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 Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:21 am
The sudden change in his expression from politely friendly to something wicked would have been cause for alarm on its own, but even if it occured to Xana to run in that instant the serpentine dragon kitsu proved he could strike just as quickly as the snake he somewhat resembled. He grabbed the back of her neck with his teeth just hard enough to draw blood to hold her in place for his grasping forepaws to shove her roughly down, incidentally forcing her to stretch out along the ground. Pinning her none to gently to the earth with his own body he hissed sinsterly into her ear, "The first lesson, little one, is not trust to every sweet tongue that speaks to you. Poison can be sweet, too."
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:36 am
Shock froze her, fear numbed her, nothing made a sound. The world she lived in stopped. There were no comforting birds and her eyes were burning with pain. She only could see one color: red, blood red. It was from her agony not anger though, for she didn't know how to be angry. The teeth that scraped her skin made her shiver as if cold, though she was not. All of these things she was not, well than who was she? She was an ignorant naive girl, that's what. Her ears sunk and she was completely slumped in terror. She opened her maw to speak but no words came out save for a gurgled scream, not loud enough to even make the birds stir upon their branches.
It hurt. Was this truly happening? People this... mean... was he mean? Was this a good time to use such a strong word? Yes. Yes. He was downright mean! Nasty would be simply overdoing it. So she stuck with mean in her head though it didn't comfort her. The pain, lasting longer than any she'd ever endured, brought tears to her eyes and with them she found her voice and screamed out: "Ifrit!!!!" It was the first thing she desired, a friend, a true friend. Someone to ease this pain. She'd been tricked! Bamboozled! Hoodwinked!
In her mind, she was ranting and raving about how she'd never fall for such a thing again and how she'd rather die than be subject to such evils. The world was not tainted in her eyes but this one drop of poison was diluting in her thoughts and causing ideas and words to form she'd never even thought of. All of it was harsh and cruel and very unlike her. It was all too much for her little system so when at last her tiny fuzzy body shut down, it managed to squeak out the word 'daddy' before blacking out to infinity.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:54 am
Apparently the powers that be were with Xanabel today, because Ifrit was just stepping out of the cabin HQ when she screamed. Xanabel screaming? And that was a true cry of pain and terror...
Ifrit always had been a guardian, and it was part of why he became an Aeon. There was no thought to prod the action, only an innate knowledge that someone under his protection needed him. Someone he wanted very much to protect. It was easy enough for him to pick up her scent nearby and follow it to the pond where he saw Jormundgand manhandling her prone form.
The dragon didn't even have time to register what hit him, just the harsh pain of being bitten with severe force, a burning sensation, and being thrown. Then Ifrit was lunging for him again.
The dragon proved the faster and Ifrit gave an abrupt roar of pain as Jormundgand raked his claws across the Aeon's face and blinded him. Instinctively he backed toward where he knew Xanabel to be, feeling carefully with his hind feet until he touched her form and then moving to stand over her. The flames that now wreathed his head would slowly heal the wounds on his face, so he wouldn't be able to see for a moment, but he wasn't about to let that... that... b*****d get near Xana again.
Even as his sight started to clear up enough for him to make out shadowy forms he heard a rustle in the bushes that accompanied by the change in the strength of the dragon's scent told him the other had retreated rather than face the wrath of the flaming monster "summoned" by his victim. And as much as he wanted to go tearing after him and rend him limb from limb he didn't dare leave Xana alone like this.
Damn that... His thoughts trailed off into little more than expletives and a desire to strangle that vile thing with his own innards, though now that he could see he moved to curl up protectively around Xana, a low warning rumble settling in his chest as he gazed in the general direction of the retreating rustle he'd heard in the foliage.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:06 am
Blood in a small trickling flow came from the wound 'round her neck and ever so delicately she moved, as if waking from a dream. She'd hit her head pretty hard and when she felt fur against her, a jolt ran through that shook her whole frame. Without comprehending it, she was standing, wide eyed as she looked at Ifrit. Slowly, ever so slowly, she registered him. "Ifrit... oh Ifrit..." Tears stained her face then as she cried and sank down to continue crying. She never cried. Not when she was growing up and she never thought she would... not till now. She was terrified of herself and of the world and of so many things. She'd just been completely torn apart. What had happened? She couldn't even recall she was so traumatized. Furiously, in more pain then was visible on her body, she pushed herself towards Ifrit to find comfort in him. Him who she trusted... for if she stopped trusting, she'd go mad with unease and she knew it.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:08 am
At least his face was back to normal by now. He didn't want to think about what it would have done to Xana's mind at that moment to see his face wounded and bleeding. His growl stopped as abruptly as Xanabel's standing, and then he curled up around her tighter when she tried to practically hide in his fur. "I chased him away... he won't come back now, not with me here... and I'm not gonna leave you alone..." He rubbed the top of her head gently with his fluffy bearded chin, something that might have been a purr rumbling from him now in an attempt to help her calm down and feel more... normal? He blinked some tears out of his eyes. If he ever saw that........ again he was going to pay for this.
