ѕннн! ιт'ѕ a ѕєcяєт! dnp

[Dangerosa]

The trip to Eryx had been his first trip by boat in his life, but he knew from then that it wasn’t something he wanted to do a second time. That trip, however, wasn't as bad as this one had been. A month and a half at sea… the waves, constant rocking, and nothing but the smell of salt in air for days on end. The endless days of sea sickness. Hardly anything was staying down and sometimes he felt as though he would cave in and accept the “medicine” Princess Maelyn had offered. She had probably enjoyed every minute of his suffering and the bottle she’d given him would only prolong the sickness or make it worse.

By the time the trip was over, he couldn’t be more relieved. He still felt nauseous and was experiencing a sense of vertigo even after he stepped off the ship and wanted nothing more than to get away from the pier and the ship and the smell of salt water. And if he ever had to set sail again he was sure that it would be the death of him. Perhaps he was exaggerating, but as he emptied his stomach once again it sure didn’t feel that way to him. He wiped his mouth and adjusted his clothing and tried to make himself look presentable before walking towards the other three royals who had already gathered.

Looking between the Princess of Brivas and the Prince of Zenzare, Balian considered his options. The former he didn’t really care for; the latter, he wanted dead. He wanted to wipe that smug look off the murderer’s face. It was no doubt that line of thinking that resulted in him being volunteered for this quest. If he thought about it rationally, it really wasn’t such a bad thing, but leaving his sister behind was something he was loathe to do. Were it not for their allies from Orien and, surprisingly, Maelyn's older sister who remained behind, Balian would never have 'agreed' to be part of this. At least not of his own free will. Before they returned to Agara, he had to do something about the prince.

Steely eyes shifting to Maelyn, he wondered if he would be able to sway her to his side. She could be a valuable asset if this search didn’t go as planned. And once he firmly had Brivas within his grasp, he could work on destroying Zenzare and avenging Georgie. Or better yet, he could take advantage of the fact that they were in a strange land with a different set of rules and kill the Prince of Zenzare and have no one be the wiser. It it could be arranged… if it could be done, he would do it, and it would help Orien in the long run. It would help all of them if Zenzare was destroyed. He was confident of that.

Turning a little green when food was mentioned, Balian nonetheless nodded in agreement with Maelyn’s plan. "Talking about it on the boat wouldn’t have been of much use. We would have been exactly where we are now." The prophetess had only told them about the staffs being located somewhere in Jardas, directed them to this port as a starting point and vanished. The real search and the real planning would start here. "A currency exchange shouldn’t be too far from the port and if we can’t find one, I’m sure we can find some other way of procuring the local currency…” his eyes shifted to Tairus for a moment before regarding Kai and Maelyn once more. ”After we rest we can familiarize ourselves with our surroundings and perhaps find someone who could help us in our search." Surly someone here would know about their local legends.

Finally looking away from the group and at his surroundings, he couldn't help but be amazed by the nature of the activities around the pier. This was nothing like Savona, but a reminder of what certain areas of his kingdom could become if Zenzare couldn't be stopped : a dry, arid desert with few signs of green fertile life. A slight commotion drew his attention and he looked to see an angry merchant shouting about some monkey. Must have been someone's pet that got loose or something. "Perhaps we can discuss this someplace else?" Somewhere far away from the water.


ℒ𝓸𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 lavisca, korrin tab tab 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓱 maelyn, tairus, kyrileir tab tab
𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓼 seasick tab tab ℱ𝒆𝒆𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 nauseous

[Dangerosa]

With a meeting scheduled for sometime today in Ravathe, Zephaniah knew that he couldn't linger around the port of Lavisca that much longer. Claire would probably have his a** if she realized what he was doing. On the other hand, that wasn't such a bad thing. Sitting on the counter in front of him was a glass of amber liquid — bourbon — two ice cubes inside. It wasn't his drink of choice, but the bourbon in this pub was fantastic and he couldn't turn it down no matter how pathetic the rest of this place was. And how early in the day it was. Most of the patrons here were probably last night's drunks who had yet to stumble their way out, and those who were finishing a night shift and were in for a drink. Zeph fit neither of those categories and as his golden eyes took in those seated around him, the only person he could say even remotely drew his attention was the bar maid. In a tight midriff revealing corset top which was probably a size too small, a short skirt which revealed a pair of fit bronzed legs, the pirate was seriously considering making another stop here when he was on his own time to pick her up and offer her a cruise of a lifetime. Since becoming guardian, it wasn't something he'd made much of a habit of doing. There were too many damn thieves.

Other than the barmaid, there weren't many others who had caught his eye, be they male or female. Picking up his glass, he swirled the ice cubes around gently, hearing their quiet clinks as he thought about the indecipherable vision he had had prior to his arrival in Korrin. Rumours about a prophetess had attracted his attention to the area initially. He agreed with the monkey that the rumours should be looked into and the unbidden vision only added an extra sense of urgency. Then again, nothing he ever got from that fickle b***h of a goddess was ever clear. Too many damn puzzles. With a grunt, he quickly downed what remained of his drink then signalled for another, earning a curious look from the sailor at his side. It would probably be his last before he left this dreary place and looked for Kin. He couldn't wait to be someplace with a bit more... life. It was a long trip to Skalla anyway.

Of all the places they could hold a meeting, he despised the trip to Skalla. A completely landlocked, mountainous region with stuck up, xenophobic angels; and the chance of potentially running into his b***h of a mother. So far he had never run into her, though if he had, he probably wouldn't have noticed anyway. It had been so long and her memory had nearly faded that he could hardly remember what she looked like, much less the sound of her voice. Bringing the glass to his lips once more and took a sip. He was going to need his head clear for the meeting and if he had to deal with that prophetess, but it was just as tempting to go into Skalla feeling a slight buzz just to deal with the bitching.

Beside him, Weston gently cleared his throat, alerting him that someone was approaching. If it was a threat, his sailor would have signalled it to him, so he remained seated, calmly nursing his drink. Moments later, arms wrapped around him and a soft form pressed against his back. At the first touch he thought it was of the many women he had been with and subsequently left behind when he came through the city, but whoever this woman was didn't have the smell of alcohol and perfume lingering around her. "Mmm, Claire," he murmured, his voice a low rumble as she moved into the seat beside him after placing a kiss on his cheek. Rolling his eyes, his relative good mood broken, he took another sip of the bourbon as she commented on his drinking again. "I know what I'm doing, b***h. We're not going to move until we get all of our ******** ducks in a row. Going after this b***h half-cocked will get us all ******** killed." Kin could bring it up at the meeting if it was that important to him, but Zeph would continue to investigate before he called them all in.

Sighing when Claire said her piece and left him with a teasing kiss, he looked at the liquid in his glass that he had hoped to enjoy for just a while longer and finished it quickly. Damn that b***h. Paying his tab, he got to his feet and started out of the pub, Weston falling into step behind him. Squinting as he walked out into the bright light of the desert sun, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust and when they did, he was surprised by the small group of people who were gathered at the door of the pub. "If Mark and Yeva are here, we might as well hold the ******** meeting in Korrin. Preferably aboard my ship," he said with a grin. Zeph looked at Naomi, thinking of a way to dissuade her from wanting to follow Claire on board. "Maybe we should save this talk for when we have the meeting... away from prying ears and curious eyes." There were enough attempts to steal the staffs and he didn't want to invite others to do the same. Or attract the attention of any bounty hunters in the area. Although there were times he enjoyed the chase, especially when Syn or some other attractive b***h was involved.

