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 Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 10:02 pm
RP: Shi's Birthday Participants: Shi and Nika
Status: CompleteGreen_Eyes Nika wandered inside, clutching two boxes that had been carefully wrapped in purple paper. He was quite calm as he quickly placed the boxes on the closest counter.
Nika suspected that the calm, relaxed feeling he was experiencing would dissapear the moment he saw Shi. They had been alone together many times before but this time it was slightly different.
It was Shi's birthday.
...He had gifts... He had cooked the food on his own and had managed to do a fair job of it, of course, there had been much anwanted coaching from Gee... and he was dressed for the occasion...
It was simple, really, but quite obvious that he had put effort into choosing his outfit. His pants were long and black and his dark blue button-up shirt was tucked in.
As if suddenly remembering, Nika sniffed his collar. He smelled good... and Shi was due to be there any moment.
Nika rushed to work; he brought the food in from Gee's car and set the table.
Finally, Nika paused and double checked everything.
A white table-cloth covered a table that was set for two people in the middle of the room, a steaming bowl of spaghetti sat in the centre of the table and next to it was a bowl of spaghetti sauce.
Nika tilted his head to the side and sighed. It looked like he was going to be learning a lot soon. Training classes with Shi and possible cooking classes with Gee.
Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Nika nervously gathered Shi's gifts and placed them underneath the table.
Everything was ready...
If only he could stay calm. chaeval She read quietly the words...simply written in a neat, ornate flourish that was instantly recognizable as belonging to Nika.
There was a slight smile in her eyes as she contemplated them. Perhaps a bit of relief in an otherwise taxing day.
It had started out well enough. A boquet of flowers laid out in front of her door when she woke. But when she had realized that Chae had opened their doors to the Rade cub, her day was shattered. Anger, recriminations, tears had followed. But Chae had been unmoved by her passion.
The cub stayed.
So Shiva left. But not before finding the card. Pushing her wayward guardian from her mind. She prepared carefully. Her uncle Shem had given her some nice clothing to wear, so she donned it. Armor was well and good, but certainly not needed for dinner.
One would hope.
Pulling back her hair, she ran her fingers through it a few times and then twirled it upward, pinning it back and off her neck. Her fingers trailed the edge of her mask and she frowned.
Io had been freed. What of the rest of them?
More worries for another time. For once, she just wanted to forget. Really forget. And do more than watch from the sidelines.
Tucking a slip of paper in her slacks, she adjusted her pale sweater and walked out into the gathering moonlight. Green_Eyes Sound had never completely been seperate from his thoughts since he'd first remembered her. In fact, the memories that had once been unclear and buzzy making it impossible to recall much of anything were now sharp, particularly the ones he had of her face.
Nika shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other as he stood beside the door, anxiously awaiting Shi's arrival.
How lucky he was to have been cared for so passionately by two women. chaeval There was a light rain falling. A misty sort that wafted like soft petals, kissing with a warm and shy touch against the objects in its descent. Small droplets beaded in her hair, shimmering there softly as any jewel or precious thing. In her light ensemble, she could almost be a thing of rain and mist herself. A wraith or phantasm that was at play amongst the grays and muffled hues. A playful spirit that leapt amongst the clouds and fog.
The walk was not long. She dallied a bit, taking in the outside as she liked to do. But she did not want to be late.
Turning her head away from the falling skies, she walked the rest of the way to the house, and knocked gently.
The rain had barely penetrated, so light it was. It clung to her as a halo or a shroud. Green_Eyes Would she have dressed up? He fidgeted with his clothing, wondering if it was a little too much. Should he change? What if he did change and she actually was dressed up?
The knock on the door brought a thankful distraction to the worries scrambling around in his head.
He took a deep breath and opened the door. Nika's eyes crinkled into a pleased smile when he saw her, just standing there. Glowing. Nika unintentionally let a few moments pass by as he just stared at her.
It was raining, he realized suddenly. Nika stepped away from the door and gestured for Shi to come inside.
'You look beautiful, Shi.' chaeval She touched her hand to her hair nervously. *Thank you, I think. When it rains like this, everything shimmers so. It's more beautiful than we.* Her eyes crinkled briefly, as she looked about, taking in the pristine table, food, and low lighting. *Was this why you wanted to see me?* Green_Eyes Nika shut the door behind her and nervously glanced at the food. His culinary skills were lacking and he could feel the blush rise into his cheeks.
His tone was rushed and almost apologetic, as if he felt like he had done something wrong when he spoke,'I'm afraid I'm not much of a cook. I wanted to do something specail for your brithday... and I just figured that if I cooked... I mean, Gee sure laughed at me... I burnt the first batch of sauce, without meaning to, of couse... and...'
He just shut up. Rambling wasn't something he did often. Nika cleared his throat and ran a nervous hand through his hair. What if she didn't like it? chaeval His sudden awkwardness caused her to laugh. She had never seen him so flustered. Never as she could remember. Crisis and all manner of trials had not caused a hesitation in him. Now to hear the rush in his words and eagerness...
The mirth overflowed and she felt her eyes tearing with joy. *It's lovely. Really. Even if you had served it blackened and crusted. It would still be lovely. But you didn't. We might make a well rounded person of you yet! Fighting, cooking, and diplomacy.
She touched his cheek. *You really are precious.* Green_Eyes 'Aww, Shi,' he shrugged, feeling his skin flush when she touched his mask, where his cheek would have been. Briefly, he wandered what it would be like to be able to feel her palm against his face. It had been so long since he'd felt anything but the material of the mask against his face.
'I'm glad you like it. Honestly, I think the sauce might not taste normal-'
Nika paused, noticing the tears in her eyes, 'Shi? Is something wrong?' He sounded concerned. chaeval *Im fine.* she hastened to assure him. *See? Im smiling. I just...I was thinking some thoughts that made me a bit too mirthful to express only one way. Just how lovely you are when you aren't trying to be something else. Withough a mask. However ironical that is.* Green_Eyes Nika sighed with relief. Months ago, he had been unfortunately good at upsetting her, accidentally. Perhaps, he'd finally done something right.
He ran a hand though his blonde hair and chuckled at the rest of Shi's comment.
'I...' his eyes crinkled into a smile, unable to think of what to say. She thought he was lovely?
Suddenly finding his tongue, Nika smirked and playfully nudged her, 'I bet you won't find me lovely once my spaghetti sauce has you sick in bed.' chaeval *No?*She challenged. *It may be the other way around. And I would have to make you play nurse and learn THAT skill in the meantime as I recovered. Or is this your plan to get out of weapons training?* She put her hands on her hips, matching his bantering tone.
*Poison the teacher and get out of class? Have you been hanging out with Ashirra and Fauve again?* Green_Eyes 'Shi,' he laughed and rolled his eyes, 'If that was my plan, do you think I would have gone through so much trouble to warn you against eating the food? Besides, if I had been with Fauve and Ashy, I think we could of come up with much more creative things to...'
Nika tried the best he could not to laugh as he pulled a chair out from the table and motioned for Shi to sit down on it.
'I mean... ever since the first time I saw the two of them juggle, I've kind of been wanting to learn. Do you think I could talk them into teaching me?'
It was true. He wanted to learn so many things. Now, come to think of it, the nurse idea wasn't too bad of an idea. Although, he was sure that he wouldn't have to poison anybody for his own purposes. chaeval She slipped in to the seat he pulled out, glancing at the setting briefly before looking back up.
*Subterfuge.* she answered *Warning me exonerates you of suspicion if the event of poisoning did happen.*her eyes crinkled in amusement *Which I am sure will not be the case.*
He seemed much more at ease, boyishly eager to tackle any and all new things that came his way, and seek out even more. *Juggling now too? Are you planning to run off with them and join a circus?* she smirked a bit at the implication. *Im sure they'd love to teach you. Why wouldn't they?*
Part of her wondered at their banter. Didn't they have more important things to concern themselves with? What about rebuilding? Or starting over? or even the possibility of danger? What about the rade cub that was sitting in her house right now?
No. She wasn't going to think about any of that. Just some quiet for a bit. No angst. No fervor. No panic. She could manage that, couldnt she? Or did she have to keep running from one disaster to the next? Green_Eyes Nika took the seat across from her. He was hungry and curious to know what the food would taste like. It was the first meal he had made and Nika couldn't help being proud of it.
He slowly piled some of the noodles into his bowl and covered them in sauce.
'Oh, I would make an excellent clown, wouldn't I?' he grinned at Shi over the steaming bowl of spaghetti, 'I don't think I could run anywhere without you, however.'
