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 Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:52 pm
s u g a r c u b e - - x
It had been a while since he actually thought about where he was. Life had been one thing but death? He had never considered the idea of having to think during death unless he went to Hell and did anything other than burn. It had been a long time since he had even considered it. The boredom was horrible. Loki had slept most of the time, seeing as he hadn't really planned on even being there. Plus, land that floated around in the air, made him considerably annoyed.
He had gone around in this strange place for the first few days he had been there. He had even considered seeing what would happen if he killed something. Physics in this world were not too different but not exactly the same as his old one.
The only thing the boy had recently done as of late was go out to the market and buy a white mask. He had spent some time actually painting it himself. Other than that, he walked around watching the others. He had always been pretty quiet. Not all were human and not all of them were very interesting. He did still prefer all these strange people over nothing, though.
He had come back to the market eventually, just to look around. It had only filled up a few hours to paint the thing that twirled in his hand. Why he felt so mellow, he wasn't sure. Normally, the boy was a shark... or rather a scorpion. He was being cautious. Life... or rather, death was a new experience and he was not sure how to take it still. He walked around, not really paying much mind to much. He just walked, even if he walked into something or someone.Ensia
Turning as a new person spoke, Pahkakino smiled politely, though he wondered at the fear that had suffused Lamia's scent. The one-winged man, exalted, creature, seemed friendly enough. He could only sense the usual mistrust that most other beings clung to when in the presence of a demon.
Letting his wings stay close to his body, so as to not seem in a dominant or threatening position, Pahkakino let his eyes wander over the crowd. The horns of a demon lady talking to the mask sellerβ Meilinβ caught his eye. For a moment, the demon could imagine the female with golden skin, and grand sweeping wings. A moment later the vision was gone, and Pahkakino's heart was heavy again. It had been only a day since he'd last seen his beautiful mate, but he missed her terribly.
Pulling his thoughts away from the sorrow and loss, Pahkakino tried to pay at least a little attention to what was going on here in front of him.RADI0 Mouse
 π π π π π π
Amelia smiled genuinely as Lita took her hand. Such a precious little girl... She thought of Victoria when they were young, of combing her hair, singing to her softly, telling her half-true tales of a Queen's half-sister. Her heart warmed at the thought of having company in this strange place. When Lita played at her sleeve, Amelia's heart just about melted. So is this what it's like to have a child, perhaps?
"Ha ha, of course a smile can do so much." Amelia said, and she meant it. She lightly and loosely shook Lita's hand in good-natured play and looked down into the girl's brilliant green eyes. "People respond to smiles, see?"
As they made their way around the crowd to the mask booth, Amelia caught herself toying with the idea that maybe taking a break from her constant battle wasn't such a bad idea.
"Lita, huh? Like the bird..." Amelia straightened up and smiled, her eyes distant. "Such a beautiful name."LadyMatrona
Mandy run from the crowded room, reaching up and squeezing her head between her hands. "Stop it!" She was now yelling back, tears suddenly gushing from her eyes. Something about smashing her head made her feel like she was actually doing something, though she knew it really wasn't. All it did was make her head hurt. How did she let this happen? It was just going to be a normal conversation, he hadn't even said anything all that upsetting to her.
"Its all in your head." the other taunted.
How many times had she heard that one? Mandy was well aware of how crazy she looked to every one else. Why else would she have left in such a hurry. That man looked like could have handled himself just fine even if she had got out. "But who needs to see that?" Mandy muttered under her breath.
"You where just talking to him about white eyes!" she barked. "Don't you think it would speed up the conversation if I just talked to him?"
"As if YOU care about that!" Mandy snapped back, "whatever. she's getting out anyway." she thought to herself, giving up "You just want to cause.."
"Oops. got out." Mandy laughed. It was about time too. "And I'll do what I want. I just may be more interested in that conversation then you think", she scoffed, turning back down the hall. "Let's go back to your friends you ditched"Ensia
Perhaps it was because he was a father, or maybe it was just his desire to listen to anything other than his own sad thoughts, but Pahkakino turned, dropping his wings to see over his shoulders, as the sounds of tiny feet reached his long ears.
'Little feet. Hiltillith wasn't even a year old....' a prickling anger began under his dark red skin. An anger he rarely felt for his own offspring. 'Yanasin, Oimug, Sylith.' Before he could stop himself, Pahkakino growled in anger. Those three had the coup, had sealed the fate of the entire family. 'Kyerlusen has survived though, I know he did. If this is the after life, I look forward to meeting my traitors again.'LadyMatrona
Mandy's eyes widened. Walking down the hall just before the archway she froze at the sound of a deep growl coming from the other room. "Ha. You offended your new friend, jerk." Mandy scoffed under her breath, listening carefully for any sound of movement. She wasn't so convinced that this guy was all that nice. Despite the taunting she gave the other Mandy, she knew she, herself, was no angel so whatever he said, white eyes didn't mean 'nice' He was too similar to the creatures who killed her. She had her power, but doubtless, he had his. Still, no point in being scared of him. She really did want to continue this conversation.
