.~Edelsteine~. Tien's Journal- by mistalina13

[mistalina13]

Wanderer, Wanderer
Morgan goes down to the common room and meets Harmodius.

mistalina13

Everything seemed to return to normal, in a sense, now that Tian Yue had returned. Morgan felt better knowing that he was safe and close by. At the moment the Dragon was otherwise occupied so she had chosen to venture downstairs for time to herself to collect her thoughts.

Out of habit she stopped at the base of the stairs and looked about before venturing out into the open.

Ivynian

There was only one body warming the downstairs, a boy somewhere in his mid-teens, who might be some form of drow from her games...or maybe a morphing god? He was completely supine on one of the great round cushion couches, toying with some group of things that glittered remarkably. He picked each up in turn, seeming to weigh them, check their play in the light of the sconces, then arrange them and re-arrange them in various orders on the cushion.

mistalina13

Morgan's gaze came to rest on a boy on one of the couches. Who was that? It was certainly no one she'd ever seen before. She approached him cautiously, remembering several warnings from others before about unfriendly beings here.

When she came close to him she stopped again, watching him go about his task, a look of slight puzzlement crossing her features.

Ivynian

"Befuddlement wears well on your face. A mask often donned, I presume?" He didn't look over, but gave a rasping chuckle, "Did you need something?"

mistalina13

Morgan nearly jumped when she was spoken to, she certainly hadn't thought she'd treaded loud enough to be noticed. "I-ah-No, I'm just wandering." The quickest most reasonable explaination she could come up with. And now she was visibly nervous.

Ivynian

"That's a bizarre hobby. In most fairytales it ends up with the wanderer meeting up with three different initially frightening or injured animals that the wanderer then helps and gets to call on later. Does that mean I should ask something of you, and then promise to turn stones into rubies for you later when your dragon prince says he won't marry you without a dowry?"

mistalina13

Morgan was already nervous and confused, now it seemed like the young man was speaking in riddles. Great! In response he would only get another very confused look and a sigh. Maybe I'm just loosing my mind.

Ivynian

"You aren't being very impressive at the moment." He looked over finally, eyeing her up and down. "And no, you aren't losing your mind. You just aren't getting the references. "

mistalina13

"No, I'm not." She admitted finally, looking down. This young man had to be a reader or something. Hurray, something else to be uneasy about! "Might I ask why it would matter if I'm being...impressive?"

Ivynian

"Because most people beleive that first impressions are important? Unless you want to appear as a dullard to every joe you meet? " He shifted so that he could sit cross-legged. "Why don't we start this over in a manner that will be less confusing then. What is your name?"

Tien Lung bedded this?

mistalina13

"Often, I find first impressions to be somewhat of a deception, so it is not best to go by them alone." She smiled faintly. "My name is Morgan. Now that you know my name, what might I call you?"

She didn't know if she would get an answer, but it couldn't hurt to try.

Ivynian

"Bhairava. " He doubted the reference would make it through what seemed to be a fairly oblivious and cluttered mind. "Do you like them?"

Instantly each of the stones he had been moiling slowly levitated into the open air between them, dangling and spinning there like iouns.

mistalina13

Morgan recalled a similar name from a mythology text she had read ages ago (or so it seemed) and her eyes widened a little, but she did her best to keep her expression smooth. The girl didn't really notice the gems until they were in the air between the two of them.

"Very pretty." Her gaze flicked between each of the stones, though the colors were familiar she couldn't think of the proper names for all of them. It was very tempting to reach out and touch them.

Ivynian

"It's taken a long time to get them cut and formed correctly. You are no doubt familiar with their purpose, considering your choice of boyfriends. Why have you never been presented to the Throne, if it is intended that you live among the gods? You wouldn't be the first mortal to do so, nor the first to lay with one......though usually they were presented so that they could be given talismans or some other protections against the-" He widened his eys dramatically, annunciating the syllables individually, "rampant manna that flows around the Reborn."

The stones remained floating where they were, flickering with inner lights.

mistalina13

Morgan nodded. "And I have no idea..." A little whistful sigh as she continued to watch the stones. It was something that had never crossed her mind really. Her gaze flicked to the other being on the couch. "...none at all."

Ivynian

"No idea regarding the stones, or no idea regarding your presentment? " He winced, as if a headache like pain had stabbed along his temple.

mistalina13

"My presentment." Morgan shifted her weight slowly from the heels to the balls of her feet slowly. A habit of not being able to stay totally still for long plus a little bit of nervous and concern that her friend might come looking for her.

Ivynian

"You do not seem repulsed to be so near them, the stones, for knowing what they are. "

mistalina13

"No, I'm not, only because of the time I've spent here...and what I've seen. Even though it likely wouldn't count for much. I imagine I'd have a different view, had I just arrived here."

Ivynian

"Then the stay has been beneficial, and you are wiser for it. " The statement felt like there was another show dropping.

And then it did.
All in all, it meant she knew exactly what would be happening to her. Tien had been precise in her choice, and convenience had placed the host in dumbfounded arms reach. Fluidly he stood and grasped the correct jewel, then pushed forward in mimic of a Tiger claw blow. The Edelsteine embedded as swift as the motion brought it in contact with flesh, though the elder's claws left thin, shallow cuts from continued momentum.

No tricks, no deceptions, a perfectly opposite delivery from the Influence. The straight forward seemed better for the girl anyway.

[mistalina13]

A Cat In Lace and Petticoats
Asherah goes to join her mistress.



The feline aoide padded up the spiral staircase fusing with lace and petticoats the whole way. She couldn’t understand while people dressed this way it was such a hassle and the massive amount of fabric got in the way of everything not to mention it itched and pinched certain places that were just inconvient.

Scowling as she made her way down the hall Asherah reminded herself of why she was doing this. She had to be there when her mistress needed tending to, since she had bonded with her chosen. A naïve girl, from what she had heard. Surely that could not be the truth entirely; her mistress was very picky about certain things.

She soon found herself in front of the star flecked door and frowned slightly. It wouldn’t be right just to go in that way. After straightening her little dress and petticoats the feline aoide turned and headed into the door slightly hidden into the alcove that lead into aoide hallway of Tian Yue’s quarters.

Asherah allowed herself a little laugh and twitched her tail out of the way before closing the hallway door lightly behind her.

The masquerade had begun, now to fool the other partygoers.

[mistalina13]

First Whispers ~ Part I
And so it begins...




Morgan could not recall how she made it up back up the stairs to the Dragon’s quarters, yet here she was staring at the door the aoide hallway. The pain in her left arm seemed to cover her mind in a fog; she never did have a particularly high pain tolerance. On top of the small square gem embedded in her left bicep there were scratches left by the one who had placed the gem there.

Harmodius.

“********.” She muttered and winced; were those scratches necessary? Using her other hand to open the door she held her left arm close in case Toki or Tian Yue happened to be within sight. Thankfully neither was.

Closing the door behind her, she headed for her room only to be greeted by a happy chirp from Paint as he fluttered in front of her, looking for an invitation to land.

“Hi, Paint.” Reaching up she tapped her right shoulder, telling the winged creature to land and he fluttered down and settled himself in that spot once her fingers were out of the way and let out another little questioning chirp.

“Don’t ask, okay?” She frowned slightly. “I just…need a bath…and time to think.” It took time to find suitable clothes. It seemed Ser had taken some of her more comfortable garments, for mending or just to get her to wear other things. At the moment Morgan didn’t really care.

