|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:33 am
Somebody's Eden - Gathering Zero Dream The door opened once more, revealing a blue-haired woman and the red shadow trailing her. The bag containing the lezuralis was hooked to the chains that trailed her sides, and glowing blue eyes widened once she finally got a good look inside. "Mystic !" Zero's face went pale. He was.... He was.... Red's reaction was similar, but at the same time pretty different. He all but rushed for the other fiend, regardless of who or what might be in between the two of them.
Damnit, this was all his fault !EchoLimaFoxtrot Echo was only too pleased to be rid of the void. It was not something she cared to have - and now she had it in her posession not for hours, but while longer. She was pleased to have been given it, but until she had set the vial elsewhere and it was not in the capable hands of those that actually knew what was going on, the woman could not breathe easily. But she could not just leave, that would feel simply wrong. Instead, Echo found an empty wall and leaned against it. Pez had been quite thankfully quiet since re-entering the shop. Who knew, maybe the audible floating rock had a sense of understanding after all. Echo could not stay still, she was too agitated, and even more so because she could not figure out where the emotion was coming from. Sure, she wouldn't wish being turned into a statue on anyone, but she hardly knew the people she went on the hunt to help. To pass the time, Echo had taken out a copper penny. She would drop it on the group, and Pez would fetch it - which meant covering it in shadow until it could not be seen. But it always fell at her feet, and all the small woman had to do was lean down and pick it up, only to continue it again. It was pointless, but it kept her mind elsewhere. She glanced at her watch, was it time yet? Merci` Dio popped through the storefront and paused just inside getting his barrings. His eye widened at the fact there were so many people, and he immediately started to feel panic. One or two he could handle, a crowd like this scared him. The flash of blue caught his eye and he focused in on Zero, if she was here then Red would be too. Red would protect him from the scary. The unhidden eye scanned the room, thats when he saw Mystic, and next to him Red. He made a beeline for his Red and caught him by the back of his vest, hiding behind him, body curled as closely into Red's back as he could get. Terror was to tame a word for how he felt now, he recognized what was happening to Mystic, and he knew what it felt like. Merci was not far behind Dio, shoving through the door with little preamble. Her tail drooped with obvious exhaustion. She worked hard to get what she had, and was actually quite proud of having found it. Who would have known that finding it would have been such a pain in the a**? Her green eyes looked over the room when the feeling of terror hit her from Dio. The passive look turned into a solid frown when she managed to spot him, and next to him, Mystic. He looked horrible. She made her way over and set the box down, opening the top to reveal the colorful liquid swirling inside. "I hope this helps Mystic..." She didn't want to say anything else, because it seemed to be an awkward situation. Instead she just backed up and shot pensive looks toward her ward. AthanShade 
Mystic remained as still and silent as the two statues near his side as he watched as guardians and those that simply had aided him out of kindness filed in one by one. Steadily they had been arriving for what seemed an eternity, but in truth it could have only been an hour or two. He blinked groggily as he tried to force himself to focus on his task at hand. They had gone so far out of their way for him. For them.
He could not fail them. Especially not... her.
Faded hands reached to gather the ingredients together, to sort them, to count, and to take note. Having something else to focus upon lent him a strange sort of strength which he clung to desperately. All his remaining energies were focused upon this moment. Not even his cloak remained substantial. He had nothing to spare to maintain the guise.
It wasn't important. His task was all that mattered. She was all that mattered. Above all else it was alwaysalwaysalways her.
He flipped the pages of the heavy spellbook that sat atop the desk before stopping upon the page that listed all the ingredients of the antidote. Mentally he checked them off one by one.
One by one. One by one. By one by... one.. was missing.
His eyes widened and a thrill of panic shot through him. No. No. No. Not ... possible. Not..
He counted again. And again. Still missing. Still gone.
Gone as he soon would be.
EchoLimaFoxtrot Echo was one of the last to arrive, but she was still anxious. When the dark and fading Mystic moved, however, she stopped playing around. Intently, she watched as he sorted through the items... and it looked like everything was going to be okay. But then there was a pause. The woman didn't know quite what was happening now, but Pez had a feeling. The shadowed gem was nestled near her ear and was twinkling and babbling incomprehensibly - and through him... Echo frowned and watched Mystic. What was going on? What did this mean? Curses her reluctance to not learn this magic stuff! Echo's hands were clenched at her side. She wanted to help, but didn't have the knowledge to understand how she could. Angel-of-Bloody-Midnight Angel watched the fading ghost-like creature before her go from confident to dismayed, to perhaps frightened. Something wasn't right. She wasn't sure how to react, but she knew that this was not a good situation for this Mystic to be in. Merci` Dio shifted and ducked his head around Red, his burgundy eye moving to watch Mystic as he moved. Something was wrong, and he knew it. His fingers tightened on Red's vest momentarily before he shoved his panic aside. Right now, he couldn't deal with his fears. His friend was in trouble and it should be all that mattered. He drifted slowly a little closer to Mystic, 'Whats wrong? Is something wrong?' His voice was quiet, he didn't want to talk in front of all these people. He wanted to curl up and hide in Red's arms, but he kept his eyes focused on Mystic. Merci quirked a brow and pulled out a folded and refolded piece of paper. Everything that had been on it was marked off. She was sure she had gotten the right thing. Zero Dream Red took a sharp "step" backwards when Dio all but clung to his vest, as he wasn't expecting something like this to happen. He almost panicked for the split second it took him to recognize who it was, and then his turn took a sharp, protective turn. One arm moved to hold Dio, bringing some of the fabric of his coat along to try to envelop him - almost as if trying to hide the little panicked fiend from the word.
However, some of his panic returned once he clearly saw that something wasn't right. "...Mystic ?"
s**t. This had to work. He couldn't die. He couldn't...
He was so going to kill whatever b*****d thought up all this with his bare hands.Something wasn't right. Something DEFINITIVELY wasn't right. Red's worry only made her own skyrocket. Damnit ! "Mystic, what's wrong ?!" Sosiqui Esfandiar observed, using his anger with Pyrite as a shield - he was here to see his debt repaid, nothing more - but as those around him began to panic, his arms slowly lowered to his side. This 'Mystic' that had spoken with him, that Pyrite had drawn memory and void out of... so pale, barely-there... Ending; Bonded; Negative, Pyrite ventured, a curl of shadow emerging from Esfandiar's own and wrapping tentatively around his ankle. What do you mean? The thought was, again, directionless, but as before Pyrite picked up on it easily. Bonded; Required. Bonded; Lack: Existence; Lack.Esfandiar let out one long, slow breath. So... the transparent Fiend was... dying, then? And what of Athan? Someone had not kept their part of the bargain, that much was clear, and the shadhavar's face took on an expression of anger once again, but for a very different reason. "Is there time? The markets of Tesfaldir..." he offered, speaking into the chaos in general. ShortGreen Delilah chewed her lower lip as she edged closer to Mystic and peered at the items spread in front of him. Her eyes flicked from them to his face and back. She set her hands on the counter, not quite touching the items. "Mystic?" she asked softly. "Do you need me to do anything?" Kova, on the hand, was now trying to keep her hands around White Opal who pulsed and vibrated almost violently. Nearly coherent waves of feeling swept over her, coming from the stone. Worry, fear, nervousness. AthanShade Mystic shook his head, though the movement left him feeling somewhat dizzy. 'There are items missing. I am...' he trailed off as he came to realization that even his voice was leaving him. He ducked his head and swallowed thickly. He didn't know what else to do. '... fading.'Trivii` Outside the shop it took Trivii several conflicted moments to push the door open and walk in, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, the girl removed her sunglasses and golden eyes sparked in the dim area searching though the gathering of fiends she had never before seen. Skimming over Zero and Red, Kova and Opal, finally finding the elder fiend. "Mystic." She spoke softly enough as not to be heard, pushing forward from the fringes and extending a small corked jar with the scales inside. "Mystic, I hope these can help... Medusa Scales." Backing up half a step, she smiled faintly at her friend, at a complete loss for more to say. Vibrating excitedly the little stone clung to Trivii's shoulder, extending anxious tendrils to examine the other fiends and hosts.Angel-of-Bloody-Midnight "What can we do to help you, Mystic?" Angel called, her eyes filled with worry. Something had truly gone awry. "There must be something...Anything." She said, stepping forward to stand more with the others who had come. "What can we all do to help you?" She asked, hopeful. AthanShade The elder shadow's eyes widened, a look of surprise (perhaps even excitement?) thrilled through him. They were still a few items short, but if others came. If others came while he started the spell! If there was enough left from what he had brought from Reyna's study it could buy them some time. He stood again with a certain desperate determination as he began drawing runes atop the wood of the table. This was going to get messy and quickly. 'Stay back,' was the best warning he could manage to give the rapidly growing crowd of anxious guardians and onlookers. Sosiqui Esfandiar's eyes narrowed, and he stayed where he was. Whatever was going on - he was going to listen to the barely-there words that the fading Fiend projected, even as Pyrite all but cut off the circulation to his feet in her clutching worry. There's a plan, he has a plan, now let go of my ankles, he informed the shadows at his hooves. The tendrils withdrew immediately, and Pyrite herself pooled out of the shadow, but hung close by her bonded. Her fingers did not so much as twitch in the direction of the others gathered there. Many, she offered, phasing partway through the wall. Zero Dream Yup. Not good. He seemed to be fading, and quickly. Even with some of his voice gone, she understood enough for her to react and pry the two boys away from him, worry in her eyes. s**t, this had to work. If it didn't... Well, not only she probably wouldn't get Ajit here in time, but that somehow seemed even more suicidal then letting Mystic do a spell with incomplete ingredients. Merci` Merci stayed where she was and tucked the note back into her pocket. She moved over to stand next to Zero. "Things will be alright, we've done what we can at this point. Though I think that fellow over there had the right idea." She gestured at Esfandiar. Thats when her eyes narrowed and she looked at the bottle, "Those look like snake scales.. and if you needed medusa scales I have three of the whiny brats at home." Dio clung to Red and pressed as close as he could. He wanted to help, and he knew that he could do that best by backing off. 'Lets give him room Red. He knows what he is doing, and if he needs help he knows he can ask us.' Dio's voice was still very quiet. His head tilted up and he offered him as much of a smile as Fiends are capable of, hoping to help alleviate his friends fears. ShortGreen "Del, come back here. Don't stand so close to Mystic." Kova took a reluctant step backwards herself even as the stone in her hands tried to push forward instead. The flower-girl shook her head and sank to sit just behind Mystic on the floor. She brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, chin resting atop. Her wide blue eyes stared up at the Fiend. AthanShade The spell didn't take the same way as it did before. It didn't form the gelatinous ooze that had cured Zero's arm. It was only half formed and melded strangely. It took on a strange glow and he half feared that he had endangered them all by being so bold as to think he could control and sustain it without all the proper ingredients. He dared to look away for a solitary moment as his gaze settled upon Delilah. 'Backroom. There may be other items left from before.' It would also keep her busy and out of harm's way. Trivii` Excited and fearless the floating cabochon of Carnelian moved so close as to almost touch Mystic."Get out of Mystics way, Carnelian." Scooping a hand to cup the wisp she pulled it into her own auric field. "Is there anything else I can do to help?" The quiet purr of words was spoken in sincerity as she stepped back into the room at large. Full of guilt that she had been so tardy. AthanShade Mystic shook his head once. No. This was something he must do. He alone must cast the spell. Involving more people could cause more trouble. His form was at least mostly transparent and intangible save for when he called on what precious little energy he had left to move an object or stir the spell ingredients. The only thing he truly needed at that moment was time and the final items to complete his work, but he seemed to be swiftly running out of time and the items.... still missing. Zero Dream There was nothing he could do, and that was frustrating him to no end. Zero was also doing a very good job at blocking his pathway to the elder shadow, too. Damnit, she knew him much too well already. There had to be some way, something to at least keep him from fading even further, because.... how much would be too much ? Was that already done ?
And if only they had been more careful with that stupid piece of paper.... !!!!!!!
He held Dio closer, but his eyes where almost alit with anger and worry. Merci` Dio floundered in his mind before a memory caught him, it was faint. It was something he didn't WANT to remember and it made him hold to Red more tightly. He shut his eye and tried to clear his thoughts. He had been as close to death as Mystic was now, and when he was, Red had saved him. Red saved him, even if he hadn't known it by giving him a piece of his own strength to feed on. The little black fiend tried, he tried to reach out and bolster Mystic. He wasn't strong enough. He opened his eyes and looked up at Red. 'Red, save him. Like me, remember. Save him, you are so strong, you can give him some if you try. Make him strong too, strong enough.' He didn't know how else to word it. His hand squeezed Red's arm, and it was obvious he wasn't going to let go while the other Fiend was attempting it. Merci frowned a little bit, because she had no idea what Dio was talking about. "Dio what are you saying?" Dio made a frustrated sound, 'Red can share! Please share with him!'Zero Dream There was pure confusion emanating from the red shadow, at first. What the heck was Dio talking ab-
Silence.
He remembered panic. Instinct. Not rational thought, simple, pure reaction.
Maybe that was what he was doing wrong. He was thinking entirely too much, about s**t that couldn't be changed.
Time to react.
Red stilled completely, eyes fluttering closed as he reached out for Mystic with all that he had.
He had done this once, and damned if he couldn't do it again !Zero quite honestly had no damn idea what was going on anymore. "Red, what the hell...." Trivii` Trivii drew further away from the group watching in stunned silence and sheltering her own little wisp against her body. Struggling against her guardians hold, frustration radiated from Carnelian as she was unable to dive into the fray.Eyes narrowing the cat girl watched the duo of Black Star and Red. Frozen where she stood. AthanShade  Another figure entered the shop, though not by conventional means. He floated through the door and past those that stood in his way, drifting easily between and around lolling figures despite his blindness. It was merely a hindrance. His true Sight aided him far more than any that he could have been born with. 'Save your strength, Alisari. Your attempt to share your energy, while a sweet notion, is for naught. He is too far gone,' he said aloud. His voice was deceptively sweet, yet clearly still masculine. 'Thankfully, you're not dead. That would have thrown a kink in things entirely.' He drifted directly over towards Mystic who was now glaring daggers at him, eyes burning bright with anger, and oh what was that? Could that be shock? It had been quite some time since they had last merry met. The Seer radiated a sort of smug smirk before settling directly in front of the desk. 'At least not yet, that is..'Mystic snarled, face twisting into a mask of rage, all-too reminiscent of his bonded when her temper flared beyond her control. It was in that moment that he faltered. Just slightly. It was just enough to cause some of the bright, glowing fluid within the copper basin to slip over the edge, hit the desk, and then drip like liquid mercury onto the child that sat stubbornly next to him. He gasped and Hawk swore. That he had not foreseen. She was meant to be in the backroom. Hadn't that fool warned her? No, no. He had. Stubborn child! Hawk interrupted both the elder Shadow's thoughts and cut him off before he could make another feeble attempt at his now garbled speech. 'Clearly, we haven't the time for this. Hurry. You need my help to finish the spell. Before anyone else ends up hurt.' He at least Saw that she would indeed be fine. Resilient, but still foolish. ShortGreen Delilah gasped, a tiny surprised squeak, and tilted backwards where she sat to lean against the wall. Her hand clamped over where the potion had hit on her forearm and she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to not cry out loud. She knew her mother and had already heard the faint sound of the tall space pirate shifting. "Mama, no," she ordered in a deceptively strong voice. The potion started to burn. "You're going to mess up Mystic's spell. I'm okay." She lifted her hand to peer at the skin and paled beneath her golden tan. Those close enough could just about see the sudden lines of angry black pulsing along the area, moving as if following veins. She pursed her lips and put her attention back on Mystic and the stranger more firmly. "Del..." The anguish in Kova's voice forced her to edge her seat away slightly until she was about two feet further away. Zero Dream It wasn't working, it wasn't working, it wasn't <********> working and now there was this random fruitcake coming out of nowhere trying to tell him what he should or shouldn't do. Ohhh, that did -not- sit well with him, at all.