Stepping out from behind the arch way Mandy casually made her way over to the man. He was clearly upset with her. "Hey, uh, totally ditched you earlier. My bad." She started confidently. She would control this conversation. "You mad about something I did?" She asked, clearly not really caring.Rhyn Crenham He wandered around the large room, on more than one occasion narrowly avoiding running into an unobservant passerby or a staggering drunk, engrossed in a hearty conversation. Rhyn had piled his plate high. There were all sorts of edible delights available. Not knowing what half of them were and feeling as hungry as a horse, Rhyn had taken at least a small portion of almost everything from a large table (skipping a tentacle looking thing and a pile of what appeared to be eyeballs), causing the contents of the plate to block a majority of the view directly in front of him. Greatly anticipating the near relieving of his growling stomach, Rhyn hastily made his way to the edge of the room. The next few moments seemed to go in slow motion, as he tripped over a large dark figure. The plate bounced off of the ground out of his hands, sending the contents up into the air, splattering against the unfortunate man he tripped over. The remaining food rained onto his back and spattered at the feet of a small white clad girl who had arrived just then. Ensia
"Ah!" Abruptly startled out of his thoughts, Pahkakino recoiled as a person went flying by, and food splattered against his skin and clothes. "What theβ" he snapped, his tail lashing and his wings extending almost fully. His white eyes raked over the man sprawled out at his feet, but then his ears caught the voice of a child.
"Oh. Mandy. No, I am not angry at you. I was worried..." his voice drifted away as he stared at the child, mess and new man forgotten. The child looked oddly different, and her mannerisms had changed as well.
"One moment." Kneeling, Pahkakino lifted the man to his feet, "Are you harmed?" he kept his voice mostly civil. As inconvenient as it was, the mess wasn't really a problem. Fire ate everything.LadyMatrona Mandy jumped in place as a man from the crowd came flying out of nowhere and crashed to the floor. Food scattered from his plate and splashed on the ground at her feet. "Idiot" Mandy scowled, shooting a sharp glare at the man sprawled out face down on the floor. He had spattered food on her target as well and had now stolen his attention from her. Mandy kicked the gray slime of her feet and started again toward the demon who had begun helping the man up.
"You clumsy nerd." she said irritably. The man looks so small and weak in comparison to the demon hoisting him up by his arms. She had no interest in him. "Oh, you weren't mad at me?" She asked cooly, turning her attention back to the demon. she continued, gesturing to the skinny man in glasses. "You're a mess now." rhyn crenham Surprised at how the dark man had placed him back on his feet with ease, Rhyn looked over toward the man noting his giant and very large stature. Readjusting his glasses his attention turned toward the little girl. An angry little girl if he had ever seen one. Angry, and rather lacking in manners. "May I apologize" Rhyn asked seemingly rhetorically in the direction of the man, concern in the back of his mind, wondering if he had upset the large winged being as he had clearly frustrated the small girl. Voices of anger and malice intruded upon his thoughts as he observed the victims of his clumsy display, causing Rhyn to become anxious once again. Controlling the concern in his face to display only a slight expression of pity, he bent down to speak with the girl face to face. "Did I startle you? I am glad to find that I didn't land on top of you" he forced a small smile. LadyMatrona
Mandy's head starting buzzing. She made a pained face and staggered a little. "yeah, me too." she responded, palming her forehead in an attempt to stop the odd sensation. She looked up at the man, realizing how silly she must look. "Sorry", she said, striatning up, "something about your personality must be making me nauseous.", she added, trying to imitate his 'winning' smile.Luna_et_Noctis  Looking at the young man who had just taken a spill in front of her, Lamia's heart grew slightly lighter. "Finally, someone normal**." Glancing quickly to make certain the angel was still distracted in his observation of Meilin and his masks, Lamia quickly but quietly slipped around to the vendor selling food. A pout and a few sweet words later, Lamia walked triumphantly back with a small, but what she hoped would be a delicious plate of food for her 'brother,' just in time to notice Mandy's return and to hear the young girl's last remark.
"Tut tut, in my day, childer* were respectful of their elders." she said to the girl, arching one eyebrow. She touched the young man lightly on the shoulder with her free hand to call his attention. "Judging from the amount of food on the ground, I would guess that you must be famished," she smiled, offering the plate.
*not a typo
**and by normal she means a male mortal. Lamia is a wee little bit sexist ><Ensia
Looking between the three of them, Pahkakino lifted an eyebrow before conjuring his famed white fire to eat up the mess on his clothes and skin. "Mandy. Did you ask about my eyes because of your own?" Truth be told he wanted to move everyone to a less public area. The child didn't have a mask, and the young man might feel less nervous outside of a crowd, but he didn't Lamia could just leave her employer.
"Would you like the same?" he held out a handful of fire to the human male, offering to burn away the mess on his back.LadyMatrona
"tsk" Mandy huffed, eyeing the woman in the mask. This Mask thing was terribly inconvenient. She would feel much more comfortable with this woman if only she could see her face.
