Elysium Inn (Always Accepting Literate People)

[The_Butterfly_Effect]

Though she hadn’t shown much in the way of guilt, Sera still felt relief at hearing that she hadn’t killed anyone; after all, she wasn’t some sadistic b***h who got a kick out of incinerating a poor soul now and then. Of course not. She just had accidents. That was all. Accidents that could very well be high up on the scale of tragic disasters, but accidents nonetheless. She never meant to destroy those civilisations, or burn down those forests in raging wild fire; personally she blamed organisations like CLOAK, they made her life so much more difficult.
“Ha, I like London. It’s fun, now and then. I’ve been plenty of times, and I don’t see any problem with their food. But fruit… I just can’t fathom how anyone could exist solely on fruit…” She pulled a mocking face, laughing at Sono as she tore a bite out of some bacon, licking her lips playfully and trying to make this particular bacon seem like the most delicious piece of food in the whole world, her eyes closing in bliss with every bite. All because he wasn’t eating any.

Her eyes blinked in slight surprise when Sono began communicating to her via their own private link, was what he had to say really that bad? She grinned at him, pointing the fork in his direction, still content on eating whilst she spoke to him, kicking the telepathy back into action,
I don’t think there is anything to discuss about my attire… unless of course you have some improvements? The smile curling slowly upon her lips as wicked thoughts flickered through her mind, she soon snapped her attention back to Sono when he began relaying all that he could recall from the previous night. And it certainly filled in all the blank gaps of Sera’s otherwise perfect memory.
No wonder he had been acting so odd, even Sera bit her lower lip to prevent any shocked laughter or devious smirking, she didn’t have much control over keeping a straight face though.
Aw, see now that’s sweet, I don’t remember seeing you all jealous when those guys were paying me some attention… though I did wonder why some guys started avoiding me. That’s cruel. Sera narrowed her eyes sharply at Sono, shaking her head a little from side to side, though she meant it jokingly, turning her attention back inwards to what was being said and shown.
Wow, you know, you’re one of the few people that I’ve played that tag game with, who didn’t call quits. Sera commented, trying to hide her face as she grinned madly to herself, doing her best to contain the laughter that wanted to bubble out. Everything looked so much fun last night, Sera could clearly see why she felt the way she did right now. That poor poodle… I’d feel worse if I actually liked those little mongrels. Idly chewing on a piece of bacon, just as he was getting to the good parts, Sera was sure they were the good parts because right then he had paused and she could see his cheeks were reddening. Which only fed to Sera’s pure delight in all of this, but she remained calm, simply smiling at Sono with a casual look.
Ooooooh, I see now… well… I shall have to watch out for you now then, won’t I? All that alcohol just fed the flames, naturally. I can’t believe I forgot all this… Her eyes widening the more he revealed, she had even stopped eating, which was a wonder itself. Yes, now that those particular memories were in her grasp, she would not allow them out of her mind again and when Sono would no longer be this Phoenix self of his, she would surely lament this deep loss. Sera didn’t want him to change, she was too greedy and selfish a person, she wanted to keep him all to herself, reliving those intense emotions again and again. It’d been too long since she’d been with a man who could withstand the intensity of her flame soaked aura, who met her needs fully and wasn’t afraid to play rough. Sono could handle her, that’s what Sera admired and yearned. Though she was a little ticked off that he'd ripped her costume in half, she'd spent ages trying to find something as sleek as that and it hadn't come cheap either. But how could she have stopped him in a moment of passion? Unless he had just disliked it that much.

Elbows resting on the table, chin in one hand, she was gazing at Sono like a love struck fool without even realising, right up until he finished their private chat and she realised he had spoken aloud.
“Well! Umm…” She pressed her lips together, not sure what to say or do for that matter, she didn’t feel like laughing, unless it was a nervous laugh to herself. He couldn’t help himself, he said, she was attractive? Well, yeah, Sera did try to pick out a decent body, but in her opinion, nothing was more beautiful than her true from; the vain bird that she is. Besides, Sono was damn fine himself, did he not know that she couldn’t resist him? Even his sudden mood swing into an overpowering furious look directed at her made Sera feel as if she could swoon at any moment. Her body leant forward ever so slowly as he raised his voice, telling her that he had thought about removing the sheet she was wearing wrapped so tenderly around her body. She wouldn’t mind if he wanted to, in fact she wanted him to, Sera suddenly craved this rough edge of his; it worked wonders in the bedroom after all.

“Mango?” Disappointment flashed in her eyes but she quickly recovered and leant back in her chair, picking up her forgotten fork and scraping up the last of the pancakes and syrup. Sera stuck her lower lip out at Sono when he returned to the table; he forgot what he was talking about? Damn him. She wasn’t going to remind him, instead she just felt like sulking and looking at something other than the smouldering guy sitting opposite her; damn him and his fruit, she felt like leaping across the table and snatching it away, that sensuous mouth of his…
“Whoa!” Sera jumped a little back when quite abruptly, a small white kitten leapt into the picture and did just what Sera had been thinking moments before; minus the obsessing over Sono’s mouth. That little fluff ball just took the mango that Sono had been enjoying, “Ha! Wow, is this thing for real?” Sera laughed in delight, feeling a lot better now that this had happened to Sono, she hoped he wouldn’t do anything rash to the cute little thing though; or was that just Sera who accidentally injured those who messed with her food? “Aww… so cute. I think you made a friend.” Sera smiled sweetly at Sono, shaking her head as she chuckled quietly to herself, standing up from the table. One hand holding the top of the sheets and the other grabbing her plate, she once more shuffled over to the buffet table close by, leaving Sono to battle it out with the kitten; the food was just too good to resist.

[Ms Silver Lining]

✣✤☺✓*𐐃 Unique E. Zebulun ➥
My mind is my mirror.


Amazing! Truly amazing! Unique was a very heavy sleeper. The hard smashing of down pour on her window, the crackling screams of the sky, the deep vibrating thunder of heavy barrels rolling down invisible stairs, the flashes of pure white; nothing could wake this seemingly fatigued human wrapped in the warm embrace of fresh comforters. What could be better than falling back to sleep after waking up so quickly before? She felt so comfortable, so well rested, so, so... maybe there wasn't a better word for comfort; perhaps snug was a go word. She was snuggled deeply away under her sheets in the realm of a dream that brought much relaxation. She dreamed of times when life didn't matter and all that was left was to live in the moment. All that was left was to be bliss, jump over rocks, chase after toads, play with the wind, and tumble down hills in lushes green grass. Ah, the life of a child!

These peaceful dreams continued up to a point where a voice sunk into the soft cushion walls of her dream. "You could have killed me before my claws ever reached your heart," the voice said and the small child in dreamland stopped playing to look around. Killed you? Unique frowned trying to recall a time she almost killed someone attacking her with claws. "Don't act coy. You know precisely what I'm gettin' at, Mr. Heaven. What are you?" For some reason Namir's voice was the only one managing to slip through the heavy sleep she still considered her self in. If it weren't for the name Mr. Heaven she would have thought he were asking her. The small girl stood up in the open fields of grass searching for the source of the rumbling voice. Maybe she could only hear his voice because her brain reregistered it as familiar. She had heard it before and it had a name. Namir wasn't it? Then before she could try focusing on him and his voice a new one introduced itself. "…youkai, immortal, demon, demi-god…humans have given me over a hundred names thus far. I scarcely remember them all anymore. Now, if that answers your question—this bullet?" What bullet? The small girl looked down at herself, pressing her small pudgy hand on her extremely flat chest. This dream was just odd and the child was starting to ask herself too many questions for it to be considered a dream anymore.

Large almond shaped eyes fluttered open, only partly, glowing softly under the darkness of her blankets. They closed again and remained that way in her second fight to fall back to sleep. There could be an earthquake and Unique would take her time getting out of bed, unless some unforgivable soul poured cold water all over her while she slept. She heard Namir's voice again asking someone to keep it down and not wake her. The words hadn't actually registered, for if they had, she'd be sitting up and looking for her said roommate. Oh, That's nice, lets be quite for our roommate. Her thoughts hummed peacefully to herself. The faint sounds of thumping and thrashing against Namir's bed was easily ignored as background noise like elevator music. She never really listed to those things. The gentle cracking and horrible pain of Heaven reminded her of the sound wood made burning in a fireplace. The snapping and crackling sounds could put her to sleep any day. The hot blankets around her gave her the false belief of heat waves, dancing their way around her slim body. Oh the battle for sleep was almost won! She had it! Just a little longer and-

"Wh-what th-the ******** was THAT?! You just….VIOLATED ME! You crazy sonovabitch! I swear to god I'm gonna kill the s**t outta y—"

What point was there in fighting for sleep? She was up now. Her glowing brown eyes fluttered open and closed as she straighten her body, yawing simultaneously. Her foot pushed from under the covers and her long body rolled onto its belly. The bedroom door slammed and the human finally pushed her body up on all fours. The heavy blanket slid off the side of her head and collected next to her long body. Her Carebare nightgown was twisted around her waist, shamelessly showing off the dancing kitten underwear. She yawned again arching her head back, pulling her body along, and sitting on her feet. Her slender hand rubbed her eyes while her second hand worked at untwisting the long nightgown. "What a way to wake up," she hummed pressing her lips together to prepare for another yawn. "A princess, baths, rooms, and wicked language." She smiled, sliding off her feet, and pulling them comfortably at her side, whilst a hand scratched through her hair. All the while her skin glowed, making it appear as if her cheeks were rosy and lips kissable pink. She was warm and the cool air of the room was soothing to a fairly calm girl waking up early afternoon. Somewhat pulled together she turned her head in the direction of her roommates bed...

