FA'E: Taka's Diary (Konaru is Guardian)

[Taka Elsu]

Taka had finally managed to wrangle himself free from the IVs, with permission from the nurse, and was currently wrapping up his bandages securely. Although they recommended he stay overnight, he was given permission to leave at his leisure. The stitches were done, all bandages fastened tightly around his injuries. His hands were wrapped, chest, legs, feet. He even had a mini-cast on one foot that had been damaged more than the other. He could just barely wiggle his fingers, although it sent a shocking pain through his entire arm when he did. Nerve damage, they told him. They advised he get it checked out even further before performing, or at the very least, took a break for a few months. Luckily for him, he didn't have to sign any waivers on that.

Take a break? Well, he could. Maybe it would be nice to relax. What did he even do with his spare time anymore? It was all music. Music, practicing, autographs and interviews. He really didn't have much of a life outside of his music. It was all he had. Nothing soothed him like slamming down on his guitar, like screaming all of his feelings into the microphone. He didn't have to think about anything when he played. Kia disappeared, Kapu disappeared, memories disappeared. It was all pure, peaceful solitude. He could be surrounded by a million people, but when he bust out his solos, he finally felt calm.

Just as he was about to decide to cancel his gig and announce a hiatus to his fans, he happened to catch the sight of a vibrating phone. It had been going off for a while. He decided it wouldn't hurt to peek, maybe it was something urgent! That's when he caught the sight of the caller ID. A shirtless torso. Not just any shirtless torso- Ra.

Taka was suddenly overcome with rage and insecurity. That's right. She had Ra. Why did she even bother coming? Out of pity? Was she going to go home to Ra to laugh about how pathetic he looked? Was it fun to toy with his emotions while her heart and body belonged to Ra? The more he thought about it, the more his blood started to boil.

Why should he listen to her? She couldn't tell him what to do. She had no right to tell him not to perform! She didn't even care about his musical career! It didn't matter what happened to him. She had her precious, shirtless Ra.

With that thought, he rushed out of the hospital with his guitar in hand. His manager had delivered it unbeknownst to him, with a note saying 'just in case'. Generally, she just got on his nerves, but this was the rare case when he was thankful for her. Even if it was just for her own benefit and not his.

He needed to get away. Away from the nurses, away from the hospital, away from his bubbling feelings about Kia. He couldn't think of her, couldn't think of her smile, couldn't think of her glowing skin... the glowing skin he wanted to touch so badly...

No!

He managed to sneak by all his fans, sunglasses hiding his face, and limped his way up to a nearby rooftop. It was a tiny little mom and pops shop, they sold mostly cakes and pastries, and they just smiled and led him up the stairs. It took probably better of an hour before he finally reached his destination, but once he did and thought he was all alone, he collapsed with an exhausted grin. He hurt, ached, and gasped- but finally he was alone with the only thing that was ever really there for him.

It didn't take long for him to adjust himself, cast propped up against the cement, and bust into one of his many hardcore tunes. Every movement, every string, every tune he sang seemed to wrench his body with pain. But he didn't mind right now. Right now, there was nothing but loud music overpowering his pain and emotions. He didn't need to think. He just let it all out, louder and louder, not caring who might hear or even if a crowd of fans might gather.

The music was loud and angry, but his voice was shaken with pain. He just wanted to forget how much he wanted to grab onto Kia and never let go.

He just needed to forget.

Of course, he also happened to forget his injuries, and conveniently seemed to forget blood soaking the bandages on his hands. There was a reason the nurses told him to take it easy- he was stable, but not better by any means.

He was so involved in his impromptu solo performance he didn't even notice the bandages getting increasingly redder, and the pain stinging through his fingers more intensely.

Forget.

[Neiith]

The process on the rooftop took a while. Feathers curling as the heat spread flames quickly, small ones curling up as they burnt and the larger ones taking a few more minutes, ash falling all around Kia. The bones were hollow but still took a while.

The while time, despite the pleasure in the process, Kia really was focused on Taka. She was going to go back and she was going to ...

