[J] Taka's Journal: Kept by Sarielle | Page 3 | Journals | Guild Forums

Sarielle
Captain

Healer

Offline

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 3:06 pm

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 3:07 pm

Rand's Visit
Stage: Teen

Taka, Sarielle's Herald, is represented by steelblue.
Rand, Owle Isohos' Herald, is represented by black.

The first thing Owle noticed was the blood on her fingers, and Rand's shirt discarded on the ground. The second thing Owle noticed was Rand, hesitantly stepping up to her, looking like he was in a great deal of pain.

"Hurts," he told her petulantly, and turned around so she could see the injuries on his back.

The scratch marks were nothing serious. She'd seen cats give deeper injuries to people. It was the feathers, looking for all the world like the fur of that wolf plushie, that were pushing up from his shoulder blades and turning the skin about them red and angry that worried her.

"Here," Owle said, producing a clean tank top from herself. She spat on one of the straps, and carefully began using it to clean the scratch wounds. First things first. "Now, how badly does it hurt?"

"Hurts!" Rand replied, twisting around so he could look at her, those immaculate blue eyes filled with pain. "Make it stop."

"Okay, okay," Owle said, hoping she was being reassuring. "Um..."

"Make it stop!" Rand demanded, as she still didn't do anything. "Make it stop!"

What could she do? It wasn't like she could bandage it, or stop the wings from coming in (because they must be wings; what else would it be?) All she could do was be here...

"Mommy..."

Owle jumped at the name, Rand's voice nearly giving her a heart attack. He had never called her that before; she had never expected him to call her that. She brought her attention away from her thoughts, back to him.

"Make it stop!" He was pleading, now, begging her to make everything better. As though he expected her to know how...

He was relying on her. She couldn't just do nothing. But, what...how was she supposed to handle this?

You know full well what you can do, some voice inside her counseled. You can do what you always did when you didn't know enough about a situation. Reach into someone else's mind, and take the information you need...

I can't do that, Owle told herself. I can't just do that anymore. I'd be a monster, using my powers to violate people that way...

"Hurts!"

The voice inside her was silent. Maybe it had decided Rand was the more eloquent speaker.

Well... Owle gave in. Maybe I could ask someone....I wouldn't be evil for asking...

"I'll make it better," she promised Rand. "Just give me time."

Sarielle would know, or Azruael. Hadn't Sarielle's daughter mentioned Alexei was an angel, just like they were? Or maybe that was her friend. It didn't matter. Rand, looked just like Alexei...

One look at Azruael's mind sig, and Owle knew she couldn't ask him. The demon was in a foul mood, wherever he was...she could feel the frustration peeling off of him. She wasn't about to interrupt him, when he was like that....that left Sarielle. Would the woman even help her, after what had happened in town that day?

"Hurts now! Make it stop now!"

"I'm working on it, Rand. Trust me"

Well, there was only one way to find out. Slowly, carefully, trying not to let any of her emotions or thoughts leak through, Owle sought out Sarielle's mind, establishing a weak connection once she had found it.

Sarielle? she sent along the tiny link. It's Owle, we met the other day...do you mind telepathic communication? I...have a problem.

Even though Owle was doing her best to keep anything from leaking through the link, Sarielle could probably feel the woman's unease.

Sarielle knelt in the dirt, trowel in hand, pushing it with a sharp scratching sound through the moist, dark earth. The sun was pleasantly warm - the absolute perfect temperature to be gathering herbs. Her face, tipped up to drink in the rays, was emminently serene. Heaven, she thought, had to be a little like this.

She had only just turned her attention back to the stubborn root when, without warning, she was aware of another presence. A lightning gunmetal glance assured her that she was physically alone in the clearing; but the hairs on the back of her neck prickled as a voice spoke inside her own mind.

Just like Felix.

Felix? Where had that come from? No, the memory was gone again, flowing away elusively with all the haste of quicksilver, and she was left with one stark message hanging in the air: I...have a problem.

She rememberd Owle. Owle had taken Azruael's side. Her immediate reaction was one of mistrust; but there was some sort of repressed emotion leaking through from the other woman, and Sarielle was driven to ask,

What do you want?

It was not, perhaps, inviting, and the grey-eyed woman stood ready to reject this foreign presence with all her will. She had some deep-rooted confidence that she would be successful, without really knowing why.

At least she was "listening."

The cold reaction made Owle recoil, her mental presence retreating as far away from Sarielle's as the link would allow. Which wasn't very far. She had the sinking feeling that if she didn't explain herself, and fast, she was going to be blasted out of there...

Just like Morgan would have done.

I found a child, she began. He....looks just like Alexei, and now there are feathers coming out of his back, and I don't know what to do. The worry, at least, seemed genuine, tiny snippets of it filtering through the connection. I...your daughter...she said she was an angel, like Alexei, I thought maybe she might have gone through this, and you'd know...

Owle fell silent and waited, heart in her throat, for a mental boot in her rear or a response. Both seemed equally likely.

There was still that cold gleam in Sarielle's eyes, and a long pause. But no matter how much she didn't trust Owle, she could not bring herself to knowingly let a child suffer.

Alright, the dark-haired woman answered at last, responding to the genuine urgency and worry she sensed. There are a couple of things people I know have used that seemed to help. One is a rice pack you can heat - a friend of mine taught me how to make them.

Another long pause as Sarielle clearly debated with herself. She exhaled deeply before she "spoke" again.

And I can make herbal salves that will keep the skin from getting so inflamed and help it heal more quickly. Should deaden the pain, as well.

Hope burst like a little bubble in Owle's heart as Sarielle answered. I....thank you. Anything you can do, or teach me to do... The telepath practically had to build a dam in front of her emotions to keep the relief and gratitude from flooding out full force; she was probably making the woman uncomfortable enough with whatever might be leaking through as it is.

I can bring Rand to you, fairly quickly, she offered, once Sarielle mentioned the salves. His back's all scratched up like a kitten walked over it, and the area near there is getting redder by the minute.

Or... Owle paused. She knew inviting her over would not be easy for Sarielle; that initial coldness may have grown marginally duller, but it was still there, keeping her at bay. I understand if you don't want me coming anywhere near you. I could probably find the herbs if you described them for me; I lived in Barton Forest for a time.

Sarielle felt a wall go up; and for a moment, she thought Owle had completely shut her out. But then the words came, the voice following like a tenuous wire.

Her first instinct was to leap for the out Owle offered her, to clutch at it desperately and say, "Yes, I'll tell you what you need." But the other woman had painted a vivid picture of the little boy's back, one that blazed in Sarielle's mind's eye. She wavered.

Well.. Wouldn't she want someone to help Taka, if the angel were ever in need? And what if the injuries weren't serious now? They could become so, if left unattended.

She relented.

If you can get the child here to me, I think that would be best. I have everything I need for the salve either already in the house or in my herb garden. My house, do you know where it is?

Sarielle realized, only too late, that Owle had no reason to know where her house was. On a more chilling note, she hoped the answer was "no." Otherwise, she'd be tempted to reconsider her offer of aid.

I can find you, Owle sent. I'm kind of like a bloodhound, that way. So long as you're in your house, I can find it.

It's...a telepathic thing. she explained, as she scooped Rand up with her one arm, instructing him to hold on tight. I can feel what direction your mind is in, and I know when I'm getting closer.

"It hurts," Rand complained again, as he wrapped his arms around Owle's neck.

"I know," Owle said. "We're going to go see someone who can make it better. I promise."

Slowly at first, then faster and faster, she began beating her tiny little wings. It seemed impossible that they should support her own weight, much less the child as well...but against all the laws of physics they were in the air, heading towards where Owle's senses told her Sarielle must be.

Sarielle didn't respond, but the idea of being "tracked" didn't sit well with her. She wasn't actually at her house; but she failed to mention this to Owle. She was close enough, after all; not more than a 5 minute walk, if she kept the pace brisk.

Sarielle could barely feel the connection anymore, as she never-the-less turned her purposeful strides toward home. The gate stood open, as usual; although she and Taka lived alone, Sarielle had never felt particularly concerned about security.

She kicked off her shoes at the sliding, papered door, flipping on the light. "Taka?" No one answered, so she assumed her charge was out enjoying the weather, just as she had.

Gathering up her book of notes, Sarielle's hand fell to the correct page with assurity. There were a couple of preparation variations, she remembered, but wasn't sure which one she'd used for Taka...

Owle knew that it probably didn't make too many people comfortable to know that someone could find them, no matter where they were. This was why she usually kept her telepathic powers to herself, if she could help it...she used to use them pretty frivolously, unaware that it would bother anyone if she sifted through their minds for a bit of information she needed, or for something interesting to look at. The power was a natural thing to her, and it wasn't like she was doing anything bad...they had left stuff strewn about their minds where any telepath could look at it, so why should they be mad if she did?

The telepath had learned the hard way. In this case, the hard way had been being kidnapped and forced to work in a one man death camp, with that one man constantly yelling at her, degrading her, showing her how evil her power was...

"Almost there?" Rand asked, wiggling in her grasp.

"Almost," Owle reassured him. "Stay still, please. I can't hold you very well...I don't want to drop you."

He was currently in as stable a position as Owle could manage with only one arm; his arms were wrapped around her neck, while her arm was beneath his backside, clutching him to her as best she could.

"Hurry," Rand demanded, but he stopped trying to wiggle around. They were pretty high up now, and he didn't want to get dropped.

Even going as quickly as she could, it took Owle some time before she arrived at what she assumed was Sarielle's house. It was beautiful; Owle had seen buildings done in a Japanese style before, but often it was done to excess, making them look more like they belonged in an amusement park than anywhere else. Though this place was clearly oriental, it was even more clearly a home: a place someone lived in everyday, and loved. At least, that's what it seemed like to Owle.

The shifter alighted just outside the gate. After setting Rand down beside her and taking his hand, she started walking toward what looked like the front door.

"Make it stop now!" the child demanded, grabbing at the back of his shirt; he'd put it back on before Owle took off.

"Soon," Owle promised him. "There's a very nice person in here named Miss Sarielle who's going to make it stop for you. Be very polite to her, alright?"

Rand fell silent. It was a sign of just how much discomfort he must be in that he was behaving himself and staying by Owle's side....normally when they were in an unfamiliar place he'd do anything to get away from her and go exploring on his own.

By now they had reached the door...or at least Owle hoped it was a door. It looked like it was made out of paper...and didn't have any locks on it. How were you supposed to knock on a paper door?

"Um, Sarielle?" Owle called out, uncertainly. Was this even the right place? She knew it couldn't be wrong, all her senses told her Sarielle was here, but that knowledge didn't stop anxiety from twisting in Owle's stomach.

It was only a moment before door slid open and Sarielle was there, unsmiling but at least not hostile. There were dirty patches on the knees of her jeans where she'd been digging roots earlier.

Her solemn grey eyes fell on the child who clutched Owle's hand, and she straightened in surprise. "Alexei?"