After all, if there was one thing the child hated more than being ordered around, it was failure, especially with himself. The two things that saved Hawk from Red making his way to him and giving him a rather volatile (and probably amusing) piece of his mind was the fact that he was pissed beyond words, and that, well, Dio clinging to him like a lifesaver actually provided a damn good anchor at keeping him rooted down in place. Merci` Dio's worry and desperate need to do something was derailed at the entrance of Hawk. He had no idea who he was and the natural curiosity bubbled to the surface. Who was this? Why did Mystic not like him? Wait did he say Alisari? Where did he know that word from? It was about then that he registered the anger rolling off Red. His train of thought throughly derailed he patted his friends arm soothingly. 'He's one of us Red, he'll help. He has to help.' He was feeling a little disoriented, and he had to remind himself that all that truly mattered right now was fixing Auntie Reyna, saving Mystic, oh, saving the Athan man, and keeping Red calm. Not necessarily in that order but pretty close. He was patting Red on the arm, when he noticed the fact there were a number of little wisps in the room. 'Red don't do something violent in front of the wisps.'AthanShade Mystic tried to contain his rage. It was dampened only slightly by his anguish for Del, but it allowed him enough clarity to focus. He projected his emotions and disjointed thoughts upon Hawk to interpret. Speaking was in fact useless to him. He could no longer find his voice. 'I can charge the spell. It will be enough to return one of them to normal.'Bright, violet eyes narrowed. Only one? Only ONE of them?? 'And it must be Athan.' Hawk held up a hand to placate the other. He already knew what his argument would be and while it was valid, it was the only true solution. 'You will have to trust me. Athan's true element is earth not darkness and shadow. He will respond better to it than Reyna will, and he can save her.'He did not want to believe. He flexed his fingers as he resisted the urge to clench his fists as currently both his hands were suspended on either side of the basin to hold the spell. 'No..'Hawk scowled as he was branded with a particularly harsh vision of what the future very well could be if he did not comply. 'I've no desire to become eldest, Mystic.'Trivii` The surprise of the new comers entrance, and the spill onto the child, the rushed exchange didn't quite register with Triv. Everything was moving so fast and the smell from the simmering potion was turning her stomach. Side stepping closer to Red and his friend, she felt drained as Carnelian again slipped her grasp to hover closer to the pair. Little tendrils caressing the pair Carnelian exuded confidence and bravery at the pair, blindly mixed affection and, oddly enough, concern and a questioning thought.Her eyes narrowed at the potion brewing fiends. They were going to succeed... was that a good thing? Did she want them to succeed? Gold mingled oddly with opal, a light of conflict in the recesses of her eyes the cat girl focused on anything but the scent as what was transpiring finally connected with the facts she had. And her stomach churned. Sosiqui Pyrite slid in and out of the shadows. So many thoughts, memories sleeting through the air, close enough to reach out and grab; but then the one that was nearly melted away to nothing would vanish entirely. She wanted to find out more about that void. And she could not do so if he melted. Watch; Urgent, she told Esfandiar, firmly. He looked down at her, where her dark eyes blinked out of darker shadow, where his body leaned against the wall. I can't do anything-She flicked a tendril of shadow at him, annoyed. Watch, she repeated. Bemused, Esfandiar turned his attention back to the tableau unfolding before him, the words of the other Fiends dropping neatly into his mind even as they ignored him entirely. Such a strange community he seemed to have fallen into. Zero Dream Oh, he better had to help, or else things would get very ugly, very quickly. He would make sure of it. He watched the situation unfold, tail trashing wildly back and forth, glowing eyes narrow. He wasn't sure if he liked this turn of events, but, what could he do about it ?
Nothing. And that's what he did. Thankfully, there was enough restrain in him to keep him from acting impulsively and screw up the spell. Merci` Dio watched and then spoke up, directing his voice towards the two of them. 'You said there is only enough to charge for one. Red and I can go look in the back for more ingredients, in case the Athan man will need them to fix Auntie Reyna. I know you don't like it Mystic but it's the most logical choice. He is the magic man after all and taught you right? If he could teach you he can fix Auntie Reyna!' He fell silent again and took heart from the little wisp that had made it's way over to them. Dio turned his burgundy eye down to Carnelian and reached out with his sleeved hand, something he didn't do often, to touch the reaching tendrils. It amazed him sometimes how tiny wisps were before they found enough power to grow. Trivii` Quietly uncertain Trivii mutely lifted her hand like a student in class. "Mystic, my friend... please think about what he is telling you. Athan can save Reyna." Again reaching out and recapturing her wisp, Trivii closed her eyes. "And if he needs help, he will get it. Please, use your head before you use your heart." ShortGreen Watching the Fiends argue, the spell hang in the balance and (more importantly) her daughter curled up and looking decidedly strained spurred Kova to take a few steps forward. The stone in her hands flickered and White Opal's tendrils reached out to the other nearby Fiends. She recognized a few and sought instinctive comfort. Kova was too busy to provide it at the moment. "Mystic?" There was a quaver in Kova's voice that no one had ever heard before. "Please let him do the spell. Before anyone else gets hurt. Mr. Athan can save Miss Reyna and..." Her voice caught and she swallowed as a few more steps showed the darkening marks on Delilah's arm. "He can help Delly. Look at her, Mystic. She's hurt now, too." "Mama..." "Mystic, please. We've got to do something now before things get worse." AthanShade A look of guilt washed over his face at Kova's mention of Delilah's injury. That was his fault. She was right, and so was Dio. He nodded to Hawk but the other Shadow had already Seen his answer and was beginning to take over part of the spell. Hawk outstretched his own hands to mirror Mystic's and a sort of strange, bright static charge ignited between them and made the spell glow even further. The light was abrasive to their senses, being made of darkness, but they had no choice but to endure. The Seer hefted the basin up with a surprising show of strength and dumped over onto Athan. It wasn't the most practical means of coming across the cure, but it would work. It damn well better work. The amount of energy he had expended simply getting there would soon enough be taking its toll, never mind the feat he had just performed. He now needed Athan in the sense Mystic needed Reyna. Wren, quite clearly, was no where to be found. The stone that seemed to cover Athan cracked with fissure lines, his hands that were still held outright as though he were still reading that infernal note flexed and then quite suddenly, he broke free with a groan of pain as stiff joints that had been locked in place protested fiercely enough to send him to his knees. He coughed as he knelt on his knees, for the moment unable to move as he tried to catch his breath. His lungs burned. It felt as though he had been held underwater and finally let up for hair two seconds too late. "Ohh by the gods," he groaned before he made an attempt to stand. It was only then that he took notice to the great number of people gathered and to the familiar Shadow that stood before him, fox-like tail swishing side to side. "Hawk!" The Seer beamed a sort of contentment as he moved to help Athan stand with one arm wrapped firmly about his shoulders. His brief moment was ruined however when Mystic stood and drifted through the table and towards both of them, anger still evident in his features. 'FIX HER,' he demanded with what little strength he still possessed. He was beginning to fade faster. His cloak had deteriorated almost entirely, his skin and hair nearly colorless. Aki Ana Still frozen where she stood, Aki stared...for several long moments unable to comprehend what was unfolding before her. Curls of white blond hair stuck against the perspiration beaded on her forehead, glittering as faintly as the outstretched vial in her hand. Struggling to catch her breath, one hand still on the gaping door, her face crumpled slowly in understanding. But was she too late? "Fix her." Old pain twisted tears into Aki's voice as she echoed the last spoken sentiment. Coral lifted slowly behind her, like a bloody sunrise over one shaking shoulder, and gazed at those assembled with uncertain ocean blue eyes. Selfish as it was, Coral was glad she had no voice with which to make such a cruel decision. AthanShade Athan stilled as he tried to comprehend the situation he had more or less awoken to as he backtracked in his mind. Zero came in angry with a note that had been attached to her door. The spell was hidden -- hidden well enough that even he had not seen or sensed it. Then... then they had turned to stone. He was now returned to normal, but... He turned and he drew in a shaky breath as he realized with a sudden clarity what it was both Aki and Mystic were demanding. He was so faint he could hardly sense him. He attempted to extend some of his own energy to the Shadow but he had twined himself so close to Reyna and closed himself off to him long ago. It would be enough to sustain him, but not for long. "I.. I'm not sure how," he answered before he moved over towards the spell book. Before he could turn the pages he was hit with a vision that quite clearly was not his own, but he was not allowed time to protest. He stood in front of Reyna, the desk had been moved so that it was no longer an obstacle in his way. Behind her was Hawk, his arms wrapped firmly around her form in an embrace to charge the spell he was about to cast. Mystic was no where to be seen, but faintly he could still sense him there, a brooding, heavy weight on the room.
Green runes appeared on her alabaster skin as he called them forth one by one, he unclasped a vial that was in his left hand and poured it upon chalked lines that had been etched onto the tile floor. The lines flared to life and the mermaid tears sped along the chalk like quicksilver before climbing it's way up along the statue of the demoness.
The silver absorbed into the stone and disappeared entirely. The lines dimmed. He could feel Mystic panic, but he remained steady and calm to hold the spell. If he let go, it would backfire onto Hawk.
Fissure lines appeared and the stone began to break away, shattering in a near violent manner as the demon awakened.Athan reeled for a moment, swaying until he gripped the side of the desk to steady himself. What felt like minutes, perhaps even an hour, was in truth only a few seconds. As if being turned to stone hadn't been disorienting. He shot Hawk a pointed look before his gaze settled upon the group of guardians and other such familiar faces. "Help me move this desk." Sosiqui Now that, finally, felt like something Esfandiar could do... curious as he was about the proceedings, he felt like a stranger hovering at the edges, unaware of the shared history of those assembled. He had never enjoyed social awkwardness. The shadhavar strode over to the desk and grabbed the corners, then nodded at Athan. "It is good to see you again, Sage. Where would you like it?" He could probably manage the weight alone, though the movement wouldn't be graceful or precise. Best to have more hands. Pyrite, startled by her bonded's sudden movement, remained blinking in his shadow, though she sidled as far away as she could get from Mystic. All of him was melting, even the memories, even the laughter and the void. She wanted no part of that. AthanShade "And you as well, friend," Athan replied, "Though I regret it is under such circumstances. Once this mess is settled I believe perhaps a more simple afternoon of tea and conversation of our travels may be in order." He chuckled quietly to himself before also taking hold of the desk. "If you could help me shift it away from Miss Crelos, please. Towards the door to the back room would be ideal." Just as Pyrite kept her distance from Mystic, Hawk made it a point to maintain a proper distance from her. He could not read her, and he did not like it. Sosiqui Esfandiar nodded and lifted, then took a few steps backwards, trying to take as much of the weight as he could. Tell me if I'm going to walk into something, he thought, quickly. He was starting to kind of get the hang of this mind-speaking business. Affirmative, Pyrite replied, and he felt her cool touch on his legs as she peeked out of the shadow. AthanShade "There," he spoke up, "That should do it just fine. Thank you very much." Before he could try to figure out what to do next, Hawk was at his side and was pressing both chalk and the vial Aki had brought into his hands. Wordlessly he accepted both. He knew what to do from there. He moved towards Reyna's still form and drew a circle around her and quickly drew in the necessary symbols with practiced ease. Mystic. Where was Mystic? He glanced to the side where he believed him to be. He had curled down next to Delilah, but was hardly visible at all, only his stone remained entirely visible. Sosiqui Esfandiar nodded and stepped back, automatically reaching out to right a pencil cup that had fallen over in transit. Pyrite peered at Athan from behind the desk, her dark eyes blinking slowly. Desire; Memory, she whispered, but did not move, merely watched. Don't you dare, Esfandiar shot back. Movement-Self; Negative. Desire-Memory; Affirmative. Obedience-Bonded; Affirmative. One of her hands solidified enough to creak around the desk with cracked fingers as she observed. Zero Dream Red would have helped with moving the desk, but hadn't quite cooled his temper down enough so that he wasn't more likely to snap and hiss than be helpful. He drifted around the room, in a way that looked oddly like a nervous man pacing back and forth. At least, he settled, warping himself loosely around Mystic's shoulders, as if somehow trying to protect him from something he could never even dream of possibly preventing. His long tail went on to curl around Dio's waist, giving a nervous twitch every now and then. There was still anger simmering right below the surface, that he couldn't quite let go of. Anger and worry. AthanShade Mystic hadn't even the energy to sigh. He was simply there, but for how much longer it was somewhat difficult to tell. Red's presence was at least comforting. Little brother. Little serpent. Idly he lost himself to memories, what few he clung to. He wanted to sleep. Athan, on the other hand, worked quickly as he completed his circles and runes and designs all around the statue before he stood. Then, just as in the vision, Hawk was draped across her back and the actual spell began. He thought for a moment to warn those present, but it was too late to do so and he could not afford for his concentration to be broken. Exhausted as he was, it took every fiber of his being to remain calm and in control of the situation. He held his breath as he opened the vial and the first drops of the mermaid's tears splattered against his linework. It flared to life as it was meant to and he exhaled in relief. Aki Ana Aki folded her hands, pressing them against her stomach as she watched. Silently, Coral floated a bit higher and reached forward to smooth Aki's hair back off of her forehead, seemingly more concerned with her guardian than the events at hand. Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, Aki gave a silent prayer to the Goddess that no longer heard her...praying that the tears of a fallen mer were just as potent as those of the true sea folk. It hadn't occurred to her until now that the difference might mean Reyna's life. Sosiqui Attention; Occurrence, Pyrite projected, her grip on the desk tightening a bit. Shadow flowed out through the cracks in her skin, snatching at dust. The faded one was hardly anything but memory now. If she came to him, she would eat him whole, hold his entire being in her mind. She stayed where she was. Emphatically. AthanShade  Reyna's escape from her stone prison was entirely different from Athan's. Where his began with fissure lines and cracks that peeled away and faded, hers began like rapid burning wildfire. It was to be expected in a way, given her true nature. Before the statue even began to show the first signs of color and semblance of normalcy, a low grating, animalistic growl could be heard. The statue cracked and then it erupted, shattering and flinging stone as she burst free in a fit of rage. She lurched forward in a swift movement and seized Athan by his neck in a chokehold, taking him entirely off guard. "YOU," she managed in a ragged, low voice, "Do not pay me enough for this s**t!" Athan wanted to laugh at that, but he had no desire to provoke an already.... disagreeable berserker. He instead remained as still and neutral as possible until she relinquished her grip when her attention was drawn away when a sudden jolt hit her, sharp and painful like a shock of electricity. She doubled over and growled until she realized what exactly it was when she felt her energy begin to pull away from her in a familiar drain. "Mystic," she managed before she reached out towards him with one outstretched arm. If she had been more the emotional sort, she likely would have burst into tears at the sight of her Shadow looking so ragged, worn, and barely-there. Instead she grabbed at him as best she could and drew him close. Zero Dream Red slid away from Mystic as Reyna went for him, sliding to the Dio's left while his tail never left it's curl around the other child's waist.
