|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:15 pm
Thankyou for all your hard work with us here at D-corp. Your child's dragon egg is near hatching, and we'd like to have you file another report on the progress of your child.
Enclosed is a sheet for them to fill out, you may help them. Also please include any and all changes in your child. Even the smallest detail may become of importance later on.
Sincerely
D-corp
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 11:07 am
.:Letter to D-corp:.
keivlos' growth form Madeline 01/13
Dear D-corp,
Enclosed is the standard child from which I have had Keivlos fill out. My sincerest apologies if the scribbles across the page seem simply to be scratch marks on white paper. It was an undertaking of daunting proportions for Keivlos. Who knew that such a simple task asked by myself could turn into a grandiose challenge. But now I should question why I find myself surprised at his behavior. It is normally so that children begin to rebel about this age.
Yet, Keivlos makes me worry to extremes. I only write my next tidings not as to make the cooperation worry, but rather as a notice Keivlos should be watched for his own safety and those around him. Currently exposing Keivlos to his brother would be the most perverse and twisted act of unkindness imaginable. The twins, no longer speaking to each other, live in opposite homes as of now. I'm sure you received the notices Mr. Mitsu and I sent?
Ah well, all in good time things should become clear. I am pleased to pronounce however that the raven does find some happiness away from me. He spends his time in his room at home and if not at home, at dance he seems happy. The music of ballet seems to calm him some. Soon too I have planned for Keivlos to take up the piano. I'm willing to try anything to keep my son from his self destruction.
Even if it means letting him wear things I frown upon. In all truth D-corp, I understand very little of my son. But it is not my place to understand, but to love.
Sincerly,
Madeline Crossette 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:54 pm
Emi Vs Keivlos; Round 1 [PRP] Emi was being pulled around by a short, pleased looking woman. The blonde had her thick hair pulled up along the back of her neck and wearing something....not quite appropriate for mothers to wear. At least the swan was wearing something suitable - no pink was found and it had lace on the trimming. Knee length with small soft slippers... She wasn't in her little ballet uniform anymore. Her new mother wouldn't allow it.
"No more pink, Emi," Dagger was saying, pulling the girl gently down a sidewalk. Luckily it was the 'off point' of the day and it wasn't too crowded. An outside shopping area was good for the girl, who could hardly bear to look someone in the eyes at this point. She had to toughen up. She had to get out of the pink. She had to stop being all....sad. Her father wasn't DEAD, he was just gone, "We need to find you something to cheer you up. NOT a tutu."
"But...I..It feels weird. I like my tutu." Her voice was small but she wasn't resisting when her mother paused outside of a weapon store. "...don't like those."
"Psh. Look at those swords! One of them would be PERFECT for Rapier."
Emi wanted someone familier now, thanks.
"Keivlos?" Madeline looked down at her son who's gaze stood somewhere across the street. Following his line of sight she soon beheld the object of his desire. What a pretty little girl, another one of the D-corp projects, a beatiful swan. It was strange to see projects outside of D-corp so when Madeline did happen to run into one it ruffled her the wrong way. Not that the substitute had anything against the swan, in fact on the few ocasions she had chance to meet Emi she always walked away thinking of just how beautiful the girl was. Meeting children outside of D-corp was just akward, especially when they were with their parents and was all together something Madeline would rather avoid. "Do you know her? " The boy who moments before had been trudging along with as much difficulty as possible now simply nodded is head, it was a 180 of his personality. "Well...why don't you say hello--" They were across the street from Emi and her mother but shouting was above Madeline. Getting up on her tippy-toes the woman with curly hair waved an arm in hopes of catching their attention. Keivlos in the mean time, froze on the spot.
When Dagger twisted around with a grin on her face. She had a birthday present on her mind! She knew just what to get! She - there was a woman flailing across the street at them. The blonde paused, blinking quietly for a long moment. Then! There was a boy there. A dark boy. He was staring at her newest child. "Hey. Hey, Emi."
The swan glanced up at Daggers voice. She hesitated when seeing the boy - the slightly creepy one who never made her feel warm and squishy inside. But he was there. He was familier in a world where she knew nothing and felt comfortable with no one. He was staring back and he wasn't so bad. Just weird. Very weird, but still just weird. He wasn't mean. "...Keivlos." She squeaked out quietly, shoulders arching up to her ear-fluffs. "Revons brother. Stole his face."
"Then let's say hello!" With that, the swan girl was hoisted up under the womans arm. She wriggled in a most undignified way, wings flaring as her new mother sauntered towards the other couple. "Hello! I'm Dagger. Your pretend spawn and my pretend spawn know each other?"
Emi just stared at Revon with an expression of faint helplessness. "........hi."
Madeline had to look away as she watched this new mother pick up Emi, handeling her as if she were a sack or piece of furniture, it reminded the dignified woman of her treating Keivlos as such.
Closer? The two were coming closer? It had been ages since Keivlos had seen Emi, but he could still remember their last encouter clear as day. Emi was truely the only thing which interested him these days or rather, had interested him when he was younger...the pretty white thing. Yes, Keivlos liked her but as far as his mind told him, Emi hated Keivlos. Emi was the last creature on earth the young boy wanted to see at this moment...second only to Revon who was more despised than feared. Forgetting all previous anguish towards his mother the raven boy sunk back into Madeline's thick pink coat...perhpas he could hide? " 'Allo--" Keivlos mumbled behind layers of fabric
Madeline had to look away as she watched this new mother pick up Emi, handeling her as if she were a sack or piece of furniture, it reminded the dignified woman of her treating Keivlos as such.
Closer? The two were coming closer? It had been ages since Keivlos had seen Emi, but he could still remember their last encouter clear as day. Emi was truely the only thing which interested him these days or rather, had interested him when he was younger...the pretty white thing. Yes, Keivlos liked her but as far as his mind told him, Emi hated Keivlos. Emi was the last creature on earth the young boy wanted to see at this moment...second only to Revon who was more despised than feared. Forgetting all previous anguish towards his mother the raven boy sunk back into Madeline's thick pink coat...perhpas he could hide? " 'Allo--" Keivlos mumbled behind layers of fabric
"Pleasure--" Madeline extended out her hand in the customary gesture, " name is Ms. Crossette, or Madeline with informalties aside." Informalties indeed! Raper was un-like any woman Madeline had come across before. It had certainly been a while since mingling with the more...wild type.
Once the swan was deposited onto the ground, Dagger reached over and shook Madelines hand firmly. "I'm Dagger. Just Dagger. It's nice to meet you. And nice to meet someone Emi actually knows." She sounded a bit incredoulous at that, dark eyes slanting down at her daughter.
Emi hesitated again at the boys shyness. He was shy now. Why? Her wings flexed, pressing down tightly at her back with a soft hum against the air. Shy was good, wasn't it? Her feet shifted, scraping quietly against the sidewalk. "You are shy now," She whispered rather loudly in a bad stage whisper. Small fingers went to the fabric of her dress, twisting quietly in the pale white cloth. "Why?"
Seeing her daughter was in no danger from the crow, madeline was once more the object of the talkative womans attention. "How did you come about him?"
"Hmn?" Madeline pursed her lips and turned her icy eyes to the only "him" within in the range of the group. "You mean, my son? ...He came." That was all Madeline could really say to Dagger's curious question. Most parents at D-corp were bribed or blackmailed into taking a child. Madeline, however, was more than happy to take Keivlos. No, she hadn't quite asked about it...but there was definately some hinting. She showed great interest in the projects and the day she received Keivlos, was quite possibly one of the happiest days of her life.
"Keivlos...don't be shy," stepping away from her boy, Madeline pushed the akward raven out towards Emi. Finally there was someone he knew and he was refusing to be sociable. Keivlos desparetly needed more friends. At least, that was Madeline's take on it all.
"I--" the raven stumbled as he was thrusted foreward. Pride comith before a fall and Keivlos would keep his ground on this one, keep his ground and protect whatever budding "masculinity" he held, "I'm not shy!" The child snapped. Yet, face to face with Emi, his actions spoke louder than words showing that he was un-comfortable, if not completely terrified of the creature before him. "No reason..." he said at first, quietly, but then changing his mind shot back something much more standoffish, "None of your business!" So which was it? None of her business? Or no reason?