Sarielle hesitated in the doorway, not asking them inside, her gaze full of suspicion. Why hadn't Owle told her right away the salve was for Azruael's child?

"Rand!" the child corrected her, looking indignant. First mommy had made that mistake, now this Miss Sarielle person was calling him that, too...

The look faded soon, though, as Rand noticed his back was itching again. He reached backwards again, trying to reach that itchy spot...

"That's what I thought at first, too," Owle said. "I actually had him all the way to Azruael's front door before I realized...Alexei was inside the house. But this kid...well, he was still outside, with me, saying his name was Rand."

The look on Sari's face chilled Owle's blood, even unhostile as it was. The woman wanted to run away, and probably would have at least taken a few steps back if it wasn't so important to get help for Rand. As it was, Owle severed the small connection she had made between them; there was no need for it now that they were face to face.

Sarielle blinked at the child's indignant little face, as he scrabbled at his own shoulders in an attempt to scratch. The woman's face softened. She had clearly relented.

"Well, Rand, let's get you inside then," she said, stepping aside so the two could come in. "Straight on through the living room is my workroom," she said, following them in.

"Now, let's see the damage." She lifted the back of Rand's shirt, and paused. "He's been scratched pretty hard. What happened?"

Noticing the pile of shoes by the door, Owle slipped off her own wooden sandals and instructed Rand to do the same. The child was happily trotting after Sarielle; she was going to make the hurt go away, right?

"I don't know," Owle answered, hating herself for it. "I...something's been happening to me, I'll pass out at times...usually there's someone else around to watch him, but when I woke up, we were alone..." She sounded like a horrible parent, and she knew it. Worse, still, there was nothing she could do about it; she didn't trust doctors, and medicines, as much as she should, relying mostly on magic and the simple remedies her friends knew. And none of them knew a remedy for what happened to her.

Sarielle didn't answer at first, nor could Owle see her face to read it; she had turned away to dampen a cloth with warm water to remove the streaks of dried blood on Rand's back.

"I see."

The words probably sounded judgmental, but Sarielle did not mean them that way. She herself had no memories beyond a certain point; she could not remember a time when she had no memories at all, but large portions of her life were blank. She understood strange phenomena like that.

"Alright, Rand, this is going to feel warm and it might sting a little bit, but we have to get your back cleaned off. After that, we'll put something on it that'll make it feel better," she told the child, who had happily followed her to her workroom.

With a featherlight touch, Sarielle began dabbing at the scratches.

"It hurts," Rand protested, pulling away a little at the first sting. "You have to?"

He stayed still after that, quietly accepting the treatment. If it had to hurt now for it to stop later, then it had to hurt now.

Owle remained silent, watching Sarielle minister to Rand, noting how gentle she was with him. Sarielle must be an excellent parent; Owle hadn't the faintest idea where to begin with Rand. It made the shifter feel worthless by comparison...maybe Owle really was beyond redemption, after all.

Nah, it was silly to think so dramatically. But still, Owle could do better. She'd have to strive to become a mother to Rand...to work hard at it, not just hope some kind of instinct would kick in.

"Alllllright," Sarielle said as she cleansed the last scratch. "The bad part's over with, Rand."

She pulled a fat round jar with a chunky cork off one of the many dusty shelves that lined the small room. It was a serene blue, her favorite colour. She dipped a long, thin finger inside the jar, scooping out a generous portion of goop.

"This is a salve made from Red Clover," she told Owle, before beginning to spread the mixture over the red, irritated skin on Rand's shoulders, avoiding the brownish feathers themselves as best she could. "It'll not only help the skin heal, but it'll stop the itching, too."

She handed Owle the jar once she was done. "There's not tons of the salve left, but it should last a few days. I'll start making more this afternoon, but it needs to steep at least overnight. But if you run out before he's healed up, let me know."

Her demeanor had softened visibly; she could easily see how genuinely anxious Owle was about the small Herald who'd come to her for aid.

"Thank you," Owle said, genuinely grateful. She accepted the jar from Sarielle, taking it in her one hand. "Thank you so much. If there's anyway I can repay you..."

Rand seemed to be feeling better already. Now that Sarielle had finished applying the goop, he started wandering around the workroom, examining the lower shelves and any other objects within his reach. Occasionally, his fingers would get involved in the examination as well as his eyes.

Sarielle accepted the profuse thanks with a smile, but said nothing, turning instead to watch Rand as he poked amongst the shelves.

"Don't worry," she said softly to Owle. "There's nothing there that can hurt him. The more potent herbs I keep locked in that cabinet." She indicated it with a nod of her head. "That's the good part about the Red Clover salve; if he eats it or something, it won't taste good but it'll do him no harm. If it doesn't do well for him, there's other things we can try; but as long as he's content with it, I suggest that's what you stick with."

"I'm more worried about him hurting what's there..." Owle said, moving to the child's side and gently instructing him to put that jar down, you shouldn't touch other people's things without their permission. "Thank you again," she said, returning to Sarielle. "I'll do that."

She didn't seem to know what to say, or do, now that the task that brought her here was done. "Um...I guess Rand and I should go, before he breaks anything on you..."

"Would you like something to eat or drink before you go? I'm not the best cook, but I'll see what I can come up with."

"That's for sure," came a sleepy voice from across the living room. It was Taka, rumpled and rubbing her eyes. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out she'd been napping.

She became instantly alert when her eyes fell on Rand, however. "Alexei?" she said, just like Sarielle had.

"I..." Owle meant to say she couldn't impose, Sarielle had already done so much, but a growling stomach betrayed her. She'd been eating nothing but sailor's rations for a while...anything would be a good change. "That would be wonderful."

"Rand!" the little angel corrected Taka. With a big grin on his face, he gallomped over to her. "Who?" he asked, pointing to her forehead.

"Rand, it's rude to point at people," Owle admonished him. "Really..."

Not that she was having the perfect manners herself; she couldn't keep from staring. Was this Sarielle's daughter? Her telepathic senses said it was the same little girl she'd met not so long ago...but her eyes refused to agree. This was a beautiful teenage girl, with large wings made of fans....could she fly with those?

"Hello," Owle said, trying to get over all the changes that had happened since she met this little girl. Man they grow up fast.

"I hope you don't mind sandwiches," Sarielle responded. "I haven't been to the store in awhile. It's such a long walk, and we don't have a car..." She shrugged. "I go as rarely as I possibly can."

Taka, meanwhile was eying Rand rather like a museum specimen. "Taka," she managed, pointing to herself. The young Herald did a doubletake as her eyes fell on Owle, to whom Sarielle had offered lunch. Her mouth dropped open a tiny bit.

She distinctly remembered the less-than-friendly terms Sarielle had been on with Owle and the demon called Azruael. She'd still been unable to find out why. Sarielle would not speak of it.

A fleeting expression of cunning flitted across Taka's face; perhaps this was her chance to find out.

"Oh, no," Owle said quickly. "Sandwiches sound great. Erm...if you want, I could do a grocery run for you sometime...it's probably a much shorter distance flying there." She was eager to pay Sarielle back for helping Rand, and getting groceries was something she could do.

"Taka," Rand repeated, then ran around behind Taka till he was staring up at her wings. "Are those paper?" he asked curiously. He was always so much more articulate when he wanted to know something...

Taka clapped her hands together in an attitude of supplication. "Grocery run, please," she said to Owle with a laugh. "I'm not this skinny by choice, you know."

A dish towel sailed from the kitchen to hit her in the side of the head.

"Well I could go, but you won't let me," Taka hollered at Sarielle, before Rand scurried behind her to look at her wings. "Paper? No, they just look that way."

She crouched so the child could see them more closely. The wings, though patterned like the paper fan had been, had a waxy texture to them. "If they were paper, I couldn't shower," she said with a chuckle.

Really, maybe children weren't so bad.

Owle had to try very hard not to giggle at Sarielle's well-aimed dish towel. Somehow she managed not to burst out laughing...though it was going to be a few moments before she could trust herself to speak again.

Rand's eyes widened a little in wonder as the wings came closer to him. He reached up a little hand and started stroking them gently. "Wow," he said. "Pretty." Then, her long hair caught his eye, and he just had to touch that, too...

Taka twitched nervously as Rand's fingers brushed her wings; even Sarielle had learned better than to try to touch them. But the boy's small hands were gentle; perhaps even as a child he subconsciously understood her protectiveness.

Wow, kids really weren't-

His fingers had moved from her wings to her wavy hair.

"Sariiiiii!" she yelped, backing away from him like he'd suddenly grown another head.

Okay. They were bad. They were everything she'd feared.

Sarielle rocketed from the kitchen, her original mistrust of Owle back full force. But when the brown-haired woman saw what the commotion was about, she rolled her eyes.

"You're such a prima donna these days," Sarielle told the Herald with a frustrated sigh. You were 10 times worse than Rand ever thought about being."

Startled, Rand let go of Taka's hair and ran over till he was standing next to Owle again. That was weird. Did everyone do that when you tugged on their hair?

Curious, he turned to pull on mommy's...but she'd turned towards him already, putting her hair out of his immediate reach.

"Rand, you shouldn't pull on other people's hair..."

"Why?"

Uh-oh. He'd learned to ask that question? Sighing, Owle knelt down, and, after placing the jar of salve on the floor, gently tugged on a fistful of Rand's hair. The child immediately moved his chubby hands to the area, a startled expression on his face. "That's why," Owle answered. "People don't like it. Now, apologize to Taka."

Still rubbing his scalp, Rand turned to face Taka and clumsily walked over to her. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Taka blinked once or twice without answering.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Sarielle exploded. "He's a little kid. Little kids DO that." Since becoming a teen, Taka had lost much of her "down and dirty" curious attitude. Yes, it had been frustrating when all her clothes came home looking like she'd been mud wrestling...but Sarielle had begun to realize she much preferred that to this new, rather prissy young woman before her. Then again, things hadn't quite ever been the same since the diary...

Taka's expression mirrored Rand's as it had been just moments before. Her usually soft-spoken guardian had just snapped at her. Surprise gone, her face slipped into an icy-eyed mask and she turned sullenly away.

"It's okay Rand," she told the child, but with ill-grace.

It only served to irritate Sari further.

"I think a better apology would be to help Owle and Rand out with a few errands or something," the woman said, putting her on the spot. "Or babysit. Let Owle have a night out, for a change."

Taka looked daggers at her.

Rand was really confused. People sounded really angry. Why were they doing that? Instinctively, the child moved closer to Owle, who wasn't getting all mad.

"Um, it's okay, really," Owle protested, not wanting to be put in the middle of this. "I'm in your debt, after all, I mean..."

Sarielle was aware of Owle's discomfort; she'd have felt the same way, had she been in the other woman's shoes. But Sari was determined to make a point, and Taka was determined to make it difficult.

It was not a pretty situation.