Once she had gathered clean garments and her few toiletries she headed into the bathroom she shared with the aoide and closed the door. Paint fluttered off her shoulder, landing on the edge of the sink. Morgan ran the water for her bath and began to shed her clothes while she waited for the tub to fill to suitable level.

Before climbing into the water she twisted her hair up into a messy semblance of a bun and plucked a pair of kanzashi from the pile of clothes and stuck them through the pile of hair, removed her glasses and set them atop the clothes.

She let out a relieved sigh, feeling her muscles relax as she settled into the warm water. The throbbing in her arm even eased a little, though the skin around the gem was still sort of red and purple as if deeply bruised.

Shaiming was right…about everything. My coming here was no coincidence.

Morgan let out an annoyed snort then and let herself sink into the warm water a little further. Was there even such a thing as coincidence really, when the gods were involved? Her head lulled against the back of the bath and she felt herself slipping in the familiar darkness of sleep though something loomed just at the edge, waiting it seemed…

Come to me…girl…

Wait…who are you?

[mistalina13]

First Whispers ~ Part II
In which Morgan is shocked, several times.



The next sensation was the feeling of cold stone underneath her and a barely there breeze that ceased once she stirred. Morgan’s palms came to rest on the stone floor and she pushed herself up enough to look around. The path was straight forward and back as far as she could see, beyond that was darkness.

Get up; reach the end of the path and you’ll have your answers.

She pushed herself up further and got to her feet, examining her dark surroundings further as she brushed off her hands on her pants. As if a thought had triggered them, small torches blazed alight.

Now move.

Huh?

A small shock emitted from the floor and raced up her legs.

“SONOFA-“

And again.

“Alright, I get the point.”

With that Morgan started down the path to the right, muttering to herself, shaking her feet in a feeble attempt to return a little more feeling to them when she hit another floor panel that sent a shock up her leg.
She jumped backwards, landing a few panels back, landing in a near crouch position and glanced about the hallway which was bare aside from the torches on the walls.

Look closer.

Morgan scanned the path ahead of her again; nothing changed except the stone in the floor that she had stepped on had turned a shade darker than the others surrounding it. Something about this scene was particularly familiar to her and it took a few moments of studying the floor to recall it.

Electrified Floor.

Finally, her brain was kicking in. It was a trap, meant to catch the unwary and overconfident who thought they could just stroll into a place. She was such an idiot, thinking that this was too easy.

Now what was the easiest way to pass safely through an electrified floor?

Something off to the side caught her eye. It was a plain staff, resting against the wall just a few feet away from her. Though, Morgan would swear up and down it hadn’t been there only moments before when she had looked.

Best not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Morgan got to her feet and picked up the staff. When more closely inspected the staff appeared to have small haphazard swirled carvings on it, reminding her of smoke in some old Chinese prints she had seen. She twirled the staff in her hands a little to test its weight.

It was certainly very light and would likely break if it crashed into something too hard, but it would work well enough for what she needed at the moment.

She started walking again, testing each of the stones head of her in the hallway. It was a tedious process, but well worth it to avoid being shocked again because there was no telling how long this trap went on for and there would only be one safe path through it.

[mistalina13]

Masquerading Cat and the Rabbit
Asherah introduces herself to her 'lord'.

mistalina13

Asherah headed down the aoide hallway just after her mistress went into the bathroom. It was best to leave her be for a time and present herself to her "lord" first if he was around. She did her best to keep from fidgeting and fiddled with her peticoats as she walked, tail lashing irritably because of the itchy fabric. What she wouldn't give for her blouse, bodice and breeches right now.

She rounded the corner and padded down the short passage that led to Tian Yue's chambers. And let the charade begin...

Sosiqui

Toki hummed to himself as he carried an armful of towels from Tian Yue's bathroom. His lord was back at last, and all was well with the world... he had things to do again, and more to take care of! He didn't know what he would have done if the Dragon King had been much longer on his business.

The Aoide opened the door leading to the Aoidei chambers and nearly walked right into...

"Nebula!" Toki nearly dropped the towels, but his look of surprise quickly turned stern. "Just where have you been, young lady? Vanishing nigh on the eve of our lord's revival... as the head of Tien Lung's household, I will not stand for such behavior!" He gave the feline Aoide a ferocious look. "Explain yourself. Now!"

He was... surprisingly commanding, considering his usual behavior.

mistalina13

Asherah stiffened slightly when she collided with someone else, her eyes going a little wide.

Another aoide....

Her mind raced as she tried to recall a name.

Toki.

The feline's hands went behind her back and her posture shifted. After emitting a small murr of a noise her expression relaxed into one of childish innocence. "I got lost."

Sosiqui

Toki snorted, not impressed. "Lost. For a month and more, indeed, you must have been lost in the very bowels of the earth!" He shook his head. "Well. You are fortunate our lord has been busy with many other matters, business of the Twin Crown - he has not been here to miss you until very recently. You should present yourself before him - you haven't even seen him in his reborn aspect, have you? Shameful."

He put the towels down. "Come. You look well enough, we will do it now. Tian Yue is within, at his work." Toki grabbed 'Nebula's' wrist and pulled her along towards the door leading out into the god's chambers.

Sosiqui

Toki snorted, not impressed. "Lost. For a month and more, indeed, you must have been lost in the very bowels of the earth!" He shook his head. "Well. You are fortunate our lord has been busy with many other matters, business of the Twin Crown - he has not been here to miss you until very recently. You should present yourself before him - you haven't even seen him in his reborn aspect, have you? Shameful."

He put the towels down. "Come. You look well enough, we will do it now. Tian Yue is within, at his work." Toki grabbed 'Nebula's' wrist and pulled her along towards the door leading out into the god's chambers.

mistalina13

Asherah's ears flattened slightly when Toki grabbed and pulled her along. Her reflexes were already demanding to react, so she could pull free and simply walk on her own. But she put up with it for the time being she had to keep up this charade for the time being to be able to stay.

Sosiqui

Tian Yue was sitting at the large desk in the main chamber, intently leafing through a collection of starcharts. He wore simple robes now, befitting a scholar's work.

Toki cleared his throat. "My Lord - the prodigal has returned." He nudged the feline Aoide forward, sharply.

Tian Yue turned around, blinked, then actually flinched away from 'Nebula' for an instant before smiling. "Welcome back, Nebula. I was starting to worry."

"She said she was lost, my Lord," Toki added, loudly.

"Perhaps... I'm not going to pry, Nebula," the Dragon King said, pleasantly. "But don't do that again." He frowned, slightly. "Now that I am Tien Lung once more, there is much to do, and I need my Aoidei to help me, not hinder by vanishing when I need them. Do you understand?"

Toki prodded 'Nebula' in the back. "Offer him your obeisance," he hissed.

"Toki," Tian Yue said, and the other Aoide flushed and shrank back.

"My apologies, my Lord..."

mistalina13

Asherah curtsied politely, spreading her skirts as best she could and screwed on a demur little smile. "I understand..." She bit her lip slightly and added. "...my lord. It will not happen again."

She righted herself and her tail flicked idly from side to side. The feline clasped her hands in front of herself, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Is there some task you would have me do now, my lord?"

Sosiqui

"Not at the moment, no - but help Toki with his work. And Toki, don't go overboard," Tian Yue added, giving Toki a look.