"Monkey, come here." Motioning for Kin to follow him, he started to move away from the two ladies so they could talk privately. Once they were a comfortable distance away, he started speaking. [******** what the b***h said. We shouldn't have all of our efforts focused on tracking the prophetess until we learn what she's after. Micia... I saw something when I was scrying during the trip over here. If you want to get your ******** tail caught in a trap, suggest we go after the prophetess during the meeting. It's best if we don't make this official just yet." Something about this was bugging him. The prophetess may have journeyed to Agara as his contacts hadn't reported that she'd been spotted in any other Jardian port, and that foreign land as the most logical destination for one sailing away from this location. But what business did she have there? What was she after? Running after her could result in them chasing shadows for days when the real threat was somewhere else. "Did you manage to find anything?"


tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 outside a lavisca pub tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 kin, claire, naomi tab
tab tab 𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔰 95%

[Dangerosa]

Whatever attempts of subtly and discretion he had attempted to make would soon prove for naught. While he was yet speaking, three others approached the table and two of them — females, he should have expected as much from their kind — decided to interrupt the conversation, assuming without any real facts to back the assumption, that the one eyed man that he was questioning was the one spoken of by the letter. What it did confirm to him is that there were others who were searching for the so called Prince of Petrolius’ letter and that they were here to protect him, instead of getting rid of the traitorous b*****d and freeing the land from the rule of Rione.

Taking a deep breath to keep his disgust and annoyance in check and to sort out the new scents that were suddenly much closer than he would have preferred, he took a quick read on those that surrounded him. The one eyed man could be the one described in the letter as he smelled of the earth, a dragon. From what he could remember of his lessons, Dragons were strong allies of Britain and the Riones. It was hard to imagine any of them wanting to kill the Prince, but he could have been mistaken. Either way, they were enemies of his and if he had a choice, he wouldn’t speak to this man.

The silent one behind him had a scent he couldn’t really place. Perhaps he had come across his kind before, but Rainer couldn’t be certain. All he knew is that the man had the decency to remain silent, and keep a respectful distance before jumping to any conclusions. It was more than he could say for the Nymph and the Gypsy. Should he have been wrong when he approached this man, there could have been three dead instead of just one. Maybe he was being paranoid, but life experiences taught him that it was better to be cautious than to assume the best from others. In the end they would only let him down one day or the other. Maybe the one-eyed man was the one he was looking for, but that didn't mean that they were all working towards the same goal. Nor did it mean that they would continue to be on the same as they looked for the Prince.

”When men are speaking, you shouldn’t interrupt,” he said cooly, turning towards the nymph. ”Are you really that stupid?” Eyes flashing in anger, Rainier looked towards the Gypsy as well, making sure that she knew that she was also the target of his displeasure. While their people might be on speaking terms, Rainier personally despised the nymphs. An all female race made him feel as though he had swallowed something bitter. It left a horrible taste in his mouth and were it up to him he would cut off all ties with the nymphs. Unfortunately he had no control of that and his older brother would probably love to keep in contact with the nymphs for his own disgustingly selfish reasons.

As his tail continued to twitch slightly as he observed those around the table, Rainier kept his ears focused on the man who stood eavesdropping nearby and the others in the inn. So far, there didn’t appear to be anyone else who was interested in this conversation, but that didn’t mean none existed. For all he knew, they were just more discreet and waiting for them to form smaller groups before offing them one by one. If it came to that, Rainier would make sure these women paid for their mistakes before his own life was taken from him — if it came to that.

While there was the temptation to speak up and tell the eavesdropper that he might as well approach the table, Rainer was still uncertain about the man he was talking to. Was he the person mentioned in the letter or an enemy who would run a sword through him at any moment. The fact that the man was a dragon was also another strike against him. Sighing quietly, he looked up when the door to the inn opened and a man walked through. There was something exotic about him that caught his interest, but when he didn't didn't approach the group, Rainer put him at the back of his mind and refocused on the dragon, making a bief dismissive gesture, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "Answer the women and we can continue our discussion." It was perhaps the best way to distance himself from the prince until he knew for certain whether or not the group could be trusted.

▰▰▰ Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ : Rose Quill tab // tab Wɪᴛʜ : ??? ??? ??? (Zalen, Fenris, Faya, Nimueh. Aiden nearby). ▰▰▰
▰▰▰ Sᴛᴀᴛᴜs : Healthy tab tab // tab tab Mᴏᴏᴅ : Annoyed ▰▰▰

[Dangerosa]

The light touch of her arm as it linked with his evoked in him a feeling of slight dread. It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling nor was it something he despised. It was however a situation he wished that he could avoid. Courtship involved a certain amount of contact. Tradition demanded that a lady be escorted by a gentleman. It was what had motivated his actions, but he wished there was a way around it without arousing the ire of his father. He would love more than anything to sink into the background like he usually did, get through this day without being noticed or converse with the visitors. There were better was he could have served his kingdom and bettered the daily lives of the people. One that didn’t involve this marriage.

He glanced towards Quin : let his brother deal with the political arrangement. This didn’t interest him in the slightest. However he did have a role to play, a lady to charm and a kingdom to gain for the sake of his father. How he wished he could be doing something else. His attention returning to his betrothed, he gave her a bright smile, masking his wandering thoughts as he lead her out of the throne room.

Listening to her soft lilting voice as she spoke of her kingdom, Joshua found himself oddly charmed by the way she presented her home. The Lazuli Kingdom sounded lively, warm and energetic, though he couldn’t help but wonder if she was only speaking of the well off areas of the kingdom. On the heels of that thought was an internal laugh : of couse she was only going to tell him the good things about her kingdom. The nobility was always trying to sell someone on something. There was no room to show anyone their weaknesses. Even less so in an arrangement such as this. Best foot forward, always. ”If you hadn’t said anything, I would have thought you spent much of your free time enjoying the arts.”

He thought for a moment that she would continue to speak about the arts and various performers that she was interested in, like most of the ladies seemed to do in the court, but she decided to change topics. To something that he really couldn’t really care less about.

Politics. Yes, it was important for him to know the benefits his betrothed’s kingdom would provide to him and his kingdom. Trades, exports, military strength. All of that was important for the future of their kingdoms, but there were, in his opinion, more important things that they could focus on. The politics of this arrangement were things that required time and study and right now, he was more interested in getting to know his future wife, what she was like and things about her kingdom that wouldn’t be written in any of the text books.

”Would you like the political answer or the social one?” he asked softly. He really didn’t want to go into the politics, but he felt as though that was the answer that was expected of him. ”My father has done his best to unite the kingdom after the war. While not as great as it once was, we’ve come a long way.” It was the official line and probably nothing she didn’t already know, but things like the military, exports and imports had never really interested him. All he could do was give her a general outline of what was going on. ”We have a number of rich, fertile fields, and many hard, diligent workers. The produce they provide are an important export for our kingdom. My older brother could give you more information on our military, however if I know my brother, we have a well-trained, competent army, capable of adequately defending our borders.”

