|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:48 am
At this point, Amy is mortified that she caused a disaster, granting a wish that would change Lyra and Dark's relationship. Though she is determined to fix it and that usually drives off any lingering guilt about it, Harlequin catches her crying.
Because Harlequin is a witch and is more familliar with magic than just about any other Chandra she knows, she confesses what happened and Harlequin, stumped (but also grudgingly impressed), sits down on the bed as they talk about it. Harlequin helps her make the plan to help them get back together, and the chandra will keep an eye out for the bear brother. They agree not to tell anyone else, just in case spreading around that it was (techcnially) an alternate timeline might not be a good idea.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:30 am
It's Halloween and Blank, Kururu, Cornet and Harlequin are at Amy's house...and she isn't. Harlequin knew that she was going to go out to a party with Dark, but she was under the impression that she was going to try to ditch out early to leave the lovebirds to...well, yeah. Anyway.
But the hours ticked on, and eventually Blank went to spend Halloween with Dontaine (freaking finally!) and Cornet went back to...wherever it was that Cornet went to, leaving Harlequin to wonder why she'd even bothered. A little upset, she layed down in her loft room, wondering if she heard voices in the driveway...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:17 am
As Will walked out, Harlequin walked in, and Amy knew that she'd never be able to live this down.
Maybe there were perks to living alone.
"What is this? You ditched me for a wolf?"
"I, ah," How had she known that he'd been a werewolf for Halloween? "I meant to leave early..." The chandra crossed her arms and sniffed, looking away. It seemed like she wasn't really convinced that Amy really had meant to come home early. After all, once Lyra and Dark had gotten back together, there really shouldn't have been a reason for her to stay.
"Righ. So Blank, Kururu, Cornet and I just got brushed off so you could go out and drink. Cornet and I at least waited until almost ten for you to get back!" Harlequins orange eyes studied her intently, wrapped in the sheet a moment before her eyebrows shot up, nearly hiding under her hat. "You...I mean, I didn't..." Apparently even she hadn't expected Amy to go out annd pick someone up. The kirin was beginning to feel a little...well, boring.
"We didn't!" she exclaimed, jumping up. "We didn't! I, well, I couldn't walk home." The last part of her sentance was mumbled softer and softer as she told Harlequin what she remembered of the events of the evening, the chandra telling her that she'd heard them (or at least, her) giggling as she'd come in.
"I didn't hear anything else," she admitted. "And I have good ears. Log that away for future reference." Amy's face burned. To think that her housemate was telling her that...ugh. Before she could think of a suitable comeback to that, or at least something to say other than, "But I--", Harlequin looked to the far wall, the one that faced the outside of the house.
"Well, he's outside waiting for you, like he said he would," she said on a bit of a sigh. Was that wistful? "You should probably get dressed, though its a bit late not to send the wrong impression." She looked at Amy critically once more. "And girl, we've got to get you prettier panties."
"Get out of here so I can change!" she cried, mortified. Prettier panties? She wasn't planning on walking around in them, or showing anyone (else...)! The witch chuckled as she left, apparently thinking her embarrasment was funny, but leave she did, and Amy threw on clothes as quickly as she could. It wasn't anything more than a wrinkly pink sirt and white top with her ballet slippers, but it was certainly better than her (apparently ugly) panties. Stopping in the bathroom to pull her hair back up into its usual pins, piling the curly green mass on top of her head, she rushed outside.
"I hope you weren't waiting too long," she said, hoping she didn't seem overeager.
"Nah." He smiled as she approached, and butterflies fluttered in Amy's stomach. This time, she couldn't blame the delicious strawberry drink for it.
"And I'm sorry about Harlequin. She was just surprised." At her bashful exression, he laughed a little, reaching up to tug one of her curls. It seemed like he might have done that before, but she couldn't quite remember when. More of a reason to never, never ever drink again. Ever.
"Don't worry about it. I would've been surprised, too." Hell, he was surprised. Surprised that, even drunk, she would've let him come home with her. It meant that she really had no idea...No idea who or what he was. And here he'd thought that magical creatures recognized each other. But then, he didn't really know what she was, either, did he?
"I've got a lot to do today," Including making sure that the embarrassment that was last night did what it was supposed to!, "but I'd really like to see you again." She smiled tentatively at his intense gaze, but it took her a moment to realize that it meant he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her! She had to fight to keep her heart from fluttering around in her chest, her breath from coming too quickly.
"Me, too," he said after a moment. His gaze flickered once, twice, between her eyes and her lips and she wondered what he was waiting for. They had, after all, spent the night together. Would a kiss make that much of a difference?
"You know where to find me," she replied.
"Ah, but I don't have your number." Amy blushed. She hadn't thought about it. As she rattled it off at him, he pulled a cellphone--something rarely seen on the islands--out of his pocket so he could enter it in. She was pretty sure he'd filed her under 'Amaryllis' and not 'Amy.' For some reason, she thought that was...sweet. Once more, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek, but she didn't feel his hand in her hair until it was too late. As he pulled back, it all tumbled back around her shoulders, down almost to her calves as she looked up at him, shocked.
"It looks prettier down," he said with a grin. She didn't know that, at that very moment, he was wondering what he was doing, playing with a sweet girl like her. He slipped the hairclip in his pocket anyway. "I'll take that with me so you'll have to wear it down next time." Amy didn't bother tell him that wasn't strictly true--she had, oh, approximately a gazillion of those little things, but again, she thought it was cute that he'd want it. Maybe he liked her?
