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 Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 3:34 pm
 The shadowy hall had been quiet for a while now. There were few visitors to this wing of the great hall; was it a lack of concern or a lack of knowledge? Perhaps some of both. Frozen in time, the statues stood in varying poses, vacant stares fixed on some point far beyond their current home. A flicker of movement...signs of life? Or one's imagination running wild?
Perhaps not. A sharp crack shattered the peace of the quiet hall, echoing off the walls as it was followed by more splintering noises. Flakes of stone fell from one of the statues as the web of cracks spread over the surface. A brilliant flash of light...and the statue was gone, replaced instead by a female Pae'il falling forward onto the floor on her hands and knees. The dark-skinned female heaved, panting to catch her breath before she lifted her head.
Where was she?
She had been a fully independent adult for many seasons, but finding herself alone in a strange place, her first thought was for her parents. Mom? Dad? ...Saffron? No one. She was all alone here. Where was she? How had she gotten here? She couldn't remember. She had flashes...memories of visiting Grandma Ivy...she was going to go see Blake...but Dad had said something was going on...something with her mother...
She sank back on her knees, lifting one hand to rub her head. Why couldn't she remember? Where was Grandma? And Dad? Guardians, even her pesky brother would be a welcome sight! She told herself it was the cold stone floor beneath her that sent a shiver through her form. She should get out of here. Somewhere warm. And with light. Away from...
Her eyes drifted over the multitude of statues, widening in shock and recognition. Not of the faces, but simply the feeling of Pae'il...watching her...though these were only stone...right? Right. Hurriedly, she brushed the stone dust from her arms as she scrambled to her feet, skin suddenly crawling. Yep, time to get out of here.
The rushed search for a way out meant that she took the first door she came to, never mind where it may lead. She wanted out, back out into fresh air and sunshine, away from the cold, damp, echoing chamber...
She burst into the sunlight and instinctively shielded her eyes from the brightness. It took some time to adjust, but until then, she'd taken note of the stone street beneath her feet; deliberate...construction... When her eyes began to get used to the light, she warily cast her gaze upward from beneath her arm...her stomach felt like it fell to her feet. Where...where am I? What is this place? It was almost alarming enough to send her scrambling back into the dark chambers. She did reach out and grab the door to steady herself. Tall buildings rose up over either side of the street, which was paved with stones and looked well-worn from use. A couple of Pae'il had been talking further up the street and turned to look at her with some confusion which quickly turned to concern and pity.The couple looked at one another. Normally, the Lost Souls returned to someone, but this poor girl seemed to be all alone. No wonder she seemed scared and confused. Nodding to her friend, the female angel neared, reaching out towards the demon-winged young woman. "Miss? Are you lost, sweetheart? Take a moment, a deep breath...can we help you maybe?"Mei Lien had turned to marvel at the spires in the distance...was that a castle? Like in Mom's stories? She jumped at the sound of the voice, having forgot the others were there. Her senses were overwhelmed. She turned back to the angel, blinking at her owlishly for a moment before managing to ask a single question in a cracked voice.
"Where am I?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:13 pm
It was too much to take in...too many changes, too quickly. As kind as the Pae couple was, Mei Lien wasn't ready for all this and the sudden panic was too much to ignore. She needed to get out, to get back to something familiar and safe. No, she didn't want to look at any nice flats near the market district. She didn't want to see the spa or the bazaar. She wanted to go home.
She got the inclination from the couple, who seemed to be trying to be gentle with their words, that much time had passed. What had she missed? She had emerged into a city that floated in the sky...yet from what they said, the Isle itself no longer did? What had happened? More importantly, where was her family? She tried to be kind in declining their offers for help, but her building anxiety was obvious. If there were so many Pae living in this strange City, she had to take a chance and ask if they knew of anyone like her family. No luck for her father or brother, but when she mentioned her mother and described her...
"Oh yes! I've seen her in the markets before! I can see the resemblance, dear! She was the one selling those darling little potions, wasn't she?"
"She was! I tell you, that poltice was worth the bag of flour. My knee has never felt better in seasons!"
Relief flooded Mei's system; they knew her mother! Well, they knew of her at least. "Does...she live around here somewhere?"
"Hmm...I don't think so? I think she comes up from the Isle once in a while? Come to think of it, I haven't seen her in some time though..."
