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Front door, pffffft. Where would be the fun in that? "No. It had t' be done today," he replied decidedly. End of THAT conversation. He smiled as she correctly guessed the day, taking a step forward. "Aye, 'tis. Mum told me..." he trailed off, smile wavering as a pang of hesitant insecurity hit him. Was he really going to go through with this? What would she think about him after tonight? "She told me that on Valentine's Day, men get their ladies tokens." "In order to get in their pants" was the part of Inle's explanation that went unsaid. He didn't want to get in Vidya's pants--not that she was wearing any at the moment--but he did care about her, and really, one could not have too many shinies.

His feathers ruffled in an outward display of nervousness as he reached into a pocket of his coat, digging through it for a moment before removing his closed hand and holding it up. It slowly opened, allowing a silver pendant on a length of blue ribbon to dangle down.



"Happy Valentine's Day, Vid."

While Vidya was not HIS lady--well, he did consider her his, but not in that sense, really--she was A lady and the only one he was close with. Certainly the only one he would get a gift for. His smile grew as she turned interesting shades of purple. He preened proudly as she made girly noises over the gift, happily stepping closer at the inviting gesture. He wrapped the ends of the ribbon around her neck, having to press closer in order to peer around her head to see what he was doing. Once he had decided it was knotted well enough that it wouldn't come off without the aid of a scissor, he took a small step back.

Impulse and inspiration struck at the same time. He vaguely recalled a scene in a movie he had watched a while ago. A man was standing near a woman, very much like he and Vidya were standing now, and words were said, and the woman was dipped and thoroughly kissed. That's all he saw of it before whoever had been in control of the remote had proclaimed the movie "gross" and changed it in a fit of immature disgust.

Oh, he wouldn't. He COULDN'T. Or would he? Could he?

The answer was made obvious as Tybalt wrapped an arm around Vidya's waist, dipped her towards the ground, and placed a big, cheesy kiss on her lips--just long enough to get his point across and without the overly dramatic emotion he had seen in the film--before straightening, smiling goofily. Tybalt had stolen a variety of things in his short life, but this was the first time he had ever stolen a kiss.

Had Tybalt been more feline, he might have purred with contentment. Giftage AND kiss had been acheived! He felt rather pleased with himself, with the world at large--the happiness he'd felt for the past few months increased drastically. Vidya was a good kisser. Tybalt smiled, indulging in a hug for a few minutes before untangling himself and stepping back.

A red-dusted finger traced over the scar on Vidya's cheek. "Yer quite welcome," he said softly. "Get ye t' bed now, I'll see ya another day." With that he winked and swaggered back towards the window, opened it and pushed himself out of the room, flying into the night.

Happy Valentine's Day, indeed.

Vidya yawned, leaning her chin in her blue hand. She'd been getting so tired lately...it just wasn't fair! Not to mention she was stuck babysitting, to boot. Definately unfair. Tired and Babies usually never mixed...especially if that baby was your bouncing little infant brother who had no greater joy than eating his own ears or your headwings.

Still, she had to watch him! It was her duty as an older sister and as a member of the Love family. So damnit, she was going to watch him! However, her attention was wavering quickly, and the little boy seemed to understand that...which meant he was going to try and get in as much trouble as possible without actually getting into any trouble at all.

With a quiet squeal, Aurion whipped out his little hand at a glass of water that was near him. First swipe was a miss. After glancing at Vidya, he put his ear in his mouth and tried again. Another miss. He glanced back at Vidya...still no reaction. She was about to fall asleep, yay! Grinning in determination, he reached out with a swatting hand...

And hit the glass. It waddled for a bit, wiggling its way to the edge of the table. Aurion's bouncing did the final act, and the glass went sliding off of the, a squeal of joy from the baby was enough to wake up the sleepy tale.

With a gasp, Vidya dove forward to catch the glass as it fell. She closed her eyes in the dive on instinct, and she felt something rest in her hands. She caught it! She caught it before---

SMASH

Her eyes flew open in surprise, staring at the pieces of glass that now littered the ground. If the glass shattered...what was it that she caught? Blinking, she looked down at her hands.