Hopefully, it meant all that bullshit was over now... hopefully.Zero let out a sigh of relief as things finally seemed to work out in the end. Still, she felt horribly guily - like this was all her fault, like she should have thought this out in more depth before crashing down into the shop like a madwoman. Her emotions where easily readable from her, just like an open book. Merci` Dio clung to Red and shut his eye leaning against him fully. The relief was tangible, despite Reyna's outburst. 'Oh thank goodness.' He felt wonderful to be so near Red, safe, and truly happy. Everything was right with his world. Merci just smiled, glad that what little she was able to do actually did help. Athan and Reyna were good... well sorta people. Reyna was a demon, but all in all it worked out for the best. Her eyes moved over to Dio and she smiled slightly. "Glad your both alright.." She offered before falling silent. Aki Ana Though her shoulder's sagged in relief, Aki's eyes still held the haunted pain that had so twisted her voice. Reyna was alive...and while once, that would have been all that mattered, something dire still weighed upon her. Someone had done this to them. To her, to Coral. Someone had done this to Reyna, "Someone..." Aki's shoulders did not square. Instead, they curved farther in, as though the space around her was distasteful. "...is going to pay." Coral paid little mind to Aki's soft spoken promise of revenge. Floating forward, twining like a lazy kite, she tried to get a better look at Mystic and Reyna where they had collapsed together. Without a word, she turned to glance back to her guardian...studying Aki for a long moment. Despite all their trials, she'd never known it could come to this...and the thought frightened as much as it morbidly fascinated. Lifting one slender arm, the siren Shadow pointed unerringly at what was left of Mystic's visible form, blue eyes still locked on Aki. -Now fix him?-Aki's brows furrowed, narrowed gaze flicking for the first time to the beaten and tattered shadow that Reyna pulled close. It was a hard thing to realize, but until now...she hadn't cared whether or not the Fiend fared well. Her only thought, from the start, had been the demoness...and the shadow of guilt made her delicate ears droop. "I don't know what to do for him, Coral..." Lifting her eyes, she took a long look around the room...studying Hawk's pale form, Pyrite's cloaked face, and the relieved silhouettes of the others. "Does anyone...?" ShortGreen "I think they just need some time together. Time and... Cookies." Smiling with relief and her mind immediately moving back into the usual train of her thoughts, Kova slipped behind the others and through the curtains. Moments later, she reappeared with two cups of tea and a first aid kit. She set one cup on the table close to Athan's hand. "Miss Reyna?" she murmured as she crouched carefully beside the other woman and her Fiend. She offered the other cup but almost immediately set it on the floor. Then she slid over to pull Delilah into her arms, cuddling her tightly. Delilah shifted sluggishly, barely looking at her mother and (even more rarely) not even taking the chance to push White Opal out of her mother's other hand so that she did not have to touch the shivering stone. Her half-closed eyes watched Mystic and Reyna closely, brows pulled together with worry. The black lines remained on her arm but had stopped moving. White Opal pulsed once, twice. Then she reached out a wavering, unsure tendril towards the demoness and her Fiend. A wave of concern swept out from her, more seemingly aware than any other emotion displayed before. Another tendril even reached back and out towards her reluctant "sister." Angel-of-Bloody-Midnight Angel wasn't sure how to act. Everyone here had a true inkling of what was going on.Everyone but her, that is. These shadows seemed very important, for everyone around he had some sort of ghostly thing with him.
"A good thing has happened, with them being awakened, right?" She murmured, mostly to herself. Considering the fact she knew no one, she was still rather pleased with the fact that she had helped in reviving these important people. Of course, she was confused. Reyna Crelos Reyna snarled at any and all that came near to her. There were too many people. It was suffocating and it just added to the anger that threatened to eat her alive. It burned and twisted her insides. She had been pushed too far this time, and the rage was hard to control. The only thing that helped were Mystic's cool, barely their hands pressed against her face as he tried to coax her into a more calmed state. She sucked in her breath and held it as she shut her eyes. If she could just drown it out, maybe it would stop. Mystic whispered something to her and her visible eye snapped open before settling upon an all too familiar figure -- one that she had not seen in... how long? Too long. "Where's Wren?" she managed to grate out. Hawk shook his head. The briefest flicker of remorse (perhaps even longing) flashed across his features, then it was gone and he had hid himself in Athan's shadow. Athan frowned. If Hawk was there, Wren should be close by, but when he reached out towards the Shadow with his own bond that linked him to nearly all of the creatures, he found a thin, barely there line to the demon. Instead, there was a rapidly forming bond to himself. He sighed heavily. Something had to have happened. His gaze settled upon the demon and his frown darkened further. This... should not have happened. "And what in hell are we going to do about this?" Reyna demanded, "This cannot continue to happen. This is serious." She growled quietly like a predator that wanted loose from its cage to hunt. Oh. There would be blood. Lots of it, if she had her way. She took notice of the tea Kova had sat down next to her and snatched it up with a grumbled thank you as she sipped at it. Eyes downcast until she glanced up and took notice of Aki. Sweet, sweet Aki... who looked strangely ... changed in a subtle manner she couldn't quite place. Mystic followed her train of thought and glanced towards the elf as well, bright eyes twinkling faintly with merriment at the graceful creature that haunted her shadow. Then he found his voice again to say, 'I will be well.'Merci` Merci shifted where she stood and folded her arms, now that they were safe and not in the brink of destruction, thoughts of what lead to this trickled into her mind. She had no idea what was really going on, wished she knew more of the situation but she didn't. Right now however was not the time to grill anyone. Athan and Reyna likely needed space and air, Mystic for sure needed time to be with his guardian. Her eyes moved toward Dio, who was obviously fretful. He was wringing his hands, something odd for him to do as he barely ever moved the fully sleeved arm. Dio couldn't stand seeing Mystic like this, it was bringing back memories that he didn't like. Memories of swamps, and stifling amounts of darkness. He twisted his hands and fussed with the hem on his sleeve. 'Why?' Was all he could say out loud before he clung again to Red's arm. He didn't like the feelings here. Zero Dream Red tilted his head to look at Dio, worry being fully betrayed in his glowing, snake-like eyes. There was something here, and in despite the little flash of something that had occurred, he couldn't remember a damn thing about it. He didn't like it.
"We should probably get going." He said, his voice unusually low and downright gentle... But even then there was a hint of anger and frustration. All this bullshit would not go unpunished, no.
He led the smaller shadow toward where their respective guardians where standing. "Mystic needs time to recover, Reyna and Athan too.... We can check on things later." Even he could tell they needed space, and the respect he held for them made him willing to grant it.Zero sighed, and shook her head. There was the overwhelming urge to apologize, to do something, but.... Red had a point. She glanced at Merci, trying her best to convey her feelings in a simple glance. ShortGreen Delilah managed to lift her head above her mother's nearly suffocating grip and offered Mystic a lopsided smile. "Of course," she agreed. "Just rest with Miss Reyna now." She glanced at Red and Dio and Zero and Merci, sharing the smile with them. "He'll be okay," she announced. "Miss Reyna's tough." In another moment of strange warmth, White Opal pulsed with agreement. She pulled her tendrils away from Mystic and Reyna, noticing their withdrawl into each other, and instead stretched them out in greeting to the other Fiends. She remembered Red but not so angry. Red's friend, however, might as well be hers, too.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:55 pm
Something mentioned by Hawk has left Red wondering. Confused by his remark, he is quickly left less curious and more angry. In the same instance, it appears that in Dio's quest to remedy whatever it is that ails his guardian, he will more than likely end up in danger and requires Red's protection. It also turns out that something Dio learns potentially explains what it was Hawk alluded to.
Key points:
• What danger does Red have to protect Dio from and how does he go about this?
• Does Red attempt to confront Hawk or ignore him?
• Quest should involve 3 solos and 2 RPs minimum.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:12 pm
Frustration Alisari.The word would not leave him. Wouldn't leave his mind. Somehow, in despite of all the s**t that had went down in the course of the day, that insignificant little word was haunting him, refused to leave his mind and let him sleep. Zero had fell asleep like a ton of bricks as soon as she had dragged herself back home and in her room, all but exhausted, but he was not granted the same thing. He "paced" across the room, silent aside from the occasional angry growl, drifting circles across the room, glowing eyes narrow. He had the feeling that was important, that it meant something, but he couldn't find it. Couldn't find why it should be. It was just a damn word, of all things ! And yet there he was, losing sleep over something that seemed so silly. It went without saying that thinking was not Red's forte. At least not this whole thinking with your head thing. Instinct was something he knew, something he was good at, good at listening, and it had rarely lead him wrongly so far. But instinct could not help him with this. And it was frustrating, oh so frustrating, and he could not make it go the hell away like it should do !!! He finally settled on his guardian's pillow, his body making an arch over her head - thank whatever godly power existed that Zero could probably sleep through a natural disaster - and carelessly began warping one strand of long, blue hairs around his fingers. This was bullshit, that was what it was. The fruitcake would probably know, but meeting him did not rank far on the child's list of priorities. It was like the blue one knew how to somehow grate on his nerves just so and it was even more maddening. Maybe... Maybe Dio would know. Dio was much smarter than he was, after all. Hmmm. Probably time to push that sleepover idea to his guardian. After all, he also needed to make sure the black one was okay - he had seemed so.... scared. Yes. That would do. It was only after he had come to this conclusion that he was able to drift into sleep - his forearm almost completely warped into Zero's hairs from all his fidgeting. The awakening probably would not be pleasant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:16 pm
Nightmares... Merci` Dio was a frantic mess. He hadn't seen Red since the day Reyna and Athan got back to normal. Even though he knew that Mystic was getting better, just thinking about that day gave him a feeling in the vicinity of his tummy that was not pleasant. He wanted to talk to his friend so badly, and he was waiting next to the door wringing his hands. Merci poked her head out of the sitting room and grinned. It was so amusing to her that he could get so amazingly worked up over the simplest little things. "Dio, calm down alright? Zero told me that they would be over tonight. Hovering next to the door is not going to make them get here any faster." She couldn't help the teasing note in her voice as the fiend turned and locked a glare at her.
'I am perfectly calm, I just don't want them to have to wait.' He finished lamely. With a sigh he turned away from his goofily grinning guardian and cracked the door to see if they were there yet. Nope, not yet. He shut the door and went back to fussing with his sleeve, ignoring the light giggle he heard from the direction of the sitting room. Zero Dream There was the faint sound of a motorcycle approaching nearby, which then proceeded to suddenly die off. It's rider disembarked it with surprising agility, and she took off her helmet as she started to walk toward the door. There was next to nothing left from her previous outer-worldy fight, and it was so amazing how mobile and pliable she could be when some parts of her body where not all but screeching in pain. Red emerged from his guardian's shadow as her feet hit the ground, looking strangely annoyed as he drifted behind her. What the fruitcake had said... he couldn't stop thinking about it, he couldn't figure it out, and it was pissing him off. Pissing him off a whole damn lot."Stop sulking... This is supposed to be fun, remember ?" All she earnt herself was a mental grumble, and the cyborg rolled her eyes as she went to knock on the door. Hopefully they where not late... or too early. Merci` 'They're here! They're here!' Dio flung the door open to see Zero and Red. He dove through the space between him and the other Fiend and grabbed him by the arm. Dio spun him around once in his excitement before he started to drag him inside. 'I have so much to talk to you about, I am so happy your here. I get to show you my room, and you can see my telescope! It's upstairs on the roof. Everything is going to be great!' The smaller boy drug Red into the house. It was a pretty old Victorian, with decorative crown molding and highly polished old wooden floors. 'Merci they're here come out of there!'Merci poked her head out of the sitting room again before it was followed by her body. "Hey Zero, nice to see you again. Red, you look good. Don't let him rip your arm off in his excitement alright?" She couldn't help teasing as she gave Dio another huge grin. "We have dinner for you guys, the snakes ate earlier so it should just be the four of us." She gestured at the door she just came out of, "If you'd like to take a seat Zero there are some chairs in there. Can I get you something to drink?" Merci wasn't always the best hostess, but for Dio's sake she was really going to try. Zero Dream "Nah, ill be fine." She had to resist the urge to smirk when she saw Red being carted around by someone so much smaller than he was. She took a seat and kept on watching the two, very visibly amused. So, hey, wait, wait. Dio had a room, and he didn't ? Ohhhh, this would require a few correctives after tonight. He followed along like a good little boy, which was probably the only way Dio could cart him around as is. He honestly doubted he would be able to unwilling drag him, after all. "That sounds fun." He was genuinely happy to be here, and curious about things, even if he looked still a bit grumpy.Merci` The smaller shadow didn't seem able to contain himself. He hooked his arm through Red's and beamed up at him. Dio was hardly able to contain himself, the urge to stay in physical contact with Red was nearly overwhelming, but he forced himself to settle for the arm contact. 'Merci can get dinner and then we can go on the roof, it'll be dark enough then to show you my telescope. You can see stars far away with it! I wanna get a bigger one, I saw a show on TV about huge ones that have their own buildings! I wanna have one like that.' The babble stopped when Dio saw the look on Merci's face.She was utterly entertained. She couldn't stop herself from putting her hand up over her mouth to cover the snicker that had threatened to burst forth at his excitement. "You go on." She managed to choke out, but the mirth wasn't hidden in her tone, "You don't eat anyway. Zero and I can have dinner while you show off your room and whatnot. You two wouldn't wanna hang around with the geezers after all." Her eyes were dancing when she dropped her hand and made a shooing gesture. "Go on and have fun." Zero Dream Red did not seem to terribly mind, once again, even if Dio was basically clinging to him as if they where glued together. Anyone else, probably, would have quite painfully and suddenly found their way off. "Ill find you one of those, then." He probably would have grinned if he could have. "The biggest one, of course. Nothing less."It was hard for Zero not to laugh herself, even when Red shot her a glare that could have frozen hell. Merci` Dio glared at Merci and moved away from Red, his arm still firmy attached to the other shadow. 'Come on, we have to go up, we'll hang out in the room till it gets dark enough. I wanna show you my scrolls too. The Athan man gave them to me and you can only read them in moonlight. Isn't that weird? I thought so....'Merci couldn't hear the end of that statement as Dio successfully pulled Red out of sight up the stairs. Her tail curled up around her waist as she dropped down to sit in a chair opposite Zero. "I swear Dio has been like that all day. He waited for an hour next to the door for you two to get here." The amusement was firmly infused in her voice. "Red just as bad?" His room was small, and he phased straight through the wall without bothering to open the door. 'Come on in, Dio waved him closer to the middle of the room. the walls were a robins egg blue, with nice white molding around the floor and ceiling. Mobiles of stars and starcharts covered the ceilings and walls. 'Do you like it?' The question was timid. There wasn't really a bed, but there was a pile of pillows and a couple beanbag like chairs for curling up on. everything seemed to be in different shades of blue and purple. In the ceiling was a small sky light, and through it they could see the fading oranges and reds of the sun colored the clouds in the sky. Zero Dream "Worse." Zero grinned, moving to tuck one leg over the other. "My house is a warzone. Couldn't get him to stay still... But he will probably deny it if you ask him." Red phazed his way in as well, stopping a moment to take on the room. "I really like it..." He floated upward slightly, reaching for one of the mobile, carefully running a finger on one of the star charms. The fiend very rarely took such care of keeping his strength in check - if it broke, well.... it broke, but in this case it was completely different. "Expecially with the sky light... I really need to bug Zero to get a room, too."Merci` The smaller fiend looked over his shoulder and his eyes closed halfway in something resembling a smile. 'Merci said this used to be a babies room, but I don't need much room. I spend most of my time on the roof.' He looked back down and fussed around with some books that were piled up haphazardly against the wall, until he pulled a satchel free with his unsleeved hand. He dragged it overto the pillows and dropped it to flip it open. Dio's sleeved hand hung limply at his side, almost like it was crippled. His voice when he spoke next was more quiet. 'Red? Do you remember what that weird shadow called you? The one that helped save the Athan man and Auntie Reyna?' His sleeved hand finally moved and he used it to cradle the parchments he pulled free from the bag. He didn't speak, but his burgundy eyes moved over to Red, and he seemed to be very serious.Merci grinned a bit and leaned forward, her green eyes were creased from laughter. "I am really glad they seem to be such good friends. Honestly Dio gets more excited about seeing Red then even going to the shop to see Mystic. I'm glad the feeling seems to be mutual. How are you holding up? I heard about your arm." She gestured vaguely toward Zero's arms as she sat back and got more comfortable in the overstuffed armchairs. Zero Dream "There isn't really any room in Zero's house for me to have a room quite yet, but.... I think one of the brats might be moving out soon. I don't horribly mind, but... it would be nice to have some place that was private."