Her hand was suddenly stuck to her head and her eyes fixed on him. He had the sharpest blue eyes she had ever seen. They pulled her straight in and only fear kept her from refocusing her view to look at the whole picture. This man, animal, animal-guy-beast was huge! His orange fur and black strips were shocking but the muscles built under it all was enough for her to know her place. He was handsome nonetheless, something she wouldn’t mind painting a picture of. However, fear rule number one at the moment. If she moved wrong, would he eat her? She inhaled slowly unaware that she had gone short of breath and would probably pass out if she didn't breathe. Her mind rushed to wrap around the concept and failed. There is nothing wrong with a big TIGER. Her hand dropped at her side as if it were made of heavy iron. "Nice... ti... ger," And. Three. Two. One. She had passed out. Her body making a backwards free-fall for the side of her bed and to its ultimate destination, the floor. Ah, the mind of a human!

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❝I'm still waiting to be born, until then I shall sleep peacefully.❞

[Kitsune]

Causing much mayhem, droppin' drama.
Radical rebel with a need to bomber.
Fake MCs dare not hang 'em higher,
The mic is mine time to pay the piper.
________________________________

This man-bird was definitely weird. Obviously injured from his fall, the man seemed more alarmed by his appearance than anything else given the way he stared at himself. If he was a magician of some sort, he wasted no time or breath on recovery incantations or chants to mend his battered form. He merely stood there almost dumbfounded, staring at his disheveled reflection with about as much astonishment as the two who stared dumbfound at him. And then he started waving. At his own reflection. Hesitantly, Yaritza and Dallas pulled their eyes away from the fallen angel to give each other questioning looks, Dallas' a bit more incredulous than his shorter companion's. What was he so fascinated about? Neither were very educated in the subject of angels and were therefore clueless when it came to how they originally looked or what would happen to one that had fallen from their lofty height to the mortal world below. They didn't understand the implications behind it either. Perhaps in time they would learn, but for now they were unaware. Dallas was about to comment on how weird the creature when Rune finally turned toward them and spoke in a voice that made them both start a little.

Neither had expected such a resounding voice to come from such a frail looking creature. Yaritza, who possessed hearing over ten times as sensitive as her companion, felt the full effect of it even over the monotonous pattering of the raindrops on everything around her. Under the veil of her illusion, they folded back flat against her skull. Feeling the urge to apologize for even doubting the existence of angels and having the audacity to befriend a disbeliever, the young woman lifted her hands and rung them nervously in front of her chest. Dallas was not so easily cowed, however. His eyes narrowed a fraction, forcing himself not to falter before whoever this man before him was. He stood by his previous words. Angels didn't exist. If they did, then the higher entity they served must also exist. Dallas had heard plenty of talk from those who blindly believed in that entity. Every other week bands of mortals would roam through the forest attempting to "educate" the "pagans" who would worship "unholy" things. For fun, he and the forest guardian would get into long-winded debates with them that usually ended with the outsiders either giving up or leaving with troubled hearts and wavering faith. "Aren't real," he repeated with conviction. Fully expecting the man standing across from them to frown or argue, he was taken totally by surprise when a smile played across his lips instead. Why was he smiling?

The happy exclamation confused them both and they clearly went on guard when he suddenly raised a hand to wipe his face. Yaritza knew of beings so powerful that a flick of a finger could destroy a city. So, naturally, she was a little jumpy around this new being who could apparently survive burning alive as he sky dived straight into solid concrete face first. Maybe his actual body was still lying in that crater and what they were seeing was his ghost. A very solid, living ghost. Yaritza moved a little closer to Dallas but he made no move to reassure her. He was still trying to piece together this strange situation himself. "Of all the alleys you could have fallen in..." he began in a lowered voice before surprise stole his words away. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, his expression one of pure, unadulterated shock. How could someone outside of his family, his clan, his circle, know his elven name and speak it in perfect dialect! There was only one he had told since leaving his family behind to find his own path and she happened to be standing next to him with her own look of shock plastered on her face. "I-Impossible," he mouthed voicelessly.

And to further shock them, he addressed Yaritza. Not only by her given name but by all the names that accompanied it. The vixen's ears shot forward in astonishment. This outsider, this man from the sky actually knew her name and he spoke it as if it were common knowledge. One could equate it to a fanboy shouting the name of a childhood idol he knew so well that it was all too familiar to him. Yaritza was no pop star or even a reality television personality. She was only well-known in her city and to the people who lived there. Outside of it, she was just another fox. "He must be an angel," she murmured in lingering disbelief. How else would he know?

Dallas, however, was still unwilling to accept that. There were no such things as angels. There never was and there never will be. This man knew things that most didn't, but the elf wouldn't chalk it up to him being some divine being farted out of heaven for whatever reason. If he had to explain it, he would say it was a matter of Rune having spoken to the right person for information. And if he were to chance a guess at who that 'right person' was, he would say it was the forest guardian. She likely realized her lowly youkai minions were destined to fail at trying to capture him and had sent this weirdo out to drag him back home. If so, she had another thing coming. And if his pretending to know them wasn't insult enough, the supposed angel kept talking and added insult to injury by trying to pair him up with the fox. As if she would ever be his lover! She wasn't even a slight interest! This guy and his familiarity, insane conclusions and the way he smiled annoyed him beyond reason. "Lover?! As if I'd choose her to be my lover!" Yaritza was more of a pet. No, he'd say she was more of a tool. He needed her around, but he didn't love her. He ignored the look the fox sent him. "Rune, huh? Well, Rune, you are in New City. I don't know where, but this is it. As for you being an angel... I don't believe it. You certainly don't look like one." No, he wouldn't fall for that one. His eyes briefly narrowed at the rings on the man's fingers, before they returned to his face.

Yaritza found herself agreeing. Though she never saw a real angel before, she had seen images of them in the holy buildings, in books and portrayed on the television. "If you were an angel, you'd have pretty white wings and light shiny hair and one of those glowing halos on your head. Oh, and you'd have a harp." She raised her hands and pretended to strum an invisible harp in her hands. Oddly enough, though she clearly had no harp in her hand, the beautiful sound was produced for them to hear. "Right?"

Dallas wasn't surprised by it and merely nodded, knowing it was her power over sound that allowed her to do it. "You're just some weirdo with wings."

Yaritza suddenly tensed and looked back behind them, her senses alerting her to another presence drawing near. She turned slightly and looked across the distance between them and the entrance to the alley they stood in. Not even a moment later, a stranger poked his head into view. The rain combined with the near overwhelming smell of ozone wafting off Rune's body, was affecting her sense of smell and she couldn't get a read on the newcomer. As he came into full view, Dallas reluctantly looked away from Rune to spy the stranger on roller skates. He knew Rune's dramatic entrance would draw a crowd and this was likely just the first of the dozens who were bound to show up soon. "Everything's fine," she called back at D. Her gaze turned back to her companion, the fox curious about what they should do now. If they lingered, they might get caught up in something they didn't need.

"Let's get going," Dallas muttered before grabbing Yaritza by her collar and giving it a sharp tug to get her going. She stumbled and yelped, surprised by the tug and barely kept herself upright. He didn't know where they were going, but anywhere was better than lingering in the alley with the weird winged man who knew too much.

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[Yoshkun]

The Vampire
吸血鬼

After taking a sip of the dark liquid swirling in the bottom of his mug, Vincent couldn’t help but let his gaze fall on one of the many foggy windows in the dining hall. Rain splashed against the glass with ease, each drop more furious than the last as the storm outside began to worsen. Although he usually would have been put off by the prospect of having to hunt down a soggy victim, the satisfied sensation of a full stomach caused him to chuckle lightly after setting the cup on the table for a moment. It was true that rainstorms provided a blanket of visible security when seducing a potential meal, and the cool feel of droplets streaming against the sensitive skin his soft lips were pressed against was quite refreshing; but he still viewed it as a pain. For one, travel between shadows was somewhat difficult when he wasn’t immediately able to spot a shadow to phase through, secondly, even vampires were susceptible to slipping on slippery puddles during an unlikely pursuit. His brows furrowed at this, reminding him of one particular instance where he had allowed a young elf priestess to escape due to such conditions. As perhaps only the succubus knew, elf blood was terribly delicious and considered a delicacy in some circles; in short…not to be wasted. These negative thoughts were neither here nor there, as the clatter of Miwa’s mountainous set of plates banging against the tabletop easily shattered his momentary daydreams. Instead of falling to the floor with a chronic case of cardiac arrest, the vampire’s rosy lips simply parted into an enchanting smile followed by a nod to acknowledgment her comment.