"No." Sarielle spoke to Owle, but it was the brown-haired teen she stared at. "It's not a problem; we're happy to help out any way we can."

"Sure. Whatever." Taka's response was certainly lacking in enthusiasm; but it wasn't her nature to outright disobey. "Get me out of the house, anyway." She paused a moment, then, "I'm not hungry anymore," she muttered, and drifted silently off to her room.

"I'm sorry about that," Sarielle told Owle, handing her over the sandwiches. "But she really needs to stop being so self-centered."

"It's okay," Owle said hesitantly. She accepted the sandwiches, offering Rand one first. The child looked as though he'd never seen food before the way he poked at it, and turned it over and over in his hands, marveling at it. Soon, though, hunger overcame his innate curiousity, and he took several big chomping bites from the sandwich. "I just..." I just don't have a real home because an angel tried to kill me and probably succeeded and I don't want him to find out I'm alive. So I can't have anyone babysit, cause they'd be babysitting in a pile of rubble... "...well, my living situation isn't the best right now...and I'd hate to make anyone else spend a while there, even if it were just to babysit for an hour or two..."

Rand, completely oblivious to the conversation, satisfied his immediate hunger and began exploring the rest of his sandwich. He only had one mouthful left, but he was intrigued by the way it came apart into different neat bits, and was still trying to decide whether to spread the last of them out on the floor and play with them or eat them.

"I see." Sarielle did see. She knew what it was to work hard; she knew what it was to still come up empty-handed. And she knew, god how she knew, what it was like to exist day-to-day, hand-to-mouth, in squalor. She lived, for now, on her friend's bounty; the rather beautiful house she and Taka shared did not belong to her.

With one half of her mind, the woman - who, as far as looks went, could probably have been Taka's biological mother - watched with an amused half smile as Rand enjoyed his sandwich to the umpteenth degree.

"Well," she continued, turning her attention fully to Owle, "if you ever need some place to bring him, look us up."

Sarielle was surprised, even at herself. She had been determined not to like Owle; she almost hadn't answered the other woman's mental plea for help. But now that she saw her without Azruael's overshadowing presence...she understood the rather hunted look that had flashed across Owle's face as she spoke of her "living conditions."

Owle stared for a moment, her mind trying to make sense of what had just happened. Did Sarielle just...yeah, she had.

In the moment of silence, Rand decided that sandwiches were tasty and devoured the last bite.

"Thank you," Owle said finally. She looked as though she might embrace the other woman, were she less restrained. She hadn't forgotten the initial suspicion she had felt at the first mind touch, or the hatred that had been in Sarielle's eyes that day in town...even despite all that, this total stranger was offering Owle so much.

"Thank you," she repeated, not knowing what else to say.

Sarielle only nodded, picking at a few insignificant crumbs while she avoided Owle's eyes. It was an awkward moment; but she was glad she'd made the offer.

Off in another part of the house, a door slid closed with a petulant bang. What on earth had happened to that bubbly little girl Taka used to be?

"I'm...sorry she's acted this way," Sarielle said, still avoiding eye contact. "I really...We don't seem to be quite on the same page anymore." Strange how that admission hurt her, though the slight line between her brows betrayed very little. She had been the last person to want a child; but Taka had come, after that bleak night, and Sarielle had always been glad for it.

"Um, let me know if you'd like another," the grey-eyed woman said sporadically, changing the subject without warning.

"It's alright," Owle said. It seemed the only thing to say. She didn't know what it was like, to have someone just drift apart from you like that...but she could imagine how it must hurt.

Like having your best friend suddenly afraid to look you in the eyes...like knowing what you did to him was too horrible to ever obtain forgiveness. Except in Sarielle's case, it seemed undeserved.

She didn't notice Sarielle's lack of eye contact. She was trying to look everywhere else in the room.

"I...no, it's okay. Rand and I should probably be heading back, anyway. I don't want to trouble you any more than I have already."

Sarielle smiled, though it was clearly a little strained. "I didn't mind at all. In fact, it was rather nice to get to put my herbs to use again. Haven't had much need for that hobby lately."

She busied herself with what little cleanup there was, thoughts clearly turned inward. She didn't say goodbye, but it wasn't deliberate rudeness, or a snub. She didn't see the plate, the crumpled napkin, the crumbs she'd collected. She was seeing a bright-faced little girl coming inside with her jar full of fireflies.

"Hopefully we won't need it again," Owle said, smiling a little to try and lighten the mood. "But if we ever do, you'll be the one I'll ask."

"Come on, Rand, it's time to go home," Owle said, taking the child by the hand.

"Aw, now?" Rand grumbled, but he let his mother lead him out. There were so many new things here, and he hadn't even gotten to see what was behind all the doors, yet. Before he left, though, he turned around and waved enthusiastically. "Buh-bye, Miss Sarielle!"

Sarielle's face lit a bit, as she squatted to ruffle the pristine white strands of Rand's hair; but clearly the hint of melancholy was still there in her grey glance, as it always was.

"Bye Rand," she told him, playfully mimicking his wave with a glance and a wink at Owle. "And bye Owle." Her smile, she hoped, expressed her desire to see them again better than her words had.

Rand grinned up at Sarielle, but didn't say anything else as he pulled his shoes back on.

"Bye," Owle said, returning the smile. "Take care of yourself."

She picked up the jar of salve again; she'd feel like such a moron if she forgot it. "And thank you again," she added to Sarielle. She slipped her own shoes on, then knelt down to hoist Rand up onto her shoulders. If nothing else was said, the two of them departed, heading for home.

Sarielle
Captain

Healer

Offline

Sarielle
Captain

Healer

Offline

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 3:08 pm

Ghostly Goodies
Stage: Teen

Dark, delicate eyebrows drew down in concentration over a pair of frustrated blue eyes. Taka twisted the fabric in her hands rather viciously as her fingers stumbled with the strings.

"I couldn't even find white fabric!" she exclaimed out of nowhere, throwing her project down onto the unswept porch.

Sarielle stuck her head out the door, drawn by the loud and uncharacteristic outburst from her child who was usually so restrained. The brown-haired woman's expression went from curiosity to dismay. Taka's eyes were over-bright, and threatening tears. Impulsively, Sarielle drew the teen down beside her on the porch, one arm around her comfortingly.

Usually, Taka resisted any demonstration of affection from and for anyone but her "twin," Shayna. She still sat stiff and cold, but didn't move.

"What's the matter?" Sarielle's voice came soft and soothing, like a breeze through tall grass. Taka relented a little, and retrieved her project, though she held it half behind her.

"I was trying *sniff* to make *sniff* ghosts for all my friends for Halloween," she said, with a final long sniff for emphasis in her battle against tears. "But I'm not any good at it. I couldn't even find any white fabric."

At last, she drew the ghost from behind her, but reluctantly; she was clearly ashamed of her own botched handiwork.

Sarielle took it from the young girl's unresisting fingers, and looked at it a moment before speaking. It really WAS a terrible job. "Who says ghosts have to be white?" was all she said. "I'll bet we can make these really pretty by the time we're done."

She didn't ask if Taka wanted help; she knew the Herald would have denied it, even though a spark of hope was in her face as she wiped her eyes one last time.

"Here. Get another piece of cloth and some stuffing; I'll see what I can do with this one." Sarielle smoothed the fabric out once more with her long, tan fingers, and carefully made a ball on the end stuffed with cotton fill. "See, like so? Now, where's your string again?"

Taka had been peering over Sarielle's shoulder, and jumped to hand her guardian the required items. She hadn't known Sarielle was any good at this sort of thing...

"No, I'll need a longer piece. That's the reason you had so much trouble with it, you're trying to work with too short of a piece. Much better." The grey-eyed woman tied it off once, then continued to wrap the string around the ghost's "neck" several more times before finishing it off with a generous bow.

"See how I did that?" Taka nodded eagerly. "Alright, why don't you do the same thing to the rest of the pieces while I see what I can rustle up to decorate them with?"

Truth be told, Taka's still weren't quite as even as Sarielle's had been - mainly because she lacked the patience for it. But still, the ghost bases she finished were much better than her first attempt.

Sarielle returned, arms full of all sorts of knicknacks - everything from flowers to feathers, seeds to bits of rounded glass.

"Now! I think we should be able to get SOMEthing nice out of all this." She smiled sideways at Taka as the teen dug into the items with gusto. It had been a long time since she'd been able to do something fun, just the two of them. Sometimes the woman worried that Taka cared for her very little at all; that it was out of convenience that she stayed.

Sarielle liked the blue glass beads she'd rummaged for the best; she glued them on for eyes. A few feathers and a flower chain completed her ghost.

"No, wait; it's missing something," Taka said, before tucking a large, late bloom from the garden into the bow.

"Beautiful," Sarielle said, but she was looking at the Taka instead; the young Herald truly was beautiful as she sat, pen in hand and tongue sticking out to the side, drawing a small smile on the ghost's face. Taka looked up to find Sarielle watching her.

"This was a good idea, Sari," she said with a hint of that impish smile she'd so often shown as a child. "Thanks."

Taka said nothing more, and made no show of affection; but Sarielle glowed. She knew it was there all the same. She felt closer to on this windy October day than she had in a very long time.

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 3:09 pm

Oktoberfest
Stage: Teen

Taka, Sarielle's Herald, posts in steelblue.
Shayna, Blood's Herald, posts in orangered.
Aethelind, Suboshi-sama's Herald, posts in darkred.

Taka weaved her way in and out of the tents, still snuffling from the nose-full of water she got while attempting to bob for apples. Sarielle was nowhere to be seen; she'd decided to go ahead and let the Herald sulk while she enjoyed the booths selling trinkets.

Taka stopped to look at the fans one gypsy vendor had for sale, her wings drawing odd stares from the old woman behind the table. The young Herald was oblivious as she sorted through them all; one fan with a crane motif in particular intruiged her.

Aethelind wound his way through the crowd, staring wide-eyed at the countless amounts of brightly colored toys avaliable for sale. Pausing at one, he peered over the edge of the table, and saw that it was covered in fans.

Taka's eyes and those of the gypsy registered the same expression: startled, but not surprised. It was as though both of them had seen a child like this before.

The young Herald put down the fan she'd been looking at - she couldn't afford it, anyway - and turned to the white-haired little boy that peeped over the edge of the table.

"Hello there," she said, her voice sweet and coaxing as she squatted down to be at his level. "Those are some lovely wings you've got." She cast her eyes about, hoping to locate the child's "mother." Or father. You never knew...

Tearing his attention away from the jewel-colored fans, he turned towards Taka"..Hello!" he said, beaming at the unexpected attention.

"You're not here all by yourself, are you?" Taka turned to deliver a cold stare to the vendor. With eyes the colour of a glacier-filled fjord, it was effective. The woman turned away, but Taka was still left with an uneasy feeling of being watched.

And she didn't like it.

Her expression, as she turned back to the child, was no longer so warm and welcoming; it was very reserved and closed.