He frowned a bit when Dio mentioned... that time. He really hated to think about it. Hated to think that Mystic almost died, hated to think that he couldn't have been able to do a damn thing about it. But, hey, hadn't he meant to ask Dio, anyway ? Right.
Still, he rather disliked to think about that way. The red shadow let himself flop on the cushion furthest away from the scrolls, careful not to lay on, or damage any of them.
"Yeah, I remember. Alisari. Got no idea what the heck that meant. Do you know... ?" He tilted his head to peer at Dio, annoyance mostly faded from his expression now."Ah, that.... Yeah, ill be fine." The cyborg offered with a smile. "No need to worry, I've seen worse. And yeah, it is... definitively a good thing. Dio seems to calm him down. He can be quite... destructive on his own, and I don't think he knows how to completely keep himself in check just yet..." She sighed. Merci` Dio shook his head slowly and floated down closer to the ground, coming to rest next to Red so he could show him the blank pieces of parchment. 'This is a magical artifact or something. The Athan man gave them to me, and Mystic was very jealous of me because I had them. They are called 'The Midnight Scrolls of the Alisari'. The writing on them only appears when the moon is out, and is weak when the moon is small in the sky. It shows up best when it is full and round. I thought that maybe there is a clue in them to what that strange fiend said.' Dio's voice trailed off and he rolled them carefully back up. 'I thought maybe you could look at them on the roof, I can't read them exactly, but the Athan man has a translation for me in a notebook somewhere.'Merci nodded a bit and stood up. "Come on lets scrounge dinner. Sorry if I am a poor hostess, honestly I'm really tired. I can't seem to sleep lately, I keep having really horrible nightmares." she was dressed down in a pair of worn out jeans and an old band tee, around her waist was a really neat looking leather belt. It was unique in the off centered large blue gem that seemed to rest over her hip. It winked in the light as she sauntered out into the hallway lead Zero to the kitchen. Zero Dream "That's all nice and good and fun, but... What the hell does that have to do with me ?" Red blinked. "Really. I think the fruitcake's just out of his brain. Guess I can try, but I doubt ill be able to read them, really.""It's all well and good... I know how bad that can be." There was a worried look in the cyborg's glowing eyes when Merci mentioned nightmares. "Hopefully they'll be gone soon.... and hopefully they don't mean anything." Merci` Dio looked from the paper back up at Red, 'Well the scrolls are supposed to be connected to the Alisari, and that weird shadow called you an Alisari. I dunno I just thought maybe there would be a clue if you could read them or something.' He ran a hand through his bangs and shrugged a shoulder, 'I guess it doesn't make sense now that you mention it.' Dio carefully stowed the scrolls away in the waning light, and pushed through the books till he found the notebook that was given to him with the scrolls. 'You can take this and read it if you want, maybe that will be easier. I'll talk to the strange shadow about it. He seemed to know a whole lot about what was going on. Maybe he knows about you too.'Merci walked into the kitchen and around the wooden table that sat in a small attached dining area. She pulled out sealed containers and walked back over to the table to set them out. "I have the same dreams. Something is trying to eat Dio, and no matter what I try to do I can't stop it. He's screaming in pain and agony and the thing is like mist. I can't grab it, can't stop it, can't kill it. When it's done with Dio it turns on me. I wake up usually just before it's killed me." She blinks slowly and grimaces "Sorry, I shouldn't be complaining about my dreams. Have a seat and chow down. Seraph makes good food." Merci rounded everything out with tableware before she flopped down and popped the lid on a salad. Zero Dream "Yeah, well... I can try, at least." He glanced down at the notebook as it was put in front of him, tail lashing back and forth and threatening to send a few cushions flying in his inattention. "....That doesn't seem to be ringing any bells. Sorry, Dio."
Really, the concept that he had once been something else - which was knowledge he knew very well thanks to having to follow Athan for quite a long time before Zero came along in the equation - was pretty alien to him. He didn't feel like he'd once been something else, and he did not remember a thing about said something else. He was what he was right now, really.Zero winced a bit. "Man, that is... really, really bad. I have a friend that's versed in magic that might know a way to block them out, if it never goes away... But his magic is kind of.... hit or miss... So that should probably be a last resort kind of thing." She sat down as asked and took a peek into one of the containers. "Hopefully it doesn't mean anything..." Merci` Dio shrugged a shoulder and settled on the pillows next to Red. He reached out with his unsleeved hand and patted his tail trying to quiet him. 'It's alright, it was a silly idea anyway. We can go talk to the shadow together, or maybe talk to Mystic or Athan when they are feeling better. They know everything.' Dio nodded and his eyes were ernest. He really did want to find out what the Alasari were. That his best friend was called by that name had only peeked his curiousity. 'It's getting dark enough that if we wanted to go up on the roof now it wouldn't be to uncomfortable. I wanted to show off my telescope. Ooo we can rest up there too if we bring the pillows up. It's nice and comfy. Merci and Vance built me an awning I can put up to block the sun for morning times.' Dio tilted his head to the side and the hair fell away from his face, uncharacteristically showing off both of his eyes. 'Would you like that?'Merci gestured with her fork while she finished chewing and swallowing the bite of salad she had in her mouth. "There are ribs I think, some corn on the cob over there." Her fork swivelled to indicate a container, "And I think there might be another container with salad and stuff. If you want something else Seraph would be happy to oblige I'm sure. He loves cooking..." Her ears flicked as she put down the bowl and rubbed her eyes. "I'm sure they are just dreams, but somehow they seem really vivid. I appriciate the information, and trust me, if i don't get a full nights sleep soon I might just be calling you to ask about your friend. It's getting ridiculous." Zero Dream Red did his best to stay still and, most importantly, to listen. Dio talked so much that he was kind of hard to follow, sometimes, but... he wouldn't be Dio if he didn't do that. Really, that was kind of endearing.
"Well, we can still try, I don't mind. Who knows. I definitively want to see your telescope, at least. And we can sleep wherever you want, really. Im not picky, as long as we don't get toasted in the morning."
The sun was, indeed, still an evil thing that needed to die in a fire."Ribs are just fine." Zero reached out for that container, a grin on her face, even if it didn't totally hide her worry. "Yeah, I guess... how long has this been going on ?" Merci` Dio beamed and floated up off the beanbag like cushion he was on. Doing a quick scan around the room he picked up his satchel with the scrolls and added the translation to it carefully. The small shadow slug it over his back, his sleeved arm still dangling at his side motionless. Then with one hand he attempted to pick up the sack he had been resting on a moment before. With one arm it seemed Dio was having less then a stellar amount of luck with it.
He however seemed fairly determined not to be beaten by a beanbag chair. 'If you grab the one you had we can go up now. The first stars should be peeking out about now.'Merci's brow furrowed as she thought about it. "Awhile now actually. I don't remember when they started, I know that Dio is starting to fuss about it though. It was sometime after he got those scrolls.. I think it was before the thing with the stoned shopkeepers." She couldn't help a sarcastic grin. Obviously she meant that to sound exactly as it did. "I'll let you know if it gets any worse though. Honestly I think that it's just stress. I've always had nightmares when I get stressed out." She pushed the empty salad bowl onto the table and picked up a rib. She carefully peeled the meat off the bone with her teeth before she began gnawing on the bone. Her slightly sharper teeth made little grooves on it's surface. Zero Dream Red did so - rather easily, in fact - and watched Dio struggle with his own for a moment before he took it and lifted it, rather comically with Dio still attached to it.
"Did you hurt your arm ?" He asked, gesturing toward his limp sleeved arm with his tail. He had tried to have it look like a casual question, but there was worry in his mental "voice"."I just find it odd that it is always the same dream." The cyborg said in between bites. "When I have nightmares, they rarely are the same thing... Having the same nightmare night after night, but..." She paused. No, really, it didn't sounds like the dreams she had before Sei bonded to her. Merci` Dio was brought up and let out a very unmasculine squeek before he let go of the bag. Obviously embarrassed he ducked his head and shook it, his bangs falling to hide most of his face. 'Um... no. I mean, I don't think I did. It just feels wrong to use it, kinda, umm.. awkward?' He peeked through the veil of hair at Red and said with a slight bit of awe, 'How did you get so strong? You're so much stronger then me.' The last was a little wistful.The kitsune dropped the bone with a yawn and nodded a bit. "Yeah, don't get me wrong. I wish I knew who doled out dreams so I could throttle him or her a good one..." She trailed off and tilted her head, "You don't suppose it's something magical do you? I mean I don't think I've pissed anyone off lately. I honestly don't know if I have any enemies that know where I am." Worry now colored her tone. She had attributed it to stress over Dio and Cinder's recent homecoming. If it was something else, then she had no idea if or when it would stop. Zero Dream Red really couldn't help it - he laughed, just a tiny bit, at the sound the smaller shadow had made. "Hmmm... That really made no sense to him, but... Dio must have his own reasons.
"That's... what I do, I guess. Like you say the stars talk to you ? Well, im just strong, I guess. I broke a display of Athan's that was spelled not to break once." There was fairly unhidden pride at that last statement."It... honestly might be." She sighed, letting the bowl down. "About that... Well, you remember the stoned shopkeeper thing..." With the tone the cyborg was using, it wasn't really humorous. "What happened there is... someone left a note, stuck on my front door with some goey crap. It was really creepy, with allusions to serpents and medusas so.... We kind of knew it was about Red, so I went down to the shop. I was upset, really... I have a family and I don't want them caught up in things like this. But when Athan read it... It turned them to stone." She shook her head. "...Almost turned me to stone, too, but my implants slowed it down enough so Mystic could jump in. That's what happened to my arm... He stopped it right at the shoulder." The spell had been undone, of course, but she still hadn't recovered complete mobility of it. She was starting to doubt she ever would. "Just... don't mention it in front of Red. He'll break a few things if you do." Clearly, the shadow was rather... unhappy still with the events that had transpired. "But before he did read the note to me, he asked me if I had been plagued by any beasts, sickness, or anything like that. I thought it was silly then, but now... Especially since it's always Dio..." She frowned. "Maybe you should go see Athan about this." Merci` Dio was quiet for a moment in awe. He had never been physically powerful, never really been all that powerful otherwise. A part of him was very jealous, he would love to be able to knock Vance's block off. Then he had an idea, one that made him really excited. He moved to the door and opened it, ushering Red through it. The trapdoor in the ceiling wasn't a problem for the small shadow since he could float easily up and pull the short cord that made the stairs drop. 'Come on, I wanna ask you something.'
Dio rounded the stairs and came out in the small attic room that lead to the widows walk. He would much rather have this room, and Merci at one point promised him she would get it cleaned out and move him up here. 'I bet you could do anything you wanted to huh? I mean your so strong.' He opened the door to go out and allowed Red to go first onto the wide walkway. There was an awning pulled out casting a black shadow in the waning day. The sky had already given over to the purple hues of dying light.Merci nodded slowly and sat up straighter. Her ears were pricked forward as she listened intently to the story that Zero relayed. She was worried now, honestly horribly worried. She never imagined that these little creatures would have enemies. Merci had been there when Red had attached himself to Zero, he hadn't been around long enough to really piss someone off to that point had he? "Your right, I'll take Dio tomorrow to go see Athan. I know they are still a little down and out, but I couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to him." Through her worry and upset, she suddenly felt very fatigued. Her eyes drooped and she yawned hugely. "Sorry, I'm just so tired all the time. You wouldn't be mad at me if I turned in soon would you? I can help you take anything you brought with you up to the guest room. It's small, but the bed is comfortable." Her words were slightly slurred with her sudden exhaustion. On the belt, the dark lines in the stone grew thicker. Zero Dream Red did not seem to notice a thing as he fluttered off to follow Dio. "If it involves punching someone's face in, yeaaahhhh, probably !" He gave off the impression of a mental grin as he made his way to the walkway."Hm-n, it's all fine. I didn't bring much, really, so all you really need to do is tell me where it is. Ill make sure the little terrors don't wreck the place." She tried a carefree grin, but it didn't really work - expecially with the worry evident in her eyes. Something told her she also should keep a close eye on Merci herself. Merci` Merci stood up and arched her back in a very satisfying stretch. "It's upstairs, you don't have to worry about the snakes either. They decided that it would be best of they made themselves scarce this evening. Thats sorta why we had to eat out of tupperware." She gave a rueful smile as she started gathering up the food and putting the empty containers in the sink and the ones that still had something in them in the fridge. Almost like magic in the morning all the dishes would be done and the table polished to a fine sheen. Seraph was a little a**l about being able to see himself on the flat surfaces in the house. "Feel free to raid anything in the kitchen if you get hungry. Seraph will be down in the morning to cook up something amazing for breakfast I'm sure." Merci rambled as she kept herself moving, "Alright, come on I will point out where the kids will be staying too on the way up." Dio grabbed Red's arm and flew around him in a happy circle, spinning him once before zipping in a straight line over to his telescope. It was pointed upward and obviously well taken care of. The little shadow caressed the surface of it and motioned Red over the rest of the way. 'You can put that stuff down right there under the awning. I sleep there so the sun doesn't get me in the morning. It hurts way to much. Tonight I am going to show you my world.' His eye was shining brightly as he talked to Red. 'I won't show anyone else, not even Mystic. I'll tell you what they say, how they sing. Maybe you will be able to hear it! I bet you will, because I'll help you.' Dio was practically sparkling with barely contained excitement and energy. Merci got to the top of the stairs and stopped to breathe for a moment, she put a hand up to her face and pinched the bridge of her nose. The headache was just getting worse, but she would be laying down soon in the dark, so she could handle it a little while longer. "Thats Dio's room, they probably won't be in there much because he's been going on about showing Red his telescope. They will probably be up on the widow's walk," She gestured rather vaguely at the trapdoor stairs that were still open. "Dio sleeps up there most times. Bathroom is right there," Another gesture at a closed door, " and the guest room that Maili made up for you is right here." Merci walked down the hallway and opened a door. The room was decorated in a distinctly Victorian style. The four post bed dominated the room, though it was still easy to walk through, matching wardrobe and dressing table completed the bedroom set. The room gave off a slightly hotel like feeling. "Seraph decorated it, he is kind of a stickler for matching period furniture in this house. Like I said make yourself at home." Her voice wasn't shaking but she was leaning on the wall as she talked to Zero. unconsciously her hand had moved to put her palm on the rather large blue and black gem embedded in her belt. "I am only one room down so if you feel like you need to wake me for anything I'll be happy to get it for you." She paused and finished up with a rather sheepish tone, "Thanks for being such a sport about this. Normally I wouldn't abandon you this early in the night but I'm finally feeling tired." Merci pushed away from the wall and patted Zero's shoulder as she passed her, stopping for a moment to give her a smiling nod before she disappeared into her bedroom. Zero Dream Zero nodded in acknowledgment as the layout of the house was pointed out to her, doing her best to map it out correctly in her head. Given the link she had with Red that they where starting to figure out how to use, finding the two boys would not be a problem, but yet she could not shake off the feeling that something was off.The smile on her face faded into a worried frown once the woman was out of her sight. This was not right, indeed... Clearly, the cyborg did not intend to sleep much tonight. Red quite comically allowed himself to be dragged, though, given the charge he was carrying, he found himself having to help the smaller shadow along a tad. When pointed out where to lay everything down, he slid off and did just that, making sure to lay everything down where the sun would not reach before darting back and glancing at the telescope, his tail wagging back and forth much like a curious cat's. "What's that ?" He pointed at it, keeping himself out of arm's reach of the object, clearly afraid that he might break it if he touched it. Then he cocked his head to the side. "Ill... try." Honestly, this whole star-talking business sounded too complicated for him.Merci` Dio glanced up from the contraption and he laughed, 'It's a tube that lets you look really really far away. You can see stuff you don't normally see! They come looots bigger then this one but the ones that really let you see far away are so big they need their houses! Can you believe it! A whole house just for one of these?' His voice trailed off in wonder and he waved Red over to take a look. 'You put your eye here see... and then you turn this so things aren't blurry. Right now I have it pointed at Ursa Minor, thats a star pattern that looks like a bear kinda.' Dio beamed as Red looked through the lens at budding stars that were beginning to dot the darkened sky. He narrated and turned it for him so he could see all of Dio's favorites.*** The little shadow had managed to get his bean bag pretty close to where Red was, and he'd fallen into a happily comatose state. His dreams had been littered with sparkling diamonds around his feet as he ran and played in the darkness. Little glowing orbs floating around him like giant fireflies, darting in and out of each other to get his attention. Something however had woken him up.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, a feeling of cold had settled deep in his belly and it made him shiver. It was still dark outside, though it would soon be dawn now. Half they night he had played with Red, looking through a telescope. When they were done doing that he showed him the games Maili and he played with old cardboard tubes from wrapping paper. It was fun to pretend you were a pirate on top of a huge pirate ship, sword fighting and warding off imaginary enemies from the depths of the sea. Red was better then he was at the sword fighting parts.