"He just...showed up? Emi showed up too, wearing a horrendously gaudy pink dress." Her nose wrinkles, "I like pink but this...Ooooh." The blonde womans shoulder rolled, watching Madeline curiously. He just...came. She had agreed to take Emi because the girl looked so very vunerable and they had said her father was now 'unable'. Of course, she hadnt known what a very feminine, withdrawn girl her new charge was. Either way, Emi was still a difficult child to raise. Her little thoughts from her previous life had to be taken out.
"Emi, don't be mean." Her voice was stern, making the girls white feathers ruffle. Emi was watching Keivlos still and didn't bother to answer her gaurdian, brown eyes blinking as he stumbled. She could almost see the gears turning in his head, contemplating and then --
He snapped at her. Emi jolted a bit, stumbling back a step or two from him. There was a quieter answer, a nicer answer that almost got her to relax, and then another mean one, all over again. It was apparent there was a reason. And it was probably none of her business. The swan was trembling, just barely, more in shock and upset then actual fear or anger.
"Well." Her voice was still level, still soft. Emi didn't raise her voice. It lowered and returned to the level tone, but she never yelled. It took her a moment to find the proper words; to speak the wrong words would get her a scolding later. Think before you speak, Dagger said. "It is not bad to be shy." Don't be so MEAN. That, however, she didn't say.
"Keivlos--" Madeline's words cut through the conversation, like scissors tear through tissue paper. The boy, about to open his mouth stopped. One gray eye turned and then the red followed as together Keivlo's eyes locked upon his mother. Just because he didn't like his mother, didn't mean that he didn't listen to her still. Maybe, in a few years or so he would learn to forget. Yes, he would forget that she once loved him and then, then he would forget that he had loved her too. It would be easy then to ignore her, to ignore her and treat her as a nobody.
Until then, however, he would would listen. Madeline had given him a warning. Be nice.
The boy blinked, once, twice...at Madeline and then turned back to Emi. He opened his mouth yet quickly shut it when he realized he had nothing to say. No--he did have things to say, he just couldn't say them. At least, he couldn't say them how he wanted to. Be nice? Why couldn't he be nice? It had to be easy. It just had to, why else would so many people "be nice" then, if it were hard? Then again, that's what people said about acting "normal". 'Why can't you act normal Keivlos, everyone else does?' Acting normal wasn't as easy as they claimed it to be.
"I--" Keivlos raised his arms, crossing them as he blindly felt his way through his vocabulary, tasting and sampling each word to create the right sentance he wanted to, "I--"
"Sorry. How are you?"
When Keivlos turned to face his mother, Emi just stared at his shoulder intently. Getting upset or backing down wouldn't help her. Running off from the angry raven would encourage her gaurdian to arrange a playdate. And if he always snapped like that... A playdate wouldn't be fun. He wouldn't be interested in dancing or anything.
His eyes moved back and she just watched him, chin ducking slightly, almost shyly. He stuttered, a few times, and Emi shifted on her feet, just once. She wasn't normal. She knew it. That was okay, wasn't it? He was okay.
Dagger was watching. Emis head tilted to the side, hair falling with the silent shift that those with curls and waves did, and she continued to watch the boy in silence for a long moment. It was unnerving, to her mother at least, the length of time the girl could remain quiet.
"If you don't yell at me anymore, I'll be good." The swan said finally, eyes blinking up towards Keivlos duel-colred eyes. "How are you?"
Emi's words, though not spoke harshly, hurt just as much as if she had yelled them strait in his ear. Yell? Well yes...he supposed...yes, he had spoken loudly. Loudly and harshly...no wonder Emi wouldn't look at him. Keivie hate loud noises, annoying, yes...Emi probably didn't like these harsh noises either. His voice...it probably sounded horrible to her ears? "Sorry..." he said it again, this time, rather quite. In fact, too quite to be an apology to Emi. His words even though filled with emotion, went to the air and were ridden meaningless.
"Keivie be..." the boy gnawed on his lip as he carefully thought over all that passed with time. Revon was gone--yes, gone and good riddance! Stupid Revie....stupid Revie was a traitor...And blonde thing, no--mother, she had mis-treated him. She had taken away his only friend now, Dima. Oh how Madeline hated that doll. Yet, Dima was back...though, Keivlos could still not forget the torment of losing his favorite toy. Nearing ten years old and he still held onto a silly nick-nack which comforted him.
"be--be--...." It was then he stopped trying to talk. Shoving the silly hat he wore farther down on his head, so that it would be hard to see his eyes, Keivlos gave two nods to Emi.
See! See? This is how I feel. One, two. Just like that. Up and down!
Emi could only blink at the boy. First he talked so much and now he was so quiet. He stumbled over his words as if he had never spoken before! It was a funny things, boys were. The miniature dancing girl ducked a bit to peek at those hard-to-see eyes under the hat, her tail feathers rustling.
"It's okay." She said, voice still so very soft. Her mother was trying to listen in - both the adults were, she knew. So! She wouldn't talk very loud and they would have to work for it. Unfortunetly, Emi didn't understand those little nods, her hands moving over to touch his wrists, to pull it from his eyes, but her fingers hesitated. Rude?
So there they hovered, a millimeter from the ravens dark skin, so close she could almost feel him. Slowly, slowly, they moved back as Emi came to the conclusion it would be a rude thing to do, to grab him like she was going to It wouldn't have been hard though. Honest. "That mean yes?"
Dagger sighed, her head tilting up in exhasperation. CHILDREN. "Honestly. These two are weird." Her voice was a mutter, aimed at herself. It was true, after all.
Letting out a sigh that had been withheld in her breast, Madeline took ease at Dagger's comment and smiled at her little boy. "Quite so." There was more the woman wanted to say, but she supposed Dagger wouldn't be interested in such talk, nor was it her place to know. Yes, both children were weird, Keivlos by far was the most interesting creature she had come in contact with. Perhaps, despite his oddities, it was the reason she loved him so and called him her son.
Closer...closer, Emi's hands were coming closer to his. Oh...no? What? What was she doing? Hesitantly the little boy held his breath as he watched Emi's hand ready to make it's final decent. Was he afraid that her pure white touch would burn his skin? How could it? White...it was such a beautiful color. No, white was the absence of color, whatever he was, dark, Emi was not. So then, the question remained as to why he was so afraid?
Perhaps it was Keivlos' previous experiences with Emi, any sort of touch had always ended in disaster. Closer...this was it now, she was going to touch him. The raven flinched and embraced himself for the soft touch of Emi's flesh against his, yet, it never came. Tilting his head up, Keivlos braved to take a peek at the little girl who was moving away. He didn't feel quite relieved, but rather sad to see her go. That was strange, seconds ago he had wanted her to leave, but now he didn't?
"....yes," the raven quietly whispered back. There were just some things about this girl he was going to have to give more thought over. There was just a feeling that she stirred with in the boy. Now, whether this feeling twas good or bad, well...that was another matter to be thought over.
SilkenMinion: And so, they watched one another once more. Emi was at a loss of what to say to the boy. He was quiet. She was quiet. He appeared to be scared of her, now....Emi couldn't blame him for that, honestly. The boy - Keivlos, she reminded herself - had been so weird. Scary weird. He was better now, like this. Less gaspy. Less like a fish.
Dagger rolled her eyes at the kids reluctlance to speak to one another, giving her daughters hair a little ruffle. "It's not a bad thing but...kids. Why aren't you talking?" She was used to Emi talking at least once in a while. Lian was rather a chatterbox when it came to being home and safe. He dragged Emi out of her shell from time to time.
The swan in question didn't let a single muscle in her face move at the ruffle to her hair, her face instead gaining a slightly pink tinge. Why? "Dagger..." Her voice was smaller, head shifting down, away from this dominant female. "We're talking. Right, Kevvie?" Once again, the question was thrown to Keivlos, wide brown eyes on him as she tried to escape the womans disapproval.
Was Keivlos talkative? Madeline shifted her fluffy pink coat and made a side glance at the small child who seemed as if you touched him he would bolt like a scared ally cat. She had never thought of how much he spoke before, then again, he didn't speak. Keivlos said things, but what he said couldn't be considered speech. The boy knew how to express himself, that she knew clearly enough...he was clever, he just didn't like to show it off to others.
