Welcome to Gaia! ::

*Xenin sighed in relief as the elevator finnaly arrived after what he thought were the longest 5 minutes of his life... He got on and as soon as he went in some older lady got right next to him. He gave a short glance, this lady was about 5 feet tall, plump and had to be some 60 years of age. Xenin hoped she wasn't a talker...*

My My what a mysterious young man!

*she exclaimed out of the blue and as soon as the elevator's closed she started to go on about her grandsons. Xenin raised an eyebrow in annoyance ( under his hood), all it took was a couple of minutes to get up to the second floor but this woman was making it seem like hours.*

and then theres Billy bob! of he's a fine young man! He used to work at construction but now he works at an office he has dignified position you know!...

*on and on...she never stopped. As the elevator arrived in the second floor,Xenin got off and thanked whatever God existed that this woman was headed for the floor above him. The elevator closed and the woman moved away Xenin focused his attention on the library. It was a small library in comparison to other ones he had been in, but it was homelier than most. The librarian was busy with someone else and that was just fine for Xenin drawing his hood back Xenin slipped quietly into the rows of books as he looked for something to read.

He listened, and he listened intently. Though Maximos had taken to leaning forward on his elbow with his face cupped in his left hand. His ears were focused on what she was saying, Maximos wasnt rude. But his eyes were focused on the dead center of her chest.

So much war...so much conflict...

At first one might think that was one of the most uncalled for reactions possible. But at closer look one could see, that the Shadow's left pinky and ring fingers were just slightly lifted and resting on his left eyelid, holding it closed.

But...still...

He was looking at her yes, but at nothing so shallow or physical. At something more precious, and more breathtaking. While his words seemed to fit what she was saying, that faint glow in his right eye made it seem like he was talking about something else entirely.



...so much beauty...and...

There was almost a startled look on his face. He backed up a bit, realizing not only how obvious he was being about looking at her soul, and what he believed he saw. His fingers moved from his eye, as both eyes rose to meet hers. He had been reading souls for a while now, that color, that hue, that shape, at him? Did she...really?

I...buh...

He couldnt help but blush, his body may have been old, and while in battle Maximos was as skilled as an aged warrior in this sort of circumstance...he was something of a boy, a boy with far less experience than he would like to admit. What to say? What to do?

...do you--

He froze. Not literally, and yet very literally. There was no ice, but that didnt stop the cold sweat. He would never admit how much hung on her next reaction. He could feel the rhythmic thump, thump of his heart pounding like a basketball on hard wood in his throat. It choked his words, and threatened to steal away his breath. All the while leaving a goofy smile on his pale face.

That smile, the look in her eyes, it was unmistakable. It was the answer he hoped for the answer he wanted. At the same time though, it was the answer he was afraid of.

He never broke eye contact, but, this was the moment. This was where he had to say it. He had face titans and monsters of epic proportions and never felt this nervous. He had denounced fallen gods to their ethereal faces, and voice never hesitated as such.

He took a moment to regain his composure, the goofy school boy smile on his face evening out, as his strength returned to him. As he rather expediently grew up, and experience he was beginning to get quite used to.

From that first cup of coffee. From that first smile...

The blush faded, he had a calm smile, something one might expect from the Shadow.

I've always had feelings for you...

He let go of the napkin he was playing so vigorously with, spreading his hands across it to flatten it out. Maximos was always very to himself with his emotions, they were in a vault, sealed behind a door, locked inside a mountain, lost in some eternal night. No one ever saw them, and in the past in the days of the Destroyer they were locked away to even Maximos.

But Lucind had done something many others had never done, Lucind drilled a whole clean across that night, through the mountain, into the door and just past the vault. She drilled it with cups of coffee, she drilled it with smiles. And drilled it by being the one person at his death, who knew Maximos enough, who cared enough be it for him or just in general, to save him.

And now, a small glimmer of those emotions could actually be seen. Just for her, maybe just for now. But it was something. Something small perhaps, but definitely something.

Day after day, I came for a bit more than the coffee and cake. I had...

He tried to stifle a laugh at how childish he was back then, his eyes broke contact for a moment staring down at the table and then back up.

...a boyish crush you could say. I wasnt even human then...I could barely feel anything, inside or out...there was no way I could tell you. If you felt the same...

He paused, silent, thinking...unknowing...unsure of how to confess that. He knew the words they just stung coming out. Stung on the inside, where he had no real protection, or defenses.

...you deserved someone real.

His eyes slowly moved back up to meet hers. As for now, he had no idea what to say or even what to think about right now. He was a Reaper, he faced death, that of others or his own day in and day out. His life was in almost constant threat and he could not force another to face that.



Maximos paused for a moment, her answer was perfect. And it was everything he needed to hear. His smile slowly stretched, from ear to ear.

Indeed...indeed we do.

