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 Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:29 pm
"I think this is a little more important than my feelings," he says sagely, sighing. "Mom said it for a reason and I need to know it..."
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:44 pm
Iri nods. The kid's getting better about these things. Then she sighs and looks up at the sky, gathering her thoughts. Without looking at Dalcon, she begins.
"I'm not really sure what Sarya is. Part wolf, I know that much. Whether she's a werewolf, a changling, or some sort of wolf demon, I don't know. But, Reeve panicked about something once. I remember him saying something about the full moon, and her changing. I don't know if it was necessarily a bad thing, but he didn't act as though it was a good thing, either. It was just after--"
She stops there. That's a detail she isn't sure she should share. Does Dalcon know Sarya died and was resurrected? It's not like she can explain it. She doesn't know what killed Sarya, and the circumstances behind her resurrection are even fuzzier, though Iri was standing there when it happened.
The avian looks back at Dalcon. "On top of that, Reeve is part fox demon. That green fire, he called it fox fire. You don't seem to have control over it, but he used it quite well. I don't know what that kind of mix produces. You, obviously, but I don't know what kind of reaction the full moon could have on you, or what else you're capable of. I'm sorry I'm not much help."
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:46 pm
Dalcon's ears perk up, ironically enough in a vulpine way, like his father's. He picked up on all the wrong words. Werewolf. Changeling. Demon.
"Oh no. Nonono...youkai eat kids- why do you think I'm so respectful to Neko?" he stammers. "I can't be..."
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:55 pm
Iri looks at Dalcon with a look of concern. That didn't go over well.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down there. At one point Reeve was a very good friend of mine, and I never saw him eat a child. My best friend, a fox demon by the name of Psyche, she's never eaten children. In fact, she refuses to eat veal, because she can't help but picture herself eating a baby cow. Plenty of people around here are demons. Hell, I'm not human, but I don't steal children and chow down on 'em."
She walks over to Dalcon and puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. A lopsided smile forms on her lips and she gives him her best expression of consolation.
"Don't worry about it. You should find pride in what you are, not fear in it. I don't even know what I am, but I'm proud of being a... Well, you get what I mean, right?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:58 am
"You don't understand," he says quietly. His eyes drift down to where his limiter used to cover his wrist. You don't wear something constantly for your entire life without learning a little about it. And then there were "The dreams... Iri, sometimes I dream about great and terrible beasts..."
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:55 am
"Ooh."
For a moment, Iri's optimism hops into the back seat. She brings a hand to her mouth in a thoughtful motion. One wing twitches. Usually, Iri would tell the kid that the dreams are just the result of a youth's over active imagination. In this case, she doubts it to be so. It would be nice if it were that simple, but the avian never has that kind of luck.
Then her wings perk a little and she smiles again. "Well, that's probably why Neko mentioned working on your willpower and self-control. I can help you with that, you know. I started doing that at age five, because--"
Once again, Iri stops herself. That's another thing she might not need to tell Dalcon. It doesn't particularly bother Iri if he knows. But, it might not be good for him to know that as her student. He might start to question her more than most kids would.
"Anyway, that kind of training isn't a big deal. And it easily incorporates into learning Kaze techniques. So, how about we get started?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:47 pm
"Kay," he says nervously, watching her curiously. "Where do I start?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:05 pm
One hand comes up to run itself through the bangs fighting through her braid. She chews in her bottom lip in thought. That's a good question. How did her mother start her on self-control? It was a simple exercise, but Iri remembers it being extremely irritating.
Then she snaps her fingers and grins in triumph. "Aha! For starters..." Iri extends a wing and runs her hand over its surface. Eventually, she finds another loose feather. Motioning for him to hold still, Iri braids the feather into the boy's hair. It's in a place right beside his ear, where it will be a constant bother. When she finishes, Iri says to him, "Treat this like you did your limiter bracelet. It will always itch and tickle, but you must never remove it. And you can't move it out of the way, either. It's a test of self-control. It will always bother you, but you can't bother it. Don't even let your hand move toward it. A simple task, but it's more difficult than it seems. Trust me."
The avian raises an eyebrow and runs her fingers through her bangs once more. What about willpower? How should she test that? And in a way that would help him in the control of chakra and Kaze as well?
"As for willpower... How much do you know about chakra manipulation?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:50 am
Dalcon squirms a little as she braids another feather in his hair. Between the plumage in his messy hair and the bright green scar, he's starting to look rather feral, gazing up at Iri. "What control?" He squints as, already, the feather begins to bug his ear.
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:59 am
The avian tilts her head. Now she's the one who is confused.
"What do you mean, 'what control'? Are you saying you have no control? Asking what self-control is? Or is this a question about chakra manipulation? Elaborate, kid."
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 3:40 am
He frowns. "I was asking what chakra control was... I mean, manipulation,"he says with a yawn. It's been a long day. "Sorry..."
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 4:30 pm
They say yawns are contagious, and so Iri yawns. Instead of a hand, a wing elbow comes up to hide her mouth as she yawns quite expansively. Sleep has been kept from her since the fight with Daedalus. Now, though, the thought of her bed is just becoming too tempting. And the boy's antics don't help one bit.
Iri shakes her head like a bird does as it rearranges its feathers. "No need for sorry. That just means we've got more to work on than I thought. Well, I vote we hold off on it. Just long enough for me to get some rest and clear my head. You, too, by the looks of it. Then we'll have fresh minds for getting you started on chakra usage. We might even take a stab at figuring out your foxfire."
The avian turns toward the Dojo and trudges in the direction of the door.
"I'mma go pass out now. Come find me if I'm not up within twenty-four hours, eh?"
It's kind of hard to tell if Iri's kidding or not.
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:24 pm
Dalcon nods and stumbles to his room, more or less throwing himself on the bed. He stares up at the ceiling, giving another yawn. He raises his arm up and gazes at the bare spot on his wrist, wondering what it all means.
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Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:17 pm
For about the billionth time, Dalcon squirms in his light sleep, bothered by the foreign bed and that damned feather. He sits up, scratching his head, honestly wondering if the nightmares or the feather are worse.
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Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:55 pm
"Nnngh..."
Iri's hand twitches. Then a wing comes up, only to drop back down. The avian is sprawled out on the floor, resting on her stomach on top of a comforter and a couple of pillows. A light sheet had covered her, but it's now tossed to the side. Sleeping in a bed is difficult for the avian. Her extra limbs seem to argue with the idea over night. Aside from that, she's a rather restless sleeper.
One wing comes up to scratch the back of Iri's head with a feathery elbow. She mutters in her sleep again. Finally, with a groan, Iri pushes up with her hands into a sitting position. A full length mirror is the first thing she sees, along with her read hair. Apparently, the braid had fallen out. To put it lightly, the result is scary. Lots of curl and volume, but none of it good.
"I'm suddenly reminded of an 80's hair band. Damn it."
The avian stands up and gathers her bedding. It gets neatly folded and stacked on her bed. Then she changes out of her nightgown and into a white strap shirt with a corset front and a fresh white sarong. The shirt isn't meant to be stylish. It's convenient. Much easier to shrug a shirt on like a jacket and lace it up then try to fit it over her wings.
Once she's dressed, Iri walks out of her room and into the hallway. She's finger combing her hair and preparing to replace the braid.
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