Shayna made her way through the growing crowd of people. Oktoberfest at last! Shayna's favorite time of year was ALWAYS this time. People getting ready for halloween, the ground was layered with bright orange, yellow, and red leaves. How could she not love it.

She made her way from one stall to another, every now and then getting strange looks because of her wings. She re-tied the knot on her red shirt, exposing her stomach, and adjusted her daisy duke shorts. If there was ever a girl, who likes flirting, and strutting her stuff, it was Shayna.

"I wonder..." She spoke quietly to herself, moving onto her toes to look over the heads of people and "Ahah!" Shayna smiled to herself as she saw to fair sized, fan shapped wings.

She made her way to the booth that was decorated with fans, and saw A teenaged girl with long hair pulled back to a ponytail kneeling down to talk with a boy.

"It figures I'd find you here." Shayna smirked as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Nu-uh. Mommy's here too." he said, hand flittering up to his hat. "She's over that way." Nodding sagely, he pointed in the direction of the bonfire, not noticing the change in Taka's expression.

"She said not to go where I can't see her, but I still can, so 's alright."

Taka turned at the familiar voice, and bounding to her feet, gave her sister her customary enthusiastic hug. Not overly demonstrative with most people - even Sarielle - Taka never hesitated to show her affection for Shayna.

With so many differences, there was still an uncanny resemblance between the two. Both girls' hair fell in long, shiny waves; Taka just usually wore hers pulled back. The two were almost exactly the same height, and both were gorgeous - Shayna flamboyantly, Taka in a quieter way.

"Of course, where else would I be?" Taka giggled. "It's so good to see you! Sari still won't let me go places by myself." Her annoyance was punctuated by an exaggerated eyeroll. "And she says she doesn't have time to take me places. I tell her it would be a lot easier if we just had a car...but she doesn't ever listen."

While an avid phone caller, it was still nice to see her sister face to face.

With a wrench, Taka reluctantly turned her attention back to the child. She wasn't overly fond of them, really; she just hadn't 'liked the way the woman at the stall had been watching the little tyke.

"Well as long as you've got somebody to look after you..." she said vaguely.

Nodding enthusiastically, 'Lind began to wander off, walking with the flow of the crowd. "Yup....Bye!" he said, waving at Taka and the other Herald who just arrived.

Shayna laughed as Taka gave her a rather enthusiastic hug. She hugged her "twin" back, and held her at arms length away. "You haven't changed a bit since we last saw eachother." Shayna smiled.

"Parents..." Shayna rolled her eyes at Taka told her about Sari not letting her go anywhere alone. "Blood's only recently started letting me go off on my own. She is still uber paranoid though. It's so annoying."

As the little boy walked away, Shayna waved back at him, and turned her attention back to Taka.

"I'm kinda thirsty, how about you?" Taka cast her eyes about for a stall selling something to drink.

"Hard Cider," one sign proclaimed. "Uuugh, apples again?" she muttered, rubbing her nose at the unpleasant memory, but headed that way nevertheless. It was that time of year where you should be seeing your breath; but it had been unusually warm. "Hang on, I'll be right back."

When she got there, Taka found to her chagrin that she was not allowed to purchase anything to drink; apparently some cider had alcohol in it?

She returned to her sister, the wheels clearly turning in her brain. There was a sneaky glint to her eyes as she asked Shayna casually, "You up for a bit of distraction?" She was an irascible schemer, Taka; and she knew her "twin" well enough to know how to pique the other girl's interest.

The dark-haired Herald inclined her head and cut her eyes sideways at Shayna. How hard was it going to be to talk her into this?

"Distraction huh? Gosh Taka, you're thinking more like me every day." Shayna laughed and gave Taka a little bit of a push on the shoulder. "You know me ALL to well, Taka." She giggled.

"We have to do this just right though." Shayna eyes the stall, and the people working at it. She brain worked furiously as she though up what to say, and how to do it. In Shayna's world, causing trouble took perfect planning or it just wasn't right, and would most likely fail horribly.

"Maybe if I..." Shayna smiled and stood up straight, flipped her hair behind her, and strolled over to the stall and started flirting with the two boys who were working the stall. She eventually managed to get them fully distracted, with their backs turned to Taka.

Taka grinned quietly. Her smile was almost wicked as she made the briefest of eye contact with her "twin" and mouthed, 'Perfect.'

Shayna was so larger-than-life, in addition to plain drop dead gorgeous, that attention naturally focused on her. Even the people waiting in line to purchase the cider had their eyes on her.

Smooth as silk Taka snagged three of the closely-set plastic cups in each hand, and casually put her hands into her sleeves. Elbows out, she smirked and walked off at a normal pace, trusting Shayna to follow as she could.

It had gone off without a hitch. Dang they were good.

Shayna, who was currently showing off some tricks with little balls of fire, saw Taka sneaking off with 3 cups in each hand. She smirked and quickly finished off, waiting till Taka was at a safe distance, before quickly making her way out of the crowd. She ran to Taka, took three cups, and pulled her behind the green tent.

"Oh my god! We couldn't have pulled that off any better!" Shayna laughed and placed her cups on a rather large, upside down box. She waited till Taka put her cups down before she hugged Taka and high fived her for doing so well.

Taka snickered. "I know! Your fire tricks are going to be very useful in the future, I think. We are the ultimate team." She disolved into furtive laughter once again. "Let's just hope this stuff is good," she added, returning the high five.

It wasn't so much the idea of alcohol itself that intrigued Taka; it was the idea that it was new and forbidden. Her curiosity still ran rampant.

Taking a deep breath, she downed a quick sip of the cider. "Hey, this is actually pretty good!" she exclaimed, handing a cup to Shayna and following up with a few more appreciative sips.

"Haha! You know it!" Shayna took a large gulp of the cider and licked her lips. The teenager was used to having alcohol on her system as Blood was rather lenient and let her drink on new years.

"Your right, this is good!" She sook a few more sips herself. "I never knew you had it in you to steal alcohol, Taka." Shayna smiled to her sister. "Just don't go 'round getting sick on me now." Shayna laughed as Taka drank down her cider.

"Hey, I think I'm offended," Taka joked. "What do you take me for?" She took a couple more gulps and smacked her lips. "I could get used to this," she said with a giggle.

She finished off her first cup and looked to the second. "I don't know what all the hype is about, though," she said, staring at the amber liquid. "I don't feel funny at all."

Then her eyes widened. "Uh oh. Think Sari will be able to smell it on me?" Having had essentially no experience with alcohol, Taka had no clue about the ins and outs of getting away with drinking. All she knew was what she'd seen on TV.

Her expression was pained. "I kinda forgot she was here."

Shayna looked down to her cup and took a feew sniffs. The alcohol wasn't too strong, but it was definatly noticable. "hmm" Shayna swished the cider around in her cup and looked to Taka. "She's here huh? You might need to chill out with me for a while after we finish these off. We can try to mask the sent of alcohol, but you might need to avoid talking to Sari as mush as you can."

Shayna finished her first cup and placed it on the box, picking up her second one. She knew she'd have to mask the sent of alcohol when she got home, but she figured she'd just go home, and go straight to her room for the rest of the night.

"So, you got any idea's of what we could do after this??" Shayna sipped her cider and looked to Taka for a suggestion.

Shayna giggled and gulped down a good 2/3 of the cup, and got a teeny bit of a head rush.

As she regained her balance, she placed her cup down and put her arm around Taka. "God-awfule perfume huh? Sounds like a plan." Shayna laughed. "And let's just hope you don't get sick tomorrow morning." Shayna said it as if she was 100% sure that she'd be completly fine the next morning. "Blood is the kind of person who takes advantage of a hangover and put's you through all hell." Shayna walked back over to her cup, of which she had already nearly downed, and sipped what was left in her cup. She eyed her third cup for a moment.

Shayna was a little bit of a cheap drunk at this age. She would get a somewhat small amount of alchohol in her, and she'd be drunk like crazy. Her mind was slightly starting to cloud over, but it wasn't to bad. She wasn't drinking straight alcohol, so she should be fine. But for a teen like Shayna, there is no telling what kind of trouble she could get in with even a bit of alcohol in her system.

"I think Blood might be out tonight. We can have the house to ourselves!!!" Shayna smiled at the idea of being home alone with Taka. The two of them would be able to have a blast, and being that she lived somewhat in the country, she didn't have to worry about making to much sound as her closest neighbour was at least a 7-10 minute stroll down the road.

"So what are we gonna do to keep ourselves busy untill we go to my house?" Shayna leant up against a pole that helped support the tent they were hidden behind. "After we find you some perfume, of course." Shayna laughed and picked her last cup up in her hand.

Taka shrugged. "Ionno." She downed the rest of her second cup in a few swift gulps. She didn't know what all the fuss was about. She still didn't feel any different. Hangover? Pish. The blue-eyed beauty was certain Shayna was overreacting.

"I just thought we could wander around here a little bit, see what they've got for sale. I SO need a job," Taka lamented. "Sari's cut my allowance to almost nothing. I've been saving for weeks so I could enjoy myself here."

She picked up her third and final cup. "I dunno if this is going to do me," she said from her seat on an upturned bucket. With a shrug, she tipped it to her mouth. "Cheers."

Sarielle
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Sarielle
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:34 am

[Christmas Entry here...gotta find that darn thing. >.>;]

Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:36 am

Rand Gets A Babysitter
Stage: Teen

Taka, Sarielle's Herald, is represented by steelblue.
Rand, Owle Isohos' Herald, is represented by black.

She was alone. And from the expression on her fair face and the way she blew the dark strands out of her eyes, she was also very, very bored.

Drifting to the window, she peered outside. A few trees had already begun to blossom, and the streaks of sunlight that whispered through the branches were unusually warm for early spring.

Seized by a sudden desire to be outside, Taka threw on her sandals and slipped out the door. Sarielle had told her not to leave...unfinished chores beckoned her back inside. Lips pouty, Taka threw up her head and stepped off the wide porch.

...only to see Rand and Owle, hand in hand, walking up the path toward it. Taka might not recognize Owle at first; the woman's appearance had changed drastically. Her once auburn hair was now a bright blue, and shoulders that had once been human now held rough, overlapping brown scales. As did Owle's feet, the toes of which now had blunt claws protruding from them. The shifter wasn't wearing shoes; it was difficult to fit into any now that this change had taken place, and the scales on the soles of her feet protected her well enough.

For the most part, though, her arms (she had two of them now, as though there had never been one missing), her hands, her face remained normal. If her eyes were lighter than Taka had seen them last, no other change had taken place there.

Owle hadn't remembered the place; Flare had needed to tell her where it was, and what to expect to find there. But seeing Taka, Owle remembered...a feeling of shame. Where had that come from?

She lifted her hand in a wave, as Rand broke away from her and darted towards Taka, smiling and laughing.

Taka blinked. People? Nobody came out here accidentally - it was way to far out in podunk for that.