He felt really disoriented and then it hit him.
Dio reached out and grabbed Red by the vest. 'Red, Red wake up somethings wrong. Somethings wrong!' Terror was slowly working it's way through his system. He'd never put much store in it but that place that his guardian normally was, the happy and safe place, suddenly wasn't anymore.
He quickly moved from his beanbag over to Red's and pulled on his arm trying to get him upright. 'Somethings wrong with my Merci! I'm scared...' Zero Dream Unlike his counterpart, Red did not dream - at least, not dreams that he did remember, much like his own guardian in that aspect. He has wound up spawled over the lenght of two beanbags, his tail running along to Dio's side and rather comically seemed like it would have wound up curled around his waist had it been long enough to do so, and he looked perfectly content and almost completely at peace, even.
However, this situation took a very sharp turn once a very paniced Dio entered the picture. Red woke up quite suddenly and let out a sharp hiss of discontentment before he seemed to realize where he was, and who exactly woke him up. His glowing blue eyes blinked once, twice, apparently still half-asleep and not quite understanding what the smaller shadow was trying to tell him before a few more seconds passed.
"What do you mean ?" He did not wait for an answer, however - no sooner was the question asked that he had darted downward though the roof. He reached rather akwardly though his own link with Zero and found no answer. Merci` Dio followed Red quickly, his mind voice high with worry 'It feels wrong, somethings wrong with her. I think she's hurt.' The confusion was shoved away, the little shadow was more concerned with his guardian's well being then wondering what the hell could have done this in a place he has always been safe. 'She is in her room, just down the stairs. Someone has to help her.' He was wringing his hand over the long sleeve twisting it with his obvious aggravation.
He darted around Red and hovered near her bedroom door, torn between shoving it open and charging in, and just hiding in a corner. The sounds of scratching and heavy breathing came from behind the door and it made Dio jump. He turned frantic burgundy eyes to Red. 'Can your Guardian help her?'
Even behind his fear, he didn't want Red somewhere he could get hurt. Zero Dream "I don't know where she is." The snake-like shadow frowned. "She's not answering me."
Really, he was rather irked. He had been sleeping just fine, thank you very much ! Thus, there was only one thing that could come out of this. Whatever thing it was behind that door, it would have to be another victim of Red's favorite equation.
Fist + face = splat.
There was a sudden, loud BANG from inside the room, a flare of pain at his side, and he knew exactly what was going on now, eyes narrowing to a completely unsafe ******** the fist in the face, that thing was beating on his guardian, and thus now it needed to die. And thus now was time to create a well thought out plan...
"...HEY, YOU b*****d, DON'T YOU ******** DARE TOUCH EITHER OF THEM !!!!!"
....Or maybe not. Battlecry aside, Red had already phased straight though the door. Merci` Dio tried to grab at Red and immediately followed him into the darkened bedroom. He naturally felt comfortable in the dark so it didn't bother him, the first fingers of dawn had started to to color the sky and he could barely make it out from where he was.
The reason he couldn't see out the window clearly, was because there was a large... well... THING for lack of a better term, between him and it. It seemed to engulf the bed where Dio was sure his Merci still was. It's dark form didn't seem very fixed in place as it's surface roiled and writhed. It's eyes glowed a malevolent blue, dim and fixed on the other beings in the room. Tentacle like appendages jutted out at the sides where arms normally would be, and though they looked thick and meaty, it was slightly transparent. The small shadow couldn't make out legs, it seemed to be shaped like one of Seraph's funny jell-o molds and ended where the ground was in a large flat base.
There wasn't anything funny about this thing though.
Dio froze where he was and his burgundy eye got huge. He shrunk back against the wall and seemed not able to look away from the glowing eyes that zeroed in on him. He started shaking his head when he heard a moan from Merci. The sound let him know she was still there, but he couldn't feel her, and it terrified him. Zero Dream And also, in the room, there was Zero - who was apparently trying her damnedness to actually get to Merci - without much success, as various cuts and scratches where letting on. Being weaponless and having so little space to move in the bedroom where not working at her advantage. Hopefully the fox woman would not be too upset at her playing leap-wall, which was... pretty much what she was doing. It was her only way to really gain altitude, which was how she fought. Try as she might, the cyborg was not seeming to provide even the slightest distraction to the thing. "Red ! Take Dio, get the hell out of here, and go get help !" The woman remained completely unanswered. Red remained completely, dangerously still and tense, much like a cobra ready to strike. There where only two points that really registered in his mind.
The first one being that this... thing, whatever the hell it was he did not care, was pretty much throwing HIS guardian around like a ping pong ball.
The second was the way it looked at Dio. He knew what this look meant, and he was having none of it. The glare of the creature was answered by his own, all the while letting out a hiss that sounded like it belonged more to a feral animal than a sentient creature.
Coherent thought seemed to get more and more distant every second.Merci` Dio let out a desperate squeal when he saw one of the creatures tentacles shoot toward him. He phased through the wall into the hallway and darted toward the roof. He didn't make it very far, and the shock went through him like a cold wind. The little shadow felt pressure around his waist and he was suddenly and violently jerked backwards. His head snapped forward as he was pulled from the quiet hallway into the din of Merci's bedroom.
The thing had a smoky appendage wrapped firmly around Dio's waist and was waving him around like a rag doll. Very few things made any sense to him in the blur around him. He oculd make out Merci, still in a heap on the floor. The blue lady was yelling at Red, though what exactly he wasn't sure.
What really stood out was Red, it was like a snapshot in his mind. His friend didn't look happy, he looked angry, very very angry. About then everything seemed to slow down.It was dark, and she was tired. Something however was making alot of noise. She would have rolled over and gone back to sleep but the memory of Seraph stealing Dio surfaced in her mind. She managed to crank one eye open and roll it around, but what she say didn't make a lick of sense to her at all. Zero Dream And that was it.
One second, Red had been yet perfectly still, but in a blink, he was in motion, all but snarling up a storm, hands pulling at the shadows of the room to form huge claws that clung on just as if they had been part of him all along.
He went straight for the creature without another thought - the only thing that really held any sway onto his mind was that that thing needed to die.
As brutally as possible.
He darted, shoving one claw as deep as he could in the beast's exposed stomach, clearly intending to open it whole and gut it out.This... wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. He was doing it again, and she had no idea how to stop him. This... could get very ugly indeed, but for now, she had to admit he was, at the very least, providing a very good diversion. The cyborg went back on her feet, and charged, the flash of light that was her saber rose to attempt to slice the tentacle that was holding Dio. Merci` His world turned upside down as he was suddenly flung tail over teakettle. The pressure from around his waist seemed to dissapate in a cloud of an ashlike substance. Dio phased halfway through the floor before he finally got control of his fall and pulled himself back up to see what was happening.
The remaining tentacles all shot forward at once, moving with an inhuman speed toward the crazed Fiend. Red's claws were hurting it, and the eyes that once glowed blue turned a bloody shade. All of it's attentions had turned from Dio to the largest threat against it's being, everything seemed focused on Red. The massive form seemed to be losing a little of it's shape. Blackness that couldn't be described as anything other then gore was spilling outward from the deep wounds the Angry crimson shadow was dealing out.
Dio cast about, looking for the part of it that had been around him. It didn't seem to be anywhere, in the air little flakes of ash and soot fell, like the aftermath of a volcano errupting.Merci's eyes stayed open and she managed to push herself up on one elbow. This all had to be a dream, it just didn't make any sense. It wasn't going like most of her dreams, by now she would be screaming and Dio would be halfway engulfed by the ugly b*****d. She had never dreamed Red and Zero before. It was hearing the shrill earpeircing sounds coming from the black thing taking up a majority of her room that finally snapped her from her half awake coma. Shock however was not so easy to cope with. How the hell was it real?! Zero Dream Red did not stop. Oh no he did not stop. Not when he was achieving the very purpose of his assault.
b***h had hurt his Dio and now it was damn well going to die for it. In his rage he saw, and knew, nothing else.
Red hissed something unrecognizable (and it was probably very much better that way) and he pounded the nightmare thing against the wall, clawing his way though and bearing the retaliations head on. The gore only seemed to motivate him further, made him lash out more.
And from the sound of it, there would likely be very real claw mark on the wall by the time he was done with the thing. Which... hopefully would be soon, because it was obvious to everyone else that the snake-like shadow was weakening... quickly.With Dio finally free, Zero dashed for Merci. "Are you okay ?!" Merci` He was dizzy, but he could see what was going on well enough. Dio floated up finally and almost moved forward, except the sounds of this things screaming made him freeze. Nothing on earth made such a horrible shrieking sound, something between a scream and the shattering sounds of glass breaking.
The tentacles had wrapped themselves around Red, trying to squeeze him into submission. It had however, not worked. One by one they dropped, the putrid liquid fading away into an ashen like substance.