I think you li~ke me. Where had that thought come from?
"I'll...see you around," she said lamely. He agreed and walked off without dragging things on further, and Amy wondered where he was going. Where he lived. What...
"What's your last name?" she called before he got out of earshot.
"Lykae," he called back. "Yours?"
"Lark!"
Hopefully, this would be something funny she could tell her grandkids one day, because if the expression on Harlequin's face as she turned to go inside was any indication, she was going to be living with this for quite a while anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 8:47 am
Kururu, nosey as she is, hears that Amy has actually met somebody, and she convinces Cornet that it's the right thing to do to follow Will to see what kind of person he is. Cornet doesn't think that it is, but Kururu tells her that as Amy's friends, it's what they should do!
So they hop a boat and follow Will to Polaris, where he still spends about half of his time. They're really excited at first, but when they follow him to Gothalis, it's a little scary. The city is dark, covered in clouds and filled to the brim with creatures that they'd only heard stories about. Werewolves, vampires, night elves and self-proclaimed dark gods. They don't make it in very far because, while Cornet can fight with her puppets, she doesn't think it'll keep them safe in this city. She thinks Blank might be able to follow him in, but isn't sure. They make a tactical retreat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 9:10 am
Will feels like he's being followed, but he doesn't look over his shoulder. He feels like that all the time, but that's 'cause its Gothalis. Someone usually is following you, and glancing over your shoulder will just goad them on. He sighs as he stops into his PI offices, getting his pile of messages from the human secritary. She sends him a glance because he's usually the only were she'll work with because he's actually personable. Not so much today.
Will looks through the paperwork, not focused. He was thinking about Amy, about waking up with her. He'd woken up with plenty of women, but none like her. If she could be called a woman, not a girl. He gritted his teeth and tamped down on his feelings. He wouldn't call, and he wouldn't go back. It wouldn't be right.
Blank hunts him down. He had a little trouble because he resembles an angel, but fists apparently speak louder than words in these parts, and as to that no one that gave him grief could keep up with him. He knew if he stayed too long, someone tougher and faster than he was would catch up, but for now, he just needed to double check what Kururu and Cornet had breathlessly told him. He found Will, asked a few questions, and learned what he was looking for.
A werewolf? Awesome. He didn't judge, but he figured that the wolf wouldn't be back for Amy, much as she'd mooned over him the past day or so. She didn't say it, but she glanced at the phone from time to time. She'd hoped he'd call. Well, her friends would be there when he didn't.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 12:12 pm
Amy had been almost agressively cheerful for the past week, waiting for Will to call, stop by, or something. Anything to show that he hadn't forgotten her. But she'd been forced to come to the conclusion that he must wake up in strange girls' beds regularly; one more wouldn' tmake a difference. One more girl, name, number, bed. But she would still be happy; after all, with everyone around, how could she possibly be lonely?
Kururu and Cornet put their heads together. It seems like Amy has been pining since he left; she must be lonely, though she's good at hiding it. Kururu was, of course, the first to say that she obviously needed a man~. But how to get one out to the islands? They turn to Harlequin.
Harlequin, while arrogant more times than not, is hesitant to try to summon someone for Amy, on the off chance that it might not come out right. Okay, so there's a very large chance that it won't turn out right. She'd never done it before, and who to summon? Cornet and Kururu sigh--nothing short of a prince! Though she thinks they're stupid, she begins penning a spell.
Blank, the voice of reason, tells them that it's not a good idea to tamper with things like that. He's not any happier that Amy's lonley, but she wouldn't want someone to be plucked out of the sky and dumped off here, at which point it's so on between him and Harlequin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 3:08 pm
Harlequin storms out of the cottage with a huff, despite the fact that she's the only one of the three that actually lives there. Muttering couples, she stomps through the woods, more determined than ever to make the summoning work. She heard soft laughter as she walked farther from the cottage, but it took her a while to figure out who it was--a fairy named Leilani.
Leilani said that she had a pretty poem, but it could use some work. Because fairies are tied to the magic of the islands, Harlequin grudgingly accepted her help, especially when she was so excited about summoning a prince for her lonley friend. It seemed like everyone her other than her and that rat fink Blank had a romantic heart! With that in mind, they arranged to cast the summon on the full moon, where island magic was strong and Harlequin felt her ties to the moon the strongest. In the meantime, Leilani wants to meet ths kirin.
Of course, Amy adopts her into the group, doing what she can to take care of those chandra that don't live with her. Leilani see's what Harlequin means, the almost forced cheerfulness, and the wistful glances she sends Blank when he talks about Dontaine, though she is clearly very happy for them. She reaffirms that she's going to cast the summon with Harlequin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:43 am
Over the course of the next week, Leilani and Harlequin get together at the magpie's paradise Leilani's house so they can work on the summon. Blank still disapproves, but hasn't said anything, and Kururu and Cornet are going to be there whether the fairy and the witch want them to or not.
It finally comes time, and so Leilani and Harlequin join hands under the moon, whispering the short poem that they'd made. It hits all the high points of what they're looking for for Amy; someone more like her, someone nice and friendly and fun--and, of course, nothing less than a prince. As they're finishing, the wind picks up and rustles a few leaves on the trees, but nothing seems to happen.
