There was a buzz in the air as he stood behind the curtain waiting for his cue to step out between the curtains. His opening act tonight was a sweet, soulful (to him anyhow) love song...and he was glad once more that for some inexplicable reason he had a soft, almost feminine voice, it helped him to sing easier. Oh sure it was a bit deeper than most women's voices, especially when he sang, but everyone always commented on how nice his voice sounded, how unusual, and unique.
Finally he heard the opening strains of the music, and song memorized quite well his lips parted, eyes looking through the crowd, making it look as if he was paying them close attention, when really, he was not.
Take a bow, the night is over This masquerade is getting older Light are low, the curtains down There's no one here [There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd] Say your lines but do you feel them Do you mean what you say when there's no one around [no one around] Watching you, watching me, one lonely star [One lonely star you don't know who you are]
His dress tonight was a dark blue color, slinkier and more form fitting than he generally cared to wear, preferring slightly looser, and concealing clothing, but it seemed to fit in with the nights song selections. These deep "meaningful" numbers, as Reese had called them. His mind was slightly detached as he sang, the smile on his lips real as could be, and still lacking sincerity. Sometimes a break from being on display like he was night after night would be nice.
I've always been in love with you [always with you] I guess you've always known it's true [you know it's true] You took my love for granted, why oh why The show is over, say good-bye
Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye
Make them laugh, it comes so easy When you get to the part Where you're breaking my heart [breaking my heart] Hide behind your smile, all the world loves a clown [Just make 'em smile the whole world loves a clown] Wish you well, I cannot stay You deserve an award for the role that you played [role that you played] No more masquerade, you're one lonely star [One lonely star and you don't know who you are]
If the songs of the night fit in with any theme, it was the theme of his manager, once again trying to pull a fast one over on him, his words of how he was being led on by the teen ringing dully in his ears. He knew he wasn't leading Reese on, didn't care for the man in the least.Something about him never sat right with him, always made him feel anxious and uneasy, ever since he was found and taken in. Even the Aggron bodyguard he had, that said little, had deemed it important enough to tell Jayme not to be alone with Reese.
There he was. Reese. At the back of the club watching him with those sharp eyes. That grin on his face as he watched Jayme's every step and sway. The bounce of curls, the parting of his lips. It was obvious his manager had more in mind than managing, and it was disturbing. His eyes moved on quickly, and he spied Urban not far too the side, and sung to him a few moments.Though he meant nothing by it, he could see Reese stiffening in annoyance.
Ah....Urban was right...lovely.
Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye
All the world is a stage [world is a stage] And everyone has their part [has their part] But how was I to know which way the story'd go How was I to know you'd break [You'd break, you'd break, you'd break] You'd break my heart
I've always been in love with you [I've always been in love with you] Guess you've always known You took my love for granted, why oh why The show is over, say good-bye
Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye Say good-bye
He watched Reese storm out of the club, and while he relaxed only a little, and was better able to focus on the song he was singing, and the next. His performances would go on flawlessly this night, his six song set sung with all the passion required of him. He loved to sing. This was where he belonged, but he did wish he didn't do it nightly. Even loving what he did, he knew he could...and would..hit burn out before long.
Then what? Reese gets his barely disguised wishes answered, and you go to his bed to earn your keep in that way.
The little voice in his head supplied that unhelpfully.
He knew Reese would be in such a snit, because he dared to focus on Urban. Why Reese hadn't gotten rid of the Aggron he wasn't quite sure. Maybe because he was sure that Jayme was safe with the silent teen around watching over him. He wasn't sure. But he did always seem jealous of the time the two spent together, as if they were lovers. Jayme wasn't with either of them, and of the two he'd choose Urban, though a part of him was scared of his bodyguard. He seemed so formidable!
"More! More! Encore! Encore!"
Jayme came back onto the stage for one final song, having taken a quick drink of water his voice ringing out clearly, this one different from his others. This time he had a guitar in hand, something he'd been practicing on awhile.
A stool was brought out for him, and he perched on it, gratified when the club fell silent for him, and his fingers brushed softly, slowly over the strings, a pleased smile on his lips.
"You know I'm not one to break promises I don't want to hurt you but I need to breathe..."
At the end of it all, you're still my best friend But there's something inside that I need to release Which way is right, which way is wrong How do I say that I need to move on You know we're headed separate ways
And it feels like I am just too close to love you There's nothing I can really say I can't lie no more, I can't hide no more Got to be true to myself And it feels like I am just too close to love you So I'll be on my way
You gave me more that I can return Yet there's so much that you deserve Nothing to say, nothing to do, I've nothing to give I must leave without you You know we're headed separate ways
"You must think you're pretty smart Jayme, singing that song as your encore huh?"
The voice hissed in his ear as he stepped into his apartment startled him, and he looked up in shock to see Reese standing there looking madder than he'd ever seen. He moved for the door, to tug it open and yell for Urban knowing he had to be close still. He couldn't have gotten far after walking him to his door. But Reese was faster, and curled a strong hand around a slender wrist, jerking the teen against him eyes dark with rage.
"I told you when I took you in, you were mine now. I meant that."
And it feels like I am just too close to love you There's nothing I can really say I can't lie no more, I can't hide no more Got to be true to myself And it feels like I am just too close to love you So I'll be on my way
So I'll be on my way
A faint popping was heard by Jayme's ears, feeling something in his wrist grind together painfully. Reese's hand was like a vice and he knew there'd be bruises to hide. Again. The pained cry that formed on his lips was met with a smirk, and silenced by a hand over his mouth. Reese had been angry with him before sure. Had grabbed his wrist too tightly, but this... This was new, and disliked intensely. He found himself pressed up to a wall, hand tight on his nose and mouth barely able to breathe, though he focused on not panicking.
Not panicking made it so he was almost able to breathe. Almost. His chest heaved and his eyes over flowed with tears as Reese's face got close to an ear.
"Do I need to remind you of how you were when I found you? Homeless, penniless, hungry. Cold. Alone. Scared. No where to go, and no one to turn to. Do you want that again Jayme? I can put you back on the street where I found you."
A ragged breath was sucked in as the hand came loose from his mouth grateful for the air he could get, eyes wide and frightened. Of course he didn't want to go back to the streets! That had been a frightening time in his life when his family had turned him out. All because he'd stopped looking like them, like a normal Teddiursa, and more like a child version of himself now.
And it feels like I am just too close to love you There's nothing that I can really say I can't lie no more, I can't hide no more Got to be true to myself And it feels like I am just too close to love you So I'll be on my way
Jayme whipped his head back and forth quickly, tears still flowing. Of course he didn't want to be on the streets again! Reese had him so under his thumb, so believing of the fact that no one else would take him in, or care for him that he was afraid to stand up to the man. He'd been a young, frightened and very hungry child when taken in.
It'd been easy for Reese to bend the child to his warped way of thinking. So that now years later, the teen wouldn't think of doing anything to risk being turned out.
"I'm sorry Reese, I didn't mean anything by it! I swear I didn't!"
It took some placating on his part, but he finally got Reese to calm down, and once he was alone he stripped off his now rather soiled from sweat and tears dress and dropped it in to be washed. He was shaking from the lingering fear of being kicked out and decided he needed a shower. Fear was a strong thing. Thus why his clothes were bathed in sweat, it'd been pouring off him, a cold sweat to be sure but there none the less.
The hot water did little to still his shaking as he sat at the bottom of his shower knees drawn up and he hugging them tightly sobbing. He didn't want to be cold, alone, hungry, scared...he didn't want to be any of those things ever again. Reese was right, this was his home, no one else would care for him like he did.
Finally the shower was turned off, and he dried off, and pulled on something to wear and decided to skip dinner. He was too drained to eat, felt sick to his stomach honestly. So instead he crawled into his bed, and peered out the window a moment, looking at the clear night sky, before he was curling up clinging to a pillow, and crying himself to sleep.
So I'll be on my way So I'll be on my way
1945 words.
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:58 pm
I Need A Hero
Where have all the good men gone And where are all the gods? Where's the street-wise Hercules To fight the rising odds? Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed? Late at night i toss and i turn and i dream of what I need
(Chorus) I need a hero I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night He's gotta be strong And he's gotta be fast And he's gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light He's gotta be sure And it's gotta be soon And he's gotta be larger than life(larger than life)
Ever since that one night, Reese had been a constant nuisance not giving Jayme a moments peace, and he was beginning to show the effects. He was barely smiling, barely talking. He flinched around anyone, and everyone and even his nightly performances seemed to have lost some of their zing.
He'd taken to wearing longer sleeved dresses to keep the bruises on his wrist hidden, and Urban seemed to suspect something was up but he didn't press for answers and Jayme wasn't sure if this was a good thing, or a bad one. Still, he didn't dwell too much on it. Instead he was working on learning a new song.
A cry for help in a way.
Somewhere after midnight In my wildest fantasy Somewhere just beyond my reach There's someone reaching back for me Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet
Up where the mountains meet the heavens above Out where the lightning splits the sea I could swear that there's someone somewhere Watching me
Through the wind and the chill and the rain And the storm and the flood I can feel his approach Like the fire in my blood(like a fire in my blood x4)
It was to the point Jayme was giving up hope on getting away from Reese and the Stardust club. He hovered more than ever, and Jayme began to fear it was only a matter of time till something bad happened to him at his managers hands.
Then hope came to him in the most interesting of forms. The giant Banette "doll" that had turned up in his dressing room, had turned out to be so much more than expected. Than he could have hoped for. Had given him a spark of hope that he could get away from here, and that spark was enough to bring a little life back to the teen's eyes, to put a slight bounce back into his step. It was a change that was not lost on several. Urban was glad to see him going back to his old self. Reese... well he was not quite as happy.
hero
i need a hero I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light and he's gotta be sure And it's gotta be soon And he's gotta be larger than life
hero
and He's gotta be strong And he's gotta be fast And he's gotta be fresh from the fight i need a hero
A little bit of hope...an unlikely "hero" these were good things. Thought Ghede was not exactly the sort of 'hero' that Jayme was looking for he hated to admit. Something about him made the teen wary and wonder about his true intentions but for the time being he had to take what he could get.
Though in reality he had dreams of a faceless stranger, coming to his "rescue" who was tall (well most anyone was tall compared to him!), and strong, and brave. He would sweep Jayme off his feet, and whisk him away from the life he had, and they'd live happily ever after. He read too many faery tales he knew, but a guy could dream, right? Sometimes a little hope, even if it was nothing more than an unattainable dream didn't hurt.
Waking up different from how you're supposed to look is an all together terrifying experience. It has been every time I change, and I dread it happening again honestly. When it first happened I went from a cute little Teddiursa surrounded by family and friends to some freaky looking human child with my ears and tail and a moon shaped...scar looking mark on my forehead. It had caused my own parents to turn their backs on me and send me away. I couldn't have been older than a seven year old human.
I knew somewhat how to survive thankfully so I didn't starve though I was so scared. So alone. It was winter, so it was hard to keep warm seeing as I had nothing. I was wandering completely naked, and without anything. I searched desperately for shelter and found some meager shelter within trees ignoring the insects that crawled on me as I huddled trying to stay warm. Other times I slept piled in dead leaves and shivered away into the night.
I recalled...painfully...one winter night where I came face to face with a bunch of Pokemon who were ice types, and I had to run for my life as they gave chase. I'd managed to come into their area and they felt threatened by my mere presence and made it known that my being there wasn't tolerated. So I ran...ran so fast it was hard to breath. So fast that I couldn't pay attention to where I was going, barely paid attention to the icy water I splashed through in my frantic dash to get away. Finally I was left alone and I collapsed gasping, sobbing, freezing...
I only rested a short time and I was moving again, I needed shelter, I was so cold and hungry...and I came across some cloth laying there. It looked to be in good shape, and had likely blown away from one of the homes that were off in the distance. The wind was whipping terribly at that point. So I fussed with the cloth and finally figured out how to get it on and before long I was in my first dress. It was a bit large on me but I was covered and warm! Well mostly. My feet were freezing but what could I do? I kept walking...and before long I found myself in the outskirts of a small town.
I didn't know any better about my clothes or how when I'd changed my hair was long enough to look feminine. That I looked like a little girl. It wasn't until someone gave me some warm food...and another found me shoes...and someone else a coat...and so on and kept calling me a 'Poor little girl' and such that I began to get an inkling of things. But I was too scared to do much of anything, certainly too scared to set anyone straight. So, a "girl" I was...a clothed and fed, albeit homeless 'girl'. Still I was better off than I'd been in the last few days!
I recall finding a clean looking alley and going up it to find somewhere I could sleep. The town was frightening, I'd never been to one after all...and there is where Reese found me, huddling away in a doorway trying to doze off a little. He was smiling and looked so kind and gentle as he told me to come with him. I didn't know better...I didn't know people could be bad. I'd only known kindness till then!
He took me to buy a few new dressed and such...and then I went back to his home with him, which was a club he had bought not long before and was in the process of fixing up and was looking for some "talent" for. I didn't know what he meant. But I seemed to have a home so I wasn't much complaining.
He'd seen the ears and guessed I was special and all, explained he'd seen others like me around and all and knew I was originally a Pokemon. He didn't seem to mind, so that was nice! He taught me how to use a bathroom and told me about showers and such and left my clothes in there for me so I could wash up and change.
I did and I was amazed by how nice that was!
That was how my life started with Reese...it was pleasant...and he taught me to sing...and encouraged it and I loved it! But as time went on he grew angry....not at me..not at first. But at things in general...things weren't working out well and it stressed him out. But then he had me start singing and things got better and he lavished more attention on me...especially as I started to grow older. He called me a pretty girl...and I was afraid to tell him the truth. I'd seen how he...and others..treated the boys that roamed the streets. Calling them urchins and being mean to them.
I was terrified of what would happen to me if the truth came out, so I played along. I was a girl. I looked like one, sounded like one...but I was well aware by this point that kids turned to teenagers...and into adults. Changes would happen to me physically...and I likely wouldn't look or sound like a girl anymore....so what then? The thought haunted me for months...so when I woke up one morning realizing I'd changed again I wept. I was done for!
I didn't have the soft curves of a teenage girl...no breasts...but I also didn't have the stronger planes of a teenage boy. My hair was long for a boy, and I wore tight enough panties that other parts of me weren't noticeable. That and I wore loose fitting dresses. I always had. So nothing was reaidly visible. I'd heard about how men had what was called an 'adams apple' and I could only guess I didn't have one because of not really being human. I still looked like a girl. A very flat chested teenage girl...but a girl.
I had bras and such in my dressers but I didn't want to wear them. I'd seen teenagers that were flat. Knew they despaired over being flat. So I'd go with that. I could be a teen girl who was late in blossoming. It wasn't unusual and it saved me wearing a bra with fake padding that would likely give me away before long anyhow.
But when Reese started to take a stronger interest in me...it frightened me. He was making advances on me, tried to kiss me, to touch me. Oh sure, I was basically eighteen at this point and an adult but no way did I want this. I didn't see him like that! He'd been like an older brother...a surrogate father to me really. So this was repulsive!
I was glad that the bodyguard he'd gotten for me some time ago seemed loathe to leave him alone with me and I came to realize that he knew the truth about me and it made me relax around the Aggron a lot more than I ever had. But still life was rough.
Reese made no secret about what he wanted from me, what he expected from his years of "kindness" in taking care of me...and of what would happen to me should I not do as demanded. I was terrified to end up out on the streets. I also knew if I suddenly lost my talent...or worse stopped looking like I did I was done.
Every night I went to sleep terrified of how I'd look come morning. Would I have changed again? I knew I was supposed to evolve into an Ursa Ring but the idea truly frightened me. I woke more on some nights than others afraid I'd changed in the night and relief always flooded me to see I hadn't.
I wish I could know I wouldn't change anymore. I don't want it. I think I'd rather die first.
I don't like the dark...it scares me for so many reasons...I wish it wasn't so dark....
Nightmares...they plagued him often. More often than he cared to admit to. But when he was alone in the dark, clutching his sheets to his chest as he fought to see past the dark veil that terror pulled over his eyes...to see the light from his clock, and streaming in from the lights outside...he couldn't deny that they were there and very...very present.
Why...night after night...I have these nightmares...why?
Jayme couldn't voice his thoughts...so they remained that. Thoughts. His grip was tight on his bedding, eyes wide as he looked around while a cold sweat trickled down his face, down his neck and along his back causing him to shudder.
I don't like the dark....it frightens me....
"I'm scared..."
Those two words were whispered softly into the dark, unheard save for by him. He was alone after all, no one there to hear him when he woke up nightly scared out of his wits. Finally, he was able to "see" again, terror left and he curled back up to try and sleep, eyes falling shut and he back asleep before long...though his trembles took longer to cease.
I'm so scared....
218 words
Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 10:12 pm
Wedding Bells! (Solange & Urban tie the knot)
Solange & Dream “It’s here! It’s here, it’s here!” Cordelia chimed, moving around the room with the speed of a Poke’mon herself. Her wild hair was pinned to her head for the first time in ages, but the more she bounced, the more tendrils escaped. “When you told me you were getting engaged to this guy, I was nervous, because I mean, whose more shady than Ur-“
“Cordelia, we need more pins.” Wendy smiled to her overactive daughter and watched as the young adult left the room. She stood tall and proud behind Solange, who was seated before the hotel’s vanity table. Several times she’d had to dab her eyes with the tissue currently hanging out of her dress pocket, but never so much as it would ruin her eye makeup. “Look up, dear, and turn to the left.”
Solange felt as if she couldn’t breathe. While Cordelia blathered on about this and that from the other room in the suite the women had booked, Solange felt as if she were in a tunnel. It really WAS here. Today was the day she would become Urban’s bride, and as cheerfully sunny the tropical beach was outside she couldn’t stop shaking.
“Do you know if Dream has his suit already? And Jayme, does he know to come here for pictures before we walk down?” Wendy waved to Cordelia, murmuring something about checking her phone for texts from the boys. “Ah, well, Dream’s on his way up to drop off the flowers. Do you want him to get you something to drink? Solange?” Wendy tapped the side of her face with a hand, an amused grin playing out on her face.
Solange shook her head and gave a tense laugh. “Sorry, nerves. Yeah, some kinda soda would be nice. And I think Dream told Jayme, so here’s hoping he didn’t mess this s**t up.” Wendy smacked her shoulder, a little rougher than the last time. “What?”
“Language. You’re a bride today.” Wendy walked away to search for the jewelry box, leaving Solange alone to turn to the mirror. Everything felt so surreal. With her hair pinned up, it felt as if everything was coming into place. Her makeup was soft, demure even, which gave a stark contrast to the risqué qualities of her dress. When she stood, the folds of the skirt danced across her legs onto the carpet, pooling around the jewelry that would serve in place for shoes today. Giving a little twirl, Solange felt herself loosen up when she looked at the mirror.
A wolf whistle from the doorway made her turn. Dream passed off a box of flowers to Wendy and sauntered over to Solange. His shorter hair made him look more boyish, and lighter, even. Though, most of it could be attributed to Quinn. “How do I look?”
“Like a Goddess.” Where once he might have been envious of Urban, he could only feel relief that Solange looked so happy. Dressed in white himself, they made quite the pair, though it wasn’t the woman before him that made his heart flutter. He turned to the mirror, and gave a huff, moving his hair around his forehead to cover the larger portions of bandaged wounds. Though, with ivory bandages on chocolate skin, he couldn’t do much. “I look like a hot mess. And this hot air is drying out my stitches. “ Passively, he passed his hand over his thighs, which were stiff and bandaged.
With a chuckle, Solange wrapped her arm around his and took the soda from his free hand, popped the top with her fang and took a long drink. “Chill, Casanova, you look sexy. No one’s supposed to be looking at you, anyway.”
“Does that mean they shouldn’t?” Dream laughed, and barely dodged a punch to the shoulder.
Urban, Jayme, Quinn, Cameron Jayme, while he was Solange’s maid of honor, a position within the wedding that had absolutely floored him to be honest…was down with the guys getting dressed mostly because he himself was male, and Solange and the others were decidedly female. His dress was simple, so as not to upstage Solange, and he was currently fidgeting with the red sash on it to tighten it slightly. His hair hung loosely around his shoulders as was normal for him.
Cameron was helping Urban straighten his tie up a little the pair decked out in matching suits, complementing the dress Jayme was wearing, and he was teasing his best friend to help him relax. “Who’d have thought, you of all people settling down? If you’d asked me back when we dated if I thought you were the marrying type, I’d have laughed in your face you know that right?” There was a laugh from Urban as he swatted Cam’s hand from his throat. “What can I say? Sol completes me in ways I can’t describe, and I have grown up since we dated you know.” There was a nod from Cam then, and a smile. “This is true you have and I’m really happy for you man.” He clapped Urban on the shoulder and turned to Jayme who was looking a little nervous, the dress was much shorter than he was used to!
There was a knock on the door before it swung open, and there stood Quinn, who removed the hat he wore, before ducking into the room. All three sets of eyes turned to look at him, surprised by how nicely he cleaned up. "Well look at you. Who knew you could look so nice in that getup?" Urban chuckled at the tall teen, who like Dream was still slightly decked in bandages and such. “Ready to hit the beach? It’s about time.” Urban gave a nod and a smile. “Got the rings Cam?” “Right here.” Jayme eased to his feet, and accepted the flowers he would be carrying from Quinn, who extended an arm to him. “Come on gents, lets go.” Once back out of the room, Quinn redonned the cowboy hat he had on, standing out not only for his size, but his height and all, which was added to by his dress clothes. He cut an imposing figure!
Jayme waited at the spot he was supposed to, for Solange so he could walk out ahead of her, and Quinn stood there waiting for Dream, so they could go out together, while Urban and Cam stepped from the hotel and out onto the beach, the area designated for their wedding was cordoned off, and there stood a priest waiting for them. Urban and Cam stood there waiting, eyes fixed on the stretch of beach Solange would have to walk down.
Solange & Dream Wendy and Cordelia were the first to descend the steps to where the boys waited. While their eyes and complexions were similar, Cordelia’s violet hair set her apart from her mother’s strawberry blonde. The older of the two sucked in a deep breath, and moved in to give first Jayme, then Quinn a hug. “You boys look amazing. Jayme, you are an absolute peach, and Quinn…well, I know why my Dream picked you.” She chuckled when her daughter tapped her arm playfully. “I’ll want to talk with you after the ceremony, just to make sure you’re good for my boy.”
With those words spoken, the stepped to the side, allowing for Dream to follow down next. He popped his labels, coming down the steps with an stiffer, but languid stride and a charmingly white smile. Seeing his trainer so close to Quinn reminded him that the two had yet to be properly introduced, and for a moment he felt his heart clench. She wouldn’t have said anything too embarrassing, right? Right?...Internally he began to weep. He moved close to Quinn, scanning the larger boy with appreciating eyes before leaning in. “Keep the hat on later.”
Last to descend was Solange. Her bare feet felt odd on the pavement, as did the exposed garter on her leg. In her ears were large, diamond earrings and around her neck sat a necklace she could care less to wear again. She smiled nervously to the assembly, clutching her crimson bouquet to her chest. When she saw Jayme a bright smile spread to her face. “Oh my God, Jayme…” She couldn’t help it; she hugged him, and hugged him tight. “I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know where I would be without you.” Pulling back, she turned to see Quinn, widening her eyes at the enormity of him. She cast a quick look to Dream as if to say ‘not bad’ before getting caught by Wendy.
“Pictures will have to wait for later, dear; we’re needed on the beach now.”
Urban, Jayme, Quinn, Cameron Quinn was gracious and hugged Dream and Solange’s trainer/mom back, a warm smile on his face. “It would be my pleasure to sit and talk with you later ma’am.” Yes, this one did know how to be polite when the situation called for it, and he could see it did.
With Dream coming up to him Quinn bent, and brushed a soft kiss to his cheek and a low whispered “Be my pleasure to leave the hate on Darlin’” before he straightened and offered his elbow to Dream, just because he wanted to, a bright smile on his face as he leaned in to hug Sol gently, turning to look at Dream again. It might’ve been her big day, but the big guy had eyes for no one but the Ninetails beside him. Jayme for his part hugged Solange back tightly, tears in his eyes. “I’m so happy for you Solange! Who knew a blind date between us, would turn into yours and Urban’s wedding!” it was amazing, he actually squealed in delight at this idea, he stepping back to look at her. “Urban was a smart man asking you to marry him. I’m so happy I had a part in you two meeting.” He beamed at his best friend and held out her flowers then. “Also, I worked on a special surprise for your guy’s first dance…and you will be dancing!” Quinn was amused by the forceful tone Jayme had in that instance, and his assessment of the usually quiet teen changed a little, and he couldn’t help but chuckle, winking at Dream. It had only been a short time since their accident, and he was glad they were in such a beautiful place to have this wedding, it would give them a chance to relax and spend some restful, happy time together. “C’mon Darlin, we need to head out to the sand now. I have a chair sitting there for you so you can rest if you need.” He was of course still worried about Dream, and wasn’t about to let him suffer standing if he had to sit. His own bandages were more hidden, and even the sling he was in for his still mending arm was mostly hidden beneath his jacket. He was just glad the potions that had been used had healed it so well!
“I have the cameras sitting out there ready to go for plenty of photos after…and I do mean plenty.” Quinn had helped Cam set them up not too long before! Holding the door open for Cordelia, and Dream his good hand then coming to rest lightly on his lower back as the door swung shut, and Jayme couldn’t help the wistful sort of sigh from him. “Dream is sure lucky to have a guy who cares about him so much. I’m glad your both so happy.” He beamed again, knowing it was about time for him to lead the way.