Well, she was going to be cheerful. Be really cheerful. She was going to treat him in the way she would treat someone she really liked. She would bring cakes, maybe candy, chocolate, Kia would even get cans of that whipped cream so it would all taste really good. Without her wings things would not get set on fire. It would be good.

If Kia had time she would have made scones. She would make them tomorrow. She didn't need to work tomorrow either.

With all this in mind Kia waited to the last moment before the wings finally finished with ash already crumbling to dust and being blown off the roof before she jumped to her feet. The larger wing bone stubs were smoldering and ashen. They wouldn't cause any fire now... they might look a bit odd, blackened and burnt bone poking out the back of her body, but they wouldn't set someone on fire.

Ignoring the stares, the whispers, she jogged down the staircase and headed straight back for the ward Taka was in. They should have moved him by now.

Bits of wing bone continued to crumble and fall off every now and then as Kia searched. She peered, she checked for charts, she ignored nurses who were trying to get her attention. No. She didn't need to see a Doctor. She needed to see Taka.

Who wasn't here.

He literally had been let out.

Kia stormed outside after returning to the room to collect her bag and the soggy phone. She crossed her arms, anger raging through her, and yet it somehow didn't feel nearly as satisfying now that her wings (which now were mostly just two bony stumps poking out of her back) were not able to join in the anger. Not that it would help... being angry at the hospital, the nurses, and all those people wouldn't actually solve the problem. With wings it might also burn down the hospital again.

"Why-" She muttered, standing there in the twilight, Kia's usual control on common language slipping as she growled "-they are so stupid?"

Why!

Taka was hurt. They needed to hold him. Tie him down. Kia could do this. Kia would do it.

With determination- she was going to prove that she didn't hate him and she was going to make sure he healed- she started to search around the place. She needed cakes though to prove to him that she liked him. Kia started to wander, the last of her wing joints finally crumbling away onto a grassy strip next to a road, while Kia eyeballed a small cake shop.

Right. Yes. She would feed him.

"Can I have that, that, that, th... yes, that but two, and that, and that, and that and it is sliced..."

It was while Kia tried to buy all the shop that she heard the music. Frowning, she hesitated, trying to think. Was it speakers? It was familiar and yet it was also really badly played. It sounded close. It also sounded like those CDs she had bought. The moment Kia had the bag in hand, she headed for the stairs, no permission asked.

She knew she was onto something when she caught sight of blood.

"Taka!" She shouted, literally shouted, and started up the stairs. Fast. Kia was fit but she was also angry, also really upset, and by the time she'd gotten to the top of the stairs her face was competely flustered. That, on top of the permanent glow her body tended to get whenever it was dark or she was emotional... she seemed almost to be a light in herself. "Taka! You, you go back, I gone to burn wings and I come back and you... and you..."

Kia finally saw him. For a moment she was speechless. Her jaw dropped.

Taka was pretty handsome right now. He really was. He was just looking so cool, all curled up around that guitar, all that angst and emotion on his face, all grown up and bleeding. All over his guitar. The city lit up behind him. Stars overhead. He looked so much like a rockstar that for a moment Kia ... well, she forgot how to breathe. With the light her body cast on him, like she was a big candle, it made his face all shadowed, his hair on his sweaty brow all sexy looking, and the droplets of fluid glinting.

He just looked so cool.

Except that he was playing his guitar when he wasn't supposed to. Except that he was really looking awful, really in pain, and Kia's brief madness shattered as she realised he was probably going to be hurting whatever was wrong in his body and then... and then... and then Taka would never be able to play again.

Oh no. He was a rockstar. Kia was going to protect him and make sure he played again.

She snapped out of the daze and flung the very full bag of cake and cupcakes right at his head.

"Stop hurting you!"

[Taka Elsu]

Taka hadn't even noticed Kia's presence, too focused on dulling out the pain with his music. He continued to play and string and slam and shout- that is, until he was knocked into reality with a pastry bag. It didn't hurt all too much, of course, more of a shock than anything else. He wasn't really sure what to say as he held onto his precious guitar and looked between smashed pastries and the practically glowing Fa'e in front of him. Did she always glow? He was almost positive she was going to burst into flames any second now. He hoped not, because he'd really had his fill of burning phoenix flames today. They were kind of painful, more-so than any ordinary fire.