The water, that had been in the glass, rested in her hands in a perfectly formed ball.

Vidya had been irritable lately. Not the occassional bad mood, not the childlike bursting demand for independence, simply...irritable. The usually good natured tale was clearly starting to wear thin mentally, sick of being so, well...sick. It had been months since she started to feel the exhaustion in her mind, and the pain from her body, and needless to say she was fed up with it. Unused to dealing with this kind of irritation on her own, it had slipped into her interactions with others, especially her family. She felt bad and often apologized to them quietly, but that never stopped the annoyed glances or the snapping words she gave to them.

Rather upset with the most recent snark to her Mother, Vidya had retreated to her toddler brother's room, curling up with the napping boy in an attempt to make herself feel better. Aurion was always one of her siblings that could always make her feel better, and so he was the one she usually wandered to when she became unbearably annoyed with the rest of her family. Unlike Adonis, Vidya saw Nio and Enoh's biological son as an escape from his grown-up counterparts, a bit of both Mother and Father without the mentality to judge her right or wrong.

It felt nice, somehow.

She'd been through so much lately, it seemed. Everything had been piling up, from losing her Father for a period of time (she wasn't entirely sure he was still there, either), to occassionally losing her eyesight, to those dreams in which the additional pains in her stomach start, to learning magic, to falling into a rather horrible coma and, of course, to the irritable nature resulting from overtiredness and soreness, regardless of how much she slept. Of course, sleeping only brought the dream back. Vidya just couldn't win, and she was tired of feeling that buildup of pressure she just couldn't escape from. She felt like a balloon, filled nearly to its breaking point with water, and while it threatened to burst any moment, it just...wouldn't.

She reached out to wrap her paling blue arms around her toddler brother, pulling the log of a boy closer to her so she could nuzzle her tear-stained cheeks into his silvery purple mop of hair. At first, the boy did nothing but snort before he fell back into his soft snores, but shortly after he turned towards the tale, grabbing at her haori to snuggle tightly into her.

Just as she was about to let the sandman take her away, the tale heard a soft, chanting voice. Peering one eye open, she lifted her head slowly, surveying the room through narrowed eyes. When she decided that the voice wasn't coming from this room, she tried to get up. Her movement was stopped however, when it became clear that Aurion wasn't about to let her go. Sighing, she shifted the half-cabbit to easier pick him up, and with her limp and snoring cargo, she moved out of the toddler's room and wandered into the hallway, following the sound of the voice.

After checking room after room, she discovered that the chanting noise was coming from her room. More importantly, it came from her closet. What tipped her off to that? Well, it might've had something to do with the glow of light that shone through the crevaces of the doors.

Vidya narrowed her eyes, eyeing the door. Her closet was singing now, the borealis-like glow twisting out of the crack of the door and lacing its light softly over the snoring toddler and the skeptical blue girl. Tightening her grip on her brother, Vidya growled lightly at the door.

"Go away." She told whatever was causing the glow from the closet. "I've been through a lot, I'm not really up to dealing with you, either." Her situation was explained while she leaned her head to the side and looked rather cross. "So, if you wouldn't mind...please go away and come back in a month." Changing to a secretorial voice, Vidya turned from the closet and walked towards the door to her room, with every intention of heading back to Aurion's room to finish their naps. Two steps away from the closet, and the chanting song grew louder, the light growing brighter. Sighing heavilly, she glared over her shoulder.

"No seriously...go the hell away." She growled at the closet door, then went back to trying to leave the room. Needless to say, she wasn't surprised when some invisible force blocked her way, preventing her or her brother from leaving the room. She tried kicking the invisible creature as well as she could considering her cargo, she tried the whole open sesame thing, she tried everything she could think of that didn't involve waking or moving Aurion. No luck in any case. Sighing heavilly once more, she turned around, her chin in the air and looking every inch a haughty brat, bored with her situation.

