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 Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 5:11 am
Ana couldn’t stop the smile. "I see you haven't changed at all." She replied. She then looked to the scroll and the scrap of paper that Vidor produced. "Ryuu….I mean Umbra. She decided to change her name to Umbra." Anastasia explain on a tangent, wondering if Vidor would remember that conversation with Haku by the fire all those years ago. "It was what I would have named her if she were born a girl. It means shade...for her element…" Realizing she was getting off track, Ana took the scroll and slipped it into the top drawer of her desk. "Umbra was looking for a new bedroom. I suppose she must have found one after. I'll find her in the morning and give her the scroll.
Ana's eyes softened then. "You were always a softy. Where it counted anyway. " She murmured softly. "You told me you would have taken me in, protected me, if Thomas died. Remember?" She knew his softer side was always there. Even when he couldn't see it. It was there.
Moving on to happier topics, Ana grinned brightly and took the second paper from Vidor and opening it to see the address. "This...this is hardly an hour's ride from the palace." She said in quivering excitement. "I wonder if she'll be home tomorrow. I would love to see her. It's been….how long. Years? 10?" She was nearly hopping in excitement. Maybe she would bring Umbra with her as well. It might help to meet someone who once went through something similar. Though the situations were very different. Haku had asked for her transformation, Umbra did not.
Ana slipped the paper into the desk as well, before leaning on it once again. She was silent for a moment, at that last question. How was she doing. She hardly knew herself. So much time spent worrying about her children that she didn't take much stock in her own feelings. "I….am doing better." She finally answered. "Both of my children suffered for so long. And I could do nothing to help either of them. Aside from offer support and exile a Valkyrie." Ana murmured with some degree of bitterness. Lumia was gone and yet the cut of betrayal was still deep. "I'm...just glad that they are smiling again. Laughing even. I'm just glad the darkness is starting to leave this place." Ana paused, and looked to Vidor with a sheepish grin. "Pardon the metaphor."
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 5:41 am
”Umbra huh? I’ll try and remember that, though it may take some time. So, you both will have to pardon me if I forget a few times… after damn near 18 years of calling him… her… Ryuu, it’s become a habit.” Vidor bowed his head slightly and leaned up against the wall as he was doing outside, crossing his arms over his chest in a relaxed manner. It was so good to be talking to Ana again after all this time, even if the topics weren’t always so fun or exciting. ”It’s a good name for her, though, I have to admit it fits her perfectly, you’re good with picking names.”
Vidor turned his head slightly and his eye rolled far to the right side when Ana said that he was a softy. ”Pfft! There’s nothing about me that’s soft or squishy, you, Jace and Haku are all out of your gourds.” Vidor’s eye returned to meet Ana’s own and he visibly relaxed. ”Yeah, I remember that. And I intend to keep the pledge as well, for you and your children. You know that if you need me, I’ll be right here as fast as I can, and as soon as I can… but that doesn’t make me soft, just… protective.” Vidor was desperately trying to cover up that softness that Ana was talking about . He hated to admit it, but she was right, he wasn’t has black or hard hearted as he used to be, and he wasn’t sure if he was necessarily worse off for it. He had friends, honest to god friends that he never had growing up and to him, that was something worth fighting for tooth and nail to preserve.
Vidor chuckled. ”I figured that would have brightened you up a little bit. Haku said that she and Jace had been moving around quite a bit sense Jace was promoted to Bishop, but now they found their permanent home. I’m not sure if they’re totally moved in just yet, but maybe some extra hands wouldn’t hurt, huh?” Haku and Ana had been good friends along with Tomoyo, even after she managed to find her way back home. His eye softened a little bit. ”10 years… has it really been that long? Man I’m starting to feel old. Ever sense Ryuu was born the world just seems to have flown by without me noticing. Before I knew it, he… erm… she had grown up.” Vidor closed his eye once more. My god… he really was getting old wasn’t he, his only regret was not being able to spend more time with his child and watch her grow up and be by her side through all of life’s lessons. Still though, there was no better or more qualified person that he would trust with his child then with Ana, his old love.