For a short while, he just stared at her, almost gawking. The previously noisy rooftop had turned into sweet silence, not a sound to be heard aside from a gentle breeze. His hair was now dry, messy as usual, and blew all around his face in the wind. His bright yellow eyes couldn't manage to tear away from Kia's image- he was like lovesick puppy all over again. He almost thought he was dreaming for a moment. How long had it been now? He just wasn't used to seeing her so regularly. Years... years of not seeing his beloved (well, ex) and now she was everywhere he went.

Finally breaking the silent staring with an embarrassed cough, he set his guitar to the side and leaned against the one cement wall that was holding him up. He didn't really feel like moving. In fact, Captain Planet himself could float down from the sky and he still wouldn't move. He tried to hide his bloody and bandaged hands behind his back, as if she hadn't already noticed. Or maybe she would forget? Probably not.

"I, uh..."

He glanced at her one more time before looking away, because he couldn't even steal a look at the gorgeous phoenix girl in front of him (wings or not, she still seemed to glow with the very essence of a phoenix) without turning flustered.

"They released me! I didn't escape-" He tried to defend himself before she even accused him. Really, he wasn't trying to avoid anything... it was just...

That's when he remembered his original reason for leaving. Ra.

Taka slid her phone towards her and almost glowered at the hard cement floor.

"I'm fine. Your boyfriend's calling, so...."

He barely managed to mutter the word 'boyfriend' without feeling like his heart was going twist into a knot again. This sucked. He should've picked another rooftop.

[Neiith]

Kia's stomach growled as a cloud passed between them and the stars. The sight of sad lonely pastries and cakes were just horrible. Tragic. What a waste. She stared in particular at the sweet custard filled pastry. So soft. So full of soft custard. So buttery.

It was so sad.

It made her even more annoyed. How could he just escape? Escape! That was exactly what he did! Well. He probably couldn't escape Kia. She had seen the blood. Her nostrils actually flared as she stood straighter. "Oh, you think go run from me? You think you come here and you ruin all your hand so you can be sad and look all rockstar here in the night?"

Her sentances weren't making as much sense now. Maybe the custard pastry had tipped Kia over the edge a little. It was really just lucky that she couldn't set things on fire anymore. Taka totally surprised her with the return of her phone, unexpected words dulling the roar a little, and Kia actually seemed to lighten a moment.

"I have a boyfriend?" She asked as she snatched up the phone. Woah! When did that happen? Did someone just confess their love? Did someone ask her out? Maybe this could be something to make up for the whole day! Who was it? Was it the grocery store owner? He was in his forties, okay, but he was kind of sweet and he wore glasses and-

Well. He'd never called to ask her out before. Maybe he was calling to offer her a shift. Kia couldn't see any calls that explained this statement though. Only half a dozen from Ra (mostly around the late afternoon and sunset) and Kia generally ignored them till she could be bothered. It was usually about her going to one of the bulk shop places and getting more bulk food for Ra's estate.

Kia dropped the phone. Oh well. That was disappointing. Was Taka just teasing her? Maybe he knew how bad her love life was. Kia had tried all kinds of dating but most people just wanted to have 'hook up' and she really didn't want something so depressing as that. Maybe Taka was making fun of her. The skies opened up at that exact moment. Rain poured down, clouds letting go of the dramatic flood of water, adding to the already damp fa'e.

Kia's earlier conviction and anger was almost competely derailed by disappointment and by rain. She seemed to loose the glow. Kia missed dates. She missed roses and chocolates (given to her from someone else) and all of that. It wasn't fair for Taka to make fun of her when he had so many lovers all over the world.

"I only ... " She responded. "... only saw Ra's call. Now. What was I say... oh. That's right. You can not escape me. You have to play music to make people happy so I will not let you play anymore."