He poked cautiously at the spaghetti sauce with his fork and glanced at Shi, 'Would you like to try it first or shall I?' chaeval *A clown huh?*she replied. *I suppose I could learn a useful skill like knife throwing...or swinging about on a trapeze...* she chuckled at the mental imagery of it all. *A masked circus. We should all be so fortunate...*
Taking her own fork, she resisted the urge to poke the dish. *Together? On the count of three?* She laughed *Or did we want a survivor left behind to get help?* Green_Eyes 'Lion taming?' he suggested, his mind wondering. The Rade cubs their camp ahd taken in were going to be a big challenge, and hopefully, they wouldn't cause too much trouble.
'A survivor would be nice...' he laughed, 'But how will we decide who takes the first bite? Better to do it together, someone's bound to notice us missing sooner or later. Hopefully, sooner.'
'One...' chaeval *Lion taming? But which would tame which?* she twirled a bit on her fork and then smirked. *two...* she slipped the food into her mouth before he could count to the next digit. *If one of us has to go, I'd rather it be me.* she smirked. *I can think of no better end than poisoned by a beloved hand on my birthday.* Green_Eyes 'No fair,' he half-laugh-half-gasped, before stuffing some of the food into his own mouth.
It wasn't great... but it wasn't bad either. Nika grinned, proud of himself. It didn't look like either of them would be going home sick.
He laughed after swallowing, 'Should we wait awhile, just in case the affects aren't immediate?' chaeval *I'm feeling daring tonight, and it's fine.* she grinned and continued to eat. *Did you really doubt it?* Green_Eyes 'No,' he laughed and shook his head, eating slower this time, 'I think if there had been anything wrong with it, it would have been Gee's fault. She insisted that I was doing it wrong... but I was following the instructions in the cookbook exactly.'
He grimaced at the memory.
'So, finally, I said that I would wear an apron if she would leave me alone. She took pictures...' chaeval *aha!*her eyes lit up *Future blackmail material! I must see if I can get a copy. Frills and lace would look SO cute on you!* her own audacity amazed her, but it was too amusing not to tease him. Green_Eyes 'Its not too late for me to ruin that film, you know. I don't believe she's gone to get them developed yet,' Nika winked at Shi, suppressing a laugh and tilted his head to the side as he ate. He would never admit it aloud, but he hadn't hated wearing the apron.
'So?' he pointed at the spaghetti, 'What do you think? Pretty good for my first try?' chaeval She savored her answer for a moment. *Passable. And for a fact we both live. I would qualify this as a success. Dinner, an empty house, and a fine misty rain. What next?* Green_Eyes Nika grinned slyly at Shi and ducked his head under the table cloth, to emerge seconds later with two carefully wrapped packages of the same size. The wrapping-paper was purple, sleek and shiny. Wrapping gifts was fortunately something he was fairly skilled at.
'Presents,' he grinned and carefully handed the gifts to Shi over the big bowl that had once been full of spaghetti.
He stood up and cleared the table, dumping everything into the sink in the kitchen before hurrying back to his seat.
'I hope you like them...' chaeval She laughed and began looking for the seam to open the paper from so that she could preserve the wrapping as well as the gift. Frequently exasperating was her tendency NOT to rip open presents with gusto. She preferred to savor the moments, and the memories.
Slipping her finger up the one edge, she felt the paper fold away from her expertly applied pressure and winked at Nika. *Should I ask what it is before I finish?* Green_Eyes 'It's not food,' he laughed, finding it hard to watch her slowly unwrap the presents. He had never been patient with things like that and usually found himself tearing through the paper at record speed...
Atleast Shi's way was a lot cleaner.
When Shi had finally gotten through all of the paper and flipped the flaps of he first box open, a large, beautiful Faberge Egg sat in the middle, wrapped in bubble-wrap...
The second box contained a second faberge egg, wrapped much the same way.
 There was a note taped to inside of the second box that read;Note Dear Shi,
I had a heck of a time finding something I knew you would love. Even now, I'm not sure about them. They are beautiful, yes. However if they do not bring a smile to your face, I have failed; for your smile is a beautiful thing in its own and so worth anything I could do to put it there.
-Love
Nika chaeval Shiva's fingers agitated the orbs from their packaging. She touched them gently, the luster of them shimmering in the light. They were beautiful. Perfect.
Carefully nestling them back down, she got up and walked over to his chair, sliding her arms around his shoulders and hugging him tightly.
*Thank you.* she said softly. *Not just for now...for this, but for always.* Green_Eyes Nika grinned and returned Shi's hug. He was so glad that she liked what he'd done tonight. He'd certainly had his doubts. Afterall, he HAD been the one to make the food.
'I'm happy you like them.'
Nika used a hand to gently push on the back of Shi's knees. If he had managed to startled her and he was correct, the affect should have toppled her into his lap. He wasn't sure if it would work, though, as Shi was a warrior and her reflexes were likely very impressive. chaeval If anything had been on her mind, it had not been self defense. As a result, she tumbled quite as expected. There was a startled sound that was part squeal and part cry of startled indignation...but then she was laughing.
*That was hardly at all fair.* she accused through narrowing eyes. *Are you sure you wanted to bait me now?* Green_Eyes At first, he'd been worried that he'd hurt her. That would have been a horrible end to a lovely night. He relaxed when she started laughing, relieved that he hadn't hurt or angered her.
'I feel daring,' he shrugged simply, smirking playfully at her.
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 10:03 pm
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 10:08 pm
RP: Nika's Birthday Participants: Shi and Nika Status: Incomplete chaeval The first thing she had needed was a setting worthy of the occasion. The general was not too hard to figure out...but the specific was what was called for. After all, it was a day that needed to be properly prepared and centered.
From the trees to the lake, they had always made nature their touchstone. Something that they could parlay and meet in accord in. A safe haven, a refuge.
So outside was the spot. But where?
It took several days of careful search before she decided. It was a small growve not on the lake, but near enough that the vantage point showed it. When the sun settled there, it spread gold and red across the placid surface. Beautiful.
The area itself needed work though. Dried and dead leaves, muck and time had worn at its beauty. She needed to bring that back to life, without making it too artificial.
Pulling her hair back, she began to work with a will, using sand and water to wash down the rocks, so that they could be used as seating. She pulled another few in to place that could serve as a table. She scrubbed these down as well, and then raked carefully the area, clearing the dead leaves from it. These she hauled out of sight, and then smoothed the dirt underneath her hand.
A path. It needed a path of some sort. Nothing too elaborate though...
She searched for the flat stones needed for several hours. Wide enough for the human foot to trod on safely, but not too large that they stole from the nature of the setting. She wanted nothing to detract from that.
When she finally hauled them in to place, she was perspiring heavily, her hair ragged and knotted, and her clothes torn and muddied. She sighed and kept going. Time was not on her side in this case. The pun almost made her laugh and groan both.
Removing the small laterns, she hung them where they twirled gently in the branches, dangling a small set of chimes there as well. They were of a medium pitch, neither too light nor too deep. Something that would enhance the sounds of water and sky, without overbearing them. A reminder of things that moved around them.
Then she set out the instruments she needed. The stone carved tea-set that her Uncle had sent her for her own birthday. She thought of noone better to share it with. Setting them aside reverently, she did not want to soil them by the dirt on herself. So she dipped briefly into the pond, relaxing her musles that were stiffening up. And then finished her settings.
Now all that was needed was the means to draw him there. . .
++++++++
Shiva crept quietly to the door that she knew Gee and Nika slept behind. Slipping an envelope under the door, she turned and retreated with silent haste. The name on the envelope was addressed to the one she wanted to read it. She trusted Gee to see Nika got it.
Under pouting branches we met
A childhood challenge
Where we sometimes fled
Her next destination was the tree where she had run to and Nika found her. She had decided on the means to lure him to the spot.
A treasure hunt, of sorts.
Green_Eyes It hadn't taken him long to figure the riddle out. When Green had handed him the unopened envelope he'd immediately recognised the writing and realised who the letter had came from.
Shiva. He smiled and looked towards the sky, letting his mind wander as his legs carried him towards the place he knew she would be. Her riddle had surprised him. The young man had simply assumed that nobody had known about his birthday. Gee had made a small cake, and he had celebrated with her and Bizzy, but he had wanted to spend some of the night with Shi. So, he'd been pleasantly surprised when he'd figured out where he was supposed to go. chaeval The tree had obviously not moved from its location, there hanging in the breeze was a small, brightly colored pouch swinging from the very branch they sat on.
It was bulky, but light, as if there were something inside that weighed little. Swinging in a rather teasing fashion, as if challenging the now adult Nika to scale these heights he had dominated as a youngling. Green_Eyes Nika hadn't spotted the brightly colored pouch immediately. The young man stood beneath the tree for countless minutes, wondering where Shi was or if he'd been wrong.
'Under pouting branches we met
A childhood challenge
Where we sometimes fled'
The words cycled through is mind and Nika turned every single one of them around in his head, looking for something he had missed. Anything.
