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 Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 11:23 am
A large portion of this section of the book crumble to dust when touched, the edges left scorched; they tickle at your senses with the acrid scent of smoke and fire. What is left catalogs a tale compromised of warm sunny days spent lazing about a place called the "Grand Manor", of nights spent wresting with inner demons, of times and places that were familiar to any associated with the shape-shifter and his strange, yet gently loving family.
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Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 1:29 pm
...//Solo - Empty Walls & Broken Homes A lot had happened; much of it not even directly related to Khiarhu...and yet he found that it affected him most strongly even when it seemed that it would -- or should -- not. Much of it was simply growing up, growing into his body and his powers...powers that were blossoming at an alarming rate, growing rapidly out of control. It was almost as if the shape-shifting boy were becoming something he had not been intended to be.
His temper grew shorter and shorter as the world around him altered and changed in strange ways. Khia discovered more and more that he wanted to be alone; away from Syrie and Ren and all of the others - he didn't bother responding to Aido's gift though he had originally intended to make something for her in return. He still wore the shadow bangle, but...it meant something different and occasionally Khiarhu entertained horrible, twisted and sick thoughts involving his long-time friend.
Something was changing and it was changing Khia too...but for what purpose none could have guessed.
Also during this time another of his "old friends" was going through really tough times. Olivia. The once bubbly girl was...well, Syrie hadn't heard sight nor sound from Nyxa, Livvy's adoptive mother, and he'd taken Khia along to go "visiting". What they'd found was a broken home. The child had been living on her own for weeks...scared and frightened. No electricity, no heat...no nothing.
Olivia had flung herself into the familiar embrace of the kitsune and clung to him, silently sobbing her relief at no longer being alone. Khia didn't understand how, but he knew that Nyxa's disappearance was somehow connected to the Unknown that was lurking, shadow-like, at the edges of everyone's life. He had watched, distant at first, as Syrie consoled the girl as best he could. After a bit, Khia took Livvy's hand and pulled her into a fierce hug; despite his changed body and oddly-canted mindset anymore, he still felt a rush of affection for his once-friend.
She was so small, so helpless. Filthy and alone.
Syrie had searched the home for signs of Nyxa, but came up with nothing that gave any of them any sort of clue about where she was or what or even why. It was disturbing, but Khia didn't pay too much attention, he was hugging the bedraggled girl, not minding that she was dirty or that her nose and eyes were leaking onto his clothes and fur.
Not long after his father had combed over the apartment and thrown together a suitcase for Olivia, the trio set off for Syrie's art studio on the outskirts of Durem. There was a small shower there, so at the very least they could let the girl clean up...after the studio, they went to Huni's place. Khia and Livvy waited quietly in the front room while Huni and Syrie talked in the kitchen; Khia could have listened, but he didn't want to. He closed his ears to what was being said, instead holding his friend in his lap and petting her hair gently - a contrast to the violence he felt welling up inside.
A final stop - the Stationary Store to lock up the office in the upstairs and to call ahead to Teylei at the apartment...and they were off to settle the girl in with another of the adopted sons.
Khia wondered how long Olivia would be with them. He wondered what happened to Nyxa...he wondered if they would ever find out what was going on...
...but mostly, he wondered how Livy would take to empty walls...
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Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 2:03 pm
...//Solo - House Guest...Olivia? Syrie reached out and put a hand on Olivia's shoulder gently, the normally vivacious girl simply stood there, shoulders drooped, violet eyes averted. She was wearing a grey button-down shirt over tan pants - not her usual vibrant arrangement of colors and fabrics - it reflected her emotional state, it seemed.
"I'm sorry."
The slender kitsune gave the girl's shoulder a squeeze and offered a gentle smile, and all the understanding he possessed. It hadn't been easy for her - not at all...he understood that, he felt that. There wasn't much more that he could do for her at the moment than what he was already doing in offering her shelter with people that did care for her. "I want you to think of this as your home too, Olivia."
"But it wasn't home, it was nice enough - the small apartment was clean, and the people living there were kind looking...but it wasn't home. Still, she found herself murmuring thanks - after all, Syrie was letting her stay not because he had to, but because he was a sweet person.
Thank you, Syrie..."
"Ah..no need for thanks..." he flustered a bit - him empathy gave him too much insight into the girl's emotional state, and he didn't quite know how to deal. "You must be tired, we had quite a trip..." Syrie's tail flicked a bit as he paused. "Come, you can use this room as your own...."
Olivia stepped into a room that wasn't her own, but that had apparently been changed to accommodate her arrival. It was bright with pale yellow walls, and accents in blues and greens. Very pretty...but not home.
This place was one of Syrie's homes...and his water elemental son, Teylei currently lived there and kept it for him. It was convenient to have multiple homes with so many children despite the fact that the Sanctuary would have housed them all. But at least Olivia would be safe enough there, and she wouldn't be alone, not with Teylei and some of the pets around. Plus, Syrie usually stopped in on his way to the shop; that was one of the main reasons why he'd chosen this particular place, rather than one of the others.
Olivia nodded and set her suitcases down; she was grateful, but...unhappy. Something told her the fox understood, and so she quietly shut the door and lay down - the honey-hued child didn't think she'd be able to sleep, but ten minutes found her out like a light.
"I'm really sorry, Olivia..." Slate eyes looked sad as the man murmured softly to himself.
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 11:56 am
...//Solo - Peace, Warmth and Family It was strange how a place could affect a person. For instance, since Olivia had come to stay with the Zaire family, they had prepared a room for her at the Sanctuary at least once a week. The young Tale was quiet, withdrawn and sullen -- a far cry from her previous vivacious and extroverted nature -- but when she came out to the Sanctuary grounds she seemed to find a sort of peace that lifted the great sorrow weighting her young shoulders down.
That was why the kitsune had made it a point to try to bring her out so often. It was a bit of a hassle, but he could always send Veloren to fetch her or have Teylei bring her out...and she deserved to have at least a small moment of still-quiet in her heart and mind. Syrie couldn't quite reach Livvy, no matter how much he wanted to or how hard he tried. She treated him with respect and was a good girl (usually) but...she was too afraid of letting herself get close to anyone to really bond with the blond.
It would take a lot to draw her out and he wasn't really certain that he was the one to do that. But he would do his best to include her and take care of her.
Khia didn't mind. Having Livvy there was like having a little sister -- a welcome distraction from the Bad that he'd been feeling and reacting to for so long on his own. Her problems allowed him to push past the more recent urges he'd been having - the destructive, chaotic urges - and return to what his nature had once been: caring and big-brotherly.
As the months and weeks went by, it was Khia that finally got to the young girl, finally convinced her to trust others and let them in just a little bit. He brought her out a little bit, enough that she started to smile, albeit sadly, at Khia and Syrie and the others in the Zaire-clan.
Eventually, Olivia was strong enough to want to belong to a home again. A home of her own - with a parent that was for her; she had grown to love the Zaire-clan, but it was time that she moved out of the cocoon of warmth and safety that they gave her.
Yes, she was grateful and what had happened to her was horrifyingly traumatic, but she was a very strong little girl - very resilient and now...she was ready for the world again. Months after having lost all track of Nyxa, Olivia felt ready to step back out into the world and find a place that was just for her.
Syrie went and talked to his business partner, Huni about perhaps finding Olivia a new family through the shop. It was the best way to assure that she found someone that was worthy of her...someone that would love and take care of her...and help her grow big and strong...
They would make that happen. They would give it their all. For Olivia.
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 11:57 am
...//Solo - A Fresh Start for Olivia "So you liked this lady?" Khia was laying in a hammock with a book on his chest and a pair of Stardust Dustling Dragons laying under him in the shade created by his slowly swinging body. Olivia was sitting in a lounge-style chair next to him with her own book and a glass of iced tea; Khia had brought her out to the Sanctuary for the weekend and they were having one of their "relaxation days". Days where neither Tale were allowed to dwell on "bad" things.
Khia would do his best to push from his mind the worries he'd been having since his growth...and the violet-eyed girl would do the same with her "situation" with Nyxa and what they were both calling "the Parade of Mommies".
Livvy pulled down a pair of over-sized, rhinestone encrusted sunglasses and eyed the dark-furred shape-shifter. "The last one? Yeah, I kind of feel like...maybe. Not like with Mom--" Nyxa was going to be "Mom" forevever (or at least, that was how the young Tale currently felt about things) "--but maybe something okay too."
In the time she'd spent with Syrie and Khia, Livvy had grown up a bit. She was much less the "wild and crazy" young lady that Nyxa brought to visit the shop and more...subdued. Sometimes. Sometimes - like when answering the door or in a Mood (as they called the bursts of attitude Livvy would throw at them all sometimes), she reverted back to the brash and brassy kid she had been. Other times, she was witty and wise beyond her years when it came to dealing with people and with the "slapstick drama-dy" that life liked to throw at people; despite that, she was still a little girl. Losing her mother hadn't destroyed that -- Livvy was too resilient to have fallen completely to pieces.
Unfortunately, both Syrie and Huni were having a hard time getting it into Livvy's head that Nyxa couldn't take care of her right then...she was almost violently adamant that her "real" mother would come back any day to be with her; to take her back. It could happen, yes...and both the kitsune and the woman fervently wished that it would...but it did make dealing with the little girl when she was in her Moods a lot trickier!
The russet kitsune peeked out into the back yard to see how the 'kids' were getting along before he went back into the Grand Manor to continue working. He had his laptop and was typing back and forth with his business partner -- the numbers for the Stationary Store's sales were doing well, but there were some things that needed to be changed: items not selling as much, items that sold out almost immediately....things of that nature.
Never mind that he had a separate database that involved the Tales children specifically and he was going over that too with the red-haired woman.
"Oh come now Huni -- surely you don't think I'm going to keep that horrible notebook in stock simply because it's got octopi on the front cover?" Tougen, one of the Winged Pards that lived with Syrie thumped his tail on the floor and opened his jaws to do a sort of silent laugh at the man talking to himself. Syrie's black-tipped ears went back a little bit as he shook his head; fingers flying across the keys as he typed a response to his friend via an instant messenger program.
Mostly, they were dancing around the shop-business a bit because neither wanted to settle down and focus on discussing whom they believed would make a good foster parent for Olivia.
After several hours of discussion between Huni Pi and Syrie and a subsequent discussion between Syrie and Olivia it was decided that the young girl would go with Cassiopeia Star. The young woman had fostered children before and had seemed to be quite a good person when she'd been interviewed by Syrie and Huni. Livvy hadn't met her at that point, but...it was worth a try.
***
It had been a long day. For everyone. Syrie had moved himself, Khia and Livvy back to a smaller house so that it would be easier for Cassi to locate them. Also, the Sanctuary wasn't exactly the safest of places for people to be wandering around lost (if she were prone to getting lost, that is).