Kia stepped forward and reached out to grab the guitar's neck. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

[Taka Elsu]

Oh, you're gonna play ignorant, huh? Like you don't go to Ra every night laughing at how stupid I am! I bet you bet turn on the TV and cackle like... like... like villains!

Taka realized he was being irrational and overemotional. Well, his brain realized it, but the rest of him refused to recognize it. Why else would Ra call her, what, fifteen times?! I bet he was at home right now, waiting for Kia in some luxurious canopy bed. Lathering up in some... Egyptian.. sex... oil... thing.

Ugh!

'Ugh' didn't even fully encompass how completely and utterly exasperated he felt right now. He really just wanted to grab Kia and kiss her in the sudden rain, and it was getting increasingly difficult to fight that urge. Why did she have to be here? Why did she always have to be here teasing him, taunting him, tormenting him?! It wasn't fair. He was doing okay (that's a lie) when he was overseas without her, playing guitar... not worrying about Kia... (also lie)... flirting with whoever he wanted... (biggest lie)

Why was she suddenly shoving her presence in his face again? It was shaking everything he thought he knew. He spent years trying to get over her, failing miserably, and now he was back at day one again. Truthfully, he never got over her... he just learned to deal with her absence, sort of.

She was stupid and wet and drippy golden curls and beautiful and .... did he mention absolutely breathtaking? The rain seemed to make her fiery beauty intensify, not lessen. She was... wait. She was taking his guitar?!

He couldn't bite his tongue any longer, overcome with exploding emotions for Kia and a very maternal protection of his precious guitar.

"Why are- why are you even here?! You don't even care---"

He was cut off abruptly as his attempted lunge ended up in him tangling himself, tripping over his own injured feet, and toppling on top of Kia. Suddenly he had completely forgotten about the guitar when he found himself face to face with a familiar and awkward situation. He gulped and found himself at a loss for words with this newfound, awkward entanglement.

[Neiith]

Why did he keep making that face? Kia frowned, competely flustered, and tried to push the curls out of her face. She was loosing control over everything today. Everything. Clothing stuck, hair went everywhere, and there was just heat and flutters everytime he stared up at her from under his stupid hair.

"I'm taking this host-"

There wasn't even a chance for Kia to finish THAT threat. Taka stood up, towering over her a moment, before he toppled forward and knocked them both to the ground. Kia found herself between concrete, puddle and bony limbs on top of her. There might have even been custard under her head. Bony limbs? Why wasn't he eating? Why did he look so sick? Was it just moterbikes?

One hand was still clasped firmly around the neck of the guitar (which had let off a pretty tragic sound as several strings broke from the fall) and the other had grabbed onto Taka's side by sheer instinct. Or maybe she'd actually tried to make sure he fall on her. He was injured.

"You-" You what? Shouldn't be falling in this state? Needed to eat more? Needed to fall on top of her because she was soft and he was way too thin? Kia's words died in her mouth as she stared up at him, fingers tightening in his top, droplets from Taka's hair falling onto her face.

He was really close actually. Kia felt her hand let go of his shirt and reach for the phone. She wasn't even really thinking about doing it... it was becoming so automatic, so even she was surprised when she took a photo of him. It was just too much to expect a brain to remember it. It was just too much. She had to take a photo of him too. If she failed in her attempts to rescue him from his injury then she would at least have a photo. Then later she could stare at it for hours and try and figure this all out.

"Why am I here?" Under him? She didn't even care?

She could easily get up. Kia could easily push him. She could even pick him up if she needed to (and she might need to if he was this weak) but instead she just lay there, flustered, totally brainless and caught up in the moment. He was thin but he was still taller than her. Why had Kia forgotten about that? How had she forgotten his height?

Why was she here? Kia tried to focus on the question.

"To... to... take your guitar hostage. Because... because ... you stopped caring." Her voice kept getting cut off by rain- the wind and rain were actually kind of scary by this point, thunder making the whole world flash above them, not that Kia was paying the slightest bit of attention to the drama in the sky above. Nope. She was only focused on his words. Why would he rub that in? It was him, wasn't it, that just decided to stop caring? "Not me. It was you. So I... I can help. Then you can go back to being a rockstar."