He through his head back in frustration- and that was when he saw it, swinging from the branch he and Shi had sat on so long ago.
A smirk was hidden behind his mask as he spoke, 'Clever Shi.'
He was only slightly worried that the limbs would not hold him as he climbed. Bits of bark and leaves fell as he went and there was one sickeningly tense moment when he heard a crack.
He hurried upwards, planning on choosing the branches more carefully when he climbed back down.Finally, he was there. He carefully manouvered himself into a sitting position on a branch that hung just below the branch the pouch hung from. His breathing was slightly irregular as he took the pouch from the limb and opened it. chaeval 
A boyhood pasttime
whittling away the hours
where water lies as still as glass
where fish lie just below the surface
where plants grow, in painstaking labor
a truce with nature.Green_Eyes Nika examined the shard of glass carefully, holding in it in the palm of his hand. After a moment or two, he gently placed it back in the pouch and turned his attention to the hint.
He ran it over and over in his mind several times, looking at the clue as a whole. Inspiration struck and he looked at it as seperate pieces of a puzzle.
'Where plants grow, in painstaking labor,' he murmured, contemplating what it could mean. A forest? No. It just didn't... fit.
..Hardwork; there was something... where plants grow? Hardwork and plants... A garden! That had to be it.
A boyhood pasttime? A truce with nature? Water and fish?
Satehl came to mind. He smirked. Nika had heard about the time Satehl had run off in search of fish for Cern's pond.
'A pond has water,' he spoke the words as if nobody had spoken them before, 'and fish, possibly.'
The young man was still unsure of where to go. Okay, so Cern had a pond, that didn't necessarily mean that Cern's pond was his next destination.
Even if the other teenager had created the thing when he'd been a boy... and he DID have a truce with nature. He was Terra, after all.
There! He had it.
A feeling of achievement flooded him and Nika placed the hint back in the pouch, pocketed it, momentarily forgetting about the piece of glass, and climbed back down the tree as carefully as he could.
Once on the ground, he headed for Cern's pond. chaeval The pond area was relatively undisturbed. The long grasses swished gently in the wind, and the water trickled gently in the calmness.
Looking about, a glint of gold flashed tellingly against the pond itself. There, lying on the edge was clearly something meant to be found.
Picking it up, there was a slight rattling sound, as if there were something inside. . .tilting it ever so slightly, you can see that there is some parchment curled up inside. Green_Eyes He spotted it instantly. Nika hurried to the glint of gold and picked it up. The rattling sound surprised him as he'd spent a moment or two searching for the next clue and the young man used two fingers to carefully pull the piece of parchment out.
Nika was enjoying the scavenger hunt Shi had sent him on; it made him think and his mind was always wondering where he would be sent to next. A smile curled the corner of his eyes upwards as he uncurled the parchment and read it. chaeval The parchment read simply, in an azure blue ink Try looking at things with a different perspective.Green_Eyes 'Try looking at things with a different perspective?'
Nika stared at the newest hint, bewildered and at a complete loss as to what he should do next.
This was surpising a twist, but something he considered a pleasure. He'd thought it had been challenging before, and now, he was presented with a real thinker.
A smirk played across his face, hidden behind his mask.
She was so clever and he loved her for it...
...but he wasn't sure he would be able to figure out what the newest clue was getting at.
He worked everything over inside of his head; thouroughly considering everything he thought of and after a few long minutes he had not come to a conclusion.
He retrieved the dark blue pouch containing the last hint and the shard of glass from his pocket and placed the golden fish inside the pouch.
It was then that he realized he really had absolutely no idea what the piece of glass was for. As far as he could remember; Shi and he had never encountered glass during their adventures... and he wasn't sure what it could represent.
He took the piece of glass from the pouch, replaced the pouch back in his pocket and turned to examine the piece of glass. There didn't seem to be anything specail about... What if he turned it this way?
One false move caused the glass to slip and cut his hand. He gasped, more surprised than hurt, and the newest hint and the piece of glass fell to the ground.
He took a moment to examine his hand; the cut wasn't deep as the glass had barely grazed his flesh. It looked more like a long paper-cut.
Nika ignored the tiny stining pain and bent to carefully pick up the hint and the piece of glass. He paused and blinked in suprise, staring down at what he'd found. The glass had landed directly on the blue ink... chaeval The newest hint had been nestled behind the old, the words so carefully formulated and spaced as to be obscured by the blue text. Only by filtering the blue out could one see the real message. It was short. And blessedly unobscured. Hungry yet? Meet me by the lake.Green_Eyes Nika grinned, relieved that he wouldn't have to figure out another clue as he was having to think harder then he normally would, which was a good thing, he supposed.
'Actually,' he chuchkled, 'I'm starving.'
He picked the piece of glass and the piece of paper up of the ground, placed them in the blue pouch and hurried to meet Shi by the lake.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:11 pm
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:25 pm
It had been a few weeks since finding Nika. Two, to be precise. The odd day or two more or less did not detract from the overall timeframe.
Her mind worked that way recently. Twitchy, Chae called it. Only she hadn't called it that. Shiva had still very little to say to her guardian. Embarrasment post growing had bloomed into outright estrangement once Chae had introduced that rade cub into the mixture.
She hated all things Rade with a passion.
The last time she had been this emotionally spent, she had stumbled across Sei, who had given her some equilibrium. She hadn't seen him since that day...and even though she was sure he was there the day Nika had shed his mask, she had not found him.
Perhaps he would be around this time. She had very little else to turn to. Even if she wasn't sure exactly where he lived, the closeness would be there.
"Do I gotta??" The young Rade looked up at the masked man, then back to the masked woman in the woods. Charlie was growing and strong for a cub that was raised away from his pride, but it was needed, and he knew why.
As for the man, he nodded simply, then walked deeper into the woods he called home. Charlie just knew he was enjoying all of this. Greatly. This man had a very twisted since of humor at times.
He signed and finally padded towards the girl, making as much noise as he could. It would be safe since they weren't in the other Rade's land. "Hey.." He called out, just incase. Last thing he wanted to do was sneek up on the known Rade hater.
The greeting did not fall on deaf ears in the least. Turning quickly, she kept her hands noticably near her weapons. But not on them.
Her eyes narrowed spitefully. Only to those that did not pay attention did Rade look alike. This one she knew.
*What is it?* she said, no trace of friendliness in her tone. Great. She had come for friendship and instead had another Rade shoved under her nose.
The Universe had a sick sense of timing.
"Um.." He started out, then frowned. If she was going to treat him agressivly then he might as well stand his ground, right? He looked back at her, determiation in his gold-green eyes. "Look, I know you don't like me and other Rade.But you also know I'm not your foe. I'm a friend. And you know that I could hurt you, but I don't. Just as I know you can hurt me, but don't." This wasn't going to change a thing, but it felt good to say.
"And anyway, I'm just being suckered into being a erron boy. The old man wants to talk to you." The Rade went on, starting to turn away from her. Yep, showing his back to her, though his ears were turned to listen to her movements.
Friend? only the knowledge of how extremely demeaning to herself it would be...prevented Shi from laughing outright.
*I have no Rade friends.* she answered with a simple grimness. *It is not by my own determination you live. But it will also not be my determination that you die. Such is life. I forget much, but I remember a little more every now and then. And whenever I remember your kind, I remember the pain that has been given.*
That was more than she had meant to say, but it had burst from her at his instigation. His turning his back to her galled her. Gritting her teeth quietly she said *I will follow you back.*
'You shouldn't be so hard on him.' Sei's soft voice told her. He had, of course, been listening. He was waiting for them, leaning against a tree, his staff in hand.
"I hope you're happy. Shi hates Rades, even me. And I did nothing wrong!" He gripped, looking back at her. Then he sighed, walking around the tree Sei was on before taking a seat next to it. On the farest side from Shi.
Shi blinked slightly at the admonishment. Then crossed her arms. *I wasn't trying to be hard on him.* she argued, suddenly argumentative. *But Im not about to offer him a backrub and some kitty chow, okay?*
There was an amused twinkle in Sei's dark eyes. 'Kitty chow..?' He asked, the cartoony image of a kitten Charlie being very happy around a little bowl of what looked like cat food flashed in their minds gently. There were little hearts coming from the cartoon-kitty.
Charlie shot him a dirty look for that. "I don't even know what it is." He muttered.
Shi felt amusement threaten, but refused to give in to it. *Are you okay? Nika was rattled by what happened, but when we found him, you weren't around. It was you that helped him, wasn't it?*
'Might.' He said simply, studying her for a moment before he spoke again. His mental voice was still soft and calm. 'How have you been?'
She shrugged. *I've been keeping busy with things. This and that. Things have been rather quiet lately, so I don't trust it to last.* she matched her own tone to his. He seemed to be acting oddly a bit. And he didn't answer her questions. Not that ... that was new or anything, but it hurt a bit, the nonchalance.