Vidor offered a soft, sympathetic smile to Ana. ”You were there for them when they needed you, Ana, really, with this sort of situation it was all that you could have done. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Both of your children made it, and Ry- Umbra is on the mend. Umbra in the meantime performed her rite of passage and proved herself to be a truly good person… and you were here when she return to you, still in one piece and mentally coping. I’d say that you did a fine job.” Vidor pushed himself off the wall. ”But doing better is better than not, right? The darkness will leave in its own time. Though… I think that Umbra has mastered it while it was here. I can feel that she’s bonded with her element now, and that’s not an easy thing to do when you’re a darkness bearer.” Vidor paused for a moment before adding. ”You know, now that your children are back on their feet, perhaps it’s time to allow yourself to relax and get off your feet for some R and R. Being a Queen, I don’t imagine that you get time to yourself all that often.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 7:06 am
Ana rolled her eyes. Sure he could tell himself that. Not soft at all, not sir. Though she didn't argue, letting Vidor hold on to his pride. Instead she kept on the topic of Haku. She smiled, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers. "A bishop hm? Good for him." She had always planning to keep in contact, but between co running a kingdom, two children, and all the years slipping by, she found herself missing a Haku one day with no real way to find her. Sending out the royal guard just seemed….extravagant somehow.
At the mention of Umbra growing up, Ana nodded, "Yes...she has. Though...it's not finished yet." She murmured with a sigh. "Her coronation is next month. I've been trying to put it off, to find an exception in the rules. I believe she is ready to rule, but I had hoped to give her a little more time to adjust to her new reality first. I worry it will be too much for her." Ana murmured. She wouldn't, couldn't say that to Umbra herself. If Ana showed doubt then Umbra might lose the strength she needed to get through it.
Ana laughed then. It was a shaky laugh. "Relax...what does that mean again?" She'd felt thin for so long. Stretched, like butter spread over too much bread. If he had suggested that a week ago, when the shadows all but disappeared from the palace and Umbra hit her third month in solitude, Ana would have likely broken down. But now….at least now after today she was able to almost shrug it off. She sighed a heavy sigh. "I will I will. Though it won't be until after the coronation. I might go to crescent lake for a while. And I'll see Haku tomorrow." Ana smiled then. "Don't worry about me. I can hold it together still. Age didn't ease my stubbornness."
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 7:39 am
Vidor laughed a little bit about Ana’s worry about the coronation. ”You worry too much, Umbra will only get the throne when Thomas steps down from the throne himself or passes away… which I don’t think will happen any time soon. The ceremony is more or less just officially stating him as a crowned Prince… erm… stating her as a crowned Princess… so that there is no longer any sort of dispute for the throne, and there will be someone to officially rule while Thomas is gone… and give her the right to make official decisions on her own while being a diplomat to other kingdoms.” It was interesting that Vidor knew this sort of thing, but he seemed to know what he was talking about. Vidor made sure to go through the kingdoms rules and traditions, possibly making sure that his child was going to be safe for the throne. Vidor stepped forwards and placed his human arm on Ana’s shoulder, he looked down into her eyes. ”Maybe Umbra needs this as something of a distraction for herself. The worst thing that someone can do is let idle thoughts run wild while you are still recovering from being in a darker place. I have faith that Umbra knows herself a little better than that, and if there was a problem that she would come to you about it, at least I hope that she would. She tends to take after her mother and can be headstrong at times.” Vidor teased a bit, hoping to bring something of a smile back to Ana’s face again. He brought that hand up and stroked her cheek with his thumb gently. Remembering his boundaries though, he slowly and reluctantly pulled back.
”I know exactly what you mean.” Vidor replied with a dry chuckle, how long had it been sense he was able to relax himself? It soothed him slightly to hear Ana’s promise to take some time off and go to the lake where she could relax. ”Good. Even heroes like yourself need a break from things every now and then. Why don’t you take Umbra and Nicolette to the spa –or whatever you girls do- and make some kind of day out of it. I’m sure that both of them need it too.” Vidor listened to Ana while she stated that she was going to visit Haku tomorrow. That was good, he was sure that Haku would be thrilled to see Ana again. ”No, age certainly hasn’t gotten rid of your stubbornness, I can still see that fire in your eyes after all. It was almost gone for a while, but I’m glad to see it back and getting stronger again.” Vidor noted the time and gave something of a sigh. He should get going, Ana looked like she was in need of sleep and he needed to get back to his search for that damned horn among other things. He looked at Ana, though age was starting to creep up on them, she was still very much that spirited young lady that he had met all those years ago, keeping his passion to himself was torturous, but he respected Ana and her boundaries… he needed to now.
”I should get going. You look like you need a good sound sleep and I need to find something for Umbra. Good night… love…” Vidor turned his back and started off towards the doors, wisps of darkness started to form around him. It looked as though he was about to leave when the darkness suddenly brought him close to Ana. He took her in his arms and took her lips with a gentle, bridled passion. He needed this, it had been far too long sense he felt her touch, tasted those honeyed lips, felt her soft skin. Just one more… that’s all he needed to keep going in his lonely world.