A flash of white that was a child streaked toward her. Turning steelblue eyes to him, she recognized her fellow Herald: this was Rand, Owle's child.

Turning that same implacable gaze to the adult, the slightest of frowns creased her creamy brow. Yes, it was Rand allright; but that wasn't Owle.

Rand drew an absent smile from her as he drew even closer, but her attention still remained on this older woman. Sarielle had accepted Owle...but Taka doubted she'd like this other intrusion. After all, she hadn't been too fond of Owle's other acquaintence, Azruael, had she?

"Can I help you?" Taka called from a distance, feeling a bit at a loss for how to handle this. For the first time in a long time, she actually wished Sarielle was there.

"Hello!" Rand exclaimed, bouncing up to Taka and waving both hands enthusiastically. It had been a while since he'd gotten to see a new place; Mom had left in the Firebrand for a long time, saying it was dangerous to go outside. He went outside, anyway, but Verde and those dwarves kept stopping him.

"Yes," Owle said. She didn't approach much further. "Is Sarielle here? I...I need a safe place, for Rand to stay for a while."

Taka shook her head, drawing a few paces closer in spite of herself. Then inwardly she winced; maybe she shouldn't have admitted to being alone? She had to admit, while she hadn't had quite the violent reaction to Azruael that her guardian had, there was definitely something a bit...dark about him.

Ah well, the damage was already done. "No, she's not." Pausing only briefly, she tacked a blatant lie on the end. "She could be back any minute, though." Sarielle would be gone all day, but this strange woman didn't need to know that.

Then Taka looked at her face - really looked at her - and there was definitely something familiar there. Owle's sister, perhaps? The resemblance was uncanny.

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you left him here with me, though," the Herald continued, feeling slightly more at ease. This woman had to at least be a relative. Why Owle couldn't have had a serial killer sister the teen never paused to consider.

Rand was perfectly happy to go wander about examining the garden when Taka and Owle proved too boring for his liking.

"Oh..." Owle said. "Are...you sure? I wanted to make sure she was okay with it...see...I'm not sure how long I'll need to leave him." She glanced at Rand, making sure he was out of earshot. "Something really bad is happening, and I might not come back from it. In about seven days, something is going to get set loose upon the world, and whether it ends up being demons or angels, nothing good can come of it."

Did it occur to her that she sounded crazy? No. She knew the truth of what she was saying, and she had known stranger things than this.

White-haired Rand wandered out of sight, happily poking amongst Sarielle's many flowers and herb bushes. Taka didn't even notice at this point.

"Something really bad..." she repeated the words mechanically, her expression unreadable, as usual. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

Taka endeavored to remain normal in the face of this woman's obviously disturbed rantings. She'd heard somewhere that if you remained calm you were less likely to be attacked.

It wasn't that she, of all people, didn't believe in demons and angels - hardly. But comeon. Doomsday prophesies?

Owle blinked, puzzled. "You don't remember? My name's Owle."

For a long, awkward moment, Taka only blinked again. She really didn't have a response to that. She knew she wasn't losing her mind. Clearly Owle's sister had to be. She hadn't mentioned a sibling, true; but in this case, the blue-eyed teen honestly couldn't blame her.

"Oh, um...yes, of course, I...think I need glasses. Sarielle keeps trying to get me to make an appointment."

It was a lame lie, not up to her usual standards. But while she'd anticipated many responses, THAT was certainly not one of them. She never did well totally unprepared, Taka thought a bit crossly.

Recovering her usual icy poise, her mind raced ahead at a mile a minute. Chances were good Owle had no idea her sister had Rand. Owle seemed quite fond of him, after all; and she'd been very concerned for his wellbeing when she'd brought the boy to Sari for treatment.

Okay. That means I need to get this loon to leave him with me. And leave herself.

Taka shot the woman another lightning, deer-in-the-headlights glance.

Yeah, definitely also to leave herself. Besides, Rand's a sweet kid...

"I'm positive she won't mind," Taka said, speaking slowly and clearly and with exaggerated care. "She loves kids."

That's the biggest one I've told in awhile, she thought cynically; but again she did it without remorse.

Owle wondered what the hell was wrong with Taka. What had happened between them? That feeling of shame...gods, what had she done to deserve it?

"I'm...glad to hear that," Owle said slowly. "But I'd really like to talk to her, first. I can't...I have to be sure she'll take care of him for me."

"You said she'd be back any minute, right? I can wait here a while."

Damn damn damn damn DAMN! What now?

Owle's sister had clearly noticed something was wrong with her.

"Uhh..." Taka groped. "Yeah, she might be back soon," Taka conceded, seizing on an escape, "but it could also be awhile. I'd hate for you to maybe wait hours."

Her erratic behavior was not likely to inspire confidence in "Owle's sister," nor to inspire her to leave Rand with just Taka.

Invite her inside, or not? What if she came in and then wouldn't leave??!

Owle glanced around. She was clearly making Taka uncomfortable, whatever had happened between them. The girl seemed to be going crazier the longer Owle was around.

"Well...I'll wait a few minutes, then leave Rand here with you, if that's alright," Owle said slowly. "Then I'll come back again in the evening to see if Sarielle's here, and make sure she's alright with watching Rand. Does that sound alright to you?"

"Alright. Um...do you want to wait inside?" She had to ask. Owle's sister had really left her no other choice; there was that spark of pride that refused to let this other woman think she had bad manners.

She looked around for the child, and found him amongst some of the more potent of Sarielle's plants.

"Hey, don't eat those Rand," she called to him. Taka herself didn't know what they were for, but she knew it probably wasn't a good idea for him to ingest them, anyway.

"It's alright," Owle said, feeling guilty over whatever it was she wasn't recalling. "I've troubled you enough."

Rand wasn't eating them. He was busy digging them up, wanting to see what they looked like underneath all that dirt. His hands and shirt were already delightfully muddy.

"I won't!" he called back. "Promise!"

The shout made her look over at what Rand was doing. "Rand!" Owle shouted. "Don't do that, you'll kill Miss Sarielle's plants!"

Taka rushed over, but too late; the plants were already well on their way to being unearthed. She had a flash of herself as a child, doing much the same thing.

No, Sarielle hadn't been happy.

"It's okay, don't worry about it." Gingerly squatting beside him - she'd lost her penchant for grime as she got older - she smoothed the dirt back over the roots with slim ivory fingers. "I got pretty good at this after digging up a few myself when I was little." She winked at the small child beside her.

Owle had run over at much the same time, but Taka already had the situation well in hand.

Rand squatted back on his haunches in the dirt. "Do they die?" he asked the other angel. He obviously didn't trust his mother in such matters.

"Well...they can. If you don't get the roots covered over with dirt quickly enough." Her unease with Owle's sister made overshadowed her discomfort with children so much, she was actually acting quite naturally with Rand. "I learned that the hard way when I was...well, older than you, but a lont younger than I am now," she said, eyes dancing.

Long hands firmly packed the dirt back around the roots. "See, like so? Now, I wanna water them again just to be safe. It's what Sarielle always does when she puts in new plants, so it can't hurt."

She cast about for the watering can. It was shaped like an elephant, and she thought it might entertain Rand. "Here, you want to get the water? The spout is right over there."

"Oh," Rand said, making a long face. He seemed apologetic.

"An elephant!" he exclaimed, when the spout was pointed out to him. He ran over and grasped the watering can, then came running back. Gleefully, he started pouring water over the dirt, fit to drown the poor plants.

Taka sprang aside to avoid the sudden deluge.

"Easy now," she said, placing a finger beneath the spout to slow the flow. "I think that's good for now," she chuckled. Poor plants. Sarielle would probably have to replace them, but Rand was so eager to help, she didn't have the heart to tell him that.

"Okay," Rand said, tilting the elephant back up. "You're sure they don't need more?"

He was having fun here.

Owle smiled, too. She was leaving Rand in good hands...maybe she shouldn't have been so worried.

"Rand, I want you to promise me you'll listen to Miss Taka and Miss Sarielle, okay?"

Rand blinked up at her. "Okay."

"You promise?"

"Promise."

"Good. I'll see you again tonight...but I'm going to need you to stay here for a while. Mommy has something very important to take care of, and won't be around to look after you for a while."

Rand nodded. He probably barely heard a word she said.

Owle stood up with a heavy sigh. Her face was pained when she looked at Taka. "Take care of him. Please." And she turned to go.

"No, I think they've had a big enough drink for now. If you've still got water left, why don't you give the rest some?" It would keep occupied, anyway.

It was only her uncanny poise that kept Taka from heaving a sigh of relief as Owle's sister started instructing the child to listen to her and Sari. She was really going to leave!

Then she did a doubletake. "Mommy?" Rand accepted that nomer without missing a beat. But she couldn't...Owle had been missing an arm, for chrissake. Still, she did seemed concerned for him...but that didn't mean she still wasn't nuts.

"We will. Don't worry," Taka said slowly. This time she didn't lie; she liked Rand, and she knew Sarielle would see he was taken care of.

"Okay!" Happily he went running off, pouring water on everything in sight.

He was used to his mother changing shape every now and again. After all, when he'd first met her, she had been changing from the tall, auburn haired lady to the short, purple haired lady. And sometimes she was a cat. He just assumed that everyone in the world could change shape, and one morning he might wake up looking like a cat. He'd learned to recognize his mom by something beyond looks...though the child couldn't have told you what that was.

"Well, adopted mother, at least," Owle amended. "Thank you," she said gratefully.

"Oh, of course," Taka said hastily. "I-It...it's the same with me. Sarielle, she's not my biological mother either. Although it almost looks like she is."

Taka still was trying to make sense of the relationship. This woman couldn't be Owle...but she acted just like it, and Rand didn't seem of a mind to correct her.

"And it's not a problem. Really." Taka swallowed hard as at last the woman turned to go.

One hurdle crossed...

Rand frolicked happily with the watering can, throwing water everywhere.

...one more to go. Taka smacked a hand over her face. What had she volunteered for again?

Sarielle
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Sarielle
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:30 pm

Angel at the Door
Stage: Teen

woefulinfinity>

Sarielle had gone to sleep on the couch again. Ever since her office had shut down, she'd been working tables at a restaurant in the city. The hours were long, and by the time she walked to and from the bus stop each day, she was totally exhausted.

It wasn't like they had much to say to each other, anyway.

The woman didn't even stir as the sharp knocks penetrated the living room so suddenly Taka jumped. The teen threw a sidelong glance at her guardian; the last time they'd gotten a visitor, Rand (who was currently colouring in front of the TV) had ended up staying with them.

The only ones who ever visited they knew had been Shayna and Blood, and they'd been gone a long time now...She'd half a mind not even to answer the door, but as usual curiosity got the better of her.

"Hello?" Taka called through the door, unwilling to open to a stranger this late at night.