*I just wanted to check on you and see you were okay.* she repeated, a bit inanely.
'I am alright. Could be better, but Lyra is currently mad at me for Nika.' He told her simply, not at all ashamed to be aquantinces with the other masque female that others seemed to dislike. But that was her own doing.
'Had to leave the area before you and the others arrived. Sorry.' He explained a bit lamly.
She hadn't thought of that. She frowned slightly behind her mask, biting her lower lip. Surely a breach of decorum, but noone was there to see it...if even they could.
*We make your head hurt.* she affirmed in understanding, trying not to frown more about his comment on Lyra. He should stay away from that woman...but Seii apparently liked living on the edge...
Scowling, she tried to think about something else. *Can I get you anything? Do you need to sit down a bit?*
His shoulders shook lightly in a silent chuckle before he looked over at her once more. 'I am alright. Yes, others make my head hurt if I am too weak to place sheilds. Shields are in place.' He told her. The last was to let her know he wasn't in a weakened state now.
*Oh.* she said. *that's allright, then.*
She suddenly felt awkward, not knowing what to say. Why was it she was always so tied up in knots these days.
*It was...good for Nika, what you did for him.* she affirmed. *It's too bad that woman is upset. But he deserves to know, since he wanted to. It's his right. In the end, it might perhaps make him happy. I'd like to see that happen.*
She hesitated for a moment, but then *Obviously you didn't do it for my gratitude, but you have it anyway.*
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:38 pm
Always the protecter. Always trying to take care of another, but then.. she and the other dragon mask(s) were the last of the gaurds, so he didn't blame her. How could he?
'You are correct. Gratitude is not required, but accepted.' He softly told her. Though there was something else he wanted to say, and he waited abit before speaking again, finding the correct words. 'What has happened to make you so... stiff... to a friend?' He finally asked.
Of course, there was the obvious answer that she was this way to seperate herself from her empathic nature. But he wanted her to say what it was, rather than guess.
It wasn't like it wasn't obvious, but she felt rather deflated to have been pierced so quickly and efficiently.
*Things.* she answered, her own voice rather subdued. *Life, I guess. The easy answers. Im not entirely sure. Things are changing very quickly now, and I'm trying to adapt. But many of the things that change make me very wary. I often feel like I need to be on edge all the time to wait for the traumatic things I think are hovering out of sight, to descend.*
She shrugged. *Sometimes I think I don't fit in my own skin. But I guess that could be normal enough. It seems noone needs me to protect them anymore.*
Sei stood there for a few moments before he started to slide down the tree, taking a seat on the soft moss that grew in the shade. He was mulling over what she had said, working out a reply.
'Some.. believe that our bodies are simply shells for a time, for our souls. Currently, the mask is.. holding us all back. We aren't as we were.'
'You remember your role, yes? Protecter... but we aren't as we were,' He repeated, looking at her. 'Roles have changed. You need a new role, or to realise it.'
'In a twisted way... the accedent came out to be something good, in the end.' He said carefuly, then continued before she could start with how horrible it was for the lose of life. But everyone dies sometime. Some sooner than others. It was callause of him, but wasn't about to do something about it. 'Before, Nika still suffered from the loss of his wife. You were never able to be close to comfort. Now you have that chance, that ability if you choose.'
She shrugged *Old habits die hard.* she said, finding comfort in the platitude. *I still want to protect people. I find myself doing so, regardless of if it is needed or not. I find in most instances, such urges are useless. On a dead world, who needs a protector?* she shrugged again, leaning against the tree.
*There is truth in what you say. Roles have been redefined. And yet...what we had could not have been all bad. But how can one determine that which is fitting and that which should be discarded when memory is like a phantasm? Such things are difficult. I knew my role once. I was good at it, I thought. Not good enough, apparently. I wasn't able to prevent this, but that is a guilt many bear. It is not a useful guilt. It yields nothing constructive that one can learn from.*
Sighing she went to rub her eyes, and then stopped as she touched the cold surface of her mask. *Nika grieved for a long time. I wasn't able to help before. He would let noone near but his children. I do not know what comfort they gave him. But was our relationship built on lies? He has not said. It worries me, that now he recalls his one true love...that a lesser affection has no place.*
Lesser affection. She cared for him with a passion that was far from less. But if she downplayed it...maybe the eventual and feared breakup would not devestate her as much.
There was a faint smirk on his face, not that she could tell. 'Lesser love? No, I think not. My sister was no doubt that, but just because one loves one, and that one has gone over, this doesn't mean he can't love another. He will always have a place in his heart for her, but that doesn't mean there isn't anyroom for anyone else.' He told her seriously.
'And you are protective. It is good, will be good for the children that come.' He added, another twinkle in his dark eyes. 'The world isn't dead. Very much alive, just look around, there is much to do.' He went on, jestering to the woods.
She was shocked into a small chuckle. Nervous almost. Self conscious. *Children? Getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren't you?*
She sobered quickly though. *Dead to us, I mean. Perhaps that is just as well. The other life can thrive now.*
He smiling grinned under his mask, then it faded for her other statement. 'Why do you say it is dead to us? Because it is not as you remember it? I have lived in the woods, even before the accedent.' He said.
*Because it's empty.* she replied simply. *I see crumbling ruins, and they hold little meaning for me. I see faces, and save for brief glimmers of thought, there is no association. This entire planet screams nothingness. The birds, and the plants do not feel this. The ruins do not. The house in the woods does not. It is not something that can be weighed and sounded.*
'Homeless.' He said simply, nodding. His woods were no longer his when he awoke, and he remembered that feeling. Even now he wasn't as attached to things as he had once been. 'I understand the feeling. One day, I will enjoy seeing beyond our world. Return here, for here is..... home. Regaurdless. Your attachments for here are hollow. I have a cabin, with pictures, with ... my old life. Old attachments. But not as strong as once were.' He told her, his voice still soft.
She shrugged. *It has gotten more prevalent as I grow older.* she answered. *Or rather, I become more able to understand the feelings that are there. I used to think that the new could overcome the old...but the old is more powerful in its mystery. I wonder if we are not just the ghosts that haunt this place now.*
Again his shoulders shook in a silent chuckle. 'Then you are suggesting us ghosts should move on to a higher plan?' He asked her, a slight teasing in his soft voice.
She shrugged, a short indication of her own shoulders. *I don't really know what I am saying. Just what is there in my mind. My own efforts never seem enough, perhaps I could be a proper haunt.*
'Relax.' He said, somber and serious once more. Then he sighed, getting back to his feet. 'Come, let me show you something.' He told her, starting to walk deeper into the woods.
Charlie looked up at this and got to his own feet, starting to follow them. Their foots steps were soundless as they walked through the woods.
She unwound herself, and padded after him quietly. *I gather that Im not to know our destination yet?* she asked.
'You who spent your life in the city and the palace, I doubt you would even know where it is we go.' He said ruefully. 'Just a good view. I had wanted to show Lyra, but she wouldn't listen.' The last was more to himself than to her. Ah well.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 8:19 am
She frowned at the implication. And additional frustration. *I will have to take your word for that, won't I?* she kicked at a rock at her feet. She didn't intend to sound surly, but she didn't intend alot of things
This time a sigh rang though the telepathic link they were sharing. It was followed by him glancing at her over his shoulder. 'You were too busy, I'm sure. And it this is pretty far for the King to hve roamed. However, I could be wrong.' He said.
'You are greatly wound up, still, Shiva.'
*I probably liked being busy.* she replied, with only faint defensiveness. *And I am, Im sorry.*
'Yes, you worked very hard and now, suddenly, there is nothing to really work hard on, nor have you found something to place that in.' He said, coming into his own conclusions, really. But at least he was being verble in them.
She shrugged, knowing that to be a foregone conclusion, something she had already expressed, just not in the same exact words he used.
*I can't recally, really.* she repeated. *I just feel it sometimes.*
'Feeling is good. Is correct for what I remember..' He said, his voices now turned a bit sad. Then he sighed again. 'The past and memory of it is important to you, isn't it?' he finally asked, leading up up an incline. It wasn't a steep climb, one they could easily make.
*It's mine, whether it is good or bad.* she answered. **you mentioned it yourself, these masks hold us back. They keep things from us, seperate us from what we are. If it were a truly new start...* she said more softly *It might be different...but how can a start be new when all that is there remains? Things sometimes tease me with questions that I cannot answer. One can equate it to living with a limb removed. That limb may have been unhealthy, but it was still a part of you.*
He nodded, being silent still as he lead her up the incline. After a bit of quiet walking, he stopped, looking back at her. 'To first move on, you must look back?' He inquired.