Toki nodded quickly, making his bunny ears bob wildly.

"Good. I'm glad to see you well, Nebula - I'm impressed." Tian Yue sounded pleased, and Toki knew why. He was amazed the other Aoide hadn't tried to pounce their lord immediately, as she had in the past, and make a fool and a pest of herself again. Perhaps she had matured in her time away.

mistalina13

"As you command." Asherah nodded, offering another little curtsy. The hard part was done and that easier than she had expected.

She glanced over at Toki, wondering if they were just to leave or wait to be dismissed.

Sosiqui

Tian Yue nodded to both Aoidei. "Toki, I'll need you in about ten minutes to take these charts - I'll give you instructions then. Thank you both." With that, he turned back to his work.

Toki bowed, then beckoned for 'Nebula' to follow him back to the Aoide quarters. "I know what you can do - you can clean your room. I'm sure it's gotten very dusty, but I couldn't get in to clean it since you locked it."

mistalina13

Asherah turned and padded after Toki as he disapeared down the passageway that lead to the Aoide quarters. "Very well, it shouldn't take long."

Locked door, hm, at least that'll be interesting.

She nodded, continuing down down the hall toward Nebula's room.

Sosiqui

"Truth be told, there's not a lot to do right now - I cleaned everything while our lord was absent," Toki said. Indeed, everything around them had been gleaming, spotless, perfect... obsessively, single-mindedly clean. "But with members of our lord's court reappearing, and his duties for the Twin Crown, I am sure there will be plenty to do before too long!" His words were jovial. Toki loved nothing better than to be very busy.

"I will tend to our lord's needs this afternoon. You... clean your room, and make yourself fit for service however you require..." Toki waved one hand. "And do not bother Lady Morgan unduly," he added, with a hrmph. "I can only hope your jealousy vanished along with your desire to 'glomp' things."

mistalina13

Morgan.

Asherah sniffed, then turned nodded. She certainly wouldn't bother her mistress, but she did need to present herself at some point, but the time had to be just right.

So, Nebula had been jealous of her....for what reason I wonder?

Something else to puzzle out.

"I hope I will do well, not longer shame our lord again as I have in the past." She nodded again absently. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to get started on my task..."

Sosiqui

"Oh? Good... good, that's very good." Toki watched her go, tilted his head to one side, and shrugged. "Huh."

No matter. She was back, she would most likely be carrying her weight now, and - he had a job to do for his lord!

Life was, once again, good.

[mistalina13]

First Whispers ~ Part III
The Rain of Needles.



Having finally left the electrified floor behind with only a few more small shocks Morgan continued on her way down the path at a brisker pace, making sure to keep an eye out for anything odd, as finding one trap usually meant there were a lot more.

An eerie impish giggle reached her, causing her stop dead in her tracks and send a shiver down her spine. She had a feeling the sound of the laughter might have been the other voice she heard earlier.

“Who in the hell are you!?”

What’s the first lesson to learn, when you have a Rogue for a dungeon master?

The voice seemed to have ignored her question entirely, only letting out another giggle.

Look everywhere.

Morgan’s gaze darted about again and she found her heart racing. Had she missed something important while she was walking along; A trigger, a door or an exit maybe? The search of the walls and floor were fruitless and she cursed silently, thinking the voice was simply toying with her to get her to panic.

Never forget to look up.

Remembering one of the oldest pieces and one of the most important pieces of advice she had ever received, she froze. Morgan cursed herself silently; she had forgotten to look up. Her gaze drifted to the ceiling and she swallowed hard as her eyes searched the ceiling for anything.

The ceiling was made of stone blocks, same as the floor under her feet the only difference was the small irregularities in the seams between the stones. Some seemed a little more sunken in than others. Was it a conscience or another trap?

She continued to nervously eye the ceiling for a few moments longer before making the decision to move forward. There wasn’t really another choice if she wanted to get out of this place, wherever it was.

Be quick on your feet.

For a moment her heart stopped as little telltale clicks came from the ceiling. She looked down at her feet; the stone her left foot rested on was pressed down slightly.

Damnit.

A whizzing sound was heard next and a small thin object plummeted down, clattering onto the stone just behind her foot. Morgan had a good idea of what it was, as she had used this trap often, to test how observant others were.

Rain of Needles.

She took off in a sprint as the needles started falling from the ceiling. Most of them clattered harmlessly to the ground, doing little except making it difficult to run while others caught her clothes and a few made it as far as skin.

Morgan only hoped they weren’t poisoned as well.

Only when the telltale clattering of the needles was far behind did she stop, resting hands on her knees trying to catch her breath and stop her heart from racing. She attempted to pick the needles from her clothes and herself where she was able, but some needles she just couldn’t reach easily.

The thin needles stung but thankfully didn’t impede her movement. Though, some felt rather deep and maybe shouldn’t be pulled out just yet.

She righted herself and stared down the path where she had come from and the small sea of needles glinted in the torch light. The sight sent a shiver down her spine.

That was too close.

Indeed. Continue on, not much remains.

She froze, gaze darting around when she heard the voice again. Where was it coming from anyway…or was she imaging it?

I’m definitely not from your imagination.

Morgan shook her head and continued on, trying to ignore the stinging of the remaining needles in her flesh.

[mistalina13]

First Whispers ~ Part IV
Of Blades & Flame.



The path ahead was quiet for a time, simply a network of twists and turns but none the less Morgan’s senses were on alert. After the last two times she did not wish to be caught off guard again.

She had not heard from that odd voice in a while either, absently she wondered had it simply grown bored and chosen to leave her alone.

I’m still here.

She jumped at the answer to her thought. The thought of something reading her mind put her even more on edge.

As Morgan continued along a steady clicking noise from the path ahead reached her, growing steadily louder. She caught sight of the source as she rounded another corner. Large blades suspended from the ceiling, swinging back and forth like pendulums into crevasses in the walls.

She swallowed hard again as she stared at the blades. How was she supposed to pass through those exactly?

And you have the nerve to call yourself a Rogue.

The voice was chiding, if a little cynical.

Think of something and prove to me I didn’t choose a twit.

Morgan sniffed, rather annoyed as she studied the blades. She was definitely not a twit. Most twits were tall, twiggy and wore cheerleading uniforms.

Maybe it’s just a simply matter of timing.

A hiss reminiscent of a small gas line sounded faintly and a jet of flame emitted from a spot in the wall, between the blades.

“As if it couldn’t get any worse…”

She groaned. Now there were two obstacles to deal with. She watched the small flame jets between the remainder of the blades go off, counting the timing.

“Twenty seconds for each blade to complete a make a full circuit swing…and each flame jet burst lasts 8 seconds…” Morgan was muttering to herself, trying to figure this out.

The only variable missing with the timing on the flame jets so she waited for another sign that they would begin again and the hiss sounded again roughly three minutes after the last one had gone off.

Now to figure out how to actually get across…

The jets prevented anyone from simply jumping across the top of the blades to get to the other side; so that left running and dodging blades and ducking when the jets went off.

It sounded simple enough. She rested the staff against the wall, knowing she would not be able to get through the blades with it.

But can you do it?

“I think so.” Morgan answered the voice absently and her gaze was fixed on the blades, counting the seconds to start running.

Once the first blade had nearly half completed it’s next swing she took off and stopped between it and the next blade, letting out a sigh of relief when she heard the blade pass her to complete it’s cycle of moment.