Solange & Dream Dream couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He felt his cheeks warm as that same smile took on a devious grin, and a part of him felt it all come full circle when Quinn not only hugged his mom, but Sol as well. With his arm looked in the larger boys, he gave a squeeze, standing as tall and proud as the sun itself.
The bride to be couldn’t look Jayme in the eye, or else she might start tearing up herself! “Crazy s**t, huh?” She held onto his hands for a while, unable to let him go even as he pulled back. “A part? Jayme, you’re the reason why I put him with him to begin with! Without you, I wouldn’t have gotten to know him at all. You should go into matchmaking.” Solange held her flowers up as a sassy guard, taken a back by Jayme’s forceful tone, even as Dream snickered. “You know I have two left feet…”
“It’s true. She’ll…she’ll…yeah, no, go ahead and dance.” Every word that Dream spoke was met with an intensely deepening glare from Wendy, and when he finally zipped up she gave him a pleasant smile. No matter how old they got, Momma still ruled the roost! Dream, however, had his attention turn to Quinn and all sarcastic comments went out the window. “Thanks. Hopefully I won’t need it, but I’ll keep an eye on it.” The one he was more worried about was Quinn, but out of the two he wasn’t going to be the one trying to keep up an appearance at the alter.
Wendy gave a deep sigh. “Oh thank goodness. I was worried we wouldn’t have any.” With her hand clenched in her daughters, she gave Cordelia a hug and let her walk out with her ‘brother’ and his boyfriend.
“Lucky doesn’t begin to cover it. I have no idea how he found that guy, or how he managed to tame him, but I’m glad.” She leaned in to give Jayme a chaste kiss on the cheek. “And someday soon you’ll be the luckiest of us all.”
Urban, Jayme, Quinn, Cameron Jayme couldn’t keep the soft blush from his face at Sol’s words , a smile on his face as he squeezed her hands. “Well, I’m glad I could help you out I really, really am. You two are perfect together.” That’s just how he saw the two of them! “Urban dances very well, I bet he’ll make sure your two left feet don’t trip you both up.” He laughed softly and winked then. It was amazing what the change of scenery for a home life and work was doing for the teen. He was opening up and loosening up so much lately, even despite the issue at the hot springs not too long ago.
“Well if you do, you do. I plan on having a dance with you as well Darlin’, just a slow one. Be nice to have you close to me out on the sand like that.” Quinn’s words drawled out slowly, a smile on his face as they crossed the sand, and moved into sight of Cameron and Urban, the latter looking nervous and an amused Cam merely going “Breathe man, breathe….”
“Oh you never heard? I guess Zevian decided to be himself…and hired Quinn to track down Dream, made it out like Dream had stolen stuff from him. Which, he hadn’t. Quinn realized the truth, and let Dream go and drove him home. You know he’s a bounty hunter right?” Jayme couldn’t help a low chuckle then, shaking his head. It was amazing that it was all thanks to Zev, that Dream and Quinn had met and were now dating. He shook his head lightly at Sol’s words, a smile given. “Hard to say. Maybe. For now, we need to focus on you and your day.” That said he turned then and began to walk out on the sand, the sun slowly lowering over the water behind the trio standing at the alter.
Solange & Dream “I wouldn’t mind a slow dance, but don’t skip out on boogying just because of me. I’d like to see you get low.” Dream squeezed his hand before branching off to get in standing position beside Cam and Urban. “Looking good, Gentlemen. Tell me, Cam, how many times have you had to keep Urban on his feet? Any fainting scares?” He teased, hoping to keep the mood open and light. Though, his words faded out to a murmur when one of the priest’s attendants turned on music. Dream stood as straight as he could without putting too much pressure on his legs.
Solange, meanwhile, couldn’t keep from sputtering. “What?!” She shrieked, then closed her mouth, ever more aware that music was beginning to play. She counted back from ten in her head, and tried to keep the little s**t out of her mind for the moment. “We’re all going to have to have a little pow wow after the honeymoon. And next time you get intel like this, don’t leave a sistah in the dark!” She chuckled, and nudged Jayme forward.
As the last of the bridesmaids in lineup order, Cordelia was also the last to walk up. As a last minute touch of her own, she pulled petals from a hidden pouch inside of her own mini-bouquet to line the walkway for Solange, smiling boldly at the boys as she went. When she took her spot it wasn’t without a little twirl, her dress coming to a flurried rest around her knees as she came to a rest next to Jayme.
When all was said and done, Solange was taken in arm by Wendy, and to a softer, more tropical version of the wedding march, the two began their descent down the sand.
Urban, Jayme, Quinn, Cameron Quinn grinned at Dream and kissed his cheek before he broke away to go stand up with Cam and Urban, his way of saying ‘we’ll see’ before he stood off to a side waiting for Solange and her ‘mom’ to come down the sandy aisle. He smiled seeing the flower petals finding them a nice touch. Cam couldn’t help a snicker. “None, amazingly. He’s surprising me honestly.” Urban grumbled good naturedly, before the music started, and he grew silent, watching intently.
Jayme was smiling so broadly, he thought his face would crack, he couldn’t get over the amazement his two favorite people were getting married to each other! When Solange came into view, he heard Urban stop breathing for a moment as he sucked in air and let out a low whistle. Turning to look at him, he could see the awed look in his eyes as Sol came down the aisle, and Jayme smiled a little bit brighter somehow.
Quinn stepped closer, waiting to take their mothers arm once she was done walking Solange down the aisle, and he’d even taken the precaution of having tissues on hand, in case. Urban walked forward to meet his bride, taking her hand from her mothers, and bent to kiss her moms cheek with a soft thank you, his eyes turning to Sol. “You look so damned beautiful…” the words were soft, and his eyes liquid. This, was worth all the bad s**t lately!
Jayme shifted forward to take Sol’s flowers from her, and stepped back into line then, watching as the priest came closer and began to talk. He ignored the fact there were people gathering at the fringes of the cordoned off area watching, it was too beautiful a scene to deny others the pleasure of seeing.
“We’re gathered here today to join this Aggron, to this Houdoom in holy matrimony….”
Solange & Dream Dream couldn’t believe it. Solange, his tomboy little ‘sister’ was getting married. This was the same girl he’d teased as a child because when she changed she looked so much like a boy that a girl down the street had asked her out! While the spirit remained, he saw none of that boyish charm. She was entirely a young woman now.
Solange walked as confidently as she felt. As soon as she set her eyes on Urban her nerves turned to awed excitement. He looked…he looked like those dorky princes in Cordelia’s movies, but a lot more dashing; a real, veritable version that she would be able to hold for an eternity. His whistle made her flush, even if it wasn’t visible on the darker tints in her skin.
Wendy wasn’t so easily composed. She was crying opening, and thankfully took a tissue from Quinn. She patted Urban’s hand as it lay clasped over Solange’s and smiled at the boy. Her new son. It was strange, to think of a Poke’mon her daughter had caught on the street, as having grown into a daughter and now a married one at that. She stepped to the side and took her seat on the front row.
Solange couldn’t breathe anymore than she could take her eyes off him. At his compliment she gave a breathless chuckle and wiped the happy tears from her eyes. As the priest went through the traditional words, she responded in kind, until it came to the part for her vows to be spoken; the vows she had made herself.
“I’m not a poet, so I can’t come up with anything fancy to say. I wanted to, but all I can say is the truth. When I first met you Urban, I fought you, and the love I felt for you. I didn’t want to give into it because I thought, out of all the guys in the world, you had to be the biggest jerk of them all, and there was no way I could give you a chance. I…” Solange choked and took a deep breath. “…I am SO glad I was wrong. You were the one who showed me there was more than meets the eye, that even though life can get insanely crazy at the drop of a hat that I would never be alone. I never thought in a million years that I would be lucky enough to find you. I will stand by your side, be your light in the dark, and I promise never to part ways angry. I love you, Urban, more than words can say, and I have never been happier than to stand by your side today.”
Urban, Jayme, Quinn, Cameron Quinn kept the tissues coming for the woman at his side, one hand resting lightly on her shoulder in a gentle gesture of affection and all. Jayme was doing his best to keep his tears in check, but a few trickled down his cheeks quietly, and he wiped then away with the back of a hand, cheeks hurting from how brightly he was smiling.
Cam watched the ceremony, a warm smile on his face, though there was a strange…nagging feeling he couldn’t quite shake even as he pushed it to the furthest corner of his mind. No sense in dwelling on what he was sure was a forgotten memory and drive himself nuts in the process.
Urban raised a hand and brushed it lightly over Sol’s cheek a warmth in his eyes as his looked at her. “The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I was hopelessly in love with you, and wanted to get to know you better, even if I didn’t go about it in the most eloquent of ways. If not for Jayme, I think that we’d never have reached this point. Without Jayme, I wouldn’t have gotten to meet my soul mate. I may not be perfect, and I know I swear like a sailor most times, but I promise to always do right by you, to love you the way you deserve to be loved, treated like the badass queen of my heart that you are, and above all, to never stop loving you for as long as my heart beats, and there’s a breath in my body , and even that isn’t long enough for me. I love you Solange, more than anything and I’m so very, very lucky to have you in my life.” The priest smiled, and watched as Cam and Jayme came forth with the rings, Urban taking Solange’s from Cam, and gently sliding it onto Solange’s finger, pressing a kiss to the band as he finished, eyes shining bright and triumphant.
Behind them, the sun sank lower, kissing the water, and lending a magical air to it all. Quinn was sure to take plenty of pictures, even while playing wall/tissue dispenser, not wanting them to miss a moment being documented.
Solange & Dream Wendy couldn’t thank Quinn enough. Though, for her, the one hand wasn’t doing it. At one point she wrapped her arms around the poor boy and cried openly, but happily. He was just so sweet and the whole thing was so…so…so touching! Cordelia was doing far better than her mother, and from the same pouch in her bouquet she offered Jayme a tissue of her own. Weddings.
Dream wasn’t tearing up. Arceus no, that would be too much! He was merely misting, and as the brother of the bride he was allowed to mist. With a quick hand he wiped away a little tear, and after much deliberation took a seat in the chair proffered by Quinn. His legs had begun to throb, and he didn’t want to push them.
Solange took Urban’s ring from Jayme and slipped it over Urban’s finger, her dark eyes slipping back up to look into his bright, baby blues. Even before the priest was able to fully vocalize the words, Solange threw her arms around Urban’s neck and was kissing him all out. With the sunset as her backdrop, she clung to him, not willing to miss a minute of it. This was her soulmate, her husband, her partner and lover. When she looked at him she saw the stars and the moon, and as she kissed him she felt as if she were touching starlight itself.
Urban, Jayme, Quinn, Cameron Quinn was surprised by the arms around him and the woman clinging to him as he cried, but he let her do just that even as he continued to take pictures of the new bride and groom kissing against the sunset, a bright smile on his face, though he did notice Dream take a seat, and he worried about the other. Still, he was sitting which was good.
Jayme sniffled and gave Cordelia a smile of thanks as he took the tissue and dabbed at his eyes, Cameron breaking into a loud cheer as they were pronounced man and wife…and laughed as the priest corrected it to pokemon and wife…and looked puzzled at the proper term, finally just congratulating them on their union.
Jayme handed Cordelia the flowers then, still holding onto the tissues, and he moved to hug the pair, before he beamed and moved back out of the way, the sun sinking beneath the water and the rising moon his own backdrop as he began to sing for his two best friends.
“The day we met, Frozen I held my breath Right from the start I knew that I'd found a home for my heart... Beats fast Colors and promises How to be brave? How can I love when I'm afraid to fall But watching you stand alone? All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer..”
Urban pulled Solange close as Jayme started to sing, his heart near to bursting with happiness as he began to move across the sand with his new wife, lifting her up off the sand just enough that she was literally dancing on air as he moved. In this moment he looked less like a man who could break someone’s arm if they looked at her wrong, and more like the most awed man in existence.
Quinn walked Sol and Dream’s mother up to Cordelia then and gently handed her off, as well as the camera, and moved towards his boyfriends side, crouching down so he could look into his eyes. “How’re you feeling Darlin’?” words softly concerned as he brushed a short lock of hair from the others eyes.
Solange & Dream Dream gave a loud whooping cheer, which was following by the little crowd of people on the edges of the roped off section. He kicked back in his chair, stretching his legs out as he gave a wolfish grin to the pair. Love like that wasn’t usually contained, and it wasn’t like it was being sheltered off right now, anyway! His grin turned almost Chesire when he looked at Quinn, all busy with his work with Wendy bawling next to him. Still, he was pleased when the woman finally let go to cheer as well. That kid, Jayme…Solange hadn’t been lying when she said he had the voice of an angel.
The bride herself laughed with mirth, swaying and moving as if she hadn’t a care in the world. In that moment, nothing else mattered, but Urban. With her best friend’s song to chase the sun, she kicked her feet into the air, breezy with Urban lifting her up and planted as many kisses on him as she could. Off beside her she could see that now it was Cordelia taking the photos, moving into spots and angles that showed her professionalism, all the while allowing the couple to own the sand.
Shifting his legs to accommodate Quinn, Dream gave into a little sigh and a sheepish frown. “Sore,” he moved to take Quinn’s lifted hand in his, and brought it to his lips for a kiss. “But I was promised a dance, and I intend to have it. ” Dream rose to stand, albeit unevenly.
Wendy came closer to Cam and now that her tears had been satisfied, she looked almost normal, despite the puffiness around her eyes. “Would you care to dance with an old woman?”
Urban, Jayme, Quinn, Cameron
Jayme continued to sing, providing music for the couple dancing, Quinn smiling and pressing a kiss to Dream’s bandaged head. “Well, we’ll take it easy out on the dance floor, then go and retire to our room so you can get some proper rest. We have a week here to enjoy ourselves after all, no sense in rushing things tonight.” Oh the variety of ways that could be taken.
For his part Cam smiled at Wendy, and took her hand in his own giving a bow. “It would be my pleasure to dance with the beautiful mother of the bride.” There was nothing but sincerity in his voice as he moved out onto the sand with her and began to dance, glad the wedding had gone off without a hitch, Jayme easily moving from one song to another, looking radiant in his own way as he swayed lightly in the background not wanting to take away from this moment.
Urban looked around at his new family, and he of all things brushed a tear from his eyes as he bent to kiss Solange again, a long, deep kiss before he was tugging the garter off her leg and launching it. Directly onto Quinn’s hat, a wolfish grin on his face. “Let your brother ponder that, oh sexy wife of mine.” His words rumbled softly as he kissed her again, everything but her fading to dull roar around him.
Solange & Dream Dream moved with Quinn on the sand, leaning on the other more than he’d like, and yet, feeling safe in those same arms. “I like the way you think, sir.” He planned on making up for the winter lodge fiasco here, spending just as much time showing Quinn a good time as the other man would allow.
Cordelia flitted around the couples, taking paired shots as well as group settings with the fading sun to herald them into night. Wendy danced with Cam, showing a natural grace that showed a glimpse of the style that Dream had gotten his from. For once she was glad that her family was whole and happy, even if her eldest daughter hadn’t been able to make it. Now that the pair were hitched, there would be get together and parties, and looking at Quinn and Dream, maybe even another wedding in the future.
Solange covered her mouth to hide her laugh. Just the horrified look on Dream’s face was enough to have her snorting while she laughed, as much as she tried to diffuse it. “He’s your brother now too, oh dear husband. “ She grabbed him by the tie as they kissed, with the wind picking her train off the sand as the last embers of sunlight dropped behind the bad luck of yesterday, ringing in a new life of love, madness, chaos, and total bliss.
Skinny Dipping (Six friends, some booze and the water. What could go wrong?)
Solange/Dream: The twilight of the day heralded the passageway for the group. Dream led the way, his head held high as he walked with a torch that almost resembled a staff itself. Mankey howls scattered themselves through the trees, blending in with the tropical environment like the wind itself. He was dressed as casually as he was ever likely to get; a pair of loose swimming trunks and an open zip up short sleeved hoodie. Devoid of shoes, he walked easily over the smooth stones of the path, and across the little swinging bridge that covered the cove below.
He’d heard the hotel staff talking about it earlier in whispers, hoping to keep it secret from the tourists. Luckily for them it wasn’t as run down as the staff had made it seem! Just a little nook out in on its own, with a smooth current, and plenty of handmade benches to sit around a fire pit. It was easily the most beautiful thing he’d seen the entire trip, ranking right next to the ceremony itself.
Solange walked behind him, coming around to stare at the water as the moon glinted off the waves. When she turned Dream already had the wood prepped for the fire, and with a well aimed breath Solange had the fire started. She’d had enough sense to wear a swimsuit under her t-shirt and shorts, but there was no way she was getting in that water.
“Good call, Dream. This place is awesome.”
“Yeah, well, I have skills.” He grinned.
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Quinn had been filled in somewhat on what was on the agenda for the evening, and he was fine with it. A nice way to spend a calm, enjoyable evening and getting to know everyone better, it was not a bad thing in the slightest. Urban for his part had grinned and vanished for a short time with Cameron, the pair coming back with a variety of alcoholic drinks for their enjoyment that evening.
Jayme had tried to avoid going, but Urban was having none of it and insisted the teen throw on a bathing suit, and join them. So he had, and was now somewhat clutching a towel to himself. He was wearing so little, it was embarrassing to him! He was used to being far more covered! Cam took in the surroundings as they walked, listening to the sounds around them, and relaxed. He was enjoying the vacation here relaxing fully for the first time since his accident. He plodded along with the group wearing a pair of old frayed jean shorts, a towel looped around his neck showing off the variety of tattoos and piercings he had on his body…and the muscles from his years of martial arts. He was almost as intimidating as Urban in that respect, though the Aggron was of course much bigger. Quinn brought up the rear, carrying a few extra things for everyone, and coming into the area just as Solange lit the fire up. “Nice. Looks like a good place to kick back and enjoy.” “Good, now who wants a drink?” Urban piped up as he set things down in easy reach and snagged one holding it to Solange.
Solange/Dream: Solange popped the tab with her fangs and spat it near the fire so she’d remember to pick it up later. After getting herself a hearty drink, she settled herself on one of the benches, crossing her legs underneath herself. “This is sooo good. I don’t think I’ve had any of it before. Want a taste, Dream?”
“I’ll pass. It looks like piss to me, and smells even worse.” He dug his toes into the sand and wiggled them. This was his kind of winter! No snow, no cold nights; just sun, sun, and more sun! Well, not now, but the sand was still warm from earlier, and with the fire burning beside him he was able to relax in its glow.
“Come on, I triple dog dare you to try it.” Solange scooted closer to him, holding the bottle out before him, despite the look on his face. “One drink.”
“Fine.” Dream took the bottle, then smirked like a Chesire. “If I have to drink this s**t, you’re going for a swim – nude!” And to seal the deal, he gave the beer bottle a swirl like one would a Champagne flute and tossed it back.
Upon which he started to immediately gag and choke. So much for dignity.
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Urban grabbed another bottle for himself and popped the cap tossing it along with Solange’s and grinned at Jayme. “Hey kiddo, try a sip.” Jayme was currently watching Dream choke on his and looked up at Urban with wide eyes, trying to figure out just how to turn him down. “It’s that or you join in on the nude swim thing.” Urban teased, watching Jayme look like a Deerling in headlights as he took the bottle and took a tentative drink, and coughed a little, but took a slightly better pull the second time, handing it back with a look on his face. “That’s…ew. How do you drink that?”
Urban grabbed another and tossed it to Cam who he knew normally didn’t drink, but had apparently opted to do so and watched as he pocketed the cap and settled on a bench to drink while Quinn patted Dream on the back. “You alright there?” a soft concerned note from him. “Beer, Quinn?” the hybrid teen shrugged and snagged the bottle from Dream and took a sip while Urban handed Solange a new one. “So, you’re going into the water naked huh babe?” oh look at him grin at his wife.
Solange/Dream: Solange grinned, watching as both her brother and best friend had similar reactions over one of her new favorite drinks. Come to think of it, she’d never seen either one drink, so while she felt a little bad about pressuring them, it was still amusing as hell. “Ya don’t savor it, ya just drink it.” Leading by example, she took the bottle new bottle from her husband, popped it open, and knocked it back before sitting the empty bottle in the sand.
“No, that stuff is…” Dream shuddered, and curled his nose up. What kind of poison had he just put in his body?! “I can still taste that junk.” His ears stood straight on end, with the fur of his tails copying the action.
“I’m not going alone.” Solange retorted, and before anything could be said, she added, “I can’t swim, so someone’s gonna have to strip and come with.”
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Jayme was dismayed when Urban had him keep the bottle, and merely got his own and followed suit, and downed a good portion of his with little issue, grinning. “C’mon Cam, you going to strip and join us in the water.” The Zebstrika teen had finished most his bottle by that point and shrugged. Why not? “Yeah in a bit, you two try not to get too friendly in there huh?” a smirk given then.
Quinn couldn’t help a low chuckle at Dream and drank his own. Not his first time having beer though he didn’t have it very often. Still he handed it better than Jayme and Dream, though not as gracefully as the other three. “Skinny dipping, could be fun eh?” he winked at the Ninetails, then to Jayme. “What about you? Going to strip down and join us too?” there was a low chuckle at the near horrified squeak from Jayme at the question. “S’okay kid, you’re wearing less than usual. Keep the suit on and go hop in the water.” Jayme did so, the unwanted drink taken with and he sipped at it again tentatively wrinkling his nose as he got into the water. “Alright babe, lets get the strip show on the road.” Urban laughed and set the empty bottle down, and tugged off his shirt before grabbing another bottle.
Solange/Dream: “No promises. It is our honeymoon, remember?” Solange grinned, shirking out of her t-shirt. Seeing Jayme panic got her to laugh while she slipped out of her shorts. “That’s right, Jayme’s stripped down enough as it is already! I can actually see a little thigh.” She winked. With a little hesitation and a deep breath, Solange unclasped the top of her bikini and tossed it on the sand, only to have her bottoms follow suit. A stray wind made her shiver, and the feel of her braid on her bare a** was odd. “Nut up or shut up, babe.” She stepped out into the surf, waiting for Urban before going any further. Water so wasn’t her thing! And being naked…it was…weird. She wasn’t embarrassed, much, but it was odd.
“You wanna give it a go?” Dream grabbed a different kind of drink, something in a flask and tried a bit of it, hoping it wouldn’t suck as much as the beer had. Except with this one, a long drink shouldn’t have been taken, as the burning in his gut was worse. He tried to hold it together better on this round, though. He nudged Quinn, and stood, shirking out of his shorts and top at the speed of light. “This is soooo much better!”
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Jayme was a nice shade of pink at Sol’s teasing comments, but glancing down it was really weird to see his legs exposed like this! He was covered sure what with the bathing suit he had on, and a festive little island sarong around his waist that did indeed show off a thigh. He pulled that off and set it down with his towel another drink…and face made…before the bottle was set down and he started for the water, settling in the shallow area.
Quinn watched in amusement as Dream grabbed a flask…whiskey or similar he was guessing. Though Dream suddenly ditching his shorts made him grin. Things were getting interesting! He took the flask and took a drink of it with a nod of approval and recapped it before his own shorts were off and he waded into the water with ease. Cam followed suit, pants tossed on the bench as he waded in, and out past the love bird. For being an electric type, he quite enjoyed the water. He gave a cursory glance of Urban, his body was no surprise. Dream also got a nice, long look and a smile before he glanced to Quinn. Such a size difference between that pair. . As he passed Sol, he couldn’t help an appreciative grin at her and Urban before ducking under to swim.
Solange/Dream: If Jayme hadn’t been gay then that blind date so long ago may have turned out very differently. As it stood, Sol couldn’t help noticing how adorable he was, regardless of how nervous he was. If he thought he’d be looking long for someone to call his own, he was sorely mistaken! Dream couldn’t take his eyes off Quinn for a moment, taking in the moment for what it was and followed him out in to the water. He saw the look from Cam, and returned it in like, giving him an appreciative smile. Being a fire type he had a natural adversion to water, but it wasn’t for the same reason as Solange. He could swim well enough, but once his tails were wet they weighed him down, as they were starting too now once he’d made it out to his hips.
Sol just watched for a moment as her own little flood of men descended upon the shore, until she noticed Cam, to which she became stunned and confused. She opened her mouth, closed it, and then looked at Urban. “What…what just happened?”
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Jayme was content to sit in the shallow water letting the warm waves wash over his feet and legs, staring hard at the water at all the others wading in utterly naked. Nope, this was not something he could to. A part of Quinn felt he ought to be jealous of Cam eying Dream but he wasn’t, seeing it wasn’t anything more than a quick, curious, but appreciative look…and that Sol got similar. It was actually a bit amusing to him at this point.
Quinn was floating all too easily in the water looking at home there naked in the water and he grinned at Dream. “Having issues there darlin’?” he could see him going in slowly. Urban turned to Sol and grinned. “Cam checked you out. What’s so weird about that?”
Solange/Dream: Dream didn’t give a damn if everyone admired his jewels, all the better really, since that got all the questions out of the way. It wasn’t as if he cared, and when he got out to a spot where he could swim he gave a good shove off, closing in on Quinn as best he could, all the while trying to steer with his now submerged tails. “Nothing a little push can’t fix,” he laughed.