*possibly so.* she conceeded. *But if we cannot make a true choice...knowing it all, is it not just being a victim to our circumstance? Is this in truth freedom?* she tapped her mask. *If it was, why have Io, and Nika chosen to not continue on as we are? Is that a choice any of us can honestly make? To choose to live with only half of ourselves?*
Some things we know have been locked up, not by the curse, but by ourselves. To regain one's fully self is a dangerous thing. Especailly if you are not fully prepared.' He told her in warning. 'As I am, I am limited and I could not help if one remembered something to great for them.'
'Would you be willing to take that chance?'
She stopped in mid step, turning and staring at him for a moment. *Too great?* she inquired. *Is there something you know that I don't?* she kept her eyes locked on him *Or have you chosen to be content with half of yourself?* there was no condemnation in that question, but a sraightforward request for informatiom.
'Content? No. I would like out of the mask as well. But... I have a fear. That all of my memories are not yet back. That I might have an event too great that I have locked up.' He told her. 'There are some events we forget, because we cannot bear it. To have it rush at us can be very bad, mentally. If I were to have that happen.. I do not know what would happen to the rest of you.' He confided in her.
She frowned, digesting that. *would it be better to have others around to help you, in that case?* she answered.
'. . . How would others help me?' He asked her, now wondering this. He was telepathic to begin with... If it was great enough, mere words wouldn't be enough.
Though, he was seriously thinking about taking the risk. After he had a chat with... well either Nika or Lyra.
*How can others that care about not help?* she countered fairly. *If we are going to do some in depth soul searching, let's turn it all ways. You hide out here...whether hiding for or away from something. You like your privacy, but even that can deal with closeness sometimes. right?*
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 8:46 am
There was another smile spreading on his face. Bout time someone started to trun this around. 'Not a people person. The other gaurds were not... my friends. And I stopped trusting many people around me all at once.' He told her, debating if he should slip into the full details or not. Those weren't good times. 'Your mother taught me how to defend myself, if you recall.'
She frowned. *I...hadn't recalled.* she said tentatively. But now that the words had been spoken, it sparked recollection.
*People can be ignorant.* she just said in response *Not all people are like that. And like you said. Things are different now.*
'Some things scar, even in this life. However, I am slowly recovering.' He said, as if to reassure her that he was fine.
'What do you remember of then?' He then asked, almsot suddenly.
*About you? Just what you've told me. I remember the woods a little...did you ever bring me here?*
she frowned a bit *I remember the night of the ball a bit. That there was noise, and dancing, and that I was somehow not really a part of it. I remember that Lyra had been there...but we sent her off. I remember a bright light.*
The flashes were coming more quickly *I remember my mother's voice, I remember the day she died. I remember how cold it felt, knowing she was dead. I remember the day that the Queen died. And I remember how much Nika mourned thereafter. He changed then...even an outsider could see.*
He nodded solomly, then turned from her, walking forward again and moving aside the brush. Beyond them was the landscape of forests, out in the distance was a medow and a river. But mostly the view was that of one up high on a clift. Which he had lead her too. Just to enjoy the view.
'I don't expect to be remembered.' He said softly.
*That's the point, though.* she answered softly. *I don't remember. Almost anything. Sometimes...when I'm with people, I can see bits and pieces. But others....*
*I want to remember those things.* she felt she had hurt him, and that wounded her as well. *I'm sorry I don't. I try sometimes, but the memories just won't come!*
This time a chuckle was sent. It was only how he had imagened how his chuckle would sound, if he had a voice. 'As I said, I expect no one to remember me. Even Io had trouble remembering me. I'm not hurt by it.' He told her reassuringly.
*But it hurst me.* she objected. *What other things don't I know anymore? What other faces or voices? What other friends...* she shook her head. *if there is pain in memory, is it all just pain and nothing else? Life isn't just one thing or another...it can't be. I want to feel like a whole person again...and I can't as I am.* she shook her head.
*there is no decision in this. It has already been made.*
He was quiet again, going to the open grass and taking a seat, laying his staff down beside him. 'What do you remember... of your mothers death?' He asked finally, not looking at her.
She was startled, although she should not have been. Sitting down she shook her hair away from her face.
*I- not as much as there was...I don't think.* she answered quietly. *I remember that there was a reason I hate the Rade...and that her life and the loss thereof was not the least of it...*
She felt suddenly chilled and hugged
herself.
He simply nodded to this. 'She was a good person.' He said, leaning back on his hands.
she didn't say anything at first, but then her voice came out quietly *Will you leave it at that, then?*
He looked back at her, studying her for a moment. 'You don't want to hear more? Or to even remember?' He asked, gently.
*No.* she shook her head.*For a moment there...I was afraid that was all you would say.* she looked down at her fingers, chilled digits, counting the extra one subconsciously.
'So.. that's a no you don't want to know more?' He asked.
*No.* she clarified *I was afraid you would stop speaking. I do want to know.*
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 9:03 am
She was very kind, and gental. She started to teach me how to defend myself.' He stared. The words were accompied with small flashes of his memory. The beginning ones were of her mother, her smile, while the last ones were of being surrounded by other boys and fists. It ended quickly.
It was probably odd for others to learn he used to be the kid that got shoved into walls and picked on by other kids. 'But her kindness was match by her strength. She was a very good warrior. You are like her is many ways.'
Shi latched on to the image of her mother's face, matching it to the voice she had already been given. She memorized the eyes, knowing them to be similar to her own. She wished she remembered her name.
She glowered as she realized that Seii had been bullied. *I loathe bullies.* she snarled. *I'm glad she taught you. I hope you wiped the floor with them all.*
'I believe they are gone now. But after I learned, they stopped.' He told her, smirking despite himself. Then he looked at her and reached out with a hand, touching hers. 'Would you like to see more of her?' He asked.
She nodded. *Why can't we remember?* she asked. *What was done to stop us?*
'Part of it is the spell. Then things we enjoyed, the intiment memories we have, our pasts. Another part is trama. The things that have happened to us, such as loss or an event that we could never get over, so our minds locked it away. Removing the curse would allow it all to return. We would undergo everything that happened again.' He told her. These her his own thinkings, and the studies he had made analising the spell on his own mask.
He went quiet a moment, sharing flashes of every memory he had of her mothers and her as he trained.
She let the memories cascade through her, grabbing on to every last one of them and trying to memorize them. There were so few of them. So very few.
Was it selfish? Wanting more? She wanted her mother. All children wanted their mothers. She felt very much a child now.
Chae wasn't her mother.
The thoughts whirled one after another, chasing back and forth in her mind. But she couldn't reconcile them.
*What happened to her?* she finally asked, softly.
'..... She was killed by a Rade attack. I believe it happened as she protected the princesses.' He told her. Frankly his memory was a little shaky on the details. But this would link her to her hate of Rade now.
Charlie stiffened where he was. Oh bloody great..
*It figures.* she merely said, not looking up. She was staring at her fingers, counting them again over and over.
He glanced at her hand, noting the extra finger and smiled. Not that she could see. So that had even carried over here?
"Um." Charlie broke in, walking towards them and keeping his eyes on Shi. "They killed my mom also." He told her softly. But why? Why was he trying so hard to be accepted by her?
She stiffened slightly, not looking up.
*Im sorry.* she answered finally. *I should feel more sympathy, perhaps. But I feel none.*
Her tone was still very quiet. She did not know how the Rade could understand her, but had accepted it. Her fury was old, ancient almost. But even fury would not condone injuring that which posed no threat.
But that did not mean she had to accept and welcome such.
Sei was allowing this trasaction. Normally he didn't do it, but hell, Charlie was a little greatful. Least he understood. "Barron killed my mom. I want to fight him. Once he and his supporters are gone, I can clam leadership and things between our races wont be as they were." He told her calmly. "But I need to be strong..."
* I have no belief in that.* now she did look up at him, eyes remote and chill. *I don't remember much, but such passion is hard to deny.
*I don't trust your kind. And if any of them threaten me or those I protect, I will have no mercy towards them.*
Charlie sighed. "Look I know that already. Bah! This is useless! You a very hardheaded closed minded female, ya know that?" He told her, walking back to his spot, cursing the whole way.