The hiss of the jets came again and Morgan dropped into a crouch and the jet of flame at about chest height passed over her head. She whimpered and bit her lip, waiting for the flames to disappear she couldn’t move until that and the next jet had gone off.

Once they had it was only a few quick steps to pass the next blade and the next after that. Thankfully, only a one more remained.

The hiss from the jets came again, each one igniting in the sequence, but at a quicker pace this time. She cursed and ducked the last jet as it fired and was forced to roll away from the final blade just before it came back to complete it’s swing.

Well done. Only one task remains.

Morgan lay on her back, staring at the ceiling and trying to catch her breath. What else could there be that was worse than that? She put a hand over her heart, feeling it pound fast from the fear and adrenaline in her system.

[mistalina13]

First Whispers ~ Part V
Of Water and Keys.



It was several minutes before Morgan peeled herself from the pathway floor to look ahead. Not far off was a doorway that lead to a room with a ladder in it. She chewed on her lower lip, considering the situation for a moment.

That was either the next, or simply the door to another level.

It is the exit, but you have to open the door yourself.

”What exactly do you mean?”

Go see for yourself.

Morgan started toward the door; she was determined to get out of here and find out what this was all about.

Be warned, once you pass that doorway, you cannot go back again.

She ignored the warning and passed under the small stone archway and she heard a loud almost mechanical click, only turning in time to see a large heavy iron door slide down into place.

“SONOFABITCH.”

Morgan snorted in annoyance and started toward the ladder, which was obviously the only other way out of the room.

“Figures…all this better be worth it.”

I tend to think it is, but you may have a different view. Focus on the task at hand.

She began her ascent of the ladder grumbling the whole way, toward the trap door in the ceiling, which was a fair distance up. However, halfway through her ascent the sound of rushing water began to echo in the room, almost as if it was close by…behind the walls.

Morgan looked down in time to see one of the lowest stones in each wall of the room disappear and water began to run in.

“s**t.”

Not good. Not good. NOT GOOD.

Her mind was racing now and she sped her ascent up the ladder, finally reaching the trap door at the top. First she tried the obvious and pushed on it, but the door wouldn’t budge.

The water had covered the floor by now and was making it’s way up toward the first wrung of the ladder.

It was only then that she noticed small lock on the trap door.

Damnit…where’s the key!

She clung to the ladder and looked around in a panic and a small glint of silver caught her eye from the far wall of the room.

The key!

Morgan went down the ladder in a hurry, jumping off a few wrungs up into the water that was rapidly beginning to rise and at the moment was up to her knees.

Great. Just great.

She sloshed through the water, eventually reaching the silver glint she had seen from the top of the ladder. It wasn’t just a key; it was a key ring, with quite a few very similar keys on it! It would take time to try all of these and that was something she was rapidly running out of.

Panicking now will only get you killed.

“You think I don’t know that!”

Morgan clutched the key ring and headed back to the ladder and hastily been climbing. Her jeans were soaked to mid thigh, the water had risen rapidly since she had jumped off and had continuing, following her up as she climbed.

When she reached the trap door the water was halfway up the ladder, getting dangerously close to her. Trying to ignore the cold she felt from the soaked denim she tried key after key.

This is taking too long!

She began searching the key ring for a key similar in style to the lock when the water reached the bottom of her feet. Only a few minutes left…and too many keys!

Her hands were shaking as she began trying keys again; the cold water was lapping at her calves. The shock from the cold caused her to grip the ladder tighter and steady her nerves just enough to get her to work faster.

The water continued to rise and finally she was nearing the end of the key ring. The water had reached her shoulders by now and with the cold it was becoming harder to breath.

When she finally made it to the last key the water was nearly at her nose as she forced into the lock. She was freezing by now and it was hard to force her muscles to work enough to turn it.

Morgan took one last breath and turned the key in the lock just as the room filled up completely with water. She let go of the ladder feeling herself slip away.

A little too close for comfort, but well done.

And suddenly there was a rush of awareness again as she woke up underwater, having slid down too far in the bath. She reached up and struggled to pull herself up above the water again, gasping for air...

[mistalina13]

Bittersweet Realisation
Shaiming was right afterall.

mistalina13

As she clung to the side of the bath working to rationalize what she'd just been through and get air in her lungs she felt something slither across her shoulder. Only one creature came to mind that slithered like that.

Snake....SNAKE! She was outright terrified of snakes.

The nerdling let out a typical feminine shriek and clamored out of the bath, wishing she had her knife. She grabbed a towel, wrapped it tightly around herself waiting to see if the offending creature would actually appear.

I didn't know you were such a coward.

"That wasn't a dream?"

Not entirely, though, my pet had to wake you or you would've died.

She stood there shivering and wondering if she had simply lost her mind.

Sosiqui

Out in the hall there was a clatter at the sound of Morgan's shriek, then rapidly moving footsteps. A few doors banged.

There was a pause, and then two sets of footsteps faded back into hearing, approaching quickly. Then came the knock on the door.

"Morgan? Are you okay?" Tian Yue asked, concern in his voice.

"She just screamed suddenly," Toki replied, wringing his hands before bending to pick up the tray he had dropped when Morgan's cry startled him.

mistalina13

"I think so...you can come in." It's not like you've never seen me naked before. Morgan didn't take her eyes off the bath as she spoke.

It was at that moment the offending creature chose to appear, it's orange head peaking over the side of the bath and it continued to slither along the side and onto the floor toward Morgan, ending up winding around her ankle.

She froze as the snake coiled around her leg. What am I going to do!

My pet...did you miss me?

Sosiqui

"Okay. ... No, Toki, you stay out here. I'm fairly sure I can handle it," Tian Yue said as the Aoide began to protest. He opened the door and stepped through quickly, then sighed as soon as the door was shut. "Honestly..."

Then he saw the snake, and froze, but not for the same reason as Morgan. Snake? Could it be... my Snake? Shartha had come, after all, and the Snake was one of Tien Lung's Stars. "Is that it-" he began, and froze again.

What was that on - on? in her arm?

mistalina13

Kaulu...

Morgan jumped as the snake slithered a little further up her leg. "Stopstaringandgetitoffplease!" She was on the verge of freaking out again, seeing a snake was bad enough having it on her was even worse. It didn't even occur to her that he might have noticed the stone in her arm, flanked by scratches.

Sosiqui

There was... an odd sort of numbness. Detachment, dreamlike.

No, the snake couldn't be his Snake. Tian Yue stepped over and knelt next to Morgan so that he was eye level with the creature. "Can you get off of her, please? I'm sure in time she will come to know you, but right now she's afraid." The words were reasoned, but they sounded to Tian Yue if someone else far away was saying them.

Shaiming was right.

Bittersweet.

mistalina13

Kaulu unwound herself from around Morgan's leg but stayed right nearby, head resting on her foot, as if she was waiting for something.

Pick her up.

The voice was fainter than it had been and it seemed to nearly blend in with her own normal thoughts, but she none the less obeyed and reached down, precariously picking up the serpent but didn't seem all too happy about it.

The snake coiled itself around her arm and shoulders, head resting lazily against the opposite shoulder, watching the Dragon.