Solange padded out to her calves, more wary of the water than the guys themselves. “I thought he was into guys,” she whispered. “Not like it matters much, but s**t, he’s got more secrets than James Bond.” Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Quinn looped an arm around Dream's waist and pulled him close, brushing hair from the others face. "A push? A ride? This is nothing for me after all, so you don't have to worry. Just hang on tight."
Urban laughed softly, watching Cam swimming some distance off and shook his head. "He swings both ways babe. Like me, like you. Like your brothers boy there if I went by the appraising looks he was giving you as well. Not nearly as lengthy as the ones Dream got, but enough to know he appreciates what you have." and here he laughed. "The only one of this groups I can say for certain likes guys is the kid. I don't even know if your brother is strictly into guys honestly. He charms women far too well though..."
Solange/Dream: “Got’cha, big guy!” Dream saluted, wrapping his around Quinn’s neck, clinging to him like his tails were clinging to their legs. It was almost like seaweed, now that he thought about it. Some part of his brain would have panicked over the amount of seawater on them, but that part was kinda fuzzy right now.
Solange huffed a piece of hair away from her face, and rolled her eyes with a grin. “Yeah right. Dream I know likes guys. He charms girls, yeah, because he wants what they can give him.” Watching Cam swim with so much ease was odd. At times he wanted to do it too, but then again, she’d have to give into the water, and that just wasn’t happening. “So really, this is a bi-partison party?” Sol elbowed Urban, waggling her eyebrows.
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Quinn grinned at Dream then, and of all things pressed a light kiss to his lips holding the other close to himself enjoying the feel of nothing more than the water between them. “Now don’t let go…” and there he went, easily moving through the water even with one arm wrapped and holding the other close. The Lapras side of him showing now.
“Well I think he’s more interested in what Quinn may be able to give him.” An amused smirk from the Aggron was directed at the couple before he turned back to Sol, one hand copping a feel of her beneath the water. “Pretty much it is, which is more amusing than it ought to be.” He turned and saw Jayme settling back in the water his bottle in hand and making another face as he drank. “Can’t say the kids’ not willing to try new things…” and here he turned to Sol and grinned deviously. “I can think of a few new things. Too bad we have so many people watching.”
Solange/Dream: Dream held Quinn’s face in a hand, and relished the kiss, even as random as it was. It wasn’t what he’d had planned for the evening, but it was definitely a nice change! And with a quieter yelp, he held onto Quinn, not used to this sort of fluidity in the water. It was…wonderful.
Solange elbowed him for real this time, aiming a little lower than usual, though not so low as she would damage anything. She might need those things for later! “That’s something I never thought I’d see…Jayme in a bathing suit AND drinking. I’m really rather touched.” Faking a sigh, she placed her hand upon her chest, then realized she was still naked, which made his comment all the more appropriate. “We could sneak off for a bit, I don’t think they’d mind. It is OUR honeymoon, so it’s not like it’d be rude.”
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: The yelp brought an amused chuckle from Quinn as he moved through the water like one would walking on the street. With absolutely no issues. He was content to keep Dream held close and secure, fingers curling lightly over a bared hip bringing a smile to his face. “You look like you’re having fun.” It was nice to see!
“Kids’ loosened up a bit since going to that new club. Still shy and jumpy, but he’s branching out trying new things. I have hope for him.” Urban laughed as he was elbowed bending with a low ‘oof!’ as he straightened, the hand that was hidden under the water pinching her a** with a smirk. “I see a cropping of rocks over there. I bet we can find some sort of privacy there if we’re quiet.” And here he laughed. Quiet. Right.
Cam looked like he was moving back toward the beach, nearer to Jayme and settled in a way to keep hidden, but giving the other teen some company so he wasn’t all alone. It didn’t take long for Cam to convince Jayme to venture a little further into the water even if he looked nervous about it.
Solange/Dream: “This is so cool! I can’t believe you can do this, Quinn.” Dream reached a hand down to trail on the water as the passed, pleased with the ripples it created. He moved his hand to slip it underneath the hand that rested on his hip, sliding against Quinn’s skin to rest on his lower back. “You know what? I bet you could swim forever and then we’ll just keep swimming forever like a sea of swimming.” Oh yeah, now that whiskey was kicking in.
Solange tried to give him a sharp look, but it melted. She couldn’t stay annoyed with him for long, not when he looked so damn good actin so mischievous. “Yeah, so, I guess that’s out of the picture.” She laughed. Seeing Jayme and Cam coming closer, she moved over to them, reaching out a hand for Jayme. “If it really bothers you, I can walk you back, but I am glad you came.”
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: “That’s the Lapras in me Dream.” Quinn chuckled softly as he realized the whiskey was certainly kicking in on him, and nuzzled at his cheek softly. “I can swim a good long time though yes. We’ll swim for a bit, and head back to dry up and all….” The few sips he’d had wouldn’t hit him near as hard as they were Dream, and he thanked his size for that!
Urban grinned at her sweetly, pleased to have averted her wrath, such as it was, and had been leaning in to kiss her when she moved away towards Jayme, and he turned as well. “It’s not so bad here…not fond of the drink options, but trying wasn’t so bad. I don’t want to make you have to go so soon though. Cam said he’d come out here with me. I’m not going much deeper. “ not one step deeper! This was far enough! He took her hand and squeezed it softly, smiling at her warmly.
Solange/Dream: Dream might have purred, if he'd been a feline of any kind. As it stood he snugged up to Quinn, dipping his fingers in the water like a child poking jello. "I wish I could swim like you." His words had a little slur to them. "All I do is sink and float. Like one of those fishing ball things." Oh man, it felt like he was on clouds! Solange laughed as she side stepped Urban, ever so aware of what he'd been trying to get at. Maybe later, her eyes promised, but everything in her stance said the ride was closed. "I don't plan on going out much further, either. Fire types-" She started, then remembered the happy go lucky fox in the water right at that moment "-well, I don't mix with water. How about we go back to the fire instead for a drink and warm up?"
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: "I could always teach you to swim you know. Wouldn't be hard to do once we're both up to the lessons. For now though I certainly don't mind keeping you close to me as I do all the work." he gave a low chuckle at how Dream was behaving, and knew the cause. Oh sure he'd had more to drink but there was more mass to himself. "Sexiest fishing lure I've ever seen..." and here he grinned.
Urban pressed a kiss to Sol's lips with a wink and slipped off into the water with Cam who had left Jayme's side so he could talk to Solange. Jayme gave her a relieved smile and nodded. "That sounds better. Though this isn't so bad." he looped his arm with his friends, a silly smile on his face. Proof that even if the taste was funny to him, it was helping him to relax!
Solange/Dream: Dream guffawed and gave Quinn a playful, if not sloppy, punch to the shoulder. "I'm bringin' sexy fish, yeah!" He chortled, and shook his head. "I used ta be able ta swim, when I was a kid but then the tails got bigger and they weigh me doooowwwwwnnnnn." Solange rolled her eyes at Urban with an amused smiled, looped her arm with Jayme's and walked him back to the warmth of the fire. The look on his face was absolutely priceless! If only she had a camera...but then, would she take it, knowing how embarrassed he'd be later? Nah, but it was fun to think about. "You sure I can't get you another one? Or something to chase it with?" She grinned.
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: There was an amused smile from Quinn at the punch to his shoulder and he pressed a kiss to the top of the others head as he swam a little deeper, moved a little faster and kept Dream held securely. "Well don't worry Darlin' not about to let you sink while I'm around."
"Oh why not. There's nothing else to drink and I'm thirsty." he grabbed his towel and sat down by the fire slowly drying off, and he grinned a little. "So...you know how I went camping on my own awhile back? The time I got hurt I mean?" he combed his fingers through his hair thoughtfully. "I met someone..." and here he smiled a little brighter, blushing some. "He was so...so....dreamy...once I got over being scared of him." there was a soft sigh from Jayme and a quiet laugh. "He was afraid of me too amazingly.."
Solange/Dream: Dream wasn't just content with that little kiss. He grasped hold of Quinn's face and planted a good one on him, holding him close as if he really were walking on air. "You should just stop swimming for a while and enjoy me. The water. Enjoy the water, but mostly me." Solange dug around for two more bottles, and passed one off to Jayme before grabbing up her clothes. She dressed slowly, slipping back into the clothes themselves without any undergarments. What was the point in putting the swimsuit back on if she wasn't going to use it? "Oh? You didn't tell me about that." She settled down next to him and opened her bottle, sitting on the edge of her seat. "Wait, was he the one that hurt you, or did he help you?"
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Quinn rumbled in delight at the kiss from Dream and he held him as close as he dared, as tight as he dared and kissed him back almost feverishly. "The hell with the water. You're so much more enjoyable than it is." the words were husky against the others lips as he broke the kiss to speak....only to dive right back into it. This...this was very nice.
Jayme took it and got it open carefully with part of his towel and had just raised it to his mouth to drink when Sol asked if Endy had been the one to hurt him. Which caused it to go down wrong, and he to choke a moment. "Hurt me? No, he didn't hurt me. He helped me set up the tent, and all. Endy is so nice honestly. He's a Scyther." Jayme actually had a dreamy note to his voice.
Solange/Dream: Dream held onto Quinn as tight as he possibly could have, and not because he was afraid of drowning. The taste, the scent - he couldn't get enough of him! And the whiskey tossed his inhibitions out the door. "Mmhmm." Yeah, yeah, whatever with words, this was kissin' time. "Woah, kid, breathe!" Solange reached out to pat his back, on her feet at his side in an instant. When she saw back down it was closer so tha she could still rub it and help him out. "Oooh, well, that's a different story, huh? And a Scyther too. What's he look like? Is he the serious type, the sweetie - come on now, details."
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Quinn could have stayed like this all night, but he figured before long Dream would get sick of the water so even while still kissing, claiming the others mouth with his tongue he was swimming backwards, ignoring all sounds of Urban and Cam horsing around and splashing one another and just generally enjoying each others company.
Jayme was glad for the pat on his back and he got back to breathing just fine and he turned a nice shade of pink. "Well...he was taller than me....and he wore these really cool boots...I'd never seen boots like that...and he was strong..." and he set out to describe Endymion as much as he could. Before he lost his train of thought. "No one hurt me that night though you know...I had a nightmare and ran and I fell and got hurt. Someone else helped me back to my camp site. I don't know who I never saw them in the dark."
Solange/Dream: Dream barely noticed that there were other people in the water, let alone people he might have wished never to see him acting the way he was. As it stood, he was clearly close to committing a very tantalizing act in the water at that moment, if Quinn would just stop moving around so much. Solange smiled and took another drink. "It's always nice to have someone taller than you, huh?" Her eyes drifted out to the water at her husband and his tomfoolery. She listened to his description, feeling more and more like she really wanted to meet the guy who had left such an impression on Jayme. "Well, so long as you're okay and whole that's what matters most to me. Maybe I should call Endy up, see what kind of man he is, just to make sure he's good enough to even be talking to you."
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Quinn could feel an almost desperate edge to Dream, and he didn't want anything more than what was happening now, to happen like this. Dream was drunk and Quinn did not want him forgetting...or worse yet regretting. "Lets go somewhere a little less watery...put us on some even footing." it was a start.
"It is though I'm not very tall anyhow." which didn't bother him any. Though there was a wry smile and shake of his head. "Endy will be hard to contact. Even for me. I told him I wanted to keep in touch and all, but he doesn't like crowds, or people....so I don't know if I'll ever see him again honestly." and there a despondent sigh as he took another drink. "But it's okay. It's nice to know there's someone out there I can like. Even if I probably won't ever see him again."
Solange/Dream: Sounds good to me." Dream laughed. He nipped at Quinn's lower lip, and nuzzled his cheek with his own. The sooner the got on the land the sooner he could do whatever it was that his body wanted him to do. Solange frowned, and shook her head. "Don't say that like it won't ever happen. If you want to see him again, it'll happen, whether he wants it to or not." She teased, hoping to lighten up the mood a bit. "And who knows? Maybe he's trying to find you right now and you're stuck on the beach with a bunch of nudists."
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Quinn continued to walk backwards keeping Dream held close, hand stroking down over bare skin with a content sigh from him. "Want to head back to our room?" it would give Dream a little time to sober up if they did.
"I hope you're right. I'd like to see him again..." and he blushed again. "I kissed him...well on the cheek..." he took another hasty drink. He was still surprised he'd done that honestly! Though he couldn't help a laugh. "I have seen more bare skin tonight...than I have ever seen before." he blushed again some. "I wish I wasn't so shy sometimes."
Solange/Dream: "Yep, that's what I want. Just you and me." The closer they came to land, the more his tails began to surface and even in water he normally would have been able to walk in he couldn't even began to move. Not only was the weight of wet tails dragging on him, but the whiskey as well. "Woo hoo, Jayme!" Solange cried, wrapping her arm around his with a huge grin. "That's a huge step! He'll have to come back for more after that." Oh yeah, embarrassing friend moment was a go! "Hey, it's okay to be shy. I was the first time I was around any naked person, but I'm just really desensitized to it now. It just means you haven't had as much experience with it, which is so totally not a bad thing."
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: "Then just you and me it'll be Darlin. But we'll have to get our shorts back on. Can't go back totally naked." he laughed softly and stepped up onto dry land, feeling the air on damp skin, noticing the sluggishness of the others movements. "Want me to carry you?" it wasn't a life or death situation after all. He couldn't help a sudden laugh at the "Hey Dream, nice a**!" from the water and the deep chuckle from Urban. It was so him.
Jayme blushed deeper but laughed. "It was just a sudden thing...but it felt nice. Different." but very nice. "You get used to being around naked people? How did you get used to it?" he glanced towards the water and blushed furiously at Dream and Quinn standing there naked and kissing and quickly looked away. He'd been trying to look out at the water, not them! "With Urban? Or?"
Solange/Dream: Dream actually frowned, and made an 'awww' noise, while he tried to pick up his feet. "I gots it, see?" He stumbled, but he was walking, all nine tails dragging the sand behind him. It took him a full moment to register where it came from, and Dream turned around to Urban, "Thank you!" he waved an arm and almost fell over. "Okay, so where's the shorts? And where's Urbans? I wanna make sure a Mankey gets them and runs off with em." "I work in a strip club, so I'm surrounded by it all the time." Even if she did serve drinks, it was hard to miss the gyrating naked bodies she was surrounded with day after day. She turned to notice the scene as well, and gave a wolf whistle before returning back to the conversation. "Urban helped, though." She grinned, a little flush to her cheeks as well.
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: He was too damned adorable behaving as he was and it brought a laugh from Quinn even as his arm wrapped around Dream as he nearly toppled. "His are over by the fire. Good luck getting them away from Sol." he snickered and found his and Dream's and held the others out. "Here you go Darlin' in you go."
"Oh well this does make sense..." he hadn't seen that portion of the clubs yet and had no desire to either. Jayme giggled some at Sol's reaction. "I bet he did...I bet he did." he wiggled his eyebrows a moment and snickered before setting down his drink. He was feeling very fuzzy now.
Solange/Dream: “I’ll get ‘em, just watch me.” His words were very slurred now, as were his movements, but his determination was clear. Steal Urban’s pants and burn them! Wait, when did the plan change? “In I got like vertigooo.” Dream slipped into his shorts as best he could, stumbling over the left pants leg when he couldn’t find the right hole to put his foot in.
Solange nearly choked on her own drink, and had to give a hearty laugh. She was so not expecting that one! “Jayme, you cad.” She couldn’t stop laughing, and it was just kept up when she saw Dream bumbling about. She made the mistake of making eye contact, and tried to look away, but he got to her first.
“Where are they?” Dream put his hands on either side of her on the bench. “Where’z the shorts?”
Solange looked up at Quinn, mouthing ‘what the ********?’ before turning to Dream. “Whose shorts?”
“Urban’s. Gotta burn ‘em. Real big. In fire. Poooof!”
“How about I let you do that later, and you go back to your room with Quinn now instead? He looks so lonely right now without you smooching on him. Don’t you think you should fix that?”
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: 'I'm sure you will Darlin..." he was careful to hold Dream up even as he nearly stumbled, getting that stubborn foot into the leg hole, and then he was into his own pants then, watching as Dream went stumbling off to Sol and Jayme.
He watched Dream with surprise, never having expected to see him of all people behaving like this! Then again he didn't realize he was behaving in ways he didn't usually, either.
Quinn for his part just raised his hands up with a shrug in a 'Got me' sort of way. He wasn't sure what Dream's issue with Urban was suddenly but he could hear Sol's words and he came up behind Dream and kissed at the back of his neck, nibbling at an ear. "C'mon Darlin...lets go back to our room...finish what we started hm?" okay maybe not something Sol wanted to hear about her brother.
Solange/Dream: That was soooo not something Solange needed to hear. Her ears flipped back on her head and she curled her lip. It wasn’t like she expected the guys to be chaste, after what she’d seen on the beach and knowing they had a room, but come on! This was her brother they were talking about and now she had a mental image to go with it!
Dream just added to the moment by giving into a little moan, his damp tails swaying about Quinn’s legs. He leaned into the larger teen, a loopy smile on his face. “If you think we can make it, we should make it.” He snorted and laughed, lolling his head to the side. His feet were slipping into the sand, and with some manner of getting his feet to work he managed to stand up again. “And then we’ll swim in the shower, but not really swimming, right? I don’t wanna swim anymore, I want to-“
“Stop! Cease! Halt!” Solange waved her hands, her dark cheeks already the color of the night sky. She couldn’t make eye contact with either male. “Take that s**t to the room, Quinn.” Solange chanced an amused grin, but she just couldn’t look at the pair without laughing again.
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: The pair in the water were close enough to hear the teasing going on, just sitting there chatting amiably in the moonlight, and Jayme was staring resolutely at his hands, a deep red on his cheeks. This...was not something he was used to. Oh sure he'd finally figured out what Zev and Ghede got up to, especially since they had their own place....but to hear it so blatantly...so see it so clearly...it was shocking to him!
Quinn whispered something against Dream's ear at the moan hands circling his waist and pulling him close. "We'll head back to the room and strip and I'll help you wash all the sand from your tails before anything else....then yes we'll....." and here he grinned at Sol and winked. "Have some fun."
Fingers found Dream's chin and tilted his face to him, kissing him again. "C'mon my sexy, drunk fox...lets go back to the hotel." and sober you up a smidge was his silent thought! "G'night you two, was a pleasure." his arm curled around Dream again and pulled him close with a promising smile on his face.
Solange/Dream: “I like it when you talk clean to me.” Solange snorted, even as Dream gave into another of Quinn’s kisses. She couldn’t help, but think that her brother was getting more action out of tonight than she was. However, he needed it to loosen up and she’d gladly give him all the booty luck.
Dream couldn’t think of anything better than a warm shower, conditioner in his fur and whatever Quinn had planned. He was practically already melted jelly infront of him right now! “G’night,” Dream slurred, clinging onto Quinn with an eager look, all to eager to make his way away from the group and back to the hotel.
When they were a safe distance away Solange leaned back with a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m going to need something really stiff to forget all of that. Something really…” She’d already begun to dig around the alcohol, “…really,” ah-ha! The Whiskey that Dream hadn’t barely scratched, “…stiff.” And without a thought, she uncapped the flask and downed a good chunk.
Urban/Cam/Jayme/Quinn: Quinn raised his hand in farewell to Cam and Urban and took off walking keeping Dream close to his side, fingers playing lightly over the skin on the others back and he couldn't help but think once again just how lucky he was the other loved him back. It made his heart skip a beat when he thought about it honestly!
Jayme looked up once they walked away only to blush as Urban sidled up to Sol still naked and grinned. "I can give you something stiff babe." he bent and grabbed his shorts then and took his time getting them on as Cam pulled his own on with a yawn. "I'm heading back to the hotel and hope I don't run into those two making out...or worse...against a tree or something." Jayme stood up then too. "Mind if I walk back with you? I'm sort of tired too." "Not at all. Night you two." he winked at Urban then and he and Jayme set off as Urban sat and snagged the whiskey from his wife. "Looks like it's just us now babe." oh the s**t eating grin then.
Posted: Fri May 02, 2014 8:34 am
Protect (Urban and Cameron teach Jayme Protect)
"Okay listen up kid, things are different now that you're outta that hellhole, and now I can show you some stuff to help you keep yourself safe. We're starting small, and you're learning Protect. Which basically means you'll be dodging attacks rather than fighting back."
It seemed to Urban, that this was the best way to go about teaching Jayme. Start small with ways to defend instead of attacking, no sense in throwing him right into it after all. The next step had been to get Cameron to help since he was better at teaching people, and had more patience, but be there to supervise and offer support to Jayme as it were. There was a nod from the Teddiursa teen who was looking between the other two curiously.
"Now Jayme what you want to do is simple. If someone swings at you...you duck..." Cameron launched into a careful explanation, he and Urban giving a visual demonstration first, with Urban swinging (in slow motion!) at Cameron so Jayme could follow the progress of his fist, then at a more realistic to a fight speed. He was pleased to see that Jayme who was watching them intently, though he had to admit he wasn't surprised the teen was paying such close attention to things. For his part ,Jayme was happy this was being shown to him! This was actually something he'd been hoping for, for a long time. To be taught to take care of himself. Finally, Urban broke away and Cameron faced him, a grin on his face and they began.
Fortunately the shiny Zebstrika was careful and pulled his moves so while they would connect on occassion, and would sting some they wouldn't cause too much damage to the Teddiursa teen who wouldn't know how to handle it. They didn't want to maim him after all, that wasn't the point of this exercise.
After awhile they took a break and Urban handed them both some water a grin on his face. "Looking good kid, looking good. A little more practice and I think you'll have it. Then we can go toe to toe." the look of horror on Jayme's face made Urban burst out laughing. That had been worth it. "Relax Jayme, I was joking I don't think you could handle yourself against me in an actual fight. Nothing against you, but we're just built differently. So you're off the hook there, and I wouldn't have you go against Cam either, he knows even more than me. So not a fair fight there either."
By the time practice was done for the day Jayme was sweating like he never had before, and was aching in ways and places he didn't know he could. But he was grinning from ear to ear, a new look had come into his eyes. Some of his fear had been replaced by confidence and it made a huge difference, especially to those who knew him well. This had been the right choice indeed, and Urban was glad he had decided to go ahead and do this. It was something to see such a confident look on the kids face for once.
((Jayme has the worst Valentines day of his life.))
Kyran For one that had never had a proper grasp on reality, it shouldn't have come as any sort of surprise just how quickly and irreversibly situations could spiral out of control. In fact, it didn't, but the acceptance of this fact did not make it any easier to adapt when the metaphorical brakes had been cut as one that still projected authority. Perhaps it merely meant a lack of confidence to curb the weight of it. Funny, he would have thought delirium would have come easier, for wasn't that, in a way, how he normally lived life? Perhaps the lack of confidence to help back it up, it was a generally useless attribute. He wouldn't have been surprised.
He winced slightly and staggered himself into a tree, easing himself back towards ignoring the pain. It was useless, the situation was nigh hopeless, and being out here was only making him feel that much more vulnerable. Frustration was holding him aloft higher than despair, and his stubbornness had become but a double-edged knife. In trying futilely to help someone else, he was only harming himself, but sitting idly by was not something Kyran was able to do when it was not commanded of him. Unfortunately, he was mistaking that helplessness for uselessness once more.
In that constant inner turmoil, it wasn't until the fading light of the sun caught Kyran's attention did he realize that he was breaking past the boundaries of the forest, into the plains that lay beyond. Irritated, he lingered at the edge. The lights of civilization blinked in the distance, and as a passing thought, he mused whether or not he'd be able to give them nightmares at the far proximity he was stationed at present. Maybe it was a smart move to head back, he didn't even realize how long he'd been gone from home, hidden at the base of the mountains.
He slid to the ground at the thought. He just felt so drained. What if Kiara had woken up while he was gone? What if she never did again? His ribs still stung like claws clear through, but he wasn't sure if the physical or the psychological pain was worse. He couldn't breathe, afflicted with both simultaneously. The only thing he could do was wallow, or try to forget it all, at least temporarily. He held his hand up, fingers partially obscuring civilization from his vision. Darkness was slowly creeping in, and then... his hand moved higher. Nothing; it was gone fully from his view.
Maybe he was finally starting to understand why Kiara defaulted so often to violence as a means of escape. This was near intolerable.
Jayme To put it simply, the day had been hellish. He'd agreed to work for a time for the big to do that was happening at the clubs for Valentiens Day. A day he was aware of and had never really partaken in, in any way. He'd come out on stage, sing...go back up to his room more or less. He wasn't exposed for long to the couples and their over saturating love. So it was without hesitation he'd agreed.
Only to feel several shades of awkward and out of place even as he entertained and performed, intermingled with others and a DJ. It was worse over on the other side where older huamans and poke-humans alike were at. Even the very air in thye city seemed to be full of love, and sugary sweetness. It was nice to see....but it caused a small ache in his heart seeing all these couples in love, or in the early stages of their relationship. It all reminded him that he was a single entity, and had no one in his life to care about in that way...or be cared about by in return.
Oh sure he had his friends, of course. And they cared about him, and he them but it wasn't the same sort of feeling, or emotion he was realizing. No...there was definitely something missing in his life, and it was leaving him sort of moody that day. After he finished at the club he changed into something a little more kid-sturdy and made the trek to Urban and Solange's new house. He'd promised ages ago to baby sit the twins for them that night so they could go out for dinner and a movie, and enjoy a little bit of time alone together.