The smitten mother simply sighed and smiled again, even if the conversation wasn't lively, there was communication between the two. The swan girl expressed her sentiments perfectly. They we're talking. Each said what they wanted in their own way, as quite children did and both used body language. In fact, Madeline was quite as a child....yet, that may have been a stretch of the truth, for she had been informed it was rude to be loud and chatter as if one were a parrot. Keivlos was naturally shy and she had been trained to act in a certain manner. Then again, maybe someday he would find his voice as she had found hers?
"Y-yes..." again, a quick and dead end reply. As if to further kill the conversation the boy turned his head off to the side. Speaking with Emi was a stretch, to respond to another adult seemed asking for more than necessairy.
"Keivlos--" Madeline cut in again, but, what was she going to say? It seemed the conversation had run its course. In most situations, that meant a time to exuse one's self and leave. "Well, it was nice to meet you Dagger--"
The moment Emi heard those words of soon-to-be-farewell, she hopped foreward a step. This had nothing to do with boldness or defiance of her mothers or Madelines wishes, but a little hardness in her that had been there since she realized how she had acted. People were weird at her new house too and they liked her well enough. She didn't dislike Daemon for being odd or Rakha when he told her she was pretty. Dagger was odd and a little off-kilter but...
Enough of that. Emi moved back to Keivlos, a few steps closer, close enough to be chest to chest. Like with her fingers, she was millimeters away from full-body touching, but her head tilted just a bit to whisper against the ear-fluffs. "I did not mean to upset you. The first time?" She didn't answer the question. Instead, Emi stepped back, her serene little face tilted up at him. That was her apology.
Dagger had told her she had been sheltered, before. Now the blonde woman stood in silent as the two stood there. Well, Emi was moving. Just a little and it was so odd. White against black, almost touching but not quite. An odd yin and yang, with no visible resentment between the two Once her daughter stepped back, Dagger moved a little, hands folding a bit and her words going towards Madeline. "It was a pleasure, Madeline. We'll have to get the two of them together sometime? If Keivlos and Emi don't mind."
Again, a sudden shift, Emi was coming closer again. Again? ...Suddenly he was faced with the decision to move closer to retreat. This was all happening so fast, he hadn't expected Emi to come close again. Keivlos had scared her off, right? Emi hated him. Yes. Emi hated him and his brother hated him and his mother was afraid of him...afraid of upsetting him. He should step back. Now. He should just turn and run, run before he had the chance to upset things again. There was allready enough people who diliked him. He should just---
Stiff shoulders dropped, Keivlos' head turned and he lifted his eyes to look at Emi's. What....what was this girl saying? Upset him? ....He had upset her, right? Wha--he didn't understand. Blinking, once, twice, Keivlos breathed deeply. Thinking? No, he wasn't thinking at the moment. Keivlos didn't know what to think anymore.
"Yes, the children need to meet more often." Madeline smiled and nodded before she reached over and took hold of Keivlos hand. "Come Keivlos..."
It was as if the touch awoke the child. For he quickly jumped, feathers ruffling, as he took a step back from Emi. Time to leave? But--but--Emi had just...
Giving a small snuff, Keivlos ducked his head, hunched his shoulders over, and leaned into awkardly hug Emi. "BYE--" He blurted out, before pulling away as quickly as possible. Finished and embarassed, the raven quickly turned around and begin walking in the direction himself and Madeline had been. Well...at least the meeting hadn't ended in tears.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:55 pm
Emi Vs. Keivlos; Round 2 [PRP] And there she was. Her. Emi. She was standing there with her mother a foot behind her, hands clasped behind her back and staring at him with her wide brown eyes. The raven was ...kind of? dressed up and his expression was that which she wasn't sure she wanted to see on his face. They had parted on good terms the last time, hadn't they?
It was that thought that pushed her on to be a bit more bold, like her mother had been pushing her to be, and she took a step closer to the hostile boy. Her hand rose up a but, fingertips catching in his jacket to tug at gently.
"Hi."
So much for bold. Daggers sigh was one of irritated exhasperation with the girl and her chronic shyness and lack of speech. Emi cringed slightly at that noise, edging slightly closer to Keivlos as if HE was the one who would protect her. The blonde ignored her daughters flinching for a moment, glancing over Keivlos' shoulder and into the depths of the house.
"Don't worry~" She called out in response. "And thank you." Tender hands ushered her daughter inside and Emi stumbled a little, despite the movement having been rather gentle, and she found herself still face to face with Keivlos.
The hand from his side moved up to Keivlos' cheek, her eyes widening as she noticed... "You ok, Kevvie? You.."
On the inside Keivlos could feel himself gasping for breath. The last time they had met, they had indeed left on good terms. Yet, the time before that...and the time before that time, well, it hadn't gone so well. So this just made the meting all the more awkward and nerve wracking. Emi she was so--if he knew the word he was looking for he would have said it right then and there out loud. Pretty? Emi was beyond pretty and--well, he liked her more for that, more than just her white feathers. Could it be that as he was growing up, Keivlos saw Emi as more than a childhood crush. Heh. Don't ask him. He didn't know.
Heart pounding inside of his ears, Keivlos shrunk back and closed his eyes as Emi's--touched, yes, touched his Jacket. Did he dare move, now? Well, at least on the outside he looked calm now, even if he was deathly terrified on the inside. Yes, Keivlos had to behave himself around Emi. Otherwise, otherwise...
Rounding her head around the corner, Madeline waved dagger inside. The woman's cheeks were a little flushed, but other than that, she looked to be her usual charming self and--"Why Dagger, I do declare you look absolutely exquisite! And young Emi..." The teacher looked down to give the swan a smile...oh, to have a daughter would be...Heh, enough of that. "I'm so glad you could make it. The living room is this way--" she turned to lead, and then quickly turned again to shut the door.
Keivlos shrank back into his coat as Emi came closer. "D-dima and I were playing..." he quietly mumbled into her ear. So, the boy hadn't been lying.
Dagger gave the two children a curious look as Madeline turned and was talking. Emi was oddly outspoken around the raven; she could only assume that the exact opposite happened to Keivlos when he was around her. That, of course, was taken from the boys appearance and Madelines own distress at times. Was it a good thing? How would she know, really. Rakha had been like Keivlos although a bit more... sane. Prone to being hurt by things they thought better then them, rash and almost violent until that Better Thing tried to show them otherwise.
The thought of the drow, at home teaching Lian how to surf, made the corners of her lips curl up into a contented smile, moving after Madeline. "I'm glad we could make it as well. I live in a house full of testosterone and it's always good to have a feminine friend around and about."
Emi listened to her mother talk and laugh as the females walked off. Her eyes were on the raven, still a little wide as he spoke. He wasn't a childhood crush. He was someone interesting, someone to find things out about. A friend? What Emi knew about love she learned from her late father, from her mother and two new fathers and from ballets. ...unreliable sources, those. And that was at best.
"Dima?" Her voice was small, like his, but less mumbling then the ravens. Emi moved a little closer again, pulling her partially bound hair to free the little strip of cloth. "Playing what?"
Keivlos seemed wary of physical touching but the swans fingers moved up anyway. The fingertips, just slightly shaking in nervousness at what the boy would do, rose up to touch his chin, to try to keep his head still as the cream ribbon was moved to press against his cheek to try and mop up what blood was there.
So dagger was right. She was a bit more outspoken. But there was something about the raven that made the girl a bit more protective. He needed protecting. He acted out and got hurt and if no one was going to take care of him then... Someone had to.
Mmn, protection that was one thing Keivlos desperately needed in his life. The protection, the love, the care he used to have from his family, it was no longer there. The bird was partly responsible for the rejection in his life, you couldn't blame it all on those around him. However, just a little more patience, a little more give on there end...and he probably could work this out. Heh, whatever 'this' was. Maybe that was why Keivlos cared to be in Emi's company so much these days (or rather stand around her terrified), she was a patient girl. She may have been afraid once upon a time, but now it seemed like she could just....wait.
