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 Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 10:23 pm
Alex released the boy in her grasp, shaking her head. All in all, they were still boys. "" She tilted her head at her brother, preparing a scathing remark about looking like a twelve year old girl when Rylenn finally managed to speak a few complete sentences. While she wasn't offended by the phobia remark, she chose not to comment on it; when teasing had turned into something personal, it was best to let it go. Leave it to Weiyuan to find someone who has as much pain and angst as he did.
"I don't need to have kids," she chuckled at the flustered boy, ignoring his allusions to some phantom male, "I've already got you to look after." Her green eyes turned to Rylenn, spreading her hands in an apologetic gesture. "I did not use the language to keep you from hearing." The simple reality is she didn't want the others to hear their banter, especially if those around them were teachers. If he wanted to think she did it to insult him, that was his decision. She was used to such things. Really, people sure liked to think the worst of her! It didn't help that she could be over bearing or playful; at least she knew where she stood with the new boy.
Her face returned to the unusual stoic mask she had from before, all hints of joking seeming to have melted as though they never were. "We will all have to drink the tonic, even if we've had it before. A safety precaution." She'd let Weiyuan think that she was heckling him and his boyfriend if it kept him from noticing her change of demeanor. Only she knew that it meant she had put her mark of protection on someone when she joked with them so openly. She now had four people under her wing - five if she included Greg - and she did not like the odds against the strange happenings. Her mind turned back to what she knew of the situation, her face darkening; there was something unnatural about the whole predicament, and there were too many loved ones involved for her comfort.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 4:56 am
Lina's face was blank, observing the scene...
Right up until Alex's question about the "anaconda skin," and then everything whited out.
Dante raised an eyebrow; he had walked over to the small group, intent on gathering the students together, and instead found himself staring down at a girl who appeared to be laughing her head off. "...You know, laughing that much can't be healthy...."
"...Anaconda...s-skin--ahahaha!"
....No doubt about it, then. Humans were strange creatures.
The laughter died, though, as Alex's face darkened. "Alex...? Please don't be so gloomy. It's not like you.... Things are going to be all right, okay? So let's not be scared or unhappy. Pocky always helps with that!"
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 8:14 am
The boy's mouth was an 'o' of surprise as he listened to Irame talk about the families. He couldn't fathom having a family that spanned all of a city! Sure, the locals had all been friendly and taken care of each other like a big family, but to call them all blood in earnest? That was remarkable! RuiZhi's face rippled with some undefined thought as his brother and Rylenn exchanged their claims of love, but it was gone before he could pin the feeling. He chose to ignore them as Alex went over to make them regret being born.
"My family was just my parents and I," he smiled up at Irame. "Mother was a mid-wife, but she couldn't have any more children after me. I had all the other kids to be my siblings." He chuckled, remembering the times of play before his father had passed. "I don't mind, P...Professor Irame," he stuttered as he heard something about anaconda skin. He didn't quite get it, but judging by Weiyuan's venemous reaction, it wasn't good.
RuiZhi glanced over at the trio. He was happy that Alex didn't hate Rylenn for being Weiyuan's boyfriend, although he didn't understand Wei's defensive replies. He chalked it up to the older boy being nervous about where they were. He sighed and smiled wearily at Irame. "You see? They're crazy." The words were fond and loving; he wouldn't have them any other way.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 9:37 am
"If I remembered clearly, I am only supposed to meet Advisor Fang here instead of a massive group of people? Or did my memory fail me already?"
A cold voice ran clearly across the area, surpassing even the sound of rumbling helicoptors. The grey haired young doctor stood in front of the large flying vehicle with one hand still on the steel panel, showing that he had only set his foot on the ground before he spoke. The icy blue eyes seemed to pierce the bright reflection on his glasses and the glare shot out like a swift javelin. He wasn't looking at anyone in particular, and his face was flat without any emotions. But from the tone of his voice one could easily tell that the doctor was somewhat angered by the unexpected scene that was in front of him.