Jayme had no fears, he'd spent a lot of time with the twins, and got the hang of handling babies pretty quickly, and amazingly they didn't bother him even when they made a mess all over. Be it themselves, or him. He just made sure he had some clothes stored at their house in case he had to change. It made life easier than trying to run around in smelly/dirty clothes, or in his friends borrowed clothing!
Still, he wasn't in the greatest of moods as he got there, despite having a couple of small gifts for the twins. He figured a new stuffed animal for each wouldn't hurt. Even if he was sure Casey would have his chewed up within moments. The tyke hadn't disappointed either, ripping the arm off of the monkey easily and crawling off with bits of fluff trailing behind the now one armed monkey.
The evening went by easily enough and he had the twins in their cribs before long, which gave him far too much free time on his hands. To help them out he did a small amount of tidying he could see needed done, and that wasn't so loud it'd wake the two up. Then he settled back on the couch and looked for something on the tv and was dismayed to find romance, after romance, after romantic comedy. This day was turning into a drag! He'd never had an issue with Valentines before, but he'd never been so exposed to it either, and he was finding he didn't like it.
His friends returned home sooner than expected, mostly because there was no movie either of them wanted to sit through, and so he was relieved of duty early, giving him far too much time to go wandering through the streets of the city lost in thought. Couples strolling hand in hand. Sitting at candle lit tables inside and out. Paused here and there enjoying the evening, or even kissing. Jayme tried not to stare too much at the last one, because though he knew it was perfectly normal, it was one of those things he'd yet to experience and he was admittedly curious. Though with as much time as he'd spent more or less locked up thanks to Reese, it was no wonder he had no experience in anything.
There was a noise near him that caused him to look up and he blinked in surprise. He'd gotten lost in thought, and not paid any attention to where he was and had wandered into a seedier part of town. One he didn't want to be in for fear of running into his ex boss. He was fortunate that he didn't...but not so fortunate in the fact that a rather drunk man was now hitting on him, and groping at him all of which left him more than a little upset, and reacting with a violence he didn't know he possessed, slapping the man soundly before running for dear life.
He didn't pay a lick of attention to where he was running. Just that he was. He knew he had to get away! The slim heel on his shoe snapped and caused him to stumble and fall. Yanking the other shoe off, he managed to hook the heel in a railing he was leaning against and with a sharp yank cracked that one off as well. His new flats were pulled back on and he resumed his running. Face flushed with anger, fright, and exercise, curls in a frightening disarray, and his eyes bright with rage and tears as he finally came to a stop on the outskirts of the city, chest heaving and he gasping for air.
Looking around he saw he'd run for the wild, away from the city, the lights, and more importantly the people! With a worn out note, Jayme dropped to the ground less than gracefully, still trying to catch his breath, and calm down.
Kyran The passage of time felt like so fickle a concept, as though it appeared and disappeared under direction of it's own whims. It wasn't as though Kyran didn't care enough about it, but when he didn't want to acknowledge it, it became a background variable to the greater picture. After all, when one was more intensely focused on other tasks at hand, it was difficult to multitask unless it was specifically attempted. Therefore, the descent of the sunlight on the horizon was met with nothing but disinterest in favor of steadying internal stimuli. Numbing the senses was not always something one could will into existence, though, and distraction was not a readily available reprieve.
It wasn't, however, until he noticed he was not alone, way out here. For a moment, Kyran merely observed, similarly as he would when veiled in the unconscious barriers of a nightmare. This was reality, however, but that was not a fact that seemed too immediately a threat, especially when it appeared obvious that the distant figure was currently preoccupied with their own problems. What threat could Kyran really experience when he had not actually been spotted in the dimming light? The individual was moving pretty quickly, as though he had a destination in mind, and it wasn't toward anywhere the darkrai was aware of.
He flinched slightly as he saw Jayme drop to the ground, but the reactionary movement jarred the stinging to resurface. He paused only a moment, holding his breath in retaliation against the pain. Maybe this would be a good avenue in which to distract himself from his own problems... it wasn't as dark as he would have liked, but the way things had been going lately, he didn't honestly care, not at the moment.
His pacing was slow, both to rise and to make his way over to see what was going on with the figure in the distance. He didn't want to get too close -- it was a habit, near instinct at this point, to keep the distance. The darkrai waited a bit, more to see if he would be spotted before he risked speaking, but it seemed like this individual was having a tough time. It really wasn't in his nature to help people, but the diversion was welcome at this point. It didn't help that something about this arrangement seemed somehow familiar... "Are you alright over there?" he cautiously asked, head tilting a bit as though it would give him a better idea as to who he was dealing with, "...Do you need some h--"
Suddenly, Kyran's inclination to disregard his usual safety precautions seemed the worst possible action he could have taken tonight. "You!" he hissed under a breath. The darkrai took a step back, tensing at the realization of who exactly he was dealing with. Of course this was familiar; why hadn't he noticed sooner? If his carelessness had led people to discover his whereabouts... No, he couldn't let that happen. Jayme was the only one that had run into him on more than one occasion, so it was easy enough to take the teen as the most prominent lead to a threat. Even if Kyran had been sure that Jayme never got a good look at him before, he didn't want to take the risk, or be seen now in better light. Time, that capricious element, was once more out of his grasp -- he couldn't move backward and try that one again.
Jayme His main thought as he got away from town was how nice and peaceful it was here away from town. How freeing it was to be out in the open and out of the smothering feeling of town. More than a small part of Jayme still longed for freedom from things it would seem. This moment, it was freedom from that love saturated city before he ended up throwing up or something. Not normally one to be against some things, it was at a highly concentrated level or something this year, he was sure of it!
So lost in thought when he dropped to the ground, he hadn’t noticed anyone around. His new ‘flats’ were slipped off his feet and he’d let the bottom of his feet rest in the cool grass even as he watched the shadows begin to lengthen and darken with the impending loss of light. Not yet, but soon it would be dark. For now he was enjoying the play of colors in the sky, watching them fade out slowly, and the stars come twinkling in to take the spots of the washed out colors instead.
Therefore, it was no surprise that he was startled at the voice he heard not far behind him which made him wrench himself around quickly to find the source of the voice, eyes looking over the unfamiliar teen curiously. He hadn’t noticed him when he’d sat down surprisingly! Still, he was noticing him now! His voice was a little low, on the quiet side but there was a deepness to it that Jayme was liking. He sort of wished the guy would keep on talking, he had heard of people using the phrase ‘smooth like velvet’ and he’d felt velvet before, but he’d never met a person who’s voice could fit that description. Until now. He could have listened to the stranger talk longer just from those few words he heard!
At least until that sudden dismayed tone to his voice, that hiss that had Jayme staring up from where he was sitting in wide eyed surprise. Him what? What had he done? Why was this guy annoyed with him already!? He’d been here less than a couple minutes and hadn’t even seen the guy so how could he have made him mad already!? It was a baffling thing to wrap his head around, it was making no sense! Without looking away from the seemingly agitated stranger his hand groped along the grass for his shoes and he blindly pulled them on….onto the wrong feet. Not that he was noticing just then. No, he was more prepared to suddenly jump to his feet and take off running if the need arose.
”W…what about me?” Jayme winced slightly, hating how timid and frightened he sounded just then but honestly it couldn’t be helped at this moment, the other had him off guard and he was trying to figure out his latest faux pau with no real luck. Had he put on a bad performance at Reese’s club at a time this guy was there? Or had he not performed well enough earlier today at the Valentines thing he’d performed at. Maybe that was it. Maybe he’d wrecked the guys date with his horrible singing and he was mad at Jayme. It was the only thing making sense, he was pretty sure he’d remember a guy who was as good looking as this one was if he’d seen him at all! Though when he realized he thought the guy was good looking he wondered if there was such a thing as “scary hot” and figured there had to be, because this guy was definitely it just now! …and then he blushed a bit realizing his train of thoughts.
Kyran There was no denying the absolute confusion that Jayme was experiencing at the connection that Kyran had made in that single instant. The awkward physical and vocal cues the teddiursa in the grass were giving, even in the partial light, were easy enough to pick up on, especially for one so well-versed in the observation of the oddity that was interaction and the trappings of one's mind. Sure, it was more of a detached knowledge, but it was enough to work from.
So... it wasn't clicking to Jayme who it was that had stumbled across him, yet again. Kyran floundered a bit in the silence, voice ensnared between a tensed sort of fright and the delusion of fighting back the effects of injury. Detracting his focus, he turned toward the horizon, where the sun was ever steadily shrinking into the planes beyond their borders. Due to his own nature as a darkrai, he was fairly certain that the fact he had grown would not have labeled him a stranger to the timid brunette. To that extent, he was assured that he had successfully stayed out of immediate line of sight during prior interaction. That much was a slight weight off... but then, he was in view now, that much he could also be certain of. How long until that cover was broken? Daylight was quickly fading, which would only bring his more prominent features to light -- after all, there was nothing he could really do to cover the faint glow his eye gave off, save for learning to walk blind.
It became obvious that, all things considered, there was really no going back and erasing the blunder he had so carelessly stumbled into. He was such an idiot -- there was no good excuse he could offer for his brash decision-making. He could almost hear Kiara's jeers at the mockery he was; if she had been conscious of it, at least. It seemed there was no escaping this foul mood, either.
As Jayme asked for clarification, Kyran hesitated. Which route should he take, if his cover was going to be blown either way? It appeared he was going to have to play this by ear, even though his temperament was quite a bit more volatile than normal. Nothing about this was going right. Nothing about the past few days was, and he was fearing it may only get worse from here on out. Perhaps... perhaps he should be taking directive in a manner he never saw himself taking. Drastic times called for drastic measures, right? He had time to hold back... it all depended on how Jayme was going to run with the situation.
Studying the other teen's flustered behavior, he took note through hyper-vigilance just how much he was going to have to push back. "...Never mind, forget I said anything," he brushed it off. The average individual could have been easily mistaken knowing someone in the dim light, right? It felt like it could be a clean break that way, if Jayme held onto that obliviousness. If that path opened up, then Kyran would only have to worry about Jayme realizing what he was. His reluctance and unsure mindset had him lingering in place, however, as if still willing to help if it was needed -- good gods did he want to hide now, though.
Jayme He couldn’t help but stare a few moments, those large brown eyes looking over the other teen closely…and being struck by his looks. Wow….I thought Endy was cute….but this guy….woooow… his thoughts were lost a moment as he stared some more…so long it was going to border on rude if he didn’t look away soon. Fortunately, he did, eyes sliding away as long lashes feathered over his cheeks as he closed his eyes a moment trying to gather both his thoughts and his wits about him. Something about the teen unsettled him and he wasn’t sure why…or in what way. Sure he’d seemed angry but he didn’t think it was the anger doing it. Or was it? He was very confused.
The others back tracking though had Jayme’s eyes opening again after a moment, an almost amused smile on his face. ”First you get all…mad or something at me…now it’s nothing? You remind me of someone I know.” know, being subjective of course. Someone he’d met more than once. There was an amused smile on his face now as he compared the teen to the child he was talking about. ”Of course, you’re quite a bit bigger, and older than the person I’m thinking of…but he gets kinda…stand offish too.” Jayme shifted a little to look at the stranger better in the setting sun.
”I’m sorry for interrupting your peace and quiet. I honestly didn’t notice you here when I came up.” holding his broken heels in one hand, he carefully pushed himself up to his feet, only to wince at the pressure on his blistered feet, and nearly falling back down again at the pain lancing through them as he stood. That was no good. Maybe he’d better sit back down for a couple more minutes, let his feet rest just a bit longer. ”You really do remind me of someone I’ve met before…do you have a younger brother?”
Kyran Jayme's inspection of the darkrai's appearance did not go unnoticed, but it was under an entirely different thought process as Kyran had been fearing. At least, it had started that way, until the teddiursa's stumbling recollection was made known. Sure, either way, it was a worrisome matter of affairs, but which direction the memory sought to dig up such knowledge was important. Was he meant to take this situation as a darkrai, or as the kid that seemed always stumble into Jayme on his worst days? Never mind that he was a great contributor to those days in particular...
He had to catch himself from aiding in the other teen's memory along, shrinking back into silence instead of offering a quick, 'I told you, I'm not mad!' He supposed fear sounded similar to anger under most pretenses, and it didn't help that Kyran tended to speak matter-of-factly. Regardless of response or not, Jayme was slowly catching on. At first, Kyran thought that he might have just been jumping to conclusions -- that perhaps Jayme was referring to him acting similarly to someone he knew in town or something. It was plausible; he can't have been the only person that Jayme had misinterpreted the factual air for being upset. Then again... Kyran also couldn't deny that he was upset. It wasn't aimed at Jayme, though, was it?
Either way, Jayme had only connected personality to him, and not his appearance. That was better than he had been anticipating, at least, as he could easily shrug it off as being a mere coincidence. The more Jayme went on about the likeness, the more he was sure that he had been referring to Kyran. Obvious, yet still in a state of denial. In fact, the suppression was making him a bit antsy. Instead of twisting in the wind, he moved to offer the assist he had initially set out to do. Couldn't be any worse than anything else that had already happened tonight anyway.
Unfortunately, proximity only increased his reaction to the alerts that were already going off in his head. Without really thinking about the physical repercussions, he held out a hand to help Jayme up as he struggled to do it himself. "I wasn't out here to be noticed," he countered the apology; it seemed wholly unnecessary, but then he also knew that the teddiursa was prone to issuing those out. However, at Jayme's insistence, it became undeniably evident that the connection had been made, and this fact caused Kyran to stiffen slightly, though he tried to keep the hesitance from the surface. With his mind scrambling for efficiency and tact, he could only dole out a simple, "...No." As hasty as the word passed, it was apparent that there was more to the story than the clear-cut answer. He'd have to use it as a weapon, this was tilting into a danger zone that Kyran did not want to have to deal with in the future.
Jayme He was still lost in thought, even as he sat back down deciding it was best not to stand so soon, because boy were his feet killing him just then. Stupid shoes were not meant for cross town walking that was for sure!
“No I suppose you weren’t. You were out here to be alone I imagine, same as me. Again, sorry about interrupting the solitude.” there was a thoughtful look as he was given that no, and he couldn’t help the disappointed look he had.
”Oh. I guess I really do have you mixed up with someone else then.” there was a sheepishness to his tone as he spoke, smiling up at the other teen as he rubbed at his feet lightly a moment before looking down at the shoes he’d been wearing. He’d have to get more comfortable ones in a few days…
With his shoes in one hand he took the offered hand and pulled himself up to a stand, a soft wince of pain on his face, a catch of his breath. Oh stars that hurt like mad! His feet were beyond tender, and as such it caused him to shift closer to Kyran…well…more like nearly tumble against him. Not that he meant to, his feet were really tender just then though!
Kyran Too much seemed to be weighted against where Kyran was hoping the exchange would lead to that it made him miss the fact that Jayme had presented a small, if plausible, means to escape in the teddiursa's insecurity for his own memory. However, despite the words, Kyran was almost positive that he was only saying as much, for fear of what he perceived as anger. Whether or not this was the case, Kyran knew he had fallen too far to be able to retreat safely, let alone with the assurance that he was in the clear. He had to make sure this sort of thing wasn't bound to happen again, or the future would be in jeopardy; at least, worse than it already was.
It wasn't until Jayme had accepted the offered help did Kyran come back to his previous concerns, that there was more than one thing to really worry about. He flinched as the supported weight placed further pressure on his own injuries, causing him to hold a sharp breath in to counteract it. Perhaps, in a way, it was lucky that Jayme was distracted with his own issues at the time, despite the fact it drew him closer. The combined effects of it all caused the darkrai to go on high alert. It shouldn't continue -- not now, nor again.
The pain was making this situation all too easy, to shift his defenses into reverse. He didn't care anymore about how he might sound, what sort of impression he was making, for it didn't work as he wanted in prior meetings. It felt like the only way to save his hide here was to take those drastic measures that were so foreign to his grasp, even if it felt like a slim chance... even though he knew very well that he was completely against his own actions. "You do have me confused with another," he agreed, his voice tensed with his own internal battle, "You have me confused with the delusion of a person you thought you knew." And that person wasn't playing games anymore. He grabbed at Jayme's wrists then, but refrained from putting any unnecessary pressure on them -- it wasn't his intent to harm, just to emphasize, "I know far more than you would be willing to divulge, and do far worse than you could imagine." Of course, 'could' and 'would' were two completely different things, especially in this case... but Kyran needn't concern himself with the finer details. This was all about survival -- impression didn't hold a candle to that.
It took him a moment to ease back, taking a few hesitant steps back. He hated doing this, especially when Jayme had never done him any wrong. Kyran had resigned himself to convicting a person of a crime they had not, and might not ever, commit, and that didn't sit well with him. Give him the chance to run, and hopefully he wouldn't tell anyone else about it. It seemed fairly similar to what Kyran had pulled from Jayme's nightmares of Reese, and was hoping the encounter would be handled in a similar manner.
Jayme He was embarrassed about having nearly stumbled against the other teen when he lost his balance due to his sore feet and had been in the process of both explaining why he’d done that, and apologizing for doing it when the other began to speak and so he remained quiet to listen, brows furrowing slightly as he tried to make sense of wha tit was he was hearing.
Well it was obvious he had him confused for someone else. Especially now that they were close up like this, he could see he’d never met the guy, or anyone else he could place that looked like him. It was the further words ‘a delusion of a person’ that made the furrowed brows turn into a frown. What did he mean? Honestly it was sort of confusing. Was this guy on something?
It was the hands around his wrists though that got to him, and he couldn’t help but tremble as he felt the others fingers curl around them. A slight shudder coursed through him and he looked away from Kyran, eyes dropping in a mix of shame, and sadness. The words being spoken now, felt like ice on his very soul and he felt as if he were growing smaller by the minute. ”Oh”
The word was spoken in a meek whisper even as he lost the hold on his shoes, fingers numb from fright and dread. This was all too familiar to him, and he felt himself shutting down a little. It felt to him as if the guy might know Reese. Why else would he be holding him like this? Behaving as he did? Reese had obviously talked about Jayme. About his desires for the teen, and how he treated him. Jayme though, found it hard to get over the fact that here was another, treating him like Reese did and something within the teen broke a little.
”Please…don’t hurt me….I’ll do whatever you want…anything you want just…don’t hurt me…” his voice was full of tears, and he closed his eyes to keep from looking at the other teen. He’d fought Reese all this time…only for it to happen here…now. A random stranger. But it was all too similar. Maybe Reese had been trailing him all along, this was a set up…. For all he knew Reese was somewhere nearby watching with sick fascination.
He didn’t have any fight left in him just now. It was all gone in the face of this handsome stranger, and he felt a loathing in himself for thinking the other handsome. Not when things were happening as they were. No, it wasn’t right to find the man attractive, especially given the situation. It was wrong of him. So very wrong of him to be glad that at least it wasn’t Reese. It wasn’t something to be glad about, but he was…and he hated himself for it. Jayme’s eyes finally came open, and the warmth, the spark that had been in them were gone, snuffed out.
Jayme had already accepted what he thought was to come, and had simply…shut down.
Kyran The change in Kyran's outward demeanor, despite his severe resentment of having to use it, came so easily to him that it was almost ironic. He couldn't help but speculate whether it was because of the conditions that he lived under, though the roles were reversed. He hated to think it was rubbing off, but the distraction of his injuries were more than enough to keep him from dwelling on the thought. The pain made it considerably too easy to lash out, to forget himself in favor of the goal. This situation was perilous; he needed to keep his attention fully on it and let the rest become but background noise.
At first, it seemed his plan had been a success. Jayme fully understood that Kyran was not fooling around with his threats, even if they were mostly bluffs. The other teen was able to link the two together almost immediately, even though Kyran felt like he might have been stumbling with it. Of course, the earlier events of the day, the darkrai had no knowledge of. Despite all pretenses and abilities, he was no psychic type, but he had more than enough at his disposal to appear to be.
He could feel the sharp sympathy as Jayme's reactions took on a more desperate route -- more than the average, having been on the receiving end of a domineering individual -- but he couldn't show it. If he did, any progress he had made thus far would have been for naught. However, it had become increasingly obvious that Jayme was relating Kyran's words too much to Reese... and, for some reason, wasn't trying to fight it any longer. It was a stark contrast to how he had been behaving when Kyran had last dug a little too deep into the teddiursa's sleeping terror. Where'd the fight go, especially when he himself was far more uncertain an opponent? He hadn't even insisted, his hold was plenty weak to escape from... How bad had things gotten, since that day?
Kyran cursed under his breath; this was not what he had meant to do, was it? He had already pulled himself away, but Jayme was not taking it as indication to leave. He was completely giving up. "Don't sell yourself that short," he snapped, irritated, before he had the chance to check his temper. Reese really had hurt him, hadn't he? He could count his lucky stars he wasn't there at the moment...
However, this was entirely contrary to what the darkrai was trying to accomplish, unless it snapped Jayme out of it to make the next move. "What I want is for you to leave," he stated, noting the darkening sky -- it would be pitch black out before the other was able to make it back at this rate, but it was better than nothing, "You'd have better odds in the city." He tried to make that sound like a threat, but he wasn't entirely sure he pulled that one off. Just leave. Things would never go well if the teddiursa kept running into Kyran... not for either one of them.
Jayme Jayme was spiraling into despair, after an already bad day and all, for a stranger to threaten to do to him, what Reese had been trying to for years now it broke something in the teen, his spirit starting to crumble away as if it were nothing more than a sandcastle being washed away by the water. He was in a precarious mental state just then, withdrawing into himself, as he waited for the inevitable to happen.
So it was a surprise to him to be snapped out of his daze, the doors in his mind he’d been closing being flung wide open as his head snapped up, eyes wide with confusion. He was being allowed to leave? Encouraged to leave? As he looked at the stranger he barely registered the blue flash he saw, his terror was starting to win and it was pushing everything else aside.
With a quick movement he was wrenching himself free of the others grasp, amazed he had managed, neglecting to realize the other wasn’t holding him tightly so he could run away. He yanked so hard he tumbled back to the grass with a startled gasp though he wasn’t down long before he was getting to his feet, and moving away as quickly as his blistered feet would allow, the speed of his hobble picking up though pain was written all over his feet. His broken shoes were left laying where they’d dropped before as he began to work on putting distance between him and Kyran, wanting to get away from him.
Jayme’s breath was coming quickly, he was bordering on hysterics at this point as fright began to fully take over. A struggled to slow his breathing, it hitching even as tears began to stream down his cheeks. Fear. Relief. Escape he knew running through the city barefoot was a stupid idea, but he had no choice. He had to run, before the other decided not to be merciful!
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 1:23 pm
Say it again - in progress ((Jayme finally learns Kyran's name))
Jayme Jayme gave a slight bow and a wave as he finished up the singing he'd been doing that night, a bright smile on his face. This was his first night back on the stage after having to let his feet heal up. They'd been blistered and cut up beyond belief from his mad dash through the city after he'd taken off from the guy that had almost attacked him!
He'd managed to find a phone and called Urban, sobbing, and got picked up and taken to the hospital where his feet were thoroughly cleaned and taken care of, a healing ointment put on them and wrapped once the wounds were tended (including bits of glass dug out of his feet). He'd been placed on rest, and told to stay off his feet as much as possible, so he had. Only getting the all clear the day before. He was glad to be back to work. He'd had much to much free time on his hands, and his thoughts had been running rampat for the last few weeks.
So he'd stayed a few days with his friends, but all too soon he needed solitude and peace the twins being so young (and loud) was something he couldn't handle in concentrated doses. At least not when he was healing up. He had less patience just then it would seem. So he asked to go back to his place and was eventually taken back, where he found he could actually think without his thoughts being scattered every few moments by squabbling babies, though he soon found being able to think, led to sleeplessness, and over thinking.
As the days wore on, and his fright from that night began to wane, he'd started to think back a little, and he was left wondering. He'd seen a flash of blue at face level...he'd only seen one other with eyes that did that... they had to be related he figured. Maybe not brothers...but related some how. It was slightly worrying.
After a week he was able to get around easier, not hobbling near as much, and it made it harder to stay confined to his bed, or chair or anywhere he wasn't standing on his feet. So he'd turned to working on new songs, which he'd performed tonight. As he moved off the stage, a movement in the crowd caught his eye and he stiffened slightly. Reese? Here!? he felt his mouth go dry and his heart start to hammer. Urban was off that night, now that he had kids, he didn't work as tirelessly as he once had and Jayme didn't blame him a bit. He needed to spend his time home after all!
Still, it was a shock to see his former manager there, and he fought the nausea rising in his throat. Moving further from the stage he attempted to make it back stage, only to have a hand grab his arm and he realized he was being accompanied. "Easy now. Walk with me calmly, and act natural or else." the words were spoken in a low tone, but Jayme could feel something jamming into his side, and he paled. He knew all too well what guns were, what they looked like, especially this one. He'd had it jammed into his side in the past, and the look on Reese's face made him realize this was no joke. He'd shoot Jayme if he resisted!
So he acted naturally, gave a wave to a coworker, and he found himself being shown to a car at the dark end of the parking lot. Once there, he prepared to struggle, to run, to something when he felt something bite into his arm. Looking down he saw a glint of silver, a syringe in Reese's hand. A smirk on his face as he shoved the teen into the back of his car, and bound his hands behind his back before slamming the car door shut. Quickly he got into the drivers seat, and headed out of town with his prize in tow. He was taking no chances in being interrupted that night.