To his ears the words sounded flat and rehearsed despite the fact that they weren't and he was almost relieved when they arrived in the honour room. With vaulted ceilings, extensive ornamental carvings, and energetic designs in the ironwork, the honour room was, in his opinion, quite beautiful. Around the room were plaques, sculptures and paintings to commemorate events and individuals from the past, paying tribute to traditions of the Harrington kingdom and notable individuals that once passed through the limestone arches at the entryway to the room. Most, if not all, of the individuals represented in the room were figures he could recognize from his studies : high ranking nobles and lords, princes and kings. There were others who were not as familiar, but they each had their place in the room, each bust, each image, reminding him of the splendour of the kingdom and examples he was told to emulate. Individuals who he cared little. "This is the honour room. It is a place where statuary and bronzes memorializing noteworthy individuals in the Kingdom's history are displayed. The reliefs and plaques on the walls reference important events of the kingdoms history and noteworthy members of history." Drawing her attention to one of the older images displayed in the room, he explained the significance of it : the commemoration of the formation of the kingdom countless years ago.

tab tab tab Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ :: honour room tab tab Wɪᴛʜ :: here
tab tab tab Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ :: here tab tab Mᴏᴏᴅ :: here

[Dangerosa]

The only outward reaction to Maelyn’s speech the Prince gave was a raised eyebrow. Curious. What did she think they would have been able to accomplish at sea? He certainly wouldn’t have been able to contribute much of anything when the unending rocking of the boat constantly had him searching for the John or emptying his guts over the railing. Unless, of course, the princess was trying to rally Kyrileir to her side. It would have been easier on the boat where he would have been unable to interfere. However, he soon discarded this idea, as her lecture demonstrated that such a plot would probably be far beyond her realm of expertise. No, she wasn’t one for subtly or politics. She was one who needed a firm hand to lead her in the right way. She was speaking her mind freely with no thought to how ineffective and perhaps even counterproductive a group meeting would have been in reaching her stated goal. They didn’t have the time to deal with hypotheticals right now; all they had were the facts of what had happened and Maelyn's continued insistence on hitting them over the head with what they should have done instead of focusing on what they ought to do now was tiresome.

It was only because he had been forced to listen to various nobles as they filibustered, trying to eat up time to get their way or prevent something important from taking place, that he was able to patiently pretend to listen to her spiel. Instead, his mind wandered, thinking a few steps ahead. Provided they were able to obtain the local currency in a reasonable amount of time then get some rest, he anticipated that the most challenging part of this journey was finding someone who would give them information on the staffs. From what the prophetess was saying, the staffs were important relics to the people of Jardas. Procuring them would not only entail taking them from wherever they were located, but transporting them across the sea — Balian could already feel himself getting sick at the thought ! And then once they arrived in Agara once more, they needed to figure out how to use the staffs in order to bring an end to the war. At least that was the official line. Princess Kyrilier probably knew better than that.

Speaking of the Orien princess, she made some sort of teasing comment towards him, which only drew a quiet sigh and a shake of his head. ”Boats and rocking chairs are vastly different, princess,” he murmured, before looking in the direction of the inn she had indicated. While it wasn’t a currency exchange, it would be a good place to get some information and perhaps since it was close to the pier, they would accept the Agaran currency. Even if that wasn’t the case, it was a better place to discuss their plans. ”Do you think you can keep up without getting distracted by every passing sight and sound?” The words directed to Kyrilier where accompanied by a disapproving look as he moved past her. Sometimes he feared that the fact that she could be so easily distracted would work against him, but thus far the Orien princess had proved to be a valuable ally. While he may not confide in her fully, she was wonderfully sharp and possessed a quick thinking, strategic mind. Some of her only redeeming qualities.

More teasing was heard from behind him, but Balian mostly ignored it. They were here on a mission, not for some sort of vacation. And to be honest, he needed the staffs more than any of the others. If he could piece together the puzzle faster than the others he would have the advantage in this upcoming fight. Balian was positive that no matter what happened, he would have some sort of advantage over Tairus if his childish attitude was anything to go by. No wonder Zenzare was so destructive : with princes like the one in his company, they destroyed for the simple joy of it. His lips formed into a thin line as the hot-head’s words reached his ears. Yes, he would have to be the first to go before they returned home.

Arriving at the Inn, Balian held the door open long enough for the group to walk through, though initially the thought crossed his mind to step in front of Tairus and cut him out. True, it was childish, but the thought of acting so kind to the prince sickened him. The only thing that had him reconsidering his actions was the fact that he would need the Zenzare prince on his side — at least for a little while — before stabbing him in the back. Use him as much as he could and then destroy him. Both of them must know that this camaraderie wouldn’t last forever. ”Princess Kyrileir, perhaps you can take Princess Maelyn and find someplace quiet for us to talk.” Hopefully it wouldn’t be too much to ask of the Sylph. He would have asked her to accompany him as they asked the innkeeper where they could exchange currency and find a local temple or library, but he didn’t want to give their enemies any more time to converse privately. ”…Prince Tairus and I can reserve rooms for the night and obtain some of the local currency. I’m sure food can wait until after we get settled.” Balian looked at the group, silently asking any of them to protest then started towards the front counter, expecting Tairus to fall into step behind him. Out of all of them, Balian believed that the Fire Prince would have the most to offer in terms of goods to be exchange for high profit. But in the event he was wrong, Balian’s hand was wrapped around a few small pieces of coal in his pocket, working on changing the carbon composition to produce a few diamonds that they could probably exchange if found a pawn shop. He’d rather give these up than anything else on his person.

ℒ𝓸𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 Inn tab tab 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓱 Kai, Mae, Tai tab tab
𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓼 recovering tab tab ℱ𝒆𝒆𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 Tired

[Dangerosa]

If there was anything he hated more than a wasted drink, insubordination, or a bad deal, there was the nickname Kin or Claire — he couldn't remember which — had given him. Seeing Weston trying to hide a laugh as they moved away made Zeph make a mental note to kill the sailor before he could tell everyone on the ship about this rather unfortunate nickname. Were it not for the fact that they were Guardians and Kin was a demidian, the boy would have had a swift and deadly knife wound to the neck. He would like nothing more than to make sure no one dared to call him by that name. It ruined the image he tried to portray if he had other people giving him those ******** sissy nicknames.

Humming quietly as he listened to Kin, he had to admit that the information provided was an interesting development. It was something he hadn't been expecting and yet in part of his mind he knew that one day a potentially viable threat might arrive. Despite the fact that he was strangely looking forward to seeing what these foreigners were capable of, there was no way in hell he was going to allow his staff to be taken from him. A thoughtful expression crossing his features, Zeph was half tempted to try scrying in order to figure out who these strangers were and whether or not they would be a threat to him and the other guardians. The only thing that stayed his hand was the fact that it would take some time and concentration for anything to appear in the flame, and until he had some privacy or at the very least, less distractions around him, he wouldn't bother. Besides, there was no guarantee that it was connected with the other more pressing issue. Foreigners arriving at the port where the prophetess had departed from over a month ago could be merely coincidence. This was a port where people from around the continent came to stock up on supplies, trade goods, to rest, or recruit more sailors. The arrival of the foreigners could be completely unrelated to the missing prophetess for all they knew.

Looking back towards the group, he noticed that Mark had arrived and Zeph was even more anxious to get out of here. He was never a fan of having all the guardians in one place and at the rate things were going, he almost expected Yeva to walk around the corner. ”It might not have anything to do with us, but we should still look into it. Once we decide where we’re going to hold the meeting, get your ******** a** over to the Inn. How many ******** staffs in Jardas are worth looking for?" There was no doubt in Zeph's mind that this group of four was coming after him and the other guardians. There was nothing else in Jardas that people would covet more than the Immortals Staffs. "We need to know what they’re planning and what kind of threat they are, and continually be two steps ahead of them.”

