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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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 Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:04 pm
"We're here."
Remus looked around, then nodded. This was definitely the place. He'd been there before with DS, and flown over it with his father. But despite his certainty, the one on his back wasn't moving. "Did you hear?" he asked, somewhat louder. "We're here. Get off!"
Slowly, Karan opened his eyes. It wasn't that he was scared of flying, or falling. He just didn't like going so fast, with the air rushing past him at a literally breathtaking pace. Finally he'd just buried his head in the Tala's fur and tried to block everything out until the ride was over. Which, apparently, it was.
"Come on," Remus groaned, shifting from paw to paw. "You're heavy, kid." Why had he agreed to do this? For that matter, why was he being treated like a babysitting slash taxi service for the past several months? He didn't like it, and it was making him grumpy.
Gathering his bags, Karan swung his leg over the other side of the animal and slid to the ground. "I'm so-" he started to apologize, then stopped. Why should he apologize for being who he was? "I'm sorry you can't handle it," he substituted. "You should be happy to rest a bit, then."
Ignoring the frustrated mumbles from his ride, Karan started towards the front door. Hopefully, he would be home... it wasn't as though Karan had called again, mostly because he thought that if he had, he would have lost his nerve. But now he was there, and all there was to do was knock. He looked at the door, slung the strap of the backpack over his shoulder, and brushed some black fur off his clothes. All good stalling attempts, but now there really was only one thing left to do.
He knocked.
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:25 pm
It was silent for a moment, and at first it sounded as if no one was home. Another moment later, however, heavy footsteps could be heard moving toward the door. Suddenly it swung open, revealing a bloodshot eyed (that could only be seen in his white eye, given the black was fairly void), pajama-pantsed-but-half-naked Demare. For whatever reason, he didn't look too happy.
"Hellu--..." he'd started, but stopped abruptly as the door was slammed shut. The teenager was completely embarressed... Why was Karan at the door...??
Quickly gathering his thoughts, the legend opened up the closet door, using the shadows to transport himself quickly to his room. Plucking a black t-shirt off of the floor, he pulled it on over his head in a hurry, dashing out of his room and down the hallway to the bathroom. Just as quickly, he turned on the sick with one hand, splashed water on his face with the other, turned off the sink, tripped over the bathmat on his way out back to his room, jumping into the closet only to fall out of the one downstairs.
Once again, Demare opened the door. While the teenager still looked like a mess (wet face, red-cheeked, bed-head hair, crumpled up shirt and black pajama pants, and even mussed up wings), he looked SLIGHTLY better than he originally had. And he had no idea what to say.
"Um... S-sorry," he finally appologized, rubbing the back of his neck lazily as he moved out of the way of the door. "You... uh... you kinda surprised me."
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:05 am
For a moment Karan thought that the house was empty. He starting to turn away when he heard sounds from inside, and froze. Then the door opened, and it was only by a stroke of luck that Karan turned back around in time. As it was, he looked at his friend and gulped. Maybe he should have called first after all.
Then the door shut in his face, leaving him completely bewildered. What was going on? Did Demare not recognize him, or was he angry for some reason? Either way, he should have said so and not slammed the door and- and open it again? What was going on?
Karan tilted his head. For a moment the fact that Demare had changed even slightly went unnoticed. He was just glad that whatever the problem was, it wasn't with him. Not really, anyway, though he did look down at the mention of surprise. Next time he would handle things differently.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, meaning it. Then he looked up again, brushing an errant strand of hair out of his eyes as he did so. "Is this a bad time? I didn't mean to interrupt anything- I could come back later, or another time. If you're busy." The words just tumbled out, and with each one Karan wanted to kick himself. Why didn't he just stop talking and give the guy a chance to get a word in edgewise?
Because you're scared of rejection, something inside answered. Karan tried to ignore it, but it kept speaking to him. You're scared that your actions hurt the people you care about. And you're scared that they'll abandon you. Saying nothing to dispute this, Karan suddenly realized that he'd stopped talking, and looked away. Now was not the time to act crazy.
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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:46 am
The teenager lifted an eyebrow at the child, wondering why he was getting all bashful. Was it because he technically wasn't dressed? Did he really look that bad?
"Nah, I'm not busy," he replied with a shrug, glancing at the clock on the mantle for a moment. It appeared to be mid-afternoon already. Had he really been asleep this whole time?? "I was just... I guess I kinda... .......huh."
For the life of him, Demare couldn't remember what he'd done the previous night. Not a single moment was coming to mind, but he did have a slight headache and his body felt like mush. He noticed a tiny glass sitting by itself on the coffee table.
Oh... right. That stupid game Nojiko made him play for whatever reason.
"I just... did something stupid, and I guess I'm still recovering," he decided, turning back to his friend. "Come on in... Sounds like the others are out, so it'll be quiet... Can I get ya something?"
The halfling didn't like how hard of a time he was having thinking. He didn't like the fact that he couldn't fully remember the events that took place, and now his speech was off. Idly, the demon hoped it would wear off. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the Tala in the front lawn.