Harlequin is frustrated, Leilani is sure that something will happen eventually. Cornet and Kururu are a little disappointed, and Blank is concerned about what they've done. Amy is still completely unaware that they're trying to magically alter her lovelife.
What they don't realize is that, even though their summon is long over, island magic is working without them...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:10 am
Amy has noticed that usually one or more of 'her' chandra have been with her for the past week or so...and Blank is around more than usual. She's wondering if something is going on, but every time she asks, she doesn't get a direct answer. Kururu maybe started to say something, but then, she always does.
At this point, Harlequin is the one thats with her, and nothing Amy can do will convince the witch to leave her alone. Something about 'expecting company,' not that anyone ever actually made it out to the islands. No one that wasn't already here.
It was about that time that she saw something among the shrubs. It looked like...a fallen horse? Having a weak spot for hard luck cases, but afraid of what she'd find, Amy rushed to find something entirely different from what she'd expected. He had the lower half of a horse, but a torso of a man, and all of him looked quite beaten up. Not sure what on the islands could've done this, Harlequin glanced around frantically, murmuring "this can't be it..." which didn't make any sense to Amy.
~~
Dropping to her knees beside him, Amy frantically searched for some sign of...something...as if this happened all the time and she knew what to do in situations like these. From head to hoof, he looked beat up and ragged, and she gently prodded his shoulder, the only thing that seemed to have escaped unscathed.
"Are you alright?" she asked lamely, if sincerely. Of course he wasn't alright? She tried to think of something better to say, distracted by Harlequin's muttering behind her.
"Will you stop that for just a--" but before she could finish, a strong hand wrapped around her wrist in a painful grip. Gasping, she turned back to the taur to find narrowed brown eyes focused on her.
"Where am I?" he grated out between clenched teeth. Amy told herself that he must be in great pain and obviously didn't realize how close he was to breaking her wrist. That had to be it. Pushing back the tears that threatened to fall if he didn't release his grip, she stuttered out the name of the islands and where she was pretty sure they were on it. When he didn't release his iron grip, she whimpered.
"Hey, buddy, what in the hell do you think you're doing?" Harlequin snapped. "You're hurting her!" As if she thought to do something, she stalked over to where he lay and Amy knelt in the tall grass. His grip loosened--not much, but enough that she had hope that he hadn't meant to do it. Hadn't meant to hurt her.
"Where am I?" he asked again, as if she hadn't answered him at all in the first place.
"She told you where you were, dipshit. What more do you need to know? You're off the coast of Gambino, on the planet of Gaia." The witch's voice dripped sarcasm, but it wasn't until then that he released Amy's wrist, causing her to fall back, scooting a little farther away from him as she cradled it. Glowering at the dumbfounded centaur, Harlequin seemed to simply appear by Amy's side, watching over her.
"Can't be," he murmured, shaking his head back and forth. Sweat and blood dampened hair stuck to his forehead as he denied the truth, his eyes squeezed shut as if to block it out. "No I'm just...I've got to get back." Though he was still a little afraid of his state of mind, she grimaced as she watched him try to stand. One of the drawbacks of having a horse body, she supposed, is that once you fell it was very difficult to stand again.
Completely putting the girls out of his mind, he opened his eyes again, shifting from his fallen position on his side to where his shoulders were parallel with the ground, his palms flat as he pushed up. Though all of the muscles in his arms and shoulders worked to move him and his front feet scrabbled against the ground for traction, he just couldn't manage it. Grunting, he fell forward a little, only to try again. This time, Amy couldn't just watch.
"What are you doing?" Harlequin shrieked, trying to hold her back. "He just...hurt you a second ago!" Her voice betrayed her own concern, and the shock that someone had dared to hurt someone clearly as weak and defenseless as the kirin, who gently shook off her hand.
"He needs help," she said softly. "I...can't just watch." And with that, she was at his elbow, giving him her meager strength and small frame for what support she could provide. She marveled at the strength that she found in his arms--how weak must he be to not even be able to lift himself from the ground? His eyes were surprised as he saw her back by his side, but he wouldn't--har--look a gift horse in the mouth. Grumbling, and not wanting to see Amy crushed under his weight, Harlequin shuffled over to take his other arm.
Even with the three of them, it took several attempts and more swearing on the chandra's part to get him back on his feet. While he swayed, Amy tucked herself against his side as carefully as she could, avoiding the growing bruise she found there as well. Ignoring the mottled purple and green spot, she looked up at his face, suddenly struck by how handsome it was. Despite his expression and the rough look, she could tell that it was a face that usually lent itself to smiles--defined cheekbones but not sharp, a strong chin but not overpowering, and lips...well, that were currently split at the corner and bleeding sluggishly from his grimace.
For the briefest moment, he met her gaze, but he soon glanced around him, trying to get his bearings; Amy had no idea what to tell him. She didn't know where he was from or how he got here, and she was beginning to suspect that he didn't, either.
"Have to get back," he muttered, taking a step forward only to falter. Barely managing to keep him upright, barely, Amy chastised him.
"You're not going far in this shape," she said as soothingly as she could manage. She had no desire for a repeat performance, and the closest thing for him to grab now was her neck. She could tell that Harlequin knew exactly what she was thinking--because she was shaking her head and mouthing "No way!"
"You should let me patch you up before you try to go anywhere," she added, trying to be firm, though it was difficult when you were around a foot and a half and two limbs short of someone. Harlequin, she thought, was going to reach around the 'taur and strangle Amy herself if she could, but he shook his head.