It wasn't long till his headlights flashed over the 'You are now leaving' sign at the city limits and he drove on, off towards the dark country side, where there would be no one, and nothing to prevent him from his reward. He glanced several times into the rearview mirror at Jayme laying there unconscious. He stopped once, to tighten the rope around the teens wrists, and as a second thought added a gag, before he was driving once more. It wasn't too many more minutes later till he was pulling off onto a dirt road, bumping along until he was out in the middle of no where, the city lights visible still yes, but such a distance off it was impossible for Jayme to run if he somehow got loose.
Reese stepped out of the car and he laid out a blanket on the ground, before he turned his attention back to the car with a look of lust on his face. Finally....
Kyran As the days moved ever onward, the lack of answers to sprouting questions only managed to give time the impression of spiraling out of control. The ideal of somehow escaping from the unrelenting tide of misfortune was akin to a daydream, but perhaps it was the foolish desire that kept Kyran looking for any sort of way out. It didn't matter if there really was one or not, as long as he didn't definitively know the contrary.
Regardless, it almost felt as though his nighttime wanderings were becoming that much more frequent, as though searching through a lifelike rerun would hint to something he didn't even know he was looking for. In all honesty, his venturings were closer to becoming fewer. He didn't often feel he could leave Kiara to herself, and had yet to find a way to snap her back to reality. Nobody had found the enclosed area that led to the cave entrance in the past, and while he was assured that would continue to be the case in the days to come, he still waned on the idea. Maybe it was this same sort of inconclusive deliberation that resulted in his unreasonable reach for hope.
He paused in his aimless stroll, wincing a bit at the twinge of pain. It was probably best to catch his breath a little, leaning a bit on his staff. His injury had gotten to the point that it only bothered him every so often, as a reminder it was still there. A small hindrance, no more an obstacle than the trouble he had walking normally -- no, probably even less so, as it was not a constant variable. Another question unanswered, but maybe it could be left that way.
It wasn't until the headlights had clawed their way through the thick trees did Kyran realize how close to the road he had become. It was less of a worrisome situation than it had been in the past, as he had grabbed hold of a little more confidence that his presence seemed to be less noted in the dark, let alone in the forest. The roadside, however, indicated far less trees, but the time of the night was more of a comfort. Regardless, with a more humanesque body, fewer seemed to link him to the fables of the rogue darkrai. Not that he pressed his luck to test the theory, but it was notable -- apparently that star did some good, and that was all he really needed to be sure of.
Confused, he watched as the lights slowed to a stop. Someone was stopping by, way out here, at this time of night? Wryly he wondered if it was some idiot kids trying to find traces of Bigfoot, and brushed it off, intent on leaving before any trace of his presence was brought to light. However, as he moved further along, through the thinning of trees, he realized that the person that had hopped out of the car was acting quite... off. Again, Kyran paused, feeling like the guy was trying to dispose of a body or something, wrap it in the blanket he seemed to be spreading. There was no camcorder in his hands, after all, but there was a large enough distance between them that he could have easily concealed it from view. If not that, then... well, weird time for a picnic...
Jayme He had come partially aware in the last few moments of the car ride, his shoulders aching and burning from his arms being secured behind his back, it as an all together uncomfortable, and becoming down right painful position to be in. It had taken him a few moments after coming to, to realize where he was, and why he couldn’t move his arms, and that made panic blossom in his chest and stomach, more so as he realized he had a gag in his mouth.
Seeing Reese looking over the backseat at him as he parked the car made Jayme shudder in fright, and revulsion both, he recognized the look in the mans eyes, and knew there was no hope for him now. As Reese got something from the floor he couldn’t see, he could however feel the hand slowly snaking up his leg and pause at his inner thigh before Reese was out of the door, and moving out of sight.
Though he strained he couldn’t hear anything, and so focused on listening was he, that when Reese reappeared in the door of the car he jumped in surprise, eyes wide. ”Just me and you out here…no getting away from me now.” Jayme knew the truth of this, but it didn’t stop him from struggling anyhow. From kicking a foot out to catch Reese, only to have his ankle caught and foot twisted to the side. ”Behave, or I’ll break your damn ankle, or worse your leg. I’m not in the mood for this do you understand me?” there was a sharp sound of skin on skin, and a muffled cry from Jayme, a red mark blossoming on his cheek.
Then suddenly he was being dragged by his ankles from the car, and he felt his dress bunching up and rising at it happened, and looked away in shame as Reese took a good look at what was normally well covered by clothing. Worse though was the feeling of suddenly flying through the air as Reese lifted him from the car and over his shoulder, he hating the feel of the hand gripping his rear. This was not what he wanted, at all! Then he was moving again, feeling himself being moved from that shoulder through the air, and he braced himself to be flung onto the ground, and was instead surprised to find himself carefully laid on the ground.
Raising up, Reese stood there staring down at him, a grin on his face…and then Jayme kicked him in the nuts, which made Reese double over a moment and retch before he was lunching towards Jayme, and ripped off his gag. ”I had planned to make this as enjoyable for you as its going to be me. Now? Forget that. I want to hear you scream.” in pleasure, in pain he didn’t care just then! He was seeing red! He was now kneeling there on Jayme’s feet to keep him from kicking, but in such a way he could run his hand up the others legs again, pushing the fabric of the dress out of the way.
”Pl…please don’t do this Reese…please…” his voice was full of fear, and he was starting to squirm, to get away, only to yelp as he felt a pinch to his calf, hard enough he was sure he’d bruise from it. Suddenly, Reese was moving, and looming over him, invading his personal space and he cried out again feeling pain in his chest, Reese having harshly twisted flesh. ”You probably should have thought about that before you kicked me in the nuts Jayme. I plan to make you pay for that…and everything else too.”
There was a cry of terror, a scream for help as Reese loomed in closer, pressing lips to his neck before biting down, even as his hand began to move down his stomach again, Jayme struggling beneath the other man, before he felt himself being backhanded again which caused him to gasp in pain and fall momentarily silent, tears pricking his eyes. Maybe he’ll be quick…oh please let this be quick… he was sure it would be painful though, Reese was angry he could tell.
Kyran Kyran stood his ground, though everything about this situation was spelling out bad news, before anything amiss was ever alluded to. The headlights had temporarily altered his visual perception, but already the idea was firmly rooted in his mind that something seemed... familiar, but he wasn't sure what about it was. Something about the way the man held himself, though he was sure Kyran had never met the guy. It kept the darkrai from moving any further, to leave or close the distance, despite intuition and better judgment branding the scenario with a warning label. It couldn't have been fear, but...
As his vision adjusted back to the darkness, he hazarded an attempt to near, placing more effort on the task of remaining enshrouded in the inky scenery. Slow and cautious, mindful of where the staff hit the ground. The physical progression was taking the snail's route, but his observations were quicker on the uptake. Not that realizing what he was seeing was any easier to take in, or even accept as truth. No, he'd never had many encounters with vision playing tricks on him, but the fact that he knew who these people were... it just seemed utterly preposterous. How often had he ever run into so much familiarity, so many repeated encounters with the citizens of any area in his history?
In the end, it didn't really matter, one way or the other. Maybe it was luck, for it was only through imaginative storytelling that Kyran knew, without a doubt and without having to be proven otherwise, what was going on. He knew what sort of person Reese was, how his facade fell when he had trapped Jayme under his authority, away from the prying eyes of the people. At least, the prying eyes that he was aware of.
There was no need to be told what Reese was hoping to do out here -- after all, if a tree fell in the forest, did it truly make a sound? His actions screamed it, more than anything Kyran had found locked up in the recesses of Jayme's mind. Even his worst nightmares weren't this bad.
There was perhaps only a single saving grace to the situation that Jayme had found himself in, and it was likely not a position he was likely to appreciate. Nevertheless, he made an excellent distraction for the overbearing human, his attentions thoroughly absorbed by his dark intentions; not that it seemed like much of a prize. Each further injury inflicted to Jayme felt like another nail in Reese's coffin. Each time Jayme cried out in pain, the darkrai felt as though he picked up speed, and that distance between himself and the object of malintent lessened.
Without so much as a warning, Kyran's staff swung down at the repugnant human from the side, to get him away from Jayme as fast as possible and before he could do anything that built the foundation for the worst of the teddiursa's night terrors. He didn't care how hard he hit Reese, how much damage he was able to cause, or even if the man was still conscious, but with a quick scan, he took careful note to find out and go from there, his gaze unflinching from the source of Jayme's anguish. He almost appeared to dare Reese to do something, but regardless of what the man was apt to do, this was not over. Physical damage was only the tip of the iceberg.
Jayme The pinches to his skin were shocking to him, never having been pinched before and the locations of the pinches weren’t helping. An inner thigh, stomach, chest… they all caused him varying degrees of pain and discomfort and if the look on Reese’s face was anything to go by that was the least of what was going to be done to him. It looked like something in Reese had snapped. Jayme wasn’t aware of just what Ghede had done to him the day he’d fully fled the club, and how his former manager had been tormented by the Biggly Banette, effectively losing his marbles for a time. Reese was obsessed with Jayme however, and nothing, not even medication was going to curb that unfortunately.
He thought he saw movement off behind Reese, but it was hard to tell from where he was, and figured maybe it was a swaying tree. It was hard to focus on anything but the feel of Reese kissing him, and touching him, it making him shudder and try to squirm away to no avail. He thought he might be sick, honestly.
So when the man in question suddenly jerked to the side and collapsed on the ground not far from him, he was actually stunned, a startled gasp from him as he searched the darkness through his tears and was able to make out a dark shape standing there. He drew a ragged breath, trying to find his voice, and a desperate ”Help me…please help me!” spilled from his lips, begging for help to get up, to be untied…to be set free so he could run.
Reese though stunned, wasn’t out for the count, and he was already scrambling to his feet though unsteadily, and looked around for the source of the attack. ”The hell do you think you’re doing attacking me? Get lost!” Jayme was reminded then that Reese was armed, and he struggled a little more. ”Be careful! He has a gu-ooof” the air was driven from his lungs as he was suddenly kicked, unable to properly warn about the gun Reese had. Instead he was trying to curl in on himself as best he could to avoid the next kick that was being aimed at him, trying to protect his side and stomach. As the stars he’d been made to see cleared, and pain blossomed he let out a whimper of pain, he unaware of the smirk on Reese’s face. ”Run along, and you won’t get hurt. I have business to attend to here and you’re keeping me from it.” his words to the point, the only feeling in his tone that of lust and greed. He knew just what he wanted, aside from the stranger to leave.
Kyran It was almost startling, how familiar the situation seemed to be despite the starkly dissimilar the details were. Combat was never a venue Kyran really sought out, but the increased frequency was more than a little alarming, especially when the tides seemed mostly against that which could barely fight back against it. After all, Kyran might not have been a fighter, but Jayme fit the bill even worse.
Attention trained on the shell-shocked target, there was no outward reaction as Jayme pleaded for the help, his focus already pinpointed toward such aid. Quick calculation and careful deliberation, the smallest indication could often spell out more than words properly could. However, Kyran knew well enough that those that had gone off the deep end did not act and react in the same manner as one who was fully conscious and clear-headed. This underlined the danger level, made it necessary to think on the spot and be ready for anything.
Of course, this line of thinking really only worked so well if it was just the one to worry about. What was that, about Kyran attacking Reese? Did he think nothing of the fact he was getting what he was dishing out? Again, the dial on the anger levels were increased as the man had the gall to continue attacking one who was clearly in no condition to do any harm. Before Reese could get another swing in with his leg, Kyran caught it with the reach of his staff in an attempt to knock him down or cause him to stumble. Once he was sure that the attack was parried, hopefully enough to cause the man to stumble in thought, focus derailed once again, he moved forward a little more, trying to get in between them. Kyran paused a moment before he finally said a thing, quickly considering how this situation would pan out, projected a few steps in advance. It was but a second or two, "I have to thank you for that. You've given me no reason to hold back." Of course, they were going to be playing in Kyran's more familiar area of expertise, if he had anything to say about it.
The problem with Hypnosis was that it was not a very accurate attack, but it was really no matter -- Kyran intended to use up all the charges of the move that he had at his disposal. Put Reese to sleep, dig as far down into his mind as he could sink shadowy talons in to in as short a time as possible, rinse, repeat. Kyran was not looking for a stable nightmare, merely the deep shock and seemingly endless cycle. Bleed the darkest fears into the light, quick enough to make his head spin, and Reese likely would be unable to tell reality from a nightmare conjured by his own mind, bounced between the two. Mental whiplash. He'd consider how to go from there once he'd run out of ability, but part of him hoped this was as far as he needed to go to make his point clear.
Jayme Reese landed hard on the ground as Kyran’s staff caught his leg, causing the man to be surprised. Who was this punk to try and tell him what he could or couldn’t do? He felt rage pour through him and despite the now tender leg he was favoring slightly as he got back to his feet he started at Kyran. ”I’m going to finish this with you, then finish things with him a glance shot to Jayme who was still curled up trying to keep as much of himself protected as he could, though he was starting to really panic, breathing coming quick and shallow.
Reese started towards Kyran only to stagger as he felt over whelmingly tired suddenly, his eyes unable to remain open and he stumbled and fell…right on top of Jayme, it driving a muffled cry from him as the heavier male landed on him, driving the air from his lungs. Not that he was breathing calmly at that point anyhow. It left him laying there gasping for breath a moment, though he was glad when Reese shifted in his sleep, and rolled off him, Jayme sucking in a deep breath of air then, and trying to move away from him, managing to scoot a couple inches off.
Oh gods…I have to get out of here…once he’s finished with Reese, he’s going to finish what Reese started…I have to get to my feet…get my hands free somehow.. he was trying to think through his panic, but not having a ton of luck. He was hoping the stranger would be distracted with Reese, and he could attempt making a break for it then.
Kyran
Normally, it was at this point that Kyran may have started to second-guess what he was doing, the track to which he was steering the encounter. He wasn't sure if it was this specific encounter that did it -- he'd been wanting to do something about the pesky Reese problem for a while now... -- or if it was because he had reached his capabilities for patience, for finding a workaround and viably non-violent approach. Maybe it was a combination of both... Reese didn't really garner much sympathy, for himself or what others may have shown of what he could do; there was no redeeming quality.
With all the damage that had already been inflicted, Kyran didn't even feel concerned when the man's attention turned instead to the darkrai himself. He didn't care if he got injured through the process of nullifying the threat -- it would have given him more of a focal point for the anger, and more of a reason to shed humanity from his own actions, though there was already far too little mercy on his mind at the moment. If Kyran had anything to say on the matter, Reese would never get the opportunity to follow up on any of his threats.
It was a relief that in his initial use, Hypnosis had managed to strike its intended target, so there was no waste of a charge. He was not about to hold back on that first round -- he had to know that Kyran was serious, and that Reese stood no chance against him. There had yet to be a time where Kyran was able to utilize Nightmare against a sleeping target, and he couldn't have found a better practice dummy... He cut through Reese's suspended consciousness, wielding the harsh effects of the attack like a weapon to quickly reach the darker depths of his mind and shatter the locks on the doors. No need for a smooth transition to hold him under. No, if Reese were to awaken, Kyran would only knock him out again. This vicious cycle was not so easily escaped from, and no matter how much of an ego this guy had, he was not above repercussions for his actions. Even if Kyran had to carve the boundaries into him as guidelines, he would know where he was never meant to cross.
Jayme It didn’t take long for Reese to fall into a nightmare. This one, was a simple, benign thing. Spiders. He was terrified of them. The dark another. There was other, small, unfounded fears. The top layer of the ngihtmares. As one delved deeper they’d discover bigger fears. Being in the air on a plane and having it fall from the sky was the first of the big fears.
The next layer of nightmares focused on his club. On losing it to any number of reasons. A fire. An earthquake. Having it shut down. His club meant a lot to him. Though the deepest layer of fear, was the root of his obsession. Jayme. Losing the Teddiursa to anyone else, having the teen no longer in his life. He was beyond obsessed with him, his thoughts revolved around Jayme all the time, and he was paranoid and jealous of the teen having friends, being away, and sought ways to possess him. In all ways of the word. So his deepest, darkest fear, was watching Jayme slip away from him entirely, with another at his side, making it so he wouldn’t be able to have the pretty teen at his side.
And it was this combination of losing both club and Jayme that drove him. Without Jayme there was no club. Without the club there was no Jayme. He needed both to survive as far as he was concerned! As he lay there his face twitched in a myriad of expressions, his hand reaching out groping along as if looking for someone, or something. Maybe he was trying to find Jayme in his forced sleep. Jayme, who was for his part trying to shift away from that groping hand.
Kyran As he burrowed through the layers, despite his focus being absolute, Kyran couldn't help but muse at how many fears plagued this guy. With the way he acted, with overbearing authority, one may have been led to believe that Reese thought he could get away with anything, stemming from an absence of fear. It was funny, how polar opposite the two situations could stand, and still come to the same conclusion, the product that was Reese. No matter... this turn of events would only make things that much easier on the darkrai. Pull all the nightmare fuel with him as he delved, and send it all come crashing down.
The descent was not as quick as Kyran would have liked. His aim was to hit the center quick enough to bypass the rest, but at least this way, it could make the torment last that much more. The problem was dividing time between physical and mental damage, when he was undecided on reining in either. He wanted to make it quick, so he could repeat the actions hastily and give Reese no time to regain his bearings in either reality but blur the two together.
There was the briefest hesitation as he reached the source, all revolving on the singular obsession that was Jayme. Remove the source, and the rest came tumbling down... he was much too reliant on that which he could not control. Obviously, that never did stop Reese from trying to control Jayme regardless of this fact. With a soft glare, he tore at the nightmare as he neared, distorting. His attention only altered direction for a fraction of a second, and it was only to indicate the images of Jayme imprinted on Reese's mind, "He is not some object to own. He was never, and will never be, yours." He took a step back, yanking once more at the veils of the nightmare with a sneer, "And if you aren't careful, your own life won't be yours to own, either."
It would be as easy as snapping a puppet's strings. Reese's life was going to fall in shambles around him, but only from a cognitive perspective. This had gone on far too long -- Jayme had a right to freedom from tyranny of this caliber. With a flinch, he pinned Reese's wandering fingers down. Snap him back to reality, only to be faced with another Hypnosis hit. Now now, he hadn't reached the bottom of this rabbit hole yet.
Jayme He could see the stranger staring down at Reese, and he shuddered some at the look on the others face, that brightly glowing blue eye that had been plaguing his dreams for a week now. He wasn’t sure what to make of the guy at this point. He seemed to be unhappy with Reese…maybe his former manager owed him money…it was highly possible. Still, he turned his head away unable to watch the scene play out so close to him, though he hadn’t turned away before he saw a foot come down on Reese’s hand, centering on fingers. He did however manage to turn away before he saw just how hard they were stepped on, and while he didn’t hear any crunching noises (for which he was thankful!) of them being broken, the yelp Reese gave as he woke up suddenly told him it had done just that. The realization o that made Jayme shudder, his heart racing further, and he feeling dizzy and close to passing out from hyperventilating.
As Reese snapped out of his nightmare he looked around quickly, spying Jayme and lurching towards him, a garbled ‘mine!’ escaping him, only to find himself thrust back into another nightmare, slamming right through the first layers and back to the heart of it all. A sound of upset came from the man, as in his mind he saw Jayme…but too far away from him to touch, saw someone standing beside him in shadows he couldn’t make out, and as he reached for them he was stopped by a spiders web suddenly appearing. With wide eyes he looked for the source and found no spider and tore through the webbing…suddenly falling face first onto the floor of his club. Dusty from lack of use, windows boarded up and the air stale.
With wild movements he was on his feet and spinning frantically, looking around his club, that while never in the best of shapes, had never been this derelict either. And there was the Teddiursa again, sweeping out of the club with a look of disdain on his face, following behind someone else, even as Reese lurched after them, trying to stop them. To catch the teen and keep him there. With Jayme, the club would thrive!
It was dark…and he looked around, unable to figure out where he was. There were people around him, and he didn’t recognize a one. A small window to his side though made him relax and he pulled the shade up, only to go pale as below he saw pin points of light, all growing closer to them. He realized he was in an airplane, that was crashing. at ngiht. He cried out in his nightmare, and again in the “real world”, jolting awake swiftly just before the plane crashed, eyes wild and half crazed looking. ”Jay….oh there…there he is…” and he sounded relieved as he reached for the teen only to suddenly be hugging a Spinarak, and he woke up screaming again for real this time, sweat beading his forehead, and again he turned towards Jayme. ”Gotta get out of here…go somewhere else….” words spoken in a panicked rush as he reached for the Teddiursa again.
Kyran Kyran may have been more bemused with the blurring of realities, realities and falsities converging into one tandem hallucination, had he not been so hellbent on tearing down the foundations and letting Reese's world crumble, to bury him under the weight. He was almost itching to poison the visions, twist them into something more menacing, but his abilities and Reese's own frantic mind were doing much of the work for him. He didn't want to sit and watch, though -- nothing was ever quick enough. This entire situation shouldn't have happened. Why did he need to keep pressing his luck?
Up, down, up, down... this ride was not for the faint of heart, and it was starting to show on the already-tattered edges of Reese's mind. He kept grasping for what he perceived as his lifeline, a call for help, but it was all in vain. "You can't be saved," he hissed, still gripping onto the shadows he felt most comfortable in, "He is not a tool to be used and thrown away at a moment's whim." The only reason Jayme even stayed with him had been for that same threat, he could recall as much. Even if it was not an ounce of truth that had spilled from Reese's mouth during that time, it had twisted Jayme's own fate at the time. He had felt he had no means of escape, a prisoner to a broken man's sick fantasy, and it was high time that aim was reversed.
Despite the dream world being Kyran's more preferable reality, he could tell it was taking a toll on him as well. He was not operating at full capacity, and he had never tried to use anyone as a mental yo-yo before, especially to such a frightful degree. It was easy enough to put it to the back of his mind for now, but he knew he had to tread carefully. If anything backfired, he might need the energy to counter. As such, he stuck to the shadows more often than he openly taunted. The nightmares were luckily distracting enough, as with the changing of the context on a dime.
There was so much more he thought he'd want to try, but there was still that small inhibition that kept his actions at bay. He'd tear him a new one, if he could just shed that last bit of lingering humanity from his own being. Every time Kyran released his hold and became more aware of the physical world, he'd be reminded of the reason why he couldn't let that part go. Jayme was terrified of everything that was going on. Kyran... he was not Reese... he was not Kiara. He shivered a bit, his weight shifted in a bit of a stumble and he released his hold on Reese's hand underfoot. But no, he couldn't let up, not now -- he had to make sure this sort of thing would never happen again. He shoved Reese over so that the man couldn't get a good lock on Jayme again and resumed the assault. I almost seemed like Hypnosis was missing more than it was hitting its target, but he was determined not to slack on its relentlessness. The fear needed to break him. Jayme wasn't coming back for him.
Jayme He could hear Reese’s breathing increase behind him, even as he was fighting with his own ragged breaths, shoulders beyond aching at this point from being tied behind himself all this time. Jayme was unaware of the tears streaming down his cheeks, the snot dribbling down his nose. He was a wreck of emotions at this point, and had retreated into his own mind, unable to do anything more, every movement was pain to his shoulders, and he had given up on trying to get away, and instead laid there, body shuddering with each pull of air, coughing and choking on his despair at one point.
For his part, Reese was free falling through nightmares, they meshing together and growing more tangled by the minute, and at the center was Jayme. His object of desire, all he wanted and truly needed in life, or so he was deluded about. Finally though, his worst nightmare came to be. Jayme…dream Jayme that is, stood there…not in his usual pretty frocks, but as a more well built young man, wearing jeans, and shorter hair looking decidedly more masculine, a slighter male standing beside him, and Jayme ripping into Reese, telling him off for all the years of torment and abuse. Jayme, with a backbone..and leaving him…and looking nothing like the usually pretty thing he did.
As Jayme took the other by the hand and walked away from him Reese felt his world tilt on his side, an anguished cry coming from him as his sanity cracked completely, his hopes turning into dust as the one thing he wanted more than anything walked away from him. Behind him he was vaguely aware of a plane crashing into his club and spiders of all sorts crawling out it it, and converging on him, biting, and web wrapping him as he cried out and tried to brush them away from him, his body in the real world flailing and brushing at spiders there too.
In his nightmare he was fully cocooned save for his eyes, and suddenly Jayme was there in front of him and a smirk on his face. ”I hope you figured out I’ll never be yours Reese. You never stood a chance, you’re not man enough for me.” there was a sneer on the Teddiursa’s face that had never graced his face in reality, and though this Jayme looked more like the one he was used to dealing with, being it was a nightmare he didn’t question why he now looked more feminine than masculine. He felt his heart be crushed into dirt, couldn’t see who it was, but emotionally died as Jayme was suddenly pulled in close by another and kissed soundly. He had eyes for no one but Jayme.
He lay there silently wrapped in the spiders webs, and in reality, he was still and silent there as well, having finally passed out from the fright and heart break he’d suffered in his nightmares. Jayme…wasn’t too far from passing out himself, it was growing increasingly difficult to breathe, his panic was overwhelming now, especially as Reese fell silent, and he couldn’t help but half roll towards his long time tormentor to see why, only to be startled at him passed out. What had happened!?