Sosiqui

"Thank you," Tian Yue told the snake, then turned to Morgan. "Love... who is this?" he asked, gently, taking her arm and moving it just slightly so he could see the tigers-eye stone better. There is the touch of Destruction in those marks.

mistalina13

"I don't know...I haven't exactly gotten a name yet." Morgan frowned slightly. "Feminine voice...and I think I almost died a bit ago." She wrinkled her nose, eyeing the gem. "I think the snake belongs to whoever that is." She shivered a little, feeling the snake shift and continue to slither around her.

Sosiqui

"A goddess, then..." Tian Yue smiled, then leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Shaiming suspected you'd been brought here for a purpose. It seems he was right. How do you feel?"

She was... going to be lost to him? Perhaps not. Perhaps the nameless goddess within the jewel would do as Shaiming had done - but by Gianfar's reaction, no other god had before. And he knew he was not Crispin any more, in any case.

But he could not be angry at the goddess. Not when he himself had done the exact same thing.

mistalina13

"How would you feel...if you had to survive one of my dungeons as yourself?" Morgan sighed lightly and leaned against him a little, careful not to squash the serpent or the arm with the gem in it, as it was still tender.

"I would've prefered a name to nearly drowning." She muttered, not exactly angry, just a little irked at the lack of information.

Sosiqui

"As of now? Bring it on!" Tian Yue grinned, then sobered. "But before, mortal? Best left to miniatures and dice, I think."

"Nearly drowning?" He looked concerned again, for a moment. "She won't kill you... she needs you."

mistalina13

"Electrified Floor, hail of Needles, pendulum blades and flame jets...and the flooding room traps." Morgan grumbled. "True, but she seems to have no qualms about inflicting pain."

You did that to yourself.

"Huh?" The shoe was on the other foot, now she was the one talking aloud to the voice in her head.

Sosiqui

"Have you asked her? She should be able to speak to you in your thoughts..." Tian Yue walked over to the hooks on the side of the room, retrieved a bathrobe, and offered it to her. "A goddess with traps and snakes... hm. Perhaps she is of Wisdom?"

mistalina13

"I did bring clothes in..." Her gaze darted around. "Whever they ended up." The last was muttered and finally she spotted the odd garments. Darn Ser and her need to hide things. On second thought, the robe did seem a better idea at the moment.

Morgan took it from him and undid the towel, tossing it aside. She didn't feel shy in front of him like this at the moment, with her thoughts half drifting elsewhere. She tugged on the robe, easing the snake off her went neccessary and let it come to rest again atop the fabric instead of against her skin. Much better.

"Ha. Somehow I don't think so...and your lord is very...odd." There was no other polite way to put it.

Sosiqui

"My lord... ah. Lord Harmodius must have given you the jewel." Tian Yue couldn't see the scratches on her arm anymore now that she was wearing the robe, but... "He is Destruction now, as you know... and he is not pleasant. But as Creation he is radiant with life, and as Void all things are balanced. It's unfortunate that he has stayed as he is for so long."

mistalina13

"He thinks I'm an idiot, I think." Morgan sighed and fiddled with her hair. "And getting the jewel shoved into my arm hurt like hell." She wrinkled her nose.

"Maybe we should get out of the bathroom, before Toki thinks we're doing something naughty." She teased, guessing that the aoide must be outside the door.

Sosiqui

"I'm sorry it was painful - it was for us as well. Er, well, for Crispin-me, not Tien Lung-me," he added, awkwardly, then laughed. "Psh. Toki can think all he likes." Tian Yue rolled his eyes, but opened the door. The Aoide was not immediately in evidence, but there was a small noise as if something had just flown away rather quickly.

"See? Nothing. He was never here." The dragon winked. "That reminds me... Nebula's back. She claims to have been lost. I'm not sure how true that is, but she came back and she seems to have... matured during her absence. So don't be surprised if you see her. She was much less clingy towards me and I hope she'll behave better towards you as well."

mistalina13

"Alright." Morgan was still a little uncertain about Nebula, but she'd try to be friendly and if the feline proved approachable then she would be the same. She collected her clothes from the bathroom floor and held them in a bundle under her arm.

She giggled absently and shook her head, wondering where Toki had gone off to so quickly. "I'll hope for the best then."

Sosiqui

"Good... good." Tian Yue shook his head, then sighed.

"How do you feel?" he repeated. "I know I asked you, but... what about this?" He pointed one claw at where he knew the gem to be, under the softness of the bathrobe. "Is it... right? Is there glory in it?"

mistalina13

"How would I know...I don't feel anything other than another presence, always looming about." Morgan eyed her arm for a moment before glancing back to her lover.

Oh...so you do have a lover.

"...and spying on private conversations." She huffed, guess it was just one of the things she'd have to get used to.

Sosiqui

Tian Yue made a rueful face. "Yes, we are very snoopy things... Shaiming was constantly rooting through Crispin's thoughts too." The memories there were strange, coming from two sides, disjointed because of it. "But the gem is a prison, and finding the host, release."

That he remembered clearly; only Tien Lung held memories of such a discovery. There was no human duplication to those thoughts. At that time, there had been... a dim but unspeakably joyous knowledge of a perfect vessel, and the feeble, reduced expression of such to Lord Harmodius' constantly listening ear. Regardless of his state - he listened. Always.

mistalina13

"Well...since you are stuck with me I'd appreciate some answers." Morgan muttered, yet again speaking allowed and not really realising it.

When you sleep, I will give you what I can.

She sighed, moved close to Tian Yue and put her arms around him. "I suppose. It can't be fun to be locked up like that for who knows how long."

Sosiqui

"It's not." Tian Yue's tail twitched a bit. "Answers?"

mistalina13

"Oui. But, I wasn't talking to you." Morgan gave him a nervous smile. "Sorry." She rocked up on her toes and kissed his cheek in appology.

Sosiqui

"It's okay - I understand. I definitely understand... though Shaiming always told Crispin that he could just think words and he'd still hear. I never got the hang of it. Er, Crispin didn't. Argh!" Tian Yue made a mock look of horror, then grinned and kissed her back. "I'm not a very dignified Dragon King, am I?"

mistalina13

She giggled and grabbed him by the front of his hanfu, gently him in for another kiss. "Doesn't particularly bother me...your always wonderful in my eyes."

Sosiqui

"But now we have the goddess you bear to consider, too - you'll have to let me know what you find out about her. It might be that Tien Lung knew her, before the Fading." Tian Yue returned the kiss lightly, but he seemed distracted. "I am curious to know who found you perfect. Besides me, that is."

mistalina13

"She said she'd talk to me when I went to sleep...or try to anyway." Morgan sighed lightly. "Who knows. With my luck at times, it's a crazy one." She shook her head absently. "Well, hopefully it's a nice one." She smiled softly, wondering if that was simply what had him distracted or whether it was something else.

Sosiqui

"I hope so as well." Tian Yue looked disconcerted. "There are many divine domains that are not kind or pleasant in the least. They are vital, and I have known several such gods in my time. Destruction is only the greatest of them. But they are not good gods, in the moral sense. Still, they may be kind to those who give them life."

mistalina13

Hopefully someone you won't find objectionable, especially once I'm...gone. "I guessed that much, love." The thought of disapearing or only pieces remaining seemed odd to her, but she chose not to dwell on it.

"Are you alright...or is that look for me, because of how ignorant I must seem?" And very likely am, about things like this.

[mistalina13]

All That's Left
The Trickster's shadow appears.



Morgan fell asleep when her head hit the pillow, after earlier she was exhausted. There was something there though, to catch her before she fell into a deep sleep.