"Where is advisor Fang? And why are you here? You have come without the headmaster's permission...or did he give you without my consent?"
If the latter reason was true, Kenth would swear to himself that he'd never forgive Norman again...not that he had planned to anytime soon. The sight in front of him disguested him. Didn't these people know what could happen to them? The group here looked more like a group of summer camp memebers than a group of investigators. Damn that Norman. The more Kenth thought about it, the more he was sure that it was the older man's fault that these people were here. He had no backbones.
"This is not summer camp. You are risking your life here, go home." Kenth continued with his cold comments. From the experience of last time, however, he was pretty sure that these people, with the stubborness of an ox, would not do what he said.
This was bad...really bad.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 10:30 am
Alex started to reply to Lina, but was cut short by words that were colder than any chill breeze. Her eyes fluttered shut, her heart sinking. Not him too, for the love of all that is good in this world, don't let that be... she pleaded inwardly, slowly opening her gaze to the frigid and unhappy Doctor. Five people, now. Five people she would take the fall for, six if Greg found himself in a bind. The odds just got worse and worse; she found herself feeling distantly fatalistic, although she wasn't sure there was any other way to be in the given situation.
"We'll talk at the lab," she said through numb lips at Lina, casting her a brief smile. No, she wasn't being herself at all, but she had good reason not to be. Shoving her hands in the top most pockets of her cargos, Alex seperated from the group, approaching the silver-haired man with a calm expression and the barest hint of a smile. "Doctor Kenth," she greeted him when she was close enough for him to hear, "good to see you too."
The woman stopped a short ways from the machine the Doctor stood by while she waited for him to come forward, feeling like the ordeal from before was repeating itself. This time, she had a reason to be here, and she liked it even less than her previous altruistic reasoning. Her face was drawn, a ghost of a smile present on her tanned face, her eyes equally as dark as her expression.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 10:39 am
Kenth looked down at the dark skinned woman approaching him. A light frown surficed in between his eyebrow, but quickly fainted. Taking his hands off from the helicoptor, Kenth gave a signal to the pilot to take off while he stepped back a little to prevent himself from being sucked into the vaccum. The pilot gave Kenth an "OK" handsign and took off with the flying vehicle, making a thunder-like noise and creating a strong gust of wind that made Kenth stumble even he was far back. Alex's words were drowned in the rumbling noise, but Kenth saw that the woman was trying to speak to him. He sighed and waited for her to come closer, hands in his pockets. The gray hair fluttered along with the usual labcoat, covering one side of his face.
Now what is this woman doing here?
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 10:49 am
Alex sighed as her words were lost in the whirlwind of the helicopter's drone. She watched the slender doctor struggle to remain upright; really, what did he think he could do here if a helicopter's buffet made him stumble? That made the woman smile a little more, completely still as whisps of her hair danced madly around her face in the wake of the machine's departure.
She closed the distance between them, feeling her heart skip. He hadn't changed at all. The woman reached out with familiarity, cupping his chin between her forefinger and thumb, turning his face to the side to observe his jaw. She was relieved to see it hadn't been broken; even now, that moment was still too raw. It didn't matter if no one else understood what she was doing; he should, and that was sufficient. Alex leaned forward and gave him a brisk kiss on each cheek, maybe lingering a little longer than the others she had given. Maybe.
"I didn't know this was going to be a field trip," she remarked dryly, finding some of her sarcasm as she dropped her hand back to her side. "You should know they would have found a way here no matter what the Professors--...wait." Her eyes narrowed in contemplation as she looked at the man before her. "You mentioned the Headmaster. You don't...work at the school, do you?" She couldn't stop herself anymore than she could around Weiyuan and Rylenn. Her lips pulled into a grin, one eyebrow quirking in dire amusement.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 11:04 am
Kenth impatiently pulled away from Alex...or attempted to, when she started playing with his face and landed her two kisses of greeting (or was it more than that?) on his cheeks. He could never accept this kind of greeting, even it was a culture thing from Alex's hometown, which he was not really sure of. But the woman was with the school also? Kenth amused himself by coming up with this idea. When was she there? He didn't recall anyone he knew in the school other than Wei and...HIM.