So there they were, waiting. Naturally, Livvy was in one of her Moods and didn't want to have thing to do with anyone or anything.First Meeting Cassi took a deep breath, looking down at the piece of paper in her hand first before glancing up toward the numbers stenciled on the house. Right, so this was the place. She hesitated a second at the door step, fidgeting with the cuff of her coat. She was a complete stranger, she had no clue who this guy was or this child, she'd never even heard of them, to be honest, until she'd put in her application to adopt a child and had been accepted and paired with this one.
Licking her lips she reached up and gave a loud rap, rap, rap on the door. Stepping back she waited a bit anxiously, hearing the latch turn and plastering an awkward smile on her face as there were a few crashes and shouts and then the door opened, Cassi's head tilting instantly downward toward the mocha skinned, flame-haired girl standing in front of her.
"Who're you? SYRIE SOME LADY IS HERE!"
Cassi coughed into her hand, almost immediatly flushing as a handsome fox appeared at the door. "Aahaha ahem." She held up one hand, the other covering her face a moment in embarassment. "Sorry, not laughing at you. Nervs. Uhmm.. yes." She looked up and reached out to shake his hand. "I'm Cassi... I'm..." She looked down at the little girl.
Syrie's face lit as he realized what Cassi meant, looking as well down toward Olivia. "Oh, yes. I'm Syrie. Olivia?" He looked down at the girl. "Why don't you get your coat and go on a walk with Cassi?"
Olivia looked absolutely thunderstruck at this suggestion. "Wha? Just like that?! You're not suppos' to talk to strangers, you know!"
"It's alright, get your coat." He put a hand at the back of Olivia's shoulder and forcefully pushed her away from the door, disappearing after her to presumably help her find her coat and put it on. Cassi stood awkwardly in the open doorway, staring vacantly in. There were a couple more crashes and a sound as if something might have broken and suddenly Olivia was shooting out the door, grabbing Cassi's hand and charging forward.
Taken by surprise the woman nearly fell flat on her face as her arm was yanked back and her body forced to make a full 180, complying with the urgent tugging as she heard the door slam behind them. Olivia slowed down after a while, panting for breath in large plumes of vapoury clouds. The girl turned her vibrant eyes upward toward Cassi, considering her for a moment, having already let go of her hand. "So why did you wanna take me for a walk? Are you here to tell me Mom's gonna be away for longer?"
"Mmh.." Oh s**t, already they were getting to this? Cassi had hoped to walk for a bit and just try to talk to the child. "Well... not exactly." She reached down to offer to take Olivia's hand again but the demon girl refused it. Cassi gave a small sigh and looked around, giving a small sigh she stopped and dropped to her knee in front of Olivia to be at eye-level.
"Oh, you're very pretty."
The girl was unphased, quirking both eyebrows upward. What was with this lady? "So?"
Cassi nodded and gave another sigh, clearning her throat and looking into Olivia's eyes. "Olivia-"
"Liv."
"Liv... your mother, Nyxa, she can't.. she won't..." She cleared her throat again and reached up to gently put her hands on the child's shoulders. "Nyxa can't take care of you anymore." The rest of the words came hurried before Olivia had time to react. "I'm adopting you, you'll be living with me now."
There was a moment of utter silence before Olivia shurgged Cassi's hands off of her shoulders, eyes darkening with anger as she looked at this strange woman. She was without words, her fists clenching at her sides as anger bubbled up inside of her and then it burst forth in the shape of a nearly incoherent screech. "You LIAR!"
Cassi reached out to grab Olivia's wrist quick before the girl could bolt. Immediately Olivia turned and grabbed at Cassi's hand trying to pry her fingers off of her wrist. "Leggo! LEGGO!"
"Shhh.. shh... Liv... please.." Cassi's face was a mask of concern.
"DON'T!" Olivia was suddenly snarling, her hand in the form of a fist now punching at Cassi's hand.
"Ow! OW! Olivia!" She tugged the little girl forward, arm wrapping around her waist and instantly flipping her upside down, holding her like that even. "Don't hit me!"
Olivia was still for a moment, surprised at her sudden upside down position, before squirmming more, hands lashing out at Cassi's legs, her own kicking wildly by the woman's head. "HELP! HELP!"
Cassi shifted and went back down on her knees, flipping Olivia back over and hugging the girl's arms to her side, resting her chin on the child's shoulder. Her heart was aching and breaking, Olivia obviously loved her mother very much. "Olivia... please. Hey, ow, now STOP!" She hugged the squirming girl tighter so that she was now still. "Listen... you're only going to be comeing to live with me okay? Nyxa just can't be here right now and uhm.." crap she forgot his name. "The one who's keeping you at his house right now can't keep you forever, he's got his own Tale to take care of."
"Mom'll come back!"
Cassi was quiet, biting the inside of her lip for a moment to keep her throat from choaking up. She let go slightly, greatful that Olivia was still. She looked into the girl's eyes once more, daring an attempt to reach up and lightly pet her hair. "Okay..." She nodded slightly. "When she comes back you can go back to living with her."
Olivia glared up at Cassi, her eyes glinting with emotions. She was still a child afterall... she'd just been told her mother wasn't coming back. Olivia took a big breath and gulped it, tears starting at the corners of her eyes. Her voice was wavery and sulkish and she hated it. "Promise..?"
Cassi gave a small smile and nodded. "I promise, Olivia... I've adopted someone before, Khris, and kept him until his mother came back to take care of him. He went right back to her. If Nyxa comes back I promise..." She petted Olivia's hair gently. As much as it was painful for her to have to make this promise on the grounds that she doubted Nyxa would ever come back, and the fear that if the other woman did return...
Olivia was silent, the tears beginning to dribble down her cheeks and she gave a great sniff, refusing to give into the ball of emotion that sat hard in her stomach. She didn't look at Cassi as she nodded. "Fine."
Cassi smiled and sighed. "Good." She stood up, waiting patiently for the little girl to wipe her eyes and start walking again, back toward Syrie's house. "Hey, just think of it as a vacation, right? I've got kids too you can play with...well... eventually. They're still.. uh... young." She tried to get something, anything from the little girl, unfortunatly met with stoney silence.
Reaching out and gently placing her hand on Olivia's head, rocking the girl back a step in the process as she nudged her chin to get her to look up, smiling at her upside down from above. "It'll be fun."
And no matter what adversity she faced with raising someone else's child... she'd meet it head on and try her best to see a smile on the beautiful child's face that she, Cassi, had put there.[/size
NOTE: Text in quote box written by Cassi; not Syrie] *** "Dad?" Khia was standing on the small front-porch next to his 'parent' and watching the forms of Cassi and Livvy growing smaller as they moved farther and farther from the small house. "Is she going to be okay?"
"Yeah Khia...I think so." He hoped so. Cassi still seemed like she would be the best choice for now...besides, he had her home address and she this one of his...so he could keep tabs on the young Tale and her "new" foster parent. It wasn't going to be easy on either of them, but he sincerely hoped that all things worked out well enough in the end.
"Come on, let's go home."
And with that, the shape-shifter and the kitsune turned back inside the house to prepare for the trek back to the Sanctuary.
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 11:58 am
...//PRP - Nalira and the Dinner Date The sunlight was bright and warm as it poured down on the dozing black fur-ball lazing about in a hammock he'd strung between some of the trees behind the Stationary Shop. The tall but wiry black creature had a book in one hand, and was reading it...off and on. Such a warm day made him either want to swim, or want to nap.
Lucky for him, the store was fairly silent and dead at this time of day - rather, it was such a nice day, no one wanted to be inside! They'd much rather go off and be out doing fun stuff!
The sunlight that poured down from the heavens was definitely a nice change from the gloomy weather Nalira was use to enduring. She was gently propped underneath one of the trees behind the stationary shop, although she hadn't notice the dozing bundle of black fur.
Still quite battered and fatigue, she found herself closing her eyes as the sun beat gently down upon her pale skin. Every part of her body seemed to ache with the mental and physical pain of the last few days events. Bandages were wrapped around her arms and legs, and her face carried even more scars then previously.
Yet she still didn't understand what Finando had whispered to her. "It happens for a reason, it's what is meant to be, you can't control what happens, because it's destiny." .. Was she destined to live her life in fear? Was she destined to become queen of the Arcanine Wolves against her will? Was she destined to die?
Nalira may not have noticed him lazing about there, but he noticed her, marking his place in his book with one furred finger and tilting his head to watch the brunette silently for a moment. She wasn't looking well...bandaged, worn.... but still Nalira. Her scent was still good but it also had a little of that "do-i-run-or-do-i-fight" undertone.
Finally he spoke, his voice low and silky; "Long time no see, Nala."
Her eyes almost immediately darted up to the familiar dark furred Tale. She stared at him for a few moments, her gaze intent, as if searching for something. Something that wasn't there.
"It has indeed been a long time, Khia." She spoke very slow and deliberately, as if she was weighing down every word.
"How have you been?"
She let out a heavy breath. It took a lot of effort to speak, but, she wanted to nonetheless. She had the pinched look of someone who had grown very quickly in a short amount of time, and her hair looked as if it hadn't been brush in days. She ran her fingers over the ground half-heartedly, feeling her heartbeat in the fingertips.
He noticed, and more than that he could sense how very...old she'd grown. Life had not been kind to his friend - she had scars, so many scars! Inside and out.
Khia bore Nala's scrutiny quietly, his expression gentle - if she were looking for the child that he'd been, no...she wouldn't find it. His growth hadn't been as traumatic, but he'd changed greatly too. There were things about him that he kept quiet from the others; and more - he just felt different to anyone that used any senses but sight to "see" him.
"Very well, for the most part. You seem...strained, Nala." He wasn't going to ask her how she'd been; the scars on her body and her worn down aura said he should not - besides, the evidence was there for him to see.
The silky black shapeshifter reached out to smooth some of her hair; the undertone hues of his ever changing black coat swirled with colors that spelled out his concern for his friend, but few knew him well enough to spot the changes anymore.
She closed her eyes gently as he stroked her hair, her breath coming out in rhythmic fashion. She moved her gaze up to his, sighing heavily. Something was different. His face, it seemed -- something had changed. It was not, perhaps, visible on the outside, but his gaze was .. well, she couldn't put her finger on it.
Her confusion was written all over as she stared at him, but slowly faded as she pondered his question. Although, when she spoke, she was finding it hard to get her tongue around a lot of words.
"Yes. It has been diff'cult, to say the least." She whispered. She didn't really notice her sudden change of accent or tone. A smile flickered on her face. He had grown, and grown quite nicely too. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes traveling over his frame. Something had changed about the Khia she used to know.
But what?
The teen's back-splayed ears flicked a little - in this form those ears would never perk forward, the horns were in the way too much, and beyond that...they weren't attached in a manner that would allow them to perk forward.