He wanted to stay here like this forever, Ana pressed up against him, close enough to him that he could feel the holes in his heart start to fill once more. He wanted to say, but he needed to go. Reluctantly Vidor broke the kiss and his shadows moved him away quickly before Ana decided to break his nose. His last solid visages were looking at her, the only woman who ever tamed his heart.
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 5:24 pm
"Your knowledge of royal law will never cease to amaze me." Anastasia said with a grin. Yes that was how it went. But still, it was a lot to take on. Though, he did have a point. It would be a distraction. But she didn't say any of that. Her simply ended up being a swat at his arm. "I am not headstrong! I just...like things done a certain way." She countered.
Ana thought on the idea of going to a spa. And she had to admit, it was growing on her. Her girls needed some time together. She needed some time away in general. "Maybe I will. "She murmured, still musing over the idea. "Maybe I will.
She could feel their borrowed time starting to end already. He touched her face, and already she felt her self melting. She stepped back as he did. Boundaries. It was the only thing that kept her from him. She loved him dearly. She always would. But they couldn't be. And whenever they were together, it was so hard to remember why that was. "Goodnight…." She whispered in a small voice. She was expecting him to leave then. He almost did. But Vidor has about as much control as she did and soon she was pulled into an embrace. Sweet familiar lips against hers. Her hands clenched in his shirt.
And just as quickly he was gone. Her eyes met his as his form faded from view. She wanted to weep, but she was past weeping. Dry eyed she pulled herself back to bed. Trying to remember why it was they could no longer be.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:37 am
Dear Lady Isabelle,
Forgive me for not writing sooner to you, though the past few months have been very hectic, first of all I wanted to thank you once more for your part in harvesting the stone needed for the potion that myself and my sister needed. I’m not sure if rumours have floated your way or not, but I figured that I would quell them so that rumors don’t fester into facts. Despite the efforts of all involved, I was unable to return to my male self, one of the ingredients (though rest assured that it was not yours) wasn’t strong enough to yield more than one potion, I gave the potion to Nicolette as it appeared to me that she was suffering thought this far more than I was. Despite it being the right thing, I do have my regrets doing so… I think that over all I am resentful of the fact that she is able to pick up where her life left off, while I, on the other hand, am struggling to put the pieces back together and adjust to this new life. The strangest thing of all is, is that if I was given the same choice, I think that I would have done no different that the course of actions that I had already taken. It’s a strange paradox, isn’t it? To be so resentful of your own actions and yet to do so again without hesitation, I’m not sure what that says about my character to be honest.
Regardless, the past few months have been rough on me, and those around me I’m sure, the realization that I was unlikely to become what I once was brought out some very negative emotions in me and much more was on my mind. For the most part, I think I conquered my demons, though I know that there are a few that roost somewhere deep down. I fear when they may rise, but at least I have found that support of those close to me.
Goddess Almighty, Lady Isabelle, I had no idea the amount of trouble that women have to go through to look presentable to the outside world at large. I was fortunate enough to have my mom, a close friend and my sister come with me shopping for such things, lest I would have been utterly lost on my… grand adventure… in acquiring a wardrobe for myself. The things that we do to look good in the world! I fear whatever else I may be acquired to do in my next steps in getting more in tuned with this new gender that I am now sporting. And lest I forget, my new name as well. I had a chat with my mom and have adopted the name ‘Umbra’ for myself, as it was the name that she would have given me if I was born a girl. As much as it pains me to retired such a name, Ryuu sadly doesn’t seem to suit me any longer.
My coronation is in a month’s time as well, I would like to extend you an invitation to join me on this milestone in my life –of course, this also extends to your Fiancé as well- I know that things may be busy for you during this time, as I imagine that your own milestone in life is coming as well. You would be my guests, naturally, so neither of you would have to worry about accommodations while you are here. I certainly won’t force you, and I hope that you don’t feel pressured to come if things are not in your favour for time. It would mean a lot to me, but I will certainly understand if you cannot make it.
I hope this letter finds you well and in Good spirits.
Umbra
I was quiet the hectic start to Umbra’s day. It had certainly felt like she had hit the ground running, and even her bath was mixed in with politics and social endeavours. She had made a quick trip into town and gave the postman his letter to Lady Isabelle, and then made a few stops in town for herself. Most of it was regarding her new room and there was a lot to do. She wanted to make it a secret as to what she was going to be doing to her room, so she gave special instructions to everyone that was involved that nothing was to be shown to anyone, not even Queen or King. They would have to wait to see it just like everyone else.