"No, I have to--"
"--come to my house and let me patch you up," Amy finished for him. "I don't have much other than a basic first aid kit there, but you can rest a while. I know you're in a great hurry, but you really will kill yourself if you try too hard." That he seemed to understand, nodding.
"It's not too far from here." She paused. "Do you think you can make it?" Though it pained him, he admitted that, if he leaned on them, he might make it, as long as it wasn't too far. Amy nodded; she understood.
She also knew that this was the second guy...man...thing...in as many weeks that she'd taken home with her with barely more than a formal introduction. She hadn't known Wills last name--if she could believe anything he told her--and she didn't know this 'taur from Adam, in a manner of speaking. Though she sighed, it didn't get much attention from Harlequin, quietly fuming, or the 'taur, who probably had more to worry about than a small sigh from a small girl who was barely tall enough to hold up his shoulder.
After what seemed like forever, the cottage finally came into view in the distance. Though she was all but gasping for breath at that point, she called out for the only other chandra she saw--Blank, who was flying towards her almost before she could finish his name. Much to her relief, he didn't say anything as he took her place beneath the 'taur's right arm.
"Please, help him to the porch," she said, close to an explanation as she could manage. "I'll be right back," she added, for the taur, before running the rest of the way to the house, hoping that she had more than bandaids and neosporin in that kit.
Her footfalls, usually so soft, thudded in her hurry and fatigue as she rushed across the deck, tearing through the doors and over the hardwoods that led to her bathroom. With much less grace than usual, she skidded in through the doorway, quickly throwing aside the mirror to get to the cabinet behind it. The blue bag marked with a red cross sat in the middle, dusty from disuse. She'd never expected an emergency, so she could only hope there was something useful in it. Grabbing it, she hurried back outside, finding Blank and Harlequin easing him onto the ground in front of the porch--the stairs had been too much for him.
"Bringing home a stray?" Blanked asked, his tone light though he was somewhat concerned as well. He and Harlequin exchanged hostile glances that she couldn't quite understand an didn't have time to ponder at the moment.
"Um, Harlequin, will you boil some water for me?" she asked, trying to sound as if she were in command of the situation. "And Blank, I need a washcloth if you don't mind. And some soap?" She was sure that surgeons or generals would not say please and thank you, or end any of their requests with a question mark, but she was what was here, and she would have to do. Despite her lack of firm leadership, they hurried off to do as she asked, leaving her with the centaur.
His knees had long since given out, though he wasn't completely laying down as he had before; this time, it was more as she had seen horses rest, legs tucked under him, hanging on her porch railing for support. His lifeline. Tearing his gaze from it, she found herself trapped in those brown eyes again, a deer (or kirin?) in the headlights.
"I'm sorry," he huffed, looking away. "About your wrist. I'm sorry." Looking down, she saw what he must've seen--a bright bloom of purple around the pale skin of her wrist. She shrugged it off.
"Its okay," she said with a somewhat wan smile. Walking towards him with the first aid kit clutched in her hands, she noticed that he was just to her shoulder sitting--this was more manageable. Since she was supposed to be a nurse, Amy talked herself out of worrying about how tall he was and more about what what she was supposed to be doing.
The face that she had been admiring had taken quite a beating, the skin around the eye bruised and puffy, the eye itself tinged with red from busted vessles, giving it a very eerie look around otherwise doe brown eyes. Tentatively running a soft hand across his cheekbone, she could tell that it hadn't been broken by whatever had bruised his eye or split his lip.
The shoulder that she had been supporting had a brown ivy tattoo that was hidden by grime, though it seemed as if the worst injuries had been sustained on his forearms and chest as if he'd been blocking blows, and eventually failed. Across his side, the bruise had finished turning deep purple, a sick looking yellow around the outside.
"This...might hurt," she whispered, hoping he continued to hold onto the railing as she ran her hands lightly down his bruised ribcage. Judging by the way he sucked in a quick breath, knuckles turning white on the whitewashed wood, she could only guess that one or two of his ribs had been broken by...whatever did this.
"What happened?" Amy breathed, turning worried green eyes back to his face, still contorted with pain. When she asked, it seemed like a different kind of pain crept into his features, and she was almost sorry that she asked.
"I failed," he ground out. "I was supposed to wear the crown while my brother was gone, but I didn't. Neighboring kingdom..saw it as weakness. Invaded. Almost all...gone. Dead." He squeezed his eyes closed again, taking a deep breath as he forced himself to loosen the death grip he held on the post.
"We were pushing them back, maybe winning, when he surprised me. Got past the guards, past the front line, past my defenses. Beat me. Sent me here, out of his way."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 3:22 pm
As he spoke, grating out the words as if each one pained him as much as a physical blow, Amy wished she was better with words. She wished she knew what to say to motivate and empower him, to make him feel like he wasn't the failure that he obviously thought he was. Unfortunately, she wasn't, so the moment passed in awkward silence, broken only by the sound of the screen door slamming open, letting Blank and Harlequin back outside, her soldiers fetching her supplies.
Some army.
But she did what she could, arranging the pot of still piping hot water, washcloths and her first aid kit where each would be readily accessable when she needed them. Having already determined the worst of his injuries were on his ribs and forearms, that was where she started.