You asked for answers.

I did.

A shadow sat beside her on the bed, its shape was vaguely feminine though nothing else was discernable. It moved to lean over Morgan, seeming as though it might be examining her to some degree.

What’s your name?

Tien, the Commedia Dell'Arte.

Wha?

Trickery.

The shadow finished its examination and drew back from her, returning to a sitting position on the edge of the bed.

I need your help.

Like I have a choice in the matter?

As if in answer something flashed by her eyes and Morgan froze instantly, gaze sliding to the side after a moment to a knife buried up to the hilt in her pillow.

Do not be smart with me. It is not only a matter of restoring glory.

Then what else is there?

Finding what I’ve lost…all you see here is what remains.

The shadow pulled the knife from the pillow and it faded away as quickly as it had appeared and its hand came to rest on the bed again, not far from Morgan’s.

Perhaps you’ll be able to help me find the missing pieces.

Morgan stretched out her fingers, with the intent of resting them on the shadow’s hand, letting out a little sigh when they went through it.

I asked for help, not sympathy. Now sleep.

She felt herself drift again as the presence released her. Morgan returned to the realm of wakefulness rather than that of dreams.

I’ll do what I can.

It was likely she would find no peace tonight.

[mistalina13]

Aliens...here?
Morgan meets someone she didn't think existed.

Perri Indiya

For the first time in his life, Illario wished he had a tricorder. Wandering around the grounds of the building he had met Colin at was extremely useless without any kind of sensing technology, and he did it anyway. At least he was making an effort to get home, right? However small it actually was. Staying close to the crash site was always a good idea if you could swing it, and this was presumably closer than the apartment. And, well, it was nice to be outside without a hood on in the daylight. He'd always liked suns. He was a bad Andorian.

He closed his eyes, focusing on what information his antennae could feed him. It wasn't all that illuminating, but it was pretty relaxing. That was something, anyway. Since it was starting to look like he wouldn't get home for awhile, if at all, the stress was really building up.

mistalina13

Morgan padded down the stairs quickly. She needed to get out of her room. The nerdling hadn't been able to sleep the night before and having been dragged out into the sitting room for a "dance lesson" with Ser certainly had done nothing for her mood.

They were on a break from said lesson and she had gone to her room, removed her toe shoes, pulled on a pair of jeans over her leotard and pulled on more comfortable sneakers as she had snuck out into the hall through the aoide hallway.

Now she was outside the Pantheon, walking the grounds in an attempt to just clear her head.

Look lively, theres someone else around.

Perri Indiya

Had they been inside, the alien would have noticed her approach far sooner, but the soft ground muffled her footsteps. He still managed to get his hood up and the bandana over his nose fairly quickly though, and as soon as the red cloth was in place he jammed his hands in the front pocket of the sweatshirt to hide most of his skin from view. He was dying in the full coverage of jeans, sneakers, t-shirt and hoodie, but it was needed to keep him out of governmental hands. Hopefully he could make his escape before the blue skin around his eyes and wisps of white hair were noticed.

mistalina13

"Who are you?" Morgan's muscles tensed, mind searching for where her knife was hidden if it turned out to be needed. She cursed mentally, realising she'd left it upstairs in her room. None the less she eyed the stranger.

Fight if you can. Run if need be, a dead host will do me no good.

"Shut up." She muttered, not realising she was speaking aloud. Having an extra voice in your head was distracting at times like this.

Perri Indiya

He hunched his shoulders, turning just enough to glance over his shoulder at her but hopefully not enough to give her a good view of his face. "My name is Illario. I'm a friend of Colin's. I... lost something the last time I was out here and just wanted to see if I could find it. Are you the groundskeeper?"

Jeeze, she looked tense. Was she okay?

mistalina13

"Hardly, maybe I can help you find what you lost though..."

He better not be a crook or something. But then again, he did give a name. Should I give him mine?

"My names Morgan, by the way."

She continued to watch him wondering why he hid like that. If he was trying to seem non threatening covering himself up like that certainly wouldn't help his case.

Perri Indiya

He smiled, not that she could tell, and turned fully to face her. "Nice to meet you."

And... crap. His phrasing had just painted him into a corner. If she could sense temporal distortans that would be fantabulous, but he sincerely doubted that she possessed that gift. Now he was going to sound like an idiot. "Um, thanks for the offer, but I really don't think you can. It's a fairly futile search."

mistalina13

If it's futile then why bother?

Morgan ignored the goddess for the time being. "If your just out here looking for something you lost...then why hide like that?" If he was bothering to be this polite, perhaps there was no ill intent after all.

Good.

"And, if I'm not being too much of a pest, what is it your trying to find anyway?"

Perri Indiya

"I have a skin condition. It tends to freak people out." He also had an anatomy condition, and people reacted to that badly too. People around here, anyway.

What was he trying to find? He sighed, shrugging. "The impossible."

mistalina13

I have a skin condition too, and it's turning me into a headcase.

Excuse me if I don't fall over laughing.

"Can't be that bad...I mean, have you seen some of the strange people around here? No offense meant to any of them of course." Morgan swallowed nervously.

Perri Indiya

Could she just imagine something terrible and be grossed out by that? I mean seriously. That would be so much easier. Illario frowned, not noticing that his antennae had folded themselves back under his hood, thus making the fabric move. Unless he flexed them intentionally, they moved of their own accord in an unconcious response to his emotions. "It's... easier if it isn't the first thing people notice about me.

mistalina13

Morgan nodded, it was entirely understandable, but she still couldn't help the curiosity she felt. Especially since he had interesting eyes, which was the majority of him that she could see for the moment. Her gaze flicked upward noticing the twinge in the fabric of his hood. What the...?

Perri Indiya

Illario tilted his head at her confused expression, wondering what had caused it. The same wonder flexed his antennae, and when combined with the inclination of his head the movement managed to shrug his hood off. The moment he was free of the stifling covering, he froze. Crap. Crap! White hair, blue skin, and wiggling antennae were now visible to the world.

He was dead.

mistalina13

Morgan's eyes widened slightly. A skin condition? Hardly. Illario wasn't human, she knew that much but the odd part to her was more that his appearance seemed familiar.

After a few moments of gaping it came to her.

"Your...a...a....a.." I thought it was just a TV show! "....an Andorian!"

There was no more confusion in her look, nor was there fear. It was just a sort of muted suprise, as her mind was still trying to process the situation.

Perri Indiya

He blinked, no less surprised to find human who knew his species than she was to meet an alien. "Um... yes. I am. How did you know that?"

mistalina13

"TV show." Morgan absently wondered if he would even have a clue as to what she was talking about. "It's called Star Trek. Never counted on anything in it being....real though."

She chewed on her lower lip. Maybe just being in this place so long was getting to her, normally she would've been at least a little freaked to see an alien species but she felt nothing aside from a little fascination.

Perri Indiya

He knew what a 'tv show' was thanks to Allie back home and getting to watch a few now. He was on a tv show - or at least Anodrians were? That was just... well, pretty funny, actually. What did echoes of his universe go back in time into these writers' brains or something?

He found himself tugging off his bandana and laughing. "Really? That's fantastic. I have to watch that show now."

mistalina13

"I'm curious to see how accurate it is." Morgan giggled, shifting uneasily from foot to foot. "Oh, would you mind if we kept walking while we talk, I'm in no mood to be caught if my friend catches on that I've left again."