Then maybe she'd get peace. Because suddenly Kia was almost about ready herself to abandon this whole thing so she could run away from all of this.

[Taka Elsu]

Taka had suddenly been overcome with emotion at the idea that he was the one to not care, and he grabbed Kia by the arms, yanking her even closer.

"I never stopped caring! I...!"

His face was flustered and unsure. Unsure of why it mattered. Unsure of why his heart was pounding. Unsure of pretty much everything he used to be so sure of.

He was so sure he'd never see Kia again. Never hear from her. He was so sure he'd spend the rest of his rockstar existence surrounded by doting fans he didn't really care for. He treasured his fans, really, but he didn't care for them like that. Like he cared for Kia. Like he'd always care for Kia.

Reality dawned on him and he suddenly felt like a vulnerable idiot. Why was he saying this? Why was he sitting on a stormy rooftop, face to face with his ex. His ex that had moved on. She had Ra. Why couldn't he move on? Why couldn't he give up on her? She was fine without him, clearly. She was beautiful and healthy and-

And happy. Happy without him.

At least, that's what he was convinced was the truth. He had to recompose himself. He couldn't seem like he was just a mess. He wanted her to think he was a badass rockstar, that he had his whole life sorted out, that he didn't even think about the past! Unfortunately, he was very bad at lying and pretending.

He forced himself to look away from her equally confused face and stumbled to his feet. He was wobbily and weak, but determined.

He stared at the stormy sky and finished his earlier statement in a soft mutter, "I... I should go. I have.... rockstar things."

How he was going to 'go' with bad balance and a now-wet foot cast, he wasn't sure. He'd figure that part out later.

[Neiith]

What did he mean by that? That wasn't fair. Now he was just being mean. Why did Taka have to come crashing back into her life like this, making her care, and making her have to take care of the idiot because Taka couldn't ride a bike and Kia couldn't leave him all bloody. So what if she'd decided to stomp into his life when she heard about it? Taka was the one who had nearly killed himself. Kia was just taking care of him. It was till he flew away again... off into his rockstar world and far away into the bright sparkle lights.

Kia's mind ran at a million miles a minute. Her mouth, however, just opened and closed several times. Made several weird noises. The rant didn't make it to being turned into verbal because he was way too close for talking.

Which one of them had actually broken up with the other? She was confused. Kia didn't remember.

"Don't..." she started as he stood up, trying to grab for him with her free hand, dropping the phone all over again. Better here. Down here. On Kia. He shouldn't stand anyway. "Don't ... hurt yourself more."

Kia still had a grip on the guitar though. She was determined about this guitar thing and held onto it hard as her wobby legs got her upright as well. The storm buffered wet fabric around legs, transparent in the wettest places, and she held the guitar to her side almost as if she was about to hug the poor thing.

"You can't do it. Without this. It is ... it is ..." Kia couldn't remember whether kidnapped or hijacked was right so she tried, "Hijacked. So there. You can come get it when you are well."

This time it was her trying to make the dramatic exit. Then she remembered Taka had issues with walking and hesitated at the stairs. She could just abandon him here on the rooftop in her mission to claim this guitar or she could wait for him and make sure he got down safely and THEN ran away with the guitar. Either way this conflict of the mind would give Taka some time to hobble after her.

[Taka Elsu]

Taka hobbled and wobbled and teetered. He seemed to be getting more weak by the second. After all, he'd been bleeding for quite a while. The bandages were practically useless, loose and soppy and wet. His vision was blurring and his thought process was pretty much nonexistent. Throbbing pain, cold and wet, and Kia. Lots of Kia. Kia leaving?

"K-Kia... wait-"

He barely muttered the incomprehensible word before his consciousness finally gave up and he went tumbling towards the hard concrete. He had strained and overexerted his body so much that it just gave up.