"Dima is--" Keivlos flinched as the silk-smooth-felling of the ribbon was pressed against his face and Emi's finger-tips. "Hee--" The more he spoke, the harder it was to find his voice. " i-i-i---" What was Emi doing? What sort of kindness was this? Of all people, Madeline should be the one to scold him and but anti-biotic on his cheek. Not this girl that--that-- "Nng!" Abruptly turning his head, Keivlos snapped dragging Emi's hands away from him. He didn't say a sound as he took her by the arm and began to walk away towards his bedroom. Emi could meet Dima--she could see what he meant by that--then he wouldn't have to talk. If he didn't talk, he wouldn't scare her off.
"I know what you mean," Madeline sighed softly as she pulled out a chair out for dagger to sit in. "It's quite--oh!" Pausing, the substitute's lips turned downward into a frown as she witnessed her boy 'manhandling' poor Emi. "Keiv--" She really shouldn't let him drag her around like that. Besides it was tea time and--no, Madeline, no. She wasn't going to be a paniky parent. One, two, three deep breaths and she was back to her usual self. "It seems our little ones would rather have play time than tea time."
Emi squeaked as she was grabbed and pulled - rather roughly, although she wasn't quite sure if Keivlos meant it or not. Her arm would rise with bruises, later, but for now she was distracted enough by the walls and the doors and what was going to happen to have actually worried over the small marks that would form on her skin.
"W-where..." Her voice was a stutter now, stumbling as she was dragged off after the raven. "Wh.. What are we... K-Keivlos?" A little squeak and for once, she was rather surprised that her mother didn't come darting after her. Dagger could be surprisingly protective.
The blonde sighed, head shaking. She had seen the two of them run off (or rather, saw the raven run off with her daughter in tow, looking as if someone shoved a dead mouse in her face) and was honestly... Not worried. The kid wouldn't hurt her daughter. He was halfway in love with emi and that was allright with her.
"Let him crush." Dagger laughed softly, giving Madelines shoulder a calm pat. "It's alright. Who knows what amusing things they could do when we're not watching and it'll be good for them to not...be themselves fr a while."
"Heem-hee," Madeline laughed as she moved to add some cookies to the table setting. Coconut Madeline's, how fitting that her favorite cookie would also be her name. "Crush. I haven't heard that word used since my school days. Especially as a verb." Oh, the days when she and her girlfriends used to stay up late in the night discussing men and other un-important matters. Well, at least now they seemed un-important. Ah, had Madeline already forgotten those days? Maybe what she needed to give Keivlos was some room to breath, to be a kid..."Cookie Dagger?"
"Nf--"Keivlos snorted, doing his best to block out Emi's voice from his mind. The boy was on a mission to show Emi...to show her...erm, a bit of his life you could say. Emi she just...she...well, maybe she could understand what others didn't. His head bowed low, as his heavy shoes clunked through the house Keivlos fingers squeezed and squished at swans hand. It's allright. Is what he was saying. It's all right.
Keivlos will show Emi, he'll make her understand. Jiggling the handle of the door to his room, the boy gave it a light kick when the box didn't swing back like it usually did. "Don't embarrass!" Keivlos hissed at the contraption, as the feeling of Emi and his flesh touching as one sunk into his skin, causing an almost poisonous feeling. "Ffft--" Keivlos quickly snatched his arm to his side, and began looking about the messy room for the one thing he wanted to show the swan. Piles of random knick-knacks lined the floor, selves, even the bed was a muck with junk. These things, people didn't want them. Keivlos gave them a home....Keivlos took these things people didn't want and he showed them care he didn't care to show most people. Shoving over a stack of old and used forks, knives and spoons Keivlos clamped his hands over what had to be the most sand and pathetic doll anyone had ever seen. It was a cloth creature, but most of the stuffing was gone now, a button eye was missing and their was paint on it, and various stains.
"Dima. See, he's Keivies friend, " The boy shoved the decaying toy at Emi. See? She would understand now. He got the cut cause and Dima were playing. Didn't she see it so clearly, now?
"Ooooh, cookies." And away went the parents, to discuss whatever it was parents discussed in their free times. What they spoke ofo wasn't a childs bother, anyway. Emi was pulled and squeezed and squished and despite it all, she didn't pull away. Sometimes, people hurt other people to show them that they liked them, as people. Not just as things they should like. That's how her mother explained it anyway, when Rakha was mean to the woman. He apologized later, Emi rationed, but it was always so... so...
She was in Keivlos' world now. It wasn't tidy, like Lian helped her keep her room be. There was a mess everywhere and the feeling on her arm rushed back, the bits of skin pounding where his fingers had been. When Keivlos searched, the swan shuffled further into his bedroom. Her eyes raked over the jumbles of what others would call 'crap' and, silently, Emi wondered where he would sleep at night. When Keivlos spoke again, Emis attention narrowed in on him and the - doll?
Keivlos had a doll. it didn't matter that it was falling apart and probably diseased. Keivlos had a doll and that was the most adorable thing in the world. Despite his cuts and blood and...oddness, Keivlos was cute to Emi. A slow, small smile crept up on her lips, her expression going rather soft on the doll and then on Keivlos when she looked up at him.
"A nice friend," She agreed quietly, petting over Dimas face very gently. "Hello, Dima. But.. Kevvie.." The swan hesitated, her wings flexing briefly, "Dima is soft looking. How did you get hurt if you were playing with Dima?"
"Mnn--" Keivlos, the poor dejected creature was, looked like he was waiting to be hit. Eyes closed, feathers on edge, his brow was wrinkled...inside his chest, Keivlo's heart was beating so hard, that at any moment it would probably burst from his chest. Ah yes, now there was a site that would send Emi running, running and well...pretty white thing just had to understand it. And, and--"Like Dima?" One red eye peaked it's way through scrunched lids...and she did? What had been fists at his side, relaxed themselves into hands.
Scratchy, it felt like he had swallowed sand, and so with an odd croak Keivlos tried to clear his thought. "He-he is... very nice." With out Dima, Keivlos would go crazy, with out someone to talk to, he would go mad. Call it insane to talk with a toy, but he did. Yet, it was all right for now. Keivlos was still a child and so Madeline had let him keep it up, the boy was just a late developer. Besides, the last time his mother had taken away his one and only friend...Soon, Kevie didn't know it, but Dima would be replaced by another friend that was to come into his life. His dragon, however, had yet to be born.
"We..." his pupils shrank a little at Emi's request, nerves once again on end. "It was...it was..." unsure, that was the tone of Keivlo's voice. Did he not want to tell? If so why not or did he just--"This." Cut in the raven, his voice dry and unenthusiastic. Hand reaching out Keivlos grabbed a strange device set a-top a box. It was an unusual--thing, whatever it was, no doubt...hmn, unique! Once upon a time it had probably been a part of something, but that was obsolete now. Hinges, springs, it looked as if it could be a very deadly weapon, the mechanics similar to a mouse trap. Keivlos demonstrated this as he once again began to pull at a heavy and sharp looking string, moving it back towards the end of the wooden block it sat atop. Of course this proved harder than it looked and when hand's weren't enough, Keivlos went to teeth (despite Madeline's disapproval). But as he moved in and his hands slipped away..."SNAP!" the rod shot forward again, and once again, Keivlos was bleeding.
"Heee--" The raven hissed as his hand went to the side of his face. " . . . STUPID!" Was the shout heard through the room as he tossed across the floor.
"Of course I like Dima." Keivlos was so nervous, so shy around the girl. Emi had no real choice but to become more vocal, to be more comforting then comforted, to speak where usually she would look away and try to avoid things. He needed it more then she thought she did and, for once, Emi wanted to be able to make someone feel better instead of allowing herself to hide away and be comforted.
He was cute, either way. It was something she wasn't used to seeing in another person; cuteness was usually applied to Emi herself. Dima continued to be stroked with idle fingers, her eyes taking in Keivlos' abrupt change of attitude, voice... his eyes, even. His tone changed from a rather pleased little squeak to something...inhuman. she didn't like that voice he said 'this' in.
"Keivie.." Her voice reverted to a small whisper from her previously rather bold voice, eyes going wider at the the sight of that... that thing. SNAP! And a little shriek left the swan, delicate fingers clutching the toy to her chest. Her breathing was a bit fast, watching the blood well up over him once more and then his shout left Emi moving over despite herself. Dima in one hand and her other going up to rest over Keivlos' on the new cut on his cheek.