"I'm looking for Sarielle?" It was a man's voice; the intonation suggested he wasn't at all sure he was at the right place. Still, the tones were low and pleasant, with a summer-evening warmth to them. Switching on the porch light, Taka slid open the door.

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His smile was softly happy. That was the overwhelming impression she got, even before she took in the rest of him. Cornsilk curls framed a fair, good-humored face; and the brilliance of his blue eyes, even in that lighting, rivaled that of her own. Eyebrows formed quizzical half moons. "I'm sorry, am I...Is this her house?"

"Yyyyeah," Taka drawled, still taking in his appearance. A guitar case dangled from long, strong fingers. His hands were lovely, just as you'd expect a musician's to be. "She's asleep on the couch."

"I'm sorry, I'm being rude. I'm...Angel." There was the slightest hesitation before he gave his name; but it fit him so well, Taka hardly noticed.

"Taka," she responded, taking his proffered hand; but he hadn't offered any information about how he knew Sarielle, so Taka didn't extend him the favor, either.

The living room was lit only with the flickering light from the television, casting moving mosaics of light and shadow across their faces; and while Taka couldn't be sure, she could have sworn she saw a fleeting expression of tenderness as those sapphire eyes fell on her guardian.

He lifted an arm to wake her, but Taka spoke up first; who knew if this was even someone she liked?

"Sari, you have company." Her voice was loud and far too shrill for the drowsy peace in the room, but it served its purpose: Sarielle started, and sleepily pushed a stray strand of hair out of her face with a clumsy movement of her hand.

Her eyes rested first on Taka; but following the young girl's gaze, they lit on her visitor. And Taka saw something she hadn't seen in a very long time: excitement on Sarielle's face.

The slim woman laughed aloud as she sprang energetically from her seat. She threw impulsive arms about his neck. He warmly reciprocated. "Oh, I've needed to see you for so long, Angel," she told him, still shaking her head a bit as though she couldn't believe he truly stood before her. She'd called him Angel; but somehow it sounded more like a petname rather than his actual name coming from her lips.

"I'm sorry I've stayed away for so long."

A glance passed between them. It held significance, Taka was sure, but what? Sarielle had never even mentioned him.

Sarielle's head moved up and down, the barest whisper of a movement. Her eyes never left his. "Yeah," she said softly, with an edge of regret. "Me too."

Taka couldn't stand it any longer. "So, how do you two know each other?"

The moment broke, the suppressed energy dissipating into a thousand unseen, electric sparks.

"He found me when-"
"We've been friends for-"

Words jumbled and jostled each other as they both spoke at once; and with a short laugh, Angel motioned for Sarielle to continue. "When I had no memories, Angel helped me fill in some of the blanks. I wouldn't know my own name if it weren't for him. We've been friends for a very long time now." Her eyes drifted to him once again; it seemed as though she couldn't long keep them away. "It's so very, very good to see you again."

The words were simple, but pregnant with meaning.

Taka almost asked why her guardian had never so much as spoken his name before; but then again, she hadn't spoken of her past at all, had she?

"I see. Well, nice to meet you." She said nothing else. Her face was closed, its usual expression in repose. There was more to all this than they were saying...but she'd find out what, one way or another. She didn't have to know right now. Direct questioning seldom worked as well as circumspect observation, anyway.

Angel's smile was warm. "It's nice to meet you too." He hadn't even blinked to find two real angels in the room; but his eyes flickered back and forth between Taka and his "old friend," noting the similarities in looks.

"But I think you and I, Sari, have a lot of catching up to do," he quipped, quirking a mischievous eyebrow.

Sarielle threw her head back and laughed, correctly interpreting his half-serious tease. "We do, that is for certain. I'm looking forward to it. You are staying for awhile?" Her face was eager, hopeful, and at the same time ready to be disappointed. She reminded Taka vaguely of a dog she'd seen once; eager for affection, willing to be friendly, but half expecting to be kicked. She frowned. It wasn't an image she liked.

Angel tipped his head to the side, as if considering; but Taka suspected he'd had his mind made up before Sarielle ever asked. "It would be nice to settle for awhile," he said.

"Good!" Sarielle's smile even reached her eyes. "I'll go ahead and air out the guest room for you. It's been cleaned, but it's probably a little stuffy."

"I'll help," he offered, dogging her footsteps. "And then...we need to talk."

Sarielle's smile was still there, but laced with sadness now. "I know," was all she said.

Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:14 am

An End to Order
Stage: Teen

Taka, Sarielle's Herald, is represented by steelblue.
Rand, Owle Isohos' Herald, is represented by black.

There was another knock at the door. Owle had found this spare moment to slip away from the Firebrand, to see if Sarielle was in. She had once been a god...she knew that, now. And a lot of gods didn't like her. And one of them loved her, which was making a complicated situation all the more confusing. But her soul was mortal now, and linked to that of a demon's. She couldn't forget that.

She waited nervously outside, twisting her hands together, hoping Sarielle would be in.

Rand, in the meantime, ran out of paper and started looking for something else to color on. His clothes were white...mostly...maybe they'd work?

Sarielle's head poked out of the guest room; this knock she'd heard.

"Owle's sister, I bet," she commented with a sigh. Taka had already warned her about the woman's possible return. "Well, might as well get this over with."

Bare feet padded across shiny wood; Sarielle's progress was reluctant, to say the least.

"Unwelcome company?" It was obvious, but Angel asked, anyway.

"She's nuts," Taka muttered acidly. "She left Rand here with us." A swift tilt of the head indicated the child, who was colouring on...himself??! "Gah, that's what paper is for, Rand!"

The blond man's eyes followed Taka's movements, but he really wasn't interested in Rand. He said nothing more, but he did emerge from the back to plant himself near the door.

"Yes?" Wow, Taka had been right, Sarielle mused, staring into this stranger's face. The likeness to Owle was uncanny!

"But the paper's all filled up," Rand explained petulantly, turning from his art to look up at Taka. He wasn't making much progress, anyway...the crayon refused to come off on his material.

Memories came rushing back, as Owle set eyes on Sarielle's face. She remembered the woman's name, and felt an overwhelming gratitude towards her...and she knew Sarielle didn't approve of demons.

"Sarielle," Owle sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I...Taka would have told you, I guess. Do you think you could watch Rand for...a while?"

She didn't notice the man standing behind Sarielle, not at first.

"Well, I'll find you some more, but for heaven's sake, don't do that to your clothes," Taka said, clearly exasperated. She shot Sarielle a sour look. She was the adult here...shouldn't she be the one who was making sure Rand didn't spontaneously combust or something?? From what she'd seen so far, even that wouldn't have have surprised her.

"Er...yes, yes, Taka told me," Sarielle murmured. Owle's sister had seemed to recognize her...but she could just be working from a description...

"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met," Angel said, thrusting himself forward with sudden alacrity, while dragging Sarielle backward at the same time.

Sarielle just looked at him with that "what-is-wrong-with-you" expression. Was everybody going nuts?

Rand grumbled a little at that, but finally replied "Okay."

Owle blinked at the man, her golden eyes narrowing in sudden suspicion. She didn't know what to make of him, but she half expected him to drag her off before the muses, or something. Strangers these days always turned out to be gods, mercenaries, or hapless vice presidents of large corporations caught up in the game.

"No, we haven't, that I remember," Owle replied, cautiously. "My name is Owle. And you are?"

Taka rolled her eyes at Angel as she went for more paper. He was no more normal that Owle's sister.

"Angel," was the man's swift response, but he didn't extend his hand. His smile, too, was slight, and lacked its former golden warmth. His arm had snaked around his hostess in what, for all appearances, was an affectionate gesture. But his grip was vice-like, and Sarielle chewed her lip to bite back a wince.

"It's really no problem for us to keep him," she managed, even though her lack of air. She cast a lightning glance at her captor, but both faces remained unreadable. "Would you like to come in and say goodbye?"

Sarielle reached up to take hold of Angel's lapel. If he didn't let her go soon, she was going to either cry out or faint, she wasn't sure which.

"I got a friend named that," Owle remarked. Was he...protecting Sarielle...from her? He sure had pulled Sarielle back from her awful fast. What, did he think she would harm the woman she was entrusting her child to?

Why did he even think she could do any harm?

"Yes, please," Owle said to Sarielle, smiling a little. "I...Sarielle, something really bad is happening. When it's over, I...there's a very real possibility that I might not be able to come back for him. If I don't return...please...will you find a good place for him?"

"Really. I suppose it's not that uncommon a name," was all Angel said, loosening his grip a bit as he did so. He gave Sarielle an apologetic wink. He hadn't meant to squeeze so hard.

"Not come back?" Taka had just returned with more paper for Rand. Sarielle's eyes traveled to him, so innocent and clueless. "Of course we wouldn't turn him out, but what...?" The woman wasn't even quite sure how to finish that question.

Owle shrugged at Angel, then sighed at Sarielle. "I probably...the more I tell you, the more I run the risk of getting you involved. Let's just say, a bunch of..." She hesitated to say 'gods.' The way Angel was acting, and the way Taka had acted earlier, made her cautious. "Really powerful people are really angry at me for something I did a long time ago. Someone I love kept them from seeking vengeance on me...but he's powerless to do so, now. If things go the wrong way, well..."

Owle tried to sound nonchalant about it. She tried really, really hard. She'd told herself it was alright, she could get through this, she'd been in such danger before and got through it. But looking at Rand, thinking this might be the last time she saw him...the shifter's eyes threatened tears, though as yet there was no sign of them.

Angel looked away, but the wheels were turning.

"I...see." The woman pushed a few bright, umber strands from her face. She should offer refuge, offer help...it was, after all, the right thing to do. But her eyes fell on Taka, squatting by little Rand, and if she'd only known, her expression mirrored Owle's own.

No. There were some things she couldn't risk. Feeling shamed, she stayed silent.

Owle glanced at her feet, shuffling them a moment. "I wouldn't dream of asking you to keep him longer than you could...but everyone else I know is swept up in this business somehow."

She looked at Rand from the doorway, nodded, and made to step inside. "I suppose I'll say goodbye to him, then. Thank you, Sarielle."

"I understand. I'm glad we can help." Sarielle watched this woman enter her house. Was it possible to fake the emotion on her face as she looked at Rand? Somehow she couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity...but it could just be the face. "Take your time."

Sarielle wanted to move closer, to get a better look at her, but Angel still hadn't let go.

"Thank you," Owle said again, ducking her head gratefully. She walked in, and over to Rand, who had once again busied himself coloring.

She knelt down, and put her arms around him, drawing him into her embrace.

The little boy squirmed. "Mom! You'll ruin the drawing!"

"Sorry," Owle said, quietly. "But it's going to be a long time till I get to see you again. I had to give you a hug before I left."

Rand turned to look at her, then. "Where are you going?"

"Someplace very boring," Owle replied. "You'll have much more fun here with Miss Taka and Sarielle."

"Okay.." Rand said. "When will you be back?"