Dio's body jumped as a loud cracking sound came from where his guardian was. He whipped around tried to figure out what was going on.Merci had sat up and took Zero's hands, "I think so, what is going on? Is that thing rea-" mid-sentence the loud crack echoed through the room, The belt that had been practically been around her waist she since got it, slipped down and rested against the mattress underneath her. The blue-black gem that had formed it's buckle had shattered, leaving the piece of leather loose to fall from her form. With the cracking of the gem, the blood red eye of the creature went dark, and all fight went from it. The ash-like substance started dissipating, falling upward like snow going the wrong way. Each piece faded from sight as it rose, leaving behind the room, untouched by the blood or gore of the fallen thing. Instead it was simply a room that looked like it had seen the wrong end of a fight. Worse for wear but salvageable. Dio spotted Red where he was and started toward him. Worry filling the small shadow at the welfare of his friend, confusion took a back seat to his concern for Red. Zero Dream This could have all ended pretty badly, with Dio approaching a berseker like this - but as it was, Dio only came close enough to be able to somewhat catch Red as he passed out, after one last, almost half-hearted swing where the beast had been, almost as if he had never noticed it had been there at all."What th- s**t" Zero hissed as if she had been a snake herself. Well... it was probably better that way, to be honest. Merci` Dio swooped in and wrapped his arms around Red, lowering him to the ground. The little shadow wrapped himself around his best friend, allowing the terror and disbelief to sink in slowly. His form was trembling as he smoothed the braids back out of Red's face, there was no blood or anything on him, as it all disappeared, but a smudge of the ash adorned his cheek. Dio lifted his head and looked over toward Zero and Merci, his burgundy eye half closed, 'He's alright...' It seemed important he comfort them with that before he allowed himself to fall apart inside.Merci sat for a short, absorbing the weirdness that just happened. Oh her room was a mess, holes in the wall and ash everywhere. She swung her legs over the side of the bed to try and get up, but was stopped by a sudden pain in her thigh. With a hiss she bent her leg to look at the spot that was bleeding, and recognized what was causing the pain. The shards of broken gemstone were scattered on the bed, sharp like glass. "Okay, I know this is redundant, but... What the ******** was that...?" She crab walked out of the bed and stood up. "Are you alright Zero?" Merci heard what Dio said but it didn't take away from the cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. "How did that thing get from my dreams, into my bedroom?" Zero Dream "Ill'd really like to know." Zero muttered to herself, still trembling from the adrenaline rush. "Im fine..." Cut up, bleeding, and covered in ash, but she was in one piece. "I heard something and I dashed in, then that thing was there. And then the boys showed up..." It was her turn to go toward Red, then, croutching down. "He'll be fine, he needs to rest." There were cuts on his face, but he wasn't... well, he wasn't leaking shadows like when part of his tail had gotten blown off. Merci` Dio leaned over and rested his cheek against Red's forehead. He was still scared, but the panic was receding now that he wasn't in direct danger. Actually he didn't want to admit this but he felt extremely tired.Merci sighed and nodded a bit, "I... don't know what to say other then I'm sorry." She looked a bit sheepish and looked around at the chaos. This was going to take work to clean up, and she didn't want to think about it right now. "This was not, really, how I imagined this going." The fox woman scuffed a foot through the ash and grimaced, "I'm not very good at this, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. We can put Red to bed here, but maybe it would be better if he got into his own bed. Do you want to wash up first?" She didn't want to kick them out but she was worried. Whatever that was, whatever was going on right now, she had no idea. Dio stroked his hand over Red's braids and sighed. He didn't want them to go but maybe Merci was right, Red seemed like he would need a lot of rest. He just didn't want to let him go right now. The small fiend thought about protesting, but he figured that it wouldn't do any good at this point. Zero Dream "That is probably the best idea..." It this was like last time, Red would be drifting in and out for a few days, at least. "It's okay... don't worry about it. Killed worse in my day." That was an attempt at a joke, but it fell flat and she sighed. "I should probably take care of those wounds first..." None of them were too bad, definitively nothing broken, but the open cuts did sting a bit. Merci` Merci nodded and helped clean up the little cuts and scraps. The first aid kit from the bathroom was pretty much totaled by the time they were through. She couldn't let them leave without at least that much, the gnawing guilt wouldn't let her. Dio pretty much hovered over Red the entire time. Though his eye was only about half open he wouldn't let Merci shoo him off to bed until he knew they were both okay.Merci helped Zero get into her vehicle before she let herself sag against the porch. Despite the excitement, that was actually the best sleep she'd gotten in a really long time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:20 pm
Awakening Zero had long since returned home, asleep fiend in tow, when she'd managed to wrench Black Star Diopside off him, that was. But for now, Merci needed to recover, Red needed to recover, and she needed to get those wounds looked at in greater detail. She'd bandaged and disinfected them before leaving, of course, but better tending in the comfort of her own home couldn't hurt. So she'd come home, carefully bundled Red up in her own bed, and then had left to do that. But that had been hours ago, and the red fiend hadn't even stirred an hair. He slept, unmoving, in a way that could almost be called peaceful - a stark contrast to the uncontrollable fury he'd been a few hours ago, hissing and clawing his way through nightmare beasts and walls alike. He was blissfully unaware of that fact, it seemed, out of it as it was. But peace never lasted long with a shadow fiend in the house. Suddenly, his tail gave one twitch, then another, and the second he darted up, screaming his little heart out for a moment, and the next looked more than a little confused. Where was Dio ? Where was Merci ? Where was Zero ? Zero had been fighting this thing and he still needed to kill that god damn thing, where it had gone ??? Where had it decided to hide ?! As it was, Red Star Ruby still had murder at the very forefront of his thoughts. That thing had hurt his guardian, that thing had been going for Dio and damn it all, that thing was going to DIE. But it was nowhere to be found, he was home rather than at Merci's house, in the familiar setting of Zero's own house, of her own bed. And more frustratingly, he couldn't even summon the strength to float out of bed. He had to have come home sometime, but he couldn't remember how. Or when. All that he knew is that he felt tired, and drained, and he couldn't remember a damn thing before seeing that weird, black beast-like thing. And then nothing, nothing at all, until now. And he hated it. He hissed to himself, but his efforts were meaningless - it wasn't long before darkness overtook him so more, and then he had just drifted away, back into sleep. It was hours later that he drifted back to being awake, with confusion still lingering in his mind. But this time his guardian was here, looking over him like a guardian angel of sort, smoothing his braids back as he slowly drifted back to the awake world. He asked what had happened, and she told him everything - the nightmare beast, and how he'd snapped, went for it when it had hit Dio - how he'd killed it with shadow claws and left holes all over the walls of Merci's bedroom. Zero spoke of all those things, but he remembered nothing. He didn't like it. He didn't like the blanks in his memory, his current memory. The past was the past, it was gone, it didn't matter anymore, and he didn't care. But in this life... It was worrying to have things slip away from him like this. Zero called it berseking. He wasn't sure what to make of it, had no concious thought of doing it, and had it not been his guardian telling him such thing, he might have thought she'd been lying. He couldn't have done all that without remembering, couldn't he ? And yet, he had. It would be something to think about another time, however, as he again, drifted to sleep once Zero had been done talking to him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:21 pm
Appointment with a Seer... Merci` Merci grimaced as she pulled up in front of the shop, her hair was pulled up in a bun on the top of her head and she was wearing sunglasses to keep the world from seeing the amazing bags under her eyes. Ever since the freak show had crawled out of her dreams and into reality, she had been pounding coffee and sleeping only when she couldn't stay awake anymore. "Alright Dio, I know you were excited about coming here but do you really think it's okay for you to go in there by yourself? I really don't like the idea of waiting in the car." That was another thing she had been since it had happened. Entirely to overprotective. Knowing you have a problem and doing something about it though are entirely different things. Dio rolled his eye and gave her a reassuring pat on the arm, 'Don't worry Red will be there. He'll protect me.' He sounded much more cheerful then he felt, but he was sure Red would show up. He was sure because the little shadow had left out the reason why he wanted Red to come.
The fiend had questions about the scrolls and their connection to his best friend. There was a reason Mister Athan the magic man had given him these scrolls and he wanted to find out.
His curiosity demanded an answer!
He pushed the car door open and closed it before his guardian could get another word in edgewise. This was important! He had the bag with the scrolls swung over his shoulder as he moved quickly across the street. He was shielded from the glaring sun by an old fleece blanket he had stolen from the house, and he quickly discarded it when he made it into Twilight Designs. His eye darted around to see if Red had beat him here.Zero Dream The other duo had not quite made it there yet, but where not too far - with Red mostly hiding in Zero's shadow to shield himself from the sun, only darting out to the shop when the blue-haired woman recognized the car and tapped lightly on the window to make it come down. "Hey... Are you okay ?" There was definitively worry in the cyborg's voice - she remembered that night all too well, and the fox woman looked like she was about to crawl in a corner and die there. "Have you... talked to Athan yet ?" Clearly, she was good at fending off nightmare beasts, perhaps, but for some reason she felt utterly awkward right now. Indeed, Red's will to come along was directly linked to his complete unawareness of the situation. He was not quite curious enough to know about that to have to sit though drilling the fruitcake for answers, thank you very much ! A visit to the shop, on the other hand, was not a bad thing per-se.
There was also Mystic, which he had not seen since that day and he had to admit that he wanted to make sure his "big brother" was well. With that in mind, he slid in straight though the door, instantaneously looking for either Dio or Mystic.Reyna Crelos Mystic's presence was no where to be found. Both his guardian and Athan himself seemed to be missing. It was hardly an unusual situation given that they had perfectly capable part time employees, but Kova’s usual delightful singing was absent. As nothing was broken or decayed, it was also rather apparent that Demare and Chrys were not working either. Instead, it was Hawks Eye that sat brooding behind the desk that was usually occupied by the shop’s resident artist. He sat perfectly still save for his foxtail that lashed behind him every once in a while. He had not yet discarded the hole-ridden cloak he had arrived with since returning to the shop. It was Wren’s and a strangely sentimental part of him was unwilling to give it up. He was for the most part lost entirely to his thoughts and the occasional vision. His Sight seemed to be returning to him quite rapidly now that he was close to someone he could consider a ‘bond.’ The strain from being so far from Wren was terrible, but Athan had offered him solace. For that he was eternally thankful. He blinked once before his eyes seemed to glass over as a vision struck him: Shadows. A nightmare. A snake and a star. The Alisari. Questions. He huffed a bit irritably. He didn’t especially feel up to reading futures for the two little brats that were about to dash through the door. He blinked again and stretched, back arching in a languid sort of movement. At least the red one would likely prove to be entertaining. Merci` Merci slid her glasses down her nose and gave Zero a reassuring smile, "I'm alright. I don't remember if I got a chance to thank you and your boy for... well... you know.." She trailed off and sighed a bit. She was still a little uncomfortable with the fact that her vanity had put both herself and Dio at risk. Who had sent her that gift? Now that she knew it wasn't something from some secret admirer she was bothered. Something had wanted to kill her boy. "I haven't talked to him yet no. I didn't want to bother them so soon after their own incident. It seemed to do a number on them. But I promise in the next couple of days I am going to call him. I'm worried that someone or something may have it out for my boy. Oh, if you don't wanna stand and wait for those two your more then welcome to hop in and have a seat." Dio beamed as his scanning eyes caught sight of Hawk behind the counter, the little shadow wouldn't know where to look for him if he wasn't here. He didn't have time to say anything before Red entered the scene. Dio's attention quickly turned to his best friend. 'Red!'
The nightmare came back to him all at once and for a moment he didn't move. An insane insecurity rushed through him and he barreled into Red attaching himself around the bigger shadow's waist. 'Red, I'm so glad you came.' Dio's only revealed eye traveled over to rest on Hawk and he pulled Red gently a bit closer to the much older and hopefully wiser shadow.
It was time his curiosity about these scrolls and the name Alisari was finally quenched.Zero Dream "I know..." The cyborg frowned. "It's... an awful lot of s**t all of sudden, isn't it ? First the note with the spell... and now that belt... someone is tracking us." She frowned, looking oddly reminiscent of her own shadow at the moment. Or perhaps it was the other way around - a trait that he had absorbed from her. "Someone is targeting us. Following us. I don't like this one wit." Her face softened, however, and she moved to sit down. "Im just... glad everything ended up okay. I... am glad Red was there, to be honest. without my weapons, there wasn't much I could do to that thing... I knew something was off, but I didn't want to leave you alone. Sometimes I just hate it when im right..." He had barely even starting to take in his surroundings that the snake-like shadow had a Dio rather firmly attached to his form. Really, he seemed to fragile and insecure since that ******** nightmare thing. If he could somehow kill it again, he damn well would. "What did you want to come here for, anyway ?" Neither Mystic or his guardian seemed to be here. Not even Athan. Only the fruitcake. Great.
Too bad he could not open portals. Or convince Zero to step though one without potentially being skinned and used as an handbag. Maybe he'll find directions somewhere and hightail it out whenever Dio got what he wanted, as even him could figure out it was directly linked to the seer. He held in his hiss at the thought, remembering full well what had happened the last time he saw him, and not exactly planning on giving the other the satisfaction.Reyna Crelos The rather touching seen that played out before him was enough to make him want to vomit. Best friends. How precious. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, or to say something about their little 'friendship' and what it could be. Or once had been. He had to choke back the urge to laugh outright. Oh now wouldn't that be fun to taunt them with. He didn't, however, as he wasn't one to simply relinquish information on a whim. Not only was it simply not his style, but the results could be disastrous. His Sight was finicky in that manner, as it was with most Seers. 'Just get to the point and ask your questions, Black Star,' Hawk voiced in a reserved, quiet voice. He had little patience for this really, but he had not Seen a way to escape it. 'Athan isn't here, and won't be for another half hour at least. Likely to be in a foul mood, to boot.'Merci` Merci took off her sunglasses and rubbed at her eyes. "I know, I can't stop thinking that I put him in danger. I should have been more attentive this wouldn't have happened." Her eyes burned from lack of sleep but she gave Zero a reassuring smile. "I don't think your going to have to worry about your boy. He seems capable of taking care of anything that might come his way." Dio turned his head to look at Hawk and moved toward him a bit, arms still locked around Red and dragging him as close to Hawk as Red would allow. He shifted enough to move the scrolls off his shoulder and drop them to the ground in the tote. 'Sorry if I am bothering you Mister. I was wondering when the Athan man would be in but you already answered that. Guess since your already answering questions I have a few more.'
Dio had a death grip on Red, and he wasn't about to let him go, he didn't feel brave enough to be here by himself. The older shadows made him feel small and insignificant. He wouldn't be able to get a word out let alone a thought if Red chose to leave. So he decided it would be best to talk fast, before his anchor left whether or not he was still attached. 'What are the Alasari? What do they have to do with me? How did they know all the things that are in those scrolls? What happened to them? I need to know what it all means...' He trailed off when the picture of Doran seemed to flash through his mind.
Stupid dream, the feeling of abandonment washed through him and he moved as close as he could to Red. Zero Dream "And things that aren't in his way. And things that are completely clueless in the matter." The cyborg let out a small laugh. "He gives me entirely too many problems..." Red allowed himself to be dragged onward to a point, but eventually forced a stop - this was close enough, thank you ! - and, amazingly enough, remained mostly silent. He did not personally care much himself, but if Dio wanted to know, the very least he could do was shut up and not blow up his chances. The black shadow was perhaps the only being in existence on behalf of which he was able to show such restrain, and he focused on observing the jewelry cases nearby, careful not to touch them. He was smart enough to know that pissed off Athan + broken displays = more-than-potential doom.
He did, in fact, like to observe the jewelry when he came here. He couldn't see himself wear much of it, but there was an attention to detail and craftmanship that loosely reminded him of something... not that he could remember exactly what.Reyna Crelos Hawk's face drew into an annoyed frown at the barrage of questions he was asked all at once. Silly child. He supposed it was better that he had asked all at once. There was no way he had the patient to deal with stammering out one question at a time. 'I cannot promise that I have all the answers to those questions. My Sight is,' he paused for a moment in thought, 'Finicky.' Much like his mood. Why his Sight was on the fritz, however, was none of their business. His fox tail flicked back and forth in a blatant reflection of his mood. 'I can attempt to answer those questions,' he went on in a smooth, low voice, 'But I require a favor from both of you in return.' He fairly radiated a sort of smug satisfaction. They would both be useful to him, and how could they possibly tell him no? There was an obvious desperation to the way Dio pleaded for answers. He wasn't about to give out information without something in return. Merci` Her eyes moved over to where Dio was, she had no idea why the little thing had been so adamant about coming here today. Merci was curious what had him so strung out. She couldn't think of a better term, Dio was strung out, something was bothering him and he was not telling her what it was. "Thanks for putting up with my weird calls dragging you out of your home all the time too. I think Dio really needs your Red right now." Dio stared at Hawk and at first he didn't understand. What could he give someone anyway? All he had was his telescope and the scrolls. His visible eye got huge and he drew himself up to his full height, which was not all that intimidating. 'As long as you don't try to take the scrolls away from me. They were a present and I can't give them away.' In his mind they were the only thing of any value he had.
His face turned to Red and he tightened his hold so his best friend wouldn't abandon him. 'I am the one with the questions, why do you need anything from him? Can't I just give you something?' Red wouldn't agree to owe Hawk anything, and all those things that were so important to him would just slip away like water through fingers. He could feel closure eluding him, and he was truly scared.azuredreams 'My dear star-gazer,' Hawk said slowly, his voice still smug and certain. 'It is not treasure, nor trinkets I require from either of you, but a favor. A call to arms, should the need arise.'
The fact that Dio was thinking he wanted the scrolls or his telescope was amusing. Neither did him any good. The stars did not speak to him, nor did he want to know any more secrets than he all ready did.
However, their help would be needed at some point down the line - he knew it. It would be easier to just call on them and make use of a boon owned instead of having to coerce or talk into it.
'Besides,' his attention settled on Red for a moment, looking at the Alisari intently, 'he does have questions, just like you do. I'm sure of it.' Merci` Dio relaxed visibly when he realized both his telescope and the scrolls were not the object of Hawk's desire. He slowly uncoiled himself from Red and allowed the other shadow to turn his full attention to the jewelry cases. His un-sleeved arm moved up and brushed part of his hair back behind his ear, revealing the shape of his hidden eye. 'If I agree to give you a favor, you will answer my questions? About the Alasari and what they have to do with me? Your not going to make me do something gross right? One time Vance won a poker game and I had to do what he told me for a week, he made me clean out the toilets in the house, all the way down the u-bend.'
It didn't matter to him that Hawk might not know who Vance was, or that he might not be interested in his story. He blinked that large burgundy eye at the older shadow, and the multicolored hair fell back in front of his face again. 'Since I am the only one who will ask you questions you can't have a favor from Red...' The last was said with something of a sullen edge, like he was trying to protect the larger shadow from whatever devious plans Hawk had in store. azuredreams '... something stirs, star-gazer, and at some point I may call upon your help to deal with it. Assistance, regardless of what it is, is what I am asking for.' Hawk rolled his eyes, tail twitching briefly with annoyance. 'Nothing so base as ... cleaning toilets, but a real duty.