Kyran As the nightmares ballooned more and more out of control, every source of anxiety bleeding into the scenes further down and culminating into a singular entity, Kyran addressed the fact that he no longer needed to twist and warp the nightmare to head toward that pit of darkness. The seams were split and the ability to tell realities apart fading to nothing, only Kyran's presence was necessary to worsen it, and even then, he couldn't keep his fingers from gripping and pulling at the darkness, tearing it all the more and creating an unstable environment.
Before he was truly aware of it himself, too lost in his own focused attention, he had been kicked suddenly back to reality, where his abilities held little of the same effect. He was about to dive back in before he realized that he couldn't -- Reese's mind had been overloaded and the switch had been flipped. This had... never really happened before. He staggered back a bit, his own fear catching up with him. As determined, as intent, as he had been to tear this man apart on the spur of the moment, it wasn't until the danger had subsided did he think to calculate the danger he had put himself in, even the danger he had put Jayme in in the off-chance it resulted in failure.
He held his breath a moment, surveying the damage. Reese's fingers were already swelling, but aside from that, there was no real sign of physical damage. The man wasn't moving, however, and it took him a moment to realize exactly what had happened. He'd never considered the outcome after all this... other than scaring him more thoroughly away than he had ever attempted in the past.
With a start, Kyran noticed Jayme move himself in order to see what had actually been occurring. It was a bit of a relief, to give the darkrai a separate action to preoccupy himself with. Backing up from the unconscious man's body, he moved cautiously over and around to the opposite side that Jayme was facing before setting his staff down. Inching closer, he held his empty hands out, but before attempting anything more, his voice followed a similarly careful tone, "Careful now. Just let me get this off of you." He paused another moment to give Jayme ample time to register before he worked on untying the slender teen's wrists.
Jayme There was movement from the shadows, from near Reese, and it was coming towards him, the other person that had been there this entire time, and though Jayme had heard nothing, as quickly as his heart was racing, and as hard as it was to draw a simple breath through panic, wondered if he’d blacked out a little or something. It was the only thing that made sense to him at this point.
Still, it was as he was knelt by, frightened brown eyes looking up at the figure next to him, and spying once more that bright blue that he’d grown used to seeing it seemed…his mind supplied him the fact this was the same guy that had threatened him, and grabbed his wrists back on Valentines….and he felt the fear kick up a little more. It’s Nox…why…why is he here? of course Jayme didn’t know his name, and he didn’t want to keep calling him ‘that guy’ in his head, so he’d supplied his own name in lieu….and now, to have Nox so close to him again, scared him!
Those words! ”Just let me get this off of you." could only mean one thing to Jayme’s panic filled mind, and he began to struggle as best he could despite his bound state, tears falling freely as he fought to breathe normally as the panic threatened to engulf him. Nox really was going to finish what Reese had started! He just knew it! ”Please….please don’t…please…please let me go…please…please…don’t hurt me…please…” his words were faint, rough…and he was shaking as he broke down into loud sobs. Ugly crying he’d heard it decribed…
And so lost in his own private terror with Nox there beside him, apparently about to undress him he didn’t notice Reese getting up next to him, casting a look towards the two of them and with wide eyes letting out a strangled cry and hightailing it for his car. He didn’t hear the engine crank over and the car speed away….and he certainly wouldn’t hear the car crashing minutes after leaving the area, Reese careening into a tree at high speeds, the car and tree going up in a ball of flames. No, he was beyond noticing at this point.
Kyran There were a myriad of reasons for Jayme to suddenly break down right then, so for him to have done just that came as no real surprise, even though the ultimate cause was more or less left to speculation. It had been a long night, and Kyran was sure that something like this had not happened before, judging from the way Jayme's infiltrated nightmare had gone down the first time they had met. However, the accompanying, choked words threw him off a little. Was the bound teen mistaking him for someone else? No matter -- either way, far more than enough had happened, and he wasn't intent on adding to it. He unknotted the bindings carefully, making extra effort not to touch Jayme in the process.
As soon as he slipped it free from Jayme's forearms, he heard Reese begin to move again and froze in place for a moment after his head snapped up. It was easy enough to see that Reese was just as bewildered as before, maybe even more so after the hard reboot his brain had just initiated -- the look in his eyes had said enough, no longer driven by greed. Regardless, Kyran hopped to his feet as the man rushed toward his car, half expecting him to pull something out. In a way, he did... pulling the whole of the car out and quickly fleeing the scene. Through his piercing glare, slightly confused surprise started taking over. While it was an outcome that he had perhaps been hoping for, that didn't really... lessen the fact that Jayme was stranded now. How far was it to town from here, the middle of nowhere?
It was then that Jayme's sobbing snapped him back to the here-and-now, and with that cue, he backed up further so that he could grab his staff. He was very aware of what he had said last they had encountered one another, and it was because of that that he guessed Kyran's own presence there wasn't really helping, considering he was still almost positive that he had not been linked back to the child Jayme had encountered even prior. Despite that, he also attributed that to the thought that maybe Jayme thought he was going to do to him whatever he had done to Reese, not that Jayme was afraid that he would become another Reese. He just needed to put the distance between them, right?
Kyran moved himself away, closer to where the car had previously been arbitrarily parked and further yet. Once he thought he had adequately moved himself out of Jayme's personal bubble three times over, he stopped and backed himself against a tree; after all that, he felt wiped. He kept himself from looking back over to make sure Jayme was alright, even prevented himself from speaking. He knew trauma when he saw it, and he had long since learned that he was really nothing but a hindrance when he tried to make a bad situation about-face. Jayme just needed a little time to breathe.
Jayme He was unaware he’d used the name he’d dubbed the other out loud, his fear was far too strong, his panic at a premium. He was barely hanging onto consciousness really, and blacking out would have been merciful. Of course lady luck was not smiling on him in this moment. She never was really.
There was a moan of relief as his arms were untied and he brought the aching, near numb limbs back around the front of himself, whimpers of pain as blood flowed properly through them coming from him as he fumbled with pulling his clothes straight, though it did require him to momentarily hike his dress higher. His undergarments had gotten twisted up in his struggles.
He’d been preoccupied with trying to make himself feel less vulnerable, and realized with a start he’d lost sight of the other, and his head jerked up in fear, searching around the area. Had he left? Was he alone? Then he spied him over near where the car had been, and he stared at him with a worried expression. Why was he just standing there? Not saying or doing anything? Was he waiting for Jayme to try and leave to run him down? He wasn’t sure…and he was too scared to test it out. Though maybe if he didn’t move, it’d be the same threat as last time.
The sedative he’d been injected with had at least worn off though it left him feeling a little fuzzy headed, but he dealt with it as best he could at this point, trying to keep his wits about himself. It was failing miserably, and he felt himself shaking from all he’d been through that night, and all he was sure he’d be going through yet. He had no positive thoughts as far as how his night would progress at this point. Finally though he was getting to his feet, arms faltering and momentarily sending him sprawling, though he did finally manage to get up again, swaying slightly on his feet never letting his eyes leave the dark form of the other.
Kyran He didn't need to be watching the frayed teen -- in the silence that lingered after the encounter, it was easy enough to hear telltale signs. The fumbling movements remained, indicating that Jayme hadn't been able to calm down too much, but at least it was improvement from the paralyzing shock from earlier. His breathing still sounded ragged, but he had been able to calm down enough to stop crying so hard. That was definite improvement, even if it may have seemed like mere baby steps.
In fact, Kyran was surprised Jayme was trying to stand at all so soon after Reese fled, but then he supposed that was yet another sign of the terror. Was he really going to try running away again? The scuffing steps the teddiursa took to gather himself and support his own weight under the fear told him otherwise. He wasn't going to be going anywhere, but what to do in the meantime? It's not like he had a campsite to go back to, and Reese took the car. Not that Kyran could drive, or that Jayme was in any condition to... Ugh, this was all a huge mess... but at least it ended better off than it could have, all things considered.
As Jayme stumbled back to the floor before picking himself back up again, the sudden noise finally grabbed Kyran's attention enough to look. He almost shifted his weight back to his feet as well at that, but caught himself, thinking better of it. Yeah, like that wouldn't just scare him all the more... He nearly asked if Jayme was alright, out of gut reaction, until he realized the answer was quite obvious, at least from a broader perspective. With the awkwardness of it all after the larger source of tension had gone, he couldn't help but find Jayme's prowess with grace more than a little amusing, though, not having changed. He was pretty sure that it was not a very opportune time to say as much, though.
Instead, Kyran remained against the tree, though he had shifted a little. It was obvious that the teddiursa could really only recall their last meeting. Had he really changed all that much? Well, it wasn't like he had a mirror, after all. He may have gone closer to help back then, but with Jayme so distrusting, he wasn't going to chance making anything worse. Well... anything worse than he already had. It was almost weird, though, to see the battered brunette so silent. Even more so to have Kyran opting to take vocal initiative, so his words came out cautiously in the quiet, "So... what are you planning to do now?" Yep, he was just as smooth as ever...
Jayme He was glad he wasn’t crying to hard he felt close to passing out. The last thing he wanted to do was do just that, when the other was there and was such an unknown factor. He didn’t want to chance a repeat of Reese, after all! Still once he realized he was in no real shape to leave, he almost reluctantly grabbed the blanket he’d been settled on all this time, and wrapped it around his shoulders as a buffer from the cold. Both the real and emotional sort.
The question plucked him out of his downward mental spiral and he raised his brown eyes up to the other, and there was a hitch of his breath and he tried not to panic and totally freak out as he was spoken to. But, he couldn’t help the soft whimper of fear that tore from his throat, those words sounded like a thinly veiled threat to his frazzled mind, and he pulled the blanket closer to himself, trying to scrabble away further, but his body refusing to properly cooperate. ”Please don’t hurt me…don’t do what he was going to do to me…please….I…I know what you said last time…but please I’m begging you not to do it Nox, please.” the tears were thick in his voice as he pleased with the other, body shaking with held back sobs, tears spilling down his cheeks again. He was really starting to hate his life at this point, and was beginning to wish he were dead!
But, he sounded so completely broken. Nothing like times past. No his voice was a hoarse whisper pleasing for his safety, but there was no hope to his begging. It was as if he expected judgement to have been passed upon him already, and now merely waiting for the sentence to be carried out on himself. What else could he expect from this situation after all?
Kyran With Kyran having tried to steer the situation toward a more positive light, possibly toward helping, it came as a bit of a surprise to see Jayme taking the question so badly. Or had he heard it at all? Was just the voice coming to him? He hesitated a bit, unsure of how to handle things now. Not that he had a hold of things before, but that was beside the point. "Wait, no... no, that's not what I--" he tried, stumbling with his words as much as he was with anything else. His hand gripped the staff tighter, almost positive he would have tripped without it as he shifted a bit away from the tree but no closer to Jayme's huddled form. What was he supposed to say? Supposed to do? Was he just supposed to wait it out? But he didn't want Jayme to tear off -- he could only imagine what further trouble that would end up causing the teddiursa.
He stood there awkwardly, trying to formulate a better plan but coming up short. He wasn't used to dealing with people like this. He could handle himself in the face of a threat, or follow barked commands, but someone with their defenses not only down, but shattered? Kyran didn't like to see Jayme like this...
The darkrai stiffened briefly to counter his subsequent actions. He wasn't even sure if Jayme was paying attention anymore, but Kyran was patient enough to wait it out. Dropping his staff, he held up his hands, as though to show that he meant no harm. Without moving from where he stood, he lowered himself down to sit on the ground. He wasn't going anywhere, but he wasn't going to do anything either. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. Just breathe," his voice came calmly, though he felt anything but calm at this point. The shadowy figure might not have had much energy left, but that didn't mean he felt he had the ability to rest, either. Was there... anything that he could do right?
Jayme Jayme was having a hard time breathing again, the panic was making it hard to draw an easy breath, but he was trying, he didn’t want to pass out. Not now. Not here. Though the other not coming closer, holding his hands up and all, it did soothe him…slightly.
He sat there, knees drawn and huddled in on himself, forcing his breathing to slow, so he could draw proper breaths, and not the ragged sobbing he’d been doing this entire time. He ran an arm across his nose, currently not caring how that might look, he just wanted the snot to stop dribbling down his face at this point. The back of his other hand was scrubbed over his face smearing tears and dirt all over, finally…several long minutes later he was calmer, though he didn’t attempt to move in any way. He didn’t think he could manage it at this point, he was so exhausted emotionally and still disoriented physically! Still, he was staring at Kyran, or at the dark spot where he knew the other was. It took several more minutes for Jayme to find his voice, which was still thick with tears and the panic he’d been feeling. ”Thank you…for helping me….for getting rid of him….not letting him hurt me..” forget the fact he’d been hit, and kicked. That was….sadly nothing to him.
Kyran It felt unusually difficult to sit through the situation as Jayme tried to collect himself, unable to do anything to help. Unable to do anything at all, for fear he'd make a misstep and make matters worse. It wasn't a stretch, after all... it seemed to happen every time. Waiting and observing things had never been a real trial in and of themselves, for it was how Kyran was able to learn about the world while still maintaining his obscurity, but this was different. This was someone that, in a strange and oblique way, he felt he knew. Jayme had somehow become more than just a passing interest. Perhaps that was merely causality of Jayme insisting that Kyran was his friend, during their second encounter. Funny how things turned out, in so short a time -- now he was nothing more than filed under the same group as Reese. No matter... he knew he did it to himself anyway, as a means to escape capture, in a more abstract sense of the term.
Despite having knowledge enough to answer the majority of his questions, the uneasiness was still present in the lack of familiarity he had of this sort of problem. Absently, he distracted himself by constricting the straps on the braces about his legs out of nervous habit, the silence only broken by the lessening degree of Jayme's sobs. Kyran didn't have any idea how one was supposed to go about handling this, only what he might want someone to do if he were feeling so distressed, and even then it was a bit of a leap.
Regardless, once Jayme's words started over the quiet, as strained as they may have sounded through the panic, Kyran was at full attention. That was unexpectedly gutsy of the teddiursa, so much so that the darkrai had no idea how he was to answer it, or if hearing Kyran speak again would only stir up more apprehension. He glanced away briefly in thought, trying to figure out how to best construct a response that wouldn't just scare him all the further, but he had no idea how. It was, as was apparent, easy enough to take his words out of context. His grip tightened on a strap, and he didn't turn back before he responded, "Things like that, what just happened... they should only exist in the confines of an overactive imagination." The thing about nightmares was that they couldn't hurt a person. They may have been a window towards how best to frighten an individual through the world they had experienced, what they feared happening without having to live through it. Horrors were not supposed to jump out of the screen on a film, as night terrors were analagous with reality.
Jayme He couldn’t help the soft sniffles that came from him, his arms curling around himself in comfort and for warmth. There was a faint laugh of all things from him. ”I wish what happened could go back to just being a product of my mind. Nightmares and worries brought to me by threatening words and unwanted touches. But unfortunately I’ve known for a long time that what happened…was going to happen at some time.” it was a sad sort of thing, knowing it was going to happen, but not knowing when.
He was watching Kyran closely now, watching him fiddling with something, but not able to tell what it was. But he wasn’t feeling scared of this one. He’d defended him. Chased Reese off. Though suddenly he blinked at a realization…and there was a quiet, borderline hysterical laugh. ”Crap. I’m stranded out here! That a** took off and I have no way back!” there was that temper again, showing through. He wasn’t looking forward to walking back to town at all.
Looking around the area a moment, he looked back to Kyran, blanket pulled tighter. ”Do you know if it’s safe for me to stay the night here? I don’t think walking back in the dark is such a good idea….be better when its lighter out and I can see where I’m going.” it made sense to him, really!
Kyran To hear Jayme's voice come to him more easily with the passage of time, his hysterics stepping aside in favor of the dampening that came with shock, was a bit of a relief, if unexpected. Maybe it could help him heal easier, but what came next? Would this just turn into one of those emotional scars that was glazed over, left untreated? Kyran felt like he almost couldn't move, Jayme's words just seemed so blunt. He couldn't have expected the teddiursa to take it well, that was inhumanly possible, but knowing and witnessing were two different things. Either way, Jayme still had not made the connection, so maybe the darkrai was home free... but it sure wasn't restarting on the right foot. Once more, he was reduced to letting the silence speak for him; he already knew he was a horrible conversationalist, but he didn't want to seem completely uncaring... It shouldn't have happened, but there was no use saying as much again.
He released his grip on the straps at his legs and, slowly, attempted to stand again, using the staff in one hand to support himself and the tree at the other side for steadying. His intent was not to startle, but Jayme seemed to be coming back up from that pit of despair. Maybe he could help, who really knew? Not that his help was ever really the best, but that never seemed to stop him from trying. Maybe that was just another trait of a fool.
Jayme's change in tone, though, caught the darkrai by surprise, and he felt himself slip slightly off-kilter for a fraction of a moment. Of course it was obvious that Jayme was not going to be in his normal frame of mind, but seeing the anger overcome the fear was not altogether expected, especially for one that tended to seem so timid. He lingered back a bit longer in silence, unsure of how to deal with this situation. Anger tended to put him on edge, even if it did not appear that way outwardly, save for the brief hesitation. Take the moments as they came, there was no real time to worry about something as childish as image.
"Here? No, it's a dirt trail," Kyran finally replied, glancing at what could scarcely be considered a road. Not many drove through here, but there was always the chance... like tonight. No, of course it wasn't safe, but his only other option didn't feel as though it would be safe either... at least for Kyran. He hovered on the silence a little longer, quick calculation determining that no, there was no real danger to be had. Jayme was in no condition to go exploring, so maybe if they just stayed nearer the front... "Well, there's a cave, but..." he started, cutting himself off. Jayme was not bound to feel any safer there... but it was the only choice they had at the moment. He took a few cautious steps forward, "Here, let me help you up." This felt ridiculously familiar to him.
Jayme He didn’t realize his currently rapidly changing frame of mind was upsetting in a way to the other, leaving him one step behind and dazed in the wake of his emotional swinging. Still, he was trying to find a firm grasp on the happenings of the night, find a rational explanation to it all, and keep from completely breaking down. It was a defense mechanism in the extreme at this point.
At those words though, of the area not being safe, it froze Jayme in his tracks of thought. No of course here wasn’t safe. Of course. It was too open. Anything could happen, and it was a dirt trail Someone else could come up in a car and not see him, and accidentally run him over. It brought a burble of borderline hysterical laughter from him. Great what now? A cave? There was a sharp shake of his head and he glanced around. Tree’s were near by. ”How about closer to the trees? I don’t know about a cave honestly.” the idea unnerved him for reasons he couldn’t put a finger on, but he didn’t think he wanted to sleep in a cave. The other coming closer, it made him stare warily a moment, before he was slowly raising his hand up and out, to be helped up.
Jayme felt slightly unsteady on his feet, though he suspected that was likely from whatever Reese had used to drug him in the first place. It was an unpleasant feeling, his head spun a bit as a result, and he found himself momentarily hanging onto Kyran tighter than he normally would have, especially considering their last run in. His eyes closed as he tried to control the spinning in his head. All his crying, and hyperventilating, the drug in his system, the fear, and now getting to his feet too quickly were all working against him, and he felt his knees buckling under him, fingers sliding free of Kyran’s hand as he gave into the darkness that was trying to swallow him, not even feeling his body fall to the dirt. His brain had finally over loaded and retreated into it’s self.
Kyran Despite having an affinity for the more complex workings of the mind, it was merely a tiny fraction of the mind on a whole. There were far, far more aspects that Kyran did not understand -- not from others, and not even from himself. Jayme's response should have been cause for a breath of relief, for he didn't have to worry about chance discovery, or anything in similar respect. Even if it was a comment to take personal, which it wasn't really, it should have made things less hazardous in the long run. Why he still wasn't used to being shunned was beyond him. He was getting much too invested yet again. Idiot... His attention flicked only briefly to the trees before offering merely a slight nod in return. If that was what would make Jayme more comfortable, who was he to judge?
Balance was one of the more difficult things for Kyran to get used to upon transformation, but it seemed to come much easier to him these days. Bracing himself on the staff was impulse half the time, but not a necessity. Once Jayme was back to his feet, it became steadily more apparent that this was not one of those times, and only realized when it was a little too late. He stayed put where he was while Jayme tried to stand up straight, but was not as prepared as he would have liked to have been once that attempt failed.
The teddiursa slipped free of his grip all of a sudden, the fainting spell feeling as though it had come from left field despite all the signs being present. With a jolt, Kyran snatched quickly for a hold on the other teen before he did any more damage to himself, but forgot to equalize the other side of the equation once he had a hold of Jayme. Well then... Jayme may have been a bit of a klutz, but it seemed to rub off, in this case. With a dazed grumble, he picked himself off the ground, only momentarily acknowledging that the fall kind of hurt before his attention was snapped back to wondering what the heck just happened.
He still had a hold of the teddiursa, and on quick observation the cause became clear. However, it did not become altogether obvious as to what he should be doing in this mess. Kyran's first reaction was to try to wake Jayme up by his innate method, even though it likely would have been yet another shock to the system, but that obstacle was barricaded off. This wasn't sleep; it was much too deep of a slip for that. "Jayme!" he called out for that hint of consciousness out of reaction, hastily glancing down the deserted road in the off-chance he was heard. It was way too open out here, even if people so rarely wandered this way, off the beaten path. In a mix of panic, he wrapped the blanket Jayme had been on tighter around the teen and attempted to get him into the trees, where he might feel safer once he was awake. At least Kyran's own steadiness was keeping pace this time, especially considering he had to leave his staff behind at the present. He didn't have to go much further in, just enough to be away from immediate sight from the road. Drop Jayme off against a tree and Kyran could keep his own distance. There wasn't much more he could really offer.
Jayme If he’d been aware of the fact he’d been caught he’d have been thankful. Then apologetic upon learning his savior had felt pain in the process. That wasn’t how it was supposed to work after all. Or so he’d have protested about and all. As it was, he was in darkness, his mind had utterly shut down to keep him from panicking any further, it unable to handle the stresses of the entire situation any further.
It was his name being called that caused him to start to come back out of the darkness. The concern in that voice had caught his conscious just enough to become a tether back to the world of the living so it would seem. So to come to, with the blanket tight around him, and being dragged along was a startling experience, and it caused him to flail a little in surprise, a startled cry coming from him as his arms jerked about to get free of the blanket, eyes wide.
”Where….what….” the confusion was present as he tried to process where he was, and why, and he looked up seeing the one he had dubbed Nox even closer to him, and he let out a soft gasp. ”Nox?” he hadn’t expected to see the dark teen to be the one dragging him along…nor could he easily fathom why he was being dragged. He was…confused…to say the least!
Kyran While fainting spells were not an unknown frontier on the whole, dealing with a person through them was definitely more than a little uncharted. Due to the fact he could not break through the haze of one fallen far past the net of sleep, he wouldn't have expected Jayme to hear a thing through it, let alone making the singular word, a call for his name, as a foothold to return. Of course, he'd have hoped a person couldn't feel through the unconsciousness as well, for he didn't know if Jayme had been injured even further in that fall, or if Kyran had actually been successful in preventing something for once.
In fact, the majority of Jayme's initial flailing had been attributed to possibly hitting a few snags in the grass with the blanket, but that notion was shot down rather quickly. Upon realization, he froze in place, hands still stuck to the blanket but refusing to move. Well that was... not the best time for Jayme to have awoken. Kyran likely looked as surprised as Jayme was confused, and the strained silence was more than a little uncomfortable. Nox... he was... was he actually referring to Kyran with that name? Having placed the puzzle piece allowed the darkrai to regain control of his voice in response, but he already knew he was not the best with words. "Umm... the path... you wanted to be moved away from it, right?" he attempted to explain, before wondering... did Jayme even remember what had gone on tonight?
He removed himself from attempting to pull the bewildered teddiursa as soon as it appeared that Jayme had control of his own balance sitting upright. Kyran didn't want to dig that up again, if Jayme's mind was trying to block it, even if it was but a temporary, fleeting reprieve. Who was he to break that solitude? He backed himself up, putting more space between them in the off-chance this was the complete opposite, or a slow meltdown. As far as he knew, Jayme still saw him as accomplice to Reese, and he didn't want to add to that. But really, was standing here really helping matters either? "I'll, um... I'll be right back," he quickly offered, maneuvering around a tree so that he didn't have to walk past Jayme at such a close proximity.
However, he wasn't sure if that was going to end up being a broken promise at this rate. While Kyran wasn't comfortable to leave Jayme out here by himself like this, he wasn't altogether sure his own presence wasn't making matters worse. Crouching down, he picked up his staff from the side of the road, but did not rise. Instead, he waited. Jayme was not far enough away to be completely out of earshot, and if Kyran could pick up on any of that welling panic again, or any hints that Jayme was trying to get away, well... there was nothing he could really do, as much as he'd be willing to try to help. Only time really had the power to heal, if the effort was applied, but that didn't mean he was going to do nothing, wasted effort or not.
Jayme ”Y….yes I did….thank you…. Jayme’s voice was surprised, and a little wondering really. He was being helped away from the path? But…why was he in a blanket? Then it hit him. He’d fainted, and he blushed a little with a low groan feeling sort of mortified. Though really with all he’d been through it was no wonder he’d fainted finally! Still, he felt horrible for doing it.