Umbra’s presence was creating quite a stir, she had sent little gifts to all the maids as apologies and even spent some time training with the Dread Knights. It was at the garden table that her mom and/or would find her in the first little bit of relaxation she was getting all morning. Drinking some tea and having a mixed breakfast of fruits and pastries. Umbra sighed and wondered what sort of amusement that she was going to be getting out of today. Yesterday they had gone shopping for clothes, she wasn’t sure what the next step was in getting her settled into womanhood, but she was sure that it was going to require her getting hit on by boys and mentally scarred for life. Just another typical day in the Palace.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 2:11 pm
It had been a long three months for Tobias. He has returned home, and almost immediately later, returned to his manner house on the boarder lands between Ryuu's kingdom and his Uncle's. His second in command did a good job keeping up with the word, but there was still a backload of things that only Tobi could do. Most of it was signing things, or dealing with commoners who lived on his land who had some complaint or another. Tobias was a fair Marquis, and made sure all of the most urgent needs were sent to the ears of his Uncle the king. But that was not all Tobias had done.
The memory of the Grimoire mountains had plagued him. How, even as a dragon, he was no match against another dragon simply because he favoured his human form. His dragon form was small, childlike almost from the lack of use or growth. He had gone to his mother for help. He didn't….he never enjoyed knowing what he was. He knew what happened to dragons who were no longer apart of the herd. He knew what his mother had gone through. And he knew the animalistic nature that was buried in him. His mother had warned him about it once. How it could take over and your humanity would no longer be there. It would be all sights and smells and desire. A thing all dragons craved, to go up until the abyss where nothing in the world mattered but here and now and all sensations were heightened sevenfold. Tobias tasted the feeling sometimes, usually during the throws of passion. But it was a human version, weaker. The true version scared him.
It was that fear of losing himself that kept Tobias from embracing his nature. But after the journey. After meeting Hlin. It was time to face that fear. It had begun gradually. An hour flight in the morning to make him stronger. He worked to master his flames, learned the degrees and capabilities of his power. And slowly, he grew. The change started in his dragon form. He was leaner and stronger. Could fly longer and farther when he wanted. And then his human form changed. He was taller by about am inch or two, his dark eyes starting to be speckled in silver so his irises looked like a starry sky. Spiked streaks of silver started to grow through his hair. Fine silver talons were a near constant for his nails now. He was starting to be who he was born to be.
On the day of the third month since coming home, Tobias received a message. Ryuu was back. He....she was back. Tobias had wanted to leave that day, but he had to take care of a couple things first in his land. He left the second day. He left for his morning flight but instead of flying in circles or over the ocean as he usually did, he followed the shore to the cliffs behind Ryuu's palace. He transformed there and made the hike down. By the time he arrived he looked alive and windswept. A near constant for Tobi these days.
When Tobi couldn't find Ryuu in any of the usual places, his bedroom, the court, the Dread Knights barracks, Tobias started asking the maids. One eventually told him that Ryuu, now called Umbra apparently, was in the gardens for breakfast. Tobi marched off, and eventually found a familiar girl sitting at a table eating pastries and drinking tea. "Morning."
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Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 5:05 am
Umbra was rather enjoying the peaceful tranquility of the morning, she made a mental note to eat out here more often as the palace dining area just seemed to lack a certain… umph… to it. Normally Umbra would probably shy away from these sorts of places and roll her eyes at her mom when she said that this was the best place to eat breakfast, but now she was starting to understand and would have to agree with her. Umbra’s mind wandered around a bit, thinking of everything and yet nothing in particular until she heard a familiar voice off to her left. She turned her gaze over to… wait… was that… ”Tobi?” She asked with some level of mild surprise. She blinked a few times as if she needed to take some time to register this new look of his in her head. It looked like she wasn’t the only one who changed her look during the months of her self-imposed exile. Umbra’s face lit up though, her eyes almost sparkling at the sight of him. It was good to see him looking so well after she hadn’t seen him in months… even if that was her own fault… but you simply can’t blame a lady for these sorts to of things, the gods will curse you after all!