She lowered her eyes to her fingers again, unclenching them. *I'm sorry.* she answered *I guess I am not much like my mother in that regard.*
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 9:10 am
'You are, and were angrgy.' Sei said, though Charlie visible relaxed at those words. *To say the least.* she answered. *Like everything else, it's a whisper out of a past that no longer exists for me.*He went quiet again before he spoke. 'Would you like it back? The past you?' He asked her. She countered *You say that I am much like my mother now. Was that not true before? Is there something you are trying to shield me from?If so, what?*'Your mothers death is the thing that worried me. But now that you know, you are prepared, I hope. But if you would like, the mask will be gone.' Then he blinked, remembering something. 'And break them once gone. They are still cursed.' He added. *Won't that hurt you?* she asked softly.'A pain that will leave in time. A pain I can bear.' He told her with a shrug, then reached out, one hand on her mask. 'The choice is yours. We wont know, good or bad, what happends. But I feel you are ready.' He told her honestly. *I have to be.* she answered quietly. *I think we are too far past the time where we can hide behind any type of mask. You called it a curse, not a blessing...therefore it needs to be banished.*'Our memories are our own, no one elses.' He told her, then moved so both his hands were on her mask. In truth, he didn't want to do this. He didn't want the pain again. But it was that, or let he rlive with only a part of herself. She couldn't move on until she knew. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes starting his own unique magic. Slowly he seperated the spell on the mask from Shi and began to pull the mask off. It faught as it always did. But he continued to silence the spell, Seperating it til the mask was covered in it and he pulled it away from her.  She felt a dim roaring, a ringing in her ears. The pressure around her face tightened, and she struggled to sit still. The noise was getting more insistant, becoming a cacephony of screaming and noise.
Emotions slammed into her, strong. Flashes of images, feelings, sensations. She felt the wind against her lips and opened them to taste the air.
The wind was a lullabye. Something that soothed the angry voices down.
Or perhaps that was her.
Like a feather on the breeze, she slid to the ground, silent and chill.He tossed the mask to the side and reached down, touching her a moment and fighting against losing his shields again. It would happen though. But he needed to make sure she was alright. She seemed fine... He'd have to check on her later. With that thought, he too went to the ground. Charlie watched this, uncertian on what to do, but he finally padded over to them both. He'd have to carry the old man and her home... Great.
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Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 4:47 pm
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The clock wouldn't stop and every second Nika was reminded that Shi had been gone a lot longer than she should have been. He sat in the kichen of the little house he shared with Gee, wrapping his knuckles against the table and casting an impatient glance at the clock that hung above the fridge every once in awhile.
How long had it been?
A few hours.
And, as far as Nika was concerned, that was far too long.
Suddenly, with a bit of a growl, he stood up, grabbed his sweater off the back of his chair and headed out the back door.
Shi had gone to find Sei and now, Nika was going to find Shi.
He knew he shouldn't have let her go alone.
The house was quiet.
But then it always was. Odessa was a quiet creature. A hint of boisterous personality overlaid by tragedy. A trickster with no will to trick.
Chae was withdrawn into thought. Everything seemed too off now. Pained. Distant.
She wondered what she had done wrong. Where had she gone wrong? She had tried her best to take care of Shi, and the girl had grown into a strong and proud woman.
But quiet. And alone.
What had they all done wrong to deserve the fractured silence that was their home?
Nika had been about to head in the general direction of Sei's home, having guessed that it was someplace nearby the spot where his mask had been removed when he realised that going alone might not have been such a good idea.
He pulled his sweater over his head and turned back in the direction of the camp.
Where was Chae's house again?
The last time he'd been was so long ago. He'd been a curious child, looking for the source of a strange humming noise. Then, he'D been able to follow his ears. Now, he had to strain his memory.
Once he'd found a house that looked familiar, Nika walked up to the door and knocked.
He hoped it was Chae's place.
ean while, out in the woods, Charlie was busy fighting with Shi's limp body. She was heavy... He tossed one of her arms over his back, then moved his head around, biting on glove and pulling. He hoped not to hurt her hand. Last thing he needed...
After much effort, he finally got the girl on his back and stood. He swayed a moment, making sure she was saftly on before he started to walk.
He hoped noone decided to chase him....
When she heard the knock at the door, her heart leapt in anticipation. Perhaps Shi had....
Shi wouldn't knock.
Fighting her disappointment, she answered the door and blinked at Nika. She still was not quite used to seeing him without his mask on.
"Oh." she said. "Hello Nika. Im afraid Shi's not here..."
She hoped she didn't sound too plaintive
Before Chae opened the door, Nika had stood outside, fidgeting with the strings in his hood and even though he couldn't have been standing there for more than a few moments he was wishing that she'd hurry.
Shi could be in trouble! Perhaps she's run into Lyra... or even worse, Rade... He cringed at the thought.
And then, the door swung open and he was met by Chae.
"I know she isn't here," he said quickly, finding it a bit strange to be able to talk to Chae without having somebody translate his words to her, "She's gone to find Seii. I'm worried. She's been gone for a few hours now. I was about to go an find her... and I thought that you might want to help?"
"Did she say when she'd be back?" her anxiety was well contained, and old. She was always worried about Shi, and it made her a bit weary. "She's been known to vanish for days on end...or perhaps that's just from me."
Her tone was bitter, she shouldn't let it be.
For an instant, Nika sympathized with Shi's gaurdian. Shi had mentioned to him once that things weren't so great with Chae and he could see that her gaurdian wasn't taking it so well.
"I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I'm sure she doesn't stay away from you, because I do not know if that's her reason for staying away."
He shrugged, frowning at Chae.
"But at the moment, this is more important. I shouldn't have let her go alone. There's Rade out there, you know. Shi hates them, and I'm not sure how well her temper would hold out if she were to ever enter into battle against one. We must go and find her. Are you coming or not?"
Normally, he wouldn't have been so demanding or blunt. But, he was worried and people tend to behave oddly when they're worried.
She looked at him, plainly nonplussed at his tone. It rankled her briefly, but she saw it was concern that pushed him and swallowed her own temper.
"Shi's capable of controlling her temper." she answered. "I'd trust her to keep her head. If you think there's danger, of course I'll come. Let me get my gear. And do you have a means to guard yourself?" She looked him up and down briefly.
"I know that she can hold her temper, but... Have you ever seen a Rade?" he mumbled, consious and ashamed of the fact that his tone hadn't been too kind. He had snapped at Chae, and he hadn't meant to... but that wasn't important now. It was important that they found Shi.
Nika swallowed and straightened, relieved that she was coming along.
"I don't," he shook his head.
She looked over her shoulder briefly. "Not much of a planner, are you?" she said without rancor, although if pointed out this could have rankled him back, she wouldn't have denied satisfaction.
Fishing in, she pulled free a dagger and a gun. "Here" she offered them out, already digging back in for her own arms.
"I've seen young rade." she answered briefly. "There's one in my spare room. Yes, they get as large as small houses. Which is why I'd trust Shi not to have the bad sense to run into them."
Why was she so annoyed? Because he was showing more concern than she felt? Or because ...
If she'd meant to anger him, it hadn't worked. Nika wasn't prone to anger, and if he tried, he could be the master of his own temper. He didn't have an excuse for his lack of organisation. Nika had grown slightly lazy over the course of time that life on Masquerade had been uneventful.
He hadn't been thinking, and there was no excuse for that.
The young man took the weapons greatfully, finding the gun a bit odd to hold.
He looked at Chae when he heard her tone. She was annoyed with him?
"Look," he sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I'm sorry about sounding so... I don't know... rude, I guess you could call it, before. I'm just worried about her. That's all."
"You aren't responsible for what doesn't go on between Shi and I." she answered, strapping on her gun and knife. "Let's just go."
Huh? He'd merely been apologizing for sounding short with her before. The young man hadn't meant the relationship between Chae and Shi.
Nika blinked.
What was that all about?
Deciding that it was best not to ask, Nika followed Chae out the door with the dagger and gun in seperate hands and nudged Chae in the direction of Sei's cabin.
"This way," he smiled, half-heartedly at her. He didn't like it when people were upset with him.
"Allright." she agreed. She had been abrupt, but his comments and obvious closeness to Shi had hurt her. And she had been in a prickly and lonely mood to begin with.
"Im assuming we're going where we did the other day?" she asked
"Close to it," Nika nodded, "But if she really was in trouble, I'm not sure that she could still be there."
He trudged ahead and silence enveloped them. What could he say? She was already upset with him... Should he even bother?
"Do you know why Shi doesn't like Rade?" Nika spoke casually, trying to remember if Shi had ever told him the reason.
"I can't feel her the way Gee did you." she answered. "Perhaps we should have brought some scanning equipment or other eyes to help."
she shook her head "I have no idea. Since she hit her teenaged years, we've had about 5 sentences spoken between us. Odessa made it worse. But I don't turn out orphans, and she never asked me to."
Damn. That was definately not an advantage to their situation. If Chae had been able to sense Shi they would have had a better chance of finding her.
He shook his head and continued in the direction of the area where he had been found, maskless, two weeks before.
"I can understand why you wouldn't have wanted to turn out an orphan. I helped carry those cubs back to camp... and I'm sure Gee wouldn't say no if she had the chance to adopt one as well. If she does, there's nothing I can do about it... Have you tried talking to Shi? Really tried?"
She kept her eyes forward firmly, annoyed at the implication.
"Were I able to find her, perhaps I would have." she answered flatly.