"In a week," Owle promised. In a week, or not at all. "Now, come on, give me a proper hug goodbye."

He put down his crayons, and put his arms around his mother, quickly. "Byebye."

"Farewell, Rand." Reluctantly, she let him go. "Be good while I'm gone."

"That'll take a small miracle," Taka muttered under her breath. She couldn't have been this exasperating when she was little. She couldn't.

But Sarielle had latched onto another word: Mom. Rand should know his mother better than anyone...impossible as it seemed, maybe this new woman really was still Owle. At any rate, Sarielle pitied her.

Owle smiled at Taka's comment, but pretended not to have heard it. She stood up, and headed quietly back to the door.

Angel hadn't spoken again. Sarielle shot him a quizzical glance; but his sapphire eyes gave nothing away.

"Good luck." It seemed so inadequate...but what else was there to say? "We'll try to keep him from missing you too much while you're gone."

"Thank you," Owle said. She seemed about to leave without another word, but suddenly turned again to Sarielle. "In a week...something's going to happen, and it's going to be...weird. So just, be careful, okay? You and Taka both."

Eyebrows rocketed upward - both Sarielle's and Angel's. Taka was helping Rand sharpen crayons, and was paying no heed.

"We will."

Angel's grip had tightened on her convulsively again; flesh ground uncomfortably into bone. She felt compelled to speak again.

"Angel's going to be staying with us for awhile, so at least we won't be alone."

Owle nodded, seeming glad of that. "Take care of them for me," she said to Angel. With a faint smile, she turned to go. It seemed she really would leave, this time, if no one stopped her.

Angel's short laugh was almost incredulous. "I intend to. Now, if there's nothing else you need..."

His point was clear.

"Angel!" Rudeness was so unlike him.

He said nothing more, but moved across the room to plant himself on the couch.

"I'm sorry." It was hard to tell if he was sincere.

Owle just...stared at him.

"I don't know who you think I am," she said. "Or what. But I didn't come here to harm either of them."

And she closed the door behind her, fuming quietly outside.

Tension crackled as the door slammed shut. Gone was the sense of peace that had blown in with the first arrival; all that was left was this awful electricity. Even Rand looked up from his crayons to stare.

What's wrong?

The words hung there unspoken, but no less tangible for that.

Elbows on his knees, Angel covered his mouth with his beautiful musician's hand; no one could have looked more reluctant.

"Uh, Rand, how about we go to my room," Taka said, her voice low. "I have some neat things I think you'll like." The gesture would have been magnanimous, had she not pressed her ear to the door as soon as she closed it behind her.

"That woman isn't as crazy-"

But Sarielle knew the girl better than Taka had anticipated. She pressed light fingers over Angel's lips as he opened them to speak. "She'll listen anyway," she told him with a rueful half-smile. "Let's go outside."

It was much cooler on the porch, where a few intrepid vines had already begun to crawl up the solid posts. It seemed to Sarielle that they, like she, shivered in the stiff breeze.

"I wanted more time."

"Time?" Sarielle shifted closer for warmth, but there was a little bitterness in the line of her jaw. "More time for what, Angel?"

"I don't know. No, that's a lie." He looked at her then, and his eyes, if possible, were even more desolate than hers. "To decide if you need to know. Or if I should let you keep on forgetting..."

Sarielle's body stiffened away from his touch, her lips slightly parted in incredulity.

"Are you happy?"

Happy? He asked it as though he already knew the answer...

"Whats happening?" Rand asked, pressing his ear to the door to mimic Taka.

Outside, Owle heard the footsteps approaching the door. She scrambled away as fast as she could, her body melting into that of a black domestic cat's as she did so. She'd feel like an idiot if she had to explain to Sarielle why she was pacing back and forth on her porch...

...and worse of a fool if she had to explain it to that Angel.

But she couldn't bear to leave yet. She kept wondering, if she'd done the right thing, if maybe she should keep Rand with her, whatever happened...if maybe...but that would be so selfish.

And so she became just one stray cat, dark as the night, skulking among Sarielle's garden.

Are you happy, little bird?

Rafe's voice echoed in her head, as she overheard Sarielle's conversation. He had been asking her then, wanting to know if he'd done the right thing, long ago...wanting to know if he dared enter her life now. Why did this man ask it of Sarielle?

Owle's hair stood on end, and her tail puffed out to epic proportions. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop on Sarielle's private conversations, but...all this talk of forgetting...

If you do drink from that vial, know that you will bring yourself great pain in addition to regaining your memories. But that is your choice to make. That is what you taught me.

Too similar, too interesting to leave.

Taka sighed, slumping against the door. "That's what I was hoping to find out, Rand. But they've gone outside. We'll find out, though..." Eyes darted around the room, assessing. Were they on the porch? Probably. Maybe the window...

She slipped back out of her room, but had second thoughts. "If you're gonna follow me, you gotta be quiet," she told the child at her heels.

-----------------------

It smelled like winter on the porch. The moon was new, and one small black cat went completely unnoticed.

Angel began to tell her things. Tell her things that left her sobbing, denying, while all the while the memories unfolded, petals of her mind so long shut.

Memories of sitting unseen in the rain, that a soul on the brink need not be truly alone. Memories of light, of eyes brighter than the sun, of pure ecstasy in winged Sariel's arms...

...and then rage. Rage so blinding, it shut out all light, all hope, all of what she'd been before. Wading through death and decay, the sharp metallic scent of blood mixing with funeral flowers, and the over-lying bitterness of her own vomit. Grasping, pleading, for one glimmer, for even the chance, just the chance, of redemption...for a light out of the abyss.

Well, it came. Not as easy as she had hoped, but it came, and at a price, after it was said and done, she wasn't sure she was willing to pay.

Then, then were the hardest memories of all. She knew by that sick, ground falling from under her feeling before Angel ever spoke. Fast forward, please, fast forward. And when Sariel turned from her...turned from her completely...she shattered into a thousand pieces, as she had once before.

She tried to throw Angel away, to keep him from touching her, as though by rejecting him she could reject it all. She sobbed, she raved, she hated him for ever making her remember.

He just held her head against him and let her do it. It seemed she would cry forever...but a human can shed only so many tears; and in the end, she had none left.

She barely heard the soft hum of his voice as it droned into the night; barely registered the hopscotch existence she'd shared with Felix; barely understood that Angel - no, it was Raphael really, wasn't it? - had only told her all this to offer her a chance of escape.

How long had he held her face in his hands like that? How many times had he repeated her name, voice ragged and desperate as she felt? "Look at me!"

And she did. But she didn't see a young musician with a seraphic face anymore. No, he was so much more and so very beautiful, wings glowing white-hot, so bright they hurt her eyes.

"I can't, I can't," she told him over and over. If she could have wept again she would, but she was denied even that infinitesimal relief. She saw him with his mind's eye, as her friend had been when she, too, had been whole.

"You always knew," he murmured, saying everything, anything, beating back the silence and Sarielle's anguished thoughts. "The first time you saw me again, you said 'angel.' I let you think it was my name, something you'd remembered..."

Details about the Petals could wait till dawn, when nightmares no longer loomed just around the corner. She knew there was a chance for redemption. That was enough for tonight.

Rand nodded, and crept after Taka on tiptoe, as quietly as he could. "Promise," he whispered.

---------------------

Sarielle had been an angel?

...it didn't improve Owle's opinion of her. Quite the opposite. But what did I used to be? If my creators saw mortals as mere pawns...

And then Sarielle started crying, raging. Owle turned away. She shouldn't be here, shouldn't be seeing this...

Sarielle would be involved in the game. For the chance to become an angel again? What would happen if Sarielle did go back? Owle's stomach tied up in knots. She had felt a sort of kinship to Sarielle, without knowing why...and now she knew.

But all Sarielle wanted was to go back. And all Owle wanted was to remain mortal, choose her own way of being.

For the mind is its own place, and in itself, can make a hell of heaven, a heaven of hell.

Would she rage like that, if she drank the vial Rafe had given her to restore her memories? Great pain, he had said...great pain..a part of her thought she should throw it away, not even give it a second thought. Would it be worth it to remember things best left behind, best left forgotten? She would never go back to that life, maybe she shouldn't even know of it...but even as she thought it, she knew she would drink. She wanted to know where she had come from, and why the gods were trying to kill her. She wanted to know why Rafe loved her, and what she had felt for him. She wanted to know a thousand things...and the thought of the possible consequences wouldn't stop her. She knew it, and lamented it.

But that would wait, till the time was right. Right now, she ought to get away from Sarielle's porch and stop intruding on the poor woman's privacy.

Later, when the chaos came to them all, she would seek Sarielle out. Sarielle had done so much for her...for Rand...that even if Owle didn't agree with her reasons, she ought to at least make sure the woman got through this safely.

A black cat went scampering off, into the night. Heading for home.

Sarielle
Captain

Healer

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Sarielle
Captain

Healer

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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:46 pm

Bribery
Stage: Teen

The sun shone too brightly the next morning, after the events the night before. It would be another one of those freak, early-Spring days that feels like summer - and then later makes you regret it all the more that it's not. Taka's long, wavy hair was pulled into a sloppy ponytail as she stumbled through the house - anything to keep it out of her face.

She stopped short to find Angel bent over Rand, applying something from one of Sari's strange, fat pots to a scrape on the child's knee, and found herself inexplicably indignant.

"Hey, what are you doing with Sari's stuff? You'll poison the kid if you don't know what you're doing," the Herald exclaimed. "Where is she, anyway?"

Angel answered without looking up at first. "She left this morning - or did you not overhear that part while you were at the window?" His blue eyes, when he finally turned them on her, hinted at amusement. "And I think Rand will be fine," he continued through Taka's dumbfounded silence. "I was, after all, the one who taught Sarielle to use herbs in the first place."

Taka disregarded this last comment. She was still focused on the fact that Sarielle had left without telling her. "You let her leave and you didn't tell me?! That's such a - such a shitty thing to do!" The curse word sounded strange on her lips; she obviously didn't often use them. But still, regular words just didn't seem to suffice.

"Watch your mouth." Angel's voice maintained its soft quality; and the reprimand was almost absently-given. "Yes, I let her leave. It's what she wanted. But I'm not going anywhere - at least, not until she gets back. I'll look after you and Rand, don't worry."

"I wasn't worried." The words were cold, biting, but inside Taka couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to scream or cry or both. Sari was gone...she hadn't heard from Shayna in months...everything familiar was lost.

"Alright. Good," was all he said, which somehow made Taka even angrier. She returned to her room, threw on a kimono, and prepared to go outside. She didn't know where she was going; but she didn't want to stay here anymore.

She had the door already open when Angel, finished patching Rand's knee, stuck his cornsilk head around the corner.

"Want to go into town for a bit?"

Town? God, she loathed Angel at the moment, but at least it was a distraction. So she shrugged. "Sure."