Well, this was certainly a bit of a surprise. Considering the familiarity the sheep had with the chef, he assumed she would find her swishing tail over to Bob before digesting an apparent truckload of breakfast. However, obviously a gesture of appreciation and perhaps kindness, she had to decided to spent her first meal (which was terribly important to a sheep) with him. This notion caused the smile to linger upon his expression; picking up the mug from the table and taking a sip from now lukewarm coffee. Excellent, he thought happily as he was genuinely pleased upon realizing her decision. It would certainly give him more time to learn more about her before her bumbling shepherd came to drag her away. His eyes trailed her across the room from the moment she poured both water and orange juice till she wiggled right back into the chair beside him; his expression remaining indifferent until an arched brow betrayed his provoked curiosity. There was nothing wrong with the food Bob cooked necessarily, as Vincent was sure there was a time before the darkness where he wouldn’t have minded a few strips of tender bacon or scrambled eggs. Though he was very sure he wouldn’t have been as obliviously enthusiastic as Miwa was about those flapjacks she was currently inhaling. The way she could fit so much buttered fluff into her small opening was impressive, but the way her fingers caught the syrup like dripping molasses and stuffed it in was truly the mark of a food lover; a Connoisseur even. The vampire knew better than to try and speak while she was getting the first taste of many throughout the afternoon, so he simply drank the rest of his coffee while humming softly to himself.

His swauvé and alluring presence did have a breaching point, as Tomahi had discovered earlier when she had tried to pilfer his sacred item, but even theft couldn’t compare to the way his nerves rattled when asked about…’the thirst’. It was such a private and horrid thing to discuss, but without batting an figurative eye Vincent blinked and stared down at Miwa curiously when she brought that particular topic to the surface. He wouldn’t let his temper get the better of him this time though, as he would regard Miwa’s inquiries as that of a playful child. After all, if he was going to pursuit this game any further, then he would have to be mostly honest with her to avoid trouble with her guardian. It was something he always had to be careful with when the word “vampire” was thrown around so blatantly by the lips of an innocent.”Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve had an interesting question like that one." He grinned at her cautiously, feeling he could speak in such a way that he wouldn’t need the use of his ever useful pheromones; but if she was sitting too close she might be snared by them accidentally.”It’s a bit complicated mademoiselle sheep, but to put it simply…vampires are not limited to blood. When a vampire is satisfied with their blood intake, it is possible for them to merrily devour any of the fine foods laid out on the buffet table. If they are not full, however, imagine everything on that table being disgusting green slime. That’s how wretchedly bland our taste buds become…truly a nasty sensation I would recommend avoiding.” He shuddered lightly, always trying to avoid that thick wood taste on the roof of his mouth even when he didn’t feel like actually eating. He tilted his head slightly, picking up the mug by the handle and observing it if for no other reason but to entertain her.”This? I have enjoyed coffee for more years than I care to count…so I am pleased to say it does wonders for me. Your chef friend has quite the eye for good brews.” It was too bad he didn’t have the same tastes in body wash, but then again one might find soap meaningless when you just so happened to be dead.

“I hope that answers your questions. Now, if you don’t mind…I do have one of my own.” A small smirk curled upon his lips, setting the empty mug back down and crossing his leg onto his knee.”You seem like such a busy woman, with all of this hopping around and wiggling of hips. So, Miwa, pray tell what does a bouncy girl like you like to do for fun? Surely there must be something you enjoy doing to burn off all of this electric energy.” He placed his chin into an open palm, gazing over at her with those twinkling ruby red eyes that matched the interested grin dancing upon his lips. Vincent was so bored with humans and their meaningless drivel, and it was very rare to run into any of their kind; sheep or shepherd. He had no reason to ponder the texture of her blood, as he was sure it tasted nearly the same if not exactly like the blood of a more recognizable sheep. Instead, he simply wanted to learn about her and discover why she fascinated him to the core of his chilled bones…for now.

[Viice]

Come satisfy desire. Come set yourself on fire.

Finally her shirt was dry. As it dried Phoenix had been daydreaming about life at home, back in Liverpool, and about how much she really did miss her friends. She wasn't one to go soft for people too fast, but loneliness was harsh here in New City. It was nice to know every face in Liverpool, every building, every crack in the sidewalk. She recalled the night before when she had been in a drunken stooper with strangers, all reminding her of her friends in their own ways, but when the night was over they scattered, never to be seen again. And once again Phoenix was alone.

She was pulled back to reality by Janet's voice, asking her to put her shirt back on. She expected protest, but the deed was done, her shirt was dry, so she nodded absently and muttered You da boss.... before slipping the shirt back over her form. She stood then, stretching and sighing a bit and the smell of food hit her. She imagined it would be good to rid the stale feeling of alcohol from her stomach with a hot meal. She snuffed out her cigarette in an ashtray on the coffee table before her and ran her tongue over her teeth, savoring the flavor of tobacco before her heavy boots carried her into the dining hall.

She had one hand in her back pocket as she entered, and before she could assess the whole situation a small white kitten zoomed by her. She looked down at it with an arched brow, then watched as it ran swiftly to steal a mango from another guest. She half smiled and shook her head a little, how freaking adorable. That little white puff ball had attitude. She then looked to the victim, who was sitting next to a gal clad in...sheets. Interesting. As Phoenix continued to look at the girl, however, something inside her stirred, she seemed familiar, or something about her at least held Phoenix's attention. A power, akin to her own, a heat that burned, it made Phoenix want to light things on fire. Her eyes gleamed a moment before she tore them away, the hunger to eat outweighed the hunger to burn and she shooed away her questions about the scantly clad stranger.

She walked up to the large table where the delicious food was laid out and considered her options. Her eyes fell on the bacon first, ohh delicious bacon, she took a few slices, the crispiest looking ones of course, then her gaze shifted to the waffles, and the assorted jams laid out neatly in a line. How adorable. She tried the strawberry and..was that peach jam? She slathered it over her waffles, she proffered them over pancakes, and continued down the line. Sausage was added, an English muffin and gravy, and when her plate was reasonably heavy she smiled slightly to herself, the feeling of her empty stomach egging her on to an open table. She sat at the first closes table to the buffet, not wasting her time to look around at what else was available, and the moment her pretty little arse hit the seat she started eating. At the taste of the peach jam she let out a soft hum of approval. Her eyes rose to Bob, who she suspected was working here from his place behind the counter. She grinned and winked at him, he had done well, or at least whoever he was working for had done well. Either way her appreciation was expressed and she returned to stuffing her face, not in a completely bestial manner, but enough to suggest she had been quite hungry.

When her fingers reached for the sausage she paused, then plucked it from it's place and examined it carefully. Hmm...more crisp. She snapped her fingers under the sausage and her eyes seemed to light up just as the fire did at her fingertips, which she held under the sausage carefully, turning the sausage beneath the flame. Perhaps it was just an excuse to exorcise her pyromania, the look on her face certainly gave that away. When the sausage was just about burnt she popped it in her mouth, the heat clearly not bothering her at all, and she shook her hand at her side to extinguish the flame, closing one eye. WOO! I like it hot... She said to herself with a grin before starting the whole chore over again on the next sausage link.

//[L]ocation: Dining Hall// [C]urrent Music: Filter-Hey Man Nice Shot// [M]ood: At Ease// [S]tatus: Unharmed//
[T]attoos: ex 1 ex 2//

[Yoshkun]

The Firebird
不死鳥.

Sono seemed genuinely surprised when he glanced across the table and saw that extended lip so firmly pointed in his direction, the sheer delight Sera derived from lapping up the overwhelming humiliation he felt had vanished in an instant. Besides being who she was, he couldn’t understand what caused her mood to flicker so quickly after leaving only to retrieve a simple mango. Did she really hate fruit that much? He shook his head slightly and took another bite, chewing with just as much vigorous enthusiasm to mimic her jokingly as she devoured her sticky bacon.”Hah! By that stare you’ve been giving me, I would say avoiding me might be a little harder than you care to admit.” His confidence was starting to return with a chest free from burden, a wicked grin curling upon his juice soaked lips as he licked them clean in a painfully slow manner simply to mock her further. The childish behavior came to a firm halt when he thought about those drunken human males again; a gold spark triggering in his pupils the instant the memory hit his forethought.”You don’t understand…or maybe you do. Humans, specifically males, can be terribly disturbing and disgusting under the influence. Somebody had to watch out for you…since you certainly weren’t going to.” He frowned slightly and muttered under his breath, twisting the half eaten mango between his fingers. Although he was trying desperately to cover it up, it was obvious by his tone that he had been slightly worried about the phoenix’s safety.

