A Classical Adventure (Private Roleplay)

[Calette_Sentrinde]

Full of confidence in Kemena, Valerie headed to the shrine. It was little more than a pillar of stone with a low ledge, but the villagers had surrounded it with wildflowers and other small offerings. Valerie was a regular visitor, here, and she sank to her knees in familiarity, lighting a small stub of a candle on the ledge. Given her own preferences, she would stay here for hours, waiting for someone to answer her.

[Undefined Affections]

After a while, when the sun was slowly starting to head south again, Adam stopped his work and sat on the edge of the roof. Kemena raised an eyebrow at him, daring to look annoyed at him. He'd done all the work, not her. She had no reason to be irritated with him. So he decided for himself, and jumped off of the edge to land in front of Kemena. He put his hand on her head and shoved her out of his way, walking straight to the door of her house.

"Where are you going?" He heard her call from behind.

"Going inside, imp. Stay out of my way."
He could care less what she wanted at this point. Human work wasn't his specialty.

Then he was stumbling forward, with a weight on his back.
Kemena wrapped her arms around Adam and held on tight. "I'm in charge here, Valerie said. So you have to listen to me, dog." She tried to pull him backward by becoming dead weight. But he was in a steadier form now, and could hold his own.

That didn't mean he wouldn't have some fun. Without warning, he allowed her to pull him back, and they teetered backward to the ground, Kemena crushed under him. He heard her grunt, and felt her push on his head. "Get...off...of me!"

Adam thought about it. "Hmm...nope."

[Calette_Sentrinde]

Valerie had, fortunately, been on her way back already- and when she sensed Kemena in trouble, she ran the rest of the way. Ready or not, it appeared that she would have to peel Adam off of the girl. Initially, she tugged at Adam futilely. "Let her go," she ordered, frustrated. He was so heavy! Valerie was too fragile to even budge him. It just about seemed hopeless, seemed like they had lost control of the demon.

And then Valerie heard the low murmur of a spell from behind her. Vines sprouted out of the ground, separating the three of them, tangling them each several feet apart. Confused, the angel twisted and stared at the man who had walked up on them. Well- on the elf.

He was very tall, but also very thin. Obviously, he would not have been able to physically pull them apart. Calmly, he walked up to the trio, his dark blue eyes wandering over each of them. "You know that fighting will get you nowhere." They shouldn't attack each other that way. "Now, let's see if we can figure this out, hm?"

"Wonderful," Valerie sighed. An elf- that was fine enough. And a pacifist. That was not what they needed, even if he did seen to be a scholar of spellwork. But, maybe he could be reasoned with. "Hello," she tried. "My name is Valerie. You can let me down, I won't hurt anyone. I'm an angel." Literally.

He raised an eyebrow. "An angel, a demon, and a human got into a tussle?" It sounded like the start to a very poor joke. That other man might look vaguely human, but the elf could feel the wrongness about him.

[Undefined Affections]

"Except when she's clearly thinking sinful thoughts." Adam chimed in as he stopped struggling against the vines that held him immobile. He flashed Valerie a sweet smile before he met the elf's disturbing eyes. "I don't believe you have the authority to interfere in our affairs. I was merely teasing the girl. Isn't that right, pet?" He tilted his head to the side to wink at Kemena.

Kemena, however, was not paying attention to them. She was too busy trying to get out of her binding. "I don't see why I'm tied up! I was the one in need of help!" She looked up from the vines to frown at Adam. "You're supposed to be my loyal guard dog. Now look what you've done."

Adam snickered. "I have done nothing. This good elf is the troublemaker."

[Calette_Sentrinde]

"I'd just like to find out what exactly is going on," the elf murmured, loosening the bindings just enough to keep them from being uncomfortable. "And I wish to be certain that this spat is over and done with." This sort of mindless fighting, he found most distasteful. There was no good purpose for it.

After a few minutes, when it seemed that the group was calm, he flicked his hand briefly, releasing the three of them. Valerie ran immediately to Kemena's side, ignoring Adam altogether as she checked to be sure the girl was alright. She didn't much care for Adam's teasing. "Who are you?," she finally asked, turning towards the elf.

"My name is Reyson," he answered, keeping a close eye on each of them to make sure that they were calm. The demon, he kept a particularly good watch on, since he seemed to have been at the heart of the issue.

[Undefined Affections]

Kemena frowned and pushed on Valerie's hands. She didn't like when people fussed over her. When Mistress did it, it was just as irritating. The same went for Valerie, even if the woman took very good care of her. Kemena didn't like being treated like a child when she basically lived on her own. Mistress just provided her with a small home. Kemena did all the rest under the watchful eye of her guardian angel. "I'm fine, Valerie."

Adam approached the elf and circled around him. He took a deep breath, inhaling the man's scent. In this way he could sense just how powerful he was, to see if he was a threat or not.
"Stop looking at me like that. The brat has my powers bound. None of you are in danger."

Kemena stepped toward the elf, pushing Adam out of the way.

"I'm Kemena. And that's my dog, Adam." She looked the elf up and down. He dressed elegantly and had a regal air about him. "Have you come to be my third guardian?"

[Calette_Sentrinde]

Reyson was definitely intelligent, and he had studied a great deal. He just might be a match for Adam, under the right circumstances. He watched the demon circle him, patiently, then his attention was drawn back to Kemena. Guardian?