"He can rest in the back yard if he wants... Might be more shade than there is out here, if he's sticking around."
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:55 pm
After it was clear that Demare wasn't going to kick him off the porch, Karan visibly relaxed. He hadn't done anything terribly wrong after all. And it sounded like he could stay, maybe. Content, he listened to Demare, only worrying for a moment when his friend seemed to space out.
"Something stupid?" Like what? Though he was curious, Karan didn't ask for specifics. Instead he shook his head. "I don't need anything. Actually... I brought a couple things for you." To emphasize his point, he patted the side of his backpack. Hopefully everything was still safe inside.
Nodding at Demare's words, he turned briefly to Remus. "Did you-"
"I heard, kid." Remus stood and shook out his fur, then started walking around back. "Thanks," he added, looking pointedly at Demare- apparently, his gratitude was limited.
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:49 am
Demare shrugged at being questioned, not really wanting to talk about it at the moment since he was still piecing things together. Though he suddenly began to wonder WHY the house was empty. He blinked a couple of times as his attention was brought to the backpack around Karan's shoulder.
"Hm? For me...?" he asked rhetorically, his wings shifting behind his back. Why'd... he do that? "Uuuh... I don't... have anything for you, though..."
Was he SUPPOSED to have something for him?? Was any of this even planned? Had Karan called while he was out of it so now he can't remember what was going on? Idly Demare wondered if there was something special about today.
"Uh... go ahead and find a seat, and I'll be right back," the teen instructed, leaving the door for the boy to decide if he still wanted to come in or not. His throat was sore, and he figured it would be a good idea to take something for the headache as he stepped into the kitchen.
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:34 am
Karan followed, shifting the backpack so that he carried it by its straps instead of letting it hang on his back. It bumped his knees every few steps, but he didn't mind; his shoulders needed a break. The bag wasn't especially heavy, but after flying all the way there, he felt like he could use a rest.
The invitation to sit was accepted, and Karan chose a comfy looking armchair, letting himself sink into it. He was surprised at Demare's surprise, and his hands tightened around the straps of the backpack. "I wasn't expecting anything," he said, confused. "Did... nobody else has done anything?"
Did he have the right week? Or even the right month? He couldn't remember the exact day, but he thought it was around this time...
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:51 am
"Done what?" Demare questioned from the kitchen before returning to the living room, sipping at a glass of water. He had another one in his hands, and he placed it on the coffee table in front of Karan in case the boy got thirsty later. "I actually just sorta got up when you knocked on the door, so I haven't seen anybody..."
Setting his own glass down as well, he picked up the small fleece blanket that had fallen on the floor, and lazily folded it up before flopping himself down on the couch and throwing the messy cloth over the back. He heard something crumble under his butt, so he shifted himself to retrieve the item in question. It was a simple piece of notebook paper, with the words "Don't forget about the party at Domonic's! Be there by 6pm OR ELSE!!!" written on it with a thick black sharpie.
Party? What par--...
Oh. OH. "s**t..." The legend began to blush furiously.
He'd completely forgotten about his own birthday. What surprised him even more, however, was that Karan even KNEW his birthday.
"Oh man... Oh MAN! I'm sorry! God, I didn't even know it was today..." the halfling apologized, slapping a hand against his forehead. "Geez, I can't even believe it's today... How did you know?"
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:15 pm
At least he wasn't as off base as he'd worried he was. In fact, he was closer than he'd thought initially. "It's today?" Karan asked, equally surprised. It was either a bizarre coincidence or some kind of luck. "I... I didn't know it was today. She told me it was around this time though."
"She," of course, meant DS. Karan wasn't sure how she knew, but didn't ask. It was sort of nice to have an excuse to visit, even if he was sort of unexpected, and seemed to catch Demare off guard. In more days than one. What could be making him so out of it that he'd forget his own birthday?
"But, uh... don't worry about it. Really!" The last thing that Karan wanted to do was make Demare uncomfortable, especially on his actual birthday. Besides, there were more important matters at hand. Picking up his backpack by the straps, he set it next to him on the chair and started rummaging though.
One question, however, slipped out before he could keep his mouth in check. "Are you okay?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:24 am
Demare ran his hand through his reddish hair as he sighed at the last question, still struggling to piece things together. That was the LAST time he'd ever let anyone convince him to play games. Much less convinced by a girl. God damn hormones... The demon decided that he needed to find a way to keep that part of him in check. Stupid BODY.
"I'll be fine," he assured him, his wings drooping a bit. "I just... Okay, look. That damn woman got me to drink last night, and I guess I had too much."
There. He said it. And... wasn't proud of it.
"I think I'm just lucky I'm not... human. Otherwise I have a feeling I'd be worse off... Promise me you won't do stupid s**t like that when you get older, hm? Maybe it's my job to test all this stuff now so I can at least protect somebody later on..."
At that, the halfling blushed again, glancing off to the side for a moment. He felt strange... Almost shy. Why was he starting to get self conscious around Karan?
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:11 am
He didn't mean to pry, really! Still, Karan let out a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding. "That's good," he said, still pawing through the contents of his bag. Then he stopped, and looked up. "Too much to drink? How- oh."