"Can I help?" Such simple words, but the tone gave it so much more depth. He meant those words, but so much more that he couldn't even try to get out - she may have had a thick accent, and perhaps her tongue got caught on many words and syllables, but HE had a muzzle! Muzzles were not meant for speech!
He was so much bigger now, muscular and wirey all at once. Those seemingly gentle red eyes had a cat-like iris, and his horns seemed to gleam strangely on their own. Claw tipped fingers smoothed the girl's honey colored hair with a tenderness one would find hard to believe if they did not know that the dark beast was generally not as fierce as he looked.
Of course...he was either a marshmallow, or a raging beast, so perhaps it was for the best that Nala got to see only this side of her old playmate? Khia's temper had become something horrible to see...and his feral side tended to come out at the worst moments!
"Things will improve." He finally murmured, tail flicking lazily against the hammock.
Nalira quirked an eyebrow, sighing heavily. Her head was swimming almost painfully, and it was at that moment she decided to stand, her head level with his. She smiled slightly, running her fingers over the hammock he was rested in, her fingers dipping delicately into the holes.
"It's amazing how such small, feeble pieces thread -" With this, she plucked a thread from the hammock. " - Can be woven together to make something so strong." She smiled softly, a genuine smile; something rare from her, sighing heavily.
The underlying color-tone to the shape-shifter's fur changed slightly - something that might be caught by someone that knew him well, but probably not something one would notice without knowing what to look for. He was worried for his childhood friend; this girl that was so much like him in so many ways.
His ears flicked a little at the girl's expression, and he did something almost without thinking - he reached out and picked the honey-haired girl up, pulling her into the hammock with him.
"People are like that too...the things we go through in life weave together to make us stronger..." Khia chuffed softly and hugged his long-time friend. "I'd say you understand that as well as anyone..."
Nalira fell into his embrace, feeling the warmth radiate between the two, before pulling back with a nod. He seemed to understand her in so many ways she never thought possible. Even through the silence it was as if he knew what she was thinking. As if they had never been apart.
"Yes. Everything we endure makes us stronger, and we need to learn to let go of what is lost, and to hold on to what we have."
She looked over to him, her eyes trailing over his form. He had changed, she could feel it. She wasn't sure if it was for the better, or for the worse, but he had certainly changed. She gently flicked her hair from her eyes, staring at him for a few more moments, before finally realizing what she was doing and looking away hastily.
Khia and Nala were both wild. Almost feral creatures - he did understand her very well; and he was truly fond of this quiet girl. She was always in so much pain - and yet she rarely complained.
Of the Tales, there were very few he felt comfortable around - Nalira was one of them. Perhaps that was why he felt no reservation at holding her as he did. "I agree...though sometimes...it's awfully hard."
His tail twitched again, the fur shifting a bit - in color, and in general - as he mulled this over. Certain he'd changed physically - he was a man now; long limbs, sharp features, muscle and sinew. But he'd changed more on the inside - the innocence he'd carried as a kit, and as a child had left him completely.
Life had been hard for Nala, but it had also been rough on Khia for reasons both similar and different. Perhaps one day, they'd swap stories and shake their heads at how "interesting" life could be.
Nalira nodding knowingly, letting out a sigh. She ran her fingers through his fur gently, laying her head on his shoulder, then placed her hand on his in a friendly, non-romantic way. She then looked over to him in a serious manner.
"Khia .. You haven't really told me about yourself, how you've been coping, what you've done in life since we last met. I can understand if you don't want to tell me, of course, but I don't deny I am rather curious."
She remained silent after this. After all she'd been through, everything seemed so calm, it seemed right to ask about other peoples lives and forget hers, even if for just a moment.
The shape-shifter purred deeply - partially because he was relaxed, and enjoyed the mild petting he was receiving, and partially because he knew that purring comforted people. Especially the sort of deep rumbling purring he could do.
"Well...there's not a whole lot to tell...I spend most of my time watching my Dad run around stressing himself out; it's pretty funny until he hurts himself or gets sick." here the big 'shifter snorted and muttered about how Syrie was always hurting himself or stressing himself sick. "Beyond that, I hang around with Jiro alot - hunting, playing the shamisen, swimming...stuff like that; or I'm at my martial arts class."
His fur rippled a bit, the underlying color shifting to reflect his sudden amusement with himself. "Oh yeah...and I"ve been trying to work with wood...build stuff. I'm not real good at it, apparently wood's harder to "shape" than my own flesh."
Nalira listened to the Tale intently, her eyes closing gently. The purring was, indeed, comforting. Suddenly, a smile spread across the tired one's face, her eyes opening slowly.
"Yes, I've met Jiro. He speaks very highly of you. I met him by myself a little while ago .. a very pleasant meeting, I very much enjoyed his company. As for Syrie, he's always run off his feet. He is a very kind, caring person .. like you." She smiled gently, then shifted onto her side; her back was giving her a lot of trouble as of late.
"You must show me some of the things you've built when you have the time. I'd really like to see them. I don't really build much .. actually, I don't think I've built anything. I'm more into reading, and listening to music - I can really get lost into the lyrics. I don't do much else - occasionally I'll wander when I have the strength and motivation. I'm kind'a lazy." She smiled in amusement, brown strands of hair falling over her face as she let out a little chuckle.
Khia chuckled a bit, his tail swishing as he continued purring; he watched his gentle friend slowly relaxing thanks to the rumbling that came from deep in his chest. Her smile really was beautiful...the shape-shifter thought it a pity she didn't have much cause to do it often.
"Jiro is very special, yes." His great ears flicked back and forth just a bit, the tasseled ends moving slightly as he did so, "He's also much older than he seems...at least...inside." Because in the time that Khia had spent getting to know the small red head, he'd discovered an intelligence that was much older than the tiny body that housed it.
"Of course...when it's done. If I can get it to work...I'll make you something." Khia nodded at the girl's words about music - he too loved music; it truly did soothe the savage beast, so to speak. "Nala, I'm lazy as hell...you found me laying about, didn't you?" Another of his toothy, fanged grins as he reached out to gently rub her back; something - his sixth sense? - telling him she had troubles.
Nalira smiled slightly, a strange sound coming from the depths of her throat as he rubbed her back. It, somehow, caused her to relax. She sunk into the hammock comfortably, closing her eyes.
"You have a beautiful smile, Khia." She said gently, opening one eye to peer at him. She parted her mouth gently, breathing in the crisp air around her. "Yes, Jiro does house a lot of intelligence for such a young child. He has a maturity way beyond his years .. He is truly something amazing."
She then let out a chuckle. "I wouldn't call you lazy, Khia .. I'd call you, a man who enjoys relaxing. Nothing wrong with that." She drew her hands up to her stomach, letting them fall limp. A smile pulled at her lips once more.
"Oh, you don't have to make me anything .. You're friendship is the only gift I need."
"Nnn...I doubt it - most people think I'm snarling at them when I do it." But he just flicked his ears a bit and shrugged, his fur rippling a bit as he lay there resting with the honey-haired girl.
"Dad calls me lazy all the time, 'Ren too - I don't know if you ever met him, he's one of my brothers..." Khia paused there, picturing for a moment the pink and Siamese colored lykin - he'd like Nala to meet him, Veloren was an amazing person - and such a huge part of Khiarhu's life that he couldn't imagine not having the shorter man around.
"Say...Nala..." A thought had just hit the teen, and his tail wriggled happily - he hoped she'd say yes! "Do you think you'd wanna come over for dinner sometime? "You and yer mom - I know Dad wouldn't mind. He likes you a lot."
A grin immediately spread over her face, her heart giving a slightly flutter. No one had ever asked her over for dinner, so, naturally, she was rather excited.
"Of course, I mean .. I'd love to, we'd love to." She smiled, nodding vibrantly. She was almost certain Lemon wouldn't mind, she rather liked Syrie. She turned to look at Khiarhu, smiling happily.
"I don't have any siblings. I'm pretty much and only child. There are a few animals running around the house, but that's about it." She sighed gently to herself, playing with a strand of hair. It was kind of lonely being an only child. She loved Lemonlime, but she wasn't always home ..
She shook her head, looking back over to the teen, her heart fluttering around in her ribs as if a butterfly stuck inside a cage. She didn't have anything else to say, so she sunk further down into the hammock, closing her eyes, her fingers stroking through his fur gently. Her breath came out in a rhythmic fashion, the warmth radiating between the two keeping her at a comfortable temperature.
A very happy undertone of color came to the shape-shifter's fur, and his tail twitched a bit - he didn't quite feel the urge to get up just yet...though dinner...that was tempting.
Then again, Syrie would probably fuss and whine about not having enough time to prepare something good - and Khia recalled too that his parent hadn't gone shopping any time recently. "Great...I don't think it can happen tonight...Sy doesn't shop often." Khia huffed softly, apologetically. "But soon as he goes shopping, I'll come get you...would that be okay?"
The shifter couldn't imagine not having siblings...he had several - and oddly enough, around his father's lab...even the "pets" could sometimes be "people" It was strange.
The afternoon grew longer with the pair resting there in the hammock, and it wasn't until Syrie came to pick Khia up that they would leave; of course...the kitsune insisted on taking Nalira home, and also agreed to their dinner plans.
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 12:03 pm
...//Solo - Sending Letters Syrie penned out his letter, affixed a stamp on it, and dropped it off at the Barton Post office - it was faster than doing so from the Manor, and he didn't really live there. Since he had started caring for Olivia in Nyxa's absence, he had stayed in the Barton-town house with Tei and Kaelin. They were soft-spoken, gentle boys - and good for Livvy. Khia too, but he was half-wild and stayed mostly at the Manor with the wild Lupii (they'd taken Olivia there several times, and she'd never been afraid of the horse-sized lupine creatures.)
The letter would hopefully arrive sometime the next day bearing Syrie's bold script on the front: To Miss Olivia, Care Of Cassi, as well as the address.
Inside, there were two letters, one for Cassi, one for Olivia. Quote: Cassi, I hope my letter finds you and Olivia well, I know she can be quite a handful - but she's not mean spirited. Losing her mother has been quite a shock for her... She didn't give me an easy time either, though I imagine since you are trying to be her "mother", that she is being even more stubborn than she was with me. (It seems many of the Tome's children consider me a parent of sorts anyway, so that helped when she was with me.) Should you ever need someone to talk to, or assistance...please don't hesitate to contact me. I always go by the Stationary Shop, so you can leave notice for me there. We should have dinner sometime - I've a large home and plenty for kids to do, so your whole family is invited, perhaps when Oliva is settled in better? Yours, S. Zaire Quote: Livvy, Khia and I miss you! You and Cassi should come by for a visit at some point, once you're settled in. Ah, before I forget - Khia said to tell you to not to punch anyone...does he know something I don't? I just wanted to send you a letter to see how you were doing with Cassi and her family - I know this is quite a change, but I wouldn't have allowed you to go with her if I didn't believe she'd be good to you. Trust me, things will get easier, but it will take time...and you know, you always have me and Khia. We love you very much Livvy, and we're always there for you. Keep your chin up! -Sy
"I suppose he could be at the shop...he did mention something about having gotten a new hammock..."