Before his intelligent wit kicked in and became determined to repay Sera for her laughter, a four legged blur streaked past them and left his once fruit filled fingers relatively empty. He blinked for a few seconds in a dumbfounded manner, turning his neck sideways to look over at the thieving kitten who had nabbed him of his favorite snack. It was an adorable cat, covered in white fur and fussing over his now captured mango. One might have expected a man consumed by a woman’s temper that sizzled with the intensity of the sun itself would have fried the little pipsqueak where she stood; but the thought never crossed his mind. Sono, at his core, was still a nature spirit. That meant he was a friend to all animals even if they didn’t recognize him as such, like Flicker for instance. He tilted his head and smirked, his fingers lightly rapping against the tabletop.”You must be pretty hungry, friend. If you wanted something…all you had to do was ask! Here, I guess I can help you out since I'm certainly finished...apparently." He rose from his seat and made his way to the buffet with agile quickness, gathering certain fruits on one plate and small minnows on another before returning to the table Flicker was perched upon. He set down the fruit first, then the minnows, and finally an added bowl of milk. How he had managed to pull off that little milk stunt was something only Sera’s mindless insanity could possibly comprehend.”Haha…I think you’ll enjoy this! Everyone needs a healthy balanced breakfast, right?” He laughed pleasantly, not daring to reach out and pet the kitten no matter how appreciative she may or could be. If there was one thing that he knew about animals, it was that they could be devilishly tricky during any period deemed to be mealtime. Speaking of devilish intentions, since the cat was hopefully satisfied with its freshly prepared breakfast, his attention turned to Sera who had her back to him as she stood impatiently over the buffet trying to decide on her next selections. A toothy grin smeared across his expression, his eyes narrowing playfully while his red hot aurora flared considerably. It was most certainly payback time.

He didn’t need the use of teleportation to move about in short distances, finding his arms draped around Sera in mere seconds as his hoodie pressed into her back and his fingers clenched into the sheets to keep them from falling daintily to the floor; people were here to eat after all, not to gawk at the phoenix in all of her ‘magnificent glory’. His aurora melted into her until they both burned softly in the unified heat, his chin resting comfortably on her bare shoulder while his bright eyes scanned over the various foods from meats to vegetables with no real intention of eating any of them. No, he was more focused on the young lady who could currently feel his steamy breath wash warmly upon her outer ear. Did Sera really think she was going to get away with teasing him? He tightened his grip, pressing up more against her back as the words that escaped from parted lips purred like, let’s say, a kitten.”You know what I like about fruit? The way the juices tend to flow the farther you bite into them…its absolutely delicious. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. That’s why I like fruit. You should give it a chance.” His grin couldn’t have been bigger as he lightly nuzzled into the back of her neck, his lips brushing against the tiny hairs that were on end; lingering breaths now threatening to spark the closer their skin came to making contact though their flimsy fabrics. How easy it would be to tear through this single sheet of hers, as was proven by ripping through thick leather hide the previous night.”I know the rain has got you feeling a little down. It’s going to be a long stormy day, just trust me, so I want to do something that would perk you up a bit.” He nibbled lightly on her ear, smirking as his orange hair fell forward onto her shoulder; his eyes were their usual smoldering golden blaze by this point.”So as you get that next plate of...food...I want you to think about what that may be, okay? You still have a free favor, you know.” He lowered his head and placed a final kiss on her blanketed shoulder to be a complete tease before stepping away, his breath shallow when the two flames disconnected and he was left to his own heating supply to fulfill his luscious desires.

Feeling full of that arrogant Sera nature and cocky Sono stride, he nonchalantly strolled back over to the table and propped up his feet again; the crackling aurora almost boiling over with delight. His dominating energies had returned as soon as they had left, feeling a surge of confidence upon realizing they didn’t have to talk of such intimate things at the moment; only the feel of her embrace consumed his thoughts now and that's the way he liked it. However, he did glance over and smile at the small white kitten affectionately with no apparent nefarious motive in mind. He just truly found her to be a darling little animal. If he wasn’t nearly positive someone already owned her, he wouldn’t mind keeping her all to himself. Sono realized he had felt incredibly greedy all morning without any explanation as to why…perhaps it was the rain having some weird effect upon him? He paid it no mind and simply closed his eyes to bathe in the peace the sound of conversation and dripping water gave him, terribly thankful not to be alone right now. This mask made him feel unnaturally lonely and moody from the moment he put it on. Did Sera feel like this? He brushed aside the thoughts casually as not to ruin his upbeat mood, his eyes drawn straight to the small flame lit by Phoenix’s fingertips. Shaking his head rapidly as if coming out of a trance, he was beginning to also realize any use of ‘pyrokinesis’ was like a lantern to his now moth sized attention span. To avoid becoming distracted by Phoenix's breakfast routine, he let a small ember form in his palm to let the soothing sensation of heat wash over and recharge him before Sera hopefully returned.

[Yoshkun]

The Fallen Angel
天使

“Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.”

“Well, this elf fellow certainly was a piece of work. He flew off the handle at the mere possibility of Yaritza being his soul mate…which might have really hurt the young spirit's feelings! Needless to say, I relished the opportunity to twist that smug stare of his into a discontent combination of shock and mindless babble. However, neither of them were convinced I was an angel because of my rather…unfortunate…appearance. I was a little disheartened that after eons of waiting for this opportunity that I was not welcomed with open arms. It might have been depressing had I not seen my reflection in the window. However! The elf’s rough handling of his companion drove me to pursue the matter further and prove to both of them that I indeed was a real angel. Oh, and it was good to be in New City too. I guess.”

His charred jacket slid off his broad shoulders with ease; tossing aside the bloody rags into a rusted trash can that rattled appreciably for its bountiful gift. His undershirt was certainly a mess; the once woolly texture of a lavish sweater was now a blood soaked incarnation of its predecessor. There were cuts all along the sleeves and chest, the entire right sleeve itself was a mere lingering thread or two away from snapping and slipping off his arm entirely. Fortunately, the shredded jacket had painfully absorbed most of the blood lost from the fall, which left this new rag to be relatively clean in comparison. It was as if he shed an intimidating snake skin and was now enveloped by a serene presence, his previously narrowed stare lightening considerably despite how disappointed he was in the taller traveler for treating his ‘friend ‘so roughly. Even if Rune had mistaken her to be his passionate lover of unspeakable desires, that didn’t mean he had to handle her like an abused house pet. The intensity of the storm had also picked up, which meant he getting terribly soaked while a lone crackle of thunder passed overhead. He raised the arm with the drooping sleeve quickly, his crooked palm extended upwards to prevent Dallas from proceeding any further. If he did, he would simply bump into his hand and the angel was pretty confident he could hold his own. Both men were fairly slender, but Rune’s muscular outline was now clearly visible when his partially exposed chest tightened with every forced breath his shuddering lungs took of this somewhat polluted air swirling around them. He hadn’t the foggiest clue what he had to prove to Dallas or Yaritza, but his feathers ruffled up irritably despite how calm his facial features seemed.”I don’t think so, Caelik Dainslef! I am not going anywhere until I prove you to that I am undeniably an angel. That includes you too, Miss Ataide. It will be quick.” His tone seemed very firm on this point, as the fallen angel was far from stupid. Agents that were neither CLOAK nor youkai on the prowl were what held such a firm grasp on his thoughts, something far more sinister slithered between the eclipsing shadows of the massive skyscrapers that was exceedingly more terrifying than any demon the Forest Guardian could track them with. A sudden chill ran up his bruised spine when Yaritza called out to D, not budging from his stance...but he had almost been certain it was his worst nightmare coming to swallow him up into the dark afterlife.

“I have to admit, my words were pretty bold considering the shape I was in. When an angel loses its wings, so to speak, it really means they lose a lot of their heavenly gifts. So now I was supposed to prove to them that I indeed was a descendant of a greater holy power? What’s that term that humans use? Being in a pickle? Yuck, I can’t understand how they digest those things. They're all green and bumpy like that of a toad! How awful! Err…never mind. Yaritza seemed to be the more impressionable of the two, so it made sense at the time to try to appeal to her first. She seemed to be sound based in ability, which was terribly odd given her obvious accent. Sound spirits usually rested towards the East, did they not? Perhaps I was not as brushed up on spirits as I ought to be…”

“Well, I do have a harp as a matter of fact! You like music, right?” He pressed his palms together, a whitish aurora encircling his hands and seeping between his enclosed fingers like thick steam pouring off dried ice. It was only a tick or two before he brought them apart again, the smoke twirling into the outline of a surprisingly small harp before actually hardening into a solid instrument. It had a beautiful design, the outer frame painted in a flourishing white with silver markings on either side which appeared to be something scribbled in Latin, strings of the purest golden threads gave it a mystifying quality that made it seem as if it would play on its own if given the chance.”I haven’t practiced in a while…but I’ll think of something.” He slipped the harp into the caress of his right arm and palm, bringing his free hand in front of it and letting his fingers trickle against each string to assure his guests it still had a harmonious and pleasurable sound. To his delight, the hum that vibrated from each string were rapturous in how perfectly synced the pitch was with every string he plucked. Without wasting another moment, his fingers began to dance upon the instrument with careful precision, each second producing another note that seemed more beautiful than the last. The song began to carry through the air as its haunting yet captivating rhythm caused Rune to close his eyes to fully concentrate on its complexity. Neither he nor his musical companion seemed effected by the rain, the strings pulled just as well if not better with the slick aid of wetness upon them. Things around them almost seemed deathly still, the clattering voices of arguments in buildings above and the seething rage of the storm surrounding them quieted in the awing presence of the heavenly tool when it played so flawlessly; but by the time his hand went still only a single second elapsed before the violent whirlwind of noisy city life continued on its daily routine. The harp itself evaporated into the air around it, allowing Rune's soft eyes to flutter open naively as if it had never been. He had no wish to gauge either reaction presently, for his time was running drastically short before they ran away or he collapsed from his own wounds. He still had something to prove to Dallas, after all.