Perhaps it was best that he didn't talk at all. It just seemed to complicate things and Chae didn't seem very open to conversation. Well, talk about Shi, anyways. Did she think that it wasn't his place to advise her on how to handle the situation?
It wasn't his place... But perhaps somebody needed to say something.
Well, if the situation called for it, perhaps he would be the one to urge one of the to talk.
Instead of entering a verbal battle he had a far chance of losing, Nika shook his head and hurried onwards.
The sooner they found Shi, the beter.
She kept walking herself. Branches whipped at her, but did her best to walk through them. She think she vaguely remembered where they went the other day, but suddenly she wasn't sure.
"Do you remember the way?" she finally said.
"I do," he nodded, doing his best to keep the branches from whipping her in the face.
"We're nearly there," Nika turned east, hoping that Shi would be easier to find than he thought she would be.
That was something that was going for them in an otherwise fully rotten day. It had started out to be a promising morning, but most mornings were.
Now she was angry and bitter and frustrated. And she was certainly not in the mood to be traipsing through the woods looking for a wayward child that didn't need her.
She hadn't come to this planet to fall in love with a child that would break her heart.
Snapping a branch away from her, she felt the shards of the limb bite through skin and drink blood.
Nika was unaware of the cut that Chae had suffered, and if he had known, there might not have been much he could do to help without a first aid kid.
They had finally arrived. He stood tall, shoulders squared and eyes narrowed, searching for any sign that Shi and Sei had been there.
Chae had likewise stopped, peering around carefully. She vaguely remembered the area, and searched for where Nika had been.
Charlie on the other hand was still walking towards them, Shi on his back, her arm in his mouth. He hated having to drool all over the said arm, but it was really the only way to make sure the girl - er teen - wouldn't fall off.
He stopped after a moment as the sent of blood came to his nose. Great. Blood. That would mean other's soon, if they picked up on the smell so close to their lands. Why the hell did Sei live in the Rade lands?
He hurried more though the bushes, as fast as her dared, not wanting to drop the maskless Masque.
Chae saw the rather cumbersome form approaching, and dropped her pack, levelling her gun in one smooth move. She took a few moments to identify the form, but when she did, her words whipped out cold and furious.
"Drop the girl. Now."
Okay, so the line was pure cheese, but the menace in her tone was not.
Nika, too, had seen the large form approach and he'd aimed the gun Chae had leant him at Charlie awkardly. He'd never handled a gun before, and all at once his mind began to race. He would be of no help to Chae if he ended up accidentally shooting one of them. Unbeknownst to the boy, however, the safety was on.
He recognised Charlie from the time he'd met the Rade at the ruins, and Nika stared wide-eyed at the maskless girl on Charlie's back and the arm in his mouth.
"Charlie? What the hell?" he lowered his gun, cast a sideways look at Chae and then returned to staring at the arm in Charlie's mouth. There didn't seem to be any blood on the arm.
At having the guns pointed at him, the young Rade made a very 'why me?' sort of face. It would so figure, nothing in his life was destened to be easy. He promptly spit out the arm, licking the slavia away from his lips once it was out.
"What the hell? I should be asking you the same thing!!" He retorted. "How the hell do you expect me to carry a person who's out like a light and expect them to stay on my back? And you would please put that damn gun down!"
((ooc, that 'why me' face is this: <-_-> ))
"You don't!" Chae snapped, lowering the gun and hurrying over to where Shi was draped. She stared in surprise at the profile of the girl, and then hurridly pulled her off the rade cub, grunting at the spindly bulk of her.
"Is she hurt?" she asked anxiously. "Shi? Shiva?" She noted that the girl was shvering slightly, and peeled off her light jacket to wrap around her. "What happened? How did her mask come off?"
Nika's temper flared at Charlie's words. How were they supposed to know it had been Charlie carrying Shi? For a short while, they'd only been able to see the large shape of what could only be a rade coming towards them.
"For one," he snapped, narrowing his eyes at Charlie, "My mind was already on the fritz due to the fact the Shi had gone out to find Sei and was running very late and as I knew that Sei lives in RADE territory, I was worried about her. What do you think it looked like when we saw you, nearly as big as a house walking towards us?"
The young man was in a foul mood, and as delighted as he was to see that Shi was safe, he couldn't shake the frown off of his face. He'd been worried sick, and he'd had a small argument with Chae and now he was getting attitude from a Rade.
"Thanks for carrying her here," he mumbled, glancing at Charlie before rushing to Shi's side.
"I don't think she's hurt," Nika shook his head, "Charlie, he's the reason that cub is now staying with you, wouldn't have harmed her and... it looks like she found Sei, after all."
He took a moment to admire Shi's pretty face.
"Sei took her mask of, Chae. She'll be alright."
Charlie's ears flatened in an irritated nature. "Yeah, you're welcome for me trying to get the girl to safty." He said bittery, then sighed. "Sorry. I'm just getting tired of being treated like s**t because I'm a Rade." He had been hanging out with Sei too long. Not many would realize what a foul mouth - er mind, that man had.
"But yeah, she found Sei, and they talked and Sei removed her mask. Now both are out cold. If you want, I'm willing to carry her back to the camp." He found the scratch that made the sent of blood in the air. "And we might want to go soon. That cut may attact others." He commented, laying on the ground incase they took the offer.
Chae shook her head, glancing briefly at her oozing hand. "We need to get the other one..>Sei? to safety as well. Nika and I can take her. Or Nika can and I can help you with Sei. But you're right, we need to move soon. It's too chill out here, she's shuddering with cold, I think."
"No, that would do more harm than good for Sei right now. It's best for him not to be around others when he wakes up." The Rade said. "If you two can carry her, I'll take care of the old man."
Nika sighed, and shook his head at Charlie. What could he say?
"I'm sorry, Charlie, my friend, but you have to agree... after all, this IS rade to territory. We didn't know it was you until you were close enough to see clearly, and even then it looked like you were chewing off her arm."
He turned to look at Chae when she spoke, nd handed her the gun and the dagger.
"I'll take her back to camp," he nodded and slipped an arm around Shi's back and another beneath her knees.
Nika stood up, somewhat shakily. He'd never been the strongest of men. If he'd been Cern or Sei it would have been much easier but Shi wasn't that heavy, and he figured that he could make it back to camp alright.
Chae observed him a moment and shook her head. "If he doesn't want anyone else around...that's one thing. Are you sure you can get him back allright on your own? You seemed rather a walking target with Shi draped like that over you."
Reaching down into her pack, she pulled out a blanket, offering it to the rade. "You can roll him on to this and drag him back. I was going to do that for Shi, but our Knight in shining armor wants to be romantic and carry her home." her tone was not quite humorous, but striving for it.
"Thanks, but no... I'll deal with gun points if I run into anyone. Dragging him will make too much noise. We Rade are attacked to sound, then sent. And we can feel people walking, the vibrations." Charlie informed them, lifting a great paw so that they could see the large pads on his feet.
"According to Sei, though, the reason is because he has no mental sheilds, he'll hear everyone's thoughts. At the same time." He went on, then get back to standing on all four. "I'll take care of him now."
But he paused before leaving. "Oh.. um... how's the cub doing?" He asked Chae, looking at her.
She looked at him back calmly. "She doesn't talk much. I'm getting used to that from my boarders." she cast a glance at Shiva. "Once or twice she's forgotten and rambled on boisterously for a few minutes. Im assuming that is closer to her true personality, or perhaps just nervousness.
We created a small nest of blankets for her in the spare room, she likes to dig under them and sleep hidden."
she shrugged a bit "I can't tell you what's normal or not. I just let her come to me when she wants to, and let her be when she's given clear indication she wants no company."
One edge of Charlie's muzzle curled into what could be considered a crooked smile. "Yeah, I can't really tell you what's normal either. Just give it time and she might open up to you. Meat is also a good thing. The cubs lost their parents, so.. she's probably just adjusting." He told her, satisified with that answer.
"I'd better get going. Good luck, you three." He told them, then started to head back into the woods. Back to where Sei was. That old man was going to be heavier than Shi had been.
Nika smiled half-heartedly at Chae, wondering if she would have rather they drag Shi home on the blanket. Carrying her would be much quicker and safer, however.
He would have waved good-bye to Charlie, but his arms were currently being used to carry Shi.
"Let's go," he nodded at Chae, and turned back in the direction of the camp.
She frowned towards the Rade with some concern, but nodded and turned when Nika began to walk. His gait was rather slow, but steady enough. She was tempted to stop him to wrap Shi up in the blanket, but something told her that would take up too much time.
Best to get her home to bed, and worry about bundling her up then.
It was then she realized Shi's mask had been left behind.
Oh well. Not like the girl needed it. Or would even want the reminder anymore.
Right?
"Let me know if you get tired. Charlie would have had to drag Sei, but we could put Shi on the blanket and carry her between us...like a fireman's blanket."