And so the russet kitsune made his way on his rounds - he'd stop by the Stationary Store just before he went home...and if Khia were there, then they'd go home together...
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 12:26 pm
...//PRP - The Dinner Date Dinner Thread - Khia, Nala, Lemon and Syrie enjoy a strange dinner at the Manor...
Currently unfinished because Syface is a goober that never can be trusted to complete rp/journals/anything but art in an expedient manner. biggrin
Currently unfinished due to multiple issues; assume dinner was pleasant and everyone went home/etc happy and content.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 1:47 pm
chaoticdivinity Aido looked down at the sheet of paper in her hand then at the adress displayed nearby, nestled in her hair Altair trilled fondly, vaguely recognizing the place. Patting the idle thought fondly she checked the paper once more before shoving it into the pocket of her jacket and hopping off Rael's back, heading for the front door.
Placing it just to the side of the door so it wouldn't be accidently trampled she drapped a small fleece blanket over the present, hopefully that would keep it warm until one of the members of the household found it.
After making sure the letter atop the package would be held down she hurried away, onto Rael's back and into the Shadows nearby, heading for their next destination.
Dear Khia,
Happy Winter Gift-Giving Holiday Khia~! I hope you like this small gift, the man selling them to keep it warm until the being inside would hatches, which should be soon.
Oh! Also, Altair says, or trills I suppose, 'hello!' and wishes you and yours a happy holiday as well.
Love,
Aido & Altair
As per Aido's instructions, the shape-shifter had kept the "gift" quite warm indeed - all that fur was good for something! He had wondered what it might be, and the one day this strange Pupfin/polarbear looking creature came out of his room to clack at him hungrily.
"Well now...you smell like that thing Aiuu gave me...so you must have hatched!" He rather thought it cute, and wondered what he should call this strange creature...perhaps.... Camiseth? Yes, that was a good name.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 1:58 pm
...//Solo - Conflicted Interests Things had been...going. Not well. Not badly. Just going for Khia. He was still having these weird urges toward chaos and destruction...he was still getting really bad vibes from the Study and Tome any time that he went into the Stationary Store...and he was still being twitchy and unsettled in general.
On the other hand, he was trying to keep somewhat in touch with Olivia and with Nalira...though one met with more success than the other. It seemed that Nalira had changed; very much -- and not precisely for the better. Something had happened to that girl that had murdered much of who and what she once had been. It was something he felt was still happening to her and that troubled the shape-shifter because she was very much like himself in many, many ways and seeing her in such a fractured, strained state was hard on him.
At least...it was for the most part. That dark, twisted, vicious and wicked part of him was swelling up more and more each day had absolutely thrilled to seeing the scarred girl in such a state. He'd scented drugs and cheap cologne and alcohol and so many other things; despair and desperation. But he couldn't be certain if those things were really there or if he were sensing something that would soon be there.
Horrible thing, that.
Khia sighed and shifted his weight in his favorite hammock; The Lupix Sanctuary grounds were gorgeous and sun-kissed; kept lush and beautiful by some arcane magic and Syrie's own. The warmth of the day weighted Khia down and briefly he entertained thoughts of going out to Sterling Lake for a swim. Perhaps he should -- it always seemed to cool his boiling blood.
"Nnn...but I don't want to get up." The black-furred teen stretched and then rubbed his hand across his bare, furry belly in a lazy motion.
Bucca, one of the younger Lupii that had bonded itself to Khia's parent was rolling around several feet away from Khia, gnawing on a very large bone that had likely come from one of the beasts that the Lupii hunted for food in the farther reaches of the Sanctuary grounds. While watching the beast, Khia surmised to himself that the more he changed inside, the more everything else became painfully unchanging on the outside.
It pissed him off that Bucca was in his yard, eating a bone and being normal. As did Olivia being moderately happy with Cassi. As did Nala having her mother again.
But it also pleased him. Livvy should be happy, so should Nala...and why the hell shouldn't the over-grown, simple-minded Lupix enjoy his bone?
The conflict was driving him crazy -- tearing the shifter apart from inside out and making his temperature rise to nearly unbearable points with rage and violence and annoyance and frustration.
Khia grunted and rolled out of the hammock, shifting his form fluidly into a quadrapedal form so that he could speed down to the lake. He really did need that swim after all.
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:14 am
...//PRP - Part I
This goes with a story line in Jiro's Tome -- Reference Page to Come This was going to be rather awkward.. but it was something that needed to be done and as quickly as possible. Luc had never met Khia face to face and tell him something that he was positive he was not going to like. Though his thoughts were rampant, his face was entirely too calm as he used the portal made for him and stepped into Sanctuary, his green eyes looking around carefully. Now, from what Jiro always told him, Khia was impossible to miss... so he had to find him now. Before Jiro's condition got any worse
Khiarhu happened to be in the middle of roughhousing in the clearing to the side of the Manor; Heka, his father's lupix was snarling and growling and bashing him this way and that - a terrifying scene, certainly! Except that Khia was doing the same - and both seemed...happy, rather than angry. After all, they were playing.
The shapeshifter's head lifted and he shoved the beast's purple and black muzzle away from him for a minute - someone had arrived, someone's who's faint scent he didn't know. Heka caught it too and stilled, her fur bristling a little, though the scent was not dangerous at all...rather, it seemed this person was worried....frightened too. The dark pair picked themselves off the grass and started towards Luc; wanting to know what business brought him to the Sanctuary...
With how he was trained, he knew that his presence had been noticed and that caused him to slightly relax. Hopefully, the two beings that were coming towards him would be the one he sought. A faint sigh escaped him as he hurried this meeting along by hurrying to meet them about halfway, pausing when he saw the two in a more clear light. One was like Jiro's Hirome, so he knew that wasn't Khia. The one next to her however....
His voice was, as always, too calm for its own good as he spoke, looking the very tall Tale in the eye, though he was rather straining his neck to see all of him. "You are Khia, correct?"
The closer the boy came towards them, the better he could see and smell him - and...Jiro? Jiro's blood? He could smell it,sickly sweet... coppery.... mingling with this person's scent, as well as others. Some say that violence doesn't have a scent, but Khia would disagree; what he scented was violence, and it made his fur ripple in a most unpleasant manner. "Heka, stay."
Crimson eyes glittered brightly as the shapeshifter came the rest of the way without his huge companion. "...Yes." His tail flicked behind his thick legs, and he tilted his head to better size up this diminutive person that carried the red head's too familiar scent. "What business have you here?"
A sad type of smirk appeared on Luc's face. "You can smell it, can't you? Jiro's blood is on me... you need to come with me to our home. I'm Jiro's brother, Luc.... he needs you. I could go into details, but I don't think that it'd be best, so I'll get straight to the point. Jiro was attacked not too long ago, but a couple who seem to want him to be destroyed. Thankfully, I managed to be in the area and stopped them before they succeeded in their wish..."
He had to stop because his fingers were twitching and he curled them tightly into a fist as he pushed down the rage that was still inside of him. "I stopped as much blood flow as I could, but there's still too much that he lost. He requested I bring you before he passed out..."
Those bright, jewel-like eyes narrowed, and an involuntary growl rose in the beasts throat, but he reined in his temper, his demons, and nodded tersely to Luc. "Take me to him."
The shapeshifter said nothing more than that; there was no need. Luc knew he could scent the boy's blood on him, just as surely as Luc knew the bond between the pair that had prompted Jiro to ask for him. If Luc couldn't help Jiro, maybe Khia could...Syrie couldn't be asked - the shapeshifter dismissed that thought quickly, his parent would die if he tried, and it wasn't a case of him being willing to swap lives - he would have them both by his side, one way or another.
Nodding curtly, he took his own locket and spun the spell that would take them directly to Jiro's room without another word. He knew that would be Khia's responce. The way his entire aura changed proved what Jiro had always told him. They were close.. their bond was a very powerful thing. He waited for Khia to step through before he followed, closing the time rip behind him before it sent them both into the overly large room.
Right then, Sah was the one by Jiro's side, mopping up the sweat that had appeared on the boy's forehead as he slept. He looked relieved as he saw the two of them appear but he didn't get up. "I'm glad you found him quickly, Luc."
"Least I could do." He tried not to look at his brother, seeing him so still, so pale.. it bothered him more than he wished to admit at the moment. "I'll go get some more herbs..." He then headed out to do so. He would try to help in his own way. Sah stood finally and went to Khia's side.
"He'll know you're here now... maybe he'll wake up for you..."
Khia didn't hesitate at all, but plunged through the portal and into the room that smelled of fever, blood, and Jiro. His lips skinned back in a snarl, but he shook his head and forced the anger down - it didn't do Jiro any good if he was raging like an animal!
"Has a healer been called?" The question fell from the shapeshifter's malformed muzzle with a throaty sort of rumble behind it, even as he moved past Sah to sit at Jiro's side; long, furry black fingers reached out to gently touch the boy's cheek, brushing back a few firey strands of hair. "Jiro...I'm here..." It wasn't really a question, so much as the teen verifying that fact - he knew Jiro's family would never just let him die.
As always, the under tone of the beasts's coat reflected his inner emotions, and right then the colors were chaotic, angry...scared and worried...everything all at once - Jiro looked so pale, so fragile laying there!
"Yes, we summoned Akiya from work.. but he's far away at the moment and to use portals is forbidden so he has to come home the old way. But he's on his way now.." Whenever Akiya had to meet with the Gate Keepers of their kind, he wasn't allowed to use portals in such a chaotic area. "We think he's stable. I used some of my own magic.. but whatever that blade was made of.. it did a lot more damage that a typical blade. I fear it might be poisoned.. but it's not like we're getting answers from his attackers." Sah was trying his best not to cry at the sight of his little boy looking so pale and sickly. It frightened him, that something worse could happen to him.
Jiro's head slowly shifted as he felt Khia's familiar touch and he tried to open his eyes to see him, but could only manage to crack them open into slits. "K... Kh...ia..." It hurt for him to speak and the shapeshifter could hear gargling as he tried to take in a breath. "Knew... you'd... come..." He tried to smile but it hurt to move so he didn't bother.
"Of course I came....now lay still, you need to save your strength..." Painful as it might have been for Jiro's Sah, it was doubly so for the black beast that was gingerly settling next to the small boy - the pair had a bond that bound them together very strongly. Khia fought hard internally to keep his temper in check, to keep himself in check until Jiro was out of danger - he could do this for the red head, until Akiya reached Jiro, Khia would wait and comfort him.