"Aww good. You noticed" Mandy thought to herself, turning her attention back to the demon. She was beginning to think she'd have to point it out to these people. This was indeed a strange place. Mandy was more accustom to people screaming, jumping, or at least twitching their eye a little at the sight of her.
"yeah. I think she was trying to find out why I have them too." Mandy started, resuming her casual approach from before the interruption. she passed back and forth with her hands behind her back, trying her best to look intelligent. "I was wondering too, just cuz I haven't seen anyone else with them until recently."Ensia
'She?' Pahkakino wondered at the girl's words, but the scent was the same, even if everything else were different.
"Are you human, Mandy?" the red demon asked, "I have seen few humans with white eyes, and from what I've heard, they are usually blind." Kneeling, letting his wings extend for balance, Pahkakino met her eyes, "My eyes are proof that I am a good creature, this is only the case with demons, my race." He was tempted to walk into her mind, but with so much going on around him it would be a bad idea to devote all his focus and attention to one thing.waypou2004 
Akai happened to notice the woman he was speaking to was staring over his shoulder. Suddenly, he was very conscious of his wing folded behind him. He mentally kicked himself, then reached his arm around and pushed his wing against his back. Slowly, the wing disappeared as if melting into his skin. Akai then smiled a silent thank you to the woman and made his way over to the man in the sun mask.Luna_et_Noctis
Restraining her strong desire to run from the handful of fire thrust so casually into her vicinity, Lamia tried to keep her cool and focus her attention on the young man in front of her, with marginal success. Though she smiled at him, she was acutely aware of not only the slowly warming sensation she felt in the crook of her arm where she held the mask and the fire that was happening just to her left, but also the happy fact angels could just push their wings into their bodies and walk about like normal people. In hindsight of course, it made perfect sense "why wouldn't they be able to?" but it still was disconcerting to watch it happen. She made a mental note to be extra careful when feeding. But, quickly her mind was drawn to more pressing matters.
"One good shove..." Lamia thought to herself, imagining the feeling of fire licking her body. Death by fire, or by silver, for that matter, was a very painful way to go. If it came down to dying to get off of this plane, she much preferred a quick beheading. In spite of herself, she began to sweat.*
*she is sweating a small amount of blood. Not looking closely, she is very pink in the face where her fabric mask isn't covering.
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 6:02 pm
Ensia
As he was talking to Mandy, Pahkakino let the fire in his hand die, pausing to look up at Lamia and the man, "I'm sorry. I think I shall have to pass up the mask this time. Mandy has my..." his brow furrowed. Lamia seemed to be flushed, and in some discomfort.
"Lamia?" he questioned before looking back at Mandy, "Shall we go outside?" he looked at Lamia for an answer though, since she was technically working._striped__wolf_
 As the woman shook Lita's hand Demon decided to make a small appearance. The marks on Lita's neck began to glow a small amount. Lita knew it was unnoticeable unless it was dark, but it still made the girl annoyed.
"Wow, Stupid. I didn't think you had it in you." Demon thought proudly to his vessel, it was strange leaving the girl to work on her own, but seeing this told him that she would be fine.
A curious feeling went over his vessel but she didn't ask, Demon kept thinking his explanation to her.
"Well, you managed to hold your ground when you were scared out of your own mind, trust me I knew. You also got your self to be semi-comfortable talking to someone other than me. So I'm proud of ya, Stupid!. I...I'm proud of you, Lita." He thought to her with a proudness only a demon of his nature could form. The later statement he made sure she couldn't hear.
Lita let happiness flood over her as she heard what Amelia and Demon said.
"Yeah! They do respond to smiles! You really do know a lot about human nature, Amelia." She said aloud to Amelia. As the lady showed Lita the way to the masks Lita gave a simple thought of "Thank you Demon," to her counterpart.
Lita tugged her hat straight down at the name comment, her face feeling warm. Demon howled with laughter from within her.
"W-Well I think you h-have a pretty name, too. Were you named for anything special? Someone like a prized fighter? A princess out of a book? A super well known person? Or were you named for something simple like me?" Lita asked, letting her self ramble slightly. As the pair walked she let her eyes wander and regretted it. People were looking at her in shock and distaste. Lita put her eyes to the ground when they began to water.
Demon growled from within her and steadily let it out.
"Demon! No!" Lita thought, but it was already too late.
People who had been directly next to Lita backed off, but Lita was afraid of what the older lady who was walking with her. Lita didn't look up, she kept her head down while the tears fell freely now. The people here didn't like her and because of Demon her guide and first friend in a long time may run from her.
She felt Demon give a toothy grin, "Just pass it off as you being hungry."
Lita wanted to hit him, hard.LadyMatrona
"Human?" Mandy questioned softly, looking a little confused. Admittedly, Mandy had no idea what a human was but, oddly enough, the word sounded familiar to her. "No." she continued, trying to mask her confusion. "I'm an elf. My parents are anyway. Technically I'm a 'runt' elf because I look different and kind of like the other races on my planet. Just in bits ad pieces"
Mandy wanted to keep asking about the eyes, but it seemed he probably wouldn't know, and curiosity about these 'humans' now had her attention. "Why? Do I look like one?" She asked. "cuz, no. I'm not blind."