She glanced back over her shoulder just in case, but she knew it would be a while before her friend caught on.

Perri Indiya

"Hopefully not too accurate. That would just be... creepy." He shook his head, unzipping his hoodie a bit before she mentioned her friend. On hearing that he zipped it back up.

"Friend? Are you a kept woman or something?" he asked lightly, trying to make a joke.

mistalina13

"Uhm...not sure what you mean. But, she's just a friend who followed me here and theres no way to send her back." Morgan sighed, obviously she'd missed the whole point of the joke.

"She's upstairs..." She motioned absently toward the Pantheon. "I sorta ditched her." A little nervous laugh.

Perri Indiya

"You live there?" He asked, incredibly surprised anyone would want to spend much time in a building that smelt as if part of it was recently on fire. "Hmm. Well, lead the way Morgan. I've gotted quite good at following Terrans around the last month."

mistalina13

"Yeah...I have for a while, a few months ago...my stay became permanent when the only gate that goes back to Earth...was..destroyed." Morgan wrinkled her nose, remembering the incident as she started off walking. Crispin could've been killed that day. She let out a sigh and stripped off her arm warmers.

"So how'd you end up here anyway?"

Perri Indiya

Gate? Like a wormhole? To Earth? Wasn't this Earth? Well, an Earth. She must be from a different one. Oh, dimensions were fun! And his parents wondered why he'd turned away from science at an early age. Physics was such a pain in the butt.

"Shuttle crash." He said with a shrug, assuming this would mean something to her the way it didn't to Colin. "My bandmates and I were heading through Earth's atmosphere and halfway through it went bad. I assume there was an emergency beam out and my signal got scrambled and sent me here instead of home. I'm not positive, not being an engineer and having had a bit of a concussion at the time. All I know for certain is that I'm alone and there was no wreckage."

mistalina13

Should the fact that made some sense frighten me?

"Well, at least your alive. Shouldn't that count for something?" Morgan asked, stuffing the armwarmers in her jeans pocket and checked the bandage on her arm that covered the gem. She frowned, noticing it was coming loose again.

Perri Indiya

"It certainly does." He said with a shrug. "It'd just be nice to go home where I have a life and don't have to mummify myself in hot weather."

He glanced over at her, catching a glimps of the jewel she wore when she moved the bandage. "Hey, you have one too! Is there a crystaline plague going around I should know about?"

mistalina13

"I do...by no choice of my own." Morgan snorted, undoing the bandage fully and exposing the tigers eye stone, along with the still dark scars of claw marks flanking it. "They hold the souls of gods."

A little sigh. Will he even believe me?

"You know someone else...who is a host, like me?" Then she began resecuring the bandage.

Perri Indiya

"Jeeze, what did that?" He asked, refering to the wound surrounding the jewel. And then he heard her explination. The souls of gods. Illario bit his lip. Sure, why not? She'd taken his existence in stride, so he would take hers the same way. It was only fair, and there was probably another way of saying the same thing that would make more sense - like the Bajorans and their prophets/wormhole aliens - but that didn't mean this reasoning wasn't true for her. So okay, god soul stones. Sounded good. "You know, 'God Soul Stones' would make a great title for a song."

He nodded in answer to her question. "Yep. His name is Colin, and he has a rock in his hip. He's the first person I bumped into around here, and he very kindly took me in and lets me live at his apartment. Shorter, blond hair, cute bum."

mistalina13

"My Lord Harmodius." There was more than a touch of bitterness and loathing in her voice. "Destruction...for the moment. It happened when he shoved the stone into my arm." She tied off the bandage.

"Mm...no one I know unfortunately. But then again, I don't know many around here." She laughed a little. "It would."

Perri Indiya

The Andorian raised an eyebrow. "Lord Harmodious? Is this his... principality?"

She liked it! He vowed to attempt to write a song under that title later to cheer her up.

mistalina13

"Harmodius is the lord of all...essentially. Creation and Destruction both."

He's intreging...though what manner of being is an Andorian?

"Later." She muttered. "I'll explain later."

Perri Indiya

"Like the christian god?" He asked, glad for once that he'd taken some comparative religions courses in school. This was all pretty abstract for him.

He cocked his head a little at her mutterings, antennae waving curiously. Did she have a hidden comm link on her person she was speaking into? By virtue of her knowing what species he was and understanding him when he talked about home, he somewhat assumed she might have access to technology he was used to.

mistalina13

"Sort of...I suppose. But by his manner it seems closer to some older religions."

Morgan blushed faintly when she realised she'd spoken allowed before to Tien, yet again. "Sorry...still trying to get used to this." She tapped the bandage on her arm, though meaning to indicate the gem underneath.

"I hear her voice in my head...and it's a bit annoying sometimes."

Perri Indiya

He nodded as if he followed. There were a lot of religions in Earth's past, and he was sure he hadn't heard the half of them. As to the talking to herself, he had firmly decided it was a communicator of some sort. That made way more sense than gods talking to her from a stone in her arm. "Don't worry about it. Strange new things are always hard to adjust to."

mistalina13

"Try adjusting to the fact your talking to a person who is dead and just won't accept it yet." Morgan was refering to herself of course. She chuckled and glanced over at Illa. He was an odd one, but all things considered it would certainly be worth trying to forge a friendship if she could.

Perri Indiya

"I imagine that would be challenging." He said seriously. He was fairly certain his father had once told him a story about a star ship having that exact experience.

mistalina13

"I have no desire to die, of course, but I am at the goddess' mercy in that case. Cest la vie, I suppose." Morgan nodded. "And here I am, talking too much about myself."

Her face flushed faintly again. "So, any interesting experiences since you got here?"

Perri Indiya

He wasn't quite sure he was hearing her right, but she clearly didn't want to talk about death in relation to herself anymore, so he didn't ask for clarification. "I've gotten drunk, rode in a 'car' which is incredibly traumatice, and been to a dance studio. I don't know if that all counts as interesting, but they're certainly not things I've done before."

He laughed. "I've also seen more pictures of nearly nude women in public media than I have any where else. Pity this society isn't equally obsessed with the male form."

mistalina13

"Nice." Morgan giggled. "Never been drunk myself, seen friends do it though. What scared you on the car ride, though?" She wondered what a car would seem like to someone not used to them.

"Ah...hang around here a bit more and you'll see plenty of handsome men." Gods of course, but they were handsome.

Perri Indiya

Illario shuddered. "Automobiles are the most dangerous things I've ever seen! Winging around bizarrely fast for a wheeled vehicle. And the way people pilot them is just asking for death." When he said 'people' he meant largely 'Colin', but his roommate was a lovely fellow besides that so he could afford to be charitable.

"Oh good! Life's no fun if there isn't some good eye candy to gawk at." he said with a wink.

mistalina13

"You'll get used to the cars thing, especially if your around a while, trust me." Morgan smirked, knowingly and though of her dragon who was upstairs probably emersed in his studies. "Eye candy is definately a good thing."

Perri Indiya

"Yeah... I think I'll stick to bicycles and walking as much as possible." He stuck his tongue out, not one to enjoy his knuckles turning the same shade as his hair.

"So... is this god-lord of yours the reason why people are gathering here? Is he gathering them or something?" If so, there was a chance he could convince said being to send him home.

mistalina13

"I'm not sure what draws potential hosts here really..." She stuffed her hands in her jeans pockets. "Might be him, but I think it's more the others." It was just a best guess more than anything.

