards the town she passed not too long ago. At least there she would find a more comfortable place to sleep and hotter food that wasn't fish. Some time later, she sighed and picked herself up. The prospect of a bed was just too promising.
Luckily the town was only forty five minutes away from her position and she arrived there without feeling too fatigued. Before her stretched out a long road filled with shops, a few houses and of course people. It was so crowded that not even a horse-drawn buggy could've made its way through. Tabby saw only a few horses tethered outside of the shops and the lone inn which sat nearer the border. This was where Tabby decided to go, because there she could eat once more and get a room with one of those nice, warm beds… She shook her head suddenly, hoping she hadn't drooled at that thought. Then she headed towards the inn.
Inside, Tabby suddenly felt a hard knot in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes had landed on a group of the inn's occupants. "Oh, gods, I hope they don't catch sight of me…" Hurriedly she went to the long, wooden counter and pounded on it. Instantly a little, old man appeared in front of her.
"May I help you?" he asked in a strangely courteous way. He even had a smile on his prune-like face. Tabby wondered how that was possible with the gang sitting not ten feet away from the counter. However she smiled weakly back at him and tried not to think about the others.
"Just a room for the night, I may come back down and order some food later though." She reached into her pack and pulled out a small sack of money. "How much?"
"Two gold pieces," the little man replied. Then he turned away from her and searched a drawer somewhere beneath the counter. Tabby could hear the jangle of locks and keys and probably a few pieces of money. She wished he'd hurry, she didn't want the others to notice her.
However it was too late. A few seconds later, she heard her name whistled over the clamor of others in the inn's front. Clenching her teeth just slightly, Tabby turned around to face her fate.
There stood the infamous Bandit-Killer, Lina Inverse, also known as Tabby's cousin. She was decked in her usual fuschia colored garbs and dark cape, which was much like Tabby's own. Though, Tabby's own clothes were of a saffron yellow tint. Tabby tried not to look unhappy, but seeing her cousin was not the first thing on her to-do list. In fact, if it even were on such a list, it would be the last thing she'd want to do. Lina was surrounded by all of her usual companions. A young, dark-haired girl named Amelia Saillune; the current holder of the Sword of Light, Gourry Gabriev; and a young man cursed with the form of a chimera, Mr. Zelgadis Greywords. Tabby had met them all on previous encounters with her famous cousin. She smiled thinly at them. "Hey, Lina."
"What brings you to Atlas?" Lina asked, trying to make merry conversation with her family member. A year had passed since they'd last seen each other, and Tabby had the distinct feeling that Lina was always happier to see her than she was to see Lina.
"Just taking a well deserved rest," Tabby replied quietly, turning quickly to the man behind the counter. She handed over the payment for the night's rent and then took the little golden key he'd been holding.
"Why don't you join us?" asked Gourry. He was smiling rather affectionately at Tabby, probably remembering the time she saved him from Lina's wrath. Seriously though, you'd think the boy would learn that taking Lina's food is a bad thing.
"I don't know," Tabby feigned indecision, when all she wanted to do was bolt up the stairs and into her room. Then she'd lock the door and sigh in relief. But that wasn't what was going to happen, for at that moment, the one person who Tabby actually enjoyed conversing with, spoke up.
"It would be nice if you'd join us. I do believe there's much to catch up on." Zelgadis offered his rare input into a conversation. He also ventured to smile at her.
Tabby sighed, "Hey, you buy me lunch and you got a deal." She managed a grin and then ventured to their table.
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Sunlight trickled down from the bright morning sky, tickling the back of her neck. She'd been traveling for days without bothering to stop in any towns. The towns were always so crowded and noisy. However, traveling without a companion was often too quiet. And right now Tabby Inverse was beginning to think things were too quiet. She took a deep breath and stopped alongside the river she'd been following. For the last two days it'd been her source of food and drink, minus a couple of trips into the woods for something other than fish. Her long, dark cape hung limply on her shoulders and her feet were throbbing from hours of walking. "Time to rest, Tabby, dear," she told herself and then plopped down right on the edge of the path.
From the pack she'd been carrying on her shoulder, she pulled a small, wooden cup and a piece of wire with a hook on the end. It was the closest thing she owned to a fishing pole, which she hadn't managed to invest in on her many travels. Yawning she once again dragged herself to her feet and headed to the river. It roared softly between its banks, lapping every so often at the edges. Here Tabby leaned down, dipping her cup into the water. Then she pulled her pack closer to her and dropped the hooked end of the fishing line into the water. Almost immediately there was a tug on her line.