“The sound of my harp almost brought cloudy tears to dried slits, not because I was moved by the way my harp still played wonderfully even here on Earth…it just tore something out of me that I cannot even begin to describe. Though I wished to impress Yaritza with my skill, mostly because I was near certain the elf would be indifferent to it, I realized I had been playing more for myself than I had anticipated. In any case, the elf would require something more…drastic. I think I had something right up his alley…err…no pun intended.”

A flashing light briefly blinded the current residents of the alley and any soul who happened to pass by at that particular moment, settling in after a few seconds and unveiling a shimmering compound bow that lay grasped between Rune's fingertips that glistened with chivalrous divinity just as, if not more so, than the exquisite harp had earlier. The riser shared the same milky white coat, the bowstring made of a fine silk that looked fragile at first glance, but its tight fibers could lift boulders with he right amount. Rune’s forefingers clenched around the grip firmly, holding it out to the stingy elf in case he had the gall to think the angel was performing a crafty illusion.”This is a holy bow, my friend. Capable of firing off arrows made from the purest light in the entire universe. This bow could hit a demon right between the eye sockets before it even realized you were ever there!” Dallas was just going to have to accept his word on that, however, as even in the gushing veil the storm provided like a thick blanket over their heads was not enough to contain an arrow so pure; as it would be just as irresponsible as firing a sparkling flare to their various enemies to inform them of their current whereabouts. Instead, the bow vanished into puffs of familiar mist amongst the wind that had picked up sharply during the course of their conversations and left not a trace of its presence soon after.

“In the back of my thoughts I could hear the storm’s warning thumping against my sullen wings, suggesting my friends’ patience would not last much longer. It was rather amusing when you sat back and thought about it, this whole ‘proving-my-worth’ thing to beings not long ago would have been most apperceive of the talents I posses. Pride is fickle like that, clasping around one’s throat and squeezing the resistance in gasping breaths before you lay limp in its arms. Helpless to its alluring charms as you are reborn to its will.”

“Only an angel could have access to these kind of holy artifacts. Surely this proves that what I say is the truth.” His hands were quite literally miniature waterfalls with how much chilling liquid was falling from his fingertips, but he simply shook them a bit and placed them on his sides; white strands intertwined with ones of a much darker tint threatening to overlap his eyesight if he made no move to brush them aside. If there was one positive in the midst of being washed through a lackluster hurricane, it was that nearly all of the blood oozing from cuts in his flesh had been purged through the grace of nature and for that he was thankful. It was about this time that he could sense D behind them somewhere at the opening gap of the alley, but it was terribly hard to determine exactly what he was sensing. The rain was obviously no help with its keen nature to disguise things around them, but whatever it was it certainly wasn’t human. Neither was another strong aurora was that headed this way, which made his own triumphant demeanor slightly apprehensive.

“Things were going bump in the alleyways of New City, and not the semi-friendly kind like Dallas and Yaritza. I didn’t know how long this clashing of minds could last here, but even if I couldn’t prove anything to anyone, I did have a starting point for the long journey ahead."

[Vincent W Sinnet]

♪Prophecies That Show♪

♪The Tragedies We Know♪

♪Is It Fate Or Faith That Will Save Me~♪

Well, that was a bold faced lie. D could certainly tell that everything was far from fine. D could feel three sources, there was one that was physically hurt, there was one who was being tormented by another dude who had some pretty bad vibes coming off him. Well, not like real real bad, but not any good. D wondered what on earth he could be walking into, I mean one guy was hurt obviously, real bad, D could feel those wounds like they were his own. The power of empathy right? At times felt like a mirror, reflecting all of the pain and emotion poured into him from this wretched city. D could pump out enough positive energy to be like a ray of sunshine poking through a storm like this one. But compared to the darkness of the city, it was little more than a dim flashlight. D tried his best regardless, what little positive vibes he could stir up made the downpour of sour emotions lighten just a little.

Of course it wasn't like this storm was going to lighten up any time soon. If that guy was as hurt as D could feel, which he probably was worse off since D was still a little ways away, then standing out in the rain wouldn't do him much good. His skates clattered a little bit as D threw caution to the wind and started down the alleyway, but he couldn't hardly get started as D could hear music filter through his own. Beautiful notes poured past the busy beats blasting in his headphones. The sound was so fantastic that D did something that only happened once in a blue moon, completely turned off his own music. His headphones even were taken off of his ears and hung around his neck. The music was nothing to dance too, it even seemed to incite a sort of stillness that even affected D. He stopped rolling and leaned against the brick well to his left.

If there was one thing D knew it was a good sound, good sounds came from good people that was for sure in D's book. That man played a harp and stirred up positive vibes that D was envious of, not so much for the great sensation but because... well.. D didn't actually know how to play any instrument. Turntables and Mixers didn't really count as, like, a real instrument. Sure D could come up with good sounds through that, but it wasn't the same as playing a completely original song from an instrument. D either didn't have the patience or the ability to drudge up originality from a blank slate. D pondered on the music that the wounded guy played, replaying it again in his head after the guy had finished, his eyes closed beneath his shades. Missing all that had happened concerning the bow. Playing it over again was no trouble for him, all things considered. Metal bones and organs, a silicon mind all hidden under synthetic skin and hair. He wasn't any human no, but at the same time he was just as human as anyone else. It was the synaptic data, or so they called it, of other men that helped write his code, his very soul. He had the advantages of his synthetic body, but did that mean he wasn't human? He was designed to be one, just, not a biological one. It was a subject D didn't try to think about, it was all too confusing and conflicting.

D was convinced that this guy certainly needed a hand, his injuries weren't nothing to just walk off, if left alone this guy could be in some serious trouble. A guy who play such sweet sounds shouldn't be left to that sort of fate. The other two, the vibes coming off them, bouncing between them and off this guy, it didn't seem like they was too eager to help, just eager to get lost. Not surprising all things considered, but the closer D got, as he started rolling down the alleyway at an average speed. The more the mans injuries pained D himself. D needed to dampen the feeling, he put up his headphones again and his fingers dexterously pushed buttons and turned dials. Green lights going out and others lighting up and the ear pieces and music once again playing, muffled but still audible in the air around D. After that, D stowed away his sunglasses, grasping the blue case in his hand, he did not yet remove it. He could already feel some apprehension at D's own presence. D let his own cool vibes flow effortlessly, like cool water on a hot burn, D's chill vibes would aid to take away the fear and the doubt. His prismatic eyes, glowing swirls of neon color that were ever changing, were hypnotic as the colors danced naturally to the music. His eyes themselves seemed to try and light up the alley all by themselves though it was far beyond their capability.

"Angel or not, those were some heavenly sounds you had flowin' through here. Ya sure know how to brighten up a dark alley man." As if D was one to talk, his white polyester suit bright enough in it's own right. But that was neither here nor there. D rolled through the alley with ease, dodging the clutter and (was that a small crater?) on the ground, D rolled around the injured guy and stopped just beside the other two. Closer inspection obviously showed that the dude was a winged sort of guy. There was a dark skinned girl and then there was a light haired fair skinned dude too. D didn't know what their hurry was, the blood mixed in with the rainwater on the ground should have been evidence enough. But this whole angel argument seemed to have consumed them. D's head nodded slightly to the beat of his music. D's eyes rested on the "Angel" though, for it was he had captured his attention from the very beginning.

"Didn't know Angels bleed though, that's a shame, nothing swinging out melodies that entrancin' should be sufferin' any." By saying that D neither confirmed or denied his own opinion on the matter not that it mattered any. D was basically being a huge interruption in the dynamic between the three already in the alley. But his focus wasn't entirely, on the guy before him. After all, D had to suspect how this guy had gotten into such a bad way. "So what's happenin'? A couple of sadists back here makin' you put on a show while you bleed to death? Or am I just missin' somethin'?" D opened the blue case, putting on the blue shades that matched. Then, his eyes hidden, he turned his head to face the other two so that they knew he was talking about them. D kept a smile on his face though, he could read their feelings and he was pretty sure his assumption wasn't the case. But D had figured one extreme would hopefully pull out a less extreme truth.