Demare was older, he supposed. He'd known that for some time. Still, it hadn't seemed like such a big deal when they were younger. Now they lived differently, and Karan wasn't sure he liked that. It made things... awkward. Suddenly he wasn't sure how to act, or even what he was doing there. Surely someone cool and older- older still, since his birthday was that day- had better things to do than hang out with a "runt" like him.
But he'd been invited in. Holding on to that, Karan listened to the rest of the story, nodding when he was asked to promise. DS didn't keep alcohol in the house, so he probably wouldn't find any to drink even if he wanted to. Which he didn't. He'd heard too many horror stories about being drunk.
As Demare continued, Karan blinked for a moment, then directed his attention back at his bag. Whatever had just been said, he definitely didn't understand it completely. But it made part of him inside quite happy to know that he wasn't a complete pest.
"I'll be careful," he promised. "I hope this means you'll be careful too. Don't take all the knocks, okay?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:46 am
Sometimes the halfling didn't like being older than the ones he was close to. Demian knew Clare was having a difficult time with Mayu now being younger than him, and he was only just now seeing the trouble with himself being different. It didn't matter that Karan was still a kid... he was still his best friend. However, the fact that he was a teen meant that certain rules were different... As a child, he was subjected to overbearing rules. Now, he was free to do almost anything he wanted.
How could he have been so stupid? And... selfish? To think that this would be any easier on his friend.
"Yeah, I will..." Demare agreed with a nod. "I don't like the taste of that stuff, anyway..."
He took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, hunching over to rest his elbows on his knees, and then his chin on his hands. A part of him wanted to ask if the boy wanted to join him at the party later, but he wasn't sure if Karan would enjoy being in a house full of people he'd never met. Putting the thought aside, he finally turned his monochrome eyes to him.
"Ya know, I'm not gonna bite," he teased with sly grin. "At least, not HARD. The couch is comfy, too."
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:06 am
A bit more relaxed, Karan looked up again and nodded. "I don't know how it tastes, but people have told me what it's like." Examples included Eriol's first encounter with beer in Durem, and the somewhat infamous story of when DS came home drunk and had to sleep it off for nearly a week. There was no way he wanted that to happen to him. "I'll pass."
He then blinked, surprised at the teasing. While his initial unease was still present, he was comforted by it and started to giggle. "I didn't know you still bit," he returned. "In a sec, I've got all this sorted."
Karan's attention returned to the bag for a moment, and when he looked up he seemed almost apologetic. "Some of it's from me, some of it's from other people. Prana sent something. So did she. And a couple other people." He fumed silently, thinking back. When he had tried to get a present together, everyone else was trying to put their two cents in, volunteering presents and even packing the bag. Demare was his friend, and most of the others had no right to butt in. But he didn't have much choice in the matter. "It's all sort of weird," he tried to explain. "Are you ready?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:15 am
Demare laughed at the comment, half tempted to respond, but decided against it. It would probably be better saved for another day, anyway. His expression changed, however, at the mention of his family getting him gifts. Wait... Prana?
"Does Prana live with you?" he asked curiously, idly wondering how the polar girl had been. He hadn't seen her since... actually, he couldn't even remember when the last time he'd seen her was. It was a long time ago, that was for sure. "Actually, we'll get back to that. I'm, uh... ready, I guess."
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:27 pm
"She does now," Karan answered, digging to the bottom of the bag. "She has for a while. A problem with her mom or something." While he didn't refer to his guardian as "mom," Prana did, and he acknowledged that. Which was enough. He didn't need to go into detail; it was her business, not his.
First, he figured he'd better get the food out of his bag before it all melted. "There's a bit of this," he apologized, pulling out an insulated lunchbag from the top of the backpack. When he unzipped it, his hands lingered over the surface, feeling the cold air. Apparently DS was a smart backer, as evidenced by the icepack tucked in the bottom.
The first thing he took out was a slice of cake, topped with a nutty chocolate frosting with a cherry at the tip. DS called it German Chocolate Cake. All Karan knew was that it was delicious; he'd had a slice at home. The whole thing was wrapped in wax paper, except the very top, which seemed mostly intact. After that came a few chocolate chip cookies, a slice of banana-nut bread, and some chocolate-covered cherries.
"She goes way overboard," Karan muttered, fishing one last thing out of the bag. It was a cupcake, slightly squished and covered with pink icing and rainbow sprinkles. "That one's from Xue," he clarified. "He helps in the kitchen sometimes. I think he made that one by himself, so you might want to be careful eating it."
There was also a note, which was tucked into the wax paper and slightly smudged with frosting.
DS's Note
Happy Birthday, Demare-kun! I hope that you and your family are doing well. Please enjoy these treats, and know that if you're ever hungry, there's always food at our house. You're welcome any time.
Also, Xue says to tell you that he hopes your birthday is happy and full of fun and toys. I'm not sure he knows how old you are now, but hopefully the sentiment gets through, as that's what he meant in the long run.
Best Wishes, DS
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