'But if you agree, then I will answer what you ask of me.' He might have given him a devilish grin if he could have. 'Not all things I will answer, since just as you said, you are the one asking and if it has to deal with Red - then he will need to ask himself.' As in he would have offer a favor to Hawk as well, though it would be the same stipulations.
'Just be wary, Black Star, not all things you really need to know.' Hawk slipped away to sit on Reyna's desk, his tail swishing slowly behind him. It was all most cute how he was trying to protect Red from him, though he was not the one they should be afraid of.
Once situated, he tilted his head to the side and waved over the young fiend. 'Sit next to me and let me see your hand. The one you hide so much,' he paused briefly, before adding, 'and ask your questions slowly.' Merci` He knew there was something amiss, and the fact it was stated so plainly almost made him shiver. Dio lowered his gaze as he closed the distanced between them. The petite shadow perched on the desk next to Hawk and turned his face back up to stare at him. The sleeved arm that normally hung uselessly at his side, was lifted up slowly and offered to the seer, as he was asked to do. 'Do...' He trailed off as if trying to find the right words, 'I had all these questions, about the Alasari, what they are, what happened to them. I know though don't I? It... Was my dream real?'
Really that was the burning question. The evil that he saw had felt so close and so naked that he had shivered with it for hours after waking. Dio had seen things come leaping from the nightmares of his guardian and he was terrified to speechlessness that the man in his dreams would do the same.
Even if Hawk didn't let him ask any other questions, he had to know for certain if Doran was able to simply crawl from his mind and wreak havoc. The thought chilled him in ways he couldn't even explain. azuredreams Hawk looked Dio over for a moment once he sat down, as if he was trying to peer into his soul, before he gently wrapped his fingers around the younger fiend's wrist.
'Your dream?' he questioned back, though he was not wanting a reply. Instead he brought his other hand up to trace the barely there star maps on Dio's arm. He blinked his eyes once, then twice more, before it suddenly seemed like he was no longer paying attention to those in the room.
Neither Dio, or even Red, had his attention now. He was Seeing the dream that Dio spoke of and his jaw tightened briefly as a flash of Doran crossed his mind.
'Yes,' he hissed out, tail twitching in anger. Not at Dio; no, his hand was still gently holding the young fiend's. 'It was no dream, Star-gazer, but your memory of the past ... Scattered to the winds, some of the Alisari were protecting someone of importance ...' Merci` Dio's eye moved over toward where Red was, and the crazy feeling of being alone slowly ebbed away. The fear he felt when he thought of that wild eyed man seemed to be better when he could see his best friend. 'He killed them didn't he? That man killed the Alasari, but why did he kill them? In my dream he said he came for me. Will, knowing any of this make me feel any better?'
He just wanted to feel safe again, he missed being ignorant. He stifled his questions so he didn't annoy Hawk. Dio shifted a little bit at the effort at restrain himself, it wasn't easy. He wanted to get it all out, to know what he wanted to know now. This patience thing didn't come easy to the little star. He tried to keep his arm still, so whatever it was the seer was looking for wouldn't be disturbed. azuredreams 'They were scattered to the winds long before him, Star-gazer, but he did kill the ones that were there just because they were trying to stop him.' Absently, Hawk's hand smoothed along his arm soothingly. He understood the fear, but there was no fearing what had all ready happened. What was done, was done.
'He's dead, you realise.' For a moment, Hawk's looked toward Dio. His attention was back in the present. 'Doran. We locked him away, just as he locked us away. Athan, Mystic, Reyna, Wren, and myself ... To stop him from doing anymore harm.' Perhaps he would tell Dio about it at a later time, instead he let himself go back to tracing the invisible star maps that lined the fiend's arm.
'Knowledge does not all ways help, but it might in this case.' Concentrating once again, he seemed focused on the past once more. 'He came for the one who could talk to the stars. A proud Star-gazer, so much unlike you who have much to learn ...' Merci` Dio finally seemed to fully relax, he let his mind move back over the dream. 'The scrolls, the Alasari wrote them? How is it they knew so much? And, there was a word he said I didn't understand, what is a Crux? What did that man want from the stars? H-' He cut himself off, with the feeling of comfort, he forgot that he wasn't supposed to ask too many questions all at once.
The little shadow forgot that he had been nervous about coming here. Hawk wasn't as scary or as mean as everyone had made him sound. He'd offered comforting words when he hadn't had to, and it made Dio warm up to him inexplicably. He turned his usually immobile arm over, a little awkwardly, and he lightly gripped Hawk. A small gesture of affection. azuredreams There was no mistake, Hawk was a snarky, sarcastic, often irritable, fiend. In moments like these, however, he was utterly professional about his ability. Besides, it did no good if fear tainted the person he was trying to read the future for.
He let out an exasperated huff, his mind assaulted with too many images. Each one in response to the question Dio had ask. 'Slow down, Star-gazer; one at a time, otherwise you will find out just how finicky my Sight can be.' The mess of images that he saw all at once was proof that his Sight was still not truly complete. He shifted through them, pausing briefly when he felt Dio grip his arm in return.
In truth, it might actually help.
'The Alisari,' he started again slowly, 'loved the stars. Were guided by them. What they learned in all those years, they wrote down on scrolls to be passed down ... Athan knows this and gave them to you, young Star-gazer.'
He blinked his eyes rapidly, as if something was caught in them. The images that he had in his mind were jumbled and he was trying to sort through them.
'The Crux were astronomers ...' Merci` Dio ducked his head and muttered 'Sorry, I couldn't help it.' He managed to shut his mouth and listen. This was all parts of the puzzle, and Hawk was putting them together for him. It was what he wanted, but the more he found out the more it scared him. This man had been willing to destroy an entire people. Blood, the blood and the darkness that roiled around him. It had come at his call, it had moved with his will.
What could he have wanted so badly?
Ooo Astronomers! He knew what those were he had seen it on the television that Merci had. They were people that studied the stars, their movements and all that. 'You there is a small constellation called the Crux?' He didn't know why but it seemed something relevant to say at the moment. Hesitantly he spoke up again, 'You said I was remembering my past. If you don't answer me now, will I remember on my own?' azuredreams Eyes sliding shut, Hawk started to truly concentrate as he traced the visions in his mind's eye. 'Perhaps they named themselves after it then, not that I say that is fact.' He honestly did not know why they called themselves that. He did, however, think that Crux was not the full name of their brotherhood. For now, he kept that to himself - unsure of what to call them besides that.
Distracted by Dio's question, he opened his eyes to look towards him. 'Our memories of who we were is inside, Black Star, buried deep. Even I do not recall everything about who I was, but I know it will come to me eventually ...
'I cannot say the same for you, but some of your past will come to you. In your dreams, in your actions, in the way you act - some part of the man you once were is all ways there.' His tail flicked from side to side impishly. 'I just happen to speed matters up, sometimes. Now,' he said with just a hint of amusement in his voice, 'shush for a moment and let me tell you what I See, before it slips away.' Merci` Dio shut up and his tail started swishing back and forth, like that of a cat stalking pray. It was simply all the pent up energy and excitement trying to leak it's way out of him, without annoying Hawk to awful much. Something inside of him was sure that without all this confusion, he would be able to listen to the songs more closely when he heard them.
Unconsciously he started very very quietly humming the tune he remembered from the dream, his burgundy eye locked on Hawks face in rapt attention. He was not going to interrupt him again, though the effort of not making to much noise was epic. azuredreams 'I don't know what he wanted from you ...' Hawk slipped back into the daze-like trance he had been as he slipped from image to image in his mind. 'With Doran, there is no telling. His ways were dark, what knowledge he would have gained from understanding stars ...' It went unsaid that it was better off he did not have such knowledge, though Hawk knew for a fact that since Dio was here, Doran had gained whatever he was after in some fashion.
The moment that Dio started humming, Hawk's Eye went very still. Where as he had looked like he was just distracted, it now looked like he was no longer with them there at all.
'We all ways know,' it seemed as if Hawk's mental voice took on another quality all together, one that was not just his own, 'young gazer, your fears, your hopes, who you once were ... You hear the whispers of what we see and hum the songs of our loneliness, yet you are young still and our trust is not easily given again.
'We ask, blackest star, who is the betrayer and who is the betrayed? Why did you leave us, when we loved you so?' Hawk slumped forward a little, grip loosening on Dio's arm, but not letting go. His head spinning as he blinked to clear his eyes, coming back to himself.
'I cannot,' he whispered, 'offer you more right now. The stars keep their secrets well.' The elder fiend looked a bit paler than usual and his head ached from the sudden onslaught of a vision he had not prepared himself for. Merci` His eye widened visibly and his grip on Hawk's arm got tighter. That wasn't hawk talking, the tone changed, his cadence changed, it didn't sound anything like him. They were talking to him, and though the language was familiar, he still didn't understand what they were saying.
Without thought he moved right over and got as close as he could to the seer. His sleeved arm hug limply again at his side, but the other one curled around the older Shadow's neck and he gave him a hug, burying his face in the crook of Hawk's neck. It was a start, he knew more then he did. He didn't have to be afraid of his dream, he had an idea of what the Alasari did, how the scrolls came to be, and now he had a message. It was something he didn't understand, but it was a message all the same.
Excitement bubbled through him, 'Thank you, I owe you a boon then to call on when you need me.' azuredreams Hawk stilled immediately at the hug and inwardly sighed. The brief flicker of annoyance, the thought of 'he's hugging me' lead to Athan briefly crossing his thoughts.
'Why, yes, that's how I feel sometimes,' the man responded, his tone somewhat gruff and apparently still grumpy. Hawk would have to do something about that, though the irony was not lost on him.
Relaxing his hold on Dio's arm, he somewhat hugged the young fiend back. His tail swished back and forth awkwardly, as if he was unsure how to proceed. After all, sometimes he didn't foresee EVERYTHING - which did include hugs from precocious young child shadows.
Letting go, he rubbed his hand across his forehead, willing the headache that was starting to go away. 'I will, someday, do not worry,' he replied quietly. 'If I See anything else, something of importance, perhaps I will let you know.'
Hawk shook his head, hair falling into his face for a moment, before it was brushed out of the way. 'If at some point you wish to know more about our past, about Doran and what happened to him, just ask.' He paused, before letting smug amusement color his voice. 'That information you may have for free.' Merci` Dio slipped his arm from around Hawk and his head jerked back and forth before he had taken stock of the two things he was curious about. The scrolls were where he had left them, in his carrying bag, on the floor. Red took him slightly longer to spy, because he had to look through the front window of the store. Merci seemed to be on the tail end of a conversation with Zero, and Red had probably gotten tired of looking and jewelry and annoyed with Hawk's prattling.
The smaller shadow darted suddenly for the bag and scooped it up off the ground. He slipped the strap over his shoulder, so it crossed his chest diagonally, securing them to his person. 'I would like to know what happened, desperately. I have to say that nothing, not even the nightmare monster that tried to eat me, scared me as much as the look on that man's face. You don't look so good though, so you should go rest, you are getting those wrinkles between your eyes that Merci gets when I ask to many questions, or that the Athan man gets all the time.'
Dio turned around and looked directly at Hawk, for a moment he didn't move, he just watched him. Then he darted forward and give him another happy hug. 'Thank you again Mister Hawk. I think I feel better now.' And with that he peeled away and went straight through the front door of the shop without a backwards glance.
If Hawk watched, he would see Dio phase right into Merci's car, and after a few moments the Guardian would move her SUV down the street. In the window, Dio would be waving frantically at the shop. Zero Dream Red hadn't moved from looking over the jewelry, mostly unwilling to get too far from Dio less the black star suddenly feel weird again and need his presence as comfort. He didn't quite know what the hell about him actually brought Dio comfort but... hey.
He looked over the jewelry, yes, but he was listening. Hawk would know it, of course, and perhaps this was what irritated him the most. How the hell could one hide anything from a seer ?
It was only when Dio zoomed out that Red finally looked from the case he had carefully settled onto. '...Call me as well, when you need us. I will come.' Oh, there was a dent in his pride indeed... But the explanations had fit his purpose. And honor was not a concept Red was foreign to.
He did not wait for the seer to answer him - was out though the door as soon as he had been done speaking. azuredreams It was only with a faint sense of annoyance, amusement, and a definite headache that Hawk watched them leave. He honestly wondered if Red would even recall the fact that he was given a boon for nothing at all.
Not that he would not take advantage of it, if the time should arise. As far as he was concerned, he would need both of their help at some point.
'Black Star, Red Star ...' he mused, slipping back into the chair he had situated himself in earlier - distancing himself from the trouble the children had brought into his view. After all, if they truly needed his help with anything, he would be there.
But then again, Hawk was of the learn the hard way mind frame.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:17 pm
Molting sucks. Red was currently... molting, in lack of a better way to say it. He was dropping scales all over the place, and was a touch... irritable. To say the least. Zero was honestly pondering buying a scratching post. Maybe Red would stop trying to turn over the furniture then... But maybe that was just wishful thinking. After breaking up the 4th Sei vs Red fight of the day, Zero had lost her s**t. Sei had been pretty much booted out of the house to spend some time with his girlfriend, and Zero was currently trying to take care of a cranky, shedding snake. It was a little unfair, Zero knew, but it wasn't like she could boot Red out of the house without booting herself out of it at the same time. And taking Red out right now was a bad, BAD idea. Mental warning signals and all that. It was ridiculous. Red was laying all across the bed, and she was rubbing the scales off. Apparently it was helping, at least, because he hadn't said a peep for a good 10 minutes. Which was a good thing. Sighing inwardly, she couldn't help but hope things would go back to normal soon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:22 pm
The World Is Now Proper ********, he'd finally managed it. Somehow, in spite of wanting to claw his god damn skin off, Red Star Ruby had managed to, at least, fall asleep. He'd fallen asleep curled up all over Zero's bed, with a mess of discarded scales all over her bedroom, but honestly, at that point, the cyborg couldn't care less if he'd fallen asleep upside down while sipping on a pineapple cocktail, as long as he was actually asleep and not trying to actively rile up anyone who wasn't her.
Why exactly she of all things had been exempt of Red's irritation... well, she had no idea. No matter how angry he was, he never seemed to take it directly on her.
Still, having a snake-like shadow all over her bed was a little annoying, and after trying, in vain, to find a small spot to slide herself in, the blue and black-haired cyborg gave up, and instead retreated to the sanctity of the couch for a good night's rest. Red was just like a cat, she couldn't help but think : spreading to full size in order to take every inch of free space as possible, against all logic and scientific explanation. Just because they could, and it was their right.
Unfortunately for Zero, this wasn't just an impression.
*****
bang.
bang bang bang
CRASH
The last sound was actually loud enough to awaken the cyborg sleeping on her couch, sending the black and blue-haired woman bolting upright. She'd never been a very deep sleeper, and she was on her feet before a few seconds had even passed. Her first thought had been a thief – there were certainly some stupid enough to try – but then she realized where the sound was now coming from, though it had degenerated to a dull, more subdued sound.
tap.... tap.... tap.... tap....
The idea of an extremely stupid thief was quickly discarded thanks to the source of the sound – her bedroom.
And if Red was awake again and actively ******** up her god damn bedroom, Zero was likely to burst a vein somewhere due to high pressure and open a can of whoop a**.