♪Every Day Is The Same♪

♪The Tragedies We Know♪

♪Is It Fate Or Faith That Will Save Me~♪

D's Now Playing: Ror-Shak - Fate or Faith

[Kitsune]

Causing much mayhem, droppin' drama.
Radical rebel with a need to bomber.
Fake MCs dare not hang 'em higher,
The mic is mine time to pay the piper.
________________________________

They were on their way now. At least that was what the elf thought as they started to move away. But then Yaritza just had to stop, her eyes catching the sudden movement of the angel as he decided to divest himself of the tattered and charred remains of his jacket. It was a shame really. It looked like it had been made of fine material, none of that cheap pleather she spotted in more than a few shop windows in the north side of town, and likely served the angel well in its previous life. Her icy blue eyes turned away from the rattling trash can back to Rune who looked even worse without the jacket covering his body. Oddly enough, she didn't feel bad for their not recognizing his grievous injuries and being so wary of him. In her mind, they had good reason for not simply jumping at the opportunity to help the guy. He was a stranger; a stranger who demonstrated having far more knowledge of who they were than anyone they had yet to come in contact with. Maybe it made sense for Dallas since he hailed from a place within this nation. He also had a kyuubi searching for him, which meant she was just shy of being godly and, therefore, knew all she wanted about the former prince. But Yaritza was from a land far from this place, not even of this nation. There were no other fox-spirits where she came from aside from those counted among family. None of them were kyuubi, either. The closest was her grandfather who was a seven-tail and his mind was so far gone he sometimes forgot who he was. With Dallas being pursued by youkai who wanted to tie him up and drag him off to Hell (as Dallas explained to her during their first encounter) and those guerrillas possibly still searching for Yaritza in hopes of ransoming her off for whatever riches they sought, did one actually expect them to embrace Rune with open arms at first sight? When the angel forced them to stop with his upraised hand, the vixen could feel irritation swelling in her companion. He obviously didn't want anything to do with this stranger, but he refused to let it go. It didn't help that he kept using Dallas' name; tossing it around like something of little importance.

Rune's desire to prove himself was only putting Dallas into a worse mood. He only wanted to leave the alley, but the guy just wouldn't let them go. He was as determined to demonstrate his heritage as they were to get out of that alley and as far away as possible. Unable to move forward, the two had only one other option, to stand there and wait the guy out. Well, they could have flung him out of the way and the idea probably crossed the taller of the pair's mind, but Dallas refrained. Whether it was because he didn't want to touch the man or didn't want to cause him anymore harm than already inflicted upon him was anyone's guess. His impatience was palpable, but he didn't hurt Rune even while he held them up with what he thought were "parlor tricks". The more impressionable Yaritza was, of course, amazed and she looked on in awe as the harp materialized in his fingers. She'd never seen such a beautiful instrument. And when he strummed it to produce the heavenly sound, she very nearly shed a tear. All that was needed was the accompanying hum of a chorus of angels! Being a sound spirit, even if the song itself didn't have the power to drown out the environmental noise surrounding them, she could have easily done it on her own. When the sound faded out to allow the noise to return in full force, the sound spirit shuddered all over--from her head to the tips of furry tails. What a sound! After hearing it, she felt the urge to sing and likely would have broke into a number had Dallas not sent her a look that warned her what might happen if she did. His sour mood did little to ruin hers, though. Being in the presence of beautiful sounds always left her in high spirits. Needless to say, Rune had convinced her.

The flashing light caused them both to take a step back and, for a split second, Dallas was contemplating drawing his own bow to pierce Rune through the eyes. It was instinct, really. When threatened with the possibility of an incoming attack, the elf usually shot first and asked questions later. The desire increased a bit when the light faded to reveal Rune was holding a weapon of his own; one that even the sacred relic of his clan failed to match it in terms of beauty. He had to admit, begrudgingly, that it was a magnificent artifact that could not have been crafted by mortal's hands. Regardless of their skill level, the radiance surrounding it was...heavenly. He raised a tentative hand toward the bow, the desire to hold such a beautiful instrument temporarily overwhelming the previous desire to leave. His first thought wasn't 'how much could that thing fetch me?' but rather 'how could something so pure be in the possession of someone like him?' It was a stark contrast in his eyes. How could this fallen creature with its dark, blood-soaked clothing and tattered wings summon something so radiant and pure, much less hold it without marring its beauty? The explanation of the weapon's proficiency meant little to me. Dallas already saw that in its design. The compound bow spoke for itself and it spoke well. Just as quickly as it appeared, the weapon vanished and with it the warmth it brought into the alley. Things seemed a great deal bleaker without its presence and Dallas found himself sorely missing it.

Dallas' eyes narrowed, reflecting the growing disdain he had for this man. Not only did he show up and immediately act like he had been a long time friend of theirs, but he dared to show them what one might consider a little piece of heaven before taking it all away just as quickly. Rune might not have meant it that way, but that was how the elf took it. He shook his head roughly to clear it, the bobbles and trinkets braided into his hair clattering against each other though the noise was hardly audible over the storm's tempest. He stepped forward in three bold steps, bringing himself within an inch of Rune's form. "My name is Dallas. DALLAS. If you knew as much about me as you seem to let on, I would think you'd know that," he hissed vehemently, leaning in to unleash the full intensity of his glare on the angel. He didn't want him to miss one iota of the hatred in it. "Maybe you are an angel, maybe you aren't. At this point, I don't care."

"I think he is an angel," Yaritza broke in. She could not deny that this man was heaven-born, but it didn't make her anymore willing to trust him than previously. Angels had done nothing to help her or her family. They never took an active role in their lives back home and were simply creatures of human imagination. Why would a fox-spirit be concerned about angels? Beyond exorcism and banishment, of course. "He has to be one."

He caught the sound of roller skates and D came into view, voicing his opinion on Rune's earlier "performance". Yaritza nodded vigorously, agreeing with D's assessment. It had been heavenly and she wished she could hear it again. Dallas just rolled his eyes. Great, another person to hold them up. This one looked even more weirder, though not in the flying freak kind of way. Had he spent the last few decades in frozen hybernation? From the white suit and shades right down to the roller skates, D could have stepped right out of a roller disco magazine straight from the 80s! All he needed was the dry ice and flashing traffic lights to really set the mood. If he weren't so distracted with Rune, he would have made a few comments that would have rubbed the music-loving man the wrong way. Dallas didn't care what some people believed; disco was dead and there was nothing strong enough to bring it back. Returning to the issue at hand, he folded his arms and snorted indignantly. "So he is an angel. Whoop-dee-friggin'-doo." That just meant the guardian was hiring outside the community now. Didn't mean the angel would have anymore luck than the others. Yes, he was still convinced this guy was there to drag him back home. He turned his glare on D next. "And this guy did this to himself. I'm no sadist. She doesn't even know what that is." He gestured toward his companion with a head nod.

Yaritza was more determined to convince the stranger in the white suit that they weren't to blame for Rune's condition, even going so far as to explain what had gone down just moments before. "We were sleeping over there and then this man appeared in the sky! He was falling very fast," she raised one hand high above her head and slowly brought it down, reproducing the sound of Rune falling through the atmosphere exactly as it sounded. It sounded odd coming from a living, breathing person since it was beyond the speech capacity of a normal person. "Then he crashed into the ground." She brought her other hand up to symbolize the ground and let her falling hand smack into it. It, too, produced a sound exactly like the one Rune made when he slammed into the earth. It even rivaled it in volume and would likely hurt their ears. "He got up and then started to talk like he knew us and when we said we didn't believe he was an angel, he was very offended and proved himself with a show as you called it! It was very weird." She looked at Rune. "We did not want him to bleed to death. Can angels die? I thought they were already dead. Or is that ghosts?" She naturally looked to her companion. "Are angels ghosts?"

"How should I know? I never met one." And it was irritating him that she was more inclined to yammer on than leave. He looked at D then turned toward the exit of the alley. "Since you're concerned about him, I'll leave him to you. My friend and I must get going. We have a lot to do today."

"We do?" She tilted her head, obviously confused by that. As far as she knew, they had no plans and were pretty much living in the moment. Unless finding a dry, warm place with a shower was on that list of "lots to do". That made her perk up a little.

"Of course we do. Silly girl. You really are forgetful." The last part was said through clenched teeth and he unconsciously squeezed her neck in what would look like a headlock. The vixen yelped and started to flail a little until he eased off. "Come on! Time's a wastin'!" He let her go and started off in a jog.

"Dallas!" she called back at him. Turning toward D and Rune, she shrugged lightly and smiled cheerfully. "Ah, right. Well... Nice meeting you both! I like your shoes! They look fun. I think we're going to an inn so--"

"Yaritza!"

She winced a little and started to jog backward before turning to follow her companion. "See ya! Dallas! Wait!"

________________________________

[Vincent W Sinnet]

"Only in death will we have our own names since only in death are we no longer part of the effort. In death we become heroes."