That was all she needed to hear to confirm her hope. Her mother would have never left their home by the river. It held too many memories to be so easily abandoned for this shining city of cold stone. Hurriedly thanking the pair, Mei rushed from the street. As soon as there was room to spread her wings, she took to the air, flapping high above the tall buildings. The city was indeed floating...and as she reached the edge, the land dropped off and she could see the Isle far below. How strange to see it with clouds above and water surrounding rather than open sky below. At least the Isle appeared more familiar than the strange city...though she already noticed a few changes to the landscape. Trying to keep it from troubling her, she attempted to get her bearings, directing her flight down towards the lake...she could follow the river from there back to their home.
If she was startled to see the change in the river, now cutting a ravine through the land, she was nearly grounded by the realization that the peaceful Loka Nei Forest had become a thick, wild jungle. She had to gain altitude to soar over the canopy, not trusting herself to try to fly between the dense trees. She kept the ravine in sight easily enough, following the river downstream and searching for something familiar...there!
There had been some improvements and changes made, but she'd have recognized her childhood home anywhere. She also noted a couple of nearby buildings as well...other homes? But who? One still seemed to be partially under construction, the other having been there for some time, as it also had a garden growing behind. Carefully, she descended through the trees, stirring up some dirt with her wing beats as her feet touched the ground in...some sort of central clearing area. It almost looked like...some kind of meeting space? Odd...
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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 8:19 am
 Two voices and a lot of stomping could be heard off into the forest. The voices slowly grew louder before a lavender colored boy stomped out into the clearing. He was obviously irritated with the way he was walking and the look on his face, but that was hard to take serious when he held a colorful bag of flour in his arms.
He was clinging to it tightly, as though he was trying to keep someone from taking it from him. Suppose it wasn't so weird to be possessive of something valuable to a group, right? It wasn't weird till he stopped and it fell into a cradling position in his arms as he yelled over his shoulder, “Just leave it alone, Erasmus, it's not my fault this thing is needy!” he then turned his head back around and caught sight of the stranger standing in their clearing. He jumped to attention instantly- a lady! That blinded him from really taking notice of this female and realizing how familiar she seemed...
“Hey!” he called to her a bit surprised to see anyone, looking around to see if there was anyone else around. He then hurriedly tossed the flour back into the trees before scrambling over to her. “Hi there.” he said a little softer as if trying to make up his earlier display with some gentle purring words. “Can I help you with anything?” his eyes got a bit of a sparkle in them as he continued “Are you lost? Because I can certainly help you find your way. I know this jungle pretty well.” he went to lean on a tree but miscalculated how far he was from it. He fumbled for his footing for a second before standing straight again. He cleared his throat trying to clear the embarrassment from his voice, “I'm Amatus by the way.”
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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 3:19 pm
 Shortly behind the first teen came a near mirror image, the only difference being the darker streaks coloring his hair. And the fact that he wasn't carrying a bag of flour. He snorted, seeming a mix of both amused and annoyed as he rolled his eyes at the other. "Needy? I swear, one of these days, you're going to turn your back, and Gramma and I are gonna' make some cookies... No more 'needy' problems then," he muttered, trailing off as he realized they weren't alone. A stranger? In the commons? And a cute one at that!
As if on cue, the bag of flour was tossed back towards the jungle. Oh the temptation! He could have gone after it...but that would mean leaving his brother alone with the strange female. He wasn't having that. Ignoring the discarded bag, he put on a charming smile (and bit his cheek to keep from laughing out loud when his brother stumbled) and hurried to catch up before his brother could have a chance to amp up his game.
"Yeah, when you're not lost yourself," he shot in a stage whisper as he leaned over Amatus' shoulder, using him as a prop. Chin resting on his hand, he smiled winningly at the strange female. "Don't mind him. I'm Erasmus. And you are...?"The pair certainly made enough noise that she had time to hear them before she even saw them. She felt more confused than alarmed at their approach, having no reason to be wary of the teenagers. Clearly they were related; twin brothers by the look of them. Did they live around here somewhere? Would they know her mother?