Umbra pushed herself to her feet slowly, as if she wasn’t quite believing what she was seeing before walking up to him, a smile spread across her face. ”Look at you, looks like I’m not the only one who got a new make over.” Something paused her and her face fell a bit. ”Did you get taller? You did get taller too, didn’t you, you b*****d!” As much as Umbra tried to straighten herself up, there was no denying that she was now a full head and neck shorter that her companion. ”Ugh, that is so unfair!“
Umbra then gave Tobi a playful shot in the arm, then wrapped her arms around him in a hug as tight as she possibly could all things considering. He promised that their relationship wouldn’t change, so she was hoping that he would treat her as if she was still a guy, still Ryuu, though she would over look this one act of femininity with the hug because she hadn’t seen him for so long. Guy hugged, believe it or not. ”Love the newer, wilder look for you Tobi, it suits you. Wanna join me for breakfast?” Umbra took a seat and crossed her legs, leaning back slightly while she took up her tea and some more of her fruits and pastries. ”So what have you been up to the past three months? By the looks of it, your mom really put you through some serious training.”
It felt so good to see Tobi again, she couldn’t wait for things to fall back into their routine of mischief and… well, maybe not chasing ladies, but something along those lines. ”So how are things going with Lady Alexandra? I figured by now you would either be going strong or would have let it die out. So fill me in, what have you been up to?”
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Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:01 pm
Tobi could only grin at the expression on her face. "Morning Ryuu. Or is it Umbra now? Nice name." He commented. He glanced his best friend over. She didn't look much different from the last time he saw to her to honest, just….girlier. When before there was something of a haunting androgynous beauty, now Umbra was….legitimately beautiful. Almost like she had grown into her body. And slowly his grin turned to a chuckle, and then a roaring like laugh. "You think I'm big in this form, I should take you flying some time." Ryuu said with a conspiritory wink, though his voice was still hushed somewhat. "I'm nearly twice the size. Fast as ever though. I made it here in….oh….20 minutes?" Tobias glanced up at the sun to verify his timing. "It was just looking for your a** all over the castle that took so long." He pulled a light punch to Umbra's arm. "But look at you. Damnnnnnn Umbra. You do realize you're hot right? You should be lucky we're friends or I would be sweeping you off your pretty feet as we speak."
And somehow that initiated a bro hug. A bro hug with additional comfy assets. When they let go and sat down at the table, Tobi shook out his hair. To Umbra it would probably look like he was just trying to tame the windswept look. Really he was trying to stop thinking about his best friend in terms of how nice of a figure she had. Thankfully, Umbra moved on with the conversation. "Hmm….Let's just say I decided to fight some of my own demons while I was away." He answered, his face becoming shadowed. Him being a dragon still felt….taboo somehow. But he knew that Umbra was safe to talk to. "Mom's been….teaching me about her...our kind." He left that topic at that, quickly moving on to Alexandra. That goofy grin slowly started to shift onto Tobi's face. "She's great. We haven't seen much of each other since Isabelle's, just a couple visits. But she's really great." Tobi being in a monogamous relationship that lasted longer then a month was some sort of marathon. Alexandra really was something special. "I'm supposed to go see her in a couple days. Though…" Tobias stopped. Well this was an odd conversation to head into, but Umbra had more relationship experience then he did. "I'm not sure how I'm going to explain the sudden…..change. Grown men don't normally grow an inch taller in a month. Or have nails that look like scales."
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:20 am
Tobi’s flirtatious teasing brought a heat to Umbra’s face and a bit of a bashful smile. She didn’t think that she was ‘hot’ by any stretch of the imagination, though she would have to admit, that if she was Ryuu again and this body walked by… he would probably take at least a second look, if not start pushing Tobi out of the way in order to get to her first. ”Mmm… careful now Tobi, that may very well starting falling into flirting territory. Though I can assure you that if you did try and ‘sweep me off my pretty little feet’ that you would probably find me a harder fish to catch than most women you’re used to.” Umbra took a sip of her tea, her eyes not leaving his for a moment. ”I can’t honestly say as I can take credit for the name, it’s the one that my mom would have chosen for me if I was born a girl. I didn’t have a better one so I figured that it would be just as good as any.” The offer of Tobi taking her for a fly brought a sparkle to her eyes, her face lighting up with some level of excitement at the thought of going flying again. Aside from the near death experiences on her last two trips, she did rather enjoy the sensation of flight. ”Alright, I’ll take you up on that offer then… though I do hope it will be on more than one occasion, Mr. Dracon. Hopefully you know better than to disappoint royalty.” She may have been teasing at the end, but she was hoping that Tobi was getting comfortable enough that he was starting to embrace his dragon side… but the sounds of it, he was practically fully embracing it, which was good, she didn’t like the idea that Tobi had to hide who he was in order to make himself feel better.