"Akiya will be here soon, Imp....and you will be well. We'll go swimming again...and lay in the hammock together, alright?" A long pink tongue flicked out against the firey haired boy's cheek once, twice.
Nodding slightly, Jiro did manage a smile this time around. He knew that seeing him like this was truly upsetting to Khia and he wanted to do something; hold him, comfort him, anything, but he couldn't make his body respond. "So.. loud... h-his.. screams..." They were still echoing inside his head, the Other's pain filled cries and need for the pain to stop. It had affected both of them..
Sah then stepped closer and watched the two of them together, feeling their bond as clearly as he felt his bond with Akiya. "From what Luc told me when I got here, there were only two... the blade they used is one I've never seen before... we want to move him off the bed to another one.. a cleaner one... but I'm not strong enough to lift him like that. And Jiro wanted to see you as soon as possible..."
Sah wasn't strong enough to lift him without jarring the injuries, making them worse - but Khia was, and while he didn't glance at the small worried man, his ears flicked a little - he was listening. "I know...it'll be alright...I promise...." So he didn't jar the small boy, Khia shifted just a little - changing his arms enough that he could slide them under Jiro without jostling him too much - before he lifted that slight body. The scent of blood was tugging at his senses sharply, calling to his wilder side, but he continued to squash it down for the boy's sake.
"Where do you want him?" Despite the teen's size and appearance, he could be amazingly gentle, and he was proving it with how he was holding the red head; unfortunately, it was getting harder on him to control himself, and little tiny hairline cracks were appearing in the gems embedded into his bracers...
"In the room next door. It's the other room he has... there's a large futon in there that we can set him upon." Sah mainly just wanted to get him out of this room that was filled with blood and evil intent. It was making his stomach twist in knots and he had no idea how it affected Jiro or Khia. Leading the way, he pushed the door open and let them in. This room was much smaller than his normal bedroom, more a typical size for a bedroom for once. The futon was easy to spot. "Place him there..."
Jiro was watching Khia carefully, noticing that the thick blood scent was making him edgy and his brows shifted in worry. "K-Khia... I'll.. be... okay..."
Khia carried the robe-clad child over to the futon and set him down gently - likely the blood would ruin not only the bed in the other room, but also this futon; but he didn't care. It was worrying that Jiro was so pale looking, but there wasn't anything he could do about it - Khia had no magical skills beyond his shapeshifting, and he'd never felt more useless.
"I know..I know you will..." He skinned his lips back in a frightening grin before licking the boy's cheek again. "You can't get rid of me that easy, Jiro."
"Don't... want.. to be.. rid of you..." Though it hurt him, he reached up and touched Khia's cheek gently, his eyes only focused on him and him alone. He knew that Sah was int he room and soon Luc would be as well, but he was worried about Khia. Given how his temper could be, he was afraid he would do something that would cause him to hurt himself. And that was something he wanted to avoid. "S-Stay..?" His eyes were getting heavy again. Just doing this much was so incredibly taxing on him.
Long black fingers curled around Jiro's hand, holding it tightly. "I'm not going anywhere, Chibi. You just rest right now, okay? Lay still and rest for me..." He didn't want the boy straining himself too much more, it would harm the chances of him recovering - where the hell was Akiya!? The lashing of the black beast's tail spoke volumes on how agitated and tensed he actually was.
He tried to hold Khia's hand back, he truly did, but all the shapeshifter felt was a faint pressure before he was out like a light again, just as Akiya slammed into the room, looking rumpled, out of breath and worried.
Listening as his mate explained everything to him as quickly as he could, he went next to Jiro, not about to tell Khia to move and looked him over. His eyes narrowed as he felt how much blood he had truly lost and how it was still not stopping. It should have stopped ages ago. Brushing some hair off Jiro's sweaty forehead, he pressed a soft kiss onto it before he sighed. "He's lost too much... we'll need to do a transfusion..."
"But... he's already done one with Angelus... what'll happen if he does another one with someone else?"
"I don't know... but it needs to be done and now... or else my healing him will do nothing... I don't think if he does a transfusion with another, it'll affect Angelus..." He then looked at Khia, the question easy to read and he was positive he knew his answer. But it was always wise to ask. It would make their bond stronger than ever... but they didn't know if there would be any after effects.
Khia understood Akiya's unspoken question almost before the man looked at him - mix his tainted blood with Jiro's? He had no choice! The great beast dipped his head and whuffed - at least he was big, there was a lot of blood that they could take...and he'd give it all if that's what was needed. "Take all of it, if you need it...just do it."
His tail swished and he thought about it a moment, would his fur inhibit the process? It was thick, silky along his body, though some places it was cropped closely...he supposed Akiya would say something about it if it would pose a problem.
"I won't need all..." Nodding to Sah, who looked more than worried before he ran off to get his supplies, akiya shrugged out of the huge longcoat he had been wearing, setting it aside. "I can heal Jiro while your blood is going into his body. It'll help me be able to reconstruct the parts of his body that was heavily damaged by that blade." Drawing ina deep breath, he calmed himself down before he began to draw the needed symbols intot he air to begin the spell. Dark blue flared into being with each completed symbol and they spun around both Khia and Jiro a moment before settling onto JIro's forehead, still glowing garishly bright.
Sah nudged his mate lightly in the back and extended the small machine that he would need to do the transfer. Taking it, he looked over at Khia before he grew thoughtful. "Is there a way you can make your arm less furred? It'll be hard to find veins any other way..."
Another shake of that great horned head, and Khia flexed the arm closest to Akiya, narrowing his eyes as the flesh reshaped itself to something very similar to human, only with a dark hue to it. "Whatever it takes, I want him whole again."
There was a dangerous sort of fire glowing in the shapeshifter's eyes; eyes much the color of the blood staining the small boy beside him. It was so hard, so very hard to hold himself in check when all he wanted to was to destroy whomever had harmed Jiro like this - he'd rip them apart with his claws and slash them open with his fangs, oh yes...indeed.
Thanking him with a faint smile, he took one needled end and carefully inserted it into one of the thicker veins he could readily see, watching Khia's blood flow to a small container in the center before he covered the needle with a bandage and worked on Jiro's arm, holding it like he would a fragile glass doll. Only a flicker of pain showed in Jiro's face as he large needle was inserted, but then it quickly passed again. "I will make him whole again, don't you worry..." Akiya refused to let any of his children die. Not under his watch.
Motioning to Sah, who took his position by a small pump, they both got to work, watching the blood shift into Jiro's small body. But while the thick liquid was entering, Akiya was casting his healing spell on him, placing a hand over his chest and focusing all of his energy there. That was where the most damage had been inflicted. Strange thing though was that Khia could feel where the damage was the second his blood entered the red head's. He could feel the pain coursing through him and he knew that his heart had been badly slashed up in this attack.
But if Khia had tried to do anything against their attacked, Akiya would have to stop him, even though he would have allowed it. But these two had to hae a reason for doing something this dangerous. Maybe they could answer some of the questions that surrounded the tiny Tale. "It's working..."
Khia hissed in a sharp breath the moment he felt the boy's pain, and the cracks in the gems grew deeper, more defined; he was under control then only because he was more worried for the small boy beside him than he was on taking revenge. "Jiro...it'll be okay..." He licked at the boy's face again, tail twitching just a little; the sensation of blood being drawn from his veins didn't bother him so much as the other's pain made him see red.
"Good." It was good Jiro was healing...but the black beast did wonder at how wise it was to merge his blood with Jiro's.... Still, so long as it worked - that was all that mattered.
It took about a half hour before Akiya stopped the transfusion and then just focused on healing Jiro completely. He was more relieved to see color returning to his pale face and seeing him react to Khia's lick with a tiny nose wrinkle. The boy would need a lot of rest before he would be able to do much of anything, but he was out of danger.. finally. Feeling almost completely wasted emotionally, Akiya rubbed at his temples, not noticing Sah cleaning up behind him, bandaging both Khia and Jiro's arms before he headed out to make them all something to drink. "He'll need a lot of rest.. and so will you. No matter how much or how little is given, it is tiring to take away one's blood. If you'd like you can rest with Jiro. The futon is big enough. Hopefully.. if his own healing kicks up again, he'll wake up sometime tomorrow..."
The shapeshifter growled a response - he didn't want to lay down, he wanted to hunt the bastards that had hurt Jiro! However, he knew Akiya was right, his body was fatigued - after all, he felt the boy's pain too! "Nnnn thank you. I will lay with him, guard him until he wakes." The shifter returned his arm to it's usual silky state, the small puncture wound from the needle having already healed - he healed rapidly on his own, be it Tome magic, or his own.
"Jiro....rest easy, I won't let anyone touch you...." The big teen did one more shift, going to his fully beast form and curling around the child, his great shaggy head resting beside Jiro's head as he slept; eyes glittering brightly as he lay there.
Knowing that his son was in good hands with Khia, actually there was no one safer than the shifter, he left them alone, closing and locking the door just in case. He took a few minutes to get himself back to rights and try not to get ill because he did get sick if he used too much of his magic (something of his own doing), his eyes glowed with unholy murder as he left to go speak to the ones who did this. He didn't tell Khia where they were being held because he had the feeling he knew exactly what he would have done. And he didn't blame him... not in the least.
Feeling ever so much better, Jiro only made a faint sound in his sleep before he slowly shifted to lean against Khia as best he could, one arm wrapping about his head. He felt.. rather different... the heartbeat was louder now... his scent was stronger. By the time the next morning rolled around, he had opened his eyes and was focused only on Khia, his fingers gently caressing his furry head.
Sleeping wasn't an option for Khiarhu, but he did cat nap and doze fitfully during the night - Akiya was wise in not telling Khia they had captured the ones responsible...it likely would have caused the beast to go berserk and destroy them. For anyone messing with Jiro, there was indeed a fate worse than death, and it's messenger was Khia.
Morning found him catnapping, his ears flicking at the soft touches on his head. "...Auuu..." The shape-shifter lifted his great shaggy head with a chuff and licked at Jiro's cheek; he was sleepy, but as long as the red head was well nothing else mattered.
A little smile showed on the red head's usually stoic face at the lick and he continued to caress him like that. His body was still being sluggishly slow to respond to his mental commands, but he did manage to nuzzle against him all the more. He knew Khia as well as Khia knew him. Khia wanted to get revenge for this attack.. and he wouldn't stop him. He knew this was because of the deep amounts of caring the two shared for each other.
"Khia..." He pressed a small kiss to his muzzle, his eyes closing for a moment in order to breathe in his wonderful scent all over again. "So glad you came for me..."
((TBC Maybe?))