"Can I have your arm, please?" she asked, probably the most polite battlefield medic that could be found; the wry twist of his lips showed her as much, even as he did as she asked, starting with his right arm. The shoulder hadn't suffered overly much, so she quickly cleaned and dressed the larger lascerations that she found there with bandages that had, thankfully, been in the first aid kit with a little bit of gauze. At the suggestion of her first aid teacher, there was a small supply of feminine products, but he wasn't bleeding heavily enough, nor did he have any bullet wounds--she was glad she wouldn't have to pull those out. He dealt with the bright green bandages with aplomb, but the flowery, pink products would probably not suit as well.
"And the other?" Throughout her awkward ministrations, he said nothing, though every so often when she brushed the cloth against a bruise or a wound a little too hard, his knuckles would tighten on the railing he supported himself with. Each time he did this, Harlequin would jump a little--the witch hadn't told Blank what had happended yet, but Amy knew she was just waiting for the perfect opportunity. The 'taur had not made a friend in her.
As she tucked the tails of the banadges in, rinsing the washcloth in the now dingy pink water, Amy thought that this was an interestingly personal task to leave to a waif of a girl who didn't even know his name. She hoped that this wouldn't become a habit, taking strange men home with her. With a small smile, she thought that at least he wouldn't make it past the livingroom and into the hallway, much less into bed with her. Oh, and there was that pesky thing of never drinking again. Ever, ever, ever.
"Find something amusing down there?" Jerking Amy out of her thoughts, she blushed profusely, shaking her head. He'd caught her smiling at his midsection as she tried to clean around his battered ribs without hurting them more. She was surprised, though, at the sound of his voice--it was the first time he'd spoken without either gritting his teeth or growling at her, and it had a pleasant tenor sound to it. Like his face, soft around the edges with a vein of steel running through it. Someone used to authority, if she was any judge--which she wasn't.
"Sorry," she murmured. "Just thinking, I usually at least get a name before taking someone home with me." Even if it was only a first name. But she was never, never doing that again!... after this time.
"Cadeon Woede," he answered easily, though she hadn't exactly asked. Woede...I wonder where that name is local to? It doesn't sound like anything local...But from how he'd talked earlier, it seemed as if someone had left him here, specifically, to keep him far away from the battle that had left him in such a state. Keep him off the front lines. She couldn't say that it wouldn't be good for him to take a break for a while, not that he would agree. Men.
"Amy Lark," she responded with another small smile. "It's...a pleasure to meet you." As she said that, she began wrapping his ribs--the only thing she could think to do with them. But then, even if he'd gone to a hospital (or vet?) there wasn't much that could be done. She heard Harlequin jump up again and knew that he must have another white-knuckled grip on the railings--and was that a creak she heard, as well?--but she couldn't blame him. She grimaced a little herself; she'd never inflicted pain on anyone before, not like this. Even when she stepped on someone's toes or mashed a finger she felt bad for hours afterwards, and this didn't compare.
"It has to be done," Cadeon said somewhat breathlessly, as if he could read her thoughts. Though, they were probably all over her face at that point, and even on a good day it didn't take a psychic to know what she was thinking. And this was not a good day. There was a short pause before spoke again. "Thank you."
"You can thank me if any of this heals properly," Amy said lightly, reaching around for the bottle of liquid bandage that had also been hiding in the little bag. Curious, he watched as she dabbed a bit on the smaller scrapes and abrasions, finally asking a few questions as if he'd never seen something like that before. Since she couldn't answer most of his questions, she let him hold the bottle, dipping the tiny brush in when she needed more.
"It'll still tear if you mess with it," she cautioned, seeing that his curiosity would have him messing with it, "but it moves with you a little easier than the regular ones, even if the little bottle I have is only good for small cuts and scrapes." When she reached to retrieve the bottle from him, his free hand snagged her wrist--her good one--and she dropped the little brush and surprise as her heart fluttered up in her chest--and not in the good way, either. This time, however, his grip was firm, but not crushing. If she were inclined, she could probably get her hand loose. Probably.
"I mean it," he said, looking up at her. "I...we didn't start on the right foot. Amy Lark, the pleasure of making your aquaintance is all mine." And then he did something completely unexpected; he shifted his hold slightly, taking her fingers in a gentle hold and kissed the back of her hand. This time, the butterflies in her stomach weren't from fear.
"Oh, gag me," she heard from behind her. "What are you, a crowned prince or something?" The comment made him wince.
"My brother is the crowned prince," he said, sighing as he released her hand. Amy remembered the abridged story he'd told her, and it made sense. He was supposed to hold the crown while his brother was away. Something had happened to his father, as well. What didn't make sense was Harlequin's strangled gasp and Blank's cough--covering up a curse? Amy was half tempted to corner the angel or the witch--or both! and figure out what their problem was. Especially Harlequin, who'd been acting strange since they stumbled on Cadeon in the first place.
As if admitting that his brother was the corned prince had brought him back to his senses, the taur, Cadeon, shook his head a little. "I've got to get back," he murmured, though he didn't seem to know how.
"You've got to rest," Amy said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "At least a day. Please?" She might not have been a great warlord, but it seemed to her that the 'please' was what kept him rooted to the spot. Oh, that and his current inability to walk far on his own. That probably helped to, but at least this time he didn't fight it quite so hard.
"A day to rest and recover," she continued, pushing him slightly when she knew he was leaning that way anyway. "Then you'll be able to look for a way back, and be stronger for it." Finally, he sighed and nodded.