"Y-you shouldn't... Keivie, th-that HURT you." The slight stutter was back, mainly from shock as she shifted closer to him. It had looked dirty too - it could have gotten him germ-fested or whatever it was her father had used to worry over. Her lips moved for a long moment before Emi could speak again, eyebrows twisted in worry and her expression that of someone who was helpless. "I..let me take care of it?"
What a mess he was, what a mess the boy had made of things. "Stupid...stupid..." Keivlos raised the back of his right hand to the cut, only managing to smear the fresh blood across his cheek. Keivlos wasn't mad because he was trying to show off for Emi and had failed, rather, he was mad that he had scared her. 'White thing hates...Kevie...hate--' violently he lapped at the blood which was already drying to his feathers. She was probably lying about Dima, too, bout his friends and toys...'don't, like. Don't like.' Yeah, she didn't like them either.
So, in the midst of these thoughts, it was a shock that Emi should draw closer to him. "It not hurt!" Snapped the boy, taking another lick at his hand. It was just a sting...a little p***k really, but how did he convey that to Emi? Keivlos frowned, realizing that even to his ears, his voice sounded course. "It..." he breathed, feathers ruffling, "...it fine..." in a couple of days it would all heal. A little band-aid from Madeline a bit of brooding over his sloppiness and soon the wound would disappear.
"C-care?" Keivlos shrunk a little, into his coat, wincing at the sound of that. She was gunna get...she was gunna get...closer? In one protective motion the boy froze. You see...if he didn't move, didn't breathe, didn't blink...he could do anything wrong. If Keivlos didn't answer yes or no, Emi couldn't do anything...or so he thought.
"S'not stupid." At school or in the dance hall, she would have been scolded for using that contraction but here, with Keivlos, Emi did not care. After all, it wasn't as if Keivlos was using the best grammar in the world either. She kept her voice firm this time, soft all the same, but not wavering; Dima was clutched to her chest now with the one other hand free. "It's not stupid at all, Kevvie. Maybe a little silly but silly is good sometimes."
She nodded, shifted closer to the poor, nervous bird. It wasn't fair that someone else could be this scared or upset. Emi often felt that way as well but she never found the ability to actively show it all. In that way, she envied Keivlos. She envied and felt pity for him, all at the same time. So she was closer, near enough to hug, near enough to speak against him if she leaned over enough. Emi had see Dagger do it enough times; she would hug to soothe hurts or a kiss to make the pain go away as well.
"Care." She agreed finally, nodding slowly. "Make it better? K-Kevvie? I can help a little bit... I..I can try, to help. Okay?"
She was almost squeaking now but... Oh, but. Keivlos was there and he was a smidge taller. She could do it. Emi leaned over, her head tilting ever so slightly to press a warm, soft, tender kiss to Keivlos' cheek. It only lasted a moment before she pulled back; those pretty white lips were stained with blood.
Silly? No one was laughing at him, and he certainly couldn't make anyone laugh, even if his life depended on it. Hell, it was questionable if the boy even knew how to portray the emotion or not. Surely in his younger childhood he had giggled, pointed freely at pretty colors, odd shape object and let out noises of amusement...but had he really had a laugh since then? It took a lot to make Keivlos react to anything, a smile, a hug, simple things that most people did every day, they just didn't interest Keivlos. So there! He couldn't be silly, or have fun, or just relax and do what others wanted him to do, didn't she see that? He was too eccentric for that.
Why wasn't she running away yet...why?! Had he not scared her enough already? Or was she waiting for just the right moment...? He was almost sweating now, so nervous, nervous of what was to come, nervous that pretty white thing hadn’t run off yet. 'No...just go...' Keivlos was practically begging under his breath, he was sorry for being silly, he was sorry for whatever he had done to keep her here so long.
And then it happened...she kissed him. Those pretty pail lips...the scent of her pretty white feathers mingling through the air, his nose catching the faint smell that was her. The action was so sweet...Emi was so sweet, pretty white thing...she was too much. And what was she doing to him?! He didn't like...he didn't deserve it. 'Quit it, quit! Don't hate Keivie ...don't be sweet'. Inside his mind mixed messages were clashing, before Emi had been so scared, but she was different now, she wasn't afraid and...and...and now Keivlos was the one who was afraid.
What was he supposed to think? What to say? The look on his face was horrified, trapped, if he had been older he would have been blushing. What to do Keivlos? What-- ...He could feel it now, something warm...but as it dripped down his cheek it left a stinging cold. Automatically his tongue went to the side, catching the faintest hint of salt. "Hee--" automatically the raven stumbled back, pushing Emi away. No...no...in all his life time, in all his years, he had never cried. Not until now. He was leaking.
Maybe it was time for Keivlos to be the one afraid. Emi spent so much of her time and her life afraid of other people, afraid of their actions and fearful for her own safety, that someone being afraid of her – for her – was a good thing. It was almost... healthy. As healthy as these two were going to get anytime soon, that is. To her, Keivlos had to be protected, to be cared for and worried about and hoping for his safety and happiness... if no one showed the boy HOW to feel, how was he expected to know it?
Emi stood, silent and unmoving, as Keivlos froze in place. She was not sure how to exactly translate his facial expression, those brown eyes wide and questioning as he stood there as still as she was. The swan had seen that expression on peoples faces before; when Dagger hugged Lian to her chest – or Revons Daddy for that matter – they always tended to freeze in place with that very expression. But the simple fact was that Keivlos did not often show that much of a 'normal' emotion, Emi guessed, and she could not really try to discourage that.
His eyes were glassy; her eyes widened in a response. “Keiv--” And then he pushed at her, the same as his tongue darted to brush against the tear she had not seen. Emi stumbled back, her delicate frame easily tossed about as she tripped over one of the multiple piles of Keivlos' things. Her wings flared and Dima, that had been clutched to her, fell to the floor as the swan tumbled into the pile of rusted forks and spoons that Keivlos had discarded as they entered the room.
“Nngh!” The noise was automatic as the dirty things poked at her and Dima, forgotten, stared up at the two of them rather pathetically. Emis eyes were wet now and there was a sniffle to her breath, wet with unshed tears of pain and those small shoulders shuddering. “..o-ow..” She whispered, still sitting, trembling in her pain but unwilling to get up, in fear of being pushed again.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Inside Keivlos welled two distinct emotions, which at this point in time, were vying for dominance. On the one hand was disgust, Keivlos was leaking, he was crying, he hated tears so much; how could he allow himself to sob like this? Yes, he was sobbing now, like Emi little waterfalls were cascading down his cheeks. If Revon was here to see Keivlos cry...oh, the shame. How could he yell at others when he couldn't even control his own feelings? He was too young, too young control himself and too young to understand. Frustration, disgust? Perhaps he was rather more frustrated than disgusted...
However, beyond uncertainty lay remorse. Poor Emi, just look at her....she was crying because of Keivlos. Once again he had ruined things, but this time it was because of his own self fulfilling prophecy. It was hard to tell if the push had caused more emotional damage than physical for the girl, either way, she wouldn't be looking foreword to seeing Keivlos anytime soon. Stupid, stupid, Keivlos! Quickly enough remorse turned to anger, with Keivlos rapidly tugging at his hair. He knew what he had to say to make it right, but he just couldn't. Keivlos couldn't apologize while he was still crying, looking a mess and a fool in front of Emi.
Why, Emi? Why? His heart was still beating fast from that touch she gave him. It was a motion that was similar to what his mother did, as she tucked him into bed, but when it came from Emi, the motion...it set his heart into overdrive. Either way, Keivlos couldn't think about these things any longer, he had to get out of here, out of here before mother and Dagger came running into see what was wrong. He had to leave before someone else caught him leaking..."Go 'way". Was all the child said before fleeing the crime scene, dashing past Madeline and Dagger on his way out the apartment door. Go away Emi, before more bad things happen to you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:57 pm
The Hatching It was a bit late in the night for someone to be calling the tiny apartment. Keivlos (as far as Madeline knew) was fast asleep, and the teacher herself was ready for bed. So, it was with hesitation that Madeline placed the tortoise shell comb she was holding to the side of the bed and picked up the phone. She let out a sigh before speaking.
"H-hello?"