Pausing for a moment, he wished Yeva would hurry the ******** up and walk around the corner. Her abilities would prove useful in figuring out what the strangers were doing and why they were after the staffs. Second best was Mark, but Zephaniah found him rather lacking. If anyone was going to ******** up a stealthy job, it would be Mark. Likewise, he couldn’t trust Claire to go with Kin… she would probably try to talk to the strangers and figure out their motives in order to find a way to dissuade them then need to get her a** saved if they turned out to be violent. ”As soon as Yeva shows up, I’ll send her to find you. Once we get information on who they are and their intentions, we can form a plan. If they’ve come for us, there is no way in hell I’m going to let them ******** steal what's rightfully ours." He'd also have to fill the others in on what's going on. It wouldn't be right to keep information like this from them. Compared to the disappearing prophetess, this was information that could potentially impact all of them and it was better to have them prepared for a threat and find out that it was nothing to be concerned about, than have everyone think that there was no imminent threat only to have one show up wielding a knife.

"We'll tell the others that there are four.... men? women?" He waited for Kin to correct him, then nodded as he continued, "Two men and two women who we may need to watch out for. I hope you can give us a ******** good description of this group." He wasn't sure if this was the best course of action but it was better than leaving them completely in the dark. "We can deal with the prophetess on our own until we learn more about this group. Do you have any ******** problems with this?"

tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 lavisca streets tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 kin. claire, naomi, and mark nearby tab
tab tab 𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔰 95%

[Dangerosa]

Balian was glad to know that Tairus understood where things stood. Out of all of the royals, he was his least favourite and he would be putting very little effort into changing that. There was no reason to do so as far as the prince of Savona was concerned. Zenzare was a menace and the best way to get rid of a threat was to destroy it and all memory of it : destroy the kingdom, kill the nobles and spread the people to the four corners of the earth. Although he had to admit that he didn’t want them in Savona. At all. They were far too destructive. The only problem was he had to figure out how he would be able to convince the rest of the court of his plan and make it so that his father would be unable to challenge him. It was unfortunate that the only way he could ensure the latter was if he found someone to assassinate his father. If only he would stop trying to get in his way. It was vexing. Zenzare’s destruction would benefit all of the kingdoms. If only his father and the other kingdoms would see it.

“I meant no offence, princess,” Balian murmured lowly, his eyes darkening. He didn’t want to start a fight with Maelyn, but he was starting to wonder if she would be difficult to work with. She lacked in tact and had a tendency to put words in his mouth. He was certain he had said nothing about having Kyrileir look after her. ”I’m sure you can are more than capable of taking care of yourself. It won’t happen again.” The smile he gave her was slightly mocking as he turned away from her to focus on Tairus and what he was saying. Almost immediately his jaw went slack.

He was surrounded by idiots. Now it was even more important that they find these staffs so that Sybil would be spared having not marry one of the princes from the other kingdoms.

Thankfully, Maelyn came to his rescue, admonishing Tairus. Sighing softly, he wondered if all of their time together would be like this. One was tactless, the other selfish and the third acted disinterested more often than not. This was going to be a long journey. Tsking lightly, he was stopped from walking towards the counter by Maelyn who offered up a few articles of jewelry. He gave a brief thank you and continued to walk towards the counter with the prince of Zenzare, purposely ignoring what the man said about having something ‘good to trade.’ Of course he did. He wouldn’t have suggested that he and Tairus negotiated for a good deal if he didn’t have a plan.

Using his most disarming smile, he greeted the man who approached him and Prince Tairus politely, keeping his voice warm and welcoming. ”Good morning, sir, where would we be able to exchange currency or some items for the local currency?” Balian was uncertain whether or not they could exchange their currency or trade their items at the inn or have to leave the inn to find a pawn shop or another similar location. He kept the items that Maelyn had given him out of sight of the innkeeper who seemed to be trying to determine how much both he and Tai were capable of producing.

"If you walk out those doors and make a left, there's a currency exchange and pawn shop and pawn shop a few blocks away. Right across from a pub that's popular with the sailors," the innkeeper said stroking his long beard that looked as though he had been trapped in a sandstorm before arriving, a calculating look in his eyes. "But... they don't always give you the best rate. I can do the conversion for you, uh, what do you have to trade?"

Not trusting the man to give him a fair deal, Balian pulled one of the smaller diamonds out of his pocket and showed it to the innkeeper. He knew what he would get for a diamond of a similar cut and colour back in Agara, so he had some type of ballpark figure. The innkeeper leaned forward to examine the gem with a trained look in his eyes. "What would you offer for this?" The innkeeper's response was surprising, but Balian was almost certain they could get a better deal elsewhere. They might need to get a change of clothes, something that didn't outwardly portray that they came from wealth, but for now he would take what he could get, and trade the rest elsewhere. Balian looked around the inn until he spotted Kyrileir and Maelyn and once he found them, he accepted the innkeeper's deal. "I'll take four rooms at your inn and meals brought to my two friends seated over there," he instructed, using the word friend quite loosely as he pointed out the princesses. "And for myself and my companion." Once the innkeeper agreed, he placed the diamond in the man's hands.

Turning slightly to Tairus, he indicated that he should offer something of his own. They might need some money when they went out. Something they could use to downplay their obvious wealth to trained eyes. Once the innkeeper stepped away to get their room keys, Balian lowered his voice when he spoke to the prince beside him. "We can get a better deal elsewhere. Offer something small. We'll go to the pawn shop after we eat. Satisfied?" Once the innkeeper arrived again, Balian's smile and pleasant demeanour instantly returned.

ℒ𝓸𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 Inn tab tab 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓱 Tairus > Maelyn and Kyrileir elsewhere tab tab
𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓼 Recovering tab tab ℱ𝒆𝒆𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 Bored

[Dangerosa]

One thing he was reminded of each time he had to speak with Kin was that patience was a quality that was needed in large quanttities when dealing with the younger demidian. He just had this tendency to ramble on about various subjects, sometimes on topic, at other times he would digress, getting distracted by some smaller and (as far as Zeph was concerned) inconsequential point. It was always challenging to bite his tongue and refrain from interrupting him and telling him to get to the ******** point. Were it anyone else, anyone who wasn’t a demidian, Zeph was certain that he would have displayed much less patience. Although, going by the look in his eye as he looked at the blonde, he was just about to interrupt and say something. Luckily Kin seemed to get the point and moved on.

His description of the group was, unfortunately, lacking. Four wealthy individuals and a decent description of one of them wasn't going to help them if the group ever decided to split up at some point in the future or one of them decided to go out to search on his or her own. “You better to ******** better than that next time. Cool your ******** a** and get a good look at them. Think of it this way : if you ******** up and one of the others dies because they got a wrong description I’ll kill you. Got it assmonkey? And whatever you do don’t get caught.” The possibility of Kin doing something to give himself away or reveal to these foreigners that he was listening in was part of the reason they had to find Yeva quickly. As she was older and, presumably, more experienced, she could make sure nothing happened to Kin. It felt almost weird that he was showing this kind of protectiveness towards Kin. Normally it was always there, but never so close to the surface. Normally he tried to look out for other demidians, but didn't like to be known as someone who would be concerned about people other than himself. He'd probably been spending too much time around Claire or too much time with Kin. Or both.