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:15 am
...//PRP - Part II Khia: *tail wags at that; still in beast form, slinking about*
Akiya: yup X3 he's not a chibi anymore X3 he's rather pleased.. though he's rather.. ungraceful on his feet at the moment *Hears him hacking again and wrinkles nose* Drink your tea, Imp! He's in his room Khia X3
Khia: *snorts; didn't need to be told where Jiro was - just knows* .... *shakes that massive head of his and chuffs again; will have his answers, will have his revenge...but can wait* .... *pads off to Jiro's room, missing his horns for some odd reason?*
Akiya: *Noticed he was without his horns but doesn't say anything just yet*
Jiro: *Was working on brushing his hair, his fingers rather stiff and not responding as they should. Grumbling, he nearly threw the brush down in frustration before he turned his head towards his door, a smile showing. Khia*
Khia: *slides into the room, muscles moving so smoothly it's almost like floating; he moves right over to the red head and puts that great shaggy head into the boy's lap, tail swishing behind him; whuffs*
Jiro: *His eyes showed how happy he was as he ran his fingers along Khia's might head* Hey there *A look a concern passed his face as his fingers moved over where his horns... used to be?* Where are your horns?
Khia: *whuffs again, as if to say "who knows?"; perhaps it's only in this form that he doesn't have horns? Oddly enough ,Khia has spent his time since the transfusion as a beast* ... Aauu....
Jiro: Hmmm... are you all right? *Normal, Khia would have said something by now instead of wuffing at him. Leaning closer to him, he pressed a soft kiss onto his muzzle. He had been a beast for the longest since the incident.. though it made him incredibly happy he was always there with him now* Want to do anything? I'm feeling a lot better today
Khia: *red eyes glitter brightly, he's remained a beast so that his senses were at their sharpest - he will not allow Jiro to be harmed again while he's around. He'd missed the red head changing - because he'd been exhausted from the transfusion - but he vowed to not miss anything else. Unfortunately, it was three times as hard to "speak" in this particular form, so he tended to express in body language and beast-sounds* Auu. *he moved his head from Jiro's lap and took a step away, head cocked as if to say "what are you waiting for?"*
Jiro: Waiting for? *His own head tilted ever so slightly before he moved carefully off the chair, instantly reaching out for Khia as he felt so unbalanced right then.* think we should go find them? Those people? I know they're here... *He knew that Khia was doing this to protect him and he hugged him gently, knowing he didn't have to hide the fact that the Other tried to take him over the second he had changed. He could feel it...* I'll need your help though... I'm rather slow in walking on my own...
Khia: *whuffs and shoves his shoulder against Jiro's leg - help him walk? Certainly, or the boy could ride his back; it was one of the good things about being gallu - he was horrifically strong without ever trying - and since his gems had cracked, he'd gotten stronger yet* Rrr...... *yes, the people were here - he could scent them, as surely as if they were in the room with him...wherever Akiya had hidden them, Khia would find them - but he wanted the answers first, the answers that Akiya and Jiro needed*
Jiro: *Understanding what he meant, he carefully got onto his back and held onto him. It felt strange, this first time being on his back in this form. He could feel a lot more of him than he had been able to last time. Not that it was a bad thing. Purring softly, he nuzzled against him* Mmmn.. let's find them.. and ask them why they did this...
Khia: *straightens, as he'd kneeled just a bit to help Jiro mount his broad, silky back, and chuffs before moving off in the direction of the pair of scents; padding along silently despite his large size*
Jiro: *His eyes opened a bit, the irises shifting into catlike slits a couple of times before he blinked and they were back to normal* Neh... Shouhin said that in this book he was reading about my rings... it's possible for us to have a mental connection as well as knowing each other's thoughts and things like that.... you think it's true? It would be nifty... if we could talk to each other like that... because I only feel safe with you.... or maybe I've become too sentimental or something heh *he snorted a bit*
Khia: *whuffs a bit; he doesn't find it silly or simply sentimental - Syrie's empathic, and he's such a strange creature the idea is no where near outside the realm of possibility; it just might be difficult for him, being a "simple" Tome created gallu*. .... *he paused and lifted his head, sniffing at the air delicately, nose quivering - the scent, the scent! It was there, there...with Akiya's scent - not long, not long! The beast made his way farther into the home, his senses unfailingly taking him towards the captives*
Jiro: You're not simple you know... I'm sure there is a reason why the Tome made you this way... why the Tome made me have an older soul of.. myself.. if I can say that about the Other... I think the Time has a really twisted sense of humor... *When Khia suddenly moved quicker through the house, he knew why. He had found them... and he could feel Shouhin as well.*
Khia: *snorts a bit, as if to say that Jiro's words are nice, but that he IS simple; of course..it could also be his way of saying - without words - that the Tome was inDEED a rather twisted sort of magical item....* Rrrrr...... *his furr bristled as they came closer, and his form seemed to change a bit all on it's own, more like the "hunting" version of himself - leaner lines, stronger looking..much less like a "housepet" than a beast made purely for killing; when he slowed at the door, the growling didn't stop, it got louder - but Jiro would have to get off, he'd have to open that door...Khia would just break it, and that wouldn't do at all*
Jiro: *He made an offended sound and was irritated that he thought so little of himself when Jiro thought him to be the greatest person he had ever met. But this was something that they probably would never agree on and he didn't wish to fight with him. However, as he changed into the hunting form of himself the closer they got, he knew they were closer. It was hard to get off his back but he did so carefully, placing a hand on top of his head before he touched the door handle* I'm just as angry as you are... but we have to first get answers... okay?
Khia: *growls sharply at the boy's last words, but dips his head to show that he understands, and he will behave as much as he can* RRrrr.....Aauii... *Khia's silky tail lashed a few times as he waited for Jiro to open the door; his blood was boiling, but he kept it in check - it was hard, but he was strong, stubborn, and willfull, he could do it for as long as he needed...at least, the shapeshifter really hoped so....*
Jiro: Don't growl... it anything, I should be more angry, right? *Glad to see he understood, he pushed open the door and revealed the room their 'guests were staying in. HIs parenst were not monsters and therefore, the room was nicely durnished and comfortable. But the two were still bound and gagged on the bed. Least they got the stay together. A tray of finished food was besides them as well. Sah would feel anyone in his home.. or else he'd feel horrid otherwise. Event hough Akiya had argued with his mate not to poison them just yet.
Their arrival was not expected so the two were shocked to see the boy they had tred to kill still standing* I'm sure you two know why we're here....
Khia: *he still growled - in his mind, he had every right to be angry, if not angrier than Jiro about that - these people had tried to remove someone very dear to him, something he considered his....it was just as bad as them attacking him directly* .... *the dark shifter padded into the room, his bulky body slightly infront of Jiro - he was the shield, after all; he skinned his muzzle back and showed off wickedly sharp teeth - showing that should the pair not cooperate, he would not hesitate to sink those teeth into their flesh*
Jiro: *Having the feeling this was yet another topic they were going to be seeing differently on, he rubbed at his temples a bit to try to keep from getting dizzy again before he watched how the two tried to inch further away from Khia than ever* We're here to ask you questions... so it's best to just work with us. It'll make it painless and go by faster... *The two on the bed looked at each other again before looking at him* I guess the first question would be obvious... why?
Woman: If he comes back... he'll only finish what he began a long while ago... we can't allow that to happen. It's why we hid him in the first place *Her voice was softer but she ignored her mate's hiss to remain silent* There's no point in being silent! The child doesn't understand!
Khia: *stays close to Jiro so the boy can use him for support if he finds he needs it, but keeps his bright eyes on the pair huddled away from him - good, they were afraid. Fear would loosen their tongues AND make them wary...just how he wanted it; for the moment, he would remain as a beast...perhaps they would think him nothing more than just the red head's pet...but he did want to know what it was that the "Other" had started...* ....
Jiro: Then... what am I?
Man: ..... *he was really hesitant about saying anything but when the woman leaned over and bit his shoulder, since their hands and legs were tied together, he realized he might as well* Over five hundred years ago, a race that is similar to the race that resides here now once lived on this place... in this pocket dimension. Before the Kuulatris came here, it was our world... though we say our lightly since we aren't as old as the Elders... our leader then.. was a beautiful man. Beautiful not only in face but in heart. He guided us here from a darker realm... taught us how to survive and thrive. Though it was rumored he was not part of us, he might as well have been. We never knew a better leader....
We cannot say why... or what caused it, but we only have a few ideas. Our leader fell in love with an outsider... something that really shouldn't have happened. Since the outsider was an enemy. *He looked down a bit* From what we've read, he was sealed and taken away from him.. for our races protection.. for his own protection. But it was against what he wished and since he never asked anything, he took it badly that the one thing he desired was so heavily denied.
Woman: They say he snapped... used the great power he had and became a being that no one could stop... one because no one was as strong as he was.. and because he was still their beloved leader...
Khia: *his head tilted as he listened carefully to the man, mindful that anything they were told may be twisted for whatever reason. Still, it sounded plausible...but then did they mean to say Jiro was that leader and had been "Reincarnated" via the Tome? Or was he the outsider, brought back through Tome magic? And why?
For a moment, the shapeshifter allowed his brain to ponder the Tome's purposes - why would a magic book purposefully seek out beasts and creatures powerful enough to destroy it...and bring them back as Tales?* ....nnn.... *the beast shook his great heavy head and glanced up at Jiro curiously*
Jiro: *his eyes were rather dulled as he listened to the man speaking. Why did it all sound familiar to him? But... something..* Why was he there? If the one he loved was sealed... why was he there the day I was killed? *His voice had changed slightly and the eyes that lifted were turning a dark red but only bit a few shades* Why was he there?!
*The couple hadn't expected Him to actually show and they cowed even more before one of them hurried to continue explaining* Woman: He was unsealed and charmed.. in order to lure him out. He was killing everything! Villages fell under his onslaught! He laughed while torturing people! He had become a monster and no one could reason with him... so they used the one person they knew he would listen to... the person he loved... It was low and dirty... but at the time they had no choice! It was the only way to save everyone!
Jiro: .... So that's what he had been saying.. *A hand covered his mouth as images were flickering past his eyes, the images shared to Khia since they were so linked* Those were the words he was mouthing to me....
Man: We thought it was over... everything had been so quiet for so long... but then the tremors began again, the signals of his return... but why in the body of a child?
Khia: *shakes his head again, not liking what he's seeing - but a strange frission of joy at seeing the destruction, the pain, makes it way along his spine; he is, after all...gallu....and they thrive on things such as that* .... *shifts, rapidly, into his typical furry self, though his horns are...strange, cracked and somehow different, and he still has the sleaker, more feral appearance* ...Bastards....