Bob was eventually so consumed by the thoughts that plagued his troubled mind. He remembered incidents of the past, mistakes that... well... Back then never bothered him really, or he managed to overcome it all. But all of it floated through his mind now, tugging at nerves and consuming his thoughts when they had nothing else to focus on. Bob could only idly nod towards those who continued to acknowledge him for his efforts on the breakfast spread, his glare not ever really focusing on the people but simply cast towards them briefly. His mind was in other places, past events that to many of these supernatural beings that populated this inn would think little of. But their effect on Bob was clear and there was nothing to be done about it by anyone other than serve as a momentary distraction.

'Abusive wasn't a word to describe Valentino's father. Strong, yes. Strict, of course. Old fashioned? Certainly. An open palmed strike was not beyond this man and while many of the era would be disgusted by such an act, there were certain events caused by Valentino and Bruno's shenanigans that would have required it. But as time passed the boy's soon became men. Bruno was far stronger than his father and Valentino was still rather thin and svelte, but he was no weakling. Years fighting with his muscle head brother saw to that. But Valentino's decision to join his brother in joining the service and ultimately fighting the wars it entailed was not well received. Valentino's stubbornness on the matter escalated it to the point were his father attempted to strike his child once again and put an end to his foolishness. The act infuriated Valentino, his fathers hand caught before it ever reached Valentino, and Valentino didn't show his father the same kindness of an open palmed strike. A punch to his aged fathers jaw saw him out of the picture for the next few years. After Bruno's death, Valentino finally managed to patch things up with his family.'

Bob's family was all dead now, his father, his mother, his brother so long ago before even Bob died. Bob munched on his chocolate bar. His family would surely be proud of his skills now, he had followed their dream for him, to be a great chef like the rest of them. But... it didn't matter anymore. Bob only disappointed them at every turn, he fought them on every occasion. Bob wouldn't be forced into any sort of life, not by anyone. But for him to totally turn his back on them... it was too much and Bob regretted it now more than ever. It didn't matter that they had resolved it, it was unforgivable for him to have reacted in such a way. While Bob continued to contemplate these matters, his stare never changed and if it was not for his idle eating of the chocolate in his hand he might have seemed dead as he sat so still with his unblinking stare cast on a single spot on the opposite wall. But even then, he looked past the wall, to see another memory plaguing his mind.

'There was nothing romantic about his brothers death. Bruno had his little machine gun nest set up nice and pretty and was hammering on the enemy position. Valentino was flanking from the side, if they were all already dead by the time Valentino got there than Bruno won, if Valentino got there and killed them all then Valentino won. It wasn't a unique game or even a unique strategy, but they were fighting a terrorist cell with a rather limited weapons stockpile, according to intel anyways. No hiccups until about a dozen rockets fired out of the windows of a building believed to be abandoned. Valentino could easily see from his position were they were headed. Rage consumed him and there was little that could stop him, military training and raw experience coupled with a seething rage made Valentino an unstoppable force as he tore through the enemy position and into the garrisoned building, killing those guys too. There weren't really that many of them, but the rockets certainly were a surprise. When Bob found his brother again, well, he really didn't. He just found pieces of him, charred pieces of him and the men with him.'

There was nothing Bob could have done concerning this incident. But it bothered him all the same. They weren't prepared for that kind of firepower going in, the intelligence was bad. But that didn't bother Bob either. It was the fact that he went in truly believing that he and his brother would walk out the same as always. The fact that he was blindsided by his brothers death, he couldn't get over that feeling. It created a knot in his stomach that he couldn't undo. I suppose that's how things went in war, never knew when the guy beside you would get a bullet in the dome and you didn't know when your brother would be blown to pieces. He managed to accept that fact back then and move on after a little while. But know it bothered him nearly as much as if it had just happened yesterday. What curse was this that Bob couldn't get over these problems from decades past?

[The_Butterfly_Effect]

A problem that Isidora kept encountering, being a newcomer to this entire world and its modern civilisation, is that she was often sidetracked by the shop windows and the objects or clothing that was being displayed so glamorously. At first she simply marvelled at the design of some of the shops, the large expanse of thick glass that protected the shops wares and goods, allowing one to look but not touch, a sample of what was for sale. She never went inside most of the shops that caught her eye, the window display may have looked attractive but she had to keep reminding herself that she had other matters to attend to. Besides, the looks and glances she received from some people within the shops that she could see, were not at all pleasant and for some reason they made her feel embarrassed or ashamed with herself; just for being who or what she was. Or was it her clothes? They were very grand from her world, the finest silks and soft cotton fabrics, if she hadn’t been wearing her ceremonial gown, she would most certainly have bedecked herself out in gold and jewels; they were a symbol of status back home. Isidora’s eyes was often caught more by the jewellery shops, though their goods were quite modest compared to what she was used to, not nearly as much gold and gemstones; diamonds seemed the most popular choice, but they were so small, dozens of them glittering like stars embedded in fine gold pendants on the black velvet cushions. An audible sigh would escape her lips every time she stopped to gaze lovingly in the windows direction. Isidora felt a tightening around her heart, she bit her lower lip in thought, wondering if some of her spells would work despite the fact that she was in another world. All of her belongings were still on her home planet; it would have been a simple transportation spell to acquire what she needed, however far the distance between islands. But worlds? All of her clothes, her books, tools, herbs and her jewels! It was too painful to linger on, Isidora forced the horrid thoughts from her head, never mind the fact that the spell she had invoked that got her to this world had inadvertently left black smut on her soul, Isidora was less worried about that now, seeing as how D had told her that there weren’t any Demons around. So they couldn’t try and make a claim on her soul. Though she had to remember that she should look into the ley lines more, the fact that she could still access them was intriguing; did that mean the Ever After had some faint connection to this world? Or were the lines of a different nature? Isidora was leaning more towards the latter, mainly because she didn’t want this world to have a connection to the Ever After, because that would essentially mean that Demons could still filter through.

She had been walking a fair distance, following her instincts on what directions to take, her bare feet hardened to the biting cold of the sidewalk and her hair plastered down her face and body, the silk doing nothing much but clinging to her pale flesh. But a smile continued to curl upon her rosy lips, her violet eyes dazzlingly bright as she soaked in this new culture and all its wonders. Isidora lifted her head suddenly when she felt a sort of snag in her thoughts, a gentle tug that made her both wary and curious, her eyes following the direction her mind was being tugged in. Just up ahead there was a large alley mouth, she couldn’t hear much over the downpour, she could have if she had concentrated her senses, but it was too much effort and the feeling her mind was picking up was not threatening, so she had nothing to fear. As for sense of smell, all she could do currently was sniffle and sneeze; terrible weather, she much preferred the tropical temperatures of Amazon Lily.
Just as she neared the opening of the alley, two people were rushing out, a male and a female by the looks of things, she quickly sidestepped out of their way, inclining her head to them in quick apology. Though as she lifted her gaze to stare at them, she blinked a few times at what she was seeing; and sensing for that matter. The male was dressed in clothing that Isidora considered quite normal, which was a clear indication that he wasn’t from this city; or perhaps he just liked to dress like that. Isidora couldn’t really be certain. The female wore a striking outfit as well, and with her dark complexion, exotic looks and sensuous curves, Isidora tried to avert her gaze before a blush deepened upon her pale cheeks. And both of them gave Isidora the sense of something… more. It wasn’t like the magic she was used to sensing, but it certainly didn’t feel like they were humans.
She wanted to say something, but it seemed the male was in a hurry to leave and that of course made Isidora curious as to what he was rushing away from, so naturally she looked down the alley,
“D! Oh, D! I’m so glad to see you! I apologise for vanishing at the festival last night, things were getting a little out of hand for me, I panicked…” Isidora had immediately darted down the alley upon seeing the male who she had befriended the night before, completely overlooking the other male who looked as if he had suffered the most dreadful situation. “Once again, please accept my apologies. I have been utterly foolish. I am now quite aware that this world, ‘Earth’ as you call it, is not Olympus. I am more lost than ever before… I shouldn’t even be here!” Her voice rising hysterically as she tried to speak all that was troubling her thoughts, but only a fraction of them managed to come out before she held a hand to her head, a dizzying sensation overwhelming her momentarily. Thankfully she kept herself propped up with her faithful staff, whose dark amethyst stone pulsated with the magic embedded in its core. Opening her eyes after a moments pause, she looked up and blinked in surprise at the sight of the other man, as if he had just appeared out of nowhere. “Oh my! What on olympus happened to you!? Do you need help?” Flustered and panicking again, she looked towards D, wondering if maybe that’s what D had been here for.

[The_Butterfly_Effect]

Bright and dazzling gold eyes gazed upon the buffet table, clearly her stomach was bigger than those eyes, as she’d had several plates of food so far and was still going, maybe this stormy day was affecting her worse than normal, or maybe the events of last night were bordering slightly on an overload. She was starting to feel better though, whether that was down to the large mass of food she was consuming or basking in the intense presence of Sono; Sera couldn’t be sure. And she didn’t care, because she felt good, that was what mattered and Sono had just filled her mind with such… interesting thoughts.
Currently her mind was playing an upbeat song that her lips soon began to move along to and her voice sang softly, the fact that she was ‘Walking on sunshine’ had nothing to do with Sono. She just liked the song. In her minds eye, she could picture Sono’s expression previously, when he had been talking about the human males from last night; it was adorable, he’d been watching out for her, she had stifled the urge to ‘aww’, knowing that she would only suffer consequences mere seconds after no doubt.