"And yes, walking is better, tons better." Morgan nodded, it was better and certainly cheaper.

Perri Indiya

Damn it! It was never easy. "Others?"

mistalina13

"The other gods...that are trapped in stones." Morgan watched Illario for a moment, wondering if his coming here had really been an accident. After what happened to her, she was a little skeptical that there were such things as accidents in relation to this place.

Perri Indiya

"...that talk to you telepathically?" he asked slowly, trying to follow the conversation as best he could. She kept coming back to the whole god-inna-rock thing and it was just a little too weird for him to focus on. Maybe if he were an anthropologist he would get it, but all he could really do now was smile and and take her at her word. He had no idea what she really meant. "Um, how do stones bring people places? Are they flesh-magnetic?"

mistalina13

"Sort of." Morgan shook her head. "It's not like that. Some people are just drawn here...for one reason or another." She frowned slightly, it was a hard thing to explain to someone who had almost no idea of what went on here.

Perri Indiya

Illario frowned, antennae pressing back over his hair in annoyance. "While having a specific being as the cause of my being here instead of a random accident makes it easier for me to get home in theory, having to scrutinize every stone here without sensors sort of offsets that plus."

mistalina13

"Only the stones in the temple are soul stones, to my knowledge anyway. If you wish to speak to Harmodius about a possible way home, be careful or you could end up with more than you bargained for." There was a seriousness in Morgan's tone at that.

Perri Indiya

"I guess that narrows the field down." He said grudgingly. Really, he shouldn't be complaining. Even combing through a thousand stones would be more productive than staring at the horizon like he had been before she interrupted him. "I'll keep that advisory in mind."

mistalina13

Morgan's gaze flicked toward the Pantheon again. "Ser will be wondering where I've been...perhaps I should be getting back." She chewed on her lower lip lightly, not really wanting to leave yet.

Perri Indiya

"And I shouldn't be out uncovered for too long in the daylight. It tempts fate." He said with a smile, glancing at the bike leaned up against the building's wall. "I'd love to talk to you again, if I could. It's nice to not be entirely traumatic."

mistalina13

"I'd be happy to talk to you again. Hopefully on your next visit I'll still be around." Morgan nodded, drawing the armwarmers from her pocket and pulling them on again.

Perri Indiya

He gave her a small bow before securing his bandana over his face and his hood back over his head. "Take care of yourself, God Soul girl."

He waved, and then climbed on his bicycle and pedalled towards home. Man he hoped the hood stayed on.

[mistalina13]

Firstly, Criticism
A lecture from the Trickster.


Morgan lay on her back staring at the ceiling of her small room while Ser slept soundly on the floor. It was times like this that she envied her friend and her lack of another presence invading her mind. Tien seemed to have taken to jolting her awake at odd times during the night, whether it was done by accident or not remained to be seen.

A flutter of wings and the sound of a serpent’s tongue further punctuated the silence in the room, announcing that her miniature menagerie had awakened. A shutter shot through her at the feeling of a snake scales brushing against her skin.

Don’t be such a puss.

You know I hate snakes.

You sleep with a dragon girl.

That’s different, and none of your business!?

I’m part of you; it’s hard to keep out of your business. The goddess was definitely not impressed. Besides, you need to learn to be sexy, if you intend to keep that pet dragon of yours.

Morgan sputtered aloud and felt her cheeks redden. “But he said he likes me the way I am…”

Boring. A clearly unimpressed reply. Even if the notion is romantic he’ll hardly be content forever.

I won’t be around forever.

Not entirely anyway…so you might as well give him a good show in the meantime.

TIEN! Her blush deepened considerably as impish laughter rang through her mind.

It’s the truth you know it as well as I, dragon or not, do a routine too long and bores them, besides you are too clever to play sweet and innocent all the time. The tone was on the edge of mocking.

Have you ever loved anyone? Changing the subject was one of the best ways to solve a lot of problems, at least in her mind it was.

I’m not sure. An avoidant answer at best in a dismissive tone at that. But we aren’t talking about me here are we?

Both and neither, perhaps?

Don’t get smart.

Ha! I didn’t think you would be the sort to take things personally.

An annoyed snort and muttering was all that answered.

Tien?

Just get up and get dressed, no use in just sitting here doing nothing.

But Ser?

Then fetch your clothes and go the bathroom then…if your that concerned.

I just don’t want to wake her…because I can’t explain…well…

Me?

Well, yeah. How I am supposed to explain to my best friend that I’m going to die.

Stop whining, you’ll figure it out.

Now it was Morgan’s turn to snort in annoyance. Of course she would figure it out; it’s not as if there was another option at this point. Plus, she had to speak to Tian Yue again about what she had found out.

Stop brooding and focus on the task at hand, girl.

At least learn my name!

[mistalina13]

Always, Always
A dragonride and tears.

Completed Roleplay

[mistalina13]

For Now, Adieu
Morgan departs, to find the Trickster and herself.


Morgan had reluctantly crawled out of bed and now sat at Tian Yue’s writing desk, staring at the words on the parchment. She had penned a farewell of sorts, with assurances that she would return. Her hand shook as she set the pen down. She would leave it to the Dragon to explain to Ser where she had gone and that she did not wish to be followed. This was something she had to do on her own.

Her dreams as of late were not her own, Tien intruded often by peppering them with fragments and impressions from her limited recollection. Maybe it was the goddess’ way of asking for help, or simply it was something she couldn’t control.

Some shadows in those fragments she recognized, while others she didn’t. She had known her fate was sealed from the moment the tiger’s eye stone touched her skin, but she hadn’t been willing to accept the reality of it. That is until she saw the sadness in the Dragon’s eyes. It was all real, but she wasn't ready to disapear and leave him forever.

She didn't know if she would ever be, but what choice was there?

The Letter

Tian Yue, my beloved,

There is something I have to do, for Tien’s sake as much as my own. Her memories are in pieces and she recalls so little. I am going to do what I can to help her remember what she lost. This is something I can only accomplish on my own.

Do what you can to explain to Ser, but she simply may not understand; just do not let her follow me. I can’t explain everything to her…not yet.

I swear to you that I’ll return, beloved, one way or another. It’s just a question of whether I’ll still be myself when I do come back.

No matter what befalls me I will always, always love you and believe in you.

You are my star, my knight, my heart.

I love you.

Always,
Morgan

Morgan took one last look over the letter, only now noticing the tear stains dotting it. She folded the letter and wrote his name on the outside and pushed back the chair.

“Tien, give me the strength to do this…please…”

You already have it, go to him and say your goodbyes for now.

A sudden sense of calm settled over her as she got up from the chair and headed back to the Dragon’s bedroom. This had to be done before he woke or she would loose her resolve.

She set the letter down on the pillow beside him, where she had slept. It took all she had to keep from climbing back into bed, nestling in his arms and trying to wish all of this away.

Morgan…

“I love you…Tian Yue. Hopefully when I return, I will still be mostly myself…” Morgan whispered and felt herself start to cry. She spent a long moment running her hand through his hair and caressing his cheek.

We have to go…the aoide will be awake soon…

She gave him a soft kiss goodbye and did her best to believe that it wouldn’t be the last.

[mistalina13]

Help from a Friendly Chatterbox
Morgan asks Ishum for help.

Completed Roleplay