Not knowing what else to do Ifrit conjured up a little wisp to sit on Xana's nose. The world wasn't all horrible... there were still little magical wisps and butterflies and sunlight on the water. There were just... shadows along with it.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:39 pm
She couldn't speak, those few words had been all her body could handle. Her voice was gone. Even as she cried she made not a sound, though her body shook with sobs to make it obvious she was upset. It was mortifying that the last thing she would say for ever so long a time would be a plea for help from her best friend. Her ears flicked back, and she wished she could say something to the giant aeon that was guarding her, but nothing came when she tried. It was as if the part of her mind that registered sounds from her vocal chords was shut down so that she was now mute until her 'shell shock' vanished. Sniffling until she calmed down, she stay in her protected ball encircled by orange.
Ifrit, she thought in her mind. Why didn't I know? How could I? Is the world speckled with evil? In every thing of beauty, is there a streak of hideous? Is my world really tainted when I thought it to be something lovely. All the things you showed me made my eyes sparkle and I was happy. And now it hurts. Ifrit. Ifrit. Help me.
Of course, a thought is a thought. And so in her head it would stay...for how long? Who could say? Xanabel certainly couldn't.
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Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 3:29 pm
Things like this were why... he didn't believe in raising children so utterly isolated from the world and things in it. Xana's innocence was precious and priceless, but the pain of having it shattered like this... Maybe he wasn't an empath like little Atae but Xana's face and tear stained cheeks said more than enough.
"There are bad things in the world Xana... there are... but not everything is bad. There's still bunnies and fish and flowers and caves full of crystals... you've got friends and family that love you and do their best to take care of you." Did I just say I love her? "And..." he pointed up through a gap in the trees toward the sky. "There's still puffy white clouds shaped like ponies." And it did... sort of... look like a pony.
He felt like he was just putting his foot in his mouth but... he didn't know what else to do. He wanted her to know that just because there are bad people in the world... it didn't mean that the world was a horrible place.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:08 pm
If he'd said something deep, she was oblivious to it. For although her voice was gone, hear hearing was perfectly stable and she nodded silently. It was an ominous silence, as though even if she could speak she would not. She was looking up respectfully at Ifrit, tears still sliding off her fur and making her teal eye's glitter like the water in the nearby pond.
Those eyes drifted upward, doubting the truth of what she said. But there it was. A cloud... sort of shaped like a pony. There was the sky and the sun, there was life and beauty. It was tainted... but had she not read something somewhere once? Something she didn't quite understand. Yes. Yes she had. It had read: 'The world is like the ocean, and sometimes certain creatures put poison in it, but it is so vast, that the entirety of it remains safe.' This seemed the case here, though there was, she believed, flaws with that statement.
She opened her maw to talk, mouth moving, but words unavailable. There was a movement like a shuddering sigh as she remained close to Ifrit. He was a friend who cared for her, that would be enough... but what oh what would her father say? She was afraid to go home now.
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Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:58 pm
Ifrit rubbed the top of her head with his chin again. She was still in shock... and this wasn't something that would be easy to get over. He was glad he got here before the act was actually performed... God. Damn. It. He wanted to horrible, horrible things to that dragon. "Xana... would you liked to get away from here? We can go watch the fish again... or something... if you want." She could just nod or shake her head to that. And if they went anywhere he was going to stay glued to her side. But... hmm... she'd need to go home eventually. Or at least someone would need to find her family and tell her where she was. He would be more than happy to let her stay at the Place for a couple of days or something... Atae and Naneth and Valefor were a lot better at helping emotional troubles than he was, though... she might not trust them as much as she would him, since she didn't know them, and now this... gah.
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:27 pm
((Hai-chan, I really wanted Ifrit to meet Kohta and Araphel, so I've asked Manda to join us. If you have a problem with that, please tell me! D: I didn't think you would and I wanted to keep going *because I love this!* so I'm sorry for not like in depth asking you. crying ))
Xana was so confused right now, and so she shut her eyes tight and let him comfort her. It was nice to have someone this close, it felt so much better than being alone. She really didn't want to walk around in this big world by herself anymore. She nodded her head slowly though, wanting badly to go anywhere that wasn't here. Anywhere would've been better. Except home of course, for Kohta would be furious and probably blame Ifrit.