"No." He shook his head calmly. "Not unless your current guardians are going to continue to squabble." He studied Kemena, intrigued by the human girl who seemed to think that everyone was here to support her. "I came because the stars told me to, of course." He studied them, like he studied everything else, and the stars said that things were changing- that he should come here.

[Undefined Affections]

Adam stared at the elf. The stars had told him to come? That almost paralleled his experience with the oracle. She'd told him to ride the lightning storm the night before. He'd not known where it would take him, but it couldn't be coincidence that the elf was also led here. To meet this girl, it seemed. But he didn't say anything as he crossed his arms over his still bare chest.

Kemena smiled. "Then you must be here for me. No one else is as special, else they'd all have guardian angels."

Adam stepped over to her and pushed on her head, making her stumble slightly to the side. "In your dreams, imp." He growled before he braced himself as Kemena lunged at him. He dodged her easily and pushed on her head, holding her at arm's length as she punched at him, hitting only air.

[Calette_Sentrinde]

Reyson blinked, raising an eyebrow. Kemena thought this was all about her? For the group of them to be together, it had to be more than coincidence. Their group was too unusual for it not to be- if a group they could be considered. "I'm not here to be your guardian," he answered mildly. "That's what the angel is for- and it is my understanding that all humans under a certain age have guardian angels. You are fortunate that yours decides to remain in such close range."

Valerie studied the elf, curious, as she nodded slowly. He was right. Not many people knew that. This elf was a smart one. Where had he come from, anyway?

Watching Adam and Valerie go at it, Reyson sighed quietly. The stars had indicated something of grave importance here, but all he saw were a motley crew of misfits, some of whom were incessantly childish. Perhaps there was potential- but it was long off.

[Undefined Affections]

Kemena finally freed herself from Adam and approached the elf again. She had a bad feeling about him. His regal attitude unsettled her. He spoke as if he were better than her. She stood tall, keeping her hands at her sides as she looked up at him. He was a head taller than she, but she wasn't intimidated.

"I am fortunate. But if you're not here for me, then we're done talking. Besides...Mistress says I'm not allowed to talk to strangers." She told him as she turned away to place the necklace back over Adam's neck to change him back into a dog.

"You may want to talk to our sheriff."

[Calette_Sentrinde]

Valerie didn't seem to mind him. She was relaxed enough. Pacifists were low on her list of concerns, particularly around Kemena. "He's not hurting anything," she murmured, shrugging. He was a little odd, sure, and maybe a touch annoying, but he had gotten Adam off of the girl.

Reyson seemed unperturbed by his dismissal, and just shrugged along with Valerie before he turned. "If that's your suggestion. Any advice on where I might find your sheriff, then?" He would gladly get out of their hair, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be for long.

[Undefined Affections]

Kemena pointed toward the middle of the town. "He's over there."
He was in town. She didn't know where, he always wandered around. She looked at her demon dog and touched his nose. Their eyes met before he glanced at the elf for a moment, then back at her. He growled low in his throat. Kemena shook her head. "He's not worth it, dog."

Kemena made the elf a low bow before she turned to Valerie.
"Yes, he's not hurting anyone just yet. But it's those quiet, calm ones that you need to watch out for. Adam was all fire and smoke, and look how docile he really is."

Adam growled at that, but she ignored him.

[Calette_Sentrinde]

Valerie followed Kemena back across the yard as Reyson headed for the center of town. "Adam is not docile," she chuckled. She liked to think herself a rather good judge of character, actually, and even though he was stuffy, she liked the elf. Hopefully, he would stay around for some time- she could use an extra set of eyes on Adam, honestly. She more than had her hands full. Perhaps Reyson was an answer to her prayers from one of the gods.

"Adam is just... Being patient." Sort of. He was waiting for the right moment, she could tell that much, and he was clever. His mind was ever at work, under that layer of fur, the angel could feel it.

[Undefined Affections]

Kemena met Adam's eyes. "He's docile." She said matter of factly before she looked at Valerie again. She knew that the angel was only acting in her best interest - there was a demon in their midst after all - but sometimes it was tiresome when Valerie wasn't on her side. She only wished the angel would trust her more. "Yes, I agree. He's very patient."

Adam gazed back at the elf, sizing him up again. If he had to, he would rip the elf's heart out if only to keep the human near so he could eat her later, devour her soul.

"I'm the most patient demon you'll ever meet. And I'm always docile." Adam grinned, eyes twinkling with mischief.

[Calette_Sentrinde]

And Valerie wished that Kemena would think a little more rationally. Demons weren't docile. He might be well and truly trapped, but there would be a time when that wouldn't be true, and Kemena seemed to be ignoring that altogether. It wasn't the angel's job to run her life, but seeing the girl put herself in such blatant danger was certainly alarming.

This was supposed to be a fairly easy job. This whole demon business was not in the description!

Valerie sighed, walking beside Adam. She would have to take further measures. Sprinkle blessed water around Kemena's house- douse it, if she could. She would think of something. She could ask one of her older brothers, perhaps.

"I'm not going to let you hurt her," she murmured under her breath at Adam, softly enough that Kemena wouldn't be able to hear. "You may as well give up." Perhaps, if he had an element of surprise- but the angel had her eye on him.