He had been lost in mortified thought as the other mentioned he’d be back and he caught him walking off, watching him curiously. Finally, Jayme shifted carefully, slowly…and pulled the blanket out from under him and up around his shoulders with a shiver. The night air was a little chilly really, and though the blanket was slightly repulsive to him knowing what Reese had intended to do upon it, he couldn’t turn it down for its warmth.
Instead, he scooted the short distance to a tree and leaned against it, blanket drawn tighter, and though he couldn’t see the other, he didn’t think he’d left. He was puzzled because their last encounter had been so much different. ”I know…last time…you told me to run…and I hadn’t ever planned to come back here…so…uhm…well thank you Nox…for saving me from him…I appreciate it.” he did! The stranger could have let Reese do his thing, and not intervened at all, so that he did, made Jayme feel appreciative of his help.
Kyran The voiced gratitude did not go unnoticed, but as times before -- perhaps even more so this time -- Kyran didn't know how to respond. In the past, it had mostly been out of an unfamiliarity with the sentiments, complete detachment from what may have been regarded as commonplace within society. However, it almost stung when the darkrai knew, every time before, it had been out of his own selfishness, carelessness, that resulted in Jayme needing the aid in the first place. While not entirely the same, there was a feeling of doubt at the edge of his mind, telling him that this could have been prevented. Some way, somehow, he probably had caused the situation to come up worse. For one thing, maybe Jayme wouldn't have fainted in the first place...
As the shuffling sounds of movement came to his ears, Kyran slowed his breathing in order to strain his hearing to pinpoint which direction Jayme was headed. He didn't want to look back; if the teddiursa were to escape, let it be scott-free. He'd already been startled enough that evening. While Kyran was not expecting things to head in one direction or another, he certainly wasn't expecting Jayme to step closer, however.
His breath caught in his throat as Jayme broke the silence of his own accord. He flinched a brief glance back, not only to satisfy his disbelief but also to acknowledge. He wasn't so sure who felt the heaviness the silence that followed seemed to induce more. He was sick and tired of having to play these mind games for the protection he wasn't even sure he wanted anymore. Jayme was not a threat. Even though Kyran was brought up not to underestimate, not to trust, the callous demeanor wore him down. He didn't want it to be necessity any longer.
If he were stepping into a danger he couldn't pull himself back out of, Kyran failed to care anymore. "It's interesting, how a person can fill in the blanks when information is held back," he mused aloud, pausing to make sure he wasn't just scaring Jayme further, "...I wasn't going to hurt you. I hadn't before then, and I wasn't planning to start." Of course, 'hurt' was a relative term here. He was withholding information again, but then he wasn't sure how much more Jayme could really take, or how much he'd be willing to believe -- Kyran, after all, hadn't made the best of impressions. He didn't stand, keeping a hand tightened around his staff. "...Kyran," he corrected after another pause, his eye already having darted away, "Though... you can call me Nox if you'd prefer."
Jayme ”You….you weren’t? But…that’s what you made it sound like before…” of course he was more than a little lost by this turn of events. Their last meet up hadn’t been good, and the other had come across as menacing, and bad for Jayme’s health. Though, looking back on it he realized that it’d only been implied, nothing had been done to harm him.
That made his brows furrow slightly in thought, trying to figure this out in some way but drawing a blank, really. It was hard to work his mind around it, though that was both the confusion and the sedative leaving his system. Though he blinked a moment as he was supplied with a name, a smile on his face he shook his head, waving a hand in the air to brush away the suggestion of using Nox. ”No, no I like Kyran. I just…I didn’t know your name…and you’ve been on my mind a lot since the last time we ran into one another…and I couldn’t just keep thinking of you as ‘that guy’ so I gave you the name Nox... it means Night…and it seemed fitting…was all….” his voice trailed off weakly but it was a truthful explanation as to the name he’d called this one more than once tonight.
The blanket was pulled up on his shoulders some, and he looked up at Nox… no, Kyran with a tilt of his head, a smile given. ”I’m sorry that you keep getting dragged into my bad days…I swear I’m not always such a mess.” not always… not even often. But enough that it seemed to be common place, around this one at least. Though it was just a coincidence he was sure.
Kyran There was a light smile that pulled at Kyran's expression, but his understanding of Jayme's confusion aligned it far more with regret than amusement. "It was supposed to sound that way," he admitted, "and I knew you would take it as such. I didn't lie, either." His grasp over his staff fidgeted slightly, "I could hurt you. Anyone could. That doesn't mean I would, though. There wouldn't be any point." He knew Jayme wouldn't have fought back, after all, not with how defeated he appeared the last time. Kyran had only meant to scare Jayme away, and to the extent he wanted to do so, it worked with flying colors. There didn't seem to be a point in it, though, as it only carved a rut between them that would have been better off missing. Why did they keep running into each other like this? If it hadn't turned out this way, Jayme could have steered clear of the dangers that came with associating himself... but then, if this night would have occurred regardless, would it really have turned out any better?
He pulled himself back from explaining the events of their last meeting. Kyran didn't know how much information he could safely give without it being detrimental. Detrimental how, though? These thoughts, were they too selfish? Would Kyran be leading Jayme down a more treacherous path if he spoke any more on the matter? Kyran's own situation was not a stable one, and he wouldn't want to burden anyone else with it either; he was decent enough with masking the pain.
Being told that he was a frequent nuisance to Jayme's thoughts, however, brought the more negative connotations to their last meeting. It didn't come as a surprise that the darkrai had scared him so much, but that seemed to be an unintended side-effect. The nickname given, however, didn't seem to be negative at all, unless Jayme was just not that fond of the dark. He wasn't sure what to make of it, to be honest. "I suppose it does seem fitting," he said after a moment of contemplation, taking the chance to ascend back onto his feet, "I'd say it's better than being called 'The Voice,' too. Whichever feels more comfortable." Well this was going to be weird... it wasn't often he heard anyone call him by his actual name.
The apology took him off-guard, and that familiar feeling of remorse came back in spades. Kyran may have been willing to talk more than usual, but he didn't know if mentioning anything about his abilities would only cause more panic, or anything akin to hatred. Jayme's bad days were only so bad because Kyran had manipulated the situation to be that way, even if it was unintended. Regardless of his thoughts on the matter, one thing was clear, "None of that was your fault, you have nothing to apologize for." Deja vu... The air was feeling uncomfortable again, but he had no intention of lying, or beating around the bush more than was necessary. He'd explain things, but only if Jayme indicated that he was ready for the answer. Time and again, the teddiursa had already displayed that he held no threat, even as a secondary or even third party. If he was scared off now, digging for answers, perhaps it would be for the better.
Jayme It confused him, those words. He’d meant them to come across that way? To be taken in the worst possibly way? But…why? There was an all too confused look on his face really, trying to comprehend. Though his eyes slid to the staff in the others hands, and he didn’t doubt what was being said. He really could have been hurt by the other!
”Especially since you’re much more than a voice…or a floating eye.” and yes, Jayme was laughing then a quietly amused note. But really when all he saw (or heard) was that eye and voice…. ”Though I guess you saying that, I guess explains to me why you didn’t… hurt me I mean. It’s what I kept thinking about. Why didn’t you…because I thought you would…and I could only come up with you just wanted to scare me away…because if you’d really wanted to hurt me, you would have.” that had to be something, that he’d come up with that rational explanation all on his own!
”Thank you….for explaining to me…and telling me your name…and helping me. All of it really.” he pulled the blanket around himself a little more, shivering a little. He was cold, and the adrenaline was wearing off and all, and just leaving him cold and shaky. Still, he didn’t complain at all, just quietly huddled under the blanket some, a smile give. ”Feel like you’ve told me that before…that I have nothing to apologize for…” though of course that whole ‘the voice’ thing brought back memories, and he gave a quiet laugh. He had been told that before hadn’t he?
Kyran The confusion that Jayme displayed at Kyran's half-hearted attempt at explaining his intentions caused the darkrai to seek any sign of understanding, or further inquiry into the matter. He was torn between keeping the information of meetings past securely to himself, and illuminating Jayme on the sections that he may not have thought to question. Somehow, he got the feeling that his words were not being taken how Kyran had wanted them to be, but then he wasn't entirely sure what it was that he wanted exactly, either. He visibly hesitated, but held his tongue. He'd explain perhaps in time... but Jayme understood the gist of it. At least, he guessed as much. The night had already dragged on long enough, there was no point to adding to the problems, if that was how they were perceived -- it was probably best not to chance it. Kyran would gladly take the non-threatening title for now, for who knew how long it would stay as such.
The vocal deliberation that Jayme followed up with, however, was enough to surprise him. Had he come to such a conclusion in the span of this evening, where Kyran had seemed to about-face in intent, or had that been bothering him since they last met? For a moment, the only response he could offer was a nod; of course there was a little more to it, but he had already decided that he could probably explain that all later, if there even was a later. He prompted himself to at least reiterate his prior aim, "Hurting you would have solved nothing, I'm not--" Reckless? Of course that had been reckless of him -- why else would he gone out of his way to make contact with Jayme at all, before? He glanced away for a second, "...My intent is never to harm." Not that that stopped events from spiraling in that direction anyway... all the time, it felt like.
And it was due to this thought progression that had Kyran hesitating all the more, as Jayme offered his gratitude. He was so unsure of himself, it was aggravating. "I have told you before," he confirmed, off-handedly. How many encounters had the teddiursa been able to link to the darkrai? "...You don't recall," the hazarded guess was offered, and he felt himself pull away, retreating inward, "I can give answers, but you might not like where they lead." Jayme's maneuver to pull the blanket closer did not go unnoticed, and Kyran quickly grabbed at the dodge that was given, "And you've had more than enough trouble to deal with tonight."
Glancing back down the road, he attempted to come to his own conclusion on where to go from here. Jayme needed the rest after such an ordeal, but both primary candidates for lodging were out of the question, and it wasn't as though Jayme had thought to bring any camping equipment with him on his kidnapping excursion. What choice did that really leave?
Jayme Jayme yawned a little more, rubbing tiredly at his eyes and he gave an apologetic smile to Kyran. ”Not…really sorry. I admit, I’m sort of fuzzy headed right now…whatever Reese had in that needle, it’s not wanting to go away.” especially now that the adrenaline was wearing off. He was downright drowsy now, and finding it so hard to focus, as much as he could tell he needed to. All he really wanted to do was curl up and sleep.
There was a drowsy smile, and tone to his voice as he spoke again, resting against the tree he had leaned against a little harder, so close to falling asleep sitting right where he was. ”Answers now….won’t stick. Not through the fog that’s my mind. I’ll remember incorrectly, and then where does that leave us?” not in a good way!
”You don’t have to stay…I’ll be okay. I think. I don’t even care right now.” he honestly didn’t. He was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally and the drugs still circulating in his blood stream were close to pulling him back under into their clutches, and he couldn’t fight it anymore. He was giving up, and going to sleep. It was as simple as that.
Kyran The hazy realization seemed to hit with a cold sensation as the words, dug from Jayme's sleepy mouth, were cross-examined. There really was a lot more to this than the darkrai had initially suspected, and what he was expecting already wasn't on the better end of the spectrum. His eyes narrowed briefly in the dark, as though trying to sharpen his understanding, "Wait, what needle?" A sweep of the area didn't bring anything of the sort to his attention, but as it seemed to be affecting Jayme's consciousness enough for the teen to chock it up to the item-in-question, it had likely been used before he arrived to this deserted part of the forest.
It was a relief to hear the teddiursa come to his conclusion about mincing facts up with a groggy mind, and rather admirable that it was spoken with such comprehension. While Kyran was positive he wouldn't be able to explain things any easier later than he was capable of explaining now, it was obvious that it would be considerably more fortunate to converse of matters with a straighter head on their shoulders. However, not caring about sleeping in the middle of nowhere, despite the dangers that had already presented and excused themselves? Perhaps he was spouting psychobabble after all, and it never proved fruitful to take those things to heart. By everything accounted, Jayme was still in a very, very bad way, and there was very little Kyran could do for him.
And time was growing short. Jayme's attention had started tumbling down a very deep rabbit hole, and Kyran was unclear where the bottom was. Was this mere lack of consciousness? If Jayme was only tired, would it be in the teddiursa's best interests for Kyran to stick around? Would it be so deep that the thought of having nightmares, even dreams, still threaten to be an issue at all? There was no talking Jayme out of it, and there was nowhere to take him. Once more, the darkrai glanced down the road, but stood uncomfortably still. He was caught in such strong indecision, he could only tread between his options and enact none of them. If... if his presence hampered Jayme's unconscious healing process, there was no choice but to leave. Otherwise... what would the teen be able to recollect when he finally awoke?
Wait. Just wait... it's all the better you can do, he instructed himself with a release of a breath. He crouched back down to the ground, and waited for the decision to present itself in time. Jayme ”The one…he used…back at the club…” his words were coming slower, almost slurred. Exhaustion of all kinds had taken it’s toll, and he couldn’t fight it off anymore. Not now that he felt some modicum of safety with Kyran there. He didn’t know why, but he was sure he’d be safe…at least for this night and so let the darkness pull at his mind and draw him into its loving embrace.
Seconds gave way to minutes which seeped into hours, and Jayme was still save for the constant even rise and fall of his chest. There was no movement from him as he slept against that tree, save for his arms to drop of their own accord some hours into the deep sleep he was in, blanket falling open as it happened but he didn’t stir to draw it back closer. No instead he was lost in the dark dreamless drugged sleep he was in.
It wasn’t until close to daybreak, maybe an hour before that he finally began to stir at all, a sudden deeper inhalation, which was punctuated by a deep yawn and one hand rose to once again rub at his eyes as it had so many hours earlier this time to knuckle sleep from his eyes as he woke up. It hadn’t been a long enough sleep by any means, but it was enough he was at least more alert having slept off the sedatives.
His eyes swept the area around him quietly, searching for…. Ah there…he hasn’t left… Kyran… the others name thought and it brought a soft smile to his lips as he stretched slightly with another yawn the movement causing his back to pop a few times. He felt stiff but given his choice of bed and pillow it was no wonder.
”You stayed?” words soft, and honestly surprised. He hadn’t expected the other teen to do that one bit. No, he had expected to wake up so very alone.
Kyran Jayme's final words, as he slipped into his induced sleep, while quiet but were in no danger of being missed through the still of the night. Something that was affecting him so long... or was this club closer than he thought? How fast was Reese driving that vehicle before he deemed the place safe for him and his perverted ploys? Regardless, the danger had passed, and the best option for the teen was probably to sleep it off. In some sense, that is.
Kyran was careful to monitor any inauspicious reactions that Jayme may have been experiencing with the darkrai within proximity enough to warp his thought progression through his sleeping state, but the dreams never seemed to surface. The teddiursa had fallen into a deep sleep, enough to bypass anything that Kyran may have adversely affected. That was... both a relief as much as it was troubling. As time wore on, however, the relaxation Jayme was exhibiting did not appear to be borne of one fallen too far. It was not like Kiara's sleep; this was no coma. Kyran still felt himself on edge about it, but it was at least one reassurance.
For all he knew, though, Jayme might be out for days, buried under so many layers of darkness. More, even, if he was trying to forget anything that may have happened. Kyran remained stationed where he was for a while, but after an hour or so, he started wandering a little, but never too far to miss anything should it happen. He hated this, and the longer the quiet hours dragged on, the more unsure he seemed to become. It wasn't his place to stay here, Jayme even said as much before falling unconscious, but then who else would pick up the slack? Even if this road was very rarely traveled, that didn't mean it was impossible to run into anyone else out here. Last night should have proven as much, if anything else.
As daylight threatened to start painting the sky, that anxiety only grew that much more. This was so stupid... there was nothing left to accomplish than to wait. He sat himself back down, slightly irritable, and attempted to shove his worries out of his own consciousness for the time being. What use was worry when one couldn't do a thing about it otherwise?
It was about this time that Jayme stirred awake, much sooner than he had expected the brunette to. He nearly moved, but a thought tempered his reaction time. How light was it out now? He didn't glance skyward, trying to judge based on the shadows; his night vision made it a little difficult to decipher how well Jayme would be able to see through what little light there was, though. Forget it... it was just another distraction, and it would only make things that much more awkward to dwell on.
As it was, the first words to break the silence were not those that Kyran had expected. So... he did remember, then. He wasn't sure how to respond to that, and fidgeted slightly as he scrambled for a way to answer. "Do you... Do you know what's out here?" he started, an honest query, and a roundabout way to answer Jayme in the last amount of effort. Why did he stay? Kyran didn't know that one completely either, but then he didn't really understand this night as a whole anyway. What would become of these arbitrary decisions? He could only imagine the worst.
Jayme Jayme had been in the process of both yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes when Kyran posed his question, and it made the yawn cut short and his sleepy eyes to perk up a moment as he fell into some thought. Shifting a little he drew his legs up more to shift how they were than anything the blanket drawn up slightly. Did he know what was out here?
Looking at Kyran, he pondered that, and his mouth opened, fell shut then opened again. ”Something tells me you’re not looking for the obvious answers of us, trees, or wild animals…so I’m going to have to be perfectly honest, and quite probably look stupid but…no. Aside from the things I just mentioned I have no idea what’s out here.” He looked around a moment, a frown on his face.
”Is this private property or something? Do I need to be worrying about some crazy guy with a gun and dogs chasing me away or something? Or is there a group of wild pokemon who don’t take kindly to people like me?”That would be my luck…to have that be the case. Again. the thought brought a slight frown to his face. Maybe he’d be better to get out here at that rate. ”Thank you. For helping me yesterday, and for staying all night, even if you give off the feeling of wanting very little to do with me.” he seemed uneasy, so what else could he deduce from that?
Kyran At Jayme's nervous reactions, pulling himself away and back on the defensive, Kyran merely watched, curious if this was because he was feeling the darkrai was kind of on edge as well or if it was something about the question. Did he phrase it in a peculiar way or something? Regardless of what was going on and inflicting the behavior, it was a quick reminder that the sleight teen tended to babble when anxiety hit. Did he think that Kyran looked down on him for not knowing about the characteristics of a place he was dragged to against his will? He shook his head slightly, as though disagreeing with his internally posed question, "If you think I'm here to judge you, you can relax, that is not the case."
Kyran took the opportunity to glance around the area, slowly edging its way into the light, as he momentarily waited for the chance to explain himself. Perhaps it was this scenery putting the darkrai on edge as well. He turned his attention fully back on Jayme before responding to him, making the conscious effort to release hold on his own tension, "That is precisely my reason for asking. I, ah... I'm not really familiar with it around here, either." Especially in the daylight, but that was a little beside the point.
He blinked, perplexed about the latter part of Jayme's statements. As though in reaction, he released his grip on his staff, in case his hold on it was giving an adverse impression. He was not, by any means, familiar with social cues. Of course Kyran had attempted to keep from looking too anxious or nervous, but it wasn't as though he had had much practice, and the lingering, stabbing pain couldn't have helped. "How am I giving that impression?" he asked, curious. He didn't mean to dig, but he didn't want to make situations worse simply because of the way he was acting, especially if it could be prevented, "It's... complicated, but I can assure you it has nothing to do with you personally." He didn't care to keep secrets anymore, not at this point, but it still felt intimidating to talk about himself at all. It was a subject that was barred from normal conversations past.
Jayme He wasn’t sure why it was the case, but when he was told by Kyran he wasn’t going to be judged by him he found himself believing the other, though there was nothing to make him do so. It was a gut instinct and he had gotten good at listening to his instincts, it’d kept him away from Reese more than once in the past. Though obviously not the day before. Still, it was known to not be fool proof.
Kyran wasn’t familiar with the area either? Well that changed things completely, and he did relax a little more, a smile playing over his lips. ”As far as I was aware this is just sort of empty land, but I thought you were trying to warn me of some danger I was utterly unaware of. I think we’re okay really, after all Reese isn’t here, and he’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen out here.” that had to be something he didn’t see, or even feel anything ‘off’ about Kyran.
”No? Could have fooled me. You didn’t seem to want me around the last time we ran into one another, after all.” so maybe not so much anything said or done currently, but Jayme recalled last time. ”Remember, you even said you were trying to scare me off. That does seem to lend to the idea you don’t want me around, or like me very much for whatever reason. Though…that isn’t anything new to be honest.” no, he recalled all too well his past, so to have another not want a thing to do with him felt all too normal and expected really.
((Continued in next post))
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 1:30 pm
Kyran Part of him thought he'd always be fighting a losing battle, regardless of the task he undertook; always fumbling, always awkward, and always unwanted. Part of him desired, above all else, to have Kiara awaken so that he could once more hide in her shadow, the only place he felt he belonged. The other part of him disagreed, though; it seemed bent on proving the other half wrong, despite the repeated shortcomings. It almost felt as though he were acting out against himself, at times, and this was no exception. Far from it, this was probably close to one of the stupidest things Kyran had felt he'd done thus far. What was one more step up that ladder?
Despite the residual bitterness toward his own being, he recognized the feeling of trust. He didn't understand it, but it was there. Kyran may not have actively noticed that Jayme's outer tensions had slackened, but it was perhaps such relenting that allowed the darkrai to release some of that inner turmoil as well. He tried to smile when Jayme pointed out the irony in threat levels within the wilderness out here, but it came up a little short. Regardless, he gave a short sort of nod, "Yeah, I guess you're right." Then why had he stayed, to make sure Jayme would be alright? He shifted a bit, "I wouldn't have known if he'd try to come back, bring reinforcements, or just... anything making things worse, I suppose. How do you think you would have reacted, waking up here by yourself?" Who knew, maybe it would have calmed Jayme down easier had Kyran not been there...
"Last time..." he repeated the words again, and winced slightly as they sunk in. Perhaps if it had been any of those prior meetings, Kyran would have shied away from explaining himself in the fewest words possible, but Jayme was owed the explanation. Kyran may have still been uncomfortable with talking about it -- he never really had to before, after all -- but out of anyone... maybe it would be okay. The fear of failure was an ever-present, looming possibility, but he had already decided. It wasn't that he didn't want Jayme around, it was just... "Have you... --Do you know know what a darkrai is?" His grip had subconsciously tightened around the staff at his side once more.
Jayme ”You have a good point there. He might have…though he didn’t. I think you scared him off pretty well, and I’m thankful for that. in so many ways, really. Kyran really had done him a huge favor by protecting him the night before. The question made him thoughtful. ”I think I’d have panicked, actually…been too able to dwell on what happened. Having you here makes it easier. Because I can focus on talking to you, and that helps…there’s no reason to be afraid because you’re here. I know me. I’d have thought every little normal sounding noise was Reese back to hurt me. Or worse.”
”Darkrai?” the name was repeated softly, thoughtfully and he wore a very deep thinking expression. ”I don’t really know much. I’ve heard the name…and something about legends. That’s about all I know though. I’ll admit…I’ve never really listened to stories about legendary pokemon...then again someone I know is dating (if it could be called that) a Biggly Banette…and Bigglies are supposed to be a thing of legend…so maybe there’s something to be said to listening to stories sometimes, but no. I don’t know anything more than that. Why?”
His legs shifted a little, stretching some as he leaned forward just slightly, blanket pulled a little closer, a curious look on his face as he looked to Kyran with his head tilted slightly, waiting to hear what the other had to say on the subject. His voice was still low, there was no need to be loud, and he was genuinely interested in hearing what the other was wanting to tell him.
Kyran He hesitated for a brief moment. Usually, hearing that he had scared someone off, especially in the irate manner he had, would have bothered Kyran. This was probably the one time he felt that he had actually done good in doing so. Perhaps it was because it was the one time he had done so while physically present... No, it was the second time, wasn't it? The first that was on purpose, though. If only Jayme knew, he might perhaps be a little less thankful. "Well..." he sighed, more relieved sounding than he thought he was capable of at the moment, "...then I suppose I did something right this time." He resituated himself, disinterested on elaborating on the comment. Chances are, it would come to light with what he still had yet to explain anyway.
To be honest, Kyran had never heard of a Biggly before. It seemed to be a point in and of itself, but the darkrai himself was unsure what it was he had been wanting to hear more. Maybe he just didn't want to explain it himself, but maybe it was also better this way, to hear it from the mouth of one. "Darkrai are known for causing nightmares. They can cause terrible nightmares, merely being in the vicinity of someone who has fallen asleep," he stated simply, though he kept his attention slightly averted, "...or they have put to sleep." Whether he was digging himself into a hole or not, he knew it was only a matter of time before it was said anyway. Both parties seemed less resistant at the moment; at least, as much as he was able to gather. "As you can imagine, that doesn't tend to sit well with others. They tend to be chased out, or imprisoned... and I don't think I can go through with that again so soon."
His smoke-like wings seemed to waver a little in response to the increasing light, but Kyran could have easily attributed it to the sudden icy feeling he got from explaining that. That was a little more than he had been planning to say -- a little too honest. "Ah, well... among other things. I suppose there's more to it than that. I'm not much of a storyteller," he fumbled for the explanation. Silently he wished for the subject to be changed, but he knew as well as the next that things could not progress forward without giving an end to past misgivings. It seemed like there was so much to make up for, in retrospect.
Jayme Jayme gave Kyran a smile, though he wondered at the ‘this time’ portion of those words. Still there was a soft chuckle from him. “I don’t know about any other time, but I’d like to think you definitely did something right this time, and I know I’m very thankful for it.” He was!