"I'll be fine," he flashed a smile over his shoulder at Chae, hoping to offer her some reassurance, "Camp isn't that far. But... I'll be sure to let you know. Just in case."
He hurried on as fast as he could go. Carrying Shi slowed him down considerably, but he wasn't complaining. In fact, he enjoyed holding her this way.
What did she remember now?
Ever since his 'talk' with Chae, he'd been trying to remember if Shi had ever told him why she disliked the Rade with such a passion, and, after concluding that she had never said, his imagination was running wild with possibilities.
The notion had been pinging about her mind, back and forth. Like a crazy rubber ball against a wall.
There were many ways to describe it, but a very easy way to sum it up.
"This is a crazy world, is it not?"
"There was a time when it wasn't so crazy."
He sighed wistfully, remembering what it had been like when he'd been King and the world had made at least some sense.
Then, he recalled the night that his youngest daughter had cursed them al to wear masks and he changed his mind.
"You know what? I take that back. Its always been a bit crazy."
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Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 4:48 pm
It had taken them a considerably longer time to get back to Chae's house if he hadn't been carrying Shi. Indeed, Nika's arms had started to go very sore. But, he was a man and he was not going to complain.
He stopped outside the door to Chae's house, incapable of opening the door due to the unconscious girl he held in his arms.
"Where should I put her once we get inside?" Nika turned sideways to look Chae in the eye.
She sighed, opening the door. It wasn't that she was reluctant, but rather afraid. Things had not been well with Shiva for a while. She had forgotten the almost idyllic peace of before.
"She has her room" she replied. "It's still there for her. You remember where it is, I would guess?" she hesitated. "Will you be leaving after you help me get her to bed?"
"Actually, I was wondering if..." he paused and stepped through the door and towards where he remembered Shi's room to be.
"I was wondering if I might be able to stay and talk to you? About Shi?"
It had been on his mind ever since his little spat (if you could even call it that) with Chae. Somebody needed to sit down and talk, and seeing as neither Shi or Chae were willing to go ahead on their own and repair the relationship between gaurdian and girl, he figured that somebody was going to have to ask them to hear each other. He might as well be the one to break the ice.
This on his mind, Nika gently nudged Shi's bedroom door open with his toe and placed her sleeping form gently down on the bed.
Chae felt her shoulders tighten, and willed them to relax. He wasn't being confrontational, or nosy.
She could at least try to convince herself of that.
"Would you like some tea?" she asked, setting her jaw.
Tea? And provide her with something hot to throw at him if he accidentally pissed her off? Nika thought he'd seen Chae stiffen. Or perhaps that had been a trick of the light? No matter. He wasn't about to take any chances.
"No thank you," he shook his head slowly, wondering if she was going to make tea anyways.
He fidgeteed for a moment, tugging at the hem of his sweater uncomfortably. Where could he start?
"Shi might have mentioned to me once, I can't remember exactly what she said... but... um... You and her aren't very talkative?"
She shook her head, closing the door behind them. Let the girl sleep it off for now. She didn't want to disturb her.
"Something else to drink then?" she offered, indicating the other room. "And no, Shiva nor I are not the most talkative."
They had never needed to be, dammit.
"A... Glass of water?" Nika smiled sheepishly at Chae, trying to figure out exactly how he was going to get past this. She was being difficult, and he could understand that. He wasn't sure that he would have been very willing to talk to anybody about how he'd decided to raise Io or Zahar.
Perhaps he ought to try and approach this situation from a different angle. Maybe he could get Chae to see that Shi must have remembered something upon her growing that had fed the distance between them.
"Have you ever met Io or Zahar? Io's maskless now, but Zahar wears a pretty mask that is the color of sunlight."
She nodded, reaching into the cooler and extracting a pitcher of water from there. Pouring a plastic cup full, she added some ice and handed it to him.
"Lemon?" she asked. It was much easier to inquire about his culinary preferences than to try and talk to him about Shi.
"Both of them, I think." she answered. "Beautiful girls, both."
"Please," he nodded, even though he'd never been very fond of lemons. Chae seemed to have relaxed and warmed up to him a bit since she'd handed him the water. That was a good sign.
"They are my daughters. Were, I suppose. I don't know."
Where was he going with this? How could telling Chae about the past convince her to talk to Shi? What could he say that would make her see that not talking to Shi would only make things worse?
"I honestly haven't spent as much time with them as I should have since we've been... Well, since you and Gee and all of the other gaurdians appeared. Its absurd, really. Physically Io, my own daughter, is older than me."
She nodded quietly. "I imagine it's a difficult situation all around for everyone. Im not entirely sure what's going on. I just arrived here to deliver houses, and ended up staying."
She still remembered thinking it some sick joke when she was handed the mask and warned it was a child. Carrying it around, fearing she was being made sport of.
"I don't even pretend to understand."
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Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 4:49 pm
"There isn't much to understand. We were cursed long ago," Nika hadn't the heart to tell Chae that it had been his own child that had cursed them, "Our memories were taken from us, lives were lost... and now, everything has changed."
"I was King once," he sighed and took a large gulp of his water, "Shi was a gaurdian..."
King? she had almost asked. King of what? But she knew. The ruins here, the evidence of life. The children themselves. Of course there had been life here. Of course there had been some kind of society.
Of course...
Blinking the headache away that was threatening, she went back to the cooler and pulled out the pitcher of water, placing it on the table.
"How much have you told Gee about this?" she inquired instead. Just because Shiva refused to talk to her did not mean others shared her aversion.
How much had he told her?
Nika paused to consider the question, and then straightened when he realised the answer.
"Hardly anything," he shrugged, surprised, "I think she has a bit of an idea... Or a general knowledge, at least. She knows that we were cursed. Well, I suppose that much is obvious, isn't it? Besides that... I'm not sure what she knows. Perhaps I ought to tell her. She hasn't asked any questions... I think she's waiting for me to come to her. Or maybe she thinks that there's nothing more to it."
"Perhaps you should." Chae advised calmly. "She worries about you greatly."
She fiddled with the glass in front of her, hearing the ice tinkle and tink together, and let her eyes wander out the window. The breeze brought in the scent of the garden.
Having already overborn him with offers of water and tea, she was sure a walk outside to the garden would appear too obvious a stalling tactic.
What was he trying to get at?
"I should," he agreed simply, sipping from his water again, "We haven't talked in awhile. I mean... really talked. I know that she wants to know what the hell's going on and I'm sure that if she could, she would lock me up until the danger's gone."
Perhaps he could strike a deal with Chae. He would talk to Gee if she tried to talk to Shi. The air had to be cleared between Shi and Chae... They're situation was similar to his and Gee's and at the same time, it was so different.
There wasn't any awkwardness between him and his gaurdian. He wondered why.
"You should try and get Shi to talk to you, as well. It'll be hard... but don't you think it would be worth it in the end?"
She sighed and shook her head. "You make it sound so simple and straightforward. It is neither. I can't chase after her all the time, and I can't make her talk to me. She may not avoid you, but I assure you...she could do so quite easily if she were of a mind to."
She pushed the water aside, scowling. "I didn't land on this planet to have my heart broken by some random child that was thrown into my care. Anymore than I am going to take your guardian's stance and tie her down. Neither will work, I promise."
"Shi and I don't always see eye to eye, you know," Nika frowned at Chae, remembering the time he and Shi had fought. She had avoided him then. Indeed, there was a time when there had been nothing but tension between them. It had been short lived, as Nika hadn't been willing to let the distance between them grow larger. His lips curled upwards into a half-hearted smile at the thought of the little paradise that belonged to him and Shi. The little piece of their world where they could really be at peace.
They would have to go watersliding again someday.
"I did not say that Gee has tied me anywhere," Nika spoke calmly, knowing that if he were to get angry this would never get settled, "I said that she would like to. Like you, she knows that it would not work."
"I do not know how Shi feels about this... situation. When she wakes up I'd like for you and her to sit down together. It is up to you whether you decide to clear the air or not. I think that Shi will listen to you if you try."
"I never said you were always chums." she replied, pushing her chair back. "But I think her intentions have been quite clear. Don't you? She never comes here, and it's been worse since Odessa has come to stay. I fully anticipate that the moment she wakes up she'll either be out the door or out the window. No time for talking, or reasoning or even a quiet sit down. Poof, gone."
She stared at him in frustration "Maybe she was hoping you'd find her the times she got mad at you. She's not making it as easy on me."
"Reach out to her," Nika said simply, staring Chae right in the eye, "I did. When we... disagreed... I reached out to her. I'm sure that if I hadn't, our relationship wouldn't be the same as it is today."
"Somebody has to take the first step and I think we've both established that Shi has no intention of going first; so why don't you give it a try?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 4:54 pm
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