Mandy's head hadn't stopped buzzing from before and it was getting on her nerves. But she was trying awfully hard to be pleasant and ignore it so that this man wouldn't leave. Mandy glanced up at the woman the demon had just been looking at, waiting for her approval to leave. "I think some fresh air would be nice." She addedEnsia
His gaze flicking back and forth, Pahkakino smiled at Mandy, "Yes, you look very much like a human, but," he leaned closer to the girl and sniffed easily, "had I been paying attention it's clear that you are not." As he smiled, the demon showed one fang, then turned back to Lamia to see if she would, or could, leave.Luna_et_Noctis At his question, Lamia looked over at Pahkakino thoughtfully. Changing location might put her in a better position than the one she was currently in, and would relieve her of the mask for at least a short time. She nodded, and looking back over at the young man with a slightly flirtatious smile, she gently pushed the plate of food into his hands. "Feel free to accompany us," she winked, brushing slowly past him as she went to Meilin to return the mask.
Quickly apologizing to both him and his demonic customer, she informed him that she had to step outside, and that she did not feel comfortable carrying his mask with her. "I would not want anything to happen to such a beautiful treasure, so I will return it to you until I can resume my assistance." She curtsied quickly, and returned to the small group, adamantly not making eye contact with the angel.
"Shall we?" she asked, taking the opportunity to inspect the "runt-elf." She wondered if the girl would ever grow taller. LadyMatrona
Mandy was growing impatient and increasingly irritable. "Can you feel that buzzing?" She asked under her breath, more to her self then to the others.
"No Mandy. You have the head right now." The other sighed. "But I do feel something. I'd don't know if I'd call it buzzing. Just a feeling. It wasn't happening earlier when I was out. Maybe it's coming from that guy who spilled everything, though I doubt it's because of his personality."
Mandy glared over at the awkward man and huffed a disgruntled sigh. Turning to face him, Mandy's feet started lifting off the floor as she clenched her hands into fists. "Hey," the other continued softly, trying to change the subject and calm her down before her feet could leave the ground.
Mandy froze. "What?" she hissed, shooting a glaze to her side, as if to look behind her.
"He said we're not humans right? But have you heard of them before? I feel like I have."
Mandy tensed up. Something about this idea of humans was making her mad. She turned back to the demon. "Do you have humans where you're from? What are like? Do you like them?"
[after Lamia's return]
"Finally!" Mandy thought to herself. "Yeah, lets go." she said turning for the doorway, eager to lead the way.Ensia
Watching with interest as the child began to move, Pahkakino got the distinct impression that Mandy had more to her than the eye would guess. "Humans don't live on Abyss, my world. They live on another world." Pahkakino's tail was swaying lazily around his feet, "I have not met many, but some were pleasant, others were not. Demons are not well liked on that world."
Once Lamia came back Pahkakino stood tall and easily made his way through the crowd, gently creating a path for the girl ahead of him and woman behind him with subtle pushes and extensions of his wings. Once outside, he took a deep breath, taking in the scents of the outside world.
Shock made him pause though. 'Blood?!' he looked carefully at Mandy, then at Lamia. His eyes widened. 'What in the nine Hells?!'Luna_et_Noctis Lamia broke in to the two's conversation as they walked outside. "Well, I am a human. And what they are like really depends on their own situations." It wasn't a total lie, depending on how you looked at it. Technically the 'undead' qualifier should be put in front of the word to make it totally accurate, but still.
As the cool air hit her face, Lamia's brows furrowed slightly. Her face felt cold; like it was wet... She could not suppress her groan. Ensia
Pahkakino was at a loss for words. He'd never seen someone sweat blood before. Blinking a few times before moving, he untied part of his sash and slipped his claws through the fabric, making a simple bandage for Lamia.
"Here. I'm not sure why youβ ...but here." his mind was reeling over this incredibly strange happening. 'Really? This is what leaves you mumbling like an imp? REALLY!?' Pahkakino was rather annoyed with the way his mind was functioning at the moment.Luna_et_Noctis "I- -um..." she thought quickly, trying to think of a reasonable lie, and not the tickling sensation of more running down her cheek from being put on the spot. "I have a....blood condition. Th-thank you. "She took the bandage and, peeling off the damp fabric mask strip from her face, turning into any shadow near her to wipe her face off, silently cursing her rotten luck.