"A day," he said, relenting. "But no longer. I have to get back."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 3:24 pm
He'd been here a week. Amy looked out the window to see him restlessly pacing, killing the already weak grass that still clung to life in the patch where he most often trod. Sighing, she looked away.
Over the course of the past few days, she'd gotten him to talk more about where he'd come from, and honestly, it didn't sound like anywhere on Gaia that she knew of, not that she'd ever been a whiz in geometry. After all, she'd only heard a passing mention of the islands that were now her home. But the sprawling continent that he spoke so ferciely of, a land inhabited by nothing but taurs of every shape and size--surely no such place existed.
Her first instinct had been to worry for his mental health. After all, it appeared that he'd been hit in the head a couple of times, and the brain could be a delicate thing. But between her silent, sulky moods, Harlequin had managed to support the theory that he'd actually come from somewhere...different, rather than suffering from some sort of delusion. When pressed, she shrugged and said nothing, only slipping out again, perhaps to speak with Leilani. Amy noted that Cornet and Kururu were suspiciously absent as well, leaving only Blank at the house regularly.
"You know how he can get back, don't you?" Blank said, settling in a chair next to her new window seat. She sighed, which spoke volumes in and of itself. "Then why don't you tell him?"
Yes, there was a way that he could get back. All he would have to do was earnestly wish it, and say it within earshot of the local kirin, and he'd be back before he could wonder what had happened. But what would he return to? Would it be the same world that he'd come from? Would things have changed?
...and what if he belonged here?
"Anything could happen if I tell him," she said quietly. Blank, of course, had no idea what had happened the last time someone had made a wish. Ursa, one of Dark's old flames, had wished that he had never met her, and Amy had been compelled to grant his wish, destroying the fragile love that the girl had started after him. Though she'd managed to repair the relationship over Halloween (their subsiquent date leading to the embarassing episode between her and Will), had she really fixed it? She couldn't chance it. Amy firmly believed in fate, and she just as strongly believed that she didn't want to try to tamper with it.
"But do you think he'll be able to find a way back on his own?" That she didn't have an answer to. She and Cadeon had walked much of the islands, once he had rebuilt a little of his endurance, and neither of them had seen anything--not that either of them had known what to look for. If they didn't know what they were looking for, how to find it or where, it was worse than finding a needle in a haystack and you couldn't use a magnet.
"Fate does weird things," he said with a shrug, as if he'd read her mind. "Who knows what's supposed to happen?" Amy fought off a groan. Well, it couldn't hurt to go looking again. The island held many secrets, not the least of which being how it seemed to attract beings like her, Dark, and Cadeon. Other people like Asia, the vampire, or Lyra the...Lyra, or any of the chandra that had made the islands their home for so long.
"Yeah, who knows?" Standing from the window, she tried to shake the gloomy mood that always came when thinking of wishes and those who made them. Yes, she and Cadeon would search the islands high and low looking for some sort of clue, anything that might take him back. If they couldn't find it, then she would decide what to do.
Blank watched out the same window as she went out to talk to the pacing centaur. Juding by the surprised look on her face, he must have suggested something that the hadn't done before--and that quick he'd scooped her up and helped her get settled in on his broad back. The chandra shook his head. Neither one of them had any idea, not that he was a great one to talk. After all, Dontaine had...
Interrupting his thoughts, the phone warbled. Curious, he stepped over to check the caller ID.
Lykae, Will.
Oh, this was going to be good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:03 pm
"Hello?" Blank hadn't thought twice about answering the phone. He was a horrible chandra and he knew it. There were a few beats of silence as the werewolf found his footing again, so to speak.
"Is Amaryllis there?" Blank didn't recognize the voice, but he hadn't heard Will speak before, so that was to be expected. Though he wouldn't see it, the chandra made a show of buffing his nails, relaxing. It was all about attitude.
"Amy? Nah, she's out. Can I take a message?" Not that he'd be compelled to deliver it, but maybe. Depending on how the conversation went. There was another pause while Will tried to figure out what kind of message he should leave for a girl that he slept with (literally slept, though, which made it only slightly better) and didn't speak to for almost two weeks. Hmmm, maybe it'd be easier for him to spill his heart if he wasn't talking to some random male that might or might not be Amy's new beau? Poor guy.
"Don't worry, I'll call back." Blank smirked. It seemed like were was more possessive than he'd like to let on. They exchanged pleasantries and ended the call while Blank wondered what to tell Amy. She'd been so broken up when he hadn't called; understandable, especially after he'd heard about what happened from Harlequin. And though Cadeon might not be the perfect man that the witch had tried to summon, but maybe he was the perfect thing to get Amy's mind off the wolf.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:28 pm
It was exhilerating. Amy had never felt anything like it. All but flying over the islands on the back of the centaur prince, clinging to his shoulders to steady herself, though his gait was smooth as silk. Because he still searched for a means to get back to his own world, she didn't laugh, but she did enjoy the way the wind whipped her hair back and her tail flew out behind her.
"Have you seen anything?" he asked, turning his head slightly so it would be easier to hear. Amy frowned as she continued to scan their surroundings, but she hadn't seen anything that might resemble...whatever it was they were looking for.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," she responded honestly. But then, for the islands, what was ordinary? She heard him sigh a little, though throughout their little jaunt he'd barely gotten out of breath. She knew as they'd continued scouring the islands he'd grown increasingly frustrated with not knowing what to look for and not being able to find it.