Blinking and looking back and forth between the two standing before her, Mei Lien waited until they finished their banter, then cleared her throat. She wasn't really in the mood with her current anxiety level, else she might have been amused by their antics. "I'm not lost. Not really. But, I am looking for someone." Glancing over towards the larger building, she nodded, "Tell me, do you know a woman named Takeko? Does she still live here?" Her chest felt tight, anxiety weighing on her shoulders in anticipation of the answer.Gramma Takeko? Erasmus' puzzlement quickly shifted at the mention of the village matriarch. The mental image of her was drawn up automatically, and then he realized what had bothered him about the stranger's appearance. Her markings. They looked just like Gramma Takeko's.
...oh cripes, weren't there any available cuties on the Isle that they weren't related to?!?
Still absorbing this thought, he managed to mutter, "Uh...well, yeah, she's here...somewhere. Around this time, she's probably having lunch or a nap maybe..."Relieved, Mei Lien surged forward, taking each of their hands in hers. "Please, can you help me find her? It's very important!" Hope had surged; surely if she could find her mother, then she'd find out just what had happened, where the others were...everything would be alright then. She just needed to find her mother first. Then, everything would be fine again.
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 9:39 am
Amatus growled slightly and jabbed his elbow back into his twin at his comment. The jerk was always trying to kill his chances with the ladies! And he never really got THAT lost out there... He always managed to find his way back one way or another! That wasn't entirely lost was it?
He was taken aback by the female's state. She looked so tense! In the back of his mind we wondered if she was in some kind of epic trouble that only their Gramma could help her with! Maybe she'd let them come along and he could sweep this female off her feet as he saved her from whatever terrible thing was haunting her. Oh yeah, that'd make a good story-
Whoa, whoa!! She was touching him! Alright, well, she was touching both of them, but obviously her hand was holding his tighter! He smirked to himself, oh yeah this was going all according to plan- he blinked at the urgency in her voice and nodded, “Yeah, yeah, alright, come on! Let's check!” Still holding her hand he dragged her through the clearing and towards their home, bursting inside, “Gramma!” he hollered before slamming his free hand over his mouth realizing if she had been asleep he probably just scared the daylights outta her. In a calmer tone he called again, “Gramma someone is here to see you! She mentioned it being pretty important.” He grinned over his shoulder at her, feeling very accomplished in helping her out.
He dropped her hand and turned back to the female as they waited for her to reply, “Are you sure you're alright? I mean, if anything is wrong I can totally help with it.” he grinned brilliantly at her. “My bro might make it seem like I can't, but I am the totally able one.” This time he managed to lean on the wall without falling. Score one for Amatus!
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Posted: Fri May 22, 2015 3:28 pm
Mei Lien was tugged along by the enthusiastic youth, only for a moment though before she was easily trotting alongside. They knew her mother! She was still here! After all...this time. However long it had been. She still didn't know, only that it had to have been some time what with waking up in some City she knew certainly couldn't have existed when she was younger and given the drastic changes she'd noted in her flight over the Isle. Even here, her old home...the unfamiliar jungle had replaced the tranquil forest. How long had it taken for such thick brush and tall trees to grow? Her mother's home didn't appear all that different, she noted, but the additional homes that had popped up nearby...
She followed the boys through the familiar door, but paused at the first one's shout. Gramma? Wait a minute... She looked at the pair in the light of this new information. No, they looked little like her brother. One of their adopted siblings then? She hadn't known her older 'brothers' that well, but...she noted the faint tiger stripe markings on their fair skin. Wait...the wild one? Kane? She hadn't had a chance to really meet him, but she'd certainly heard enough about him while growing up.Sharing perhaps only a portion of his twin's enthusiasm, Erasmus trotted along, rubbing his arm where Amatus had jabbed him while watching the young woman curiously. Yes, she was pretty, and normally he'd be all for the usual game of fighting with Amatus for her attention, but now that he'd noticed her familiar markings, he was more interested in solving that mystery. What connection did she have to Gramma Takeko?
Inside the home, he noticed that her attention shifted to them after his brother's shouts. She was staring at them with a similar curiosity, despite her earlier urgency. "You called her...'Gramma'? Are you two-?""Boys! What have I told you about yelling insi-?!?"