"And no," she called back, "outside doesn't bother them. I'll be fine," she directed this last bit to Pahkakino. "Maybe he doesn't know...." She thought hopefully. Ensia Pahkakino tilted his head to one side, "That...is an unfortunate condition." Running a clawed hand through his hair, the demon picked a spot next to the building and sat down, extending his wings to either side. "So, Mandy. Tell me about your world." he smiled, and then gestured to Lamia to come join them. Luna_et_Noctis After she was reasonably certain she had gotten most of the blood off, Lamia carefully sat down to listen to the young girl's story, if she would tell it. LadyMatrona
"My world?" Mandy chuckled to herself. What could she say about her world other then that she just thought it sucked. Maybe she'd just avoid talking about specific people or places. "Well, for one thing, all the Demon's in my world are blue. And huge. But they don't have wings, or fangs or anything thing, and can't make fire. The closest thing they have to claws is that they have three pointed toes. They're really not a whole lot different from most people"
"Actually," Mandy paused, staring across the street. A large and bulky man was walking around gawking at everything like a tourist. Perhaps even a paranoid tourist. Mandy laughed again and continued, pointing out the stranger. "They're kind of like that guy, but at least a foot taller and blue. Besides them, there are also elves and Dwarves. I've always figured that I'm more of a Dwarf because of how little I am."
She paused and looked up at the demon, studying his face. "You sure you're a good guy?" She asked bluntly. "cuz right before I died, I saw these weird looking guys who kind of looked like you. just not with wings and there skin wasn't' as dark. They came in and attacked the town my parents live in. They were attacking every body, but a whole big group of them came to get just me."
She sat back again, her voice softening. "I'm pretty weird myself though." She confessed. "I never really thought about it before, but now I really wonder about my white eyes, cuz those guys and you are the only ones I've met that also have them. I don't know why they'd kill me if I was the same as them though. But nobody likes 'runts'. Maybe I am a runt version of them too and that's why they were mad."Finoewae 
Teagan's thought's and emotions were interrupted. Her eyes widened and she stared at the man now only feet away from her. It took an uncomfortably long time for her to respond.
"...I don't even know where to begin." She flipped her hair away from her face to get a better look at the stranger. He seemed intelligent. What an odd question for him to ask then.
"I'm here. That's what's wrong." She stood up and took a cautious step back. "I don't know how I arrived here. I just woke up in a panic by the fountain." I might have already said too much...
"Erm I mean, well I sleepwalk sometimes. I think this time I just went a little overboard. I'll find my way back home no problem." She hoped desperately she hadn't already put herself in a bad situation.Lori Annalynn 
Something was very wrong. It had been wrong since the portalβthat strange, sucking thing that gaped darkly, pulling him to a place he didnβt want to go, a place he didnβt belong. He had made portals before; he had even made flawed portals before. But something about this one had been different. And in the moment he had been swept away, caught in a force too powerful, too sudden, to resist, he had only had time to wonder: Where will this portal take me? And what will I be like when I arrive?
Now, blinking to clear the last of the lights from his vision, Reed stood. The street around him was dim with night, lit only by the occasional lantern above a doorway, and empty. Turning slowly, Reed examined his new surroundings. Things looked familiar enoughβthough he had been on too many different worlds not to know that surface appearances could be misleading. But he was fairly certain he was in some sort of city. Distant sounds of activity seemed to confirm his guess, and looking toward the sky, Reed caught the glow of a well-lit area. Probably a gathering, he thought absently. But he did not immediately head toward the signs of life. Because something was wrong.
It was a strange feeling, as elusiveβand pervasiveβas a scent on the wind. Maybe the portalβs effect . . . Closing his eyes, Reed tried to settle himself, evaluating his thoughts. In addition to the outcome of ending up in a dangerous place, traveling through flawed portals also had the potential danger of changing the traveler. Reed had heard the storiesβblue skin, a sudden gender change . . . even death. Or sometimes the effects were internal, like changing oneβs alignment or even personality. Reed had experienced flawed portals before; but luckily, he had been spared any truly devastating consequences. This time, though . . .
He felt himself, at least as far as his thoughts were concerned. Opening his eyes, Reed took stock of his physical features. Arms, legs . . . red hair . . . clothes. He felt his pointed ears and gave his wings a small shake. He appeared to be himself, even down to the pale glow making him visible in the night. But he wasnβt quite finished.
Stepping to the side of the street, Reed paused in a doorway, glancing around for anyone coming. Seeing no one, he raised his right arm over his shoulder, closing his fist around something that wasnβt there. As he pulled upward, however, a long, broad blade began to appear, as if out of thin air. When the sword was fully exposed, Reed held it up in front of him, examining it carefully. The blade seemed to glow as well, though its light seemed weaker than Reedβs. The sword was a monstrous, broad-bladed longsword with a hilt large enough to fit two hands easily. Reed regarded it with a slight smile. Phoenix looks all right, and my powerβs not gone. Then he lifted the blade toward his face, tilting the flat until he could make out his reflection. After a moment, he lowered the blade, satisfied. Eyes are good. He sheathed the blade on his back, where it disappeared the same way it had come.
So there was nothing wrong with him. But there was something wrong. It was all around him, like being underwater. It made Reed wary.
Closing his eyes again, he whispered a word in Holy. A moment later, the glow around him intensified for a second before fading entirely; and when it did, Reed looked like a different person. Gone were the wings and the pointed ears. Instead, he looked like a simple human, dressed in sturdy brown boots, tan trousers, and a white shirt, the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. The only things that might have set him apart from anyone in a crowd were a large feather dangling from a golden chain at his hip, a smaller feather on a matching chain around his neck, and a strange, purple, oval pendant on a silver chain beside the featherβand his eyes, which flashed gold as they caught the light of a lantern when he moved.