Man: If it wasn't us, someone else would have been sent. We thought that nothing would happen. A child with powers nothing like our Leader's could be a threat.. maybe we were imagining things... but the power that is distinctly his only kept getting stronger... Our Leader... he said he had to be stopped...
Woman: If he comes back into full strength... since apparently his powers have not been weakened but only getting stronger each day the child lives.. the entire universe could be destroyed. From what we've been told.. he wants his lover... but... the Seal on him had only been placed for so long... *Biting her lip, she stopped talking*
Jiro:... *The way she said that... a searing pain gripped his chest and he panted a bit* .... how long? *When the two didn't answer, his eyes flickered dangerously. The Other him was having a hard time keeping his calm and black and gold flames started to circle around his feet* How long?!
Khia: *the pair's reluctance to answer Jiro brought forth a torrent of anger, rage and pain - some his own, some Jiro's - either way, it was a struggle to not leap and destroy, and the gems cracked just a tiny bit further* ...SPEAK! *the shifter strode over to the pair, leaning down to murmur dark words to first one, then the other* If you do not speak, everything, I will rip your partner apart with my hands and feed their heart to you. *The flames around the red-head's feet did not go unnoticed, but he could do nothing for the boy right at that moment save help give him the answers he needed*
Man: *He didn't want anything happening to his mate and even though she had bit him earlier, he tried to protect her, looking Khia straight in the face.. even though he was clearly afraid of him* He's dead already... the Seal was only to last for a couple hundred years... to make sure that the first Leader was truly gone and not coming back... then he was released since he wasn't needed anymore...
Woman: It's said that afterwards... he went to the sight where his lover's body had been burned... and took his own life so he could be with him... *She looked ready to say more but the scream of pain that came from JIro caused her to stop*
Jiro: NO!! He can't! He can't be!! *The voice in his head was so loud, it was hard for Jiro to tell who was in more pain. Him or the Other... but he figured there was no greater pain than a broken heart. Everything... everything had been for nothing! His loved one was gone.. how could that be?! His rage could not be contained and the flames only grew in intensity and size, covering Jiro in its inferno. The voice that spoke from it though, was most definately the Other* They will all die... they will all pay for this!
Khia: *whirls, feeling Jiro's pain, the Other's pain, as surely as if it were his own - it hurt, it clouded, but he pushed it aside, pushed it back, buried it deep behind the gems that held him in check; Jiro didn't need HIM freaking out too* Death is not yours to deal! *he hissed, moving over to the flaming body before him; completely unconcerned as the heat singed his fur - the fire didn't bother him much, though flame could be bothersome to demons* Give him back to me, your time is done!
Jiro: NO! It's NOT done! *His eyes were glowing a bright blood red as they focused on Khia, not really caring if he burned. But the other Jiro, the smaller one, was causing a racket inside his head* And who are you to try to dictate to me what I can or cannot do?! You are not of importance!
Khia: *shifts slightly, but not much, his body changing to something slightly less...usual, little projections rising from his spine, bony bits covered by a thin, coarse fur* I am Jiro's mate, my blood flows in your veins, you belong to ME. *snarls, teeth bared viciously as he moved closer still - let the flames eat him! let Jiro's other self try to burn him alive, it wouldn't work, he was gallu! His kind had been used as the hands of Gods since before the birth of the world! Tome reborn or not, he would not be taken lightly, especially not when his mate was involved!*
Jiro: *His eyes widened in rage at that, the flames only getting hotter* No one claims ownership over me! And if I must, I'll drain this body of blood to get your tainted blood out! I can move a dead body for a little while before I find another host. I'm strong enough for that now... *His voice was cold but his laughter was even colder. But his eyes were flickering again, which meant that the internal struggle was also going on inside of Jiro's poor tormented mind. There was no way Jiro would allow his mate to be killed! It didn't matter to the Other that Khia had changed forms, though it was an interesting shift* Oh? You intend to fight me then, gallu? See if you can protect your mate as I have been trying to protect mine?
Khia: *upon hearing those words - that the other would kill Jiro so easily, without thought - his eyes narrowed and the gems on the bracers at his wrists cracked completely, the blood-gems falling from their casings onto the floor with a strangely hollow tinkling sound. His form changed into something from a nightmare; tall as he was, he became taller, and the fur changed to scales in some places, limbs lengthening...claws sharpening, hardening - the horns that had been missing burst from his skull - slender spiralling horns, two sets, and the rams horns, only they weren't thick like before. Spines marched down his back and dissappeared into the long floof of his tail* ...you ...belong...to...me.... *two additional sets of eyes appeared in his forehead area, and the strange shifting of his coat seemed almost...hungry, alive all it's own, and his muzzle split into a cruel smile* ...to me...or to DEATH!
Jiro: Nice.. I knew there was something about you that was interesting. Such a shame you try to hide how you truly are... *it was easy to ignore the couple cowering on the best.. well as best as they could cower in their states. They were both rather scary as they were right now and they didn't want to get anywhere near that* To the Death, hmm? And what about your precious mate? If you kill me, you'll kill him. Unlike me, he's not that strong yet... I bow down to no one. Especially not some gallu demon! I care not of what your past uses were, you will not get in my way! *More flames gathered into the palm of his hands, the center pulsating with energy* I will destroy all in my way
Khia: *a strange, forked tongue flicked out, licking at his muzzle as if in anticipation; a voice slides sinuously to him, but it's rather obvious Khia hasn't physically spoken* I will not harm that body...but I will tear you to pieces. *the beast threw it's head back, howling laughter; physically he was impressive, but gallu were meant to fight on an astral plane, not just a physical one - so while they could see the physical representation of Khia's true form, they could not see the astral - and the physical form was like the pale shadow of the moon* Return my mate, and you may live to gain revenge - keep me from him, and your soul will never find rest in any life.
Jiro: Heh... I always wondered if that was true.. about you gallu and the astral... *In the aster plane, he could be himself and though he wasn't as huge as Khia was, he was no weakling. The male looked up at the huge beast before he calmly yanked up the smaller version of himself by the back of his kimono* Him? He's a weak little thing but he shows a lot of promise. And why would you allow me to seek my revenge after all that preaching you gave, hmm? Sounds rather like a contridiction to me
Khia: *chuckles again, a gravelly, hateful sound* Deals are made, deals are kept, Other. I want what is mine - I will have it one way or another. *khia's hulking form seemed to ripple just a little, the eyes glinting with amusement, rage, and something wholly alien* Make a deal with the devil, Other - I would give you your revenge through me. But Jiro is mine. Wholly mine. *THIS version of the shifter was obviously not as moral as the "limited" version!*
Jiro: Hmph... is that so? *The smaller Jiro was tightly bound and gagged, still struggling but it didn't seem to do much to the Other. Lifting up his free hand, the Other showed Khia how he was wearing gloves that were exactly like Jiro's and conjured up the blades that were so well hidden in them* These blades are mine, you know. The ones you helped him get. Explain to me how I would get my revenge through you.. *He had no problems placing the sharpened edge of the blade at Jiro's throat, loving to hear the child's faint whimpering as he became stock still*
Khia: I know well, think you I wouldn't know something so simple? *he knew, but he didn't know - like this, he did, but as he normally was...he couldn't sense the psychic signature left on the weapons* How else? Gallu are meant to be commanded - or you may borrow that body. The boy, harm him and you will exist no more! *Khia hissed darkly, the entirety of the astral plane quivering as his ire rose at having the other place a blade against his mate's throat*
Jiro: Do you really now... I seriously wonder about that... heh borrow hmm? It sounds like an interesting trade... but I don't know.. *Lifting the smaller boy up higher, he licked at his soft little cheek, loving the hatred showing in those beautiful gold eyes* I need him still... for a lot of reasons. I don't want to give him up to anyone... especially not to you. You only seem to make things a lot harder on us... *He didn't knick Jiro, he knew better than to push Khia too much, but he still moved the blade a little bit* Other than him being your mate, why do you want him so much?
Khia: *the beast's head moved sinuously, the neck lengthening and then shortening again; here on the astral plane, it seemed his entire being was fluid - on the physical plane he simply stared at the red head, body tensed and ready, claws clicking together wickedly* Need him? You use him, you do not need him. *great jaws cracked open and snapped at air, a strange bloody slaver coating those horribly sharp teeth* Surely you know the answer there - as you loved your mate, so have I loved mine. There is no other reason.
Jiro: You don't know what I need, gallu. No one does but me... and the boy, though he doesn't realize it yet. *He was silent for a long while, looking at the gallu and thenlooking down at Jiro. his own mate was dead... his heart couldn't stand it... he wanted him back! But.. this damn demon stood in his way and that was annoying. In astral, he gave a snort as he retracted his weapon and threw the smaller boy at the demon uncaringly. Though is the physical plane, the flames were slowly retreating around around them and returning to his hand* ..... touche.....
Khia: Resurrection? Rebirth - for the two? *the astral beast snapped it's jaws again as though laughing, though he was doing anything but; Jiro's small astral form was enveloped into the blackness that made the creature's body - protected there as surely as anything* Let us be, Other...you will get your revenge...through me, you will.
Jiro: Heh... like I'd tell you so easily. For now, I'll let you be... but only for now. I'm tired.. *His eyes showed a flicker of deep pain as he disappeared from sight in the astral plane. He needed to mourn and he did that alone. Once he was gone, the fires disappeared all together and Jiro flopped forward bonelessly, his breathing harsh* Nnnnn...
Khia: *it took the beast some time to draw himself back into the physical realm - the astral form was so much more comfortable for him to exist in; once he was more settled in that strange physical body, he reached for the boy, glaring over at the pair huddling on the bed. His muzzzle skinned back and the multiple eyes glowed red - did he kill them now?* You.... *his voice was gravelly and deep, with an edge like broken glass* ...I deal...with you...now.... *his blood cried for violence, for the hot rush of blood against his tongue, on his claws....*
Jiro: *It was hard for him to wake up, as it always was when he was fully possessed and then suddenly returned. He had to get himself back in order. But he could hear Khia's angry voice and he stirred weakly, trying to open his eyes as the couple whimpered and tried to get away. But there was nowhere they could go and no way to get away from Khia* L-Leave them.... they were d-doing as they were told... *Though he was angry and he wanted to get his revenge on someone, these weren't the right people* If anyone should die.. it should be the one who ordered this... n-neh?
Khia: *his tail lashed behind him, and that horribly misshapen head tilted, twisted to look at Jiro for a moment before throwing back in a chilling laughter* I thirst....they die.... *the shapeshifter moved towards the pair on all fours, his shoulders higher than his hips due to the sheer length of his forearms and the strangely jointed back legs; the mane of wild black fur around his shoulders shook as those heavy legs moved slowly, deliberately; obviously he relished terrifying them, was feeding on their emotions*
Jiro: *His eyes opened more when he heard that chilling laughter and heard his words. Steadily himself, he glared at Khia* I said no. If anyone has any decision in whether they live or die, it will be me and no one else! *It hurt but he moved to stand before him, looking him down while he protected the two ont he bed* Besides, it's no fun killing someone who is bound and defenseless. That's lower than what they did to me. *This was a form he was not used to seeing Khia in and he knew that he was definately different now.. his limiters had broken completely, he had seen that. The woman was softly sobbing and the man was shaking but trying to calm her down* Stand down, Khia. Please.