He said as his eyes met Lucind's once more. He could see that veil pass over her soul, giving him only blurry colors and shapes behind it. But it didnt bother him, he knew what was there. And he just smiled, as wide as could be. This was for the best.

* Xenin almost laughed out loud at this excuse for a tale, because for Xenin Heroes are merely the stuff of myth. Those who call themselves heroes or try to act like them are merely hypocrites, who only act inn a righteous manner to help themselves in some way or another. Whether it's for fame, money or women no "hero"is truly pure. Xenin had learned that just a few seasons ago, but the lesson had scarred him so deep that he had lost faith in everything he once held dear, such as morality, selflessness, and love.
Tired of humoring himself by reading the idiocy in those old letters, Xenin closed the tome, stood up from his place in the library and returned to the rack where he found it...He now wondered what he would do, the libary was deserted and he didint feel like cofee, pherhaps it was time to leave...*

As soon as she felt it worked, that she was indeed able to hide her psionic signature from his advanced powers the flame-shaped fog dissolved.

Lucind helped herself to a slice of the cherry chococalte cake, placing the Seraphim's book right next to her, never losing touch, and for a while she enjoyed the silence of just sitting there, thinking of nothing in particular. Enjoying Maximos' presence. It was extremely calming. Even though she had just gotten a very concrete idea of what his current profession was.



"I...am in trouble."

Where she had been staring out of one of the windows into the bright sky, the woman now slowly turned her head to look at him.

"But well, that's the usual business for folks like us, isn't it?" A faint, almost dry smile curled her lips and a good deal of the exhaution and sickliess returned to her very appearance.

She thought of Vahn. Sunstrike. Owle. Their past journey had once more shown the Half-Siren that the life of everyone of them was filled with bitter-sweet drama, world impacting issues even.
For a moment Lucind wished herself back on the other continent, or the Fairuza at least, where they had spent a couple of joyful moments, no matter how serious the reason that had brought them together.

She knitted her brows, while still staring at Maximos. For some reason, hot tears threatened to escape.
Breaking the eye contact and swallowing hard, she stood up - but looked confused as if being unsure what to do now.

Four hours till the library section was closed.
Too long...

Still standing, she rolled the mug in her hands, asking quietly:

"When do you have to leave?"

((They're sitting on couches placed opposite of each other - see p.1, sketch of the 2nd floor^^))



"I..." She hesitated a moment, before turning her head around to stare at him. As suddenly as the tears had welled up, they had retreated, only to leave a mixture of all kind of emotions, swirling in those pools of warm amber: bitterness, wrath, anguish, anxiety...determination.

"I'm going to be expelled from the Siren society."

The emotions faded. One by one. The coldness following them reminded very much of the unrelenting attitude Lucind had shown back in the alleyway. But he hadn't done something wrong now, had he?

The woman's eyes became somewhat clouded when she turned left to scan the library. If Maximos used his special ability now, he possibly could see the activity of Lucind's soul, that a transparent, water like wave was sent out from it to run through her body and cover it like a second skin for a second, before vanishing again.

The Half-Siren started to whisper, peeking at the customers but not moving otherwise.

One after another, every visitor of the library made his way down into the cafe or up to the restaurant area, without any haste.



She sighed softly. Kara would kill her for using her powers like this, but...she just wanted...just for now...


"..."


The glass felt cool against her fingertips. She had strolled over to one of the windows behind the sitting corner, the light falling in through it a bit too bright. It hurt.


"Home... What is that?"

Her words were mumbled but still loud enough in the now nearly empty library.

"Where...?"

Absent-mindedly, she pushed back her black sweater to cover her right shoulder. But just like before it wouldn't stay there but slowly slip back down.

Another moment of silence passed by.

His words, his definition of 'home' made her smile, though rather inwardly.

One hand on her right shoulder, the other arm wrapped itself around her waist. She knew he was standing just a few steps behind her, still she kept on staring out of the window, her pupils tiny due to the sunlight.

"I've started what you can call a rebellion...and became a threat to the Siren world...the old Siren world, as it is."

Her hand wandered up to knead her shoulder and nape.

"It is funny. Only not... You see, now I've got the chance to establish a new form of the today's Siren clan...or a Siren's life in general. To found a new relationship to the rest of the world, to rebuild our public image...

But now that I have this chance, I just feel like running away. Pleading for a 'normal' life."

Her voice was still calm, almost neutral.

"I am...no hero. I hate all this talk about being chosen...and then fate." Here she snorted. "What is fate but giving up fighting for yourself, an excuse for shifting responsibility? ... The belief in fate...is dangerous. You can lose yourself in it."

For some reason, the image of Victor popped up in her mind all of a sudden.

"I didn't ask for all this.

Or...maybe I did.

I don't know..."

Lucind took a deep breath.

"I will let you know. Will tell you everything.

But right now..."

She fell silent, staring ahead and unconsciously listening for his reaction.