Reed had no sooner stepped back into the street when a noise made him turn. A dark shape was coming from the end of the street, moving slowly. There was a shuffling sound, and then a giggle; and Reed realized there were two people, one leaning heavily on the other. Reedβs keen nose caught the scent of beer. Drunk. It is a gathering, then. He stepped to the side as the pair drew close, acknowledging them with a nod, but nothing more. He had no intention of causing troubleβor getting into it. The leaning, drunk one merely giggled again at the sight of himβA woman, he realized, slightly surprised. Her companion was a man, sober and watching Reed with a suspicious gaze. Reed caught his eye for just an instant . . .
. . . and the redhead jerked back, stunned by the force of his sudden realization: The man was dead. The woman, too.
It was the feeling that had been nagging at him, so familiar and yet somehow wrong. He had felt it so many times, while talking with his mother and sometimes others who had passed on. And it was not wrong in and of itselfβevery Plane had its own feel, a strange, intangible identity to it that set it apart from the others. Exalt, Abyss, Mortalβhe had felt them all before. Even Death. But with the latter, always at a distance. His Talent to cross the gap between life and death was not a physical one; and, though he cherished the ability to speak to the mother he had never known in life, he was well aware of the unspoken rules separating the living and the dead. Speak to the dead he might, but that was a realm he could not explore, could not even reach, without dying, And he knew he had not died. But if this were the Plane of Death . . . what was he doing here? And how do I get back?
Something was very wrong. And Reed was afraid. He did not watch the people move off down the street, did not glance at them again, for fear of breaking an immutable law. Somehow, he had arrived where he ought not to have come. And if he broke too many rules, if he affected this world too much, he might find himself trapped here. Dead.
Mother . . .
He wanted nothing more than to contact his motherβto seek comfort, answers . . . to truly see her. She would be here, after all. But he stopped himself. If talking to the dead might bind him here, then his mother was no exception. As much as he longed to see her, he could not. Because he wasnβt ready to die. He had to go home.
The street was dark and empty once more. But now it did not seem so harmless. Looking around for a moment, Reed made up his mind. It would take some time to gather his energy enough to try making another portal. He did not let himself consider the possibility that he might not be able to make a portal to leave this place. He would not consider it.
He would make it home.
He headed down the dark street, away from the distant lights. In another moment the street was empty once more, with only a few small lanterns trying to push away the loneliness of night.
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 6:03 pm
RADI0 Mouse
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"Ha ha, human nature!" Amelia laughed her full, throaty laugh - something she hadn't done with such a genuine feeling of joy since her childhood. Being with the child was like having a new lease on life, so much so that even a glancing reflection back on her traumatic experience in London's brothel district was tolerable. "I suppose you could say I've had extensive experience."
"Oh, no, my name doesn't mean anything special, unfortunately." Amelia said, choosing to spare the girl the truth - that it had been more of an afterthought and that she'd never had the right to assume a last name. "But thank you, I'm glad that it pleases you."
She smiled down at Lita, only to find the girl's head bowed.
"Lita? What's wr-" A growl interrupted her speech - and several people close to the duo backed away. But a sound could hardly have distracted Amelia from the girl who stood, crying openly, before her. She crouched to one knee and, after no small amount of hesitation and awkwardness, put an arm loosely around the girl's frame. She stared at the people in the crowd who had backed away from them accusingly, daring one of them to take responsibility for making such a precious child cry.
"Lita, what's wrong? Did they say something to you?"
These people and their masks... Anger once more flared within Amelia and it took her self-control not to flick her scabbard at the necks a few of the more obnoxious masqueraders in the crowd. _striped__wolf_
 Demon was restless from within the girl. He was shocked and annoyed that the woman gave no notice to him.
"This...She didn't even flinch! No respect for those with greater power I see." Demon growled from within Lita. She was angry at Demon but didn't know what to feel about what Amelia just did. The older woman didn't even flinch.
"Demon, can I be like her when I grow up?" Lita thought to him in awe, Demon growled loudly from within her.
"Not on your life! Stupid vessel child! Ugh..." Demon thought back to the girl, he was at a loss for words, he thought a few choice demon swears to her before he went to silently sulking.
Lita lightly stiffened at the contact but soon relaxed since there was no harm intend at the touch. Lita lifted a hand up to her eyes and rubbed them.
"T-They don't like people who don't have a mask? Do they, Miss." Lita said quietly with a hiccup.Ensia
With a sad heart, Pahkakino smiled. No child should die so young. "On the... memory of my mate, I swear I am good-aligned. I'd have not died if I were not. I cannot say who they were that attacked you; we come from different worlds, different sets of worlds." he explained. Again, the demon's thoughts turned to Virotekatima and the infant she had been singing to when the other children attacked.
'I should not have respected their thoughts.' In response to his sorrow, his tail lay still along his legs, and his wings had drooped.