As Sono tended to the cute kitten who had pounced onto their table like a wild animal and stole that mango, something that Sera had been glad about; how dare he forget what they were talking about previously, choosing mangoes instead. Unbelievable. Just as she was about to start reaching for more meat and maybe a muffin or two, Sono’s presence suddenly appeared far too close, his arms draping comfortably around her, those roaming hands of his gripping the sheet wrapped around her body; stylishly she might add. It was a close call, but Sera sent a dozen praises to her body at remaining calm and not quivering in delight at the close proximity of their bodies and the intense heat emanating from said bodies. Gentle and lapping, she could feel his aura pressing against her own, melting deliciously, just the mere touch of his chin on her bare shoulders sent glowing embers to spark in the air.
Careful. So much for that calm you were on about. Her own voice warned herself, though a wicked smile crept over those lips as she kept her eyes on the food, feigning boredom; though it was all too obvious that her body was crying out to Sono, no doubt he could feel it through her burning aura, or the way she arched her body as he pressed into her back, head tilting just a tad as he purred in her ear.
Damn. Eyes flashed gold before settling on a smouldering amber, flames flickering in the midst of the deep shade. His voice sent shivers down her spine, she could certainly tell him what was delicious right about now, her mind playing through a couple scenarios, biting her lower lip at the wicked thoughts.
Double damn. This was payback for laughing at him, she knew it. Feeling him nuzzle the back of her neck, his lips leaving a searing heat to coarse through her skin, as if she wasn’t feeling hot enough as it was.
“Give it a chance?... Well, when you put it that way… how can a girl resist?” Her voice was a little husky as she tried to reign in her wayward emotions, trying to move her mind away from sex, though he was making it terribly difficult with his choice of words purred so softly into her ear. Did he want this place to burn to the ground? Sera was surprised it hadn’t already happened after last night to be honest, though she was still a bit mad that he had ruined her leather outfit. Clearly he owed her a new one.
“Something?” So suggestive, his teeth nibbling on her ear, Sera hadn’t even realised that she’d closed her eyes, her body rested so comfortably against his, feeling the smooth hardness of his chest through the thin sheet she wore.
I am a greedy girl. Sera thought to herself with a wry smile; lust, gluttony, pride, wrath, avarice, all she needed now was sloth and envy and the package would be complete. Nothing wrong with a few sins though, right? Another wicked grin and she opened her eyes, wondering what to pick out for food now, after such provocative words from Sono. He was a complete and total tease. Sera didn’t turn her head when he walked away after having kissed her shoulder, she closed her eyes and counted to five, her body gradually coming down from its high, the heat surrounding her lessening and the glowing embers winking out of existence.
So what to have? There was certainly a lot to choose from out of the fruits and after Sono’s previous display and his turn in the game they played, Sera decided to play it his way. She didn’t hate fruit after all. Peaches, mangoes, strawberries; she liked the bright colours of some fruits and they did smell good, reminding her of times spent in tropical paradises, bountiful lands of lush greenery; it almost made her feel homesick, but then it wasn’t as if she even had a home. War had stripped her of enough of them and time had altered others.
All these depressing thoughts because of fruit? Time for my turn in the game… Having filled her plate with plenty of juicy fruits, she sashayed her way back to the table, setting the brimming plate down with a clink and smiling at Sono; though she did wonder why he was playing with fire. Bored? Shrugging her shoulders, Sera sat down slowly and kept the plate close to her front, not about to let Sono grab anything. She plucked up a soft and shapely peach, staring at it with a frown in deep thought before sinking her pearly whites into its tender flesh, the sweet flavours bursting on her tongue, juices running down her lips and chin. Her eyes sparkled in delight, she’d forgotten how good peaches tasted, her tongue roaming out from behind her lips to try and catch the sweet juice.
“You’re right… fruits are delicious.” Putting emphasis on the last word as she grinned at Sono, taking pleasure in another bite of the peach; Sera was finding it hard to look away from Sono, as she kept wanting to stare directly into his eyes with every lick of her lips. Now all she had to figure out was what kind of favour could she ask of him that could keep her entertained throughout this awful wet and stormy day?

[The_Butterfly_Effect]

The storm certainly was a sight, with all the heavy rain and thunder that echoed and rolled up in the vast dark grey skies, the park had practically cleared out, with only the few types of people who actually liked getting wet and muddy staying behind. Amelia counted herself as that type.
For instance it was only about twenty odd minutes ago that she had woken up in the woodland area of the Centre Park, amidst the trees and lying on the filthy wet ground of leaves, in nothing but her birthday suit; au naturale.
It took a couple minutes of disorientation before Amelia remembered the night before and sat up, stretching her bare arms above her head, the rain beating down, her long blonde hair matted with leaves and twigs. She didn’t seem fazed in the least bit, perhaps a little grumble escaped her lips as she frowned and looked about herself for clothing that would not appear no matter how many times she stared at the ground. Amelia was thankful that the weather was so awful, on a nicer day, the cops tended to be called about now after someone spots her; ‘Someone! Call the authorities! There’s a naked woman in the woods!’. Amelia resented that, after all, what harm was she doing? If they’d just give her a little time to find her clothes, everything would be all hunky dory, but nooo, they’d always cuff her up before she got the chance, blaming this crazy behaviour on drugs, seeing as how she wasn't acting like some victim in a horrible incident. She had a slight reputation by now as 'that crazy naked lady in the woods', oh such wonders these kids talk about these days, Amelia was thankful no one knew her true identity; better to be called a crazy naked lady, than a wild animal. Well, only on days when she was feeling off-key did they ever manage to catch her, sometimes she would manage to elude them long enough before grabbing something to conceal herself with.

Pressing her fingers into her closed eyes, Amelia growled softly beneath her breath, she wasn’t doing too bad, it was only the third time this month that she’d awoke in this kind of situation, having forgotten where she’d put her clothes the previous night. Last night was an exception though; she had gotten a little too carried away with the festivities and ended the night beautifully with a rampage through the woods, chasing down any critters she came across for a light snack.
“Well they’re not gonna appear by themselves… they must be somewhere close by…” A hopeful tone, Amelia stretched out her cold and cramped legs, slowly standing up and shaking her head before sneezing ungracefully. With another growl and grumble, she began trekking through wooded area of the park, stopping occasionally to stoop low and sniff at the ground; the rain certainly wasn’t helping her in those matters, everything smelt damp, pungent earth. She wouldn’t be able to pick up her scent that easily. Her head cocked to one side now and then as she strained her hearing to catch any voices or other sounds that would alert her to presences close by, so far she was lucky.

Eventually she came across a wide river with a stone bridge, and her dazzling blue eyes widened in recognition. Quickly scrambling down the river bank, she ducked underneath the bridge and in the gloomy dark, her eyes picked out a pile of clothing tucked to one side on the narrow bank. “I remember now…” Chuckling to herself as she recalled last night, seeking shelter beneath this bridge and seeing it as the perfect place to do a Change, it was well hidden from prying eyes; one would have to climb down the steep river bank to look under this side of the bridge. Splashing herself with some of the river water to wash the mud off her legs, Amelia began pulling on her underwear, followed by baggy jeans and old sneakers, throwing a black hooded sweatshirt over the top and keeping the hood pulled up. She checked her jean pockets; finding her wallet still there, still loaded with the wad of cash she’d won from last nights fight. If it wasn’t for illegal fight clubs, she would be screwed, unable to get an actual job due to the fact that she doesn’t have any documents; no birth certificate, no social security number, no passport, no drivers licence, not even a single credit card. She didn’t want them and didn’t feel the need for them; hence why anytime the cops managed to cuff her, they’d always lose her just before getting to the station. It was a big city; Amelia just had to lay low during the day.

She could already feel herself slipping into her other persona, concealed from the world in these unflattering clothes, she kept silent and wary, remembering where she was and that in this city, there were many enemies. Clambering back up the river bank, not caring for the mud that now streaked her jeans; she walked with a brisk pace through the park, the rain continuing to soak her thoroughly. It wasn’t long before she reached the edge of the park, entering the city area whose scents always assaulted her nose every time she left the sanctuary of the park. Overwhelming her nose, she often coughed and shook her head, trying to clear her mind and focus on other things rather than the stench of rotting vegetables, exhaust fumes, day old sweat and fresh asphalt. The rain was masking most scents today however, so Amelia didn’t stand around for too long, she shoved her hands into her pockets and walked on down the street, her stomach growling loudly for more food; the few rabbits and birds from last night clearly not enough to fend off her hunger. It would have to be a café or fast food joint, seeing as this wasn’t a day for any hot dog vendors to be out and about. Already her mouth was watering as she lifted her head, bright blue eyes settling on a café up ahead; roast pork and stuffing in a roll, sounded heaven to her.