Taking a step backwards, Kenth pushed his glasses up to the ridge of his nose and looked at Alex with his icy blue eyes. The expression was softer from the first moment he spoke, but it was still severe. In addition, there was a hint of withdrawl in his eyes, perhaps from the thought that his words were definitely not convincing enough for these people to retreat. Advisor Fang was better at that, but where was he?
Ignoring the question, Kenth shook his head and said firmly, "This is not a field trip. It is dangerous here. I do not want you people to get hurt as I'd exhaust myself from taking care of all of you. I know you are a reasonable person, Alex, surely you'd see what kind of fate would coming here bring you..."
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 11:08 am
She didn't hear his voice over the din.
But she did see the wispy gray hair.
Lina stood, her laughing fit dying down as she stared down the doctor with all the ferocity and anger of a basilisk. Most likely condescending them again--when would the jerk learn?
Just wait. She'd give him a piece of her mind.
Dante was not so stubborn. He took a brisk stride towards Kenth and bowed. "Forgive me, Doctor," he said, voice as dry and clipped as ever. "Prinwaltz felt the need to bring you backup--and I must say that this is one of the times I agree with him in full. You will need backup--so we sent letters to some of the people that had been here before--and a few top researchers that hadn't. We're doing this together, Doctor. As an administrator of the school, I give them full permission to be here and accept that it is my responsibility to ensure their safety, if it arises to that."
His commanding tone brooked no argument--not even from the esteemed Doctor.
In Prinwaltz's absence, his word was law.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 11:23 am
The woman chuckled to herself, shaking her head. Some things never did change. Alex moved so he could see over her shoulder, although she herself did not turn around. "You remember Weiyaun," she said, eyes not leaving his face, "and Lina. They're both here. That we're all here is unnerving me to my very core." Although she was speaking of her fear, her face remained pleasant. "Now, do you see the boy in the robe, talking to the...the elf?" That was still so darn weird to her. "His name is RuiZhi Tai, and he entered the school to follow your footsteps." She paused, wondering how much to reveal, settling on the bare basics. "I took care of him when I first came here, and he took care of me when I was unable to do so myself."
Alex set her jaw, the calm expression slipping a little. "I've taken RuiZhi and Weiyuan under my wing, Dr. Kenth. They are like brothers to me. I knew they would come. Now, let me ask you this: shall we try to send them back and pretend they wont find another way onto this god-forsaken land and fall prey to the problem, or should we pretend that there is no trouble and keep them supervised and out of harm?" Of course the question was rhetorical. She didn't want them to be here, but she knew better than to think they'd listen and go back to the school. They'd be safer under the guidance of the teachers.
But...what of the teachers? She turned her head slightly, glancing over her shoulder at the gathered. If something were to happen, would the teachers fall trying to save the children? And if the teachers fell, what would become of them? Her gaze shifted to an approaching...elf. Alex was positive she was going to have a heart attack, and whatever was in this land wouldn't have the chance to kill her. She listened to him speak, and realized that he must be the one that RuiZhi was so enthralled with. Dante...Araquenosse, wasn't it? Is that who this Heru fellow was?
Quietly, she answered the doctor's previous statement with one of her own. "I know very well what may happen to me, Doctor Kenth, and it's the very reason I wont let it fall upon those boys, my friends, or you." Glancing wearily at the elf, she moved as though she would hug the doctor, although her hands didn't leave her pockets; instead, she whispered so the other wouldn't hear, "Forgive me for not being able to leave this in the capable hands of the teachers who let all of you come here in the first place." Alex smiled, but it was tight, showing some of her displeasure at the situation. Where was the backup during the disease? She wouldn't vocalize her thoughts...not yet.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 11:42 am
Great, just great. More annoying people.
Kenth mentally rolled his eyes as Dante spoke. So the elf thinks that he could command him. The young doctor smiled sacrastically, and bowed a little to Dante.