Taking a deep breath, Pahkakino looked to Lamia, "You come from a world with demons too?" he only wanted a confirmation. Her scent told him some about her emotions and health, but there was only so much to learn that way.RADI0 Mouse π π π π π π
"No, no, it doesn't seem they do." Amelia said, gently pulling out her handkerchief from her vest pocket and handing it to Lita. After some consideration, she removed her mask slowly. "Look at that!"
"Isn't that bad luck?"
"Doesn't she know any better?!"
"It's the two of them!"A murmur spread through the crowd at Amelia's action, but the captain was skilled at not reacting openly. She did, however, take note of the significance of her action. So it's just bad luck? That and not any other more important cultural reason?! The suspicions of people never made sense to her and often proved nothing more than manipulation. But whatever, at the moment, that was of no concern.
"Here. At least if they'll stare, it's not just at you."
And with that, she took Lita's hand and closed the distance to the mask stand, smiling. Her First Mate and the ship's doctor had always told her she had the makings of a prankster._striped__wolf_
Lita took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes. She sniffled and a realization hit her like a brick. Her plush toy was gone.
"D-Demon?! Where is it?" She thought desperately to him. She kept wiping her eyes so that Amelia couldn't see her face well.
"Guess it didn't survive the trip." He said indifferently, in truth he hated the stuffed toy. It was too cute for his tastes, even if it was of him. Lita gave a sigh before moving to give the cloth back.
As she watched Amelia remove her mask and the people began to make sound two thoughts hit her. One she thought to Demon and the other she spoke aloud.
"I really wanna be like her when I grow up. She isn't afraid of what they think!" Demon snorted at that.
"You're really pretty, Miss. Amelia. A-Are you sure th--" Lita stopped and stared at the display, there were so many of them, pretty, ugly, shiny, glowing, any kind.
It over whelmed her.
She stared at the stand having no idea what to really do.Luna_et_Noctis Satisfied, Rhyn patted his belly lightly. He hadn't eaten so well in what felt like ages. Remembering his encounter with some rather interesting beings prior to his gorging, the little girl came to mind. She seemed rather upset by his- particularly clumsy entrance, and understandably so. He felt the urge to go check on her. If she was still with the large winged male she should be easy enough to find. Wandering around the crowded room he felt a cool breeze waft past his face, it was a welcome change as the temperature in the great hall was starting to make him sweat. Not spotting the child or man amongst the crowd, Rhyn moved himself in the direction of a pair of open doors. Apon exiting, he inhaled the fresh air. Glancing around the at groups of various people, Rhyn realized that his sights had fallen upon the individuals he was seeking. Moving swiftly he made to approach them. "Hey there," he called "hey, I was looking for you." His attention was primarily directed toward the small child. "How are you doing now? Are you quite alright?" Ensia Looking up at the man, Pahkakino recognized him from earlier. 'Ah. The mess maker.' he grinned slightly. Lifting one wing he gestured to the open stone around the trio. "There's plenty of room." RADI0 Mouse
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"Ha ha, really? You think me pretty?" Amelia asked, laughing lightheartedly as she moved to take the handkerchief back. "Well thank you, it's certainly not a compliment I get very often."
And though Lita was but a little girl, it was a Masquerade and Amelia hid it behind her casual tone, she was blushing on the inside. Such a simple thing as words, and it had such an effect on her. This break was certainly welcome, and if it was indeed the Afterlife, she didn't mind it at all.
As they reached the mask stand, Amelia tried to scout out its owner. She couldn't see anyone through all the masks hanging on the sides and suspended from the roof of the stand. Amelia looked at her mask and then back to the stand - hers was extremely simple, but it spoke to her more than any of the others.
She looked down at her clothes and - seeing her leather breeches, her worn boots, a simple white shirt and a leather vest with buckles set in it for harnesses should she need to scale to the tall masts of her ship, her white belt in hand - felt she'd do the more shiny masks no justice. She liked hers, it was direct, to the point, but the gold gilding made it seem more fanciful than it was.
Amelia took a glance at Lita and smiled a little as she saw the girl was awestruck by the display.
"See any you like?"_striped__wolf_
Lita nodded.
"It's true." She said simply as she began too look through the masks.
"Hey, Stupid. What about that one?" Demon thought to Lita motioning to a mask that was white. She grabbed it and looked at it more closely. It had a green claw mark on the right side and it was cracked and chipped on the left. The eye holes were slanted and made Lita think of a fox, green swirls surrounded the eye holes.
"I like this one." She said proudly as she put the mask on. Surprisingly she could still see.
"Well, ya should. I did pick it out after all." Demon thought smugly to the girl, she grinned.
Lita bent to the ground and wrote a simple, "Thank you! : ) " in the dirt and then grabbed Amelia's hand.
"Okay. Now what do we do?" Lita asked tilting her head, the mask moving with her.
"Hey, Stupid. Watch this." Demon thought with a smirk. He slowly made the marks on her mask and on her neck glow in harmony. They were noticeable, but Lita didn't care at the moment. She was more curious to why Demon wasn't trying to scare Amelia again.