"Maybe if I knew what I was looking for, it might be easier," she said on a sigh herself. Though it jarred her a little, Cadeon slowed to a trot, and then a walk, scanning the edges of the lagoon where they'd found themselves. As if bringing himself back to the present moment, he shook his head.
"I don't know," he admitted, clearly upset. "It could be a portal, runes around a walkway--or worse, a walkway without runes. Sometimes a pathway can even be a person." Amy wondered if she could feel any more guilty, and determined that while it was most likely possible, she didn't want to experience it. She knew, yes, how he could get back. She knew how he could get back without mystical, magical portals. Without magicians and without runes. All he had to do was wish it. But again, she remained silent.
"So, what, you have to walk through every doorway, walkway and cave entrance on the islands?" she asked, appalled.
"If I have to." He didn't snap at her, not really, but his determination was daunting. She didn't know if she'd be able to go on, knowing that the possibilities were endless. As obvious as a portal or as overlookable as...a person. Would there be another way to get back if she could do it, or was there only required to be one?
"Is there only one way?" she hedged. Under her hands, Cadon shrugged.
"I don't know the specifics. I think for everyone here that is from my world, there is a portal that is opened. Unless there is someone that I'm missing, there will probably only be one." Great. Just...great.
While he gingerly walked the two of them around the edge of the lagoon and peeked into the small cave behind it, Amy hunched her shoulders and fought the urge to rest her head on his; she just felt so weary, and so unsure. Was she really his way back? With a one way ticket that was so uncertain, would fate really put her in his corner? Yup, she could, in fact feel more guilty.
If she didn't tell him, would he ever be able to go back?
....would that really be so bad?
Immediately, she chastised herself for being so thoughtless. Of course Cadeon would rather return home than anything; after all, sleeping outside next to her house lacked a great deal of appeal, not to mention the fact that his family, his brother, and his kingdom were all back...wherever he was from. Another world? Universe? Dimension? She didn't know.
But on the other hand, even as he searched relentlessly for a way back Amy was almost positive tha the wouldn't be able to find--or had already found, depending on how you thought about it--she'd gotten a glimpse of who he was when he wasn't so stressed out and driven to return. She'd seen his curiosity, asking about the islands and its residents. His intelligence while he figured things out, as he plotted courses for their trips to explore the islands. His funny, if somewhat quirky, sense of humor when she prodded him enough to talk about something other than his mission.
They were a lot a like, really. But he didn't belong here. Bringing her back 'here,' she heard Cadeon sigh again as he looped around the lagoon and started back in the direction of the cottage. He probably would search the rest of the day, but since he'd learned his way around, he didn't drag her along with him unless she offered. Interestingly, there were times when Blank accompanied him, able to keep up with the 'taur on wings instead of her two legs. It might happen more often now that she felt like a fraud, trying to help him find what she already knew wasn't out on the islands somewhere.
She was his ticket back. For every person here, there was one way back. Balance. It made sense.
"Are you tired?" she heard Cadeon ask.
"Oh, not really," she lied. She was a terrible liar, and he looked over his shoulder to raise an eyebrow at her. "Its about lunchtime, that's all." A little better. Though he watched her for a moment more, he nodded.
"I'll drop you off before I continue searching." The hint of hopelessness hadn't been in his voice before. Amy ran her hands along his shoulders in a comforting motion--for the both of them, and he seemed to lean slightly back and into her touch, just as she was trying not to think of the way his skin felt under her hands.
"Thanks," she murmured, returning them to what equated to the ten and two position--one on each shoulder, touching only enough to keep her steady. She knew this routine, too. She'd throw the windows to the kitchen open even though it was getting a little cooler, now, and he'd prop his elbows up on the frame and watch as she prepared lunch. She wasn't a chef by any stretch, but the term 'bull in a china shop' came to mind when she thought about letting him in her kitchen. Plus, how would she explain hoofprints to her homeowners insurance angent?
But this time, as he dropped her off at the porch steps and she slid off his back, his hand lingered on her arm and he looked at her closely, studied her in a way that he hadn't since the first day he'd been there. Once more, he had an expression that said he needed her to tell her something, but she completely misjudged what it was.
"I'm sure you'll find it," she said with enough conviction to make him raise his brows. Did she know something he didn't? She blushed.
"Thank you," he said softly. There was that look again. It was about that time that Blank popped his head out the door, clearing his throat slightly.
"Not to interrupt anything," he said, clearly interrupting, "but Amy, you missed a call while you were out." Surprised, Amy turned to face the chandra.
"Oh? I guess I'd better check it then." Cadeon's eyes lingered on her a moment longer than was probably the usual, but as she walked into the house he walked along the other side, where he would meet her at the kitchen window. As if she'd been going through the same routine for longer than six days, she walked through the foyer, grabbed the cordless phone, and pushed the window open as she headed into the kitchen. She didn't see a message, so she scrolled through the caller ID to see if maybe Dark had called to let her know what was going on for Thanksgiving.
Lykae, Will.
"Oh, you've got some nerve," she murmured, stopping half way between the sink and the fridge. Two weeks. Two weeks now! He'd left with a promise to call and she hadn't heard a word until today, and he hadn't even left a message. What a...cad!