****
"This way--" Snarked the D-tech, whom was (unsuccessfully) trying to split his attention between the walky-talky, firmly glued to his hand and the mother son pair following behind him. It wasn't usual for a child to be present at the hatching of their dragon, and more often than not a visit meant for confusion and stress among all the staff. "You're lucky you got here in time," he muttered. " Luckier still to have arranged your son be here." "He needs to be here." Was all Madeline said, as she glanced back it Keivlos who hugged his jacket around him tighter. Even though Maddie had been putting off the thoughts of why they were here (Keivlos' dragon), she had always known this day would come, and well, it wasn't going to reach her unprepared. "Do you know why we're here, Keivie?"
"Don'tz call me th-hat," was all the boy hissed back. He frowned, "Only Keivie call Kevie that."
His mother flinched. Caught between disciplining Keivlos, and being too tired to argue she simply let her shoulders drop and sighed, "You get your dragon today."
Scratching his neck, Keivlos looked off to the side, unfortunately un-interested. Or rather, uninterested only because Madeline, herself, was interested. Beneath the feathers, flesh, muscle, bone and blood, the inner workings of the boy's mind were spinning. A dragon? You mean, that egg he had seen so long ago had actually turned into something? It hadn't--rotted and withered away, leaving the putird mess he had hoped?
No. No. He hadn't wished that, it was just--. . . Well, you know? He hadn't really thought of it before. Having as little contact with his fellow peers, Keivlos had yet to meet one of the older students and their "pets". Story books had never captured his imagination either--no, Keivlos honestly had no opinion or expectations. The creature that was soon to inhabit is life would be a completely new experience.
...The thought made him smile.
****
Behind the thick glass bubbled and oozed a liquid which would rot his very flesh and bone if Keivlos touched it, the disgusting people with their strange smells and white coats around him called it 'acid', Keivlos called it beautiful. Pale, green, glowing...illuminating his face as he pressed his cheeks, lips and nose against the crystal, he would have no other dragon than one born out of this despised primordial ooze.
Patience, Keivlos had to remind himself, over and over again, was a virtue. Virtue, virtue, virtue. His dragon was fighting. Fighting, fighting, fighting. It was true, for four hours now he had watched his dragon, crack and chip and bite and chew and crack and chip and chip and crack it's way out of it's shell. In the last stretch of time, it had stopped though...and Keivlos, oh, poor Keivlos, felt his heart sink.
"Fight"--it was the last sucking hiss, which sent shivers through his spine and a chill in the air, it was the sound to which he witnessed the first sight of his dragon. He was the first thing this ravenous beast would see. And as if by magic his dragon turned its head and listened, slitted green eyes staring at Keivlos unsure of what to make of it's 'mother', until Keivlos flashed what was a wicked toothsome grin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:59 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:59 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:16 pm
On christmas day, a small package the size of a large dictionary arrives on Madelines doorstep, wrapped up in a no-nonsense brown packaging and held together with pinks of soft blue string. It's addressed to Keivlos in flowing, feminine script. The box within the wrapping is a plain white box; once one peels back the light blue tape holding the sides together, they would come face-to-face with fluffy white and dark blue tissue paper.
Under the tissue paper are small sets of clothing, painstakingly sewn together in the form of two small shirts, pants and a little beret sort of thing. The pants are black but the shirts are red and the other a deep blue, whereas the hat is a plain black. Under it is a small tin of cookies; they range from chocolate chip to peanut butter, to sugar and then to gingerbread men, carefully placed in the decorated tin.
Atop the clothing is a note; the handwriting is a far cry from the lovely writing on the tag, rounded and small, delicate letters.
Dear Keivlos I made these for Dima, for Christmas. I wasn't sure what to get you so I helped make cookies and sent some for you. I'm sorry. I hope we're still friends. I want to be. Merry Christmas, Emi.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:17 pm
An Office Meeting With Emi [PR] “What’s even worse is that I am the one here being accused of improper parenting. It’s outrageous Keivlos, that’s two of your teachers within the past few months that you have caused trouble for. At this stage in the game I shouldn’t be having second doubts leaving you at home,” the strange spry blonde thing had been prattling on like this for nearly a good fifteen minutes, it was clear that Madeline was upset. Over what Keivlos had not the slightest idea, at least it was nothing important that he should care about, what were grades for anyway? It was just a little letter on a peace of paper…and you could eat that.
On the ground below, wrapped about Keivlos’ chair, as usual, Dima stood his usual contented guard. Madeline hated it, hated that damn dragon, especially in her office which was already so damn tiny, but it seemed if she had insisted upon dragging one of them to her office, she would have to bring the both of him. The blasted thing had tried to take a good bite at her when she had pulled her son away from it this morning. So as the black and green menace sat there lazily soaking up the sun, it was the first of the three to sense the presences at the door. Keivlos was next, his head swiveling much in the same slow deliberate manor Dima’s had, “…Company.”
Madeline, who seemed to be the slowest of the three, had only just turned her head when she heard the small voice. “Oh that would be Emi—Come in dear,” her voice rang out in the silent room like clear crystal. It was wonderful and melodious, quite the opposite of Keivlos’ expression, which had just turned dark and sour. His mother had warned him she would be working, but the poor bird had not expected the one visitor he despised to run into the most.
Emi had grabbed only the very tail end of the conversation; she was doing her very best to not think about it. Keivlos was in there but apparently... Miss Madeline wasn't too pleased. She cringed just slightly. When Dagger was upset, the short woman had a tendancy to yell, slam her small fists against doors, to snarl at Rakha as if he was her slave - which, he was, really, but that wasn't the point. It was then that Emi would get scolded the most: she was too quiet or too thin, her dragon was large, her clothing too pink, too, too, too of everything and it was always her fault. Lately, it was just Teeu being upset with her instead of their mother. The swan wasn't exactly sure why; it seemed as if instead of every cloud having a silver lining, all of her silver linings had clouds.
Angry little sisters with claws and jaws that could clamp down hard enough to crush bone as if it was a loaf of bread certianly did not help matters. Teeu was a cloud, a dark brown one, to the silver lining that had been Odette.
But! Better thoughts! Keivlos was in there and she liked Keivlos. He was sweet, if a little shy, and he was her friend. Much better then Teeu. When she opened the door and came face-to-face (figuritively speaking) with an angry looking black-and-green dragon and a Keivlos that appeared as if someone had just shoved something rotting (or whatever he disliked) under his nose, it came as quite a shock. Emi visibly flinched at the glowering duo and Odette, unamused by the 'antics' of the stupid boys, narrowed her bird-yellow eyes all the more.
The slim dragon slipped in front of Emi, almost a shield, only to have a small pale hand nestle itself into the ruffle of feathers along the base of her skull in spine. She thrummed.
"Ah - Dagger said that you had some papers. For her." Eyes went to Madeline, away from Keivlos, as Emi fidgeted just a step or two inside the room. Then, back to Keivlos. He was still in the room - even if his dragon was a bit... intimidating. "You... You got bigger."
Such graceful social moves there, Emi.
In the back of his mouth was a tangy, unsavory, flavor, it stung the roof of his tongue and made his throat hurt and eyes water. His mind, the thick black mass of whirring cogs it was, was trying to place a memory, a unpleasant memory of Emi. Not that Emi herself was unpleasant, but, he couldn’t …strangely enough remember why it was he had been avoiding her for so long. In the beginning he had liked her well enough, adored her, her white skin fascinated him…it still did, better than anything in that pile of junk in his room. So he had liked her, but back then he had always made her cry…ah yes, that’s why he was scared, cause she had suddenly turned tail, put on a new face, one day she had returned his adorations. That was what scared Keivlos, the possibility that she actually cared for him back. The last time they had met…he touched the side of his cheek, in a surreal state of past memory and present.
“You’ve gotten bigger too my dear,” it was Madeline who came to the rescue, breaking that blank abysmal look on her dear sons face. (Though, he did seem to be showing some faint signs of life.) “I see they thought you were old enough to give you you’re dragon, I’m assuming it is a she? She’s quite lovely.” While dragons could not speak, they very well had a language of their own, shifting his position a bit, Dima raised his head setting it into Keivlos’ lap. He was laughing to himself, laughing at the ridiculous pair of strangers whom had entered the room. Funniest of all Madeline thought that thing standing beside the timid looking girl was lovely. She, Madeline was a stupid human.