"How the ******** do you expect me to know where that b***h is? I'm not her ******** keeper," Zeph responded with a scowl. Nevertheless, he raised one of his hands in front of him and produced a small flame in the palm of his hand. Usually it was easier to do this if he had something small nearby that he could burn, but other than the building Kin was leaning against — well he could always give the monkey a scare by setting it alight, but he wasn't one to kill without a reason. Brows furrowing slightly, Zeph stared into the flame he had created, trying to see Yeva's immediate future. Something so focused and narrow was, at times, difficult to see and right now was no different. The flames in his hand grew brighter as he broadened his search a little bit more. As the flames threatened to go out of control, he snapped out of it and quenched them before the items around them caught alight. All he knew was that Yeva would eventually catch up with them. "Get your a** to the inn and don't ******** mess up this time. Naomi will send Yeva to find you." While that wasn't exactly what he had seen, it was good enough.

Stepping around Kin and returning to the group, ignoring Mark and focusing on Naomi. "b***h, I need you to find Yeva. Tell her to meet Kin at the inn then to find my ship for the meeting. Do something ******** useful for once." Claire didn't need a bodyguard anyway. At least that was what Zeph believed. She was strong enough to take care of herself, and if she wasn't it was his job to step in and help her. Not some stuck up white-winged angel. It was why if anyone ever asked who the leader of the guardians was, he would jump in and claim the spot. His b***h wasn't going to be hurt on his watch and she was the ******** princess of Skalla. He was sure her parents would rather see something happen to him than for harm to befall their precious daughter. "The rest of you need to stop ******** around and listen. Kin saw a group of two men and two women come ashore while he was at the pier. They're dressed like ******** nobles and he only managed to get a description of one of them : short brown hair, fair skin. They may be coming to take the staffs. Kin and Yeva will get more information about them." Was there anything else he needed to say? Probably not. Whatever news he had about the prophetess could wait. "We can go down to the pier and find their ship, figure out where they came from, before we hold the meeting. While we're down there, Mark keep your ******** eyes away from the girls by the docks. They're out of your league anyway."[/coloir]



tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 lavisca streets tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 kin > naomi, mark, claire tab
tab tab 𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔰 95%

[Dangerosa]

Dealing with someone from Zenzare was difficult under the best conditions; dealing with Tairus was an entirely new, yet not totally unfamiliar, level of difficulty. Although Balian shouldn’t have been surprised by this in the slightest, he somehow was and could only stare in silent disbelief as the man —boy— turned and spoke to the innkeeper about trading for a trinket after accepting the keys. Once food was mentioned, Balian wouldn’t have been surprised if the Prince suddenly grew a thick covering of hair, dropped on all fours, started wagging his tail in excitement, and jumping around, barking excitedly. Unfortunately that didn’t happen.

As Tairus and the Innkeeper finished business, Balian let the warm smile fade away and shifted his weight to one leg as he took a slow look around the inn. This time it wasn’t just a cursory look to figure out where the ladies were, but he wanted to try to get a feel for the people of this region, what they were like and what he could possibly expect about the general atmosphere in Jardas. Granted, the sample size was small and he would probably only learn a bit of the local thoughts and opinions, it was better than nothing. Balian wished that he had read a little bit more about Jardas when he was back in Savona so he would have had a leg up on the others. He could only make up for that now. All he needed was a library and a few hours away from the others. As much as they needed the staffs, they also didn’t need to start another war by doing something offensive to the locals. However, if Tairus messed up in some way and brought the wrath of the Jardans down on Zenzare, it was always a bonus.

“Men are able to control their desires. Boys submit to every changing wind.” Whether his words were heard or not were of little consequence. Prince Tairus was hardly worth his time anyway. He followed towards the table where Kyrileir and Maelyn were talking before Tairus interrupted and acted like the glutton he was. Did he have any sense of decorum or had he failed all of his royal lessons? He behaved like the lowest of commoners; as though he had spent his childhood being raised among the thieves and criminals of his kingdom and had only recently ascended to royalty. It only made Balian want to question the prince’s legitimacy. “That’s hardly something to tell a Lady, Prince Tairus. Joking or not, it’s improper.”

Stepping aside to let Maelyn pass, he bowed as she walked by, watching her make her way out of the inn. They couldn’t separate like this. Especially when he didn’t trust either of their enemies as far as he could throw them. He started to open his mouth to tell Kyrileir to follow her out the door, but he immediately shut it and reconsidered. She got distracted easily and he was afraid Maelyn might slip away and find some clue that would put her ahead of him in the race for the staffs. But then the question was could she take care of herself and keep him in the loop if he left her here with Tairus. The boy was only worried on filling his stomach, though, so it shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. “Prince Tairus, if I could have two of the keys we were given, I’ll give one to Princess Maelyn and make sure nothing happens to her while you full your stomach. As you cultivate your palate, do try to cultivate a civilized tongue, for you are among aristocrats now.” He paused as he waited for the keys and considered Tairus for a moment before turning to Kyrileir. “Perhaps we should thank the tutors of Zenzare for freeing him from the ravages of intelligence. Do try to speak slowly so he can understand what you’re saying." Before she could stop him, he quickly continued. "I know you’ve told me to play nice with others, but I believe I’ve found the exception.”

Balian shrugged and picked up the keys. “I’ll let you know if I find or hear anything of interest when I’m out. Perhaps later this afternoon we can walk through the market.” Not to buy anything, but to talk without the possibility of the other two overhearing and formulate a plan. If they were going to work together they were going to have to pool resources and if anything was going to come from this constant splitting up, he was going to make the most of it. "Enjoy your meal, Princess. I'll have mine when I return." Bowing respectfully to Kyrileir, he turned and walked out after Maelyn.

Back in the hot Korrin sun, he found that the Princess of Brivas had not strayed too far away from the inn. He wasn't entirely sure how he wanted to approach her, but decided he might as well try to be a little more amiable than he had been previously. "Princess," he said after clearing his throat. Once he had her attention, Balian inclined his head respectfully. "I hope you don't mind if I join you. I thought it best to stretch my legs before eating. Would you like to walk through the city? Perhaps we can find something or someone who will help us on our search, or start to learn more about each other." Balian hoped she would accept his offer. It would help to get a better read on her and perhaps win her over to his side.

ℒ𝓸𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 lavisca, korrin tab tab 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓱 maelyn tab tab
𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓼 recovering tab tab ℱ𝒆𝒆𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 calm

[Dangerosa]

Zeph only smirked and gave Naomi a half-assed salute when she told him not to call her a b***h. Why the ******** would he treat her any differently from the other people he dealt with? He could have called her worse and she knew it. As far as he was concerned, she had yet to do anything that would make him change his tone around her. Besides, he didn’t hate her, she was just barely tolerable. And such a ******** show off. Every time he saw those golden wings of hers, it took everything in him not to want to rip them off. She was someone with enough influence to try to change things for demidians — half-angel demidians especially. He couldn't begin to count the amount of times some golden angel had decided that it was open season on him and his kind. Were it not for Claire he was nearly certain he would tried to persuade her in a little more violent manner.

With Naomi and Kin both off doing their assigned tasks, Zeph turned to Mark with a look that just bordered on annoyance. If Mark ever wanted to pick up anyone he was going to have to work on his delivery. Without any help from Claire. "I did not threaten Kin, b***h. The monkey asked a question about Yeva, I tried to provide an answer." Why was it that every time he tried to do something kind for someone else it always came off as threatening? Not that it mattered to him as he was long used to people making those kinds of assumptions, but damn if it didn't rub him the wrong way when it came from Claire. Were it anyone else he was certain he would have gone along with what she said and claimed that he'd scared Kin into running off to do his bidding. Tsking lightly, he let it slide. "I hope the dockmaster is ******** discreet. We can't let those ******** know we're in the area if the assmonkey is right."