"Amy?" She heard Cadeon from the window. "Was it an important call that you missed?" She'd already gone through and showed him the phone and how it worked, and for the most part, he was enjoying his new knowledge. This time, however, he must have reacted to her abrupt stop.
"Not really," she said. No, it wasn't an important phone call. She'd call him back...eventually.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:40 pm
Blank wanted to pat her on the head when Amy sat the phone back down on the counter and began preparing lunch for her and the 'taur. Though it wasn't exactly appropriate to call her a good girl for a job well done, he was glad that she hadn't dropped everything to call the wolf. Of course, he had his own reasons for not really liking Lykae, the fact that amy didn't know he was a wolf being cheif among them.
Instead of talking to Amy about it, he left her to the enthralled prince, heading to where he knew he'd find Harlequin--the glittering treehouse of Leilani, the fairy. Flying, it didn't take long, and he was met with about what he expected.
"Come to bother me more?" Harlequin had come to the 'door,' even though the house didn't belong to her. She had a habit of taking over like that, but Blank wasn't intimidated. He only shrugged.
"Came to tell you that Will finally called." The witch snorted.
"Figures he'd call now."
"Are you going to let him in, or make him stand on my porch all day?" Leilani's call from inside both reminded Harlequin of her manners and of the fact that it was her house to let people in or not. Seeming to ponder it for a moment, Harlequin finally shrugged, stepped back a little, and held the curtain open for the angel.
Blank was always a little overwhelmed when he came into Leilani's home; all of the gems hanging everywhere, and the colored lights that flecked the walls as the light shone through them was dazzling. But he continued in.
"And I think the taur you summoned is starting to have a thing for her, too." This time, Harlequin grimaced.
"I don't think I summoned Cadeon," she said firmly, as she had been saying for the past week. Though each time she said it, she grew a little less sure of herself. Because, of course, without knowing a name of someone to summon, you would never be sure who it would be. His point from the beginning, if anyone would listen to him.
"But you can't tell me that you didn't," he countered. More often, he let her uncertainty speak for itself, but this time, he was a little more irritated with her. "You can't tell me that you didn't pluck him from where he needed to be and bring him here, making Amy's life more difficult than it already was."
"But she has someone to talk to now," Leilani pointed out calmly from where she sat on the floor, stringing beads. "And you don't know that Cadeon wasn't meant to come here. Amy worries, but you can't really tamper with fate. I mean, its fate." To that, he shrugged, but the fairy had a point. With a more zen attitude than any of the other chandra, she tended to accept things for what they were. The summon, by comparison, seemed uncharacteristic, but Blank was more than happy to blame Harlequin for that bit of folly.
"Well, what if he's not supposed to be here? Or, a point that you failed to consider, what if he doesn't want to be here? Do you know how to send him back if that's the case?" Neither one of the girls spoke, and Blank sighed. "I'm not trying to play the bad guy; I'm trying to be the voice of reason."
"It sounds like the same thing, sometimes," Leilani mused over her beads. Blank ignored her.
"I'm working on it, okay?" Harlequin murmured. "I got him...we got him here, so we can get him back. Probably."
"Maybe you should check on that before Amy gets hurt again," he said softly, turning to leave. "That's a pretty necklace, Leilani."
"Thank you," she said with a smile, completely unbothered by the situation. She waved at him as he left and Harlequin ignored him. He'd wanted to get that off his chest, but what had he accomplished other than to piss of the witch? As if that weren't enough! But pointlessly stirring things up wasn't Blanks way. He'd go back to watching and waiting, trying to make sure that Amy would be alright no matter what happened.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:41 pm
Will hung up the phone, irritated with himself and whoever it was that had answered the phone to begin with. A brother? Father? Friend? Lover? If it was a lover, Amaryllis wasn't the girl that he'd thought she was, and that was a rare thing. She just seemed to...innocent, to have invited someone else into her life.
Pacing his upper level apartment, gazing out over his city, Will thought that it wasn't as if he had a claim on her. He'd sworn that he wouldn't call her at all, knowing that he was all wrong for her. Though he'd known it wasn't fair, he'd spent his free time doing a little research on her, though he knew it put him at an unfair advantage.
Amaryllis Lark, fantasy novelest, age 23. Published books: Blood Tells, Hair of the Dog and Bird on the Wing. Grew up on the mainiland, in Barton Town more often than not with a pair of loving, if completely human parents. How they'd managed to have a...kirin, he'd yet to find out. He hadn't yet stooped low enough to calling her parents. And what would he tell them? "I'm calling to double check exactly how much of a better person your kind of daughter is than I am."
A kirin. She might as well be from Lyte, that holier than though city across the small continent. Though she didn't have the attitude, she did have the innocent nature, the sweet disposition...well, he could go on, but it might sound as if he were mooning after the girl. Maybe he was.
Glancing at the phone, he wondered when she was going to call him back. If she was going to call him back. And what he was going to say when and if she did call? An apology seemed like to little. Picking up where they'd left off seemed to crass. Hell, she probably thought he was a b*****d. No, she wouldn't say that. She'd probably call him...a cad. He chuckled, though it was more at himself than anything.
If she didn't call him back in the next couple of days, he'd...he'd go up there himself and apologize. And bring flowers. Ask her on a date. They'd missed a few steps last time, and he'd make up for that, too. He still wasn't sure what kind of relationship that a werewolf could have with a kirin, but he was determined to find out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