A little while later, five large fish lay beside Tabby on the riverbank. She smiled proudly at them. Fishing was never a problem for her. Using the hook like a needle she pulled all the fish together on the line and headed for a place closer to the woods. There she would build a small fire to cook with and possibly nap beside. It had been nearly twenty hours since she'd last slept.
Tabby ate quickly, but instead of napping she leaned against a tree and tried to rest without going to sleep. Even though the path here was well beaten, it seemed as if no one used it. After an hour's time, not a single person had passed her and Tabby was accustomed to seeing at least a few people on the routes she took. At this point, she was seriously considering heading backwards towards the town she passed not too long ago. At least there she would find a more comfortable place to sleep and hotter food that wasn't fish. Some time later, she sighed and picked herself up. The prospect of a bed was just too promising.
Luckily the town was only forty five minutes away from her position and she arrived there without feeling too fatigued. Before her stretched out a long road filled with shops, a few houses and of course people. It was so crowded that not even a horse-drawn buggy could've made its way through. Tabby saw only a few horses tethered outside of the shops and the lone inn which sat nearer the border. This was where Tabby decided to go, because there she could eat once more and get a room with one of those nice, warm beds… She shook her head suddenly, hoping she hadn't drooled at that thought. Then she headed towards the inn.
Inside, Tabby suddenly felt a hard knot in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes had landed on a group of the inn's occupants. "Oh, gods, I hope they don't catch sight of me…" Hurriedly she went to the long, wooden counter and pounded on it. Instantly a little, old man appeared in front of her.
"May I help you?" he asked in a strangely courteous way. He even had a smile on his prune-like face. Tabby wondered how that was possible with the gang sitting not ten feet away from the counter. However she smiled weakly back at him and tried not to think about the others.
"Just a room for the night, I may come back down and order some food later though." She reached into her pack and pulled out a small sack of money. "How much?"
"Two gold pieces," the little man replied. Then he turned away from her and searched a drawer somewhere beneath the counter. Tabby could hear the jangle of locks and keys and probably a few pieces of money. She wished he'd hurry, she didn't want the others to notice her.
However it was too late. A few seconds later, she heard her name whistled over the clamor of others in the inn's front. Clenching her teeth just slightly, Tabby turned around to face her fate.
There stood the infamous Bandit-Killer, Lina Inverse, also known as Tabby's cousin. She was decked in her usual fuschia colored garbs and dark cape, which was much like Tabby's own. Though, Tabby's own clothes were of a saffron yellow tint. Tabby tried not to look unhappy, but seeing her cousin was not the first thing on her to-do list. In fact, if it even were on such a list, it would be the last thing she'd want to do. Lina was surrounded by all of her usual companions. A young, dark-haired girl named Amelia Saillune; the current holder of the Sword of Light, Gourry Gabriev; and a young man cursed with the form of a chimera, Mr. Zelgadis Greywords. Tabby had met them all on previous encounters with her famous cousin. She smiled thinly at them. "Hey, Lina."
"What brings you to Atlas?" Lina asked, trying to make merry conversation with her family member. A year had passed since they'd last seen each other, and Tabby had the distinct feeling that Lina was always happier to see her than she was to see Lina.
"Just taking a well deserved rest," Tabby replied quietly, turning quickly to the man behind the counter. She handed over the payment for the night's rent and then took the little golden key he'd been holding.
"Why don't you join us?" asked Gourry. He was smiling rather affectionately at Tabby, probably remembering the time she saved him from Lina's wrath. Seriously though, you'd think the boy would learn that taking Lina's food is a bad thing.
"I don't know," Tabby feigned indecision, when all she wanted to do was bolt up the stairs and into her room. Then she'd lock the door and sigh in relief. But that wasn't what was going to happen, for at that moment, the one person who Tabby actually enjoyed conversing with, spoke up.
"It would be nice if you'd join us. I do believe there's much to catch up on." Zelgadis offered his rare input into a conversation. He also ventured to smile at her.
Tabby sighed, "Hey, you buy me lunch and you got a deal." She managed a grin and then ventured to their table.