Moments after he spoke, he was startled by the approach of a rather tall, tanned individual with long dreadlocks and dressed rather traditionally, who addressed him as ‘Guardian-Son’. So much when trying to keep a low profile. He glared at the idiot prince of Lyralona as he introduced himself, but that glare started to falter when the dragon bowed to him. Maybe he wasn’t that stupid, just a careless and lazy sonuvabitch. ”Do you have to make such a ******** scene? For ******** sake are you trying kill get me killed?”

Shooting a look over at Claire and Mark, he didn’t want them to get dragged into this if it was some sort of trap. Honestly, he didn’t care much what happened to Mark, but should something happen to Claire, he would never forgive himself. Nor would her parents in all likelihood. Even if he didn’t know her parents at all, he knew the opinion of the angels in Skalla. Demidians, especially those with the colouring of wings that he possessed, were seen as abhorrent, he shouldn’t exist. Even if she didn’t say it, he knew Naomi thought the same thing about him. Claire's whispered words got a nod of agreement from him, but he wasn't going to stay with this drake for long. Though maybe he'll take the Prince up on the drink. ”Get going. I’ll catch up with you later.” Zeph didn’t like leaving Claire with Mark and almost wished he could call Naomi back, but it was too late for that and at some point he was going to have to trust Mark and believe that Claire would be fine on her own and not let herself be taken in.

Turning back to the dragon Prince, he shifted his stance a little so his hand would be close to his weapon, if ever he needed to draw it. Royalty or not, he didn’t trust this drake. ”Dragons are not the only race going through difficult times. And from the sound of things, unlike with the others who are struggling to survive, you’re doing a piss poor job of trying to change things. Get off your ******** a** do some work. Do you think the Immortals are going to do anything for people who don’t help themselves? Even if I did have the power to summon the them, I wouldn’t do it for you.” Politics was never his strong point and Zeph didn’t care if he pissed off the Prince of all Dragons; he would talk to the immortals about doing something for Demidians over talking to them about the Dragons. At least Demidians were always doing something to try to improve their position in the world. If the Dragons were going to be lazy then they didn’t deserve any help.

This was not why he accepted being a Guardian. While he wasn’t sure whether or not he truly had a choice in the matter once he got his hands on the staff, he wasn’t sure he would have accepted it had he known he would one day be approached by this lazy a** beast. ”You’re a prince, are you not? If you want your relationship with Skalla to improve you need to go talk to Angels not to the guardians and immortals. Did you ever stop to think that the reason Angels and Dragons are favoured is because you’re supposed to be ******** examples to everyone else?” Sighing, he worked on softening his tone as he didn't need the dragons to be out hunting demidians as well. This was one of those times where he should listen to his own advice. "But... I can appreciate the fact that you've come this far. I'll give you some a few minutes to make your case." he motioned for the dragon to proceed him into the pub; he didn't like giving his back to anyone he didn't trust.

tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 outside a lavisca pub tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 mark, claire, sai tab
tab tab 𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔰 95%

[Dangerosa]

At her words, Balian couldn’t help but wonder if he should have told Kyrileir to follow her instead. Princess Maelyn seemed agreeable and willing to work with him for now. Although he also knew that she might be saying one thing to get him to lower his guard and then stab him in the back when he least expected it. It’s what he would do and what he will do if she didn’t play by his rules. What he had in mind for her was simple and she shouldn’t have any problems playing her part. But if she did mess up it would be rather easy to find a replacement or some other way of accomplishing his goals. There was no one from Eryx around to supervise, the Prophetess had disappeared the moment the ship had docked. As the princess had so rightly implied, they were in an area that was could be dangerous if they weren’t careful. And accidents did happen.

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” he said, moving to walk beside her as they started away from the Inn. “What were some of the places you and Princess Kyrileir discussed? Perhaps we can ask some of the locals for directions or obtain a map of the region.” It was starting to appear that following Maelyn outside had been an excellent idea as he would be one step ahead of the others. He kept the excitement and eagerness from his face and voice, trying to appear slightly disinterested. “If there’s time, it would be helpful if we could make a stop at the pawnshop. The innkeeper gave us a good deal, but I believe we can do better elsewhere.” Though that was in part because he suspected that the innkeeper noticed that they had some obvious wealth and wanted to cheat them out of a part of it or make a profit off of the items they had to trade.

Looking around the city, Balian was somewhat amazed at what he saw. The city was so vibrant and full of life. The climat was rather harsh and severe, though the heat was not too uncomfortable. There were regions of Savona that were a hot tropical climate and though this was a different kind of heat, it was tolerable. Despite the occasional shouts as people in the marketplace called out to those who were passing by to try to get their attention, there was a calm over the city that was foreign to him and one that he wanted to explore. It was so peaceful and he had a suspicion that at any second, total chaos would erupt and those welcoming cries would turn into shouts of horror as people ran for cover; the heat he was feeling wasn’t the warmth of the desert but the scorching heat of fires that destroyed the land.

“Orien is quite majestic and, all things considered, it is a great escape from the nearly constant fires.” Turning away from the scene in front of him for a moment, he rubbed his thumb against his brow as if to free his mind of the ghosts that suddenly plagued him. He could remember when he was younger, after Zenzare had managed to burn down a large section of the forest close to where he was staying staying, that he had hidden away in his room with his knees held close to his chest, his hands over his ears to block out the noise and pain of plants and animals being murdered. He hated telling his father about it as they were never on terribly good terms and he didn't want to make things worse. It was still an incredibly haunting memory and before Maelyn could notice anything, he dropped his hand and blinked, his eyes coming back into focus, his face still pale. “At one point in time, Savona must have been beautiful. It still is in certain regions and sometimes, if you know where to go, it’s as though the war is non existant and Zenzare is no more.” The corner of his lips twitched up into a small wistful smile that lasted but a moment before he turned his attention to the princess beside. He realized that he admitted that he wanted to see an entire kingdom removed from the map, but Maelyn wasn’t an idiot and he had done very little to hide his hatred of the fire kingdom. He wasn’t going to insult her intelligence.

“What can you tell me about Brivas? I've heard of the libraries and academies that your kingdom was once known for. I must admit I envy you for them.” he asked as he stopped at one of the stalls to look at some fabrics and jewellery. There were some unique designs and Balian was considering purchasing something for his sister if they had to pass through this port again. He had promised himself to get something for her before they left Jardas. As much as he hated to think of the possibility of them not being able to collect the staffs and put an end to the war, he knew there was a chance that it could happen. If it did, at least there would be something he could bring to his sister that, while it wasn't the peace she dreamed of, it might bring a smile to her face and she would forgive him for leaving her.


ℒ𝓸𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 lavisca streets tab tab 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓱 maelyn tab tab
𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓼 recovering tab tab ℱ𝒆𝒆𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 relaxed

[Dangerosa]

It was early in the morning, the sun just beginning to peek over the horizon and chase away the stars with midnight blues, dark purples and pinks that fought for attention. It was peaceful and calm, and the light chirping of birds could be heard clearly and loudly through the open window, carried on the gentle breeze. Inside the darkened room, two individuals lay in bed. One of them was awake, though his eyes remained closed as he rested on his back listening to the sounds of the birds as the heralded the early dawn and enjoying the warm feeling of the naked body beside him, the tickle of hair against his skin and the sound of her breathing. In a few short hours they would need to assemble in the hall of portals for one last attempt to capture the Royals. If he were honest with himself Styxx would admit that the Royals didn't particularly interest him in the slightest ; the rebels who were also after them were his quarry. He couldn't care less what happened to the elusive royals as long as he captured the rebel leader.

