never is a promise [aw]

[never]

all welcome. you'll say you understand but you don't understand______ Yangmingshan was a spread of greenery. Nature has run wild here, and there were splashes of green everywhere. Underneath her sneakered feet, Never Xie could feel the spongy undergrowth of the forest. The sun was high in the sky, but the forest was in shadow. The canopy of the trees hid birds that she could hear, and if she used her power, she could narrow in on one small body darting from one branch of a tree to another. The inhabitants of the underground city were always taught to stay close to the opening that led down to the tunnels. Even though in all of her life Never has stumbled upon any human from the upper city, she has always wondered what they were like. In folklore, they always sound like monsters, half human and half something else. They put chips in people's heads and controlled their thoughts, made their slaves to the bidding of their rulers. Never thought that it was similar to how Flashback ruled their members, with an iron fist. She took a deep breath and filled her lungs with the delicious scent of life. She thought that this was what life smelled like, cold and sharp, but earthy. She spread her arms out and twirled, scattering dead leaves as her heels dug into the soil. Although the tunnels were her home, she loved being outside. She loved the feel of the sun on her face, and also the softness of the leaves and moss against her fingers. Her sword was bulky and awkward at her side, but she barely noticed the knocking of the sheath against her legs as she searched for her clearing. The clearing was a place in the trees that was a natural circle filled with wildflowers. Never stumbled upon it quite accidentally one day, and then used her sword to clear away the flowers and the weeds. She trampled the grasses down, and used this place as her personal training ground. She pulled her sword out then, and tossed the sheath to the side. She brought her practice sword today because the only thing she was going to encounter in these woods were animals, and those animals didn't bother her as long as she didn't go trampling about their nests. Her sight was also good enough that she could see motion far away, and she could shimmy up a tree to hide if need be. Never dropped into fighting stance, and then started her warm up. There were shuffles of the feet to gain balance on the uneven surface, and then wrist excercises to keep her grip sure. She fell into the intensity of practice, and she felt a trickle of sweat make its way down the collar of her shirt. ______never is a promise you can't afford to lie.

[thea]

I AM A TERRIBLE PERSON. Thea had never been to a park before, or at least not one as lush as Yangmingshan. She had never been a big fan of nature; she could never find enough of it to fully constitute an experience, and besides, she was kind of fond of the hunks of metal and brick that made up the underground tunnels she had lived in all her life. Nature was just something that grew between the tiles. But on her journey from Beijing to Taipei, she had passed through a forest or two between the concrete scabs that were cities. There was something overwhelming about trees that she couldn't explain, and what Thea couldn't explain she chose to ignore. But here she was in Yangmingshan, among the trees and the undergrowth and the chirping of animals. Awe filled her mind like a drop of dye in water: slowly swirling and spreading. Thea didn't like being awestruck; it made her feel small and weak and insignificant, all emotions she hated. But she couldn't deny that the forest was pretty and had its own strange, wholesome smell. Usually being above ground made her eyes hurt, but the tree canopies shaded out the sun nicely. And the grass made her already quiet footsteps soundless. It was a quite change from her usual dimly lit, noisy hangouts. She would never admit it aloud, but she liked this place. She heard a rustle of fabric and scrape of metal, and stopped. She was blessed with the ability to move silently. Others were not so fortunate, and could easily get caught. She was not alone in the park today. She slinked closer to the sound, then peered out from behind a tree. A young woman stood in a clearing, holding a sword and evidently practicing. Thea vaguely remembered seeing her in one of the tunnels, but she was not of Flashback. Oh goody. Maybe this girl would have something of value to say. Thea checked for her dagger, then stalked a little closer to the clearing. If she got asked about her day back at headquarters, she could say that she spent her day spying on the enemy.

[never]

i am also a terrible person. eh. you'll say you understand but you don't understand______ Never was intent on the steps that she was taught by her mentor last night. The steps were a complicated dance, involving movements that made it easy to stumble over her feet if she was a bit off balance. Her sword flashed under the sunlight when it caught a stray beam that found its way through the thick leaves. The blade was spun in complicated figure eights, its point tracing a pattern in the air like the rippling of ribbons. It was completely useless in a battle since it was intended as a companion to someone equally trained in the same style and knowledgeable of this exercise. Except when Ember encounters Flashback, the style didn't matter, neither did honor or courage. Flashback fought dirty, and so did Ember members. The thought of the recent death of the Ember leader made her falter slightly. Never had always liked Ethan. He wasn't as cold and stern as the current leader was. He was more like Trick, normally seen with a smile on his face, but with a certain gravity to his demeanor and the way he spoke that was reassuring. His death was a big blow to everybody, and being in the tunnels was like being in a grave lately, and Never tried to get above ground as much as she was able. Even while blessed with the hawk ability, Never has not learned to use it to her advantage, therefore the silent girl deep in the forest around her did not register in her mind. She shook the depressing thoughts away and focused on her training again, trying to meld mind and body with her sword. ______never is a promise you can't afford to lie.