"Fine. Fine! Have it your way. Spoiled little..." She trailed off, muttering what may or may not have been curses under her breath. Moving towards her bed, she carefully put Aurion down, taking her dear sweet time with making him comfortable and putting her blankets over him, tucking him in tightly the way he liked it. Once she was finished, and once she couldn't stall anymore, she brushed herself off and stood infront of the closet door, letting the borealis-like lights dance over her.

"If this isn't worth my time, I'm gonna kick you in the face." She growled irritably at the door. Seriously, it was one thing after the other! Stretching her arms out a bit in invitation, she subjected to whatever the thing in the closet had in store for her.

"Alrighty, lets do this and get it over with."

The closet door swung open forcefully, thanks to her not-so-subtle prompting, only to reveal...

Clothes.

Ordinary clothes. Her clothes. Sighing heavilly, Vidya reached out to smack various things in her closet, to see if it would do anything. Needless to say, it did not. After scratching her head, she turned around to leave her closet, to go back to Aurion.

"Whatever I do, Don't? That sounds kinda silly..." Vidya chuckled, finally turning fully to view her room.

This time, everything was different. That much was certain when her foot fell not onto her carpeted floor, but into sand. Warm sand. With a gasp, Vidya lifted her foot, staring down at it, and moments later her gaze shot up to look around her. Her room...it was gone! In its place was something familiar...something...something she'd seen before! It was a beach, more than likely in the middle of summer. The water in the distance was crystal clear, and it rolled softly. There were very few trees even in the distance. It was...just an expanse of beach and rolling water.

Vidya, staring wideeyed at the scene before her, suddenly reached up with one hand...and promptly pinched herself. Again. And Again. Even so...the scenery never changed. She was on a beach now, and not her safe, slightly chilly room. But she'd been on this particular beach before; but then, there were other tales for her then...and then...well, lets not get into that.

Shaking her head, she looked around her once more, starting to work herself up into a panic. The beach, the water, that strange shape on the water in the distance, and upon turning around, there was that little, rundown shack she'd discovered had once been someone's home. It was the same, it was all the same...

Vidya started to panic, her arms pulling close to her chest, and her breath coming in short gasps. What to do what to do! The closet had long gone, leaving her stuck here...again. But alone.

Shh...Relax... Came a soft, kind voice. Letting out a gasp of surprise, the tale spun around, at first seeing nothing. Clasping her hands over her mouth, Vidya looked around for the maker of the voice. Nobody could be a disembodied voice, there had to be a maker! Mouthcover or not, she let out a scream when someone's cool hand touched her shoulder. Its okay Vidya, you know me... The voice said softly into her ear.

Vidya visibly relaxed. She did know this voice, and it was a welcome hear. "Mirendiel..." Relief washed over the girl, and she settled to looking around her surroundings in a calmer, more quiet perspective. Mirendiel had never done anything to hurt her; in fact, this voice only helped her when she lost her sight for those few days, and then again when she started seeing things that just...weren't there. This was a helpful voice, nothing to be afraid of. She was in good hands, as far as her naive judgement could tell.

Despite her calm perspective, she never noticed that the sounds around her had entirely disappeared, save for their voices.

Dear Girl...You have learned to trust me, and that is good. The woman said quietly, her ghostly hand still on the tale's shoulder. However...I came here to warn you. You are following down the same path that destroyed me. The ghost put an emphasis on the last few words, a tone of utter bitterness seeping through the usually calm, even voice. She continued on, not giving Vidya a chance to ask questions. I want to show you what happened to me, so you can be sure to avoid it. You are a sweet child, I do not want you to meet the same end I had.

"Down the same path? What do you mean? I don't know anyone who would---" Vidya cut herself off when she felt the spirit's hand on her shoulder leave, when the creator of the voice seemed to withdraw even though her presence could still be felt. "Mirendiel, wait! I don't understand, there's nothing here! What am I supposed to----"

Her words were cut off when the sound of a lurching ship, dangerously crashing waves and the many voices of angry, panicked people rang through the once quiet beach, as though someone had suddenly unmuted the sound.