The angel froze in the doorway, the wooden hairbrush falling from her hand and clattering over the floor. Her hair fell over her shoulder in disheveled tangles as she'd clearly risen late in the day and had yet to ready herself to go out. An aura of weariness hung around the angel that spoke of shouldered worries and long nights. In an instant though, the weary disbelief turned to a wary sparkle of hope. Reaching out with one hand, the other moved towards her mouth, muffling the whispered, "...Mei Lien?"Biting her lip, Mei hesitated only a moment before rushing forward with a breathless, "...Mom!" She fell into the angel's open arms, clinging to her as if for dear life. All the uncertainty and fear and confusion fell away, as did the careful defenses she'd been holding since she'd awoken. Tears pricked at her eyes, welling and dripping down her cheeks now that she finally felt safe, back in her mother's arms, like a child again.Standing awkwardly off to the side of the exchange, Erasmus' eyes shifted from the pair back to his twin. He reached out to grab Amatus' arm and start pulling him quietly back outside from whence they'd come. As they exited, he whispered, "Dude...she's like...our aunt or something..."
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Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2015 10:28 pm
The two were left alone and for a while, neither spoke a word, both overcome with the emotional surge. Finally, Takeko pulled back, resting her hand on her daughter's cheek with a gentle smile. "My baby...home at last..." Hope flickered in her gaze and after some hesitation, she voiced the question that had forced its way to the front of her mind. "Your father...is he right behind you?"Mei Lien had poured out the turmoil of emotion that had been held back until she'd caught sight of her mother, but now, concern flickered across her face. "No, I...isn't he here with you?" Something was wrong. This wasn't right. She was supposed to come home and everything would be alright again...Takeko's expression fell, as if the world had crumbled around her. What hope had survived this long was extinguished like a dying flame. "...no, honey. He's not. I had hoped..." Her hand shook, betraying her, as she drew her daughter in again. "But, you're here. That's what matters right now. My baby is home again. This isn't a dream, is it?"Mei Lien sniffled, rubbing her cheek against her mother's shoulder, damp from the tears. "I hope not. I don't think it is. It's just...everything's so different...even here. The new buildings...and the fire pit...those boys...they called you 'Gramma'...?"Smiling through her tears, Takeko managed a soft chuckle. "Technically, I believe it should be 'Great Gramma', but...who's really counting?" She paused with a frown, noting the mixed demon's expression. "Mei? Maybe you should sit down. I know I probably should." She guided her daughter to the sofa, sitting down beside her and keeping her hands in hers the whole time. She felt as if she were to let go of her, she'd disappear into thin air. Concern touching her features, she leaned in, brushing a lock of hair behind the other's ear. "Honey? Are you okay? Not hurt? Not...""No, Mom. I...I'm fine I think. It's just...this is a lot to take in." It was true enough. Last thing she remembered, she and her father were going...somewhere...where was it? And then she woke up in that dark place in a City that had not existed for her last she was aware. How much time had passed? What had happened? She didn't have answers for these, and the sensory overload of returning to her mother's home, now so much larger and part of some sort of...complex, well...she felt off-balance and was reeling, grasping for some sense of place. Some reference point to help her regain perspective. She dropped her head into her hands, taking a deep, calming breath.She wanted to ask where she'd been...what happened? But...this wasn't the time. Mei Lien was already almost overwhelmed...for now, Takeko would have to hold her questions. This wasn't the time to sate her curiosity at the sake of her daughter's mental state. She was happy for now to have her home again. Scooting over to join her at her side, she looped an arm around Mei reassuringly.Mei Lien was quiet for some time, but leaned into her mother's calming embrace. After a while, once she felt a bit more composed, she spoke up softly. "I've...been gone a while then, haven't I?"Takeko frowned, but nodded in reply. "Yes, dear. A long while.""I can tell. Everything is so different. Everyone is different. It's just...so much..."Giving her daughter a gentle squeeze, she began stroking her hair, the same as she used to do when the younger would wake in the middle of the night as a child, troubled by bad dreams. "And you have all the time you need, honey. We'll take this slowly. You'll stay here with me; I still have your old room available. Whenever you're ready, we'll start, one step at a time. Okay?"She turned to cling to the angel, relaxing in her embrace. "In that case," she said, slightly muffled by the hug, "If it's alright...could I...maybe go lay down for a while? It's...kinda' been a long day.""Of course, sweetie," Takeko chuckled warmly. "Let's go get you settled in."*****
[FIN]
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