Yet, she opened the door and then stopped clean in the hallway, eyes suddenly wide. Sure, she could connect every dot that she was seeing, in a way that made perfect, clear sense, but disbelief still tincted her mind for the moment.
Her dresser had been knocked down on it's side, hitting the ground. That explained the banging and the crashing. Check.
Red's tail was wriggling in between the narrow space in between the dresser and the wall. tap... tap... tap... tap...
But Red's tail shouldn't be able to reach the dresser from the bed. At least, normally it shouldn't – but now there was a whole lot more tail than it used to be, falling from the side of the large bed and coiling around wherever it found space to do so.
There was also a whole lot more fiend – before, really, if she hadn't been living with Red day in and day out, she could have called him cute. The cute was gone, replaced by a whole lot more of shadow fiend that there previously were, and a six-pack that some prideful males worked their whole lives trying to attain, in vain.
Hell, she could almost call him awesome... if he hadn't been the single biggest pain the a** in recent history.
”God damnit, Red. Stop mauling my wall.”
No answer. Red Star Ruby was out like a light, and Zero sighed, turned on her heels, and went back to sleep on her couch.
But, damnit, tomorrow morning she was reclaiming her bed.
*****
As it was often the case, Zero was awake with the first few rays of the sun – she'd settled in her kitchen, sipping on her coffee, when it happened – a voice, familiar yet not, took over her mind by force.
'Red.' She 'said'. 'Righten. My ********. Dresser.'
And so another day started.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:23 pm
Butterfly Effect The three inhabitants of the large household all slept, in their respective places – Sei in his room at the back of the hall, and Zero in the first, each other of the rooms in the house unoccupied. Ever since most of its occupants had moved out, the house felt very... empty indeed. In spite of all this, Red had yet to truly claim a room of his own – his things were just all over Zero's bedroom, and he slept with her, in the large bed, curled up completely around it like if he was some kind of large, oversized cat, rather than a large, shadow-snake being. Truth of it was, Red had tried to sleep alone exactly once. And he had hated it. It was one of those things he couldn't explain, but he hated sleeping alone. There was something... unnatural with it. While he could feel a bit of irritation on Zero's part by him still taking over her bedroom in every shape or form, he was still there every night, curled up loosely around her. It was where he felt right – where he felt good. Even when Zero finally decided to give him a room – and he knew she would, it crossed her thoughts every now and then – something in the basement, which he had to admit would be nice – he would probably sneak back in here, every night. That night, however, Red would be glad that he was already here. Suddenly, he awoke, with a start – something pulled at his bond, annoyingly, pain, extreme pain – that wasn't his. Zero was screaming, flailing against... something invisible, in her sleep. Small slits were opening on her neck, blood flowing out. What the hell ?! In spite of his own pain, Red coiled upright, hissing, screaming right into her mind with enough force to awaken her and keep her from hurting herself further when her own hands closed around her neck in attempt to fight out the invisible force. There was the smell of smoke in the air, and it came from... from her robotic legs, and she cussed, loudly, even as Red sank into the shadows of the room, ready to ambush whatever force it had been if it showed itself. A voice screamed out Zero's name – Sei. There was a sound, a bin toppling over, and then he opened the door, blank gray eyes wide. Red had to actively keep himself from leaping in pure instict, in pure adrenaline-fueled reflexes. It wasn't surprising that the blonde had felt this as well. They had a bond, him and Zero, all of their own. He screamed her name again, and she answered, hoarsely. "Are you okay ?!?""I think so..." Zero slid herself up against the wall the best she could – her legs refused to move, and Red could feel her panic. Sei didn't seem aware of his presence, and for now it seemed like it was for the best. If that thing came back, the fa'e wouldn't be able to give away his presence in panic. There was blood sliding out in between Zero's fingers. "Hurts like a b***h, though." She had muttered as well as she could as Sei was bandaged the wound the best he was able. After that was done, Zero shook her head. "Go. You've got to make sure everyone else in fine, for me.” What ? So all this... Zero wasn't the only one ? Had she felt something that hadn't slipped through their bond ? Red was suddenly very, very confused. Sei seemed thorn. "What about you ? What if this happen again ?""Ill be fine. It's not like ill be very useful anyway." And she knew that Red was right there, in one of the rooms many shadows, ready to spring out like a cobra the second anything foreign came in here. She glared down at her cybernetic legs for a moment, before reaching out, flipping one side open, and throwing one slender, silver tube at her adopted son. "Take this with you."...One half on Zero's swords. The boy accepted it, nodding, looking up just in time to catch another object - small and shaped much like a bluetooth ear reciever. "If anything happens here, ill tell you." She tapped her teal and silver plated receivers, and he seemed to understand – good, because Red wasn't. "Now... go. Make sure everything's fine..."And after the blonde left, Red slid out of his hiding place, carefully. All trace of the thing's presence was gone, and Zero let her fingers slide through him as he rose back, coiling his tail on the free half of the bed. Red observed the bandages in turn – he had seen Zero do it so many times, after all, and became solid to tighten them just enough to stop the blood loss, carefully making sure he wasn't abusing his own strength. And then he only said one thing, one order, rage simmering in his mental voice. 'Rest.'
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 5:40 pm
In Recovery Zero slept. And Red Star Ruby never left her side. The blonde brat came and went, just as worried as he was, but for once they weren't actively antagonizing each other. There were others hit by this, the blonde teen had said. This was his fault, he'd admitted, and for the first time in his life, the fiend couldn't find the strength to be angry. Not with Zero like this. Not when it could have just as easily been him that could have compromised her so. Growing had taught him some kind of mental maturity, in spite of all appearances. Zero slept. And Red brushed a blue bang away from her face, in a manner that could be called tender. Sei came and went, but he didn't. Didn't need to eat. Had nothing in the outside world to distract him. Not from this. Not from her. The outside world could kindly ******** off. Sideways. He hated to see her like this. He hated it with every fiber of his shadow-like being, not the hate that made him angry, oh no, but the hate that made him feel sick, almost nauseous, like sinking rock where his stomach should have been that was going for a joyride. It was a feeling he only knew due to his link to the woman that slept into that bed, curled up into the sheets as if they were the only thing that kept her from sliding into the abyss. Zero had always been strong – physically, but also mentally, even if she wasn't aware of it, after she'd gotten up from crippling betrayals and wrongs time and time again. She was a fighter, and life had shaped her that way. Yet, in spite of all that had been done to her, she had never became bitter, not completely. It had only made her drive to protect the beloved even stronger than it was at the base. These were things that Red understood, that Red respected, in the woman that he called his guardian. But now, there was Zero, his Zero, bedbound, pale, too pale. The countless cuts along her neck as if someone had tried to garrote her with spikes, the lost blood that still stained the bedsheets. No sight, but the knowledge that her lower half was broken in a way beyond skin and bones, because it wasn't skin and bones, hadn't ever been – the thought so alien and yet very true. She was too pale, too fragile to be his Zero, and yet she was. She was broken, and there was no way he could fix her, not truly. And it made him feel ill. To see his Zero as the mere shadow of what she was, of what she had to be, of all that made her what she was. To think someone could do this to her without even getting close to her, without even coming into his sight, that someone could do this from worlds away... Coward. This Chaos was a coward of the highest degree, no honor, no chance to fight back. A dirty trick not even he would scoop down into willing using, not in a conscious state. Heavens help this Chaos if he ever showed up in his path, because he ******** wouldn't.He couldn't fix her, but Red could watch her – though his bond, much like he knew Sei was doing, but also with his eyes, never leaving the room. He was her support, her help when she was awake, her shadow in the truest sense of the world. She would recover. She could recover. She had to. If anything showed up in the meantime to try to stop that, he would be more than glad to kill them, end them in the most painful ways he could imagine. Maybe this would be the only time the small spitfire of a fighter that slept into that bed would allow him to truly be the guardian of a different sort, and not the other way around.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 4:29 pm
An Issue Of Design She'd been feeling better, after a few weeks of bedrest had passed, and with the fiend's help, she had started to repair her legs the best she could. The attack had pretty much unplugged everything, and she had needed Red's help with some cables, but it had also outright fried certain parts. As for her neck, the wounds had closed, and it was healing, though it was very evident that these marks were going to scar, in spite of every effort she'd taken to make sure they didn't. Damn. Her current problem, however, was her legs. She could walk – barely. Limping was a more accurate word for the current state of her movements – her legs only had to much range of movement, so anything beyond that was impossible, and even limping tired her out greatly because she had to put so much effort into moving, since there was no motor to help her out. And Sei had all but dissatisfied gods knew where, which didn't help her mood any, but Sei could take care for himself. He certainly could take care of himself. No, what truly irritated her, beside her current condition, was the fact that she could do nothing to better it. ”You have got to be ******** KIDDING ME.” Zero snarled, sending her cellphone flying straight in the wall. It left a dent, and it probably broke, and she couldn't care less at the moment. She was stark raving mad, something usually better left for Red. Red, for his part, had been lying against the wall for the best of that phone call, and he couldn't quite resist stealing Zero's own catchphase. 'Im not paying for it.'”Har har. So funny. This is me rolling all over the floor.” The attempt at humor failed, but in a way Red was glad. If Zero had the strength to be pissed off, then it was a good sign of her recovery. She could yell at him all she wanted, as long at it meant she wasn't getting worse. 'So... it didn't work out ?' He knew what the call had been about. Zero had been placing many of these calls in the last few days, trying to find what parts she couldn't repair for herself. It... wasn't working so hot. ”Gaia is so... ********... backwater.” Zero muttered, sinking some more into the couch. She couldn't send Sei to Xirian, they would kill him, being a living machine. She couldn't send Red to Xirian, if he even could go that far on his own – he would trip the guards like he had before, and would be likely to blow the whole planet off before bringing back what she needed. She couldn't go to Xirian, she was too weak still from the Chaos attack, limping, and would likely be dead before she turned a corner. Damnit. Damnit. ”I can't ******** stay like this.” She couldn't. She couldn't ******** live like this, crippled forever like some kind of war veteran, useless. Zero hated feeling useless. Red curled up around her in a rare moment of affection, resting his head against her shoulder. To be honest, a part of him was still very, very pissed off and annoyed that there was nothing he could do to truly help his guardian. At all. 'You'll make it work.' He tried to assure her. 'You always do.'”Hrmph.” She reached out for her cellphone, and then remembered she had thrown it... and sighed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 4:30 pm
This Is Getting Ridiculous It had been something like two months now, and Zero had, by large, recovered from the incident that had nearly taken her life, had Red and Sei not been there to help her. At least, she had recovered as much as she could, without the pieces that were broken in her cybernetic legs. She still couldn't find anything, any solution that didn't involve very deep trouble. And she had left her house exactly twice in those two months. Red Star Ruby wasn't quite so pleased with this. It was her pride speaking, he knew that. He was certainly similar on that point (weither or not it was something that the shadow had gotten from his guardian, or simply a personality point that they shared, he had no idea) and he knew it was because she didn't want to be seen as 'weak'. But it was getting ridiculous. Even to him. He missed Dio, he missed Mystic, he missed everyone, really, he'd even take Hawk at this point ! But he couldn't abandon her for a long period of time, not like this. 'We should go for a walk' He offered her, looming over her shoulder, looking at the computer screen, where lines of codes were being written at a near-insane speed. 'Maybe go to Twilight Designs. We need to go get groceries anyway.' Well, not so much we, but right now every argument was acceptable. ”Busy.” She answered, absent-mindedly. ”Sei told me he was getting groceries after work before going back to Raven's.” Type type type type... Red really, really wanted to punch that screen, but somehow restrained himself. It wouldn't earn him any favor. 'You realize your butt is about to join with that chair in a symbiotic relationship ?' He had no damn idea what symbiotic truly meant. He didn't care. The typing stopped, and Zero looked up to glare at him. ”You realize I havn't worked for almost two months and lost a good half of my clients ? Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.”'Nor would stepping away for an hour or so make you drop dead.' Red rolled his eyes. 'Zero, you're being too damn ridiculous.'”How the hell am I being ridiculous ? Because I'd rather not live in a cardboard box ?” Really. Red knew so little about how real life worked-- 'Did you forget there's a world outside that door ?' He waved one arm toward the bedroom door. 'And people out there that might be wondering where the ******** you are, maybe ?' Zero's eyes narrowed dangerously. Red was, as always, far from diplomatic, and it seemed like another fight would erupt. ”Don't ******** start with me again.”'I don't see what's stopping me--' The phone rang. Zero had gotten a new cellphone after the incident with the other one. More accurately, Red had gotten her a new cellphone after she'd ordered and activated it on the internet. Red had wound up punching the clerk in the face after he'd laughed at him not having most of his face – and Zero had laughed. Now, however, she took it and answered. ”Hey ? Oh, hey. Yeah, I've been busy... s**t happened...” Nothing more interesting than a one-sided phone conversation, but Red could make out the the voice on the other side. He knew it. It was Merci, and he couldn't help but wonder what strong power he had managed to please today. Maybe, maybe... ”This afternoon ? Uh...” She glared at Red – he only waggled his tail back and forth. ”I don't know...”Red banged his tail against the wall, just enough so that her laptop smacked closed. ”For ******** SAKE, RED !” Fortunately, she remembered she was on the phone. ”Oh, no, fine ! Yeah, yeah, give me an hour or so ? Okay. See ya.”The cyborg hung up, and gave the shadow a look that might have consumed any lesser being in hellfire on the spot. ”You totally planned this, didn't you ?”'You know.' He almost preened. 'Kind of wish I'd thought about it.' If he could have smirked, he probably would have.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 4:31 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 6:00 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:12 pm
Freedom Freedom was really a beautiful thing. Even if most of that freedom was spent working your a** off on any spare job you could find. Sure, she could have easily gotten back into her old programming and the like, but both her and Red had a very severe case of cabin fever, and had unanimously decided to spend as little time in the house as possible. Much to the frustration of whoever might have been looking for them at that time, really. Red didn't give a flying ********. Zero... a little more, but really. They were all old enough to take care of themselves. Zero had found a small part-time job as a delivery girl - which she oddly found that she enjoyed a great deal - being mostly small packages, she could use her motorcycle most of the time, and the company's car if she had something bigger to take care off that way. Her boss was a rather carefree and... well, not completely unattractive man. In his upper 40's, with a bit of graying there and there, but there was no denying that Anthony was, in fact, quite a looker. Or perhaps because of it. Gray-streaked-black was oddly sexy. At least Zero seemed to think so. Not that she'd ever dare act on it - but nothing against thinking. Red would argue otherwise, but in a way, she quite enjoyed driving him nuts this way. There was that little thing they called payback... But then, in a fit of irony, Red had found himself a 'job' as well. It had been during one of Zero's deliveries to a blacksmitting shop - where Red quite likely to go at, of course - that the fiend caught the owner's attention by lifting one of the heavy blocks of steel by himself - one handed at that. Quickly seeing the uses the fiend could have, Etrilyen agreed to teach Red the art of blacksmiting in exchange of his services - both for the heavy lifting and chasing down would-be-thieves, as needed. As if Red could have resisted such an offer, really. He'd only been wanting to learn since he'd come out of his stone, all this time ago. The poor elven craftsman probably had no idea how much the fiend would take delight into doing the latter, and Zero had thought to warn him... Only to decide that, really, it was about time Red learned to behave himself as needed - and if he couldn't, then learn how to face to consequences of his actions. Zero was a rough mama, perhaps. But it seemed, that at least, they'd found some sort of normality again. How long would it last, well... was completely up for debate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