The debriefing the night before had been rather anticlimactic in a sense. For a reason that he didn't quite understand, he'd believed that once the king announced that they had the location of the royals narrowed down to a specific area of Sector 13 that he'd feel excited, eager to complete the job, but that was not the case. Instead, as he stared at Prince Mikhail and King Trey he felt anger as his demon pounded on the bars of its cage eager to escape and lash out. Sector after sector they had searched for these missing children and now that they had a location they were sent back to their rooms instead of going through to portal and capturing them when they had a chance. How could these children who had no recollection of their past, who spent the last eighteen years of their lives with no knowledge of the power they held within them pose a threat? It was laughable.

Opening his eyes, he turned to look towards the window, catching glimpses of the outside world through the slightly parted curtains. In his peripheral vision was a desk filled with his notes and books about Sector 13. Some of which he would have to go over once more before they left, but Styxx was confident that he had read all he could about the Sector and anything else he looked through this morning would be more speculation on the part of the authors as the sectors were not fully explored or explained in any of the books he had managed to get his hands on thus far. But all he wanted to know was whether it was a world like Sector 2 or 11, in which case they had best arrive prepared for fight and the possibility of facing weapons that were far superior to the ones they had at their disposal; or whether it was a world closer to their own and it would be easier to blend in. He didn't have the answer and he hoped one of the others had been able to find information he had not.

Movement at his side drew his attention back to the bed and he smiled, rolling onto his side and using his free hand to trail his fingers down Anna's soft skin. In the dim lighting, his eyes could spot a mark or two on her delicate skin and he hummed in pleasure as dipped his head to add another. A gentle slap had him chuckling and his lips and tongue playing with her heightening her sensitivity to his touch, his hands reaching for more, urging her to give into to him one more time. As many times as were possible before Mikhail decided to interrupt. The night before had been perfect, he was still feeling slightly drunk off the energy Anna had supplied him with, and while he had to be careful that he didn't kill her or leave her unable to do her job, he was still craving more. Shifting his weight, he brought his lips higher to n** and lick at her neck and ear. "How many times do you think I can make you scream before someone knocks at the door?" He breathed, his lips finding hers in the semi-darkness.

Biting on her lip as he pulled away, unnaturally bright blue eyes met hers and he smiled. Anna was always such a treat and he was lucky there someone who was available when he wanted among the Riders and someone who put up with his darker inclination as much she did. There were many others before her and there probably would be others after her, but she was one of the few he had returned to who had stayed warm and inviting for as long as she had. They both knew that there was a possibility that one morning he could wake up to a cold embrace after such a passionate encounter, but until then Styxx would enjoy every minute of her warmth around him.

tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab ❖ • ❖ • ❖

A knock at the door several hours later brought him up for air, feeling sated and very satisfied. "Took them longer than I thought," he murmured nuzzling her and sinking his teeth into an area that was already quite sore and tender. "Such a shame they had to come when I wasn't quite done with you. Maybe you'll make it up to me by joining me in the bath." Brushing her hair back from her face he reluctantly accepted the fact that he would have to wait a few days before he spent another night with her like this again. He couldn't have her dying on him just yet.


ℒocation: Hentor, his bedroom tab tab Ꮗith: Anna tab tab
ℳood: relaxed tab tab Ꮋunger: ██████████ 100%+ tab tab Ꮋealth: ██████████ 100%+

ɪɴᴠᴇɴᴛᴏʀʏ

Quiver: 100% Full; Arrows: 20/20
Daggers

ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ᴀʀʀᴏᴡs

OOC

[Dangerosa]

Like most mornings since she had arrived in Japan a year ago, Melissa had gotten out of bed early, brushed her teeth, packed a breakfast then skateboarded her way over to the school to meet up with Feli for a run, no matter what the weather. Today was no different. While he mom could just as easily give her a ride to the Academy every morning, Mel was not the kind of person to give up an opportunity to have some fun on her skateboard. So instead, she took a ride over to the café where her and her mother parted ways, and while her mother went off to work, she went to school.

Finishing the final lap a fraction of a second before Felicja, she came to a stop and turned to face her best friend with a grin, not bothered by the feel of her wet hair sticking to her head, the wet clothes or the rain. The rise and fall of her chest slowed as she worked on calming her breathing and heartbeat, then changed pace as she raised a hand to cover her mouth as she giggled in response to her friend's question. "Thanks to my great friend, Felicja," she effused wrapping an arm around Feli's shoulders and brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Winning is a team effort after all~!" Laughing and stepping away, she nodded and let Feli know that she would probably do a few more laps before she went inside for class. She still had some energy to burn and she didn't want to be hyper active during first period.

Melissa ran another two laps around the track and then turned and jogged towards the school, nearly slipping and falling on her face on the wet linoleum. Catching her balance, she continued towards the empty locker rooms where she took her time under the hot water. Though it was the first day of school she stil had a list of things to do. She had to find Anik at some point today to get some questions answered. As VP the year before, she was certain that Anik would be able to help her get settled into her new role. Despite the fact that Aniketos never seemed to listen to her when she brought her suggestions to him the year before, Melissa wasn't going to make that mistake. She'd listen to what he had to say and then use his advice to try to follow through on the promises she made during her campaign.

Cleaned up and dressed in her uniform, two bobby pins in her hair to keep her bangs back, Melissa slipped her backpack over her shoulder, her skateboard under her arm, she responded to her father's text that wised her well on her first day of school, then sent one to Mark. She loved him, but sometimes she felt as though he needed an extra push. He was the best boyfriend in the world though and just thinking of that easy smile on his lips and his bright blue eyes sent her heart racing a little faster and her stomach twist up in knots. She could do tricks on the half pike with ease but when it came to Fyreball she sometimes got tongue-tied when talking about her feelings for him to anyone else.

tab tab tab tab tab To : Fyreball ♡
tab tab tab tab tab Message : Good morning ~
tab tab tab tab tab Message : Are you at school yet? I have something for you
tab tab tab tab tab Message : and I think you'll like it! Let me know when you
tab tab tab tab tab Message : get here.

Hitting send, she tucked the phone away and then took out her bagged breakfast and started to eat as she walked through the halls looking for Kyrin or Anik. It was always nice to bounce ideas off of Kyrinthis and she had this great idea to get new school clubs and school spirit but she wanted to know what her friend thought about it. It was always a challenge getting Kyrin to come out of her shell, but if she took small steps and didn't push too much Melissa was certain that one day Kyrin would open up to her and be the strong confident girl Mel knew she was. Kyrin was great when she was in the pool and always offering up advice when asked of her, but when it came to certain other areas, she went along with what was said more often than not, instead of voicing her own opinion. Mel's goal for the year : get Kyrin to feel comfortable voicing her own opinion. The thought made her smile.


tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 school halls tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 her happy thoughts tab
tab tab 𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔰 healthy

[Dangerosa]

It wasn’t too long after she’d thought of the girl that Kyrin came into view. Melissa’s smile turned into a grin as she noticed her, though she couldn’t help but wonder if she was making Kyrin nervous. She knew that Kyrinthis didn’t get along with Feli and that despite her efforts to help the two of them become friends, Kyrin would rather hide away or ignore Felicja. Melissa knew it had something to do with dodgeball, but if it was just that Kyrin got hit, that was part of the game. Felicja wasn’t malicious or out to hurt anyone. She would never do that. Feli was just competitive and trying to have a good time. If Kyrin got hurt it was unfortunate but it wasn't done out of spite. One day, perhaps the two of them would talk and become friends, or at the very least Kyrin would let it go and feel comfortable talking to Felicja about things.