“Anyway, I’ll be back in a minute with your papers. The printer is down the hallway, unfortunately,” unaware of the mess she had left in her office, Madeline stood up and tip-toed her way around the two small children and poised dragons…thick, was what she felt as she floated out of the room, thick tension.
Now they were alone, one boy one girl, two dragons. It was as his mother had said, Emi had almost grown overnight. Changed, but exactly the same, give or take a few inches of her arms and or legs. The clocked ticked in slow silence, the seconds painfully passing as he looked at her with cold glassy eyes. He—he wanted to talk, he realized that conclusion soon enough, but…what should he say? He was—
“You…standing out there long enouf. What did you hear?”
Oh, but this was uncomfortable. Keivlos was staring at her, a universally stark expression, and his dragon was very close to him. Odette posed some sort of shield against the proverbial onslaught of the other couple, she wasn't enough to keep Emi from feeling a bit closed in. He had made her cry, in the past when she was young and taught to be a certian way, before Dagger had forced her to see that 'different' did not mean 'bad' and 'awkward' did not mean 'scary'. Keivlos had been different, been scary, he had stared at her and, looking back on it, the small girl couldn't make herself see anything except a painfully awkward little boy who didn't like to talk (to her, anyway) but had still tried to... to communicate. He was sweet. Kind of. In his own way? Like Lian could be, when he did something without telling people that made life easier - put her favorite ballerina doll back on her bed when Teeu stole it, took her water after she danced, in a quiet attempt to show something but with a fumbling insistance that made it all seem very young. Keivlos was nothing like her older brother, of course, but the parallel was still the same.
Madeline was talking with a tone that was almost harshly cheerful; it was loud enough to break her out of her staring streak with the raven. Emi blinked a few times when her attention was dragged from Keivlos once more, her free hand rising up to rub at her cheek with the meat of her small palm. "I - Yes. Her name is Odette." A near-whisper now, a soft breath of words. She talked more as she got older, when she wasn't around Dagger, but it was softer with every moment of tension.
Emi managed to squeak out a 'thank you' when Madeline left and then her eyes fell to Odette. The dragon was almost fluffed up defensively, the length of her body slowly wrapping around Emis legs. She had learned the move from Xiao; the lung was almost obsessed with protecting her boy and, as a result, had learned a few moves. Stupid dragon. He smelled of mean. Emi was almost shrinking back against the gaze when Keivlos - spoke?
Holy cow.
She blinked again, this time more out of surprise then shock of any sort. Her face was pink and, Keivlos was talking. That was a new and different sort of thing as previously, there had been some sentences but he had been twitching or looking away or on some sort of knives of nerves. His words now were said all at once and, even though she wasn't one to judge confidence, with a good deal more of... Well. She didn't know the word. But it was there.
"You're talking." Soft, fluttery. Emi almost winced; Dagger would have yelled at her for that tone. She didn't; nor did she smile or meet his eyes. Couldn't meet his eyes. They were... He was a little off-putting, with those eyes. "You didn't really... talk a lot before...I just heard that - you don't like your classes?"
There she went, saying things that just…well, they just made him smile. Talk? “Kevie could always talk,” The devious smile, the twist of his lips, he kept it a well guarded secret. More or less Keivlos himself was a secret, he kept himself safe, hidden, only giving away mere glimpses away when he wanted to. It was better that way, it was better to be mysterious than something the whole world could see. Besides, didn’t you feel special now when he let you have a glimpse? Shifting in his chair, feet scraping across the ground as he laid back, “Nobody likes Keivie, so Keivie doesn’t like them. Don’t like classes, don’t like teachers…they make you go too?” Right? He had…once seen her here. Only from afar though, still to afraid to get near. The kiss, he raised a hand touching his cheek again, this time absentmindedly, was still far to fresh in his head at the time.
From between his legs Keivlos’ dragon slipped and began to slither its way over towards Emi, there was something strange about the girl which he would have called food. Keivlos acted different around her. He wasn’t shouting or being his normal silent, and while Emi couldn’t see it, Dima could sense just how tense his master was wound. For some reason he feared this puny girl and Dima wanted to know why. He moved, like a stealthy cat, but with the tenacity of …well, only a dauntless dragon, which he was, he was a creature on a mission. What made this girl so special? Perhaps he could find it in her taste or smell but for that he would have to be closer.
Out of the way feathers! …Dima was going to visit Emi.
Quietly Keivlos watched, waiting for the time he would need to step in. If he knew his dragon well enough, he would have to. “…Why Emi here?”
"You always could," Emi agreed softly, "But you never did. Not... not much, anyway." Or... Maybe she was wrong? What if he had been a chatty Kathy - er, Keivvie - and she just hadn't noticed because she was becoming like Dagger? He had said a few sentences, of course he had, a lot of words and noises, but many of them had been mumbled under his breath (oh, especially after that kiss) or yelled out in a burst of desperate emotion. If she felt special, Emi didn't know it just yet. What she knew she was feeling was a wee bit numb. Yes. Numb fit. "I have to pass or Dagger doesn't let me dance anymore. Some of the kids are - a-are.. they..."
Keivlos' dragon was coming towards her. The raven was one thing; he had never hurt her purposefully - that time in his bedroom with the kiss didn't count, she had shocked him - but this dragon was a whole new experiance. Her wings spread just slightly and then pressed back, tightly, against her shoulderblades and down her spine. And so, her voice had sputtered off to wordless movements of her mouth, eyes wide on the creeping dragon. Where she was wordless shock with the slight tremors of all birds when approached by a large, impressive, angry, possibly hungry predator of a lizard, Odette was even less pleased.
The dragon drew herself up with a little grumble, wing-arms fanning out mildly. She was beautiful and lovely and didn't want to fight but.. Stupid scaley would hurt her girl. Oh, she wasn't pulled up very high, waist height if that, with the base of her tail wrapped loosely around Emi, on the ground.
"He's - Odette, don't, please - He's not going to bite me, is he?" At least she wasn't stuttering, that much she reminded herself, but her voice was back to that higher pitch, even within the small small voice, eyes still so very wide. She was tugging at her dragon, the usually lazy thing leaning back into her. "I - I need a paper.. Papers. Didn't mean to.. to bother you or.. anything."
Nothing to say…nothing to say, nobody who wanted to hear his words, it was always what Keivlos told himself. He conserved his voice, after all, it was a precious commodity. Besides whenever he did seem to speak it brought no new meaning, conversations…well, take Emi’s for example, it was meaningless. Stuck in school, trapped as all children are, in something they don’t want to do. His eyes did sparkle for a second at the mention of ‘dance’, that horrible thing that Madeline made him do, she did it too? Probably not the same, but…he and Emi, shared something?
…
It was like watching a unstoppable disaster in slow motion, Keivlos saw it coming all over again. His dragon, her fear…and then there would be tears, she was all ready mumbling. That soft, annoying mumbling…No, Emi! Shut up! Shut up! Couldn’t she see that only made Dima more interested in her, couldn’t she see how it annoyed Keivlos. He couldn’t, no, he couldn’t bare to let it happen again, to watch as Emi got hurt, to watch as he made just one more enemy on his list. “Not a bother!” Keivlos, hissed deeply, as he stood to his feet, the chair making a screech as it knocked back several inches. The noise of course was nothing compared to the sound which next came for Keivlos’ mouth. It was a noise which was directed at his dragon.
He did not know any language besides the one he spoke, broken, stilted, English. The sounds that Keivlos made were simply that, sounds, noises that he had heard his dragon speak to him, once upon a time when it had been angry. He snapped his tongue emitting a sharp his, and his dragon immediately listened. This creature with wings and strange eyes, so unlike pitiful humans may not have had teeth or claws, but in the end could sometimes be far more cruel than any bite or strike could be. Dima, turned away from Emi and instead came at Keivlos. He shrieked a bit louder than Keivlos had, and made for a n** at the boy’s hand. Not that Keivlos made the effort to move his arm…it would not be the first time he received a bite.
Keivlos flinched, but only briefly as the dragon gave him a n**, “…Please…don’t feel like a bother.”