Though Umbra could at least sense that Tobi was still a little uncomfortable about the subject of his heritage, even to her, so she let that part of the conversation die there, when he was more comfortable with it, or just needed to vent, she would be right here waiting for him. She knew what it was like to feel rather uncomfortable with one’s self, after all, about a month ago she was feeling the torment of that very thing. Umbra continued to nibble on her breakfast a bit while Tobi went on about his relationship with Lady Alexandra. ”Huh… doesn’t this count as a record for you? I can’t remember the last time you courted with someone for more than a few weeks at best… I hope my mom doesn’t get any ideas. Pretty soon, she’ll probably start shoving Princes up my nose on a constant basis…” Umbra grimaced at that part, she was pretty sure she was still into chicks… not that she really had any sort of time to experiment with that sort of thing between the time that she was Ryuu and now. After Lady Isabelle had left her, she wasn’t sure what to think… Her eyes softened at that thought. ”Hey… have you… seen Lady Isabelle while you were with Alexandra? Is she okay?” Despite having sent her letter earlier this morning, she was still rather worried about her old love. Perhaps she should have wrote sooner, but then again, being in the place that she was at would probably have caused a great amount of worry and perhaps guilt. No… it was best she didn’t write, her emotions were too raw and her mind was too unstable at that time.
Umbra decided to add her own conversation to the mix. ”You missed a good fun time yesterday, Tobs, I got to experience the joys of shopping for more gender appropriate clothes all day. Some of the stuff they wear is beyond ridiculous… and expensive too! Good Goddess I have no idea who any girl can afford those sorts of prices.” Umbra finished off the last of her watermelon chunks with a humph at the idea of having to have more expenses in her life. Granted, some of them were voluntary. ”Oh, and I got a new room, though I’ll be redecorating and refurbishing it to my tastes. I’ll have to let you take a look when it’s done.” Umbra finished her tea and leaned back in her chair, raising her arm to rest on the top of the back. ”So what are you up to, today? I don’t think I have anything planned, wanna do something together? It has been a while.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 3:51 pm
Tobias threw his hands up innocently. "Sorry bro. But you look like a woman, talking like a woman, walk like a woman, I'm going to hit on you. It's just in my nature." He said with a wink. "Don't worry though, I think I'll hold myself back from sweeping you off your feet. No offence, but it would be just a little weird." He shook his finger at her then, as if chastising her. "It's you who will have to contain yourself when in the presence of all my manly awesome. If you can manage that, I promise to take you flying."
Tobias roared with laughter, and swiped one of the spare pastries on the table. He munched on it thoughtfully, thinking of Alexandra. Still having no idea how he was going to explain his new look to her. Was it too early to come clean? What if she was scared of him? The idea made his stomach flutter uncomfortably. It was an odd feeling for him, to be so concerned about a girl. But he….really cared about her. He wasn't she if she was Mrs. Dracon material just yet, but he liked her. That was good enough for now. "Getting deep into the mysterious world of girls there are you? You'll have to tell me if it's true about the slumber parties in lingerie with feather pillows."
Tobias would have perhaps mentioned something about today, but Anastasia arrived the moment, dressed in one of her armoured gowns, "Umbra. And….Tobias is that you?" Anastasia asked, a little astonished at Tobi's new look.
"Hiya Ana." Tobi greeted, lifting Umbra's tea cup to her before taking a sip. Bahhhh tea. It was too bitter for his tastes and he quickly gave it back.
"Well then...anyways I just wanted to know if you wanted to go on a day trip with me. You both can come if you'd like. I have a friend named Haku who lives not far from here and I haven't seen her in quite a long time you see." Anastasia began to explain. "I thought you might like to meet her. I've told you about her before if you remember."
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 6:39 pm
Umbra quirked an eyebrow at Tobi with a bit of a smirk. ”How the hell you think I feel, being suddenly hit on by my best friend?” Yeah, that was more than a little weird, she and Tobi did a lot of things together but it was safe to say that, up until now, flirting with each other was certainly not one of them. She rolled her eyes at the thought of her having to contain herself at his manliness. ”Well, it may be your nature to be infatuated with members of the opposite gender, but I can’t say that its mine, your manliness is safe from me, I’m afraid.” Umbra finished her tease off with a bit of a poke to the side before returning it to her cup of tea. The promise of taking her flying was growing on her though, yes, she would definitely have to take him up on that in the not too distant future, hell… maybe today if she had a chance, thought with the way things were going in the courts, and the fact that she was trying to get a new council together that didn’t include backstabbing old men and women… things were proving to be most difficult indeed. Though Umbra was optimistic about the final outcome, once everything was finally finished and things ironed out, theoretically it should bring far more favour to the kingdom, that much was for sure.