He shifted forward listening to the other weave his tale, and he’d opened his mouth to ask a question only to close it when his question seemed to be answered for him. “So…you’re a Darkrai?” there was no aversion to his tone of voice. Nope, he was very simply curious at this point about it all. Those words ‘I don’t think I can go through with that again so soon’ had answered the question really, but he was clarifying really. It was better than assuming the answer, though it seemed pretty clear.
There was a shift from Jayme as he looks at Kyran curiously. “”I don’t see the issue with you being one if that’s what you are. Even if you cause nightmares. It’s not like you have a choice in the matter after all, right?” why yes, willing to give the benefit of the doubt. His eyes looked at the smoky wings the other possessed, a curious look on his face. ”They don’t look real… your wings I mean…more…ethereal than solid.” softly awed was his tone, curious as he actually reached a hand out as if to curiously touch…he was, both curious…and wanting to touch and see how solid they were!
Kyran While it was never unusual for Kyran to feel uncomfortable with a situation, the sort of confliction that had gently eased its way into his psyche felt like new territory. It was a war that only 'want' and 'need' were capable of waging with one another, but it also felt as though they were now wearing the same uniform as the enemy. The lack of prosecution in Jayme's tone was a relief, but at the same time, Kyran didn't feel it was meant to belong in the current situation. Nevertheless, he didn't realize the slight smile until it was already on his own face. At this point, however, the indecisiveness was bearing down on him and rendered the darkrai momentarily silent, giving a nod in response to the question of his identity but offering nothing further.
As Jayme's curiosity continued along its path, Kyran was able to awkwardly shift his silence to the side, "As far as groups of people go, no. That is a side-effect I have no control over." It was funny, in all this time, he realized he had not once thought to lie, or even stretch the truth a little, in order to facilitate his own comfort. In fact, despite the thought to, he didn't pull back as Jayme reached over to touch one of Kyran's shadowy wings, mostly because he did not believe Jayme would be so bold as to do so. Really, that anyone would be so bold... and the careful touch caused him to flinch. Usually one was not prone to try laying a hand on him unless it was a violent maneuver.
Perhaps it was the fact he thought he had to brace himself for something of that magnitude that the silence he had squirmed free of warped in the light of day. "This is the fourth time we have met," he stated quietly, though with plenty of volume for the otherwise still air, "Can you honestly say that you believe I did not mean to cause them, any of the times before?" Once more, he was shrinking away, but his stance held firm -- he wasn't going to lie, and he was through with secrets.
Jayme The others wings were an interesting feel beneath his careful touch, fingertips brushing over them. They felt solid, the ends though…mildly less so. It was an interesting mix of the two, and he let his hand drop back down to his lap after that one light touch. He could see as well as sense the discomfort the other was exuding. He didn’t want to cause unease!
”The fourth time? I know this time…and then last time…I’m pretty sure I’d remember a good looking guy like you crossing paths with me before though. Are you sure we’ve met four times now?” how adorably puzzled he was then, so much so he didn’t realize he’d just called the other good looking….until moments later which made him blush a little. ”What did you cause before? Nightmares?” he frowned again, trying to make sense of this.
Kyran He was hesitant, but the words felt halting only because Kyran was not used to talking so much. No, he was often considered to be talking too much when he spoke at all; this was entirely outside the constructed life he had jointly set up and enforced. New and pre-established tendencies were null and void at present, for current predicaments called for change. That did not mean, however, that it was to be a smooth transition. Truthfully, the situation Kyran found himself in at present was not necessary in the grand scheme of things, if he thought about it, but he still felt it was. He told himself he should not grasp for friendship, but something about Jayme having once said it, even if he didn't recall...
"N-No, no, last time, you said--" he started, a swift movement of a wing when he realized it was not being held captive, before he was caught off-guard by Jayme's slip-up, "I... What?" He blinked, but it was only a brief sidetrack, considering he must have misheard something somewhere. He scooted away a bit, as though fearing backlash, rifling fingers through the front of his hair in frustrated anticipation. The memories of what he had seen while not only in Jayme's but Urban's subconscious as well were still easily recalled, likely much more so than either would recollect.
"The last time we met, you said I looked like someone," he restarted, eyes flitting back up, "How many darkrai do you honestly think you could run into?" It sure wasn't his sister, that much was certain... "How do you think I knew your weak spots?" Kyran had said that he wouldn't do anything to hurt Jayme, but he wasn't sure how much the teddiursa was capable of remembering. He knew full well his motives had always been a bit shady, but time had made sure to twist him into something akin to a monster, "I think 'nightmare' would be a bit of an understatement." His tone never changed -- he wasn't sure what to expect out of all this. Jayme was too trusting... and as much as Kyran wanted to be accepted, he knew he shouldn't be. A familiar scenario: need sabotaged want once more.
Jayme He blushed again, and momentarily stared anywhere but at Kyran, before he worked up the nerve to do just that, and after taking a deep breath and letting it out he calmly repeated himself, though really it felt as if his heart were going to burst out of his chest it was hammering so hard, but it was true! To him Kyran very a very good looking guy!
”You do look like someone I met before…or well…you sort of remind me of someone I’ve run into a couple times. But…he was a lot shorter than you and he….that was you wasn’t it?” comprehension dawned on him clearly then and he held a very surprised look on his face. ”Well…I think that explains different comments made each time, and why you seemed to know me each time. It left me kind of confused, then again the whole every other time we’ve met it’s been dark thing…though if you’re a Darkrai I guess that makes sense too. Being out and about in the day time…even as little as there is now must be difficult for you isn’t it?”
There was a soft note of concern for the other from him, and he looked thoughtful. ”But you stayed…to watch out for me…even once it got light out. Instead of leaving to hide…?” concern was giving way to confusion. Why was he…caring? Only a few people cared about his well being and he could count them on one hand with some left over so this….well resulted in one less finger to count on he realized.
”How often does one person run into a Darkrai…let along the same Darkrai? That strikes me as being unusual….it’s not very normal is it?”
Kyran While not negative in polarity, Kyran could tell that Jayme was still uncomfortable. Why the other had insisted to stick around, he was having a hard time understanding. It couldn't have been from Kyran's efforts to be honest... he wasn't the social type, so was fairly certain he wasn't very adept at taking the edge off. Maybe the tactlessness was on purpose. Either way, the situation wasn't going the way that Kyran thought it would. Did Jayme honestly want to put that much effort forth for him? Was it..? Oh... did he still think that Kyran helped him in those times of need without realizing the problems had been caused by him in the first place?
However, it was obvious that was not the case, once Jayme only now had managed to correlate the two as one being. Regardless, Kyran half-expected he might fall into that very same trap, if he didn't think about what the darkrai had just said. People ran from their fears, whether they were the products of imagination or reality... This was not something he was bound to say outright, though, for he had long since learned to keep his comments to himself. Instead, he simply nodded, "I'm sure you've experienced the sudden growth spurts yourself." Perhaps he was being too subtle with explanations? Fault was difficult to admit to without being prompted.
He glanced back to the sky, his weight shifting more to his arm instead of the loose grip on his staff and watching as the blue slowly bled into the black overhead. "The light doesn't actually hurt or anything," he corrected after a moment, "It's just easier not to be noticed in the dark. It's more of a preference." More of a preference, it was self-preservation... but there was no use in saying so much. He never thought it would be so difficult to keep skirting around vulnerability exposure.
The way Jayme had reinforced what Kyran had done, though, something about it... It was only now he realized he was fidgeting more than he was aware, or meant to, and attempted to still himself more; if nothing else, it was an adequate redirection for some of that nervous energy. "That... didn't seem to work all that well, in the past," he attempted to explain, knowing it was falling a little short on proper explanation, "Though I suppose it still could have gone badly this way as well. Either way, it was a gamble." He snapped his mouth shut once he realized he was talking too much again, growing accustomed to reprimanding himself in the absense of Kiara's voice.
In the light of Jayme's smart quip, though, even Kyran had to smile, "Ah. Well... you have a point there."
Jayme It was true, he was not completely comfortable with the situation, or the other either one, but he was making an attempt to become so in both regards, and that was something. He was trying very, very hard to make sense of this situation and find the answers to things he was getting the feeling were at least somewhat important in the end.
The question about the growth spurt, brought a stormy look to the face that either held nothing but smiles, or fear. Such an angry, hurt expression was not normal, and certainly not one Kyran would have seen for himself on Jayme. This was a mask of betrayal really. ”Yes. I have. When I went from being a normal Teddiursa to some strange cursed half form that caused me to be cast out of my family. All because of him” the young Teddiursa who hadn’t been very old when the transformation had occurred, but had meant so much to Jayme. The little brother he’d done all he could to keep happy, and content, and safe had been horrified, terrified and repulsed by the change in his sibling. Had caused such upheaval that in the end they’d had no choice but to turn Jayme out. If not for that brother he’d have never met Reese. He had some resentment there, obviously and with good reason. ”Then when I started to look like this. Haven’t changed though in a long time.” for which he was glad. He didn’t want to be an Ursaring though he was sure if he’d grown to one, Reese would have left him alone so much sooner. He didn’t want to look like that though. He liked how he looked!
”Oh. That makes sense actually.” his cheeks colored with an embarrassed laugh, and he was rubbing at his neck a little. It’s not like he’d thought Darkrai were like the vampires in the books he’d read years ago and couldn’t be in the sun. He just thought there was a correlation between them and the dark and just… it was convoluted even to his own mind. He stopped thinking about it after a moment.
There was a low laugh from him, an almost nod of understanding. ”Nothing in life is absolute, or certain really. Much of it is a gamble you know. I’m glad you took the chance and stayed. I don’t know what I would have done waking up all alone out here. Wondered if I’d dreamed it…or worse thought Reese had gotten his way and dumped me here or something.” he wasn’t sure why he was suddenly so talkative, but he was.
He studied Kyran for a moment, and there was a sudden shift from Jayme and he reached out, one hand reaching out for Kyran to touch wherever was closest and his words soft as he spoke. ”You’re being around here, is safe with me. Looking human and all sometimes isn’t protection from being a pokemon. Then toss in being a legendary, mythical, whatever words you want to toss there Darkrai… that could be dangerous or bring unwanted attention and just…I promise you, I won’t tell anyone about you.” there was a seriousness to that promise as he gazed up at the Darkrai.
Kyran Jayme was certainly a strange one, that much was certain. Kyran could never shake that observation when around the teddiursa -- it just seemed like such an unusual trait, to attempt to be chatty with someone like him. Whether he was trying to scare the other away or not, it seemed to make little difference. Was Jayme merely talkative because he was nervous? Was that all it was? It would have made far more sense, but he knew that that was not really the case here. Who would really want to get to know Kyran, though? Was curiosity truly that much stronger than whatever base instinct he had to flee? Then again, after the episode with Reese, he was likely little more than a joke at this point. Somehow, that made Kyran feel more at ease, as though he didn't have to try quite so hard.
The visible anger, though, that part was far more than unexpected. The darkrai froze once he noticed; it was not a frame of mind he thought he'd see in response. He felt that familiar fear locking him in place, though it heightened his attention to detail. Honestly, he had been anticipating it to be a reaction to Reese's abuse, which would likely have been more out of fear, or disgust, but anger? He hesitated a moment, having had no prior knowledge of Jayme's origin -- it wasn't in any of Jayme's nightmares, after all. Then again, it was all in the past, and not something that was prone to coming back around. It also didn't seem to be tied to a fear so much. "I... didn't mean to bring up something so painful like that," he diverted his attention, much like he would when scolded by his sister to anticipate the backlash, "I'm sorry, I'll try to be more careful." Honestly, though, Kyran had no idea that Jayme once had a place he could feel safe before his time with Reese -- having it and then losing it like that...
Watching as the sky was diluted more and more with its blue tincture still left him with an uneasy feeling, if only because he was rarely out in the open at this time of day. Habits were hard to break, whether they were out of necessity or not. Jayme's embarrassment over the mistake, however, was amusing enough to distract Kyran from the rut he found himself in. He gave a bit of a smirk, "I'm not offended, if that's what you're concerned about. It's not like you would have known unless you asked." Curiosity was needed to further knowledge, after all, but he was worried that saying as much, even that which he already had, was only going to open up the floor for more questions...
Kyran really didn't mind the nervous energy Jayme was trying to spend through conversational means -- it meant they didn't have to sit through awkward silence. While there may have been a million things the darkrai could say if given the freedom, he never felt it right to speak, not unless he was urged to. Another habit, drilled in through practice. In this case, however, he didn't seem to mind. It was actually kind of nice, to hear Jayme speaking like that, even if it wasn't normal. He showed a lot of insight and understanding. Was Jayme actually trying to make Kyran feel better about his decisions? Or had he agreed that Kyran had come to the best conclusion? Somehow, this only managed to reawaken the guilt, especially when Jayme said he was glad that Kyran was there. Why did the longing sting ever more painfully?
It only managed to reach the peak when Jayme's observations led to the one thing Kyran had been trying to prevent all along. Without ever needing to be hinted at, the teddiursa hit the one nerve dead on, and the shock he felt was something akin to his normal grip of fear, despite its position on the flipside. It felt like the entirety of his body tensed at the words, but he merely froze, if only for a moment afterward. As Jayme reached for him, he shifted away, but not out of reach. "...I've been such a fool..." his barbed words were quiet, and it took him a moment to recover enough to turn back to Jayme. He couldn't mask the regret, "I... I never had any reason to push you away at all, did I?"
Jayme ”You have no reason to be sorry. You didn’t know about that, and I’m mostly over it. Sort of. Just after things like that night, it makes me upset all over again. I’m sorry for getting upset.” well he was, it wasn’t normal for him to get so angry either was the thing.
He took a deep breath, managing to mostly calm himself back down relatively quickly. His bursts of anger were just that. Super quick bursts and they really didn’t ever tend to last long. Or so it was turning out to be. This was only the second time he’d ever lost his temper after all! So it was hard to say what more bouts of anger could do as far as length of time of each episode.
The shift away was enough to let Jayme know the touch was unwanted and he let his hand fall back to his lap, rebuffed by that one simple action. He sort of flinched at those words too, expecting the worst from them (of course). His head and gaze had started to drop at this point until he heard the regret in the others tone, and focused on the words, a startled note from him. ”What? You were pushing me away? Why? When? And uhm...no…?” he was so utterly baffled at this point. Why was he being pushed away? He couldn’t make sense of it!
Kyran There was Jayme's much more familiar tone, of one beaten into submission. If it wasn't so apparent that that was the teddiursa's usual reaction, it may have been more concerning. As it stood, however, Kyran couldn't help but regain bemusement, despite the context. "You do realize, you're apologizing for feeling hurt about past misgivings? I don't believe the fault lies with you," he pointed out. If even Jayme got upset with the memory, Kyran was sure that anyone else would have been two-fold. That is, unless Jayme was not quite as forgiving as he had led himself to believe. Regardless, from what little was explained, a lack of emotion may very well have been that much more disconcerting.
It was immensely easier to talk about and analyze other individuals' thoughts, motives, meanings... but when tasked to explain himself, operating on perceptions and safe assumptions, especially while used against someone who meant no harm at all? Kyran was having difficulty grasping an adequate way to explain himself. He'd only ever been talked down to, after all, and was always explained away as being a lesser being. Being given a voice like this was very alien territory, and thusly made him feel rather uncomfortable. Couldn't he just say it was because he was an idiot and be done with it?
Something made him hesitate to default so quickly. He couldn't look directly at the befuddled teen before him, flashing a wry smile and upset at himself. "I'm not sure... I can adequately explain myself," he admitted, finally, "I miscalculated, and now I don't even know where to begin." How much was Jayme able to infer from what Kyran had already attempted to skirt around? Did he know that Kyran was that brat of a kid he'd run into a number of times, or was the darkrai assuming Jayme knew what he had incompetently tried to explain earlier? Perhaps that was where this conversation truly needed to start, with how much Jayme currently knew about Kyran, but to ask such a thing...
He knew enough. Jayme had to know a thing or two, to have posed the questions he had. If this pushed the teddiursa away further, then it was just going to have to be something he'd accept. "It is a darkrai's nature to sift through the dreams of a person and pull the nightmares to the surface. It is also necessary to stay unnoticed, to prevent persecution as it had in the past," Kyran explained, anticipating a swift dismissal from the area in his immediate future, "You see, it isn't just because of some arbitrary rare status. Do you remember when we first met?"
Jayme “I…yes?” a shake of his head. ”But, to be clear, I had a younger brother, he wasn’t very old when I stopped looking like a normal teddiursa, and began to look like a person. It frightened him, and his fright agitated others and I was sent away for being different so…it’s a slightly touchy subject.” unfortunately.
Jayme leaned forward to listen to Kyran as he spoke, giving the other teen his undivided attention as he spoke, more than a little intrigued by it all really, and with good reason. The question though, it made him sit back again, a thoughtful look on his face as he thought back. ”You don’t mean the last time we ran into one another….when you threatened me…do you? he frowned a little, still thinking. ”I think I said you reminded me of someone else I’d met before…the glowing blue eye and all. I thought it was a younger brother. That was you though that time in the forest wasn’t it? That saved me?”
Saved. Helped back to his camp after his terror filled fleeing. All the same really. ”I…royally made a mess of myself that night. And the situation it felt like. Though I think a lot of that was me just dealing from the nightmare, and then running scared in the dark and getting hurt. More than me actually being an idiot and messing things up.” he breathed softly, looking to Kyran a moment, and ducking his head some.
”And if you’re really the same person who helped me…why….did you not? …or did you…know it was me that last time? When you scared me off?” his words were soft, and quietly confused, wondering about quite a lot now, but not pressing the other for answers. It didn’t seem right to demand anything. Nope, just quiet curiosity.
Kyran Kyran was by no means against Jayme blowing off some steam about prior misgivings, but to apologize for it was a little more than he thought was necessary, especially if it helped to vent. This was minor, as far as rants were concerned -- he wasn't being used as a verbal punching bag, in this exchange. In fact... it felt more than a little strange, in all honesty, but he supposed it wasn't like the other teen could blame it on Kyran either. Still, it felt weird to just let the conversation hang; his participation in it was what really made him feel awkward, for consolation never usually got him anywhere but for perhaps more hot water. Not only that, but Kyran could only imagine what it must have been like for Jayme, when he first transformed. Sure, he picked up bits and pieces of the experience through the teddiursa's subconscious, but that was far from fully reliable. Still, it was a hint. "That must have been hard on you," he conceded, his hands twisting at his staff a little, "I honestly can't imagine." While he had experiences on people turning on you, he hadn't very well been left completely alone to fend for himself, even if he were still under the direction of an explosively violent individual... he didn't feel that really counted.
It was all he could really do to make sure he didn't hold his breath as Jayme attempted to unravel the predicament posed by past encounters. If he could, he'd let Jayme do so without the help; it was hard enough admitting to what he already had. The more the light was shed, the more Kyran began to realize that he really did actually fear how forcibly the knowledge would push him away. All the times prior, where Kyran had shrugged off the notion of friendship, it always came back all the stronger with each repeat exposure. He knew that this point would come eventually, if they kept meeting like this, but... well, maybe he'd never quite be fully ready for it. Better now before he grew attached. More attached, rather...
However, it seemed that Jayme was still keeping himself from thinking the worst of the prior sessions. Kyran could almost feel his stomach knot as he came to the unfortunate conclusion, that he'd have to be perfectly clear about what happened before. There was a minute sense of relief in knowing he didn't have to explain he was that young boy from before, but it paled in comparison to the final, unfortunate realization. While the darkrai's tone was stalwart, he felt anything but, "It was, but I'd hold off on that thought. Remember how I said that it was in a darkrai's nature, to dig through the recesses of your mind and bring the worst to light in a dead sleep?" He paused a moment, to let that sink in before he confirmed or denied what exactly he had a hand in, "It was because of what I did that made you run off in the first place, and I did so on purpose." Well... not the part about Jayme running further into the woods, but honestly, there was no real bright side to all this mess. If nothing else had so far, there was not much deeper Kyran could bury this so-called friendship.
Despite himself, he looked away; he could only carry confidence so far, and he didn't want to see Jayme upset again. It was hard enough to say as much as he had, and no amount of regret could honestly patch things up. Things had gotten far too out-of-hand, and at this point, he couldn't bring himself to explain what happened last time, not after what the darkrai had already explained. He couldn't justify his actions because there was nothing redeemable about him. Explaining his current predicament would do no good, and though Kyran had sounded regretful about it earlier, he knew it was still a poor excuse.
Jayme ”It was. I was all alone, scared and confused. I didn’t know why they made me go, I couldn’t understand it. I do now of course. I was unnatural; a threat. I had to go.” no he understood all too well now why he was sent on his way the way he had been. Why his family had all turned their backs. His ‘condition’ was an unknown they couldn’t afford to keep around. The life of one, for the life of many it what it boiled down to since they couldn’t risk that whatever he had was contagious.
”Yes….” his voice trailed off quietly as he listened to Kyran speaking. His head tipped a little making those curls slide a little and his eyes widened a little, even as his lips ticked into a slight frown. ”Oh. I see.” his voice was still soft, and there was a thoughtful note to it. He stared at Kyran a long moment before he shifted a little, not to move away from the Darkrai. Nope, he was instead reaching out to him. ”That changes, absolutely nothing in my mind. Know why? You might have indirectly caused me to go running in fright, but for one as you said it’s in your nature… and that would be like asking a Swellow not to fly, it’s just a part of who you are, but more importantly? You didn’t just leave me there. You came and found me, and got me back to camp. You may have made my nightmares seem more real, but you didn’t turn your back on me when I needed your help. So I think that says a lot about your character, nature be damned.” well then. But he was earnest in what he was saying.
Jayme didn’t see where it was Kyran’s fault in this case. He was just doing, what a Darkrai did. How could he be mad at the other teen? He couldn’t. ”Then of course you saved me from Reese last night, when you could have let him do….that to me…and you didn’t, so regardless of what’s instinct to do, it also seems to be something of an instinct to help when you can. So I don’t see why you look and sound so worried that I’m going to yell at you. I’m not.”
Kyran
Kyran marveled at how well Jayme was able to understand the actions of a community that wasted little time on severing ties with him. Despite all the anger he felt over the situation, he still relented to understanding, at least for the most part. "Fear is a poor excuse when evolution brings on just as much change. You as an individual didn't change," Kyran countered, feeling as though he were frustrated in Jayme's stead. Even family turned their backs on him, in a time he needed them most. How could there ever be justification for something so callous? In all honesty, it was a wonder Jayme turned out the way he did. Perhaps that was why he had been chosen to find his star, he seemed to be the strongest of spirit out of the whole lot of them.
As the quiet confirmation hit the air, the darkrai felt that the conversation was going to be coming to an end fairly abruptly. Regardless of Jayme's bright nature, there was no denying the fault that lied with a pokémon that was literally of nightmares. A person could be optimistic, but it was a little much to just accept all of what happened, wasn't it? It was never until recently that Kyran began to feel uneasy under the fall of silence, but it almost seemed that much worse this time around.
This time, Kyran did not attempt to pull back as Jayme reached out. To be honest, he was a little too uneasy about it all, but as the teddiursa began to speak again, unrestrained, that uneasiness once more transformed into astonishment. But... he did almost leave Jayme to his own devices, when he had first run off into the forest. He didn't, though... and still didn't know why he hadn't, but he wouldn't have chosen to go back and changed it if given the opportunity. Was he honestly predispositioned to help? There was no logical reason why, not when there was very little to learn the nature from.
To be honest, Kyran didn't know what he could say to that. Stunned a moment, he reached a hand to his own forehead, blocking his sight a moment to offer himself pause. "You are... unbelieveable," he stated after a moment; despite himself, he was smiling at the sheer relief of it. Why did that seem to hurt so much? "I can honestly say, not once have I met anyone as understandable as you. It's ridiculous," he laughed, his breathing a little more tensed, "There... there's no reason for me to want to help anyone, how could I--?" He broke off the thought, too engulfed by opposing emotions he felt he should be feeling, and what he actually did. He lowered his hand again and sighed, "...I shouldn't even care what you think."
Jayme
”True but evolution is a known. We had plenty of Ursaring in our family group, as well as Teddiursa. So for me to suddenly look not quite like them, and not quite like a person was scary, and dangerous and had to go. I didn’t understand it when it happened and its only been since living in the city that I’ve come to realize it. Still a hard thing to swallow some days, but I do understand it no matter how badly it may or may not sit with me.” simple and to the point really. He thought it was pretty crappy too, but nothing he could do now could change things then and it was okay.
He had of course, expected Kyran to pull away from him yet again as he’d reached out to the other teen and that he didn’t made Jayme’s heart warm a bit. It made him feel like the other was becoming a little more used to him. Accustomed to things. Or at least to him which was just fine and dandy by him really. He was usually skittish enough for a group of people, no one needed to be wary of him after all!
The other smiling though, it made Jayme react spontaneously and he did so, by hugging Kyran with a warm smile of his own. ”I think you mean that as a good thing, and if so I’m glad. If not uhm….” and he trailed off briefly, though he frowned slightly at those words before a second later that frown was gone. ”Maybe you care, because deep down you want to be friends, and not constantly running from me, or chasing me off. Maybe. I honestly don’t know I’m just throwing out suggestions here.” yes, he was at a loss for words, so he figured that might be the best way to go about reacting to those words. ”But really…sometimes….personal instincts overrule natural ones. Maybe deep down inside you’re really a protective individual, and you seek approval through that, to try atoning for the whole… spooky, scary legendary you can’t help being.” it was a possibility.