Khia: *had the beast wanted to, he could have thrown Jiro aside like a ragdoll - Jiro was weakened, and he was at nearly full strength - but he did not; the black creature dipped and bobbed his head, hissing and growling at the same time* Prey.... *the word slid from between that twisted muzzle as another drawn out hiss; what did he - a creature with no true morals, and no true allegiance - care that it was low to kill them like that? If he had to wait for them to be a challenge, he would never kill them! Or much of anything else, for that matter!* My...prey....
Jiro: No. Mine. *he knew he was weak at the moment and if Khia decided to fight him, he wouldn't be able to stand up to him much. But he was a stubborn imp and he would not back down from it* My life threatened. My prey! *His eyes narrowed as he looked at him* I know you're angry, Khia... I'm not saying you don't have a right to be... but the person who needs to die is their Leader. If they were competant, they wouldn't have failed. But they're not. Wait a bit, Khia. I'll give you prey. If not, then you'll have to get past me to get to them...
Khia: *seems to be thinking, the six red eyes unblinking for just a bit; he picks up the red head and sets him aside, moving towards the pair again, jaws snapping a bit, though he stops just a bit away from the duo on the bed, his neck elongating so he can speak at them without getting in range to claw them* Your leader.... *hisses, forked tongue flicking out rapidly to touch the man's cheek* Give him to me.....
Jiro: *His eyes widened slightly as he was lifted and set aside, not sure if he was worried more or relieved that he was actually going to listen to him. Right then, he couldn't tell. But his legs were shaking badly from trying to stand and he sank to the ground with a slight flump, closing his eyes as the world spun out of control. How disgustingly weak he was... made him sick*
Man: .... I can't j-just give him to you... I-I'd have to t-take you to him....
Khia: *the strangely elongated head bobbed and swayed and then twisted to look back at the collapsed Jiro, something about the boy's weakness striking a cord that went deeper than his need to kill something, though not much could be done without the limiters* I will...go...yes...he will...die.... *his tail swished, and the bony protrusions from his spine twitched and shrank down a bit, almost totally disappearing into his flesh*
Jiro: *It took a bit but he got himself under control. This was.. going to be rather difficult, wasn't it. Looking up again, he caught Khia's eyes as he looked over at him. This was how he truly was? It wasn't that he wouldn't accept him for who he was. He would not turn away from his mate! But... he was scary this way.. even Jiro had to admit.. this uncaring Khia... was really frightening. Right now, all he wanted to do was kill... maybe he would feel better if he did. Turning away from him, he pushed himself up carefully, weaving but placinga hand against the wall to steady himself* They can't leave... Luc bound them.. Luc has to undo it
Khia: *the beast gnashed his teeth and drew his head back towards his body, the lenghty neck shortening again; the six red eyes glinted angrily at having his "fun" spoiled yet again - why was he hesitating!? For this small mate, this tiny thing....ah,but he couldn't help it, truely* Luc...will release...the bait. *his head shook, the mane poofing wildly, horns shaking just a bit; he caught a familiar scent - one that he disliked in this form* ...that man....
From down the hall, steps can be heard, rapid steps - and a voice, calling a name.
Syrie: Khiarhu! *the kitsune burst into the room, his blue-grey eyes taking in everything all at once, but he focused for a minute on the shattered gems, and the great hulking beast that was his child* Khiarhu Zaire, you come here right this minute - I bound you to me! I'll bind you again! *No, he didn't know what was going on, not really - but something had to be done, when he was like this, Khia was dangerous, even to those he loved!*
Khia: *hisses at the man, whirling to face him, head going lower as he bared his fangs to the tiny kitsune*
Jiro: We need to find Luc first.. *And Luc loved to disappear for days at a time. It wasn't easy to track the magic user down because he trained as much as Jiro did. But he wasn't looking at Khia anymore. No, his attention was focused on the door that Syrie would appear from. He knew his surroundings well and knew he was coming* Uncle... *He slowly made his way over to Syrie, glaring at Khia when it looked like he was about to attack him* This is my fault, Uncle... I'm sorry... I lost control of my Other... and Khia's limiters broke.. and he became like this... *Tears filled his eyes and he growled to himself as he wiped them away* C-Can't... we bring back my Khia? He's.. scary this way... and I hate saying that....
Syrie: No chibi, it's not your fault...he was bound to break them sooner or later.... *the kitsune put his arms around the red head and smoothed his hair; seemingly unconcerned with the slavering beast that was currently his "son" - even though the creature did seem to want to slash his head from his body* I can, it just takes a minute....
Khia: *snarls and hisses at his "parent", with Jiro in the man's arms, the beast couldn't swipe at him and that irritated him even more - Khia loved Syrie, but...like this, he held no allegience, and the russet creature was in his way.* Move, old man.... *his tail lashed and those creepy eyes blinked in sequence, glowing faintly at him* I will...destroy you....if need be....
Syrie: *sets Jiro away from him for a moment* Just...wait here, okay? *the kitsune rolled up the sleeve of his snow white sweater and moved to step before the demonic black shapeshifter, his entire body glowing warmly for a moment; he too changed a little, two tails instead of one, and his fingers were more like claws - the change was not drastic, just...different; when he spoke, it was a wholly different language, like a chant; one that caused the broken red gems to glow and melt, pooling around the kitsune's feet*
Jiro: *he didn't know what else to do or say. He didn't wish to be afraid of his own mate, but this was a bit out of what he was used to. Khia somehow didn't kill him, but he knew that if they didn't have their Bond, he would have slashed through him without any problems whatsoever. And that bothered him ona deep level and he shivered. But he nodded to Sy's words and moved back towards the door a bit to watch. He was curious how he got his limiters int he first place*
Syrie: *a slight wind springs up around him, and the kitsune slashes open his wrist after chanting for a few minutes; the blood flowing freely on the wind around him, mixing with the bloody looking material the gems had liquified into - this was how Khia had gotten his first limiters: Syrie's blood. Syrie's spell. And this was how he would get them again*
Khia: Old man.... *but he didn't finish whatever he was going to say, the swirling red wind was winding itself around his legs and up farther as the blond kept up the chanting - and for some reason, the wind slashed open Khia's flesh, his own blood mingling with Syrie's, with the liquid-gems; glowing brightly and giving off quite a bit of heat* No! I will ....not be...held again!
Syrie: I bind you, Khiarhu Zaire, to me by my blood, by your own blood, and by the magic that Inari blessed me with! *the magic swirled, getting brighter and brighter around the pair until it was white - pure white and soundless, nothing. Absolutely nothing for seconds, and then the world came crashing back in sight and scent and sound; and Khia was laying on the ground screaming bloody murder as his body was forced to shift back into it's usual fuzzy form by the gems that had reformed into the casings on his bracers - six large gems instead of six small* There.... *But he collapsed from bloodloss and from the strain on his heart; sliding to the ground in a boneless heap*
Jiro: Uncle! *His eyes were huge as he took in the entire process, looking down at his uncle and then at Khia, whose screaming was echoing so loud inside his head, he thought his ears would bleed from it. But it was by blood... Syrie's and Khia's blood made the bracers... But he had to get help for Sy and he gripped his locket hard, calling to Akiya with all his might. He wasn't surprised when the angel suddenly appeared, looking worried. BUt the second he saw that Syrie was down, he carefully picked up his friend, the words of the healing spell swirling around the both of them. Jiro knew he would have to explain himself later.. but not now. Looking over at Khia, he went to his mate but stayed a good distance away nevertheless. Maybe... he should ask Syrie how he could make the limiters... as his mate... he wanted to learn it*
Akiya: Hang on, Sy... it'll be all right *He had no idea what was going on. Jiro looked a sickly white and was set to fall over, Khia was screaming his head off and Syrie was bleeding too much. Sooner or later, someone would have to give him answers...*
Khia: *howls one final cry of absolute pain and then goes silent, panting raggedly as his body's locked back into it's weaker state, his powers sealed away beneath the glowing red bracers* Ahhn...nn...hnn...haa...ahh.. *blood slid down his cheeks from his eyes, it seeped slowly from those large fluffy ears, and his fingers and ripped grooves into the floor, but he was okay - he was reeling, but he was okay - back to his self* Ji...ro... *the shapeshifter curled himself into a ball, as tight as he could; his whole body ached and he was miserable...but...he could scent his mate, even if he couldn't see him just then*
Syrie: *as for the slender kitsune, he was clutching at his chest and gasping for air - Akiya's magic helped, his own was exhausted from creating the seal - but he was still very sick, and there were streaks of pure white in his hair, as though much of his life force had been drained to perform the blood-magic* I'll...be..okay.... *the blond's eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out completely again in the angel's arms; no answers would come from him for quite some time, likely*
Jiro: *he had to cover his ears from the sounds of Khia's pain, which hurt worse than his own pain ever could before he watched him grow silent, his body not flailing about as much anymore. That... was a good thing right? He looked like his mate again.. But his eyes were filled with intense worry over the shapeshifter and he was carefully moving closer to him when he said his name.* Khia... *To him, there was no greater sound that hearing Khia recognize him by name. He was back! Knowing his entire body was in pain, he stroked him gently, much too weak himself to try to heal him* I'm right here... Khia... *He rested his chest on top of the ball* Welcome back... beloved...
Akiya: *He was more worried right then again Sy than Khia. He had the feeling the shapeshifter would be all right for amoment or two. He hadn't trusted Syrie's I'll be okay statement. He was terribly weak.. and as a friend, he was deeply worried. Ignoring the two prisoners, he went into the room across the hall, shoving the door open with a foot and making sure it was empty before he went to place the kitsune down upon it. Good thing his house had a lot of rooms. Placing a healing mark upon his forehead, one that would continue to slowly heal him even if he wasn't there, he looked over to where his son and Sy's son were* ... I hope someone'll tell me what's going on soon...
Khia: *shudders violently and groans as he forces his body to stretch just enough so he can re-curl around the red head, comforted by having the boy there with him - so what if the wicked pair saw him being weak now...they wouldn't forget him, his power any time soon..if ever...and...honestly he couldn't think of anything he wanted more than to be near his mate right then* Dad...? *the shifter husked in a raw sounding voice*
Syrie: *doesn't move at all save for the rather uneven breathing and the strange fluttering of his heart in his chest; but he's not likely to die any time soon*
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