Umbra chuckled a little bit at Tobi’s mission. Indeed, this was a world that neither of them knew anything about, so it was going to be an interesting ride for her. She would report back to Tobi when appropriate to update him on various things about the world of girls, though there were going to be some things that she would keep to herself, if anything to keep some level of mystery up and shrouding her. ”When I experience a slumber party for myself Tobs, you’ll be the first to know what goes on there.” She replied with a bit of a grin. Perhaps it was going to be one of those ‘be careful what you wish for moments’ to Tobi when he came to the realization that they didn’t do that… or perhaps they did, what the hell did Umbra know? Though that would make for a rather interesting spin on the whole thing. Umbra thought for a moment before taking up Tobi’s hands and looking at the nails, she quirked an eyebrow and brought her cup up to her lips to polish off her tea. ”Hmm… why not try using nail polish to make them appear normal? Either that or you could say that alchemising your fingernails is all the rage in your kingdom.” Umbra poured herself some more tea as she thought about this, she honestly wasn’t really sure what to do for Tobi or how they could make his scales seem like they weren’t as natural as they appeared. She was pretty sure that she could brew something up with a similar effect in her alchemy lab if Alexandra questioned it.
It was about then that her mom came in to join them. Umbra had just set her cup down when Tobi snatched it up and took a drink. ”His new look suits him no? You’d better keep a closer eye on your maids, mom. They won’t be getting any work done anymore otherwise.” When Tobi made his face and returned the cup back to her, she stuck out her tongue in playful response before taking another sip.
Wait… did this count as an indirect kiss?
Umbra’s cheeks turned a little pink at the idea but quickly turned her attention to the topic at hand. She got a puzzled look on her face for a moment then closed her eyes, bringing her intertwined, fingers under her nose and thought for a moment.
”Haku… Haku…?” There was a beat of silence as Umbra tried to remember. Her eyes snapped open with some level of surprise and she looked to her mom. ”Oh, you mean that Haku?” She thought for a moment then turned to Tobi. ”Did you want to go meet one of the people who helped save the King and Kingdom, Tobs? I have nothing planned and I did say that I’d spend some time with you today.” Umbra did kind of want to meet her, she had heard so much about her and her mom spoke so fondly of her that it would be interesting to finally put a face to this person she heard so much about.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:50 pm
"Mmm perhaps." Tobias didn't sound too convinced. But it would help to explain the nails at least. The height, eyes and hair were a little harder. Particularly the height. Maybe he could just say her shoe height was throwing her off. Girls and their heels.
It was at that moment that Nicolette arrived. Her gold curls bouncing behind her as she half skipped into the garden and made a beeline to glomp Tobi, "It's about time you showed up! I sent that letter a whole 24 hours ago." Nicolette chastised. As if noticing for the first time that Umbra and Ana were there, Nicolette jumped back, smiling as if she had some sort of secret. Tobias calmly took another pastry.
"Hey I had to finish some things up kiddo. But I'm here now. And apparently we're going somewhere?" Tobias looked back up to Ana. She looked amused, though there was a hint of confusion in her eyes.
"And...you know….you two drinking from the same cup like that. You're practically kissing." Nicolette added innocently. The look on Tobias's face was priceless. But Umbra's reaction was the one she was waiting for.
Tobias cleared his throat loudly, sounding like he was trying to cover up choking on pastries sounds.
"Anyway!" Anastasia half yelled to try and get the situation back under control. "I'm leaving as soon as the carriage is ready. So if you're coming, come now." And with that, Ana made a quick turn and headed for the courtyard to wait by the carriage. Nicolette waved and giggled and quickly followed after.
Tobias brushed his hand through his hair. Well then...that was...different. He managed a smirk and got up from the table. "Well….I guess we should get going then. It would be a shame to miss our ride hm buddy?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 5:30 am
Ana wasn’t the only one a little confused about what was going on between Tobi and Niccy, sure they had been on good terms with each other, but when where they so buddy-buddy? What letter did she send and what did it say and what was this apparently little secret between those two? Hmm… Umbra made one more mental note for the day to interrogate Tobi afterwards to get answers for these mysteries. Umbra finished off the last of her pastries and fruit while they talked to each other and then went back to her tea to finish that off as soon as possible if they were leaving in relatively short order.