Emi had jumped at Keivlos' noises. Of course she had. He snapped at her and jerked the chair sharply. Then - a hiss in her direction and - it was a flurry and Emi had moved back as far back as she safely could. Keivlos and Dima - they didn't act like she had seen Lian and Xiao act, or like she and Odette did and it was highly disconcerting. She couldn't help the stuttering and the softness of her voice, it was a part of her as much as his anger was a part of him. It could fade or spike, it could be burrowed away until triggered by outside forces. It was her.
It didn't really help that she tripped over her own dragon, did it? Odette was close to her, protectively so, but the thick tubing of her dragons body was right there, leaving little room for her to stumble. So, she tripped and for the second time in as many meetings with Keivlos, Emi stumbled back and against the wall. It wasn't into a pile of rusty things, she wasn't hurt, but an ungraceful 'oomph' sound left her as her hands moved back to gain support from the wall. She didn't hit ground. When eyes she hadn't realized were closed, opened, she saw Dima biting him.
Emis face smoothed out into an impassive mask, her hands planted firmly against the wall with her hair all down around her shoulders and face. She had decided earlier that since she was not at practice today, her hair could be down; now, it served as an almost-curtian. On anyone else, it would have created the appearance of half wild - on Emi, it just made her look surprised.
"Why - why did he bite you, Keivlos? Are you alright?" Oh, her voice was still soft but, as with the expression, it was so much more controlled now. No dragon was coming at her, Keivlos had stopped him, Ode had tried to help (oh, she was churring in mild concern but drawing back, unraveling now that the threat was turned to the side), so it was alright. It would be, anyway. Perhaps she wasn't the best damsel in distress alive but... Emi hesitated and pushed herself away from the wall. She was a little shaky still but, control. Calm and serene. She could handle that. It took an extra breath or two before she allowed herself to answer his ending statement. "I won't."
Emi smiled slightly then, her head canting just to the side. "Promise."
Keivlos and his dragon, it was disconcerting, something akin to giving an arsonist a match. A volatile combination, all it would take is the slightest upset and things would go up in flames. Keivlos knew D-corp was watching him closely, much like himself his dragon was a riddle that shouldn’t exist. At least, Keivlos believed that he himself should not exist, whatever these technicians up here in their ivory tower had done to create him was unnatural. His mother called him a blessing, miracle even, but in recent times he had come to his own conclusion about what he was.
He didn’t move when Emi hit the wall, but blinked his eyes in a painful slow flinch. Though his swan friend wasn’t leaking this time, at least he was saved the pain of having to watch that, again. She wasn’t running either…just standing there, looking a bit dazed, feathers ruffled, all calm composure had changed. He had never seen this side of her and for a moment fancied she looked rather…well, his face did the talking. She promised she wouldn’t consider herself a bother to him, and his face just lit up under the feathers, a bright flush. “Dima angry, I wouldn’t let him bite you, so he bit me.” Keivlos shrugged his shoulders, pulling his hat down a bit. He didn’t want Emi to notice anything different about himself, “It’s a fair tradeoff.”
What Keivlos didn’t tell Emi was that even though the dragon’s bite was small, within its mouth was an acidic saliva. Nothing completely powerful as it was a young dragon, but the wound would require one, of what had all ready been many, trips to the clinic. Not that Dima’s painful mark ever made Keivlos worry, it was Madeline on the other hand whom would have a fit about it. Speaking of the devil, or rather Madeline, heels came tapping down the hall and the door swung back open.
Her blue eyes blinked a few times in confusion, “Is everything all right here?”
Emi was perhaps not the most intuitive of people, even Dagger had to admit, the girl had an innate knack for catching people off gaurd and not even realizing it as it happened, but she noticed the change of Keivlos' expression when she had made that promise. It was as if a light had clicked behind his eyes, a brief shining of an expression she had never seen on him before. Keivlos had, albeit unknowingly, just given Emi a very, very good reason to keep not-bothering him, despite the biting dragon and his initial hositility towards her: she wanted to see that face again.
He had looked like a happy young boy. She wanted to see that more.
Luckily, she wasn't stupid enough to comment on it. Odette cawed (a sound the dragon fancied to be pretty, by the by) quietly, her beady little eyes still on Dima although she was no longer on 'alert'. Instead, Emi allowed herself that brief moment of further steadying and wiped her admittedly sweaty palms against the soft cloth of her dress. It was violet but dark enough so the slight moisture didn't leave any hugely visible markings on the fabric. A hesitant step, a little hop over the reptilian band of her dragons svelte frame, and she was edging over towards Keivlos.
Emi offered her hand out to him as she got closer and was rather proud that her fingers weren't shaking. She was hoping beyond hope that Dima wouldn't jump up and bite her, like the shark from that movie, or the snake from that other movie, but being far away from Keivlos didn't quite seem to be the way to attempt and see his face go something other then grumpy.
"His name is Dima too?" She asked instead, voice as steady as her hand. "I - I don't think I can make him clothes, Keivlos. Maybe Dagger could make him a hat like yours."
Earako could probably make him a hat but Emi had a feeling that the pale bat would be upset with the raven, probably scared. The swan knew she could be scared while with Keivlos but she hadn't been scared of him since she was very young; now she was simply fascinated. "Or--"
Madelines enterence cut her off. Emi gasped, swirled with more elegance then a girl of her age and with those wings had any right to be, and her eyes just as wide as they had been when Dima was about to snap her fingers right off her hand. The hand that had been offered to Keivlos clenched and pressed against her chest, to the heart that was beating way too loudly to her own ears.
"I -" Emi nodded quickly at the teachers question. "Fine. Yes. Keivlos?"
Carefully Keivlos tucked his hand behind his back, it seemed as if Emi was moving towards it and he didn’t want her making a fuss over him. Least she forget what had happened last time, least they both forget what had happened last time. For Keivlos the time was drawing near that they should part ways, he felt uncomfortable, things were going too well, you know? His eyes more on his dragon than they were on her now, worried that he might make another sudden move. What had happened just now in the small room was such a mere little scuffle, what if it got more out of hand? He just—he just— Keivlos’ mind was a blur with the same little, worried, irritated thoughts running through his head over and over again. He was nervous, so nervous that he jumped when she spoke.
“D-dima? M-mother threw him out, j-just this Dima now,” he pulled his hand from behind his back and bit at his thumb nail, nervously nibbling. This story, when he recalled it, also made him a bit upset. One day after he had gotten his dragon, his mysterious friend had just disappeared. ‘Where?’ He had asked, Madeline only said she had put it away, he had a real friend now. Well, at least she was right about that, it was as if his beloved childhood toy had come to life…just in a bit different form was all. Keivlos loved Dima, Keivlos loved his friend, it was his only one at the moment. And no, his dragon did not need clothes anyway Emi.
“Ma’—“ strange how even though it was usually Keivlos whom put fear in Madeline, Madeline could do the same from time to time. Instinctively the boy put his hand behind his back, no more bites, she didn’t want to see them. But Madeline did see it, it was all ready too late, that expression on her face. “Keivie? What happened, did something happen,” she brushed past Emi, not to be rude but…a mother and their young, nothing at the moment could separate her from his side. Tugging, pulling at his arm, rolling up his sleeves while he wriggled unhappily underneath her, “nonono—Keivie good!” It was back to the strange, almost babish speech that he normally spoke with.
“Emi, …see, fine?” If Emi had said they were good, certainly Madeline would listen to that? ….Or, erm, not, she was suddenly off, rambling about how he needed to get down to the clinic.
“Emi,” Madeline turned around pushing some papers in her hand, “I’m sorry sweet heart, but would you pardon Keivlos and I? It seems his dragon gave him a n** again. Did it hurt you? No? Good—give Dagger my regards. Please do come again sometime.” Like a hurricane she came in, and in a furry went out, a small mad parade following behind her. Keivlos, looking quite glum and Dima gnashing his teeth at the way Madeline was looking at him. Though before the trio completely disappeared around the corner Keivlos did manage to peer back at Emi, his strange eyes following her…he mouthed something, silently of course, but if you looked closely and slowly as Emi would have, she would see he was really saying, ‘g-o-o-d b-y-e.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:23 pm
Secertly Simmering; A Play Date With Zyanya [PR][X]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