His smile was sunlight through clouds. Taka just rolled her eyes. Nobody should be that goodlooking, either. He was almost...pretty.

The walk into town was a thirsty one; but Angel seemed determined to get on her good side, and bought her something slushy to drink and lunch in town.

Passing the petstore, Taka's smile as she turned to Angel was saccharine. "Can we go in?" She was milking this for all it was worth.

Angel shrugged good-naturedly. "Sure, why not? Have you had a pet before?"

Hmm, how to answer that? If she pretended she'd had one and then obviously didn't know what she was doing, he'd know she lied; but if she said no, he'd wonder why not...

At last Taka settled on the truth, pulling at a shiny strand of her long hair. "No, we never had one."

Angel's fair eyebrows formed those half-moons again. "Really? Why not?" It was clear from his tone he was only mildly interested, making conversations as he waggled one of his long fingers in front of a parrot, making its head bob.

But Taka inwardly swore, her guilt making her feel the question was accusing. Sari had said she wasn't responsible enough for a pet. But what did she know?

"Dunno," she laconically lied. "I guess I just never asked for one." Angel seemed to swallow that whopper easily; and the teen was feeling quite smug.

"Alright, well...what do you think you'd like? I wouldn't feel comfortable with buying you a puppy or anything without Sarielle's okay, but I don't see why a fish or something would be a problem."

Taka tried to talk him up to a parakeet; but Angel wasn't buying. Pouting a little, Taka took her second choice:

He bought her a starter kit, too: a small tank, food, the whole nine yards...and then made her carry it home. She started to gripe; but there was a firmness in the admittedly pleasant face that made her suspect that Angel would not tolerate her tantrums like Sarielle did.

Sarielle...much as she hated to admit it, Taka missed her now. Where had she gone? A glance at the blue-eyed young man beside her, and she knew she'd get few answers. How had he known she'd eavesdropped last night, anyway?

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 5:12 pm

A woman quickly ran up to the house, checking a note she had, then checking the house itself. Satisfied she was at the right place, she left something on the doorstep, along with a note.
User Image

Sarielle-
Thank you for the gift. I would love to talk to you sometime. Feel free to stop in any day. Tea is at 3 o'clock.

kotaline
Crew

Deathly Darling

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Sarielle
Captain

Healer

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Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:51 pm

A letter, slipped into Sarielle's mail box during the wee hours of the morning

Dear Sarielle,

I hope you're alright. I didn't see you at the temple in the end...I just hope you managed to make your way back home safely. I wasn't able to find you after we got seperated by that giant...T...thing. That was kind of scary. Anyway, I hope this finds you well.

I still exist. I'm still mostly me, and I'm still more or less alive. But I'm going to have to ask you to watch Rand, for just a little longer. A friend of mine, Morpheus, was taken by the Furies. I can't just leave him to his fate, whatever it might cost me. If there's any way I can come back and care for Rand, I will, I promise you.

If you can't care for him any longer, I'll find another place for him. You know how to contact me.

~Owle

There seemed to be several pieces of paper slipped into the envelope; that was only the first of them.

A slip of paper addressed to Angel

Angel,

You were right about me. I'm sorry for the way I acted. I didn't know, then, what I once was...

Know that I have no intention of ever harming anyone like that again. I would die sooner than return to that existence. I already died once to get out of it.

I'm sorry.

If Sarielle hasn't returned home, you might want to go looking for her. The game has ended, with some insane guy destroying both the demon and angel who were supposed to oversee the game. I'd have applauded him if he didn't try destroying the world after that. Oh, well. I can feel that Sarielle's still alive and well...I'd seek her out myself, but I have to go yell at some Furies and hope the gods don't wipe me from existence. I don't know if you're familiar with Morpheus...but he has done so much for me, and now the Furies have taken him. I have little time if I want to find him. Please understand.

~Isoho

PS. I know I don't need to tell you. But take good care of them while you're able.

A small piece of paper, written in large, capital letters and decorated with sickeningly cute drawings

Rand,

I love you.

~Mom

Finally, the last thing in the envelope was a money order for 1,000 gold, made out to Sarielle. Flare had been generous with the prize money she had gotten from retrieving one of the petals...and Owle felt like she ought to at least be paying Sarielle for her trouble.

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:59 pm

Contact
Stage: Teen

Light from the television set played across the melancholy room, volume turned down until voices were nothing more than mumbled gibberish. How many times had Sarielle drifted into uneasy sleep in just such a setting? Except this time the couch’s occupant had not slipped into slumber; he sat with folded letters in his lap, blue eyes distant and yet sharp. Clearly whatever words the correspondence contained preyed on his mind.

Taka was in bed, as was that whirlwind of a child, Rand, and Angel felt himself inexplicably lonely. It wasn’t that he missed babysitting or heaven forbid Taka’s sullen company, but he was unused to the thought of joyless hours stretching before him. He was restless, wakeful, yet tired. Was this, then, what mortality was like?

Bright eyes roved the room, lighting at last with a hint of sadness on Taka's pet.

Well that had been a wasted experiment.

Angel shivered to life. Poor Sarielle; how many lifetimes had she spent with this emptiness staring back? Too much time to think, that was the problem...He’d have to read the letter to Rand. Poor kid. And poor Taka. And poor him.

The gentle eyes had turned to the door long before the light footsteps pattered across the porch. Just as his friend could feel Azruael’s presence, Angel felt hers; a bit stronger, a bit darker than before perhaps, but unequivocally hers.

His statuesque face, which could have registered so many things, radiated pleasure laced with uncertainty as this new Sarielle slipped inside. She, too, looked unsurprised. But rather than approaching, she watched him wordlessly, her grey eyes possessed with a new piercing quality Angel wasn’t entirely certain he liked. Her hands were folded behind her, as she leaned against the now-closed door in an almost subservient gesture. She’d known he would be there, and yet words slipped elusively away. She should have prepared.

“I’m not staying.” Those strange eyes never left his. Perhaps the direct approach was truly the best. Angel didn’t have to ask how things had gone. But another question did hang there between them.

“Why? Why, Sarielle?” He shook his head as he spoke, brows drawn. “It doesn’t make sense...”

A ghost of a smile flitted across her face before she spoke with unusual assertion. “Because I don’t want to.” She considered before speaking again. “I know what I’m asking but...you’ll look after her? Them?”

Angel tipped his head and studied her. “You’ll come back?” he countered.

Sarielle smiled, and it was once again warm and familiar. “I’ll come back.”

“She’ll be hurt. She’s already hurt.”

“I know.” The dark face was regretful, but determined. Finally Angel left his seat to come stand before her.

“You don’t-“ Have anything to prove? But that wasn’t true. “Be careful,” he told her instead. One long, beautiful hand barely skimmed her jawline in an affectionate gesture. “Remember, you’re not some avenging angel. You never were.”

“I know,” Sarielle said again, moments before the door clicked shut and she was gone.

Sarielle
Captain

Healer

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Sarielle
Captain

Healer

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Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:06 pm

Reserved for Lind and Subo visit

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:07 pm

Reserved for Elf comes to get advice.

Sarielle
Captain

Healer

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Sarielle
Captain

Healer

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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:11 pm

Exit
Stage: Teen

He carried the baby as though he'd done it a thousand times before -- gently, but without the excess timidity people sometimes showed with infants. Stoically, he ignored the horrendous screech of what he could only assume was hunger. It was impossible tha the be as impervious to the ruckus as he appeared, coolly perusing the baby formula in aisle 14.

At least the nasty little creature -- daemon, it was apparently (and appropriately) named -- seemed content to nestle under the blankets with the babe, only peering out occasionally with its (her?) hostile little eyes.

He smiled pleasantly at frustrated faces of fellow shoppers. Aisles he entered were quickly vacated, Raphael noted with a twisted grin, blue eyes maintaining a glimmer spoke half of extreme age, and half of
extreme amusement. "He's a bit...demanding, when he's hungry, that's all," the slim man offered by way of explanation to one woman who asked if the child was sick.

"He's a little monster" her expression said, though her lips remained closed. The unwilling new papa mentally found it hard to disagree.

Raphael finished the errand as quickly as possible, at the same time wincing in anticipation of Taka's reaction. Somehow, even after all this time, he'd failed to ever really connect with her. For whatever reason, she still regarded him as an interloper, a userper, in the house.

It might have helped if Laron had been even remotely lovable, but on that count, Raphael had his severe doubts.

Checkout. Baby accessories were woefully expensive, and while gigs paid well, it wasn't a constant income. Taka seemed reasonably pleased with his role as a parent when he could take her shopping. It wasn't an idea situation, but for Sarielle's sake, he was trying.

It looked, though, like Taka wasn't going to see any new clothes for awhile. Get back in there, he thought, as the daemon's gargoyle-ish face worked itself out once they'd exited the supermarket. She seemed to like the dimness, but sharply recoiled from Raphael's touch. Most creatures sought him out; it was a black mark against her that this one most certainly did not.

The blond man did drag blue eyes heavenward, muttering a swift but sincere prayer of thanks that the baby had exhausted himself with his tantrum and finally slept. The rest of the walk was a short one, but it was already late; if God was merciful, Taka would be in bed, and he wouldn't have to face this until the morning.

The key scraped discretely in the lock, and the door opened with only a small squeak of protest. But his stealth was for naught; from the couch, a figure stood.

He nearly dropped the baby, who miraculously, gave only a small sigh and slipped back into slumber. But it wasn't Taka, with her hard blue eyes; it was Sarielle, with her melancholy grey ones and her hesitant smile.

"I'm back," she whispered unnecessarily. She seemed different -- older, more like her former self but still with a certain etherial vulnerability.
"It's not been easy here," he told her, but somehow, the way he said it, there was neither accusation nor blame. "I'm glad you're home." A simple welcome, but it felt like the best the woman had had in centuries.

"A baby?" she asked, slipping smoothly into the matter at hand as though she'd been gone only days rather than months and months.

"A baby," he repeated. "I'll explain how tomorrow, but...it might complicate things."

She only nodded, but the crease on her forehead telegraphed her concern. She took the appearance of a child in stride -- after Taka, how could she not? -- but, "I haven't told Taka, but...we have to move," she told him.

"...I see. Well, we'll manage somehow." And he meant it. His calm certainty washed over Sarielle, and she found herself wildly happy that she would not have to deal with all of this alone. "Does she know you're home?"

Sarielle only shook her head, perching back on the sofa, knees drawn up defensively to her chest. "I didn't want to wake her."

"I'm tired," Raphael said, sitting beside her with Laron still in his arms.

"So am I," Sarielle responded, leaning against him. For all the unanswered questions, all the uncertainties, they both dropped into sound sleep almost instantly.

A bedroom door opened, and the hall was filled with the sound of padding feet. Neither stirred as Taka stared down at them, angry tears welling up to be hatefully swiped away. Without a sound, without a word, he packed her few treasures, and slipped out the window into the darkness of pre-dawn.

Welcome to Gaia! ::

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