Time had passed in this little beach, and yet Vidya didn't feel the time drag by. Before she knew it, she was standing on the beach, feeling toes that were not her own wrigging in the sand as a nervous gesture. She knew that time had passed somehow; and she knew that Mirendiel was pacing the outside of the rundown shack, just waiting for her Captain to come out. She had to talk to him, she had to make things right...it was the only way! The tale understood this, and yet...something else was wrong. There was something else weighing on the nymph woman's mind, something Vidya couldn't yet place.

I've been useful before now...maybe he can overlook it just this once...I mean, I have been overworked by him... The nymph woman was talking to herself as she paced, and it left Vidya with a feeling of dread. Being useful...hadn't she asked Tybalt the same thing, the last time she saw him? She didn't want to admit it, but she was starting to understand Mirendiel when she said 'You are following the same path that destroyed me'. Vidya refused to admit it. Her senario was different!

The door to the rundown shack swung open and Vidya's gaze was forced to move as Mirendiel spun around to face him. She couldn't see an expression, but she could tell by the patterned aura around him that he was angry. Very angry. So angry she could feel it in the air. Mirendiel must have felt it too, for the Nymph clasped her hands together, clenching her fingers so hard her blue knuckles started to fade to white.

Captain...Please, hear me out... She asked meekly, standing before him as boldly as she could muster. When she received no answer, she took it as permission to speak. I..I do not know what went wrong! I have tried since...then...to get the waves to obey me...they will not! Eyes flickered towards the softly rolling waves before turning back to the still, angry form of the Captain. I...I do not have my power anymore...It has been taken away! Mirendiel admitted with a tone of distress. Vidya clued in then. That was the other thing weighing on the nymphs mind, the thing she couldn't place! Mirendiel had aided this Captain and his ship for so long, the waves refused to obey her! Not only that, the spirits must have deemed her unworthy to hold such power! Her musings were cut off however, as Mirendiel continued to talk to the Captain who might as well have been an angry statue. I...I need to stop attempting to use my magic...I need a break to get back in favor of the water...Please, once I get my power back, I can be useful again... Vidya's heart twisted; she was only beginning to understand how powerful of an emotion love really was, and yet she could understand how desperately Mirendiel wanted to stay near this particular Captain.

Both Vidya's mind and Mirendiel's voice was stunned into silence when the Captain's form moved to open his arms. It was...the gesture of a hug? Regardless, it was something Mirendiel took freely, moving to bury her face into his chest, her fingers twisting in the fabric of his shirt. Strong arms wrapped around her form for a moment, but it was a breif one. One arm held her close, but the other one was moving - and Mirendiel, not one to be suspicious, never thought to open her eyes, to see what he was doing. By the time she thought to look up at him, it was already too late.

Pain. A long dagger peirced her stomach, finding itself a nice, fleshy sheath. Mirendiel gasped, her head shooting up to stare at the Captain she held so dear. She was at a close enough range to see his expression, which compromised entirely of...nothing. He was emotionless. There was nothing to the aura that surrounded him; no remorse, no pity, no self satisfaction...no nothing. She realized then and there that all this time, he considered her expendable. Every thanking touch, every hug every word every glance...it was all a ploy. A ploy to get what he wanted from her. He did get it, he used her affections to his own advantage...and now that her powers were gone...

B-but why...? Mirendiel breathed out in pain; pain compromised of the crushing weight of the truth on her mind, and the stab of the long dagger through her body. Her blood seeped downwards to stain the once calming sand around her feet.

Because I can. He retorted, twisting the dagger to drive in his point, if not to hear the useless nymph's scream of pain. Shortly after the twist the dagger was pulled out and his grip on her body subsided, causing the quickly weakening woman to fall into a heap in the sand, writhing in pain. Its a pity you turned out to be useless. I had so many plans for you. He told her, leaning down to clean off his dagger on her clothes.

Her gaze was failing as fast as the blood that poured from her wound. Before her world collapsed into nothingness, she heard the Captain speak one final time.

She is useless t'me without 'er power, leave 'er to rot.