[Neiith]

Kia had started to think herself a villain. A supervillain would ignore his plea to wait. Right? A villain... well, they weren't as bad and Kia wasn't able to resist him. Not really. She didn't move an inch as he wobbled towards her, staring, taking it all in. She was still kind of dazed and confused by the exchange they'd had earlier and it took her a moment to react.

By then Taka had faceplanted into her bare feet and was more or less unconscious. The rain got harder, little puddles of red soaking into the concrete, which finally gave Kia the idea that maybe this was kind of serious and she had to leave the dramatic 'supervillain kidnapping the guitar' moment for another time.

She luckily still had the phone. It didn't take long for Ra to answer - he was livid- but Kia had bigger problems and didn't wait for the arguements.

"I am at a pastry shop near the hospital. Send a car." She demanded. Hung up. Kia would argue about Ra about missing whatever ritual he wanted to do later on. Taka wasn't going to a hospital. Oh no. No hospital was clearly good enough for Taka's needs.

Kia was taking him home. She would do it herself.

She bent down and lifted him up, careful, his guitar in his lap as she cradled him in her arms. Very carefully Kia took the steps down again and by the time she had made it to the street there was already a car waiting.

Carefully she dumped him into the back seat and called, "To my apartment and fast!"

[Taka Elsu]

Rockstar Seen Escaping With Egyptian Lover?!

Eloping?! Recent Popular Idol's Scandal!

New Star Kidnapped By Exotic Dancer?!?!

Kia probably didn't take into account how much his popularity had grown. News traveled fast for the idolized Fa'e, and it took mere moments for it to be the top story on every pop culture station and blog. Gossip was buzzing around the town and fangirls were trying to get a peek into every car that matched the description.

If Taka's phone hadn't been smashed into bits, it would have been vibrating and ringing nonstop. His manager was in a frantic panic with every released headline, but had no way of getting in touch with him. If only he had a pager- which he refused to get because he insisted he'd never need it.

He was fading in and out of consciousness with every bump and curve as the pain took turns between dulling and spiking up again in pain. Every now and then he would shriek from a stab of pain, but mostly just unconsciously clung to Kia's form. In his daze, he couldn't make out much of anything, except that whoever this was felt warm and soft and... snuggley. So just like any other confused, half-awake injured person would- he just kept nuzzling closer to the comforting touch of whoever this was.

[Neiith]

Somewhere right now some poor admin person for Ra's business was having a phone meltdown. Somewhere else, in a small grocery store, an owner was having a similiar problem. It never took long for the hounds to sniff down things via facebook.

Luckily this wasn't Kia's concern and it probably wouldn't have even crossed her mind what impression abducting a bleeding, unconcious, damaged looking rockstar into a car with tinted windows might give to onlookers. She had something gooey in her hair (maybe chocolate icing) and was soaking wet. Worse still- Taka was grasping onto areas that were no longer areas he was allowed to touch. No one was.

She shoved him, nearly knocking him into the window, before remembering. Oh right. Bad injury. Could not hurt Taka. Kia sighed and grasped onto him, letting him cuddle her, trying to behave and ignore the weird kind of ... enjoyment... that came from this.

Another lucky break was that Ra was an expert in hiring his drivers. Kia didn't have to worry about fangirls trying to break into the car- the driver was an exracer- and all she had to do was wait. It was crazy the kind of people that had been drawn to the reincarnated Egyptain God. A lot of people who had lost power. She guessed that he attracted them somehow.

So it wasn't too long before they reached the Estate. It was on a large area of land, forests and fields that were connected by stretches of private roads and smaller homes, complete in the middle with what could have been something like a castle or a mansion.

Tall, made of sandstone, even with a turret with a roof of glass, it had once been an old castle that Ra had bought and adjusted. Expanded. Decorated. The road went right up to the big old wooden doors. Kia had half hoped for her apartment, she'd asked for that, but it made more sense. Her apartment was right in the middle of the city. As soon as they arrived Kia directed them.

"Take him to my chambers for now." For now? Forever if he didn't behave. Kia thrust the guitar in someone elses face and added, "Hide it. Hide it really well."

She trailed after Taka and the man carrying him into the large stone building.