Little did Xanabel know her father was already on his way. Worriedly, he'd followed her out of the house this morning, with Araphel as well, and then had lost track of her. She was going to places he'd never dreamed she'd go to. This worried him. How many other things was she doing? She was of course, his littlest... and he worried over all of his children as much as his mate. Then Kohta heard a scream that he was sure was his little Xana's. Quickly he glanced to make sure Araphel was with him and safe and rushed off toward their daughter's cry. By the time he got there though, Ifrit was already 'cuddling' her. His red eyes burned as he stepped forward, "Xanabel!"
Her ears perked up instantly at this as she turned with a dreading horror to look at her father. Her mouth opened but she could not speak, and her ears were perked back. Oh dear...
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 1:27 pm
(( *pops in* :3 ))
Araphel was, indeed, still following Kohta, also worried about their daughter. She had been going off alone more and more lately, and not really sharing much on where she was going or what she was doing. Araphel had always told her own father just about everything....
She could understand if Xanabel didn't want to, but ... there was a point where it got a little out of hand, and worry came into play.
Araphel winced slightly when Kohta yelled though, and stepped up beside him, leaning on the taller male's leg slightly - a silent plea to try and stay calm. They didn't really know what was going on here ...
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 1:55 pm
Ifrit blinked from one to the other of the new arrivals. It was easy to tell who they were... and judging by how upset dad was, he'd heard Xana's screaming too. "If you want to get the... thing... that made her scream..." he glared contemptuously at the little blood trail leading toward the bushes where he'd heard the dragon disappear, "You can follow that. I marked him good. I'd have gone after him myself but I wasn't about to leave her alone." He wasn't going to risk the guy having friends or managing to circle around and get to Xana again while he was tearing around in the woods trying to find the perpetrator.
He stood up though, slowly, and gently nudged at Xana's shoulder. "Let's go see the fish, ok, Xana?" He could tell she wanted to leave. "If your parents want to ask me questions I'll answer them on the way there, I don't want to stay here if you don't want to be here." Angry father or not, her mother at least seemed to be trying to be sensible. So he felt he'd get a little support at least for getting Xana out of there. In his opinion she was far more important right now. Still... he glanced at Kohta. "If I'd known she was out here a few minutes earlier he wouldn't have gotten anywhere near her. I'm sorry."
((It's fine. XD Makes things interesting.))
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 2:03 pm
Kohta listened to the other speak for a few minutes before all his fur was on edge. His bright blood red eyes looked to Xanabel to see she'd backed up against Ifrit, so obviously he wasn't the one who'd hurt her. But who was he anyway? Kohta wasn't so inclined to completely trust this other, no matter what he said. And why didn't Xana speak for herself. Then, letting his ears relax he looked to Araphel, who seemed to be calm about the whole thing. So slowly he spoke, "Who are you and what happened to my daughter?" He looked like he was about to pounce the other if the answer was unsatisfactory. Though Kohta was still much smaller than Ifrit, he was most certainly the second biggest of the four there.
In her mind, Xana cried out for the comfort of her father, but she was afraid of him for now. She desperately wished to keep close to Ifrit so as to relay that he was good, he was kind... he was ...her friend. The only she really had. Papa! she cried out in her mind. Oh Papa, please don't hurt Ifrit... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. A tear slid down her cheek and she held up a little paw to Ifrit, as if asking him to just wait, because walking off right now would anger her father. And though the aeon considered her top priority, she considered her father's opinion of her only friend more important. She looked pleadingly up at him and then at her mother, trying to ask her to calm down, though no words would leave her muzzle.
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 2:33 pm
Ara's eyes narrowed a little, seeing the trail of blood. A part of her wanted to bound off right then and scratch out the eyes of whoever or whatever had done this to her daughter. Oh, and bite off other certain body parts. But she knew Kohta would freak out if she ran off ... so ... not a good idea. Besides, whatever it was was probably bigger than she was ... sigh.
Turning gaze back to Ifrit, she listened to him, looked to her daughter ... then leaned up and nipped at Kohta's ear, more to get his attention than anything else. "I don't think he has anything to do with it, dear," she pointed out. "No need to snap at him ... though I would like to know the same thing ..."
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 2:39 pm
Ifrit sighed and sat back down at Xana's urging. Ok... when she was ready to go. "My name is Ifrit. Xanabel's my friend. I met her a while ago when she was out exploring on her own. I decided to show her around a little, and some of the nice places I like to go sit around at." He grimaced slightly. He couldn't help feeling responsible for her being here, he had mentioned it was a good place to meet new kitsu. He just wasn't expecting someone like... that... dragon to be hanging around. There weren't many bad-hearted kitsu but the ones there were seemed to try and make up for the lack. "There was some... dragon-kitsu here. He was attacking her... I got rid of him." He couldn't help bristling and glaring at the bushes again. "I wish I'd been here sooner..."
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