"Forgive me, advisor, but Advisor Fang is all I need. The rest of them are only students and teachers who had nothing to do with this incident. Please, do not waste your precious time here to play a game of life. You have the responsibility to keep the students safe and escort them back to where they belong. I don't need anyone here to drag me down in my works. " Kenth paused, turned back to Alex. "They have a bright future in front of them, don't let a dead man drag them down. The incident here is nothing of your concern. The supreme government was overreacting to the issues here, and there is no way that the incident would threaten the students' lives if they were not here. Should anyone be sacrificed, it would be the one who started this mess." Kenth pointed to himself, "so for the sake of the students I suggest you listen to the wise words. There is no point wasting your life here."
" I thank headmaster Norman for his precaution, but perhaps he could have started sooner, when I needed help, than right now."
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 11:49 am
Alex rolled her eyes; talk about stubborn! If he thought that mutilated bodies were nothing to worry about - or that it was somehow his fault - well, she wouldn't waste her time reasoning with him. He was a brilliant man, but he was too busy playing the blame game to hear anything else. She shook her head and waved a hand at him, turning to walk back and join the group. "You're stuck with me, Doctor Kenth. Don't act so disappointed, it hurts my feelings." She cast a devious glance over shoulder, smiling as she moved back towards Lina. He'd probably be angry at her for not listening, but...she had every right to be here as he did. Was HE the one who hit a native? No. She was. And she'd do it to every single one of them if they tried anything half as stupid as they had before.
She wouldn't tell anyone that she didn't think scholars, doctors or teachers could possibly be any help against people that were ripping others apart like animals. What would they do, talk to them to death? Tell them which organ they were removing? Alex was here because they needed muscle, needed instinct to face the encroaching darkness that had spread over the tainted lands. For the second time in her life, the woman was wondering if her days were numbered.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 11:54 am
Dante's voice was equally tight. "A game? Do you think so lowly of me, Kenth?
"As much as you want to think you are a hero, Kenth, you cannot do this alone. You cannot do this with only Professor Fang. At the very least you will have an advantage by having Irame and I here," he said, making sure to choose his words carefully. "Or have you been schooled for thousands of years in magic and the arcane and are able to use such information to repeal armies upon armies of Undead, fell creatures and the like?
"Believe you me, I would have come to China if Prinwaltz hadn't expressly forbid it otherwise. Or do you assume me arrogant because of my ears? Kenth, really, I thought better of you."
He turned back to the group. "I'd leave, if anyone actually WANTS to go."
"I won't. I finish what I start, and make sure to be a burden only on myself this time. And no uppity doctor's gonna stop me," she said, and had to bite her lip to stop herself from poking her tongue out at the doctor.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 12:03 pm
Kenth sighed. Why would these people just not leave him alone?
"I do not see myself as a hero, advisor, do not think highly of me. In fact, you can openly call me a selfish and arrogant jerk for all you want. Surely, I don't play around with magic like you elves do---no offense intended---and I do not have a charming personality like some other teachers. What I do know is that I value my own life, and I do look down upon whoever who doesn't."
Of course, that was only partly truth. Kenth knew that he'd rather die than failing, but that was something others did not need to know. Although Kenth had a feeling that few people would know this already...including the ingenious elven man in front of him. Kenth admired every teacher's superior ability in reasoning and understanding, but also hated them for going against his decisions. No...not only that, more like Kenth hated their abilities in general.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 12:24 pm
Lina wrinkled her nose. "I'm not going to die. I CAN'T die." Her voice had suddenly gained all the iciness, fire and stone of an elemental being--a creature that would not be shaken or moved.
Not yet. I can't--I WON'T--die yet.
"Disbelieve me all you want. I'm stayin'."
The conviction in her tone caused even Dante to blink and look down at her, stoic expression lost for a moment. This child...she had a fire within her...they all did. Especially the students...their young hearts would not be broken.
"Seconded," was all he said.
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