”Good morning!” She sang brightly, then offered Kyrin her bag of grapes. ”Want some?" Despite the dryness of her clothes, Kyrin's hair still looked wet as though she had just stepped out of a shower, and in Mel's mind, the best pick me up for wet-hair-mornings was comfort food : fruit. As the only fruit she had on hand were her grapes, she offered them to Kyrin. Par of her wondered if her friend had been swimming this morning or the wet hair was simply from a shower but she put it out of her mind. They could talk sports later. "How was your summer? Did you do any travelling? Excited to be back?" Melissa knew that Kyrin had a different homeroom than she did and there was still some time before first bell so she decided to walk with the other girl to her class. Once she got the summer story from Kyrin and decided on a time where they could talk school activities she would find her classroom and make the rounds. Hopefully that would give her enough time to give Fyreball his gift

Melissa was attentive and focused solely on Kyrinthis once she started to share some information on her summer. Her initial three questions were met with simple answers, but she tried her best to draw longer answers out and learn more than just the basics. Of course it would have helped if she had asked more open-ended questions initially, but she'd honestly forgot that sometimes when she asked closed questions, Kyrin gave her the answer to the question and only the answer to the question. There were times when Kyrin was so closed off that Melissa honestly wondered what Kyrin thought of her. If she was seen to be pushy, Melissa believed that she was only doing it so that other students might be able to see a more fun and playful side of Kyrin as they spoke. An adventurous side. How successful she was at this was anyone's guess. Maybe she wasn't successful at all.

As soon as the question was turned back to her, Melissa wasted no time in filling Kyrin in on her summer : from her travels around the city, to her travels within Japan, her skateboarding woes and fun times had with Felicja. The last only to try to gauge Kyrin's response to her friend. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like Kyrin was ready to face Feli anytime soon. Instead, Melissa started to talk about school, her hopes for the classes they would have this year and their future post-graduation. There was so much that she wanted to do this year, so many plans and she hoped she would be able to accomplish it all. Her father had told her that she was planning too much, but it really wasn't. Delegation was how the game was played and team work and cooperation were her best friends. Playing sports taught her that.

"I have a feeling this year is going to be incredible! You know that plan I had for increasing student involvement and adding more clubs and teams?" Whether Kyrin remembered any of the promises that Melissa made during her political campagne didn't really seem to matter to her as she continued to speak without missing a beat. "Well I was thinking back to how they did it at my last school and I think that could work here as well. I'd have to talk to the guy in charge of social events but I think it can be done. Can I run it by you during lunch?" Realizing that Kyrin might have something better to do with her lunch hour than be a sounding board, Melissa thought of a way that she can make it up to her, but was drawing a blank. It was too early to think about that and she suspected she would get her answer later that day. "Don't feel pressured or anything, I just enjoy getting your opinion about things. Your ideas have always been incredibly helpful." She smiled kindly, and offered more of her breakfast to Kyrin after popping a grape in her mouth. She had to slow down and give Kyrin some space to think.


tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 school halls tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 kyrinthis tab
tab tab 𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔰 healthy

I speak in a bold #FE6F5E

[Dangerosa]

When was it ever enough? This game they played where he held her life in his hands, felt it begin to fade away as he brought her to the edge of life and death then pulled back and allowed her to take a breath to recover, was addicting. It constantly brought with it a rush of power and made his head spin in an ecstasy so all consuming that he was lost to it. The touch of her lips on his one last time brought with it one final taste of her delectable energy and he looked into her eyes drunk on the taste of it. He could clearly imagine himself lost to her, her body joined with his once more as they lost themselves to their carnal natures. As much as he wanted to once more lose himself in her, he knew she was right and he knew that he couldn’t be greedy. As she stretched, he reached up to run his hand up her body, enjoying a sight that he would never tire of seeing, a familiar weight and firmness that he didn’t ever want to have vanish from his life because his lust was too strong. ”Our nights together always leave me sated, however I cannot help but want to completely consume you.” Unfortunately that would have to wait. And at the rate things were going it would be years before he would ever allow himself to give into his desires.

As she stood from the bed and walked over to pick up his shirt to answer the door, he could only nod absently as he watched her move. The way her hair fell down her back in waves and moved as she did, the gracefulness of her movements, like a dancer on a stage, the ease with with her body stretched displaying a fluidity that she often put to good use both in the bedroom and on the field of battle. Anna was a woman to be respected, a dragon with no equal; someone to be feared and admired. Captivating, absolutely ravishing. There was only one other person like her in recent memory who could command his attention in the way that she did. That woman was someone he hoped he would never meet again. Unlike Anna, loyalty meant nothing to her. The fact that he was magnanimous enough to allow her to continue breathing seemed lost on her. Anna understood and as long as she did, they would continue to have nights like this.

Coming out of his thoughts when the door opened to reveal Leon and not one of the castle guards brought a smirk to his lips as he sat up in bed and let the sheets fall away. ”He can certainly be entertaining with those bells of his,” It had been a while since modesty had meant anything to him. ”Come in, Leon, don’t be shy.” Though he could certainly do without the bells that would jingle at every step the Rider made. Styxx had never understood it and he didn’t believe he ever would : Leon and his bells which announced his presence to the world before the man was even visible. As much as he despised the toys he knew he would love to see one of those bells on a collar around Leon’s neck. A corner of his lips twitching into a smile, he gave the redhead a once over from head to toe and back again. ”What are your opinions on collars, Leon? As much as I despise the noisemakers you insist on having attached to you at all times, I would consider paying to see you in nothing but a belled collar the next time we are together.” Leon did tend not to care much for things that were outside his narrow sphere of expertise and Styxx was almost certain he wouldn’t get a response from the quarterstaff user, but the demon's mind had already formed an image of Leon that would take some time to wash away. Although Styxx wasn't so certain that he wanted it to.

There were times when he wanted more than ever to completely lose himself to the demon within him. This world and its problems hardly concerned him except for when it came to getting his revenge. He would have that and then the world could go to hell. It was a nearly constant battle to tame the beast and keep it from being unleashed to an unsuspecting world. It would do him no good should his snacks all decide to go into hiding because they're afraid of becoming the next body found dead in bed. Nor would it do him any good if he killed his favourite meals in a moment of weakness. It was a delicate balance he wasn't entirely ready to mess with just yet. How vexing.

With a quiet sigh, completely unashamed, he rose from the bed to begin to clean up and prepare for the day. The fact that Leon had even bothered to knock on his door indicated that it was almost time to go and if they spent any more time in here, Mikhail would be breathing down their necks. Honestly it didn't bother Styxx in the slightest, but with the night and morning he'd just had, he didn't want the prince to sour his mood. "Since Anna refuses to join me, you wouldn't mind getting back in the bath would you, Leon? I'm certain there's more than enough time before we need to go." Even as he spoke, he could already hear Mikhail's voice in his head telling him to 'stop ******** the riders and get his a** to the hall of portals'. However, the Cambion couldn't help himself : when among such handsome stallions it would be a shame not to take one for a ride.


ℒocation: Hentor, his room tab tab Ꮗith: Anna & Leon tab tab
ℳood: relaxed tab tab Ꮋunger: ██████████ 100%+ tab tab tab tab Ꮋealth: ██████████ 100%+

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