Nicolette’s timing couldn’t have been more perfect as Umbra was taking another sip of her tea when her comment about practically kissing came up and was forced to eject the hot liquid that was in her mouth before she drown in the damn stuff. Tea sprayed in all directions around Umbra first attempt to save herself utterly failed, she quickly placed the cup down. Having failed to not get the scolding hot liquid all over her, now she was desperately trying not to drown in it once more as she coughed and sputtered what had gone up her nose and down her throat from the initial jetting. With tears rolling down her face from the choking, she finally got things where they were supposed to go and took some deep breaths. Crisis averted… though she made a mental note to kill Niccy later. Umbra dabbed herself off with the napkins… luckily there wasn’t too much that got on her top, though she hoped that the maids could get it out if she got it out quickly enough. Umbra muttered dark things to herself as Tobi offered for them to go. ”Tell mom I’ll be right there… I have to change my shirt.” Umbra was already starting to unbutton her shirt as she stood up, revealing a white satin bra with black lace inlay, by the time that she got to the maids, she had gotten it off and handed it to one of them. There was shocked gasps and a horrified call of ‘My Lady’ as she passed by with the simple instructions of. ”Could you please take this to the wash as soon as possible and try and get that tea out, thanks.” And with that Umbra ascended to get a fresh shirt, clearly a female’s modesty was lost on Umbra.
Umbra came jogging down towards the courtyard, finishing up the last of her buttons on her newly swapped shirt… and of course when Umbra said to swap her shirt for a new one, apparently it meant that she adjusted her whole wardrobe. She was now sporting a crisp, royal blue, ruffled blouse with tight black leather pants and a matching vest, two belts hung loosely at her hips with one of them carrying her saber. She had some highly polished black riding boots on and a pair of wrist length leather gloves to tie the look in. She was initially distracted with the button, so she didn’t notice what they were going to be riding in. When she looked up though, her face dropped into a sour expression. The ‘carriage’ that was supposed to be taking them was little more than a three seating transport. Umbra’s eye twitched when she saw that Tobi, Niccy and her Mom had already claimed a seat, leaving her the odd one out. Now, it was a common rule in their household that the last person in the carriage didn’t get to choose where they sat. It was more because Niccy and herself would always fight over the window seats or something when they were smaller so that rule was enforced to keep the peace among them. She shot the Driver a bit of a look.
”Geez, could you have picked a smaller carriage?” Umbra almost hissed.
“Terribly sorry, your Majesty. But the bigger one is getting repaired after the winter months for safety and the King has the other one.”
Umbra begrudgingly walked up to the carriage and looked inside. ”Okay… so where am I supposed to sit?” She watched as Niccy and her mom both looked at a certain, handsome young man… Umbra’s face went red, it was hard to tell if it was from embarrassment, fluster or something akin to rage at this point in time. ”Y-you gotta be kidding me…” Umbra groaned and lifted herself up into the carriage and gave Tobi a rather… uncomfortable look before looking at her mom and her sister again, as if pleading to reconsider. When they both looked adamant about it she sighed and took a seat, doing her best to be comfortable while at the same time, trying to make this as easy on Tobi as she could. ”I’m sorry…” She murmured to him. And today was off to such a good start until Niccy showed up at her little breakfast nook…
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 8:23 am
If it wasn't for how funny it was going to be, Tobi would have just asked Ana for the address and flew there. But as he saw the three person carriage, a devilish look gleamed in his starry night eyes. After all the worry Umbra put them through, Tobi felt she deserved a little teasing. And how could he pass up such a perfect opportunity? Ana and Niccy seemed to be on the same wavelength as well. "Shhhhh. If you keep giggling like that she'll think it's a set up!" Tobi said to Niccy, poking her likely in the ribs.
And then Umbra arrived. Damn why did she have to look so good in those tight leather pants? And as she finished buttoning her shirt he knew he saw a flash of bra. Damn. He was starting to wonder if this was a good idea. But it was too late now. After moment of agonized hesitation she climbed up onto his lap. Goddess...she even felt like a woman. All soft and curvy. Scales shifted over his nether regions to keep anything from betraying him. This was way too weird. This was Ryuu. Sure Ryuu was a little different these days but still Ryuu. And Tobias did promise things wouldn't change between them.
The ride was long and bumpy. At least an hour of Umbra bouncing on his lap as they moved over the dirt roads out into the country side. He had over time shifted his scales further down, to cover some of his legs. Something to soften the blow to his thighs, but no so much as to make it feel like Umbra was sitting on a rock. And the entire time Ana and Niccy were going back and forth between commenting about the scenery, to poking fun at Umbra and Tobias.
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