"Heh. Don't worry. I will.Luna_et_Noctis Lamia nodded slowly, eyebrows furrowed. "Yes... I knew several...personally." Lamia thought back upon the few demons she had the fortune of meeting.
There was the Demon Lord trapped beyond the dark door that had sworn vengeance for her interference with his release. There was the demon of desire that had convinced an associate to trade his soul for assistance in winning a contest. There was Tirza. "Well...there was Tirza," she thought, her thoughts lightening a smidgen.
She looked up as she saw Pahkakino lift his wing, and saw him motioning the young man over to their group. She smiled and nodded to him. RADI0 Mouse
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Amelia watched as Lita wrote in the ground, curiously. She means it about stealing it... The woman thought, and, on one level, she found it adventurous, though her personal experiences screamed for her to rectify the little one's mistake.
But before she could react, the markings on Lita's mask began to glow, giving it an ethereal and magical air.
"That is very interesting..." Amelia mumbled, leaning a little closer to Lita to examine the glowing marks. "How did you do that?"
She'd heard of phosphorescence from the old Engineer she'd apprenticed under, but to see it glow at certain points versus others? It certainly was something she had not been expecting to see.DXSciz
 The man was fine with walking alone in these streets and being left to himself, but he just happened to notice a little girl point at him. He didn't know anyone here. Why would she gesture toward him?
He was already weary of this unusual place but this gesture caused a spike in his attention. He had caught part
of what she-WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? At the last moment, John Tyler had noticed the thing, or man, that was near her. What was he? Being from a normal, mortal plane of existence that lacked magic or dragons he had no clue what he was now staring at. His steps stopped and he could only glare at this beast with a look of confusion, disgust, and horror. Though his normal frown was still visible through this mix of emotions.
It became blaringly obvious that he was not in heaven. No disgrace of a being like that would be allowed in the Heaven Planes with The Father. Garcans believed in demons and angles but they believed they were spirits in the Hell Plane and the Heaven Plane respectively. They could not be seen or touched by mortals or those who existed in the Mortal Plane. And it was obvious that the creator god of the Garcans, The Father, would never let a pure evil spirit into his paradise.
He couldn't help the natural move his right hand made toward his sword. But his hand did not find it's hilt. It was when he didn't feel the hilt that he was aware he'd made a move toward his weapon. But this creature standing with the little girl and the pale woman was a shock to him. It was beyond anything else he had seen. Creatures of fantasy such as demons were only myths in his world. Garcans may be large versions of humans and John Tyler may have been from a territory within Garcus that were known for their brutality, but he had this tingling sensation that physical strength did not trumph the tricks of demons.
There was one thing that troubled him about this beast though. The man seemed cheerful enough. Despite his wings and tail (which were even more of a shock to John Tyler because his demons of myth lacked much of these features) the creature appeared to lack any indication of aggression or danger in his stance. This is mostly what kept the captain from preparing for a fight. His right hand was still at his side and his fingers rubbed together, somewhat nervously. Though he was unaware that he was still standing and staring with question at the small group. Mostly at Pahkakino.waypou2004
As Akai stood staring at the masks wondering which one would catch his attention, a thought occurred to him. What the hell am I doing? I should be finding a way back! He hit himself hard on the forehead with the side of his fist. He turned on his heel and stormed quickly outside. Akai took little notice of the people outside as he made his way past them and down the road. How could he be so foolish?
Akai stopped and hit himself again. What would his God say now? Akai had failed his mission and left his post behind. What would become of the Earth? How would the humans survive with so many evil creatures lurking around them? There were so many questions now that Akai could not answer, it just frustrated him further. He could feel pent up rage wanting to release. He dropped to the ground and yelled.
Akai punched the ground as hard as he could with his fists. He could feel the tiny bones in his hands wanting to break, but he kept punching feeling as though he deserved the pain. He let out another yell, but this time it was filled with a kind of pain from deep inside him. Akai let his head fall and began to sob, releasing all of the feelings that were kept holed up inside for so long. How could he be so foolish?
The thought seemed to echo in his mind. "It's not fair." He whispered, his voice cracked. Akai had not realized what a spectacle he had become. He did not know there were people staring at him, people walking way on the other side of the street just to avoid him. But even if he had, Akai would not have cared. At this moment, he was letting go of everything.Luna_et_Noctis Outside, away from the bright fires of the room, Lamia felt slightly more at ease, mulling over what the young child had told them. It was very unfortunate, she thought.
When she nodded to the young man to sit down with them, she noticed that the man Mandy had pointed out to illustrate her point was standing stock-still, staring at them in confusion.
"Oh, the poor man... I had better explain that the girl meant no harm."
Excusing herself for a moment from the group, she stood and slowly approached the man, with a placid expression on her face. "I'm sorry sir; the young lady was illustrating a story when she pointed to you. Would you care to join us?" she motioned to the group. "I believe most of us are relatively new arrivals to this place, and are eager to meet new people." She smiled warmly.
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